i think i feel a flu coming on...

You know that tingly feeling in your throat?
The feeling of slightly blocked sinuses?
That very dull ache in your head?
That drowsy feeling that makes you doze a little when you aren't supposed to?

I've got that right now. It feels like the very beginnings of a flu.

I'm actually pretty lucky. Till the little one comes I have very little to do except make sure the house is all ready for her arrival.
SO this morning I had a nice sleep in, ate some porridge for breakfast and got some vitamin c into my system.

I hope this hint of the flu doesn't turn into the full blown thing. I don't much fancy being fluey in labour.

My hands and feet are still ridiculously itchy. I've tried cool baths, oatmeal baths, Alpha Keri ointment, rest and elevation, walking in only rubber thongs, walking in bare feet and I've been trying not to scratch them. Really I have.

Nothing really seems to work very well.

Boo hoo.

One thing that makes me smile though is this little baby girl doing what looks like palates in the womb. All of a sudden one section of my belly will be pushed right up into the sky like there is a whole knee being pressed into one spot. It will stay there for a bit then come back down. It's pretty amazing and if I didn't know there was a baby in there I would probably be worried about some kind of "Alien" reenactment.

beg your pardon...

I made some burpy cloths for the little one.

I nabbed the idea from Carey at yellow square love who nabbed the idea from here. We are due to have our babies at almost the same time. She lives right on the other side of the world. You should check out her blog.

I bought five 99c cloths from ikea. They are pretty decent. A little on the thin side but alright. They definitely benefited from this project. I used some sweet little fabrics that I had and like the look of. Especially the one from this project.

They are really easy to make and  look just that extra bit more classy even when covered in baby vomit. (I imagine)

amen

thirty-six + a few days

How far along? 36 weeks. One month left!
Baby’s Size 48 cm and 2.9 kg. At our last ultrasound we found out that our little girl has a head in the 88th percentile and legs in the 14th percentile. Big head, little legs. Our kid is a hobbit. Overall she is a little under average in weight.

Where she is: head down. Not yet engaged although it really really feels like it.

Maternity Clothes: yer.

Belly Button: flatoutie.
Gender: sweet baby girl.
Movement: lots of hiccups. She is running out of room so doesn't do many big movements anymore but when she moves I feel it in my ribs or down my sides. Sometimes I see a foot or a bot sticking out.
Sleep: Not so good. I wake up in the night to turn over. I wake up to scratch my itchy feet and hands (trying not to) I wake up early and then after being up for about 20 mins will go back to sleep.
Symptoms: Sore pelvis as it opens up to get ready. Heartburn. Potential cholestasis which could be giving me itchy hands and feet. No back pain at all which I am so thankful for!
Best Moments this week: Feeling really pregnant. It's a bit of a drag sometimes but it is so nice to know why I am feeling the way I am. I'm going to miss having a little one on the inside.

Food Aversions: uncooked egg.
Food Cravings: fruit
What I miss: wearing shoes.

What I am Looking forward to: finding out the results of this test so I can stop worrying. If the results are positive I need to really rethink the next few weeks. Edit - I wrote this post last Tuesday before I had the results of my test. They were all negative. You can read about this here.
Milestones: One month to go.

packed!

I finally packed my bag for the hospital this week.

I'm assuming that I will be going straight home after the little one is born so I haven't packed extra clothes and things. I think if I decide to stay longer I'll just get Myl to bring the extra clothes.

And why am I crazy enough to not want to stay in hospital longer than I need to? Well a few reasons.

- I have my super midwife/early childhood nurse mum coming to look after me when the little one is born.
- Husbands aren't allowed to stay overnight at the postnatal ward unless you are lucky enough to get a single room. I don't anticipate being that lucky. I can't really handle being without Myles for that long. Especially when there is something as exciting as our baby in the world.
- Husbands are only allowed in during the hours of 9-11 and 2-8. (regular visiting hours) I know I will probably need sleep and things like that but I function so much better when someone I love (Myl) is around. He doesn't need to be in the same room.
- It's a hospital. It's cold, sterile and just not my comfy bed.
- I get to learn how to be a mama in the place where I am going to be a mama.
- The hospital has an excellent early discharge program.

Of course if there are complications I will stay in the ward. I have a room booked. I'm just hoping to not need it.

So anyway.

Here is what's in the bag.

Toiliteries
-makeup removal pads (for witch hazel)
-bar of soap
-massage oil
-comb
-face wash
-shower gel
-shampoo and conditioner
-witch hazel
-deoderant
-toothbrush
-toothpaste

-underwear x5
-maternity pads x4
-breast pads x4
-hairbands
-bobby pins
-headband




-oversized tshirt
-bikini
-singlet top
-pyjamas
-swimming shorts for Myl
-singlet bluey for Myl
-change of clothes for after birth. Very comfy dress.
-baby dress
-baby onesie
-baby wrap






-massager
-fruit and nut bars x6
-packet of poppers
-Frankie magazine
-computer and speakers (music)
-pregnancy folder
-camera
-mobile phone
-wallet
-Active Birth







Some of the things I haven't put in like my phone and wallet but I have written out a list of the last minute things to put in and put it on the top of my bag so that when the time comes we can just slip them in and off we go.

I also wrote on the sheet the number for the birth centre in BIG letters and what to do when I am in labour (for Myl). It says
-call the birth centre
-call my mum
-pack the last things into the bag

All set! Now all we need are contractions.

click click? I'll love you forever.

Dear little one...

your dada has gone back to
college this week and I'm
getting a taste of what the year
will be like.
except..
pretty soon I am going to have
you to play with and talk to
all day. We can miss your dada
together and give him a big hug
when he comes home each day.
I've been getting ready for you
to come. Even though I'm so
keen to see you I'm glad they don't
have to start you coming early.
I've still got loads to do! Loads of
washing that is. It makes me smile
seeing all your little clothes. I am
imagining putting your little
body inside of them.

Can't wait to fill up your clothes.

love mama

xx

all clear

Once again my pregnancy fears have been taken away. My test came back normal.
No cholestasis for me. My hands and feet are still itchy as ever and I look like I have developed some kind of tropical disease. Maybe I have?

Whatever it is though it doesn't mean I will need to be induced at 28 weeks. Praise God!

I've got these crazy sleep patterns where I wake up at silly o'clock. Haven't checked the clock but it is still dark. When I wake up I can't get back to sleep so I just hang out for a while trying not to scratch my feet. Then I go back to sleep for bedtime number two.

I'm waiting for that real nesting feeling to come in. At the moment I have been cleaning very half hartedly leaving most of the house looking like a big baby bombsite. There are itty bitty clothes to wash, a half packed hospital bag and things I have been sewing all over the place. I just can't seem to stick with one task and keep starting new jobs.

Lucky she's still got 4 weeks left in there!


I'd love it if you voted.. 2 clicks

drawings

My dad got me a whole lot of watercolour pencils for christmas. Until then my art stores were very limited. I did a painting course at uni so had lots of paint and brushes but missed the wonderful fun of using pencils.

I wanted to draw some pictures to frame for our little girls room and thought of the idea of drawing lots of little girls doing different fun and adventurous things. Our little girl could look at them and get ideas of what to do that day.

I've drawn some already. I have six frames so I figure I can draw a lot and then choose the six I like the best to frame.

 

What type of little girl were you?

guest posting

My due date is exactly one month away!

Eeeeek!

I'm guessing that I won't have a lot of time/energy for blogging after the little one is here. 
That's why I'm inviting YOU to be a guest poster on my blog.

You don't have to have a blog of your own, you don't have to be a mama. You just have to have something interesting you would like to show the world.

It could be some craft you did, a band you like, a humorous story about your day or some photos you took of your cat.

I would love you in the next little while to send me your post and I will slot it in for viewing after the little one arrives.

Here's your chance for fifteen minutes (or more?) of fame!

weekend fun + an unhelpful itch

We had a really nice weekend.

On Saturday Myl and I had a lovely sleep in and then went to breakfast.  Saturday was a walking and bus day and as I climbed the first hill I wondered if I would make it. I took a picture of my feet at the start and end of the day to see if they would swell up like two puppies. I think I did alright on the swelling stakes.

before

after

 Hmm after actually looking at these pictures I would have to say there are no longer feet but puppies on the end of my legs. Oh dear.

We went to a little cafe just down the street and around the corner. It was a really hot day (low 30's) and I'm pretty sure the air was hotter in the cafe then outside but that was ok.
We ate tasty bacon and egg rolls.

Then we caught a bus to Vic Park to meet up with some very lovely friends who have moved away. I got to sit in the special seat.

We had a picnic with our friends and some silly ants decided they would like to join us. It was lovely to chat in the park. There was a nice cool breeze where we were sitting near the duck pond. I miss them lots and lots. :(

After our picnic we went to visit Myles little brother who has just moved to Sydney. He is living in the house I lived in when I first came to Sydney. Good times.
It was a hot day so after we left him we got some slushies.

Then we caught a bus to centennial park for Moonlight Cinema with some friends of Myl from school. We saw Love and Other Drugs. There was a lot of lovin going on in that movie but it was actually quite good. Kinda looked at what it means to totally love someone and give yourself up for them.

It was amazing to watch a movie under the stars. I kept forgetting we were outside and I would look up and see a few clouds and remember. Then I would look at Myl on whose chest I was leaning and we would smile at each other. What a nice way to spend an evening.

Cos I'm pregnant and all I was a bit sore and stiff at the end of the day. I walked in smaller than usual steps for the whole day and got a sore belly everytime I rolled over at the movie but that's ok. There is a huge hunk of baby inside of me. I kinda have to expect these things.

Something unexpected though is my crazy itchy hands and feet. They have been itchy since last Thursday and last night I woke up in the middle of the night going crazy with the itch. This isn't really a great pregnancy sign.

I called the birth centre and went in for a blood test for cholestasis. Its something connected to the liver and is shown by itchy hands and feet. I'm really hoping I don't have it. If I do I might need to be induced at 28 weeks. I should find out by the end of the week though.

bootie-licious

I've been getting my craft on. I found a big barrel of 50c balls of wool and bought quite a few of them.

The result? Booties. In many different colours.

My mum taught me the way to make these sweet things when I was in high school and now I can finally make them by the bucket load and not look like a very strange clucky teenager.

I have made so many. I'm not sure our little girl can wear them all so I have been thinking of starting an etsy store to peddle my wares. That would be a big scary new world.

 

clickerty click?

and this?

My mum saw this mornings post and decided that one cute baby photo was not enough for one day.

Love you mum.

Here is the girl version. A little me.

It's pretty much impossible to tell what our little girl is going to look like from the ultrasound but I guess she will be a mashup of her mama and dada. Big eyes I think are a winner and I think she might have my little button nose.

Whatever she looks like I'm sure she will be wonderful because she will be ours!

who is this?

Who is this cute little specimen?

It's Myles at 40 weeks. Isn't he the cutest little thing?

Ok so it's mildly creepy that I'm swooning at his cuteness and he is now a fully grown 6"4 man but...
but...

I still want to squeeze his little chubby cheeks.

I raided his family photo albums and have been imagining what our little girl could look like. There are no girls in his family so cute little puffy cheeks is all I have to go by.

Class Number .... ?

We went to our second last baby class on Wednesday.
Oh boy have the classes been eye opening.

This particular one was on baby care.

We learnt about how to wrap a baby, bath a baby, change a nappy. Things like that.
We were shown a picture of a newborn baby poo. It was great looking at all the faces round the room as the picture was passed on.

Our teacher Pam got us to get into groups and discuss why babies cry, what can help them to stop and how we feel when babies cry. While we were discussing this she played this awful recording of a baby crying. The little fella was really going at it. It was such a sad little (actually very loud) sound. It made me just want to find that baby and give it a good cuddle.

I guess she was trying to get us used to it. She told us that most babies cry for about 3-4 hours a day.

She also showed us a video of all the strange skin conditions babies get born with. Rashes, birth marks, swollen heads. None of the things are serious but the poor little babies looked like they had been through a few rounds of boxing.

At the end of the class we got our own little doll babies to practice wrapping up. Many of them got their heads knocked on the floor, lifted up by their toes and I accidentally leant on mine a little too hard while I was wrapping it. Surely we will be more careful when the baby is real.

Here is a picture of the little darling. Can you see the family resemblance?

the food of love

So the other day I made some tasty Valentines dinner for my lovely Myl.

Here's what I made

butter chicken
choc self-saucing pudding

love.

thirty-five

How far along? 35 weeks
Baby’s Size 47 cm and 2.6 kg

Where she is: head down and facing the right. It feels like she is moving lower every day.

Maternity Clothes: On the downhill stretch. Don't think I will need to buy any more clothes.

Belly Button: flatoutie.
Gender: definitely a girl!
Movement: Our girl is getting BIG. Sometimes she moves and my belly completely changes shape. She has also been hiccuping quite a lot. It's very cute.
Sleep: Great. I need to prop myself up with pillows and am having extremely vivid dreams.
Symptoms: Heartburn when I lie a particular way in bed. Symphysis pubis pain. (this means a sore pelvis cos someones head is there.
Best Moments this week: Having an ultrasound and seeing little sweet cheeks having a snooze.

Food Aversions: nothing this week.
Food Cravings: fruit
What I miss: sleeping on my belly.
What I am Looking forward to: Well there isn't much left of pregnancy to go. I guess I'm interested to see how big my belly will get.
Milestones: 5 weeks (ish) to go! Almost at term.

Awesome fact about little one: She is all cooked just needing to brown a bit. She's going to get fatter and get better at sucking.

vote for me?

They just reset the voting counters on Top Baby Blogs which means my blog is right back at the end again. :(

I would love it if you could vote for me. It would make me feel all happy and warm.

All you have to do is click the link then click once more and you are done.
You can vote once a day!

my funny valentine xx

He is the love of my life.

Myl is off at his first day back at college today and I miss him.
I'm gonna cook him butter chicken and chocolate pudding for dinner because I love him.

baby shoes

baby shoes by tuscanybrown on Polyvore.com

womb eye candy

We had an ultrasound today.

All is well with the little one. Her placenta has moved up to the top nicely which means I don't have to have a c-section. (At least not because of the placenta)

They checked out all her other bits and...

- yes she is a girl.

- she is looking really healthy.

They are sending a report to my doctor which will also tell us how big she is. 

And now for the best bits. Unfortuately we have a very shy little one in there and she wasn't too much the fan of taking a cute snap. But we love her still.

 I think she looks like an orangutan in this one but it is really just her hand poking up in front of her mouth making her face look longer than it is.

Big foot! Maybe she is a monkey?

Another hand in front of her face. Could we have a thumb sucker?

It was lovely to see our little one again and we thank God that all is well.

Dear little one...

we get to see you again today!
In just a little over an hour your
dada and I will get to see your
sweet little self up on the screen.
We need to check that that ole bag
of fun your placenta has moved up
and isn't covering the spot where
you need to come out.
If it is they will have to cut me open
and pull you out when the time comes.
I hope it's moved away. I'd like to be
wide awake for when you come
into the world.
I'm so excited to see you.
You will be so big.

love mama

xx

thirty-four

How far along? 34 weeks.
Baby’s Size 46 cm and 2.4 kg

Where she is: Head down and running out of room fast.

Maternity Clothes: Anything with a roomy tum works.

Belly Button: flatoutie.
Gender: girl but we are having another ultrasound this week so if she mysteriously is a he we will know by Thursday.
Movement: She is running out of space in there and her little kicks and nudges are getting stronger. It's pretty nice.
Sleep: Really good! Once I'm asleep I might only wake up once but mostly I sleep right through.
Symptoms: Swollen feet and hands. Feeling tired. Heartburn. I can't really eat much and don't really get very hungry. My stomach is all squished up.
Best Moments this week: Making things for my little one and setting up her spaces.

Food Aversions: Eggs. Not really sure why.
Food Cravings: ice cream.
What I miss: Leaning forward/sitting with my knees together.
What I am Looking forward to: Seeing our little one at the ultrasound.
Milestones: ?

Awesome fact about little one: little one will remember the songs I sing to her now and these will be the ones that will settle her best when she comes into the world.

sing to your baby

I like singing.

I have been singing to the little one since she could hear and even before that.

Call me a control freak but I would like to have some influence over the style of music my little one likes.

My dad played folk music to me in the womb and sung the old hymn "Jerusalem." I find I now have a deep love for beautiful Irish music.. not so sure about Jerusalem but it was worth a try?

Here are the little ones top five songs.

1. I've Got You Under My Skin - Jazz standard

I like it cos I've got her under my skin.


2. Tea and the Toast - Clare Bowditch


3. Jesus Paid It All - Passion


4. Down to the River to Pray - Old Timey Hymn

5. The very thought of you - Jazz standard

I sing her a lot of folk and jazz. I've heard that babies like soft pretty music and hide from things like heavy metal. I think this makes complete sense. I hide from heavy metal too.

She especially likes it when I play my guitar. (I say likes because she kicks around. This could really be her hating it and trying to beat me so I stop but let's say it means she likes it.) I have been playing at church through the whole pregnancy and have now developed a side guitar hold that accommodates my bump.

I hope she will be a lover of music. I fully intend to have compulsory family Sound of Music singing sessions on long car trips. I'd love her to learn a musical instrument and I hope that the washing up is always combined with the sound of whipping towels and beautiful harmonies.

goodbye goodbye

I looked after the boys I have been nannying for the last time today.

It was pretty sad.
I got emotional after they went to bed.

I have had such a wonderful time looking after them and even though they are quite a bit older than babies it was so nice to get some kiddo practice in.

I would pick them up from school every Tuesday and Wednesday, take them home and we'd play in the backyard or do craft. I'd help them with their homework or home reading. I'd cook them dinner, give them a bath and read them stories.

And now it's all over. The next kiddo I pick up from school will be my own.

They are such lovely little boys. I got a special hug goodnight tonight.
I told them to come and visit when the little one arrives.

I'm gonna miss looking after them.