traveling to Toronto

Blarg. Hotels are not fun with two small children. The drive up was OK though each stop, of course, took almost twice as long as when it was just Garvin and me - left the house around 11am, got to Garvin's aunt's condo at about 6pm, so not really bad time considering last summer when we made the drive we hit traffic from hell, total stop for extended periods of time, and it took probably just as long even tho we made the rest stops as brief as possible. This is only the 3rd time we've driven to Toronto from Cleveland, so not a lot to compare it to, but the time we drove up while we were in college (for Garvin's cousin's wedding - my first time meeting the extended Yeung family and it had Karioke involved - fun story for another time) it only took 5 hours. I'm not so much about the journey when there are people waiting for us to get somewhere.

Liam and Del both did well in the rented minivan (which, weirdly, has a DVD entertainment system but manual windows and doorlocks), we wound up stopping 3x I think, maybe only twice, to feed Del and streetch and potty. Liam made it the whole way in a dry pull-up (aka "buzz") then wound up wetting the bed this morning. Nice to let someone else change the sheets.

The hotel we're staying in is OK. Took a while to find an acceptable room as for some reason when they went bed shopping for the place they went to the trampoline store instead, to the point that the first room we were in I laid down to nurse Del and the amount of bouncing from just HIS little movements and mine was enough to make me motion sick. No good. Took trying 4 different rooms, 3 of them had trampoline-like beds and the one we wound up picking instead (less bouncy bed) the AC isn't working. But it's on the 10th floor and has a window that isn't low enough for Liam to climb out of easily (he'd have to at least move the chair over) so we opened the window. As much of an environmentalist as I am, I really don't trust the damn screen window to keep my climbing toddler from his doom so I'm really hoping they get the damn AC fixed today like they said they wood (it's noon and no sign of the repair guy yet so I'm feeling a it pessimistic).

Email reply from Prophecy, Liam's not even allowed to go to the wizard rock concert. Good thing he's too young to be disappointed. Garvin doesn't seem to actually enjoy the wrock that much so I may actually leave him in the hotel room with both boys, take my cell with me so he can call me if Del needs me, and go by myself (or take Del in the sling with earplugs). Or, as I suggested to Garvin, maybe Nai-Nai can watch Liam at the hotel at least one day and he can drive her back to Auntie's condo in the evening. I'm really looking forward to the conference, just wish childcare wasn't such a hassle. If I'm ever part of planning one of these, I'm going to insist that they investigate on-site childcare options. There are enough HP fans that are parents with children too young for a conference, time to be inclusive people!!!

Well, I think everyone's ready to head out now so that's it for now. Hotel has free wifi so that's cool at least.

Just finished Deathly Hallows - spoiler reactions in comments

Well, I wasn't entirely accurrate in my predictions but not bad on the whole I think, better than 50-50 I guess.

Posting spoiler stuff in comments just in case, but seriously, if you've not finished the book what the hell are you doing reading MY blog? Go finish the damn book!

I can't wait to see what she writes next. Rumor is that it's for a slightly younger age group, so hopefully Del and Liam can grow up with a series while they actually remember it instead of just looking at pictures of their tiny selves at release parties (I'll post pictures to the photo website).

A warning for folks who haven't read the book yet and may read it aloud (or listen to the audiobook) with young children - there is swearing in this book. It's a war. It's not pretty. It's a bloodbath. The people who deluded themselves that there would only be 2 deaths in the book from what JKR said were kidding themselves. It's a freaking wild roller coaster that I wouldn't have traded a minute of, but damn was I glad to be able to take breaks and snuggle my kids and I think the lactating hormones helped a bit with coping. Damn. I cried several times, but she brilliantly mixed in almost as many times to laugh. As much as I still dearly love the series, Liam and Del (and any younger siblings) will DEFINATELY have to be of a certain maturity level before I really let them have access to this book, especially. It is really emotionally challenging. 11 year olds are going to be really torn up. But bless her, she left us our fan fiction options, even with the epilogue included I'm still sprouting ideas.

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows - or - Priorities, Priorities

Well, I've had very strong theories about what's going to happen in the last book(s) for ages (saw Harry and Ginny hooking up pretty much from the first time the boy got on the train, sorry all you Harry/Hermione shippers out there). I just haven't had a chance to sit down and write them where other people could access them for a while, but figured I better get to it, and trying to get it done before Liam wakes up (Del's in a sling on my chest as I type as he's having a fussy morning after a fussy night - reflux and/or indigestion I think from all the grunting). People who have had Harry Potter conversations with me know these aren't things I'm making up after reading spoilers or something (I've actually read no spoilers, mostly from lack of time - I read spoilers for the last two books judiciously).

Should be no surprise that I'm racing to get this up when I still haven't written up Del's birth story yet to people who know me, right? *blush*

I'm posting the theories as the first comment to this post so it doesn't potentially spoil anyone who stumbles upon this and doesn't want to read that kind of thing (but wants to read my other random ranting for some reason? Must be a relative looking for baby pictures - haven't updated those in a couple weeks either, sorry!).

edit: wow, even trying to keep it short, typing up my Potter theories in Word (so I could spell-check and auto-save in case Del projectile-spit-up on the keyboard or something) wound up being 5 full pages at 12 pt font with 1" margins... so be prepared for a very long read before you go read the theories I posted as the first comment to this!

personality matrix

Sabrina did one of these (not sure if she wants random folks who read my blog adding their insight into her personality, so I'm not linking to it) and so I did a new one (apparently I did one as "Ahmie" but then forgot to tell people was there - from the words selected I'm *pretty* sure that was me too). So I did a new one as dragonmama that reflects how I'm seeing myself right now as opposed to whenever the heck that was.

No more time to type right now.

edit because I don't feel like making a new post: went to the LCs at a nearby hospital today to buy a Medela nursing bra off them. Weighed Del. He's now 9lbs 9oz! Eek! He was 9oz even 6 days ago at his 2wk checkup.

edit because of MFB - he was 9LBS not 9OZ at his 2wk appointment. doh.

ok ok i'll post something postpartum

baby is here (in my lap as i type)... little baby boy Del (short for Delano, like the president) was born on 6/27/07 at 7:17am after 3.5 days of labor and close to 10 hours of on and off pushing (back labor and psoas muscle issues are a nasty combo). he was born at home, Garvin caught him. 7lbs 12oz, 19in long at birth. 9lbs and 20.5in long at his 2wk checkup this past Wednesday. breastfeeding like a champ, obviously. saw his first movie on Wednesday evening (HP&OOTP, what else?) with Auntie Serena, our family doctor and her family, and the family of one of the other doctors in the practice (10 seats, 11 people including Del, all together). i'll be posting the birth story on the yeungs.us website and putting the link in under the link to family pictures to your right, so it doesn't get buried as I get back to posting more regularly. pictures of Del and the rest of us are already up in in the family gallery tho I haven't added any in about a week now. Will try to add more later today. Need to make some phone calls to settle travel arrangements for Prophecy before I space out again.