Long time, no post!

Wow...I haven't posted on here in almost a year! Crazy!! Guess that's what happens when you have a full time person to look after lol

Holly is now 1! Her birthday was the weekend before last, and it also coincided with Mother's Day this year. We had a great day with her (after a disasterous morning trying to bake a cake that ended up only good for dessert). Went out to the inlaws for a roast lamb dinner, I baked an awesome cake (my best cake ever!) and we had cheerios and yummy things to eat for lunch.

My big 1 year old girl with her new toybox



The cake! yum!


Yesterday at SPACE (which is at playcentre and stands for Supporting Parents Alongside Childhood Education) Holly got to play with paint and gloop (which is made from cornflour and water and is wonderful magical stuff that I got a big kick out of as well!) and most of it ended up in her mouth...and she took her first steps which was so exciting! So it's all onwards and upwards from here, as she finds her feet it's going to be fun times trying to keep up with her!

The last year has gone by so fast, much of it has been a blur and it is hard to believe that she is 1 already. Just seems like yesterday I found out I was pregnant! It is starting to be so much fun having Holly, past all the baby stuff, now she is so cute and does funny things, and she has started to be really cuddly which is really lovely. It has been a hard year with all the sleep deprivation, but hopefully that will start to get better soon. Had a great week last week but I spoilt it by taking her to the chiropractor which she probably didn't need (been taking her to try and sort out her wind problems). Never mind. I'm still breastfeeding her too, and am proud to say that she has never needed to have formula! The recommended time to keep breastfeeding until is 2 years old (recommended by the World Health Organisation) so I am going to try and attempt to do this. I am lucky that I have been able to do it for so long already with not many problems, aside from a couple of blocked ducts I have had it relatively trouble free (touch wood). I do feel for those who struggle with breastfeeding as it really is great if you can manage it. I'm still a full time stay at home mum as well, I went back to work for a couple of weeks when they needed me, but for now, as long as I can, I will be at home with Holly. It's great being able to spend so much time with her as she isn't going to be little for long so I want to enjoy it while I can. Looking forward to being able to do some really cool things with her too now that she's getting older. The fun is just beginning!

Introducing......

Holly May! Born 13th May 2011 at 9.21am by elective c-section (obviously the ECV didn't work lol).


Her first photo!

 I'll post my birth story as I wrote it for an online forum I belong to.

Birth story:
Friday the 13th of May we had to be up at the hospital at 7am for the elective c-section, so we were up early. Got settled into my room and they checked to make sure she hadn't turned around over night (no such luck lol) and then I had to put on a hospital gown and sexy pressure stockings lol. Then they wheeled me down to the theatre. I was so nervous! On the way down they made DH grab an incubator incase we needed it. Really started to feel real then. Then they made DH wait out in the hallway while they took me in to prep me for the surgery. Took ages! First they had to put lines in my hands for the IV's, and then into the actual theatre room for the spinal. It was really cold in there and I was really scared so started shaking heaps, and my bottom lip kept trembling and I couldnt stop it. It took them ages to put the spinal in as the first two spots they tried didn't work, so another anaesthatist had to come and help out, (I was getting nervous at this stage that it wasn't going to work and that they would have to give me a general) but finally it worked and things went all hot and numb. Totally weird feeling! Then they put my legs up on the table and pushed me over to the actual operating table and did the whole 3, 2, 1 lift thing (felt like i was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy or something lol). Then the catheter was inserted and we were ready to go. They put the sheet up and I just lay there waiting for DH to be let in. Finally he came in and they started.
I wasn't actually sure when they first started cutting as i could just feel random feelings on my belly, but then they said right you are going to feel some pressure now - and they weren't wrong about that!! Major pressure and tugging! Then a feeling like my belly was deflating (like someone letting the air out of a balloon lol) and I knew they were bringing my little girl into the world. Sure enough there was a loud cry and they held her up over the screen. She showered me with blood and goo lol. I just started crying, couldn't believe that she was actually here! And I couldn't believe I was lying there with people working inside me! Really surreal. THE strangest thing I have ever been through. My little girl was screaming her lungs out while they were cleaning her down and checking to make sure she was ok, then they brought her over to me and we got a bit of skin to skin while they stitched me up. I couldn't believe how cute and perfect she was. We decided to call her the name we had thought of way back at about 20 weeks - Holly May. Seemed like a good fit. Then they took her with DH into the recovery room to wait for me. While they were finishing up with me I started to feel really weird and i got a loud buzzing in my ears. Felt like I was going to faint but I was already lying down! Then I got pushed into the recovery room and I gave my first breastfeed. They were taking my blood pressure every couple of minutes, and they took my temp - was down at 34 degrees so they were a bit concerned and I had to be put under warming blankets and stuff, even though I felt like I was hot. Took forever for my temp to come up to 35.5 which was the temp they would let me go back up to my room at. (It actually took a couple of days to come right back up where it was supposed to be).
So we got wheeled back up to my room and I spent the rest of the day zonked out on morphine which I was hooked up to a PCA device so I could self medicate it. It made me feel really sick and so dopey and sleepy. We had a few visitors that day and I can't actually remember very much lol. Was so spaced out. In the end by the time they brought me dinner I could only eat one bite before feeling like I was going to be sick so I stopped taking the morphine and just started on the oral pain meds. Felt a lot better after that! The next morning they got me up for a shower and so the recovery began.
The first couple of days were pretty hard with trying to manage the pain and get breastfeeding sorted. Was really hard to hold her with the IV lures still in my hands so was relieved when they took them out. I think it was the second night that was pretty bad, she was just crying and crying and I was in a lot of pain and couldn't do much, so ended up crying with her. We came home on day 4 and started getting things sorted with our new little family.

And now we are 9 weeks on! Here's a pic of her a couple of weeks ago. She's really a dream baby, sleeping through the night, not crying much, smiling and "talking" heaps. I am totally in love with her!

Last day!

Woohoo, last day of work today!!! :D
Second attempt at ECV tomorrow, hopefully it goes well and the bubs turns around and heads south! Otherwise we may be looking at a caesar (either tomorrow if things go to custard, or else an elective will be booked for next week). I've had two rounds of acupuncture, and tonight am going to try the moxibustion stick that the acupuncturist gave me. Am supposed to do that twice daily. And he also gave me a homeopathic remedy - pulsatilla, so if the ECV doesn't work at least I have something to go on with until the caesar and hopefully it will work! Have been getting heaps of braxton hicks since last friday though so I don't think they will let me go quite as easily this time (not that they really did last week lol).
But what will be will be. I'm in a slightly better headspace now about the caesar. so thats all good.
Anyways just thought I would update...

oh and I had better post my bump pics..


From 31 weeks to 38 weeks :)



Head up, bum down

That's how bubs is lying at the moment. And has been for the past couple of weeks. Little monkey. at 37 weeks MOST babies are head down where they are supposed to be. But bubs is being contrary and she has her feet poking out my left side and her head hitting me under the ribs and giving me horrible heartburn! Not cutey cutey. I've been trying a whole heap of things to try and get her to turn around, including lying upside down on an ironing board propped up against the couch! She wriggles like crazy when I do it, but doesn't flip! I think she's too comfy where she is lol.

SO....this friday I'm booked in at the hospital for an ECV (external cephalic version), which is where an obstetrician tries to manually turn the baby from the outside. It doesn't sound very pleasant, but I would rather try that then have a ceaser! (although there is a slight risk of something going wrong and having to be rushed down to theatre, which is why I have to be nil by mouth for 4 hours before the procedure - considering that is at 10am I'm going to be rather hungry! Might have to get up for a midnight breakfast haha). So fingers crossed that it works and bubs turns (and then stays turned around). Otherwise I will be booked in for an elective ceaser at 39 weeks. Which is still not too bad either because that would give her an extra week and a bit to turn around by herself if the ECV doesn't work.

Went shopping last week and I have (I think) all the bits and pieces that I need for my hospital bag, so will be getting that packed before friday so I can take it in the car if it happens that I will need it! Still got a few bits and pieces to wash and get sorted, and still have to get a bassinet mattress! (I know, it's leaving it a bit late..but I haven't had the spare money!)

Oh and HOPING to finish work next week if my boss agrees. I'm getting pretty darn uncomfy sitting down for so long now and there are lots of things I want to try and get done at home before bubs arrives, and I want some time to myself too! Everyone keeps saying to me that I have done so well to have made it this far still working. yay for me haha.

Well I think that's all for now, haven't got a latest bump pic to put up yet so will have to get onto that tonight if I remember.

Discharged!

So I rang up the hospital to check on my appointment that I had for yesterday to see if I had to see the midwives as well as the diabetes doctor, and I got told that my appointment had been cancelled! and that I had been discharged! (thanks for telling me....) So wow, the diabetes specialist doesn't need to see me at all now for the rest of the pregnancy unless my blood sugar readings go out of whack. Yippee! And I got a letter in the mail from them that night telling me all the info, and she is going to let me go to term now without being induced. phew! So I must be doing something right! (either that or i'm just eating all the bad food when I don't have to take readings lol).

Better update my bump pic!

34 weeks!

Ooh it's just started raining here, sometimes I really love the rain, especially when I don't have to go outside in it! It just feels so cosy being inside and looking out on it. That's why I love winter, being all snuggled up by the fire wrapped in a blanket and drinking soup or hot chocolate and listening to the rain and the wind outside.

Another week bites the dust...

So. 34 weeks tomorrow. Far Out. Not a lot to say on that subject lol. Let's just say we are freaking out a tad.

Hospital visit last week was ... interesting. The maternity wing is pretty manky, needs a damn good paint job! Who paints hospital rooms purple??! And generally needs a good upgrade. But however, got to see the water birth room (there is only one bath so it's first in, first served. hmm.) The delivery room slightly scared me lol. As did the little premmie babies in the SCBU unit, just looking at them thinking omg I have one of those inside me right now! LOL. Was pretty funny to see some of the guys trying out the entonox. I didn't have a go, I figure if I want it in labour then I will try it then. and if it makes me feel sick then we won't go there. No point in finding out it makes me sick now!

never mind. I'm sure we will get there in the end.

GD finger pricks are going well, have only had a couple of bad readings in the past couple of weeks (although I have only been doing every second day (yippee) so I don't know what my levels are like on the days that I'm not pricking!

Bubs has been doing many somersaults, but I think today she might be head down. She has gone from breech, head down, breech, head down so many times over the past couple of weeks lol. Wish she would just go head down and stay there! Heartburn has come back today which I haven't had the last couple of days (while I think she was breech) so that's kinda interesting, because thats what happened last week as well when she flipped. Not liking the heartburn very much.

Oh and I received a lovely clothes package for bubs from a friend in the mail on friday :) Totally made my week! Hoping to pick up some nappies and bits and pieces when we get paid this week so we can cross that off the list. Slowly getting there I think....at least the freezer is looking a bit healthier with some soups and things in there. Spent all saturday baking for mums birthday present so I was shattered come sat night, could hardly even get up off the couch! But mmmm, nothing like home made gingernuts and other yummy things to brighten the day!

Scan update

Well the scan went well! Bubs is sitting bang on the 50th percentile for growth so they are happy with that. She was poking her tongue out and drinking lol, she looked like a cat lapping up milk! I felt rather faint and horrible while lying down so I had to get up and have a drink haha, then they made me lie on my side. I managed to get a picture, yay. The only thing is, she is breech! Little monkey, so either my MW was wrong when she felt around the other day, or else she has turned again. So hopefully she turns herself back around and heads south! The diabetes doctor was pleased with my progress so we are just going to stick with managing it through diet and I now only have to do finger pricks every second day! YIPPEE!

Got our second antenatal class tonight, next week's one is a hospital visit so that will be interesting.

Right, better get back to it!