Friday 27 December 2013
So I know I promised a shorter time frame between posts, but it has been a rather crazy (and exhausting) time! The last two weeks we've not only had Christmas and the mad rush leading up to it, but I also had my last day at work and all the things I had to get done before maternity leave started. This time of year is pure madness!!
Here is the 35 week bump photo (taken Christmas day):
In my last post I mentioned that we had an appointment with Dr B. It went really well. He is really happy with how both Bub and I are doing and told us that as everything is going so well, should I go into labour he wouldn't try to stop it. Bub is still head down, which is great, and growing as she should. She is still quite high though and not yet engaged.
Joy of all joys for me though is I have been having quite sever round ligament pain in my lower belly which has made walking pretty painful. Sadly the only thing to do is rest when I can and take it easy. Dr B said it was just a natural part of pregnancy and with that statement went my hope in a magical fix!
Shortness of breath is still a major issue and I am often finding myself needing to stretch out on the couch or in bed in order to breath easier. It has been the one thing I'm really struggling with, but its only temporary so it will all be ok. Next appointment with Dr B is on 2 January.
I had an acupuncture appointment last week as well and they were really happy with how everything's going. my next appointment (on 7 January) will be where they start to do the induction points, which is both very exciting and very nerve-wracking!
I think I am still in a bit of denial that Bub is actually coming soon. It has taken me weeks to actually pack the hospital bag(s), and even then I'm still not totally finished! I think it is denial that has led to my procrastination! It's not that I am not bursting to meet our little girl, it's more that I just can't believe that this pregnancy is almost over and very soon we'll have a baby girl who we will have to look after. It's just such a huge deal that I think my head just can't quite wrap around it. I hope I'll be a good Mum.
So I am very pleased to say that as of Christmas Eve I am on Maternity leave! Yay! I don't think it'll really hit me until Bio Mum goes back to work next week and I get to stay home in bed!
It was so hectic in the lead up to finishing work. I had so many things I wanted to get done (all accomplished by the way) and with my ever increasing exhaustion and discomfort, it was a challenge. I am very glad to say its all done now and I don't have to worry about anything work related until 1 December 2014, when I am planning to return.
The lead up to Christmas was a little crazy and probably felt more so because of how pregnant I am. Thankfully all presents were purchased on time (while some that had to go interstate could have been sent a little earlier) and I didn't have to brave the Christmas Eve nightmare at the shops! I say this every year, but next year I am going to start planning earlier and buy everything (or mostly everything) online!
We managed to do some catch ups in the lead up to Christmas so that was good. We even successfully managed to host our first annual 'Turducken Day' dinner. I am pleased to report that the meal was a success and it was a great night. It also gave me confidence for Christmas lunch!
Christmas Eve was a quiet one at home with Bio Mum and her parent's (of course both Bio Mum and I had to work during the day), where I forced everyone to watch Carols by Candlelight as it was one of the traditions my family always had when I was younger. Maybe because I couldn't be with my Mum, Sister, Dad and other family members this year (way too pregnant to travel) I really felt the urge to have as a traditional Christmas as possible.
While Carols were on I started on the Christmas pudding, another family tradition. Every year my Mum made a pudding (which was a family recipe), which was mixed on Christmas Eve and then left overnight before being boiled in a pudding cloth on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day we were up early to get ready to head over to Bio Mum's sister's place for breakfast. We also opened our presents to each other (and for our little girl) before we left. I loved mine and the very enthusiastic reaction from Bio Mum told me she loved hers (I got her the Lego Death Star). Our little girl did pretty well in the present department considering she isn't even born yet!
Breakfast was lovely and then Bio Mum and I had to head home to put the turducken in the oven and get ready for lunch.
After a busy morning getting ready we sat down to Christmas lunch with Bio Mum's parents, sister, brother in law and nephews (who were much more interested in our gym equipment than food!). All in all it tasted pretty good, not a bad effort for my first real Christmas lunch (I did have a lot of help though). After lunch and presents (we were all very spoiled) Bio Mum's sister, brother in law and the boys headed off and the rest of us did a bit of cleaning and napping before sitting down to watch a movie. It was a really lovely day.
Boxing Day was spent avoiding the Boxing Day test on television, I can't stand Cricket, and the last of the clean up (mostly by Bio Mum). We also managed to watch a few movies and have some lovely naps!
Today has been spent doing some sorting and de-cluttering before we head to a BBQ at our friend's place later this afternoon.
I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and I will be sure to post soon.
Wednesday 11 December 2013
My apologies for not posting last week, it was a bit of a crazy week...plus I have been really, really tired.
Only 13 days to go until my last day at work (24 December, thankfully only a short day to 3pm)!! I am so ready to be resting at home. I am just so tired and feeling heavy and uncomfortable all the time. I think what I need is some quality time on the couch in front of the air-con! Plus work is really busy so the down time will be great.
Here is the 32 Weeks bump photo:
And here is the 33 Weeks bump photo:
(Moo totally photo bombed this one, see brown blob in the bottom of the photo!)
There is something kind of nice about being unmistakably pregnant, its much better than earlier on when it was hard to tell if I was actually pregnant or just fat!
Lil Dash has been rather enjoying squishing my lungs so breathing continues to be a problem fairly often. She also seems to be pretty partial to being on my right side so my belly often looks a little lopsided. She already seems to be a very strong willed little girl, just like her Mums!
So the weekend before last weekend we headed off to Bio Mum's parent's place for some quality R&R, which was greatly needed! It was a lovely weekend full of good company, good food, good naps and wonderful relaxation! We even ducked into town and did some shopping for Bub and for Christmas presents.
While in town we went to this great lingerie shop and I got myself fitted for a maternity bra (I have been wearing them for quite a while now, just hadn't been fitted). Man has it made a difference to be wearing the proper size bra! Now they are not the most attractive bras, but who cares as long as I'm comfortable!!
We got home from Bio Mum's parent's the afternoon of 1 December so it was time to put up the Christmas tree! Now I LOVE Christmas and would have had that tree up weeks earlier had Bio Mum let me! Here is our tree, its a bit tacky but I love it!
Christmas is the one time of year where I get really, really dorky and traditional. I like everything to be just so and find it really a struggle when Christmas isn't how I feel it should be. I guess I'll always be a kid at heart when it comes to Christmas and I'll always long for the way my Mum always had Christmas. We haven't had a Christmas like we used to in quite a few years.
This year will be my first attempt at creating my own Christmas and traditions that I can share with my baby girl for years to come. As I'm too far along to travel I'll be having Christmas in Canberra and not traveling to Melbourne to see my family as I do each year (last year we went the weekend before Christmas and had Christmas in Canberra and at Bio Mum's parent's place). So Christmas day will start with presents and breakfast at Bio Mum's sister's place, which is awesome because that means we get to see the nephew's open their presents!
Then back home where I'll get cooking! I'm aiming to do a proper, traditional Christmas lunch inspired by the Christmas lunches my Mum always used to make. I'm even hoping to make my great (and possibly another great) grandmother's Christmas pudding if my sister can find me the recipe! The big change will be the 'Turducken' that Bio Mum has asked me to cook. If you don't know a turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken.
I hope it all goes well.
On Wednesday 4 December we had another appointment with Dr B, which went well. Lil Dash is still doing well and measuring about a week ahead now (much less scary!). She is looking great and Dr B seemed really happy with how both she and I are doing. He did tell me though that he is glad he never has to be pregnant! Nice to know he's sympathetic!
I'd been getting quite an itchy bump (especially in the warmer weather) so Dr B suggested I try having some Alpha Keri baths. So on my way home from the appointment I swung by the chemist and bought the bath oil (pictured below) and the cream. This stuff is amazing!! The itching is mostly gone and my skin feels awesome! Thank you Dr B!!
My nesting instinct has also started to kick in a bit. I have a desire to do washing, lots of washing, and to organise the nursery. In fact I have packed and repacked the draws of the baby's tallboy several times now. Here is the top draw that sits under the change mat (tallboy has the change table on top of it):
Nappies, wipes, cream all at hand, plus a few other items (the feeding chair is right next to the tallboy so we have some feeding bits and bobs in the draw too).
Here is the next draw down which is full of the newborn clothes we have (all now washed and ready to go!):
I am so in love with these tiny items of clothing and am still a little in shock that our baby is going to soon be wearing them!
I also washed all Lil Dash's wraps/swaddles and towels. Here is the wraps all stacked in the cupboard:
And here are the towels and her basked of bath items (face washers, toys, baby shampoo and wash plus other bits and pieces):
I figure the basket will be easy to just pick up and move to the bathroom when its bath time for Lil Dash!
Wednesday night last week we also went to the movies (to Dendy Premium, so awesome) to see the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It was so amazing. I had chills and yes I did cry once or twice. Pregnancy hormones I swear! I am a bit of a Hunger Games nerd if truth be told.
This weekend just gone we headed out Saturday morning and did some more Christmas shopping and saw a movie (Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn, very funny and sweet). It was nice until the shops got really crowded, then it was less fun! We did get a lot done though.
Sunday I had to go into work (overtime, 6 hours at double time so not really going to complain!) as we are very busy in the lead up to Christmas. I also want to get as much done before I go off on mat leave as I can so I'm not leaving too much for my team to pick up (we are understaffed and the workload just keeps increasing). It was a very productive day and lots was accomplished so I was happy with that. I was tired afterwards though!
Sunday night we had our friend and his daughters over for dinner which was lovely. They are such awesome people and I always have a great time with them. The girls are so great...I think we might have some babysitting candidates!
This week has been busy, but going fast so that's good. Dinner with friends tomorrow night, so that will be nice.
Appointment with Dr B next week so I'll aim to update then.
Here is a photo of Moo this morning enjoying some sun in the doorway to Bio Mum's study:
From Moo, Lil Dash, Bio Mum and I, thanks for reading and I'll be writing again soon!
