my-speck

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

Follow-up: out and about with the new mountain buggy freerider scooter / pram combo August 5, 2011

Filed under: activities for kids,exercise,Parenting,Raising a Child,walking — rakster @ 11:56 am
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Hello,

Yes, playing with the scooter (mountain buggy freerider) and mountain buggy (mountain buggy urban jungle) combo has been fun so far. A few people have written asking how I found it overall, so a quick review:

freerider

the freerider – currently in use at our house to the tune of a lot of ‘bloody hell’ from the toddler learning to use it: oops

  • I love that the older one can attach and see out as we walk along – works really well with the baby cot/cocoon attached, though my little one is a bit short so when the normal stroller seat is attached he can only see out the sides at the moment, though that will change as he gets taller.
  • I found the scooter hard to attach/detach from the pram in the beginning. Now I’ve worked out a method that works, but it requires a little bit of getting down on the ground and pulling/pushing the clips.
  • Yes, the scooter does get in the way of walking a little. But only a little: you can attach it anywhere along the base of the pram, so I’ve got it to one side.  Which means I just push on one side of the pram and it works ok – not as comfortable to push as without it, but not bad.
  • Steering/pushing the pram with the scooter and child attached is a bit harder / different than normal, you need two hands rather than the one I often use when there is no-one riding an attached scooter.  It feels a bit like driving a car with a trailer and trying to turn corners.  Just a bit heavier and more cumbersome.
  • The scooter works well when it isn’t attached to the pram, however the handle doesn’t turn to steer: you have to lean into it the same as a skateboard.  So it’s a bit harder for Oscar to steer than other scooters he has tried.
  • Oscar loves being on the scooter and being able to see the baby in the pram.

Overall:

It’s a fun toy / scooter, I think it will get better and more convenient the older O gets (he is only just two, so it is still a bit hard for him to use)…
It feels really securely attached to the pram i.e. safe. I like that!
It is super convenient to be able to detach it for ‘freeriding’, attach it when a toddler is standing on it, and flip it up out of the way when it’s not in-use. Which is why we bought it: ie. it works as it says it does!

We’ve decided to buy a double pram anyway as we do go on a lot of long walks etc and when little legs get tired and my back gets sore after baby-wearing for a few hours it will be nice to have a break and be able to use a pram for both of them together.

yay.

-r

 

WALKING!!! – Movie June 2, 2010

Filed under: baby stuff,development stages,emotion,family,Parenting,Raising a Child,walking — rakster @ 11:40 am
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poogie learning to walk

walking!!

Well, all I can say is that our little family has been flat-out!

So have had not a minute to write anything on the blog, take photos, do videos. Anything.

But. Last night’s video that your dad took of your and your Aunt R1 warrants a post.

Because he finally got you on camera – WALKING!

(more…)

 

Going slightly crazy. (any suggestions for activities for a 10 month old??) April 13, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,crawling,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 2:23 pm
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Hello Poogie,

Well, we’ve been out of action for 9-10 days now and both you and I are going slightly crazy…. To say the least.

I’m confident we’re on the home stretch, but this flu has been horrible. And so not only have we been feeling not great, but in the interests of infecting the least number of others we’ve been laying low and staying around home a lot. And you and I are both sick of the walls in the house. (more…)

 

Mummies Groups and Walking September 29, 2009

Filed under: family,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 10:10 am
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Hello Little Poogie Woogie,

Well. Last week was quiet but this week is busy. I got inspired at the end of last week and am madly trying to get things in order before I get operated on next week. So you and I are doing some mad organising. Still haven’t managed to move the stuff around the house into the new wardrobes, so the goal this week is to get that done so when your Aunt R arrives back in Australia next week (hooray – you’ll like her I’m sure), she has somewhere to sleep at our house so she can stay and help. At the moment there is nowhere for her as your Dad’s office is taking up one room and you take up another. You’re moving into your Dad’s home office for a bit so that she has somewhere to sleep!

What have you and I been up to apart from madly organising things? Well, we’re still doing our mummies and babies get togethers. Monday is coffee shop day with the women and babes that we were in the local health area classes with. Then Tuesdays we go to the hospital for post-natal exercise with C & baby Hamish. And the other mums. And then Wednesday this week we are catching up with the mums from antenatal classes. That’s a new thing. And then Thursday this week is our fortnightly catch-up with the local yoga-baby mums and babes. Which we’ve been doing for a couple of months now. Very enjoyable. So. Apologies for not having taken you to the State Library for the Rhymes and Reading session on a Thursday yet, but now its going to have to wait until I’m able to walk again. Let’s say January!

Righto. So. The weekend was quiet. It was still very dusty. We had a massive dust-storm come through last week. Wednesday. It was absolutely amazing. Like nothing I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. Apparently it was a one in 70-year event. Lets hope so. Red dust filled the sky and the fine silky red dirt permeated every crack and crevice of the house, the furniture, everything. We stayed indoors and closed all the doors and windows. You couldn’t see 100m – the houses on the next ridge were only just visible as an outline. Apparently lots of people got sick from inhaling it – joggers particularly (though I have to say – STUPID. Who runs when the dust is so thick in the air you can’t see 100m???). A smaller dust storm came through again on Saturday night. Apparently the dust blew all the way from the western desert area of NSW, right over to Sydney, then up the coast to Brisbane. A day later there was dust falling in New Zealand – it blew right across the Tasman. Climate change.

Duststorm over Sydney from Space

Duststorm over Sydney from Space

After being cooped up on Saturday night we took you for a big walk on Sunday. From our house, down to Southbank to the kid’s water park. Its fun just to sit there and watch all the kids run around with glee. Hundreds of kids, lots of water. Lots of fun. I think when you get older you’ll like that we live close to it. Lots of kids have to travel from a long way around to get to it. Anyway, we sat with you and you watched the other kids cavorting around, screaming and laughing as they ran in and out of the water jets. You got as far as dipping your feet in. Well, I dipped your feet in. You thought it was a bit cold, from the look on your face. But didn’t scream or cry. It was more of an, “mmm. that’s cold. I wonder why my mum is doing this to me? Maybe there is something in this that I’m not getting” kinda look.

You at the waterpark. 14 weeks old?

You at the waterpark. 14 weeks old?

so. Life is busy busy busy. And you are growing like nothing I’ve ever seen before. At last check you were 6.3kg. I think. Next check today. I’m thinking you might have nearly doubled in size since you were born.

Love you.
mum

 

your uncles are noisy April 21, 2009

Filed under: pregnancy — rakster @ 10:20 am
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Hiya down there big Speck,

As your uncle Jacob said yesterday, you’re definitely not Speck-sized anymore. But we still persist in calling you Speck. Or sometimes baby.

Its been a bit of a mad-house around here for the past few days. Your Grandad M & R went to Europe on Saturday morning, so both your Uncles came to stay – Jake for the weekend and yesterday, and Josh is staying for a few weeks. So it was boys, boys, boys around the house. Lots of talk about farting and horrible things like that. And some crazed x-box playing with 3 people trying to kill each other simultaneously. And smelly. Well, more smelly in our house than normal. There was a slight rebalance of power on Saturday night when your Aunt 3, Aunt 2 & their partners came over for dinner too. But still a lot of boys. Everyone at the dinner except for Tim and I think think that you are a boy. They are all excited to meet you.

We didn’t get up to that much on the weekend. The uncles & your dad went for a few bike rides – to the city, to the movies etc. I’m not confident with my balance on my bike anymore as my stomach looks a bit like I swallowed a beach ball, so I drove to the city and met them on one outing. Then walked around Roma Street Parklands looking at the fountains, trees and fish for a while. After coming home your dad and I did a bit more sanding on your cot. Did you know that cots have lots of edges? All the bars have to be sanded on all four sides. It is taking a while. And I’m sure you won’t even notice. But we will.

You seemed to be up and about bright and early this morning and have been thumping around in there for hours without a break. I don’t know what you’re doing, but its causing a lot of movement. I now have limited lung capacity and no evidence of ribs whatsoever. Its all bump and then boobs. So it must be getting pretty squishy down there for you?

Hope you’re well.
love mum

 

cooking again. Carrot cake today. April 6, 2009

Filed under: cooking,eating,pregnancy,vegetarian — rakster @ 12:14 pm
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Hello Speck!

I’ve braved the disorder of our house to cook again this afternoon.  Carrot cake.  Its in the oven now. So the house is hot.  I think its about 28 degrees, which isn’t too bad, but its been raining for the past four days, and just started again, so its that lovely Brisbane humid heat.  The skin pressed between my boobs and you in my stomach is exceedingly hot.  Such is life.

carrot cake before we ate it

carrot cake before we ate it

carrot cake after we ate it...

carrot cake after we ate it…

Your dad and I went for a big walk this morning.  It was a nice break and ’cause I stopped lots to stretch out my back, wasn’t too hard on it.  I slept badly again last night.  Right on time as soon as I enter the third trimester my sleep has deteriorated again and the good hormones seem to be taking a break.  Damn damn damn.  But typical.   Yoga on Friday night helped with the back, but the pain just comes back, no matter how much I stretch.  We walked around a lot yesterday too – markets, Mick’s Nuts and general back and forth.   And exercise does help, but I think from now on in its just discomfort from what the books and people tell me.  Not that it seems to bother you at all 🙂

you and me at week 28

you and me at week 28

We also had a Speck-watching event on the back deck yesterday with your Grandad and Uncle Jake & your Dad, Aunt 3 & T.  You move around so heartily that its pretty easy to work out where you are and what you are doing.  Lots of pushing up with your feet near my stomach while everyone was watching.   You were doing the ‘tent pose’ for a while, so we grabbed your foot on either side with our fingers on the ouside of my belly.  Your foot is pretty big.

As you can possibly tell from my almost incoherent ramblings, my brain is reverting to mush again. Oh well. Best to just eat cake.

love you
mum

 

More kicking… Its going to be relentless for the next four months, isn't it? March 4, 2009

Filed under: exercise,pregnancy — rakster @ 4:28 pm
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Dear Speck, Nothing new to report. I think I am going to be thoroughly ready for you to come out when the time comes – now it’s just you getting bigger and me being perpetually hungry day after day. Some days you kick a bit more than others, but that is the main difference. Yesterday was a big all-out kicking day. I took that as a sign that perhaps I wasn’t tiring you out enough so on the way home I walked down to Milson’s Point, caught the ferry to Balmain East and then trekked my way home through Balmain for some exercise.

View from Milson's Point across the Harbour

Luna Park at Milson's Point

Great walk, it’s nice to be out and about on the harbour. Pictures to show you. I think it worked – you were a little calmer last night than you had been all day. Your efforts yesterday were more disconcerting than normal because of your position: you seem to have spun around so you were kicking up towards my lungs in an upward direction rather than the down towards the bladder which I’m more used to. Haven’t written for a few days but all is pretty quiet on your front, and I’m back down in Sydney for the week after the weekend in Brisbane. Your Dad, I, your Aunt & T put your pram together on the weekend. It was a communal effort (see pictures). Wanted to check that the carrycot we bought actually fit the pram. It did, good. Your dad has since ordered the spare part we needed to make it tip-top, so after a quick wash I need to do, it will be set for you. Its a little strange to think about pushing you around in it. You now have a pram, a carrycot, a few little toys, a muslin wrap to drape over the pram (thanks T & El)… Your dad and I had a practice getting the pram from the front of the house to the street too. It was something a friend suggested we try to make sure it would all work. And good thing we tried, ’cause it was impossible. The width of the middle step is just too short to use to leverage the pram up to the next step, and too long to allow you to skip it and just leverage straight up. Which in any case would make it a steep angle for you lying in it… I tried for a few minutes to get it up by myself, until your dad exclaimed, “You’re faking it. You’re being silly!” to me, and snatching the pram away to try for himself. After manoeuvring the pram in an 18 point turn through one of the Australian grass bushes by the front gate, and numerous bumps, he managed to get it up to the street. “See, it can be done!”… He took a quick look back and then laughed, admitting with me that if you had been in the pram at the time you would have lost an eye in the bush and then most likely fallen out one side as the pram tipped wickedly from side to side as he lumped it up the last step. So. That’s a no-go for our stairs the way they are now. We’ll have to think of an alternative – current best option – build a boardwalk-style ramp from the street to the front deck. Its been added to your Dad’s list of projects.

Pram Assembly - Mark 1

Pram Assembly - Mark 2

Apart from poking your eye out, your dad would have lost you again while in the pram. He came back into the yard through the gate, again, “It can come in ok… mmmm. Maybe a bit bumpy” (yeah, pity about the big bumps and the screaming baby had you been in it). And then deposited the pram on the front deck and stepped back to check the mailbox or something. At which point the pram started rolling backwards until I exclaimed and he managed to catch it just in time before it toppled right off. We both peed ourselves laughing as he put the brake on the pram. “Baby down. Bah baaaaah” (think game-show ‘you’re wrong’ buzzer noise). We decided perhaps we needed to put a doll in the pram and push it around for a few days to make sure we didn’t kill the doll, and practised for you. Maybe we will be the worst parents. I guess you’ll just have to wait and see. There is no going back at this point. Anyway, hope you’re all well in there. Back to Brisbane tonight. Look forward to the plane. love mum

 

… and I continue to eat. This time to console myself. And you. January 18, 2009

Filed under: cooking,eating,exercise,pregnancy — rakster @ 2:14 pm
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Heya Speck,

Feeling a bit shit today.  Ooops, bad mum.  Your dad keeps harping on at me about how I’m not going to be able to swear with a baby / child.  I guess I should make an effort.  Anyway.  I feel a bit crappy today.  The whole, “I sprained my ankle” thing has turned into “I may need surgery on my ankle to be able to use it properly again” after a visit to the physio.  Damn damn damn. And I am annoyed that the first physio I went to the other day immediately after straining the ankle was so crap.   She had no idea, and just taped it up.   I knew she was crap, that’s why I booked back in for my normal physio on Saturday.  I figured at the time that really too much treatment close to a sprain is not really helpful anyway, so I’d just rest and then get better treatment on Saturday.  But unfortunately yesterday he basically said there wasn’t much he could do and I need to go and see an orthopaedic surgeon for an opinion.  And no walking, cycling, yoga, swimming blah blah blah in the meantime.  Yeah, I know I should keep positive until I get that opinion.  Which is what I did yesterday.  I just can’t do it today.

Coupled with the fact that all the pairs of shorts I tried on this morning didn’t fit, and it wasn’t so much the belly only being the problem as the ass and legs as well, I got a bit, “I’m going to turn into a big fat pregnant blimp and I can’t even go for a walk!  I feel horrible!”.  Kinda whiney.  It didn’t help that I spent the whole morning lying down re-reading a book (a good one – The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri): reading for too long puts me in a bit of a funk too.  And then when I’m done reading not being able to really walk around all that much to enjoy the gorgeous day just pees me off even more.  I’m putting it down to you as well.  Have been feeling really good but I guess with exaggerated highs come exaggerated lows.  And for the first time I’ve let worry really panic me a bit.  I haven’t felt you moving for a day or two and I’m worried about you.  Its silly, because no matter what there is nothing that can be done, but it would be nice if you could just give me a few good strong kicks.  Try the kidneys.  Yes, slightly masochistic too.   Today is a bit low.

So again, it is with food that I console myself or attempt to focus on positives and fun things.  A friend was asking me the other day if I have been craving anything, or if I have really noticed wanting milk ’cause apparently babies growing in bellies need a lot of calcium.  Apparently, you will suck it out of my bones if you don’t get enough in my diet (You really are a fully-blown parasite, huh?   Trying to kill me with osteoporosis before you’re even born).   Funnily, I didn’t think I had been craving dairy – I do eat yoghurt for breakfast with fruit most days, and lotsa cheese.  But then when talking to her I realised that I have been having a few hot chocolates at work throughout the week, and have even had a few milkshakes too, just ’cause I felt like it.  I usually really don’t like milk.   Once a year I might get a craving for a milkshake.  Usually strawberry.  Your dad groans and tells me that I don’t need one.  I insist for the next hour.  He gives in.   We sit down and I get through about half.   Then I give it to your dad to finish as I feel so full I couldn’t possibly drink another sip, even though it tastes good and refreshing.   Then I start to feel ill.   I keep the ill feeling to myself for about half-an-hour until it gets kinda bad, then I usually let out a big, “I feel sick, I need to lie down” groan.  Your dad says, “I told you so, you shouldn’t have had that milkshake”.  I think, “But I enjoyed drinking it”, but keep that to myself to elicit maximum sympathy.  There is none forthcoming from your dad.  He’s not good on sympathy when you’ve ignored his advice (heed the warning).

Anyway, I have noticed dairy related desires.  I won’t put them down as cravings, more as desires.  So yesterday for some reason I really felt like eating that greek-style rice custard that you can buy at the markets in West End and a few other random places.   So after dragging myself around the house feeling sorry for myself, I’ve managed to cheer myself a little but cooking it.  Pretty good first effort too (if I do say so myself).  I’d tweak it next time to make it milkier and less rich, but it tastes good.  Ryzogalo is apparently the name.  Have eaten a large bowlful and now feeling slightly less morose.

ryzogalo - yum.

your dad eating ryzogalo

your dad eating ryzogalo

Hope you’re well.  Kick me would you. please.

mum