feed…burp…feed…burp…..feed….burp…..

Posted on October 30, 2007

you get the picture!

Okay - so it’s starting to get a lil monotonous here!  Surely she could start doing something as opposed to sleeping!  Actually - I think we got a good one.  She is a great and efficient feeder (of course - the apparatus she uses is pretty spectacular - according to my husband!), and she sleeps like a  - well - baby!!!!  I was waking her every three hours in the day to feed her, but found that she wasn’t feeding too well, and it was a real struggle to keep her awake, and at night - I was waking her after around 5 hours to feed - and even then it was a struggle.  Soooo - I spoke to me wonderful Maternal and Child Health Nurse, and she suggested letting Murphy go for around 4-4.5 hours between feeds during the day, and letting her sleep for as long as she wanted overnight.  Works like a charm.  She had her last feed at 9:30pm last night, and didn’t wake until around 3:00am this morning - then again at 8:00am.  She is waking at around 4 hourly intervals during the day, and stays awake for around an hour - so all is good.  I weighed her today, and she has put on  5oz since Thursday (she’s now 9lb 5oz) - so we must be doing something right!!!!!

Is she a good baby?

WOW - how many people ask me that!!!  I never know what to say.  I mean - she doesn’t argue with me, or neglect to put her toys away, or nag me for ’stuff’ - so yeah- I guess in that respect - she is good.  But she does wake me through the night, doesn’t go to the toilet by herself yet, and expects me to be there for her at her beck and call - so does that mean she is NOT a good one!!!  Who knows - but she is a treasure - and so sweet to look at!

M1 and M2 are fantastic with her.  There have been no major incidents as yet (unless you count me nearly dropping M3 off the couch, and catching her in the nick of time by her little leg!)  The love to take it in turns to hold M3 - I do have to remind them that ’she is not a toy’, nor is she the parcel in ‘pass the parcel’!!!  The love to smother her in kisses and squeeze her in cuddles.

M1 has reverted to sucking her thumb again.  Bugger.  It’s a hard habit for her to break.  I put cream on the sucking thumb, and the next thing I know - she starts to suck the other.  Little devil!!!  We’ll manage to stop it soon I guess.  She’s been through a bit lately! 

M2 on the other hand - seems to finally be toilet trained.  What a mammoth few months it has been.  She now trots off mostly by herself to go to the loo - yippee.  I am a happy mum.  Night nappies are still a necessary thing - I can’t see her not needing those for a long time!

Wilbur is still cyclonic.  He starts back at work sometime this week - so he is working like mad to get stuff done.  My laundry is mostly finished - how nice is it to have somewhere to wash clothes!!!!  He has erected a fence around the back of the yard, and at the front of the house. Very boogy man proof!  Yay!  He has re-erected my clothesline, and paved a new path.  He’s a very handy bloke to have around!

Okay - once again -a super wordy post - I am on my laptop - only coz I couldn’t be bothered getting off the couch and sitting at the desktop!!!!

Introducing…..

Posted on October 25, 2007

Murphy Indigo…….

 

She’s was a whole 2 days old when I took these in a beautiful light-filled room at the hospital!  Fantastic spot for a little natural light studio!  These are all SOOC - no editing at all - I just wanted to get them up!!!!

Yes - this means that I spent a little time cleaning up my desk today.  What an accomplishment.  I feel good about it!

Now it is 9:00pm - and I am totally ready for bed.  Ha - I just looked over onto the couch, and there is Wilbur - fast asleep - with his little sleeping Murphy laying across his lap.  Excuse me while I take a photo!

Do you know what day it is today……

Posted on October 25, 2007

(I am singing that in my best Ollie voice from Nick Jnr!) - wouldn’t mind listening to some adult music. Actually - speaking of adult music - I really want this CD - Marc Cohn - Join the Parade.  BUT - I can’t find it locally.  Itunes won’t let me buy it coz I am in Australia!  What’s up with that. Not very useful I must say!  Maybe I will just have toorder it from his website!!!!

(How’s that - the first image I post on my blog after giving birth to my third child - isn’t even a photo of her!)  Still trying to get a chance to remove rubble from on top of my desktop!!!!!

All is going well in our little world.  Murphy is sleeping well - I only need to feed her at around 1:00am and 5:00am - so I am happy with that so far.  The big M’s have taken it upon themselves to awake at 5:00am every morning.  Oh - I can’t wait until daylight saving starts this weekend - it just might give me an extra hour in the day without them!!!!!  Bliss!!!!

So - let’s talk FOXTEL.  A while ago - we started to subscribe to FOXTEL.  Just the basic plan - that’s all we required!  Somehow now - we have the Platinum package, PLU FOXTEL IQ!  Now - I don’t really watch a heap of TV, but this FOXTEL IQ thing is excellent! We only got it installed last week, and I reckon I have recorded enough movies and shows to keep me busy for the next year!  If only I had time to sit and watch them.  Actually - when I have Murphy attached to me and I am sitting on the couch - it’s the perfect time to watch.  I have discovered Ellen Degeneres show!  I like it.  She’s funny, and very quick - good viewing.  I don’t mind watching a bit of Jamie Oliver as well……. oh oh oh - and um - some of the ‘how to’ programs are vaguely informative!  Loving the fact that I can record all of these movies - Top Gun, The Ant Bully, Thomas Crown Affair (gotta love me some Pierce Brosnan - mmmmm) and others.  Doesn’t take much to make me happy!

Okay - so while I was in hospital - my cyclonic husband got busy.  I now have a bathroom AND a laundry - as opposed to a room that squeezed in a bath, washing machine and basin.  How exciting.  The laundry is out the back. Now I can have the washing machine on, AND have a normal conversation with someone without being drowned out by the machine noise.  Makes me happy!  He also paved a little area across the front of the house in the ‘playground’ for the outdoor couch to sit on.  Looks great - nice and clean.  yesterday I came home to discover that the back part of the house was missing!  What!  He had removed the fibro (actually - I think it is asbestos!) wall,and was busy stuffing the cavity with insulation.  Then he covered it all over with corrugated iron.  I must admit - it does look a whole lot better. Now I have a nice looking back of the house, and laundry.  Things are looking up!!!!  He still needs to dig holes and build a fence along the front of the house - in front of the girls new bedroom!  Oh - did I mention the sleeper wall he has built!  What a handyman!

Hmm - I realise that things are starting to look a little wordy around here.  today IS the day.  I am going to clear my desk, and get some photos happening.  I PROMISE!

It’s now 6:10am - must be time to let the big M’s out of bed (they have been awake since 5:00am again!), and get the day started!!!!! 

coming up for air…..

Posted on October 24, 2007

Okay - so first - I MUST apologise.  I have no pictures.  That’s right.  A brand new 9 day old gorgeous bundle of beautiful smelling, kissable feet and toes baby girl - and I have no pictures to show.  There is a good reason for this…… they are still on my camera - because - I haven’t had a chance yet to clear my desk and get to my desktop computer!!!!!  Soon I will do that - and then I will most likely spend forever finding the right photos!

Okay - so today is Wednesday 24th October (just in case you missed the timestamp!) - and I am finally getting a chance to blog about the last few weeks!  I have lots to say - and it’ll all probably be a little ‘all over the shop’ -but that is exactly how my brain is feeling right now! 

I will start a new post for each day I want to blog about, and try to order it somehow - but of course they will be all backwards because of the way the posts are displayed.  Tough luck.  deal with it!

Oh - unless I can get the posts to publish in a different order that is!!!!  Yay - I have been able to post in chronological order - so scroll down to the post titled yippee!, and start from there!  I have added in a post or two as well - so keep up!!!!

oh my - what happened to life….

Posted on October 22, 2007

What a whirl-wind day.  I am still not entirely sure what happened - but here’s a run-down!!!!

1:30am

- woke up to a wet bed.  No - I am not suddenly incontinent - my milk was overflowing from my HUGE gargantuous ‘melons’!  Thanks-goodness for breast pump - work it baby - I am such a cow (in the nicest way of course!)

- make enough noise to wake the dead - apparently not enough Murphy.  She can sleep through a hurricane, cyclone and tidal wave all at once!

- fed, burped, changed and put M3 back to sleep!

5:00am

- Wilbur gets up and goes to work

- M’s 1 and 2 lovingly decide it is time to wake up, AND get up!

- wake M3 for feed, burp and change - throw her back into bed (obviously not literally!)

Between 5:45am and 8:30am

- fold washing

- breakfast for M’s 1 and 2 - oh - and me!

- label lunch boxes, bags and spare change of clothes for the big M’s (ha ha!) in preparation for their first day at new Pre-School

- pack two somewhat nourishing lunches for aforesaid M’s! MAke mental note to self to remind teachers that M2 will eat all food in front of her at morning tea - so they MUST ration her - or it’ll all be gone by lunch time!

- wash breakfast dishes

- dress big M’s and myself (after agonising about the lack of anything to wear on my elephant-like body!)

8:30am

- wake, feed, burp, change, clean-up poo and wee, change and cuddle M3.  Technically she should be fine and happy till around 11:00am - well - that’s the plan anyway!

9:30am

-pack car with what looks like enough stuff togo on a four-day holiday (if only!). Pram (gotta love my brand-spanking new red Phil&Teds), nappy bag, M’s school bags etc.  There’s enough stuff to sink a small ship!

9:45am

-finally get out the door, fumble with buckling in three children into the back of the car!  Another mental note to self - buy winning tatslotto ticket so I can have bigger car!

9:55am

- leave big M’s at new Pre-school.  they are happy and content.  Breathe deeply!  Oh - and smile happily!

10:10am

- fruit and veg shopping - Murphy is happily enconsed in the wrap on my chest (love that thing - site is down - so can’t get picture!)

- off to Aldi - store is choc-a-bloc with people - Murphy decides it is time to wake up - and is letting everyone know about it!!!!

10:45am

- finally get to local shopping centre where I can sit down and feed her. (after I struggle in the car park with pram - coz I forgot how to unfold the thing! Oh - did I mention it was raining as well!) She struggles a little coz there is so much milk in my b.o.o.b.i.e.s that they are rock hard, and my finger virtually bounces off them!

11:45am

- into Coles, Murphy not happy - again - now she is vying for the coveted title of ‘Loudest newborn cry’.  Get through checkout, and rush home.

12:30pm

- sit and quietly feed M3, burp, change and bed - same old same old - surely I have done this a few times already today!

12:35pm

- feel and hear amazing noises coming from my stomach - must be time to eat……..

12:37pm

- get sidetracked with washing - discover that thrip 9horrid little tiny annoying insects that like the ‘whites’ hanging on the washing), have attacked absolutely EVERY white item )ie - EVERY nappy that I own) that was on the line yesterday.  Need to rewash, dry and fold it all again - AND it is raining.  Thank goodness for dryer!!!!!  Bugger bugger bugger!

1:00pm

- realise that I haven’t put the groceries away (surely not a hard thing to miss really - I mean - after all - they ARE strewn all OVER the bench!)

1:03pm

- rumble rumble rumble - ahhh - must feed my stomach ASAP!

1:04pm - 3:30pm

- eat and do stuff that I technically should just leave so I can have a rest - but NO - silly me - I keep on going!!!!

3:30pm

- wake Murphy, feed, change, burp (feels like Groundhog Day!!)

- chuck Murphy on bed, and snap a billion photos of her looking yummy!  Mental note - must get photos off camera ASAP (another mental note - don’t just make mental notes - coz I forget them - make sure I make a paper note next time!)

4:15pm

- pick up big M’s from Pre-School.  They had a fabulous day!

4:30pm - 7:15pm

- a bit of a blur really - but lets give it a try……

- snack for big M’s, organise dinner, Will gets home, break-up minor scuffle with big M’s over who sits where on couch, and other stuff, fold first load of nappies, eat dinner, dishes (Wilbur was a great help here too!), bathe and bed big M’s, fall in heap on couch.

7:30pm - 9:00pm

- wake Murphy AGAIN for a feed, burp and change (let;s just call that an FBC shall we!)

- try valiantly to keep her awake for longer than 10 sucks on the b.o.o.b.i.e. - not successful!

- throw her in bed, and listen to her snuffle!

- fold next load of nappies

9:30pm

- fall into bed

- 9:31pm

- sleep…………………..

Okay - so really- yes - that was my day in a nutshell.  Is that how it’s going to be forever.  I certainly hope not.  But you know what.  I feel strangely good about it.  As of I am accomplishing something (other than going around the twist!). I am a happy, busy, (albeit exhausted) mum of three children, and wife of the best husband in the world.  All is good.

yippee!

Posted on October 15, 2007

Okay - so today is the day! (Bear in mind that I am writing this 9 days after the event - but I am pretending I wrote it on the actual day - got that - clear as mud right!).

So - had to be at the hospital by 7:30am! Easy peasy.  Dropped the girls off at creche for the day - after I had only just managed to keep down half a weetbix!!!!  Now there’s a sustaining breakfast!

Went straight through to the birthing suite (gee I LOVE that term - made me feel like I was on a mini-vacation in a luxury hotel! - oh - thud - back to reality!)  Yay - had the same midwife as the one that delivered M2 - the lovely Kay!  After paper-work was completed - and Will and I sat around for a bit (what was with the wait - I am sure it was just a secret ploy to make me even more nervous!) - it was time to gown-up and get going!  Oh - this is where I mention the weigh-in!  I hadn’t stepped on a set of scales since early January, nor had I been able to exercise at all since February - so it was with some trepidation hat I jumped on the scales!  Wowsers!  86 kilos!  I had put on 18 kilos!  I have never weighed more than 70kg.  So - i am feeling a little whale-like!

Dr H arrived at 9am, and did his Dr-ish type thing (can I mention now how much I detest internal examinations!), and popped the membrane!  Once again - no WHOOSH!  Disappointing!  Will and I have never experienced the WHOOSH of the waters breaking - it has been one of those long-standing jokes about my labours!!! Not sure if I will try for another child in the hope that we get a WHOOSH though!

Then I was attached to a drip (no - not Wilbur - ha ha!), and it was all systems go!  So - there I was happily sitting on my whiz-bang, super adjustable bed - waiting for something to happen!  Aha - there it was.  A contraction - or was it Mr Braxton-Hicks revisitng!  Nah - it was the real thing!  I dealt with them for a while, and got a little uncomfortable - so I hopped into the bath - with a small concern for the drought that it currently rampant in our country!!!  Ah- nothing like a huge bath that you can actually stretch out in - as opposed to our bath at home where I can barely fit my legs in!

Finally the contractions go going a little, but I was still happy counting the links in the plug chain (thank goodness for the plug chain!).  I guess I was in the bath until around 1:00pm  (I think I got in at around 10:30am!), and starting to feel a little prune-like - not overly glamorous I guess!  I hopped out, and got back on the whiz-bang bed.  That’s when things started to go pear-shaped as far as I was concerned!!!!  I closed my eyes - and didn’t open them again until Murphy was placed on my chest around 2 hours later!

In that two hours, I cried, begged for pethidine (and got it - but WOW that stuff makes me sleep!), and an epidural.  I was around 5cm dilated, and all set for it!  Epidural was ordered, and I stayed curled up with my eyes closed!  They manouvered me into position, and just as Mr Epidural (I have no idea how to spell his real name!) was about to inject me - I decided I needed to ‘poo’!  So - I was checked again - and VOILA - it was time to push.  Bugger - no epidural!!!!!  So around 40 minutes of pushing later - out she came - and Wilbur got to deliver her!!!!

Murphy Indigo is a gorgeous dark-haired 8lb 6oz, 51cm bundle of cuteness!  I have plenty of photos to show - but yes - they are still on the card - I just wanted to write all this down before my hormone-addled brain forgot anything!

Okay - now - bear in mind that I hadn’t eaten all day - except for that nourishing half weet-bix - so it was fair to say I was famished!!!!  So - after the obligatory feed for Murphy (coz yeah - she gets booby-tucker from me BEFORE I get fed!  How is that fair!)), and the photos with M1 and M2 (who are totally in love!) - I got chauffeured to my room via wheelchair - still attached to my drip (once again - not Wilbur - is hat joke funny yet!), and showered - only to discover that my meal was a dried-out stir-fry - which I am sure was delish when it was warm!  WHAT!  Where’s the crayfish!!!  Risotto - or even a caeser salad.  Nup.  Nada!  Ah well.  I am pleased to report that the rest of the food was yummo!!!!

So - that was Murphy’s birth day!  A great day all-round really!

quick update….

Posted on October 10, 2007

Not going in today - hospital is too full!!!!  They have had extra women go into early labour, and babies on oxygen - so there is just not enough staff for me as well. Bugger.  There is still a super slim chance - I can always hope!

All systems go……..

Posted on October 9, 2007

Yep - it is T minus 24 hours until I am in hospital!  I go in tomorrow morning to be induced!  Thank-goodness!  Hopefully Heinz will be nice, and slip straight on out - with as little pain as possible!!!!Oh - I can always hope!!!!!!

Wilbur arrived home Saturday afternoon.  Since then - we haven’t stopped!  I need to have a baby so I can rest!!!!!  It’s great to have him home though!  The girls are in heaven - as is he!

Okay - that’s enough from me - the last thing I want to be doing right now is sitting here - so…. cheers!

sleep overs and stop overs

Posted on October 5, 2007

My big little girl (M1) had a sleepover last night.  As she is still there - I figure all went well.  She went to karate last night. and then went directly to S’s house. I had a goodnight phone call at around 8:30pm - she sounded like such a big girl!  She’s only 4 - and I know that she bugs me horrendously sometimes - but when she is not here - I miss her - when I am not enjoying the peace and quiet that is!  M2 wo0ke up this morning and said ‘where’s Madison?’!  it cer6tainly is quiet without her!  M2 is enjoying being able to potter around without getting antagonised all the time!

She is watching The Wiggles - Live Hot Potatoes!

She’s only recently really discovered The Wiggles, and loves them.  It’s not often she gets a chance to watch them on TV - so it’s a real treat for her this morning!

Okay - so stop-overs!  guess who is due home this evening!  Yay!  After having a super delayed and definitely ‘not on the agenda’ stop over in Malaysia (a dodgy part apparently!) - Wilbur will finally get home!  I *think* he will land at around 7:30pm tonight, and then he is catching a taxi home (after customs!).  I would usually go and pick him up - but he has decided that he would prefer it if I didn’t drive for 2 hours ‘in my state’!!!!!  WHAT - a 38 week pregnant woman shouldn’t drive 2 hours at night time to pick up her husband that she hasn’t seen in over 2 months!!!!!!!

Oh well - it will be lovely for the girls to wake up tomorrow morning to find their daddy is home!  AND it means I get to spend a little bit of quiet time with him - albeit in the middle of the night when we are both exhausted - but hey - who cares - it’s my husband!!!!

Bugger bugger bugger!  Just spoke to Wilbur, and he won’t be home until tomorrow!!!  he leaves Kuantang (?) this morning, gets to Kuala Lumpur late morning, leaves Kl at 10pm tonight, gets to Adelaide tomorrow morning, and then arrives in Melbourne at 12;25pm tomorrow!  At least we can go and meet him, and we don’t have to wait forever for him to get through customs!  So… not long to go now!!!

Unfortunately he will not make it home for  a very special funeral today - which is a little upsetting for him - but I guess - unfortunately - that is life.

So - today…….. last day of swimming lessons - I wonder if they will actually learn something today!  The funeral - then ahh - sleep!  How’s that - I am already looking forward to bed tonight, and it is only 8:15am!  Yep - we can see how I am oriented right now!!!  I guess though - the sooner I get to bed - the sooner we get to the airport tomorrow!!!!  Not that I am anxious or anything!

playing the waiting game…

Posted on October 4, 2007

Ok - so waiting is all I seem to be doing right now!!!!

What am I waiting for……..umm - let’s see…….

- Wilbur is stuck in Singapore somewhere - apparently due to school holidays - they can’t get him on a flight home. They knew he was going to need a flight out of there by the 4th of October - so WHY wasn’t it booked earlier!  We have a funeral to go to tomorrow - oh - and a baby to deliver on Wednesday - I certainly hope he can get a flight, OR grow some wings!

- October 10th can’t come quick enough - although - if Wilbur isn’t home in time - I will have to wait longer, and postpone the DATE!!!!!

- waiting for my hair to grow - OK - so I only had it cut a couple of weeks ago - but it was cut WAY to short, and when I get out of bed, I look like I have spent all night teasing it’ a mile high!!!!

- when OH when is M2 going to decide that she is toilet trained!!!!  She is doing fairly well - I must admit - but yesterday she wee*ed her little pants in the fabric store!  of course I didn’t realise until AFTER we had left, and she stopped in the street and said "all wet Mummy’!  great!  Needless to say - we high-tailed it outta there!!

- ah - the end of school holidays.  Self explanatory really!!!

Ooh - I think that is MORE than enough waiting!!!!!

The girls had swimming lessons yesterday (as they have had all week), and to be honest - I am not seeing alot of progress.  We seem to have lucked out with the teachers this time around!!!  M1’s teacher just has no idea what she is doing, and M2’s teacher - I don’t think she had even READ the lesson plans provided.  Let’s bear in mind here that I a qualified to comment on the teachers, as I have both managed, and taught at this particular Centre for sometime!!!!  Argh - it is so frustrating watching M2 just bounce up and down for the majority of the lesson!  She is enjoying herself - which is a good thing - but she is definitely not learning anything - which is the whole POINT of the Fastrack program! 

Oh well - hopefully Wilbur will have some spare time to take the girls swimming - coz they all love the water.  I cannot wait (oh - another waiting thing!) to get back into the water myself!  I will be swimming the 1.5km Portsea Swim Classic this year (I came 26th last year our of 100-odd swimmers!).  Then - my plan is the Pier to Perignon Swim (4.5km - Sorrento to Portsea!) in March!  I have always wanted to do it - so hopefully this summer might be the ONE!  Surely it is!  THEN - I am aiming for the Melbourne Half-Marathon in October next year (obviously not this year!) - I have been wanting to run it for a while - next year is as good as any year!

Righto - since this has been a boring post, and will continue to be if I keep prattling on………

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