my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

Your first tooth. For real this time! February 2, 2010

Filed under: baby stuff,development stages — rakster @ 6:47 pm
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Hello,

Well baby, you got your first tooth for real today. Yes, I know I’ve blogged about your previous weird ‘tooth’

(which, incidentally is still there and a little weird, but I’ve just gotten used to ignoring it), but today, no mistaking it, a real tooth has emerged.

In the right spot: front and centre on the bottom row. So today you’re 7 (seven) months and one week old and it has emerged. Slightly slower than the average milestone date, I think, but right on cue according to Mayo Clinic.

You slept for HOURS this morning (I took your cue and had a sleep-in too – much needed as your waking in the night has had me a bit short of zzzz). And you are at it again now. SO – teething must be an energy-consuming ordeal. Not too much crying, just a bit clingy.

You bit my boobies when you were feeding yesterday and there was no tooth. Gee I hope you don’t do it too often from now on..

love mum

p.s. I tried to get a photo but it proved difficult…

 

p.p.s. JFARCA958Y42

 

Birth Stories – hopefully the start of a series… February 1, 2010

Filed under: Birth Story,birthing,development stages,family,healthcare,Parenting,pregnancy — rakster @ 4:34 pm
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Today I’m getting around to another one of those not-a-new-years-resolution resolution: get there with the birth stories. Well, start the process anyhow.  Did you notice I was digging around in the storeroom the other day looking for a book? It’s all related.  I thought I’d start simply with a letter I wrote to some friends a month or more ago – but if you’re reading and you want to take part, drop me a comment… home birth book

Hello!

As I think most of you know, I started blogging when I was pregnant & have continued on with my ramblings since then. One of the important posts that I haven’t got around to yet is finishing off the birth story post. I’ve almost got it down, I did most of it in the weeks after Poogie was born, but time is slipping away, and I want to get it out there. I’ve requested a dad version too, which is due before christmas sometime (husband read a book with dad’s versions of birth stories before Poogie was born to help with the birth preparation and found it really helpful). And I have an idea…

When I was a kid, my mother shared her experience having my sister R2, with our family, and had a home birth, which I watched. It’s still one of the best and most memorable experiences of my childhood. Perhaps another reason I remember it so clearly (apart from the event itself) was that soon after that my mum helped edit a book on birth stories. I wrote about my sister’s birth and did a picture, which was published, along with many other stories, in the book. My mum’s story of my birth and my sister’s birth, and my grandmother’s story about my mum’s birth was also published in the book. So. I had the idea before Poogie was born that it would be nice to publish not only his birth story, but republish those of others in my family at the same time, so they’re in one spot and celebrate us all. And, thinking about it further, I thought that it would be an idea to publish a few friends’ birth stories too – that is, if they wanted to share them.

So – here is my request to you. If you have a story (or two, or three) that you (or your partner or kids / family) would like to share, I’d love to be able to publish it on the blog. I’d be happy to do so. Just words, photos and words, anonymous, not-anonymous.. Whatever suits you best…

Love me

P.S. The book my mum worked on was about homebirth – but we’re interested in all types of births, babies or experiences 🙂

 

Boobies are Us… January 12, 2010

Filed under: cooking,development stages,family,healthcare,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 1:37 pm
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Hello Little Munchkin,

What has been happening?   ….. mmm Apple Pie

Long time no write for me.  It’s been a busy week – swimming, sanding the back deck and reoiling, cooking apple pie (I’ve been meaning to do the pie for at least a year and I finally got to it on Sunday – and it was yum).

Apple Pie from the baking book

Apple Pie – I finally got around to this recipe..

 Designer Apple Pie

You: rolling, commando crawling at greater and greater speed, trying to swim, competently sitting-up, lots and lots of squawking.

Today’s Walking Adventure – Hot hot hot

Today is our car-less day.  Your Dad has the car on Tuesdays and we are left to our own devices.  We decided it was better for the environment and would work out that we just maintained a single car and then your Dad can taxi around a bit when he needs to for work and the like, apart from Tuesdays.   We’ve always walked and cycled a lot, and it’s one of the reasons we bought our house in the inner city – so we could continue to do so.   But today is particularly hot.  It is 30.9 degrees celcius and 51% humidity.  Not the hottest day by far, but hot enough if you’re walking around.  Today was the first meeting of the year for my local group of the Australian Breastfeeding Association, so you and I walked there and back.  And today I’m gonna write about it, ’cause I enjoy it so much and really get a lot out of it.  And you enjoy it too – it’s a chance to interact with a bunch of other young kids.

Australian Breastfeeding Association

Boobies are Us.

“Boobies are Us” is what your father affectionately refers to it as.   He thinks it’s great and is really supportive of breastfeeding – he knows it is the best thing for you and unfortunately he can’t control it, so puts his energy into helping me.  We’ve been out to the shop in our city to buy some things a few times and he has had some great input from the women working there and out the back in the State office.  But I must admit I think he is still a little perplexed about what we actually do at the support group meetings.

I know it’s is jest, but the question,

“Do you all just get your boobs out?”

has come up!  The answer?  Yes, most of the women there do “get their boobs out” at some point to feed their child/children.  Some discreetly, some less discreetly.  Some babies, some toddlers.  But not everyone.  There is an older lady (perhaps in her fifties) who is our treasurer, whose children are well past the breastfeeding stage.   Is everyone there a boob feeding nazi? No, definitely not.  That’s one of the reasons I enjoy it so much – there is such a mix of people there.  Yes, people there are obviously giving breastfeeding a go as that’s what it is: a breastfeeding support group.  But do some of them use other forms of food too – you bet. Are all of them commited to feeding their babes by breastmilk until they are five? Of course not. Are some – yes, if that’s what their babes are after.  It’s a mix.

Do dad’s go?  Yes –  not so many, but there have been a few at different meetings, often when their baby is young and they are there with their partner to get some input and support.

And what do we do??  Well, most fortnights there is a topic for discussion, and we have an activity or prompts that the group leader has put together that we use to stimulate discussion and chats.  The kids (of varied ages) all rollick around on the floor (it’s held in the playgroup space under a local church so there are lots of toys and it’s a safe area).  The reason I enjoy it so much is that there is actual opinion, debate and experience about meaningful things discussed.  Yes, most of it is breastfeeding-focussed, but a lot about the tribulations and challenges of raising children, and coping strategies, techniques and listening to each other.  And it’s a very local group, so I then see a lot of the members around the traps when we are out and about.  It makes me feel connected to you, my baby, and my area, and the community.  Which is pretty important.  ‘Cause my hormones still leave me up and down quite a bit.  And I’m still adjusting to the major life change of having a baby and having to care for someone else 24/7.

Today’s topic was about toddlers.  We discussed a range of topics such as  developmental milestones, separation anxiety, breastfeeding, eating, weaning, having a second child, me-time or mum-time, occupying and stimulating toddlers…  It’s still school holidays, so there were lots of extra kids there today, and about 15 mums.And there were lots of opinions, lots of questions and lots of talking.  Fun.   You cracked-up and got a bit tired about and hour and a bit in, so we left early.

Just thought I’d write about one of the things we get up to during the day.  An important thing.

Love you

mum

 

Sleep, glorious sleep: Happy Christmas Mum! December 23, 2009

Filed under: development stages,exhaustion,family,healthcare,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 9:59 am
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Hello Poogie,

Yes, you’re having your morning nap and I’m taking the time out to write.  Because I am blissfully rested 🙂

Three days ago I was exhausted once again, from the combination of the flu and you waking up four times a night.  And I just decided and said to your Dad,

“That’s it.  Poogie slept through for months.  Right from when he was about six weeks old until about a month ago.  I’ve had it.  He hasn’t been having a growth spurt for a whole month… He is now over his flu so is sleeping and feeding perfectly well.  And he slept through for so long before that I know he can do it.  And he is eating two square solid-food meals a day.  Enough.  I need my sleep.  Tonight if he wakes we are just going to try to settle him and get him back to sleep without feeding him.”.   ..

Tentatively, your Dad, “Ok…”  Pause.. “I’m just remembering what G&J said about T learning to sleep through at six months, and how it was 3 nights of pain and no sleep while G nursed him back down each time he woke.”…

Me: “We can do it”.

Did I ever mention just how much I need my sleep??? Me: no sleep, emerge crazed automaton manic woman.  Can you imagine automaton and manic combined?  Think sci-fi-horror film character with wayward curly crazy hair.  You’ve got it.

So.  First night.  1.12 am.  Crying from your room.  I put the pillow on my head.  Ten minutes later soft crying has escalated to loud crying.  Your dad gets up.  Here we go, I think, he’ll nurse you back down.  Pillow on head.

1.13 am:  30 seconds has gone by and your dad comes into the room with you and puts you in the middle of the bed between us, you keep crying and do the automatic ‘search for boobie’ reflex thing you have going when you’re half asleep and crying.

me: thinking, “C, did you even try to settle him???  30 seconds really isn’t long. Oh well, your Dad isn’t the best in the middle of night.  He’s good early in the morning, but between 11 and 2am not so great. ”  Pick you up.

your Dad: “Are you really going to not feed him? Mmm. ZZzzzz”

1:14-1:36 am: So I got you up, bounced you around for a bit until you stopped crying, tried to rock you to sleep for 15 minutes.  Got sore legs. You were awake but happy.  So I put you in your cot and went back to bed with the pillow on my head.  Without using my boobs at all!

1:36-1:48 am: resting with pillow on head.  Noises in your room escalating.

1:49-1:55 am: retrieve you from your cot where you are once again crying.  Repeat bouncing motion.  Settle you.  Hear door opening as your Aunt gets home and think, “Damn, the front door waking the baby again, this just isn’t going to work”…

1:55 – 2:10 am:  More bouncing…  Stick you back in cot.  Return to my bed.  Again, no use of the boobie at all 🙂

1:56 am: put pillow on head, think “mm, there is a lot of ‘talking’ going on in the cot, I bet I’m going to have to feed him”

1:58 am: pass out.

….

6:20 am: wake-up to baby talking in the next room…

Yippee…

Three days on…

And you’ve now slept through perfectly for four nights.  And I’m becoming more and more sane by the minute.  Scratch that.  I’m becoming more and more like my usual self by the minute.  Woot.

I think you woke on the second night, and your dad gave you a bounce and you went back to sleep.  And the third night I heard you, but you just did a little talking at around 3am and then went back to sleep.   Apparently you woke up last night and did a little crying.  But I just slept on through, and your dad said you were asleep again by the time he went to the bathroom and came back.

You seem to have adjusted your feeding accordingly too – back to your old HUGE feed, followed half and hour later by another HUGE feed, just before you go down for the count.

so, excellent work buddy.  Please keep it up.  This is a GREAT Christmas present.  Thank-you!!!

love mum

 

Learning to eat is a messy business November 24, 2009

Filed under: development stages,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 5:37 pm
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Hi Poogie,

head to foot. That is how covered you were in banana and yoghurt mixture yesterday. You like to try to feed yourself with the spoon. I let you. Most goes everywhere.

baby eating

baby eating – a messy business

You had a bath afterwards.

But not before you’d got it in your nose, hair, eyes.

the spread of food. But you ate a lot

the spread of food. But you ate a lot

Yes, that’s right. The eyes. That made you cry a bit. And note to myself: banana yoghurt is almost like glue and difficult to remove from eyes and eyelashes. Especially when you have a squirmy baby…

messy eating baby

in the eyes with the food

love you
mum

p.s. note the fat rolls in the photos. above the nappy. nice one. “baby bacon” according to your dad.

 

Your first food: Avocado November 1, 2009

Filed under: baby stuff,baby's feelings,development stages,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 8:27 pm
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Hello Poogie,

Well, look out whomever gets the next nappy ’cause you had your first non-breastmilk meal ever today!  Your dad did it on the sly, you just shared some of our lunch with us.  Your dad had made a nice platter of things to snack on for lunch:

the first supper - our lunch platter ...

the first supper – our lunch platter …

and decided that your first food would be avocado from our lunch platter.  So a bit of avocado mashed up on his finger served as your first taste of non-breastmilk food.  And you were stunned.  You turned your head up and looked up at him with your mouth open for a good two minutes or more.   As if to say,

“what are you doing to me? It’s not bad, I don’t think.  I’m just very confused.  Not at all sure what to do.  I’ll just stare at you, maybe you’ll give me a clue?”.

Your dad made munching or eating noises and movements with his mouth, and eventually, you tried to close your mouth and follow suit.

avocado eating from dad's finger

avocado eating from dad’s finger

And after the first bit, which stayed in your mouth for quite some time, you started to swallow.  And seemed to enjoy it.  You then actually started seeking-out avocado-laden fingers and pulling them into your mouth.

avocado eating - more

searching for the avocado with your mouth

I don’t know how much you actually ate, but you definitely swallowed some, and looked very contented afterwards.  And were very tired.  So then you had a big sleep.

20091101_eating0420091101_eating05

20091101_eating06

Next time you’re getting Farex though.  Farex (rice meal) with boobie juice mixed in.  I suspect you won’t like it as much as avocado.

Happy Eating.  Welcome to my favourite pasttime!

love mum

 

First tooth October 28, 2009

Filed under: baby stuff,development stages,healthcare,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 9:18 am
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Hello Poogie,

Well. Look what I found this morning: a new tooth coming through! You’ve been a bit grisly for the past few days, with a few screaming episodes in the afternoons. Yesterday was particularly bad, but you had your four-month immunisations yesterday so I figured it was due to that.

But, this morning I was rubbing your gums as you seem to like that at the moment, and felt that “grain of sand” feeling in your gum… On closer inspection, there is a patch of white and it appears to be a tooth! Mind you, not sure it’s growing in the right spot – it seems to be coming out of your gum beneath the tooth ridge rather than on it. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Good for you.

Big you.

Growing.

And the doctor has advised that the latest research about allergies suggests you should try to start on solids now, at four months. So this week we might give that a go. I’ve been teetering about it as there is so much literature out there that is contradictory – six months, four months, blah blah. But you’re growing a tooth, so I reckon you might be ready for a bit. So your Dad and I think we’ll try a little. And since I can’t walk properly yet it will be others that will have to help with the mess!

love you

mum

P.S. You’re four months and one week old.

 

cankles and cackles October 23, 2009

Filed under: development stages,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 3:04 pm
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Hello Little Poogie,

sleeping or not sleeping – it all happens in our house

after an atrocious day of not sleeping so well yesterday, you’re now sleeping.  Well, I lie.  You just woke up.  But I’m good here on the couch as your stellar Aunt Reegs has just gone in to get you.  And in tow is your friend G.  She’s two and is very keen to get to know you better after meeting you a few weeks ago.  So I suspect that I may be ok lying here on the couch and tap-tap-tapping away while I have the opportunity.  Full kudos again to your Aunt Reegs, who is looking surprisingly refreshed for a woman who crept in the door after 4am after a night of dinner, drinks and gay-star talent competition-watching and then manic dancing at Brisbane’s best and brightest gay venues with friends.  She is now up and looking after you, after getting me food, hanging out the laundry, and all the other sundry domestic tasks that I just can’t do with a broken ankle.

cackles

The trick you seem to be working on at the moment involves your voice. Specifically the modulation of your voice’s volume. We have been greeted with squeals of glee when you’re laughing – much like a cackling wizard. And howls of, well just howls of noise. And varying degrees of growls. Usually you growl when you’re hungry. But not anymore. Growls are ok whenever. And at whatever volume. Its all good fun.

cankles

I hate my ankle boot. It is not comfortable and when my foot is elevated causes me to lose feeling in my toes. Not great. And it woke me up about 58 times last night from the lack of toe feeling-pain. Have rung doctor. They suggest it’s too tight. Too tight. I’m not an idiot. Of course I’ve checked that. …… Grump grump. I shouldn’t have bothered ringing them. I guess the boots aren’t designed for comfort. ….Bah.

baby sign language and excitement

I’ve decided after speaking to a few mums about it at the Australian Breastfeeding Association meetings, and hearing various anecdotes from friends and family who’ve seen it in practice, that Baby Sign Language has a bunch of benefits and that you should try to learn it. Your dad and I both think it will be fun trying, even if it takes a while! And so I went on to the most wonderful library service of any city I’ve ever lived in: The Brisbane City Council library, and found four books on it. Clicked on them to reserve to my local library. And Voila! A few days and $1.50 or so later, they have arrived. Your dad got them for me yesterday and I’ve been reading the introductions in them and comparing. More posts to come… But Poogie, get prepared, I’m thinking about which signs to start with and you’re going to be subjected to my and your dad’s attempts at signing. I know that you don’t have full control of your hands yet, and have only just started to notice your feet, but I think if we start now then you’ll get there at some point, and by then your dad and I should know a fair few signs. I’ll keep you updated 🙂

Love and kisses (you love kisses and do the standard baby open-mouth version)
mum

 

Meeting more of your family! and the pram-wheelchair-dad train October 21, 2009

Filed under: baby stuff,development stages,Raising a Child — rakster @ 5:38 pm
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Hello Poogie,

Happy fourth-month birthday for yesterday! Despite my being laid-up on the couch most of the day, the days are still flying by at a rapid rate. Too fast.

Excitement for you this week has been meeting your Canadian Grandma E & Grandpa. They arrived on Monday (it’s Wednesday now) and came to visit you briefly. There were lots of cuddles and talking. You seemed to like them too. Your Grandma came over to help look after you yesterday afternoon too – and you had a big play with her. Lucky you!

Today we’ve been out for the first time since my operation. Off to the hospital to get my cast off and changed for a boot. And while at the hospital a visit to see your Grandad who had an operation yesterday. He was good, but still in intensive care for monitoring so you weren’t allowed in. Just me. We were a sight at the hospital though: I wished we could have had someone take a photo! My foot was really sore as they took the cast off and put a new boot on it and had to manipulate the ankle a little to get it into the boot. Pain. I lay down for 20 minutes or so afterwards but couldn’t then crutch around the hospital to see your Grandad as it was too sore, so your dad got me a wheelchair. But you were there too, in your pram. So we formed a little train: you in front in your pram, me pushing your pram from within my wheelchair, and your dad pushing the wheelchair. Good thing the elevators are large. It worked though, which was the main thing.

So. Today’s pictures are about feet. My foot. And your feet. My foot is just plain sore. Your feet are growing at a rapid rate!

Love you

mum

pointing your feet

moving your feet - practising kicking

kicking your feet

my ankle with the new surgical boot thingamy
 

You're twelve weeks old September 11, 2009

Filed under: baby stuff,baby's feelings,development stages,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 11:04 am
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Hello Poogie Woogie,

Well. Days are flying by and all I seem to do still is feed you, change you, get you to sleep (though you’re pretty good at that yourself, I must say – compliments). Repeat. Oh. That’s not true. We do lots of talking practice and read books and practice mouth movements in between too. But basically my whole day gets sucked up playing with you and looking after you. Its crazy. I knew it would be like this but at the same time its still very different from what I expected. The time is flying by but it isn’t at the same time. You’re 12 weeks old tomorrow.

So, what have you done in the first twelve weeks? So many things:

  • learned to look at us and interact with your eyes (you can now beat me in a staring competition and you sure are expressive with your eyes)
  • learned to smile and giggle and laugh with people who are talking to you
  • learned to use your hands – putting them in your mouth and staring at them close-up to your face, starting to grab things and hold on (only just)
  • learned to hold your head up when you’re in tummy time and look around – you’ve got much stronger than when you first came home from hospital
  • learned to practice talking. You’re not quite babbling yet, but you’re almost there – lots of ohhh, ahh noices. Your current nickname (from your dad and I) is “Apu”. We’re thinking of it being your second name.
  • learned to put yourself to sleep. Now this one is pretty good. I’m proud of you for this. When you”re tired, as long as you’re not overtired, we can pop you down in your cot, maybe slightly swaddled, and you’ll go to sleep by yourself, quite happily. WHen you’re overtired, nothing works but putting you in the sling and bouncing you around for 5 minutes. And listening to a bit of screaming in the meantime.
  • learned how to breastfeed MUCH better than when you started. Ahh.. And the best – you’re good at it lying down too.
  • learned what being scared is like (at the football)
  • learned how to listen to stories being read to you
  • learned how to poke your tongue out at me (imitating me poking mine at you)
  • and grown out of three sizes of clothing (you’re now a size 00 – been through 00000, 0000 and 000).
  • … the list goes on …
  • and finally this week you’ve learned what it is like to get diarrohea (and mum has learned how many nappies it is possible to go through in one day. Hundreds. By the way the doctor thinks maybe the diarrohea is from your Rota virus vaccination, but you’re otherwise ok in that you’re not dehydrated, your temperature is normal so its all good).

you sleeping this morning - 12 weeks old. In your normal 'arms-out' position

I had to count through the calender today to work out how many weeks old you were – for some reason I thought it was more like 14-15, but then I figured you weren’t quite 3 months yet, so I had to be wrong…

So. We’re down to Lismore with you for the night tonight, and then hopefully the beach with you tomorrow. I am going to have to find you a sun-safe suit to wear. Your Aunt R kindly gave you some excellent new swimmers that will hold everything in (like a tight wet-suit) and you have the gorgeous board shorts from A-M, so you’re good for swimming, but might need more for extra coverage during the day… And a new hat.

🙂

love you

mum

Me and You Today - 11 weeks 6 days. Gee you're big!

Me and You Today - 11 weeks 6 days. Gee you're big!