Sunday, December 13, 2009

My much neglected blog...

Ahh, my much neglected blog. All sorts of stuff has been happening while I have been busy elsewhere, and it's time to update. I'm snatching five minutes while Darren is taking the boys to the tip (little boys just love trips like that!) and ignoring all the other chores that are calling to me with their siren song (which is a song of guilt, my siren must be a mother).

Baby News!

I will start my entry with some baby news! No, it's not me. Could you imagine? I wean two babies before I really want to, in order to conceive their sibling, and then have a 12 month gap between number 3 and 4? Not likely! I am pleased that my body provides it's own natural contraceptive for once in my life, and don't intend on even thinking about considering possibly adding another joyous bundle to our lives. No, the new bun baking belongs to my baby sister! Hooray! I finally get a neice or nephew to shower my copious love upon. Carrie is hardly my baby sister, she'll be 30 when her baby is due, but she'll always be my little sister. The baby is due on the 8th of July, meaning there will be only 12 months gap between Austin and the new baby, which I am really excited about. Not only will the boys be getting a cousin, but one so close in age as well.

The new baby is coming a little before it was intended. Carrie is getting married to her long-time partnew Joe in February, and she didn't plan to be 20 weeks pregnant at the time. The dress is already bought (on sale, so non-returnable, hopefully it will alter nicely) and I think she might have been intending on toasting her new marriage with some champagne (maybe a little more than 'some'), but now she will be the Designated Driver Bride!

On a purely selfish note, I am actually quietly pleased not to be the pregnant one for once. I really feel like for the past 5 years I have been missing out on fun stuff because I have been carrying precious cargo in my belly. I would fall pregnant again in a heartbeat when the time is ready, but for now it's nice to be able to go on the rides at Luna Park, instead of being the one watching the bags!

I don't even care what sex the baby is. A boy would be lovely, a playmate for my three. A girl would be fab too, I could finally indulge in my obsession for pink!

The Big Move

I am officially homeless. We moved out of our little house, where my three babies were conceived and bought home to, and are now staying at Mum's until we move into our new house, which we will hopefully settle on the 21st. The movers are booked for the 22nd, so it had better all go to plan. I was surprisingly unsentimental about moving out. Our house was wonderful for the 6 1/2 years we spent there, but we knew from the beginning that it was only a stepping stone, and we would someday move on. We only ever intended on spending 5 years there, and I think that if I had known we would have been able to get a new mortgage on one wage, we would have been out before Austin was born!

I really miss having my things around me. Mum's house is great, and we spend so much time here that it's like a second home, but there is nothing more unsettling than not having your own, familliar things surrounding you. Darren and I haven't even been sleeping in the same bed! Austin takes up so much room, and while you don't notice it in our divine king size haven, in the queen-size spare bed it is starkly obvious. Just too squishy! Whenever I mention we are moving over Christmas, even murmurs things like, 'oh, you'll be so busy' and 'ooh, just before Christmas?', but I can't think of a better time to move. With the public holidays you gain so much time, and the babysitters are all available for when little boys need a break!

The Boys

The boys are going fine. Bowen is in his last week as a 3 year old. He has seemed so much older and wiser than 3 for a long time, that in most our minds he's been a spiritual 4 anyway. It won't be a huge change for him. He's very excited about the prospect of being a year older, and is now counting down how many sleeps until the big day. He also seems to be gaining more confidence now, and standing up to his little brother more.

Bowen is shaping up to being the family philosopher, and if his planned career as 'doing what Daddy does' doesn't pan out, he could easily find a job at a calender company, writing those little sayings for each day. My favourite one so far is, when told to stop letting his brother 'walk all over him':

"You can't walk all over people, you'll fall off!"

Now, I think there's something in there for everybody...

Riordan is just getting more and more gorgeous everyday. He is a real heartbreaker, from his golden curls and long-lashed blue eyes, down to his golden skinned toes. The dimples don't take anything away from his looks either! He can get away with murder with a bat of his eyelashes, and I lose count of how many times a day Mum and I say, "Oh, he's just so gorgeous!"

Toilet training is going OK. I haven't really been too full on with it, Bowen was already in undies by this stage, but for some reason I just haven't felt the urgency with Riordy. It must be that first child syndrome, if I keep going with this apathy as I have more babies, Austin will still be in nappies when he goes to school! He's pulling his pants up and down to do wees, but usually has to be reminded, and poos are still a bit of an issue, he's still learning his urges and waits until the last minute (i.e. the turtles head is poking out) before he says anything, which usually results in him losing his load well before the toilet/potty.

Austin is fast growing up. My littlest man is now 5 months old, and growing rapidly. He's 8.25kgs, not sure how that compares to the big boys (their Blue Books are packed away, in a box far, far away!) but he's a heffalump. A definite Mummy's boy, I've had to leave a work Christmas dinner to come home to him, and cancel the 'big' Christmas party as he just wouldn't have been able to cope without me. Imagine complete and utter hysteria, and you will be somewhat close to what he's like.

Sleeping is our main issue with Austi-man. He's a gem through the day, will self-settle without a whimper, but at night he needs his nipple or he won't even think about going to sleep. We are going to Tresilian on the 14th of January, with my main aim to have him go to sleep in his own bed of a night. I am more than happy to keep co-sleeping, I adore it in fact, especially now he's big enough to just lay in the crook of my arm, nipple in mouth, and only wakes to swap sides. I can cope with that. It's the fact that he can't be put down for any length of time before I go to bed that is my problem. I don't get to spend any 'alone' time with Daz, and that's not good for a partnership. My ideal night would be all boys in bed by 7.30pm, then to sit with Daz until 9.30, then Austin waking for a feed or two through the night, but going back to his own bed afterwards. I don't think it's asking too much.

We haven't even broached the subject of solids. I know from all my years of experience (!) that they don't help a baby sleep through, or anything like that, and although he's a big boy, he can wait a few more weeks. He's showing plenty of signs that he's ready, and I give him the odd taste, but there's no hurry.

Austin has been a sick little puppy this week. Riordan had a virus last week, just a temperature and off colour for a few days. Austin has got it this week, and it's quite scary when a 5 month old is burning up in your arms (he got to 39.7 degrees with an underarm thermometer) and you can't do anything about it. Antibiotics for an apparent ear infection, and plenty of the good boob juice has him much better (he started to get sick on Wednesday) but he is still doing horridly runny, frequent poos, which has given him a terrible bum rash. It's airing out as we speak.

Me

Same old, same old. I'm gearing up to start Uni next year, I'm still not sure exactly what I have to do, and how to do it, but it will all work out somehow.

Weight wise, things have settled right down. My jeans and scales are packed, so I have no idea how I am doing, but I feel quite happy about my body, although I wonder if my belly will ever recover. It's generally flat, but when I bend over it's a bit of a sight. Three overdue babies have somewhat 'loosened' things up, and only time will fix it.

Phew. I needed that purge, and I promise to myself it won't be as long between entries!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Monday, November 23, 2009

Boxing it up

Boxes! Boxes everywhere!

We are still in the throes of moving house. We settle on this house next Friday, and there is still heaps to do. Packing is a bit of a conundrum, you obviously need your things, or you wouldn't have them, but you can't pack everything on the last day! I'm really lucky that my mum lives so close, and she basically has one of everything I have, so I don't have to go without.

I can't wait to move! It's a bit of a pain that it all happens over Christmas. At this point, within a week, we have Bowen's 4th birthday, moving in and then Christmas, all in one week. We have decided to buck tradition with Christmas dinner, and instead of our usual roast meat extravaganza, we are going to let someone else do the cooking and go out to a restaurant. Finding somewhere that my sister can eat is proving a little difficult (she's a coeliac), but it'll work out.

I am finally going to do something about Austin's sleeping. It is still going downhill (even though I didn't think that hill had anything left to go down!). I've packed up the hammock (that made me a bit sad), and he now has his day sleeps in the middle of our bed. Not ideal, but it's only for another week and a bit, so it will be fine. I read all about Peke Moe sleep sacks (http://www.pekemoe.co.nz) on EB, and thought I would give one a try. Not the most patient person in the world, I ended up making one myself out of some double muslin from Spotlight, and it's been working quite well. Austi can settle himself in it, and suck his hands to his heart's content. I finally received the two that I bought second hand, and, while I got the sizing a bit big on my homemade jobbies, I did a pretty good job! I can't wait to try him in the proper one, to see if the smaller version helps him sleep.

I've also taken the plunge and asked for a referral to Tresillian. I love sleeping with my little man, but the constant feeding, all night long, is taking too much out of me. I can't break the cycle by myself, so I'm going to get some help. It might take a bit to coordinate the boys, but it should be worth it. I'm sort of hoping that giving my baby his own room (well, annex) in the new house will help him to sleep better. I swear we wake each other up.

I've also gotten my acceptance into my conveyancing course. I'm so excited by the idea of studying, of actually making time for it. I might not be able to stop when I start!

Monday, November 16, 2009

My favourite photo

Ok, so it's not the best quality, but this photo of my four boys shows their personalities beautifully!


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Movin' On

Hooray! Guess who sold their house? First day, no less.

I can't blame anyone for wanting it, I would have bought it myself. It did look immaculate, I have to say. Darren worked like a slave on the yard, moving and getting rid of leaves, while on nightshift, and I cleaned until the inside was spick and span. It looked spookily like no one lived here, so devoid of kiddie stuff and the useless junk that just accumulates.

Knowing that we would never be able to maintain that level of cleanliness with 3 kids, 2 dogs and 2 messy adults, we decamped to Mum's for the night. I went down to check the house the next morning, just to make to that no one had come in and changed anything. It didn't look quite right, and a quick phone call to Darren confirmed that he had been in the night before and touched a few things. That's how clean and tidy I left it, one thing out of place and I instantly saw!

I laid out the biccies and slice that I made for the prospective buyers, and off we went to Luna Park. We had a great day, although I constantly checked my phone for updates. Finally, on our way home, we had the call. They tried their hardest, but they could only get the keenest buyer to go up to exactly what we were prepared to sell for! It obviously didn't take much for us to say yes.

So now we've had the pest and building inspections, they were perfect, and we just wait until the buyers pay the deposit tomorrow, and then it's all systems go! We will settle on this house just before Christmas, and the new house has a settlement date of 27th of January, so we are going to try and push that sooner. Either way, we had our last Christmas in the house where all our babies were born last year, and we didn't even know.

I am feeling quite nostalgic at the thought of leaving my little house, and then I get all excited about the new one, planning alterations, landscaping, where the furniture will go...

**********

My littlest man, and biggest man, had their needles today. Bowen was an afterthought, I hate going to the GP and waiting around, so I thought getting it all done at once would be the best. When I informed Bowen what was happening, he told me, "I don't need any noodles!" Austin went first, so when he saw him crying he knew what he was in for. Needless to say, it was a great crying session. His pick from the bakery (jam tart) calmed him down, and after lunch he told me that he was all better.

I'm pretty stoical when it comes to getting immunisations. They have to be done, they will hurt, and it won't be nice. Bowen's upset me the most today though, I think because he knew what was coming, and before this, when he was younger, it was all a surprise.

He doesn't have to worry about any more though, for a while at least. And, on the plus side, he gets to see his little brothers have them when he doesn't need them, which must be fun for the big brother!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Four Months Today!

I can't believe my gorgeous little one is already four months old!


Here are a couple of long overdue pics of him:





Monday, November 2, 2009

Call of the Blog

My blog, she is calling me! It's been too long, and as much as I would like to kick back and watch TV (with the remote all mine since Darren is on nights. What am I saying? The remote is always mine!), I can't help but want to write an entry.

Here is an update on the boys.

Bowen

Bowen is growing up to be the most gentle, sensitive little boy. He is eager to get older, every morning he wakes up and asks if he is four yet. I think he is after the presents! According to preschool he is entirely on track with his development school-wise, he knows his numbers, and is slowly learning his alphabet. He is only just starting to get an interest in it, but his teachers assure me that that is totally normal. He has a memory like an elephant, constantly reminding me of things I would rather he forget (bribes, for example!) and things he has done. We went to Forster to visit the in-laws in January, and yet he still talks about the boat, and the beach, and can't wait to go back again.

I am a bit worried his sensitive nature might cause him some problems at big school, and make him a target for bullies. We are hoping that Karate will help him gain some confidence, he's a blue belt already, and I tell him how special and important he is all the time.

Riordan

Riordan is Jekyll and Hyde at the moment. One second he is an absolute joy, affectionate, cuddly, covering me in kisses. The next he is biting his brother ("Bite you") and having a hissy fit on the floor. He's the typical toddler that I missed out on with his older brother. He still looks like an angel, his big blue eyes and gently curling, blonde hair just bewitch everyone. He has an impish look in his eye all the time, and you can just see him plotting his next adventure.

He adores his brothers, but I think that he finds it hard to express his emotions in a way that is pleasant for everyone. He'll drown Bowen in cuddles and kisses, and then the next moment sink his teeth in. He's the same with Austin, I truly thought that after four months the novelty of having a baby brother would have worn off, but he still thinks he is the best thing ever. It's a constant battle for me to keep him from hurting Austi with his love, and any time that the baby is left alone, in Riordy's reach, he's all over him. I wonder if he'll feel the same when he starts to crawl, and pinches all his toys!

Riordan is right on track with his development. He is really starting to talk so other people can understand him, and is stringing words together. He's Mr Independent, and always going to the fridge to try and pour his own milk! Toilet training is coming along, I'm still taking it slowly, we haven't seriously ventured anywhere with just undies on, but at home he will use the potty or go outside. Mum manages to get him to poo in the toilet, but I haven't had a success with that for ages. He will hold his poo until he gets a nappy on, and if you ask him while he's going, he just gets grumpy at you. I can hardly rip the nappy off and force him onto the potty, so we'll just wait.

Austin

Ahhh. He's just gorgeous. He is big and happy and just beautiful. I have to say, I really would prefer it if he slept some more. The great day sleeps we were getting have disappeared and he's never slept more than 2 hours straight at night. I'm almost at my wit's end, but for someone who basically has a baby attached to her nipple for at least 8 hours a night, I am reasonably rested. I've been trying to deal with his sleep issues, but the size of our house, and the fact that I have two other children who need to do things, and hence have to have their little brother woken all the time, do nothing but hinder me. The poor soul barely gets to sleep before I have to wake him to pick someone up, or take someone somewhere. No wonder he's forgotten how to sleep. I don't know whether I want to go to someone external for help, or to plug along until we move house and things settle down.

Developmentally he's right on target. He's putting on tonnes of weight still, is smiley and almost laughing, holds his head up really well, and is rolling onto his side. He loves his boob and is thriving on it, hates dummies, no matter how hard I try to get some relief for my poor nipples, and is yet to really have a bottle. Apart from the sleeping, he's the perfect baby!

Everything else

I am doing fine. I still feel jubbly around the belly, but I bought a pair of size 9 jeans on Saturday, so I can't be doing too bad. I also got a heavenly dress for my sister's wedding, I'm a bridesmaid but we didn't want something too 'bridesmaidy', if you know what I mean, so we bought these divine blue dresses, halter neck with floaty ruffles on the skirt. It really suits the beach setting, and make both I and the other bridesmaid look hot! I just wish I could wear it to my work Christmas party. I've also sent away my application to study next year. I've decided not to do teaching (not sure I already mentioned that) and am going to do conveyancing by distance instead. Mum will still do her half days, and then have the boys for a couple of hours of an afternoon while I study. I am really looking forward to it.

The cooling off period for our house finally finished today, we settle on the 27th of January. It seems like forever away, but we still have to sell our house, so the further away the better. We have our Property Launch this Saturday, and the other recent ones have been going really well, so we are hoping ours will too. We are going to Luna Park for the day (work kids Christmas Party), so at least I will have a distraction.

Phew, that makes me feel a little better. I really need to post some photos (I have some gorgeous ones trapped on my phone), but I promise to do that soon.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Is this it?

I can't shake my longing for another baby. It comes and it goes (usually going in the middle of the night while I am feeding Austin for the umpteenth time), and it's not to get that mythical 'girl', it's just that I don't feel complete yet.

I still get a bit jealous when I find out friends are having babies, even though my latest is barely out of the womb. I still haven't gotten rid of my maternity clothes, is it because I'm lazy, or that I want to hang on to them, just in case?

A fourth baby (just saying that freaks me out a little) is a whole different ball game to three, it's a bigger car and so much more. It's a holiday complication (even three is complicated, so I've found out), it's even longer before I can escape the precision timing that drop-offs and pick-ups for various activities entail.

If another baby was to come along, it wouldn't be for a few more years. I would finish my Associate Degree (umm, and start it as well!), and see how things stood then, and if that urge was still there.

I never thought I would ever feel this way, I only ever had plans for one child, let alone three, but now I feel like I could gestate little people for a long time to come!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Today's weigh in

This morning I was 57.4kgs.

Not too bad, although I can't see where it is all going. I still have the love handles I can't shake, and my jeans don't fit, although, with some 'suck 'em in' undies on I can get my skinny jeans on. I can't sit or move comfortably, but I can get them on!

I think that the excess around my middle will take time to go, no matter what I weigh. I guess that is where I stored all my pregnancy baggage.

I'm still trying to walk a bit, and now that the house is ready to go for sale, and Bowen is back at preschool, I should be able to fit more in.

Over and out,
Sam.
xxx

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Long time, no blog!

Oh my God! It's been so long since I've blogged, and soooo much has happened.

The biggest thing is that we've put our house on the market, and bought a new one!

We've been thinking about it for a long time, and always put if off due to the many baby boys we have been producing. Since Austin has come along, our small house has seemed tiny, so we thought about extending. We love our suburb, adore our street and neighbours, so it seemed like a logical thing to do. After chatting to my mate in the chemist (we can talk for ages, until my boys start whinging that they want to go, and I don't even know her name!), and her telling me that they investigated extending but it wasn't worthwhile, and the fact that she sold her house straight away and bought the perfect one, we decided that we would be over-capitalising, and sought some agents opinions on the house. In the meantime, to get an idea of what was out there, we inspected a house that fit the bill (4 bedrooms, family room). As an afterthought, I asked to have a look at another one that interested us.

You can probably guess what happened. We had a look at the first one, it was OK, nothing special and didn't fit the rest of our bill (rear access, room for a big shed). We had a look at the second and just fell in love. The house was so cool, three levels, with three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs; eat-in kitchen, lounge room, main bedroom (with parents retreat!), bathroom and laundry on the main level; and family room and dining room (to be converted into playroom) downstairs. It's all architecturally designed, so not the cookie-cutter house that is often found in it's vintage and this area. It's all original too, so there is plenty of chance to make our mark. The outside is a bit of a mess, not that family friendly at the moment, but so much potential.

We hadn't even gotten an agent's opinion on our house when we saw it, but it was all we talked about, all weekend. We knew we were hooked. We picked an agent through the week, and we are all sorted now. We have a sign up, the property launch is all booked, and if we don't sell on the day, for how much we want, they drop their price back to the cheaper package. You can't really lose. We went back through the house with all the hanger's on last weekend, Mum, Nan, Monty and the boys all gave their opinion, and they were hooked as well. We made an offer, and after a lot of faffing around, they accepted! We have a three month settlement (we don't get the keys until the 27th of January!) so we have plenty of time (I hope) to sell.

Darren and I are shocking about the sale. The front of the house is spotless, of course, and every time someone slows down in front of the house we peek out the window like a pair of old nannas. We also check the property website a couple of times a day to see how many hits our house has (last count: 97 hits in 24 hours).

Three weeks to go until the big day!

Monday, September 28, 2009

The Results are in...

Last week: 60.1kgs

Today: 59.1kgs!

I'm stoked. Losing something has given me the motivation to keep going. It's surprising how quickly you can go back into healthy eating mode, for I am certainly not 'dieting'. There is plenty of food going into this belly, just less of the bad, albeit yummy, stuff.

I went to bed last night with this funny sense of anticipation about my weigh in this morning, and I realised when I got up that's it's the same feeling you have the night before you do a pregnancy test! How bizarre.

Friday, September 25, 2009

All About Austin!

I couldn't be more in love with my little man. He's just turned into such a happy little soul since he started sleeping properly.

A typical day goes something like this:

We wake up for the day at about 7.30, and my little man hangs out in his swing, or on the floor, while I get the tribe fed and dressed. He usually only lasts about an hour, if that, before he's ready for another sleep. I am starting to get at least an hour and a half out of him for that sleep, it gives me lots of time to get things tidied up and organised!

When he wakes, it's feed time, which are getting nice and quick now. Of course, with my fire hose of a let down, he only needs to lay back and open his mouth to get a belly full! We often then go for a walk and if he doesn't go to sleep in the pram, he normally does when he gets home.

Another couple of sleeps, with feeds and play in between, and then it's usually time for bed! He's getting in there between 7.30 and 8.30, not optimal, but I haven't really started working on night sleeps and bed yet. He will wake at about 10.30, and from then it's into bed with me and Daddy and constant feeding until it's time to wake up...

He managed to be awake in time to go to the Community nurse yesterday. He weighed a whopping 6.82kgs at 11 weeks, and that was with a disposable nappy. He's almost doubled his birth weight already. Must be all that milk through the night! I got her to take a look at his eyes, as his lower eyelids sort of turn in. They've always been like it, but now his lashes are starting to rub on his eyes. She hadn't seen it before, and told us to go to the GP. We only waited 10 minutes (wonders will never cease) and saw a lovely new GP, Dr Reddy. She's only about my age, and has 3 year old twins. Anyhoo, she'd never seen it in babies, and referred us to our Paed, who we are seeing on the 20th of October. I thought it would just be annoying for him, but I hadn't thought about the lashes causing scar tissue on his eyes. I'm sure everything will be fine.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Musical Beds

The bunk beds are in, they look awesome, and now it's time to try and get Riordy boy to sleep in it.

It's not going well.

Darren's idea was to put him to bed in the cot, and move him over to the bed when he was asleep. We did this Saturday and Sunday nights, with moderate success. He's waking a lot earlier, and getting Bowen up with him, but they both slept through the night.

Monday night we decided to put Riordan to bed in the new bunk. We left the door open (Riordan normally sleeps with his shut), and we discovered that he is our little wanderer. We kicked back and watched Top Gear, when who should appear but a little figure in blue PJ's, dashing across the lounge room. He just walked in, said "Hello" and walked back out! Very funny, but not 5 times. After they had trashed their bedroom (I should mention that Bowen didn't get out of bed once, he must have been directing procedures from his lofty position in the top bunk), we gave up and put him to bed in the cot. I moved him when I went to bed, only to have Bowen wake them both at 4am, and while Daz was getting some medicine for him, Riordan came in and said "Hello Mum" and climbed into bed with me! Darren gave up and stayed awake, while Riordan and I didn't go back to sleep until 6.30, and were up at 7.15! He's not a co-sleeper that one.

Last night I thought I would keep him in his cot all night to give us all a rest, but things didn't go to plan. He woke at 10.20, I don't know if he fell out of bed or what, but I put his mattress on the floor, just in case, and settled him back to sleep. He woke again at 1.30am, Darren went in this time, and next thing I know I have a sobbing toddler clinging to me in my bed. I found out that he had taken his pants and nappy on, and was under his cot when Daz went in! I managed to put him back in the big bed, and they were up at sparrow fart again this morning.

Tonight Riordan is in his cot, all night!

Austin still is sleeping well in the days. He is managing a two hour sleep, a couple of times a day, and resettling himself wonderfully. Today was a bit disjointed, and he was a bit unsettled tonight because of it. If only I could keep him in his hammock for a bit longer, my poor boobs are so tired!

Weighty Issues

I weighed myself last week. I was 60.1kgs. Not too bad for 10 weeks post partum.

This Monday I got on the scales, and promised myself that if I hadn't lost weight I would start properly eating this week. I was 60.1kgs! I hadn't lost a gram! I've been great this week, although I went off the rails a bit today and had a chocolate muffin (98% fat free, but with extra choc chips) as well as my mint slice. There are no more mint slices though, so I won't buy any more now. I just have to stop eating like I'm pregnant. I'll update again next week. I will fit into my favourite jeans again!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Recording for posterity...This is how a baby is supposed to sleep!

It may never happen again, so here is a breakdown of the awesome day that Austin had yesterday.

He slept quite well, for him. Only about 3 feeds through the night, and he actually spent some time sleeping out of my arms, which I think is great progress. He stayed in bed while I had breakfast, then had a nice bath and a feed, and was back to bed. He stayed asleep for over an hour and a half! We missed going to see the community nurse and everything, but I wasn't waking him up for anything!

He finally woke all happy and smiley, and we went for a walk. He had a bit of a play, another feed, and it was back to bed. For almost 3 hours! I forgot what he looked like by the time he woke up. My very full boobs were relieved, and then he had a play with Dad, and back to bed again. Just a short sleep this time, but he'd had more sleep by that time than he would usually in his four or so sleeps a day.

He was lovely and happy last night. I put him to bed at about 8pm, and he settled himself off to sleep with nary a peep. It was like I had a different baby yesterday! I can already hear that he has woken from his sleep from this morning (a big 45 minutes), so it looks like yesterday was definitely a once off! I tried to replicate the circumstances from yesterday, same wrap, blinds and window open, but it obviously hasn't worked.

The warm weather must agree with him. Bring on Summer!

Ooh, ooh. Have to add this, he WAS awake, but put himself back to sleep! It's been 1 1/2 hours in total now, maybe more, I'm not really a clock watcher.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Sammy's First Tag

Thanks Ave for my first tag!

What is your current obsession? Tidiness. I'm trying to avoid the big weekly clean up, usually on a Monday after a hectic weekend (how do husbands create more mess? All his toys live in the shed!) by trying to clean as I go. It's sort of working.

What are you wearing today? A charcoal grey singlet, a black cotton, long-line cardi with black leggings.

What’s for dinner? A chicken mini roast, and vegies.

What’s the last thing you bought? Groceries. Bo-oring!

What are you listening to right now? The humming of the aquarium filter, my faithful white baby's breathing as she lays next to me on the couch.

If you could go anywhere in the next hour, where would you go? To bed, by myself! Sorry Austin, Mummy would love to have a good stretch out!

Which language do you want to learn? French. It just sounds cool.

What do you love most about where you currently live? It's close to my family, and all I need is within walking distance.

What is your favourite colour? Pink.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? That's like picking a favourite child! Hmm, if it's one thing I can't live without, it's my Ugg boots.

Describe your personal style? Easy going casual.

If you had $300 now, what would you spend it on? On anything? Maybe a cleaner to come in and do my bathroom, or a babysitter so I could do it myself!

What are you going to do after this? Put Riordan to bed, and have a surf on the web while eating a chocolate muffin.

What are your favourite films? I can't go past anything with Hugh Grant, made by Working Title. Sadly enough.

Do you collect anything? Only children at this point, but my collecting days of those are finished!

What makes you follow a blog? I'm a bit of voyeur, and I love reading about other people kids, as well as their mummies.

Do you like to comment on blogs or just lurk? I don't really follow that many, but I do try and comment when I can.

What’s one thing you dream of doing? I have so many... and can't think of one now!

What is your biggest regret? I try not to have them, but I guess not staying overseas when I was living there, and giving it a better go.

What is your favourite thing to do on a rainy day? Sit in the warm and read a good book.

Do you have a tattoo? Four. All discreetly hidden, save for the Japanese symbol for "Father" on my left foot.

What are you favourite books? Whatever I am reading at the time. I am a total book tart. I'll read anything, and don't have a standout favourite.

Describe your ideal holiday... The US with my family, cruising coast to coast in a 40ft Winnebago, taking as long as we want.

Phew, that was a marathon. Enjoy!

What's been going on...

I'm sitting here on the lounge, loving myself stupid being on the internet and comfy, at the same time! Here's what's been happening over the past few days...

We managed to get to Westmead on time for Bowen's appointment at the fracture clinic, only noone told me that everyone's appointment was at 8am! So we waited and waited, ate all the food that I had brought, and waited some more. We were called in, but I realised that in all the effort to get ready, I had forgotten his x-rays, so off we trotted to get some more. Everything looked the same, so Bowen is in plaster for another 3 weeks, and we get to do it all again to take it off! The boys were excellantly behaved, considering, and Mum ended up driving in to get Riordan when we didn't know what time we would be home.

It was a good thing that Riordy got picked up, because it let me do the couple of extra errands I had in mind (thinking that I would be out of the hospital by 9am or something, wasn't I naive?). We went to Auburn and ordered the boy's bunk beds, in readiness for them to share, and for Austin to have his own room. We got these ones: http://www.bunkers.com.au/nsw/lo_line/ll1, only with no drawers, and in a stain, not colour. I'm so excited, I just wonder how Riordan is going to go in a big bed.

We also dropped past the travel agent on the way home, and booked our family holiday for next year. We are going on cruise with Darren's brother, his wife and their kids around the Whitsundays next September.

Yesterday was just as fun, I bought my new toy! Why haven't we gotten a laptop earlier?

Today was pretty normal, but with one huge breakthrough, my little man did a poo on the potty! He did a little nugget earlier today for Mum, but tonight he started calling out for me, hunched over, saying he had to poo. We've had many false alarms, but you just never know, so we ran for the toilet. He didn't go on the actual loo, so we got out his little white potty, and he just went! I was so proud, I practically yelled the house down. I woke up the baby! He's not two for another month, if I get my act together, he'll be trained in no time at all. I've been a bit slack with it all, but he really is ready, and I'd be silly to hold him back now. The less nappies I have to wash, the better!

I'm Mobile!

Check me out! I'm blogging on my new laptop, wirelessly!

It's only taken me up until now to get with the technology, there's no stopping me now!

Heaps of stuff to catch up on, but a baby boy of mine is awake and not happy about it, so maybe I can finish this on the lounge later...

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Step Back in Time

Check out my baby boy.


About the only thing I love about having a winter baby is the fact that I can dress him up in all the knitted cardies that Bowen and Riordan received as presents, but never got to wear. Hanging out in his bouncer (I had the same one, except mine was navy blue with white fringing!), in his cardigan and booties courtesy of Nanny Emma (my sister's lovely mother-in-law) he looks like a throw back from 1975. He could be my brother instead of my son!

I'm getting my colours done today. Sounds a bit 'old' for me, but Mum was getting them done, so I asked for it as my birthday present. I would just like to be told what colours suit me. I am scared of bright colours, and would stick to my monochrome wardrobe forever, but if a bright shade would make me look like I haven't been up all night with an infant, I am happy to wear it! I may end up a whole new woman...

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

All Broken Up

It's been so long since I've written, there are just not enough hours in the day. Even now I feel guilty for posting...

Bowen has fractured his arm in two places! We were having a lovely play at Lollipops with Robynne, Chloe and Aiden, when Bowen came over and said that he had 'broked his arm'. I kissed it better and sent him off to play. When it was time to take the boys home for a sleep about half an hour later, I found him wandering around looking for me, crying still. He said his arm was still sore, but I was told by two other mum's there that he would be crying much harder if he had really hurt himself, and that he probably just needed a sleep.

Putting him in the car was torture, as he screamed when I tried to put his arm in the strap, so I decided to trust my Mummy Instincts and take him to the doctor, with a quick stop off so Riordan could get a sleep at Nanny's (which he never ended up having). We were shuttled off to have an x-ray, and after contorting his little body around to get a good shot, they discovered that he had fractured two bones in his left arm, one above the elbow, and one below. The Dr Eric sent us off to Westmead Children's to get it seen to, and we waited for ages, not allowed to eat anything, just in case. I was a good Mum and didn't eat anything either, although I would have killed for anything edible by the end the time we were seen. Bowen got a back slab cast, and appoinment for 8am (!!!!) on Thursday to be seen at the fracture clinic, where they decide whether he needs a cast for six weeks, or nothing at all. I am voting for nothing, it's been so hard to keep this one dry. I'm also waiting for him to work out that it can be used as a weapon, watch out Riordan if it does happen!

I want to put a photo of him in his cast in, but they're on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/photo.php?pid=30642959&id=1038381057

Will that work?

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Quick Update

I am feeling the compulsion to blog, even though my house looks like a tip, and I am drowning in ironing. Just a quick one to take the edge off, LOL!

Austin

Our baby boy is doing just fine. His 6 week check up is this Thursday (I can't believe he's already six weeks, I think I missed the whole month of July while I was in a breastfeeding newborn daze). I only made the appointment on Monday, if he was my first I would have been on the phone to the Centre as soon as he ticked over 3 weeks! Ah, the forgotten third child...

He's still not a great sleeper, and the dummy that I so agonised over giving him, before finally relenting, is so often spat out and ignored that I wonder if I should even bother with it. I usually just give it when he's crying between feeds and I'm up to my neck in something and can't get a boob out, or when he's with his grandparents, or Darren, as they are obviously lacking in the right gear to make him happy.

Riordan

Riordy-boy is a little gem. He's 1 going on 5. In just 6 weeks he'll be 2, and I'll only have one baby left. One is plenty though! Verbally, he's improving, he's learning new words all the time and repeats everything you say. He still likes his own little sign language, but I can't see that lasting too much longer. Toilet training is on pause until the weather warms up, but we get him to wee as often as possible, and he's very accommodating with this. He's starting to get his poo sensation working too. He and Bowen were in the bath last night, and he must have felt one coming one, so he got out and grabbed his foot stool. I watched him squat down beside it, and he caught me staring so he shooed me away. I hid, and when I turned around he was climbing back in the bath with a big log hanging out of his bum! That ended bath time quite prematurely! It did tell me a couple of things; he knows when he's got to move his bowels (or he would have just pooed in the bath); he likes to do it in private (by not wanting me to watch), and; he can move like a little monkey when he wants to!

Bowen

Bowen is still Bowen. A bit reserved, especially compared to his brother, and very sensitive. He's turned into a typical first-born bossy-boots (coming from someone who knows all about it!). It's Bowen's way or the highway at the moment. I try to negotiate (I've been bribing way too much lately) but he generally doesn't want to listen. Last night he wanted to do something (I can't even remember what), and when he was told he couldn't, he slammed his little fist into the kitchen cabinet, and stomped off towards his room. Luckily my pelvic floor muscles are still in good shape, or I would have wet myself laughing. Such an adult move from a little boy, although it's not something his father and I do, so who knows where he got it from? I wish I could have filmed it...

Me

I am a bit down about my post baby body. I don't have a big saggy belly or anything, but it's still a pot, and I have these hideous love handles. My breasts don't even belong on my body, they look all out of proportion. I know that I need to do more exercise, but it's really hard to fit it in with the three, especially as I only have a double pram. I have to buy a skate board for it, and then maybe I can walk at my pace instead of the snail's pace that Bowen sets. Just another thing on the list that never ends...

On a happy note, my little sister is finally getting married. She and Joe have been together for nine years (longer than Darren and I), and the big day has been set for the 27th of February, 2010. I get to be a bridesmaid, my first time ever! I'm hoping they are getting married so they can finally have some kids, and my boys get some cousins to play with. The wedding is on the beach, so it will be lovely.

I've also taken the first step to going back to Uni next year. I've booked myself in for a talk on my chosen study path (Primary Teaching), so hopefully after Sunday week I'll have a better idea of what's going on.

****Note**** This entry has taken me about an hour to write, with constant trips back and forth to bounce the baby back to sleep (or 'fake sleep'). Ahh, why won't he sleep? Darren had the idea last night that he might not like being wrapped (what parent hasn't asked themselves if that is the reason their baby isn't sleeping?) so I tried him au natural last night. Not a raving success, so he'll be snug in his Swaddleme tonight, in my arms nonetheless!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Break Time

Mum has taken Bowie and Riordan to Bowen's swimming lesson this morning, so I am all alone with my little one.



This is him right now...



Ahh, it happens so infrequently, that he's happily asleep in his hammock, I felt the need to capture it forever on film (well, memory card, and now hard disk). His skin has suddenly cleared up, he's gone from a pimply teenage boy to having a supermodel's skin (well, almost) in just a day or so.


So, without my big boys, do I just sit back and watch TV, or read a book while having a cup of chamomile tea and a homemade Anzac biscuit? Nope! I ate all the biccies, and I have a mountain of washing and ironing to do. When I'm alone is the only time I can get any ironing done. I can happily clean the house when the boys are around, but for some reason they just don't like me ironing. Maybe it's because I like to watch the TV when I do it, and it's never anything that they want to watch. For Bowen, that's anything animated (he's such a TV addict, I honestly don't know when that happened), and for Riordan, it's Thomas the Tank Engine (or "Tomoo" as he calls it).


I just had some good/bad news from Darren. He was supposed to jet off to New Caledonia for work, he was really excited as he had missed out on a trip to Fiji just a few months ago because he had no passport. Now he's all official, and he was ready to leave on Monday. Today he finds out that his work hadn't organised any work visas for he and his workmate, and that they would be going on Tourist Visas. Thankfully he told them he wasn't comfortable doing that (and from what he said, his work dodgied the whole thing up to get the work in the first place by promising the labour fast, when other companies that were approached said it would take months to get the visas) and now he's not going. I'm sad that he misses out on this opportunity, but pleased he's not deserting me and the boys for a couple of weeks. I was happy for him to go, but I'm not sure that I was quite ready to be left alone just yet.


Back to yesterday, and Riordan's McDonald's episode. In hindsight, he was just being a typical toddler (he had a shocking day all around), but at the time it was mortifying. I felt like such a bad mum, and that everyone was just looking at us. We had had such a lovely morning, going to the playground and for a nice walk, but I had promised Bowen I would take him to Macca's for a treat. We got home from the park later than I would have liked, so Riordy was already tired and grumpy, then I had to pack them all away in the car, instead of into bed where I would have liked him to be. They were happy playing, but Bowen wanted his chippies (the only thing he eats there, I don't know why he likes going there so much). Riordan still wanted to play. So they kept playing for a while, Riordan fell over and got a fat lip (nothing unusual there) and when it was finally time to eat, he didn't want to cooperate, at all. I had Austin in his sling, so I couldn't pick him up, and had to try and hang onto his hand to get him inside. Once we were in there, he took off while I was trying to get them to sit down so I could order. I had had enough by then, and grabbed them all and we went home! Actually, I got them a shake and some chippies through Drive Thru on the way (I had promised) and made a mental promise never to venture to McDonald's alone with them again, or to at least strap Riordan to his pram while we are there!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

What about me?

Argh!

Will I ever get a chance to write an entry? If I'm not bouncing the hammock for my boob-loving baby, who would rather have a nipple in his mouth to sleep than a dummy, my mental 22 month old (who should be banned from all further McDonald's trips) wakes up early from a much needed sleep.

Austin was awake every hour last night from 12am. I don't know what I would do if he didn't love his booby so much. Each time he stirred I just popped a breast in his face and he did the rest. Happily, he's much better at attaching himself in the dark now. Was he too hot? Was he uncomfortable with his all-nighter nappy on? Speaking of which, I am so over cloth at night for both of them. How does a 4 week old soak through a Baby Beehinds Bamboo nappy with a wool cover? I can't boost it up any more, his legs wouldn't even be in the same room there would be so much nappy between them. Don't even get me started on Riordan's night time wee efforts. I gave up there a long time ago. I would much rather whack a Huggies on them and wake up to a sweet smelling baby with dry clothes than a pongy, wet, ammonia stinking one, plus more washing. One 'sposie a day doesn't make me a traitor, does it? I think Darren is about at the end of his tether. I would be too if I had to get up at 6 after the night we just had. I got to sleep until 8. It's funny, he never used to wake to either of the big boys, in his opinion they were great night sleepers who never woke, but it's like the 'mummy switch' has been turned on in his head after starting to get up to boys when I was massively pregnant, and now that Austin is in our bed. Any little noise wakes him, as it does me. At least I have someone to share the pain with.

Sounds like my Riordy-boy is awake. More on his little episode at Macca's later...

Monday, August 3, 2009

Bed Swapping

Nights are still not Austin's happiest time, so last night I thought I would be tough and resettle him in his hammock instead of bringing him to bed with me. The easiest way to do this, so I could stay in bed while I bounced, and Darren could get some much needed sleep (heard of the expression "bear with a sore head"?), was for me to sleep in Bowen's bed, and he to sleep in mine.

I actually had a good sleep. Austi had a short feed at 10.30, then back in the hammock without a whimper, and then was up at 1.30, or 1am, or something like that. He did not want to go back to sleep in his bouncy bed then. I rocked and rocked, and, after a few false starts where he pretended to be asleep (as he's doing right now while I try to type this) he ended up back in bed, on a boob. We all got some sleep and were much happier for it.

What now? I think I might try it again tonight, if only for the fact that I got a really nice sleep, even though Bowen's bed is like laying a door, it's that hard. My poor hips really felt it this morning. We'll see what happens, but it seems as though this little boy is going to be in bed with Mummy for a bit longer.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Boob Pillow

Why didn't anyone remind me what life with a newborn was like? And why didn't someone tell me that 3 boys under 4 would be a massive handful?


Things are starting to get back to normal. Darren is back at work this week, and preschool is back from holidays, so this week was a taste of what they all will be like. I was super proud of myself for getting Bowen to preschool on time, with all the boys (and myself) dressed and everything! We even went to swimming lessons on Tuesday, I took the boys' Poppy with us to watch Austin while I went in the pool. That's love for you, getting back into a swimming costume 3 weeks post-birth for my middle man. I took Riordan and Austin to Westfield yesterday to get Weeds season 3, and even breastfed Austi while Riordan had a play, just daring anyone to say something to me about it.


Today we took Ruby back to the vets (she has had three weird lumps removed, a week apart, so I've been practically living at the vets, what with surgeries, dressings and stitches. I totally have 5 kids already), and then went to Bunnings. The boys have been using our bedroom as their new playroom, pulling the weights out of the blinds while they hide behind the curtains, messing the bed up for their games, and disturbing Austin while he's sleeping (this is just Riordan, he goes in and pats him, and starts swinging the hammock in an alarming way). It's super annoying (not just because I have to make the bed more than once a day!), and I couldn't figure out a way to stop them from going in. My foggy brain finally cleared on the subject this morning, and I had a Eureka Moment; a door knob cover! So obvious, I should have thought of it before Darren tried to put a sliding latch on the hollow-core door. So it was off to Bunnings, all three boys in tow. the cover works a treat, until Riordan figures out how to use it (which won't take the little minx long at all). If I get a few days peace for my baby and I, I'll be thrilled.


Austin is going fine. He's very much like Bowen in his newborn temperament, a bit highly strung. Riordan was a very laid back baby, but it didn't take much for Bowen to start a crying fit, nor does it take Austin very long. If he doesn't get his boob when he wants it, the whole street knows about it. He's feeding much better, his attachment is still crappy, he just won't open his tiny little mouth wide enough to latch on properly. He's getting plenty of milk, he's already put on a kilogram since discharge (2 1/2 weeks), so he's 4.4kgs bare. I am going through about a million nappies now we've gone to cloth, I swear he looks at them and they are soaked through. He's feeding 2-3 hourly, although I think the 2 hourly ones are more for comfort, and are just a bit of a pain. He won't take much, and it just stuffs up the rhythm, as he wants another feed quickly.


Sleep is a bit of an issue. Mornings are usually a write-off, anything we do happens of a morning so it's just about grabbing snatches when he can. Today he was having a lovely sleep in bed (after many visits to bounce the hammock) when Riordy decided to have a visit. That was the end of that nap. He'll manage a couple of hours at a time of an afternoon, and, annoyingly, his longest sleep of the day seems to be the late afternoon one. At least I get dinner ready, I suppose. He'll doze in the swing over dinner, and then hang out with Daddy for a bit. The first part of the night is spent in the hammock, he usually wakes at about 11pm for a feed, then 1 0r 2, and then from 4am we have an unsettled period. I don't know why, if I get him up for a feed he usually passes out before we make it to the lounge (I can't feed him in bed yet, he has no idea where my nipples are if he can't see them, and gets really grumpy, really quickly trying to find them!). As soon as I go back to bed, he's awake. Oh, I didn't mention that he spends most of the night in bed with me... It works, most of the time, although I HATE getting up in the cold. The heater is on all night, and sometimes that's not even enough! I've tried the dummy, and it works occasionally. I'm thinking about using it a bit more for the crying that seems to be pointless. Then I remember weaning Bowie off his, and I reconsider...


An interesting settling technique I've discovered is my 'Boob Pillow'. I'll get a boob out (I have these great, super-cheap breastfeeding tops that I wear to bed, no shelf bra or anything to be uncomfortable, but they keep my tummy warm and give great access) and he won't feed, but just lay his head on my booby and go to sleep.


Physically, I have no idea who he looks like yet. I'm thinking maybe Riordan, but I don't know. He's still got his hormone rash, and his hair is starting to fall out in that attractive, Fryer Tuck style, as all my boys have. He's starting to fill out, as he should, packing all that beef on in a short amount of time.



I wish he was always like this!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Where we're at...

I barely have time to wash my hair at the moment, let lone get a chance to blog, so I had better make the most of the big boys being out working with Daddy to do a quick update.

Austin is going really well. Third child apathy is really kicking in, I haven't even rung the community nurse yet to book a home visit. I am dying to see if he's put on weight (that urge doesn't diminish with each child) so I might have to walk around to the chemist and pop him quickly on the scales.

He's feeding like a demon (as she types with one hand, guess what I'm doing right now?), only pooing about once a day which makes for some doosies to clean up, sleeping OK and charming everyone he comes across.

Sleep went a bit haywire there for a moment, he went from worrying me by sleeping for hours, only emerging for a feed before he'd drift off to the Land of Nod again, to deciding sleep was for the weak and he'd rather not do it all, thanks for the offer though. He managed two wonderful day sleeps in the hammock yesterday, after being rocked to sleep in it. The first time took a while, but the second sleep he did almost all be himself, and I even got to eat dinner with two hands, without a baby attached to me!

Nights have been fairly consistent, up every three hours or so for a 40 minute feed (makes me yawn just typing it), but the past couple of nights has seen him want to comfort feed only an hour or so after his 3am jobbie. I know it's only for comfort, as soon as he gets a let down he freaks out and starts crying. To try and solve this, I broke the rule I made after Bowen was born; that's right, I bought a dummy for him. Both the boys tested it out last night for him (Bowen is still the dummy addict when he gets a chance, even though he hasn't had one for a year) and when he woke at 5am grizzling, I pulled it out of my PJ pocket and after a few false starts he was happily sucking away until his 6am feed, when he actually wanted something coming out!

I'm also enjoying these long feeds through the day, using them to catch up on my reading. Since I was the last person in the world to have read the Twilight series, I am now proud to say I am up to book 3, and I even watched the movie on Saturday. I preferred the book. I'm also really into Mad Men, I bought the DVD series to watch in hospital, and am hooked.

Here are a couple more photos of my new boy...








Grr, can I edit them in here? Will try again another time, you get the idea!
It's bath time now, can you hear the crying already? I think he's the only baby in the world who doesn't like being bathed.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Austin John's Birth

My three births have all been radically different experiences. Bowen was 10 days overdue. I had a couple of contractions in the hours before we went in to be induced, nothing too crazy, but Darren and I were totally shocked when we were told that our head down since 30 weeks baby was now breech! He had turned in the previous five days without me even realising. I was whisked away for a caesarean and not much time later Bowen was born.

Riordan was always going to be a vaginal birth; I hated feeling so out of it after Bowen’s birth. There was no reason for him not to be, and happily, after just 5 ½ hours of labour, albeit 7 days overdue, he was born. I had some pethidine for pain relief, which I didn’t regret but would like to do without the next time. I also really wanted to avoid the tearing that I got with Riordy-boy too.

My third pregnancy was just a textbook as the first two. Granted, I was exhausted most of the time from working fulltime and having two little boys running me around the rest of the time. I stopped working just short of 36 weeks, and it was the best thing I could have done. I went from feeling tired and achy all the time, to enjoying my pregnancy, and my boys. I was also lucky enough to have my Mum only working part-time, so she often had the boys in the afternoons while I had some rest.

Although I knew in my heart that this baby would most likely be late, I tried everything I could to get him out a bit earlier. The most aggressive way was acupuncture. I went about 6 times in 4 weeks, but I can’t say that it definitely helped push things along. I also stayed really active, walked a lot, and bounced on a fit ball (OK, so it was a Thomas the Tank Engine bouncy thing, same concept!).

My due date, as it always does, came and went. Actually, both due dates came and went. As baby #3 was conceived before I got my period back after weaning, I had an early scan to confirm my EDD. It said 29/6/09. My OB, strangely enough, saw that date, got out his little whirly card doover, and ended up with 26/6/09. I had been using the 29th as my due date, and it wasn’t until I was at my 39 week appointment, and he mentioned that I was due in just 10 days (not 13) that I remembered about the differing dates. In the scheme of things it shouldn’t matter, but 3 days is a lot when you may have to be induced, and you can’t really be induced as you are having a VBAC! I tried to put it out of my mind, and just concentrate on giving birth to my baby, when he was ready.

On the advice of my calmbirth teacher (calmbirth was my way of trying to have a drug-free birth) I started some nipple stimulation to try and bring something on. Boy, did it give me contractions (or ‘surges’ in calmbirth speak). Nothing came of it, except that I started to lose my mucous plug the next day. I also went and saw Pink that night, hoping that I could dance my baby out. He absolutely hated the concert; he moved so much that I could barely sit still.

I went to the OB on the Wednesday; he did an internal and found me to be about 2cm dilated, with bulging membranes. At least something was happening! We also booked an induction for the following Monday, something I hoped with all my might that I could avoid.

Thursday passed, with just a few Braxton Hicks contractions waking me at night, until Friday came. I was just so tired that Mum took the boys for the afternoon and I just blobbed around, willing the baby to appear. I was still losing bits of bloody mucous, but only having the odd BH in return. Friday night I found it impossible to sleep, I was being woken a few times every hour with contractions, nothing too crazy but just enough to not let me be comfortable. I just breathed through them, and tried to get back to sleep. My plug was coming away much thicker now, and had streaks of fresh blood in it. I was heartened by this, as I knew it meant that I was dilating, if not very slowly.

I rang my mum, in tears from lack of sleep, and she came and got the boys while Darren drove me to my last-ditch acupuncture appointment. It was excruciating, having the sporadic surges while lying on that bed, but I would try anything at this point. It was a really long session, and after it we just went home and tried to relax. We went on a long walk (with me stopping every now and again to have contractions) and then for a trip in Darren’s work truck (!) to get some DVD’s to watch. I had a bath, which surprised me with its ability to relax me, and then went and saw the boys. Mum, thankfully, offered to have them overnight, which took a lot of the weight off my mind. I tried to go to bed early, but I was up and down with surges until I got back in the bath, and actually fell asleep. If it hadn’t got cold, I think I would have stayed there all night!

At about 2am, things changed. The waves intensified, and I knew I couldn’t cope at home, just breathing through them. All I could think about was an Epidural, sod the all natural birth, I needed to just survive! I woke Darren; we rang the hospital and told them I was coming in. I spoke relatively normally on the phone; I don’t think she actually believed that I was in full on labour. There was nothing she could say to keep me away, so I shoved what I could into my bags, yelled at Darren for no reason, and off we went.

The phone call must have released something inside me, because the contractions that were coming 3-4 an hour suddenly came thick and fast, and I could barely catch my breath between them. We got the hospital, went to the birthing suite, and after a few waves I had an internal, and was 8cm dilated! Hooray! I hadn’t heard such good news in my life. The OB was called (mine was, of course, not on call) and then I had to be monitored, and have a cannula put in. I wasn’t happy about this, but the baby’s heart rate was quite low, so they gave me some fluids while I was trapped on the bed. The OB came, a woman from my doctors practice, and she gave me an internal, said there was just a small rim around my cervix and I would be pushing very soon. She also broke my waters and put a trace on the baby’s head. I could get off the bed after that.

I didn’t actually make if off the bed. As soon as I sat up, I knew that I was in transition. The waves had stopped, and I felt strangely calm. I even said to Darren, “I’m in transition now” and explained what it meant! We had been at the hospital for about an hour when I felt the urge to push. I had discussed with my OB different positions for pushing to try and protect my perineum, and the doctor delivering my baby assured me that the best way for her to keep an eye on things was if I lay on my side, so that’s what I did. With each pushing contraction, the baby’s heart rate dropped below 100, so I had to push with all my might to try and get him out. After half an hour of pushing, my face nearly purple from exertion, he was finally out!

He was put on my chest straight away, and I realised (cliché that it is), that it was all worth it.

I did tear, so I was stitched up while Darren held the baby. Strangely enough, I had gotten through 30 hours of ‘prelabour’ (which didn’t feel very ‘pre’ to me!) and 1 ½ hours of really intense labour and pushing with no drugs, but I sucked on the gas like it was my best friend while I was being stitched up! I had to laugh, I asked if she was finally finished down there, and the doctor said, “I’m just making it look pretty!” Only a female doctor would say that!

Austin John was born at 4.42 am, 5/709. He was 3.5kgs (7pd12oz), 51.5cm long, with a 36cm head.


Austin's first feed.
PS - More pics to come, I just managed to get them onto Facebook today, so here is next!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

He's here!

Just a quickie...

Austin John was born at 4.42am, 5/7/09. He was 3.5kgs, 51.5cm long with a 36cm head circumference. He is gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier with my drug-free VBAC.

More to come (when I am slightly more organised)...

Friday, July 3, 2009

Wallowing...

***Big sigh***

Still sitting here, very pregnant and none too happy about it.

Pink obviously didn't do the trick, although she was amazing. Such an athlete, I found myself envying her energy the whole time. The baby hated it, he did nothing but wiggle and squirm and generally make my life uncomfortable. Maybe his continued gestation is my punishment...

I'm still getting bloody mucous, obviously I am very slowly dilating. My OB appointment on Wednesday showed that I was about 2cm dilated, with bulging membranes, but I was in the exact same boat with Bowen at the exact same dates, and he turned out to be my breech post-dates bubba. I can tell #3 is anterior now, my lumpy belly is clearly defined by his back, and he is so far down that I can't believe he just doesn't fall out. I've made an appointment for another acupuncture session tomorrow, if that doesn't get the baby out at 8 days overdue, I will lose all faith in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Here is me and my bulging abdomen...


Hmm, I don't look particularly happy... that's no coincidence. Darren just rang and I had a sob on the phone to him!

Here are the boys in the bath to make me feel better.


Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Show me the Show!

Ooh, ooh! I just had some blood streaked mucous!

Gross I know, but it's all I can do not to phone everyone I know inform them!

I also found out a girl I worked with, who was due tomorrow, had her baby boy on Saturday morning. She only finished work on Friday! I'm thrilled for her, but seethingly jealous at the same time...

Monday, June 29, 2009

And now I've decided to keep the baby in...

I don't want to have the baby right now. I think I am going to keep him in until after tomorrow night when I go and see Pink. I've waited nine months to see her, and I think it's only fair that the baby waits at least one more day before he makes his nine month entrance.

I have to say, I'm a bit over the whole thing. I'm feeling a bit crappy, tired, grumpy and fat. I would love to take a belly pic, but Darren pinched all the batteries out of the camera, and I can't be bothered finding any more. I must get it organised tonight, so we can take the camera if any action starts!

I'm pretty organised now. I have started packing a bag; I have the first season of Mad Men to watch while I'm hospital, as well as lots of novels to read; I've fitted the capsule (hurrah, I can fit three across the backseat) and; I've made a sizable dent in the washing and ironing.

It's lucky that I did fit the capsule on Saturday. It's been in Mum's roof since Riordan was nine months old, but somewhere along the line we lost the top tether strap for it. Where it's gone is a total mystery, but apparently it's quite common, so the baby shop had a spare in stock.

I would love to write more, but I just can't be bothered. Just want to blob on the lounge with a hot chocolate, full of marshmallows...

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Waiting Game

This would have to be one of the worst stages of pregnancy.

The early weeks are hard, I'll give you that. Waiting to make sure everything's OK when you have no idea what's going on inside your body. Feeling sick and hoping that that's a good thing. Then that passes and finally you feel some movement, and then you have the reassuring kicks to let you know that everything is OK.

Now it's just a waiting game.

I feel like a whale, I can't sleep because everything hurts, and when I do find a comfortable position I have to get up and do a wee. I have a headache that I can't shake (damn you hormones!) and generally just feel a bit 'blah'. I can't even think of anything I could eat to make me feel better, and that is just plain scary.

I have to admit, apart from the last two weeks before the baby is born (and not knowing when that will be), the last trimester is my favourite. I love the big belly, and showing it off. I love the extra energy I get (or have gotten since I finished work). I am nesting like a crazy person, sweeping is my favourite thing at the moment. No surface is safe from my broom. I'm also quite keen for Riordan to spend a little time with Nanny tomorrow so I can scrub the kitchen floor.

I have my OB appointment tomorrow, and I just know it will be more of the same.

Wee in a cup. "Any problems?" "Nope." On the scales. On the bed. Feel around. Listen to the baby. Blood pressure. "See you in a week."

I can't see anything happening before the weekend, and even then I know I'll be well into next week before #3 makes his presence known.

We're having Vindaloo for dinner tonight. Will the hot curry work it's magic?

Monday, June 22, 2009

Sleep...

I would kill to get a full night's sleep.





If it's not my bladder waking me up (first pit stop, 12.30pm, then approximately 3hourly after that), it's the dogs. If it's not the dogs, it's the boys. If it's not the boys, it's the baby! My delightful son-to-be seems to get a real kick out of stretching out when Mummy does, and jams his feet up under my right ribs. I have to get up and out of bed (and may as well do a toilet stop while I'm up!) to get them to drop back down again.





Nothing is happening, labour-wise. My trip to the acupuncturist on Saturday has obviously not yeilded any results, since I am sitting here with a lot of baby in my belly.



Hmm, this is it right now, at 39+ weeks, and it sure feels much bigger than it looks!


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Freaking out

I am freaking out a little. I had an appointment with my OB yesterday, all is good with the baby, only when I sat down he said, "So, 10 days to go!" That shocked me a little, since I had been working on my own date of the 29th (based on a dating scan and ovulation), whereas when he got the dating scan results he somehow transformed the date, with the help of that little wheely-card thing they have, into an EDD of 26/6/09. I know 3 days aren't much in the scheme of things, but my babies have been notoriously late, and I was mentally counting on those days before I had to think about an induction. The worst part for me was when I asked for possible eviction date, he said the 3rd of July! That's only a week overdue!

I suppose I can negotiate if it comes to that, DS2 was 7 days late and I'm seeing an acupunturist this time who'll be getting the go ahead to start moving the baby along on Saturday, so hopefully it won't matter, but it's messing with my head a bit now.

I'll be fine, I'll just have to go and have a search on VBAC inductions.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Some piccies

This is Riordan before his first proper haircut on Tuesday, the hardest haircut of my life...


And this is Riordy boy this morning...






We got a bit of a surfer boy, layered crop thing happening. He looks so much older! But still freakishly like a girl.



Here is my belly at 37 weeks...






And here is the baby inside of it...






I had my sizing scan yesterday, and Mini Muffin is apparently 3kgs right now, so right on track to being 3.5kgs like his brother. I'm also going to see the acupunturist on Saturday to try and help him along. I don't want him early ( I still have to go and see Pink on the 30th) but right after that will be fine!





Wednesday, June 10, 2009

To Train, or not to Train

I have a dilemma.

Riordan is 20 months and 1 week old, and showing all the signs of wanting to toilet train! He lets us know when he's done a poo (OK, so it's after the fact, but he's not oblivious to soiling himself) and can wee on command. He's not sure whether he wants to wee standing up or sitting down at this point, we get a bit of both, but he has the bladder control to push one out.

I just don't know whether it's too soon. He's so little (he struggles to fit on Bowen's potty, his legs almost dangle down!), doesn't say much yet and #3 is due in less than 3 weeks now. Will I actually have the time? I don't know whether I will be able to get out of the house with the majority of my children dressed for Preschool at 9am, let alone try and get my little man to drop the nappies.

Should I just keep going with the before bath potty time, and when I get the chance to crank the heater and let him run around with no pants on? To be honest, if it was warmer (it's currently about -20 in Sydney at the moment, not exactly conducive to going bullocks in order to have free access to the potty) I would have no hesitation in giving it a red hot go, simply because there wouldn't be as much cleaning for me! Right now, when we have nappy free time, I'm constanting with paper towel and Pine O' Clean in hand, cleaning up after him. That's another thing, he'll go when he's asked, but doesn't really know to go himself.

Mum thinks I should go the Pull Ups route, which I am considering teamed with some baby leg warmers to keep him a bit exposed for easy access but still warm, or maybe I should read up on Elimination Communication and use that method since he is so young? But then there is the time factor again...

I didn't think I would have to worry about this for months yet!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

All by myself...

Don't wanna be, all by myself...anymore...

Darren's gone and left me!

OK, so it's only for a week, 4 nights actually, for a work course. If I was in his shoes I would jump at the chance to go away, all expenses paid, stay in a nice hotel, have my meals cooked for me... sorry, got a bit distracted there. He should think himself pretty lucky that his 36 week pregnant wife isn't more paranoid!

The boys have been mostly good. We're all full of snot at the moment (oh, what fun it's going to be in about 12 months when I'll undoubtedly have 3 snotty noses at a time to contend with, as well as my own), Bowen has both ears infected again, and Riordan tonsillitis. More antibiotics, hooray.

I seem to be drowning in washing. I can't believe how much easier it was when Mum was doing it! I am doing two loads a day (the cloth nappies aren't helping, but at least I don't have to iron them) minimum, and finding the time to iron is a bit hard(she says, while on the computer). The sun is out today, so the dryer is getting a rest.

It doesn't help the situation when the baby boys need a change of clothes minutes after they are dressed in the morning! They were playing happily outside this morning while I tried to snatch a minute to brush my hair and actually put clothes on. I knew Riordan had no shoes on, but hey, I thought, a change of socks isn't so bad.

And then I heard Riordy calling out Mum! This creature, sounding like my youngest baby, appeared around the corner. He was dripping green snot, covered in wet sand, holding out sandy hands for me to wash. They had gotten into the sandpit, both of them, and were cold and wet and only minutes away from needing to be dropped off to preschool. Needless to say, we were late.

Only 3 more sleeps until Daddy comes home...

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Four days in...

So here I am, four days in to my return to SAHM-hood. The house is blissfully quiet, relatively quiet and I am blogging... that's right, the boys aren't here!

Mum just came and got them for the first time this week. Things have actually been going quite well. The fighting is still unbelievable, I feel more like a referee than a mother sometimes, but there have been plenty of nice things to make up for it. Yesterday Riordan even had a three hour sleep, so with Bowen at pre-school, I had lots of time to recharge and catch up with all the Mediums I had on tape.

We are starting to get into our groove now, initially the boys were too scared to look away from me lest I disappear back to work, but they happily went with Nan today (who is also missing them now she's back at work). I'm remembering the pre-school routine (Bowen only cried on Tuesday when I left him, by yesterday he realised I was coming back), all the years of swimming lessons I've attended have flooded back after one session (not that I enjoy them any more than I ever did, no sooner will Riordan be in the pool by himself then I'll have to get back in there with Mini Muffin, worse luck) and we're getting a really good bedtime routine happening again.

I am a bit scared, I'm being left to my own devices next week. Darren is going on a week long course in Queensland. I have no worries about the baby (this one's not coming out any sooner than the other two) but all week long hearing,

"Is Daddy home? When's he getting home? Where is he? Where's QLD? Can I got to QLD? Why not? Why? Why?" from Bowen, and;

"Dad-dy! DAD-DY!!!!!" from Riordan is going to drive me insane!

I do have some secret pleasures to look forward to... lots of parcels in the mail! I did a bit of internet shopping on Friday night, and a bit more this week, so I've received 2 parcels so far, with another 3 to come! I bought some nappies from the EB trading rooms, an Epi-no (which I still have to wait a week or so to start using, according to the box), some Pramskins for the double MB, some nappy covers from Baby Beehinds (they seem to be the only ones that don't give Riordy-boy a mark on his legs) and some wool covers from EB. Phew! It's so exciting opening them, it's like Christmas! Especially as you don't know exactly when they are coming...

I'm nesting like a maniac, things that I've been waiting to tidy up for nine months are finally getting attended to. This afternoon I have to get into Riordan's room and clean out the too small clothes from his chest of drawers (I somehow have to cram all the boy's clothes into one tall boy and two bedside tables, easier said than done) and then prepare to get rid of the lounge so I can really get into that room. I'm actually looking forward to it! As soon as I have my hot chocolate, and watch the Spicks and Specks I taped last night...