Yay Elise .  Jimmy seems stuck with TTing ... he only ever uses the potty when he's naked from the waist down.  Anytime he has undies/pants on he'll treat them like nappies .  He can sometimes put on a pair of pants himself but still hasn't learnt how to take them off .

Happy birthday Ava!  I can't believe how fast the time flies with the second baby, geez .

Hey, do any of your toddlers still have day naps?  Jimmy has been telling me he isn't tired for a few weeks now, but will still nap under protest - but then take over an hour to go to sleep at night.  So today I let him stay up all day and he went out like a light at 7pm.  When they first drop the day nap, did you find they still needed them every few days or so?

So sorry to hear about your Gran Kirstyn .

And bummer about the viral infection Lisha ETA and Emz - just read your post too .  We all have colds, but its not too bad.  I'm just annoyed cause I know it'll take me ages to shake it as I'm so sleep deprived.  Freaking out we'll catch swine flu next .

Other than that we're good Sally .  I've been trying to wean myself off OhBaby a bit, as seem to spend too much time on the net.  Have been listening to lots of new music instead.  So cute, Jimmy sometimes runs up to DH's 'ta-ta' (won't call it guitar?) and strums along and tries to sing to something that's blaring out of the speakers.  Neither of us can play a single instrument (the guitar is a recent TM purchase) but I'm really keen for the kids to learn if they show an interest.  My brother plays bass in a band in Melbourne and it looks like heaps of fun.

Hope you're doing OK Emz.  Can't believe that army guy was from Feilding too.  Chantel is right, bad things come in threes, so that better be it for the town.  I went to high school with Chantel (we were in the same year) ...you guys know each other from antenatal class right?

Loving all the new photos of the boys on FB Peanut and Sally.  Scary how they grow up so fast huh?  Leah is already rolling over from back to front ... want her to stay a baby for a wee bit longer.  She is definitely our last - DH had the snip last week.  We had to drive an hour south of here for the operation, was the most bizarre thing to drive into the wilderness for that sort of thing hahaha!

Yep, Anna is his younger sister - I know his older sister Nikki.

Leah is going through that squealing stage atm .... so funny and cute!  She's decided that's how she'll tell me she wants to get up after a sleep in the cot.  I keep getting a fright - after a long period of silence this ear piercing squeal comes through on the monitor hahaha.  She's trying really hard to roll, and makes it halfway over several times - then the squeals start sounding frustrated.  Must be so annoying watching everyone else able to move around as they wish while you're stuck on your back or tummy on the floor.

Do your toddlers have a sense of humour yet?  Jimmy just loves toilet humour (guess who taught him that) and yesterday he cracked up when I accidently said "mump" instead of truck when reading him a book.  He then made me say mump instead of truck throughout the whole book and just about wet his pants.  Crazy dude  .

Thanks Peanut, that's good advice .  Do you mean Mummybecks?  Wonder which of the two sisters she's friends with?

From the stories, MIL found it rather tough initially (as you would!) but you'd never guess what she's been through - she is really strong.  I always think of her life if I'm having a bad day ... makes my troubles pale into insignificance .

Ugh, don't know how you handle those early morning wake ups Peanut  .  I'm so not a morning person.  Not that it really matters atm with all night wakings to contend with .  Leah is pretty good, but does often need a quick resettle - usually anytime from 4am onward (and sometimes about 20 x a night ).

 Peanut - boo to all the night wakings ... not fair when Frano is 9 months old now.  Will keep everything crossed for you that goat's milk does the trick.  Grrrr to all those other doctors .

I hear you Sally, on the annoying 2.5 yr old .    I feel this huge sense of relief when at playgroup, knowing Jimmy will not be following me around for a couple of hours.  He's occassionally really good, but 90% of the time demands attention these days.  I so can't wait until Leah is old enough to play with him - surely that must mean we'll get a bit more time to do other stuff???   Actually, I should get around to organising more play dates for him soon - he loves spending one-on-one time with other kids his age.  His best friend at the moment is Nico - they're a week apart in age (we had the same due date).

Aww, thanks Lisha .  Was lovely seeing you again and meeting Adam. 

Boo Emz, to no farewell kiss .  Ooo, loved the photos of your new French doors ... esp Jack the builder, too cute!

 Chops - your ex-accountant sounds obsessive!  Scary stuff.  Sorry to hear AF turned up .  How's the cute little Jimi-Dodge doing?

Is Madison better yet Kirstyn?  Any more news on the moving front?

If anyone is interested, I finally got around to writing up the story of Leah's water birth, at home .....

My waters started leaking at 7pm on 22 March.  I phoned the MW, who advised me to try and get some sleep as she and her backup had just attended three births during the past 16 hours and needed some rest.  So we tucked two-year old Jimmy up in bed and sent Mum off to her B&B for the night.  I went to bed at 9.30pm and tried to rest, but after a couple of hours the random contractions were too uncomfortable and I realised I wasn't going to get any sleep.  So I woke DH and asked him to start filling the birthing pool, which was set up in our lounge.  He headed back to bed at my request, once the pool started filling.

I started timing contractions at midnight .... they were consistently five mins apart and reasonably strong.  Pacing around the kitchen and lounge on my own, listening to my favourite music and waiting for the pool to fill (it took two hours in the end  ), kept me in a good frame of mind and the contractions seemed quite bearable.  I phoned my student MW at 1am and asked her to come now ... she had a 2 hour drive ahead of her.  But I waited until 2am to call my MW, concious she needed as much rest as possible.  My contractions were 3-4 mins apart by then and getting more intense.

At 2.15am I hopped into the pool ..... ahhhh, bliss .  The water felt divine, and it was another 15 mins before the next contraction arrived.  When it did, I felt cheated ...it hurt just as much as the previous one had when I was still on dry land!  I distinctly remember them initially feeling much more bearable during my previous labour .  However, the water definitely helped me to relax fully between contractions, which was a huge bonus.

My MW arrived at 2.45am, then the student MW at 3am.  DH was up again by now too, and all three took turns massaging my back during contractions.  DH was a little unco at the massage though  so I asked him if he'd mind the student midwife taking over that role - she was a pro .  From the time everyone turned up, I closed my eyes and kept them closed until Leah was born.  This seemed to help me to get into the "birthing zone". [Bizarrely, when at an Opshop concert a few months later, I had a flashback to this part of my labour when the band members were all playing/singing 'Saturated' with their eyes closed ].

During the next hour, contractions ramped up.  They seemed to come crashing in on top of each other, leaving me no breathing space to recover in between.  Just when I was starting to think I can't handle this any more, I felt Leah move down.  And next thing I needed to push.  The MW left the room to phone her backup, and I was feeling a bit confused ... wondering whether or not I'd gone through transition already?  I didn't know how many cm dilated I was, but must have been at 10cm then.

As planned, I tried not to actively push too much ... just breathe the baby out.  She crowned within a couple of contractions, but I could then feel her head starting to come out a bit and then slip back in.  After three or four such contractions I thought "bugger this" and moved into a more upright position - squatting on my knees and leaning over the edge of the pool.  Her head came out with the next contraction, then her body ..... I didn't realise this though.  The MW said Leah had some cord entanglement, which unravelled as she came out, and that she did a half breaststroke swim away from me before she caught her.  The MW pushed her back under my legs and then they were all saying "pick up your baby Anna ... pick her up".  About 30 seconds later I finally clicked ... reached down and lifted her out of the water.  She bawled immediately and I said "Hello darling - that wasn't too bad, was it?".   Leah Frances was born at 4.15am, 23 March 2010, weighing in at 3.42kg.

 We rested in the pool for 20 minutes, but I didn't enjoy it much - kept worrying I was going to drown Leah.  So we hopped out onto the couch and started BFing (she latched immediately ).  I birthed the placenta an hour later, using the same position again, but this time kneeling on the floor with Leah lying in front of me on the couch.  The backup MW arrived around this time, and Jimmy also woke up and came out to meet his baby sister.  Don't know how he managed to sleep through all the noise previously - although everyone assured me I wasn't that loud.

At 7.30am, Mum arrived as planned.  She walked in the door and saw DH sitting on the couch.  She asked "What's that you're holding?" and he replied "Leah" .... she couldn't believe her eyes .

Reflecting on Leah's birth, what stands out most in my mind is how normal and natural it was.  I'd spent Monday nesting with Mum, then given birth at home overnight, and was there for Jimmy that morning - meaning his routine wasn't put out all that much.  There was no drama, no fuss, no stress.  Just love.

*waves* Hi everyone!

I'm great thanks Chops .  Just got back from a week in Welly ... went to a 3-day work conference, then stayed another couple of days with Mum.  Caught up with a couple of friends and went to see Opshop last night - tumeke .  I only took Leah with me (and Mum babysat so I didn't have to take her to work), so DH had time off work to mind Jimmy.  Awww, so cute - my very uncuddly boy gave me about a million cuddles before bed tonight - guess he must have missed me!

Wowsers Kirstyn - that year has gone by fast  .  Good luck with the TTing.  Jimmy is still doing well, but only when he runs around with no pants on - although he's finally started showing an interest in learning how to put clothes on.  So perhaps one day he'll want to take them off too .

Are you on the lookout for a permanent job now Emz?  All the best .  Jobhunting is hard work aye? I reckon as NZers and women we do a crap job a promoting ourselves ... it just doesn't sit right or something huh?  I've been on a few interview panels and it always amazes me how much better guys are at talking themselves up.

   Chops and Lisha - been wondering how you were both doing.

Oh dear Lisha, hope you'll be OK seeing Leah when you visit soon?  Will totally understand if you don't want to stay very long.  She doesn't look much like a newborn anymore though, lil chubs grew out of her newborn clothes a few weeks ago  .

We don't want anymore kids either.  I was freaking out the other day as haven't had AF since 4 weeks after Leah was born and tricked myself into thinking I had pregnancy symptoms (even though we'd been careful).  I've been taking Domperidone to keep my pitiful milk supply going ... was expressing one feed per day for Leah right up until today ...but when I googled Domperidone and pregnancy it said it may cause birth defects like deformed limbs, heart problems etc.  So yeah, major freak out, quick trip to supermarket for a test and HUGE sigh of relief when it came up BFN!  I've since been on the phone booking DH in for the snip - don't want any more panic attacks like that.  He may be able to have it in a few weeks by the sound of it.  Stink though, we have to go private as vasectomies aren't offered through the public system at all over here .