So You're Pregnant, Mothering a Toddler, and Playing a Nun in December.

Baby Bechaz #2 or The Singing, Pregnant Nun

Before I begin, I apologise for not continuing my blog since last year. My bad. Life got in the way. Please love me, internet land. In my absence, around 6000 people have viewed my blog -uh. Wow! Yay! Hope you all liked it and sorry if it was simply the ramblings of a narcissistic pregnant lady!  Hope you have enjoyed the sarcasm and blatant brain-ramble.

Guess what!  Hubster and I recently found out we were having baby #2. Apart from the initial (good) shock (WTF were we even trying for more babies right now? Yay us and our fertile loins!) and the blatant fear (oh my, how shall I deal with TWO little screaming, sticky, Peppa-Pig loving, Playdoh-eating, whirlwinds? Will I ever sleep again?) we were overjoyed! 

#1 (Isla) will be around 2years 4 months when little PeeWee is born, and though we aren’t sure how she’ll take it (loves being centre of attention like the majority of toddlers) she will hopefully love the little munchkin and be able to understand a bit of what is going on! So far she has decided the baby is a boy… no wait… a girl… no wait… it’s a frog. Called PeeWee. Peppa Peewee. (Pretty sure she was saying ‘Poo-Wee’ but I choose to take it how it sounded phonetically). And the Peppa part comes from a particular TV show that her grandparents have got her hooked on.

So PeeWee (Gender Neutral) it is. 

And enough about my fabulous first child and on to our second Wonder-kid. 

Little Fetus PeeWee is around 12 weeks old, and we are just finishing Trimester 1 this week.

Despite only just growing arms and feet, our second child has already demonstrated their complete disregard for the way things are done around here, and the standard set by the daughter-who-must-be-obeyed.

Firstly; Morning Sickness. Why do they call it morning sickness when it sticks around 24/7. The wondrous feeling of wanting to hurl your guts up but not actually hurling… (Lucky me doesn’t spew easily). Sometimes I wished I would just throw up to get it out of my system, but of course that’s not how morning sickness works. According to my all-knowing friends (many of whom have had several children) the act of throwing up does not disperse the nausea. So instead, I nibble on a cracker or dry toast, and hope it subsides. Some days are better, and this week (around 2 days ago!) it subsided almost completely, so I did what any sane mother-to-be would do, and visited Sizzler. Got a light bout of food poisoning, learned my lesson, and retreated to my salt and vinegar rice crackers.

Anyway, this morning sickness was far beyond what I had experienced with Isla. Some days it was to the point of not being able to get off the couch and allowing my toddler to watch an hour and a half of morning cartoons (something I promised myself I would never do…). Due to this, many people think we’re having a boy this time around.

Secondly: Aversions & Cravings. Oh my lawdy. Do not bring meat (especially red!) near me (just like last time!!). Anyone who knows me, knows I usually take my steak moo-ing, bloody, and sometimes cold in the middle (perhaps a vampire/caveman in another life?), but whilst pregnant, heaven forbid anyone should wave a charcoaled sausage within two metres of me! Goodbye meat!

Farewell Dairy, Sorbet, Coffee and all my favourite foods! Yep, they make me bloat like a pufferfish. 

In other news, Salt and Vinegar (which normally I despise and find very… stinky!) suddenly makes me feel so much better. Also chickpeas. And refried beans. And BABY CORN! OH holy crap how did I not know about the joys of tinned baby-corn before this? Drain them and eat them by the tin! To a lesser extent, water-chestnuts. Fortunately I have found a great recipe for a chickpea, babycorn and water-chestnut stir fry which I plan on trying soon.

Thirdly: I got fat earlier. Granted, was a few KGs heavier after Isla (yeah, probably not going to get into all the pre-maternity clothes I saved from 2012 after all…) but my lower tummy has popped out in the last week. Probably bloating (as I said, I did visit Sizzler and I now eat a lot of babycorn/chickpeas), but I treated myself to a new pair of maternity jeans all the same. The ones with the 30cm long beige elastic waist that reaches to my bra. Yeah, Justin can’t keep his hands off me. Fortunately, I can tuck that part in for a few more weeks and pretend to be a normal, hip and happening 28 year old.

A couple of things that are different to last time: 

1.       I have a toddler so don’t have as much time to feel pampered and excited and take tummy pictures. Though I did snap a pretty fabulous one with a  lime (baby’s size this week) while she was hoe-ing in to some avocado.

2.       I am working part time at the high school whilst juggling the toddler and a home singing studio 3 afternoons a week. The tiredness just doesn’t cut it.

3.       I am playing Maria in The Sound of Music right as I hit approx 19/20 weeks pregnant. Yeah, I didn’t plan on getting pregnant when I auditioned. Fortunately I am making all my costumes and have given myself extra girth in the stomach region. And boob region. We all know how that goes. So, Biloela, be prepared to view the Pregnant, Singing Nun in early December! (Theatre-people, you get this, right? The show must go on!)

4.       I pretty much know what I want, what I don’t want, and what I don’t want to happen that has happened in my last birth/pregnancy! So as fabulous as Doctors & Midwives are, unless there’s something wrong, don’t bother me or tell me to do something different (ie: Labour in bed or that I should get induced, or that I am breastfeeding wrong!) because it ain’t gonna happen and you are just going to anger the beast. In saying that I really respect you and think you’re all fabulous… but please just don’t rush me this time! 

5.       I already have a lot of baby clothes/toys/etc as hand me downs so I don’t have to shop as much. (Huge down point.) On the up side, Isla is moving to a new room so I can re-decorate the nursery and her new room! Woo!!

6.       I am a lot more blasé about the little things, and a lot less worried. Which makes for a happier Bechaz household. Or maybe I just don’t have the alone time to worry as much ;) 

All in all! First twelve weeks have gone quite well! Here’s to hoping the next 28 go well and my toddler stops kicking me in the stomach all the time (We think she is trying to remain an only child, as the other day I said ‘Say hi to the baby!’ and pointed at my tummy, and she said ‘Kick it! Kick it!’ and proceeded to do just that. Apologies to second child in advance.)

Welcome to the family PeeWee!

Love xxx

WHOA! Everything just got heavy...

Week of Pregnancy: Week 36… 1 week until full term!

Fruit to Fetus: Watermelon. We’ve reached watermelon proportions. No wonder stairs are difficult and I have to wee every hour.

Cravings/Aversions: Can’t eat anything greasy this week – I think because it just sits on the top of my stomach and the relaxen hormone makes me want to spew it back up again. Toast is fine, as is fruit and salad, but no bacon, eggs, meats, etc. Still loving my muesli.

Kick Counter: Still the insane kickboxing gymnast that she was last week. Sometimes it looks like my tummy does a Mexican wave. Also, there is a foot poking out from underneath my right ribs. It’s not always there, but 80% of the time, which makes it hard to sit.

Now that Miss Muffin is the size of a watermelon, I felt like reflecting on how far she has come – and how big she’s grown in such a (relatively) small space of time – though it feels like forever since we did the test!

 

It amazes me how little Miss Muffin got from a seasame seed (above)... to a watermelon!! (A small watermelon - 2.9kgs this week!)

 

 

 

I found when I googled 'baby watermelon' that both cute and creepy things appear. Guess which one is cute, and which is creepy... 

 

 

Seriously?! Don't get me wrong - great GREAT art watermelon carving, but oh my gosh it is creepy. Kind of like the doll I had to use for the breastfeeding class - more on that later.

 

So this week I finished up at school (Well, ‘officially’ I’m finished but I still have all my marking and reporting to do from home!)and tripped down to the coast for my birthing class! Justin unfortunately couldn’t make it L So I went solo amongst all the couples that attend birthing classes. Kind of awkward that I took my mum? I don’t think so. After all, she’s had two babies with no form of epidural/caesarean etc – I think she’s pretty qualified J

 We rocked up and I handed in my epidural consent form. Apparently, if you have not signed a consent form BEFORE LABOR BEGINS they will not give you an epidural, even if you beg and cry. So I thought better to be safe than sorry! Though I’m still going for hypnobirthing and waterbirthing without drugs (hopefully) you never know what might happen. Also, I've heard posterior births may be more painful...

Little Muffin is currently in a posterior position (Head down, but facing up, spine next to my spine):

 

But we want her to end up like this, in the anterior position (Head down, facing down with spine against my belly) :

 

So, basically, if she doesnt turn around, we can still have a natural birth but, as the lady showed us with a set of fake hips and a doll, the head doesn't fit as well when baby is facing upwards.

Also, don't google 'posterior birth' images - just don't.

So, getting back on track, handed in epidural form, and learned about different stages of labour, ways of managing pain (ie: Gas, morphine/pethidine, epidural, etc) as well as some natural techniques such as hot water. No mention of hypnosis though… hmm.

Then watched a birthing video. Let me tell you, it is still just as scary to watch a baby crown when you are 26, as to when you were 13 and shown a random video of 70s ‘afro-lady’ crowning in sex ed.

DON’T DO IT TO YOURSELF! I know you want to you-tube it, but don’t. You can’t unwatch it.

Fortunately I will be up the other end and won’t have to watch. Although apparently you can request a mirror.

 

Um. No thanks, I’m good.

 

We then learned about breast feeding for another few hours (very good session, really!) and what to do with a newborn – what will you need when you go home from the hospital? How can you prevent SIDS? What are the questions most new mothers ask?

All in all, very informative, very knowledgeable midwives with lots of experience. Also, they had tasty sandwiches for lunch. Quite sad Justin missed it, actually!

Sunday mum and I went shopping (Well, can’t go to the coast – CIVILISATION! – without doing some shopping…) and I finished my year 11 reports.

 

Finally, Monday morning Dad and I did some hypnosis practise for relaxation and labour – Have some fabulous visualisations to practise, and was reminded that doing proper hypnosis (for 20 minutes) is as good as a few hours sleep! Am feeling much more competent and comfortable with the hypnobirthing idea, though I am deviating slightly from their suggested methods and adding some that Dad uses with his patients.

Strangely, at one point I was visualising myself on a beach, with waves gently surging over my torso, but that ‘fake’ me on the beach was visualising a flower opening (cervical dilation visualisation)…

INCEPTION!!!!!!!

 

So anyway – about to hit 37 weeks in a few days time (HOLY CRAP – Tomorrow actually!) so here’s to hoping Baby Bechaz doesn’t make an appearance until at least week 38/39, as I am six hours away from my preferred hospital and Obstetrician!

Lots of love to all – I’m off to finish marking and reporting and make a ‘clean break’ from Bilo in a few days time!

xxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

Formal, Baby Shower, and One Tiny Dose of Reality

Fruit to Fetus Comparison: The size of a rockmelon or a honeydew J

Cravings:  None. Really, I am just eating normally at the moment (it’s so hot, I don’t feel like eating at all!)

Aversions: Heat and bras. If there was a way to go bra-less without being a hippy and/or knocking people out, I would welcome it with open arms.

 

Husbands’ excitement metre:  Excitement surrounded the baby shower (well, for him it was a ‘beer shower’)

Mini-Muffin Kick-Counter:  Many! They keep getting stronger, but there are less large movements like rolling over now that she’s taking up more space! She’s upside down on a diagonal at the moment, so all the kicking (and there’s a lot of it!) is onto my bottom right ribs!

So, ready for the weekly dose of TMI?

My tummy is now so big that when I slouch, my boobs and tummy touch each other. And, to be honest, the boobs have only gone up about a cup size. I can just see myself doing the preggy waddle. The rest of me is generally the same size, just the tummy has expanded (IMMENSELY!) which is hopefully a good thing! And, sadly, stretch marks have made their way onto the scene. Well, small price to pay.

As I’m far away from my obstetrician, Dad and Mum bought me a blood-pressure monitor. I still don’t really know what the numbers mean, but if they go above 130ish I should call my doctor apparently. Dad said it should be around 110/70ish.

Thought I was dying yesterday when it said 99/50, but turns out I had the damn thing on wrong. Epic fail.

It was 40 degrees Celsius here on the weekend. FORTY!! With an average of around 34 this week, it’s going to be a scorcher. Our aircon is struggling to keep up, and I have to admit, I’m certainly feeling it. Not to mention I sweat like twelve litres a day and hardly have to go to the loo anymore (despite drinking around four litres – no joke – during the day) Gross or what. I simply cannot drink more water!!

Formal Week!

So this week was FORMAL WEEK for my twelves! They all looked gorgeous, of course, dressed up in their finery and finishing the night by Gangnam Styling. Very grown up and making me feel old! I will miss them, but it’s great to see them go their own path and grow up a bit! Some of them might find that the workplace is very different to school on how lazy you can be and get away with it. J

So I got dressed up in my expandable formal dress and (god forbid) some heels. Not massive ones. Just about three inches. No sweat, right?

REGRET!!!!!
Why did I wear the heels? TELL ME WHY!! Because I’m an idiot who constantly has to pretend that she can do everything she used to be able to do before baby started to get huge.

Stupid statements I have made over the past few weeks:

1. I can still fit around the storeroom cup board in the art room. No problems.
2. I can still sit on the carpet with the kids. Getting back up will be easy!
3. I can wear high heels and a formal dress and curl my hair and I will feel like a princess!
4. Sure, I love watching everyone drink while I’m sober. It’s awesome.
5. This disgustingly oily and capsicum topped pizza won’t come back to haunt me.
6. Pfft, stairs? What stairs? I’m awesome at stairs! Give me more stairs!

So how did these turn out, you ask?

1. I got stuck in one of the compactors and had to lever myself out with my back against one wall and knees against the other, resulting in paint and various other art room supplies getting all over my clothes.
2. Sat down with a slightly larger ‘thump’ than usual (I forgot how far away the ground was) and three (THREE!!) year tens had to help me back up again. Mortified.
3. End of night = me feeling like a ball of sweaty, blistered molasses-covered gummi bear.
4. Despite the grossness of drunk people, it can actually be kind of awesome. Hilarious things happen when drunk, and often, when you are drunk yourself, it is forgotten the next day. As the pregnant Designated Driver, I remember ALLLLLLL! *evil laugh and bribery to commence*
5. It haunted me. Oh, for the love of god, it haunted me.
6. This is the break down of Rhonie climbing stairs:

Part 1: Overconfidence: Takes five stairs quite quickly.
Part 2: Still overestimating ability despite climbing heartrate and sore legs: Takes next three stairs at a slower pace.
Part 3: Drastic reality check: Burning legs, breathing like a walrus, makes it to the top of flight of 20 stairs in just under four minutes.

So, yes, I am constantly telling myself to slow down, as is everyone else, but stubborn little me has to keep pushing up the hill like the little train that could. Well, eight days left of school and I will be forced into relaxing.

BABY SHOWER!!

Second part of the week (well, day after formal) BABY SHOWER DAY!

Made special by three lovely ladies – Maddi Simons, Stacy Condell and Lynesha Stainer – who organised, cooked and crafted their way into a beautiful baby shower (despite the 40 degree heat and the copious amount of flies that decided to join us for the day!).

One of Stacy's Delicious Dishes!

The Gorgeous Kath doing some Scrapbooking at the station Lynesha set up.

The enormous and delicious chocolate cake ordered by Maddi!

Cake Cutting Time!

A small portion of the AMAZING, generous gifts from the lovely ladies!

 

Some of the Onesies made by my talented friends! (Lynesha, Yanah, Emily, Ebony & Ella's feet!, Ruth's beautiful rainbow!)

 

 Stunning Quilt made by Kath :)

It was simply gorgeous! Lots of rushing around to get ready (we ran a little late with our decorating and games and photos but generally got back on track!). The day was made up by around sixteen lovely ladies, several party games, lots of onesie decorating, due-date guessing and name-suggesting,  and NAPPY RACES.

It was wonderful J Muffin and I were so spoiled by the lovely people who came, and the beautiful gifts we were given! She will by far be the best dressed baby with the most gorgeous room everrrrr! Thank you to all the lovely ladies (and families) who gave us generous gifts J

Basically, the afternoon was simply lovely! We feel so blessed to have you in our lives!

Afterwards we retired for a rest (after packing away) and chilled downstairs with a glass of wine (not me – Carolyn and Maddi!)

 

After such a huge weekend, it’s taken me a few days to recover! I’m still putting away presents and nappies (in total, I think we received over four hundred nappies from the nappy tower!) and finishing washing up, vacuuming and all the other jobs that didn’t get done on the weekend!

So now it’s time to focus on our house (the slab got poured on Friday!) and work for the final two weeks! Then it’s to the coast for chilling out, maybe some sewing, active birthing classes and, eventually, if we can fit it in, actually having a baby!

Whew! Exhaustion! But it was well worth it! Fabulous Week 34!

Love to everyone involved! YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!!

xxx