Here's to Anneka

I love Anneka! Maybe it's being away from her so much but, no matter how exhausted I am, I love being around her...and I have so much more patience for those two year old tantrums.

She is singing so many songs...pat-a-cake to the baby, five little monkeys, abc's and 123's. She can recite a couple of her books on her own...she does all of Brown Bear, What Do You See?, while turning the pages and pointing to the lines. She loves to play doctor and makes me be the patient. She checks my heartbeat and Baby's heart beat, my ears, eyes, nose and asks me if, afterward, I feel better. I often catch her playing "doctor" with her dolls as well, chatting away and making up all kinds of games on her own. I think she's learned a lot about play and also about independence at daycare. She seems to really enjoy going to daycare from Monday straight through Thursday. She loves to draw - she draws circles for bodies and stick arms and legs around them, though they don't usually connect. She uses the whole paper drawing little things all over it. It is very focused and each stroke seems to have a purpose, and she talks about what she's drawing.

She's a pretty damn happy little thing, although she still whines and cries easily when she doesn't get what she wants. We really try not to reinforce this behaviour by giving in but she is SO persistant. She can be a bit aggressive and selfish around other kids. She does love kids and seems to make friends easily, but she does push and isn't too good at sharing yet. She loves to play with older girls, especially her cousin Amelia. They play so well together, with Amelia engaging Anneka in all kinds of new make-believe games. The latest one has been school. Anneka worships Amelia (who wouldn't?) and goes along with most everything. Last Sunday they played together ALL DAY without a single argument! But, Anneka's no push over. As Gamma says, "she's not afraid to stand up to anyone" and she knows PRECISELY what she wants.

She's also got a really hardly constitution. She gets through illnesses quickly and they are usually short lived - except the snotty noses. I was like that as a kid, too, never getting quite as sick as most of the kids around me. Actually, it wasn't until a I had a kid myself that I became more prone to illness. Still, I'm working on building back that healthy immune system. Of course kids bring all kinds of stuff into the house, but I've also spent my share of time in schools.

Anneka is really a rock in a lot of ways. She's still as solid a night time sleeper as ever, although she's been getting up earlier (between 7 and 7:30 most days with the occasional 8am "sleep in"). Those glorious summer days of sleeping in are long gone. She still sleeps in a crib, and I'm going to leave her in it until she asks to change. She will. She's asked to be out of a pull up at night. She says it's "too ouchy" and that she's a "big girl now" and takes it off. So, she's been entirely diaper free for three days now. She waits until the morning to pee. She has an amazing bladder, which I wish she'd inherited from me! Although still hard to understand at times (although I get most of what she says) she is getting much clearer to strangers and speaks in long sentences and even paragraphs. I think this ability to communicate makes her really happy and a lot less frustrated than she otherwise could get.

So this post is a quick little tribute to Annekins...of course we do go through rough patches, but lately it's been so fun. I love you baby! (I mean, big girl - sorry!) And I just wanted to say "Thank You" for being so cooperative during this busy time of working as much as possible, renovating and growing a baby. You are going to be an amazing BIG SISTER!

get shot or not?

My doctor is over sixty and remembers family members and family friends getting sick and even dieing from polio and diptheria. She has a real appreciation for vaccines and their ability to save lives. I'd say she's even passionate about it. Yes, I am from a generation that takes vaccines for granted and even has the luxury to refuse them and not get sick. When the majority of the population has been vaccinated, the likelihood of getting a potentially debilitating or fatal disease is greatly diminished. So, the logic is why take the risk of you or your child having some adverse reaction or becoming developmentally impaired by having the vaccine? The rest of the population can take the risk.

When I travel, I don't question getting myself vaccinated for Hepatitis A, B, Thypoid, or Yellow Fever. The chance of contracting one of these diseases is real, and I'd rather take my chances on a vaccine then give up traveling. We chose to give Anneka all the regular vaccines on the prescribed schedule. We want to travel with her, and these vaccinations have stood the test of time (with the exception of the chicken pox vaccine). We'll do the same with our second child.

Why then, do I always turn down the flu vaccine and have, so far, refused the H1N1 vaccine? I think it's for similar reasons as my doctor feels strongly about vaccinations. When I was a kid, we all got the flu. People got the flu, you had a fever, puked, whatever; but you got over it pretty quick. And that was it. It wasn't a big deal. Although flues do kill, they never harmed anyone around me. And so I always felt the flu shot was a bit of a waste for the general population. But, maybe it's not? If you vaccinate the herd, those that slip through also gain some protection.

Probably the main reason I haven't got the H1N1 flu vaccine, is because we think it already swept through our household (as I mentioned in a previous post). I'd be willing to put money on it, but I'd still be gambling.

Is there any harm in getting the vaccine regardless? Probably not. And I would like to make sure this little baby (coming in February) is not exposed to flu-like illnesses so early in its life.

Sick Again; Sick With Men

Aargh. I hope it's not the dreaded Swine flu. It feels more like a cold. Just started yesterday.

Had a really good high-energy week, until yesterday. Then also started feeling really irritated with men in general. It's not so much Paul, it's men. But he fits that category. I'm working today, he's gone skiing, Anneka has been dropped at a friend's. Then, Kiki's first birthday party this evening.

I think I'm almost 28 weeks pregnant - or is it 27? Little Baby is sitting low and using my bladder as an exercise ball. I guess I'm in my third trimester already. Also I'm starting to feel Baby's hiccups quite frequently - again like Anneka - and baby hangs out in a similar position as Anneka did. Head down and on my left, butt to the left and above my belly button and feet probing my right ribs (but lower). Perfect position; good baby.

I've beem feeling disenchanted with my prenatal care - the mid-wifery care I got during my first pregnancy is hard to measure up to. Midwives do not have authority to practice in our Squamish hospital and so there are no practicing midwives up here. Gloria Lemay will come up to deliver home births and make house calls in Squamish but not during mid-winter...who could blame her? The Olympic hub-bub will be starting, or underway, when this baby is due, so I'm not sure I want to tackle the highway to Vancouver myself. So, I settled with my doctor's care and delivery in our local hospital. But, as I said, I haven't been too pleased with the care I've been receiving.

Let me just say, I like my doctor very much, even if she is some what verbose - a bit more of a speaker than a listener. She's older and a very experienced maternity doctor. She's a self confident, strong-minded woman, and kind. She's been through a lot herself, seen changes in obsetrics through the years, and is an advocate for women. I hope she will be an advocate for me; but I have not had a conversation about my birth expectations with her yet.

It's not really her; it's the clinic and the system. She does rounds at the hospital, she does shifts at the walk in clinic, plus she has all her regular patients/clients. She is not confined to four scheduled births a month, as with midwives. The prenatal appointment after my 18 week ultrasound, did not produce my ultrasound results. I had to remind my doctor that they should be ready - but during the time I was there, they did not appear. Contrast: my midwife called me to give me a quick run down on results (ie. nothing to worry about) and told me we would go over them in detail during my next visit. I have not been called about the results since then.

Since then, I missed an appointment. Totally slipped my mind. At work that evening, I was scheduling items in my agenda, and realized this. I was never contacted by the clinic to see why... or by my doc. Shouldn't she be concerned? Later that week when I called the clinic to check in and say that I wouldn't reschedule (my doc books 6 weeks in advance anyway) I asked about the ultrasound report. Yes, they had it, No, my doctor would not be calling me about it. I know there is nothing out of the ordinary in it, as the tech at the hospital was wonderful and told us about all she was seeing and said everything looked fabulous etc. etc.; it's just a formality, but important to me.

So, I have been reconsidering my options. I began considering the drive to Vancouver; contacted Gloria. Then I had a conversation with a coworker who raved about my doctor. This woman who has lived here for decades, said she was the best maternity doctor. Everyone loved her. She'd be there for you anytime...and on and on. Hmmmm. Maybe I'll give her another try and have that timely conversation with her.

It would be so much easier to have the baby here in our little local hospital ... or maybe my doctor, the independent, strong-minded woman, would come to my house? Everyone likes our hospital. Less patients; more attention. Could be sweet.

I feel much better. I don't think I have H1N1, and I've really enjoyed this time at the computer with my coffee in a quiet house. Scratchy throat, runny nose, but clear mind, and strong body.

Now I just have to get over this thing with men I'm having; it's probably a good thing I just watched the last episode of Mad Men...I don't think it was helping!!