06.12.09
…and then there were 3….
So now that our baby is now 2 months old, I am just getting to the introductory blog-post…..
Introducing Eliel Jadon…he was born on his due date – April 16th, 2009 at 9:57pm. His name is pronounced as such: Eh-lee-el Jay-din. Eliel is a Hebrew name meaning “my God is God” and it can be found numerous times in the Old Testament. Some key Eliel “Bible Characters” — one of David’s Mighty Men, a Temple Musician and a Levite Priest. When googling the name, we discovered that there was a Puerto Rican musician who is known for his reggae music — how funny is that? (I’m Puerto Rican and Damion is Jamaican!). Last, and we didn’t “mean/expect” this to happen” but Eliel is a combination of the “El ” from Ellen and the “iel” from my husband’s middle name, Nathaniel.
So here is his birth story….
Overall, it was an awesome pregnancy —– and though an intense labour, still very quick! Total labour time was a little under 3 hours. It never dawned on me that he would actually arrive on his due date (only 5% of babies are actually born on their due date!), so the night before, I couldn’t sleep due to the nesting factor and his moving around (some pretty serious movements and kicks) and cramps. Going to bed around 4am that morning, I woke up at 7:30am with “cramps” or was it contractions?! Never having known them before, I didn’t know if this was the “real thing” or not. We called the midwives and told them that the contractions were happening 5 mins apart every minute — which is a sign for the midwives to arrive bc that means that labour has started…..But as I was telling them this, the contractions went away. So the midwives said to hold on and just come in at my regularly scheduled 4pm appt that afternoon. At the midwives appt, I had 3 contractions in a row and so the midwives sent me home saying to call when they were 5 mins apart. Well, when we got home (after making a stop at D’s mom’s house), my contractions were 30 seconds apart. Really feeling the need to lay down, I proceeded upstairs and Damion was helping me. However, on the way, I stopped and said, “I’m going to puke. Get a bowl, quick. Real quick”. And Damion, putting his long legs to work, ran to the other side of the house to find a bowl. He said he felt like a hero for he got the biggest bowl we have and ran back and caught me just as I was about to let it rip. That’s love, for he held the bowl and I puked. (Later on, we laughed about it, for he asked, “what did you eat”?, for the vomit was this strange purple-y orange color and I explained the cheese crackers and cranberry juice your mom fed me……anyhow, probably too much information. Moving on. D called the midwife and said what was going on. Her response: “Yeah, I can hear Ellen in the background; I’m on my way”. And so we started to prepare for our home birth!
Within 45 mins, both the midwives and the doula (similar to a midwife) arrived and checked me out. To the midwives surprise, I was almost 9 centimeters dilated….which meant this baby was on his way, NOW! (I had wanted to do a nearly standing/incline position or use the yoga ball as a comfort measure, but upon standing up, this intensified the contraction and I kind of fell backward, the contraction was so strong). So when the midwife arrived, she found me laying perpendicular to the bed and half on/off the ball — Damion and Christina, the doula, had to explain why I was like that!
After about 30 mins, my water broke and boy am I glad that this happened at home — for it really was a GUSH of water (I was told about a liter’s worth!). Anyhow, being “new” at all this, when my water broke, I nearly screamed for, to me, it felt like a balloon pop both inside and outside of me and I thought the baby richocheted out. But, nope, it was just the water. At this point, I had been on my side, labouring. So when my “river” broke, it gushed all behind me and up my back. The midwives saw that the waters had meconium (baby’s first bowel movement) and this concerned the midwives because usually babies have this bowel movement after they are delivered, not during or before — which could mean the baby was in distress (a possibility since the labour was progressing so quickly) or that the baby could have already ingested some of it or when labouring, could — all which would obviously, be bad. So, they encouraged me to push. My “energy” for the contractions hadn’t kicked in yet, so the next two attempts weren’t enough to get him out without some serious tears etc. So we made the decision to go to the hospital— however, I was at the peak of my labour and contractions and oh yeah, he was already bearing down and trying to come through. In all honesty, it felt like the biggest poop you EVER had to take!
The midwives called the ambulance. The second midwife was giving my information to the operator on the phone. I hadn’t worked with her directly yet so she didn’t know all my information and asked the head midwife “how old I was” in order to answer the operator. The first midwife said “she’s 30”…..you then hear me pipe up and say “one”. The room got quiet and then everyone laughed: at the peak of my labour and contraction, I corrected them that I was 31, not 30…:)
The ambulance arrived in about 2 mins and you know how bomb squads are: how efficient yet how “militaristic” they can be….well, upon their arrival, I was encouraged to try and push once more because it was so close, that there was a chance that I could have the baby in the ambulance (even if the hospital was about 1km/.5 mile away!)….So the room got quiet, I tried to push, and….it wasn’t enough yet. Then, it was like the 3 ambulance ppl were like “GO GO GO”….our house is 2 floors and bc they couldn’t bring the stretcher upstairs…I had to get dressed, go downstairs and on to the stretcher — all in between my 30 second contractions….so I was helped up, and wrapped below with a towel — very toga-like, given flip flops and had to hobble down the stairs, while it felt like I was holding a watermelon between my thighs! Another ER person met me downstairs with my robe and I was escorted outside. Now, outside were 2 ambulances (one for me and potentially one for the baby if he was delivered in the house) with their lights on (drawing ALL the attention in our neighborhood to our house) and also preventing traffic flow on a HIGH TOURIST street/cutthrough — and here I come, with my bottom toga, a meconium/brown stained shirt, flip flops and my pink hearts robe….yeah I was a sight for ppl! So I’m put on the stretcher and put in the ambulance. On the 1 min drive, I had another contraction, but was told to just breathe through them, otherwise the baby could come out.
In the delivery room, the baby was coming pretty quickly. When his head was crowning, I was encouraged to look down, see our baby and touch him — that was interesting….felt both weird, gooey and wonderful all at the same time. With three contractions, his head was through….but I have to stop right there and make a commentary about this “rim of fire” that I experienced. What a feeling! WOWZERS! For those that don’t know what this is, it’s when the biggest part of him – his head – is coming through and it just burns. Here, I think is where my energy came in and with three pushes, his head came through, and then his body. And then there were baby cries in the room. Damion cut the cord and the midwives/doctors suctioned him immediately just in case the whole meconium thing and then brought over our little one. He was definitely a long one (21in)..and his skin color was first blue and then eventually turned a pinky-white……and his hair was black and straight…..While holding Eliel, I delivered the placenta which was weird for it’s like a delivery that you aren’t part of — for it just blops out.
Still, it seems like a surreal experience — we can’t believe this happened a week ago! We go to the hospital and come back with a baby in less than three hours (I spend more time in Walmart shopping the sales..but this was the best deal I ever got!) — the ride home from the hospital, with an infant in the back in the car seat, was just, well…different and surreal. It’s really hard to explain.
The first week, though challenging and very, very new, has been completely amazing. We have definitely fallen in love with this little guy and have had so many laughs already. It’s amazing to see him changing and growing already. We’ve had some challenges already — because of the whole meconium thing, he was very mucus-y and this was affecting his eating. He refused to nurse and I couldn’t ever go to sleep, for what sounded like “potentially life-threatning” chokes, coughs and sounds coming out of my child! At best for nursing, we had to finger feed him: we put our pinky finger (with a little plastic tube attached to a bottle) in his mouth and he’d suck his milk that way. The midwives were great — they came every day trying to help us with nursing, checking on my stitches and checking on Eliel. Because of the nursing issue, he lost about a pound — most babies lose 10% of their weight the first couple of days..but he went down to 7.9lbs from 8.8. (Update: he’s gaining it back…even if I have to feel like a human milk machine for him to do it!)
But it’s all so worth it —- as I said, it’s only been a week, and already, I feel there are so many “moments” that I need to jot down so I don’t ever, ever forget them. Here are some of them:
* How he is starting to grin, just a little on one side
* How he sneezed, having breastmilk come out of his mouth and nose and how it even surprised him
* How he curls up his nose in “infant” boredom
* How he makes his mouth into a little “O” when alert and really interested into something
* How his little feet curl over each other and he gets back into fetal positon
* How it feels when we are skin-to-skin and he is laying on my chest, completely asleep
My, my…there are so many more….we just can’t stop looking at him and loving up on him!
02.11.09
50 good deeds
With all the planning and preparation for a wedding, one day rolls into the next and we become consumed with the “schedule”, the “have to-do’s”, the endless little errands…..and it’s just a countdown to the wedding day…
With all the daily responsibilities and long hours at your job, one day rolls into the next and we become consumed with the “schedule”, the “have to-do’s”, the endless little emails…and it’s just a countdown to when you can arrive home….
With all the daily tasks and errands for your home, one day rolls into the next and we become consumed with the “schedule”, the “have to-do’s”, the endless little chores…and it’s just a countdown to when you can plop into bed….
Sorry to sound like a sourpuss, but do you recognize a pattern?
Whether we are a stay at home mom, a working professional or a budding entrepreneur, the day is always filled and busy, yes? And with this, we can often find life going at a pace where we can’t take a moment and do something nice for someone else because we are always just trying to keep our heads above the water.
Recently, I came across this article from Canadian Living and thought “wow, yes, this would be a good thing. A very good thing”. And wouldn’t it be even more special knowing that you as a couple can do something nice for another person, family or group?
I am challenging my own family to get in on this —- and now I am challenging yours….One little “change” that I am making is that I aim to do one a week, not one a day, so feel free to adapt it however you want — the point is that your heart is in the right place and that you bear fruit! Set yourself up for success!
Feel free to post back and let me know how it goes!
02.09.09
“Motivate Me Monday” — is it about me or HIM?
I’ve come across a great website Like a Warm Cup of Coffee . There, Sarah Mae has a weekly women’s group called Motivate Me Mondays — where you can post, encourage, be encouraged, bless, be a blessing by answering a spiritually reflecting question. (If you want to join in/get the button, go to her website).
When has there been a time where you felt weak (and maybe your prayers weren’t being answered) but where you saw God ultimately use His strength through your weakness (or maybe you didn’t see it, but you trusted)?
So here is my answer:This question is timely — seems to be in our household a lot this week! And just recently — within this month, I really saw God work and answer a prayer that I had….This is the first winter in our house (we moved a little under a year ago and so hadn’t faced the Ontario weather and subsequent heating bills for a big house for 2 ppl — side note: we were anticipating large family gatherings and making a lot of little babies!) Anyhow, January was cold. Very cold. And I have 50% Caribbean blood — so I am always cold — even in 70 degree weather! So with all the holiday gatherings in November and December and my constant complaining need desire to have the house under my standards of comfort—my husband reluctantly turned the heat therm up a few notches. Well, you know how in January you get the “post-shopping Christmas bill” and if you are in the States, you can start filing your taxes and know how much you owe? Well, we got our post-holiday heating bill for our 2600 sq ft house…and boy was it a shocker! About $400 of a shocker! Well, needless to say, the therm was shut off, the mission was to wear as much clothing as possible, warm our hands by a little portable heater and pretty much stay in one room 7 days a week — barely coming out to make a quick lunch or use the washroom. Well, I was cool with that…. for about a day. Maybe a day and a half. I just couldn’t warm up, couldn’t turn in bed with my flannel pj’s admist the flannel sheets, hated the run to the washroom and feet on cold floors (mind you I am 7 months pregnant, running isn’t really my thing right now) and this definitely caused a lot of probs in the household….
So what I am getting at is this— for weeks I not only complained a lot to my husband but I was constantly praying to God to please hear my prayer and tell us what to do. Is this how you are telling us to move God — because we can’t afford a new furnace to replace our 30 year old one, we can’t really afford to insulate the pipes, we can’t turn up the heat and get another $400 bill…is our time, only a short year later, over and we need to be more prudent and show this by getting a little cozy WARM house…..I was praying to God to please inspire my husband with the right thing to do. Albeit sometimes that prayer came out as “God, he’s both Dutch and Jamaican —-how come the Jamaican side –and the need for warmth — is not coming through!!!”
And do you know what happened? The pastor’s wife called me up one evening and said she had great news to share with me. She said there was a couple at our church (who through it all wanted to remain anonymous) but that they felt God calling them to pay a bill for us. We hadn’t really told anyone about our shocker bill and definitely not the amount so this couple was definitely moved by God. God was using His strength to answer my prayer. They gave the pastor’s wife a lump sum of money that was almost exactly what we needed and we humbly paid our bill. That night, we both were on our knees, crying and praising God for just being so amazing!
To this day, I still am not sure exactly what God meant for us to do — telling us to put money in and fix our heating situation or what. But I did feel a peace and calmness that okay, maybe we are not to move and that God wants to have us here. But bottom line of what I learned: that God loves me and protects me and hears my prayer and that he will use His strength, especially when I am weak and maybe even when I am already starting to doubt.
I am not sure if I answered the MMM question correctly, but I definitely felt compelled to share this story/testimony. What I have realized in posting this is that it’s definitely about HIM, but God is so great that he makes it about me. There are billions and billions of people in this world, yet He heard the prayer of one small, desperate and cold woman.
02.06.09
The Big 30!!
not my age….been there and done that!!! sheesh.
That’s right folks, I will be 32 this year!!! you know how that is spelled — c.r.a.z.y!
And we can see that with increased age, comes increased digressing!!!! So, I return to the subject…
I am 30 weeks this week —- another way to say this is:
within a couple of months, we will be a family of Three!
And I just *know* that you are soo interested in knowing what fruit or veggie Baby Dot is….well, drum roll please!
And in this corner behind the left rib, weighing in 3lbs and 15 inches long, it’s a leafy cabbage (is there any other kind, BabyCanada.com?) And in this corner, is my re-sized stomach, my flattened bladder and my sore pubic bone…..
*ding, ding*…..

And I don’t think it’s too much of a coincidence but at 30 weeks, I have also discovered that I’ve gained 30 lbs so far in my pregnancy. But it’s all right there — *pointing to my belly*….people are surprised when I tell them I am 30 weeks (7.5 months pregnant).
Here is a picture of me and my cabbage…

“But you are so small…..” Well, it definitely doesn’t feel small when I am trying to get out of bed. I think I came up with almost a new and completely unique and definitely not replicable dance move called “Flaying of the arms”…..
Er, sorry, camera wasn’t working that day for me to get a video! Uh huh.
01.30.09
you look marvelous….
In my opinion, beside increased belly rubbing by others, I’ve noticed that people either when finding out that you are pregnant or are seeing how you are doing, say “wow, you look great“….okay, so it’s not the infamous Billy Crystal “you look marvelous” as my title suggested…but we digress…
I guess it just happens so often that:
…either my rosy cheeks are just really becoming…and I do look great!
…or (when discussing this with my husband), maybe it’s that people expect a woman in her 7th month (or I guess, at any point in the pregnancy) to just look tired, haggardly etc etc… but what about that pregnancy “glow”……?
…or, the one that I hope isn’t the case — people are like “whoa, how do I tell this lady that she needs to do something about fill-in-the-blank”. Maybe my cheeks are not Disney-pretty but look like a bad case of clown blush, or maybe my belly shows more stretch marks but by the sheer size and shape of my belly, I can’t see them…
or, or….NAH…….I look marvelous!
And that’s just what I will ponder while munching on another cherry popsicle stick. After all, my lips have to match my cheeks!
Because according to Billy Crystal’s Marvelous video: “Don’t be a snook. It’s not about how you feel, it’s about how you look“!
12.31.08
Blessings for the New Year!
As 2008 is closing and 2009 is approaching, I can’t help but think “wow, this is the year that I become a Mommy”. I guess in some ways it just hasn’t hit me in a *complete* sense. Yeah, sure, I know we are having a child – the many twirls, kicks and rolls going on in my belly tell remind me so…but it just. hasn’t. HIT. me. Know what I mean?
We are counting down our days…we make 25 weeks today! So let’s go down the checklist of “identifiers” and milestones of this week according to BabyCenter Canada…
- Got a dark line running down your belly? Yuppers, check! Otherwise, um, whose been drawing on my belly while I’ve been sleeping?
- Change in your complexion? Check! Got the all-day Disney pink cheeks!
- Have an aching “everything“? Uh huh! It’s a 12 step process to get out of the bed and walk anywhere! Usually at 3am, I have to make that decision about whether or not I think I can hold it till the morning bc it just takes too long to get anywhere!
But it’s all definitely and absolutely worth it!!! I am so excited to know our little boy is growing inside of me and this year THIS YEAR we will get to meet him! It’s amazing to think that right now, he’s about 1.5 lbs and about a foot long (head to heel).
And it seems like we have our choice: do we want to think of our baby as an eggplant or a rutabaga???
Decisions, decisions eh?
Happy New Year to all those expecting 2009 mommies!





) Anyhow, January was cold. Very cold. And I have 50% Caribbean blood — so I am always cold — even in 70 degree weather! So with all the holiday gatherings in November and December and my constant 








