lol... the passport pictures were fun... my son looked like a little old man... i think the people who take them are more picky about how they look than the passport people.. or at least most... i have a friend who works for passport canada and she says that ask long as they are the right size and the child has both eyes open and aren't mid-scream, they are usually okay... my son was almost winking and his head turned slightly.. the passport pic people assured me they wouldn't take it, but i mms'd it to my friend and she said it'd be fine... it was...
if you are in ontario and register the birth online you should get your bc back in 2-3 weeks (i didn't and needed to get my mp involved which helped... technically they can take up to 8w... most dont tho)... passport took less than 2w... you will need hubby to go into the canadian embassy and fill out an authorization form... embassy will fax to the ppt office... ave them tell you which form, i forget the name... if all goes well and you are able to, you can have everything sorted and have the baby ready in just over a month (but it's hard to do all that when you're recovering from childbirth with little or no support, I remember!!)
the experience to live abroad for my family (i have 2 other children from my previous marriage) was priceless and while it was heartbreaking at times to go thru my pregnancy without my other half, it was, in many ways, worth it... it wasn't at all easy, but def a chance for the kids to learn about the culture and see how other people live... glad i could do it... the immigration redtape was a bit of a blessing in disguise for us i guess...
enjoy