Revenesque

Hi! USC hubby and I have been married since 2007 but he has been filing single. I've POed in March 2011. I'm wondering if there is any benefit to amending his 2007-2009 taxes to filing as maried jointly? If so, what do we have to do?--does he write in to the IRS to elect to treat me as resident alien for tax purposes and I to fill out Form 2555? Help!

I've updated up to here. Let me know if I missed you.

Congrats on the newly pregnant!

VJ Canadian Preganncies and Babies...

UserName..............Due Date........Boy/Girl......Name.........BabyBorn.....Weight........Length

Canadiandggal.........??/??/??..........Boy.........Dylan........??/??/??.....?lbs??oz......??.?inches

Autumnchik............05/28/08..........Boy.........Declan.......05/08/08.....6lbs14oz......20.0inches

Team J and B..........01/25/09..........Boy.........Monkey.......01/14/09.....7lbs04oz......19.0inches

Ant+D+BabyA...........07/25/09..........Boy.........BabyA........07/30/09.....8lbs08oz......20.5inches

Team J and B..........07/09/10..........Boy.........?????........07/16/10.....?lbs??oz......??.?inches

Revenesque............08/21/10..........Girl........Angeline.....09/05/10.....8lbs05oz......21.75inches

Mtlgato...............10/17/10..........Girl........*Girl*.......10/17/10.....7lbs040z......21.25inches

Colleens..............12/13/10..........Girl........???

Bern..................12/23/10..........Boy.........Bryon

Ontarkie..............06/19/11..........???.........???

Krys & Nova...........00/00/11..........???.........???

What's with the NEXUS officers finding the worst angle of your face when taking your picture? Hubby looks like a thug on his card; I look haggard on mine, and now they managed to make my cute little 2-month-old princess look like a morbidly obese cantankerous boy! 'da hell!

Hi everyone!

I'm finally ready to update, though this will be brief as I have to head to bed soon.

I had a baby *girl* on Sunday, October 17--7lbs, 4oz, 21.25 inches, very healthy. She's pretty much bald, but in a cute way. I had a c-section in the end, and I wasn't very happy about that (6 nights in the hospital really messed with my mind), but 2 weeks later it no longer seems important.

I did have to reschedule my immigration interview It had been set for October 28, but that was impossible once surgery (and recovery, etc) was in the mix. So it's now rescheduled for January 19, 2011. I could feel bad about this delay, but I feel like I can't afford to do so: I have to focus on the baby.

C.

Congratulations, mtlgato! Hope you're recovering well and enjoying your baby girl. Something about a new baby makes your time flies and pretty soon it'll be January in no time. :-)

Friggin' hilarious!

Gah sorry to hear that Revenesque, that sucks! Maybe you could ask your hubby to contact HIS state's immigration liaison to see if they could shake something loose for you?

It totally sucks donkey balls! I'll need my passport to travel soon!

I feel your pain, I bet between my hubby, me and the senator's liason, we've probably emailed Montreal in excess of 30 times regarding this issue. I was totally shocked to see that Montreal actually answered. I called DoS today, Montreal really DID pull the remaining paperwork they were waiting for PLUS my hubby's updated deployment letter from his commander on Monday (the day they answered my email) and they have noted we are an expedited case so, God willing I will get good news by weeks end.

***edit*** wait - did you have your interview already? I looked at your timeline but maybe it's not updated?

Yup, interviewed in April. I was pregnant back then and therefore was not ready to immigrate within six months of visa issuance so the interviewing Immigration Officer did not issue a visa with the remark: *not ready to immigrate. As the IR1 visa is set to expire in March 2011, he said that as soon as I gave birth to my baby, to complete the visa application by mail. I mailed my passport over 6 weeks ago. :-(

....Montreal actually responded to an email I sent them yesterday. Nothing too exciting, they are going to find my paperwork and FINALLLY look at it but I was quite pleasantly pleased that they actually ANSWERED my email in the first place

At least I know there will be some sort of movement (God willing my visa issued) 70 plus days after my interview.

I sent an email over a week ago inquiring when they are going to issue the IV visa and return my passport. Got an auto-reply and haven't heard from them since. :-(

@ Autumnchik, thanks for your kind words. I hear you on the life is crazy thing. I've had to cut down on the internet, ha.

@ Ant, yes I'm still breastfeeding her. Had a rough start but things are going well now. :-)

Angeline says hello: Hello VJ Canada!

Thanks, ladies for your kind words!

I see mtlgato is due any minute now. Wishing you a smooth easy labor and delivery! Let us know how it went.

Ant, I agree on baby wipes. We're using cloth diapers, supplementing with newborn disposables so we won't be needing that much disposables diapers, but I will certainly stock up on baby wipes. Angel goes through at least 10 a day!

Hello ladies! Hope you all are doing well! Love the baby pics on this thread--so adorable!

Sorry for the late post. I'm finally caught up in my sleep (sort of) and things are slowing down. My baby is dozing in her bouncy chair so I have time to catch up on VJ. Better late than never!

PHOTOS:

1) Unhappy baby just after birth

2) Baby after her first bath a day after birth

3) Baby on my Breast Friend pillow on my lap at home

4) Dad changing baby's diaper

5) Dad dries her bum with a hair dryer

6) Baby in a basket after a professional newborn photo session

BABY ANGEL'S BIRTH STORY:

Sat, Sep 4 4:00 AM - Woke up due to tummy pains, took a long shower to help ease the pain. Hubby sleepily called out from bed wondering if I'm OK. I suspect I'm in early labour, didn't worry about it since I could still walk and talk. Called the midwife to give her the heads up.

Spent the rest of Saturday running errands with hubby.

Sun, Sep 5 10:00 PM - Contractions unbearable. Called midwife for some guidance. She told me to keep labouring at home and try to get some sleep. I couldn't sleep--too painful, so I surfed the net.

12:20 AM - Water broke as I got up from the chair. I scrambled to the bathroom to slap on a maxi pad. Called the midwife who gave me the OK to head to the hospital. Hubby and I packed and headed out. Ride to the hospital was brutal.

1:46 AM - Checked into the hospital, met the midwife there and was assessed. 5 cm dilated. I was in so much pain they gave me laughing gas. Did nothing for me--still in pain and light-headed from the gas.

3:20 AM - Midwife ran the water in the jacuzzi tub and told me it might help with the labor pain. I got in for about 5 mins, got back out and asked for an epidural. She checked me again--6 cm dilated. Prep work started for the epidural. IV put in.

6:00 AM - Anesthiologist gives epidural. 30 mins later...HEAVEN! 8 cm dilated. Midwife told me to get a couple hours of sleep, which hubby and I happily obliged.

8:00 AM - Still at 8 cm.

10:00 AM - Still at 8 cm. Midwife was concerned at the lack of progress.

10:30 AM - Midwife instructed to push despite of only being at 8 cm. She said this was a very unorthodox practice but we did it to see if I can get to 10 cm. I did.

11:00 AM - Active labour for the next 3.5 hours. Baby crowned with lots of hair. Got stuck in the birth canal with little progress. I got very tired and OK'd assisted birth (vacuum or forceps).

2:00 PM - OB-Gyn showed up with team & vacuum. Pulls baby out @ 2:26 PM.

ANGELINE, born in Vancouver, BC on the 5th of September, 2010, weighing 8 lbs 5 oz, measuring 21 inches long, bloodied, with one nasty conehead for being stuck in the birth canal for so long.

Hubby was going to stay at my head and not watch the events happening down there--but he ended up seeing everything, being part of the the birthing activities, even touching the baby's head as she crowned. He was also adamant about not cutting the umbilical cord--but ended up cutting the cord. OB-gyn said it's just like cutting through calamari, lol. He said it wasn't as bad or traumatic as he thought, lol.

Yah, I think this will be our only child. The labour and birth was pretty brutal--don't ever want to go through that again.

My little man at 4 weeeks old..what a monkey hehe

What a cutie!

Yes I bought all pink stuff, some white and even some blue. I had tons of little diaper shirts that said Grandma's Girl, daddys girl, Mommies little angel, I had made my brother paint a wonderful pink room with butterflies all over the wall. I had bought all the bedding, the car seat/stroller combo, I was ready and waiting for a girl. haha It was sure fun exchanging everything that was possible. Let me see if I can find a pic of the main man as a baby!

Don't buy alot of newborn size clothes! My little girl is almost 1 month old and she's outgrown half of her nb size clothes already (we only have about 10-12 items), most of which were only worn once! I'm sad she's growing up so fast--wish she could stay little a little longer. :-(

Updated my info!

VJ Canadian Preganncies and Babies...

UserName..............Due Date........Boy/Girl......Name.........BabyBorn.....Weight........Length

Autumnchik............05/28/08..........Boy.........Declan.......05/08/08.....6lbs14oz......20.0inches

Team J and B..........01/25/09..........Boy.........Monkey.......01/14/09.....7lbs04oz......19.0inches

Ant+D+BabyA...........07/25/09..........Boy.........BabyA........07/30/09.....8lbs08oz......20.5inches

Team J and B..........07/09/10..........Boy.........?????........07/16/10.....?lbs??oz......??.?inches

Revenesque............08/21/10..........Girl........Angel........09/05/10.....8lbs05oz......21.5inches

Mtlgato...............10/03/10

Colleens..............12/13/10..........Girl........

Bern..................12/23/10..........Boy.........Bryon

Took me a few tries to get the picture to work

You looked good! I'll post my hospital pics when ever I get there--then y'all can see what 50 lbs on me looks like, lol.

She might not be VERY late. Maybe just a very few days...

Good luck!!!

How soon after the birth do you hope to move?

C.

She's seven days late! Never thought I would have a September baby.

re: moving to the US, I'm thinking probably at the end of Dec or Jan 1st, just to round off the tax year. I'm not in a rush.

Good Luck Raven....I hope she doesn't wait too long to make her debut!!

Thanks Colleen!

I am talking about the Maternity benefits that you can get from Canada. It is part of the EI program. Since I still qualify for EI, I will be able to switch my EI benefits (if I ever get EAD to begin collecting them) to maternity benefits. I was wondering if you need EAD for the maternity portion, since unlike the EI benefits, you are not expected to be looking for a job.

I just got my EI maternity benefits (15 weeks) and EI parental benefits (35 weeks) approved, with the first payment on Sept 14. Not sure how it works in your case, Colleens.

You only weighed about 100lbs before the pregancy??? Well, no wonder you've gained 50lbs. I think it's often the skinnier women who gain a lot. It tends to be the women who were very heavy in the first place who can claim to have gained no weight or some tiny amount like 4lbs.

As for when the baby will come...I can understand why you want it to be soon! I'm sure I'll be the same way in just a few weeks. Ant is right, though, that they're often "late" (esp. first babies). Doesn't ALWAYS happen that way, though. I think it's true that very few are born on the due date (I'd read 4%), but LOTS are born *near* the due date. Lots!

Good luck!

C.

Yeah, I was about 105 lbs pre-pregnancy, a little thin for my height actually. Hubby wants me to be at 120 post birth. Anyhoo, today's my due date and still no baby. Looks like she'll be late.

On another note, the US Consulate at Montreal received my passport! Yay!

Hi! Update on us...

Our #2 arrived on July 16th, 2010 at 7.15 AM. He is one month young today.

My water broke at 4.15 AM, so from start to finish it was only three hours.

Crazy story: I walked to the hospital in between contractions, not knowing I was THIS close to delivering. My husband had to stay home with #1 and wait for his nanny to arrive. By the time I checked in, I was 10 cms, and 100% effaced. I knew second deliveries are usually faster but not this fast! Good thing though, I was allowed to get an epidural. Actually I got double dosage because the first dose did jack all for me. I love that drug! Husband made it to hospital before my second dosage of epidural.

In hospital for two nights then walked home with BB #2.

I'm filing for I-751 this week which is just in time because we will get #2's birth certificate this week so I can send that in with our evidence package.

Good luck to everybody!

Ps-it's like winter in SF this month! My poor kid gets no sunshine.

OMG, fully dilated when you checked in?!--What a birth story! Thanks for sharing and congrats on baby #2!

Reven-Wow, I can't believe you are at 39 weeks already!

Lol..I hate to say this...But ummm....Babies don't come when you expect them to...

They come when they want to........

Actually, I read a statistic about this (but I can't remember from where at the moment)...

And it said that only 2% of babies come on their actual due dates...

So really, due dates are just more of an estimate, then something to totally rely upon.....

For example, I was way past my due date...And my son didn't come until 41 weeks..Lol..And he had to be forced out....

So don't rely on due dates too much...

But nevertheless, have that extra bag packed to go to the hospital, just in case the baby makes its debut anytime soon..

And in the meantime, hey, why not, make out that passport application while you are still waiting....

I do know one thing for sure....You'll have tbat baby by 42 weeks....As that is the longest that one can be pregnant for without it being a threat to the baby and/or the mother....

So yes, expec the baby to come soon! (lol...for all I know, you could be in labour now, as I am responding to you...)

Good luck with the baby coming soon! Wishing you all the best there.....

And yes, do post about the baby news too when your daughter does arrive....

Ant

OMG, this baby will be the death of me if she doesn't come out soon! I gained 2 lbs overnight and with it, more itchy stretch marks and back pain. I'm up 50 lbs already with this pregnancy--that's almost half my pre-preggo weight!

I've sent my passport off to the US Consulate in Montreal, expecting it to come back with the IR visa in four weeks.

I'm finishing my 39th week tomorrow! Baby's expected to debut next Thurs, Aug 26!

Time to send off my passport so I can get my IR visa!

I'm almost 8 months preggo, still stuck in Vancouver, BC because MSP and my extended health care will not cover me if I give birth outside of the province of BC within the last two months of my due date. My CR-1 visa is still on hold in Montreal until baby and I are ready to immigrate (which the earliest would be in mid-November due to baby's paper work).

Anyhoo, I thought I'd give American Express a call to check out what is needed to start the process to transfer my Canadian American Express card (had this for about a year) to the American one. I described my situation and desire to have the credit card set up before I even move to the US. Apparently, I won't be transferring it--I'd just get a new American Amex using my Canadian credit.

All I need is an American address (check!); US checking or savings account (check!); and Canadian ID e.g. passport or drivers license (check!). SSN, US employment or American ID not even needed. So I start the application on the phone with the call centre agent...then I hit a snag.

I haven't been using my Canadian Amex card over the last six months. This isn't my favorite card to use--no incentive, not too many day-to-day vendors accept it, etc. To remedy that, the agent told me to start using it and make payments to it, then call back in a few weeks to resume the application.

Oki Doki--I immediately went to McDonalds and bought a caramel sundae with my Amex card. Who knew McD's accept Amex?

:-)

I completed the CR-1 process. The Vancouver Police Department don't require your finger prints to do a search and issue you a police certificate. They just need your consent form. I recall the the process was relatively quick--think I got the police certificate within 4-6 weeks.

I'm not pregnant, but we found out a few weeks ago that my SIL (my brother's wife) is! I'm going to be an auntie

They already have their names picked out. Adam if it's a boy, and Amy if it's a girl. She wants to find out the sex and is going to do the 3D (some people call it 4D) ultrasound thing.

Congrats! You must be thrilled!

I just got our 3D/4D ultrasound done over the weekend. It's amazing! My husband was besides himself during the whole session. There was a moment where our baby arched her back so her little head can get closer to the placenta...to lick it! Ewww! Baby, Yucky!

Unfortunately, the office was too booked up today to have a sex-determining us done, so we have to wait another 3 weeks until the 20 week mark. We decided to the the 3D ultrasound, but we have to wait until September for that since the best time to do it is between 26 and 30 weeks. They give a dvd of it so I thought it would be something nice to be able to send my family since many of them will not be able to see the baby for awhile. My mom never had ultrasounds when we were born, so I was really hoping that I could have had one today so that she could see it.

Colleen, it was worth it! We also got pics and dvd of the session. I'm installing an application so the giant file can be converted for the internet and trimmed from 30 mins to the best 10-20 seconds.

I'm breathless and easily tired nowadays (I'm going into my 32nd week!). Feels like I'm carrying a bowling ball in my tummy, which presses against down on my bladder (the toilet's my BFF lately) and up against my stomach (yuck, acid reflux and burping).

Bern, I hear you on the food aversion--it was one of the worst pregnancy symptoms during my first trimester cuz I love food.

I'm almost done my baby shopping! One of the steepest learning curve I had to go through wading into the world of baby products. And expensive too! By the time we're done, we will have spent $3500!

I have posted part of this story on the Vent thread in the Canada region, and folks there thought it was funny, so here it is:

I chatted with hubby about the proper way the baby should be latching on the nipple to breastfeed, that the baby have to take in the whole areola as well, not just the nipple. Otherwise, the milk doesn't flow effectively and my nipples would get really chapped and sore.

Well, hubby obviously kept the sore-chapped nipple comment in mind when we did the deed over the weekend. He suckled one of my nipples and got a shot of pre-milk liquid (colostrum) in his mouth! It surprised him (and me)that he went immediately limp--and that was the end of sex.

OK, here's mine. Not embarrassing stories because it's been the two of us in the privacy of our home but nevertheless humorous.

During the second trimester of my pregnancy, I found myself lusting after my husband and kept chasing him around the house but he kept blowing me off with excuses like "I'm watching TV!", "I have gas!", or "I'm digesting food!".

Rejected, I thought I was becoming unattractive to him. Well, who wouldn't, I thought--I must look like a hippo, only with stretchmarks! Finally, I cornered him and demanded the real reason he was refusing sex.

He replied, "OK, OK! I just don't want to the baby to be born with a crater on her head!"