Hadley, Meg and I are doing great. Here's a nice little video from the first hour of our little girl's sweet short life so far. Enjoy. And here's a link to a Whitehorse Star story about Hadley's birth. Happy New Year!
M&M
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Holy Crap, We've Got a Baby!
Be careful everyone, because this:
Can lead to this:
Hadley Beth Callan was born 7 lbs. 14 oz. at 12:50 pm on December 27th, 2009 after 42 hours of labour! Meg started getting contractions about 10 minutes apart just after Christmas dinner, and her water broke at 10:30 pm on Boxing Day. Labour was long, but Mom, Dad, and baby were all healthy and relatively happy throughout. There were no really tough decisions to make or stressful times. Our doula Jacquie Munro was a lifesaver, our nurses Sandra and Hazel were fantastic, and the delivering doctor Dr. Wilson was just perfect for us. We're getting discharged from the hospital today by our own doctor, Dr. Linekin, and will be heading back to our apartment to settle in. Hadley will be surrounded by love with mom and dad, all four grandparents, and Uncle Mike and Auntie Liz taking turns. We can't wait to introduce her to the rest of the family and all of you sometime soon. We picked "Hadley" mostly because we loved the sound of the name. Coincidentally, it was also the name of Ernest Hemingway's first wife. The middle name Beth comes from Meghan's Grandmother - a powerful woman who means a lot to the both of us. Hadley will be wearing a sweater that she knit for the McGuire kids almost 40 years ago home from the hospital. It was a lot of fun to fill Great-Grandpa Jack and Great-Grandma Beth in on the news yesterday - 62 years of marriage and still going strong! Thanks to all of you for all of the good energy sent our way this past little while. It worked! Here's some evidence:
Have a great New Year's, and we'll keep you posted with any news. . .
M&M
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Still Got It
This is what I saw when I woke up this morning.
No action yet, we have now put the requests to the baby on hold and will start back up again on boxing day. We are doing well otherwise, enjoying our time without appointments and with our families. Much Christmas love to you all!
No action yet, we have now put the requests to the baby on hold and will start back up again on boxing day. We are doing well otherwise, enjoying our time without appointments and with our families. Much Christmas love to you all!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Anticipation
Sorry Mark and Meghan; could not resist after you posted "Waiting"
See you tomorrow.
All our love
Mom and Dad
Past Due, and Waiting
No Baby yet, but Meg's doing great. Have a great week. We'll keep you posted. . .
M&M
Friday, December 18, 2009
A big day
First off: no baby yet. Today is our official due date, but there is not much sign of him/her wanting to make a move anytime soon. But it could happen in an hour. Or two weeks. Meg is doing great and finished two beautiful baby blankets (one knit and one crocheted) yesterday, so we expect that that might trigger some action. We'll see. All in all, she's a happy, healthy momma.
We've now crossed back over in terms of energy levels as the radiation has finally caught up to me and fatigue has set in. If feeling tired is the worst of the side effects I'll suffer from these treatments, then I'll happily take it and get some rest. I have my final two treatments today and Monday. Hard to believe. Time has really flown by.
John and Karen (Meg's parents) arrived a few days ago, and it's been great to see them. They've settled in nicely, and when my parents arrive on Monday, our 7 + 1 Vancouver Christmas family will be complete for a couple of weeks.
Speaking of my parents, big congrats go out to my Dad today, who after more than 40 years in the Engineering and Transportation Industry, including positions with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the Toronto Transit Commission, and most recently with McCormick Rankin Corporation, will RETIRE a happy and healthy man. My mom says he's like a little kid just let out of school for summer holidays, and he can't wait to meet his new grandchild. He worked his butt off for his family for all of these years, and somehow still managed to attend incessant hockey games, cottage weekends, and everything else his boys were doing. And kudos to my Mom for managing to work, raise the kids, AND put up with him all this time! He'll spend his retirement watching the blue herons on the dock at Sturgeon Lake, fishing, and visiting with his growing family.
We've now crossed back over in terms of energy levels as the radiation has finally caught up to me and fatigue has set in. If feeling tired is the worst of the side effects I'll suffer from these treatments, then I'll happily take it and get some rest. I have my final two treatments today and Monday. Hard to believe. Time has really flown by.
John and Karen (Meg's parents) arrived a few days ago, and it's been great to see them. They've settled in nicely, and when my parents arrive on Monday, our 7 + 1 Vancouver Christmas family will be complete for a couple of weeks.
Speaking of my parents, big congrats go out to my Dad today, who after more than 40 years in the Engineering and Transportation Industry, including positions with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the Toronto Transit Commission, and most recently with McCormick Rankin Corporation, will RETIRE a happy and healthy man. My mom says he's like a little kid just let out of school for summer holidays, and he can't wait to meet his new grandchild. He worked his butt off for his family for all of these years, and somehow still managed to attend incessant hockey games, cottage weekends, and everything else his boys were doing. And kudos to my Mom for managing to work, raise the kids, AND put up with him all this time! He'll spend his retirement watching the blue herons on the dock at Sturgeon Lake, fishing, and visiting with his growing family.
Nice Fish Dad!
So we'll let you know when this thing gets borned. Until then, enjoy the holiday season, and the people you've gathered around you. We'll be doing the same.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Oi.
Oi! Cancer! F*%# Off!
Sunday, December 13th
Hello People
It's me, the less poetic writer Meghan. We are keeping well here. Mark is now 14/20ths through his treatments (or 7/10ths if any of my grade school teachers are reading). He is having some random side effects, likely more residual chemo stuff than from radiation but nothing big or significant enough to keep him down. He continues to keep his head down as he soldiers through this phase. I keep saying that in some strange way it is like Mark has been preparing for this for a long time. He is really good at living and dealing with all things cancer. This may be apparent when you read the blog but trust me, it is even better when you are sitting next to him. It plays to his strengths in a way that is difficult to describe and adds a huge amount of confidence for both of us and it sounds like it does for many of you too.
Mike (Mark's bro) is now here for the next month to fill in all gaps. It is a real comfort for both Mark and I having him here. He has been reading ferociously on how babies are born and what exactly 'uncle-ing' is. We have a doula and the way we have worked it out is that it is her job to know how to help with having a baby, Mark's job to support me and Mike's job to support Mark. What that job will look like is anyone's guess - certainly having a large box of kleenex on hand will be an important part. What a crazy time. My folks arrive on Monday and Mark's parents in a week following. The baby arrives sometime between today and three weeks from now. Get your guesses in (any dates that end in 2010 are not welcome, thanks).
Last weekend we had a date night out that was really amazing. We were treated like royalty at a really nice restaurant, made pigs of ourselves and headed to a Christmas concert in a beautiful theater downtown. Here is a snap from our last date as a unit of 2.
Yes, sadly, those cocktails are virgin
We are spending our days enjoying Vancouver, food, our apartment and one another. It has been a pretty nice time for us really. We joke about how we are living like retired folks, to bed early, up early, hot cereal for breakfast, catch the news before bed, try to get in a walk every day, knitting, reading, napping - it's not a bad life at all.
So, have a great Sunday everyone, we are doing our Christmas decorating, and then when that 10 minute activity is finished we will go for a long walk and then out to dinner tonight.
We had a nice visit with our friend Chris Higgins and while out for a walk we came across this eagle on top of a totem pole right in the city. It really felt like a powerful moment for both Mark and I. Couldn't help but feel we are being watched over, you know? Also, the zoom on our camera leaves a little (ahem, a lot) to be desired.
It's me, the less poetic writer Meghan. We are keeping well here. Mark is now 14/20ths through his treatments (or 7/10ths if any of my grade school teachers are reading). He is having some random side effects, likely more residual chemo stuff than from radiation but nothing big or significant enough to keep him down. He continues to keep his head down as he soldiers through this phase. I keep saying that in some strange way it is like Mark has been preparing for this for a long time. He is really good at living and dealing with all things cancer. This may be apparent when you read the blog but trust me, it is even better when you are sitting next to him. It plays to his strengths in a way that is difficult to describe and adds a huge amount of confidence for both of us and it sounds like it does for many of you too.
Mike (Mark's bro) is now here for the next month to fill in all gaps. It is a real comfort for both Mark and I having him here. He has been reading ferociously on how babies are born and what exactly 'uncle-ing' is. We have a doula and the way we have worked it out is that it is her job to know how to help with having a baby, Mark's job to support me and Mike's job to support Mark. What that job will look like is anyone's guess - certainly having a large box of kleenex on hand will be an important part. What a crazy time. My folks arrive on Monday and Mark's parents in a week following. The baby arrives sometime between today and three weeks from now. Get your guesses in (any dates that end in 2010 are not welcome, thanks).
Last weekend we had a date night out that was really amazing. We were treated like royalty at a really nice restaurant, made pigs of ourselves and headed to a Christmas concert in a beautiful theater downtown. Here is a snap from our last date as a unit of 2.
Yes, sadly, those cocktails are virginSo, have a great Sunday everyone, we are doing our Christmas decorating, and then when that 10 minute activity is finished we will go for a long walk and then out to dinner tonight.
We had a nice visit with our friend Chris Higgins and while out for a walk we came across this eagle on top of a totem pole right in the city. It really felt like a powerful moment for both Mark and I. Couldn't help but feel we are being watched over, you know? Also, the zoom on our camera leaves a little (ahem, a lot) to be desired.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
10,000 Thank Yous
Meghan and I are still vibrating from the energy that was emanating from the Canadian Corps Legion Hall in Toronto on Saturday night. Unbelieveable. About 250 people showed up to show their support for us and our families and let cancer know in no uncertain terms that it's not welcome here, there, or anywhere else. While we weren't able to be there ourselves, we got some vivid descriptions and photos that have helped us picture it.
A staggering amount of money was raised through donated silent auction items, t-shirt sales, and cover charges. These contributions will allow us to navigate this uncertain time with peace and security, and words can't express the overwhelming gratitude that we feel. It is earth-shakingly humbling. We feel so lucky to be able to focus almost exclusively on my healing and the development of our brand new family for the next little while. We also hope that stability comes soon, and look forward to the opportunity to reciprocate some of the compassionate kindess that has been shown to us back to the community at large. We're not sure what that will look like yet, but we will be sure to keep you all posted as it develops.
For now, all we can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. Over the past few months, the world seems to have revealed itself to us as a place of such beauty. People have truly shown their best, most altruistic sides to us, and it's been an absolutely cathartic experience. There are horrible, scary things that lurk in dark corners some days, but the light from those around us seems to keep them cowering there. And of course, any day now, a brand new brilliance will shine on our world and those dark things won't know what to do with themselves.
They've been mentioned before, but many thanks need to go to the organizers of the SMASH IT! benefit. The amount of work and effort that people put into this event was truly unbelieveable. My brother Shawn and Brianna's sister Meghan helped with many of the logistics, and huge love goes out to them. The SMASH IT! Website should be updated at some point soon with some photos. There are too many silent auction donators to list here, but the items were unique, creative, and from my understanding, completely sold out by the end of the evening. Special mention should be made of Mitch Newbold, one of Meghan's father's business partners who really rose to the occasion and gathered an incredible bounty of valuable items.
Of course, any part of this evening would not have been possible without the lovely Katie Ross and Claire Slocombe. Katie and Claire are both friends of ours from years back, and any communication we've had about the event has made it clear that these two poured their hearts and souls into making sure this party was going to be a success. They are two very special women in our lives, and I don't know if or how we'll ever be able to let them know how much this has meant to us.
We wish we could have been there. With all of those worlds colliding, it sounded like some pretty amazing energy was created, and we're still feeling it rippling across the country. Yesterday I had my tenth radiation treatment out of my scheduled twenty - halfway there! My hair started to fall out yesterday, so I think it's back to the closely cropped look for a while, but otherwise, I'm still feeling good. Meg is looking and feeling great, and my brother Mike arrives tomorrow, so we've got a second hand on deck just in case. . .
The next little while should be a buzzing time, and we're so excited for the birth and for our families to arrive. Now let's get through these next couple months, and get home, where the other morning it apparently looked like this:
Thanks for your continued support, love, and communication. We'll be in touch again soon. xo Mark and Megs.
Some of the crowd
The 1970s style 2-floor venue was perfect, complete with QEII portraits, hooked rugs and some straggler legionnaires. Stu Henderson, Dave Marshall, and Ian and Simone of $100 thoroughly entertained the crowd with their mix of Neil Young covers, and Canadian rock, folk and country originals. The wood-paneled building was populated by people from every page of Meg and my histories as individuals and a couple, as well as by those who were there just to support the cause. 
Dave and Stu setting up
Ian and Simone entertaining the crowd
A staggering amount of money was raised through donated silent auction items, t-shirt sales, and cover charges. These contributions will allow us to navigate this uncertain time with peace and security, and words can't express the overwhelming gratitude that we feel. It is earth-shakingly humbling. We feel so lucky to be able to focus almost exclusively on my healing and the development of our brand new family for the next little while. We also hope that stability comes soon, and look forward to the opportunity to reciprocate some of the compassionate kindess that has been shown to us back to the community at large. We're not sure what that will look like yet, but we will be sure to keep you all posted as it develops.
A sample of some of the generously donated auction items
For now, all we can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. Over the past few months, the world seems to have revealed itself to us as a place of such beauty. People have truly shown their best, most altruistic sides to us, and it's been an absolutely cathartic experience. There are horrible, scary things that lurk in dark corners some days, but the light from those around us seems to keep them cowering there. And of course, any day now, a brand new brilliance will shine on our world and those dark things won't know what to do with themselves.
They've been mentioned before, but many thanks need to go to the organizers of the SMASH IT! benefit. The amount of work and effort that people put into this event was truly unbelieveable. My brother Shawn and Brianna's sister Meghan helped with many of the logistics, and huge love goes out to them. The SMASH IT! Website should be updated at some point soon with some photos. There are too many silent auction donators to list here, but the items were unique, creative, and from my understanding, completely sold out by the end of the evening. Special mention should be made of Mitch Newbold, one of Meghan's father's business partners who really rose to the occasion and gathered an incredible bounty of valuable items.
Of course, any part of this evening would not have been possible without the lovely Katie Ross and Claire Slocombe. Katie and Claire are both friends of ours from years back, and any communication we've had about the event has made it clear that these two poured their hearts and souls into making sure this party was going to be a success. They are two very special women in our lives, and I don't know if or how we'll ever be able to let them know how much this has meant to us.
The lovely Katie and Claire
The next little while should be a buzzing time, and we're so excited for the birth and for our families to arrive. Now let's get through these next couple months, and get home, where the other morning it apparently looked like this:
Now that's motivation. . .
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Sugar Mountain
Where to begin? I suppose you won't allow me to apologize for the lag between posts, but I'll do it anyways.Truth be told, I've been feeling so good that we've been out and about enjoying Vancouver, getting ready for the new arrival, and just generally making hay while the sun shines (and the rain pours). Mind you, much of this energy and enthusiasm is a result of a steroid medication that I'm on and currently weaning off of, and side effects from my radiation treatments should start slowing me down a bit soon (more on that later).
Meghan's Aunt Marg was just out here for a great visit, and she got to take advantage of my ravenous appetite and boundless energy by helping us enjoy some of Vancouver's most beautiful walks and most delicious food. She's a special person to us, and it was great to share this time and space with her. We're lucky to have people like her around, and to be going through this in a place where you can walk through gorgeous Old Growth Doug Fir forests in solitude in the afternoon and then enjoy one of the best meals of your life only a few kilometers away later that evening.
On a more technical note, our "recent comments" section seems to have stopped working - but we still always love to hear from you! Hopefully we'll get it fixed soon. . .
At the Capilano Suspension Bridge
Marg and Meghan on the trails in the UBC Endowment lands
Tojo's Sushi. Unbelievable.
Our final night with Marg we got an invitation from the infamous Dr. Joseph Ragaz and his partner Fiona Robertson to attend a great night put on by the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. It was really nice to spend some social time with these two people who have been such incredible supports for us out here. They've been like family to us, and we can't thank them enough.
Joseph and Fiona
My radiation treatments are going really well. I have appointments every day, but they last a total of six minutes. I get in the room, lie down on the table, and the technicians pin my head down onto the table using the mask, (not as bad as it sounds) making sure that I'm comfortable. They then direct the radiation beam at my head, aligning a series of custom cut lead plates designed to protect areas they don't want to radiate with marks on the mask and lasers in the room. They then leave the room, turn the radiation on for about 20 seconds, re-enter, switch the beam to the other side and switch the lead plates, leave the room again, and give me another 20 second shot of healing energy. That's it. See you tomorrow. The efficiency of the process continues to amaze me. So far, I've had no sign of side effects, and I'm feeling good. My hair should start to fall out sometime next week, and I may experience headaches, nausea, and fatigue, but the treatments affect different people in different ways. It's very likely that I'll experience a high degree of fatigue a few weeks from now (just in time for the baby!)
Meghan is doing great. She had her weekly checkup yesterday, and all is looking good. Our energy levels are on basically opposite trajectories, but it's nice for me to feel like I can take care of her for a little while. She needs rest more, and sometimes can't keep up with my steroid-fuelled, list-motivated pace these days, but we do our best to help eachother out. I can't say enough how she impresses me every day with her strength. We have our fears together and the clouds of uncertainty that are always overhead, and those always need to be recognized, but together, we're able to handle them with honesty, patience, and some degree of peace.
Meg in relax mode - knitting for the baby
Our next few weeks will likely be some of the most exciting, terrifying, busiest, and dramatic of our lives. My brother Mike arrives here in Vancouver on the 9th, Meghan's parents arrive on the 14th, the baby is due on the 18th, and my final radiation treatment coincides with my parents' arrival on the 21st. What a Christmas it will be.
Thanks to all of you for your ongoing kind words and thoughts of support and encouragement. They really mean a lot to us, and will continue to do so over the next little while. Thank you also for reading this blog. It gives us an outlet to talk about what we're going through, and it helps to know that people are listening. As I wean off of this steroid, side effects from my treatments likely settle in, and the end of this stage of active treatment comes to a close, positivity may be more difficult to maintain at such a high level. On the other hand, with the birth of our new baby, the energy around our families being with us at this incredible time, and the feelings that we feel directed at us from across this country, it's just somehow impossible to think that we can fail at this. I suppose I just want to offer reassurance that no matter what comes down the road, and regardless of possible changes in tone, that we'll be doing OK. This vortex of emotions is a complicated thing that doesn't really seem to make sense at any time, but really, it's all just part of going through something like this. And as I've written before, there have been some truly beautiful things that have emerged from this muck.
Like the SMASH IT! Benefit taking place this Saturday, December 5th at the Canadian Corps Legion in Toronto for example. So many people have put so much work into and contributed so much to this event, and it hasn't even taken place yet. Again, a huge thanks to all of the silent auction donators, musicians, and organizers. We will be there in spirit, (and briefly on video), but I wish we could be in that room. Much love to you all. If you're able to make it to Toronto on Saturday, here's a little something to get you primed, and that website again with more information: SMASH IT! Website
On a more technical note, our "recent comments" section seems to have stopped working - but we still always love to hear from you! Hopefully we'll get it fixed soon. . .
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