Busy Busy Busy!

It has been too long since my last post, I dare say that there will be no-one left who checks my blog!

On the off chance there are people who still check, I will try to post more regularly!

Also, in an effort to reclaim my identity apart from mother, I have created a blog just for Miss Squid's stories. This is so I have a record independent of Crazy Cat Lady that one day Miss Squid might even take over herself.

Life is good.

I'm starting to re-find myself, having finished up breastfeeding at about 10 months, and losing the last of the baby hormones at that time. I do feel different since losing the hormones. I have lost some of the lingering drive to put aside "the plan" and have another baby sooner rather than later. The thought still lingers, but it is easier to rationalise.

The household is starting to get more sleep and more of a routine, which is WONDERFUL! We're starting to have more energy to take control of our lives and catch up on stuff around the house (even aside from sleep).

Recently we've tidied the spare/computer room and managed to fit a double bed in there to give us more flexibility when we have friends and family visiting. Babycakes has also done a large scale (and much needed) clean up under the house and it looks fantastic.

I've also started on another theatre project as Assistant Director for Catch 22 at the Brisbane Arts Theatre. We're 3 weeks into rehearsal and it is shaping up well. Most excitingly the cast seem very keen and talented. I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops over the next few weeks. I expect we'll have quite an entertaining show come show time!

I will try to write again soon, and now that I'm starting to have more energy, I realistically expect I can do it!

Until then!

The Battle...

On The Move.

Miss Squid is well and truly on the move now...

Easy Like a Sunday Morning

It's Sunday.

The neighbourhood is largely quiet except for the occasional dog barking and bird chirping.

Miss Squid is on the floor, starting to get frustrated that she can't move where she wants. She can move, but so far its not directed movement. She rolls and finds herself off her rug and onto the carpet. She then proceeds to wiggle and squirm in a way which only serves to make her skin red, without managing to get closer to the toys that were once all around her, before she rolled away from them.

I'm torn between giving her what she loudly expresses she wants, and letting her find a way through the frustration to take action and overcome the first of many hurdles she has to face. I settle on repositioning her in the midst of the toys sprinkled on her mat, propping her in a slouched sit. The toys provide the motivation to slowly lower herself to the floor as she reaches for a toy and again she is on her belly and soon doing 360s again as she pulls herself around in circles with her upper body, her legs moving, but very much uncoordinated with her upper half.

It is a simple pleasure, exciting and ordinary all in one as we watch and anticipate the huge leap of independent movement which is happening and about to happen.

Miss squid flashes us her gummy smiles, no sign of teeth despite the huge amounts of food she consumes: cereal, fruit, veggies, yoghurt, toast - all devoured happily, readily and with gusto.

She is growing well.


She makes me smile and I'm glad to spend my time with her.

Afternoon Chat

Squiddley Wiggles and Squeaks

Not great quality, and the noise is quiet, but fun none-the-less.

Busy Doing Nothing....

Life is busy. I'm not feeling particularly constructive at the moment, but I'm busy.

Squiddley is 2 months old now! I'm glad to say that we are still breastfeeding after some stressful times early on, and still using cloth nappies - initially with disposables as a back up, but now have been disposable-less for over a week, and surviving just fine.

My happy hormones have deserted me, which is a shame to say the least. They really did help in coping with the broken sleep and constant demand of another person utterly dependent on you. Don't get me wrong, I haven't fallen off into an abyss of PND, it just means I have to work a bit harder at not being upset at being woken up 2 hours after I'd fallen asleep, or that just when I think it is safe to make a sandwich, have a shower or hang out a load of laundry, not swear too much when a plaintive cry is heard from the bassinette. I definitely have to work a lot harder to be nice to people complaining of being tired when they've had 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

Squiddley is growing well and gracing us daily with smiles which are the perfect tonic to the tiredness. She is more and more alert and curious about the world around her. Her movements are getting a bit more deliberate and a little less jerky (she regularly gets fingers/hand to mouth to suck on). She loves bath time and being in the thick of the action. She rarely cries and when she does, we can usually work out what is wrong in a fairly short space of time.

We've moved through the milestones of the six week check ups and the two month immunisations with reasonable ease and are starting to get more social in mixing with others. Last week we had no less than three social outings with different mothers and children, and this week is shaping up similarly. Add in the requisite grandparent visits (two sets local enough to warrant frequent visits) and she is an absolute social butterfly.

Squiddley has even had her first plane flight to canberra for her Uncle and Aunt's wedding (congratulations again to them!). She of course took it all in her stride, spending the entire first flight like this:

I met some lovely people whilst at the wedding festivities and truly regret not saying goodbye whilst in my sleep deprived haze. (Squiddly was in the midst of a growth spurt and decided our first day/night away was a GREAT time to feed every two hours... for those of you smart people without children, that means she had to be fed, burped, changed and put back to sleep within each two hour window before my own sleep could be attempted.)

I got a call a week or so ago that was not unlikely in this ecconomic climate, one of my temp contracts has been finalised due to a restructure. There are several staff moving on from the employer and even more moving within the company to different roles. I was very glad to follow up on the other contract to find that they were as keen as ever to have me back. I plan to follow up on the after hours casual job very soon, as I hope to start back there fairly soon-ish given the astonishing rate of dissipation of the savings. The good part about the temp contracts is that they are willing to do some of the legwork if and when I want more, sure beats scanning the ads myself!

There was probably more to say, but I can't think of it at the moment - lets hope it prompts me to write again, sooner.

I Know How I Could Make Millions...

If I could bottle the effects of the hormones I have coursing through my body right now, I'd be rich.

I feel fantastic.

I'm happy, calm, serene, and all of this on broken, disjointed sleep of a duration less than my norm.

I celebrate poos, wees, burps and farts.

My routine, my life has gone out the window.

The bank balance is dwindling at an alarming rate.

And to top it off, most alarmingly, I would happily be pregnant again tomorrow despite the fact that intellectually I know that is not our plan, nor is it something I'd aspire to.

I'm very happy. This is working for me at this point in time.

I like it.

The Birth of our BabyBear

It seems so long ago, and yet BabyBear is only 11 days old today.

Warning up front, this might not be everyone's cup of tea to read. This is a post that I need to write, but doesn't need to be read :) It does involve commentary and description of some of the icky parts of my experience of childbirth. It's also very long.











On Australia Day we went to a housewarming/Hottest 100 BBQ party at a friends' house. As such parties go, it was an all day party and we deliberately went before lunch so we could stay for a meal but head off if I started getting tired as heavily pregnant women are wont to do.

The party hosts did have a pool which was a welcome distraction from the fact that once again I was designated driver whilst people all around me were drinking happily.

We ended up getting home from the party at about 9:30pm, so I must have been somewhat distracted with the water. BabyCakes is glad to hear that the OB's appointment scheduled for the next day is an afternoon appointment, and not our usual 8am ish one.

I toddled off to bed and BabyCakes stayed up playing poker on facebook. He tells me he came to bed about midnight. Somewhere after 3am I needed to go to the loo, again. As a pregnant woman, you do get used to this, but retrospectively the fact that I'd been in the hour before should have been a tip off that something was different. So, I went, I wiped, I see pink. Once again, as a pregnant woman, checking of toilet paper for blood is something even the sanest most laid back women do given it is a big indicator that something is happening at all stages of pregnancy, sometimes good, sometimes bad. This is not something that bothers me at this late stage of pregnancy, it can mean labour is immanent, or it might not. One thing any health professional will want to know is how much blood there was, so one needs to get a panty liner to monitor this.

I lifted my leg up to get my knickers up (bending is difficult with a big round belly), and feel a small gush. I know I didn't wee myself, I know I didn't "do" it. I'm not 100% sure because an extra 10+kgs of weight pushing on one's lower body doesn't do a lot for one's bladder control. I know I need to talk to the hospital for some advice, so I toddle off to find the piece of paper with appropriate phone numbers etc. BabyCakes gets woken by my search, but manages to stay in bed when I tell him not to worry, and that I'll talk to the hospital and find out what to do.

The midwife I talk to on the phone tells me it sounds like waters breaking, and to come in, but don't rush, and if I'd like to wait an hour or so until I'm sure, that'd be ok too. I decide to head in straight away, and by the time we get downstairs to the car, I was sure. The bag was packed, and all I had to do was grab a couple of towels to sit on and BabyCakes looked after the bag.

We got to the hospital which was somewhat locked up in the middle of the night, so we needed a security escort downstairs. Thankfully, another couple had arrived just moments before us so we weren't in unfamiliar territory alone. As I'd stood up out of the car I'd had a gush of water, and it continued all the way to the labour ward. It was such a disgusting feeling to be leaking and not be able to control it.

We were met by a midwife who ushered us into our birth suite. I got changed into some dry clothes and waited for the midwife to come back and give me a bit of an examination and hooked me up to monitor bubs and any contractions. She felt baby through my belly and gave me the bad news that while baby's head was down and in my pelvis, her back was towards my back. I'd done my reading on labour (forewarned is forearmed!), and I knew a posterior labour (back to back) was destined to be long and ouchy, and felt more in my back than in my belly. The ideal presentation for a baby is the baby's back to mum's belly button. They can turn during labour, but don't always. The good news was that baby was completely and utterly not distressed .

The biggest problem was that labour hadn't started. Labour didn't start by the time my OB did her rounds at 6am ish. She did an internal exam which is not the most comfortable thing I've ever had a doctor do... More bad news, I was one cm dilated and my cervix was long and closed. To top it off, it seemed the leaking waters I experienced seemed to be a hind water leak (high in my belly), and the waters were intact below baby's head. The doctor used a charming tool that looked like a jumbo plastic crochet hook to pop this bit to try and wake up my body into starting contractions. It didn't, and by 7am when nothing started naturally, I was put onto a drip of chemical (oxytocin) designed to help start labour. I was hooked up to the monitor again, and we waited to see what happened.

The nurse came and went, taking me off the monitor, turning up the drip dose, putting me back on the monitor, etc. etc. BabyCakes snoozed in a vinyl recliner, and I tried to "rest" but wasn't in sleep mode. Lunch was brought in, and I was advised to stick to the light options, BabyCakes had the heavier fare, and after lunch my OB came back to visit again. More bad news. 1 cm dilated still. I needed another bag of oxytocin, cranked up to max dosage. I tried to stay upright, bouncing on a fit ball, trying to encourage baby out. The contractions did start, and they were all in my back. I asked for a heat pack, which in concert with BabyCakes' massage brought me some relief. The contractions weren't super regular, but I had faith in my body to do it's funky thing, and I'd hoped for progress. During this section my temperature went up slightly, so I was given some antibiotics via the drip to deal with any possible infection.

When my OB came at 5pm and did another internal to tell me I was only 1.5cm dilated, I was devastated.

My OB knew I wanted a minimal intervention birth.

She explained to us that the chemical being used to stimulate labour was also the same chemical they give you post delivery to encourage the uterus to contract and clot the blood at the placenta site, and there was a concern if too much was given now, that it wouldn't work then, and I would bleed too much (which doesn't sound like a good option). She said we could trial labour some more, but the reality is, babies only come out if there is 10cms dilation, 2cm, 4cm, 6cm just does not cut it, you need the full 10cm. I also knew that the contractions were getting to the point that I would fast need pain relief - an epidural would not likely be given (not that I asked) because they tend to slow down labour, and we were doing everything to speed it up, so that would mean gas and pethidine as pain relief... Also, I'd been awake since 3am, having had a big day the day before, I was tired and emotional. I told Steve that I didn't think I'd cope if I'd continued for however long they'd have let me and still ended up with cesarean as the best option. We decided that while baby and I were still calm and unstressed (within reason), that we could make an active choice and I guess I got some degree of control over a situation I did not expect to find myself in. I did cry. BabyCakes wiped away my tears and talked to me whilst my OB organised all the necessary people for my surgery.

Thankfully, there had been another lady in surgery, and we could utilise most of the same staff instead of having to wait for people to get there. I was still contracting and breathing through them the whole time this was going on. After signing the appropriate consent forms the Anesthetist and his assistant were first in to see me, and they came into the labour room where I'd been all day. I was asked if I had allergies and if I wanted to be conscious or unconscious and elected for conscious. The spinal block was administered quickly and easily, and to be honest, I was relieved. The needle inserted into my back concept was pretty scary to someone who had never been to hospital as a patient before this. It was not long before the contractions were no longer an issue for me. What did surprise me was getting the shakes. I was told this was not uncommon and to let them happen and they should pass. I must say, the anesthetist was lovely. he explained everything he was doing, and what I could expect to feel/not feel etc.

I was wheeled into surgery and placed on the operating table and the anesthetist kept up the explanations and kept me at ease. He asked me if I wanted to be told when things started, and I said that ignorance is fine, to which he replied "Good, because it has already started!" I must say, it's a really odd sensation not not feel pain, but to feel referred movement. The only thing I had to compare it too was having a tooth pulled.

My OB discovered that our little girl was also in my pelvis with her head tucked back, not chin tucked in - which was another indicator of a long and painful labour.

By the time they lowered the drape so that we could see our baby girl for the first time, I think I was still in shock. A picture not everyone will want to see... I looked at her swollen little face in wonder. They re-raised the drape and BabyBear was handed over to the paediatrician and his assistant and BabyCakes was called over to watch and be a part of the weighing and cleaning up of BabyBear. She was 3680g (just shy of 8lb 2oz), head circumference of 34.5cm and 55cms long. She got 9 and 9 on the APGAR test. It took a while before I asked if she was a girl, because I'd completely forgotten to look!

We got a brief moment to be together for the first time as a family before BabyCakes went with her while they dressed her and took some blood so she could be tested for infection related to my high temp earlier. My OB had a look at my insides (I'd had an unusually swollen ovary at one stage during pregnancy) before stitching me up. I was wheeled out to recovery and was handed BabyBear pretty much straight away and we fumbled through our first breastfeed together. The spinal block wore off surprisingly quickly and as it worked its way out of my system, my arms finally stopped shaking. I was in recovery for half an hour with BabyBear on my chest, lost in the wonder of a newborn. It was during this time that we were told that BabyBear had no infection related to my high temp.

She caught us by surprise 2 weeks early and was a very reasonable size - any more "cooking" and she would have been a very big girl! Whilst not my planned birth, we are both safe and healthy. Recovery from the surgery has been very straightforward as I took the advice of those around me and kept up my pain medication, only now just starting to contemplate reducing it.

Love, Fear and Perfection.

Now, I admit I have a lot of hormones coursing through my body doing their funky thing, but WOW, BabyCakes and I made a beautiful baby. Now we just have to look after her until she can look after herself.

I know that there will be arguments and frustrations, and that at some stage she will loathe us and blame us for everything we did (and we're bound to do lots) that has totally ruined her life, but for right now, she is perfection. A pooing, weeing, burping, farting tiny tiny bundle of perfection. It takes my breath away sometimes, and depending on how much sleep I've had, she can stir so many varied emotions.

When I'm tired and generally sleep deprived, the responsibility of being so totally key to her survival inspires huge amounts of fear for the unknown, the possibility of how many ways a child can be hurt and harmed, and how I could despite all my best intentions fail her bubbles over and almost paralyses me.

When I've had more sleep, and feel calmer and more secure in myself the sheer awe, love and excitement I feel when I look at her is inspiring. I want to be a better person for her, I want her to have and be the very best I can offer her (and more), and I desperately want to nurture and love her and watch as she grows into her own person and take joy in that journey together.

I know most of these feelings will get buried in the mundanity of life, and I'll get caught up in survival over time. At this stage my whole day revolves around her needs because she can't do anything to help herself, but in time she'll grow and will start learning skills, and I'll go back to work, and the bills will keep getting paid and the world will happen around us.

This is such a small window of time, and such a magical one. So many firsts for her and us. I know from the outside it is easy to think that a week old baby has't changed much since they were born, but ask a parent and they'll be able to tell you all the milestones that have come and gone in the short space of time, and the milestones ahead to be faced each day.

Crazy chemicals, or the meaning of life. I don't care. It's an amazing roller coaster that is my whole life right now, and it is so wonderful.



And I don't care if it is really gas, I see a smile and it melts me.

We Are Family

With great joy BabyCakes and I welcomed our daughter into the world on Tuesday evening.


My waters broke in the early hours of the morning and induction of labour provided too little progression of labour in 10 hours, so a cesarean section was needed for us to safely meet.

She is our joy and seems so perfect. She feeds and sleeps well, and my recovery from surgery has been straightforward.

BabyCakes has applied for his shotgun license.

Fwee Fwee Fwee Fwee Fwee

The title is in deference to my nephew MrT... he's 16 months old and "Fwee fwee fwee fwee fwee fwee fwee" is his favourite utterance when he's happy and just generally running amock.

It has been great to have family visiting and just being able to hang out and do not too much. I think we have a household of people who generally are feeling the effects of low level sleep deprivation and lack of routine, but we're happy for the most part.

I know it is a bit belated, but I would like to wish everyone well for the silly season. For us 2008 has been an exciting year full of change and happiness, but we know that it hasn't be that way for everyone. I hope that 2009 brings you the best and that you thrive in every thing life offers you next year. We're waiting to meet Squiddley Diddley next year, and know that our curve of change will continue to dramatically increase, but hopefully, so will our joy.

Love to all.

Happy Birthday BabyCakes!

I love you :)

Mind the Bump!

This is me at 19 weeks, 2 days. I wasn't overly happy with the bump picture at the time, so did not share it - might have also had something to do with being tired and having limited recreation time!















This one is me at 24 weeks and 5 days. Syill not happy with how fat I look, compared to how pregnant I look...















This is 26weeks and 4 days.

I'm now 27 weeks and 6 days, so this was taken just over a week ago.


I'm starting to feel like I have ceased to be me and have simply become the host of Squiddley Diddley...

These photos are not flattering at all - I don't feel as big as these photos make me look! In fact the scales agree - motherhood has been good to my body, mostly, so far.

Tomorrow I officially reach 28 weeks, which is officially the third trimester. As my Obstetrician said today, it is a big milestone.


My breathing is getting shallower as bubs is pushing up under my ribs (and getting in some good kicks too!). In the last few days the movements have been changing - I think there is less swimming and more co-ordination to the exercises - there is definitely more strength. She can take me sit up straighter, stop mid sentence or make me need to pee in an instant.

It is good though.

Every day I get to feel her and know her.

I'm looking forward to meeting her in about 3 months time!



Life has been moving on - BabyCakes had a big weekend a few back, and took over 300kg of green waste to the dump and found a new favorite toy on the process. We were loaned an amazing saw on a pole which BabyCakes loved so much he googled it, and found out it was worth about $700 - ouch! With the storm that has his this week we were very glad he'd attacked the tree he did, when he did. I'm sure it saved us work (and probably cost too).

I've applied for a full time government job. The job would offer some security and a pay rise - and a single employer! I submitted the application on the weekend ad don't have a clue when/if they will contact me - wish me luck!

Christmas is approaching, which is exciting and daunting both. I'm looking forward to the inevitable catching up that happens around the festive season, but the speed at which it is approaching is amazing. I suppose I'll have to look at Christmas shopping soon!

The baby shower was great - so much fun. I was also very lucky in the gifts that I received, a sewing machine, some gorgeous baby clothes, and some very cute Modern Cloth Nappies - but more about them anon!

Oh, and we discovered we have termites.... but we should be able to sort them out reletively easily due to catching them early...

and we bought a new washing machine. We must be domestic, because we weren't even close to temped to chuck in a wide screen TV while we were there!



I think that's enough for now... chat soon.

Hey Look! Less Than a Week Between Posts!

Hiya,

Later today I'll be attending my baby shower. It's on the early side, but I knew a couple of people that were due to give birth in November and Christmas functions always tend to over run schedules later in the year, so we thought early would be good. It is somewhat of a pity that we didn't check in with baby R's schedule, because he decided he wanted his Birthday last weekend!

I'm still looking forward to high tea (cups of tea, but with food - yum!), and some baby inspired games (I'm told), and just generally catching up with the women in my life. I have amassed a surprising number of them. When it came to suggesting a guest list, I very quickly had to stop at family and the very closest of friends, because I do want to be able to talk to people, and despite what people might think of showers, it wasn't a gift grabbing exercise - I'd be happy not receive a single gift except to see people.

I've never had a baby shower, so it will be curious to report back on what happens!

In the mean time, this blog entry is brought to you by the fact that I should be doing a weeks worth of cleaning.... and obviously writing the blog is easier to do than cleaning!

I actually feel like I have energy today, so I shall start the cleaning soon - nothing like an impending visit from the in-laws to motivate one! BabyCakes is at work, having survived the Slipknot concert - and all it's pyros and stage effects that he got to see last night.

Squidley Didley is kicking up a storm - getting stronger and more co-ordinated now, but I've learned how to tune out the smaller movements so it is easier to cope with - quite cute in fact. Most of the kicks and punches visibly make my belly move, and I can imagine that soon enough (maybe in the next month to six weeks), that we'll get to see pointy feet, hands, elbows or knees stick out when bubs tries to roll around.

I have my next Obstetrician's appointment next week, and after that one they swap from monthly to fortnightly, so that will be a big chunk out of my schedule (and bank balance). I've booked my 32 week scan (about Christmas time), to see if my placenta has moved appropriately to allow for a vaginal birth - I don't know yet if that'd be a good or a bad thing... Despite how battered and bruised a vaginal birth can leave one, I do it is the optimum for mother and child given there is no medical need for a ceasarian section. (Major surgery is not something I could do just for the sake of it...)

We've also booked in for our one day ante-natal class at the hospital too - I wonder how BabyCakes will cope witht he child birth videos - for that matter, I wonder how I'll cope! We're both regularly having baby dreams... last night I dreamed I had octuplets... 4 boys and 4 girls.... and BabyCakes had a dream where a nurse decided to give me a c-section without anesthetic, and even over my screams he heard the baby's first cry, and then we both cried too...


Life is good.




I should do some dishes now though.

An Update.

I was specifically requested to update news of bubs, but before I do, I am delighted for my friends S & A who welcomed to the world this morning a beautiful little boy, 5 weeks early but mum and baby are doing well. On top of that, My brother B turned 30 today, so Happy Birthday again B!


As for me, bubs has been dubbed "Squidley Didley" in the last fortnight or so. It very quickly went from "Is that a movement?" to BabyCakes feeling a kick to "My goodness child, please sit sill for a while!".

I've gotten much better able to cope with the endless bumps and squirms of baby working out how to move limbs and and how much strength she has. To start with it was like a neverending stomach upset, without the feeling ill, just the churning... and the knowledge there is a person inside me. It is as odd as it sounds. Very very cool, but pretty weird too! I think the constancy of the movement also took it's toll by way of some very vivid dreams, and the feelings stirred by the dreams impacting my day. I had a dream where someone completely dismissed me, which made me angry, so I told BabyCakes (in the dream) and he didn't take much notice. I then woke up, and told him about the dream, and guess what? At 5:30am, he wasn't that indignant that someone treated me that way - in my dream! I was grumpy all morning, until I told my boss at the first job of the day how I'd woken up in a bad mood due to a dream - he told me how his wife wouldn't talk to him for two weeks when she was pregnant, because she had had a dream he was having an affair...

This weekend I've discovered Braxton Hicks contractions... equally odd, and unsettling. I've done a bit of reading and it seems that it's all pretty normal for how far along I am. Through this though, Squidley Didley has managed to refine her kicking skills to find all kinds of organs and piece of the anatomy that don't usually get that kind of stimulus.... sharp pains and weird sensations seem to be the norm for these few weeks! Apparently this is all likely to continue to get worse, while bub's strength increases and she can still swim around... in another 6 weeks or so, the space starts to get a bit more confining and I can expect less swimming!

Life has continued it's hectic pace, lots of work, lots of family, and trying to make time to rest a bit in between. Today we loaded up the back of BabyCakes' car with 80 kgs or green waste and went on a tip run. It was satisfying to see how much stuff you can stack into a small space when you try! It is also good to see how much of a dent in the pile of branches we'd been collecting. We really need to give the yard some more attention - we've been ignoring it a bit too much of late. With the onset of the Birthday season in my family, I am very aware of how quickly Christmas will be upon us.


Oh, and for those that I told about my mobile phone dying.... I got a new one, my first ever Nokia.

Time to sit on the couch a while before dinner.

Hope you're having fun folks!

A Challenge....

This was a challenge posted on a friend's blog, that had been challenged to her. The rules are if you want to find out why the names are on the list, you have to commit to the challenge for yourself (if you don't have a blog I'm sure you could facebook or whatever it).

If you want to give it a go, let me know and I'll send the list through privately to you.

It made me think. It is not a bad/mean spirited thing.

I don't usually use identifiable names on my blog, but given it is a simple list until you get the key questions, I figure most people are unidentified anyway.


1. Bob
2. Simon
3. I'm very glad to say, no one :)
4. Debi
5. me
6. Simon
7. Leigh
8. Caroline
9. Lexi
10. Anne
11. Probably me, before BabyCakes
12. I know so many...
13. Natalie
14. Lauren / BabyCakes
15. Anke (but not right now... and I have no idea why!)
16. Sean
17. Lexi
18. Maddy / BabyCakes
19. Anke
20. Leigh
21. Bob
22. Caroline
23. My bosses...
24. I'm very glad to say, no one
25. Anke
26. BabyCakes
27. Lexi
28. James
29. BabyCakes
30. Go on, admit it, you're curious as to why your name is on this list!

CCB: Crazy Cat Baby!

Someone on a forum I'm on suggested the nickname and I think my bump can be referred to as the CCB :) I think it's cute.


The bump has started to make it's presence known more and more each day. I had quite a few people register surprise when I showed them pictures or told them we're expecting a girl - they hadn't realised I was pregnant, so it seems I was quite comfortably in the "Is she fat or is she pregnant?" zone. It makes it easier to take when the sonographer called me skinny!

I'm feeling good, and enjoying pregnant for the most part when I can ignore the almost instantaneous cravings one has when one is told "You shouldn't". Guilt is a powerful motivator and whilst I'm being far more liberal than some pregnant women, the risks I take are weighed against the size of the craving and or the size of risk itself. When you consider that poorly washed lettuce is quite a big risk of Listeriosis, it can impact a lot on one's desire to eat (in a moderately healthy fashion) in a public place!

I'm delighted to have a day off from any paid work today, to be able to do some of those unpaid things that tend to pile up during the work-eat-sleep-eat-work-eat-sleep cycle. Returning calls that can only be made in office hours, wedding the garden, tidying up the mountain of papers that accumulate through the house, putting away the baby stuff that accumulates, the list can go on and on (it certainly feels like it).

Technology is an Amazing Thing.

Hello!

It has been a while since I posted - but a lot seems to be happening. Next Wednesday will see the official half way mark of the pregnancy - how fast did that go??

We were delighted this week to get a chance to see bubs again, wiggling away in my belly. We even got a DVD of the whole scan so that we can show grandparents, and keep a record for bubs too. Baby was kicking and waving her arms, but abstained from flips (which is good from a sonography point of view!) I think the Ultra sounds might be a bit louder for developing ears - she (yes, she) kept kicking out at the scanner when we were trying to count her toes (10 - yay!) and kept turning away, and trying to cover her face with her hands (5 fingers each - yay!) /arms. She was at one point rolling away and was face down just to make things interesting!

The things they check for these days are amazing. Club feet, cleft palate, holes in the heart chamber walls, spinal condition, kidney/stomach function, lung development, cataracts, herniated diaphragm... the list goes on. Another instance where we were delighted to hear "average" and "normal" :) Our little girlie hid her genitals from us for quite a while, and it wasn't until the last 5 minutes of the 90 minute process that we were able to get a 99% confirmation of gender. BabyCakes was delighted to be proven right (he's said from the day after the pee-on-a-stick that it was a girl), and has already promised her a pink football.

The night of the scan we went out and bought little pink cot linen... and some pink ugg boots that were on special and too cute to pass up!

So, baby stuff has featured heavily recently, but as always, is not the whole of our life.

I have four jobs, which as expected keeps me busy, and BabyCakes has been hard at work trying to keep the commissions coming in. We were very happy this week to receive a letter from our credit union saying they are passing on the RBA's cut in official interest rates - yay! That means our mortgage didn't quite get to the threatened high, and keeps the repayment under the round figure mark... small victories, but you have to celebrate them!

La Boite Theatre Company is currently hosting The Wishing Well, which has been very well received by those that have attended, but unfortunately, not that well attended. The show closes tonight, but if my shift late this week is anything to go by, hopefully the last couple of shows will fill up nicely. My in-laws went to see the show in week one of the season, and very much enjoyed the show.

I've promised to take BabyCakes out for a night out to see the next La Boite Theatre Company season show, Attack of the Attacking Attackers, which looks like a lot of fun (they've just upgraded the warnings of Medium level coarse language, Sexual References, Adult Themes, Depictions of Violence too... which should get some more bums on seats). In between the seasons there are also other visiting shows, which means more work for me... YAY!

I have a shift today, which means I probably should be getting ready for that instead of blogging ;)

We went camping last weekend, which was fun, I will tell you more about it anon.... I really do need to get moving!

It is my sister's Birthday today, so Happy Birthday L, if you are reading!

Time Flies When You're Baking a Bun

It's been a while between posts as I've been struggling to stay awake past 8pm! The sad thing is, I got really excited when I started sleeping all the way through the night again.. early on I was averaging about 3 loo trips a night thanks to pregnancy bladder. Building a baby is tiring work, but I think I've worked out why.

This time next week our baby should be fully formed, but tiny (about 10cms). How cool is that?? A tiny little person. After that, baby grows and matures, but nothing much gets "built".

Last week we went for a scan, and got to see our wiggly bub. One doesn't expect anything less than two arms and two legs, but it is heartening to see them. We also saw the stomach, bladder, brain lobes, skull thickness, heart chambers, spine and face (albeit a weird looking face so far), and I have to say, I've never been so glad to hear "average" mentioned so often in my life!

Here it looks like baby is sucking a thumb:


Baby wave? Or baby rubbing eyes?
In this one, the big white blob on the right is baby's shin, the little white blob to the left of it is the umbilical chord.
The same day the scans were taken my jeans started getting painfully tight... I either have to retire them for a while or look at getting a belly belt thingie.

Energy has become a precious commodity, and during the week nothing much besides work gets done, then on weekends, there is a mad catch up.

I started wedding thank you notes over a month ago, most are written but sitting in a pile, and some are still waiting to be written. Those expecting one, please be patient, I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just barely functioning as a human being.

Work is going well, routines are stating to be formed which is great. At this stage it looks like I'll be working about 38 hours a week across the 3 jobs, which is tiring - lots more travel time - but I'm getting paid more than I used to earn, so that is somewhat satisfying! Working at La Boite has been very cool - nice to be on a theatre payroll again and new skills are always welcome!

Last week I had a surprisingly emotional response to to a letter from the credit union - I cried! They decided to put our mortgage rate up again due to rising costs. I think I had emotionally invested in thinking that if rates stayed the same, we could cope... the rise was emotionally a kick in the guts... and I fell over. I think it has taken me nearly a week to get over/cope with it!


This post has taken me about two hours to write, so I might post what I have, and write again sooner if I think of anything!