What a day

Today has been a very hard day. Many tears have been had, but I have really appreciated the care of different professionals around me. 

This morning I woke up and had extreme pain in my leg when I was walking. It has been there a little bit most days, but with stretching and movement it tends to subside. Today was different. I did my stretches and it hurt. I used a heat pack and that didn't really do anything. I messaged my chiro to ask for her advice - was I to see her or try and see the masseur - or is it something I just ride out. She thinks it is my body adjusting to the extra weight on the front but is, as a result, causing me pain. I see her again on Monday but suggested that I get an appointment with the masseur to try and work on the soft tissue.

Daniel was also having a very emotional morning. Everything seemed too much for him this morning - which as a result for me was too much. Things like trying to reach a bowl in the cupboard - he could reach it but wasn't keen on moving some things, trying to pick up a ball under the table - he wasn't keen to crawl under the table and get it, riding his bike - he wanted to use a set track, pulling off stickers - one ripped and he was upset, etc. Everything was too much. I think he's becoming sensitive with changes happening, but I don't know. It was just full on when I was already emotional.

We headed to Mothers' Group and it was lovely to sit and chat. Daniel was distracted so happily ran around playing with his buddies. I had a few tears when asked how I was going (I'm fine as long as people don't ask) but it was understandable. While there Linda, the masseur, called up and said she could fit me in this afternoon - above and beyond her call of duty (as she was coming back just for me - she was only working for the morning). 

I then had my obstetrician appointment. Daniel was great - happily sat there and ate his lunch. Dr Booker asked me how I was going which of course resulted in tears. I explained to him the tears and he understood. He took my blood pressure which (of course) was high. It is around the same time that it went up with Daniel, but this time it might just be because of all the tears today. He asked me to wait for a bit and Rhonda would then take my blood pressure again. I told him that I was fine as long as noone asked me how I was. He said that he would tell Rhonda to not care for me, or ask how I am. 

Rhonda called me into her room and asked me how I was - Dr Booker hadn't spoken to her yet. The tears started again. I told him that he needed to get a midwife who wasn't kind or caring. She took my blood pressure again and it was still high (not surprising after having another cry). They decided to leave it the week and check my bp again next week as it could just be the stress of today.

We then headed home and Daniel had a nap and I had a rest on the couch. Then I dropped Daniel off with Dad and headed to get my massage. Linda is so lovely. She chatted with me about the pain and gave me a hug. She hoped that she'd be able to help and would just see how my body was going. She gave me a 1hr massage focussing on the leg with the pain. The massage was great and she was working deeper. She said that it was very tight and was working to try and loosen it. The problem is that it is quite high at the pelvic join so is difficult to work on. 

After it still hurt which wasn't great. Linda was very apologetic as she hoped it would alleviate some of the pain. Hopefully in the next 24 hours it will take effect. She suggested that next week I can go back and either get a 30min treatment just on the left leg. The other option is for her to work higher up on my leg where the main pain is. Basically I think I'll be back to visit her next week either way as I don't really want this pain for the next 3.5 weeks. But yeah, the care is amazing from her, Ursula, Dr Booker and Rhonda. Each of them actually care about their patients - we are real people, not just names on paper.

So hopefully it takes effect in the next 24 hours. Tomorrow James, Daniel and I head to Canberra for a short holiday which will hopefully be lovely. I really am hoping that my body is ok with the travel and catching up with others.

36 weeks

Today marks one month to go until Squeak's due date. That's pretty crazy but also exciting. 36 weeks pregnant and I sure am feeling it.

This time around I'm feeling rather uncomfortable. My body just isn't seeming to cope with it as well this time round - even with seeing a Chiro and getting massage to help. I'm sure the heat hasn't helped either being that time of the year. While Squeak has been fine I have been having pains down the left side of my leg when I walk but also when getting up in the morning, even just rolling over at night. It's probably ligaments stretching but it is annoying. My chiro also thinks it is possibly because of the weight of Squeak which is why I got a massage that focussed on my soft tissue around the pelvis and upper left leg. It did make a difference and I really should go back for another one. Time just makes it difficult.

This past week I have become very tired when Daniel goes down in the morning. I am guessing that is to be the norm from now but yeah, it's hard when I feel so tired to have energy with Daniel. Squeak is feeling tight - growing well but my stomach is feeling very tight and stiff. Bending is quite hard now and my chiro has suggested that I don't pick up Daniel (where possible - which is pretty tricky). 

Tomorrow is my last day of work which will be sad but also good. I am happy to have had the 1 day available to me, but I am also ready to not start the day at 5:30 and rush around to get Daniel ready for bed after picking him up. I am very grateful to the Howies for looking after him on Mondays so that I could go to work. A big blessing!

With 4 weeks to go, Squeak's room is nowhere near ready. We are trying to find things to hang up on the wall to make it a bit more homely. We also want to get a mobile and need to just arrange the room better. So in that sense I am not ready for Squeak to come as there feels like a lot to do, but then energy levels aren't there to do it when Daniel is resting. Anyway, this seems to be a whinge post. Sorry. I know that it is a blessing to have Squeak and I am looking forward to meeting him/her but yeah, I am ready for my body to be mine again and to not be feeling so uncomfortable. 

4 weeks to go!

33 weeks

34 weeks

35 weeks

 

February Adventures

This is kinda going to be a bulk post to catch up on what has been happening this past month. Daniel seems to have grown a lot. His speech is coming along - things like Oscar is now clearly 'Ocar', when saying grace he said his usual 'Amen' and then I said "And Amen means 'I agree'". He then repeated 'I agree' pretty clearly. Mumma and Dadda are now becoming 'Mummy' and 'Daddy'. It's pretty awesome to see the development.

Mothers' Group plays a big part in Daniel's and my week. After months of just posting on Facebook a general comment of 'Anyone keen to catch up this Thursday?' and then having to decide what to do/where to go, I decided to make a roster so that we know in advance where to go and I don't have to decide each week (as I hate making decisions!). Most weeks it is just Siobhan (with Dan), Anne (with Lachie) and myself (with Daniel) but it is a great time to catch up and the boys are starting to interact together.

Watermelon break

I hope that we can continue to catch up and that the kids enjoy playing together more. I especially value the times I get to hang out with Anne. We try and go for 1 or 2 walks together each week and it is lovely chatting with her. Especially as she has recently had her 2nd bub so just having a voice of reason to settle my crazy mind about what the next couple of months will hold. Lachie and Daniel also enjoy playing together at the park which is nice.

Daniel's coordination is improving. He is able to build little towers with his Mega Blocks and is quite proud of himself when he has made them. I also enjoy building the towers with him.

Hooray!

Thursday afternoons/nights are still a lovely time at Nana and Poppy's place with 'Jiji, Ocar and Awe' too (Auntie Jenny, Oscar and Uncle Awesome). Last week Oscar and Daniel went outside with Nana and Poppy and had some fun playing AFL (or just running around throwing a ball in Daniel's mind). It was so lovely to watch - both the enjoyment of the Grandparents and the Grandkids.

Playing with Nana

Ball!

Watch out Oscar!

Daniel's open

Daniel loves pointing out buses, trucks, vans, trains, motorbikes, pretty much anything when we drive or walk somewhere. At the moment, he absolutely LOVES the garbage truck, aka - toot-toot. On Tuesday mornings (bin day) he will hear the garbage truck and come to me pointing to the door and asking to be picked 'up'. He wants to see the garbage truck. Unfortunately most of the early morning sounds are of the truck in a different street. He is very good at sitting at the top of the driveway to watch the truck come down the road, when it is actually in our street.

Waiting for the garbage truck

There it goes

Watching intently

Coming back

Emptying our bin

He is also a great help in the garden. He loves trying to pick up the weeds in our pavers and also enjoys watering the 'garden' (more often the pavers).

Helping water the garden with Nana

 He also enjoys picking the flowers (but then pulls the petals off). It will be a while before I have a garden of flowers I think. I do love how he wants to help out though!

We went for an adventure to Brooklyn with the Howies and it was so cute on the way home watching (a very tired) Daniel enjoy spending some time with Uncle Awesome. He found him so funny.

I am really loving Daniel's giggle. When reading his book 'I love you Mummy/I love you Daddy' he loves the point where the book needs to be turned upside down. He does prefer the Daddy part of the book.

Daniel has continued to make his own games/entertainment which is lovely to watch. One of these games is to put a block on top of the quoits lighthouse and spin it around. Doesn't sound very exciting but he found it very entertaining!

Peek-a-boo has made a comeback, particularly after meal time. He is pretty cute when he is found.

Where's Daniel?

There he is!

Mr Independent at meal times is getting to little bit better at letting others help him. I am going ok with picking my battles. Things like his weet-bix he can eat with his hand, but I do still encourage him to use the spoon. His dinner varies from hands to spoon or fork, to others feeding him. He also enjoys wiping down his table after a meal (which is a pretty good habit to have).

Cheeky grin

Cleaning his face

Having some water

Drinking by himself

He also enjoys pretending to fill his cup with water and then drinking what is left.

On Sunday Howie came around to help move the single bed out of Squeak's room and into Daniel's room. I am very grateful for the help and it wasn't as difficult as I had thought. So with a little bit of re-arranging, Daniel's room is now set up.

The boys tired after all the moving

After making the bed, Daniel had a great time playing on his bed - pretending to sleep and loving bouncing on it.

Shh, I'm sleeping

Getting under the doona

Daniel's new room setup

Now we just need to organise and set up Squeak's room. Hopefully that will come together quickly and look nice. We do need to get a few things to make it look more like a nursery.







Daniel has really enjoyed riding his bike around the house. James and I were hesitant to let Daniel ride it inside as we don't want the floorboards to get damaged, but it doesn't seem to be marking them which is good. And it keeps him occupied, doing laps.

I have now finished playing Tuesday night tennis with Jens (or Mum/Dad/James when Jens couldn't make it). My body just wasn't holding up so well and I couldn't really move to get the ball very quickly. It is sad to finish up, but realistically it's needed as when Squeak comes, I will need to be home to feed them, but maybe we will pick it up again later. We will just have to wait and see. So I have giving Daniel a bottle of the balls that we were using and he absolutely loves playing with them. He likes to throw them at (or maybe it's to) me.

He also enjoys using it with his 'bat' (the coke bottle) to play cricket. I do love his creativity.

Lastly I just wanted to post this photo of me with these 2 beautiful boys. I just love how they hang out and how Oscar helps Daniel do different things.

My family

I am loving Daniel's chatter. He is starting to try and repeat more words when I ask him to. i got to video him saying the names of everyone in his family. Hope you enjoy.

(My face after Poppy was because Daniel hasn't been able to make the p sound yet and that was pretty close so I was surprised!) We will keep working on Maddie so he will hopefully say it when we go up to Hervey Bay in May)

Mr Independent

Daniel is really starting to be Mr Independent. It is pretty tricky to cope with. I know that it is a development thing and he is to explore through trial and error, but I have also learnt that I'm quite a control freak, particularly when it comes to eating. I don't really like a lot of mess, and so to let him go for it is very hard for me. I don't like wasting food, so I struggle with him just being allowed to go for it. Anyway, I'm working hard on trying to let go and let him go for it. 

As you can see, he does do pretty well on the whole. Drinking milk has been one of the harder ones. Earlier this week both he and I ended up in milk because it was too full and he bounced the cup up, like he does his water bottle. Problem is that he doesn't have a lid on the milk so it when everywhere. But on the whole, I do know that he is doing pretty well.

Having milk by himself - and having to wear a hat, as you do

Some yoghurt for me

Look, it's on my fingers

 

January adventures

Daniel seems to have grown and developed a lot over this past month (I seem to be saying that each month, but still). Here is a glimpse of what has been going on.

There has been a lot of cricket on which means it has been on tv. Cricket is probably the most watched thing on tv for Daniel. He will sit down on the couch, point at the tv (whether it's on or not) and clap his hands. This means he wants to watch the cricket. After being at the game for the Ashes, James and I thought we would teach Daniel the mexican wave.

He was pretty cute with it, but didn't fully grasp the concept of it. 

Mum and Dad took Oscar and Daniel for a Nana and Poppy adventure to Walkabout Wildlife Park. They all apparently had a wonderful day with lots of walking and patting animals. It is just so cute how Oscar helps direct Daniel (not always, but at times). Mum and Dad caught this on camera.

Hooray for holidays and Nana and Poppy adventures. It was a good opportunity for me to get into the study and organise what I could (then wonderful James did the rest on the weekend and the study is now my happy room re: neatness.

Daniel is still not really a fan of playdough. I just love this video that captures his facial reaction to touching it. 

Daniel enjoys playing in his cot, particularly after I walk in to get him up after a nap/rest. He will often flop back down on the mattress and start to 'snore' ("shhh, shhh, shhh") then he will stand up and repeat the process. Some days we are hanging out in his room for 30mins playing this game.

"Sleeping"

"Up, up, up"

Daniel has always seemed to have a love of music. Most of the day he listens to music in the background while playing with his toys. At church he loves it when the band plays. Lately he has been enjoying his little keyboard and the music that it plays. It is very sweet to watch him enjoying it. 

I do hope that music remains a big part in his life and that he enjoys learning instruments as he gets older.

With all the cricket on tv and watching Oscar play with his cricket bat and ball when at the Howie's place, Daniel has made his own version on cricket. One day he pulled out his coke bottle and his large ball. He started hitting it around the room. Then he started giving me the ball to throw to him and he would tap the coke bottle on the ground, like the crickets do their bats. I think cricket is a sport he will enjoy as he grows up.

Daniel just loves riding his bike. Each time he sees it, he asks to go for a ride. At Nana and Poppy's place, he enjoys riding their bike too. 

A couple of weeks ago Jens and I organised to go and visit Lachie as it had been a long time since we had caught up. With him living at Dee Why we decided to venture to the beach, which Daniel and Oscar just loved. It was a great day playing in the water, finding hermit crabs, drinking milkshakes, making sandcastles, eating fish and chips and just generally catching up with Lachie.

Daniel attempting to destroy Lachie's sandcastle

Auntie Jenny showing Daniel the hermit crabs we found

Looking at the crab

Jenny was excited

Hanging in the water

Walking away from the waves

Fun with Lachie

Digging a hole

Oscar helping Daniel in the water (until the waves were too big and basically push Daniel over)

So cute!

 After a lovely morning at the beach Daniel was very tired and fell asleep on the walk back to Lachie's place. Thanks to Jens for carrying Daniel in the ergo.

Oscar and Lachie walking back

So sleepy

Gone!

 One hot afternoon I decided to take Daniel outside with a bucket of water, like I had previously done, so he could play with the water. Fully clothed, my little man decided that he would climb into the bucket. Who would have thought that a bucket of water would be a pool. He loved it though.

I stripped him down to this nappy and loved running around, getting in and out of the bucket

Daniel just loves helping vacuum. He gets upset when I use it and he isn't helping. He has started improving the movement, not just standing in the one place. Hopefully he continues to love vacuuming as he gets older as it would be nice for him to enjoy helping clean up.

In the mornings Daniel enjoys playing in his cot for a bit until I get up to him (often at 7am). Lately when I have gone in, my cheeky little boy has changed the look of his pjs. It really does give me a laugh when I walk in.

Brushing teeth is something that has started to be a bit tricky. He likes the concept - will go 'sch, sch, sch' to mean 'brush teeth' but when we start he will turn his head side to side and close his mouth. One strategy that works is to tickle him so he opens his mouth and laughs. Another strategy that is a bit hit and miss is to help brush our teeth. It can be a bit painful for us (as he will just push the toothbrush into our mouths) but he is pretty good.

We have been catching up with good friends lately and we went to visit Zoe and her 10 week old bub, Poppy. She is so cute. It was lovely to sit and chat with Zoe and Daniel enjoyed playing with all the toys without older kids telling him that he can't play with different things. He was so cute to watch. Zoe put Poppy in a swing and Daniel had to keep checking on her. He would go out on the verandah, play with something for a couple of minutes then run back in and check Poppy was still there. I still hope he will continue to love little bubs, particularly when Squeak comes.

I continue to love watching Oscar and Daniel together. One evening we went to the Howie's place to hang out. I needed to get Daniel ready for bed and Oscar was such a wonderful help.

Say cheese

 He went and got Daniel from the other room and brought him to me so I could change his nappy. Then while I was putting Daniel into his pjs, Oscar went and got his pjs. Then when I was brushing Daniel's teeth, Oscar helped make Daniel laugh so it was really the easiest brushing teeth experience. Then we went upstairs to say prayers and Oscar came up too. It was so sweet to sit there on the bed and have Oscar pray and then ask me to pray on behalf of Daniel. Then Daniel gave Oscar a cuddle and kiss and went down without a fuss. I just love these boys!

We have recently bought a table and chairs set for Daniel so he can do drawing/playdough/etc. while sitting at a table his level. He just loves them both - both the indoor ones and the outdoor ones.

Climbing onto his chair

Reading books

Trying the outdoor setting

Focussed with his drawing

 Daniel is also very creative with making up different activities. One of these is to crawl under the table and make it like a tunnel (repeatedly).

Loving it!

Squeak is continuing to grow well. Each obstetrician appointment is a quick one with all things looking good. I am feeling rather tight and Squeak does enjoy pushing up into my ribs, but things are going well so hopefully that will continue.

30 weeks

31 weeks

32 weeks

 Daniel has enjoyed getting his photo standing infront of the door too. It's pretty cute to watch. He does make me laugh.

30 weeks (cutie pie!)

31 weeks

 He is also becoming keen to take photos too. This one he took of Daddy for his 31 weeks photo.