Hello all, we're still here. Sorry for the lack of updates but life has been quite crazy. I have been meaning to update but have been overwhelmed by the amount of info I felt needed to be included. However, I have decided to give a simple update and we'll go from there. I am sure Margot will also give an update and fill in a few holes.
So, before Christmas, Margot started having to fly out every two weeks (weather dependent) to have a special ultrasound done in Ottawa to ensure the baby was okay. This is right around the time Lily and I got hand, foot and mouth disease which was extraordinarily unpleasant. I later learned that it made its rounds through town and one of us must have picked it up at school.
Margot was on one of her checkups in early January when things started "happening" and I got the call Friday morning that the baby might be coming in 2 hours, 2 days or full term (March 3). So I frantically got 2 months of prep done for my class, did report card marks and wrote final exams for my subjects. This along with booking flights, cleaning the house for house sitters (our friends are AMAZING!!!!) and packing kept me and Lily busy for the weekend to get ready for our flight to Ottawa Monday.
Meanwhile Margot was able to get us into the hotel we had planned to all stay in during the baby's birth time. It is right downtown, one block from the mall and one block from the Byward Market. It's rooms are set up as small apartments. After we were moved from a stinky, shabby 2 bedroom at our request, we were put into a new renovated 2 bedroom suite. It was a nice space with a full size kitchen, dining table, 2 bathrooms and laundry in room.
Margot, Lily and I really enjoyed being in the city, but we refer to our time there as a stresscation. Margot was very uncomfortable and we spent many days at the hospital with all the tests. But we also squeezed a whole lot of fun things in. The pool was the biggest hit of all. The winter carnival happened during our stay so we went ice skating on the Rideau Canal, checked out ice carvings, ate frozen maple syrup, went sliding at Jaques Cartier Park. We also spent time at the Museum of Civilization. What a place! They have THE coolest stuff for kids there. I highly recommend it. We also toured the Parliament buildings and the Fairmont. We did High tea twice and Margot surprised me on Valentines day with dinner at the Fairmont. What a treat. Our first date in forever! My mom also came to stay with us to look after Lily while Margot, baby and I were in the hospital. It was so great having her around. We also had lots of time to visit with Margot's dad and stepmom who live in Ontario, we even got a visit to Ikea in. Thanks for the ride David! Margot's sister Megan came out from Halifax to meet Beckett and have a visit also.
The baby decided to stick it out in the womb until the doctors felt it was time to induce. So we went to the hospital all prepared and they broke Margot's water after she assured them she did NOT want drugs of any sort. The staff looked at her like she was crazy, but I am so proud to say she stuck to her plan and had a natural birth. She was great!
We now have a little boy, Richard Beckett Haworth 5th, or Beckett. He was born 8 lbs. 4 oz. We had to stay in the hospital 5 days due to the blood complications. He was having trouble processing destroyed red blood cells or billy ruben (not spelled right). He was very jaundice and they put him under special lights that helped him break them down. They also did numerous blood tests to ensure things were progressing well. Poor little guy had lots of cuts on his feet because that is how they draw blood on newborns.
We were released from the hospital but stayed in Ottawa for a few more days to ensure Beckett was doing alright. Our flights home to Cape Dorset were uneventful and it was great to come home again. It had been 7 weeks away for me and Lily and over 2 months for Margot since we had been home. It was so nice to see the dogs again, boy I really missed them. Lily was so excited to have her toy and her room back.
Shortly after getting home, we started getting ready for Lily's birthday, the big 4. What a lucky kid, you should have seen all the gifts. That little girl has a lot of people who care about her! Thank you everyone!
Mom flew out a couple of days ago and should have arrived in Kelowna, BC late last night. Dad drove over to pick her up.
Thanks again Mom!
kms, got four ptarmigan and two adult Caribou. I also broke my qamotic and barely got my snowmobile home after using a large nail to make an out on the land repair and breaking two of my springs. I have been considering buying something a bit newer and bigger, but this experience convinced me. So the next day I bought a used 2009 Skidoo GTX (grand touring) 550. Dieter and I also did a 4 hour round trip to go and rescue my damaged Qamotic.
Sadly Margot came down with a bad cold a few days ago but is feeling a bit better. Beckett is eating a lot and growing lots. He is sleeping pretty well, but we are still getting used to the lack of sleep. Lily is very happy about being a big sister and wants to do everything. She has started spending afternoons at home after I pick her up at lunch and we all eat. It is nice for her to spend the morning playing with her friends at school and the afternoons at home with Margot.
This is the very fast update and we'll post pictures soon.
-Richard
