I guess I just figured my body would keep it’s metobolism and burn off what I ate. But nope - I found that by the third trimester, the weight started to pile on. I was quite surprised to learn that I had developed toxemia in the last few weeks of my pregnancy. The news came as I checked myself into hospital with a sharp pain in the lower left side of my belly.

My weight had reached 139lbs - that was about 40 lbs on my small frame and I still had 4 weeks left to go. I was quite swollen and puffy - couldn’t even wear my shoes. I had started to wear birkenstocks even though it was December.

My doctor said he had been monitoring my sugar levels (those fun ‘pee’ tests on every doctor’s visit) which had begun to show signs of risk for toxemia. Pre-Eclampsia is another term for this condition.

I was told that I was in the hospital, on bed rest, for the duration of my pregnancy. Four, long weeks. And this was the first week of December. So can you imagine being told you have to sit in a hospital room for 4 weeks during the holidays? Arg!

Honestly, I still didn’t “get it” that I had to slow down, sit, and not get out of bed. The nurses would send me back to my room even if I tried to sneak out for ice. I was bored out of my brains sitting in that room all day. I’m not good at just sitting around at the best of times. But I wasn’t even ready with the baby’s room yet - so this was torture.

My husband finished painting the baby’s nursery with the help of my sister. The nurses brought me “crafts”: needlepoint, cross stitch, knitting projects. Anything to keep me busy while sitting. By week two, I knew I wasn’t going to last and begged my Doctor for some options. He arranged an ultrasound to see if we could induce labour early - depending on the baby’s weight and size of course. The ultrasound came back with measurements and results which indicated that our baby was about 6 pounds - a healthy wait for a pre-term baby. My doctor said that the inducement should be fine - so we proceeded. It was a quick delivery (only 4 hours from beginning to end) and our little guy arrived at a whopping 4 lbs 11 ounces. Way to small but he was healthy and no signs of problems re: lung developement or anything that can be expected with a preterm baby.

We brought him home a few days later - some obervation time to be careful. But he was a healthy little guy. I still remember how tiny he was - so cute.

Later, I had time to read my “what to expect when you’re expecting book” and read-up on Toxemia and Preclampsia - and all the risks associated with it. There can be kidney damage and other life long effects if not treated. So I wish I had known that when I was rushing around, not eating as well as I could have and even in the hospital… not taking enough care to rest. I just figured, women have babies every day and I’ll be fine. But my best advice is to always slow down during your pregnancy and enjoy the time to “nest” and prepare for your new arrival. It pays to take care of yourself. A newborn is a ton of work - and a premmie is even more. They eat more frequently which means you get less rest. So overall, I learned a lot from that first pregnancy and the second two were much more intelligent

When our second child was born, our clever friends bought our eldest boy a personalized book which told a story about him - just him - and nothing to do with the new baby. In a way, it was just what he needed. Something that was special and about him. Afterall, until our second son arrived, he was the center of our universe. So this clever gift gave him just the boost he needed to feel special.

We did also get a lovely “I’m a big brother” tshirt which he help to make with fabric pens and paints. All of these little efforts really helped to make him feel like he was part of this experience.

Our close friends were expecting their second baby at the same time - and they also did all these special things for their first child (same age as our first) and their experience wasn’t quite as smooth. Their daughter would sometimes pinch the baby. It didn’t last long - only a day or so. And to be honest, I was slightly horrified when I saw her try it. We all watched her like hawks and after about a week, she was past this. But apparently this can happen with the older sibling. Odd… but true…

If you have a story about your eldest child (when baby #2 arrived) post it here. It’s good to share the stories, solutions, ideas with each other. Like our friends, sometimes the response from the eldest child can be unexpected and it’s good to discuss ideas on how to respond to these reactions.

I just realized that I can create a google calendar online to track appointments and other developments for our baby - and share this withy hubby! It’s a great way to stay on top of appointments and progress in a collaborative setting.

The baby calendar I bought is really cute and has great little stickers to place along the way - tracking milestones etc. - but I feel like it’s only for me and not “us”.

Check it out on calendar.google.com - oh, and best of all, this pregnancy calendar is free!

I am looking to find the latest n’ greatest in maternity fashion and decide to do a search online. A few results produce shops in New York City - but the weird thing about it is that all of these trend-stopping-chic-shops have a corresponding online presence.

Have we already traded bricks for clicks?

Don’t get me wrong - I’m all for online shopping. I don’t want to think that my fashion style is going to be dictated by what the buyers for my local department store (or boutique) “think” I want to wear. Can you imagine? Every department store is essentially carrying the same products - exactly. That means I could have a virtual double of myself walking around the streets of a neighbouring city??

Ha - maybe.

But I like the idea of being able to find exactly what I need and keep up with the latest trends. Like, this new belly band thingy. You can use it instead of buying maternity pants. It’s just a big band of stretchy elastice that covers your bump and adjusts to cover over top of your jeans. That’s a bit of magic, really.