29 Weeks, 4 Days

Friday 15 November 2013

Here is the 29 weeks bump photo:

I feel like there is a big difference between last week's bump and this week's. I definitely feel a lot bigger and have gotten to the point where it is practically impossible to get comfortable unless I am lying on the couch or in bed. I spend all day at work fidgeting and trying to find a comfortable position, its not easy. I've ended up brining in a cushion to place behind my lower back and that seems to be helping a bit. 

I'm also feeling so tired! No matter how much I sleep I just can't seem to feel rested! I am also waking up fairly often most nights (more than I was before) so that isn't helping. Growing a human being is hard work!

So the big happening in the past week was our baby shower on Saturday. It was a wonderful (granted also exhausting) day. I was so touched by the huge number of family and friends that were able to be there to celebrate with us, especially those who travelled from afar to join us. I am also beyond grateful to the many people who helped us on the day (and they days leading up to it). We could not, I repeat COULD NOT, have gotten through the day without these amazing helpers. 

The day was beautiful, after some fear early in the week that it was going to be raining and cold we had a beautiful sunny day. It was nice because it meant people could venture outside (which was important as there was no way we would have fitted everyone inside the house). 

We were also spoilt with the most amazing and thoughtful gifts. We got enough vouchers and cash that we can almost cover the entire cost of our pram and capsule of choice (which has taken such a weight off, so thank you all) and some beautiful and practical items.

Here are some photos of the gifts, our little girl is very lucky to have such amazing people in her life:

Here we have the softest owl tummy time/snuggles! I actually wouldn't mind putting it in my bed to cuddle up to! On top of Mr Owl we have a beautiful soft blanket, that again I want to put in my bed!

This shelf is now chock full of books and cuddly friends for Lil Dash. There is also our signature bear, which has some really lovely messages from our amazing friends and family.

Top shelf here with the stackable, educational boxes, a beautiful frame (which we have already decided will hold the first photo take of Bio Mum, Lil Dash and I together), Eeyore (who I bought ages ago), some great books, beautiful box and half cut off on the right is monkey who also belonged to Bio Mum's Mum and Aunty (monkey is a little creepy, but special).

Here we have some more gorgeous toys for Bub, along with a hooded towel (pink hippo, so cute!) and the 'nappy cake' put together by my dear friend Sanjana and her husband Bal. This thing is incredible! Its all nappies with all sorts of other goodies in there too. I love it so much I haven't been able to bring myself to open it yet!

Above is a handmade quilt we got. It's just beautiful. I'll have to take some photos of it unfolded to show of!

In addition to the above gifts we also scored lots of clothes, a box of nappies (so useful), bibs, face washers, wraps and blankets, a baby bjorn (no idea how to spell that one!) carrier, a musical mat for baby to bounce on when in the jolly jumper, blocks, books, more toys, bath goodies and so much more. Really people went above and beyond!

Sunday was spent recovering and looking through all the gifts as we put them into Lil Dash's room. I love her room so much, I keep just wandering in there and looking around (so does Bio Mum and Moo).

Monday we hit 29 weeks and below is the info huggies.com.au emailed me about Bub this week:

Your baby has gained 300-400 grams this week. This is one of the reasons why so much of its time is spent sleeping; to conserve energy and lay down its fat stores.

• Your baby weighs around 1.4 kilograms this week but is still less than half the weight it will be at birth. There is lots of fat still being accumulated under its skin and if it were born now would look very thin with long limbs.
• Your baby’s movements will probably peak in the month from weeks 26-30. There is still room for complete body movements and changes of position now, before quarters get too cramped inside your uterus.
• Your baby’s airways are further maturing, with the little tree like structures – the bronchioles and alveoli increasing in number. It takes up to eight years for a child’s respiratory system to mature fully so these are still early days.
• Your baby’s chances of survival, if it were born early are increasing with every week which passes. It may not even need respiratory support if you delivered this week.
• It may be difficult for your midwife or doctor to say what position your baby is lying in this week. A bony head can easily be confused with a round bottom and your baby may be so mobile, it makes it hard to say with certainty which way it is facing.

It is still amazing to me all the changes and growth Lil Dash is going through! I can't wait to meet her (well I can, she needs to grow a bit more yet!).

Last night we had ante natal class numero duo and it was Physio night! I LOVED physio night! The Physio was lovely and seemed very knowledgeable, plus she kept using me as her demo person for all the positions and massage, which was awesome! Bio Mum was also very good at the positions and massage too! I have me one great birth partner!

The night was great, she talked about pain management strategies like breathing, heat/ice, TENS machine, positioning, massage, etc.  It was interesting actually, hearing all these options made me a bit keener to try labour drug free, when previously I was all for loading up the epidural as we walked into the hospital! (I am still in no way against an epidural, but I think I'll give my body a chance to do its thing before leaping for one.) Prior to class last night there was a brief talk about epidurals and spinal blocks, which was pretty interesting. It was good to actually see some begin done and to get a better idea of what is involved. I feel as though now if I ask for one, I'll be making an informed choice to do so. 

Anyway, back to Physio night! The best past of the night was the positioning/massage practical activity where we got to try out some positions that we could use in stage 1 labour. Like I said above, I got to be demo person which meant I got the professional massage! I have to say I was a fan of all the positions, but I especially loved the position where I got to straddle a chair (with a pillow under my head/arms) and the support person (first Physio lady and then Bio Mum) rubbed my back. It was absolute heaven. I've told Bio Mum we much practice these positions a LOT before Lil Dash is born.

We also did some breathing, which was kind of embarrassing, but good to know! S.O.S or Sigh Out Slowly breathing was what was recommended and seems pretty good to me. I'll have to try using it to settle myself to sleep (this was recommended by the Physio).

We also talked about some positions for second stage labour (pushing and delivering the baby) and the Physio talked us through why we might be asked to use a specific position over others. It was pretty interesting. I guess you get so used to the image of labour you see in the movies and on TV of the woman lying on her back on a bed. Funnily enough, this is not the only way to go about it, in fact it might not even be the best way depending on the woman.

After last night I feel better prepared for this whole labour deal. 

Next week is our last session and we'll be back with our lovely midwife (I'll miss Physio lady) to talk about drugs! I'm sure there will be other stuff discussed too.

Off to Melbourne tonight to spend the weekend with the family. Should be good, but busy as I try to fit everything in! I am looking forward to spending time with Mum and my sister, but also sad as this will be my last trip down until after Bub makes her appearance. I just hope that Mum is ok until then and that I get to spend lots more time with her next year (I especially hope that she gets to spend lots of time with Bub as well).

Oh and here is the hydrangea, still going strong:

Appointment with Dr B next week and we hit 30 weeks! Yikes! This is going so fast!

I'll be updating next week so until then have fun and enjoy!

28 Weeks, 4 Days

Friday 8 November 2013

Big week this week, lots of exciting times! But let's start with the 28 Weeks bump photo:

The nursery is also coming along with the addition of curtains and shelves. Now let me tell you getting the curtains was almost more trouble than it was worth. First we found some roman blinds we loved, only to be quote about $800 for them. That is almost the same as the pram we want so there was no way we were spending that much money on curtains (that to be quite honest will probably get trashed by both baby and the dog). Then after looking for a while we found a website that had some ready made curtains we liked. We ordered some samples on the Monday, they arrived on the Wednesday and from those we picked a curtain we really liked. We went online that night to order them only to find they were no longer on the website. So on Thursday I sent them an email and Bio Mum called them (neither of us knew the other was doing anything) and found out the curtains has been discontinued!

We were not overly impressed to say the least. On Friday last week Bio Mum had the day off so she headed off to Lincraft where she found curtains that were just right for what we wanted and were in such a pretty colour. They were also only $115 (not a bad saving). The are just lovely, the fabric almost reminds me of ball gown material. Bio Mum did a great job hanging them (even ironing the curtains so they fell better and looked prettier). Here is the nursery now (obviously the bassinet/cradle will not be smack bang in the middle of the floor, that's just where is lives right now):

I've also started buying a baby necessity item each time I go to the shops (as I have seen this recommended on many a forum and in many a pregnancy book). So far we have some fragrance free, extra sensitive wipes (about 240 of them), some nappy rubbish bags, maternity pads (for me obviously) and nursing/breast pads (also for me). I figure it can't hurt to start getting prepared with the things we can, then we can panic later about anything we haven't been able to get or forgot to get.

The weekend was spent at Bio Mum's parent's place in the Snowy Mountains to celebrate the 60th birthday of a friend of the family. It was a lovely, relaxing weekend and it was really a shame to have to come back home on Sunday! Moo also had a ball (Bio Mum let her chase Kangaroos and go swimming in a dam on the golf course, she was one VERY happy dog) and I think would quite happily stay there forever (so would we all). I can't wait to go back! 

While we were there we scored some beautiful knitted toys, booties and a cardigan from Bio Mum's Mum, we also got some really cute grow suits that will come in very handy. Here are some photos of the knitting:

Tuesday night was a big one, we got to go have our 3D scan of Lil Dash (which was an amazing gift from Bio Mum's parents for our birthdays) and wow is she amazing. I love her so much my heart aches. At first she was so curled up we couldn't see her face, but after some quick movements from me (on the sonographer's advice) we got to see her beautiful little face. She was still curled up with her feet up by her face (I wish I was that flexible!) and her little hands tucked behind her head. She looked very content in there.

She is just incredible and I can't wait to hold her in my arms. Here is a 3D scan photo of our little girl (yes she appears to be trying to put her toe in her mouth):

 Already I can see similarities between our girl and Bio Mum. They even make the same expressions! I can't wait to see how strong the resemblance is once Bub is born. I am totally besotted with this little girl already.

Yesterday we headed off for our first ante natal class at the hospital in which we'll be giving birth. It was an interesting and eye opening class and I really liked the midwife who lead it. In fact I am now aiming for Lil Dash to be born on a Thursday as that is when teacher midwife works at the hospital!

So Bio Mum and I were the only same sex couple in the class, which stupidly put me on the defensive a bit. People seemed nice enough, I guess I just got nervous that we would be judged. It was a stupid assumption I know. Next class I'll be more open and less worried about what others might think (when in fact I'm sure they were more concerned with thinking about birth than the two lesbians in the front row).

The class itself was really good. It was really informative and I feel a little more prepared now. There is a lot to think about really, from things like the stages of labour to pain management/relief. I am still pretty keen on an epidural, but also starting to think maybe I'll hold off on it and try to have an active/mobile labour until the pain starts really kicking my butt and then I want that epidural!

There is just so much to think about when it comes to labour and birth! More than I think I realised. I made a start on a birth plan (with the understanding that plans change and how I feel may change) and have a few ideas about what I would like to happen. Here they are:

1) I would like baby to be placed on my chest, skin to skin, as soon as she is born and would like to try to breastfeed right away.
2) If baby has to be taken away I would like Bio Mum to go with her so she has one of us at all times.
3) I would prefer as few people in the delivery room as possible, just necessary staff and Bio Mum (God help her if she tries to leave me in there without her, kidding....maybe).
4) I am not keen on medication for pain relief other than the epidural. I may change my mind when I'm in there, but right now I am not to keen.
5) I would like to be as active as I can in early labour to help it along, but when the time is right and I ask for that epidural I don't want anyone asking if I'm sure...just put the damn thing in already! 
6) I think I'd prefer to labour in one of those sexy hospital gowns to save my own clothing getting yucky, plus I figure it would be easy to get out of the way for the skin to skin contact.
7) I would like some photos taken during labour and birth, but nothing too gory or of me flashing my bits. Some things are best kept private! I really want a photo taken of the three of us together after Lil Dash is born, can I let them bring in a student on the condition that said student takes some photos? I say fairs fair, they want to learn by looking at my bits and seeing my baby born, then they can snap a few photos!

I'm sure more will come to me as I think about it some more and have the next two ante natal classes.

So baby shower tomorrow and on last count we have about 90 odd people who have said they are coming. I never knew that many people actually liked us! In all seriousness I am blown away by the love and support we have been shown by the amazing people in our lives. 

There is much to do between now and tomorrow though and not nearly enough time to get it all done. Bio Mum and I are both leaving work early today and meeting at Costco for some major shopping. I love Costco, just FYI. Bio Mum does get a little freaked out by the crowds though so hopefully be going earlier in the afternoon we will encounter less people!

Then tonight we are out for our friend Kel's birthday, which will be fun. Pancake Parlour  here we come!

I will be sure to post again next week with photos from the baby shower! 

Oh and before I go here is a photo of my lovely little hydrangea, still growing strong and even flowering!

 Have a wonderful weekend and I will be writing soon! Lil Dash says hey (she kicked it out in Morse code, she's already a genius...I may of course be kidding)!

27 Weeks, 3 Days

Thursday 31 October 2013

Let's start off with the 27 weeks bump photo:

People keep saying I look small for 27 weeks, all I can say to them is that I sure as hell don't feel small! I have a very definite waddle going on and find my lovely bump tends to restrict me quite a lot (putting on shoes is a fun one). The best so far has been struggling to get clothes out of the dryer because my bump gets in the way and makes it hard to reach! It's actually pretty funny.

I'm sure I'll get much bigger before Lil Dash is ready to come out!

Last weekend Bio Mum and I did some gardening and yard work in preparation for the Baby shower in a couple of weeks. Bio Mum was amazing and did most of the hard work while I tired to help as much as I could. It ended up looking great! My favourite part was the plants we planted along the fence which used to be an empty flower bed. 

My Nanna and Pop had the most beautiful hydrangeas in their front yard, which is one of my most vivid memories of their house, so in honour of Nanna, Pop and for my Mum we planted a lovely little hydrangea in the front yard. Below is our little plant, still surviving despite my very lacking gardening ability:

We also went and saw Game of Thrones Burlesque last weekend, which wasn't as good as I thought it would be. The MCs were funny though. Mostly it was nice to catch up with our friends and I also enjoyed eating an entire box of Malteasers by myself. 

Speaking of sugar, I had my glucose test and all is well. There is no evidence of gestational diabetes! Yay! The glucose drink wasn't even that bad, despite what a lot of mums told me. The nurse was great and able to get blood from my horrible veins very easily, although to be honest after the fertility clinics many blood tests I am such an old hat at having blood taken I hardly notice it any more!

Monday we had our OB appointment with Dr Anna as Dr B was away. It ended up just being me as Bio Mum has to race home after our neighbour called to tell her that Moo had escaped the backyard and was having a great time running around the bike paths behind our house! Cheeky dog! She busted through our back fence (3 sides of the fence are colour-bond and only one is old wooden pails, that's where she went) and ran out the neighbours front gate! Look at her (photo below) you wouldn't think she would be so naughty would you? To be fair she did come home on her own bat after giving both Bio Mum and I a good scare.

Anyway the OB appointment went really well and Dr Anna was lovely. Lil Dash is looking great, still measuring large for her dates, but growing well. She is still head down and was curled up with her little ankles crossed, it was very cute. All is well with Bub and Me so we are very happy. We're back to the OB in 3 weeks and then fortnightly from then.

Speaking of Lil Dash, I was shopping the other day and couldn't help myself so I bought her this:

It was just so cute I had to have it! Pretty little outfit for our girl...and its not pink! You may not be able to see it in this terrible photo, but there is a little bow on the front. I just love it and can't wait to dress our girl in it!

I also spent some time this week reading to Lil Dash after I dug up some books that were mine when I was little. It was a special moment and I can't wait to read to her more, both while she's in my belly and once she's born. 

This week I got my butt into gear trying to figure out my maternity leave and Centrelink paid parental leave. So far so good, still a bit to work out. It looks like I'll be off from 2 January 2014 to 1 December 2014. I want to get that all sorted sooner rather than later so I don't have to worry about it.

We've also been planning the baby shower and are so blessed to have amazing friends and family who are not only coming to celebrate with us, but are also offering help. We are very lucky to have such incredible people in our lives. Lil Dash is going to be lucky to have each and every one of them too!

Tomorrow we are heading off to Bio Mum's parent's place for the weekend, which I am so excited about! I can't wait! I can't wait to see the nephews, those boys are just the sweetest and I really adore them! I also can't wait to see the family (and extended family). It's going to be a great weekend! Plus I get to have half a day off work, so that is nice too!

Next week is a big one, we have our 3D scan on Tuesday and then our first ante-natal class on Thursday, plus I think next week I officially enter the third trimester! Wow this pregnancy is speeding by!

Until next time, be good to each other and Lil Dash says hi.

26 Weeks, 4 Days

Friday 25 October 2013

Another week has past and we are getting closer to Lil Dash's arrival!

Here is the 26 Weeks bump photo:

Last weekend I went down to visit my Mum and Sister. We had planned to take Mum for an overnight trip to where she grew up. For a long time Mum has been wanting to go (even going so far as to go through a stage where she kept packing up all her stuff and trying to leave) so we thought it would be nice to take her and share that memory. It didn't quite go according to plan.

We headed off on Saturday morning to pick Mum up and were told he hadn't had the best morning and had been in a bad mood. We also found that some of her clothes were missing (it tends to happen in the care facilities apparently) so we did a dig around and managed to find some (we even found clothes and shoes in her room that weren't Mum's) and packed up to go.

The drive up was great, albeit long, and Mum was in great spirits when we arrived. Our first stop was my Nanna and Pop's old house. I haven't been back there since my Nanna's funeral about 15 years ago, but the place looked pretty much the same. It was lovely to see, it seemed so much smaller than when I was a kid (which isn't surprising). Mum seemed really happy to see the place. 

Next stop was Mum's old primary school, which has been beautiful maintained and expanded. We took some lovely photos of Mum in front of the school and she was still in great spirits. Then we had lunch with my Aunty and after took Mum to the apartment we had booked for the night. That is when everything kind of fell apart.

As soon as we walked in Mum freaked out and became hysterical. She was adamant that she couldn't stay there and wanted to leave. I have never seen her so distressed and upset. It was just heartbreaking. We spent some time trying to calm her down, but very quickly realised that there was no way we could make Mum stay there when she was so upset. We decided to head back and Mum quickly settled once she knew we were leaving.

On the way out of town we were even able to stop for fish and chips and to go eat them at 'Cannon Hill', which is a place we used to always go with my Pop. Mum was her usual cheeky self while we ate and then good in the car for the entire 3 hour drive back to her place.

Once we were there and out of the car it was a different story. Mum was very reluctant to go in and once we got her in there she had another melt down. Over the next hour or so she ranged between angry, aggressive, devastated and upset. We spent a long time calming her and finally were able to get her into bed. 

The next day we went to see her early and walked in to her sitting folded arms and glaring at us. Turns out she had another bad morning. She was again very upset and angry, which is just awful because you feel so helpless to make it better for her. Eventually we took her out for a while and that seemed to help, until we got back. We struggled to get her to eat lunch (she had a very small amount) and had more upset and anger towards the care staff. Finally we took her out to the garden and after a while we were able to get her laughing and happy like the morning hadn't even happened! I talked to her a lot about Lil Dash, which seemed to make her happy.

Then sadly I had to leave to go to the airport. It was really nice to leave her in a happy, good mood. The rest of the weekend with her was rather traumatic (for her and us) to say the least.

While I was away Bio Mum put in some amazing work and finished off the baby's furniture. It looks incredible! Here are some photos (which don't do the furniture justice):

How pretty is the canopy above the cot?! That was an Ikea purchase from our very successful trip a few weeks back.

There is still a bit of work to do and many things to acquire for the nursery/baby! We are getting there though and the more together the nursery gets, the more real it seems. Oh wow, in just over 13 weeks we will be holding our little girl. As exciting as that is, part of me is fighting the urge to hyperventilate with nerves!

I'm off to have my glucose challenge test tomorrow morning, so fingers crossed that goes well. Then OB appointment on Monday. Dr B is away so we are seeing Dr Anna instead. I'm sure she'll be lovely and I'll be sure to update the blog with info on that appointment next week.

Tonight we are going to see a Game of Thrones Burlesque show, which should be very interesting. I am really looking forward to it! The rest of the weekend is packed with yard work, shopping and washing. I can't wait for a quite weekend! I'd like to get a few of those in before Lil Dash is born.

It has been a draining and at times really tough week since my last post, but its hard to be upset when I'm sitting here with my little girl wriggling away in my belly! She is our miracle and through such a hard weekend with Mum, she is giving me so much comfort. I love you my little girl.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

25 Weeks, 4 Days

Friday 18 October 2013

Hello all, welcome to the latest instalment of the Tales of Bio Mum and Incubator Mum!

Here is the 25 Weeks bump photo:

I actually saw a girl last night who is at 22 Weeks and man her bump was double the size of mine (not twins). I guess it just goes to show that all bumps are different and that comparing yourself to other pregnant ladies is really not a good idea. I had a few seconds of going 'oh shit is there something wrong with my baby and my bump?!' before I realised that I was being ridiculous. Lil Dash is developing just as she should and so is my bump!

Another good week has been had, although poor Bio Mum is still getting over her cold from last week. Over the weekend we were able to get all our Ikea furniture painted and moved into the bedroom. The tallboys and draws/bedside tables look great! We opted for a white-wash kind of effect and it was worth the effort as they really make the room! It is also lovely to have so much draw space.

We also spent some time finishing the undercoating of the baby's furniture and started the first coat of paint. I am a MUCH slower painter than Bio Mum, I get really obsessive with getting it perfect and take so long that is doesn't really work well for me. I'll admit that on Sunday while painting the bassinet I had a mini meltdown and was in a huff for the rest of the painting. I am a bit of a perfectionist some times! 

Bio Mum has also been doing some painting after work during the week, here is where the furniture for Lil Dash is looking now:

On Sunday we also went and picked up the draw/change table that Bio Mum's sister has kindly given us (see photo above, with draws removed). It is just lovely, but when I look at it all I can see is more sanding and painting! Good thing I'm away this weekend, maybe when I get home the sanding/painting fairy (read: Bio Mum) will have done all the hard yakka!

I'm off to Melbourne for the weekend to spend some time with my Mum and Sister, which will be great. We are going to take Mum back to where she grew up for an overnight trip. I haven't been back there since my Nanna's funeral when I was 12, so its been a while. I hope Mum will enjoy it and the trip won't be too stressful or overwhelming for her!

I have also been working on a photo book full of photos from the course of Mum's life (my sister and I feature heavily of course), which I hope to get my sister's input on this weekend so I can finish putting it together next week. I'd love to get it to Mum ASAP.

Mum is doing well, settled into her new place and the staff there are just amazing! They are dedicated and kind and really making an effort to give Mum not only wonderful care, but compassion and comfort too. I am so glad we moved her. On the cancer front, there are still no obvious symptoms and she is still not in any pain (she is also still totally unaware that she has cancer). I really can't wait to see my little (she's like 5 foot nothing) Mum and give her a big hug!

We've been very lucky this week to get some lovely hand-me-downs from friends. We scored some girl's clothes for when Dash is a bit older from Steph and an overwhelmingly kind amount of stuff from Colleen and Jason including a baby bath, jolly jumper, cute purple (I love purple) elephant, play pen, nappy bin, sterilizer and some other lovely bits and pieces. Here are some photos of our loot:

We are very, very lucky to have such great friends (and family, let's not forget Bio Mum's sister and brother in law who have been beyond generous).

I also had to buy Lil Dash a little suit. It was so cute and tiny and I just had to have it (despite my very vocal refusal to have a lot of pink):

I can't believe that our little girl is going to be tiny enough to fit into this (its a size 0000)! I can't wait to hold her, babies aren't as breakable as they look right?

Bio Mum went and checked out another day care and we have found childcare heaven! This places sounds absolutely amazing (I was stuck at work and couldn't get there) and I really hope we can get Lil Dash a place there for Jan 2015! Hell I'd rather go to this place than go to work.

We still should go and see a few more day care places, but I think this one was the clear winner.

Well that's all folks, I'll post again soon!

24 Weeks, 4 Days

Friday 11 October 2013

Almost 25 weeks now! It is amazing/terrifying how fast this pregnancy is speeding by! I remember back when I was in the midst of my awful morning sickness thinking that this pregnancy would never end, but man was I wrong. As Dr B has been very clear about not letting me go over my due date, we have a maximum of 16 weeks to go before we meet our little girl. I am blown away by that thought.

Lil Dash, we can't wait to meet you!

It is incredible how much love you can feel for a person you haven't even really met yet. I haven't met my daughter, but I already love her so much.

Here is the 24 weeks bump photo:

I think in the last week or some my belly has kind of popped! I definitely feel more 'round' and feel like I look more pregnant.

Lil Dash is still very active and is greatly enjoying head butting me in the bladder fairly regularly so that has been fun, she is a cheeky little thing already. She is going to be a handful I'm sure!

Last weekend Bio Mum and I headed off to Bowral in the Southern Highlands for a long weekend to celebrate our impending 3 year anniversary and also a last hurrah before baby (a 'baby-moon' if you will). The place we stayed at was lovely, although the service in the restaurant and the spa left a lot to be desired. The town was just wonderful though and we had a great weekend.

On the Saturday we headed into Bowral after breakfast and firstly went to this lovely charity knitting shop (all proceeds went to the hospital) and bought some adorable clothes and a beautiful blanket for Lil Dash (see photo below)

I can't wait to see our little girl in her jumper, vest and beanie and I can't wait to use this blanket for her.

After that we went to Bowral's 'Tulip Time' which is like Floriade in Canberra, but much smaller. Here are some photos of 'Tulip Time':

  

Yummy donuts! at Tulip Time!

At Tulip Time a lovely lady told us we had to check out a place called Joadja. So off we drove down a road which felt scarily like we were driving into the middle of nowhere never to be heard from again! Finally we arrived and were pleasantly surprised! 

Joadja used to be a shale mine and refinery (producing kerosene) and is now in ruins. Bio Mum and I used a very unhelpful map and did a self guided walking tour around the ruins. It was amazing and beautiful. Below are some photos:

  

One of Joadja's  Highland cattle. Despite how bad they stank, they were very cute!

Joadja is in the process of setting up a whisky distillery and in the interim are selling Spanish sherry, of which Bio Mum bought a bottle. I hope there is some left when I am allowed to drink alcohol again!!

After our tour and a lovely chat with the owner, we headed back into town for a late lunch and then to our accommodation for a much needed nap and then room service dinner! It was bliss!

Sunday was supposed to be spa day, where Bio Mum and I would each get a massage (in my case a pregnancy package including a facial, foot bath and massage), but due to a stuff up with our booking (which I confirmed over the phone twice before we left for our weekend away) we ended up just cancelling both and heading off to enjoy our day elsewhere. It was pretty disappointing as we were both excited for our spa experience, but as it turns out it was a good thing because we had a lovely day!

Our first stop was Fitzroy Falls, which was spectacular! It was a pleasant (at times tough) walk with some remarkable views. My favourite place was called the 'Grotto' and it was a steep climb down not so stable footing to get there, but was absolutely worth it. Here are some photos of the Grotto:

After Fitzroy Falls we headed back into Bowral for lunch at the Imperial (local pub), which was pretty nice and then wandered through an art gallery, a pop culture shop (where I bought Bio Mum a large R2D2 cardboard cut out for our anniversary) and then finally the supermarket and back to our accommodation where it was nap time for both of us.

A leisurely hotel room picnic was had for dinner with yummy bread, dip, cheese (hard cheese for me), olives and other goodies. It was perfect.

Monday we headed off after breakfast and checking out to Ikea. Thank god Bio Mum is such a planner, because we managed to get in and out with pretty much all we wanted in record time and with minimal hassle and drama. I'd have to say it was the most successful Ikea trip I have ever had, Bio Mum is very efficient! Here is the back of the ute containing our Ikea haul! It was like playing tetris to fit it all in!

That was the end of our lovely weekend! Home with our haul and now lots of flat pack to be assembled (Bio Mum has already done our two new bedside tables). This weekend will be finishing the nursery furniture and building the rest of the flat packs! What fun! Especially as Bio Mum has caught another cold and isn't feeling well, poor thing!

It is going to be great to get the nursery mostly done though! I can picture our little girl in there now and that only gets stronger the more the room comes together. 

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Lil Dash says hi (well she is kicking me so I assume that's what she wants me to say!)

23 Weeks, 4 Days

Friday 4 September 2013

Let's start with the good stuff, 23 Week Bump Photo!

We had an appointment with the lovely Dr B on Wednesday and all is going well. Lil Dash is still on the larger side, but Dr B was happy with her progress. He said she is head down and her heart beat is very strong. We got to hear her heart beating and it was just wonderful!

He gave me a referral for the glucose test so in a few weeks I'll be doing that. Dr B said as everything is going so well that should be the last test we'll need. We talked to him some more about the birth and epidurals and fun things like that. I really trust Dr B to get us through the birth with Dash and I both healthy and happy. I'm so glad we selected him as our OB.

The last week has been a very productive (albeit tiring) one! We had a long weekend here (lovely 3 days off!) so Bio Mum and I used that time to rip through the nursery and made some amazing progress! We (and by we I mean mostly Bio Mum as I am rather slow) were able to finish sanding the nursery and all the baby's furniture that we currently have, undercoat the room and most of the furniture and then paint the room (including doors and trims). It looks amazing! Here are some photos I took, it isn't the best as the room has now reverted to our dumping room for a short time.

We still need to finish undercoating the furniture, then do a couple of coats of the semi-gloss paint we've picked out, assemble and then arrange the furniture in Lil Dash's room. It's all coming together and is so exciting! It's amazing to think that in a few short months we'll be bringing her home to her very own room.

Oh I snapped this photo this morning of the loveable Moo and just had to share it

It's nice to know someone is getting some use out of that treadmill! I found her on the treadmill yesterday morning too, but she jumped off while I was searching for my camera!

This weekend is another long weekend for us so Bio Mum and I are off for a relaxing weekend away in the Southern Highlands. We've got accommodation at this gorgeous looking place and pampering organised for the spa! I can't wait! We leave in about...an hour and a half and won't be home until Monday (after a trip to Ikea on our way home from our weekend of course). I'll be sure to take some photos and post about the weekend next week.

Dash has been very active today, mostly seeming to be head butting me in the bladder. Its so nice to feel her moving around in there (even at night when I'm trying to sleep!), she is a very wriggly little girl!

I'd better run now, got to go finish packing so we can get on the road and get our weekend started!