Lincoln and our family - by Up and Away Studios

Lincoln Victor Blaine Janzen - March 8, 2013

Meet Lincoln. He was born at 5:55 am on Friday, March 8, 2013. He was 8 lbs, 6 oz and 21 inches long. He is perfect.

How is it that I have such beautiful babies? This one is so handsome, he blows my mind. So in love.

My water broke on Thursday, March 7 at 4:30 pm while I was talking to my Mom on the phone. I was pretty sure I had peed my pants but then quickly realized that I am an adult and I think I have fairly decent bladder control, so I couldn't have. I texted Kevin and told him he should probably come home from work. I jumped in the shower (I am obsessive about clean hair) and tried to get throw all the last minute stuff together for the hospital. Water breaking was not how I imagined at all. If I have any future pregnancies, I will carry multiple towels and depends around with me at all times. It was unstoppable.

I called Labour and Delivery because I wasn't having contractions and I wasn't sure if I should bother coming in. Their response when I said my water broke an hour ago - "why aren't you here yet?". Oh. On our way!

Thank the Lord that my mother in law was still in town. She was literally scheduled to be on a plane within a few hours of my water breaking and I am so thankful she was able to be home with Livia. My biggest worry about all of this was leaving her (for the first time overnight, ever). She is a..... particular child and I wasn't sure she would do well with friends. Grandma being here totally calmed my fears and I could leave without worry. Such a blessing.

We arrived at the hospital at around 6:30 pm. It was strange driving there to have a baby when I still didn't feel like I was in labour at all. We were put in an assessment room and not seen for a good half hour. Not really the greatest start to the night when told, "Oh I hear you two were forgotten about back here".  Yeah, I'm just going to have a baby here, but no big deal! We went through two nurses who were ending their shift and somehow ended up with the gruff smoker nurse and her nursing student who was asked to do most of the work. I imagine because I'm a second time Mom that I am a good practice candidate for a student? Ugh. Smoker nurse didn't care about my queasy attitude about needles and allowed student nurse to almost kill me with her IV injection skills, all while talking about "juicy veins" and "pumping blood" - I could have died, fainted and puked right there. This is not dramatics speaking - I could have died.

By 8 pm I was all admitted and moved to my comfy room. Contractions were very inconsistent and not very strong at all. By 10:15, they had me on oxytocin to get things going, but it was still a very slow process. I was worried I would be there for days. Student nurse was very sweet but she was also very keen... She checked on me every 10 minutes to do another blood pressure reading, take my temperature and see how I was doing. Lovely girl.... but I couldn't rest for longer than 5, 10 minutes at a time. Do I sound like I am complaining? Probably because I am. I had such a beautiful, lovely experience with Livia and I expected the same this time around, and it just was not. It was a little bit disappointing, but I am so thankful to have had Kevin there, my rock! He slept. And snored. I was jealous. But still, my rock :)

At 1:45 am, the contractions were finally consistent and closer together. After so many hours of maybe every 5 or 7 minutes, they were suddenly 2.5 minutes apart and 45 seconds long. And strong. I had my epidural administered at 2:45 am. In the notes I was keeping throughout this labour, Kevin wrote, "2:45 am - epidural time. Legs warm." - Ha, I must have commented on that several times!

At 4 am the epidural wore off. I was freaking out because this happened last time and I ended up spending hours in pain that I was told so many times I wouldn't have to do. I was afraid that it had worn off within an hour and that I was still only 5 cm dilated. I was convinced it would be another Livia labour. I was shaking (but not cold, why does that happen?) and of course, I cried. Old Gruff and Student Nurse went on a break and a breathe of fresh air walked into the room - my new nurse. Finally, someone with bedside manner that I could relate to, and the experience (i.e. confidence) that student nurse just didn't have yet. I asked her if I could "keep her" and thankfully she ended up staying with me for the next couple of hours. I was so relieved to not have to be the practice patient anymore. They were even waiting to put my catheter in so that student nurse could have the practice - I couldn't handle it. Angel nurse took over.

Between 4 - 4:45 am, I laboured pretty hard. The top up took awhile to kick in and during those 45 minutes, I went from 5 cm to 9 cm and fully effaced. These were the 45 minutes that I gripped the bedside, cried a lot, and told Kevin we weren't going to be doing this ever again. I know that 45 minutes is nothing in comparison to what many women experience, but it was frustrating because I didn't choose to labour in pain - I wanted a painless birth. I. Hate. Pain. I. HAAAATE pain. Anyway, in the end, the epidural did kick in. I could still feel contractions and knew when to push. I could feel pressure and I could feel the baby moving as he came out. It was still incredible. But I am getting ahead of myself.

At 5:15 am (remember - an hour ago, I was only 5 cm dilated), baby was ready to enter the world. My amazing, incredible doctor was called. Angel nurse didn't want to get pushing started because he was so low (+2) and she was pretty sure he would be born within a few pushes. I didn't believe her, based on my first experience. She did allow me one "practice" push and then told me that we'd better wait. Baby was ready. My doctor arrived at about 5:40 am and her resident arrived 5 minutes after that. We chatted casually and I was in such great spirits. I have an incredible doctor.

At 5:45 am, I began pushing, with Kevin helping me out with my tree trunk leg - I literally could not feel a thing in my right leg.  He may have had a little bit of a closer look than he anticipated, but heck, he is an experienced Daddy now. I literally pushed during 3 contractions (3 pushes per contraction)... 10 minutes. People, I pushed this baby out in 10 minutes. It was the easiest thing I have ever done. My goodness. I love me an epidural! I had the most supportive, encouraging group of people around me, and even though it was so short, they made me feel like an absolute champion. I could not have had a better delivery experience! It was exactly what I had hoped for. Like I mentioned, I could feel enough that I knew when to push and could absolutely feel the baby moving through the whole experience - so incredible and beautiful. I loved that I could feel everything but have zero pain.

Lincoln Victor Blaine Janzen was born at 5:55 am. Our first few moments together were incredible. I am blown away by the greatness of this gift that has been given to me. He cried for only a minute and was far more interested in the big new world around him. He looked into my eyes and he knew me and I knew him. We are very in love. I was able to have him on me for a good hour after they cleaned him up and weighed him. He has beautiful dark hair (and a lovely hairline like his daddy!), super long, skinny legs, fingers and toes, and gorgeous, dark skin. He is extraordinarily handsome - be prepared for way too many pictures on Facebook and instagram! He has a real intent look about him. Like he has something important he needs to do at all times. I'd like to know what he is thinking about. I will predict that he will be a thinker. Smart like his Daddy, thoughtful like his Mommy. Easy going but motivated, with vision. He will be incredible to watch.

We were moved into a semi-private room as no private rooms were available which I found ridiculously frustrating. Lincoln latched on to breastfeeding like a champ - how amazing is it that they just know what to do? He had a good 45 minute feed right off the bat and was off to lalaland (for most of the day!). As for me, no sleep was had, as nurses were in and out, breakfast was served, and before I knew it, Livia and Grandma were there to meet our new family member. Livia meeting her brother was both amazing and chaotic. She was enthralled with the baby but not so enthralled with me. It was a lot for her to take in and she didn't quite know how to react. I was still not showered, gross, exhausted and overwhelmed by all the activity, so Kevin took Grandma and Livia home after maybe an hour or two together. Lincoln and I got a couple of hours of sleep in the morning. It was nice to have such a sleepyhead baby. Karen Johnson was our first official visitor, quickly followed by Rachelle and Logan (complete with scones and coffee - how perfect).

Kevin brought Grandma and Livia back to see us around 4:30 pm and stayed for about an hour. This visit went a lot better and Livia was happier to see me. There were also no other people in the room with me at the time, so she had a little more freedom to be loud. I finally had a chance to shower (I was afraid to leave him in the room when Kevin wasn't there!) and felt so much better after that. Phil and Marla dropped by with their girls and Kevin and Livia stayed just a short time after that. By 8 pm, I was totally wiped as I had slept maybe 2 hours since Wednesday night. Lincoln slept and slept, nursed here and there, and didn't make a peep. I however, had the worst sleep of my life, with nurses and cleaning crews in and out, preparing for my new "roommate" who arrived at 6 am. Lights were turned on several times, people talked as though it were the middle of the afternoon, and I was asked to "move my bags" at 5 am. I was pissed. I finally fell asleep at 7 am despite the newborn crying baby (aka my new roommate) and Linc and I slept hard for an hour. My doctor arrived at 8 am to check us over and discharge us. I was dying to go home.

Kevin and Livia arrived to come and take us home. Putting my two precious babies in the backseat of my car was so surreal. Every time Lincoln made a tiny peep, Livia would point and say, "baby?". She loves him already! I arrived to a spotless home, we ate grilled cheese and tomato soup, I showered, and by 1:00 pm, every single member of my family was down for a nap. I told Kevin right before I fell asleep that this was the happiest I have ever been. I slept until about 3:30 and it was the first time I could really actually sleep and it was glorious. I am hoping for another beautiful sleep tonight before this baby "wakes up" for real - I know it will happen!

We had more visitors and Rachelle, Mike and Logan brought us pizza for dinner and stayed for a visit. It was awesome to have dinner delivered on our first night home! Livia went down for the night and I was in bed, and writing out this experience by 9 pm. Lincoln is snuggled up beside me and my friends, he is sucking a soother. My baby takes a soother! I hardly know what to think of this but I am pretty sure it is a very good thing indeed. He also loves to be swaddled. My precious, swaddled, soother sucking baby boy - how different from his sister already! I couldn't be more blessed by my amazing babies!

My little man has awoken and I believe he is ready to eat. He is just looking around so sweetly. Content and alert. I can't handle how cute he is and how much I love him. We are so happy to be home and are beyond blessed by our precious family. Once again, the thought of how fast he will grow and how time flies by saddens me, but it doesn't overwhelm me as it did the first time around. Livia has taught me that each stage is absolutely incredible and it just gets more and more fun with time. I am so excited to see these two amazing babies of mine grow up and I can't believe I get to be their mom. I am so thankful!

eventful

I'm the type of gal who can manage one major life event at a time. Pregnant? Easy, no problem. Just let me be pregnant. Life has been extra eventful as of late, and let me tell you, that is not my style. I like slow and steady, concentrating on one thing at a time. I find picking out paint colours for our new house stressful enough and that's just one little tidbit of life these days. Here's a little run down of what's been happening in the Janzen household.

1. I'm pregnant!

Ok yay! It's going fast. I am convinced however, that my due date is wrong and that I will be delivering this baby any day now - I feel preggggggnnnnnant. We decided to start trying for baby #2 basically when we realized that I would have enough hours to qualify for another mat leave. We weren't expecting it to happen quite so fast, but bam, baby. We went to Disneyland when I was 8 weeks pregnant and it didn't even ruin my trip at all as long as I got my afternoon nap in. Can I just say that Disney with a 10 month old was actually really fun. Livia was the perfect age (if you're going to be that person and bring a baby). She was in absolute wonder of everything. Anyway, the pregnancy is going well but I am tired. I'm almost 28 weeks and I've gained 14 lbs, but feeling huge. HUGE. This baby sticks straight out. He's also very very active. I'm also seriously so pumped to be having a boy! I would've been equally as excited for a girl of course because my little girl is so so special and it would be so cool for her to have a sister. But I feel so blessed to get to experience Mommyhood for both a son and a daughter. It's hard to say if we will have more than two, so this could be it. Who am I kidding. We're having 8.

2. Livia is a toddler!

At first I hated how all the baby centre emails I receive started calling my BABY a toddler (how offensive!) but have quickly realized how fun this age is. Although she is busy and requires constant attention, I couldn't imagine the joy she would be to us. How often do we still sneak into her room at night to watch her sleep so peaceful and still, because it's literally the only time she stops. Well, that, or when cartoons are on (for a good 5 minutes if we're lucky). We wuv her. She has the sweetest face. But being a mom is hard work. And I don't always feel like it. I like ME time, and I don't get a whole lot of that. It's a big sacrifice but she is my favorite reward.

3. I am working. Full time.

Kill me. Although it's probably less physically exhausting to be at work than it is to be home with Miss Liv. It's just the early mornings, the ridiculous commute and the lone hour or two I get to spend with my girl before she goes to bed that is sucking so much. But the work itself is fine.

4. We bought a house!
Livia made our living quarters verrrrrrry small. With news of baby #2, I was finally able to convince my husband (who probably could live in 800 sq feet with 6 kids) that we needed more space. We bought a lovely lovely home with, let's count 'em, 5 bedrooms (lots of room for babies!), a great yard, a garage (hallelujah), and a fireplace (I love down home cozy). It needs a paint make-over, a washer & dryer, and a furnace and hot water tank (booooo) but otherwise, it's perfect. Ok, not perfect because I hate oak cabinets, but almost perfect. Oh and there is no soaker tub - although I DO have an en suite bathroom and walk in closet. Oh and I reallllllly don't love the yellow siding. You win some, you lose some. We take possession Jan 21 and will probably spend that week painting and whatnot, and move by the weekend. Eeeee. I have wanted this for a long lonnnnnnnnnng time.Now if only the packing would do itself. Ugh, packing.

5. We will be renting out our current place.

I find this stressful. Once the initial set up is done, we have tenants, all the money stuff is taken care of, I think it'll be fine. I just feel nervous.

6. Christmas.

It's Christmastime! The most wonderful time of the year... sort of. I feel so overwhelmed with life these days that I wish we could post-pone it a few months so that I could really enjoy it. I think once work is done on the 21st and we are in SK, I'll finally start to relax. Maybe get some shopping done then too.

All of this doesn't phase Kevin one little bit. Maybe because he's not pregnant. And let's face it, he's Daddy, not Mommy. Not to say he doesn't put the work in... it's just.... different. His calm and steadiness is both a blessing and a curse. Mostly a blessing because I need a certain level of steady in my life. A curse because sometimes I like to freak out that he "doesn't understand anything!!!!". He calms me down and brings me back to reality. I am thankful for him and especially thankful that there aren't two of me in this relationship.  However I'm pretty sure Livia has inherited some of my emotional dramatic tendencies (can anyone say tantrum?). Lucky her. Lucky me. Lucky Kevin!

babies

Oh goodness, where to start. And how is it December 5th?!!! I just took a look at my little itty bitty baby that was posted below, and oh man, how things have changed since March! Ahhh my darling darling girl. She is out of this world. I love her so so much. She makes me laugh every single day - she is so funny! I love how she finds things funny now (like silly faces and clothes on our head and splashing in her bath). She will be 15 months in a week. Where is my little baby? I have a freaking toddler on my hands! She is so busy and such a monkey. She picks things up like THAT now... she tries to repeat any word I get her to try... like "pizza" and "Emma" (her new little newborn friend). She points to everything and says, "See?". She points to the Christmas tree and says, "Oh WOW!". Actually, everything is "Oh, wow!" these days. She is suddenly picky and there are meals where I put literally 10 different food items on her plate and she shakes her head or throws everything (piece by piece) on the floor (LOVE THAT). She also loves to use her hands to slide food off the cutting board when I am putting something on her plate. What a girl. She is still bum scooching all over the place like a little monkey, even though I KNOW she could walk if she concentrated! She "roars" like a lion (and a puppy... and even to "what does Daddy say?), and yesterday I taught her "ooh ooh" with monkey actions. She thought that was hilarious. We just can't get enough of her.
She started daycare in October and it has been a wonderful experience for her. She was so incredibly attached to me that it was hard to even leave her with a babysitter or grandma or anyone. It took awhile, but now she happily snuggles in to "Auntie Shanti" when Kevin drops her off. She is learning from the other kids so much. Apparently she likes to ruin the towers that one little boy likes to make.... atta girl.

Ohh, and right, I am pregnant. Like SUPER pregnant. Ok, 28 weeks. I feel like I am about 39 weeks though, which isn't cool since I have a good 12+ weeks to go. The first 20 weeks were no problem - I didn't even feel preggo at all. It's been all downhill from there. I am just SO. TIRED. And I feel huge compared to last time. There have been far far FARRRR less pictures this time around - I'm not the prettiest sight to see. Once again, it has been amazing though to feel this itty bitty person move around in me and I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HIM! I love me my babies. I'm so blessed. I have so much more to say but it's just all too overwhelming to even begin. Hopefully this post will kick me into shape again. Blogging shape.

That's all for now.... I regret not posting these last 9 months, but that's just how it goes sometimes :)

six and a half months

Miss Livia, you hold your mama's heart. I could never have imagined the joy that you bring Daddy and me. We marvel that something so small, who can't even talk or do a whole lot (actually that's not true - you can really do a LOT!!), is easily the most important and most amazing part of our lives. You seem to grow bigger every single day and learn something new all the time. You are so fun and so smart! I love to be the first person to see you every morning (but Daddy usually beats me to your room... can't say I mind tooooooo much!). You greet us with the biggest baby smile and happy baby noises that fill our hearts and our lives and our home. It's so ridiculous how you turn us both into mush. We would do anything for you.

In the last few weeks we have started solids and I had no idea how much fun it would be! I'm wondering when the novelty of making my own baby food (with the exception of baby cereal) is going to wear off...but right now it makes me so happy to make all your food from scratch! We started off with rice cereal for a couple of weeks which went okay... we kinda had to trick you to get you to open your mouth and would quickly shove the food in there to which you responded with a confused look and half of it would be spit out. Last week we added sweet potatoes and peas, and this week we have made apples and pears too. It took you a bit to get the hang of it and you kind of rejected everything.... until you suddenly realized you actually LOVE peas. Oh how you love peas. We get such a kick out of you eating them because you can't get enough and you lean forward and open your mouth and swallow those peas so fast.... it's hilarious. Once you realized you actually liked the peas, you started coming around to the other foods too - I think you like this new world of flavours! Today I was eating spaghetti for lunch and you were so interested in what I was eating that I gave you a little taste - and you wanted more! So I blended up a few tablespoons for you and you went to TOWN on it. It was awesome. You are awesome. I can't get enough of you. I like that you like to eat and that you're so funny doing it. Only a mother would think this is so great, right?!!

Sleeping at night continues to go SO well. You have always been a good night sleeper, often sleeping all night long or just waking up once. I feel pretty lucky to sleep all night most nights! We start your bed routine around 6:30 pm with a bath (often from Daddy), baby lotion and massage and a few cuddles. I do nurse you to sleep every night and you're usually completely zonked out by around 7:30. Sometimes I sing you some songs, but that isn't always a good idea because I sing you silly songs in silly voices which gets you revved up instead of sleepy. But if I sing you anything soft and sweet I get all teary because you just look up at me with your sweet beautiful face and I feel like you get it, you feel the love I have for you. You seem to radiate with love for me in these quiet moments before bed and we have such special time together. My favourite is when you put your fingers up to my face for me to kiss you and you giggle sweetly. Oh my heart, you are my heart. Aren't I ridiculous? I know!!!!

Daytime naps, however, are a totally different story. You resist The Nap with all your being and I am amazed at your perseverance to not nap. It drives me up the wall because you are SO tired and so obviously in need of some day time sleep! You're just super inconsistent with them - one day you'll sleep for 2 hours in the afternoon, another day you'll have three 45 minute naps, another day you'll have one 20 minute nap and then be up til bedtime.... there are days that I feel like the only thing we did all day was move from room to room, trying to get you to sleep! I try crying it out, I try nursing you to sleep, I try the baby swing... some days, nothing works. But the fact that you go to bed so consistently well makes napping (or lack thereof) not the end of the world. I figure that it's probably my fault that you don't nap well - I probably wait too long and am missing your tired cues. Ah well, I'll just keep trying!

All this reminds me that I actually have no idea what I'm doing as a mother. Yet somehow they (whoever "they" is) let me keep you. And you are awfully happy and sweet so I must be doing a few things right! It's amazing how many things that I literally guess at every day - are you hungry? Are you tired? Should I move you, should I continue to nurse you, should I try a new food, should you have more tummy time, should I be concerned about this or that... the list is endless and continually changing. This mothering thing is easily the most natural thing I have ever done, and at the same time, the most confusing thing I have ever done. With all the information overload out there and the fact that I don't always know exactly what you want or need, it's often a guessing game.

But it all comes down to this: I love you so much, Livia. I will always do whatever I think is best for you, and your Dad and I will always strive to parent you so that you become a smart, confident and independent woman who is kind and generous and loving. Right now I just want you to stay my little baby forever. But you're already six and a half months old and you are lightyears ahead of where you were from day 1... it's hard to imagine the next six months. I wish I could bottle every single day up and put it in my memory to hold on to forever. It pains me how fast this year is going, only because it's been so amazing and I don't know how to savour it more. Every day is exciting with you and I feel so blessed because I know that not every Mom can say that with her whole heart. You are my little treasure and I love love love you my little munchkin.

BLAH I AM SO SAPPY!!!

I know, I know.

Livia. I am basically OBSESSED with you!!! You are seriously the cutest, funniest little being. We love you like LOVE LOVE LOVE you! You are currently obsessed with your feet and I know that all babies do this but when you put them in your mouth it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. Every time I look at you, you smile and your eyes light up and crinkle. You love it when we imitate whatever it is you are doing, you think it's the funniest thing ever. And you love voices... I do a terrible impression of the cookie monster, but you love it and you talk to Coooooookie Monster every single day. We put you in your jolly jumper this week for the first time and you don't really know what to do with it - you definitely are not jumping, but you are very happy in it. I think you just like the new perspective it gives you! You look so grown up! When I'm nursing you, sometimes we play little games where you put your fingers up towards my face and I either kiss them or pretend to eat them and you just think it's hilarious. You also love us singing to you and dancing silly. I know I know. ALL BABIES DO THESE THINGS. I just never knew it would be this fun. I can't describe how much we love you and how fun you are!

When you were a newborn, I seriously couldn't HANDLE the fact that you were going to grow up and not be an itty bitty baby anymore. I loved that stage so much and every day was passing far too quickly for me. My heart was overwhelmed with you. I didn't know that you were just going to get more and more wonderful with each passing day. I know look forward to every day with you, every milestone, every month and every year. I can't believe how time is flying by. Everyone with kids says that, but it's so freaking true. I just can't get enough.

End baby gush.

My Baby Essentials

Here are my must-have baby essentials...  Livia approved. It is a long list, but I'd say 80% of things on this list were given to us, lent to us, or purchased second hand. Not all of these things are "essential" in the true sense of the word, but everything on this list has come in super handy for us, and I've been grateful that we had it! Here it goes!

For Hanging out at Home:

• Bouncy seat/Vibrating chair. Oh my, not sure what we would've done without this. Livia LOVES her bouncy vibrating chair. It is SO handy to have. When we go over to friend's houses, we bring this along. And I can't tell you how many showers I have had with Livia in the bathroom sitting in this chair. When she was really little, she used to fall asleep in it all the time too. She's been in it since pretty much day 1, and now, 4 months later, she still is so happy in it. It's a great thing to put her when I'm puttering around the kitchen, or when we are eating. Super handy and bonus: super cheap (I've seen them at Zellers for $25).

I think she was about 2 days old here! Skinny little legs!!!

5 days old!

• Swing. Ok so we never intended to really use a swing until we borrowed one from a friend....oh annnnnd it's the best thing ever. If Livia has been fed, slept, played with, loved to death, etc, and is STILL fussy? Swing time. Same thing goes for when I need to occupy her while I get ready for the day or if she's hungry and I need her to wait another 5 minutes. The swing works miracles. It's also a last resort option for when she won't nap. Never fails. She loves it and would sit in happily for hours if I let her.

4 months old

• Play Mat. Preferably one with hangy things for her to reach for and grab at. Livia loves to play and kick and squirm all over the floor. Nana bought her play mat when she was about 2 months old and she is still getting a ton of play time out of it. 

9 weeks old

For Nursing:

• A good TV series to watch. Livia and I have been watching Parenthood since the week that she was born. I love me some Lauren Graham. It sucks that now that we are all caught up and have to wait a week in between episodes. Other TV series options include: One Tree Hill. Gilmore Girls. Lost. The 1st season of Prison Break (don't bother with the rest of the series). 

• Pinterest. Besides my iPhone and Facebook, Pinterest is the next best thing to occupy me for hours. I LOVE love love Pinterest.
• Nursing Pillow. Ok, to tell you the truth, I used my nursing pillow more for when I was 6-9 months pregnant. Couldn't sleep without it between my legs or else my hips would hurt so much! But it totally comes in handy for it's intended use as well - support for nursing. But I'm telling you: best thing ever for big ole pregnant ladies. 
• Nursing cover. Hooter Hiders are the best invention EVAH. I feel comfortable nursing her just about anywhere, and trust me, this comes in very handy.
• A great breast pump. Everyone knows that you need to spend the extra money and just get a Medela. It's like the Dyson of breast pumps. We haven't been so lucky as to have a baby who loves a bottle (note to self: introduce the next baby to the bottle WAY earlier), but it's come in handy for times that my boobs were so full I thought they would burst (TMI, I know). We'll have more babies, so I'm sure that the pump will not go to waste. And we'll keep trying with the bottle - it's nice to know that there is breast milk in the freezer for Livia if there ever were an emergency and I wasn't able to be there to feed her. 

For the Nursery:

• A Mobile. Livia has been totally entertained by her mobile since she was about 4 weeks old - it was the first thing that ever truly grasped her attention. She clasps her hands and squeals in delight when I turn it on for her. I only wish I didn't have to wind it up every 3 minutes or so. 

(6 weeks old)

• Wipes Warmer. Kind of a luxury item, yes. But how wonderful is it for both me and baby to have a nice warm wipe for the cutest little bum in the cold winter months? This would make a great baby gift. I never would have bought one and am SO glad a friend gave me hers. We all love it and feel annoyed when we are out and have to resort to cold wipes. Yuck. 
• Super soft/fuzzy change table cover. I am convinced that Livia loves getting her diaper changed because the cover for her change table pad is so soft and cozy. Diaper changes are her favourite thing ever. Crazy kid! And again, a good winter essential.

(4 months old, getting ready for bath time on her comfy change pad! Look at her super cute baby body!) 

• Some kind of white noise device. Livia's room is right off the main living room and kitchen which is super inconvenient when she goes to bed at 7:30. We use a couple things to block out noise: a heater/fan for her room, which doubles as white noise and works to keep it nice and cozy in there (and cool in the summer). We also have a Prince Lion Heart Slumber Bear that makes comforting "womb"noises whenever she fusses, and I think it helps her soothe back to sleep. 
• A great recliner or comfortable chair with a footrest/ottoman. This might be my number one baby essential!!! We took back three chairs before we finally broke down and spent a few extra dollars on a really comfortable rocking recliner and let me tell you, I have NO regrets. I have slumbered many hours on that thing, and it is by far the easiest, most comfortable place in the house to nurse Livia. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can probably get a great comforter on kijiji. We got ours on supersale at Leons and it was a pain in the butt to pick up and bring home (my trusty Dad and I borrowed a friends truck and brought it home in the midst of a thunderstorm one night), it was well worth it. Don't skimp on the chair, friends! 

 See how zonked out they are? Daddy and Livia - not quite 3 weeks old

• A good baby monitor! I don't actually use ours at home because I can hear Livia just fine, but it's come in super handy when we've been away, sleeping in a larger home. A must have. 
• Curtains that do a half decent job of blocking out daylight. Livia just sleeps better during the day when the curtains are drawn. It's not pitch black in there, but they definitely make a huge difference and help her sleep better and longer than when she sleeps in a brightly lit room. I also like differentiating between "sleep" and "awake" times, and when she wakes up from the night or a nap, I like to open the curtains and make it obvious that it is awake time. 

• Diaper Genie. Again, this was given to us, and it's SUCH a great thing to have. Livia's room never stinks and trust me... it should. I've heard from friends that it's best to just go with the Diaper Genie name brand, and not try anything else... your call. 

For Going Out:

• An easy-to-use, light weight stroller. We love our Maxi Cosi stroller. It's basically an umbrella stroller with a travel system (i.e. the car seat attaches to it), and it's perfect for a smaller person like me. It's super light weight, small, and manoeuvres around way better than a big honkin' massive stroller. My only problem with it is that the storage basket in the bottom is pretty much useless, but I can work around that. Whatever stroller you get, make sure it has a coffee cup holder. Very important.

Out for a walk - in JANUARY!! Not quite 4 months old. 

• A lightweight car seat. Again, we're really happy with our Maxi Cosi. When she was lighter, I used to carry her around a lot with just her car seat, and it was nice to not have a super heavy seat. It clicks  in and out super easy too, and it's a good travel system for the money. It was about as high end as we could afford. I also like that it's just black, because that's how I roll.

2 weeks old, at her first doctor's visit

• Car seat cover for the winter. Oh, seriously, this was a good buy. Again, another awesome baby gift if you need an idea. It's been awesome for our nasty weather and keeps her warm and cozy and protected from the wind. ESSENTIAL!!!

Around 3 months old

• A diaper bag that you LOVE. Because it goes with you, EVERYWHERE for a really long time.... even when you're just running to the grocery store and baby isn't even with you (it's just easier than transferring your stuff to a purse!!). Here is mine - check out all those pockets! 

• A portable change pad (to put in said diaper bag) that has pockets for diapers and wipes - super handy for when you find yourself in super random places and you're forced to change your baby's diaper on a disgusting dirty floor. Throw some baby friendly anti bacterial wipes in one of those pockets while you're at it....
• Play Pen. Ok so I don't think Livia has actually slept in her play pen because everywhere we go our friends have one, and they just set it up for us. But we have set up our play pen countless times for Livia's little baby friends who come over! It's an essential, yes, because I'm sure there will be times that we go somewhere and our hosts won't have a playpen. But I am SO glad that we didn't spend a whole bunch of money on this (someone gave us one). Cheap out on this one, but still buy one. It's handy to have. At some point, I'll probably just throw ours in the back of our car so that we always have it if we need it. 

Newborn Clothes:

• I needed WAY less than I thought. Before baby is born, I would say you only need a max of 8-10 newborn sized sleepers, and then the same amount of 0-3 month sleepers... wait until baby is born to see what you get for gifts and THEN supplement whatever else you think you need. Sleepers are the way to go for those first 3 months. She basically lived in them (and still does). It's incredible how fast they go through them too, and I cried the day I put away all her newborn - 3 month stuff!!! 

• A few little outfits, OF COURSE! But again, you will get so many gifts, so try to go easy until baby is born. Nothing wrong with a few splurges though!
• A few onesies - not a million, like I bought! They are handy to have - now that it's so cold out, I will often put a onesie underneath whatever she is wearing... and in the summertime, maybe that's all baby would need to wear. Anyway, I just didn't realize that sleepers were way more convenient than a onesie, and now I know. So that's that.
• Halo Sleep Sack! Seriously - so smart!!! I am not comfortable with Livia sleeping with blankets (when she does sleep with a light blanket, without fail I find her later on with it draped across her face, and it just makes me nervous!). A sleep sack keeps her warm and prevents her from moving all around her crib at night. Another GREAT no-regrets purchase!
• Socks, baby mittens (for scratching), and newborn hats... all essential!

Miscellaneous:

• A bassinet for the first few weeks (or however long you want to keep baby in your room, if you choose to do so). I loved having Livia sleep right beside us for the first 8 weeks. It might not be for everyone, but it was great for me. I missed her so much when we transferred her to her room, but it turned out to be the best thing ever - she started sleeping through the night the very same day we switched her to her crib. But I wouldn't trade those first few weeks for anything. 

2 days old

• Blankets. But people LOVE to give blankets as gifts, so don't go crazy buying them. 
• Receiving blankets. Different than above... lightweight and the bigger the better, these are used for everything from swaddling, to laying on top of the really nice crib set you purchased because you don't want the really nice crib set to get dirty (I know I know), or for when you forgot your nursing cover, or for when baby spits up all over you.... they are ESSENTIAL, and not necessarily used to keep baby WARM, which is what regular blankets are for! 

• A really great stain remover. Shout does the trick, but for really good stains, I use Pink Solution. It's amazing.
• An infant bath tub. It just makes bath time SO much easier, and they are cheap. Mine has a thermometer too so I know that I am not making the bath water too hot. Once we started Livia on a more solid routine this month, she has a quick bath almost every single night before bed, and an infant bath tub is a life saver for the back. 

6 weeks old - I LOVE this face!

• Coffee. You will need it. My current fav: Salt Spring Island West Coast Blend (the best deal is at Costco). Oh I love coffee. 

3 months. My typical morning set up!

• A Baby Book AND a Baby Calendar! I keep my little baby calendar out all the time so that I can write in all of her firsts and other important little details of our day and month. It is such a special thing to have. Plus I really love the stickers. I'm 9 like that.
• A great camera. Learn how to use it, and you won't regret it.

A few things we are just starting to use: 

• Sophie the Giraffe. Livia isn't quite teething yet, so I can't say that Sophie is an essential from experience. I just know these things. Every baby needs a Sophie. We have a Sophie teething ring and a full sized Sophie - both were gifts. I'm sure you'll get 7 of them. 
• Baby Bullet. I haven't used it yet (about a month and a half away), but I'm so excited to make my own baby food. I just can't trust the canned stuff, and with all the recent recalls from even popular organic lines, I'm so glad I can have peace of mind and make pure food from real ingredients. 
• Bumbo. Super handy, and convenient for feeding her when she does start eating real food!
• Exersaucer. She's a bit small for it yet but we try it out every now and then.

One baby item that many parents probably consider essential is a baby carrier, like a Baby Bjorn or ErgoBaby. I am so disappointed that I JUST missed the steal on www.babysteals.com last week for an Ergo that was 50% off (still $70, so not cheap!). I think a carrier would be super handy to have, especially if you have a spring or summer baby where you are outside a lot. We passed on this for Livia, but I think it is something we'll buy for Janzen Baby #2.

One last baby essential that I was SO blessed to have was good friends that brought us dinner three nights a week until the end of October! This was amazing and such a life saver. On top of that, I had a whole bunch of freezer meals in my freezer ready to go - DO THIS. Seriously, do this. And pat yourself on the back a million times if you do it when you're 38 weeks pregnant like I did (but oh so worth it)!

Layered Chicken Almondine - my go-to comfort casserole!

And the final baby essential? A baby. Hopefully one as cute and fun and sweet and perfect as ours!!!!

Some of our latest pictures from January (4 months as of Jan 11):