I haven't written here in ages. Jonathan is 18 months old now and thriving. He walks (runs!) climbs, babbles, says a handful of words and the sounds of a few animals too. We're entering into the tantrum stage and he is stubborn just like mummy and daddy! But he is such a sweet little guy.
He loves swimming lessons, going to the park, his toy cows, trains, shoes, apples, carrots, sultanas and cheese. He hates having to wait, sitting still, broccoli, pumpkin, the sound hairdryers make and ice cream (too cold!)
He's had two hair cuts and it looks like he's got my fine blonde frizzy hair. In some lights it nearly looks strawberry blonde. His eyes have lightened to a bright piercing blue, exactly like his daddy. For a while I thought he was going to be left handed but he's showing a strong right handed preference.
I stopped breastfeeding at 15 months, and last month we stopped co sleeping and transitioned him into his cot. He's still in our room next to our bed, I'm just not ready to have him in his own room. Most nights he sleeps through the night, but he still fights going to sleep. And he has a rough nights sleep about once a week.
I haven't gone back to work yet, my plan is to sign up for relief work (subbing) one or two days a week next year.
We have no plans to do ivf again and we don't have any frozen embryos. I'm on birth control for now but that's more to help control my migraines than anything else. I don't know what our plans are, I'd love for Jonathan to have a sibling but I don't think I could do ivf again. I don't know, maybe that will change in a year or two. Maybe it won't.
For now I'm enjoying my sweet, stubborn little boy.
Saturday, 21 May 2016
Wednesday, 8 April 2015
Five months! (nearly!)
On Saturday my little guy will be five months old. Five months! Where has that time gone? No, seriously.... wasn't it just yesterday that I was making trips to the FS/OB office?
We've just survived Jonathan's first cold. He's still a bit snotty and will cough once or twice a day but he's back to his usual self again. I should've known he was sick when he slept for 5 hours without waking, it's rare he sleeps like that. He sounded a bit congested when I brought him into our bed at about 4am and then he just got sad. And miserable. And more congested and snotty. Poor little pickle. Usually breastfeeding will fix anything, but this time it didn't and he was too congested to nurse properly which made him angry and sad. Luckily he was only sick for a few days.
He's rolling both ways now and every now and then will decide to go back to belly, to back to belly and wind up rolling off his play mat. He also wriggles and kicks and squirms his way around on the floor, he's even bringing his legs up underneath himself. It looks a bit like he's trying to crawl! Slow down baby, mummy isn't ready for that just yet!
Jonathan babbles and coos and gurgles. He makes this funny little noise too, nearly like a cross between a coo and a hiss. And this month he's starting whining and whinging when he's not happy.
We've started him on solids, he's not a fan of purees but I don't feel comfortable giving him finger foods just yet (even though daddy gave him a stalk of asparagus last night). So far he's had rice cereal, avocado, banana and pumpkin.
He's still breastfed and I still feed him to sleep. (I know, it's controversial to feed to sleep. Let alone still be feeding to sleep at this age.) He doesn't sleep well. He'll nap between 20min to 1hr30min during the day, but only in the car or in our arms. About once a week he'll nap in the pram and that's usually during the walk home from mother's group. If I time it just right he'll fall asleep as I'm walking past the cafe and I can stop and eat lunch while he naps.
We've got a good bedtime routine but he's still not a sleeper. Tony does his bath, we read two books and then I nurse him to sleep in our bed while his sleepy music is playing and after about 20mins transfer him to his cot. He sleeps in his cot for a few hours and then I bring him into our bed after his first (or second) wake up of the night. Some nights it's great, because I only briefly wake up for 1min or so when he wakes and attaches. Other nights he spends the whole night kicking me and headbutting my armpit and cooing at 3am wanting to play.
When he's happy he is the sweetest little boy. He's this cute, cheeky little guy who smiles at the little old ladies in our building and coos at the shop assistants when we're out. But when he's cranky or over tired, oh boy, nothing will make him happy. I have lost count the number of times I've finished the grocery shopping wheeling the pram around and carrying him because if I dare put him in the pram he'll scream and screech and arch his back until people look at me with the "what is wrong with your child" look on their face.
I love being a mum and I love seeing my husband being a dad. This little guy has brought so much joy to our lives and our families lives. I find it surreal that I have a photo of him as an embryo and now he's this living breathing little person, with his own personality, likes and dislikes. I wouldn't swap this for anything in the world.
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| Daydreamer, just like his daddy |
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| Poor sick, sleepy little guy. |
Jonathan babbles and coos and gurgles. He makes this funny little noise too, nearly like a cross between a coo and a hiss. And this month he's starting whining and whinging when he's not happy.
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| Happy after splashing in the shower! |
He's still breastfed and I still feed him to sleep. (I know, it's controversial to feed to sleep. Let alone still be feeding to sleep at this age.) He doesn't sleep well. He'll nap between 20min to 1hr30min during the day, but only in the car or in our arms. About once a week he'll nap in the pram and that's usually during the walk home from mother's group. If I time it just right he'll fall asleep as I'm walking past the cafe and I can stop and eat lunch while he naps.
We've got a good bedtime routine but he's still not a sleeper. Tony does his bath, we read two books and then I nurse him to sleep in our bed while his sleepy music is playing and after about 20mins transfer him to his cot. He sleeps in his cot for a few hours and then I bring him into our bed after his first (or second) wake up of the night. Some nights it's great, because I only briefly wake up for 1min or so when he wakes and attaches. Other nights he spends the whole night kicking me and headbutting my armpit and cooing at 3am wanting to play.
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| Blue eyed babe! |
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| So much cute! |
I love being a mum and I love seeing my husband being a dad. This little guy has brought so much joy to our lives and our families lives. I find it surreal that I have a photo of him as an embryo and now he's this living breathing little person, with his own personality, likes and dislikes. I wouldn't swap this for anything in the world.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
He's here!
Jonathan Robert was born 11/11/14 at 9.13am, weighing 8lbs exactly or 3.63kg. The c-section was a breeze, the worst part was getting up out of bed for the first time and showering. That was not fun, and I regret not taking the extra pain meds that they offered me before I got up. I was down to just paracetamol and ibprofen by day 3 and by the time I got out of hospital I just needed paracetamol if I'd over done it or forgotten to rest.
Breastfeeding has gone pretty well too, a few minor issues on one side but I saw a lactation consultant and we got that sorted out pretty quickly.
Jonathan is now 10 weeks old! The time has just flown by. He was a great sleeper at the start, except around 4 weeks he started fighting day sleeps and then after Christmas went from sleeping a nice 4-6hrs overnight to waking every two hours. But last night he slept five hours in a row! (of course I didn't, I cooked dinner and mopped bathroom, loaded the dishwasher......and went to bed 2 hours before he woke up. Mummy fail.)
When he's happy, he is this little ball of sunshine. Smiling and cooing, talking and mimicking you. But when he's upset he goes from 0-100 in no time and has quite an ear-piercing cry. He falls asleep while nursing and I transfer him to his bassinet, it's a 50-50 chance he'll wake up the second I leave the room and if he does he usually naps in my arms. I know it's frowned on upon but I can't give up the baby cuddles, one day he'll be big and won't want to cuddle.
He's spoilt rotten by both sets of grandparents as well as his aunts and uncles. He's still our little trickster, remember how he'd stop moving when Tony would try and feel him? Well, now he likes to flip from his tummy to his back the minute we look away. One day I'll actually see him do it, instead of looking back seconds later and seeing him on his back, when I'd placed him down on his tummy.
He has the best expressions and has discovered he can suck his hands, bat at toys and grab mummy's hair. He loves his daddy and lights up when daddy gets home from work each day. Tony bathes Jonathan and he spends most of bath time staring up and smiling at Tony. I put him in bed with Tony in the mornings while I shower and eat breakfast and can hear them cooing at each other as I'm getting ready for the day.
I'm doing ok, I've been a bit fragile after going a few weeks with 2 hourly wake ups. Tony and I don't always see eye to eye on some parenting issues and sometimes I can take things the health nurse or doctor has said bit too personally.
I really want to keep updating here. It wasn't until I had a comment that I realised I still hadn't gotten around to posting about Jonathans arrival! He's here, we're both healthy and hopefully it won't be another 10 weeks before I update again.
I do sporadically post photos on instagram too, my ttc instagram was donnattc but I post more on my regular one which is msflutterbye. :)
Breastfeeding has gone pretty well too, a few minor issues on one side but I saw a lactation consultant and we got that sorted out pretty quickly.
Jonathan is now 10 weeks old! The time has just flown by. He was a great sleeper at the start, except around 4 weeks he started fighting day sleeps and then after Christmas went from sleeping a nice 4-6hrs overnight to waking every two hours. But last night he slept five hours in a row! (of course I didn't, I cooked dinner and mopped bathroom, loaded the dishwasher......and went to bed 2 hours before he woke up. Mummy fail.)
When he's happy, he is this little ball of sunshine. Smiling and cooing, talking and mimicking you. But when he's upset he goes from 0-100 in no time and has quite an ear-piercing cry. He falls asleep while nursing and I transfer him to his bassinet, it's a 50-50 chance he'll wake up the second I leave the room and if he does he usually naps in my arms. I know it's frowned on upon but I can't give up the baby cuddles, one day he'll be big and won't want to cuddle.
He's spoilt rotten by both sets of grandparents as well as his aunts and uncles. He's still our little trickster, remember how he'd stop moving when Tony would try and feel him? Well, now he likes to flip from his tummy to his back the minute we look away. One day I'll actually see him do it, instead of looking back seconds later and seeing him on his back, when I'd placed him down on his tummy.
He has the best expressions and has discovered he can suck his hands, bat at toys and grab mummy's hair. He loves his daddy and lights up when daddy gets home from work each day. Tony bathes Jonathan and he spends most of bath time staring up and smiling at Tony. I put him in bed with Tony in the mornings while I shower and eat breakfast and can hear them cooing at each other as I'm getting ready for the day.
I'm doing ok, I've been a bit fragile after going a few weeks with 2 hourly wake ups. Tony and I don't always see eye to eye on some parenting issues and sometimes I can take things the health nurse or doctor has said bit too personally.
I really want to keep updating here. It wasn't until I had a comment that I realised I still hadn't gotten around to posting about Jonathans arrival! He's here, we're both healthy and hopefully it won't be another 10 weeks before I update again.
I do sporadically post photos on instagram too, my ttc instagram was donnattc but I post more on my regular one which is msflutterbye. :)
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
38w2d - sick husband
I had my 38w check up today. My blood pressure is down even more, it's still slightly elevated but no where near the scary numbers of last Monday. I don't think I said exactly how high it was last Monday, it was 169/90 scary high. Friday it was 154/100 and today it was down to 135/94.
I keep taking the 500mg of Aldomet twice a day until the c section, I don't take it the morning of the c section but I'll probably be on it while I'm in hospital recovering. Fingers crossed it goes down after baby is here and they can wean me off of it and it's not a long term thing. Chances are it could be, nearly everyone in my family has high blood pressure so I'm a bit worried this is something I'm going to have to be really watch.
It was our wedding anniversary on Saturday, Tony was pretty quiet all day. We went out to dinner and he kept saying he was really tired. But Sunday he woke up with a sore throat and the beginnings of a cold :(
By Sunday night he was well and truly sick. He's still been going to work because it's better he's at work than at home coughing and breathing over me. I've got vitamin c, a giant bottle of hand sanitizer, glen 20 spray and I've been sleeping on the couch. The last think I want is to get sick this close to my c section. Even my OB told Tony today not to breathe on me!
But it's not the way I wanted to spend my last week of being pregnant. This this more than likely going to be our only child. I've been trying to take time to enjoy these final days but it's hard when I can't share them with Tony. I got all emotional last night over it, and again today.
I emailed my family directions to the hospital over the weekend. I know they could just use a gps, but my parents don't own one and I hadn't given them the hospital address either. The hospital is listed as being on one street but the car park is on another street and it's a bit of a maze. So even if they don't follow the directions I sent, at least I feel better having sent them.
This weekend we're going to do the last minute things to Baby's nursery and take some photos. Put the pram in the car and if Tony's well enough, go out for dinner one last time before Baby gets here. And maybe we'll buy another baby name book too, because we still don't have a name for this little guy. We're not even close to having a name!
I keep taking the 500mg of Aldomet twice a day until the c section, I don't take it the morning of the c section but I'll probably be on it while I'm in hospital recovering. Fingers crossed it goes down after baby is here and they can wean me off of it and it's not a long term thing. Chances are it could be, nearly everyone in my family has high blood pressure so I'm a bit worried this is something I'm going to have to be really watch.
It was our wedding anniversary on Saturday, Tony was pretty quiet all day. We went out to dinner and he kept saying he was really tired. But Sunday he woke up with a sore throat and the beginnings of a cold :(
By Sunday night he was well and truly sick. He's still been going to work because it's better he's at work than at home coughing and breathing over me. I've got vitamin c, a giant bottle of hand sanitizer, glen 20 spray and I've been sleeping on the couch. The last think I want is to get sick this close to my c section. Even my OB told Tony today not to breathe on me!
But it's not the way I wanted to spend my last week of being pregnant. This this more than likely going to be our only child. I've been trying to take time to enjoy these final days but it's hard when I can't share them with Tony. I got all emotional last night over it, and again today.
I emailed my family directions to the hospital over the weekend. I know they could just use a gps, but my parents don't own one and I hadn't given them the hospital address either. The hospital is listed as being on one street but the car park is on another street and it's a bit of a maze. So even if they don't follow the directions I sent, at least I feel better having sent them.
This weekend we're going to do the last minute things to Baby's nursery and take some photos. Put the pram in the car and if Tony's well enough, go out for dinner one last time before Baby gets here. And maybe we'll buy another baby name book too, because we still don't have a name for this little guy. We're not even close to having a name!
Friday, 31 October 2014
Blood pressure update - & no nesting?
My mother in law took me to see my OB this morning for a blood pressure check up. I was a bit worried about this visit, mostly about getting there because it was at his other office which is a 40min drive away and in a suburb on the coast that I've never really been to.
But we got there, my MIL dropped me off and went to go and find a carpark. By the time she'd parked the midwife had taken my blood pressure. It's still high but is starting to come down a bit, Dr S has doubled my dosage of Aldomet and I'll see him again on Wednesday for my regular OB appointment. And he's happy with the way it's responding so he's not moving the c-section forward and we'll stick to the original c-section date.
It's a huge relief! Because if they were to move the c-section forward it would've been moved to Tuesday. Which seems far too soon! I still need to cook, mop, and get my hair cut! And it's our 6th wedding anniversary tomorrow and I'd like to relax and enjoy the weekend with Tony, not be on panic mode about baby arriving in just days time.
After seeing the OB my mother in law and I went and had morning tea then she took me grocery shopping. It was so nice of her to drive all the way down here and then drive me all over the coast today. I'm so grateful for it, Tony's boss is back at work today after being away for 4 weeks and he really couldn't miss the meeting they were having this morning.
Now I'm home and back in my pjs. I've put the air con on and I'm about to spend some quality time on the couch watching tv and napping. Everyone keeps telling me to take it easy and relax, but I feel like that's all I've been doing for the last few weeks! Tony hooked up the Chromecast in the bedroom so after he leaves for work, I watch youtube before falling back asleep. And if I don't nap in the morning, then I have a nap in the afternoon before dinner.
I haven't had any nesting at all. My floors are in need of a decent vacuum and mopping but I just don't have the energy and to be honest I can't be bothered. And I'm completely ignoring the state of my shower too. I could clean.....or I could eat a brownie and take a nap. And taking a nap is always going to win.
But we got there, my MIL dropped me off and went to go and find a carpark. By the time she'd parked the midwife had taken my blood pressure. It's still high but is starting to come down a bit, Dr S has doubled my dosage of Aldomet and I'll see him again on Wednesday for my regular OB appointment. And he's happy with the way it's responding so he's not moving the c-section forward and we'll stick to the original c-section date.
It's a huge relief! Because if they were to move the c-section forward it would've been moved to Tuesday. Which seems far too soon! I still need to cook, mop, and get my hair cut! And it's our 6th wedding anniversary tomorrow and I'd like to relax and enjoy the weekend with Tony, not be on panic mode about baby arriving in just days time.
After seeing the OB my mother in law and I went and had morning tea then she took me grocery shopping. It was so nice of her to drive all the way down here and then drive me all over the coast today. I'm so grateful for it, Tony's boss is back at work today after being away for 4 weeks and he really couldn't miss the meeting they were having this morning.
Now I'm home and back in my pjs. I've put the air con on and I'm about to spend some quality time on the couch watching tv and napping. Everyone keeps telling me to take it easy and relax, but I feel like that's all I've been doing for the last few weeks! Tony hooked up the Chromecast in the bedroom so after he leaves for work, I watch youtube before falling back asleep. And if I don't nap in the morning, then I have a nap in the afternoon before dinner.
I haven't had any nesting at all. My floors are in need of a decent vacuum and mopping but I just don't have the energy and to be honest I can't be bothered. And I'm completely ignoring the state of my shower too. I could clean.....or I could eat a brownie and take a nap. And taking a nap is always going to win.
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
37 Weeks - High blood pressure
I'm 37 weeks pregnant today. On the weekend I noticed that my feet were really swollen, more than they're usual pregnancy-puffiness. But it was quiet hot and I know I didn't drink enough water on Saturday (plus Maccas for lunch probably didn't help either!) but I wasn't too worried. I didn't have a headache or dizziness or any other bad signs.
But at my OB appointment today my blood pressure was high. It'd gone from last weeks borderline normal to high. My OB gave me a script for medication (Aldomet) and tomorrow morning I've got to go into the pathology place for blood work and a urine test. I would've gone tonight but we were the last OB appointment of the day and by that time the pathology lab had closed.
I'll call and talk to my OB's midwife on Wednesday and she'll let me know if I have to go in for a simple blood pressure check on Friday, or if I have to go over to the birth suites for monitoring as well as a blood pressure check up.
And if my blood pressure is still high on Friday then my c-section date will be bumped up a week. I really like the c-section date that I've got already. I don't like the closer date as much. But I know it could be safer for both of us if he's born sooner.
It did make me panic a bit though, I had a few nightgowns on laybuy and had planned to pick them up later this week. But when I heard that my c-section date might change, I got Tony to take me into Target tonight to pick them up. I need time to have them washed, dried and packed!
On the weekend I repacked my hospital bag (well, except for the stuff I picked up tonight) and organised Baby's clothes again. I packed Tony's bag and my nappy bag. I also need to wash the pillow case for my nursing pillow and call the anesthesiologist and pay the gap fee.
Plus clean the house! I want to do a deep clean of the house before Baby arrives. So before I come out of hospital all Tony has to do is vacuum and run the sticky roller over the couch to get up the cat fur.
I don't feel ready for Baby to be here as early as next week. We still don't have a first name for him. I wanted time to add a few more decorative bits and pieces to his room. And I'd planned on cooking a few meals and snacks next week. I really hope this medication works (and without too many side effects) and brings my blood pressure down. And that there's no signs of pre-eclampsia or anything else going on.
But at my OB appointment today my blood pressure was high. It'd gone from last weeks borderline normal to high. My OB gave me a script for medication (Aldomet) and tomorrow morning I've got to go into the pathology place for blood work and a urine test. I would've gone tonight but we were the last OB appointment of the day and by that time the pathology lab had closed.
I'll call and talk to my OB's midwife on Wednesday and she'll let me know if I have to go in for a simple blood pressure check on Friday, or if I have to go over to the birth suites for monitoring as well as a blood pressure check up.
And if my blood pressure is still high on Friday then my c-section date will be bumped up a week. I really like the c-section date that I've got already. I don't like the closer date as much. But I know it could be safer for both of us if he's born sooner.
It did make me panic a bit though, I had a few nightgowns on laybuy and had planned to pick them up later this week. But when I heard that my c-section date might change, I got Tony to take me into Target tonight to pick them up. I need time to have them washed, dried and packed!
On the weekend I repacked my hospital bag (well, except for the stuff I picked up tonight) and organised Baby's clothes again. I packed Tony's bag and my nappy bag. I also need to wash the pillow case for my nursing pillow and call the anesthesiologist and pay the gap fee.
Plus clean the house! I want to do a deep clean of the house before Baby arrives. So before I come out of hospital all Tony has to do is vacuum and run the sticky roller over the couch to get up the cat fur.
I don't feel ready for Baby to be here as early as next week. We still don't have a first name for him. I wanted time to add a few more decorative bits and pieces to his room. And I'd planned on cooking a few meals and snacks next week. I really hope this medication works (and without too many side effects) and brings my blood pressure down. And that there's no signs of pre-eclampsia or anything else going on.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
36 weeks - Carpal tunnel and the nursery is nearly ready!
I'm 36 weeks pregnant (well, 36w2d today). Baby Day is getting closer! Mum and I went shopping on the weekend for all the last minute baby things. We got a baby bath, nappy disposal unit, a few more newborn sized clothes, a baby book (I know they're a bit out of fashion these days, but I really wanted to do a baby book for Baby Boy), and a manduca baby carrier. The carrier was on my wish list and I wasn't planning on buying it until after Christmas, but mum treated me and bought it for me.
I had my 36 week appointment on Monday. We met with my OBs midwife first, and she talked us through what will happen on Baby Day. And we got the time we need to be at the hospital, what we need to bring in that day and what can wait in the car until after the c-section.
Then we went and saw my OB, my blood pressure is starting to sneak up a bit. It's not in the scary range yet, but is getting close. I had a feeling it was getting higher, I haven't had any headaches or dizziness, but my feet and hands are pretty swollen. And I'm having some carpal tunnel symptoms too, at first it was just my right hand but now it's both. It's making sleeping a nightmare. Until now I've been sleeping ok, up every few hours to visit the loo and roll over but for the most part I'm not aching or sore.
But now? The only way I can sleep that doesn't make my hands and wrists hurt and go numb is laying on my back with my hands flat on the bed next too me. I prop myself up with pillows but I still snore and wind up waking with a dry mouth and aching hips and back.
If I sleep on my side, my right arm goes numb and throbs. Then it takes ages to get feeling back in it and by that stage I'm wide awake. So I wind up napping in the glider or desk chair for a few hours until Tony's alarm goes off and I wake up and go back to bed for an hour or two. But I feel fuzzy and groggy for the rest of the day.
We've had a few warm days and I've been trying to make sure I drink even more water than my usual 2-3l a day. And I've cut down on salt and processed foods but I haven't noticed much of a difference.
My wonderful sister in law took a day off work last week and drove me up to ikea. We picked up a chest of drawers for the nursery and some storage boxes to go in the bookcase we already had. The drawers were a challenge, we're really limited on wall space in the nursery (due to windows taking up one wall and the wardrobes on the other) so they had to be able to fit in the wardrobe, but our wardrobes are really shallow. But we found some that matched the theme of the nursery so they can go out in his room later on and also fit in the wardrobe!
I spent Friday putting away all of his clothes, sheets and things. Then on Saturday Tony finished painting the nursery and on Sunday we moved everything else into the nursery. Tony put the cot together and I organised the change table. We put the cot canopy over the cot to keep the kitties out of the cot, but Monday morning I found White-kitty under the cot anyway. Oh well.
I still want to make cot rail protectors and a cover for the change table mat. I think that'll be my project for next week. And I'm looking at some prints and decorations for the nursery too. I think I've found what I want on Etsy, I just want to check out a few local stores first before I buy them online.
Baby still doesn't have a name. We're tossing around the idea of using family names for both his first and middle names but it still doesn't feel right or feel like it's a good fit. I guess we'll still be talking about names after he's here. I'm down to weekly OB appointments now and there's not many left to go!
I had my 36 week appointment on Monday. We met with my OBs midwife first, and she talked us through what will happen on Baby Day. And we got the time we need to be at the hospital, what we need to bring in that day and what can wait in the car until after the c-section.
Then we went and saw my OB, my blood pressure is starting to sneak up a bit. It's not in the scary range yet, but is getting close. I had a feeling it was getting higher, I haven't had any headaches or dizziness, but my feet and hands are pretty swollen. And I'm having some carpal tunnel symptoms too, at first it was just my right hand but now it's both. It's making sleeping a nightmare. Until now I've been sleeping ok, up every few hours to visit the loo and roll over but for the most part I'm not aching or sore.
But now? The only way I can sleep that doesn't make my hands and wrists hurt and go numb is laying on my back with my hands flat on the bed next too me. I prop myself up with pillows but I still snore and wind up waking with a dry mouth and aching hips and back.
If I sleep on my side, my right arm goes numb and throbs. Then it takes ages to get feeling back in it and by that stage I'm wide awake. So I wind up napping in the glider or desk chair for a few hours until Tony's alarm goes off and I wake up and go back to bed for an hour or two. But I feel fuzzy and groggy for the rest of the day.
We've had a few warm days and I've been trying to make sure I drink even more water than my usual 2-3l a day. And I've cut down on salt and processed foods but I haven't noticed much of a difference.
My wonderful sister in law took a day off work last week and drove me up to ikea. We picked up a chest of drawers for the nursery and some storage boxes to go in the bookcase we already had. The drawers were a challenge, we're really limited on wall space in the nursery (due to windows taking up one wall and the wardrobes on the other) so they had to be able to fit in the wardrobe, but our wardrobes are really shallow. But we found some that matched the theme of the nursery so they can go out in his room later on and also fit in the wardrobe!
I spent Friday putting away all of his clothes, sheets and things. Then on Saturday Tony finished painting the nursery and on Sunday we moved everything else into the nursery. Tony put the cot together and I organised the change table. We put the cot canopy over the cot to keep the kitties out of the cot, but Monday morning I found White-kitty under the cot anyway. Oh well.
I still want to make cot rail protectors and a cover for the change table mat. I think that'll be my project for next week. And I'm looking at some prints and decorations for the nursery too. I think I've found what I want on Etsy, I just want to check out a few local stores first before I buy them online.
Baby still doesn't have a name. We're tossing around the idea of using family names for both his first and middle names but it still doesn't feel right or feel like it's a good fit. I guess we'll still be talking about names after he's here. I'm down to weekly OB appointments now and there's not many left to go!
Thursday, 9 October 2014
32 - 34 weeks - c-section? car seat installed!
Once again it's been a while since I updated. It's partly because I keep forgetting to update, and partly because I'm starting to find typing is awkward. If I sit up at the table or desk with my laptop I have to lean forward to type and get intense rib pain (seriously, it feels like my lower ribs are being ripped apart. I think it's the muscles?cartilage? something hurts!). So I try to balance my laptop on my lap but my belly gets in the way.
My 32 week appointment went well. Except, baby was measuring even further ahead. He's been a bit ahead the whole way. But it's no longer just a few days ahead, at 32 weeks he was measuring 34 weeks 3 days. Tony was with me and asked our OB if that measurement was right. The OB told him not to worry and said he'd do a second measurement and that he was sure it'd be closer to 32, it was probably just the way baby was positioned that was throwing off the measurements. But the second and third measurements were bigger! And they both showed that baby was measuring at 35w.
I'm only short, I'm just 4'10. My whole family is short and I have a petite build (it's just hidden under a few layers of fat). Where as Tony is tall, he's 6ft and for the guys in his family, that's just an average height. At one of my very first OB appointments, we talked about delivery and I said I would like a vaginal birth. My OB said that was fine, as long as baby wasn't measuring more than a week ahead at my 36week appointment, he was concerned about my size if it was a big baby. He told me not to worry about it, and we'd revisit it at 36 weeks. I didn't write about it because I wanted to try and forget about the whole conversation.
I was upset. I cried about this for weeks. Not because I'm against c-sections or I was doubting my OB but because there was the potential there for my body to fail to do something it should be able to do naturally. It was similar to when I found out we had to do the IUIs and then again when we had to move on to IVF.
But at the 12w scan I saw baby was measuring a few days ahead, then at the 19w morphology scan he was a week ahead. My OB does a scan in his office at each appointment. He has never said how big baby was unless I ask.
I see the number pop up in the corner of the screen when he does the measurement and I could see it was a bit ahead each time. But he's never made a big deal of it, he points out the position that baby is laying in (usually on my left side, with his head facing to the right) and we see baby's little hand (or elbow!) up near his face hiding from the ultrasound. Then he scans baby's heart and we listen to the heartbeat before he takes a reading of it. This week at my 34 week appointment baby got the hiccups just as my OB went to do the heartbeat, he's even messing with the OB now! (Usually it's just Tony and I he plays games with, stopping moving when we try to catch him)
So at my 32w appointment when we saw how big baby was, my OB brought up the c-section topic again. I was prepared this time, I'd had time to talk to a friend who had gone through a traumatic forceps birth due to the size of her baby. I wanted to know what recovery was like and what her baby's recovery was like (he'd spent time in special care). I'd also decided that the last thing I wanted was to labour and then wind up with an emergency c-section. I think that would be harder for me to deal with emotionally, you're in the race but then find out you can't finish the race? That wouldn't be something I could handle. Plus Tony and I had also both talked about it a lot.
My OB said that in his opinion a c-section would be the way to go. He said that it was our decision and if I'd like to try a vaginal birth we could go for an in-depth growth scan at the specialist ultrasound clinic that did my 12 and 19 week scans to check on baby's size and I could also get a second opinion from another OB. But I declined to do that and said I was fine with the c-section. So he gave us the date and now we know baby boy's birthday!
I still feel some guilt over this, and probably will for a while. Every google search I've done has women arguing that this is a common misconception, that your body won't grow a baby too big to birth. That c-sections are an easier and more convenient for the OB. That you don't know if your pelvis is too small until you try to give birth. And on and on it goes.
But ultimately, I feel that a c-section is the right choice. I trust my OB, he was also our fertility specialist. I've been seeing him for 18 months now. I know recovery will be hard and I'm not looking forward to it. And I feel bad that baby won't be born in the warm, comforting birth suites that we saw at the hospital tour, instead it'll be in a sterile, cold operating room.
It's scary, we have less time to get ready for baby and there's an end date in sight. My mother in law came with me to my 34w appointment and we saw baby has hair! Baby was measuring even further ahead at 37w which confirmed that yes, this is the right way to go.
I had maternity photos take yesterday, I'm not sure if I'll like them. I had my hair and make up done for them and the make up was quite dark and not as natural as I would've liked. But I've documented my pregnancy and even if I don't like the way my face looks in them, I know that in 5 years time I'll look back at them and be thankful I've got those photos.
We also went to the baby store and had the baby capsule installed in the car yesterday. It seems so complicated to put baby in the carseat and then the carseat in the car! But the guy assured us that it'll be second nature in no time. While we were at the baby store I bought a breast pump, a few bottles and storage bags. I wasn't going to get it until after baby was here, but Tony said we might as well buy it now. I also found reasonably priced hooded baby towels so picked up a few of them too.
I have a few nightgowns and some underwear on laybuy that need to be picked up and I bought a few swaddles in the mail which should arrive soon too.
Then all that's left is a trip to ikea for some baskets and wardrobe organisers and to set up the nursery. The "to do before baby arrives" list is getting really short now!
My 32 week appointment went well. Except, baby was measuring even further ahead. He's been a bit ahead the whole way. But it's no longer just a few days ahead, at 32 weeks he was measuring 34 weeks 3 days. Tony was with me and asked our OB if that measurement was right. The OB told him not to worry and said he'd do a second measurement and that he was sure it'd be closer to 32, it was probably just the way baby was positioned that was throwing off the measurements. But the second and third measurements were bigger! And they both showed that baby was measuring at 35w.
I'm only short, I'm just 4'10. My whole family is short and I have a petite build (it's just hidden under a few layers of fat). Where as Tony is tall, he's 6ft and for the guys in his family, that's just an average height. At one of my very first OB appointments, we talked about delivery and I said I would like a vaginal birth. My OB said that was fine, as long as baby wasn't measuring more than a week ahead at my 36week appointment, he was concerned about my size if it was a big baby. He told me not to worry about it, and we'd revisit it at 36 weeks. I didn't write about it because I wanted to try and forget about the whole conversation.
I was upset. I cried about this for weeks. Not because I'm against c-sections or I was doubting my OB but because there was the potential there for my body to fail to do something it should be able to do naturally. It was similar to when I found out we had to do the IUIs and then again when we had to move on to IVF.
But at the 12w scan I saw baby was measuring a few days ahead, then at the 19w morphology scan he was a week ahead. My OB does a scan in his office at each appointment. He has never said how big baby was unless I ask.
I see the number pop up in the corner of the screen when he does the measurement and I could see it was a bit ahead each time. But he's never made a big deal of it, he points out the position that baby is laying in (usually on my left side, with his head facing to the right) and we see baby's little hand (or elbow!) up near his face hiding from the ultrasound. Then he scans baby's heart and we listen to the heartbeat before he takes a reading of it. This week at my 34 week appointment baby got the hiccups just as my OB went to do the heartbeat, he's even messing with the OB now! (Usually it's just Tony and I he plays games with, stopping moving when we try to catch him)
So at my 32w appointment when we saw how big baby was, my OB brought up the c-section topic again. I was prepared this time, I'd had time to talk to a friend who had gone through a traumatic forceps birth due to the size of her baby. I wanted to know what recovery was like and what her baby's recovery was like (he'd spent time in special care). I'd also decided that the last thing I wanted was to labour and then wind up with an emergency c-section. I think that would be harder for me to deal with emotionally, you're in the race but then find out you can't finish the race? That wouldn't be something I could handle. Plus Tony and I had also both talked about it a lot.
My OB said that in his opinion a c-section would be the way to go. He said that it was our decision and if I'd like to try a vaginal birth we could go for an in-depth growth scan at the specialist ultrasound clinic that did my 12 and 19 week scans to check on baby's size and I could also get a second opinion from another OB. But I declined to do that and said I was fine with the c-section. So he gave us the date and now we know baby boy's birthday!
I still feel some guilt over this, and probably will for a while. Every google search I've done has women arguing that this is a common misconception, that your body won't grow a baby too big to birth. That c-sections are an easier and more convenient for the OB. That you don't know if your pelvis is too small until you try to give birth. And on and on it goes.
But ultimately, I feel that a c-section is the right choice. I trust my OB, he was also our fertility specialist. I've been seeing him for 18 months now. I know recovery will be hard and I'm not looking forward to it. And I feel bad that baby won't be born in the warm, comforting birth suites that we saw at the hospital tour, instead it'll be in a sterile, cold operating room.
It's scary, we have less time to get ready for baby and there's an end date in sight. My mother in law came with me to my 34w appointment and we saw baby has hair! Baby was measuring even further ahead at 37w which confirmed that yes, this is the right way to go.
I had maternity photos take yesterday, I'm not sure if I'll like them. I had my hair and make up done for them and the make up was quite dark and not as natural as I would've liked. But I've documented my pregnancy and even if I don't like the way my face looks in them, I know that in 5 years time I'll look back at them and be thankful I've got those photos.
We also went to the baby store and had the baby capsule installed in the car yesterday. It seems so complicated to put baby in the carseat and then the carseat in the car! But the guy assured us that it'll be second nature in no time. While we were at the baby store I bought a breast pump, a few bottles and storage bags. I wasn't going to get it until after baby was here, but Tony said we might as well buy it now. I also found reasonably priced hooded baby towels so picked up a few of them too.
I have a few nightgowns and some underwear on laybuy that need to be picked up and I bought a few swaddles in the mail which should arrive soon too.
Then all that's left is a trip to ikea for some baskets and wardrobe organisers and to set up the nursery. The "to do before baby arrives" list is getting really short now!
Monday, 22 September 2014
Baby shower and baby buys
My baby shower was the weekend before last. My aunty and cousin flew up from Adelaide for it and the weather was just gorgeous!
It was a small shower, about 14 people and a few kids but a lovely relaxing day. I'd loosely chosen a nautical theme with navy blue chevron. We kept it pretty simple, my gorgeous sister in law organised cupcakes that had little sail boats, onesies and ducks on them. I made some truffles and did a veggie platter and chips and salsa. Hubby and his friend (the husband of one of my friends) were in charge of the barbecues and did hamburgers and sausages. I also had a bit of a blue themed lolly buffet so there were plenty of sweets!
I didn't stick to traditional games. I had a guess the jelly babies in the jar (which my aunty won) decorate a onesie or bib and message in a bottle (wishes for baby). Some of the answers to the wishes for baby were so special and made me cry. I'm glad we waited until that night otherwise I would've been a sobbing mess. And a few answers made me laugh until I cried.
Our friends and family were so generous. Baby boy is pretty much set for clothes for the first six months of his life. I was also given a nursing pillow, bouncer, cot sheets, wipes, a nappy bin and my cousin's grandma knitted baby some little white booties.
But it wasn't without a few dramas. We were late to get to the park and while I was setting up I put my phone down and completely forgot to take any photos all day. I have a few photos my friends and family took, but they're not the shots I wanted to get.
And then there was the family drama. My husbands sister didn't turn up. She didn't even text or call to say she couldn't make it, either. I was really hurt by that. A few years ago she lived with us, she put my name forward at the school she works at for contracts and casual teaching jobs and I was working with her while going through the first IUI and the first few weeks of my pregnancy when I was really worried my HCG numbers. I just thought we were closer than this. She looks after our niece and is so involved in our nieces life, it just hurt and disappointed me.
The age gap between baby boy and niece will be 9 months. It just brought back all those horrible feelings from when we were struggling and then found out that my brother in law and his gf were pregnant. And how much I wanted our baby to be my mother in laws first grandchild but isn't.
I would love to say something to my sister in law about it, but I know it would hurt my mother in law so I won't.
Now we've had the baby shower and have been thoroughly spoilt with baby gifts, we've started to buy the last few things on our list. This weekend we went out and bought the cot bedding set for baby. I've spent months searching for the perfect, but affordable, bedding set. I stumbled across one online but had to see it in person first. It's a reversible set with a navy blue background and white triangles on one side, and the other side has a geometric pattern blue, yellow, green and white triangles.
I was really after something I could mix and match sheets and colours with. And I didn't want a pastel or pale coloured set. Baby's cot and change table is white and bookcase is a pale birch colour, I wanted a burst of bright colours to break up the pale furniture.
We also got the matching lamp (a complete splurge!) and sheets for the bassinet. I still need to get some wraps and swaddles, mittens, a baby first aid kit and some nursing singlets and underwear for me. Then we're done! Oh, and hubby needs to paint the trim and door on the nursery!
Things are all starting to come together!
It was a small shower, about 14 people and a few kids but a lovely relaxing day. I'd loosely chosen a nautical theme with navy blue chevron. We kept it pretty simple, my gorgeous sister in law organised cupcakes that had little sail boats, onesies and ducks on them. I made some truffles and did a veggie platter and chips and salsa. Hubby and his friend (the husband of one of my friends) were in charge of the barbecues and did hamburgers and sausages. I also had a bit of a blue themed lolly buffet so there were plenty of sweets!
I didn't stick to traditional games. I had a guess the jelly babies in the jar (which my aunty won) decorate a onesie or bib and message in a bottle (wishes for baby). Some of the answers to the wishes for baby were so special and made me cry. I'm glad we waited until that night otherwise I would've been a sobbing mess. And a few answers made me laugh until I cried.
Our friends and family were so generous. Baby boy is pretty much set for clothes for the first six months of his life. I was also given a nursing pillow, bouncer, cot sheets, wipes, a nappy bin and my cousin's grandma knitted baby some little white booties.
But it wasn't without a few dramas. We were late to get to the park and while I was setting up I put my phone down and completely forgot to take any photos all day. I have a few photos my friends and family took, but they're not the shots I wanted to get.
And then there was the family drama. My husbands sister didn't turn up. She didn't even text or call to say she couldn't make it, either. I was really hurt by that. A few years ago she lived with us, she put my name forward at the school she works at for contracts and casual teaching jobs and I was working with her while going through the first IUI and the first few weeks of my pregnancy when I was really worried my HCG numbers. I just thought we were closer than this. She looks after our niece and is so involved in our nieces life, it just hurt and disappointed me.
The age gap between baby boy and niece will be 9 months. It just brought back all those horrible feelings from when we were struggling and then found out that my brother in law and his gf were pregnant. And how much I wanted our baby to be my mother in laws first grandchild but isn't.
I would love to say something to my sister in law about it, but I know it would hurt my mother in law so I won't.
Now we've had the baby shower and have been thoroughly spoilt with baby gifts, we've started to buy the last few things on our list. This weekend we went out and bought the cot bedding set for baby. I've spent months searching for the perfect, but affordable, bedding set. I stumbled across one online but had to see it in person first. It's a reversible set with a navy blue background and white triangles on one side, and the other side has a geometric pattern blue, yellow, green and white triangles.
I was really after something I could mix and match sheets and colours with. And I didn't want a pastel or pale coloured set. Baby's cot and change table is white and bookcase is a pale birch colour, I wanted a burst of bright colours to break up the pale furniture.
We also got the matching lamp (a complete splurge!) and sheets for the bassinet. I still need to get some wraps and swaddles, mittens, a baby first aid kit and some nursing singlets and underwear for me. Then we're done! Oh, and hubby needs to paint the trim and door on the nursery!
Things are all starting to come together!
Thursday, 4 September 2014
29 Weeks
The other day I felt a rhythmic boop, boop, boop, from baby. It was really down low and I couldn't work out what it was for a while. Then it clicked! Hiccups! Since then he's had hiccups once or twice a day. I've felt them once from the outside, but most of the time it feels like my cervix or vagina has the hiccups (way tmi I know, but well, this whole baby/baby making business is always going to be tmi)
At my OB appointment last week he was still head down. The little movements I've been feeling by my belly button are knees and the lumps I feel up under my ribs switch between his bottom and his feet. His bottom feels like a big lump and I often feel it roll on my right side. Feet are different movements, they're little boops and look like my stomach is twitching, usually on my right side too but he spins from side to side a fair bit. It is so amazing to be watching him on the ultrasound and feeling the movements at the same time.
He still likes to hide from Tony. He'll be moving so much, then Tony will put his hand on my stomach and he goes all quiet and stops.
We're still not going any where with names. Our list of names changes each time we talk about it.
I stepped on the scales and I'm not at my heaviest weight ever. It's the same weight I was in my last year of uni, except my face isn't as chubby as it was back then. OH, and my ribs have expanded that much that my bra size has changed again. The band size has gone up but the cup size has gone down. That made me cry.
Other things that made me cry? Not being able to find a cute maternity dress for my baby shower next week. (I've ordered a few online and have sent a few back. Waiting on yet another lot from Asos) Not being able to wear my cute shoes any more (hello swollen feet!) and not being able to just jump in the car and run errands.
But there's been lots of good things too. No gestational diabetes and I'm now down to fortnightly OB appointments. Mum is coming with me to the one next week, she's been waiting for this since the start of my pregnancy. She's even taking a half day from work to come down for it, that in itself is huge! Tony has started painting the nursery, it needs one more coat of paint and then to do the door. AND (this is big for me) I met up with a friend from one of my online due date groups. I'm really quite shy and the big meet ups were a bit intimidating. But she lives in the same area as I do, so we met up at a cafe (Max Brenner! Yum!) and it was great. She worked as a teacher before having her first baby and she's an ivf mumma too.
Next week is my baby shower, we sent the invites out the other week. Thank goodness for etsy, it has made baby shower planning so much easier, I just bought the games, cupcake toppers and invites then printed them.
And next week we have our first birthing class too. It's all happening now! Things are starting to get busy and it'll be no time before he's here!
At my OB appointment last week he was still head down. The little movements I've been feeling by my belly button are knees and the lumps I feel up under my ribs switch between his bottom and his feet. His bottom feels like a big lump and I often feel it roll on my right side. Feet are different movements, they're little boops and look like my stomach is twitching, usually on my right side too but he spins from side to side a fair bit. It is so amazing to be watching him on the ultrasound and feeling the movements at the same time.
He still likes to hide from Tony. He'll be moving so much, then Tony will put his hand on my stomach and he goes all quiet and stops.
We're still not going any where with names. Our list of names changes each time we talk about it.
I stepped on the scales and I'm not at my heaviest weight ever. It's the same weight I was in my last year of uni, except my face isn't as chubby as it was back then. OH, and my ribs have expanded that much that my bra size has changed again. The band size has gone up but the cup size has gone down. That made me cry.
Other things that made me cry? Not being able to find a cute maternity dress for my baby shower next week. (I've ordered a few online and have sent a few back. Waiting on yet another lot from Asos) Not being able to wear my cute shoes any more (hello swollen feet!) and not being able to just jump in the car and run errands.
But there's been lots of good things too. No gestational diabetes and I'm now down to fortnightly OB appointments. Mum is coming with me to the one next week, she's been waiting for this since the start of my pregnancy. She's even taking a half day from work to come down for it, that in itself is huge! Tony has started painting the nursery, it needs one more coat of paint and then to do the door. AND (this is big for me) I met up with a friend from one of my online due date groups. I'm really quite shy and the big meet ups were a bit intimidating. But she lives in the same area as I do, so we met up at a cafe (Max Brenner! Yum!) and it was great. She worked as a teacher before having her first baby and she's an ivf mumma too.
Next week is my baby shower, we sent the invites out the other week. Thank goodness for etsy, it has made baby shower planning so much easier, I just bought the games, cupcake toppers and invites then printed them.
And next week we have our first birthing class too. It's all happening now! Things are starting to get busy and it'll be no time before he's here!
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