Our Girl!

Callia Marie Shimmin

April 16, 2008

7lbs 3oz 20"

Wow! I can't believe we really have a little girl. Once I knew the sex of our baby I told Rich that "Now, I'm excited". Not only that but the surgery was almost over and I and the baby made it thru so it was time to start celebrating! The morning went so smoothly - I couldn't have asked for a better day. I didn't die of starvation or thirst, I wasn't bumped - in fact according to Rich (and he would know since he was facebooking everything) I went into the operating room 10:50 (early) and Callia was born at 11:05. That's pretty great for being on time. God answered every one of our prayers to the letter that morning - I basically worried the last few days for nothing!! I know we had so many people praying for us that day and we felt it! The doc., anaesthesiologist and nurses made it quite clear that this was a riskier surgery b/c of it being my fourth but I was fine - not nervous, peaceful. The anaesthesiologist even put in an extra line for an IV in case anything a happened during surgery but nothing did - except for our beautiful girl. Anyways, I have someone calling my name who needs to be fed so I gotta run. Just wanted to say thanks for praying - we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

Pictures with Significance

These are two of my favourite pictures - neither is perfect but they both represent something important to me. The first one - Rich took seconds after Callia was born. This pic. is significant b/c it's the moment we found out for sure that Callia was a girl and b/c you can see her umbilical cord (which I didn't even notice at that moment). The first reason for it being sig. if obvious but the second may not be to most. You see, I've been through four pregnancies, experienced waking up in labour, water breaking all over the floor, 29 hours of labour but I've never actually pushed out a bambino which means I've never seen a baby the second he/she has been born. So this is why the first pic. is also special - I was able to see Callia all gooey, seconds old and I saw her cord - the first one ever! Rich was even able to cut the cord - the second for him.

The second pic. is special b/c I think it represents our family well. Of course I wanted to get the perfect first family of six shot but know what (may be a suprise to some) we aren't perfect and this picture captures "us". In this picture I see a life full of fun, adventure, mishaps and lots of love! We all tried to look our best but co-ordinating six people isn't easy - good luck to any future photographers we go to.

It's in the eyes!

One of the things that has been neat this pregnancy is Ethan's excitment - especially about the baby being a girl. Though sometimes we've wondered if he's pretending to be b/c he knows he should be. I wondered until this week. When we told him the baby would come in four more sleeps he raised his arms up and let out a yipee! That could be faked but if you saw the excitement in his eyes no one would every wonder if a six year old boy could be excited to welcome another sibbling into the world.

It's Almost Over...

Wow - I can't believe I have less than five days to meet our new baby. If I had a dollar for every time people ask me if I'm excited we could be living in a four bedroom house! Of course that is the obvious question to ask - the same one I've asked ladies at this stage in their pregnancy but the weird thing is I don't know how I feel. I have so many different emotions going on right now. I told one friend today that I'm going through a bit of a mourning right now - I've gone thru it with every pregnancy. I'm sad that our family of five is ending, I was sad when our family of two, three and four were ending too. I guess b/c I know that this family works - that we are good with three kidlets, we know how to juggle them (kind of), how to love them and how to try spend time with them. I've started to wonder if I've made the most of my one on one time with Christian, do we spend enough time with Aiden and will we remember that Ethan is only 6 and not to give him too much responsibility. However, with the birth of each additional child I know that as soon as he has been born he has fit right into the family - that all of a sudden the family of three, four and five works and I know that this family of six will work too - it's just not here yet.

I think I'm a little more nervous too b/c of "knowing" the sex of the baby. I'm afraid that they could be wrong - if they are they are I can't change it but I think that if I didn't know than I wouldn't be so pumped for one sex over the other. I would have been hoping for a girl (most likely by now, even though at the beg. I wasn't) but expecting a boy. Though now we're expecting a girl and I sure hope they're right - so yeah, I think knowing is making me nervous - I don't think I fully believe that we're going to have pink this time next week.

I'm also realizing that this is it - I'll never be pregnant again. I'm fine with that - I'm not one who loves to be pregnant - not with the nausea, and bleeding at the beginning but by this point I'm fine with it. I am going to miss feeling the baby move but that's really about it. Last time with Christian I was sad that this part of my life was probably over but with this baby I don't think I'm sad - I'm ready, I'm fine with the fact that we are moving on as a family, I have no desire for any more but still it's weird that within the week I'll never feel anything more than gas rumbling in my tummy!

Yep, that about sums it up. I think pregnancy emotions are running a little high too - if I thought about any of the above for too long I could probably set off a few tears. So between those above thoughts - being a little worried about having surgery (it's less worrisome when it's a means to ending one's labour pain than when planned) - being hungry - having time for the other three - making sure the kids are fine while I"m in the hospital I know I'm excited. Wednesday really can't get here fast enough. Ask me again next week in the afternoon as I'm holding our new bundle- I'm ready to meet the sixth member of the Shimmin clan.

Build a Bear

the pictures are out of order - here Ethan is "cleaning" the extra fluff off the baby's dog
Rich and Christian working on the birth certificate
the boys and their animals - Ethan chose a monkey, Aiden a dog and Christian a polar bear

stuffing the animals
all of us stuffing the baby's
the ladies do fun things with the kids b/f they put the hearts into their pets
putting the heart into his doggy

On Sunday we drove to Coquitlam Centre to take the boys to build a bear. When I was pregnant with Christian we were down in White Rock and there was a stand set up where Ethan was able to make the baby a bear - so I thought it would be neat to do that again. However, there are no little stands in White Rock right now so off we went to Build a Bear. The boys each picked out their own animal and then picked out a dog (typical of our house) for their new baby. The boys had fun stuffing the animals and washing them up. When the baby is born they'll bring the doggy, in its home, to the hospital and give it to the baby. It was a fun experience and Rich and I figured our boys will probably never be invited to a Build a Bear party.

All we need is the baby

These two b/w pictures will go into the picture frames.

On the top part of the armoire elephants and bunnies are carved into it.

This weekend Rich finished puting up the shelves and picture frames in Christian/babys' room. Last weekend Rich's dad brought over the armoire that he built for their room. It is beautiful and it is so awesome to be able to easily get clothes in and out instead of a fight like with Christian's old dresser. Rich's dad has ordered in some special door knobs for it but they're not in yet - can't wait to see what they are like. Rich's mom made the bedding too for Christian and the baby - what a challenge to find something to coordinate for a boy and a girl. I like Christian's bedding but I LOVE the girls probably b/c pink is something we don't have in this house. (if the ultrasound was wrong and the baby's a boy he may still be using a floral quilt!). We also need to add the pictures to the frames and the baby's name up on the wall. Ahh, so everything is ready to go - the babies bag (not mine), the soother (that we never use) is boiled, starting last night Rich wants to make sure the cameras are charged - oh I have to write out instructions for the other three. Better get on that right now!