Stuck

Hello, Hello

Freja is now almost 7 weeks old and I feel like a circus performer (I was never good at juggling either!). So this little blog has had no time to be devoted to it. As it is now I’m feeling guilty for relaxing whilst both kids are asleep instead of cleaning the house (which is very much needed as you can imagine). I have partially written Freja’s birth story but I’m holding back on hitting publish, I don’t know why because I love reading other women’s stories and I shared Logan’s but it just feels like something a bit too intimate to put on here. I also find myself constantly thinking would I be ok with people I know reading what I put on here. To some extent yes but to a greater extent no, not that there’s anything terrible but with personal blogging you do tend to lay yourself bare. What I am getting at is I think this will be the last post from me. I may start a new blog later on down the line but I think it would have a shift in focus to what I don’t know but definitely something I feel more comfortable with.

And now Logan has woken up so I’m going to have to bid you all farewell. If you would like to keep in touch please leave your email &/or instagram handle in the comments. You can always catch me on instagram (I’m aussiemor).

Thank you to all who have been along for the ride, I will definitely still be reading blogs and commenting because I wouldn’t want to lose the amazing friends I’ve made. xoxo

Welcome to the Family

So this blog went a bit quiet for a pretty obvious reason…Baby Sister made her debut.

Freja Clementine (pronounced Fray – a, even though that’s not how you pronounce it in Danish whoops!) was born Wednesday 27th at 5pm weighing in at 3.975kg roughly 8.13lbs and measuring 50cm. I had a reasonably easy labour and was able to remain at the birth centre but unfortunately when we went to get discharged Little Miss Freja decided to follow in her big brother’s footsteps and had to be admitted to the special care nursery with respitory distress and a possible infection. We visited every nursery at the hospital during her stay there and were very lucky to be discharged Sunday morning.

I’ll be a little bit more in depth in the future but everything is great now. Logan is loving being a big brother although he will often tell us either he’s not Logan he’s Big Brother or he’s not a Big Brother he’s Logan. Freja is a very chilled baby and completely different to her nightmare of a newborn brother. She’s so good we even went out for lunch and ice-cream yesterday before she was even a week old!

Now for some photos of our little bruiser aka Mini Logan:

Waiting…

No news, she still seems pretty happy in there kicking about and hiccuping so I’m trying to chill out and just enjoy the waiting. I’m not super uncomfortable or feeling horrible so as long as she is out before 42 weeks all is good (I really want to have her at the Birth Centre).

My brain has definitely been jumping all over the place, I was reading my ‘to do lists’ before I turn 30/before I turn 29 and was laughing at myself. I already feel older and I think I’ll be deleting them with this new found sense of I don’t know what. Maybe it comes with growing up or being on the verge of another major life changing event…who knows, I could also just be losing my sentimentality!

I think instead I’m just going to focus on family and growing as a mother and being the best parent I can be. I can’t guarantee there won’t be any more lists (they do seem to be the blog thing) but I don’t think I’ll go as crazy.

PS: If anyone has any suggestions for photo projects or newborn project kind of things that should start from day one or the first month let me know. I still plan on doing the monthly blanket photo as I did with Logan and then a photo a week for 2015 but if anything else springs to mind for people please let me know.

As we draw to a close…

So I’m officially overdue and further along than I was when I had Logan. No 23rd baby which I was not so secretly hoping for and now we’re playing the waiting game. I’m starting to feel some niggles so hopefully things will get rolling without me being super overdue. For now I’m just enjoying our last moments as a family of three and getting lots of things done:

• I’ve downloaded music – hurrah for relaxation tracks but who knows if I’ll actually want them.
• The nursery is done enough for now, I still need to iron the curtains (snore) and get the Hubby to fix up the curtain rod but it’s cute and habitable. I still want to secure the Ikea spice racks to her chest of draws for books and fix up the lighting situation. I’m also still waiting to receive some custom frames I ordered online and then I’ll need to put some art up. I’ve also ordered some washi tape to put some more art up – that’s still trendy right haha!
• Snacks have been bought (including Adriano Zumbo salted caramel tim-tams although they’re more for the support crew).
• Bags are packed (minus in use toiletries)
• Names are getting sorted out – we have a short list!!!
• Logan and I are having lots of one on one time, it might not always be adventures but I’m loving spending time with my little man. Who today swore he was not a boy, he was Logan and I was Jessica Mummy not a girl – heart officially melting.
• We’re going on family dates, yesterday was the zoo and today was dinner out.
• The car has been washed, floors vacuumed (that is a pregnant lady back killer), the dog is nice and clean.

Hopefully this is my last post before I get to share a beautiful photo of our darling daughter but who knows what the future holds, for now it’s living in the moment for this little family of three.

Week 39: Bonding with Bubs

Size: watermelon

What’s Bubs Up To: hiccups; punching me in the bladder; big stretches; getting her long legs under my ribs

Symptoms: needing to pee lots, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep – no real changes there although it seems to be more waking early morning now

Cravings: chocolate icecream, salt and vinegar chips, coffee, cheese on toast (yum!) – still the same although I have gone off coffee a little bit. Also enjoying pancakes and apple juice.

Keep that away from me: nothing really

Weight: 84kg give or take

Feelings: a bit headachey; exhausted; ready to meet our little girl

Random: The nursery is pretty much done other than no art work being up (except Logan’s drawings which we’ve put on her wardrobe doors).

My due date is this Friday so tomorrow I’m officially 40 weeks and ready for this little lady to make her debut. I’m hoping for August 23rd!

Week 38: Bonding with Bubs

Size:

What’s Bubs Up To: hiccups, lots of making my belly dance, she’s engaged a bit and not posterior anymore yay! But she likes to wriggle around a lot.

Symptoms: needing to pee lots, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep

Cravings: chocolate icecream, salt and vinegar chips, coffee, cheese on toast (yum!)

Keep that away from me: nothing really

Weight: 84kg

Feelings: grumpy, tired, uncomfortable, slightly too relaxed, sick with a cold (& annoyed as anything!)

Random: I’ve become addicted to Offspring – so much for saving it for late night feeding sessions – very late to the show but oh well.

The nursery has been somewhat set up, furniture has been moved, clothes washed so we’re getting there. The bassinet has also been set up but I’m not too happy with it and I’m contemplating buying a different one but the decent ones are expensive and I’m already contemplating buying a double pram. Here I was thinking I’d be saving money with baby two!

PS: I could really go some salt and vinegar chips right now haha

 

Week 37: Bonding with Bubs

Size: winter melon over 2kg

What’s Bubs Up To: hiccups, lots of kicking and swishing around

Symptoms: needing to pee lots, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep

Cravings: chocolately stuff but not chocolate in particular, tea

Keep that away from me: mince, tomatoes

Weight: 84kg

Feelings: grumpy, tired, uncomfortable, slightly too relaxed

Random: I’m now full-term and able to go to the birth centre yay! (I’m actually 38 weeks). I caught this damn cold everyone has been fighting and decided to banish it with raw garlic – it seems to be working but my gosh do I stink!

I’m also now on parental leave and it’s difficult turning the mama guilt off 😦 especially with Logan being so upset about having to go to daycare. But I’m just trying to relax as much as possible.

Baby Breakfast

Today I was spoilt by one of my dearest best friends (& former maid of honour) who threw me a Baby Shower for Baby Girl. Sadly she was overseas when Logan’s was thrown (although three of my girlfriends went all out and it was the perfect first Baby Shower) and so this time she wanted to celebrate. I was a little on the fence initially, after all there is the whole argument over a Baby Shower being a one-time only deal, but we both agreed something small and a celebration of Baby Girl would be fine.

Initially she was messed around a lot, dates didn’t work for my Mum or MiL and then I kept forgetting I had things on and had to swap dates a couple of times. Then of course my Great Aunt passed away and the timing just wasn’t good. But things all came together this morning and I felt so lucky. I’m also glad I cancelled the family aspect of it and just went out for breakfast with my girlfriends. There was only 7 of us and it was perfect. The cafe was amazing – best pancakes I’ve eaten in ages at CNR Cafe in Northbridge (you must visit if you live in Perth!) – and my friend even surprised me by having organised a few games as well. I’d asked for no presents instead just a book for her as this is what Logan got and I didn’t want her missing out on her own library.

We talked about everything and anything including trying to find names for Baby Girl. It was like going out for coffee with an old friend, there was no awkward silences, everyone got on well (even though some were complete strangers). After we’d managed to snap some group photos outside my friend further surprised me with a box of cupcakes for each lovely lady to take away. My one wish after such a wonderful morning is that my daughter gets to experience the same amazing friendships I’ve been blessed with.

Week 36: Bonding with Bubs

Size: honeydew melon and about 2.2kg according to ultrasound.

What’s Bubs Up To: hiccups, lots of kicking and swishing around, squishing her head down in my pelvis like a good little thing but being posterior like the little fire cracker I’m sure she’s going to be (I was in the same position when I was born apparently – pay back is going to be a bitch!)

Symptoms: sleeplessness, tight skin – yay for about 3 stretchmarks I can spot NOT, exhaustion

Cravings: chocolate ice-cream, salt and vinegar chips, coffee

Keep that away from me: meat (I will eat it no problems just don’t like handling it)

Weight: 84kg

Feelings: bitchy, anxious (I’m still feeling like I have to wait until she’s here before I can breathe), grumpy, tired/exhausted, mentally completely unprepared!

Random: I had my last scan and she’s measuring fine and then at my appointment they said she was posterior but head down and not breech so that’s something! We also had our ‘refresher’ parenting class which made me sort of wish I’d gone to the other classes for first timers now because I can’t remember anything! I just know it’s going to hurt but all be worth it in the end. It was funny as well because 4 out of 6 people hadn’t been to the birth centre with their firsts and the other couple who had was the only one in the room who had delivered there versus us who had to head to the main hospital.

Something a Little Different

I’m sort of running behind a bit with the Bonding with Bubs posts but at the same time I don’t want that to be all I’m recording on here. I’m officially 37 weeks today! Which means from now until 42 weeks I can deliver at the Birth Centre – providing everything continues to go well.

I got asked if I’d packed my hospital bag at our last appointment…even writing that freaks me out a little. I’ve made various lists and scoured pinterest for suggestions in case I’m missing something but I just can’t bring myself to pack it yet. I feel like once I do that it’s game on and I’m definitely not ready for that yet, especially considering my Mum has just gone to Melbourne and has another trip to Bali all before I’m due.

If anyone has any must-haves to go in the bag please let me know. Apparently Coconut Water is now the new thing!

Today is also kind of a big deal as it marks my first official day of parental leave. I had (have) bucket loads of Mummy Guilt after dropping a bawling Logan off at daycare and I’ll be repeating the process tomorrow. Hopefully he perks up a bit, I know he has a great time (for the most part) once I’m gone it’s just those horrible drop offs.

And for those still wondering we still haven’t come up with a name. I decided I liked Frankie, hubby veto-ed it and then my step-sister reminded me of the little red sausages that are called frankfurts…seeing as her surname already is too phallic I can’t add a sausage first name!