So here is the full account of the birth of our little Hailey. Originally our c- section was scheduled for the Friday, the 1st of July. On the Wednesday a week and a bit before, I was sitting at the clinic with Emily and I got a phone call from my gynaecologist's receptionist to say that he would like to move my date forward to the 28th of June. This was almost a whole week earlier and it left me 5 days to prepare myself instead of 11! I was stressed out, but excited. The monday before I had to go in, I spent the day Frantically doing those last minute things that I hadn't yet gotten too. I know I should have rested and taken it easy, but when you are pregnant with a mission, there's nothing stopping you. Towards the end of the day, just as I was getting ready to take Emily to her gran, she started throwing up. This was not SOmething I had expected to be thrown into my day now. I decided not to leave it and made a doctors appointment. Off we went, the doctor checked her out and said nothing was wrong...
Got home, chucked our stuff in the car - we were spending the night at Leons Mom and dad, so that when we left in the morning, Emily could stay nice and settled. She would also stay there for the week so that Leon could come and go from the hospital as he needed to.
On the big day, we woke up nice and early. Had to be at the hospital at 7 am. Went to check on Emily and she had a raging temperature of 39 degrees! This is not something you want to have to deal with before going in to have a baby! My poor girl was not feeling well but there wasn't all that much I could do about it.
We left for the hospital, got there at 7:15, did admissions and was shown to my bed. Unpacked and then suddenly the nerves started kicking in. I sat on the bed, Leon sat on the chair next to it and we just nervously started at each other. The reality that we were having another baby really hadn't sunk in yet. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that right from the beginning we had planned A C-section and so nothing about it would be suprising or unexpected. At 9:20 they came to get Leon to come and change into scrubs and as he left they started wheeling me through. I was so nervous I couldn't get enough of my asthma pump. Leon met me outside the theatre where they had me waiting for him. They briskly wheeled me into theatre where we were told we would have two students watching (poor chicks), and they started putting in the spinal block. That for me was the worst part. I remembered how sore it was from when I had Emily so I was very panicky about it. I cried So much while he was sticking the needle in, I think they thought I was a little crazy. Soon after it was in, I lost feeling from the top of my abdomen down and got incredibly cold. I remember thinking the room was so cold there was no way they could bring my baby into the world at that temperature. Lol, hormones make you nutty. Annoying thing was I had a bit of a reaction to the spinal block and started itching all over. It was horrible and lasted hours, eventually that night they finally gave me meds and cream for it.
With in minutes of the numbness kicking in, I thought they were still prepping me, when in fact our daughters head popped out and I heard her crying. I had no idea it would happen so quick and painlessly. She was not very happy to be out and screamed her little heart out. I remember thinking, 'dam, I hope she's not going to scream like this forever'. Once they wrapped her in the towel though, she was happy and quiet and a whooping 3,9kgs!! I make big babies, what can I say!!?
They put her on me and once they were done stitching me up , wheeled us through to the recovery room where I got her to latch. She was such a beautiful little girl and we decided almost immediately on the name Hailey. Back in the ward, Emily came in to see her baby sister. The rest of the day was a little bit of a blur because I was so drugged up. I just remember losing it with the midwife that kept on harrassing me and wanting to stick needles in me. *embarrassing moment*
I really loved my stay in hospital and thought the staff where excellent. I will go to constantiaberg Medi clinic anytime again! They did think that she possibly had jaundice and there was a point at which they thought she might have to go under the lights but thankfully that didn't have to happen.
We were discharged happily on friday the 1st of July And sent home, to do it all on our own :) :( no nurses or yummy sleeping tablets... But we survived and are enjoying our little growing family. (or though I think its done growing now!!! ...atleast till the medical loan is paid off!)
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
A blurry 10 weeks...
So it has been a full two months and more since my last blog post and I can't believe how time has flown over these last 10 weeks. This post will be no means be a full account of the birth and time since then, because as you can imagine time is limited. Our little princess joined us on the 28th of June via planned caesarian section. The birth and stay in hospital was wonderful and I still occasionally wish that I could go back there. All the helpful staff and wonderful drugs! Hehe. Don't get me wrong, my husband is totally amazing and helpful, and Emily is a very helpful big sister! But there's nothing like trained staff to give you a helpful hand :D
So, I decided that rather than totally neglect my blog, I would at least post some pics of the delivery and our little Hailey. Some are a bit graphic so sorry if any of you have sensitive stomachs. I know there are some of you out there though that do like to see the yukky ones! I'm one of those :D
So here they are
There will hopefully be a more up to date post soon of life in our home since the 28th of June :)
So, I decided that rather than totally neglect my blog, I would at least post some pics of the delivery and our little Hailey. Some are a bit graphic so sorry if any of you have sensitive stomachs. I know there are some of you out there though that do like to see the yukky ones! I'm one of those :D
So here they are
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| here she comes! |
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| weighing a whole 3,9kgs |
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| Dads stomach and head failed him a bit... he did recover : ) |
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| She was letting us all know very loudly that she had arrived! |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Nesty nest
So when I woke up this morning there was a email on my phone from one of the many baby/ pregnancy related newsletters I get. The opening statement on this email was, "so if you are starting to feel the urge to 'nest', be warned your baby is probably on his or her way and make sure your bags are packed!" I had to laugh, either I am totally not normal or the person who wrote this has never been pregnant!
My "nesty" thing kicked within in 3 days of finding out that I was pregnant. And no, I didn't find out at 7 months, LOL, I found out when I was just 3 weeks.
For those of you that know me, will know that I generally am a bit of a perfectionist (just a bit) and I like things clean. But my word, I have shocked and annoyed myself with how bad I have been through this pregnancy. I just cant stop cleaning and organizing things. Its driving me nuts, but the urge is so bad that I just cant ignore it. So, to narrow it all down and to make it more managable I decided a couple of weeks ago to make a "to do list" to go on our fridge, knowing my darling husband would glady help me with the things on it. Only problem is... Everytime I find that we get to the end of the list, I make a new one.... with a whole list of NEW things that suddenly need to be done!! CrAAZYYYY!
Yesterday, I managed to get the list right down to only 3 things left on it that need doing and these are things I can't do - Being in my huge and lumpy state and all. I am determined that I WILL NOT be making another list! Once that list is done, its done!
So with 10 days to go, I am going to try and take it easy! No promises though. I am going to try and spend more time with Emily and try not be too phased about the crazy mess that's accumulated within in 2 hours of us getting up in the morning.
We have our last Doctors appointment on Thursday evening. I cant believe we are at the finish line already! This pregnancy has gone incredibly fast. Only these last couple of days have dragged and I have a feeling the next couple are also going to drag. Its fine though, I know whats coming and will try and appreciate the uninterrupted sleep while it lasts.
....Our bundle is almost here!!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
The final countdown
In 3 weeks time, I will be in hospital having just had my first night with our little bundle of pink :) She is due to come on the 1st of July and I am so excited and cant wait. Of course there are nerves, but they aren't about whether or not I'm going to know what to do with this little person etc. My nerves are more about how I am going to juggle my time and energy between Emily and a new baby. I know that sounds silly, but that really is my only worry. Having been lavishing all of our time and attention on Emily for the last, almost 3 years, it is very weird trying to think about how this will work. Admittedly in the beginning the baby will spend most of her time sleeping.... because that's what newborns do right.... So we'll see. I know that everything will change naturally and before we know it we'll look at our little growing family and be astounded and how much we've grown and changed together.
We saw the doctor on Thursday and we are both doing well. Baby is growing well.... according to the doctor I have a "good oven" as he puts it sweetly! Her head is well in place, and as we saw on the scan it is her right foot that is giving me bruised ribs! I can't wait to have that relief once shes out - that's for sure! My sugar is all fine, its amazing what a couple of daily blood sugar tablets can help accomplish! I really am glad that I started taking them and I think I will continue to take them after the pregnancy. That is if I can take them while breastfeeding. I have put on 7kgs in total so far and am sooooo happy about this! of course I cant take all the credit - one of the side effects of the meds I am on, is weight loss, which in my case, because I am pregnant, instead of making me loose weight, has just helped to keep my weight gain at a steady pace. So I figure with 3 weeks to go, I'll maybe put on another 1,5kgs and that will take me to just over 8 kgs.... that's if it goes according to my plan of course... I might be sheepishly eating my words in a couple weeks :s
That's it from me for now. Emily is sitting next to me patiently waiting for her tea and I have
promised to get it now now... Duty calls!
Bye, have a great weekend everyone! Do something that's just for you!
We saw the doctor on Thursday and we are both doing well. Baby is growing well.... according to the doctor I have a "good oven" as he puts it sweetly! Her head is well in place, and as we saw on the scan it is her right foot that is giving me bruised ribs! I can't wait to have that relief once shes out - that's for sure! My sugar is all fine, its amazing what a couple of daily blood sugar tablets can help accomplish! I really am glad that I started taking them and I think I will continue to take them after the pregnancy. That is if I can take them while breastfeeding. I have put on 7kgs in total so far and am sooooo happy about this! of course I cant take all the credit - one of the side effects of the meds I am on, is weight loss, which in my case, because I am pregnant, instead of making me loose weight, has just helped to keep my weight gain at a steady pace. So I figure with 3 weeks to go, I'll maybe put on another 1,5kgs and that will take me to just over 8 kgs.... that's if it goes according to my plan of course... I might be sheepishly eating my words in a couple weeks :s
That's it from me for now. Emily is sitting next to me patiently waiting for her tea and I have
promised to get it now now... Duty calls!
Bye, have a great weekend everyone! Do something that's just for you!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Parenting - privilege? or right?
I have found myself deeply challenged by this thing called 'parenting' lately. Well... that's not entirely true, If you are a parent you will know that from day one, there are challenges. Big or small, there are challenges! The difference I am finding with the challenges that I am facing at the moment, is that there are no quick answers. There's no "how to" guide, and as much as I can ask advice from people around me - be it brilliant advice for sure, there is no clear cut solution at the moment! I say 'at the moment' intentionally, because I do believe that I we will get to the bottom of this.
For some of you that don't interact with us on a daily basis you are wondering what on earth I am talking about. I know. Sorry, I am probably not making much sense. Basically what I am talking about is the challenge of raising my child to be a whole and well adjusted person who is able to stand confidently in the world being 100% assured of the fact that she is loved and cherished by the people in her life. But at the same time knowing her place and having boundaries that she knows not to cross and understands why she shouldn't cross them. Teaching her that it is OK to have feelings and an opinion but to know how to process those feelings and opinions without being plain rude or obnoxious! And in doing all of this, making sure that in the process, we don't damage or break pieces away from her little personality.
OK, so I know that this probably all sounds way to deep and yes, I know she is only 2. Well very nearly 3!
I am just so aware of how easy it is to do this wrong. So often we take the 'privilege' of parenting for granted and we think we can do what we like with it. Or sometimes we just don't bother to give it enough effort.
As Emily is slowly getting bigger, I am seeing that these things need to start being implemented sooner rather than later. She is becoming her own little individual person already and is needing so much guidance - for her own sake. The world around them moves so fast and I often find myself forgetting that I don't just have a child in my care, I have a whole person in my care, with needs and feelings and fears. A person that is relying on me to help them grow through all these things. The responsibility is huge, and we need to not forget that.
So to those of you that walk this road closely with us - Thank you for all your love and support and your much needed advice. Thank you for supporting us as we try and do this the right way for our little (BIG) Emily, and thank you for seeing that she is an individual and for not expecting her to fit into a mould. And thank you for supporting us as we try to mould and shape her into her own special and unique 'shape' :) ....which she would probably tell you is an orange triiiiiiiiaaangggle!!!! :D Just one of her favorite shape/color combinations.
As I am writing this, the little one in my tummy is doing her morning work out... in between hiccups. She is getting so big now, I can feel her rapid growth every day by the weight of my protruding bulge. Not long now and we can meet her. The latest update from the doc is that she weighs 2,2 kgs, judging by her measurements she is NOT looking like a diabetic baby, which is a totally awesome relief! And spoke with my diabetic specialist on Tuesday and he is 100% happy with all my blood sugar readings and blood results and is confident that all is looking good! Wished me all the best for the rest of my pregnancy - which is a big YAY, because it means that I don't have to see him anymore! Unless my daily readings suddenly change, in which case I will need to contact him. I believe they wont though, especially because I am beyond the 30 week mark where sugar levels would normally go crazy again.
So that's where I am for now. If it was all too intense... Take into account it was 4:30 in the morning when I started writing this... and I am hormonal! ;)
it's a privilege, not a right.... but we do need to do our best to do it right....
For some of you that don't interact with us on a daily basis you are wondering what on earth I am talking about. I know. Sorry, I am probably not making much sense. Basically what I am talking about is the challenge of raising my child to be a whole and well adjusted person who is able to stand confidently in the world being 100% assured of the fact that she is loved and cherished by the people in her life. But at the same time knowing her place and having boundaries that she knows not to cross and understands why she shouldn't cross them. Teaching her that it is OK to have feelings and an opinion but to know how to process those feelings and opinions without being plain rude or obnoxious! And in doing all of this, making sure that in the process, we don't damage or break pieces away from her little personality.
OK, so I know that this probably all sounds way to deep and yes, I know she is only 2. Well very nearly 3!
I am just so aware of how easy it is to do this wrong. So often we take the 'privilege' of parenting for granted and we think we can do what we like with it. Or sometimes we just don't bother to give it enough effort.
As Emily is slowly getting bigger, I am seeing that these things need to start being implemented sooner rather than later. She is becoming her own little individual person already and is needing so much guidance - for her own sake. The world around them moves so fast and I often find myself forgetting that I don't just have a child in my care, I have a whole person in my care, with needs and feelings and fears. A person that is relying on me to help them grow through all these things. The responsibility is huge, and we need to not forget that.
So to those of you that walk this road closely with us - Thank you for all your love and support and your much needed advice. Thank you for supporting us as we try and do this the right way for our little (BIG) Emily, and thank you for seeing that she is an individual and for not expecting her to fit into a mould. And thank you for supporting us as we try to mould and shape her into her own special and unique 'shape' :) ....which she would probably tell you is an orange triiiiiiiiaaangggle!!!! :D Just one of her favorite shape/color combinations.
As I am writing this, the little one in my tummy is doing her morning work out... in between hiccups. She is getting so big now, I can feel her rapid growth every day by the weight of my protruding bulge. Not long now and we can meet her. The latest update from the doc is that she weighs 2,2 kgs, judging by her measurements she is NOT looking like a diabetic baby, which is a totally awesome relief! And spoke with my diabetic specialist on Tuesday and he is 100% happy with all my blood sugar readings and blood results and is confident that all is looking good! Wished me all the best for the rest of my pregnancy - which is a big YAY, because it means that I don't have to see him anymore! Unless my daily readings suddenly change, in which case I will need to contact him. I believe they wont though, especially because I am beyond the 30 week mark where sugar levels would normally go crazy again.
So that's where I am for now. If it was all too intense... Take into account it was 4:30 in the morning when I started writing this... and I am hormonal! ;)
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| Photo taken by Bernice Griffiths. www.bettybake.com |
it's a privilege, not a right.... but we do need to do our best to do it right....
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Grey days...
These Grey days just don't do it for me. I am talking literally, not figuratively! Winter is officially 2 weeks away, yet it feels like we've been in the grips of winter for a month already. I don't mind the cooler mornings and the crisp fresh air that leaves the tip of your nose feeling blue and frozen. I also don't mind that there is no wind for most of the time - that is a welcome relief for sure! I do mind the Grey skies though! I cant stand that my house remains dark the whole day and there are very few moments where the light streams in through the windows. Its so sad, makes me want to spend the day in bed with a book and just pretend the day is actually night! BUT, we all know that with a two year old, (or any child for that matter), its just not possible!!!
It is Emily's second day at school this morning. It is so cute to see how she gets so excited about it! I hope that it stays like that for her entire school career and that the novelty never wears off! Its amazing the things I can get her to do in the morning while getting her ready for school. Its like she transforms into a 'big, big' girl and the baby in her gets totally put away. The dummy gets put in the draw, the nappy comes off and goes into the bin and she starts to display more independence than she normally does! We get to the class room and its like I become invisible. Whether I am still there or not is totally irrelevant to her and the only reason she gives me kisses goodbye is to console me - not her! Crazy I tell you!
Its quite something to get my head around having some free time to myself in the mornings. Its kind of the a situation where there is so much that I want to do, I also don't want to do anything.I want to savor the time and and make it last as long as possible! And then there is the scary realization that there are only about 6 weeks of this 'me time' before this tummy princess is out and then I go back to having to wait more or less another 2 YEARS before I get me time in the mornings again! I really didn't think this age gap through very well did I! LOL, no turning back now and I am so excited about meeting this little one! Just wish that we could decide on a name already!!!! I Some how don't expect that we will until shes out in our arms! And even then, I have a feeling it might take a couple of days! sigh!
I hope that you all have a brilliant day and that the weather isn't too Grey where ever you are! I think that I will be spending the rest of my FREE morning, catching up on some scrap booking... maybe!
Toodles!
It is Emily's second day at school this morning. It is so cute to see how she gets so excited about it! I hope that it stays like that for her entire school career and that the novelty never wears off! Its amazing the things I can get her to do in the morning while getting her ready for school. Its like she transforms into a 'big, big' girl and the baby in her gets totally put away. The dummy gets put in the draw, the nappy comes off and goes into the bin and she starts to display more independence than she normally does! We get to the class room and its like I become invisible. Whether I am still there or not is totally irrelevant to her and the only reason she gives me kisses goodbye is to console me - not her! Crazy I tell you!
Its quite something to get my head around having some free time to myself in the mornings. Its kind of the a situation where there is so much that I want to do, I also don't want to do anything.I want to savor the time and and make it last as long as possible! And then there is the scary realization that there are only about 6 weeks of this 'me time' before this tummy princess is out and then I go back to having to wait more or less another 2 YEARS before I get me time in the mornings again! I really didn't think this age gap through very well did I! LOL, no turning back now and I am so excited about meeting this little one! Just wish that we could decide on a name already!!!! I Some how don't expect that we will until shes out in our arms! And even then, I have a feeling it might take a couple of days! sigh!
I hope that you all have a brilliant day and that the weather isn't too Grey where ever you are! I think that I will be spending the rest of my FREE morning, catching up on some scrap booking... maybe!
Toodles!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Baby update
Yesterday we had our 29 week checkup at the gynae. I am really enjoying the fact that the appointments are now getting closer together - Its always a sure sign that the big day is getting closer.
Yesterday we also had to confirm with him that he is happy to do the delivery at Constantiaberg and isn't overly concerned about there being any complications with the baby. He assured us that he is confident that all should go well and if there is any problem for some reason we can definitely request that the hospital transfers the baby to Red Cross Children's Hospital. You are probably wondering why on earth I am worried about all this, and if you have read any of my previous posts you will know why. So it is a relief to know that if baby needs High Care we wont have her sitting in Constantiaberg for weeks running up an enormous bill. We are of course trusting and believing that all will go well and all this worrying would have been for nothing.These are all just back up plans - always good to have! Especially cause with Emily I refused to have a back up plan and things went horribly wrong. So call this over compensating if you like, I would rather be overly prepared than going in clueless.
So baby weighs 1500 grams at the moment. Doc expects that baby will be about 3,4 kgs when shes born, which makes me very happy! A nice change from the 4,1 kgs that Emily was when she was born. I am also very happy that I have only put on a total of 5,5 kgs so far in the pregnancy. I think for 7 and a half months that is pretty impressive. With Emily I put on about 30 kgs so I am REALLY happy that this time I have managed to keep it down. I hope that I don't start ballooning now towards the end though.... Will just have to try stay away from those yuuummmmmy hot chips!
Next thing on the to do list for next week is to take my hospital admission form in and book my bed. I am also wondering how soon I need to start washing baby clothes - Maybe wait for a couple of warm sunny days...... I think that's wishful thinking though, after all we are heading towards winter! Will just keeping waiting patiently for a tumble dryer.... sigh!
Hope you all have a fabuliss day! Enjoy the sunshine if you have any, and if its cold where you are - enjoy a good book and some snuggle time!
Yesterday we also had to confirm with him that he is happy to do the delivery at Constantiaberg and isn't overly concerned about there being any complications with the baby. He assured us that he is confident that all should go well and if there is any problem for some reason we can definitely request that the hospital transfers the baby to Red Cross Children's Hospital. You are probably wondering why on earth I am worried about all this, and if you have read any of my previous posts you will know why. So it is a relief to know that if baby needs High Care we wont have her sitting in Constantiaberg for weeks running up an enormous bill. We are of course trusting and believing that all will go well and all this worrying would have been for nothing.These are all just back up plans - always good to have! Especially cause with Emily I refused to have a back up plan and things went horribly wrong. So call this over compensating if you like, I would rather be overly prepared than going in clueless.
So baby weighs 1500 grams at the moment. Doc expects that baby will be about 3,4 kgs when shes born, which makes me very happy! A nice change from the 4,1 kgs that Emily was when she was born. I am also very happy that I have only put on a total of 5,5 kgs so far in the pregnancy. I think for 7 and a half months that is pretty impressive. With Emily I put on about 30 kgs so I am REALLY happy that this time I have managed to keep it down. I hope that I don't start ballooning now towards the end though.... Will just have to try stay away from those yuuummmmmy hot chips!
Next thing on the to do list for next week is to take my hospital admission form in and book my bed. I am also wondering how soon I need to start washing baby clothes - Maybe wait for a couple of warm sunny days...... I think that's wishful thinking though, after all we are heading towards winter! Will just keeping waiting patiently for a tumble dryer.... sigh!
Hope you all have a fabuliss day! Enjoy the sunshine if you have any, and if its cold where you are - enjoy a good book and some snuggle time!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Klupklake please!
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| taken by Bernice Griffiths. see www.bettybake.co.za |
So on Thursday, Leon got home from work and was doing his usual looking around the kitchen thing for something nice to nibble on. He came through with a cupcake that he had found and was thoroughly enjoying it. Emily saw this and was rather perturbed that she didn't have one. She looked at Leon and rather earnestly decided to ask him for one. Being only 2 and feeling rather desperate, her plea came out somewhat entertainingly! She ran to Leon and said, "daddy, can I have a klupklake please." At first he didn't really hear her and it was only after the 3rd of 4th time that he realized that she was asking him for something. In the meantime, her gran and I were in stitches as we watched this little desperate attempt to get a cup cake, oh sorry, I meant to say klupklake. She naturally couldn't understand what was so entertaining and was totally surprised when her dad eventually turned around and gave her a little, playful pat on the bum! After all, she was asking for a "klup-klake."
She did eventually get her klupklake... after all, how can you ignore that!?
So thats just something small and cute to hopefully warm your heart and make you smile!
P.S, yes, you do say it like you spell it :p
Mwah
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
7 months and counting
This week is the official start of my 7th month. Time has gone so fast with this pregnancy and I am slowly starting to realize that this baby will be here soon soon! Last week was a very stressful week as my hospital plans got changed without me being able to do much about it. What was meant to happen at False Bay Hospital as a semi private C-section, then changed and I was told that I could not have it there and it had to be at Groote Schuur Hospital as they are the only government hospital that specialize in Diabetic Deliveries. My wonderful, caring husband then decided that no, I will be having the baby at Constantia berg Medi Clinic. So as you can imagine, with all this happening and all the hormones raging in my body, I didn't do very well last week, hence the silence. So sorry to all my eager readers :)
With the new hospital plans and the realization settling in that I am having another baby and this time it will go smoothly, I have started to think more about all the little preparation things that I need to do.Things like actually book my hospital bed... would be a good start. I have finally managed to get the baby's cupboard and chest of draws sorted out and its all neat and ready. Well, it will probably all need to be washed again before the baby is born, but that is something that I think that I can handle.
As for Emily this week.... I think there is something in the air making her slightly crazy! For a child that is normally fairly chilled- ish, and who normally listens pretty well, something is blocking her ability to listen and hear this week and I think that I am going to go crazzzzzyyyyyy! I don't think that I have EVER repeated myself soooo many times in a day before and am starting to detest the sound of my own voice! What was very entertaining this afternoon though, was Emily was being rude and cheeky and having a tantrum, so instead of talking to her a thousand times I decided instead of wasting my breathe I would just take her straight to her room and put her on her bed to sit there until she had calmed down. Every time I walked away, she got off her bed and ran behind me screaming. I would then turn around and put her back on her bed. Saying nothing. She was so annoyed by the fact that I wasn't talking to her that eventually she was pleading, "talk to me mommy, please talk to me." My plan had worked!!! I won! She soon realized that her behavior was not going to be rewarded with endless negotiating and debating. If she wasn't going to listen I was going to ignore her until she did! and it worked! She quickly calmed down and apologized. And the house went back to peace.... for a little while anyway!
So I think that this is how I will be trying it for a while! .. mainly because I am running out of words! Please don't get me wrong, we so do believe in hidings!! I just don't think that everything deserves a hiding because they become numb to it and eventually the hidings stop working! ...besides, hidings from dad always seem to work a little better!! ;)
There you have it, that's my story for now! Sorry if it wasn't very exciting but I'm tired and going to be going to get some sleep! well between the hot flushes (if you can call them that), the toilet trips, the bouncy baby in my tummy, the slight carpel tunnel syndrome I have in my wrists at the moment, and all the strange pregnancy dreams! Not exactly peace and tranquility if you ask me!?
Anyway, night everyone!
With the new hospital plans and the realization settling in that I am having another baby and this time it will go smoothly, I have started to think more about all the little preparation things that I need to do.Things like actually book my hospital bed... would be a good start. I have finally managed to get the baby's cupboard and chest of draws sorted out and its all neat and ready. Well, it will probably all need to be washed again before the baby is born, but that is something that I think that I can handle.
As for Emily this week.... I think there is something in the air making her slightly crazy! For a child that is normally fairly chilled- ish, and who normally listens pretty well, something is blocking her ability to listen and hear this week and I think that I am going to go crazzzzzyyyyyy! I don't think that I have EVER repeated myself soooo many times in a day before and am starting to detest the sound of my own voice! What was very entertaining this afternoon though, was Emily was being rude and cheeky and having a tantrum, so instead of talking to her a thousand times I decided instead of wasting my breathe I would just take her straight to her room and put her on her bed to sit there until she had calmed down. Every time I walked away, she got off her bed and ran behind me screaming. I would then turn around and put her back on her bed. Saying nothing. She was so annoyed by the fact that I wasn't talking to her that eventually she was pleading, "talk to me mommy, please talk to me." My plan had worked!!! I won! She soon realized that her behavior was not going to be rewarded with endless negotiating and debating. If she wasn't going to listen I was going to ignore her until she did! and it worked! She quickly calmed down and apologized. And the house went back to peace.... for a little while anyway!
So I think that this is how I will be trying it for a while! .. mainly because I am running out of words! Please don't get me wrong, we so do believe in hidings!! I just don't think that everything deserves a hiding because they become numb to it and eventually the hidings stop working! ...besides, hidings from dad always seem to work a little better!! ;)
There you have it, that's my story for now! Sorry if it wasn't very exciting but I'm tired and going to be going to get some sleep! well between the hot flushes (if you can call them that), the toilet trips, the bouncy baby in my tummy, the slight carpel tunnel syndrome I have in my wrists at the moment, and all the strange pregnancy dreams! Not exactly peace and tranquility if you ask me!?
Anyway, night everyone!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Dont insult the "mummum"
For those of you that know my daughter, you'll know that she calls her bottle 'mum-mum.' Its a word that she came up with all on her own, and in fact Leon and I were sitting thinking last night about when and how this happened and we really cant remember!
Anyway, the reason I'm writing about the mum-mum is that something happened yesterday, that was not the first time and it really annoyed me!
I was standing in a queue in Clicks yesterday, Emily was tired because it was getting close to her nap time - so she had asked me for her mum-mum. So there's my two and a half year old sitting drinking her bottle and yes I know that at two and a half she should be off the bottle. But I also know my child and I know that for the most part at home she drinks out of a cup. I also know that as much as I have tried, she does not like those sippy cups - I have tried virtually every kind. So this is not something that I am stressed about. We allow her to have her bottle for nap time and bed time, and then through the day she has it mainly when we are in the car or out.
ANYWAY, this is the annoying part! What is it with people, mainly woman, who seem to have this urge and think that its OK to look at my daughter and say things like, "oh my, you still drink out a bottle," or " why do you still drink out a bottle, you are a big girl!" Do they seriously think that my child, or an other child that they might direct this at, gives two hoots whether they should or shouldn't be drinking out a bottle or not. Do they not realize that this comment that is 'supposedly' directed at the child, is in fact directed at the mother, and do they not realize that the mother is fully aware of this! All this person is doing is creating an enemy (slight exaggeration) for themselves because they have just insulted the mother in so many ways! Firstly, they have judged the mothers child raising way and ability, probably without even knowing it! Secondly, in making this comment they have not acknowledged you as a mother standing there, and any attempt that you might make to create eye contact is totally avoided. Making the situation even more annoying and offensive!
Why can these people just walk past and comment on her adorable curls or beautiful eyes? Why do they feel they have a right to pass some sort of judgment (be it small), on you and your child!? I cannot explained how when this happens I have to tie my feet with imaginary straps to the ground, and not fly at this person and in the end leave her standing there as a grown woman with a massive bottle and dummy stuck to her face! Super glued in fact! Yes, yes, I know I m hormonal and pregnant , and you are all probably shaking your heads in disbelief that something so trivial could annoy me - but it does!
So just a tip to any of you that tend to like to make comments like this in passing - DON'T! For your own sake! If you want the world (of mothers) to be a happier place - don't insult the mum-mum!
Moans aside - hope that you all have a brilliant weekend doing whatever it is you plan to do! Thank you for reading!
Bye :)
Anyway, the reason I'm writing about the mum-mum is that something happened yesterday, that was not the first time and it really annoyed me!
I was standing in a queue in Clicks yesterday, Emily was tired because it was getting close to her nap time - so she had asked me for her mum-mum. So there's my two and a half year old sitting drinking her bottle and yes I know that at two and a half she should be off the bottle. But I also know my child and I know that for the most part at home she drinks out of a cup. I also know that as much as I have tried, she does not like those sippy cups - I have tried virtually every kind. So this is not something that I am stressed about. We allow her to have her bottle for nap time and bed time, and then through the day she has it mainly when we are in the car or out.
ANYWAY, this is the annoying part! What is it with people, mainly woman, who seem to have this urge and think that its OK to look at my daughter and say things like, "oh my, you still drink out a bottle," or " why do you still drink out a bottle, you are a big girl!" Do they seriously think that my child, or an other child that they might direct this at, gives two hoots whether they should or shouldn't be drinking out a bottle or not. Do they not realize that this comment that is 'supposedly' directed at the child, is in fact directed at the mother, and do they not realize that the mother is fully aware of this! All this person is doing is creating an enemy (slight exaggeration) for themselves because they have just insulted the mother in so many ways! Firstly, they have judged the mothers child raising way and ability, probably without even knowing it! Secondly, in making this comment they have not acknowledged you as a mother standing there, and any attempt that you might make to create eye contact is totally avoided. Making the situation even more annoying and offensive!
Why can these people just walk past and comment on her adorable curls or beautiful eyes? Why do they feel they have a right to pass some sort of judgment (be it small), on you and your child!? I cannot explained how when this happens I have to tie my feet with imaginary straps to the ground, and not fly at this person and in the end leave her standing there as a grown woman with a massive bottle and dummy stuck to her face! Super glued in fact! Yes, yes, I know I m hormonal and pregnant , and you are all probably shaking your heads in disbelief that something so trivial could annoy me - but it does!
So just a tip to any of you that tend to like to make comments like this in passing - DON'T! For your own sake! If you want the world (of mothers) to be a happier place - don't insult the mum-mum!
Moans aside - hope that you all have a brilliant weekend doing whatever it is you plan to do! Thank you for reading!
Bye :)
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| Photo taken by Bernice Griffiths. www.bettybake.co.za |
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Rain Rain Go Away
So I think that today was probably the first really rainy day for the year so far and a definite sign that winter is approaching. I was very chuffed that I managed to accomplish everything that I set out to do - including clean the garage and clean the inside of my car.
Emily on the other hand was not that impressed with the weather and this morning at about 8 o'clock stood standing at the sliding door, in her cute little barbie panties and her too short T-shirt - singing in the saddest and slowest voice she could muster up, "rain rain go away, come again another day. Barneys friends all want to play, rain rain go away!" I think she may even have sniffed and wiped away an imaginary tear at the end of the song! (Wouldn't put that past my daughter and her dramatics!)
Anyway, so at about 9 o'clock she was still moaning about the weather so I decided to let her have a little rain experience. Out came the wellington boots and her big pink jacket and my enormous umbrella. Her face lit up with so much excitement when she realized that she was going to get to go and play outside in the rain.
So out she went, singing her little song to anyone that could or would hear her.
Yes, you are probably wondering how long the umbrella holding lasted.... not very long. She soonish realized that it was far to heavy for her little arms and if she put it down she would not only have two hands free, but she would also get wet!!!!! Double excitement! An exciting, muddy morning!
So that was our rainy day! Hope you enjoyed yours!
Emily on the other hand was not that impressed with the weather and this morning at about 8 o'clock stood standing at the sliding door, in her cute little barbie panties and her too short T-shirt - singing in the saddest and slowest voice she could muster up, "rain rain go away, come again another day. Barneys friends all want to play, rain rain go away!" I think she may even have sniffed and wiped away an imaginary tear at the end of the song! (Wouldn't put that past my daughter and her dramatics!)
Anyway, so at about 9 o'clock she was still moaning about the weather so I decided to let her have a little rain experience. Out came the wellington boots and her big pink jacket and my enormous umbrella. Her face lit up with so much excitement when she realized that she was going to get to go and play outside in the rain.
So out she went, singing her little song to anyone that could or would hear her.
Yes, you are probably wondering how long the umbrella holding lasted.... not very long. She soonish realized that it was far to heavy for her little arms and if she put it down she would not only have two hands free, but she would also get wet!!!!! Double excitement! An exciting, muddy morning!
So that was our rainy day! Hope you enjoyed yours!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Potty training 101
After spending the last few months wondering how on earth I was going to potty train Emily - totally terrified and overwhelmed by this thought, she has totally surprised and proven me wrong this last week. I have read a gazillion things on potty training. Bought every magazine that claimed to have the 'ultimate potty training solution', and bought books and read blogs on how to "in 7 days." All still very overwhelming. Honestly, I came to a cheat solution and decided that I would leave it up to my gran to try and do when she comes in June to stay for 3 weeks to help me with the new baby and Emily. Something to keep her and Emily 'busy' while I see to baby!? haha, lame, I know!
Anyway, Emily started showing an interest last week in using the potty. She has made wees on it before - but not consistently. Last week her interest became fairly regular and I thought, 'OK, well, lets see where this goes.' So every time she asked to wee, I humored her and sometimes she did and sometimes she didn't.
But as the days this week have progressed I have realized that she is very serious about this... so I decided to get serious too.
So half a day yesterday and so far this morning she has not worn a nappy and has done really well. She tells me when she wants to wee on the potty and yesterday told me she wanted to poo. When she did, she got a huge fright and was totally grossed out, but none the less, she did and I explained to her that making poos on the potty is good. She was a little less freaked out after that. Of course, at this point she is still wearing a nappy for nap time in the afternoon and in the night. Impressively yesterday when she woke up her nappy was bone dry and she went straight to make a wee on the potty. This morning as well - well it wasn't dry, but she went straight to the potty.
Last night when Leon got home, he made her a toilet step so that she can get onto the toilet nice and easily, rather than using the potty. She is just loving it - only problem is she has become a little bit of a toilet 'hogger' - which has made life very entertaining. Especially when her and Leon argue about who needs the toilet more! LOL!
So in conclusion, I have realized that there is no point in stressing about potty training. Your child knows his or hers body and will know when they are ready. So many times we make potty training a massive issue - and both you and your child get totally stressed out. We have a need to compete with the person down the roads kid that is already potty trained and is young than your child. We cant compare our child and the pace that they go. Boys and girls are different and, EVERY child is different. We need to step back, take a deep breath and realize that everything will happen in good time and just enjoy the journey with our little "Bounce-A-Lots".
So I hope that this has encouraged any of you that might find yourself in this place. And for those of you that haven't gotten there yet - hope it gives you some peace of mind. For for those of you that have been there and done that and never doing it again - I hope that it makes you smile.
Have a sunshiny day everyone!
Anyway, Emily started showing an interest last week in using the potty. She has made wees on it before - but not consistently. Last week her interest became fairly regular and I thought, 'OK, well, lets see where this goes.' So every time she asked to wee, I humored her and sometimes she did and sometimes she didn't.
But as the days this week have progressed I have realized that she is very serious about this... so I decided to get serious too.
So half a day yesterday and so far this morning she has not worn a nappy and has done really well. She tells me when she wants to wee on the potty and yesterday told me she wanted to poo. When she did, she got a huge fright and was totally grossed out, but none the less, she did and I explained to her that making poos on the potty is good. She was a little less freaked out after that. Of course, at this point she is still wearing a nappy for nap time in the afternoon and in the night. Impressively yesterday when she woke up her nappy was bone dry and she went straight to make a wee on the potty. This morning as well - well it wasn't dry, but she went straight to the potty.
Last night when Leon got home, he made her a toilet step so that she can get onto the toilet nice and easily, rather than using the potty. She is just loving it - only problem is she has become a little bit of a toilet 'hogger' - which has made life very entertaining. Especially when her and Leon argue about who needs the toilet more! LOL!
So in conclusion, I have realized that there is no point in stressing about potty training. Your child knows his or hers body and will know when they are ready. So many times we make potty training a massive issue - and both you and your child get totally stressed out. We have a need to compete with the person down the roads kid that is already potty trained and is young than your child. We cant compare our child and the pace that they go. Boys and girls are different and, EVERY child is different. We need to step back, take a deep breath and realize that everything will happen in good time and just enjoy the journey with our little "Bounce-A-Lots".
So I hope that this has encouraged any of you that might find yourself in this place. And for those of you that haven't gotten there yet - hope it gives you some peace of mind. For for those of you that have been there and done that and never doing it again - I hope that it makes you smile.
Have a sunshiny day everyone!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
No more quack quack
After a lovely weekend of relaxing, gardening and a nice braai - we had a sad end to it all. For anyone who knows my little family, we have some chickens who lay eggs for us every day and one rooster who does us the honor of letting us know its morning at 5:30AM everyday - and he doesn't quite know when to stop. Sometimes at 3 in the afternoon he is still going! Sorry neighbors!
Anyway, its all fun and we love our mini little farmyard - and Emily loves her chickens too! About 3 weeks ago I couldn't resist the urge to get us a little white duckie! Totally adorable! I brought her home and the first evening we put her in the chicken coop but in the morning, we found she had been a little hen pecked so we decided to let her just live in the garden. She found a little spot in the hedge near our sliding door that she slept in, and Leon built her a cute little duckie pond. Everyday she would sit and sleep outside the sliding door, a bit like a little dog.
As soon as Emily was in bed in the evening, the duckie would sense the calm and she would slip into the lounge and find a spot on the carpet near the TV and dose and sometimes keep one eye on the TV while grooming herself and spreading fine little white feathers everywhere. Very cute and very much a special little pet. Sadly last night as we were getting ready for bed, Leon heard the duckie quacking outside - nothing out of the ordinary. Then suddenly he heard a thud against the door and as he got there and opened the curtains, he saw that the tyrant cat in the neighborhood had the duckie in his mouth. :( Whereas most cats would see someone standing over them and drop the bird and run, this evil thing ran off with the duckie in his mouth. Outside our property is bush and mountain so the cat and the duckie were gone into the dark. Leon tried for ages to try and find the cat and duck in the hope that we might be able to still rescue it but to no avail. They were both gone - as if nothing had ever happened.
So as you can imagine, this really was not a cool way to end our long weekend and we have both been feeling rather sad about it today. The thought of getting another one has crossed our minds but how do you replace a pet knowing what happened and its not the same one. Cant really get my head around that.
So that's my story for today - hope that you all have happier ones!
Anyway, its all fun and we love our mini little farmyard - and Emily loves her chickens too! About 3 weeks ago I couldn't resist the urge to get us a little white duckie! Totally adorable! I brought her home and the first evening we put her in the chicken coop but in the morning, we found she had been a little hen pecked so we decided to let her just live in the garden. She found a little spot in the hedge near our sliding door that she slept in, and Leon built her a cute little duckie pond. Everyday she would sit and sleep outside the sliding door, a bit like a little dog.
As soon as Emily was in bed in the evening, the duckie would sense the calm and she would slip into the lounge and find a spot on the carpet near the TV and dose and sometimes keep one eye on the TV while grooming herself and spreading fine little white feathers everywhere. Very cute and very much a special little pet. Sadly last night as we were getting ready for bed, Leon heard the duckie quacking outside - nothing out of the ordinary. Then suddenly he heard a thud against the door and as he got there and opened the curtains, he saw that the tyrant cat in the neighborhood had the duckie in his mouth. :( Whereas most cats would see someone standing over them and drop the bird and run, this evil thing ran off with the duckie in his mouth. Outside our property is bush and mountain so the cat and the duckie were gone into the dark. Leon tried for ages to try and find the cat and duck in the hope that we might be able to still rescue it but to no avail. They were both gone - as if nothing had ever happened.
So as you can imagine, this really was not a cool way to end our long weekend and we have both been feeling rather sad about it today. The thought of getting another one has crossed our minds but how do you replace a pet knowing what happened and its not the same one. Cant really get my head around that.
So that's my story for today - hope that you all have happier ones!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Time out
I thought that I would take this opportunity to do a post while Leon and Emily are in the garage busy building a fire engine! I never take for granted these few moments of peace and quiet and I love the fact that they are having some special dad-daughter bonding time.
Friday was the day that I had to go and see the diabetic specialist and I am so glad that it is over and done with. I was so stressed out by Friday morning anticipating this appointment that I could hardly think straight. Every time anyone instant messaged me I wanted to throw my phone at them - except I couldn't... because they weren't in the room! duh! Eventually the time came and I could actually get this over and done with.
Went through the run down of my diabetic history with the doc and answered all the questions I feel like Ive answered so many times already through this pregnancy.
He decided that my sugar has gone a little out of control cause of increased hormones and has put me on a small dose of Metform to try and curb the sugar swings. I am happy to be on medication while at the same time it stresses me out a little cause I was very determined to managed my sugar with diet alone - but in the end it boils down to whats best for baby and I guess this is it. So I will be on this for the next couple of weeks and hopefully it works. If not then I will be going on to insulin for the remainder of the pregnancy. So I REALLY hope it works!
So that's my sugar update. Its been a nice long weekend this weekend and Ive enjoyed the relaxation. Emily learn't to swim on sat in a "BIG" pool - with her armbands on - but still. She can now actually move around the pool independantly and we have so much better peace of mind.
So until next time, have a brilliant Monday everyone!
Friday was the day that I had to go and see the diabetic specialist and I am so glad that it is over and done with. I was so stressed out by Friday morning anticipating this appointment that I could hardly think straight. Every time anyone instant messaged me I wanted to throw my phone at them - except I couldn't... because they weren't in the room! duh! Eventually the time came and I could actually get this over and done with.
Went through the run down of my diabetic history with the doc and answered all the questions I feel like Ive answered so many times already through this pregnancy.
He decided that my sugar has gone a little out of control cause of increased hormones and has put me on a small dose of Metform to try and curb the sugar swings. I am happy to be on medication while at the same time it stresses me out a little cause I was very determined to managed my sugar with diet alone - but in the end it boils down to whats best for baby and I guess this is it. So I will be on this for the next couple of weeks and hopefully it works. If not then I will be going on to insulin for the remainder of the pregnancy. So I REALLY hope it works!
So that's my sugar update. Its been a nice long weekend this weekend and Ive enjoyed the relaxation. Emily learn't to swim on sat in a "BIG" pool - with her armbands on - but still. She can now actually move around the pool independantly and we have so much better peace of mind.
So until next time, have a brilliant Monday everyone!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Fetal Assessment
On the 20th of Feb we had an appointment at the fetal assessment clinic at Kings bury Hospital. I had to go for this to make sure that everything with the baby was OK. With diabetes, if it has not been well controlled there is the risk of heart deformities and Spina bifada. So as you can imagine this was incredibly nerve racking. The only exciting part was that we would hopefully have the gender confirmed. We got there early and I had packed in treats and things to keep Emily occupied for the duration of the scan. Leon had taken the morning off work so that we could share this exciting/ scary moment together. Unfortunately though, the woman doing the scan was totally miserable and would not allow Emily to come in with us - which meant Leon had to wait in the waiting room. So just a tip to anyone going to Kings bury for fetal assessment - get a babysitter. They are not flexible and will make your partner wait outside! (And I do hope that someone from their department reads this at some point!!) Anyway, thankfully I at least managed to persuade her to call Leon in for the moment that she was going to tell us what we were having. I really didn't want to experience that moment with out my husband!
After about 45 minutes - she had thoroughly examined the baby and had assured me that everything looked normal - she called Leon in. She then showed us that we are in fact having another GIRL!!! Woohoo! I was so excited! Emily would have a little sister - Another little pink princess! A sister to share a wonderful friendship with. My dream for them is that they grow up the best of friends, sharing and doing everything together.
Tomorrow I am off to the diabetic specialist at Constantia berg. He will assess my sugar and decide whether I need to go on medication or insulin. So feeling a little nervous but will be glad to finally know where I stand and to possibly have some help controlling my sugar. Will update you all tomorrow.
Bye
After about 45 minutes - she had thoroughly examined the baby and had assured me that everything looked normal - she called Leon in. She then showed us that we are in fact having another GIRL!!! Woohoo! I was so excited! Emily would have a little sister - Another little pink princess! A sister to share a wonderful friendship with. My dream for them is that they grow up the best of friends, sharing and doing everything together.
Tomorrow I am off to the diabetic specialist at Constantia berg. He will assess my sugar and decide whether I need to go on medication or insulin. So feeling a little nervous but will be glad to finally know where I stand and to possibly have some help controlling my sugar. Will update you all tomorrow.
Bye
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Pregnant and "toddlerness"
For anyone that's ever been pregnant a second, third or fourth time round - you will know this one well! The first time, whether you are employed full time outside the home, newly married or any other circumstance you might find yourself in - no matter what - You have endless hours to sit and day dream and plan about the little person growing inside you. Its fantastic! Almost every moment of everyday is spent planning and thinking. By 3 months into your pregnancy you've probably thought everything though so thoroughly that you have nothing left to think for the rest of the pregnancy! hahaha
Second time round - It is sooooo different! From the moment you find out you are pregnant - you already know that your time and thoughts are not your own like they were. Life goes on as normal and your toddler probably cares two hoots whether you have energy to cook them their favorite dinner, spend the later part of the afternoon picking all the toys up off the floor that they spent all of like 10 minutes scattering. They really don't see how hanging off the other side of the see-saw at the park so that they can go up and down, could be a problem and just bleat out, "more please mommy, more." Then finally when your tummy starts to grow they start to grasp the concept - Sort of! If your toddler is anything like mine, you'll know there are times that they find the thought of a baby in mommy's tummy totally annoying and think that its perfectly fine to just "take the baby out, place it on the coffee table or floor" and tell you to, "come on, baby's sleeping on the floor now." Everyday you find yourself thinking of new ways to get through the day and you are kept on your toes trying to balance the bouncy energy of your toddler, and the total lack of energy you find happening in your body. By the time the evening comes and that delightful monkey whirlwind of yours has finally gone to sleep you can finally breathe! AND... that's when the little one in your belly decides to play and bounce on your bladder! I often find myself in these moments suddenly remembering about the pregnancy and taking those few moments to enjoy the bumps and squirms of monkey number two!
Don't get me wrong - my darling Emily is delightful and I enjoy her to the utmost! She has the most incredible sense of humor and loves to spend her days making me and the people around her smile. (That's for the most part and in between the tantrums). She is growing into her own person more and more everyday and is developing her own opinions and ideas. It is always an adventure with her! I know that when this baby is born she is going to be so excited and she is going to love this little one so much! I'm looking so forward to the day they can play together and Emily can show her sibling all her favorite 'big sister' things and they will hopefully grow up to be the best of friends!
Second time round - It is sooooo different! From the moment you find out you are pregnant - you already know that your time and thoughts are not your own like they were. Life goes on as normal and your toddler probably cares two hoots whether you have energy to cook them their favorite dinner, spend the later part of the afternoon picking all the toys up off the floor that they spent all of like 10 minutes scattering. They really don't see how hanging off the other side of the see-saw at the park so that they can go up and down, could be a problem and just bleat out, "more please mommy, more." Then finally when your tummy starts to grow they start to grasp the concept - Sort of! If your toddler is anything like mine, you'll know there are times that they find the thought of a baby in mommy's tummy totally annoying and think that its perfectly fine to just "take the baby out, place it on the coffee table or floor" and tell you to, "come on, baby's sleeping on the floor now." Everyday you find yourself thinking of new ways to get through the day and you are kept on your toes trying to balance the bouncy energy of your toddler, and the total lack of energy you find happening in your body. By the time the evening comes and that delightful monkey whirlwind of yours has finally gone to sleep you can finally breathe! AND... that's when the little one in your belly decides to play and bounce on your bladder! I often find myself in these moments suddenly remembering about the pregnancy and taking those few moments to enjoy the bumps and squirms of monkey number two!
Don't get me wrong - my darling Emily is delightful and I enjoy her to the utmost! She has the most incredible sense of humor and loves to spend her days making me and the people around her smile. (That's for the most part and in between the tantrums). She is growing into her own person more and more everyday and is developing her own opinions and ideas. It is always an adventure with her! I know that when this baby is born she is going to be so excited and she is going to love this little one so much! I'm looking so forward to the day they can play together and Emily can show her sibling all her favorite 'big sister' things and they will hopefully grow up to be the best of friends!
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| Caught the Rooster all by herself! |
Monday, March 14, 2011
Holiday time
So Christmas came and went this last December with a mixture of excitement and busyness! Leon was home for 3 weeks, which was totally brilliant! The two of us got to go away together ALONE for the first time since Emily was born and it was greatly exciting! She stayed with her gran and pop pops. We went to a beautiful place near Wolseley and Ceres called White Bridge. www.whitebridge.co.za
Its a working fruit farm and has very private little cabins along the river where you can fish and swim. It was totally beautiful!
The one thing that was very tricky for me about this Christmas was being pregnant AND diabetic! A totally awful combination when there's endless trifle and chocolate around! So needless to say I didn't do all that well and was on a constant sugar overload!
My next gynae appointment was on the 20th of Jan and I do go dreading it. I know that he is going to give me a hard time about my sugar and its not something that I want to deal with right now!
So off we go - He is running very late as he is down stairs delivering a baby. Not that I mind - if it were me in labour I would want whoever is waiting for him upstairs to be patient too!
We eventually see him at 7pm and we go over everything. He is not happy with my sugar levels and wants me to go for a 3month sugar blood test. :( From there we will take the next step.
Exciting part - we do another scan, everything looks perfect with this little one and he seems to think that i may be a girl... but nothing is confirmed. We must wait for our 20 week scan to confirm. I am almost 16 weeks at this stage, and I am secretly very excited that we may be having another girl!! PINK PINK PINK :) But we wouldn't be getting everyone excited until it is confirmed.
..... but I was bouncing inside!
Its a working fruit farm and has very private little cabins along the river where you can fish and swim. It was totally beautiful!
The one thing that was very tricky for me about this Christmas was being pregnant AND diabetic! A totally awful combination when there's endless trifle and chocolate around! So needless to say I didn't do all that well and was on a constant sugar overload!
My next gynae appointment was on the 20th of Jan and I do go dreading it. I know that he is going to give me a hard time about my sugar and its not something that I want to deal with right now!
So off we go - He is running very late as he is down stairs delivering a baby. Not that I mind - if it were me in labour I would want whoever is waiting for him upstairs to be patient too!
We eventually see him at 7pm and we go over everything. He is not happy with my sugar levels and wants me to go for a 3month sugar blood test. :( From there we will take the next step.
Exciting part - we do another scan, everything looks perfect with this little one and he seems to think that i may be a girl... but nothing is confirmed. We must wait for our 20 week scan to confirm. I am almost 16 weeks at this stage, and I am secretly very excited that we may be having another girl!! PINK PINK PINK :) But we wouldn't be getting everyone excited until it is confirmed.
..... but I was bouncing inside!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Weekend sunshine!
It has amazed me at how quickly heartburn has kicked in with this pregnancy. I am almost totally sure that with Emily I didn't have heartburn like this till about 7 months! Oh well, part of the joys of being pregnant - and I am not complaining :)
Weekend in our household is always very busy and noisy for the most part. Especially when Leon and Emily start their very intense 'father/daughter' debates. The latest - We were leaving to go to grans house and Emily decided shes taking her baby, babies pram, bug box (Including Mr Lizz-aaard) , purse and baby's bottle! (of course every good mother needs all these things on an outing!!!) Leon not seeing the logic in taking all this with, tells her she needs to CHOOSE!! Hahahahaha! Thus proceeds a debate between them that lasts about 15 minutes - I quietly take myself off to wait in the car! Tip of the weekend - 2 year old's know what they want! STAY STRONG :) You know better!!! :)
So the Argus Cycle Tour is on today, so we cant go anywhere. All the roads around our house are closed. So I guess we will send the day pottering in the garden and I'll maybe sort out the baby's clothes cupboard. It suddenly dawned on me in the night - that I'll be 34 weeks pregnant in about 10 weeks time!!! that means that if this baby decides to come early - we could meet this little one in less than 3 months! That is such a scary thought! But I am pretty sure that that wont be the case - and baby will stay in there nice and comfy till about 38 weeks till we have the Caesar! Just the paranoid thoughts of a hormonal pregnant woman!
Time for me to say bye for now. Will do some more pregnancy catch up tomorrow! Have a brilliant Sunday!
Weekend in our household is always very busy and noisy for the most part. Especially when Leon and Emily start their very intense 'father/daughter' debates. The latest - We were leaving to go to grans house and Emily decided shes taking her baby, babies pram, bug box (Including Mr Lizz-aaard) , purse and baby's bottle! (of course every good mother needs all these things on an outing!!!) Leon not seeing the logic in taking all this with, tells her she needs to CHOOSE!! Hahahahaha! Thus proceeds a debate between them that lasts about 15 minutes - I quietly take myself off to wait in the car! Tip of the weekend - 2 year old's know what they want! STAY STRONG :) You know better!!! :)
So the Argus Cycle Tour is on today, so we cant go anywhere. All the roads around our house are closed. So I guess we will send the day pottering in the garden and I'll maybe sort out the baby's clothes cupboard. It suddenly dawned on me in the night - that I'll be 34 weeks pregnant in about 10 weeks time!!! that means that if this baby decides to come early - we could meet this little one in less than 3 months! That is such a scary thought! But I am pretty sure that that wont be the case - and baby will stay in there nice and comfy till about 38 weeks till we have the Caesar! Just the paranoid thoughts of a hormonal pregnant woman!
Time for me to say bye for now. Will do some more pregnancy catch up tomorrow! Have a brilliant Sunday!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Totally different ball game!
First visit to the gynae - appointment on the 2nd December! I call this a big deal because with Emily I wanted to have nothing to do with hospitals and doctors. I was determined to go 'AL natural' at home with just my husband and midwife present. Except my plan didn't work out as well as I had hoped that it would - Yes, I got to have our little princess at home but it wasn't all plain sailing. After just hours of labour, her head 'popped'- but the rest of her stayed behind. She had what is called shoulder dystocia - this s what happens when the baby's shoulder gets stuck after the head has come out. Often happens when the baby is very large. Turned out Emily was 4.1 kgs - not what we, or the midwifes expected. In order to save her they had to get her out very quickly, which in this case meant pulling her out. As a result, I tore very badly and started hemorrhaging. My midwife tried for what I think was about an hour to stitch me up but I was loosing so much blood that then decision was made to take me to hospital. The hospital that I needed to get to was about 40 minutes away. That part is all a bit of a blur - I was in and out of consciousness because my blood pressure was so low. I think at this point I had more saline in my body than actual blood! Once at the hospital, they got emergency blood, UN STITCHED the stitches that my midwife had done and took me into theatre to have the stitching redone. The best part I can honestly say... was the spinal block! Which was brilliant after a mostly 'No pain relief' labour and birth. So as you can see, after my first experience which was supposed to be perfect and hospital free, it didn't exactly turn out that way and so now I was confronted with the reality that I would HAVE to go to hospital for number two. Not only that, but because of my diabetes, I would have to have a Caesar. Not that I'm really complaining about that though. It is just all a lot to take in!
So off to the gynae we go! My totally brilliant, committed husband at my side! We have our first scan and everything looks good. Baby is in the right place, Not in a fallopian tube or anything else equally scary and by the looks of it I am about 8 weeks at this stage! YAY! The excitement truly hits - we are going to have a baby :)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
3-4 weeks!
So three days later, on the 5th of November, I find myself sitting in the doctors room, telling her I think that I might be pregnant. She looked at me as if I was slightly deranged. (Bearing in mind I have a toddler bouncing around the room at the same time). We do the blood test and it confirms that I am in fact 3-4 weeks pregnant. This is where the reality hits me! You see, I am diabetic. And diabetes and pregnancy - TOGETHER - scare the living daylights out of me! I found out that I am diabetic in May 2010, and the doc immediately wanted to put me on insulin. I refused and decided to try and manage it through diet and exercise. The doc gave me 3 months to try and do this and as I sat in front of her , she was happy with my readings and levels so far. But now the pregnancy could potentially really complicate things. If any of you are diabetic you'll know that, even though you may have it under control, falling pregnant and the hormone changes that go with that, will almost defiantly throw your controlled sugar levels out the window and make them go sky high! Anyway, this is the reality that I now have to deal with, no turning back! My Doc recommends me a gynae and that's the next step. This is all going to be so different from my pregnancy with Emily and the home birth that I had. ..... BUT that's a story for another day! Need to move my bum and get Emily dressed and ready for the day! We are off to go play at a touch farm. BYE!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
finally did it!
So after having my blog for a couple of months already, Ive never actually got around to editing it and laying out a nice format etc. For those of you stay at home moms, with one or more toddlers running around you - you can probably relate to me. So bare with me while I still make it look pretty - its not totally there yet!
At present I am 22 weeks pregnant and Emily Rose is two and a half. I actually intended to start using this blog the day I found out I was pregnant, but you guessed it.... That didn't happen!
We found out that we were pregnant on the 2nd of November 2010. It was one of those strange moments. I actually did not expect that I was pregnant. I had spotted on the Sunday and was slightly confused and thought that on the Monday should do a test just to rule out pregnancy and then go to the doc to find out f everything was OK. Well, we all know how that turned out... At first I did one of those cheapy tests, saw it was positive and ran back to the shop and bought one of those fancy ones that tell you how far you are. It said 1-2 weeks! SERIOUSLY! One to two weeks! This felt somewhat like a joke and like there was a hidden camera somewhere. Now the trick was to keep this as a surprise till my husband came home..... not a chance! I phoned him for what I wanted to sound like a 'casual chat' except he knows me so well that he could hear there was something up and that I was 'neglecting' to tell him something. i eventually caved and told him the exciting news! This was the first day and moment for us on this new journey as a little family of Leon, myself and Emily.... and now a tiny new little person on the way!
I'll do some more catching up tomorrow.... hopefully!
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