Less than a month until our due date... *freakout*

Week of Pregnancy: 35 – 36

Fruit to Fetus Comparison: As long as a stalk of Swiss Chard/A leek. Or, as I like to tell Justin, as long as the size of a 17inch laptop screen.

 

Cravings/Aversions: I certainly wouldn’t say ‘cravings’ or ‘aversions’ but Ice-blocks are great right now, as is corn, muesli (which I usually hate) and anything satay. Hated foods mostly extend to anything super smelly (still).

Kick Counter: Less than previously, but more vigorous kicking in the ribs. Baby Muffin responds to loud noises like clapping, loud music and yelling. There has been some extensive dance movement lately where my tummy seems to do a Mexican wave in several places. Also, there’s still a foot jammed in my right bottom rib.

Husband’s Excitement Metre: Learned how to put on a nappy yesterday. Not rocket science, but at least he’s interested. J

Revelations:

·         I can no longer shave my legs standing up in the shower.

·         Heels are the devil.

·         People will part like Moses and the Red Sea for a Pregnant lady on her way to the loo.

Holy crap. We’ve reached Week 35. Despite me being super positive about the baby and the pregnancy, it is always a revelation every time we reach a new week or milestone… and now there’s only, like, 4 - 5 weeks to go.

FOUR – FIVE WEEKS, PEOPLE!!!! AND NOTHING IS READY!!!!!! ESPECIALLY ME!!

Note that the tone of panic in my words is not from lack of wanting a baby – little Muffin is the best thing ever and I am so excited to meet her.

But I’m also wetting myself in fear.

A first time parent (to a human – we do have two dogs, but you can’t exactly just put a baby outside and scatter food on the ground when they get annoying and hungry) I am freaking out at the prospect of being in charge of someone other than myself. It’s not going to be easy. There will be very rare ‘me’ time or ‘alone’ time – and, I’m not going to lie, I like being alone quite often.

We can’t just yell out ‘Stop It!’ when the baby cries, like we do when the dogs bark.

We can’t just hand the baby to someone else and wipe our hands and say ‘done for the day’.

We can’t just eat, clean, and do the shopping when we feel like it late at night.

Obviously the amount of joy and love we feel for the baby outweighs any of these menial things, however, it just struck me that this will occur. Like, I’ve known it was going to happen – I’m not an idiot – but it’s just hit home. Four weeks of baby-free time left!

I don’t exactly feel like skydiving or going to a rave, but it’s nice to know I could if I wanted to. Or, could have (past tense) in pre-pregnancy terms.

So this week only a few things have to happen –

-          Complete all marking of assessment when it comes in.

-          Complete all reporting on students when they come in.

-          Photograph all student work for SAS.

-          Pack bags for coast.

-          Clean house, vacuum, provide meals for self and Justin

-          keep food in fridge, keep dogs fed and healthy, keep remaining plants alive (Two left out of six).

-          Spend time cooing and patting unborn child so she knows who I am when she comes out.

-          Practise songs for Carols by Candlelight next week.

-          Ensure cheerleaders are ready with their dances.

-          Find something to wear for Carols by Candlelight as all clothes now look like sacks (maternity gear) or cling-film (normal clothes).

-          At some point, FIX EYEBROWS so you don’t look like a wookie, and shave legs if you can reach them. (Justin has refused to help in this regard – I now need a chair to reach toes in the shower as I am afraid of falling down and not being able to get up again and drowning miserably in lukewarm water as the hot water heater gives out…)

-          Continue to check up on house (Slab and frame are up this week! Hopefully roof soon!)

-          FREAKING RELAX AND PRACTISE YOUR HYPNOBIRTHING!!!

Am starting to worry that lack of practise will ensure hypnobirthing method won’t work, and I’ll have to get an epidural or something. I just really, really, really want to deliver drug-free and naturally, but I suppose sometimes it just doesn’t happen. I’ve been practising, but finding the time is difficult at the moment. Not to mention I’m a bit tense with all this stuff that has to get done. I’ve been watching some amazing hypnobirthing videos on youtube which either give me a false sense of security of how amazing it is going to be, or make me freak out at how I’ll never obtain the amazing state of calm that these women have during their birthing!

One woman was talking about her surges (contractions) being like the ocean, and she imagined dolphins swimming merrily beneath the waves. All my mind went to when attempting to conjure this vision, was how pods of dolphins sometimes brutally attack orca whales and sharks when they invade their territory. Mmmm. Calming.

Anyway – am conjuring visions of waves on a beach, dogs playing in the water, swimming in rockpools, etc, and am making a playlist of music that calms me. After trying Enya and Classical music, I am still partial to old-school Silverchair and The Living End, which may not provide adequate stimulation for the whole ‘calm birth’ thing. Especially for the midwives.

Well – let’s attempt week 36 in style! It will my teaching career take a brief (or long) recess as of Thursday afternoon – then maternity leave kicks in! One week left in Bilo before heading to the Sunshine Coast for some R&R and a few doctor’s visits.

Lots of love – wish me luck with the marking!

Rhonie

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

Photo Shoots & Birth Plans!

Week of Pregnancy: 30/31/32 (I’m slack, I know...)

 Fruit to Fetus Comparison: the weight of a jicama (WTF is a jicama?) OR a rockmelon! Approx 1.8-2kgs and 40-43cms from head to heel!! 

Cravings:  Errr... lollies and ice blocks. Yeah... naughty.

Aversions: Heartburn and (eww) reflux from all forms of carbohydrates.

Husbands’ excitement metre:  Excitement is ascending the excitement metre as kicking increases and the magical day draws nearer.

Mini-Muffin Kick-Counter:  Several thousand billion. She likes to kick my ribs when she feels like she’s not getting enough attention.  Also my bladder. Thanks Miss Muffin.

Welcome to Week 30 – 32 of Mini Muffin’s pre-birth growing! The last three weeks have held several fun and interesting developments! Our nursery is looking less sparse (and actually has furniture), I have been happily snapped by several amazing photographers at the Biloela Camera Club, and visited the Doc for a check up. We’ve also written our birth ‘plan’ (or as I like to say – guidelines) and already had to consider compromising about a few things.

So first of all – OUR NURSERY!! The fails and the wins... 

Wins: The cot and other bits and pieces have arrived and been assembled. Also, I found an adorable pink princess mosquito net on ebay (with daisies all over it) to hang above the cot. So girly. Justin groaned, but also agrees it is adorable. All looks safe and gorgeous, no scratches or bumps, and nothing has completely fallen apart... except...

Fails: Had some serious issues with the change table – and not because I assembled it, either! I put the whole thing together, only to slip the drawer in at the end... and have one of the tracks fall off. Yeah. Annoying. On the upside they will probably replace the pieces for us.

Second we had a doctors appointment just to have a check up etc – my lovely doctor wants me down a week earlier than we had originally planned... I certainly don’t want to go into labour up here, but at the same time, I’m planning on going down two weeks before the due date at 38 weeks. Will have a think about it and see how future appointments go! The blood pressure was a little high, but just have to keep an eye on it. Exciting to hear Miss Muffin’s heartbeat again, but didn’t get to have an ultrasound this time (aww, no baby photos!). Good news is Dr B is happy for us to try water birthing, hypnobirthing and other forms of natural pain relief. As previously stated, I reserve the right to call for an epidural! We’ll see how it goes!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be asked by the lovely people at the Biloela Camera Club to be a pregnancy model for them! (Why they asked me, I have no idea! I certainly don’t feel ‘model like’ right now!) But my goodness they can do amazing things with a camera! Here are some of my favourites!

  

Nudies! (Not really - I have under garments on!)

They are amazing - Thank you so much to Ian and Toni for these gorgeous shots! :)

Finally, my mum and dad’s place (where we’re staying on the coast for a couple of weeks after baby is born) is slowly filling up with baby things. Mum has purchased 100 nappies, several dummies, baby wipes, and formula for emergencies! The bassinet is set up, the change table is ready and the bouncer has been put together! I think we’re ready well ahead of time in case of any ‘emergencies’!

To finish on a happy note – baby Muffin has started playing with us (or so it feels)! She is currently upside down on a diagonal with her feet kicking into my right rib. We have taken to tickling her foot as she stretches, and she likes to kick at the spot where we poke! Also I have been playing a tapping game with her when she is awake! I tap, she kicks back. She’s pretty adorable, not that I’m biased. 

Anyway – off to do some ‘optimal fetal positioning’ exercises after sitting in the car for several hours! Next time will post a picture of the baby blanket I am crocheting for Missy Muffin.

Lots of love!!

Tests & Requests!

Tests and Requests

Week of Pregnancy: 28/29

Fruit to Fetus Comparison: the weight of four oranges! (approx 1.2kgs?! What a big girl!)

Cravings:  Salad!! (Finally! Ladies, how often have we wished it could be salad rather than icecream – for the waist-line in particular!)

Aversions: Bread. Avoiding bread due to heartburn/reflux! Strangely enough my mum and dad bought three loaves for us when they were up here... THREE! (The majority of which went stale and got given to the dogs...)

Husbands’ excitement metre:  Super-lovely sweetheart. 

Mini-Muffin Kick-Counter: lots of kicks and occasional stamps – occasionally she will shove a foot/elbow/head into one side of my tummy and make it look like she is going to burst out of it like an alien... Also, as we’ve witnessed over the past few weeks, she is psychic and will not kick as soon as someone puts a hand on my tummy! 

Week 28/29 has been pretty great – busy with back-to-school activities such as completing marking (oops), planning, cheerleading (Relay for Life performance!) and an art show to prepare for (200 kids between Jenelle and myself to hang works for! And the help of some lovely volunteers!)

Decided to go swimming this week with the girls – very enjoyable experience! I miss swimming at the coast, although my fitness and breathing is totally shot, I felt so much lighter and mobile than I do walking around at the moment! The lack of gravity was very welcome as I didn’t have to waddle and the lower back pain that has begun to twinge was virtually non existent!

Week 28 brought with it the test for gestational diabetes (YAY FOR NO DIABETES! No thanks to the copious amounts of icecream and lollies I have lately consumed!). My veins have gone into hiding again for some reason – four jabs later  they eventually got blood from my hand (still not a count on the 8 jabs I have once had!) the worst feeling is when they stick the needle in and wiggle it around a bit trying to poke the vein under the skin! Makes me want to spew...

Our little Miss Muffin has been kicking away merrily. She is super heavy  now, and apparently weighs over a kilo! WOW! It’s a weird sensation when lying in bed that my tummy now carries me onto my side if I tilt slightly in once direction! According to our ObGyn she is now inverted with her head facing downwards (a good thing!) which I found is less comfortable on the bladder, as the head is quite heavy! On a particularly bumpy car ride (for four hours!) it was super uncomfortable to feel something heavy (baby) smashing into my organs/bladder/whatever else is down there every time we hit a pothole! Ended up sitting with a cushion surrounding the bump trying to protect us! I’m sure it wasn’t very comfortable for her either!

We have started buying for Miss Muffin! (Clothes don’t count – have been doing that for weeks!) We have finally purchased (on order) a stroller and car seat combo (for the first few months), and have bid (on ebay) on the cot we want! It is super cute and white and has a matching change table thingy. I am excited for the decorating of it! Obviously we won’t need the cot too much until Muffin reaches around 3 – 5 months and gets too big for the bassinet. Which coincidentally lines up with when we move into the new house! PERFECT! Oh yes, also we’re purchasing a bassinet, so we are quite broke (even with our fabulous family who continually offers to purchase us things!), but much of our baby purchasing is done J EXCITING!

So I’ve been probed for bump photos! Here are the latest!  

30 weeks today!!

Feeling fat but kind of loving the shape actually! For once it’s not my boobs that prevent me from seeing my toes :)

A couple of questions for all the parents out there!

1.     Where does the baby go/what does it do when you have a shower?

I am a little nervous about this because there’s not a lot of room to put a stroller/bassinet in our current shower room! I assume you don’t take the baby in with you – the whole drowning/slipping/general dangerousness is bad.

2.     Baby Bouncers – for or against? Why? Please state good reason! (By bouncer I mean the thing that they sit in when they’re really little, not the swing-like-contraption that looks like a bungee swing.  I like this one (Pretty colours!)

3.     What is the one thing you could not do without as a new mum (apart from furniture and nappies and bottles/etc that are ‘essentials’)

4.     Water-Birth/Hypno/Calm Birth – Thoughts if you have partaken in any of these or tried to go ‘drug free’! I'm reading Hypnobirthing and listening to meditation CDs and it makes it sound like an amazing (but INTENSE) experience.

So – Eleven weeks to go (Actually less because I’m posting this quite late...) and I’m sure it will fly by!

Lots of Love,

Rhonie