OHbaby! Blogs

Monday monday

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:28:18 GMT

So today was Mr C's first day with a tummy bug ever. Ever. Like the second (and third) time in his life that he has ever spewed - not bad for 2.5 years I reckon.

Poor little sausage - didn't want to eat his breakfast, so we (me and Hanny) cajoled him into getting into his highchair, taking a spoonful of porridge - and then all of a sudden, while I was changing Miss S: "He's just been sick!". He managed to get it all into his porridge bowl (a very neat way of not eating breakfast I reckon).

"What do you want to do now Mr C?" said Hanny - "Play trains" (like that was a surprise)

He was sweet as, had yoghurt for morning tea, Hanny walked him all the way down to the river to feed the ducks and all the way back, did craft, and then just after I had popped out, Hanny gave him a nectarine for lunch (a nectarine - who gives a child who threw up his breakfast a nectarine????) - and it all came back up again (including the yoghurt).

Anyway - he got through the rest of the day spewless, managed to eat three iceblocks and a little bit more yoghurt - here's hoping we make it through the night unscathed. Oh - and did I mention that he has got a cold too??

Top me off

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:16:28 GMT

I'm glad they're no longer running those stupid TV commercials for Lisa's Hummus -- you know, the ones where the hostess tells one of her guests that she's serving hummus from "Lee SUH's". Meh. But bad commercials or not, Lisa's does have the widest range of hummus and dips around. My personal favourite has always been the Jalepeno and Lime with Coriander (I could polish off a whole container by myself, but I'd be breathing fire for the rest of the day, as it does have a bit of a kick!).

The new range of Lisa's Toppings is definitely a hit with me, as somehow they've managed to make the hummus even smoother, and it's got definitive layers of ingredients that you can see, not just taste. My favourite so far is the Hummus with Dukkah and Roasted Pistachio. It's divine with bagel chips or organic corn chips (the small, bite-sized ones). My husband likes it with pita bread. I like to spread it on bread instead of mayonnaise in a shaved chicken sandwich. Who knew chickpeas could be so versatile?

According to Wikipedia, there are several variations on the spelling of "hummus": Hamos, houmous, hommos, hommus, hummos, hummous or humus. We don't care which is right, it's delicious. Find it in the supermarket at RRP$4.29, or visit www.lisas.co.nz for recipes and a preview of the rest of the range.

Berry delicious

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:52:05 GMT

I love food samples, and because we're a pregnancy and parenting magazine, we tend to get lots of child- and baby-related nosh, but not much that grownups would want to dig into. So when a sample of the new FruBay desserts arrived at my office last week on what felt like one of the hottest days of the year, I really didn't want to share.

FruBay is fruit-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, and 99% saturated fat-free frozen dessert that looks like ice cream or frozen yoghurt and tastes like a frozen smoothie. It's touted as being ideal for kids with food allergies, which is a real bonus in my book, as no child wants to be deprived of ice cream (and we all know what an incentive "Eat your vegetables or you won't get dessert!" can be).

The texture is a cross between frozen yoghurt and sorbet, and with banana as the base, it's creamy and smooth. It comes in four flavours -- Banilla, Mango, Passionfruit, and my favourite, Berry. If I was on a diet, which I know I should be but never am, this would be an ideal dessert, as there are only around 70 calories per serve. It comes in a 900ml container in the frozen dessert/ice cream section of the supermarket, RRP$9.99.

The specs, from the FruBay website:

FruBay is made with all care to be:
✓ Made from 90% real fruit
✓ 100% dairy free
✓ 100% gluten free
✓ 99% saturated fat free
✓ 65-72 calories per serve
✓ No egg products
✓ No GMO products
✓ No artificial sweeteners
✓ No artificial colours
✓ Suitable for vegetarians and vegans

Yeah, I like it. I'd buy it again. And most importantly, my kid likes it -- she polished off not only the rest of the Berry sample, but the Passionfruit and the Mango as well. At least she's getting her fruit...

Planet earth prepare for the monkeys aka my boys

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:28:27 GMT

They are just like Monkeys, no ……….. actually like puppies, no wait, more like a cross between a puppy and a monkey, I don’t mean this in the awwwww their such monkeys, oh no no no!! I mean they are like monkeys, more than the scientists conclusion of 98% similarity between primates and us the human race, no my kids are 100% chimpanzee.
They climb things,they throw things, kanye snaps a banana in half and then squeezes the end til it pops out, feeding them little bits of fruit is the only way to keep them quiet and content ,
They are like puppies in a kind of loving puppy Labrador type way , they don’t stop. Ever. they run and run , they fight , I’m always picking up their toys most of the time the broken ones that they have thrown and destroyed (granddads going to be getting new glue for Christmas ), they have made dents in the tables, the glass in this house is never clean, we have two buttons on the remote missing that they chewed off which granddad replaced with a lentil glued on as it was the perfect fit, the boys ate that too, every other day I have t take them to the park and let them run OR run them around at home so they get tired and use up their energy, also they have a tendency to run away as in out the door and down the drive which is very scary (do not worry though we now have barricades, the army should really come see how it’s done, nothings getting past those recycling bins hahaha) they are constantly hurting them selves falling down steps jamming fingers in drawers and doors, stubbing toes, smacking their heads on things, (and no for tenth time chch hospital I do not hurt my children as you saw when I brought kanye in for falling down stairs and he tripped on his own toe and fell in front of you so there)
Kanye is cautious but clumsy, Marley is just insane and pretty much throws himself down things and when he’s not trying he is just curious and accident prone, Funnily enough kanye is seriously ( I mean phobia type fear) afraid of plasters, now I thought kids loved band aids I know I did , he is totally frightened of them, and If I put one on him like his hand he will then not use has hand for a couple of hours as if that little bit of sticky gauze protecting his wound from dirt has crippled him and here’s the funny bit if you ask him about it he will look at it and cry and get really upset. last year alone I went through a whole tube of arnica (does wonders for those of you who don’t know , reduces bruises and swelling so it doesn’t make you like a terrible parent that can’t handle their own kids, health food stores sell it), I have a drawer full of creams, for all kinds of things. I read an article that Mary Lambie did on her endless supply of creams and I can sympathize with her on that, you certainly do build up your own wee chemist shop

Marley has recently found his doodle and won’t leave it alone in the bath or shower or whenever his nappy is off, kanye has now decided this if funny and does it too….

I am so tired so very tired, I feel like my face is going to fall off in a Salvador Dali malting clocks painting kind of way, my brain is already there its just goo I don’t know how it manages to keep the rest of my body going, , Nigel latta was a very smart man when he said if all else fails you can survive on caffeine until they’re older. Thank god for coffee

Am I, am I not?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:55:29 GMT

This question is intruding into every aspect of my life at the moment. And it's a question I can't yet answer though I have tried lol. Monday I caved and and did a pregnancy test, not only was it too easly in my cycle (day 22) but I also tested mid afternoon and had been drinking plenty of water so I shouldn't have been surprised by the negative result. I did kind of deflate my sails a bit though. Tuesday I was in such a funk, convinced that there was no way I could be, that it was all in my head and I should just focus on next month.

And here we are, thursday, today I'm i'm in a good mood, still not sure, but quite relaxed. I can't say that I feel pregnant as I've never been pregnant before so I don't know how it feels. I know that I hope I am :)

'm finding that I'm torn between wanting to be hopeful and sending out pregnant vibes and not wanting to get my hopes too high so that if I'm not I don't crash too hard. It's amazing how "superstitious" I've become over the last 8mths. Like not wanting to think about charting or ovulation testing next month just incase I jinx this month. It sounds so silly written down.

All I know is that I won't be testing again until AF is well and truly late whoch is still a week or so away and it's now in God's hands.

The story so far.....

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:45:00 GMT

Warning I won't be shy about describing stuff so please don't be affended.

In March 09, one month after getting married and 6yrs of waiting for DH to be ready, I stopped taking the pill after more than 10yrs on it. I went a little nutty like a combination of puberty and menopause, my poor hubby! We used condoms for a few months till things settled down then in June 09 the fun started.

I've had a few VERY expectant months and have used a half a dozen hpt's. But no good news. My plan was to just have fun and find out what my cycle was like (after not having a "proper" one for YEARS!!!) and hopefully things would just happen like they did for many of my friends. After 6mths had past with cycles of high hopes and teary disapointment, I decided to get more focused and have been trying ovulation testing strips. Last month was another dud month I didn't test positive for ovulation at all and AF arrived yet again.

So here we are in month 8, a weak positive on the ovulation test last week (forgot to write it down so can't remember if it was wednesday or thursday) coincided with cervical fluid changes which hopefully ment good things. Monday morning woke to brown spotting. My mind went straight to implantation spotting, I giggled like a 5yr old on a suger buzz and even did a happy dance. Yesterday made the mistake of reading dozens of web pages, some making me smile with hope and others making me frown with worry. And then I found Oh Baby! And discovered that I wasn't a weirdo and that there are women out there going through the same ups and downs I am.

So now I'm on this months roller coaster, paying crazy close attention to every twinge and stomach turn, wondering if symptoms are just my mind playing tricks or whether all of my most treasured dreams are about to come true. The two week wait is on and will probably end up being a three week wait before I get up the courage to test. It's hard finding the balence between thinking positive and not getting my hopes too high. Sadly there is nothing to do but wait.

Sending fertility mojo to you all
M

Shhh, little one sleeping!

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:35:38 GMT

My baby is growing up! My plan was to keep her a baby forever, but she has other ideas, and a few weeks ago, she started climbing out of her cot. It was quite funny to watch -- she's tiny, so it required considerable maneuvering -- but ultimately quite dangerous, so we made the decision to graduate her to the big girls bed.
Which, of course, was an excuse to buy some new linen, and with Babu now making their super-soft and snuggly organic cotton sheets in 'big girls bed' sizes, who really needs an excuse anyway?
Check them out: http://www.babu.co.nz/sheets-and-sheet-separates/single-sheets.html?SID=477621d899a6a345b877ee8e456fa5f8. These are without a doubt, the snuggliest sheets I've ever slept on (yes, I must confess, I bought a set for my bed too!), and the ingenious design of their "semi-fitted" flat sheet --it is fitted at the bottom end to prevent it slipping off the bed -- is brilliant.
The littlest baby agrees with me -- she loves her new big girls bed, even though she looks like such a wee dot in it. Ah, they grow up so fast!
Hugs,
Emma
xx

OMG - best sunscreen EVER!

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:24:30 GMT

Sorry, I don't usually scream in caps in my blogs, but I am sooooo excited about this sunscreen -- so excited, in fact, that when I got my hands on a bottle that had been sent to the office with a press release, I immediately ordered half a dozen bottles.
So what is this fabulous sunscreen, you ask? It's Babu's new organic sunscreen, and it is divine. Without a doubt, it's the yummiest-smelling sunscreen I've come across, with notes of papaya, rose, coconut and red raspberry, and it is SPF30+ rated to protect your little one against the harsh summer sun.
I gave it a test run on a trip to the zoo, and it also gets the tick of approval from the gremlins and lil miss -- easy to rub in, not too greasy, and of course, the gorgeous smell. By the end of the day (after a couple of reapplications), I was pretty satisfied that it lives up to it's sun protection promise -- not a red face to be seen.
Seriously, I think I've found the ultimate sunscreen! Gentle enough to use on babies, and those with sensitive skin, but grunty enough to stand up to the summer heat.
You can find it online at http://www.babu.co.nz/gift-sets/oils-lotions/sunscreen.html -- and while you're there, check out the rest of Babu's new skincare range, including oils for mum and bub, and bottom balm, which are all just as yummy as the sunscreen.
Hugs,
Emma
xx

And so it begins

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:23:34 GMT

So I've made my mind up..the only way this weight is coming off is if I feel guilty if I'm not doing my darndest to get it off....

And I thought hey if I'm blogging to the world surely that will motivate me to stick with it. Well worth a try at least!! Think I have watched to much Julie and Julia!!

So heres the deal, I'm a acceptable 68kg, however due to PCOS I need to lose about 12 kg so I can get my periods back without having to resort to taking drugs. And while I love my DS, I would really love another one (or two if DH will allow) DS took 3 or so years of trying, dieting and fertility treatments so I guess I need to try sooner rather than later for number 2...I'm not getting any younger.....

No crazy weightloss plans here, I want something doable and life changing..I'm just replacing everything with Low GI options and getting off my butt every day for a minimum 30 minutes of exercise.....the dog will love that! I have a gym membership, but fitting that in with DS non-routine routine makes it a hit and miss affair..

And so the journey begins....

Weight Gain!!! Arrgghh

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:43:40 GMT

Before I got pregnant I was 65kgs and jumped the scales to just over 75kgs at 29 weeks pregnant and still another 11 weeks!
I'm sooooo terrified I won't get all the excess weight off!
I have to fairly admit my chocolate cravings don't help but I'm not one to eat a block of chocolate everyday...but I do love my chocolate very much!
I'm a healthy eater also, I wake up on the verge of starving almost every morning and have a reasonable breakfast (musli & yogurt). Point being, I generally eat well.

I overheard some ladies at McDonalds a while back talking about how they just can't get off their baby weight and they're sitting there munching big mac's and chocolate sundae's and i'm thinking "Hey lady you could've walked upto the McCafe counter and ordered a chicken wrap and a coffee no wonder you can't get the weight off"!!!!

I'm aware I can't diet too hard because of breastfeeding but I would love some tips and advice!!!!

5 weeks +3 UPDATE

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:54:02 GMT

well theres not alot of difference between now and last week though i am having alot more nausea first thing in the morning and so have a banana and crackers beside the bed before I go to sleep.
Im still doing my vlogs which are probably in more detail on youtube if you search the channel: newlyweds08.

I have also had some minor heartburn this week which seems to be calming down a bit but is still present and also i thought i would have gotten "plugged up" in the rear by now but my firend tells me that will come in a few weeks! YUCK!
SO far its been nice and free this week with the exception of going 4 times today! DOUBLE YUCK!

Dh has gotten more used to the idea now and is starting to think positive as when we first got the pos test he was like how do we know its not a chem preg or whatever, now hes very protective, doesnt like me lifting too heavier items, gets my vegemite on toast in the morning when i am finally up and generally cares for me pretty well. I miss him so much when hes off at work.

Another thing this week is iv noticed stretchmarks down my hip and thighs and also more appeared on my boobs too so im not very happy about that this early on and hope my bump wont be too ugly covered in them too.

I have been roped into doing aqua natal classes with DH's preggy work friend, she didnt want to do them alone and hell knows i need to try and get a little fitter and stay that way so i agreed to go, they start early feb apparently so ill be about 9 weeks. She also wants me to do preggy pilates but not sure on that one though i probably should just do it!

Im missing my family as I havnt seen them in nearly two weeks now which i think is the longest iv gone without seeing them no matter where i lived so Im really missing talking to mum!!

This week our car also had to go into the shop as it overheated REALLY BADLY and spent $513 on fixing the immediate problem and now have learnt the radiator still needs fixing as it has a hole in the pipe making it leak water..*SIGH*
we think we might just sell it as is as we dont want to spend anymore money on the things otherwise we wont have the money to buy another car...grrr

Anyway, i think thats it for this week, will revisit at 6 weeks, going to call midwives this coming week!! :-)

P.S its our 2nd wedding anniversary on tuesday so hoping i feel ok and me and DH can do something special

Until next time...

Resolutions worth keeping

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:10:17 GMT

I'm not very good at New Year's resolutions. In fact, I've only ever kept one in my entire life. When I was 16, I decided to stop biting my nails, and I did. I haven't bitten them since, and they're now lovely and long and strong. This is to the eternal annoyance of my mother, who doesn't bite her nails, yet hers are brittle and flaky and tend to split. She doesn't think it's fair. I have great pleasure in repeating the most irritating thing she used to say to me as a child: "Mom, life isn't fair."

In 2008, I wrote my New Year's resolutions on the first page in my diary. When I was transferring all of my dates into my 2009 diary, I came across them. I hadn't stuck to a single one. So I rewrote them in my 2009 diary, in the hopes that last year would be The Year I'd finally stick to a resolution or two. A couple of weeks ago I was transferring dates into my 2010 diary, and noticed that yet again, I haven't managed to keep a single resolution.

Instead of writing down the same resolutions for another year, undoubtedly to be forgotten until it's time to transfer dates into my 2011 diary, I sat down and had a good think about what resolutions are all about. A lot of people resolve to lose weight, go to the gym, cut back on the carbs... Meh. Those all sound like things you do at Lent, now New Year's. They're about giving things up. No wonder we fail at them.

New Year's is about fresh beginnings, starting over, looking forward, being happy, setting yourself up to be positive and successful. So I've resolved three things that I think I'll really love doing. I'm calling them my "resolutions worth keeping".

1. I resolve not to get any plastic bags, but to use my eco-bags. I've got a wonderful collection of Envirosax, cotton grocery sacks, and reusable bags, as well as some super-easy sewing patterns for reusable bags, and a whole closet of fabric. So there's really no excuse for getting plastic bags. They overflow out of my pantry and infringe on the dog's food bin, and digging beneath 7 million plastic bags to find the scoop for his evening ration of kibble is no fun at all.

2. I'm resolve to give only handmade gifts. This is a real challenge for me, because it requires forward planning, something I am notoriously bad at. I hate leaving things until the last minute, yet I'm a chronic procrastinator -- go figure. But I love making things, and I'm pretty good at sewing, so there's no reason I shouldn't be able to make gifts for everyone I love rather than running out to the store the morning of a birthday party to grab the first thing I see. My sister-in-law's birthday is tomorrow, and this is my first opportunity to practice what I'm preaching. I'm going to make her a bunch of pretty fabric heart-shaped lavender sachets for her closet and drawers. They smell nice, they don't take too much time to make, and I have all of the materials already.

3. I resolve to sew more. I love to sew. I quilt, I stitch, I make simple clothing for my daughter. I do easy embroidery. I applique. And until these past Christmas holidays, when I finally dusted off my sewing machine, I hadn't sewn anything for an entire year. One. Whole. Year. Why did I neglect doing a hobby I truly love for so long? I have given myself a whole pile of excuses, but none of them are good enough. Fact is, sewing is good for my soul, and I love doing it. It makes me feel relaxed. It makes me feel connected to my mother, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother. It makes me access my creativity in a way that is three-dimensional, rather than the necessary two dimensions of my work. And it makes me feel proud of myself. Maybe this year I'll learn how to set sleeves.

It's certainly a different experience for me, putting my resolutions out there for all and sundry to see. But maybe this year will be the year I actually remember my resolutions, and keep them, for all the right reasons. If not, I'll just repeat this blog post next year.

My New Years Resolution

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:55:09 GMT

I thought I would try something different this year, as previous years I have not succeeded in any of my new years resolutions
Give up drinking, 1999
Lose Weight (1993 - 2009)
Get fit (2009) - got as far as joining the gym, so could tell people when they asked do you exercise - my reply - I'm a member of a gym (not mentioning that have not actually been INSIDE the gym)

You name it, I have vowed that 11.59pm on December 31st, this will be my last "..." (put something in there, glass of wine, chocolate, you get the idea)

This year, my friends and I have put something different on my list.
Have dinner at Logan Brown.
I lived/worked in Wellington for 10 years and never did it, always wanted to do it, so have decided that this year is going to be different.
I will be dining at Logan Brown.
I will have completed my first ever new years resolution.
To be honest, I'm pretty excited about it, if I can do this, there may be help for other things - but I'm not getting ahead of myself

Logan Brown, 2010 here I come

Mother tongue

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:56:50 GMT

My friend Jennifer, an American expat with two New Zealand-born sons, raised them to call her "Mommy" just like they would back in the US. Another of my friends, Laura, has a Kiwi father and an American mother whom she and her three brothers all call "Mum". One of the children who goes to the same caregiver as my daughter has South African parents; he calls his mother "Ma", which always makes me think of Little House on the Prairie when I hear him saying it. I hope Emma Rose doesn't pick it up and start appending it to me; it was disconcerting enough when she started imitating his habit of calling all grown men "Uncle".

Emma Rose currently calls me "Mummy", with my permission and encouragement. After all, she was born in New Zealand, and that's what other kids her age call their mothers in this country. But I was born and raised in the US, so I call my mother "Mom". Em doesn't seem to notice, although I wonder if she will hear the difference as she gets older and becomes more aware of the differences between two of the cultures she's inherited through her parents. I say "two of" because despite my North American origins and my husband's New Zealand birth, the reality is, the geography of our parenting is sometimes confusing, even to us.

My husband was born in New Zealand. His parents were born in England and New Zealand. His paternal grandparents are Croatian (known as Dalmation at the time of their birth). His mother, the one born in England, lived in Malaysia as a girl. His father grew up in New Zealand, but when my husband was six, the whole family moved to Japan for 12 years. So the father of my child is a Kiwi by birth and current residence, but Japanese at heart. This spills over into his relationship with our daughter, as the two of them watch anime together and he reads to her from Japanese-language children's books.

My own ethnic background is a bit less confusing, as I was born and raised in the US, and spent all of my formative years not in a foreign country, but in the same one-traffic-light town. My ancestors, as far as I'm aware are Irish, German, and even Native American (Team Jacob, baby!). But when I moved to New Zealand at the age of 24, my cultural identity had been pretty much cemented. I was a Yankee, with a strong accent and no fashion sense, to whom the word "fanny" indicated someone's behind and "root" meant "cheer", as in, "rooting for the team".

Nearly eight years and one child later, things aren't so clear-cut. I've lived in New Zealand long enough to have "assimilated", at least to the degree that people don't ask me how long I'm visiting for immediately after I open my mouth. I say "boot" and "bonnet" instead of "trunk" and "hood". I love Fair Go. I became a New Zealand citizen three years ago, so I have two passports, each with their own set of rules around when they can and can't be used. I've stopped thinking of the US as "home". My daughter calls me "Mummy", not "Mom". I gave birth to her here, navigating the unfamiliar and confusing territory of the NZ maternity system with its lack of pelvic exams and preponderance of midwives. Motherhood has forced me, as I imagine it would force any other expat, to become familiar with a whole new language and culture -- the culture of the New Zealand mother. A culture to which I am now intimately connected, by virtue of my experience and my job.

I often wonder how other expat mothers do it. Occasionally on the OHbaby! message boards I see posts from foreigners asking about the minutiae of our maternity system, or seeking the Kiwi equivalent of a product or service that's taken for granted in their home country, but hard to locate or nonexistent here. Before I had Emma Rose, I took great care to import the majority of my baby gear from the US, simply because I had no idea what to look for here, or where to look. My sister-in-law, who already had one child, sent me a care package containing a nappy pail, bottles, and all sorts of little bits and pieces that I realised, years later, I could have bought here and saved her a fortune in postage had I just known where to go. My mother still brings suitcases of clothing when she visits. I bought Em's carseat at Babies R Us and ended up paying twice its worth in postage and import duties to get it here. If only I'd known about Baby on the Move then.

Recently I read an article in The Economist called "The Others". It's about the tricky balance of being an expat. You can read it at www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15108690. I found myself nodding as I read it, thinking, "Yep, this is me." But there was no mention of mothers, and the peculiar dynamic we face when we leave our own mothers, and therefore our biggest source of wisdom and advice, behind and become, in effect, a kind of single mother -- not single in our relationship, necessarily, but single in our experiences. When my daughter was up all night teething and crying, I couldn't just ring up my mother in desperation, because it was the middle of the day where she is, and she was at work. For the first year of parenthood, I subscribed to four different parenting magazines, all of them US-based, because none of the parenting magazines on the market here at that time spoke to me in the context and language I was used to. Dummies? Capsules? Teats? What were they?

One of the greatest advantages to working for OHbaby! is the community of other mothers I have access to, though my job and through our website. Because now I know who to ask if I don't know where to buy something, or if I come across a practice I'm unfamiliar with. And being the editor of OHbaby! Magazine exposes me to more parenting-related stuff than I ever knew existed here. I get to learn about it, research it, write about it, and answer questions about it, from a knowledge base that's sincerely interested and sincerely in awe. So if you ever read one of my articles or features and think to yourself, "Whoa, she's giving me a bit more detail than I really need", know that it's because I myself have just discovered whatever it is I'm gushing to you about. And I'm excited. And I can't keep it to myself. Because out there among you are the mothers-to-be and mothers just like I was, transplanted into an entirely different way of life, lost and insecure. Their children might call them "Mum", like my daughter does, or, in deference to another culture, they might call them "Mutti", "Maman", "Majka", "Madre", or something else entirely unpronounceable to me and my softened Kiwi-Yankee tongue. But they're still mothers. Just like us.

If I have another baby, someday, I don't think I'll need to import anything from overseas, except perhaps underwire nursing bras. There are some things I can't live without, dual citizen or not.

Ho Ho Ho?

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:49:31 GMT

Christmas.
To be honest, I'm not saying I'm the Christmas grinch or anythig (others may disagree), but we have never had a tree, i have no decorations. Apparently that is all going to change.
Baby Cole is 4.5 Months old, he really doesn't care at the moment, that there is no tree, why does everybody else?
If I hear one more person gasp at the fact that not only did I put a tree up, that I didn't get my baby a present, they will be throttled.
I did however take lots of photos (with Cole next to other peoples presents, as he was quite enjoying the paper).
Don't get me wrong, I am resigned to the fact that santa will be making a stop at our house in the years to come, I just wanted one year when it was all about our little family and not the presents.
So bring on 2010.
The tree, the decorations, the presents. I will be ready for it..

4 weeks + 1 preg update

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:12:39 GMT

Right, im going to see how long i can keep this up but im going to try and type out the written version of my youtube vlog into this blog each week of my pregnancy.

so here goes...

Today I am 4 weeks +1 day preggers, i have been feeling car sick almost constantly since i got my BFP a few days ago, i have also been having the "scoots" so I hope that means my HCG is doing what it should.
Im also testing every second day atm as it all still feels surreal even though i already have MS lol and the line is getting slightly darker each time so i think thats a good sign.

I have already got belly bands to cover my undone jeans lol as im so bloated it hurts to sit too long in them done up and iv also bought a baby book in the peter rabbit theme which I am slowly filling in and will continue to fill hopefully.

got some bloods back today:
FSH was under 1 which she said she would have thought was low but wasnt marked as low on the results
and progesterone is 36 and should be between 8-70 normally

so according to this
Before pregnancy: 1 to 28 ng/ml

Conception to 12 weeks: 9 to 47 ng/ml

12 to 28 weeks: 17 to 146 ng/ml

28 weeks till birth: 55 to 200 ng/ml
im right on schedule for where im at :)

so thats it from me so far, will keep you updated!

BA (Hons) Housewifery

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:49:22 GMT

How do you housewives out there rate your housewifery skills? When my mother was expertly running our house I barely noticed what an amazing job she was doing, raising two children while my dad was frequently away on business, holding down a full time job when we went to school and running the house all at the same time. I noticed in the sense that she was always there to pick us up and drop us off, I noticed that my brother and I always felt loved and happy and warm but I just assumed that running the house was something that everyone did to the same standard. Now I'm the housewife snd how differently I see the situation.

Housewifery is essentially an administrative job. There are additional skills needed which are too numerous to mention individually but are as wide ranging as being able to cook and negociate with either a six month old or an adult with equal tact. Some time ago after university I did a few adminstrative jobs and secretarial work. Little did I know how useful these skills would become. Not everyone relishes the role of running the household. I was on a plane a few years ago with a friend and her second baby. She is an impressive artist, runs a gallery and is fearfully intelligent. She told me she finds being a housewife extremely difficult and that the job does not come easily to her at all.

Being a housewife is rewarding in all sorts of ways and it is good to be your own boss. I love cooking and find it relaxing and fulfilling (which is lucky as I seem to spend an extraordinary time in the kitchen) but the rest of the work involved is so unchallenging mentally I sometimes wonder if I'll ever be able to properly engage my brain again for long periods of time or even if I can will what's left of it be useful in any kind of commercial capacity?. As with millions of Mums I'd like to work but am unwilling to allow someone else to bring up our children just so I can scratch my mental itch. In an ideal world I'd work 2 days a week doing an intense, mentally challenging, staggeringly well paid job 5 minutes walk from my house while my parents looked after the children. In the real world I'll wait until the twins are in some kind of regular childcare and try and get a job doing whatever is available at the time locally.

On a more entertaining note we have a friend staying with us from London. Last night he and I were talking about some of the people out there who he might be interested in romantically. I found his take on these matters highly amusing. I told him about a friend of our family who has a much younger girlfriend than him but that she is also pretty boring. "Ah, and there it is. You get youth but the pay off is dullness" he tells me. Another of his interesting 'pay off' theories is that of the women in his age range available for romance and fun (30's ish) the prettier ones tend to have a child in tow. I'm looking forward to more of these conversations with him over the next week or so.

After all that!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:22:36 GMT

After all this crap with worrying about annovulatory cycle and all that jaz, this morning at 12DPO i got a BFP!!!

We are super stoked, scared, nervous, worried, ecstatic , every emotion possible right now!

Thanks to all the congratulations, this was 6 months in the making which felt like a lifetime but am glad it didnt take any longer and dont know how some of you get through it all.

BABY DUST TO ALL!

love,
mummy

angry noises OFFS!

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:00:52 GMT

Im am just about ready to smack the next doctor that tells me to relax, are you f****g kidding me!! Im 21 and havnt been able to conceive naturally in 6 months and your telling me to relax!!!?

I had to practically beg to get my LH, and progesterone etc tested and even then she didnt want to until we hit the year mark and neither of our doctors will test DH's boys!
I am so peeved at the medical system right now!

It seems like we are being looked over as if we are "perfectly healthy and young" *quote* so have heaps of time to continue trying, but how the f**k do they know that. I have endo myself so thats a f****g fertility issue you idiots!

I am just so sick of the "your young attitude", being young does not change the fact that something could be wrong, it doesnt change the fact that we want a baby, it doesnt change the fact that it hasnt happened in 6 months!!
I wish there was some way of testing things yourself, i mean they have LH strips for ov and HPT for preg why not something that checks you progesterone levels from home or your egg stores or whatever...ergh I dunno...am i being unreasonable??

I understand that over 35's DO have less time etc and I AGREE that they should have preference over someone younger like me but why do i get NO HELP WHAT SO EVER??
Its just not fair!!

I had a weird OV this cycle, had a POS OPK from Cd18 so thought WOOP earlier OV but nah, nothing f****g happened until today when I finally got OV pains etc and guess what day...........21 of course!
Im so sick of WTO, there must be a way of making me ov on a more reasonable time scale, this is the 4th month running i think (maybe more) that I havent ov'd till CD21.

Not to mention I have proof of a shit LP and yet they wouldnt even test progesterone until I nagged them and showed them my charts. My stupid doctor (well the one i could only see that day/not my normal) tried to tell me that everyone OV's CD14 and then 14 days later gets their period...ARE YOU F****G KIDDING ME?????!!!!
I have proof for 6 months now that that IS NOT HAPPENING STUPID WOMAN!

anywho I suppose I shouldnt keep biarching as there are people in worse situations than this and have been trying even longer and still not getting help, i just want this soo bad :'(

sorry about the rant, and thanks for reading

What's in a name?

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:13:47 GMT

We've recently decided on names for our baby. I say names because by some miracle we found the strength to resist finding out the sex, so now we have a boy name and a girl name.

DH chose the boy name, think he did it for a joke thinking I wouldn't like it, but it's really grown on me. I chose the girl name, but it's one we discussed early in TTC, so not one he hates fortunately.

We're not telling anyone, though we did let slip to a friend last week and fortunately she didn't scream with laughter, in fact she didn't say much, which I guess is a good thing.

Our reason for not telling is just that everyone has an opinion on everything when you're pregnant, so they're bound to have their say on our choice of names - and I don't want to be put off.

Also, our names aren't the most popular. No we're not having a Peaches Trixibelle Bluebell Apple, or a Pilot Inspektor Kal-el Maddox. We're just not famous enough to pull it off! They're pretty mainstream (think top 50, but not top 10), but not so much that they'll be 1 of 12 Bailey/Maddison/Ethans in their class.

My brother Kerry really wanted to know yesterday, so I said "Guess then, if you get it right I'll tell you!"

He said "Are they English?" (DH is English)
I said "They could be."
He said "Harold"
I said "Amazing, what about the girl?"
He said "Henrietta"
I said "You are incredible, well done, don't tell anyone."
He said "Wow! Are you serious? Or are you just winding me up?"
I just smiled.

It's nice to be able to call the bump by a name and talk about what they/we will be doing in 2/5/10 years time. Though sometimes with two names, it does feel like we're expecting twins. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing....

No, Kerry, we're not!