Turning Two

Today is Liam’s second birthday.

Here’s a brief account of his birth, which I wrote for his baby book:

On Friday, September 3^rd, Daddy and I were watching a movie at the Baker’s when I started to have regular contractions. We went back to Mamma & Papa’s after the movie and went to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. I got up and paced downstairs, keeping track of the frequency and duration of each contraction. Sometime after midnight, I decided it was time to go to the hospital. I got Daddy up and we drove to the Montfort. It was a very uncomfortable drive!

When we arrived at the hospital, the nurse told us I could not be admitted, because I was only dilated to 1cm. We didn’t want to go all the way back to Embrun, so we snuck into Great-Grandma’s house while she was sleeping. In the morning, she was surprised to see visitors in her house!

I only slept from about 5-7am on Saturday morning, so I was very tired that day. The contractions had kept me up all night, but slowed down during the day. Nana & Papa and some other members of Daddy’s family were in town and we had plans to go out for dinner with them that evening. Nothing seemed to have progressed, so we met them at their hotel as planned, and walked together to a nearby Italian restaurant for a lovely meal. My contractions started up again around 5pm, and by the time dinner was over, things seemed to be in full swing. I had to stop talking and focus on my breathing during each one, which made me hopeful that this was the real thing! We said goodbye to everyone right after dessert and went back to Great-Grandma’s where I could be more comfortable while we waited for you. We watched Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and when it ended, I decided it was time to make another trip to the hospital.

To my great disappointment, I still couldn’t be admitted! I had labored for so long and nothing had changed! The nurse gave me some medicine to help me sleep, and Daddy took me back to Great-Grandma’s, tired and tearful. I did manage to sleep for a few hours, but was awoken again by contractions. I decided to draw a bath, and spent several hours in Great-Grandma’s tub.

On Sunday morning, I called Mamma & Papa and asked them to come to Great-Grandma’s to be with us. They came after church and made a nice breakfast, but I couldn’t eat anything. I was still in the tub at that point, but decided that if I didn’t get out then, you might just be born right there! So I mustered all my strength and courage, and Daddy and I made our third trip to the hospital, just after noon. This time we stayed.

By the time we got to our hospital room, I was at 4cm. I was so tired and the contractions so painful that I decided to have an epidural. The anesthesiologist happened to be available right then, so I was quickly made more comfortable. When the pain went away I was able to get some much-needed rest.

I slept on and off for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Nana & Papa came in for a short visit, and Daddy stayed by my bedside to keep me company. Sometime in the evening, I started to feel pain again. The anesthesiologist came back to give me a boost of medicine, but the pain stayed.

Finally, it was time for you to come. I pushed and pushed, hoping that you would come out quickly! When your head came out, the doctor saw that your umbilical cord was around your neck, so he cut it right away. A couple more pushes and you came sailing out, at 12:52am on Monday, September 6^th. It happened so fast that it seemed to me you had flown right up into the doctor’s arms! You were immediately taken by the nurses, who had to check your lungs. Daddy and I waited and waited to hear you cry, holding our breath until we heard your voice. Then a nurse brought you to me and I saw your precious little face for the very first time. I felt so much love for you!

You had to go to another room then, so that the nurses could monitor your breathing, but they soon brought you back so that I could feed you. You latched on well – I was so proud of you! When you had eaten, they took you again, and finally brought you back to me around 5am on Monday morning. Daddy and I were so happy to see you and excited to finally start getting to know this beautiful little boy God had given us.

Day 1

As I await the birth of our second child, I can’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia at the close of these two years of belonging only to Liam. He will no longer be an only child, absorbing all the love and attention his Mommy and Daddy have to offer. Part of me worries that I’ll miss him – that my focus on the new baby will mean overlooking the wonderful little things about my first-born that now hold me spellbound… I’m sure that once James is born, I will realize how silly this concern is. Of course I’ll have enough love for both of them! Love is expansive, and grows to meet the need. No doubt these feelings will pass as soon as I hold my new baby in my arms and realize that my heart has grown more than I could have imagined. I suppose, then, the best way to channel what I’m feeling at the moment is to cherish these last few days of Liam’s only-childhood and give thanks for the boy who first made me a mother. 

4 months

12 months

20 months

23 months

Liam's Birthday Party

Photos courtesy of Jenna Gernon

Liam’s birthday is on September 6^th, but we chose to celebrate early this year, given his little brother’s imminent arrival. We threw a party on Saturday, September 1^st, attended by grandparents, great-grandparents, aunt, uncles, cousins, godparents, old friends and new friends. The party was our first opportunity to host such a large group in our new home (about 25 people), and both Brendan and I considered it to be a great success. It was fun to have a house full of people – to look around at various moments throughout the afternoon and see one smiling face after another. Liam seemed to enjoy himself too. He was revved up by the company of other kids, but not to the point of acting crazy or having a fit. A few times I noticed him pull away from all the activity to push his little cars along the edge of the sofa, as he does when he’s home alone with me. I took this to be an indication that although he enjoys being sociable, he needs a few moments of quiet every once in a while to regroup.

My favourite moment of the party was watching my boy beam as we sang Happy Birthday and brought him cupcakes. I didn’t expect him to realize we were singing to him, but he did. He stood on a chair at the table, smiling broadly, eyes alight with anticipation of dessert. I also enjoyed opening gifts with him and seeing the other kids swarm the tissue filled bags, eager to show Liam the things they were giving him. Once the gifts were open upstairs, we brought everyone down to the basement, where our gift to Liam – a train table – was set up. Brendan had covered the table with a sheet and once Liam came down, we unveiled it in front of him. He immediately knew what to do – the idea of the gift came from our many trips to Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s to play with the train table there. The other kids didn’t skip a beat – within seconds they were all crowded around the table playing with the trains and trucks.    

The house was quiet again before 9pm, and with Liam sound asleep and Brendan out to see a friend’s band, I had some time to myself before going to bed. I took the opportunity to jot down a few notes about Liam in his notebook and start a new one for James. These two years have gone by so quickly, and now my baby is about to become a big brother… I can’t wait to see him begin this new chapter of his life!