.Candid

It's been a bit of whirlwind week! Last Sunday at this time I was feeling a little funny, in pain, and wondering if something was happening. Fast forward to 5:26AM on Monday, March 9 and our beautiful baby boy was born! Welcome to the world, Kendrick Peter Gene!

Many people have asked where we came up with the name Kendrick, and honestly after looking through hundreds of baby names it kind of just came to me. I asked Brian what he thought and he's says "I don't mind that". That was the very first name that we both didn't veto right away as we were having trouble agreeing on names, and then it started to grow on us as the months went by. We did have a couple others and didn't make the final decision until about an hour after he was born when we both had the chance to take a good look at him. The middle names are after his grandpas which unfortunately passed away before he was born.

I'll be candid for a moment and tell you that actual labour was terrifying. Pregnancy itself was very scary for me (mostly due to me being paranoid), and I was thankful that after the first trimester things evened out a bit and I felt a lot better.  

We'll start off from a week ago. I woke up in the morning feeling not so great. I was feeling pain and it was getting really hard to walk from all the pressure on my pelvis. I was fairly confident that the baby had "dropped" completely, which means that labour could start any time. Being only three days away from my due date I hadn't had any other signs of labour so I was starting to wonder if I was going to be overdue. Despite this, the last few weeks I had a feeling that the baby would be coming around the due date so I wasn't really sure what to think. We made a quick trip to Costco that morning and then a stop at Buy Buy Baby to pick up some last minute things for the baby. After that we had a visit with friends, and Brian installed the car seat in his car. I started to notice that my pain was getting worse and seemed to be coming and going. For some reason I thought contractions would be a lot higher in the belly than they were, so I didn't actually start timing them until about 5:30. I used an app called "CTX Timer" (honestly, what would we do without technology these days) to try and track them and find out a pattern. They started out being 7-8 minutes apart and then got farther apart but more intense. This is when we decided to slowly start preparing in case we needed to go to the hospital. We both took showers, made sure the hospital bags were ready to go, and did some last minute de-cluttering. By the time we started to get ready for bed the contractions were around 5-6 minutes apart and I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep. Brian called the Labour and Delivery at the hospital and explained what was going on, and they said we were welcome to come in for an assessment so we decided to go and check it out. Just as we were leaving the house the contractions started to get 2-3 minutes apart - and at that point I was very grateful we only lived three minutes away from the hospital!  Upon arrival they did some initial checks and let us know that I was 3CM dilated and they were going to keep me. If reality hadn't set in initially it sure set in then! We then got wheeled to a private room where I pretty much had to be monitored constantly and wait for labour to progress. 

We had prepared to be in labour for awhile since the average for first time moms is usually pretty long (I believe they told us in prenatal classes it was around 20 hours), however mine was progressing really fast. An hour and a half later I was at 6CM and the contraction pain was pretty tough. I finally gave in and asked for an epidural. I really wanted to try to have a natural birth, however I am well aware of my pain tolerance and actually a little impressed with how far I made it. After reading me all the things that can go wrong (similar to the end of drug commercials on American channels), they proceeded and it was a huge relief. When I couldn't feel the contractions anymore I was able to nap on and off. All of a sudden I was at 9.5CM and that's when things stalled. They topped up my epidural and I feel like gave me too much because after that point I couldn't feel anything from the stomach down, nor could I move. Every time I had a contraction the baby's heart rate was going down, so the doctors were getting concerned. Although he was head down, he was facing upward instead of downward so they constantly tried to move him around. It took awhile and they finally got him turned, but at that point he wasn't moving when I tried to push. It came to the point where the doctor finally said that for the safety of both of us, they'd need to perform an emergency c-section. Although I knew this always could have been an option, I wasn't really prepared and I was scared. Again, the doctor went through the pros and cons and then got me to sign a waiver saying it was ok. As I got wheeled into the operating room they made Brian wait outside until they were ready to start, and that was the worst because he'd been holding my hand the whole time. I could tell he was just as terrified as I was but he was trying to stay strong for me. They finally let him in after he put on scrubs and again had to top up my epidural so I wouldn't feel anything. Thankfully they put up a curtain so I couldn't actually see what was going on (which I'm very thankful for as I think I would have passed out if they didn't). I swear less than two minutes passed and the baby was being rushed over to a table near by with three doctors hovering around him. We both didn't understand why he wasn't crying. That's what happens in the movies right? The baby is born and immediately starts crying? His eyes were wide open and his chest was moving but he wasn't making a sound and we were both terrified. They had a tube down his throat and we found out later that when babies are born by c-section they are usually in shock, so they have to pump out some mucus that was in his lungs. He finally started to make noise and the nurses turned to us and said that everything was ok and he's happy and healthy and that he was one of the most adorable babies they had ever seen. *Insert sigh of relief here*

Although my experience was scary, it certainly isn't the same for everyone; if anything I've learned that every pregnancy and labour experience is different. Me personally, I hope that I never have to go through a C-Section again! I was very lucky that there was only six hours between arriving at the hospital and giving birth, and I am also extremely lucky that I have one incredible husband who slept on a bench for four days, stayed by my side in the hospital and has been so hands on and supportive through this experience! And when they say that you'll forget all the pain once you get to hold your baby for the very first time, that is 100% true. We couldn't be more thankful for our bundle of joy. :)

Besides my butt being ridiculously sore from having to stay in a hospital bed in almost the same position for four days straight, the staples were removed off my incision yesterday and I'm feeling pretty mobile. The nurse says it's healing really well, so hopefully it stays that way! My belly is slowly shrinking and I've lost 13 lbs. Woo hoo! I'm still on painkillers for the time being, but the pain is starting to get less and less so hopefully by the end of the week I'll be lowering the dosage or off them completely. I'm very thankful that Brian was able to get a few extra days off so we can go through this learning curve together and spend time with the little man! I'm looking forward to leaving the house at some point this week - I've been pretty stir-crazy and I know I'm missing all the beautiful weather!

Life is busy but looking forward to blogging a little more often this year. Stay tuned! :)

xo
-Dianne

PS. Talked to the nurse and she said I could talk to the doctor at the six week mark and discuss when I could get back to running and being active again. YAY. I have April 20th circled on the calendar and hope I heal up nicely so I can slowly get back into things. For now, she said I can walk if I feel up to it, so if the weather stays nice Kendrick & I may go exploring in the neighbourhood.

.Update

Ok, so June got away from me a little bit. What a crazy month! Between school twice a week, slo-pitch starting up, trying out a new five day a week half marathon program, training for 25K in one day, work and life in general, things have been a little nuts! I didn't mean to go this long without writing so it's time to catch up.

On June 14th, I ran two fundraising races! The first one was called "Run For Your Dad" and it started in Louise McKinney Park in Edmonton and weaved around the river valley. It was a 15K and I raised over $1500 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation and even won 3rd place in fundraising! I absolutely killed it. I felt really good throughout the race, and besides the hills I ran most of it. According to my Nike+ app, I ran 9.45 miles in 1:44:16 - and if I kept that pace for a full half I would have beat my half marathon time by a lot! I also ran my fastest 10K ever in this stretch! I was pretty happy with myself - very sore, but happy I completed it. That one was for you, Dad!

Also on the 14th, I ran in the Underwear Affair, which is a 10K to raise money for cancers below the waist. I ran this one in memory of my aunt/god mother Carmela Amelio-McCaw and was able to raise $1000 for this cause. Even after running the 15K in the morning, I still managed to complete the 10K in a decent time (for me anyways): 1:10:56. Another big one was that I could still move the day after! Usually after 1/2 marathons I'm pretty sore for a few days (after my very first one, my hubby had to push me out of the airport in a wheelchair, I was so sore I couldn't move!) but I recovered very well this time - this gives me hope that not only my running but my endurance is improving as well!

I decided that my running was going so well, why not enter one more this summer? So I entered the Canada Day Road Race on July 1st. Getting up and being at the legislature grounds at 7:00AM proved to be a bit of a challenge, but I think this race was my favorite race of the summer! As much as I love the river valley, I am used to running in residential areas and on main sidewalks, so this race was perfect! The route went over Groat Road, through Hawrelak Park, and through the university area of Edmonton and it was awesome! There were a few nasty hills, including one at the very end, but I actually improved my 15K time by running in 1:43:55! I'm thrilled with this time! Made for a tiring rest of the day but completely worth it.

This past Saturday, July 5th, I was able to run the Color Me Rad race in Edmonton, and then also the Spartan Sprint! I was pumped to do Color Me Rad as last year I had to pull out because I sprained my ankle the week before. My friends had a blast so I was eager to try it again. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I guess I had higher hopes - the race didn't feel like a 5K at all, and the color idea was cool, but some of the stations weren't even stocked. Fun idea, but I think that will be the first and last time I do that race. The Spartan Sprint on the other hand was a lot of fun. Although the parking was disorganized, the race itself was way better organized than last year. And no running up and down rabbit hill four times (that's definitely what killed me last year). I'm still waiting for the final results, but I'm pretty confident that I did better than the year before. There was a nasty storm the night before so the mud was disgusting - but it feels so rewarding to finish!

In between these runs, I was going to school part time taking a philosophy class. Philosophy is not really my thing, but it was an option course that I had to take as I'm working towards my marketing degree! I'm still about 8 classes away, so I decided to take a summer class this summer, which proved to take up a ton of time! I also started up slo-pitch again, and although at the start I couldn't full blown run because of my groin injury, I was still able to play. I really love slo-pitch. Did I mention I was playing ball hockey as well? Our Sunday night ball hockey team won the Rec Plus division in the Edmonton Sport & Social Club! WOOP! That was a lot of fun too. I was running 3-4 times a week in the morning trying my best to following the Nike+ 1/2 marathon coaching program as well, and was blessed with really nice weather thankfully!

I had one more race planned for the summer, and it was the Edmonton 1/2 marathon happening on August 24th. I still have some time to think about it but I think I'm going to cut down on my training for now. As much as I love the coaching program I'm doing, I have some nagging injuries that just don't seem to want to get better. My groin injury completely went away, but then somehow came back, and although it doesn't bother me when I'm running, it tends to bother me when I complete one. I also still have a bit of an ankle injury that I have to go back to physio for. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I can't fully point my toe or stand on my tippy toes, which means I've been avoiding heels for the last couple weeks. This also doesn't bother me while I'm running but seems to bother me afterward so I'm doing more damage than good. I'm going to continue running 5-6 miles a couple times a week to keep it up, and see how I feel in a few weeks and then make a final decision on the Edmonton half. Although I'm disappointed it's been a fabulous racing summer for me and I'm already looking forward to finding some fun races to do next year! :)

I'm also heading to Orlando in 8 more sleeps, and couldn't be more excited to hang out with my Stella & Dot family. Speaking of Stella & Dot - I noticed I've reached over 1000 views! Thank you SO much for reading my blog! I've decided to hold a summer contest, see details below:

1) Share my blog on your Facebook page or twitter
2) Pick a day & book your summer Stella & Dot trunk show with me (you can email me at DianneCK39@gmail.com and reference this blog post)! Our new collection is launching in mid-July and I'd love to earn you some of it for free!
BONUS: Refer someone who books a trunk show before August 31st and you'll get a bonus entry into the draw!

When completed. The winner will receive a FREE engravable name bar! You can engrave it with whatever you like! Your name or initials, children's names, someone special to you, a cool word that means something to you, etc - your choice!

Small print: you must live within a 30 minute radius from the greater Edmonton area to be able to enter this contest.

That's all for now!

xo,
Dianne