My baby isn't so little anymore. My guess is that by Christmas he'll be double his birth weight and fingers crossed, my poor wrists will be strong enough to hold him because he's already very heavy - he's a big sack of potatoes!
For the last three nights, he's surprised us by sleeping through the night. Generally from 10pm to about 5-6am in the morning which has given the hubby and me a good night's sleep - though I find I'm craving more sleep now and it takes me a good couple of minutes to get myself out of the bed to get to bub who's in the next room. The hubby is a lot better and will get up straight away and sometimes bring bub back into our room where he'll join me for another hour or two of sleep before we get up to the start the day.
I'm not as anxious these days or concerned about how the week will pan out with bub. Between mothers group and catch up with mums and friends who are off work during the week, the weeks have been filling up very quickly and before we know it, it's the weekend and we get to have some family time. It's helped that Christmas is only a mere 4 weeks away as I've been helping mum with her Christmas shopping so that keeps us busy when we have a spare moment. The return of some not so hot weather has meant we've been able to take walks during the day which has been great for me to stretch those legs.
This week we're planning to hit one of the mums and bubs movie sessions (please wish me good luck!) and have our mothers group Christmas party. We're off to visit Liam's one year old friend Ethan and Christmas cards are under way for some lucky ones. Still some more Christmas shopping to do and well, I think my postie and I are going to be best friends by the end of the week!
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
67/365 - he slept through the night!
I'm doing my happy dance! Liam just managed to sleep through the night! I put him down at 10pm last night and he didn't wake till about 5am this morning. He woke up for a feed and then very promptly went back to sleep again so here I am, awake as ever and not quite sure what to do with myself. I'd been waiting for this day for awhile (9 weeks and 3 days to be precise) and it's a rather euphoric feeling and in my head I'm thinking 'Wow, what did I do yesterday to help him to sleep right through?'. We did have a few things to do yesterday - mother's group, lunch with a friend and then dinner for my dad's birthday (ok maybe he could've gotten a little bit pooped from the travelling).
I guess we'd been building up to it though. He was occasionally doing 4-5 hour solid blocks of sleep. In the past week, hubby and I've been woken up thinking he was after a feed but turned out he'd just managed to startle himself awake. A quick cuddle later, he was back to sleep. Then he's also been needing less feeds - previously 2-3 hours between feeds but now we've managed to stretch it to 4 hours per feed (and each feed has been a bit longer). We've been demand feeding so whatever he takes we give him though other mums tell me if I feed to a routine, it's a lot easier to get him to sleep through the night (whilst appealing, I'm more of a go with the flow kind of mum). So yay - we got there with it so hopefully this continues!
Oh I should add - I did wake up about 3 times last night, wandering over to his room to check he was ok and hovering over his face to check he was breathing (of course he was fine but here I was squinting in the dark trying to work out whether he was breathing - sometimes I think I would benefit from one of those mats that babies can sleep on that monitors their breathing to save me startling him awake with my crazy face in the middle of the night). Ah the joys of motherhood!
I guess we'd been building up to it though. He was occasionally doing 4-5 hour solid blocks of sleep. In the past week, hubby and I've been woken up thinking he was after a feed but turned out he'd just managed to startle himself awake. A quick cuddle later, he was back to sleep. Then he's also been needing less feeds - previously 2-3 hours between feeds but now we've managed to stretch it to 4 hours per feed (and each feed has been a bit longer). We've been demand feeding so whatever he takes we give him though other mums tell me if I feed to a routine, it's a lot easier to get him to sleep through the night (whilst appealing, I'm more of a go with the flow kind of mum). So yay - we got there with it so hopefully this continues!
Oh I should add - I did wake up about 3 times last night, wandering over to his room to check he was ok and hovering over his face to check he was breathing (of course he was fine but here I was squinting in the dark trying to work out whether he was breathing - sometimes I think I would benefit from one of those mats that babies can sleep on that monitors their breathing to save me startling him awake with my crazy face in the middle of the night). Ah the joys of motherhood!
Monday, November 17, 2014
63/365 - mums and bubs pilates
I find I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with mothers group. Some days it feels like a huge effort to get out of the house with bub, other days I need that relief from talking to other mums to make sure I'm not going insane. The latter is how I've been feeling lately - just getting a little bit fidgety from spending too much time at home and sitting on my bum and just needing to do something/anything. Thanks to another mum at mothers group, she introduced me to Mums and Bubs Pilates classes which are being offered at my local Physio.
A few google searches previously had brought up classes in a few other suburbs but nothing in my area. I've been wary about going too far with bub as it ends up being more stressful than its worth so finding out about a class nearby had me stoked! To top things off, if you have private health insurance, you can claim back some of the cost of your class. Admittedly the classes are a little bit ex-y but to my surprise, Medibank Private covered the entire cost of my first class - sweet!
The class is 55 minutes long and they have a max of 5 people per class. Bub can lie down on a towel beside you or if he's awake, you can hold him to do your exercise/stretches (Liam was a little fidgety and I was lucky enough to have the instructor offer to hold him for most of the class which meant I could make the most of the 55 minute workout). FYI: I managed to squeeze into that class as they had one person cancel that day as they're quite strict on the class size to ensure each mum gets the attention they need. And guess what, all the mums that were in the class that day were all mums I'd previously met through mother's group at my hospital!
I've previously done Pilates classes and now with bub in tow, it was pretty amazing to see how it's an exercise that you can do with your bub - it just works! It's not too strenuous on the body and a great way to ease back into some physical activity. As the classes are run by a Physio, the instructor is also a physiotherapist and can tailor the stretches to fit your needs. Unfortunately, that was the last class for the year so now I have to wait till January when the classes start up again. They're planning to do them in 6 week blocks next year so will be a nice activity to add to my week. By then bub will be 3-4 months old so will benefit even more from the classes :)
A few google searches previously had brought up classes in a few other suburbs but nothing in my area. I've been wary about going too far with bub as it ends up being more stressful than its worth so finding out about a class nearby had me stoked! To top things off, if you have private health insurance, you can claim back some of the cost of your class. Admittedly the classes are a little bit ex-y but to my surprise, Medibank Private covered the entire cost of my first class - sweet!
The class is 55 minutes long and they have a max of 5 people per class. Bub can lie down on a towel beside you or if he's awake, you can hold him to do your exercise/stretches (Liam was a little fidgety and I was lucky enough to have the instructor offer to hold him for most of the class which meant I could make the most of the 55 minute workout). FYI: I managed to squeeze into that class as they had one person cancel that day as they're quite strict on the class size to ensure each mum gets the attention they need. And guess what, all the mums that were in the class that day were all mums I'd previously met through mother's group at my hospital!
I've previously done Pilates classes and now with bub in tow, it was pretty amazing to see how it's an exercise that you can do with your bub - it just works! It's not too strenuous on the body and a great way to ease back into some physical activity. As the classes are run by a Physio, the instructor is also a physiotherapist and can tailor the stretches to fit your needs. Unfortunately, that was the last class for the year so now I have to wait till January when the classes start up again. They're planning to do them in 6 week blocks next year so will be a nice activity to add to my week. By then bub will be 3-4 months old so will benefit even more from the classes :)
Saturday, November 8, 2014
56/365 - 8 weeks and a 'to do' list
I'm pinching myself a little because I can't believe it's already been 8 weeks with bub - where did the time go and where on earth is that tiny baby of mine? Like a pufferfish, the bub continues to grow and soak up his surroundings. He smiles a lot these days but equally wails and cries for attention whenever I have a spare moment. He's peacefully sleeping now but never for too long; I've learnt to make the most of his sleep times to get things done around the house or more importantly, to do things for myself. A lot of people say to rest when the bub rests, I've tried to but the day just seems so unfulfilled and I want to do more so it got me thinking about the things I want to 'get done' in the next 10 months before I have to think about heading back to work.
- Finish my Childhood Nutrition Course (hopefully by the time the bub needs to start solids. Crikey - that gives me about 4 months)
- Take bub to Swim Lessons
- Take bub to Gymbaroo classes
- Finish that stack of books I have beside my bed (at the moment there's three of Donna Tartt's books - The Goldfinch, The Secret History, The Little Friend, Haruki Murakami's IQ84 and Justin Cronin's The Passage)
- Clear out my room back at home
- Organise my first market stall to sell off books and old clothes. Either that or a local carboot sale.
- Organise all those photos I have owing to friends and family
- Put together scrapbook/album of bub's first year photos
- Get back to running at least twice a week
- Cook dinner/bake at least 4 times a week and make use of all those cookbooks I have at home
- Update my food blog at least weekly
- Attend a macaron class (I'm thinking Mak Mak - only $85 for a 2 hour class. Adriano Zumbo's class is tempting me too but a little more expensive at $350 a session)
So there you have it, my bucket list for the next 10 months. I'll probably keep adding to it but for the moment, it has a good mix of things that I want to do weekly and things that I've procrastinated on for awhile (and I think all these things should be achieveable with bub in tow; that's probably the key thing). Hopefully in 10 months time I'll be able to cross all these things off and say I've completed them. Stay tuned!
- Finish my Childhood Nutrition Course (hopefully by the time the bub needs to start solids. Crikey - that gives me about 4 months)
- Take bub to Swim Lessons
- Take bub to Gymbaroo classes
- Finish that stack of books I have beside my bed (at the moment there's three of Donna Tartt's books - The Goldfinch, The Secret History, The Little Friend, Haruki Murakami's IQ84 and Justin Cronin's The Passage)
- Clear out my room back at home
- Organise my first market stall to sell off books and old clothes. Either that or a local carboot sale.
- Organise all those photos I have owing to friends and family
- Put together scrapbook/album of bub's first year photos
- Get back to running at least twice a week
- Cook dinner/bake at least 4 times a week and make use of all those cookbooks I have at home
- Update my food blog at least weekly
- Attend a macaron class (I'm thinking Mak Mak - only $85 for a 2 hour class. Adriano Zumbo's class is tempting me too but a little more expensive at $350 a session)
So there you have it, my bucket list for the next 10 months. I'll probably keep adding to it but for the moment, it has a good mix of things that I want to do weekly and things that I've procrastinated on for awhile (and I think all these things should be achieveable with bub in tow; that's probably the key thing). Hopefully in 10 months time I'll be able to cross all these things off and say I've completed them. Stay tuned!
Monday, November 3, 2014
50/365 - the doctor's advice
Was back at the GP today to get my blood test results and I should've remembered to make a booking - would've saved waiting the 40 minutes in the waiting room for what ended up being a 5 minute consult (actually I'm not sure if it lasted 5 minutes because my GP is ever so quick with what she does that I hardly closed the door of the room and was ready to go - but that's part of the reason I like seeing her because the last thing I like doing is to dwell on whether I might be sick or not or have something wrong with me which takes an hour long diagnosis to work out).
The two main things I had to check up on post birth were my Vitamin D levels and Iron levels which thankfully had returned to normal levels (yes! I can stop popping those supplements - I'm really not a pill person!) So as we were going through the rest of blood test results, all seemed to be fine until she got to the cholesterol levels. 'You might want to cut back on the junk food' was her first comment and 'Perhaps cook with olive oil' at home being the second. I was curious as to whether the reading was too high but then she promptly follows with 'You have a baby and you're breastfeeding, try to enjoy life, nothing you need to worry about'.
Admittedly I might not have been watching my diet particularly well since the bub has come along. Tiredness and lack of energy are to blame but with a cholesterol reading significantly higher than what it was pre-birth, it's probably time to cut back on the junk. And yes, that last pack of salt and vinegar chips were promptly polished off straight afterwards for me to start being good. They say to get rid of all those things that stop you from eating well but it wasn't as if I was going to chuck that last pack in the bin. That would be a complete waste. And as the doctor said, I should try to enjoy life.
Oh how the doctor's advice just made my day!
The two main things I had to check up on post birth were my Vitamin D levels and Iron levels which thankfully had returned to normal levels (yes! I can stop popping those supplements - I'm really not a pill person!) So as we were going through the rest of blood test results, all seemed to be fine until she got to the cholesterol levels. 'You might want to cut back on the junk food' was her first comment and 'Perhaps cook with olive oil' at home being the second. I was curious as to whether the reading was too high but then she promptly follows with 'You have a baby and you're breastfeeding, try to enjoy life, nothing you need to worry about'.
Admittedly I might not have been watching my diet particularly well since the bub has come along. Tiredness and lack of energy are to blame but with a cholesterol reading significantly higher than what it was pre-birth, it's probably time to cut back on the junk. And yes, that last pack of salt and vinegar chips were promptly polished off straight afterwards for me to start being good. They say to get rid of all those things that stop you from eating well but it wasn't as if I was going to chuck that last pack in the bin. That would be a complete waste. And as the doctor said, I should try to enjoy life.
Oh how the doctor's advice just made my day!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
49/365 - my first run post birth
Up until I was 7 weeks pregnant, I was running about twice a week and running anything in between 4 to 8 km each run. Then morning sickness kicked in which was more like all day sickness and every time I tried a run, I'd feel like throwing up which really wasn't all that pleasant. That all-day sickness lasted for the full length of my pregnancy to the point that I was still throwing up the previous night's dinner as I was in labour. But they say that women that have nausea tend to give birth to healthier babies so I guess I had that to hold on to!
Today marks 7 weeks with bub and yesterday I went for my first run in close to 10 months (with the hubby on baby minding duties as I'm not quite one of those mums that run with their bub in the pram yet). After 10 months of eating everything I wanted, exercising very little, save for waddling about with bub in the belly, it was a refreshing change. I didn't think I'd make it very far - perhaps 100m down the road before I'd be keeled over in stitches and walking the rest of it which is what happened the first time ever the husband encouraged me to go for a run. I was tempted not to run ever again but the husband was persistent and I owe it to him for training me up well as the running/fitness before pregnancy has meant a speedy recovery post birth.
To my surprise, I managed to finish my usual 4km run around the local neighbourhood in about half an hour. Face was beetroot red but more from the heat of the day than lack of fitness. My breathing was up and down but bumping into two mums from mothers group along the way, that kept me going till I finished it. Boy my muscles were sore but there was also a sense of achievement that after 10 months, running just came back to me.
So I never thought I'd say it but I was so glad that after 6 weeks of rest, I was able to go out for a run (they say light exercise and rest for the first 6 weeks after pregnancy which I couldn't have done without - unfortunately after pregnancy, your belly is a little bit wobbly and does take a little bit for those stomach muscles to come back together so a run like yesterday's probably wouldn't have ended well in those first weeks). And before you think I'm some supermum, I'm not. My muscles are sore this morning and like anyone else, I'm wondering if it was such a good idea to push myself so far in the first go - will see what little Liam has in store for me today!
Today marks 7 weeks with bub and yesterday I went for my first run in close to 10 months (with the hubby on baby minding duties as I'm not quite one of those mums that run with their bub in the pram yet). After 10 months of eating everything I wanted, exercising very little, save for waddling about with bub in the belly, it was a refreshing change. I didn't think I'd make it very far - perhaps 100m down the road before I'd be keeled over in stitches and walking the rest of it which is what happened the first time ever the husband encouraged me to go for a run. I was tempted not to run ever again but the husband was persistent and I owe it to him for training me up well as the running/fitness before pregnancy has meant a speedy recovery post birth.
To my surprise, I managed to finish my usual 4km run around the local neighbourhood in about half an hour. Face was beetroot red but more from the heat of the day than lack of fitness. My breathing was up and down but bumping into two mums from mothers group along the way, that kept me going till I finished it. Boy my muscles were sore but there was also a sense of achievement that after 10 months, running just came back to me.
So I never thought I'd say it but I was so glad that after 6 weeks of rest, I was able to go out for a run (they say light exercise and rest for the first 6 weeks after pregnancy which I couldn't have done without - unfortunately after pregnancy, your belly is a little bit wobbly and does take a little bit for those stomach muscles to come back together so a run like yesterday's probably wouldn't have ended well in those first weeks). And before you think I'm some supermum, I'm not. My muscles are sore this morning and like anyone else, I'm wondering if it was such a good idea to push myself so far in the first go - will see what little Liam has in store for me today!
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