Maxson is Here!

Maxson Dean, our perfect baby boy, was born Sunday, November 14th at 2:59 pm. It was an absolutely gorgeous, sunny, brisk Calgary day. Ben and I watched a spectacular sunrise from our balcony while I was in early labor, and I just knew that this was our baby's day to finally join us. His timing was perfect, because the next day brought a snow storm, and a few days later Calgary was recorded as the second-coldest place in the world (only behind the South Pole), so we have loved being cozy at home with Max!

He weighed in at 6 pounds 14 ounces and 20.5 inches long (he is already taking after his dad with long legs and big feet and hands!) My labor was long, but it was amazing. I feel so incredibly lucky to not only have a healthy baby boy, but that I also had the birth experience of my dreams. I am so proud to say that it was 100% natural from start to finish. I have the most amazing husband in the world, who was - and continues to be - my rock through everything, easing me through the early stages of labor so that I was able to cope. I am amazed to say that the thought of an epidural or any other sort of pain management NEVER crossed my mind!

Labor is not as bad as everybody makes it out to be. Yes, it is VERY hard work, but if you have the frame of mind and a great support team, which I am so lucky to have had, it can be totally manageable. Not only was Ben calm, soothing and so strong for me, but I also had a doula, Leanne, who gave me the extra boost of strength and positivity that I needed as I entered the final stages.

Our midwife team was beyond anything I could have hoped for - nurturing, efficient, calm and so encouraging. And finally, bringing Max into the world in a birth center rather than a hospital is an opportunity I will be forever grateful for. During his first moments in this world, he was surrounded by a cozy environment with calm, nurturing people around, our favorite music and a relaxed mom and dad - I was oblivious, but Ben tells me that "Amber," a lovely, mellow song by the band 311, was playing when Max was born, so clearly that song now has new meaning for us!!

Without any drugs in my system, Max arrived wide-eyed and incredibly alert! Shortly after delivery, I was able to take a bath with Max, and we relaxed together and he had his first meal. He was awake for HOURS after his birth, just looking at the world all around - most babies fall asleep after one hour, so we treasured that extra time to bond with him.

Life is forever changed, and I am so, so happy for it. I never could have imagined the love I feel for Max and how overwhelming and all-encompassing that is.

Nursery!

If anybody is interested in more photos of the nursery, check out this blog post!

Eeny Meeny may make an appearance any day now, so luckily everything seems to be ready (as ready as you can ever be for parenthood, I suppose)!

Here I am at about 37 weeks, one week ago. It looks like I will make it to 38 weeks - I wonder how much longer after that before we get to meet our sweet Eeny Meeny!

Maternity Leave!

As I sit on my couch on this sunny fall morning, cuddling with Bosco and enjoying my second day of maternity leave, I must admit that I am a very happy preggo, and finally have a moment to reflect on some things...

I recently read in one of my many pregnancy books (I couldn't tell you which one!) that women today are squeezing pregnancy into their busy lives, rather than re-arranging things a bit to allow for the many unexpected aspects of growing a baby for ten months!

In this regard, I feel so grateful to be in Canada, where birth and motherhood are valued enough to offer women a real chance at caring for their babies, and where public health means that we have not once had to worry about the what-ifs of childbirth. Women here are given a full YEAR of maternity leave, and for the duration of that year, the government provides me, even as a non-citizen with a work permit, with 55% of my salary. Many companies will even top up salary for a few months.

Ben and I have always known that when we were ready to have kids, there was no way I could handle only six to 12 weeks at home with our baby - in the States, during that formative first year of a baby's life, you really are forced to choose between being a mother or keeping your career, and this seems so wrong to me! I'm not saying all women should take a year of maternity leave, but they should at least have the choice to take longer than a few months and still return to a job afterward. To me, maternity care is a totally overlooked aspect of women's rights in the US. Anyway, I will get off my soapbox now :)

Aside from the logistics of pregnancy, I am just feeling so content at the moment - the debilitating back pain of last week has passed (now that Baby has dropped into position) and the hip pain that I'm told strikes at the end of pregnancy has not yet overtaken me, so I must be in some sort of brief sweet spot! Eeny Meeny is very active still (maybe it's all the Halloween candy, oops!), and every little kick, even if it's to the bladder, makes me melt.

I'm 36 1/2 weeks along, so Ben and I are eagerly awaiting Eeny Meeny's arrival, but also feeling grateful for each day that he or she stays put, growing bigger and stronger with each moment that passes!

Another perk of maternity leave? I've finally finished Eeny Meeny's nursery! Here's a peek at it - I'll post more photos on facebook for those who are interested :)