Squeak kick

Last night while lying in bed, Squeak was kicking me a bit. James had tried to feel Squeak kick a couple of times, but couldn't feel it. Last night was different. After waiting a little while and moving his hand more to the left side of my tummy, James felt Squeak kick. It was a pretty special moment. He felt a few more kicks after that one too. 
I do love feeling Squeak move around :-)

After having a headache for 3 days in a row (on and off, but definitely present) I decided to call up Rhonda, Dr Booker's midwife, and ask if it was a concern or not. I remember headaches being a symptom of high blood pressure so thought it was best to check. She said that it was unlikely at 22 weeks but to pop in and check just to put my mind at ease. She took my blood pressure and the first reading was high - 140 - but the other number was normal. It wasn't concerning but it isn't a good sign. Dr Booker popped in and checked on me and said that we will check again at my appointment on Thursday and if it is still high then I might need to go back on the medication. Not so fun. We listened to Squeak's heartbeat and it was good and strong. Rhonda measured it's size and said that it is growing well. She then took my blood pressure again and it had dropped back down to 123 or something like that. She thinks that it was high because of my headache, not having a headache because of high blood pressure. 

So the treatment was to rest while Daniel is resting, James to give me a neck massage (because that may be causing the headaches - tightness), heat pack on my neck, lots of water and panadol too. So I've been trying to do each of those things. 

Hopefully things will go well this week as James is away for work again - Monday to Friday. Hopefully my appointment will go well on Thursday and hopefully this headache will just go away, not be on and off. Time will tell.

Just a bit of cute

Daniel just loves reading. Normally he just listens and turns the pages, but recently he has started to interact with the books - something that makes me smile lots! Things like when we read 'I'm a little teapot', he tips his head toward the end of it. Also, 'the wheels on the bus' he rocks forward and backwards, bounces up and down, beeps the horn, etc. at the right times. Today I read 'The Lost Sheep' to him, after not reading it for a while. It was the first time that he interacted with it. I thought it was so special that I videoed it. It is a little bit long (over 2 videos so it uploads) so I understand if you don't want to watch it all but yeah, it was special to me.

He also enjoys drawing with his crayons. He even gets upset when I try and pack them away. Today we were doing some drawing and he started doing dots on the paper (something he hasn't done with me before). I also think he is going to be left handed because he shows a huge preference toward that hand when doing most things. I just hope that he can be a neat writer and not too messy, but will have to wait and see. 

Daniel also enjoys rocking on his rocking chair. It is a special thing to do but he is good and holding on when he rocks. I think he is going to be a bit of a dare devil (hopefully that means that he will enjoy theme park rides and everything).

On Friday we went around to see Grayma with Oscar. It was lovely to sit and have lunch with her - a very nice chat. We then went outside to play some soccer. Oscar enjoyed kicking the ball to Grayma and myself while Daniel enjoyed chasing after it and throwing it towards each of us. It is so lovely to see Grayma playing with the boys - she really delights in it and the boys do too (even if she probably shouldn't play soccer).

Grayma's turn

Daniel picking up the ball

Oscar kicking to Grayma

Daniel throwing to Grayma

It was really lovely watching Oscar help Daniel out. He chased him around the hallway, he gave him his water (to stop Daniel haven't his own one). Then when we were leaving, Oscar took Daniel's hand and helped him walk up the driveway. It really was a cute sight. They are 2 precious boys.

Too cute!

I am now 22 weeks pregnant and things still seem to be going well. Chiro is going very slowly which is a bit frustrating, but there has been some progress. I have also booked a massage (thanks Nobles) for in a couple of weeks which will be lovely. Hopefully that will also help the healing process.

22 weeks along

My little baby is growing up

A lot of things have happened recently that makes me think 'Daniel isn't my little baby anymore'. It's excited that that happening, but it is also a bit sad. At the end of last month Daniwl and I went for an adventure to Forbes footwear to get him some new shoes. He has been walking for around 6 weeks and that's a time when they suggest you get them proper shoes. We got both sandals and enclosed shoes. My oh my, I didn't realise how expensive kids shoes are. I know they are good for support and important to help him walk properly, but still. Daniel's shoes are the most expensive shoes I have ever bought! But he is pretty cute wearing them.

Exploring the outdoors in his sandals (yes, and socks - just to wear them in)

Exercising his enclosed shoes.

 He had some fun with Daddy on the front lawn. It was gorgeous to watch the boys playing together. Daniel just loves his Daddy.

My gorgeous boys

I just love this photo!

At swimming lessons we have been encouraging Daniel to blow bubbles, but he doesn't perform there. Last week he shook his head when Robina asked him to try blowing bubbles but then when we got home and he had his bath, he popped his face into the water and blew numerous bubbles. Such a clever boy. And he was very pleased with himself.

Daniel is loving any form of public transport (which Uncle Awesome would be proud of). When he sees a train, bus, truck, van, etc. he says 'choo choo'. I am trying to teach him that trains are the only one that make the choo choo sound, but that's ok. He is quite excited by them. Often the choo choo is followed by a wave and a kiss. Very friendly bubba.

Waving at a train

We were given Oscar's old bike and Daniel has seen it quite a few times in the study. He has tried to push it out of the room so we finally took him for his first bike ride. He loved it (although didn't show it in the photos) but it was a great time for him. He did really well with holding the handlebars and kicking the pedals (his legs are too little to ride them around). 

Off on his first ride

Back home again and loved it (didn't want to get off it)

I really need to take him out for more riding adventures.

Another sign that our baby boy is growing up is that he is now forward facing in the car. We turned the seat around and he thoroughly enjoys looking at everything through the front window. 

I finally got around to purchasing some crayons for Daniel to use. He has done a few 'drawings' and is quite good with staying on the paper. I look forward to seeing how his drawings develop. 

With Poppy retiring, we now get to see him on Wednesdays with Nana. It's loved to see him hanging out with Daniel (and Mum hanging out with Daniel too). I just love this photo of Poppy and Daniel having a chat.

Last week we had a really hot day. I couldn't be bothered to fill up the paddle pool so instead filled up a bucket of water. We went outside to play with it using cups, spoons, brushes. He absolutely loved it (and got so wet). He stayed at the bucket for about 45mins (the longest he's sat still, besides when with food.

Filling up the cup

And pouring it all out

This is clearly thirsty work

Doing some water painting on the tiles

Fun times

Daniel has continued to love playing peek-a-boo. He will hide behind things and then come out and say 'boo'. He also hides behind his hands to play it.

He had fun playing it with Auntie Jenny too while on an adventure to an engagement party.

Auntie Jenny has also taught Daniel to say 'cheese' for photos. He is pretty cute when doing it.

Daniel has a few toys that are pull toys, designed with short strings (silly) so I managed to add a swans lanyard to them so that Daniel can pull the toys along. He thinks differently. He thinks you should wear it as a lanyard (fair call). So the trains get pulled around on his neck.

He also has taken to my baby cabbage patch doll, Christopher. It is pretty cute to watch him give Christopher cuddles and kisses. I just keep reminding him to be gentle - thinking that when Squeak comes along he will need to be gentle withhim/her.

Cuddles for Christopher

I have also been trying to help Daniel understand the idea that Squeak is growing in my tummy. Jenny had a shirt that has a picture of a baby watching an ipod in the stomach. She has given that shirt to me and I decided to wear it at home sometimes to help him get a bit of an idea that there is a baby in my tummy. I don't know how helpful it is, or how much it helps him understand it but still. It is worth a shot I guess. 

Where is Squeak? There!

The next video was taken first and Daniel was just being so cute and cheeky, wanting to see the camera and the video. I just had to post it. I just love his laugh :-)

The last photos of Daniel are of him putting money into his money box. He is so cute when putting it in. Slotting it in the space, pulling it out. Once it drops in, he does the action of 'where is it?'. It is a good skill for him to have.

Where has it gone?

The last photos are of growing Squeak bump. Still not too big a bump. Lots of people who have just found out have commented that I'm not that big for half way. Hopefully that continues. I like having my mobility and being able to bend down. Hehe.

 

Feeding

This past week James and I have been trying to work out what to do with feeding for Daniel. A couple of weeks ago James got Daniel up and ready for the day before I gave him milk (something that I do each morning when he wakes up). He was confused by why Daniel got upset when leaving his bedroom, and then remembered that he hadn't had milk. We decided that it was clear he still wanted a morning milk feed. 

Last week I was getting ready for the day when Daniel woke up, so James went in and got him ready for the day. He was happy to be in the back room playing, even without having milk. James and I were trying to work out if we should just leave the milk feed then to wean him off the morning feed. It was really hard to work out. I know that it is beneficial to have breastmilk for as long as he wants. I wanted to feed him for as long as he wants (even with Squeak on the way/around). It would be easier to just feed one kid when Squeak comes. We thought that we would just leave it and start the morning with breakfast... but then I started to have a panic attack. I had shortness of breath and started to cry. James stopped what he was doing and helped calm me down. He decided that it was clear that I was not ready to stop feeding. I sat down on the chair and decided that Daniel could decided. I asked him if he wanted to have some milk, where he nodded his head and walked over to me and asked to come 'up'. 

It was nice feeding him. It felt right. So we have decided to just continue it morning and night. Don't know when to finish.

Last night I went out with my family to celebrate Dad's retirement. (As an aside, I'm so proud of Dad and the work that he did at SACS. It has been many years, fun times and hard times, but such commitment, passion and love for teaching, his students, timetabling, sport, etc. It was lovely to hear stories from his work buddies and to hear about 'work Dad', as side which we don't really get to see. And it was lovely to chat with his work buddies too, as well as have great chats with Jens). Being out for dinner meant that James gave Daniel a bottle (which he took happily). It also meant that when I got home I expressed. This was the first time since I stopped taking motillium so I didn't really know how much milk I could express. I was thinking that it would be around 20-40mls like I could express before I started taking motillium but didn't know. 

I started on the left side and expressed nothing. Absolutely nothing. I know this is Daniel's less preferred side but I didn't expect nothing. I then went to the right side and managed to express... a few drops. This is quite a drop from the 100mls I could express with the motillium, even the 20-30mls from when I was first feeding. This made me feel quite sad. It has made me question how much milk Daniel is actually drinking from me and also whether I continue feeding him or if I should just wean him. I know that he can get more than what is expressed. That I understand, but it just makes me question. More thoughts, more confusion. But at the moment, just sadness at how little milk is left and wondering if this is close to the end of a very special journey with Daniel and I.