So Close

Saturday, September 05, 2009

I'm starting to get pretty excited. In less than two weeks our little boy is going to be here and I won't have to leave the house to have some man time.

Things are starting to get a little hectic around here, but not all because of Noah's impending arrival. It's more a combination of everything. Alex started back to school on the third, Caile started primary on the fourth, and I start back on the ninth.Caile's school is all messed up. Her school is undergoing renovations so I get to drop her off there and then she is bussed to a different school. I'm sure after a few more mornings things will smooth out.

With everyone in school and Jen's doctors appointments now being weekly it getting fun trying to arrange everything. This week there are two appointments and we had to enroll the help of my sister to take her to one of them. We were starting to try to work out the next but as luck would have it ran into one of my professors at Caile's school's information session and he told me that our first day's class will be cancelled so now I can go.

Yes you heard me right, one of my professors has a child starting school with Caile. As if being at Acadia didn't make me feel old as it is. So while they at school together, me and him will be too, only I'll be his student not peer. Even at work now two of my superiors are recent Acadia graduates, so much younger than me. Don't get me wrong they are great people, it's just I'm used to being the person who has older people reporting to me. Oh well at least I have another kid coming who I can tell what to do.

Our Baby Has a First Name

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Why do I find it so hard to take some time and write a journal entry every once in a while? I mean school's done for me for the summer, shouldn't that mean I have lots more free time?

When Jen and I first got married I used to poke a little fun at her for her "desire" (or need, or obsession) to schedule and organize everything. Now with kids and busy lives it's not so much funny as it is a necessity. Not only do we manage to do lots of things but when there is a set schedule I really feel more productive. Once our little boy comes a long there will be even more of a need to stay organized.

Speaking of our little boy he finally has a name, well a first name anyway. It's kind of funny how we came up with the name too. When we were at the ultra sound and they told us it was a boy I yelled out "Yes!!!", but Jen yelled out "Noooo,  Ahhhhhhhhh", so we combined it and shortened it up a bit and came up with Noah. So now it's time to come up with a middle name. Take a look at the vote page to tell us what you think.

YAHOOOOOOO

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Well, well, well, it looks like me and 70% of the people who voted on this site were right. So what does that mean, other than the fact that Jen and her 30% were wrong? It means we are having a little BOY!! I'm not sure what I like more, the fact that I'm getting a boy, or the fact that I was right.

Finally we can start to tip the scales in this house. Obviously there is still an unbalance, but that just means me and the little guy will have to be even more manly. There's just one downfall to that plan, being around almost only girls my whole life I'm not entirely sure that I know how to be real manly. Can google teach me to be manly? Maybe it's time to download old episodes of the Man Show?

Oh no what have I done? This poor boy having three older sisters. It was different for me I was the oldest. He's doomed, maybe I'll have to lock him away in a castle until he's 16 so he is not influenced by all these girls. That reminds me of a fairy tale, hmmm Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel? AHHHHH see all girls.

Well i better go I think I have some reading to do and need to go pick up a football, hockey stick and some boxing gloves.

Even our Doctor Thinks it Could be a Boy

Friday, April 17, 2009

It really just hit me today how soon our new little baby will be joining us. I think it was talking with people about how next week I will finish up my exams and then officially be on break did it to me.

Even though the break is technically a long one, it always seems to fly by and after this break is over I will be heading back to school for my last year. But for the third time September is not only back to school month, it is also welcoming new baby month. If everything goes as planned we will have three kids born in the same month and another one that just missed it by coming a bit early. I know I'm not real adventurous but come on, really, I can't give another month a chance.

Oh well, it works out very well this way, almost like we planned it. Now Jen will be on maternity leave for my last year of school, which means that I will be able to spend more time on school work and also not have to worry about my school schedule working with Jens work schedule. Oh, but wait, I almost forgot, Caile is starting school next year. She will be going in French immersion which isn't offered at the local school. So I will be driving her each morning, and picking her up each afternoon. Hmmm Caile will get done at 2:30 each day and I have a required course that is only offered at that time. Maybe Jen's work schedule wasn't so bad to work around.

Right now the countdown is on. In a little less than a month we will get to find out if my 75% (currently) of voters are right and we are having a boy, or if Jens 25% is right and we are having a girl. We had a Doctors appointment yesterday and even she said "you could have a boy in there". hehehe

This week we've been to visit our good friends newly born little boy, and we've had other good friends visit us with their two little boys. So it has reconfirmed for me that it will be fun to have a little boy of our own. All three are good little boys, so maybe if I can get Jen around them more often she will see that it will be fine to have a boy.

There isn't much difference when they are babies, except for changing bums maybe. Then when he gets older and we go out shopping or somewhere I can be like "Let's make things easier, we'll split up. The boys can go pick up <<insert something manly here>> at Canadian Tire while you girls get groceries." That sounds fair to me, me and one kid, and Jen with three. Or, "I'll take the boy to karate lessons and you can take the girls to dance class". This is sounding better all the time, now I really hope this is a boy

Things Are Moving Along

Friday, March 27, 2009

I'm really bad at keeping these type of things up to date, but a comment in the guestbook today got me on a train of thought that I could type out.

First I'll start with a bit of an update, I'll try not to duplicate too much of what Mom as written already, but some of it will be the same. After a fair amount of looking, a couple of frustrating days, and a fair amount of money later, I am now either officially grown up, or simply uncool. I guess it depends on how you look at a guy driving a mini van. That term is a little misleading as well, mini van. When you are trying to reverse into some of the parking spots around, this van seems anything but mini. It probably doesn't help that we went with the extended version, but I don't know if we could have fit groceries let alone luggage into the back of it otherwise.

For all the previous pregnancies, we've been in the city at the IWK, Jen and I both really like it there and our OBGYN, so it is worth the drive for appointments and such. However, it's a fairly long drive and usually the appointments are in the morning. So I usually have my coffee for the way up. Coffee is a good thing, unless you have one before you leave the house and drink another one during the hour and a half car (now van) ride. So for the last appointment we actually made it a bit early, so I was happy cause I had time to get rid of these coffees before we went in. There are not many downfalls to having an efficient doctor, but when they are on the ball and take you early, making me miss listening to the heart beat the first time, it makes it hard to see the upside.

Luckily Jen managed to buy our own doppler, so now I can listen to the heartbeat when ever I want to. (read when ever Jen will let me). It always exciting to hear the heartbeat for the first time. But after listening to it for even just a short time, I find it very soothing. It could almost put me to sleep.

Since my last update we've also been to the first ultra sound. You can see the picture on the album page. The ultrasound is even more exciting than the heartbeat. I still think it is amazing being able to see our baby before it is born. I wonder if we can find our own ultrasound machine?

Finally I will address Janaya's question from the guestbook. We haven't been trying to have a boy at all. Jen has always wanted to have all girls, she doesn't think she would know what to do with a boy. For me this is the first time that I've been leaning towards having a boy. But really, I don't feel a need to have a boy. But, If that's who happens to be in there than great. If not, great.

So will we keep trying if this is not a boy? Hmmm. Although I love all my children very much, and although I think it would be cool to have a little boy in the mix, and I've mentioned other times that I think the 5th child would not be as much of an adjustment as the 4th, I will be just as happy with another little girl. That said, and against Jen's wishes, there is essentially no chance of us having another child after this one regardless of it's sex. Four little ones will certainly be enough :-)

Changes and More Changes

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Obviously each time there is an addition to a family it changes everything. After the first however, I didn't find those changes were all that drastic. Having just got back from a nice family weekend getaway, I've been doing some thinking about this and believe number four is going to mean big changes again.

When you have your first child there are a huge number of things that change. You obviously have a new level of responsibility most people have not had before. You can no longer just get up and leave the house whenever you want. When you do plan to go out you need to bring things with you that you wouldn't have had to worry about before.

Maybe before your first child all you had was a truck or sports car. Chances are you would have had to buy a more family friendly vehicle. Lots of couples with no children live in a single bedroom home or apartment, well that's not going to be enough room anymore. Going away for the weekend is no longer the simple task of getting two adults ready to go. Now you have to worry about changes of cloths, snacks, and entertainment for the child.

All these things and many more require change once that first child comes along. But with child two and three the adjustments are not really that big. Chances are when you bought that new family vehicle it wasn't just a three seater, so there are still more seats to put kids in. If you have to kids can share a room, so even if you only moved from a one bedroom to a two bedroom there is still room. When you go away you are already packing snacks, changes of clothes, and things to entertain, so you just pack a little more of each.

Now here comes child number four. As I wrote about before, your car just ran out of seats, time for something bigger. Chances are you will be looking for a bigger place to live as well.

As I was reminded again this weekend, even with three kids staying in a hotel can be challenge. We had one stay in our bed and the other two shared the second bed. You add another child and you'll be looking at either finding a place for a cot in the usually tight hotel room, or having a pretty uncomfortable sleep.

So although this getaway was all kinds of fun, it did have me thinking about what is to come. And although it is going to mean all kinds of changes, just like every other child, the changes that need to be made will be well worth it.

I'll end off with a word of advice for fathers that this weekend reminded me of. It is never, ever a good idea to deny a pregnant woman something she is craving. Even if it is really not your fault, you are going to pay the price. :-D

And Baby Makes Six

Monday, January 26, 2009

Hmmmmm six huh. Looks like we will be shopping for a new vehicle in the near future, cause five seats and six bums doesn't work out so well LOL. Add that to the list of things we will need to get ready buy before the newest McFadden gets here.

Jen thought I should keep a journal this time as we count down. I don't know where she got that idea (never met you but thanks Paul hahaha). I'm not sure what all I will talk about in here. I briefly thought about doing the same as Jen and taking pictures of my belly and trying to get it to go in the opposite direction of hers. But for some reason I don't think I will put any of us through that. A big guy belly isn't nearly as cute as a big pregnant belly.

Not that I'm an emotionless person, especially when it comes to my family, but I feel my brain really works in a logical way most of the time. So maybe I'll talk about that kind of thing here, the logistics of growing a family. Seems like I already started that anyway in the first paragraph.

Pregnancies are more about the Mom anyway so I don't expect anyone to be reading this part too often. But if you find your way here and have any questions you'd like me to try and answer, not that I'm an expert Dad by any means. But I have been through this a few times so I might have some advice that a first time Dad might find handy.