30 September 2011

She's here...the arrival of "Cherub"

Hi everyone,

I know it's been a while since I wrote, but that's because I have some exciting news!!

Last Friday my little girl, who shall be known as "Cherub", was born at 7.48am by caesearean, weighing a healthy 3.16kg and 51cm long. If I do say so myself, she's absolutely gorgeous!! She has lots of dark hair, and dark blue eyes, and looks a lot like her big sister "Popette"...except for her hands and feet which look the same as Mummy's...fat and chubby!

Isn't she lovely!












"Cherub's" birth was a very emotional time for my hubby and I. As soon as she was born I burst into tears (all happy of course), then when she was cleaned up and placed beside me on the operating bed, my eyes welled up in tears for the second time. It was such a lovely moment for my hubby and I, as we didn't experience this when "Popette" was born.
Meeting an emotional Mummy!

We are so lucky that everything went well with the operation. The only "hiccup" was that the pain relief they gave me wore off too quickly after the operation, so I was kept in "recovery" for a couple hours while they tried to find me some pain relief that worked. Other than that, there was no major problems with my blood pressure or with me developing pre-eclampsia, which we were very happy about. 

I was very fortunate to have a good team of doctors looking after me and my daughter. While in hospital "Cherub" had a little jaundice, but it wasn't serious enough to have her treated, and I had some issues with my blood pressure as my Dr took me off my medication, but that was soon sorted out.

We left hospital on Wednesday, and are glad to be back home. I missed my hubby and "Popette", and I think Daddy had a tiring time looking after "Popette" and driving to the hospital each day, so is happy to have all his girls finally at home.

I might not get a chance to write too much over the next few weeks, as hubby and I will be trying to settle "Cherub" into a routine, and also be dealing with "Popette" who is still getting used to having a little sister.

19 September 2011

38 weeks today!!

I'm 38 weeks today! I've finally arrived at my goal, and "Bump" is considered full-term. Woohoo!

7 1/2 weeks ago my hubby and I were worried that I might not make it this far, and had the worrying thought that "Bump" might be born prematurely like her big sister, "Popette" at around the 34 week mark.

We are so grateful that that didn't happen and we've made it to full-term. My OB/GYN is still watching me very closely, especially my blood pressure, and is happy that everything is going well and that I've come this far. This Wednesday she'll be checking me for any signs of impending labour, if she doesn't think anything is going to happen soon, then it looks like I may become a Mummy again as early as Friday!

Meaning I'll be booked in for a caesarean if I don't go into labour by Wednesday. If I happen to go into labour or start showing signs (cervix dilated etc), then my OB/GYN will hold off for a few more
days to see if I can go in labour naturally. Now the waiting begins...

Yesterday, hubby, "Popette" and I went on a tour of the hospital. We thought we should become familiar with the hospital and delivery suites etc, just in case I happen to go into labour, and since we
never got to the attend antenatal class that they had held there.

I think it was the first time I found myself excited about "Bump's" impending arrival. Lately, I've been so worried about "Bump's" big sister "Popette", what with her behaviour which has been terrible (not sure if it's just terrible-two's or a combination of things) and all the problems we've been having with her, that I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about the arrival of "Bump".

Hubby and I were all booked in to attend antenatal classes when I was pregnant with "Popette". But the week we were supposed to attend our first class, was when "Popette" was born, so we didn't
worry about it. We thought we'd try and attend a 'refresher' class this time, but getting someone to  babysit "Popette" has been our problem, so we missed out again.

I'm hoping our lack of knowledge regarding the breathing and relaxation techniques, and the signs and stages of labour doesn't cause me any issues. I've been trying to read as much as possible so I'm aware of the signs and symptoms. My OB/GYN said that "we'll wing it" since hubby and I haven't been to antenatal class...so that'll be interesting.

Lately I've had a couple of "off" days. I'm sure it's normal to be this far pregnant and for my hormones and emotions to start getting to me, but lately it seems like *everything* is getting to me and is doing my head-in.

I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday crying to Hubby "that its all too much", of course he didn't understand what I was on about. Typical male!

If it's not "Popette's" behaviour towards me, problems with her going to bed at night or refusal in going to daycare, it's me worrying about my parents especially Dad as he's been unwell and had recently spent time in hospital.

Then there's my hubby's family who have decided that they'd like to move back to Sydney. They have recently started looking at rental properties not far from us, and have come down a couple times to
view properties, and rely on staying with us. Personally, I think its a bit much to ask someone who is about to have a baby to accommodate 3 more in the house with an unsettled toddler. But of course, hubby doesn't think so, and is only to happy to have them stay with us.

They called us Saturday to say they were "down". But as they couldn't get hold of us Friday, they stayed the night in a hotel. My initial thought was 'thank goodness for that', as we had only just gotten over hubby's mother and our 10 year old niece staying a couple nights the week before, which caused further problems with "Popette". I just couldn't of handled them staying with us again so soon.

I'm really worried about when the baby is born, as I know they'll want to come down and see her in hospital and will probably spend a few days down here (they live 4-5 hours away). I've suggested to hubby that it might be a good idea if they stay while I'm in hospital so there's not too many in the house when I get home with "Bump". But I'm worried about how "Popette" is going to react with not only having a new sibling, but having had visitors stay with us, not to mention Mummy not being at home. We also need someone to look after "Popette" on the day the baby's born, as my hubby of course wants to be with me, so there's that problem to think of as well. As I'm sure "Popette's" not going to be happy with her "Mummy" or "Daddy" not being around.

I'm also going through the "nesting instinct" where I want things done, and want it done now!!! Of course hubby doesn't understand why it's necessary to have something like the baby's room clean
and tidy when she's not going to be sleeping in there at first, done NOW!

I have a "To-do-list" of things I'd like to have done before the baby comes home, which if it's not done now will probably wont get done later as I won't have the time. Of course I was told to "stop worrying about the list"....but I don't think that's going to happen somehow.

13 September 2011

My not so sweet little girl

Lately my sweet little girl, hasn't been so sweet to Mummy. She has become very very clingy to Daddy, and only wants Daddy to get her something to eat, take her to the toilet, get her dressed, put her to bed etc. While you might think, "Yay, that's great", it breaks my heart that she doesn't want me to do anything for her. All she wants is Daddy, and if I say I'll do something she has a sudden outburst and cries. It's been like this for the past few days. We've also been having issues with her going to bed at night, where she cries and gets upset when we put her down, ending up with a very tired Mummy & Daddy. My poor hubby is tired of being the one that has to do everything, even though he knows she's not herself lately, so he does whatever he can do to make her happy.

I'm sure the impending birth of "Bump" is playing on "Popette's" mind and seeing my tummy get bigger and bigger, isn't helping. She told one of the ladies at daycare last week that her "Baby sister is coming out soon", and yesterday when I went for an ultrasound she said "Bump" was "Mummy's baby". My heart broke when I began thinking that her little mind might be thinking that I'm having another baby and replacing her. My poor little cherub. I wish I knew what was going on through her mind.

I sat next to her on the lounge last night and read books with her, and afterwards got lots of cuddles and kisses, which was lovely, considering the last couple days she hadn't wanted anything to do with me.

Today Daddy was getting ready to go to work which caused her to get very upset, in the end he had to sneak out the front door when "Popette" was occuppied eating and watching TV to go to work. She wasn't happy when she found out that Daddy had left, the tears started and there was cries of "Daddy Daddy", but I quickly distracted her with another episode of "Postman Pat" that we had recorded....thank goodness for technology!

The last couple days "Popette" hasn't been herself, she's had a runny nose and eyes which we think is hayfever, since the medicine we originally gave her for colds didn't work, but the Zyrtec for Kids did, plus she's had a bout of gastro on the weekend, so I don't think that has helped, plus everything else she's going through.

She started daycare a couple weeks ago, just one day a week. When I dropped her off last week she cried and cried, and clung to my legs not wanting me to leave. I nearly burst into tears myself. After 20 minutes I eventually left her, feeling terrible that she was so miserable and didn't want to be there. I was reassured by the staff that it's normal for them to be like this when they are just starting to attend daycare. I called the office a couple hours later, and was told that she was happy and having a good time. But when I picked her up, she gave me a big cuddle and cried, making her little friend cry also.

I wish my sweet little girl would cheer up and be her happy self again soon. It's horrible seeing her so miserable.

02 September 2011

"Popette's" first day at daycare

It's my 'blogoversary' today...one whole year since I started writing this blog, how quickly has that time flown by. I don't think I'll ever be a blogger that writes a blog-a-day, but I will try to write at least one blog each week although it might be get hard to fit in the time once "Bump" is born, so forgive me if they become less frequent. I hope you continue to follow me on my motherhood journey, and drop in from time to time to say "Hi". :-)


Yesterday it was "Popette's" first day in daycare. I was feeling very anxious about sending her off into the unknown, as it was all new to me as well as her. Although she's 2 and a half now, she's still my little baby. We haven't been separated a lot since she was born, so it was a big step for me to send her somewhere without me being there to look after her, and to trust that the people there would do a good job at looking after her.

I had been tossing up on whether to start her before the baby arrived or after she was born, and had all these thoughts going through my head about whether she would feel rejected by me because I sent her off to daycare, or whether she would feel unloved and take it out on the baby, or resent me and the baby as we would be the ones taking her to childcare. But when talking to the Childcare Centre Director, my hubby and I decided that it would probably be a good idea if we started her before the baby was born so she could get used to the daycare and not have the baby to worry about.

Lately I'd been worried about whether enrolling "Popette" into daycare was going to be the right thing or not, so after months of procrastinating about it, hubby & I decided it would be a good thing for her and also for me. We thought the interaction with other kids would be good for "Popette" as she doesn't play with a lot of other children and really needs to mingle with kids as she's become quite shy and withdrawn, and having some time away from Mummy might also be good for her.

So last Friday hubby and I enrolled her into a daycare located just down the road from our house, only 5 mins from Mummy, for one day a week. One of her little friends goes to the same daycare, so we thought it might be nice if she went the same day as her so the transition would be easier for her.

For some time I had it in my mind that I would send her one day a week once "Bump" was born so I could have a day to myself and the baby, and also have a little break from "Popette". What I didn't think about is how it would affect me when I actually enrolled her and took her on her first day.

When I eventually dropped her off I was expecting tears and cries of "Mummy don't go", instead she clung to my hand for a little while, until her little friend ("Miss O") came over and took her by the hand and started to show her around. When I told her I was going and I would see her later, she ran back to me, and said "See you later Mum" and that was it. There was no tears, no sudden outbursts, no clinging to my leg and screams of "Don't go Mummy", not even a kiss and cuddle goodbye!

I on other hand felt a little sad as I was leaving my little girl behind. I was strong and didn't burst into tears like my hubby thought I would. I really wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe I expected to feel wanted or needed since I was the main person whose been looking after her for the majority of her short life. I thought my little girl might of wanted Mummy to stay and not leave her alone in the strange place.

It felt strange to arrive home to an empty and quiet house, with no "ABC for Kids" on the TV or "Popette" running around the place. I found that I missed her as soon as I dropped her off. I'm sure in time I will relish these days, but at the moment as its all new to me and her I guess it'll take some time in getting used to.

From what I heard she had a great time, and only got upset when she was told that she had to go inside for lunch...I think she was upset mainly because she had been playing outside on the slippery dip and in the sandpit, two of her favourite things.

I arrived later in the afternoon to pick her up, and instead of getting an excited greeting, I got a sad little face along with some tears and a cuddle. I don't know if she was unhappy with me for being away for so long, or whether she was unhappy that she had to leave. I hugged her and told her that I miss her, and she replied "I missed you Mum", hubby seems to think thats why she was so sad as she missed her Mummy. After our hug, we collected her things, then she excitedly showed me the fish in the tank, and some things she had played with. She then waved goodbye to the ladies who looked after her, and said "See you next week".

She came home with a "present" she made Daddy for Father's Day, a painted and sparkly paper picture frame and a card she drew in which she excitedly gave to Daddy, then told us all about her first day at daycare. I'm guessing it wasn't such a bad day for her after all.