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 :-(
Friday, 31 March 2017
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!!!
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