You've Been Inked!

So our wee baby was finally named this week - and while it took us a good two weeks to commit to a name, we are thrilled with the result - Vanessa Madaket Roy or as Daddy loves to say my "Maddy". 

There were at least a dozen names that were considered - from Olivia to Ava to Megan to Jadyn. And while the above names are all beautiful in their own right, Daddy J and I could not agree on one until Vanessa.

For example, Olivia and Ava were too posh and prissy for Daddy who could not see you running across a soccer field with either of those monikers. And after staring at you for the last few weeks, I did not see any bits of a Megan, even though it is a lovely name. And finally, while we did love Jadyn, we soon discovered Britney Spears has a son with the same label - enough said.

And while Daddy was hooked on giving you Madaket as your first name (after our fave beach in Nantucket), I felt strongly about ensuring that your future would not be filled with a unique first name which would be mostly misspelled and mispronounced. You can bark at me in the years to come if you don't agree.

Vanessa was a given - it was literally destiny or "in the stars" for you. I say this because, the first item I purchased for your room was the following plaque below:

So it was only fitting that we chose Vanessa as your name - since Vanessa means "from the stars". And we feel truly blessed and lucky that the heavens delivered you to us.

Little Miss Vanessa - 2 weeks old

Happy First Week Birthday!

So this weekend marks Little Miss TBD's first week with us.  Hard to believe that a week has already flown by, how much she has changed and how much Baby Daddy J and I have learned.  

What have I learned so far?  Here are my top five lessons:  

1. Be as organized and prepared as possible BEFORE baby comes - buy what you need and add extra, because that first week will be a blur and you will want to be a shut in, especially in the winter.  This includes Always with Wings, Tylenol, comfy underware and a comfy shut-in nursing outfit.
2. Resist the urge to entertain tons of friends and relatives in the first few days - enjoy family time with just you, hubby and baby and savor the special  time.  It only happens once.
3. Stock up on food, especially fibre foods like fruits, veggies and meals that can be easily frozen and defrosted.
4. Breastfeeding is hard but so worth it.  Nothing is better than having baby nuzzled next to your chest while providing her with the best nourishment.
5. Remember to take photos and videos each and every week to document baby's growth and changes.

Little Miss TBD - one week old

What's in a name?

So our beautiful bundle of "pink" joy arrived at 5:35 am, last Friday, February 10th, 2012.  I'll be honest - I thought "she" was going to be a "he" and I came about it quite honestly. Hence, why "she" still has no name and remains Little Miss TBD.

Little Miss TBD just moments after she was born

About three weeks ago, I had my last ultrasound, to ensure all was fine. I made a specific request to the technician not to reveal the sex of the baby, since we wanted to be surprised.  And what does she end up doing? Using the personal pronoun "he" to document the various organs and positions of the baby to me.  My inner voice wanted to strangle her but I remained calm and proceeded to deal with the reveal.  I was disappointed to find the gender of the baby under such circumstances, but was elated to find out that baby was healthy.

As soon as I got to work, I googled "ultrasound technician stupidity" and was shocked to find out that "accidental gender reveals" occurs more often than one would think. More importantly, it stated not to put too much stock into the pronouns used to describe the examination, since some techs prefer to use one gender over another, regardless of what they see on the screen. 

Over the next few weeks, I proceeded to keep the secret to myself and went about purchasing gender neutral clothes or as Tori so eloquently put it - a potential lesbian wardrobe.  But I was fairly certain that the technician was correct in what she saw, coupled with the fact that all my weight was in my stomach - an old wives' tale that one is carrying a boy. See for yourself.

Mama Foxy at 36 weeks

So imagine my surprise when little miss TBD popped out - I was completely unprepared for my pink estrogen bundle, especially in the name department.  I had steered my baby daddy in a boy name direction, without revealing to him the ultrasound technician debacle.  I figured that it was so remote that we were having a girl, that spending time on choosing a girls' name was time not well spent - and so, I now find myself with one beautiful baby girl, with no name.


So what is in a name? Personally, I think so much is at stake, that as of day five post birth, she remains nameless.  Baby Daddy J and I can not agree on a suitable name that we both love and adore.  And most importantly, because she is going to be saddled with this moniker for the rest of her life, I want to ensure we have given it plenty of thought and that she "fits" the name.  I have met plenty of people who hate their name and so I want to make sure that I don't provide her with a label that she will hold against me for the rest of my life.

While we have a "list" of names and some lead contenders, there is still no resolution.  However, we do agree that her name should be meaningful, have the ability to be easily shortened into a somewhat hip nickname and provide the kid with a title that she can wear proudly.  


So what do you think this bundle of pinkness AKA Little Miss TBD, deserves as her official title? Is she an Ava, Olivia, Avery, Ella, Vanessa, Jayden, Alyssa, Madison or a Madaket?

Little Miss TBD - two days old

Much ado about nothing? I don't think so...

As I bid adieu to this pregnancy (I am two days past my due date), I look back with nothing but fond memories of my belly, my adoration of maternity clothes (I think I am the only person who feels this way), and ensuring that I ate well (with the exception of my new love of soda pop) and often.  The only thing that drove me nuts and continues to do so, is the lack of courtesy that most TTC riders extend to pregnant commuters like myself.  

Over the last ten months,  I can count on one hand the number of times that a man or woman has offered up their seat to me.  Now I don't expect it to happen everytime I ride the subway or the bus (seeing as many people have commented that my figure wasn't exactly screaming pregnant for the longest time), but it does start to get to you when other people quickly grab a seat and you are left huffing and puffing after trying to make a speedy dash (at least a valiant attempt) for it. 

For the most part, I was left to stand for 30 minutes during the morning rush hour over the last several months, which is no easy feat for my "cankles", which are screaming to have a break.  And while I am sure my facial expressions, my tummy patting and my himming and hawing may have amused some commuters, it never really served its original purpose - to call attention to my discomfort and get one of the handful of seated TTC riders to offer up their seat.  An exercise in futility.

I know that I speak for other pregnant commuters that are generally shocked at the utter ignorance displayed by fellow transit riders.  While I could chalk it up to my amazing style selection that has camouflaged my pregnancy,  I am not going to let my Toronto subway dwellers get off so easily.  In this day and age, I have witnessed more and more individuals so focused on "tuning out" with IPhones and Blackberries, that they barely look up to acknowledge who they are riding with on the subway.  Then there are those people (you know who you are), who look me up and down, recognize that I am pregnant, and then choose to continue sitting and punching the keys on their electronic device because they feel entitled to the seat.

How to fix problem? Well, in a perfect world, the TTC would embark on a public education campaign to drive awareness about the importance of giving up a seat to those who are disabled, elderly and of course, pregnant.  And it also doesn't hurt to start teaching our young the importance of courtesy and respect when it comes to these select populations and why we should be giving up seats and making it easier for them to travel and park.

I only wish that the Toronto subway cars and buses had more signs like these below - they could take a lesson or two from Home Depot and Canadian Tire, who know their customer and have taken the right steps to accommodate them and in their own way, create an educational snapshot for others to hopefully learn from and pass on.