For Mom

Ok.. this is a post for my mom. 

Sit back in your chair, put your knees up and drape your blanket over your lap. 

Then gently place your iPad on your knees - like a little baby. 

Click play. 

Almost like holding him yourself, eh?

Bad, Sad days

So, I had a bad day today.
Yep, they happen.
I've always been told something about "3 day baby blues", this however, is more like "day 12 baby blues". Ugh.

So, I woke up crying. And cried everytime anyone said anything to me. Wow. Such fun.

So, there I am on the couch, feeding Owen and years are escaping silently down my cheeks. My ever curious 4 year old approaches.

"mommy? Why are your eyes wet?"

"mommy's just tired, Kelsey"

"oh. Mom? Why don't you cry like me?"

"what do you mean, Kels?"

"well mom, I cry really loud but you cry really quietly."

I smile.

Curious, talkative children are good for something I guess. At least she can get me to smile. And tomorrow I may even laugh!

Owen's first 2 weeks

So, here we are, quickly approaching Owen's due date - Feb 13th. 

How's it going?

Well.. Owen is doing great. He is so sweet and little and cute. And, I have been just thoroughly enjoying him. That is made easier due to the huge amounts of help that we've been getting. Marco had the whole first week off. Then, he needed to work for 3 days during the second week, so his mum decided to fly up and stay for 4 days. The church has been bringing us meals almost every other day - although they are due to stop today. And, my sister arrives in 3 days, when Marco goes back to work again!! Honestly, every way I look at it, the timing of Owen's birth has been most excellent. It is so rare for Marco to have so much time off... 

Anyway, thanks to so much help, I have been just taking care of myself and Owen. Sounds a bit selfish, perhaps, but I know the exhaustion will come. I know the endless days of being on my own with 3 kids will come. And, I'm not in a hurry for them.

And, since Owen was born early and small, he's being a bit spoiled. When he wakes, I feed him, I burp him, I change him, I feed him some more, then I cuddle him. If I want to shower or eat (or blog), I put him in his bed, but otherwise he's been sleeping on me. And I've been laying on the couch. 

Every day at 1pm, I go to bed to try to sleep. So far, that hasn't been too difficult - when you're up every 2-4 hours all day and night, your body sleeps when you lay in vertical!! The plan was to sleep from 1-3 every day, but lately, Owen's been a bit sneaky, and decided to want to eat at 2pm every day. Not very nice, little boy. He's been a bit cheeky about family dinners too. For the last 3 days, as soon as dinner is announced, the little booger decides he wants some food. I suppose I should take this as a sign that it might be time to start finding a better routine for him - perhaps one set out by his mommy, who can tell time!! Especially since starting next week I'll have to do the preschool run by myself! Yikes!

Unfortunately, things aren't completely roses and butterflies around here. I've been doing great. I've been chipper. I've been up and doing stuff (but not too much). Until this past Wednesday (10 days postpartum) I had a bad day. Weepy, hormonal, and a bit sore. I figured that's all it was. Unfortunately, my bleeding which had tapered off, started back up with a vengeance. And then, after a restless sleep, when I got up to the 4am feeding, I found myself almost unable to walk because of serious stomach pains. So, as I lay on the couch in the lounge feeding Owen, I writhed and cried out in pain. Until finally, Marco woke from his sleep to see what the matter was. Frankly, it was a bit scary. The pain was WAY worse than anything labor brought - or probably just felt that way because it was so constant and without any cause or reason (that we knew of anyway). We contemplated going to the hospital - at least mum was still here, so we wouldn't have to wake up the girls. But, in the end, decided to wait till morning and make some decisions then. Around 8:30am, I called my midwife and let her know what was going on. She presumed it was "product" needing to be expelled. But, she called back in 15 minutes with an appointment for an ultrasound for later that afternoon. She also, dropped by around 10:30 to have a look and feel for herself and gave us a prescription for some antibiotics. The fear, at this point, is that somehow some placenta was left behind, which, in my understanding, would require a trip to the hospital. Not something you want to do with a newborn...
Anyway, Marco drove me to my ultrasound appointment that afternoon with all the kids, as he'd dropped off mum at the airport a few hours earlier. The technician didn't say much as she looked around, and in the end, told me she'd send off the pictures to a doctor for a diagnosis who'd then be in touch with my midwife. So, another long night of painful waiting.
By morning, the pain has subsided greatly. My stomach is still sore to the touch, and standing tall and straight is almost impossible. But I can sit upright (with a hunched back) and I can move without crying out in pain. 

My midwife called first thing this morning to pass along the diagnosis. Its not placenta remaining. Its just a blood clot working its way to be expelled. Time, she said. Time is what it would take. Ugh. Oddly, a surgery sounded more appealing.
But, hopefully, the antibiotics will do their thing and the ibuprofen will do its thing and I can start functioning again soon. Preferably by tomorrow... (patience is not one of my strong points!!)

So.. Owen is doing well. Me.. not so much, but should be better soon. 

Introducing..

OWEN!!

So, before I even had a chance to blog about my pregnancy, little Owen surprised us all and arrived 2 weeks early!! Silly little boy!!

Owen was born on Monday Jan 30th in the wee hours of the morning after a LONG labour. He weighed 3.165 or 6 lbs 15 oz. and is 51 cm long. 

17 weeks pregnant

36 weeks pregnant

So, as you can see, I got BIG!! I felt HUGE! But, oddly, I was content to still be pregnant. I had a lot to do yet and I wasn't in a hurry to get it done. However, in my 37th week of pregnancy, all the little bits started coming together. The cot (crib) got set up. We got a new family car (that would fit 3 car seats!!). Marco built me a board for my change table. He also sanded and refinished an old set of drawers from the garage. In fact, he just brought those in on Saturday. Saturday was also the day that I threw my first load of baby clothes in the wash.
Saturday afternoon Marco washed a friend's van while I did the week's groceries. Then we brought the van over to another friend's house. We had planned to have a quick cuppa and then we had other friends coming for dinner. However, I was about to get a large lesson in my plans not necessarily being HIS plans. 

Disclaimer: from here on in, I'm about to tell Owen's birth story. Don't read it if you don't want. Your choice. 

So, at our friends house, well.. my pants got wet. Yep, I'm standing on their deck and I feel this rush of water descend into my undies. "Umm.. I may have just wee'd myself - or my waters just broke, if you don't mind, I'll use your toilet to check". Thankfully, I've had a lifetime of being embarrassed in public, so I wasn't really. I went to the bathroom to check, and sure enough: clear and no odour. My water just broke. So, summoning the husband, and gathering up the kids we returned home. We shipped the kids off for the weekend, without really telling them too much first. They're always excited to sleep at "Pake & Beppe's" house, so it was very exciting to them. (Pake & Beppe are friends of ours that have "adopted" our kids as their grand kids. Pake & Beppe are the Frisian words for Grandma & Grandpa.)

Now we wait for labour to start. Well, actually, we run around like mad people, trying to wash the rest of the baby clothes, pack the hospital bag, install the car seat, find the diaper bag etc. etc.)

Then we wait. All night long we wait. I can't sleep, so I'm up and down, remembering things, imagining contractions, timing the imaginary ones, trying to sleep. Tossing. Turning. Ugh. Marco got nearly 12 hours of sleep. Lucky. or Smart. 

10am Sunday morning - We decide to try off-roading in an attempt to get labour started. Marco seems oblivious to what off-roading is. He sticks to pavement, but claims its bumpy. It does nothing. 

11:30am - the midwife instructs us to meet her at the hospital in an effort to get things going. 

I'm induced with a gel, and started on antibiotics. 

3pm - Contractions start. 45 seconds long. Every 2 1/2 minutes. Consistency. That's what I am. Consistent. 

9pm - contractions hurt more. Midwife (and myself) are convinced that things are progressing. I start to imagine (or maybe I didn't) an urge to push. I do some, but not a lot. The urge (or imagined urge) passes. Ugh. Baby is mostly posterior. Back pain sucks. Pool is tried in an attempt to turn the baby. Maybe it worked, maybe it didn't. I don't know. Still having back pain. 

I'm just being a tool and pulling a stupid face. But this is the hospital room with the birthing tub. 

11:30pm - I'm checked. Midwife starts to cry as she informs me that I am in fact only 2cm. I cry. She suggests that we either get an epidural and some stronger drugs to start labour (did you know you're not officially in labour until you're 3cm?? Not really the thing you want to learn when you've been having constant and strong contractions for 9 hours.) OR I get a shot of Pethedine and take a 4 hour nap and hope that contractions start back after that nap. 

1am - I ask for the Pethedine shot. It makes me drowsy alright. Does NOT relieve any pain. So, now I'm falling asleep for the 2 minutes between the minute long awfully painful contractions. URGH!

2am - midwife is called back in (she tried to go home to sleep.. hahaha). Pain is worse, they are, once again, convinced I'm progressing. 

3am - I beg the midwife to check me once more. This time, I hold out little hope for having progressed. We agree that if I'm still under 5 I'll get an epidural. If I'm over 5, however, I'll get in the bath. I'm 7-8. Thank you Jesus. I hop in the shower while the bath is being filled. I hop in the bath. Its not full. As soon as I hop in, I need to push. the midwife tries to slow me down. I'm obedient - to a point. 

 3:20am - Owen is born. I place him on my chest in the pool. The cord is pulled off from around his neck, clamped and Marco cuts it. Owen is purple and covered in that waxy film  - eww gross. 

Proud daddy

see? purple and eww..  :)

5am - we're out of the delivery suite, in our room. I send Marco home for some MUCH needed sleep. I stare at my gorgeous baby boy before nodding off myself. 

noon, Monday morning: Marco brings the girls in to meet their new brother. Within moments, they're wanting cuddles and kisses. They're going to be EXCELLENT big sisters. 

By 4pm Marco picks me up to go home. Its been a LONG Monday, but I'm anxious to get settled into our home. 

This is the "going home" picture of each of our kids. They all look SO different!! 

So, there it is, the birth of my 3rd born, my first son - Owen. 

I love the frog legs, and I love crying pictures. It reminds me  later , looking back, that they did cry.  :)

But, overall, he's pretty chill... 

Doll Cradle

A few years back, I got given a couple doll cradles that someone's child had outgrown. Neither was in great condition. So, they got put in the garage with the intention of sanding down and painting up sometime in the future.

BEHOLD, THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED!! 

Well, Marco threatened to throw them out. So, we took a closer look at them. One is completely rotten. The other, however, while looking awful, could have a few years of life still in it. 

And, then came the clincher: We set up our cot (crib) in anticipation of the baby, and the girls immediately wanted to know where their babies could sleep. 

I forgot to take a completely BEFORE picture, but here it is after just a quick sand (by Marco)

A quick coat of primer. I can't believe the pink is still showing through. I'm getting a bit nervous at this point!

  The general (but unspoken) rule in our house is that any "craft" that I want to take on, shouldn't cost us any money (or much, anyway). This rule is in place because, in general, I am not very good at crafts. That is to say that while my intentions are good, my execution sucks. :)
This might be a good time to show you the blog where I actually got my ideas from. A blog where she actually does a GOOD job. Where it appears that things turn out the way she intended them to! However, it was also because of her blog that I was afraid the pink would continue to show through - it might have been her intention, but it was NOT mine.

Anyway, to determine what colour the doll cradle would be, I pulled out our trusty box of Resene test pots. Can you tell I've been trying to get Marco to paint a green wall in our house?? So far, no luck.. but I'll keep trying :)

And Voila!! The finished product - all painted!! 

I ended up using 4 colours in total. The 2 back sides (blue) are painted Resene Crescent (same colour we used in our middle bathroom). The inside panels (green) are all painted Resene Koru (one of the colours I tried to convince Marco of to no avail. The cursed spindles and bars they're attached to are painted Resene Milestone (one of the colours that we trialed to do our small bedroom - its sort of soft brownish-pink, relaly mutely pretty). And finally, the rest is painted Resene Bon Jour - a basic off white. No idea where we wever tried to use that colour!

So, if you checked out the blog that I was originally inspired by, and if you know at all about my lack of sewing ability (not to mention, my lack of sewing machine), You might've already guessed that I was excited to see her idea for making a doll "mattress"!!

So, step 1 - grab an old pillow case that I don't need.  (mostly because the sheets have  immigrated to the garage as drop cloths over the years)

Step 2: measure cradle (in hind sight, measure twice, or more). Add 10 cm to each side (oops, only added 10 cm  to each measurement). Cut pillow case to smithereens. 

Step 3. Tie knots around sides. Find something to stuff  inside the "mattress" (in my case a small bit of polyester insulation from the garage). Stuff it. 

 Step 4. Realize that the finished "mattress" is WAY too small and as usual my finished product sucks.

Step 5. Remember that its for a couple of indiscriminate children and not for resale and they'll probably love it. Decide to pretend the "mattress" is really a pillow. All solved!

Aww.. 

Brilliant Change table Solution!!

I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant with baby #3. So, we've been busy finishing up some renovations, selling small cars and buying big cars and getting stuff out of storage to get ready for this new baby!!

Thankfully, I've kept most things from when the girls were little so we don't need to buy a lot. However, one bigger item we need - besides a bigger car - is a new set of drawers (a dresser) for the baby's clothes and things. And, unfortunately, about a year ago, we sold my mammoth but perfect change table because it was just taking up WAY too much room. Anyway, so a while back I came up with the brilliant plan to find a dresser that was the same height as a change table and also deep enough to put my change pad on top. This should not have been a difficult thing.

Sidebar: This is what annoys me most about living where I do. I do not know why, but it seems that time after time, I have an idea that I know I've seen a gazillion places before, but when I want to make it happen in my home - well.. its only available in the big centers, or it costs a million dollars more than it should, or its only available overseas.

So, I started by shopping at the local shops. One local furniture store had the perfect dresser. However, it cost $450. Have I mentioned that we're poor?? So, I took the measurements from that dresser and began to scour TradeMe (the second hand website). Not very many around. And (as usual) most were in the big centers. So, after nearly 4 weeks of searching to no avail, a new place was devised.

It came about as I was making the bed in the baby's cot (crib). I was standing over it thinking, "I love this cot. Its such a great height." Then  - light bulb moment - "pity I can't change the baby on here."  Within moments (hours, actually) the husband had taken the change mat down from its storage space and placed it perpendicularly over the cot. Perfect!

My cot (crib) that my father-in-law made before Kelsey was born. Pardon the teeth marks - one of my children happens to be part beaver - must be her Canadian heritage!

So, with Morgan's doll demonstrating, here's how I envisioned my new  "change table"

So, Marco disappeared to his garage. Noises could be heard. And within 2 hours, he called for me to "come see!".

2 wooden boards with slats made up from the cut off slates from one of our new wooden blinds and a few tacks!! Genius! I added the velcro strips and VOILA!!

Here's the side view so you can see how it "attaches" to the crib (cot)

The whole thing is VERY lightweight to boot!! The only thing we're unsure of at the moment is how much weight it will hold. However, we put a sack of potatoes on, so we know it'll hold at least 4.5 kg - good enough for a newborn!! 

Oh, and the dresser issue was solved easily by bringing out one of 2 sets of small drawers that we were storing in the garage (and hoping to do up and sell sometime). So, we've pulled out the bigger of 2 drawers and Marco is currently in the garage sanding it down, putting new handles on it, and in 2 days - after a thorough oiling  - I'll get it in my house ready for baby clothes!! Woohoo!! (pictures to follow soon)