Our Baby

Matthew Richard
(born: November 16, 2002)

On March 20, 2002, we found out that we are expecting a new addition to our family! I already have a son, Christopher, aged 11, from my first marriage, but my husband Michael has never had children before. We were married in May, 2001 and we are all looking forward to welcoming our bundle of joy.

May 5, 2002: This is an already well-rounded me, at 10 weeks and 5 days. I was attending a bowling banquet with my son. My father was the kind soul that took this picture. As you can see, I was in maternity clothes before three months with this pregnancy as well!

May 9, 2002: (11 weeks, 2 days) Went for our first pre-natal appointment today with our new family doctor. The previous family doctor ordered all the blood work already - thankfully it all came back fine. We talked to the doctor about medical history, etc. today. Luckily our new family doctor DOES deliver, so I won't need to deal with an OB/GYN at all this time. Michael and I got a chance to hear our baby's heartbeat! It was hard to find sometimes - looks like we've got an active one in there - but we did hear it and it sounded wonderful! Next appointment - June 4th.

June 4, 2002: (15 weeks exactly) Went for our second pre-natal appointment today. We saw a resident (?) doctor today and re-discussed history, etc. We again were able to hear the baby's heartbeat. After a few discussions with the resident about whose heartbeat was which, we heard the heartbeat much stronger and louder this time. She counted to hear the beats per minute and said it was 132 bpm. My brother and sister-in-law keep telling me about the 140 over and under theory and insist it works - which would have us having a boy - apparently. I've done some reading and everything shows this to be an old-wives tale. Guess we'll find out in November! Doctor measured my fundal height at 9cm. This I was glad to hear. My son measured (at the same number of weeks) at 15 1/2 cm and it freaked the doctor out a bit - wondering if I were having twins. I am much more comfortable with a measurement of 9cm! Weight gain since last appointment - 6 lbs. Next appointment - July 4th.

Page last updated December 4, 2002

June 10, 2002: Called to schedule the ultrasound appointment. Scheduled for June 20th. I am not looking forward to holding in 40 oz of water for an hour beforehand! I do hope baby cooperates and isn't laying on my bladder that day! We can't wait to see the baby's first picture!

June 19, 2002: Tomorrow is our ultrasound!! Bought new pre-natal vitamins yesterday. The Materna are the size of horse-pills and although I was okay taking them for the first month or so, there's no way I can swallow them anymore, I'm too gaggy. These ones (Orifer-F) were recommended by my doctor last time I was pregnant, so they will be fine. They are not much larger than a round tylenol. Yay! I am finally feeling like I have energy again - maybe the vitamins are doing the trick!

June 20, 2002: Michael and I went to the ultrasound appointment today. I carefully measured 40oz of water and timed it somehow perfectly so I wasn't feeling like exploding, thank goodness! Didn't get much information from the technician, other than baby is the right size for dates. I guess the doctor will give me more info on the 4th. Have a look at the pictures! :) (I have labelled the bits ... hehe)

Frontal view

Full view

July 4, 2002: (19 weeks, 3 days) Went for our third pre-natal appointment today. We saw the doctor this time. We again were able to hear our baby's heartbeat. It was a lot louder this time and the doctor easily found it. The heartbeat rate was over the 140bpm threshold this time. In discussion with the doctor, he told us that the heartrate varies in a baby as much as it does in an adult - that is, if baby is doing flips (which (s)he was), it can cause the rate to go up, and it can also vary with mom's activities, what she eats, etc. Old wives tales just don't work it seems! :) The doctor had not received the ultrasound report so he could not give us any information from that yet. The doctor measured my fundal height at 22 1/2 cm. As I suspected at the time, I don't think the 9 cm measurement taken last month by his resident was accurate. Weight gain since last appointment - 5 lbs. Next appointment - August 6th.

August 6, 2002: (24 weeks exactly) Went for our fourth pre-natal appointment today. We saw the doctor again this time and Christopher was able to come with us to hear the baby's heartbeat. The doctor found the heartbeat instantly! it was so loud! The doctor had finally received the ultrasound report and he said everything was fine and the baby measured well for dates. He's sticking with the due date of November 25th. Fundal height measured at 28 cm, but the doctor didn't seem worried that it was a little higher than the "norm". Apparently baby's position, etc. can make this measurement vary. Weight gain since last appointment - 6 lbs. Next appointment - September 9th.

September 8, 2002: Went for family pictures today at the park. Hope to have a picture scanned soon to post!

September 9, 2002: (28 weeks, 6 days) Went for our fifth pre-natal appointment today. Nothing much has changed really, urinalysis still fine - no worry about glucose levels so thankfully I don't have to do the glucose screening for gestational diabetes. Baby's heartbeat was wonderful to hear. Fundal height measured at 32 cm. Weight gain since last appointment - 7 lbs. Next appointment - September 23rd.

September 14, 2002: Had a family baby shower at Swiss Chalet today. I received a beautiful basket full of all the little things we'll need (i.e. wipes, powder, vaseline, diaper vests, sleepers, teddy bear, nail clippers, rubber ducky, etc., etc.) from Mumsie, got a lovely Winnie the Pooh baby book to record all of baby's firsts in from Christina, and got a Diaper Genie (yay!!) for all of baby's messes, from Gillian. We had a lovely time. I also got the family pictures and have posted one here. It was taken on September 8th, and is a picture of me, Michael, Christopher and my ever growing belly!

Click on picture to see full-sized view

September 22, 2002: Had a baby shower at Georgina's house today. I received a beautiful basket full of little things we'll need, as well as a nursing pillow, some lullaby cd's, and receiving blankets, teddy bear and lots of other lovely things. It was nice to see my friends that I'd not seen in some time, and it was nice of Georgina and Mayumi to host the shower.

September 23, 2002: Went for another prenatal appointment today. Everything seems to be moving along nicely. Heard the baby's heartbeat again. It's always so wonderful to hear. Fundal height measurement - 34 weeks. Weight gain since last appointment - 8 lbs. Next appointment - October 10th.

September 23, 2002: Went for the hospital registration at St. Joe's this afternoon. We met with a woman on the maternity floor and gave her our registration information. It sure makes things feel so much more real!

October 1, 2002: Went for the hospital for our tour today. It was pretty neat seeing the labour and delivery rooms and then upstairs to the hospital stay rooms. Two of the rooms have whirlpool tubs in them for labour - hopefully one of them will be available when we need it. We got to ask questions and see where everything is going to happen. This tour made things even MORE real than the registration did!

October 7, 2002: Went to the doctor's about some abdominal pain I'd been having for about a week. Doctor is sending me for an ultrasound to rule out anything serious. Otherwise he figures it might be a muscle pull or something. He says it's hard to say really. I put myself on the scale on the way out and I'd not gained any weight from the last visit (September 23rd), which is a good thing. Yay! :)

October 7, 2002: Went for the ultrasound this afternoon. The technician seemed to think there wasn't anything serious going on in there, thankfully. We got to see some pretty neat pictures of baby though. One of them looks like a grainy photograph - I guess it's because baby has filled out more than it was for the first ultrasound. Sure did look like a real baby now though! Pretty amazing and hard to believe baby will be here in just a few more weeks!

October 10, 2002: Spoke to doctor about today's appointment. Doctor rescheduled it since I saw him on the 7th already. Next appointment - October 18th.

October 18, 2002: (34 weeks, 4 days) Went to the doctor for our appointment today. Results of the ultrasound were fine - no problem - the pain must have just been muscular he figures. Thank goodness. Heard baby's heartbeat - baby is still in head down position and the heartbeat is very easy to find that way. Weight gain since last appointment (9/23) - 4 lbs. Next appointment - October 31st.

October 31, 2002: (36 weeks, 3 days) Went to the doctor for our appointment today. Heard baby's heartbeat - baby is still in head down position - yay! Weight gain since last appointment - 3 lbs. Fundal height - 42 weeks. Next appointment - November 7th.

November 4, 2002: (37 weeks exactly) Baby is full term today. Baby isn't listening too well when I ask him/her to come out NOW. (hee hee) It's hard to believe baby can arrive any day now!

Ultrasound pics of October 7, 2002. Click on pictures to see enlargement.

November 7, 2002: Dr's appointment. (This posting was written after baby was born and so details are rather sketchy)

November 15, 2002: Went to hospital this morning because I was bleeding. Got examined and they said that they figured baby will be born some time this weekend. Yay! :) Went to scheduled doctor's appointment. He didn't examine me and had been updated from the hospital on my visit.

November 16, 2002: 3am. Woke up in LABOUR! Yay! Went to the hospital at 6:30 am. My Mom came to the hospital to pick up Christopher for the day. Laboured all day and evening. Baby was too big for our planned VBAC, and so I was prepped for a c-section just before 10 p.m. Matthew Richard was born at 10:09 p.m., weighing 9 lbs, 2 oz. Apgar scores of 9 and 9. He's just perfect and beautiful. Matthew has Daddy's colouring and my blue eyes. Hope to post some pictures really soon!

Welcome Matthew Richard !
(Thank you Auntie Christina for taking my photo!)