Picture Day!

Picture Day was actually sometime in May, but we received Kate's photos today!! FUN!  I'm so glad that Kate has loved pre-school.  I wasn't sure about sending her at first, I'm not sure why, but I'm so glad that we did.

This is her class.  First row - Mrs. Jandl, Calvin, Freddy, Jason, Natalie, Olivia, Tess, Tayo, Emmett, Audrey and Mrs. Apps.  Second row - Carla, Gabe, Ian, Luke, Jacob, Alex, Kate and Nicholas.

Bringing Baby Home

Released!! YAY!  Today we were able to bring home Fiona.  And here she is, in the bear hat that her sisters wore before her!

Fiona Christine McCartney

Kate was Kate, Alice was Alice.  There were a few other names we casually talked about, but Kate was Kate and Alice was Alice.  Baby 3... Baby 3 was Henry, because I had so convinced myself that it was a boy.  We had tossed around a few names - Lily and Rose being the top contenders but they never felt quite right.  Ken and I assumed (incorrectly) that one of the reasons that we couldn't decide on a girl name was because in fact Baby 3 was a boy!

On Friday morning my Mom came to visit and meet our little girl.  Ken arrived at some point and then it was work time.  We began pouring over lists.  We had to find a name.  I didn't want our girl to be without a name. 

Eventually Ken found his way to a Scottish name list and perked at Fiona.  We only know a couple of Fiona's and none of them are in close association with our family.  Ken liked it.  I liked it.  We had previously discussed Christine - Ken's Mom's name, as a middle name and that was pretty much settled. 

Ken left the room to go get lunch and I sat staring at our little girl and asked her if her name was Fiona.  I looked at her and she looked different.  She was no longer a nameless baby girl, she was Fiona.  Ken chose her name, but she chose her name too.

So here she is, Fiona Christine McCartney.

Cuddles with Dad

Baby 3 is a GIRL?! I'm still in shock...

Baby Day! I got up at 5 a.m. and showered.  I woke Ken up at 5:30.  We managed to get to the hospital by 6:20 which was good.  After checking in at the Welcome Centre we went upstairs and we were admitted and set up in triage.  Then to wait... We were the "stand-by".  It's weird that the ob that I saw for Alice and for this baby was actually the doctor who delivered the baby.

So, just before 10 it looked like this was it, we were ready to go.  I walked down to the O.R. with one of the nurses.  I was sitting on the table waiting when another nurse popped her head in and said that they had a cord prolapse.  I got down off the table and IV bag in hand, headed back to triage, but not before almost being run over in the hallway by tons of people all RUNNING to the O.R.  They called it a code blue and well, you can imagine that sent everyone RUNNING!  (We did find out later that mom and baby were both fine, thankfully!)

Take two - at 11 we walked back down to the O.R.  This time it was the other room - the same one that Alice was born in.  The nurses prepped, the anaesthetist came and poked my back (yuck, but not as yucky as with Alice) and then Dr. Svystonyuk came in and everything started.  They brought Ken in and what seemed like forever later (okay maybe 10 minutes) the baby was out.  They asked Dad to stand up and announce the baby's gender and low and behold it's a GIRL!  I couldn't believe it.

Everyone, and I mean everyone said they thought it was a boy.  There was Ken's Dad when I was pregnant with Alice saying that we would have 2 girls and a boy.  There was me, I always felt 2 girls and a boy.  I was expecting Henry.  Now, before I go any further I need to clearly say, that in no way is this sweet baby girl a disappointment, in no way!  I just expected a he! 

Okay, back to our perfect little girl.  Ken took some pictures and then he held her while they finished up with me.

I held her as soon as we got to recovery and started nursing soon after.  It all felt so smooth and I felt so good - much better than after either Kate or Alice. 

We had a pretty peaceful afternoon.  We looked at our perfect little girl and mused about what to name her... no idea yet.  And we waited for the BIG SISTERS to arrive! 

Antoinette brought Kate and Alice, and Makenna and Abigail.

And just like that, we're a family of 5! 

And just like that tomorrow is baby day!

My greatest concern upon finishing work was that the baby would come instantly.  I am so happy that this fear was not realized.  (I so didn't want what happened after Alice to happen again this time.)  Each day that passed, each accomplishment completed I felt more relaxed.  It really has been a great 2.5 weeks off.  I just can't believe that tomorrow is baby day!

So to recap - things that didn't make it on the blog... Friday, May 24th the girls and I went to the indoor play place Candy Land in Vaughan and then we went for lunch at my dear friend Annette's.  Annette worked at Blue Willow in the office the entire time that I did - she retired at Christmas.  Monday, May 27th we hung out with Grandma and Grandpa at their building.  Tuesday, May 28th Antoinette took the girls the whole day and I worked on reports - blech!  Saturday, June 1st we went to breakfast at the Hockley Valley General Store, then to the Orangeville Farmer's Market and then on the coolest drive through Hockley Valley, then to the Rosemount General Store and then home.  On Monday July 3rd my friend Kristy from Blue Willow came to visit with her little guy Ethan.  Ethan is 4.5 months old and such a cutie!! Tuesday, June 4th I kept Kate out of pre-school and we went up to Alliston to the Sun Park (Rotary Park) and then to Tim Horton's for lunch and then to Walmart.

I wanted to post these cute pics of Alice from June 1st, just because!

Today, Ruth and Ava came to play.  (After a trip into Newmarket to drop off the van - our automatic door broke.  We went to Cora's for breakfast and then came home to wait for Ruth and Ava.)  Kate and Ava played so nicely and Alice loves Ava too.  Ruth helped me do some organizing, laundry was done, it was a busy, good day!

Ruth and I both took some pictures of the girls and Ruth took pictures of our family of four - for the last time!

After our busy day we drove down to the Grandparent's Building. We had dinner together and then we left Kate and Alice.  They have the girls for the night, and half of tomorrow.  Ken and I have to be at the hospital just after 6 a.m. in the morning.  We are as ready as we can be for the baby to come tomorrow.  It is bizarre knowing that tomorrow is baby day. I'm scared and excited. I feel good.  I feel ready.  Now I am super excited to know... is Baby 3 a girl or a boy?  Will there be pink balloons, or blue?

Maternity Shoot

I never thought about wanting to do a maternity shoot, that was until a photographer that we love advertised a mini-session promotion and I thought, hmmm I want to do a maternity shoot.  Originally it was going to be a Saturday a couple of weeks ago and Ken was going to come too.  The date had to change and so change it did and because it was now on a week day Ken had to work.  The girls and I went and we had fun!  Emily took some gorgeous shots.  She did a fun pink/blue balloon thing that will be our way to announce whether or not we had a boy or a girl.  She already put up these shots of Kate.  Kate loved having her picture taken!

I can't wait to see the rest of the photos! Thank you Emily! (Oh and this was the last thing that I REALLY wanted to do before baby. Well I want to organize the house too, but that isn't as much fun!)

Me Day! (And a weird bird)

Strike some more things off the list!  Today was me day.  The girls went to Antoinette's and I had my hair done, did a little bit of shopping, went to lunch with a friend AND I continued working on my report cards (that was the not fun part!).  I really had a lovely day!

Okay now the weird bird.  I can't remember when it started, but one day Ken and Kate noticed a chickadee sitting on the sideview mirror of the car.  It kept flying into the window, over and over and over again.  The next day it came back, and then the day after that.  I'm not sure if it's been two weeks yet, but seriously, what the heck is the bird trying to do?!  If it didn't poop everywhere I wouldn't be quite so bothered.  Seriously weird bird!