It's a rollercoaster!

Hi there, how are we? I'm alright, getting over a cold, which unfortunately I've passed on to our favourite little lady. It sucks because there's not much you can do... we're trying all the recommended things including a vapouriser in her room, baby vicks on her tummy, back and feet (yes, you read right feet!) and even saline drops in the nose and attempted the sucky snot thing very unsuccessfully. All have not appeared to improve her cold, but she hasn't got any worse either... so we continue to soldier on!

Anyways, since I enjoyed the last update so much I thought rather than documenting our recent activities, I'd explain my 'rollercoaster' of emotions that comes hand in hand with this whole parenting caper. So, without further adue.... here is my (not exactly comprehensive) list of emotions that I experience on a daily basis as a new mum.

 

 

1. Stress.

Stress, whilst not the most common emotion I experience, does seem to jump to my mind first. Mainly self inflicted I am constantly feeling a level of stress in caring for little dearest. Everything could be a ok and I'll still contemplate all the things that could go wrong. Its ridiculous I know, particularly when she's consistently well fed and rested, but you can't help feeling overwhelmed with the pressure that comes hand in hand with keeping a little person alive.

Stress also manifests itself into other areas such as outings. They always appear to play on my mind more than staying at home. At least in the confinds of my home I have my stuff and am free from possible judgment from others on my parenting, or lack of parenting (hehe) skills.... again, ridiculous I know. But its impossible to remove this stress, trust me I've tried. The way I feel better about heading out and about is through crazy preparation, which for those of you that know me well, is not difficult for me to achieve ;-) With a well packed bag and a nanny (laura) or father in tow, I feel I can conquer any outing, birthday parties, trips to debating, anything! I'm prepared for almost everything... or so I thought.

Chloe with Auntie Laura :)

Recently on a trip to target to grab some new cot sheets, Chloe began to fuss in the pram, I at first ignored her, knowing she was not due a sleep and had recently been fed, however the fussing continued. So I began to rock her in the pram and placed Jacques in sight at this point she quieted and I began a conversation with the women in front of me in line to pay. Chloe after a minute or so cried out at me again... I then resorted to picking her up for a cuddle, as that solves everything, whilst continuing a chat with the lady. As soon as I picked her up, I felt it, at the exact moment the lady I'd been talking to spotted it.... a poo explosion like I've never seen/felt before.... Stress (and embarrassment) turned me red, thankfully Laura was with me so I left her in line to pay for our purchases and off to the parents room I went. Thankfully Chloe was not to stressed out and was happily chatting away to me as I felt poo slide further down her leg.... YUCK! As I reached the parents room, it had made it to her socks - I apologise to anyone not loving the description - quietly I placed her on the change table and pulled out a new nappy, wipes, new outfit (including socks and singlet) and began searching the bottom of my bag, the zipped compartments, everywhere for a plastic bag. Nope, no plastic bag, nothing to put the soiled clothes in.... oh dear! I now carry not one, but two bags just in case. hehehe.

 

 

2. Guilt.

Being a mum of a healthy, happy, good sleeping bub comes with so much guilt. Despite having a relatively straight forward birth, a supportive husband, no issues with breastfeeding and a baby that is now consistently sleeping through the night... I continually find myself exhausted which makes me feel incredibly guilty. Particularly when I hear stories from other mums about trips to the ER, 2 hourly feedings around the clock, battles with breastfeeding or emergency c-sections. How can I complain when I have it so 'good'? This has crossed my mind many a time.

Guilt also crosses into not only my guilt for complaining but also if I unintentionally hurt Chloe. The first time I accidently hurt her was when we started leaving one arm out from her wrap at night. I woke her for her 7am feed and saw scratches on one side of her face, realising it was her nails I tried to bite them (like daddy does) but couldnt do it, so I got out the nail clippers... everything was going really well until she squealed like nothing I'd ever heard before.... I quickly realised that the kid-friendly clippers had caught her skin and I'd cut her. I felt terribly guilty for hurting her.... The second time was a few weeks later at her first birthday party in a park, despite being in a hat, in the shade, she managed to get burnt on the right cheek.... which again, filled me with terrible guilt. More recently she has caught a cold from me, even despite my best efforts to not cough on her and continually wash my hands. Its hard to not beat yourself up when stuff like this happens. And googling things like 'baby sun burn' images - does! NOT! help!

 

 

3. Sadness.

When I say "sadness" it is not like, lock yourself in the cupboard and cry uncontrollably, its more a feeling of grieving. Like the first night she slept in her "big girl" bed, when I looked at her and thought 'naw....she's growing up so fast'. Or the sadness I feel when she cries and I know I need to leave her... because she is crying to be picked up and its bedtime.... I am flooded with inner turmoil. I know what my heart wants to do but my head says something entirely different. This only lasts a few minutes, but it is the LONGEST and sadest few minutes of my life!!! So many times I have sat by her door and held back the tears only to go in moments later and have a 'naw' moment as she lays there sleeping sweetly.

 

 

4. Excitement.

Obviously this is the best emotion and while in the beginning these moments of excitement were fleeting, few and far between. As well as being constantly second guessed (is that a smile or wind?) or worse still a blur in the exhaustion. Now they are much more frequent, long lasting and enjoyable. Each day she is becoming more and more alert and animated; smiling at me and 'talking'. Her world has become 'a world of discovery' and I'm happy to be taken on this magically ride!

Look Mum! I've got it!

Things that seemed boring or ordinary are suddenly hilarious or incredibly interesting like Richard Wilkins, who had her cracking up for about 3 minutes Friday morning on the tv. Or Laura's fingernails when waved in a fluid motion infront of her face almost always receives a smile. Simple things like discovering she can hit things with her hands, or lift her head, blow bubbles, even more recently rolling over and holding things in her hands - all receive a reaction now, and with it comes an overwhelming sense of pride and excitement. Each of these events, fills my heart to the point of explosion, as I am so amazed by her each and every day. In life its easy for us to focus on the negative things.... but I challenge you to try and think negatively when Chloe flashes you a giant toothless grin.

 Til next time, xxx

 

Things I've learnt....

Where does the time go? It feels like only yesterday I was writing to you last, but also a lifetime ago as well - if that makes and sense. So much has happened in the last month or so and its difficult to know where to start. So rather than laying out a timeline of activities from then to now, I'd rather share with you a list of things I now know, that I didnt pre-Chloe....


1. It is normal to not know and that things will inevitably change.
Chloe and I were thrusted together and I felt this overwhelming expectation to know what to do and how to do it. I was consumed with the idea that because I'd read all the books, I would know how to do it all. But I have quickly learnt that books are great but there's nothing like practical, hands on learning to throw all the literature out the window! Whether it was wrapping Chloe, sleeping positions or how to bath her it all became a game of trial and error. Then just as something would seem to be working, she'd go and change it up on us! But thats all part of the fun right? As one good friend said when I confessed that I still had my mummy training wheels on.... she poignantly pointed out that "They never come off".


2. Babies are time consuming!

Before Chloe, I was riddled with the concern that I would be bored out of my brain and this was compounded by many people asking me how I was going to fill my spare time. How wrong I was. Chloe is an all consuming job. If she's awake, she's feeding, needing a nappy change, I'm playing with her, bathing her, singing to her, carrying her, cuddling her and so on. If she's sleeping, I'm sleeping or feeding myself or showering or trying to resettle her or getting washing done or trying to fill in the ridiculous amount of paperwork you need to complete for a brand new human! Not to mention the production required if I need to get her out of the house for something. I have to say though, in the last three weeks, I've have live in help. Laura has been staying with us and has been an amazing help. If I need to shower and Chloe wants a cuddle I can pass her to Laura and not feel guilty as I know her and I are having our needs met. She has been a godsend!
 

 

3. Chloe's explosive power.

Poo Face

Despite looking like an angel, Chloe's poos can pack a serious punch! Being a breastfed baby her poos are less solid then formula fed bubs... or so I'm told. They explode out of her with such power it has left many a visitor questioning the safety of her nappy being correctly on. Its hilarious watching her and their faces as the rumbles rattle through her which can last 10 or so minutes, yes! this can last for up to 10 minutes! and occasionally ends in a poo blowout. The best poo story we have is when we were still naive and would change the nappy midfed to wake her up. One time, Jarratt took her to change her as she had fallen asleep during a feed. I sat in the lounge room as they disappeared down the hall and into her nursery. A few minutes later I heard a meek cry of 'help' come from the room. Not sounding desperate, I took my time making my way to her room. Upon arrival there was Jarratt mid nappy change, drawer open... there was poo on him, poo on her, poo in the drawer, poo on the floor.... all I could do was laugh. It remains one of our favourite stories to share and we have now developed different ways to wake Chloe midfeed. hehehe - you cant become poo covered by tickling her feet.

And it doesnt stop at poo.... Chloe has also had one bout of a projectile vomit that occurred early one morning during her feed. Thankfully it was a saturday and Jarratt was home as a result I was able to palm her off and have a shower. Ahh.... the joys of parenthood.

 

4. The power of routine!

Chloe with cousin Thomas

We've had Chloe in a routine from day dot. Whilst this may not be everyone's cup of tea, it has worked for us as Chloe is now sleeping through the night (7pm-7am). Also it has helped me with working out her needs... as if she begins to cry 30 minutes out from a feed or sleep I know whats wrong and dont panic... which comes hand in hand with this whole parenting thing, panic that is. It also helps us in getting out and about, as we can plan things better as we know what she'll be doing when. This came in real handy last weekend when we took our first family trip to Brisbane to visit Adrian, Caryn and Thomas in Brisbane. And whilst sometimes she'll be having an off day and stray from the plan a little, its not the end of the world. For example, whilst in Brisbane it was hotter than she was use to so she cried for an extra feed, which she got.... so even though we are following the routine, we're not rigid with it.


5. Crying is normal.


Chloe with Jacques Phillipe

It took me a LONG time to get my head around this! Once I understood that Chloe's crying was her way of communicating not necessarily because she was sick or in pain, the whole managing crying became a whole lot easier. I have also got better at recognising different crys and my all time favourite is the one she does when I put her down in her crib at nap time... A little cry that when translated I'm sure would be "helloooooo?! I'm in here all alone...I'd much rather be out there with you! helllloooooo...." and after 10 minutes max it's na-na's. Very cute! Am I a terrible parent for saying this is my favourite cry? I hope not.

But on the other end of the spectrum is what I have named the 'trifecta' cry. Where at least three things are wrong in Chloe world. The other day having correctly guessed wind and being cold she was still crying, I checked the bum, offered some boob, waved Jacques (her favourite toy) around in front of her, sang... then finally exhausted put her down at which point she stopped and chilled right out.... turns out she just wanted some alone time. hahahaha.


6. Boob does not solve everything!
I'd read a bunch of literature pre-Chloe that basically said 'if all else fails... feed your baby'.... milk, it seemed was like a miracle drug that could solve everything! Unfortunately this is not true for Miss Chloe, unless hungry she will throw herself backwards and push away from me almost clearly saying 'get that away from me!"


7. They will surprise you.


Chloe is the queen of meeting and exceeding my expectations. I often find myself in a panic about this or that and more often than not once the situation is encounted and dealt with I am left wondering what I was worried about. Jarratt is a big help in this. His calm nature and support has got me out of many an anxious pickle. Whether it be the baby acne outbreak, a funny colour nappy or bigger things like flying to Brisbane, he always has this positive attitude that everything will be ok and its impossible for thatnot to rub off. I know I often say how thankful I am to have him as my husband and in my life, but this whole adventure has been much better because I have him holding my hand along the way..... through good, bad and ugly.


8. You realise you could never love something so much!
I honestly thought I could never love anything as much as Jarratt... but Chloe is a close second. I knew I would love her, but I never realised it would seep into everything. My heart swells with this feeling of utter love everytime she gives me a toothless smile. If she even whimpers my heart jumps into my throat and I feel this need to quickly fix her problem. I can spend hours watching her sleep, play under her play gym, bounce in her bouncer... anything! She is without a doubt the second love of my life and I often find myself looking at her in disbelief that she is really here and questioning how Jarratt and I were able to make something so amazing and beautiful. I really feel like I've won life's lottery in having such a fantastic husband and bub. Who knew I was such a sadcase and soppy girl... ha!

Well I guess that's it.... I'm sure there are other things that I will think of, but thats the top 8 that spill from my brain at this current moment.

Love you all, xxx

Welcome Chloe Ann Wyatt

Hi there! How are you all? I'm well..... tired, but well. My life's been a blur since I last wrote! As many of you may know little Chloe Wyatt arrived (promptly) on the 23rd of August, despite being sure she would be fashionably late, as less than 5% of the world's pregnancy's actually occur on the due date. But against the odds she turned up on time, but I suppose having J and I as parents, who pride themselves on being where they say they'll be when they say it, what choice did the little one have?
 

Anyways, the 'labour' story goes like this... At about 330am on the Thursday (23rd) I woke up with bad tummy cramps, nothing warranting to wake J, so I just went to the toilet thinking that was the problem. But bubkiss! So I dismissed it and tried to go back to sleep... by 415 the pain hadn't left so I went back to the toilet and had a little 'show'. At this point I woke J and told him I was pretty sure we were on. He bolted upright in bed and started to move about asking me what I wanted him to do and asking should he call the midwife. I basically felt it was far too early to call Lara, so we waited till 5. By 5am I was in agony! We were using a contraction counter on my phone and basically they were coming every 3 minutes and lasting about 40 seconds. I was sure it was not suppose to be like this, all the books and parenting classes said the start of labour was like a warm up. Which on reflection I now think I slept through... Anyways we rang Lara and gave her the news. She was very positive, asked us to continue to monitor them and call her back if nothing changed by 530. After we hung up I couldnt handle it, so I jumped in the shower and beat my stomach with the hot water... Jarratt peered over the top of the shower, monitoring and counting the contractions... by 6am the contractions were still every 3 minutes, but lasting ALOT longer. We rang Lara and she said to head into hospital. We arrived at hospital at 7am, with Lara arriving after at 730am... she was shocked at how far along I was being my first pregnancy... the next 5 hours are a blur... But at 12:49pm Chloe arrived.... and we fell in love with her immediately!

 

We were then given some time to spend with our new family - its magical those first few moments, you forget the pain and suddenly there is this little person in the room.. who miraculously knows how to breathe, cry, feed and fill your heart with love til it bursts - its incredible! After about 3 hours, Lara returned and announced that there were no beds on the ward... and how did we feel about transferring to Sutherland. After a few questions and a frank discussion about the services at Sutherland, on Lara's recommendation we agreed. She then followed this quickly with "Now, my next question is... is your capsule in the car?" At first I thought she was kidding... she wasnt! A passenger transfer could take hours, so it would be faster for us all to head over to Sutherland together... in our own car. So off we went.... in peak hour, in a storm, 5 hours since giving birth.... Jarratt didnt even crack under the pressure and it wasnt til the next day that I really realised the stress that he would of been under. Sutherland hospital was lovely... alot newer than St George and on the first night I roomed with a mother of 3 who was very supportive and relaxed, for which I am incredibly grateful as I bumbled my way through the first night of motherhood. On the second day, Chloe had her first bath, had her hearing checked and was given some injections. We were also moved into a private room! Score! Which was great as the second night was so much harder... as Chloe was cluster feeding - not something I had read about or expected... basically from 8pm-2am she was on the boob. By 2am I was going round the bend, so the midwives took her to settle her, as every time I tried, she smelt the milk and was in a frenzy if I didnt give it to her. Thankfully the midwife was able to settle her and she 'crashed' til 8am the next morning! After 48 hours in the hospital I was ready to leave, dont get me wrong the midwives were great and the facilities amazing, but the constant revolving door of advice was doing my head in. Each midwife had their own way of doing things which was different to the last midwife and with shift changes every 6 hours it was enough to make even the non-sleep deprived mother dizzy. Plus an added bonus of heading home within 48 hours was having Jarratt there around the clock and home visits by Lara.

 

So... we arrived home... it was a crazy first night as Chloe refused to sleep alone. The only way we could get her to sleep was on Jarratts chest, which I knew could become a problem. Second night... same thing. So Monday morning Lara arrived and we discussed the problem. She basically gave two suggestions 1. a heater (as the room was a little cold) and 2.some sound. Employing both strategies worked like a charm and despite waking for a feed the following night, Chloe slept alone, in her crib! The time between then and now is a blur of nappy changes, feedings, bath time, cuddles and so on. We've managed to get a routine going for feeds and sleeps, etc. Despite some initial teething issues Chloe has gone down the last 2 nights at 7pm a treat, we feed her at 930pm and again if she wakes (last night she woke at 410am! which gave me a good solid 5 hour sleep - the most in 4 weeks!) then I wake her at 7am and we start the cycle again. I know its a little controversial to feed her to a routine, but if I've learnt anything this last month is that you need to do what feels right and works for you and your family! We have had our fair share of challenges, with good and bad days, and things are constantly changing and we're always trying new things... it can be stressful at times, but I only have to look at her and its all worthwhile! She is so gorgeous and I'm so in love with my little one. And despite the lack of sleep and the soreness - I wouldnt have it any other way :)

 

Well... I think that about wraps it up.  Enjoy, Bec xxx 

 

You'll always be my baby, xxx

Hi There!

Well, its the final week! How quickly has that come around? Although I am sure that Bubba Wyatt will be fashionably late. They have moved my date forward so much throughout the pregnancy that I dont think its possible to go early now, despite almost every pregnancy I've heard of recently having their little bub arrive early. I think I'm definitely going to buck the trend. hehehe. So its just the waiting game now.

I finished up work last Friday which was really surreal. I still dont feel like i'm on Maternity leave but I think thats because I get so many regular holidays throughout the year as a teacher. I dont think it'll feel real til it all kicks off. You may well laugh at that when you see the size of my tummy now as its enlarged a fair bit and does serve as a constant remind of Bubba Wyatt's impending arrival... and I'm sitting here saying it feels surreal. hahaha.

But I have had a hard time turning my school brain off, luckily the lovely girl who has taken over debating has kept me plugged in to the next debate. Which is great! I know I should be relaxing and putting my feet up but I think I'll go batty if I dont keep some sort of challenge going, for the interium anyways. The midwife sent me into a little bit of a tailspin at my last appointment when she asked what I planned to do after birth.... I honestly thought it was a trick question and answered 'I'm going to look after the baby' She smiled and said , yes but what are you going to do to keep yourself mentally challenged?.... you are going to go from being around people all the time and planning activities, as a teacher, then its just going to be you and the baby..... I completely understad why she raised this with me as postnatal depression can be quite a prevalent issue these days. But whilst she was trying to be reassuring, it just made me focus on it more and completely become analytical about the whole thing.... lol, which is so unlike me ;)

So for the last two days its played on my mind a bit and I've tried to come up with a project for myself to do in those times when I need a little 'mental stimulation'.... beautiful Keelyann has been the winner as she pointed out all those amazing photos we took during our three years of travel remain unedited, unorganised and in need of some real attention... so YAY! anxiety subsided!!! But if you have any project ideas for me, send them my way - I figure the more the merrier! At my last appointment the midwife also told me that she'll induce me if I havent had bub by 42 weeks, which is the 6th of September..... Gosh, that feels like AGESSS away! But what can you do!?

I have also been 3/5s engaged for the last 3 appointments, which doesnt mean much as your first bub can sit in your pelvis for weeks and not come out. Which is great for bub, as it means its not too big to come out the natural way (hehe) but bloody uncomfortable for me as having a 3kg watermelon sitting in your pelvis all day can make you waddle and in a fair bit of discomfort by dinner time.

Since I last emailed we've also attended the second of our two parenting classes... which was very full on with information. They jammed alot more into the second day which covered, breastfeeding, bathing and general parenting skills. We again proved to be interesting participants, particularly when Jarratt put our baby on the floor, under his chair and walked off to make himself a coffee - lol - the midwife was a little concerned when J just shrugged and said 'yeah, but its a doll' when she pointed out what he'd done. I also grabbed the emails of the ladies in the room who were not crazy to keep in touch with and about their little bundles; then perhaps even set up a mothers group in the future. Of the 6 we befriended, 2 have already had their babies, both going 10 days early.... which slightly freaked me out as I'd mentally prepared for going over not under. It inspired me to pack my bags so we're all ready to go. Thanks Viv, I took your advice and have invested in a more Bec friendly pair of undies, not the Granny panties that had been freaking me out. I feel really prepared and ready, and surprisingly calm about the whole upcoming process.... we'll see how that carries through once I'm in the swings of contractions lol.

Anyways, thats basically my life in a nutshell.
How are things in your world? I hope this update finds you well and that the next time we chat I'll be able to introduce you all to a little Wyatt. YAY!

Lots of love, Bec and bump!

PS - Thanks to Nath who took some of the photos below for us to document this final chapter before our lives are changed indefinitely for the better, xxx

 





1 month to D-Day!!

Where does the time go? Crazy, crazy to think its exactly 1 month today til d-day (delivery day). Its all getting VERY real! But before I get into that I'll do my typical life stuff update :)

On the school front, we've just started Week 2 of Term 3, and I plan on working until end of Week 4, so only 14 days working left! Feels like ages, but I'm sure it will fly! I have a few responsibilities in the next few weeks, 2 debates (one as a coach, another to adjudicate), education week assemblies, then class stuff. I've managed to set myself a rather crazy challenge of having the kids script, rehearse, perform, film and edit their own drama films. All within 14 days.... oh my, what was I thinking?! Anyways... it is what it is. We'll see how we go!

At home, we've well and truly finished the renos, however the cornice in the kitchen still needs a lick of paint - but that's a result of J working most Saturdays and afternoons for himself now. Which is great - but means the little jobs at home are that much more difficult to get to. Plus he's caring for his heavily pregnant, lazy wife. There are a few minor aesthetic things to do for the baby's room - like the curtains that Mum has made. But the chair etc is in and it's pretty much ready for Bubba Wyatt arrival!

In preggers news alot has been happening - feels like its all things baby now! Since we last spoke, I was thrown a beautiful Baby Shower, which many of you attended. It was held at Masonic Club in Mortdale and luckily (despite some rain earlier in the week) the weather wasn't too bad. We were on the front balcony, which can be quite uncomfortable, but with some fancy decorations (Thanks Lin and Nic), it was transformed into a beautiful baby shower oasis. I had an absolute blast and was bowled over by how generous everyone was. Bubba Wyatt is clearly very loved and is going to be one spoilt child.

We've also been to the first of our two parenting classes run by St George Hospital in order to better prepare us for the arrival of bubba and to be parents. It was all on the stages of labour, pain relief and generally what to expect of birth. It was pretty relieving for both J and I as I'd done a fair bit of reading which we had discussed and made decisions about together, so when we were questions we were well informed and on the same page....This Saturday we have the second class which covers breastfeeding, bathing etc - Should be fun :)

In myself I've started to balloon - and not just in my belly. My feet are pretty much full of fluid by the end of the day that they look like pillows. I no longer fit in most of my shoes, I'm wearing J's thongs and have invested in a pair of HUGE shoes. I hope my feet dont stay like this! The waking up to pee over night has accelerated and I am lucky if I can get 2 straight hours before I need to get up again. But I guess its good prep for feedings etc.

Also, after much convincing (Kehlet!) I've finally sat down and started a list for what I'll need to take to hospital for labour and the stay in the maternity ward afterwards as I've been told from week 37 you can go anytime!!! But I've been looking pretty carefully at some of the scarier stuff on my list that I had been refusing to deal with - like large Granny style undies and maternity pads! (So sorry if that's an overshare). So in the next few weeks we'll make the final purchases and pack said bag. Jarratt also seems to be feeling the impeding doom as well as on Sunday morning he fitted the baby capsule in Max and put some vital materials in the boot in case I give birth in the car (LOL), like a big blanket, a few towels and a 2 litre bottle of water..... I seriously cant stop laughing about it! We literally live 10 minutes MAX from the hospital, but I guess you can never be too prepared.

So, thats all in my world.

Hows things with you all? I hope this post finds you happy and well. Lots of love, Bec and Bump. xxx

12...11...10...9!!!

Wow, where does the time go? Less than 10 weeks til we can introduce you all to little bubba wyatt and I can't wait!!!! Since I last posted, not alot has changed life wise - however my belly has well and truly popped, but more on that in a bit...

Firstly, school continues to keep me on my toes, I've got 8 more get ups until the holidays, which I'm desperately hanging out for. Not just because I'm preggers, but because it has been such a busy 8 weeks. My debating team won their second debate and are due to compete in the third round this week. NAPLAN was a stressful week for the kids, parents and teachers alike but my Prac student teacher turned out to be a bit of a god sent and I spent most of her final days kicking back and relaxing. I have completed all my reports and have parent teacher interviews next week along with two planning days to organise stuff for next term. I've also met my replacement for when I take leave, his name is Ben and seems like a really sweet guy, very new to teaching, but I know the Stage 3 boys will appreciate having a bloke on staff. In regards to my Maternity leave, I plan on working into next term a little bit, everyone I speak to who has had a baby thinks I'm nuts! As it is I've said I'll work until Week 4 of Term 3, which puts me at 38 weeks. Eeck! But, we'll see how I go.

At home, the renos have pretty much finished up, the kitchen now just needs the final lick of paint over the cornice and the baby's room is pretty much done, we are tossing up some shelves or storage, but its not desperate. A few Saturdays ago J and I put up a border print around the walls of the nursery and it nearly ended our relationship, haha. It was a very stressful experience, but I think you'll agree it looks great! I know its a little impractical, but I don't care. In other news the washing machine we've had as long as we've been together finally died, and on a very chaotic Sunday we bought a new one and a laptop, which I'm writing to you on now. But we managed to sell Zeke, 2 days after advertising it online for 6000, so there is a little cashola in the bank to splurge with!



In pregger news, my tummy has started to expand, but I still am not huge, considering I only have 9ish weeks left. But nonetheless I have needed to invest in a new pair of jeans. I've also suddenly been penalised for all my cruisy months of being pregnant, by getting every niggling ailment you can think of. I've experienced heartburn,  I'm running to the toilet pretty regularly now, I've started to waddle, my balance is starting to feel the effects of my belly and I find picking things up off the floor is quite difficult now, I've got a bit of swelling in my fingers which means I have resorted to not wearing my wedding or engagement rings, sleeping through nights is no longer possible and I've become the laziest lady ever! Jarratt's been an absolute prince! I really don't know how people do this on their own. I mean, despite working 6 days a week at the moment (5 for switch, 1 for himself) he is still cooking EVERY night, keeping the house tidy (I do some chores, but its minimal), basically keeping me comfortable and telling me I'm beautiful despite how unattractive I feel! Also, I have yet to vomit, yay!!!!

Oh... actually I lie. I recently went to Port Stephens with Mum, Rob and J to do a Whale watching cruise over the long weekend and normally I'm fine on boats and never get sea sick but about 2 hours into the cruise I began to feel quite queasy! I decided to follow the captains advice and move from the top outdoor deck to the inside middle deck and as soon as I opened the door to enter the cabin - a smell of sick washed over me and that was it, I took off to the bathroom and ... well, you know. I then decided I was better off being queasy on the top deck than sitting inside with that smell! The cruise was great though we saw about 7 whales from a distance, but I don't know if Bubba Wyatt is going to have the same sea legs as its mum and dad. oh well....

But in all other things Bubba Wyatt, he/she is kicking along,I'm sure the little thing is going to be a soccer player or something! Its incredibly active!!! Now when it starts kicking and flapping around my stomach actually changes shape - sometimes like a tent or an elbow sticking out. Nothing clearly defined yet, like a foot or anything, but I'm hopeful hahaha. Its like something out of alien, like my stomach is about to burst open, its kinda freaky really! I've also had a lot more people throwing their two cents into the debate of boy vs girl. So far most opinions and even some of the old wives tales point to boy. My wedding ring rocking back and forth over my stomach on a chain, the way I'm carrying, all that stuff. Its fun to listen to the craziness, but at the end of the day - that's all it is, craziness! I honestly don't care either way.... I know that's cliched, but I can see pros and cons for both. I just cant wait til its here and I can hold it and share it with all of you! :)

We've got a midwife appointment tomorrow, but at the last appointment we were in and out in about 15minutes. With a quick check of a heartbeat and a push and prod we were given two thumbs up and sent on our way with more paperwork for more blood tests! This time it was another round of check up ones and a new one called the glucose test. Basically to check if I have diabetes. It was the worst one I've ever done! I had to drink 50ml of like syrup, wait an hour then have more blood taken. And they do take a bit, let me tell you! Made me feel quite light headed and dizzy. So we get those results tomorrow - fingers crossed all goes well.

Well I think that's it!
Hope everything is well in your world.

Sometimes the smallest things, take up the most room in your heart xxx

Welcome to another update in all things Bubba Wyatt. Since I last posted, life has gathered speed at a break neck rate! I can’t believe I’m already 26 weeks along in this pregnancy thing! Time is just flying by!!!

On the baby front everything is going swimmingly with little one, I've started to realise I can’t go at my pre-preggers pace anymore.  So, I have slowed right down since we last spoke, I fade a lot faster, don't seem to have as much energy and despite my attempts can’t sleep in. I think it’s my body preparing for the all nighters - lol. I have mixed nights, sometimes I can sleep straight through for 6ish hours, other nights I'm up and down all night. It’s really inconsistent. I've also started having really crazy vivid dreams - none of which I can remember right now, thanks to my blanking disease!

My emotions are also heightened, I've never been one to cry at commercials or anything like that, I consider myself a fairly upbeat person, but the other night watching castaway (yes the movie with tom hanks) had me crying uncontrollably - I felt ridiculous but couldn't stop. Its not all the time, and I don’t think I'm being irrational (although J may say otherwise, hehe) but things that I would normally be able to hold inside are bursting out of my eyelids now, its crazy!!!! I've been told its the hormones.... grrrr- I really dislike hormones, those little culprits are responsible for EVERYTHING! My headaches, my breakouts, my frenzy need to buy everything RIGHT NOW! But thankfully my festival of nesting is just about finished, the cot has been assembled, the nursery is beginning to take shape, we have purchased a pram/capsule combination thing and have booked in a date for the baby shower (8th July). 

But in more exciting news, we have also bought a new car - Max, which is FANTASTIC! Its a white Mitishibushi ASX and its got plenty of room for bub and bubs things (car seat, pram etc) and whilst I am DEVASTATED I have to sell Zeke, I knew it would need to happen eventually and it was only a matter of time. But his new owner is the sweetest Japanese man who I know will take good car of him. 

So its all stations to babyville - I feel super organised, just the way I like it and am happy to spend Sundays lying in bed with Jarratt, while he feels the little flutters beneath my skin. Its all very heartwarming. The baby's kicks have continued but have become less intense - I've read this is because it now has less space, but still makes me happy when I feel them, but also a little stressed if I dont at a particular time, when I normally would.

Recently, I’ve actually feel like I'm starting to look preggers, although the world may not have caught up yet. I had my first 'when are you due?' out at the shops the other day (only took 6 months!!!!!) but I still replied 'huh?' as its not a frequent thing I'm asked and the women freaked out and said, “you are pregnant right?” I was like, “oh yeah, due on August 23^rd”. To which she gave the standard shocked reply 'but you're so little'. So I continue to field the disbelief and wide-eyed looks of those around me who are shocked that I’m so far along with such a little bump.

On the cuter side, I've found myself subconsciously rubbing my tummy now and then and smiling at the thought that in less than 3 and a half months we're going to have a child. A little person, so small and cute and lovable. You all know how much I love kids and I cant wait to have one of my very own. Jarratt makes jokes that I'm going to smother it. I know he's right, but I love it so much already and I can't even see it yet! 

I've also developed some pregnancy related conditions which are incredibly frustrating, one is dropsies - which I'm sure your all familiar with and the other is blanking. It’s terrible!!! I'll be talking and literally in the middle of the sentence I'll forget what I was talking about - which is not great when you're teaching pretty switched on 11 year olds 6 hours a day! So I've set about setting reminders, writting post its and just about any other helpful techniques I can use to ensure I dont forget everything!

We also had the 19 week ultrasound about 2 months ago, it was A-MA-ZING! It left me contemplating how much one of those machines would cost! I could seriously sit and watch little one ALLLL day! The lovely Lesley (the lady who did the exam) was very thorough, measured just about everything! The head, the hands, the leg bone, the spine, everything! Took about an hour and she kept saying how beautiful and perfect things were, which I'm sure she says to everyone but it was still nice to hear. Especially since J and I had not had the 12 week scan that checks for abnormalities (as it wouldn't make a difference to us) we weren't sure of any disabilities the child may have, but as far as its skeleton and sizing go everything was "perfect and beautiful". PHEW! But the best thing was we were able to see the heart beating!!!! That was crazy!?! It was hypnotic! The little thing beating so fast and strong, 148 bpm, which is about average. So beautiful.  The ultrasound was followed by our monthly midwife appointment where we got to discuss the results. She mentioned changing my due date as MOST of the baby's measurements made me more pregnant then they thought, so panicked I was like "Most? Which ones aren’t?" Thinking we're going to have some t-rex style armed kid, or one with a little head. She reassured me saying that it was ok, the baby just had little legs - J and I both laughed at that and then I turned to J and said "Well that would be YOUR fault (lol)" Being the giant that he is! Hahaha. A couple of nights afterwards the bubba was performing a floor routine of gymnastics in my stomach when I turned to him and said "This kid is so active, I wish sometimes it would give me a break and just sit still" and calmly he turned to me smiled and said "Well that would be YOUR fault!" But yeah, its been a roller coaster so far, but I always liked that ride at the show!

In reno news, over the Easter long weekend, we managed to get alot of our renos done and when I say 'we' I actually mean Jarratt, hahaha.  The kitchen is now fitted out with the glass splashback, kickboards and bulkheads. Just need to cornice the ceiling and its done! Jarratt and our friend Nathan also got moving on reflooring the unit, after waiting almost two months for some pretty stylish colonial oak flooring, it was finally in stock and laid on our floor. However due to a slight miscalculation we are around one box short of finishing the whole dining room. But luckily we were able to order and quickly pick up an additional few boxes and her presto it was done and it looks beautiful! However, I did slightly panic when I looked at the colour of our couch against the colour of the floor and threw my hands in the air and cried “we need a new couch it looks terrible!” But with a few smart accessories (rug and cushions) it’s all come together nicely. So strike the last preggers panic! :)

We've also started the long, daunting hunt for major items of furniture including a dining table and buffet. A few weeks ago we found a buffet we liked and it recently got delivered. The table however has been a little harder, at the moment we're using the outdoor wicker set Mum bought us for Christmas, and its working a treat, so for the time being that'll do!

Wow, what an update! My fingers are cramping up ;)

But its been a busy few months and I cant see it slowing down anytime soon.

Buckle up friends, its going to be an exciting ride.

Love Bec and Bump, xxx

Our Blissful Babymoon

Jarratt and I travelled to tropical north queensland for our babymoon. We had a great time relaxing, eating and wandering around the Daintree Rainforest. It was a blissful 4 days that words can not describe. So check out the video all about our wonderful trip! xxx

Baby Love

A little delayed in posting, but this is where bec and J were (hehe) on the 13^th of March, 2012

Hi there campers,

The last 4 months have been pretty crazy! A lot has happened, but the most exciting is …. We’re pregnant and things are going along swimmingly. Having past through the first trimester with flying colours and managing to look pretty 'normal'. As I still fit most of my clothes and don't need to buy anything yet, which is great! I've been told it’s because my abdominal muscles are very strong - lol. This was flattering but fairly unbelievable! But apparently your abdominals are like puzzle pieces fused together and it takes a fair bit to push them apart. I am also the luckiest pregnant lady, not at all sick - just tired. But perhaps the most exciting development is I've started to feel the baby inside me, like flutters mostly but every now and then it will give me a HUGE whack! I laid on the bed on Sunday when the baby was going a little crazy and tried desperately for Jarratt to feel the kicks but to no avail. I've been told that in about 4 weeks he'll be able to feel it. Its pretty nice, even when it hurts, to know its in there doing its thing! I'm also waking up a lot overnight, either I'm too hot, need to pee or wake up in an uncomfortable position, I feel like a pregnant goldilocks (this beds too lumpy, this beds too hot)…but I know the whole sleeping thing will only get better ;)

I've also been to one midwife and ultrasound appointment. The midwife (Elizabeth) is super nice and made me feel really comfortable, until she found out Jarratt was a twin and gently mentioned that I needed to go for an earlier ultrasound as there was a chance of me having two babies..... eeck! Slightly panicked I informed her that I had no twins in my family and that I was sure it travelled down the mother’s side. She calmly replied that wasn’t the case and it best I book in as soon as possible. Also just to confirm my due date. She then asked me to hop up on the bed and popped a little megaphone looking thing on my belly and like magic we could hear the heart beat. It was A-MA-ZING! It sounded so fast and strong and I couldn’t control myself I just started to cry. I hadn’t been prepared for that. I thought we'd just be asked a bunch of questions and being in the public system wouldn’t hear or see the baby for at least another month. But here it was our little baby's heart beating away like Rolf Harris on his wobble board. It was incredible. It made it all very real considering I don’t really have a belly.

Over the next week I booked in for the 2 ultrasounds, one to confirm date and number of babies (oh my!) and the full morphology one (where they check its feet, hands, heart - the whole kit and kaboodle, but won't be until 2/4). The first ultrasound was booked for Tuesday (6/3), my birthday. I didn’t feel as overwhelmed by that one, I think because I was in so much pain, as you need to drink a litre of water and not pee and hour and a half before, and of course, these appointments always run late - so a litre of water sitting in my bladder for 2hours is not fun! Plus, I was prepared to see the little picture, as its pretty much seen in movies and tv shows so you know what to expect. The thing I did find amazing was seeing the ribs and spine, it was pretty cool - and Jarratt made me laugh as he sat there pretty much just counting things... one head, two arms, two legs, two feet, five toes... so yes, ladies and gents - just one baby, phew!!! Below is bubba Wyatt’s first happy snap, the first of MANY! Based on the ultrasound, it turned out I am a little more pregnant than we thought only another 6 days or so. I'm now due on the 23rd of August. So little one could be a virgo or a leo at this stage. Either way it’s a dragon baby and all the Asian parents at school are over the moon for me! hahaha.

Jarratt and I have settled on names we both like, we have top boy and top girl then two runner up names in case it comes out looking nothing like our top names. LOL. Unfortunately like Jarratts crazy commitment to not finding out the sex, he also wants to keep choice of names a secret. So sorry... that ones staying in the vault. I've made a few purchases for the little one already just nursery decorations and a neutral 7 piece set and coat. I'm trying to control myself but the stuff is so darn cute!!!!!

In other news, we have started renovations on the house. Jarratt has been an absolute trooper, since I am unable to handle too much of the painting fumes, he's been left to repaint the entire unit! So far he's done all but two walls - good job Jarratt! The painting was put on hold this week as we have been working on the kitchen. Thankfully, I was able to contribute to that renovation by way of packing and unpacking up the kitchen. On Friday (9/3) Jarratt had the day off and ripped the cupboards out and did the first fit for the electrics and had a plumber mate do the plumbing. On Saturday the cabinet guys came at 7am and fit in all the beautiful high gloss white cabinets, they left around 6pm that night. On Sunday Jarratt put in the rangehood, oven and powerpoints. So its been busy busy busy. Then I spent some time putting all the stuff back into the cupboards that has been dominating our spare room and longue room. Its amazing the space we've inherited, some clever design elements mean we've got about 3 cupboards empty, which is great considering the little person will probably need a WHOLE bunch of stuff and its nice to know we have some space for it to go. I've attached the photos of what it looks like as of today over the next few weeks we'll have a ceasar stone benchtop put in and a glass splash back. Over the following weeks we plan on putting down a floating floor, by Easter we should be ready to decorate with some new furniture and by May its time for a new car. 2012 is gonna be an expensive year!

Well I think thats it. Hope you've enjoyed the most recent installment.

Whats happening in your lives?
Love Bec, J and Bubba.
xoxo

Bubba Wyatt, 15 weeks.

Belly @ Week 10

Belly @ Week 16

Kitchen Renos.