The Culmination of a Childhood

As we have for many of my son's birthdays, tonight we watched a Harry Potter movie on opening night. I couldn't help but reflect back through the years that my children grew up alongside the characters in the world of Harry Potter... truly they are what could be called the Harry Potter generation - as the books and movies paralalled their own milestones and life as close to real time as could be.

I found it very fitting, then, that on the cusp of my son turning 18 years old, that we would be watching the final installment in the franchise that we had loved so much. There is something a tiny bit sad but also very epic in all of this, the end of an era, in more ways than one. But with every ending there is a beginning just around the corner, new and exciting adventures to be had and I am very much looking forward to that.

Good bye Harry Potter and friends, thanks for all the memories!

Catching Up

My silence on this blog has spanned a period of time that includes all of my anniversary type dates - my 8th blogiversary, my 4th twitterversary, my year celebration on Empire Avenue and my not-yet-40th birthday. Let's just call it a blog hiatus.

The Force Is Strong With This One...

Happy Birthday to my Soul Mate. May the Force Be With You today and for many more birthdays!

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice...

Happy Birthday Raven!

The Right of Way

CFB Wainwright

We spent last weekend in the bustling Alberta town of Wainwright, there to visit Wes for his birthday, which conveniently coincided with a leave pass weekend. Before we went we had compiled a list of "attractions" in Wainwright and the surrounding area, all of which we finished/saw/did on the first day. The biggest attraction for sure was the Trestle Bridge (literally) and the town's Buffalo statue was a close second.

It was great to see Wesley and hear his stories. He has grown up so much in just two short weeks. It was good also to see the base again, although a lot has changed since my time there - for example they now have fancy barracks to sleep in (we slept in these tiny "H Shacks" with shared showers... ah, memories).

You can see the pictures of the Wainwright trip HERE.

Wainwright Birthday

Happy Birthday Wesley

We went to Wainwright to celebrate Wesley's 17th birthday with him. This picture was taken at dinner in a place called the Honeypot. He seems much older than 17 years old now, he's grown up a lot in the past two weeks and it suits him. We had a lot of fun together and on Saturday we went to all of the Wainwright "attractions." Soon there will be more pictures on Flickr.

My Baby Boy Turns 17

Happy Birthday Wesley!

Wesley has always been very active, even in the womb. He used to kick, turn somersaults and every once in a while jam his feet into my pelvis and stretch up as far as his little body could go... as he got bigger this became harder for him and some time in the last month of pregnancy, unbeknown to us, all of his antics got him stuck. On my bladder to be exact, with his umbilical cord wrapped around his shoulders.

Being trapped made him "late" and I was induced 10 days after my due date. The medication worked wonders and within six hours I was beginning transition labour which I am told is the final, shortest and most rewarding stage of childbirth. However 12 hours later I was still in transition - fully dilated but the baby hadn't moved. Then his heart rate started dropping and it became apparent that something was really wrong. I was pretty out of it by this time but I do remember the flurry of activity as the town hospital tried to prepare a surgical team at 1:30am and by the time I was wheeled into the Operating Room his heart beat was not above 16 beats per minute. I felt like I was observing everything from a detached, safe distance. Until that moment I hadn't even considered not coming home with a baby.

My GP was there with me, standing beside me stroking my forehead, while the OB started the C-Section. Then words I never dreamed I would hear came out of my OB's mouth - "Oh MY GOD look at this bladder!" Apparently as he made the incision my bladder finally succumbed to all the pressure and was ejected out of my body. I recall my GP soothing me with "Don't worry about it, we'll talk about it later." It wasn't too long before they had pulled Wesley out - but instead of any kind of crying there was just my GP with new words to combat my immediate panic "Just let us do our jobs right now" and they whisked him away. My baby was blue, he wasn't breathing or moving. I wasn't breathing either.

They suctioned him, he finally breathed and colour returned to him and to my world. As he cried for the first time I felt a joy that leapt up inside of me and chased all the demons away. He was alive, I was alive, we had clearly both been given a second chance. It wasn't all easy right away, things like incubators and heart monitors dominated for a while but in the end I got to take my baby boy home to flourish.

On his birthday I can't help but think about the story of his entrance into the world with retroactive awe at the role that fate plays in our lives. Things can change so quickly, certain decisions have outcomes you wouldn't have predicted and nothing is ever as simple as it first seems. I also marvel at the power and will of life itself - given the right chance life will always find a way.

17 years later I can't even begin to explain how happy I am that I am wishing him a happy birthday. Happy birthday Wesley!