Hey all you lovely people!!
I am setting myself a challenge in the new year and in doing that, my blog may take a new direction... I will still post occasional updates about the kids (which reminds me I need to put one up soon because they have both grown SO much since my last blog... yes, I have been lazy), but I will be focusing on short snippets of finding joy in every day life. I want to take more pictures and film more videos (so I can put up some additional vlogs too). I want to enjoy every moment that I am with my kids, because this age is such a special age, and you can probably say that about every age that your children reach, but at this age when they are learning and experiencing so much for the first time.... to witness that is something very special. I have so much to be thankful for and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to document it, so when the kids get older they can see how even the little things are extraordinary and that life is such an amazing thing that too many people take for granted everyday. It needs to be enjoyed!!
So in between now and the new year I will probably put up some other posts, but I really want to focus on more blogs and documenting everyday happiness in the new year!
Let me know your thoughts and ideas because I want you all to be involved too. Let me know all the little everyday things that you find joy in.
Till next time, I love you all, have an amazing day!
Thursday 30 November 2017
Monday 29 May 2017
2 Months Postpartum - Little Mr Chatterbox and Little Miss Cheeky
Crying... Early starts... Dirty nappies... Constant feeding... These are the things that everyone mother with a newborn should expect. Parenthood is the best and hardest thing that I have ever had to do. Sometimes I find myself trying to remember what it was like in the household without my two beautiful kids but then as soon as Sienna is on holidays at Grandmas, the house feels so empty without her and it just doesn't feel right. Sienna and Ollie are such huge pieces of our lives now, nothing would be right without them.
Ollie is growing like a charm. He is now 4.5kg which is just under the 15% percentile. He is doing really well putting on weight, considering that he was really underweight for a while there. He is consistently gaining an average of 200g a week, so I'm really happy about that. He is 57.5cm long, putting him the at about the 25th percentile. He has grown a massive 8.5cm since he was born :-( He is growing way too fast.
He still loves to be cuddled, and would much rather fall asleep wrapped up in someones arms rather than in the rocker. Although, over the last few nights I have been testing out the putting him down drowsy but not asleep in his bassinet and letting him put himself to sleep. It hasn't been going too badly (touch wood), but he does tend to make a lot of noise as he is going to sleep, not crying noise, just baby gurgle.
The constant need for cuddles, love and attention is definitely something that I find draining. Especially as I have two kids now and I can't always be cuddling with Ollie when I need to be watching what Sienna is up to and I need to be giving her some one on one time also.
We had our 6 week shots the other week, and I am so glad that Josh had that day off because he was a lot braver than me and held Ollie down while he was being given the shot. I was nervous because Ollie is such a loud crier, I didn't want to imagine how loud he would be getting his shot, but he did really well. I mean REALLY well. I think he did better than Sienna did when she had her first shot. I think it could very well have to do with how calm Josh was when he was holding him as opposed to Sienna's first ones where mum and I were nervous wrecks. Sienna also had her 18 month shots on the same day and Josh held her down too. She also did really well. There were hardly any tears then she was distracted with the awesome stickers given to her from the nurses.
Ollie also had his 2 month appointment a few days ago and the nurses at the clinic said that he was doing very well. Not only was he putting on a good amount of weight, but he had very good neck and head control for his age. Which we already knew because he has been lifting his head pretty much since birth. He is just gaining better control of it now. We were told to do tummy time with him every day, so he can continue to build those muscles in his neck. We were also told that he was very vocal for is age, and the fact that he was copying our sounds and mouth movements already was very advanced for his age bracket.
I am slowly getting better at juggling the two of them and have had quite a few days at home with just the three of us while Josh is at work. It still stresses me out a little bit, I'll admit, but not nearly as much as it did at the beginning. Sienna being at daycare too has been a big help and a catch up day for me also. We are about to start her on two days a week there, so that should be a good help for me. But Sienna is getting really good at helping me. She will get nappies for me when I'm changing him (mind you sometime I need to remind her that we only need one, when she bring over about six of them), and she is always the first one to tell Ollie that it's ok when he starts crying. The love that they have for each other is incredible. His eyes will follow her around and watch what she is doing all the time and she is always up for cuddles and kisses with him. It's crazy to think that in a years time they will both be running around and playing together.
In the past month I have noticed that Sienna has become a lot more affectionate. She was never really a cuddly baby. But recently she is always giving me cuddles around the legs and won't really hesitate or fight if I ask for a cuddle or a kiss. She is also getting so good with her words. We can literally have conversations with her now, which is amazing! She understands us and we can understand her, most of the time. She is picking up so many new words, so fast. She will just come out with the most random sentences and she just leaves us in awe.
She has been a little whingy and restless recently and we are putting it down to the fact that we have seen some molars coming through, so they might be giving her a bit of grief. We have also hit a bit of a speed bump with her eating. She has got really picky with food recently and I don't know if that's to do with teeth also, or if that's just her being a turd. But even with all the whinging and whining there have been plenty of beautiful smiles and cheeky ones too. She is the cheekiest little girl and I love it. He sense of humour is fantastic and I just love hearing her laugh.
I love my little family. Even though there are times when I feel like I could rip my hair out, when Sienna is running wild and Ollie won't settle... the good times definitely outweigh the bad and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Ollie is growing like a charm. He is now 4.5kg which is just under the 15% percentile. He is doing really well putting on weight, considering that he was really underweight for a while there. He is consistently gaining an average of 200g a week, so I'm really happy about that. He is 57.5cm long, putting him the at about the 25th percentile. He has grown a massive 8.5cm since he was born :-( He is growing way too fast.
He still loves to be cuddled, and would much rather fall asleep wrapped up in someones arms rather than in the rocker. Although, over the last few nights I have been testing out the putting him down drowsy but not asleep in his bassinet and letting him put himself to sleep. It hasn't been going too badly (touch wood), but he does tend to make a lot of noise as he is going to sleep, not crying noise, just baby gurgle.
The constant need for cuddles, love and attention is definitely something that I find draining. Especially as I have two kids now and I can't always be cuddling with Ollie when I need to be watching what Sienna is up to and I need to be giving her some one on one time also.
Ollie also had his 2 month appointment a few days ago and the nurses at the clinic said that he was doing very well. Not only was he putting on a good amount of weight, but he had very good neck and head control for his age. Which we already knew because he has been lifting his head pretty much since birth. He is just gaining better control of it now. We were told to do tummy time with him every day, so he can continue to build those muscles in his neck. We were also told that he was very vocal for is age, and the fact that he was copying our sounds and mouth movements already was very advanced for his age bracket.
I am slowly getting better at juggling the two of them and have had quite a few days at home with just the three of us while Josh is at work. It still stresses me out a little bit, I'll admit, but not nearly as much as it did at the beginning. Sienna being at daycare too has been a big help and a catch up day for me also. We are about to start her on two days a week there, so that should be a good help for me. But Sienna is getting really good at helping me. She will get nappies for me when I'm changing him (mind you sometime I need to remind her that we only need one, when she bring over about six of them), and she is always the first one to tell Ollie that it's ok when he starts crying. The love that they have for each other is incredible. His eyes will follow her around and watch what she is doing all the time and she is always up for cuddles and kisses with him. It's crazy to think that in a years time they will both be running around and playing together.
In the past month I have noticed that Sienna has become a lot more affectionate. She was never really a cuddly baby. But recently she is always giving me cuddles around the legs and won't really hesitate or fight if I ask for a cuddle or a kiss. She is also getting so good with her words. We can literally have conversations with her now, which is amazing! She understands us and we can understand her, most of the time. She is picking up so many new words, so fast. She will just come out with the most random sentences and she just leaves us in awe.
She has been a little whingy and restless recently and we are putting it down to the fact that we have seen some molars coming through, so they might be giving her a bit of grief. We have also hit a bit of a speed bump with her eating. She has got really picky with food recently and I don't know if that's to do with teeth also, or if that's just her being a turd. But even with all the whinging and whining there have been plenty of beautiful smiles and cheeky ones too. She is the cheekiest little girl and I love it. He sense of humour is fantastic and I just love hearing her laugh.
I love my little family. Even though there are times when I feel like I could rip my hair out, when Sienna is running wild and Ollie won't settle... the good times definitely outweigh the bad and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thursday 18 May 2017
I Need Your Help
Hey guys and gals!!
I am looking at starting up my own Youtube channel, and I really want to know what you all would like to see on there!
When you log onto youtube, what do you like to watch? What do you search for?
I want my channel to have lots of communication with the viewers, so what you all have to say is really important to me. Please give me serious feedback anyway you want, whether it be on any social media outlet, email me at thefamilyofoz@hotmail.com I want to hear from you all!!
Thanks for you help everyone!! Look forward to seeing you on Youtube!!
I am looking at starting up my own Youtube channel, and I really want to know what you all would like to see on there!
When you log onto youtube, what do you like to watch? What do you search for?
I want my channel to have lots of communication with the viewers, so what you all have to say is really important to me. Please give me serious feedback anyway you want, whether it be on any social media outlet, email me at thefamilyofoz@hotmail.com I want to hear from you all!!
Thanks for you help everyone!! Look forward to seeing you on Youtube!!
Thursday 4 May 2017
Cookbook Recipe Review - Tomatoes, Apples and Carrots, Oh My!!
I love cooking! It is one of my favourite things to do, even though not everything works out the way I want it too every time, I love getting into the kitchen and just tuning out to the smell of something baking in the oven, or garlic and onions cooking on the stovetop. It is an escape for me. I am by no means a Chef in anyway, though. I am still a pretty basic cook, but in doing this and trying new things I am hoping to get better at it. I want to thank Josh for allowing me to take this time out from the kids in the kitchen, although I have been trying to include Sienna in my cooking lately.
This past week I have been trying out some recipes that I haven't made before, and I want to share with you how they have tasted, what the cooking process was like and what I would change for next time (if I decide to make them again). I want to be trying something new at least once a fortnight.
The first thing I made was a Bruschetta. Now I know what you are all thinking... "She loves cooking and has never made Bruschetta before?" I can totally see where you are coming from. It is a staple for a lot of people and it is really easy to make. The thing I found the hardest while making these, was that I had a grumpy newborn and a toddler who were making it difficult for Daddy, so I had to run out to help him out a few times. The process of making these though, couldn't be simpler.
They also tasted pretty damn good! This is something that I will definitely make again. It would be a great entrée type dish if you had guests, or a fantastic snack for lunch (which is when we had it).
The only change that I would make is next time I might add some mozzarella cheese to the mixture. I am a huge cheese fan and I think this would just complete the dish.
Second thing I tried out was an Apple Cider Pancake with Spiced Apple Syrup. I adjusted this recipe, as it called for raisins to be in the sauce also, but I hate raisins so I left them out. I wanted to use the flavours of Autumn and I thought to myself what says Autumn more than Cinnamon and Apple? So I found this recipe and tested it out. I wasn't sure how it would go as I am not a huge fan of cooked apple but this was super tasty. I had Sienna help me out in the kitchen with this one (she is a killer mixer). There was nothing too hard in this recipe so I think even beginner cooks would find this one easy enough. I am not the best at flipping pancakes and I tend to make more pikelet sized pancakes than pancake sized ones, but this time I surprised myself and make bigger ones (not very uniform in shape but eh).
They were really filling too. Josh and I managed to get through 4 each and were both very full afterwards. I don't think I would change anything else, other than what I already had. I will happily make these again.
Next was a Carrot Cake. This was a double layer cake, it called for two cakes to be made but I only had one pan, so it took a little longer than normal because I had to wait for one to be baked before I could bake the other one, but apart from that this was a pretty straightforward recipe.
I thought this cake was a little too dense. I thought that Carrot Cakes were meant to be a bit fluffier, whereas mine was quite heavy, but I have since been told that Carrot Cakes can be both.
I liked that this cake was made sweeter by adding crushed Pineapple. It's not something that I would have usually thought to do (especially as I don't like to eat Pineapple), but I found it added another element to this cake. I again left raisins out of this recipe because I thought putting one thing that I didn't like in it was enough, also I think that with the coconut and chopped pecans it had enough different textures in it so it didn't really need them.
I'm not sure that I would make this again. My family (who helped me eat the cake), all liked it but I'm not sure it was to my taste. I would much rather just a plain cake like and orange and poppyseed or even just a vanilla. This was to heavy and had a bit much going on in it for me.
And that is all the new recipes I have tried so far.... I'll keep you posted next time I try something else. If you would like any of these recipes to try for yourself, just let me know and I'll happily share them with you, and you can let me know what you think of them.
This past week I have been trying out some recipes that I haven't made before, and I want to share with you how they have tasted, what the cooking process was like and what I would change for next time (if I decide to make them again). I want to be trying something new at least once a fortnight.
The first thing I made was a Bruschetta. Now I know what you are all thinking... "She loves cooking and has never made Bruschetta before?" I can totally see where you are coming from. It is a staple for a lot of people and it is really easy to make. The thing I found the hardest while making these, was that I had a grumpy newborn and a toddler who were making it difficult for Daddy, so I had to run out to help him out a few times. The process of making these though, couldn't be simpler.
They also tasted pretty damn good! This is something that I will definitely make again. It would be a great entrée type dish if you had guests, or a fantastic snack for lunch (which is when we had it).
The only change that I would make is next time I might add some mozzarella cheese to the mixture. I am a huge cheese fan and I think this would just complete the dish.
Second thing I tried out was an Apple Cider Pancake with Spiced Apple Syrup. I adjusted this recipe, as it called for raisins to be in the sauce also, but I hate raisins so I left them out. I wanted to use the flavours of Autumn and I thought to myself what says Autumn more than Cinnamon and Apple? So I found this recipe and tested it out. I wasn't sure how it would go as I am not a huge fan of cooked apple but this was super tasty. I had Sienna help me out in the kitchen with this one (she is a killer mixer). There was nothing too hard in this recipe so I think even beginner cooks would find this one easy enough. I am not the best at flipping pancakes and I tend to make more pikelet sized pancakes than pancake sized ones, but this time I surprised myself and make bigger ones (not very uniform in shape but eh).
They were really filling too. Josh and I managed to get through 4 each and were both very full afterwards. I don't think I would change anything else, other than what I already had. I will happily make these again.
Next was a Carrot Cake. This was a double layer cake, it called for two cakes to be made but I only had one pan, so it took a little longer than normal because I had to wait for one to be baked before I could bake the other one, but apart from that this was a pretty straightforward recipe.
I thought this cake was a little too dense. I thought that Carrot Cakes were meant to be a bit fluffier, whereas mine was quite heavy, but I have since been told that Carrot Cakes can be both.
I liked that this cake was made sweeter by adding crushed Pineapple. It's not something that I would have usually thought to do (especially as I don't like to eat Pineapple), but I found it added another element to this cake. I again left raisins out of this recipe because I thought putting one thing that I didn't like in it was enough, also I think that with the coconut and chopped pecans it had enough different textures in it so it didn't really need them.
I'm not sure that I would make this again. My family (who helped me eat the cake), all liked it but I'm not sure it was to my taste. I would much rather just a plain cake like and orange and poppyseed or even just a vanilla. This was to heavy and had a bit much going on in it for me.
And that is all the new recipes I have tried so far.... I'll keep you posted next time I try something else. If you would like any of these recipes to try for yourself, just let me know and I'll happily share them with you, and you can let me know what you think of them.
Thursday 27 April 2017
1 Month Postpartum - Getting Used To Life With 2 Kids!!
It is crazy to think that little Ollie has been with us for a month already!! Where did that time go?? I know that technically one month was on Monday, when he was four weeks. But it's now the 27th so I'm counting this as a month since he was born :-)
We have a very cuddly baby here with us... he loves being held and cuddled. When he is in someone's arms, he is the most content and will happily fall asleep, as soon as he is put in a bassinet or a bouncer he gets unsettled and wakes up. That has been a real challenge. He is slowly getting better though. (I am not complaining at all, I do love cuddling him. Especially now that it is getting cooler because he is like a mini heater.) He has the strongest neck muscles, when he is burping over the shoulder, he is constantly lifting his head and looking around at everything and he also uses his little legs to push up and almost crawl up my body. He is completely the opposite to his sister in this aspect because she was the most chilled out and quiet baby, but Ollie wriggles everywhere! He is always moving, which makes it hard to hold and burp him sometimes. And he is loud! He is a lot more vocal than Sienna was, he makes these cute little noises all the time especially before he sneezes and he even when he is asleep he makes a lot of noise and when he cries.... he cries!!
Oliver has grown 4cm since he was born, so I'm thinking he's going to be pretty tall. He has long arms, fingers, legs and toes and has the most adorable little face that pulls the funniest expressions. We haven't done a whole lot of tummy time with him yet, but it is something I will be doing more of over the next few weeks.
The hardest thing this time around, I feel, is finding the balance between looking after Ollie and still being able to spend time with Sienna. Ollie feeds an awful lot and the prevents me from being able to play with and have a lot of one on one time with Sienna. I feel that this increased when we had the early childhood nurse come to our house to make sure everything was going alright with Ollie and she told us that he was quite underweight so I had to increase his feeds (when I already felt like I was feeding him all day long). But it came down to the fact that I started using a shield to feed him because he was having trouble latching on and it was getting quite painful. The shield was leaking quite a bit of liquid as Ollie's hands like to come up and interfere with feeding and he kept knocking the it away, so he wasn't getting as much as he could have been. Since then I have ditched the shield and he is feeding a lot better and is getting more out of the feeds, so he is more settled when he is not feeding and he can take those longer stretches between feeds (giving me a bit of a break too). Since loosing the shield Ollie has increase his weight and is back on track too, which is really good.
Sienna loves Oliver! She is always looking in on him and wanting to cuddle and kiss him and pick him up. She even wants to help by giving him his dummy (sometimes when he is asleep and doesn't really need it). She can say his name, which is really nice, and always shows concern when he is crying. She has adapted really well to this huge change in her life. There was a bit at the beginning, where she tested her boundaries quite a bit. But because Josh and I stuck to our guns with discipline, she got over it quickly and is being a really good girl.
I have been really lucky so far, because I have had a lot of help and support in Josh and I am in all honesty, really nervous about juggling the two of them as he has gone back to work this week. I don't think I could have made it this far without him. We have got into such a good routine with the two of us over the past month and now I am going to have to get used to a whole new routine with just me and them both. But I have talked to a lot of my mum friends, who have more than one child and have learned that I just have to take one day at a time and it will get easier. Sienna started day care today. She will be there one day a week and I know that I am lucky enough to have my sister nearby who can come and help when she's not working and I also have my mum who is willing to come visit and help me out a few days a week, so I won't be alone with both of them too often, but it is still a daunting and overwhelming thought.
To all of those people who have reached out and tried to organise times to meet up and see Ollie... I am just still getting my bearings and once I am in a routine without Josh, I will definitely get back to you.
As for me... I had second degree tearing when he was born so I have been healing up from that which took a while. But now I am back to my old self I am even back to my pre pregnancy weight! So that feels amazing! I seem to be loosing a lot of hair. My hair has always been thick but during my pregnancy when I brushed it, there didn't seem to be a lot coming out in the brush, but now I can fill a whole brush each day! The same thing happened with Sienna though, so I am not too worried about going bald or anything ha ha.
As I said before, I had some issues with feeding at the beginning and I was really worried about getting mastitis, but I seem to have avoided that one for the time being luckily. Because of all the feeding sessions I am having with Ollie, my back is having some problems but I'm sure its nothing that a good massage couldn't cure (hint hint ha ha), I think its just tight muscles.
Not having the bump in the way has been soooo good!! I can now pick Sienna up without any issues and I can rough and tumble with her again and chase after her easily. I can bend over her cot to reach her again and can lay on my back again without feeling breathless after a few minutes!!
Most importantly though, I can eat everything again!!!!! My love for cooking has returned, because now I can cook whatever I want and eat it too!! I will have to go back into the hospital in a few weeks to check that the diabetes is definitely gone, but in the hospital my sugar levels were back to normal, and Ollie had no signs of high or low sugar levels either. Hooray!!!
And that's really everything... If you have anything you'd like to know about Ollie or anything else, just leave me a comment anywhere and I'll get back to you or answer it in another blog. I might not be doing updates on us weekly anymore because not a lot is changing week by week but I am going to still try and put up blogs on other things as often as I possibly can, and I will put up a monthly update at least.
We have a very cuddly baby here with us... he loves being held and cuddled. When he is in someone's arms, he is the most content and will happily fall asleep, as soon as he is put in a bassinet or a bouncer he gets unsettled and wakes up. That has been a real challenge. He is slowly getting better though. (I am not complaining at all, I do love cuddling him. Especially now that it is getting cooler because he is like a mini heater.) He has the strongest neck muscles, when he is burping over the shoulder, he is constantly lifting his head and looking around at everything and he also uses his little legs to push up and almost crawl up my body. He is completely the opposite to his sister in this aspect because she was the most chilled out and quiet baby, but Ollie wriggles everywhere! He is always moving, which makes it hard to hold and burp him sometimes. And he is loud! He is a lot more vocal than Sienna was, he makes these cute little noises all the time especially before he sneezes and he even when he is asleep he makes a lot of noise and when he cries.... he cries!!
Oliver has grown 4cm since he was born, so I'm thinking he's going to be pretty tall. He has long arms, fingers, legs and toes and has the most adorable little face that pulls the funniest expressions. We haven't done a whole lot of tummy time with him yet, but it is something I will be doing more of over the next few weeks.
The hardest thing this time around, I feel, is finding the balance between looking after Ollie and still being able to spend time with Sienna. Ollie feeds an awful lot and the prevents me from being able to play with and have a lot of one on one time with Sienna. I feel that this increased when we had the early childhood nurse come to our house to make sure everything was going alright with Ollie and she told us that he was quite underweight so I had to increase his feeds (when I already felt like I was feeding him all day long). But it came down to the fact that I started using a shield to feed him because he was having trouble latching on and it was getting quite painful. The shield was leaking quite a bit of liquid as Ollie's hands like to come up and interfere with feeding and he kept knocking the it away, so he wasn't getting as much as he could have been. Since then I have ditched the shield and he is feeding a lot better and is getting more out of the feeds, so he is more settled when he is not feeding and he can take those longer stretches between feeds (giving me a bit of a break too). Since loosing the shield Ollie has increase his weight and is back on track too, which is really good.
Sienna loves Oliver! She is always looking in on him and wanting to cuddle and kiss him and pick him up. She even wants to help by giving him his dummy (sometimes when he is asleep and doesn't really need it). She can say his name, which is really nice, and always shows concern when he is crying. She has adapted really well to this huge change in her life. There was a bit at the beginning, where she tested her boundaries quite a bit. But because Josh and I stuck to our guns with discipline, she got over it quickly and is being a really good girl.
I have been really lucky so far, because I have had a lot of help and support in Josh and I am in all honesty, really nervous about juggling the two of them as he has gone back to work this week. I don't think I could have made it this far without him. We have got into such a good routine with the two of us over the past month and now I am going to have to get used to a whole new routine with just me and them both. But I have talked to a lot of my mum friends, who have more than one child and have learned that I just have to take one day at a time and it will get easier. Sienna started day care today. She will be there one day a week and I know that I am lucky enough to have my sister nearby who can come and help when she's not working and I also have my mum who is willing to come visit and help me out a few days a week, so I won't be alone with both of them too often, but it is still a daunting and overwhelming thought.
To all of those people who have reached out and tried to organise times to meet up and see Ollie... I am just still getting my bearings and once I am in a routine without Josh, I will definitely get back to you.
As for me... I had second degree tearing when he was born so I have been healing up from that which took a while. But now I am back to my old self I am even back to my pre pregnancy weight! So that feels amazing! I seem to be loosing a lot of hair. My hair has always been thick but during my pregnancy when I brushed it, there didn't seem to be a lot coming out in the brush, but now I can fill a whole brush each day! The same thing happened with Sienna though, so I am not too worried about going bald or anything ha ha.
As I said before, I had some issues with feeding at the beginning and I was really worried about getting mastitis, but I seem to have avoided that one for the time being luckily. Because of all the feeding sessions I am having with Ollie, my back is having some problems but I'm sure its nothing that a good massage couldn't cure (hint hint ha ha), I think its just tight muscles.
Not having the bump in the way has been soooo good!! I can now pick Sienna up without any issues and I can rough and tumble with her again and chase after her easily. I can bend over her cot to reach her again and can lay on my back again without feeling breathless after a few minutes!!
Most importantly though, I can eat everything again!!!!! My love for cooking has returned, because now I can cook whatever I want and eat it too!! I will have to go back into the hospital in a few weeks to check that the diabetes is definitely gone, but in the hospital my sugar levels were back to normal, and Ollie had no signs of high or low sugar levels either. Hooray!!!
And that's really everything... If you have anything you'd like to know about Ollie or anything else, just leave me a comment anywhere and I'll get back to you or answer it in another blog. I might not be doing updates on us weekly anymore because not a lot is changing week by week but I am going to still try and put up blogs on other things as often as I possibly can, and I will put up a monthly update at least.
Sunday 16 April 2017
Happy Easter - Something Thats Been On My Mind......
Hey Guys!! As you may have noticed, I have taken a bit of time off, adjusting to life with a newborn and a toddler has taken up most of my time. But more on that later.... this was just a quick note to wish all the readers out there a warm and happy Easter!!
Easter to me is a time to spend with family and be grateful for life and the fact that we can live with free will and love. It is a time to wipe the slate clean and start again with a grateful heart and mind. I was raised in a Christian family so it also has the meaningful aspect of Jesus being raised from the dead after paying the ultimate sacrifice so that all our sins would be forgiven. But I challenge you all today and every day no matter if you believe this or not, to show love and kindness and thankfulness to everyone around you. This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately...
If you have kids, I challenge you to make them laugh at least once (if not more times) every day. If you don't have kids make one other person laugh, your partner, your mum or dad, your best friend, or even yourself. As silly as this sounds if everyone in the world laughed or even smiled once a day, it's contagious! Imagine how much happier the world would be.
In a world that seems to be full of so much hate these days, be the ray of sunshine in someone elses dark day. BE the change you want to see in the world. Make everyone know that they belong. That they are cared for. That they are loved. No matter what they believe, no matter what colour their skin is, no matter who they love.... they belong and are loved.
I don't want to bring my kids up in a world where people are excluded because we are all in this together. Putting someone else down will not make you feel any better. But raising someone else up and making someone else feel good about themselves is the best feeling in the world.
Also, and most importantly, love yourself! You are such a unique person. There is no one else in the world like you. That's a really special thing.
A mother loves her newborn baby without reservation. Its a love that is forgiving, accepting, honest and perfect. Many people don't believe a love like that exists in our every day lives. But it does. And we need to love ourselves that way. People look in the mirror and see all their flaws and it stops that love from coming out but you need to look at yourself and know that you are perfect to someone. It may not be you at the moment. But you ARE perfect. Love yourself and embrace all your qualities, even the things that you consider to be flaws.
Whether it's Spring or Autumn where you are, it's a time of change, so start now... This Easter, give the best gift of all.... Kindness and love. Give it to all the people around you and give it to yourself. It's easy to do and it doesn't cost a thing. I love you all... Have a brilliant day. Happy Easter!!
Easter to me is a time to spend with family and be grateful for life and the fact that we can live with free will and love. It is a time to wipe the slate clean and start again with a grateful heart and mind. I was raised in a Christian family so it also has the meaningful aspect of Jesus being raised from the dead after paying the ultimate sacrifice so that all our sins would be forgiven. But I challenge you all today and every day no matter if you believe this or not, to show love and kindness and thankfulness to everyone around you. This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately...
If you have kids, I challenge you to make them laugh at least once (if not more times) every day. If you don't have kids make one other person laugh, your partner, your mum or dad, your best friend, or even yourself. As silly as this sounds if everyone in the world laughed or even smiled once a day, it's contagious! Imagine how much happier the world would be.
In a world that seems to be full of so much hate these days, be the ray of sunshine in someone elses dark day. BE the change you want to see in the world. Make everyone know that they belong. That they are cared for. That they are loved. No matter what they believe, no matter what colour their skin is, no matter who they love.... they belong and are loved.
I don't want to bring my kids up in a world where people are excluded because we are all in this together. Putting someone else down will not make you feel any better. But raising someone else up and making someone else feel good about themselves is the best feeling in the world.
Also, and most importantly, love yourself! You are such a unique person. There is no one else in the world like you. That's a really special thing.
A mother loves her newborn baby without reservation. Its a love that is forgiving, accepting, honest and perfect. Many people don't believe a love like that exists in our every day lives. But it does. And we need to love ourselves that way. People look in the mirror and see all their flaws and it stops that love from coming out but you need to look at yourself and know that you are perfect to someone. It may not be you at the moment. But you ARE perfect. Love yourself and embrace all your qualities, even the things that you consider to be flaws.
Whether it's Spring or Autumn where you are, it's a time of change, so start now... This Easter, give the best gift of all.... Kindness and love. Give it to all the people around you and give it to yourself. It's easy to do and it doesn't cost a thing. I love you all... Have a brilliant day. Happy Easter!!
Sunday 2 April 2017
Birth Blog - Introducing Oliver James Waters!
At 1.50am on Monday the 27th of March, 2017, Josh and I were introduced to a little squirming body that was a lot louder than his sister, but so similar in every other way. He looked just like her, he weight 7lb 11oz, just like her, and at 49cm, he was only 1cm longer than she was. It was one of the fastest but most painful and exhausting experiences of my life, but looking back on it now, it was so worth it (that's not saying I'll be going back for another any time soon though). I must warn you now, that the following blog may go into some details of labour that may be too much information for some people so if you don't want to hear some gory details maybe skip this blog :-)
Earlier that night, I was sitting at home on my yoga ball eating dinner with Josh and my sister, watching some 'Walking Dead', when I thought to myself 'I haven't felt baby move for a while....' and usually he is so active (especially at food time). I cast my mind back through my day, which had been like any other day: we had taken Sienna to the park, gone out for lunch, played at home, but throughout all of that Blueberry had stayed very still. In fact, I don't think I felt him much at all. I decided, after some persuasion from my sister, Josh and the mums from my mums group via messenger, to call the hospital, just to be sure everything was okay. When I was told that I should come in to be monitored, just in case, my mind went crazy with thoughts; 'What if I need to be induced?', 'I don't want to be induced', 'I don't want a long labour', 'What do I do with Sienna who is asleep upstairs?', 'What do we do about Josh and work tomorrow?', 'Should he come out with us or should he stay here with sleeping Sienna because I am only being monitored that doesn't mean I'm going to go into labour... does it?', 'Is this it? Is labour beginning now?'. I was just a bundle of stress and nerves. Then I started feeling pains and a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen, which shot through to my back. I knew that something was happening.
We all jumped in my sisters car and left for the hospital at about 9.30pm. Poor Sienna was a little confused by the whole situation. The whole car trip in I was experiencing contractions, but they weren't too bad, I could breathe my way through them and I could still smile (in my labour with Sienna, I can vividly remember the midwives saying 'you can still smile, you're not really in labour yet.'). We met my parents at the emergency room and were taken through to maternity where I was strapped up to machines that monitor my heart beat and contractions and babys heart beat, and I was given an internal examination to see how far into labour I was. We found out that I was having contraction pains, but I wasn't dilated at all, so I was still in very early labour. My midwife gave me the option of staying the night in the hospital because I lived so far away or to go home and come in again when things progressed further. Since my parents were there with us I decided to go back to their place, as it was close by and I could get some rest and come back in quickly if need be. So I was given some pain relief (in the form of Panadine Forte) and sleeping tablets, in the hope of getting some form of rest, and sent on my way.
We got to my parents place at about 12.15am and by that time the contractions were getting stronger but I could still breathe through them and could still smile :-) We went inside and Sienna was put to bed. My memories from this point on are a little blurry, probably because the sleeping tablets were starting to take effect, so from this point on I can only give you the details as I remember them, Josh and my family members may have a very different account of the way things went. I remember lying on the lounge, thinking to myself that I should have my supper snack as I hadn't eaten anything since dinner and had given myself my insulin shot at the hospital, when I felt the pressure of another contraction, then felt a pop and the spread of water which I couldn't hold in and pain spread through my whole body. My water had broken... as I was lying on my parent leather lounge..... they say no damage was done, but I haven't been able to look at that lounge the same way again.
My mum called the hospital and I was told to go back in right away. I remember being in so much pain that I couldn't move and Josh had to help me/carry me out to the car. I don't physically remember the car trip back in at all. But I do remember that as soon as my water broke at home, I felt the need to push with every contraction and I thought I wasn't going to make it to the hospital. I remember making bargains with myself in my mind that I just needed to make it to the hospital and then I could get pain relief as my reward.
I was dropped off at the emergency room at about 1.00am, where Josh ran in and got me a wheelchair and I was taken back through to maternity. We were put in the same delivery room where I gave birth to Sienna and I was put on the bed. Pain was coursing through me with every contraction. I heard the word 'gas' offered and was like 'yes, yes, yes', so I had a few puffs on that in the hope it would take the edge off the pain, but was told they couldn't give me anything else in the way of pain relief, until the had checked again to see how far into labour I was. Another internal examination was done to discover that Blueberry was right there ready to come out and all I needed to do was push. So I was put into position and within about 5 contractions he was out and up on my chest.
He was so tiny (you forget how small they are) and so wobbly. I just remember looking up at Josh and the look of happiness on his face made it all worthwhile. We had a new addition to our little family... a beautiful healthy boy... here in my arms!! It was an amazing feeing! He was then taken to be weighed and measured and the given back to be fed straight away to check his blood sugar levels were all good, since I had gestational diabetes. Then finally Josh got to hold him too. Proud Daddy Moment... first time seeing Father and Son together... the thought still brings tears to my eyes.
I suffered from a lot of self-doubt through this labour. I don't know if it was the fact that I had just experienced a full day with Sienna and Josh, so I was already pretty tired by the end of the day or if it was the sleeping tablets or just general exhaustion, but I remember the whole way through thinking to myself... 'I can't do this'. Either I felt like I didn't have the energy, or the ability to do what it was that I had to do, whether it was getting up to walk to the car or actually push Oliver out, I just remember repeating over and over again 'I can't do this'. Which makes me so glad that I had such a supportive person in Josh there with me throughout this whole thing. Keeping me calm at home, helping me to the car, telling me that I could do it because he believed in me. He was my rock the whole way through and I am so thankful for him. I am also really thankful for the other members of my family for being there. My beautiful daughter, Sienna, for being such a good girl thoughout everything! I cannot wait to see all the adventures you are going to have with your little brother. My sister for driving us in when it all started. My mum for watching Sienna throughout the whole thing. My dad for taking control of the situation and telling us all to come out straight away and for driving us to the hospital with me passed out in the front seat in pain and keeping a level head. Couldn't have done it without you all.
It took a few days to decide on the name. But we always knew that 'James' was going to be his middle name because it is both Josh's middle name and my dads middle name, so it has ties to both sides. Oliver has always been a name that both Josh and I have liked, and was actually going to be Siennas name if she turned out to be a boy. Now that he's here I can't imagine him with any other name.
So, little Oliver James Waters, welcome to the world and its many wonders. Thank you for coming out so quickly and without complication and most of all, my beautiful little man, thank you for choosing me to be your mummy! I can't wait to teach you and show you everything I can. I am already so proud of you. xx
Earlier that night, I was sitting at home on my yoga ball eating dinner with Josh and my sister, watching some 'Walking Dead', when I thought to myself 'I haven't felt baby move for a while....' and usually he is so active (especially at food time). I cast my mind back through my day, which had been like any other day: we had taken Sienna to the park, gone out for lunch, played at home, but throughout all of that Blueberry had stayed very still. In fact, I don't think I felt him much at all. I decided, after some persuasion from my sister, Josh and the mums from my mums group via messenger, to call the hospital, just to be sure everything was okay. When I was told that I should come in to be monitored, just in case, my mind went crazy with thoughts; 'What if I need to be induced?', 'I don't want to be induced', 'I don't want a long labour', 'What do I do with Sienna who is asleep upstairs?', 'What do we do about Josh and work tomorrow?', 'Should he come out with us or should he stay here with sleeping Sienna because I am only being monitored that doesn't mean I'm going to go into labour... does it?', 'Is this it? Is labour beginning now?'. I was just a bundle of stress and nerves. Then I started feeling pains and a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen, which shot through to my back. I knew that something was happening.
We all jumped in my sisters car and left for the hospital at about 9.30pm. Poor Sienna was a little confused by the whole situation. The whole car trip in I was experiencing contractions, but they weren't too bad, I could breathe my way through them and I could still smile (in my labour with Sienna, I can vividly remember the midwives saying 'you can still smile, you're not really in labour yet.'). We met my parents at the emergency room and were taken through to maternity where I was strapped up to machines that monitor my heart beat and contractions and babys heart beat, and I was given an internal examination to see how far into labour I was. We found out that I was having contraction pains, but I wasn't dilated at all, so I was still in very early labour. My midwife gave me the option of staying the night in the hospital because I lived so far away or to go home and come in again when things progressed further. Since my parents were there with us I decided to go back to their place, as it was close by and I could get some rest and come back in quickly if need be. So I was given some pain relief (in the form of Panadine Forte) and sleeping tablets, in the hope of getting some form of rest, and sent on my way.
We got to my parents place at about 12.15am and by that time the contractions were getting stronger but I could still breathe through them and could still smile :-) We went inside and Sienna was put to bed. My memories from this point on are a little blurry, probably because the sleeping tablets were starting to take effect, so from this point on I can only give you the details as I remember them, Josh and my family members may have a very different account of the way things went. I remember lying on the lounge, thinking to myself that I should have my supper snack as I hadn't eaten anything since dinner and had given myself my insulin shot at the hospital, when I felt the pressure of another contraction, then felt a pop and the spread of water which I couldn't hold in and pain spread through my whole body. My water had broken... as I was lying on my parent leather lounge..... they say no damage was done, but I haven't been able to look at that lounge the same way again.
My mum called the hospital and I was told to go back in right away. I remember being in so much pain that I couldn't move and Josh had to help me/carry me out to the car. I don't physically remember the car trip back in at all. But I do remember that as soon as my water broke at home, I felt the need to push with every contraction and I thought I wasn't going to make it to the hospital. I remember making bargains with myself in my mind that I just needed to make it to the hospital and then I could get pain relief as my reward.
I was dropped off at the emergency room at about 1.00am, where Josh ran in and got me a wheelchair and I was taken back through to maternity. We were put in the same delivery room where I gave birth to Sienna and I was put on the bed. Pain was coursing through me with every contraction. I heard the word 'gas' offered and was like 'yes, yes, yes', so I had a few puffs on that in the hope it would take the edge off the pain, but was told they couldn't give me anything else in the way of pain relief, until the had checked again to see how far into labour I was. Another internal examination was done to discover that Blueberry was right there ready to come out and all I needed to do was push. So I was put into position and within about 5 contractions he was out and up on my chest.
He was so tiny (you forget how small they are) and so wobbly. I just remember looking up at Josh and the look of happiness on his face made it all worthwhile. We had a new addition to our little family... a beautiful healthy boy... here in my arms!! It was an amazing feeing! He was then taken to be weighed and measured and the given back to be fed straight away to check his blood sugar levels were all good, since I had gestational diabetes. Then finally Josh got to hold him too. Proud Daddy Moment... first time seeing Father and Son together... the thought still brings tears to my eyes.
I suffered from a lot of self-doubt through this labour. I don't know if it was the fact that I had just experienced a full day with Sienna and Josh, so I was already pretty tired by the end of the day or if it was the sleeping tablets or just general exhaustion, but I remember the whole way through thinking to myself... 'I can't do this'. Either I felt like I didn't have the energy, or the ability to do what it was that I had to do, whether it was getting up to walk to the car or actually push Oliver out, I just remember repeating over and over again 'I can't do this'. Which makes me so glad that I had such a supportive person in Josh there with me throughout this whole thing. Keeping me calm at home, helping me to the car, telling me that I could do it because he believed in me. He was my rock the whole way through and I am so thankful for him. I am also really thankful for the other members of my family for being there. My beautiful daughter, Sienna, for being such a good girl thoughout everything! I cannot wait to see all the adventures you are going to have with your little brother. My sister for driving us in when it all started. My mum for watching Sienna throughout the whole thing. My dad for taking control of the situation and telling us all to come out straight away and for driving us to the hospital with me passed out in the front seat in pain and keeping a level head. Couldn't have done it without you all.
It took a few days to decide on the name. But we always knew that 'James' was going to be his middle name because it is both Josh's middle name and my dads middle name, so it has ties to both sides. Oliver has always been a name that both Josh and I have liked, and was actually going to be Siennas name if she turned out to be a boy. Now that he's here I can't imagine him with any other name.
So, little Oliver James Waters, welcome to the world and its many wonders. Thank you for coming out so quickly and without complication and most of all, my beautiful little man, thank you for choosing me to be your mummy! I can't wait to teach you and show you everything I can. I am already so proud of you. xx
Friday 31 March 2017
39 Weeks Pregnancy Update - Last Update :-O
For those of you that follow me on other social media sites, you would know that I had my little boy this week already. I got home to find this blog sitting in my computer, ready to go, so i thought i would post it anyway :-) Enjoy. Baby blogs to come.....
Oh my goodness! How scary is it to think that this will most probably be my last update before my little man arrives!!! They are not going to let me go over my due date and this time next week is my due date so..... this could quite possibly be it!! My next one will be an arrival update!!!! Ahhhhhh!!! Its bizarre to think that because we are following the date from my first dating scan, my due date is the 1st of April, but if we were to go by the date from my two last scans, the due date would be closer to the 24th of March, which was yesterday!! So technically he could come at any time now and still be on time.
This week my app says blueberry is the size of a watermelon. He probably won't get much bigger before he is born, as that could be at any time now. He knows the familiar voices around him now from all the time he has been listening in there. So he will most likely be able to recognise mine and Josh's voices, as they are the ones he would hear the most. I have to keep a close eye on his movement over the next few days because that could also be the key to understanding when he wants to come out, he should be moving at a steady rate up until birth, so if I notice less movement I have to call the hospital right away. Sometimes though that is hard to tell because I don't know if he's just having a rest sometimes or if its classed as less movement. It's basically telling me to just be prepared as hes arrival could be any day.
I went to visit my Diabetes Nurse again this week and she was pretty happy with everything. The only thing that worried her was that my sugar levels in the morning were too low, and that I was in danger of having an overnight hypo. So to rectify that she has lowered the dosage of insulin that I am giving myself before I go to bed. In other words my body is already slowly starting to balance itself out. Hooray! The end is in sight!!!
My doctor is actually on holidays this week and I really want him to be available for the birth so I have been crossing my legs until he gets back. I want a doctor around that knows what I have been through with my previous birth and that knows my blood sugar level history this time too. I'm sure the other doctor they have on is fine but I'm really hoping that baby can hold off on coming until next Monday at least.
There have been so many times this week that I have thought labour was starting. My parents have been a godsend this week and took Sienna for holidays at their house from Monday night till Thursday, so we could get some things done here, and so that I could rest when I needed it (which I did a lot of and I think it has really helped my mindset). Although I missed her like crazy, as this has been the longest I have been away from her in forever, it was something that was really needed.
I went for big walks every day to help me with my sugar levels and to try to naturally lower the baby, so I can breathe a little better. But all that seemed to do was cause a lot of pain in the afternoons and the evenings. It has been really bizarre these last few days, because I have been fine during the day (I mean, there have been a lot of tightening and movement and things like that still, but nothing that knocks me off of my feet). But as soon as afternoon hits, my back seizes up and I get some wicked lightening crotch, and he moves so much I can barely breathe. Especially Thursday night, I was getting the painful lightening crotch feeling every time I stood up to move, and they would stay as a painful ache instead of a painful jolt, and it would literally stop me in my tracks and take my breath away. Poor Josh is very much on edge and every noise I make he is really to jump up and help me. Then when I head to bed there is so much movement and uncomfortableness and those sharp pains are still there, then by morning it's all gone and I can move fine again. It's really frustrating because a part of me just wants it to happen already so I can have myself back again.
I finally got my hospital bag together this weeks too. I thought it was close enough to get it done ha ha, I've actually been meaning to do it forever but just haven't found the motivation. It's basically just a few nappies and wipes and some clothing bits and pieces for Blueberry when he arrives and a huge amount of clothes and things for me. Since I will most probably be staying at my parents place for a majority of next week, I am using it as a kind of travel bag also, hence the huge amount of clothes. I will probably head out there on Monday because I really need the help with Sienna during the day and it's a closer distance to the hospital if anything does happen. We did the same thing when Sienna was born. When labour starts I have my sister and lots of friends living out here that can bring Josh in and he will stay out here until we go home with our new addition. As I have said before, I am so lucky and thankful that I have my family so close by to help us out so much at this time because it could have really been a struggle and a stress but thanks to them it has really been pretty breezy so far (touch wood).
We got a whole heap of Blueberries clothes all packed away in drawers this week also. Which has made me super excited for his arrival because they are all so tiny and adorable. It's just hard to believe that there is going to be something so small in our household again. I can't wait to see how Sienna reacts to him. I really hope that they get along.
And here is my last belly shot!!! It's kind of bittersweet, because I know that as much as I want it out now, as soon as it is out I'll see other mummies bellies and I'll miss it and wish I had it back. But I am looking forward to getting back in shape after this one comes out. But unfortunately, I didn't end up getting this shot before everything was set in motion :-(
Oh my goodness! How scary is it to think that this will most probably be my last update before my little man arrives!!! They are not going to let me go over my due date and this time next week is my due date so..... this could quite possibly be it!! My next one will be an arrival update!!!! Ahhhhhh!!! Its bizarre to think that because we are following the date from my first dating scan, my due date is the 1st of April, but if we were to go by the date from my two last scans, the due date would be closer to the 24th of March, which was yesterday!! So technically he could come at any time now and still be on time.
This week my app says blueberry is the size of a watermelon. He probably won't get much bigger before he is born, as that could be at any time now. He knows the familiar voices around him now from all the time he has been listening in there. So he will most likely be able to recognise mine and Josh's voices, as they are the ones he would hear the most. I have to keep a close eye on his movement over the next few days because that could also be the key to understanding when he wants to come out, he should be moving at a steady rate up until birth, so if I notice less movement I have to call the hospital right away. Sometimes though that is hard to tell because I don't know if he's just having a rest sometimes or if its classed as less movement. It's basically telling me to just be prepared as hes arrival could be any day.
I went to visit my Diabetes Nurse again this week and she was pretty happy with everything. The only thing that worried her was that my sugar levels in the morning were too low, and that I was in danger of having an overnight hypo. So to rectify that she has lowered the dosage of insulin that I am giving myself before I go to bed. In other words my body is already slowly starting to balance itself out. Hooray! The end is in sight!!!
My doctor is actually on holidays this week and I really want him to be available for the birth so I have been crossing my legs until he gets back. I want a doctor around that knows what I have been through with my previous birth and that knows my blood sugar level history this time too. I'm sure the other doctor they have on is fine but I'm really hoping that baby can hold off on coming until next Monday at least.
There have been so many times this week that I have thought labour was starting. My parents have been a godsend this week and took Sienna for holidays at their house from Monday night till Thursday, so we could get some things done here, and so that I could rest when I needed it (which I did a lot of and I think it has really helped my mindset). Although I missed her like crazy, as this has been the longest I have been away from her in forever, it was something that was really needed.
I went for big walks every day to help me with my sugar levels and to try to naturally lower the baby, so I can breathe a little better. But all that seemed to do was cause a lot of pain in the afternoons and the evenings. It has been really bizarre these last few days, because I have been fine during the day (I mean, there have been a lot of tightening and movement and things like that still, but nothing that knocks me off of my feet). But as soon as afternoon hits, my back seizes up and I get some wicked lightening crotch, and he moves so much I can barely breathe. Especially Thursday night, I was getting the painful lightening crotch feeling every time I stood up to move, and they would stay as a painful ache instead of a painful jolt, and it would literally stop me in my tracks and take my breath away. Poor Josh is very much on edge and every noise I make he is really to jump up and help me. Then when I head to bed there is so much movement and uncomfortableness and those sharp pains are still there, then by morning it's all gone and I can move fine again. It's really frustrating because a part of me just wants it to happen already so I can have myself back again.
I finally got my hospital bag together this weeks too. I thought it was close enough to get it done ha ha, I've actually been meaning to do it forever but just haven't found the motivation. It's basically just a few nappies and wipes and some clothing bits and pieces for Blueberry when he arrives and a huge amount of clothes and things for me. Since I will most probably be staying at my parents place for a majority of next week, I am using it as a kind of travel bag also, hence the huge amount of clothes. I will probably head out there on Monday because I really need the help with Sienna during the day and it's a closer distance to the hospital if anything does happen. We did the same thing when Sienna was born. When labour starts I have my sister and lots of friends living out here that can bring Josh in and he will stay out here until we go home with our new addition. As I have said before, I am so lucky and thankful that I have my family so close by to help us out so much at this time because it could have really been a struggle and a stress but thanks to them it has really been pretty breezy so far (touch wood).
We got a whole heap of Blueberries clothes all packed away in drawers this week also. Which has made me super excited for his arrival because they are all so tiny and adorable. It's just hard to believe that there is going to be something so small in our household again. I can't wait to see how Sienna reacts to him. I really hope that they get along.
And here is my last belly shot!!! It's kind of bittersweet, because I know that as much as I want it out now, as soon as it is out I'll see other mummies bellies and I'll miss it and wish I had it back. But I am looking forward to getting back in shape after this one comes out. But unfortunately, I didn't end up getting this shot before everything was set in motion :-(
Saturday 18 March 2017
38 Week Pregnancy Update - No More Midwife Appointments!!!
Two weeks till full term! This is absolutely crazy! This week I am feeling a little overwhelmed... I don't think there is a reason for it, I think its just the fact that this baby is coming up so fast and it's all really hitting home now. It's not that I'm overly nervous or anything like that, it's just all a little overwhelming as a whole. My body is hurting, my brain is tired and I am just altogether exhausted. But I am 38 weeks pregnant, so I guess they are the type of things you have to expect.
This week my App says that Blueberry is the size of a Spaghetti Squash?? I don't really know what that is, all I know is that to me, it feels like a baby that wants to come out. Basically, at this point now I am no longer waiting to see what pregnancy symptoms I feel, but instead what signs of labour I am experiencing instead. He could be roughly 3.2kg now and anywhere up to 49.5cm! Crazy! They say that boy babies are generally born larger than girl babies and because I have Gestational Diabetes it could again be measuring larger than the average baby. But again these are just estimates, Blueberry could be a little baby for all I know (I am hoping he isn't too big, so my labour is a little easier).
So, this week hasn't been quite as intense as the previous week. Thank goodness! Before I left the hospital last week, I had a meeting with my diabetes nurse. She instructed me on how to use the needles that were being sent home with me. I have for the past week, I have needed to give myself a small shot of insulin right before I eat dinner, and a larger shot at 10pm each night. I will admit, I struggle with it. I hate needles, as I have mentioned before. Even now, I have a mini freak out before the initial piercing of the skin, even though I know it doesn't hurt too much. I think its more in my mind than anything.
I had a midwife appointment this week also. I have been getting a lot of mixed messages about the induction.... I am now being told that there is no reason to induce me early, because my blood pressure is fine, my body is taking the insulin fine and my sugar levels are back down to where they should be, I have put on 1.5kg in the past fortnight and baby is moving just fine. They will not let me go over the 40 week mark, but will not be inducing me early. She also said that because there were no problems or worries, I didn't need to come in again for a fortnight (inside I am slightly freaking out because that means my next appointment is 3 days before Blueberries due date!!!), and I will not be seeing the midwives any more but having appointments with my Doctor so that he can have an active role in my labour plans, as they will have to watch my sugar levels and things like that more carefully. My midwife was also under the impression that I may not even make it until that appointment because Blueberry was head down and engaged when she felt. But it is possible, especially for a second time labour for the bub to come in and out of the pelvis and not properly engage until hours or minutes before the birth.
I went to see the Diabetes nurse on that day too, so she could check that I wasn't having any problems and everything was going alright with my injections. She informed me that my sugar levels were perfect and that the timing of my blood testing were pretty much on point. So she was impressed. Which made me feel really good. I have become really serious about my meals and snacks recently, because after being informed about how to help myself if my sugar levels get too low and I go into a hypo, it has really freaked me out, so I am making sure that I am definitely eating enough to keep my sugar levels up (especially at dinner and super times when I am injecting myself), and that I am not leaving my meal and snack times too far apart. It has really helped me put myself in a routine which has been kind of helpful (even if it has meant that Sienna has a later bedtime for the next few weeks).
This week there have been lots of moments that have me thinking "Is this is? Is it starting now?". I have been experiencing so much lower pressure and sharp pains, especially at night. One night in particular I was feeling these pains and thought my contractions were starting and almost woke Josh up. Luckily I didn't though, as it turned out to be just pains.
I have been having achy but sharp pains in my lower back all this week as well, which my mum swears is a sign of labour. Last night I was having the lower sharp pains that spread through to my back also, which I remember having during contractions with Sienna, but these were nowhere near as painful. So maybe it is possible that these are baby/practice contractions, and my body is getting prepared for what is coming?
I have still been experiencing super tightenings of the stomach area and a real downwards pull of the stomach skin, especially across the top it feels like it's stretching downwards. And I am finding it now impossible to do everyday things like putting on shoes and sock because I just can't reach over the huge beachball called my belly, which is getting in the way of everything these days.
There have been days when I wake up and every single muscle in my body just aches and I can barely move, even just sitting takes it out of me sometimes, and the only thing that can ease my muscle pain is multiple showers throughout the day. These days have been tough, especially with Josh being at work and me being alone and having to entertain Sienna. I have been really lucky and have had my mum out with me 2 days this week and have been able to call on my sister to help outside of her work hours.
Here is a belly shot of how huge I feel.....
Beware!!! If the thought of seeing an actually pregnant belly grosses you out (and I know there are some people out there that it does) then don't look any further down, because I am about to share a skin belly shot so you can see how stretchy my skin feels and take note of my great insulin injecting (as there is not much bruising on my spare tyre area).
This week my App says that Blueberry is the size of a Spaghetti Squash?? I don't really know what that is, all I know is that to me, it feels like a baby that wants to come out. Basically, at this point now I am no longer waiting to see what pregnancy symptoms I feel, but instead what signs of labour I am experiencing instead. He could be roughly 3.2kg now and anywhere up to 49.5cm! Crazy! They say that boy babies are generally born larger than girl babies and because I have Gestational Diabetes it could again be measuring larger than the average baby. But again these are just estimates, Blueberry could be a little baby for all I know (I am hoping he isn't too big, so my labour is a little easier).
So, this week hasn't been quite as intense as the previous week. Thank goodness! Before I left the hospital last week, I had a meeting with my diabetes nurse. She instructed me on how to use the needles that were being sent home with me. I have for the past week, I have needed to give myself a small shot of insulin right before I eat dinner, and a larger shot at 10pm each night. I will admit, I struggle with it. I hate needles, as I have mentioned before. Even now, I have a mini freak out before the initial piercing of the skin, even though I know it doesn't hurt too much. I think its more in my mind than anything.
I had a midwife appointment this week also. I have been getting a lot of mixed messages about the induction.... I am now being told that there is no reason to induce me early, because my blood pressure is fine, my body is taking the insulin fine and my sugar levels are back down to where they should be, I have put on 1.5kg in the past fortnight and baby is moving just fine. They will not let me go over the 40 week mark, but will not be inducing me early. She also said that because there were no problems or worries, I didn't need to come in again for a fortnight (inside I am slightly freaking out because that means my next appointment is 3 days before Blueberries due date!!!), and I will not be seeing the midwives any more but having appointments with my Doctor so that he can have an active role in my labour plans, as they will have to watch my sugar levels and things like that more carefully. My midwife was also under the impression that I may not even make it until that appointment because Blueberry was head down and engaged when she felt. But it is possible, especially for a second time labour for the bub to come in and out of the pelvis and not properly engage until hours or minutes before the birth.
I went to see the Diabetes nurse on that day too, so she could check that I wasn't having any problems and everything was going alright with my injections. She informed me that my sugar levels were perfect and that the timing of my blood testing were pretty much on point. So she was impressed. Which made me feel really good. I have become really serious about my meals and snacks recently, because after being informed about how to help myself if my sugar levels get too low and I go into a hypo, it has really freaked me out, so I am making sure that I am definitely eating enough to keep my sugar levels up (especially at dinner and super times when I am injecting myself), and that I am not leaving my meal and snack times too far apart. It has really helped me put myself in a routine which has been kind of helpful (even if it has meant that Sienna has a later bedtime for the next few weeks).
This week there have been lots of moments that have me thinking "Is this is? Is it starting now?". I have been experiencing so much lower pressure and sharp pains, especially at night. One night in particular I was feeling these pains and thought my contractions were starting and almost woke Josh up. Luckily I didn't though, as it turned out to be just pains.
I have been having achy but sharp pains in my lower back all this week as well, which my mum swears is a sign of labour. Last night I was having the lower sharp pains that spread through to my back also, which I remember having during contractions with Sienna, but these were nowhere near as painful. So maybe it is possible that these are baby/practice contractions, and my body is getting prepared for what is coming?
I have still been experiencing super tightenings of the stomach area and a real downwards pull of the stomach skin, especially across the top it feels like it's stretching downwards. And I am finding it now impossible to do everyday things like putting on shoes and sock because I just can't reach over the huge beachball called my belly, which is getting in the way of everything these days.
There have been days when I wake up and every single muscle in my body just aches and I can barely move, even just sitting takes it out of me sometimes, and the only thing that can ease my muscle pain is multiple showers throughout the day. These days have been tough, especially with Josh being at work and me being alone and having to entertain Sienna. I have been really lucky and have had my mum out with me 2 days this week and have been able to call on my sister to help outside of her work hours.
Here is a belly shot of how huge I feel.....
Beware!!! If the thought of seeing an actually pregnant belly grosses you out (and I know there are some people out there that it does) then don't look any further down, because I am about to share a skin belly shot so you can see how stretchy my skin feels and take note of my great insulin injecting (as there is not much bruising on my spare tyre area).
Thursday 9 March 2017
37 Week Pregnancy Update - I'm in Hospital
Sorry I missed a week people. I have had a hectic few weeks. This blog comes out a little before I'm actually 37 weeks but since I missed the last one (due to internet problems at home) I decided to pop this one up in the middle. I cannot believe that in a few short weeks my little man will be here snuggling with me!! And it turns out that he may be here earlier than we anticipated... more on that to follow....
On the app, Blueberry is the size of a honeydew melon. Now that getting big, which i am definitely feeling in my ribs and hips. I am now on the homestretch. Blueberry is now considered near-term as he would be able to survive outside the womb with minimal extra medical care. He is over 2.7kg and around 45cm long roughly, so he is basically his birth size. These last few weeks he will continue cooking to get those finishing touches ready for the outside.
As I said before these past few weeks have been crazy! I had my midwife appointment on the Tuesday of my 35th week and everything was fine. Blueberrys heartbeat was normal, my blood pressure was normal, my blood sugar levels were normal (I had a few high ones here and there, but they were just me experimenting with dinners and things like that). The only thing was that i hadn't put on any weight since the fortnight before and that was something i needed to work on or they would have to check to make sure bub was growing at a proper rate. I had a blood test and everything was fine.
When I woke up the next day, my sugar level was really high. I just assumed that I probably had my supper too late the night before and it had carried over to my morning read. But then over the next few days, I continued to get high reading after high reading and I had no idea what I was doing wrong. I eventually got three consecutive high readings in a row and had to call the hospital. I then had the dietician call me and arrange to meet with me after I kept a food diary for the weekend to show her what I was eating, in the hope that she would be able to figure out where I was going wrong and we could get everything back on track. So I kept the food diary and went to see her on Monday.
We went through what I was eating after she looked at the continuous high levels I was getting and she came to the conclusion that it wasn't my diet that was leading to these high readings, as I had been following the diet really well (her words, not mine ha ha). She also told me that the average amount of weight to be put on during a pregnancy, for someone my size was 11-16kg and I had only put on just over 8kg to date, and that the fact that I was trying so hard to keep or make my levels lower was affecting the amount of carbs I was actually eating. So in other words, I wasn't eating enough and I couldn't limit what I was eating to control my sugar levels, it had to be done another way. So she made an appointment later than day for me to see a doctor.
Hearing this was a little bit frustrating. I had been working so hard to stick to this diet, and to hear that it wasn't working for me was very disheartening. I returned later that afternoon to see the doctor, only to be told that I was being admitted to the hospital. After being monitored for about an hour, I was told that they would be starting me on insulin injections to help my body break down the sugar as my hormones were making it hard for me to do that presently and I would be staying overnight in the hospital. I was so lucky that I had my mum there with me, and that she was able to take Sienna home with her.
The next day however, my morning sugar levels were still high, even after the injection, so i was to stay another night on their diet so they could refer to what I was eating and they were going to give me another injection before dinner (teaching me how to do the injections myself, as I would have to continue at home when I leave), and they would give me a bigger dose before I went to bed that night.
The next day, my sugar levels were higher than the previous morning, so I was stuck there for another night with higher dosages again.
Now there is nothing worse than being stuck in hospital when you didn't know you were going to be there for this long, having absolutely nothing to do. Again, I am thankful to my family for dropping a few things off to keep me sane and hygenic.
Yesterday, for whatever the reason, at dinnertime my sugar levels dropped dramatically. Thank God!! The insulin I had been taken must have finally kicked in, as it was the lowest its ever been the whole time I've had Gestational Diabetes.
This morning, my sugar levels are still low which means that I finally get to go home!!! I am meeting with the diabetes consultant here and then I am free!! I'll let you know what the outcome of that meeting is in my next blog, because I really want to get this up and go home :-)
I also learned that because I am on insulin, I will not be going to full term either. They will most likely induce me at 39 weeks, if I don't have him naturally beforehand, which means we will have little man here with us even earlier than expected. But his sugar levels will need to be monitored closely for the first 24 hours after he is born.
I have been having a lot of tightness in the stomach again this fortnight, which has led to painful ribs and difficulty breathing. Over the last few days though, some of the tightness has been a little painful and i have felt quite a lot of heaviness and pressure downwards. So I think blueberry is getting in the right position to come out and is starting with some practise/soft contractions.
Now I have heard that being induced isn't the most comfortable or nicest thing to go through, so I'm a little nervous about it. Can anyone out there share their experiences with induction with me? I have also been looking up natural ways of inducing baby myself. Can anyone give me tips on what worked for them?
You'll have to excuse the horrific bump picture this week as I blogged this from the hospital and they don't have the most accommodating mirrors for selfies, understandably.
On the app, Blueberry is the size of a honeydew melon. Now that getting big, which i am definitely feeling in my ribs and hips. I am now on the homestretch. Blueberry is now considered near-term as he would be able to survive outside the womb with minimal extra medical care. He is over 2.7kg and around 45cm long roughly, so he is basically his birth size. These last few weeks he will continue cooking to get those finishing touches ready for the outside.
As I said before these past few weeks have been crazy! I had my midwife appointment on the Tuesday of my 35th week and everything was fine. Blueberrys heartbeat was normal, my blood pressure was normal, my blood sugar levels were normal (I had a few high ones here and there, but they were just me experimenting with dinners and things like that). The only thing was that i hadn't put on any weight since the fortnight before and that was something i needed to work on or they would have to check to make sure bub was growing at a proper rate. I had a blood test and everything was fine.
When I woke up the next day, my sugar level was really high. I just assumed that I probably had my supper too late the night before and it had carried over to my morning read. But then over the next few days, I continued to get high reading after high reading and I had no idea what I was doing wrong. I eventually got three consecutive high readings in a row and had to call the hospital. I then had the dietician call me and arrange to meet with me after I kept a food diary for the weekend to show her what I was eating, in the hope that she would be able to figure out where I was going wrong and we could get everything back on track. So I kept the food diary and went to see her on Monday.
We went through what I was eating after she looked at the continuous high levels I was getting and she came to the conclusion that it wasn't my diet that was leading to these high readings, as I had been following the diet really well (her words, not mine ha ha). She also told me that the average amount of weight to be put on during a pregnancy, for someone my size was 11-16kg and I had only put on just over 8kg to date, and that the fact that I was trying so hard to keep or make my levels lower was affecting the amount of carbs I was actually eating. So in other words, I wasn't eating enough and I couldn't limit what I was eating to control my sugar levels, it had to be done another way. So she made an appointment later than day for me to see a doctor.
Hearing this was a little bit frustrating. I had been working so hard to stick to this diet, and to hear that it wasn't working for me was very disheartening. I returned later that afternoon to see the doctor, only to be told that I was being admitted to the hospital. After being monitored for about an hour, I was told that they would be starting me on insulin injections to help my body break down the sugar as my hormones were making it hard for me to do that presently and I would be staying overnight in the hospital. I was so lucky that I had my mum there with me, and that she was able to take Sienna home with her.
The next day however, my morning sugar levels were still high, even after the injection, so i was to stay another night on their diet so they could refer to what I was eating and they were going to give me another injection before dinner (teaching me how to do the injections myself, as I would have to continue at home when I leave), and they would give me a bigger dose before I went to bed that night.
The next day, my sugar levels were higher than the previous morning, so I was stuck there for another night with higher dosages again.
Now there is nothing worse than being stuck in hospital when you didn't know you were going to be there for this long, having absolutely nothing to do. Again, I am thankful to my family for dropping a few things off to keep me sane and hygenic.
Yesterday, for whatever the reason, at dinnertime my sugar levels dropped dramatically. Thank God!! The insulin I had been taken must have finally kicked in, as it was the lowest its ever been the whole time I've had Gestational Diabetes.
This morning, my sugar levels are still low which means that I finally get to go home!!! I am meeting with the diabetes consultant here and then I am free!! I'll let you know what the outcome of that meeting is in my next blog, because I really want to get this up and go home :-)
I also learned that because I am on insulin, I will not be going to full term either. They will most likely induce me at 39 weeks, if I don't have him naturally beforehand, which means we will have little man here with us even earlier than expected. But his sugar levels will need to be monitored closely for the first 24 hours after he is born.
I have been having a lot of tightness in the stomach again this fortnight, which has led to painful ribs and difficulty breathing. Over the last few days though, some of the tightness has been a little painful and i have felt quite a lot of heaviness and pressure downwards. So I think blueberry is getting in the right position to come out and is starting with some practise/soft contractions.
Now I have heard that being induced isn't the most comfortable or nicest thing to go through, so I'm a little nervous about it. Can anyone out there share their experiences with induction with me? I have also been looking up natural ways of inducing baby myself. Can anyone give me tips on what worked for them?
You'll have to excuse the horrific bump picture this week as I blogged this from the hospital and they don't have the most accommodating mirrors for selfies, understandably.
Wednesday 1 March 2017
The Scoop on Sienna - 16 Month Update
Josh and I were discussing yesterday, if we remembered what it was like before we had that extra little person wandering around the house. And to be honest, I vaguely remember it, but I really wouldn't have it any other way than how it is now. I love the fact that there is another little person in our household. That she has such a personality, which make no day boring or the same. A smile that just lights up any room. A laugh that makes you want to laugh along with her, even though most of the time you don't even know what it is she's laughing at. That little voice talking away, 60% gibberish, but you can put together what she is trying to get across most of the time. She is just such a good little girl and I am so thankful for her and blessed by her.
I'm not quite sure how tall Sienna is, as I can't get her to stay still long enough to measure her, but when she is next to her friends, I would say she is an average height. She weighs 11kg roughly, depending on the day. I noticed the other day that I am building up mummy muscles in my biceps from carrying her, which I am pretty proud of ha ha.
Our schedule is pretty much the same as it has always been. We wake up at roughly 8.30am each morning and play and have breakfast. Then by 10.00am she starts getting tired so goes down for her 1st nap of the day. Then we go and get done what needs to be done out of the house and get back for her afternoon nap at about 3.30pm. Our nighttime routine starts usually around 6.00pm and she is in bed by about 7.30pm . She sleeps most nights right through, although in saying that, there have been a few restless nights lately, where she has woken up a few times but just wants to be comforted and goes back down. But she is usually pretty good. I think shortly we will start to transition her to only one nap a day (which she does sometimes already).
As I mentioned in my Pregnancy Update blog (35 Week Pregnancy Update ) Sienna is up and walking now. It did take her a bit longer than it took some of her friends, but in saying that every baby is different and crawls or walks in their own time. Those first few steps left me feeling so proud as a mother. Watching my little girl taking that next step (literally) in her learning makes you feel amazing. Then being able to watch her move herself along the wall or along furniture and across short distances to get from one place to another, sort of built up a feeling of dread but happiness at the same time, because you now knew that nothing in your house is safe any more. And now she is picking herself up from the seated position, without any assistance. She is so independent. She doesn't need to hold mummy or daddys hand when she walks anymore and she can walk in whichever direction she likes. It opens up a whole new world of games to play with her and things to do in general with her. The park becomes so much more fun when she can get herself around and climb up on things without our help. Daddy chasing her around the living room becomes so much more lively (and its adorable to watch).
She is saying a lot of words. She has been talking since before she turned one. Saying things like "mum" "dad" "puppy" "more" "please" "no" and things like that. But now she will try to copy anything you say to her. She knows a few numbers and will happily count along with you. She can sing the Teletubbies theme some (which she does constantly). She knows all the actions to a lot of Wiggles songs (they are like a drug for toddlers, its amazing!) eg. Rockabye Your Bear, Do The Monkey, Hot Potato and Rock 'n' Roll Preschool. Judging by her reactions to what we say to her she understands what we are saying, but sometimes can have selective hearing. A lot of the time she will ignore her name being called if she knows it will stop her from doing something she wants to do but knows she isn't allowed to do.
Cuddles and Kisses will be given to pretty much any toy you give her. She is becoming really affectionate. She was never really a snuggly baby so it has been really nice seeing this affection from her, she never has liked holding hands or sitting and snuggling, but has always been quite independent. She loves pretending to give her stuffed toys tea and biscuits from a tea set she got for Christmas. She loves to sit down and read with us. She owns so many books (which I think is great being a bit of a bookworm myself) and will grab one off the shelf and sit on the lounge waiting for you to come and read it to her. She loves to be rough with daddy, too. They will wrestle and roll and play and all you can hear are giggles and play screams from Sienna constantly. I think Josh has been looking forward to this age because he can do this sort of thing with her now and she responds.
All in all, I am really happy with what she has learnt so far and am looking forward to the next steps in her progress, and seeing how she gets on with her new baby brother coming very shortly.
Our schedule is pretty much the same as it has always been. We wake up at roughly 8.30am each morning and play and have breakfast. Then by 10.00am she starts getting tired so goes down for her 1st nap of the day. Then we go and get done what needs to be done out of the house and get back for her afternoon nap at about 3.30pm. Our nighttime routine starts usually around 6.00pm and she is in bed by about 7.30pm . She sleeps most nights right through, although in saying that, there have been a few restless nights lately, where she has woken up a few times but just wants to be comforted and goes back down. But she is usually pretty good. I think shortly we will start to transition her to only one nap a day (which she does sometimes already).
As I mentioned in my Pregnancy Update blog (35 Week Pregnancy Update ) Sienna is up and walking now. It did take her a bit longer than it took some of her friends, but in saying that every baby is different and crawls or walks in their own time. Those first few steps left me feeling so proud as a mother. Watching my little girl taking that next step (literally) in her learning makes you feel amazing. Then being able to watch her move herself along the wall or along furniture and across short distances to get from one place to another, sort of built up a feeling of dread but happiness at the same time, because you now knew that nothing in your house is safe any more. And now she is picking herself up from the seated position, without any assistance. She is so independent. She doesn't need to hold mummy or daddys hand when she walks anymore and she can walk in whichever direction she likes. It opens up a whole new world of games to play with her and things to do in general with her. The park becomes so much more fun when she can get herself around and climb up on things without our help. Daddy chasing her around the living room becomes so much more lively (and its adorable to watch).
She is saying a lot of words. She has been talking since before she turned one. Saying things like "mum" "dad" "puppy" "more" "please" "no" and things like that. But now she will try to copy anything you say to her. She knows a few numbers and will happily count along with you. She can sing the Teletubbies theme some (which she does constantly). She knows all the actions to a lot of Wiggles songs (they are like a drug for toddlers, its amazing!) eg. Rockabye Your Bear, Do The Monkey, Hot Potato and Rock 'n' Roll Preschool. Judging by her reactions to what we say to her she understands what we are saying, but sometimes can have selective hearing. A lot of the time she will ignore her name being called if she knows it will stop her from doing something she wants to do but knows she isn't allowed to do.
Cuddles and Kisses will be given to pretty much any toy you give her. She is becoming really affectionate. She was never really a snuggly baby so it has been really nice seeing this affection from her, she never has liked holding hands or sitting and snuggling, but has always been quite independent. She loves pretending to give her stuffed toys tea and biscuits from a tea set she got for Christmas. She loves to sit down and read with us. She owns so many books (which I think is great being a bit of a bookworm myself) and will grab one off the shelf and sit on the lounge waiting for you to come and read it to her. She loves to be rough with daddy, too. They will wrestle and roll and play and all you can hear are giggles and play screams from Sienna constantly. I think Josh has been looking forward to this age because he can do this sort of thing with her now and she responds.
All in all, I am really happy with what she has learnt so far and am looking forward to the next steps in her progress, and seeing how she gets on with her new baby brother coming very shortly.
Sunday 26 February 2017
35 Weeks Pregnancy Update - Finished Work!!!
So we are now up to the point when I can count the amount of weeks I have left on one hand!! What an absolutely crazy thought!! We are getting so close now.
According to my App, Blueberry is the size of a child's backpack (odd thing to measure it to, I know). He should be measuring between 45.7 and 48.3cm at the moment and weight roughly 2.25-2.7kg. He is getting really close to his birth size, because in reality it could happen at any moment now. He is just growing stronger, the skeletal development is nearly complete and the only organs that still need a little bit of work are the lungs but they are coming along now fast also.
I am absolutely exhausted!! I finished work this week, which is a really good thing. But even so these last few days with just me and Sienna have really tired me out. (Just think what I'm in for when the actual baby gets here :-O at least ill hopefully have a bit more of my mobility back, because at the moment any sort of movement at the waist is a real struggle.)
Carrying Sienna is getting difficult. I am finding that my stomach gets hard pretty much instantly from the moment I pick her up. So I am really lucky that she is walking quite well now and is able to pick herself up from a seated position without any assistance now.
I took Sienna to a Multicultural Festival we had here in town yesterday (check out my instagram for pictures of the day Amanda's Instagram Page ). However, it did consist of a lot of walking and throughout the day my hips were telling me that it was a bad idea but I kept going. By the end of the day my entire body was in so much pain. My stomach was tensing and hurting at the same time (It felt very much like light contractions), and my hips and legs were just aching, and to make matters harder, blueberry wasn't keeping still for a second. It was so worth it though, we had such a good day.
Feeling a lot better this morning though, so maybe it was just my body telling me to take it easy.
Not much else has been happening this week. It's been a pretty quite one. I have a midwife appointment next week so we will be catching up a bit more on how blueberry is growing (and I have a blood test egh) but until then its just the same old same old. So I might just leave it there... this update was short but sweet... here is my weekly bump shot =) have a great day!! x
According to my App, Blueberry is the size of a child's backpack (odd thing to measure it to, I know). He should be measuring between 45.7 and 48.3cm at the moment and weight roughly 2.25-2.7kg. He is getting really close to his birth size, because in reality it could happen at any moment now. He is just growing stronger, the skeletal development is nearly complete and the only organs that still need a little bit of work are the lungs but they are coming along now fast also.
I am absolutely exhausted!! I finished work this week, which is a really good thing. But even so these last few days with just me and Sienna have really tired me out. (Just think what I'm in for when the actual baby gets here :-O at least ill hopefully have a bit more of my mobility back, because at the moment any sort of movement at the waist is a real struggle.)
Carrying Sienna is getting difficult. I am finding that my stomach gets hard pretty much instantly from the moment I pick her up. So I am really lucky that she is walking quite well now and is able to pick herself up from a seated position without any assistance now.
I took Sienna to a Multicultural Festival we had here in town yesterday (check out my instagram for pictures of the day Amanda's Instagram Page ). However, it did consist of a lot of walking and throughout the day my hips were telling me that it was a bad idea but I kept going. By the end of the day my entire body was in so much pain. My stomach was tensing and hurting at the same time (It felt very much like light contractions), and my hips and legs were just aching, and to make matters harder, blueberry wasn't keeping still for a second. It was so worth it though, we had such a good day.
Feeling a lot better this morning though, so maybe it was just my body telling me to take it easy.
Not much else has been happening this week. It's been a pretty quite one. I have a midwife appointment next week so we will be catching up a bit more on how blueberry is growing (and I have a blood test egh) but until then its just the same old same old. So I might just leave it there... this update was short but sweet... here is my weekly bump shot =) have a great day!! x
Sunday 19 February 2017
34 Weeks Pregnancy Update - Loosing Weight
Gah!! This is crazy guys!! 34 weeks!! And I'm on to my last week of work. I am really looking forward to being able to spend some quality time with just Sienna before the new baby comes but at the same time am nervous over just how exhausted I am feeling after only a short time with her and wondering how I am going to cope with that. It's bittersweet knowing that these are the last few weeks that it'll just be us and our little princess. But I know that when Blueberry gets here it'll be even better.
According to my App this week Blueberry is the size of a pineapple. It says he should be measuring at about 42.7cm from head to foot, which sounds about right considering my midwives measurements say he is 35cm from head to rump. He also is weighing roughly 2.25kg. It also says that as he is getting stronger now and it is common to feel yourself fading a little, which I guess is a reason I have been feeling so tired and confused a lot lately (my brain just isn't what it used to be). I am finding that every time I sit down I just feel the need to shut my eyes and have a sleep. Which is very unpractical when you have a toddler running around and getting into all sorts of mischief in front of you.
As I mentioned earlier, I had my midwife appointment this week. She was happy with everything. Baby is growing well, and has a healthy heartbeat. My heart rate was good and she was happy with my sugar levels. One thing that I noticed though was that in the past fortnight, I have lost almost 1.5kg. I am assuming it is the diet I am now on, and the midwife didn't seem concerned by it, but I thought that during this stage of pregnancy you were meant to be putting weight on not loosing it.
This week though has been much like any other when it comes to aches and pains and I don't want to bore you all with the same details over and over again. I can definitely feel him moving around, pressing on my ribs and my hip bones, which makes me wonder just how much space is left in there for him to grow.
Last night, we had a rough night with Sienna and leaning over her crib to comfort her gave me the worst case of heartburn, I was fine up until then and it was just the worst. I have had heartburn throughout this pregnancy but not in a while, then to have it come on so strongly was really bizarre. I don't know if it was the position of leaning over the crib that brought it on or what it was.
I have been feeling a LOT of movement down quite low too. The midwife told me that he is not engaged just yet but is very low down, and a lot of the movement that I am feeling is probably his arms feeling around his head.
Another thing that I brought up with my midwife include the lower belly pains that I have been having, as I mentioned in last weeks blog, because they haven't stopped. She informed me that this is a type of Braxton Hicks. That there is the type in the top of the belly which makes your belly go rock hard, which I have been getting quite a bit. Then there is the lower part of the belly which can be associated with aches and pain, which is probably what I am experiencing. When I have the two feelings together, that is a contraction.
I have a feeling that Blueberry doesn't like, or really does like, the feeling of car travel. As soon as I get in the car and get going, he moves like crazy and when you're siting in a confined space being held in by a seatbelt and you have something pressing and pushing downward at times or up into your ribs at other times, it isn't the most comfortable thing. I really enjoy driving, I find it a good wind down to just sit, travel and listen to some good music (when Sienna is behaving herself in the back) but recently my hourly drives to work are not quite as enjoyable as they have been.
I haven't had the chance yet to get out maternity bra shopping, but I want to thank all the people that gave me advice. I will definitely be taking it all on board when I do get the time to venture out.
Another thing I want to ask for advice on is baby wraps... As Sienna is just getting the hang of the whole walking thing, when this baby comes I have thought about putting Sienna in a trolley or pram and wearing blueberry in a wrap. We only used a Baby Bjorn with Sienna, when she was a bit older so I'm not very knowledgeable on wraps. Did you use one with your baby? Do you know someone who did? What is the wrap on them? (see what I did there?) What other ways would you recommend getting from A to B with two little ones?? Eg. double strollers etc.
I don't think I've missed anything, so I'll end the blog with a bump picture. It's crazy to think that the next time I sit down to write a blog, I will officially be on maternity leave!! That really brings it all home, actually how close we are to baby being here!!
According to my App this week Blueberry is the size of a pineapple. It says he should be measuring at about 42.7cm from head to foot, which sounds about right considering my midwives measurements say he is 35cm from head to rump. He also is weighing roughly 2.25kg. It also says that as he is getting stronger now and it is common to feel yourself fading a little, which I guess is a reason I have been feeling so tired and confused a lot lately (my brain just isn't what it used to be). I am finding that every time I sit down I just feel the need to shut my eyes and have a sleep. Which is very unpractical when you have a toddler running around and getting into all sorts of mischief in front of you.
As I mentioned earlier, I had my midwife appointment this week. She was happy with everything. Baby is growing well, and has a healthy heartbeat. My heart rate was good and she was happy with my sugar levels. One thing that I noticed though was that in the past fortnight, I have lost almost 1.5kg. I am assuming it is the diet I am now on, and the midwife didn't seem concerned by it, but I thought that during this stage of pregnancy you were meant to be putting weight on not loosing it.
This week though has been much like any other when it comes to aches and pains and I don't want to bore you all with the same details over and over again. I can definitely feel him moving around, pressing on my ribs and my hip bones, which makes me wonder just how much space is left in there for him to grow.
Last night, we had a rough night with Sienna and leaning over her crib to comfort her gave me the worst case of heartburn, I was fine up until then and it was just the worst. I have had heartburn throughout this pregnancy but not in a while, then to have it come on so strongly was really bizarre. I don't know if it was the position of leaning over the crib that brought it on or what it was.
I have been feeling a LOT of movement down quite low too. The midwife told me that he is not engaged just yet but is very low down, and a lot of the movement that I am feeling is probably his arms feeling around his head.
Another thing that I brought up with my midwife include the lower belly pains that I have been having, as I mentioned in last weeks blog, because they haven't stopped. She informed me that this is a type of Braxton Hicks. That there is the type in the top of the belly which makes your belly go rock hard, which I have been getting quite a bit. Then there is the lower part of the belly which can be associated with aches and pain, which is probably what I am experiencing. When I have the two feelings together, that is a contraction.
I have a feeling that Blueberry doesn't like, or really does like, the feeling of car travel. As soon as I get in the car and get going, he moves like crazy and when you're siting in a confined space being held in by a seatbelt and you have something pressing and pushing downward at times or up into your ribs at other times, it isn't the most comfortable thing. I really enjoy driving, I find it a good wind down to just sit, travel and listen to some good music (when Sienna is behaving herself in the back) but recently my hourly drives to work are not quite as enjoyable as they have been.
I haven't had the chance yet to get out maternity bra shopping, but I want to thank all the people that gave me advice. I will definitely be taking it all on board when I do get the time to venture out.
Another thing I want to ask for advice on is baby wraps... As Sienna is just getting the hang of the whole walking thing, when this baby comes I have thought about putting Sienna in a trolley or pram and wearing blueberry in a wrap. We only used a Baby Bjorn with Sienna, when she was a bit older so I'm not very knowledgeable on wraps. Did you use one with your baby? Do you know someone who did? What is the wrap on them? (see what I did there?) What other ways would you recommend getting from A to B with two little ones?? Eg. double strollers etc.
I don't think I've missed anything, so I'll end the blog with a bump picture. It's crazy to think that the next time I sit down to write a blog, I will officially be on maternity leave!! That really brings it all home, actually how close we are to baby being here!!
Saturday 11 February 2017
33 Weeks Pregnancy Update!! Pregnancy + Heat = Not Good!
33 Weeks!! This pregnancy is just flying!! I know I say that every time but it is really unbelievable how the weeks are just flying by. It seems like just yesterday I was writing my last blog and before I know it, it's time for the next weeks blog! I am really enjoying reviewing my weeks during this pregnancy, and sharing them with whoever out there is reading them. It's a great thing to look back on and remember what is was like.
According to my App this week Blueberry is the size of a Cauliflower head, and is now at the point where he won't grow much more in length, but will continue to put on weight. He could be anywhere between 45-48cm long and could weigh between 1.8-2.7kg, as we all know - all babies are different sizes and Blueberry should still be putting on about 230g a week now, so as long as my midwives are happy with his growth (which at the moment they are) its safe to assume that everything is on track. His bones are hardening, which explains why his kicks and movement is starting to get more painful.
I had my diabetes follow up appointment this week and she said that she was really happy with my levels and there were only 2 entries that were too high in her opinion. But I had reasons for both of them and they weren't right together so it was fine. (If there are 3 consecutive high readings I have to call the hospital.) So I am super happy about that. After all my stressing out about it I think I have finally got it under control. I just apologise to all the people I whinged and whined to along the way to getting here (Josh and Becky in particular, I'm looking at you guys!!)
This week has been a whole lot better than last week. Of course it hasn't all been smooth sailing, I have had a lot of stresses through work and the horrid thing that is car rego, but all in all it has been a pretty good week. I had a moments panic on Thursday afternoon though, I was walking to pick my car up from the mechanic (it's only about a 10 min walk from my workplace), and I don't know what is was that caused it, maybe the heat? But I started feeling strong, sharp, consistent pains in my lower stomach area. I thought for a brief moment that they were contractions, but then after sitting down for a while they changed to only hurting when baby moved or I moved too much. And now I don't feel any pain at all. When I thought they might have been contractions, I was trying to cast my mind back to when I was having them with Sienna and I totally can't remember what they felt like. I remember that they were painful, but that's about it.
When I was pregnant the first time I remember people saying to me, "You'll know when the contractions are starting. You'll just know." And now I'm thinking they say that because even they can't describe what they feel like because everything on that day goes so quickly, by the end of it you remember they were painful and concentrated and strong but don't remember the exact details. I remember the exact feeling of my water breaking more than the contractions, but more on that later on....
Other pains I have had this week consist of, me waking up on Wednesday morning and stretching to give myself the hugest calf cramp I have ever had in my life!!! Even today I am finding that calf painful to walk on, so I'm thinking in stretching the cramp out, I have pulled a muscle or something. It feels like I have done a whole heap of exercise - when I have done nothing and therefore will not see any benefits from the pain I am going through. It has made getting through our house (which consists of a staircase to the bathrooms and bedrooms) quite interesting.
Blueberry has been moving a lot this week. I've had those weird "alien" like bumps moving across my stomach pretty much constantly. There has also been a lot of tightening of the stomach happening, this is more commonly known as Braxton Hicks and is your body "practising" for labour. It has been more frequent during this pregnancy than with Sienna, which my midwife thinks is to do with the fact that I am more physical this time, keeping up with Sienna. They aren't painful, which is a good thing considering how often they are happening, but they make it really awkward to bend and move, as the stomach is rock hard. I swear my ribs on my left side are bruised also, because when he kicks there it is so painful and sometimes even if I breathe too deeply I can feel that ache like when someone pokes a bruise that is tender.
My belly button has pretty much popped already too. Which didn't happen at all with Sienna. So that's something new for me this time. Another new thing this pregnancy is the heat. I'm not liking it at all. I thought that I would be fine with it, because our house has air con, but even then I am still really struggling. As soon as I get home, basically everything comes off because its just too hot for clothes ha ha I have a few baggy, breathable tops and dresses that I wear constantly because I don't want to scare anyone too much, but every day there is a cool change is very much welcomed in this household. It was so much easier with Sienna, as I was pregnant through winter and could just pile on the clothes.
Now a question for all the ladies that read this (or the men if you know where your wives shop)... I am in need of a good nursing bra for when baby gets here. Where can I get a good one? Where did you get yours? I am after one that is convenient and easy to use but also still gives some kind of support. Since the bras n thing in this area have all closed I am really struggling to find a good one. The ones I used with Sienna were ok but don't give me the support I want. They were just from Kmart and Big W which could very much be the reason why they aren't the best? I don't know. But please let me know where is the best place online or actual store to get a good quality one!!
And to finish up, my weekly bump picture!! It's nice and round still... I'm waiting for the drop because I remember that being so much more comfortable because I could actually breathe for a bit but I have read that in your 2nd pregnancy that might not happen until just before labour.... gah!!!
According to my App this week Blueberry is the size of a Cauliflower head, and is now at the point where he won't grow much more in length, but will continue to put on weight. He could be anywhere between 45-48cm long and could weigh between 1.8-2.7kg, as we all know - all babies are different sizes and Blueberry should still be putting on about 230g a week now, so as long as my midwives are happy with his growth (which at the moment they are) its safe to assume that everything is on track. His bones are hardening, which explains why his kicks and movement is starting to get more painful.
I had my diabetes follow up appointment this week and she said that she was really happy with my levels and there were only 2 entries that were too high in her opinion. But I had reasons for both of them and they weren't right together so it was fine. (If there are 3 consecutive high readings I have to call the hospital.) So I am super happy about that. After all my stressing out about it I think I have finally got it under control. I just apologise to all the people I whinged and whined to along the way to getting here (Josh and Becky in particular, I'm looking at you guys!!)
This week has been a whole lot better than last week. Of course it hasn't all been smooth sailing, I have had a lot of stresses through work and the horrid thing that is car rego, but all in all it has been a pretty good week. I had a moments panic on Thursday afternoon though, I was walking to pick my car up from the mechanic (it's only about a 10 min walk from my workplace), and I don't know what is was that caused it, maybe the heat? But I started feeling strong, sharp, consistent pains in my lower stomach area. I thought for a brief moment that they were contractions, but then after sitting down for a while they changed to only hurting when baby moved or I moved too much. And now I don't feel any pain at all. When I thought they might have been contractions, I was trying to cast my mind back to when I was having them with Sienna and I totally can't remember what they felt like. I remember that they were painful, but that's about it.
When I was pregnant the first time I remember people saying to me, "You'll know when the contractions are starting. You'll just know." And now I'm thinking they say that because even they can't describe what they feel like because everything on that day goes so quickly, by the end of it you remember they were painful and concentrated and strong but don't remember the exact details. I remember the exact feeling of my water breaking more than the contractions, but more on that later on....
Other pains I have had this week consist of, me waking up on Wednesday morning and stretching to give myself the hugest calf cramp I have ever had in my life!!! Even today I am finding that calf painful to walk on, so I'm thinking in stretching the cramp out, I have pulled a muscle or something. It feels like I have done a whole heap of exercise - when I have done nothing and therefore will not see any benefits from the pain I am going through. It has made getting through our house (which consists of a staircase to the bathrooms and bedrooms) quite interesting.
Blueberry has been moving a lot this week. I've had those weird "alien" like bumps moving across my stomach pretty much constantly. There has also been a lot of tightening of the stomach happening, this is more commonly known as Braxton Hicks and is your body "practising" for labour. It has been more frequent during this pregnancy than with Sienna, which my midwife thinks is to do with the fact that I am more physical this time, keeping up with Sienna. They aren't painful, which is a good thing considering how often they are happening, but they make it really awkward to bend and move, as the stomach is rock hard. I swear my ribs on my left side are bruised also, because when he kicks there it is so painful and sometimes even if I breathe too deeply I can feel that ache like when someone pokes a bruise that is tender.
My belly button has pretty much popped already too. Which didn't happen at all with Sienna. So that's something new for me this time. Another new thing this pregnancy is the heat. I'm not liking it at all. I thought that I would be fine with it, because our house has air con, but even then I am still really struggling. As soon as I get home, basically everything comes off because its just too hot for clothes ha ha I have a few baggy, breathable tops and dresses that I wear constantly because I don't want to scare anyone too much, but every day there is a cool change is very much welcomed in this household. It was so much easier with Sienna, as I was pregnant through winter and could just pile on the clothes.
Now a question for all the ladies that read this (or the men if you know where your wives shop)... I am in need of a good nursing bra for when baby gets here. Where can I get a good one? Where did you get yours? I am after one that is convenient and easy to use but also still gives some kind of support. Since the bras n thing in this area have all closed I am really struggling to find a good one. The ones I used with Sienna were ok but don't give me the support I want. They were just from Kmart and Big W which could very much be the reason why they aren't the best? I don't know. But please let me know where is the best place online or actual store to get a good quality one!!
And to finish up, my weekly bump picture!! It's nice and round still... I'm waiting for the drop because I remember that being so much more comfortable because I could actually breathe for a bit but I have read that in your 2nd pregnancy that might not happen until just before labour.... gah!!!
Sunday 5 February 2017
32 Week Pregnancy Update!! Rough Week....
Hey all!! Sorry I missed a weeks update. I've had a lot on which I will talk about his blog...
First things first though, 32 weeks!! Wowzah!! Only 2 more months till we have a new bubba in our arms!! Everytime I think about that it just blows my mind!! This week baby is the size of a Papaya fruit. He is measuring about 45.7cm and weighs about 1.8kg. It's a crazy though to think that if I was to have my baby now, he has over a 90% chance of survival! I would like him to keep cooking though because I want him to be as healthy and strong as he can be. I had a midwife visit last week and she said that he is measuring up fine and has a healthy heartbeat. He is still head down and is in the same position as a fortnight ago with his back to my right side and his legs to my left. She also told me that my stomach has grown quite a bit in the past fortnight and asked if I have noticed it.... and boy have I!! Every since Australia Day I have been out of breath even more than I already have been. It also seems to be getting in the way even more so than usual.
I have had a really rough fortnight this fortnight. After finding out about my Gestational Diabetes, I admit, I did stress a lot. I went to classes to teach me how to test my blood and how to monitor the foods that I was eating. It was quite overwhelming, everything that is said and the amount of paperwork you get, incase you don't remember everything that is said on the day. I came away from it thinking, this will be easier than I thought, basically all I have to do is cut out sweets and chocolate (I have not had a lolly or chocolate in 2 weeks, which is really good, if you know me and my sweet tooth) and I could keep eating what I already am, which was healthy enough, I just had to portion control. Keeping an eye on how much pasta I put on my plate when having spaghetti bolognaise and that sort of stuff. Because unlike proper diabetes, we watch out carb intake more than sugar intake. (Mind you I could have got that totally wrong, that's just how I have been looking at it.) You also have to make sure that you are having 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. Your meals must have between 30g-45g of carbs and your snack must have between 15g-30g of carbs. You also have to test your blood levels 4 times a day. When you wake up, and 2 hours after the first bite of your main meals. The rules are pretty simple but I have been finding them difficult to fit into my every day routine.
I work an hours drive away from my home, and although that is just for another 4 weeks, it makes it really hard to be having breakfast before 9am and dinner before 7.30pm. I felt like I was eating all day with the constant snacks, but strangely enough, felt hungriest in the 2 hours after my main meal, when I couldn't eat, before the blood test, and I find it really hard to snack at work, because I am so busy doing other things.
I felt like even though I was having all these difficulties, I felt like I was still getting on top of it. My blood was coming in at a good sugar level. Then I made the mistake of being lazy for dinner one night and getting Zambreros. I thought that this would be the best fast food option, it was a wrap and if I watched the things I put on it I would be fine. My blood sugar level after that was high... not over the limit, but high. And ever since then, it has been high and I am really struggling to get it back down. Today is actually the first day that I have felt like I have it under control again. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. I was following my diet instructions down to a T, but was still getting these massive sugar levels coming in. It was making me feel so depressed. Food. Something that I have always loved, was becoming a thing of daily stress for me. Eating and not being able to enjoy it, for fear of what my blood sugar level was going to be after finishing it. Feeling my insides falling to pieces every time my levels came back high and not knowing where I was going wrong. Having to stop myself from crying each time because I didn't want to feel weak. I didn't know how I was going to make it through these last 8 weeks. I already felt absolutely exhausted, thinking about every thing I was eating tired me out even more. I couldn't find the energy to be doing exercise, when I can hardly hold my eyes open at the end of each day, and the last thing I want, is to be put on medication. Then, finally, I think I had found the culprit. Although you are allowed to eat bread (and I was eating multigrain bread, not like it was white or anything), I thought that maybe that was what was sending my sugar levels over, because I was having it with every meal as it was an easy carb to use. So I left it out of all of my meals today and have been doing fine. Sugar levels have gone back down and although I am still absolutely exhausted, that takes a weight off of my shoulders. So no more bread for me. (Just for 8 weeks, I keep reminding myself). I have follow up appointments with both the hospitals diabetes expert and my dietitian this week so I'll let you know how they go in my next blog.
I have been having some weird pains this fortnight too. When he kicks, he gets me in the ribs which can get quite painful. And there are times throughout the day when he feels... heavy (I think is the right work to use), I feel like gravity is really pulling my belly down and it can get quite achy and to a certain extent painful sometimes. I have this belt thing that my parents gave me which I have been wearing around the house which helps a little, but sometimes I just need to tell myself to stop and sit. I have also been getting head spins this week. Its probably to do with the heat coming and going and me not drinking enough water, or the fact the I have to bend down to pick up Sienna so often, but there are times that I am getting light headed. My midwife said just to keep my fluids up and to pick Sienna up squatting instead for bending at the waist (which is easier said than done in my condition).
Looking back at my weight gain during these last few months of pregnancy has been interesting too. You can tell that I binged over Christmas because between the beginning of November and the end of December I put on 4.1kg. I remember saying in a blog previously that I was almost at the weight I was at full term with Sienna. But in the month since then I have only put on 900g and I'm thinking that most of that is baby. So I am still just under what I was full term with Sienna ha ha and i'm holding onto that for as long as I can. Although I do understand you do need to put on a healthy amount of weight when you are pregnant. Check out my bump picture.....
Please don't forget to leave a friendly comment either down below or on my facebook or instagram accounts. If you have any questions or advice please I'm all ears =)
First things first though, 32 weeks!! Wowzah!! Only 2 more months till we have a new bubba in our arms!! Everytime I think about that it just blows my mind!! This week baby is the size of a Papaya fruit. He is measuring about 45.7cm and weighs about 1.8kg. It's a crazy though to think that if I was to have my baby now, he has over a 90% chance of survival! I would like him to keep cooking though because I want him to be as healthy and strong as he can be. I had a midwife visit last week and she said that he is measuring up fine and has a healthy heartbeat. He is still head down and is in the same position as a fortnight ago with his back to my right side and his legs to my left. She also told me that my stomach has grown quite a bit in the past fortnight and asked if I have noticed it.... and boy have I!! Every since Australia Day I have been out of breath even more than I already have been. It also seems to be getting in the way even more so than usual.
I have had a really rough fortnight this fortnight. After finding out about my Gestational Diabetes, I admit, I did stress a lot. I went to classes to teach me how to test my blood and how to monitor the foods that I was eating. It was quite overwhelming, everything that is said and the amount of paperwork you get, incase you don't remember everything that is said on the day. I came away from it thinking, this will be easier than I thought, basically all I have to do is cut out sweets and chocolate (I have not had a lolly or chocolate in 2 weeks, which is really good, if you know me and my sweet tooth) and I could keep eating what I already am, which was healthy enough, I just had to portion control. Keeping an eye on how much pasta I put on my plate when having spaghetti bolognaise and that sort of stuff. Because unlike proper diabetes, we watch out carb intake more than sugar intake. (Mind you I could have got that totally wrong, that's just how I have been looking at it.) You also have to make sure that you are having 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. Your meals must have between 30g-45g of carbs and your snack must have between 15g-30g of carbs. You also have to test your blood levels 4 times a day. When you wake up, and 2 hours after the first bite of your main meals. The rules are pretty simple but I have been finding them difficult to fit into my every day routine.
I work an hours drive away from my home, and although that is just for another 4 weeks, it makes it really hard to be having breakfast before 9am and dinner before 7.30pm. I felt like I was eating all day with the constant snacks, but strangely enough, felt hungriest in the 2 hours after my main meal, when I couldn't eat, before the blood test, and I find it really hard to snack at work, because I am so busy doing other things.
I felt like even though I was having all these difficulties, I felt like I was still getting on top of it. My blood was coming in at a good sugar level. Then I made the mistake of being lazy for dinner one night and getting Zambreros. I thought that this would be the best fast food option, it was a wrap and if I watched the things I put on it I would be fine. My blood sugar level after that was high... not over the limit, but high. And ever since then, it has been high and I am really struggling to get it back down. Today is actually the first day that I have felt like I have it under control again. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. I was following my diet instructions down to a T, but was still getting these massive sugar levels coming in. It was making me feel so depressed. Food. Something that I have always loved, was becoming a thing of daily stress for me. Eating and not being able to enjoy it, for fear of what my blood sugar level was going to be after finishing it. Feeling my insides falling to pieces every time my levels came back high and not knowing where I was going wrong. Having to stop myself from crying each time because I didn't want to feel weak. I didn't know how I was going to make it through these last 8 weeks. I already felt absolutely exhausted, thinking about every thing I was eating tired me out even more. I couldn't find the energy to be doing exercise, when I can hardly hold my eyes open at the end of each day, and the last thing I want, is to be put on medication. Then, finally, I think I had found the culprit. Although you are allowed to eat bread (and I was eating multigrain bread, not like it was white or anything), I thought that maybe that was what was sending my sugar levels over, because I was having it with every meal as it was an easy carb to use. So I left it out of all of my meals today and have been doing fine. Sugar levels have gone back down and although I am still absolutely exhausted, that takes a weight off of my shoulders. So no more bread for me. (Just for 8 weeks, I keep reminding myself). I have follow up appointments with both the hospitals diabetes expert and my dietitian this week so I'll let you know how they go in my next blog.
I have been having some weird pains this fortnight too. When he kicks, he gets me in the ribs which can get quite painful. And there are times throughout the day when he feels... heavy (I think is the right work to use), I feel like gravity is really pulling my belly down and it can get quite achy and to a certain extent painful sometimes. I have this belt thing that my parents gave me which I have been wearing around the house which helps a little, but sometimes I just need to tell myself to stop and sit. I have also been getting head spins this week. Its probably to do with the heat coming and going and me not drinking enough water, or the fact the I have to bend down to pick up Sienna so often, but there are times that I am getting light headed. My midwife said just to keep my fluids up and to pick Sienna up squatting instead for bending at the waist (which is easier said than done in my condition).
Looking back at my weight gain during these last few months of pregnancy has been interesting too. You can tell that I binged over Christmas because between the beginning of November and the end of December I put on 4.1kg. I remember saying in a blog previously that I was almost at the weight I was at full term with Sienna. But in the month since then I have only put on 900g and I'm thinking that most of that is baby. So I am still just under what I was full term with Sienna ha ha and i'm holding onto that for as long as I can. Although I do understand you do need to put on a healthy amount of weight when you are pregnant. Check out my bump picture.....
Please don't forget to leave a friendly comment either down below or on my facebook or instagram accounts. If you have any questions or advice please I'm all ears =)
Sunday 22 January 2017
Thank You!!
I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all the support I have received over the past 24 hours!!
You guys are truly the best people and I am so lucky to be able to call each and every one of you my friends! The amount of people who have come forward to share their stories of Gestational Diabetes or give their support to me has been phenomenal!! I was unsure about if I wanted to share my results on here, because I felt that poorly on myself, but I thought there might be other people like me out there that need to know there are others facing the same thing, and I taught myself that lesson at the same time. Here I was thinking that I was a let down to all females. That I was weak. And then I find out that there are so many people who have been through it, and that makes me feel like I can take on the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Even before yesterdays blog, I want to thank all the people who read my previous blog and gave me their telephone numbers, incase I needed to call someone if anything happened. I am so lucky to be a part of such a wonderful community of people. Not just here in my hometown, but over social media. There are people who I have never met, or haven't seen in a long time and they are there right behind me, encouraging me through everything. Thank you!
To each and every one of you reading this now, thank you for being a part of this journey with me!
Happy days, until my next blog....
- A xx
You guys are truly the best people and I am so lucky to be able to call each and every one of you my friends! The amount of people who have come forward to share their stories of Gestational Diabetes or give their support to me has been phenomenal!! I was unsure about if I wanted to share my results on here, because I felt that poorly on myself, but I thought there might be other people like me out there that need to know there are others facing the same thing, and I taught myself that lesson at the same time. Here I was thinking that I was a let down to all females. That I was weak. And then I find out that there are so many people who have been through it, and that makes me feel like I can take on the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Even before yesterdays blog, I want to thank all the people who read my previous blog and gave me their telephone numbers, incase I needed to call someone if anything happened. I am so lucky to be a part of such a wonderful community of people. Not just here in my hometown, but over social media. There are people who I have never met, or haven't seen in a long time and they are there right behind me, encouraging me through everything. Thank you!
To each and every one of you reading this now, thank you for being a part of this journey with me!
Happy days, until my next blog....
- A xx
Saturday 21 January 2017
30 Weeks Pregnancy Update Bad News =(
Only 10 weeks to go!!! I am literally down to the countdown of weeks on my two hands!!! That is absolute craziness!! I really need this pregnancy to slow down now or Blueberry will be here in no time at all. It's funny because it seems like just yesterday, but at the same time so long ago that I found out I was pregnant, and now I'm facing only about 6 weeks left of work (then it will really kick in). I feel like I need to start getting organised now. So today I have been going through some of Siennas old clothes and picking out things that could be classed as more unisex for Blueberry to wear too, and getting the bassinet ready in our room (so I don't have to worry about it later). I have been going through some clothes that my Aunty has given me for Blueberry with my mum, and you forget how small they are. The little overalls and onesies just look so tiny, and most of them are 0000 in size, when Sienna was born she was too small for 00000, so imagine how small she must have been!! Gah where does the time go??
According to my App, Blueberry just over 43cm from head to toe and weighs about 1.6kg so he is getting bigger slowly, but over the next few weeks is expected to put on about half a pound (or about 230g) a week leading up to the big day. My midwife said he is measuring well and has a strong heartbeat (I had Sienna in the room with me at my appointment while all this was being done, and she started dancing to the rhythm of Blueberrys heartbeat, it was so cute!). Blueberry kicked the midwife a few times during the measuring, which she said was good movement and the sign of a healthy baby. I got to feel his head which is downward in the correct position, thank goodness, which also indicates that he is lowering himself downward towards the birth canal, ready to be born. His back is on my right side and his feet are over on the left, which would explain why I am having so much movement on the left side, especially at night when he decides to have a little soccer game on my insides. Although I do know there is the chance that he will keep moving position throughout the rest of the pregnancy.
Other symptoms that I have been experiencing this week are mood swings (which I thought I was over with during the first trimester), I have been tearing up at silly things on TV and on Facebook constantly. Still having difficulty sleeping due to uncomfortableness and huge movement. The heat has actually been bearable for a majority of this week so I can't blame that. I am still getting very out of breath, even just talking sometimes leaves me feeling like I've just run a marathon. And, especially over the last few days, my belly has been feeling heavier than usual. I know that's because he is growing, but I feel like my belly has dropped, even just the smallest bit, because sitting and things that I had no or little problems with before, are becoming more and more uncomfortable.
In other news... I got my results back from my glucose test on Wednesday and it turns out that I have Gestational Diabetes. When I first found out I got really upset. I felt like I had let myself down. I got down on myself for a few days. I felt that it was bad enough that during pregnancy I couldn't have some of my favourite things, like soft cheese, and now I couldn't have basically ALL of my other favourite things, like sweets, chocolate, white pasta, rice and bread, all the carbs that I love so much. I went through and looked at lists of things that you are and aren't allowed to eat and it really depressed me, as everything I liked to eat was on the bad side. It was only really yesterday that I pulled myself together and realised that it isn't the end of the world, as long as I get my diet under control and keep to regular exercise then it should be fine. One of my new years resolutions was to get back to my pre-Sienna body and this could very well help me get back on track for this, even before Blueberry is born. And its only 10 weeks, then hopefully it should go away. I mean don't get me wrong, I still am upset about it, but there is nothing I can do now but deal with it.
I kind of knew that this would happen to me eventually though, as I have distant family history of diabetes and I have PCOS, which are two factors that put people at risk of getting Gestational Diabetes.
So what does having Gestational Diabetes mean? Like I said in my previous blog, it means during pregnancy your body doesn't break down sugars at a fast enough rate, as your body is not producing as much insulin due to hormone changes. But that's all I really know at the moment. I have an appointment with a specialist on Tuesday to talk me through it a bit more. I will then find out about having to est me blood and things like that. I have Google doctored myself a little but it started to stress me out so I stopped and decided to wait to see the specialist and get all the information I need for it from them, so that I can ask questions where I need and understand it a little better. I also have a friend who has been through this too (so I know there is light at the end of the tunnel), and I am planning to meet up with her soon to have a chat about things too, as I want to keep this as under control as I can.
If this is not kept under control, it increases my risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life or increasing the risk that Blueberry could have it when he is older. It could also lead to him growing too fast in the womb and I don't particularly want to be facing giving birth to a big baby, as that could led to complications during labour and/or a C-section, which I want to steer clear of if possible.
So regardless to say, all those other questions I had planned for the midwife completely left my head when I was told this news.... I got my certificate for work though and I asked about tearing and the effect it will have on this pregnancy and she said that hopefully Sienna has paved the way for this one and everything will be more stretched that it was previously so it shouldn't be any trouble, but she has highlighted the fact that there was previous tearing on my record, so the midwifes can take that into consideration when I am in labour this time. She also said that the most important thing for me was to have good communication with my midwife (which is what I was planning on having already), so I know exactly when to push etc. to minimise any further injury. The funny thing is though, that when you are in as much pain as you are in pregnancy, you may think you are being nice and cooperative with the midwives, when in reality you might not be... I am so sorry to the midwives when I was having Sienna, I really for the life of me cannot remember what I was like at that time, I'm sure both Josh or my Dad would be more that willing to remind me, as they were both there in the delivery room with me... hopefully I wasn't too bad. In a few weeks time I'm going to take a trip down memory lane with you and do a blog about my birth story with Sienna. Well, as much as I can remember any way. I might have to collaborate with Josh for that one and he can fill in all my blanks ha ha
Anyhow, here is my weekly bump pic.... let me know if you think it has dropped at all (probably hasn't, and its just my imagination). Sorry if its hard to see in the dress I'm wearing, it was just too warm to be wearing anything else...
According to my App, Blueberry just over 43cm from head to toe and weighs about 1.6kg so he is getting bigger slowly, but over the next few weeks is expected to put on about half a pound (or about 230g) a week leading up to the big day. My midwife said he is measuring well and has a strong heartbeat (I had Sienna in the room with me at my appointment while all this was being done, and she started dancing to the rhythm of Blueberrys heartbeat, it was so cute!). Blueberry kicked the midwife a few times during the measuring, which she said was good movement and the sign of a healthy baby. I got to feel his head which is downward in the correct position, thank goodness, which also indicates that he is lowering himself downward towards the birth canal, ready to be born. His back is on my right side and his feet are over on the left, which would explain why I am having so much movement on the left side, especially at night when he decides to have a little soccer game on my insides. Although I do know there is the chance that he will keep moving position throughout the rest of the pregnancy.
Other symptoms that I have been experiencing this week are mood swings (which I thought I was over with during the first trimester), I have been tearing up at silly things on TV and on Facebook constantly. Still having difficulty sleeping due to uncomfortableness and huge movement. The heat has actually been bearable for a majority of this week so I can't blame that. I am still getting very out of breath, even just talking sometimes leaves me feeling like I've just run a marathon. And, especially over the last few days, my belly has been feeling heavier than usual. I know that's because he is growing, but I feel like my belly has dropped, even just the smallest bit, because sitting and things that I had no or little problems with before, are becoming more and more uncomfortable.
In other news... I got my results back from my glucose test on Wednesday and it turns out that I have Gestational Diabetes. When I first found out I got really upset. I felt like I had let myself down. I got down on myself for a few days. I felt that it was bad enough that during pregnancy I couldn't have some of my favourite things, like soft cheese, and now I couldn't have basically ALL of my other favourite things, like sweets, chocolate, white pasta, rice and bread, all the carbs that I love so much. I went through and looked at lists of things that you are and aren't allowed to eat and it really depressed me, as everything I liked to eat was on the bad side. It was only really yesterday that I pulled myself together and realised that it isn't the end of the world, as long as I get my diet under control and keep to regular exercise then it should be fine. One of my new years resolutions was to get back to my pre-Sienna body and this could very well help me get back on track for this, even before Blueberry is born. And its only 10 weeks, then hopefully it should go away. I mean don't get me wrong, I still am upset about it, but there is nothing I can do now but deal with it.
I kind of knew that this would happen to me eventually though, as I have distant family history of diabetes and I have PCOS, which are two factors that put people at risk of getting Gestational Diabetes.
So what does having Gestational Diabetes mean? Like I said in my previous blog, it means during pregnancy your body doesn't break down sugars at a fast enough rate, as your body is not producing as much insulin due to hormone changes. But that's all I really know at the moment. I have an appointment with a specialist on Tuesday to talk me through it a bit more. I will then find out about having to est me blood and things like that. I have Google doctored myself a little but it started to stress me out so I stopped and decided to wait to see the specialist and get all the information I need for it from them, so that I can ask questions where I need and understand it a little better. I also have a friend who has been through this too (so I know there is light at the end of the tunnel), and I am planning to meet up with her soon to have a chat about things too, as I want to keep this as under control as I can.
If this is not kept under control, it increases my risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life or increasing the risk that Blueberry could have it when he is older. It could also lead to him growing too fast in the womb and I don't particularly want to be facing giving birth to a big baby, as that could led to complications during labour and/or a C-section, which I want to steer clear of if possible.
So regardless to say, all those other questions I had planned for the midwife completely left my head when I was told this news.... I got my certificate for work though and I asked about tearing and the effect it will have on this pregnancy and she said that hopefully Sienna has paved the way for this one and everything will be more stretched that it was previously so it shouldn't be any trouble, but she has highlighted the fact that there was previous tearing on my record, so the midwifes can take that into consideration when I am in labour this time. She also said that the most important thing for me was to have good communication with my midwife (which is what I was planning on having already), so I know exactly when to push etc. to minimise any further injury. The funny thing is though, that when you are in as much pain as you are in pregnancy, you may think you are being nice and cooperative with the midwives, when in reality you might not be... I am so sorry to the midwives when I was having Sienna, I really for the life of me cannot remember what I was like at that time, I'm sure both Josh or my Dad would be more that willing to remind me, as they were both there in the delivery room with me... hopefully I wasn't too bad. In a few weeks time I'm going to take a trip down memory lane with you and do a blog about my birth story with Sienna. Well, as much as I can remember any way. I might have to collaborate with Josh for that one and he can fill in all my blanks ha ha
Anyhow, here is my weekly bump pic.... let me know if you think it has dropped at all (probably hasn't, and its just my imagination). Sorry if its hard to see in the dress I'm wearing, it was just too warm to be wearing anything else...
Sunday 15 January 2017
29 Weeks Pregnancy Update Big Baby??
Some things have really hit home this week... I have had a friend of mine who was due at the end of February, have her baby 6 weeks early. This terrifies me. I couldn't think of anything that would scare me more than having a baby come early. Not only am I alone a lot at this point in time but I just don't feel ready yet. But in reality it could be happening at any time now. I was discussing with Josh and with my sister about what I would do if anything was to happen while I was at home alone with Sienna. Especially considering the hospital that I am booked in to is an hours drive away. I guess it's something I'd just have to deal with if it did happen. I have plenty of phone numbers to contact if anything happens so I'm pretty sure I'd be fine. How early do you have a hospital bag packed? Is it silly to have one ready 11 weeks before you're due? I guess I'm just a person that likes to be prepared and the thing that scares me the most about child birth is how it is completely out of my control.... I don't know how anything is going to happen.
Blueberry this week is about 40cm long and 1.3kg in weight. So its hasn't grown too much in the past week and has a lot to pack on in the next 11 weeks. I am feeling a lot of symptoms this week though... My ankles are swelling, which is something I never experienced with Sienna. I am finding that at work roughly around 3o'clock my feet and ankles start to really hurt. I am getting really out of breath, really fast too. Today for instance, I was doing the washing up and after a while felt like I needed to sit down because I was so out of breath, doing nothing but standing there, washing!!! My heartburn has been coming back at nights. Not as bad as it has been but enough to keep me awake. But if that isn't keeping me up the fact that I just can't get comfortable or the fact that it feels like Blueberry is playing a soccer game in my stomach is enough to keep me up. Sleep is hard to come by at the moment unfortunately, especially with it being as hot as it is.
Another thing I have been experiencing over the past few days, more than normal, is what they call "Lighting crotch". It is when baby is kicking, elbowing or headbutting my cervix and that sends a jolt like feeling through the rest of my body. It is painful but not at the same time... like, painful for a second then it just feels like going over a big drop and your belly has that dropping feeling. But it literally stops me in my tracks everytime and the more it happens at a time, the more painful it feels.
I am struggling a bit with Sienna at the moment too. She wants to be picked up a lot and I can't hold her for too long and struggle to bend down to pick her up of the ground. I am already needing her to stand in her cot so I can pick her up because I can't get down to her when she's lying down. It also is very difficult to lay her down at naptimes because those bars in her cot just get in the way ha ha
I find out the results of my glucose test at my midwife appointment which takes happens on Wednesday. Fingers crossed for good news. I also have lots of questions for my midwife this visit too. Because I tore quite a bit when giving birth to Sienna, I worry about what issues I may have "down there" this time. I also need certificates from my midwife to show my workplace that I really am pregnant so I can get time off. Plus lots of other questions which I can't remember right now... she'll have fun with me =)
This week we were also comparing pictures of me from my last pregnancy with this time. And we came to the conclusion that this baby is bigger than Sienna was, as at 28 weeks I look the same size as I was at 35 weeks with Sienna. That makes me nervous work wise also, as at 35 weeks last time I had a week left of work and this time being a similar size I still have 7 weeks to go.... it'll be fun... I guess I just have to take it easy and take each day as it comes. I just feel sorry for all the people that will have to put up with my complaining and constant pee stops. (I swear I never peed this much with Sienna.) I'll let you decide for yourself if I'm a similar size to what I was....
Me at 29 Weeks...
Me at 35 Weeks with Sienna:
Craziness!! But they do say that you are bigger with your second baby... right?? It could be a small baby with a lot of fluid in the sac around it, right??? I'll just keep telling myself that, and not that I have a monster sized baby boy growing inside me ha ha let me know what you think.....
Blueberry this week is about 40cm long and 1.3kg in weight. So its hasn't grown too much in the past week and has a lot to pack on in the next 11 weeks. I am feeling a lot of symptoms this week though... My ankles are swelling, which is something I never experienced with Sienna. I am finding that at work roughly around 3o'clock my feet and ankles start to really hurt. I am getting really out of breath, really fast too. Today for instance, I was doing the washing up and after a while felt like I needed to sit down because I was so out of breath, doing nothing but standing there, washing!!! My heartburn has been coming back at nights. Not as bad as it has been but enough to keep me awake. But if that isn't keeping me up the fact that I just can't get comfortable or the fact that it feels like Blueberry is playing a soccer game in my stomach is enough to keep me up. Sleep is hard to come by at the moment unfortunately, especially with it being as hot as it is.
Another thing I have been experiencing over the past few days, more than normal, is what they call "Lighting crotch". It is when baby is kicking, elbowing or headbutting my cervix and that sends a jolt like feeling through the rest of my body. It is painful but not at the same time... like, painful for a second then it just feels like going over a big drop and your belly has that dropping feeling. But it literally stops me in my tracks everytime and the more it happens at a time, the more painful it feels.
I am struggling a bit with Sienna at the moment too. She wants to be picked up a lot and I can't hold her for too long and struggle to bend down to pick her up of the ground. I am already needing her to stand in her cot so I can pick her up because I can't get down to her when she's lying down. It also is very difficult to lay her down at naptimes because those bars in her cot just get in the way ha ha
I find out the results of my glucose test at my midwife appointment which takes happens on Wednesday. Fingers crossed for good news. I also have lots of questions for my midwife this visit too. Because I tore quite a bit when giving birth to Sienna, I worry about what issues I may have "down there" this time. I also need certificates from my midwife to show my workplace that I really am pregnant so I can get time off. Plus lots of other questions which I can't remember right now... she'll have fun with me =)
This week we were also comparing pictures of me from my last pregnancy with this time. And we came to the conclusion that this baby is bigger than Sienna was, as at 28 weeks I look the same size as I was at 35 weeks with Sienna. That makes me nervous work wise also, as at 35 weeks last time I had a week left of work and this time being a similar size I still have 7 weeks to go.... it'll be fun... I guess I just have to take it easy and take each day as it comes. I just feel sorry for all the people that will have to put up with my complaining and constant pee stops. (I swear I never peed this much with Sienna.) I'll let you decide for yourself if I'm a similar size to what I was....
Me at 29 Weeks...
Me at 35 Weeks with Sienna:
Craziness!! But they do say that you are bigger with your second baby... right?? It could be a small baby with a lot of fluid in the sac around it, right??? I'll just keep telling myself that, and not that I have a monster sized baby boy growing inside me ha ha let me know what you think.....
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