Happy Birthday, Solanne!

Mummy remembers one year ago...

At least for the first birthday, I think it's appropriate to celebrate both the day labour started and the day Solanne was born. So yesterday was full of memories.

October 23, 2004, started out with plans for a fun-packed Saturday. We were invited to Nick and Naomi's for brunch. It was going to be our first time having their crepes, and we had no idea that they make the world's best! So our little family of three woke that morning and slowly got ready.

I was getting tired of being big and pregnant. I was still 8 days away from my due date (which was Oct 31), but I was getting impatient. Maïa had been 3 weeks early, so I actually felt like I was overdue. So, I invented the "get out-get out-getout!!" dance, which involved chanting "get out!" and jumping up and down. Maïa, then a toddler just developing language, thought it was hilarious, so she joined in. She would continue to do the "get out!" dance for months to come!

We gave Maïa a light breakfast and I had a snack, and we headed out for brunch. We had a fantastic time with Nick and Naomi. The crepes were amazing, and they spoiled us with unbelievable topings: berries, maple syrup, brown sugar, chocolate sauce, cheese... we ate our fill and then some. We visited with them for part of the afternoon and then headed home. We had to go pick up our organics basket at the Byward Fruit Market. Because when you're that pregnant, you never know when you'll have time to do the things that need to be done.

So later that afternoon, we took a walk to the BFM, which at the slow pace of a pregnant woman, was about a 30-minute walk from home. While we were there, and Derek was chatting with our favourite merchants (Isaac and Myriam), I started feeling a little crampy. But I quickly realised that these were no cramps: they would come and go, at regular intervals (about 3 or 4 minutes between). I wasn't very friendly as Myriam said good-bye (I was in the middle of a mild contraction).

As we walked home, I told Derek that I thought this was it. His eyes widened. Really? Yes. And we smiled the whole way home (even through the contractions). We were finally going to meet this little Solanne person, who had had a name for months, but no face to go with it (at least, none that we could see!).

When we finally got home, I paged our midwife and told her what was going on (6pm?). She said that since the contractions were mild, I should just hang tight, relax, and call her if anything changed. So I called my mom and asked her to come (she was going to take care of Maïa while we were birthing Solanne). She was excited and worried she wouldn't make it in time: "the contractions are only 3 minutes apart? Get to the hospital!!" I still smile at her nervousness. I was way cooler that she was... But she had had really fast births, so I understand where it was coming from.

Just after my mom arrived, my midwife called back (7pm?). She had a feeling I should get to the hospital sooner rather than later. Since the contractions were so close together (though mild) and I was gbs positive, I should get the antibiotics into me as soon as possible. It turns out to have been a good hunch.

I got to the hospital around 8 pm, still in light labour, the kind you can walk around in, talk through, laugh through. That all changed pretty quickly. Within an hour, I was into active labour. Serious breathing and focusing. Some complaining. Some whining (I admit it). Derek, knowing what I needed from him, was fantastic. He cheered me through contractions, congratulated me at the end of each one. When it was time to push, he counted through the pushes. His voice, each number, helped me focus enough to get through. And once, when he forgot to count, I yelled at him to COUNT!! And I got through the push...

Active labour is kind of a blur. All I remember is looking at the clock at some point, and realising it was past midnight and that Solanne would be born on the 24th. I'm told that I was in active labour for less than four hours. I pushed for about 40 minutes. This is short for a first vaginal birth (Maïa was c-section because she was in frank breech). The placenta was delivered 25 minutes later, while I held my little girl in my arms.

She was beautiful. I had been on my knees for the delivery, so she came out from behind. I couldn't see her! Derek assured me she was cute... the cord was too short to do much maneuvering, so they had to cut it before I could turn around and hold her. She was gorgeous. Her round eyes were wide open. These deep, dark pools looked up at me with this amazing, wise look. I thought she would come out with a sort of questioning look, but it was like she had more answers than questions. I can hardly describe it... But she looked at me, and she knew me. And I was in love.

She latched on and nursed right away. She scored a perfect 10 on the Apgar (a test of newborns, concerning colour, breathing, etc). She was 6 lbs, 13 oz. She was strong and healthy.

We got to our room around 4:20 am. I couldn't stop holding her, looking at her. I was elated, on the most amazing high I've ever had. I had my little girl. Our family was complete. We were finally all together, on the outside. And I could finally hold my little Solanne. I put her down in the basinette next to my bed and tried to sleep. But I couldn't. I was exhilirated. I couldn't stop smiling.

Box Yoga and the Monkey Brush

Though not a mainstay in the household, yoga is an activity that the parents do and have endeavored to teach Maïa (and Solanne, to a limited extent). Maïa is adept at the half lotus, downward dog, cobra, and a few variations on other favourites. So when Solanne started to empty out short, stout toyboxes so she could sit in them, cross-legged, Dad began calling it "box yoga." It's a running joke in the house: "Uh-oh, Solanne is up to her box yoga again!"

Maïa, not to be outdone, has invented her own yoga position: the Monkey Brush. It looks somewhat like a push-up (arms extended), but with the feet resting on the futon in the office. It looks nothing like a monkey or a brush, but somehow, the name is fitting (besides, do you really look like a mountain when you do The Mountain in yoga?). Maïa has taught both parents to do the Monkey Brush, often on demand. But Maïa is still the best at it. It takes some skill to master it, and who better but the creator of the move to do it perfectly?

a note on pictures...

A number of avid readers of this blog have been a little confused. It had been mentioned that the blog would contain photos of the girls. The pics are coming, but they are not quite yet available. As the "blogmaster", I assure you that I will post them as soon as I have them. I apologise for any confusion...

chat, cat, gatto, katz, kitty, minou...

No matter what you call them, they are Solanne's favourite animal.

A few weeks ago, she and her family spent the weekend at her grandparents' house in the country where there are a number of semi-tamed outdoor cats. When Solanne discovered the furry creatures, she was fascinated. The moved! They made funny sounds! The crawled around at her level! But best of all, they had fur everywhere!! This is an important fact for a little girl who loves to touch hair — she can't get enough of it. So she spent the weekend convincing the adults in the house (and there were plenty: two parents, two grandparents, two aunties, and two uncles) to walk with her. And when she had the adult in her grips (literally), she would lead her or him to the door, tap it hard, and make a "purring" sound. She wanted to go outside and visit with the cats — again.

Solanne came home after that weekend and sought out all the cats in her house: stuffed animals, pictures in books, figurines... she found them all. One would never have guessed that there would be that many cats to be found, but there they were. Now, Solanne's best friend is a stuffed cat named "vanille". She is comforted by its presence and happy to see it. And if it's not around, she calls it by making her special purring sound (she makes the sound by making her lips vibrate. It's a kind of raspberry sound).

So when Solanne's first word came out two weeks ago, it was no surprise to anyone that it was "chat."

Tantrums!!!

The so-called "terrible twos" are nearing their end for Maïa, and the tantrums, which marked the first few months of her twos, have returned with a vengeance. She had been stressed out for a number of weeks with small toilet-related accidents and high expectations from her parents. Once they layed off, the accidents tapered off and the tantrums began. Perhaps the two are not connected, and there may well be other circumstances that are stressing her out and causing her to blow a fuse.

And these are not the simple screaming tantrums: these are full-body, full-on meltdowns. Screaming, kicking, writhing... she stops short at foaming at the mouth. And most people who know her would say, "no way! Not Maïa!" Indeed... Alas, yes, Maïa. The otherwise gentle, calm, intense little girl has her mother's temper. And when it goes, well, all hell breaks loose. So mother and daughter are working together through it all. And just like her mother, Maïa is afraid of her own anger. She won't even say, "I'm angry." She will readily admit to being happy, sad, surprised, excited, but not angry. Ironically, Maïa's anger has hit its peak while her mother's has diminished a great amount.

Not to be left out, Solanne has begun her own sort of baby tantrum. When she doesn't get her way (which, in her opinion, is often), she tenses up her little body and lets out a growlly scream. A little writhing sometimes ensues. Luckily, she is easily distracted, so the tantrums are relatively short lived.

Ah, the sweet joys of childhood.

Milestone: walking

After a number of weeks of taking tentative single steps and months of cruising around furniture, Solanne finally decided that it was time to take the plunge. On Saturday, despite a runny nose and general discontent, Solanne walked across the livingroom amid cheers, laughter, wonder, and tears of joy.

So now, she is upright. Her parents were warned not to encourage it: that it would lead to more trouble and more running around on their part. But, in fact, it has resulted in less whining by Solanne. Now, instead of pleading with any adult in sight to take her hands so that she can lead them around the house to where she wants to go (because, really crawling had become below her, given that she knew what it was like to stand), she can just crawl over to any sturdy piece of furniture (or wall, or person), grab on, stand, and just walk off.

Of course, there is some falling involved, but Solanne has become comfortable with it. In fact, her realisation that falling wasn't to be feared but embraced as a normal part of success, may have been her inspiration to finally get going on her own. She was so afraid of failure that she never tried in the first place. Now, she knows that she can deal with the setbacks: she just has to get up and try again.

Maïa's quote of the week

This was a totally un-coached and un-solicited comment...

"Uncle Nick is a stinko because he's a man."
-Maïa

The bathing cap

Today Maïa had her first weekly swim time at preschool. After spending the summer swimming in her grandparents' pool and her great-grandparents' pool, Maïa had become quite adept at "1-2-3-jump!" She was looking forward to going "swimming."

So, today she headed off to preschool with her swimsuit, a towel, and a bathing cap in her tiny backpack. You will note, however, that this bathing cap is no ordinary affair. No... It is a bright azure blue cap, with yellow, pink, and orange tropical flowers. Her mother, who could not keep a straight face when looking at Maïa with said cap on, pictured some elegant yet ostentatious blue-haired lady who will never have the pleasure of wearing the cap to her weekly swim. The cap, of course, was chosen by Maïa, who adamantly defended her right to keep her first choice... You gotta love preschoolers.

Welcome!

Since Maïa and Solanne's webmaster has very little time to dedicate to creating an entire website, the two sisters must content themselves with this weblog to keep all their friends and family abreast of their activities.

In the coming weeks and months, they hope to let their loved ones in on what's going on with them, how they're growing, and what trouble they've managed to create for their unsuspecting parents (well, their parents do indeed suspect quite a bit, but sometimes they are caught unawares).

So stay tuned...