This and that....

Well Ethan is now 5.5 weeks old but it feels like he's been here forever. We've seen one smile but that's it. He's a very serious young man. This pic was taken when he was 4 weeks old.

So far, it's had it's ups and down. Although I know he's not a difficult baby, I did think it would be pretty easy with both me and Josh home at the moment. Ethan is currently having a rare day sleep in his cradle but generally likes to be held all of the time so it has been tricky getting anything done. 

As soon as we try to lie him down, he wakes up. Thankfully he seems to recognise the difference between night and day and has good long blocks of sleep in his cradle while we're in bed. I was naive and thought that he would sleep most of the day in his cradle and it would be easy to get everything done LOL. 

Josh has been a bit grumpy because he's not getting as much "me" time as he would like but I would love to see how he would go if he had the boobs. Yesterday afternoon he gave me the afternoon between feeds off which was great. I fed Ethan and then closed myself in the bedroom for a few hours and as much as I love our little man, it was fantastic to just to be alone for a while. 

Next weekend, we're going to an ice hockey game in Sydney and we're leaving Ethan with Mum and Dad. We're having around 6 hours bub free. I'm looking forward to it but I'm also a little nervous that they won't be able to settle him or Dad will get frustrated at him crying while Mum is out working as she has one client while we're gone. I really hope it all goes well. 

Anyway that's about it. Not much to report at the moment. 

Life with Ethan :-)

Well so far we haven't been without a few hiccups on the beginning of our parenting journey. Josh caught a cold a few days before Ethan was born and unfortunately passed it on to our little guy. Poor Ethan has ended with quite a stuffy nose :-(

At one point, I was sitting with Ethan and trying to comfort him at 3am, all the while thinking "This is all Josh's fault." In the cold hard light of day the following morning, I knew those thoughts were completely terrible because Josh didn't purposely get sick. I was just very unfortunate timing.

We had an appointment with the baby nurse yesterday and she suggested saline nasal drops to clear his nose. We went to the chemist and I said to the girl behind the counter that we needed something for a 2 week old to clear his nose and she said that you can't give him anything. At this point I was really confused and said that nurse had suggested saline drops so she checked with the pharmacist and she assured her that saline drops were completely safe for newborns.

The saline drops have been a godsend because before that, we were just suctioning his nose to remove the mucus and it was taking hours to get him to sleep. Last night, he slept a thousand times better which meant that Mummy got to sleep a thousand times better.

Everyone has been saying that he is completely adorable and it is so true. I was so thankful that he is cute because I have always been really honest about other people's babies so I was worried that karma would come and bite me LOL.

Anyway here is a photo of our gorgeous son. We may be sleep deprived but it is worth every sleepless night.

He's here!!!

Well we ended up having a c-section but I don't regret it. He is a big boy and would've really hurt coming out the natural way. I was really nervous and emotional on the day of the c-section. I was excited/ sad/ happy/ scared and all of the above but all went well and I'm healing perfectly.

I hated the 24 hours of recovery straight after the c-section because I couldn't get off the bed. I had a catheter in, a drip and drainage. Generally a lot of tubes and wires coming off me. They had to take Ethan to the night nursery that night because I couldn't get up and care for him like I needed to. I didn't like them taking him but in hindsight, it was necessary and I got a good rest.

We got heaps of photos of the procedure and I'll upload them once they are saved on the computer. I have to also say that I am stoked that I decided to go a head with the procedure at Figtree Private. I was very seriously considering switching to Wollongong but so glad I didn't.

The staff at Figtree Private could not have been better. I know at Wollongong I would've been kicked out on day 3 as soon as I was physically able to leave and I would've been an emotional wreck. They wouldn't have been as helpful with breastfeeding and I would've been a mess by day 5 with the feeding and pain.

At Figtree, you press the buzzer and the staff are there immediately to help you with feeding or pain meds. I only had to wait a couple of times and they were so patient with me. Anyway I better make the intoduction.

Introducing

Ethan John Medley

Born 7th May, 2013

Weight: 4.2kg or 9 pounds 4 ounces

Length 52cm

Possibly my last blog update before bubby arrives!!!

Well the pregnancy coming to a finish one way or another within the next two weeks and although I'm going to miss my bump a little, I'm so excited as well. I can't wait to meet our little man. He has been a long time coming and the rainbow after the storm of trying to conceive.

As this may be my final update before bub, it is essential to add another bump photo so this is me at 38 weeks.

Little man is still riding very high and no matter what I do, I just can't get him to move down and engage. I'm now accepting my fate that this will probably be a c-section birth but I know I need to do what is best for me and little man and if that is how he is meant to make his entrance into the world than so be it. If not, fate will intervene and bubby will drop down and engage within the next few days to make a natural birth possible. 

Still waiting...

Well I am now 37+4 weeks and getting very impatient. I have been blessed with a reasonably easy pregnancy and although I'm slightly uncomfortable now with some back pain and hip pain, I don't really have much to complain about.

Up until around 35 weeks, it still felt like the pregnancy would go on forever but once I reached that milestone, Josh and I realised that the pregnancy is nearly over and we started feeling like children waiting for Christmas. I'm going to miss my bump I think but after such a long journey to get here, I feel truly blessed.

Bubby still hasn't dropped and I mentioned to the midwife yesterday that sometimes he seems to come down and then he'll go back up. She warned me that could be a sign that he isn't going to fit through the pelvis. I am spending the next week preparing myself for the possibility of a c-section.

I really wanted to try a natural birth but I also don't want a traumatic entrance into the world for bub and be traumatised by the experience myself. If Dr G says that a c-section would be best then I will trust his opinion. The only other pain with a c-section is the healing time.

I've been told that you shouldn't fall pregnant again within 6 months of a c-section which bothers me because I wasn't planning on using any contraception after the birth. We aren't going to be actively trying in the first year but we certainly weren't going to avoid it. I think I'll just go with my instinct during that first 6 months and if I notice O signs, I'll just abstain at those times.

I think Dr G will make a decision next Monday and some time next week, I'll be holding my little man. Bring it on!!!

Please engage bubba boy!!!

I had another ultrasound today and bubby now weighs 3.5kg!!! I then went to an appointment with the OB and he said that bubby is not engaged at all and we can't attempt an induction until he drops down so I will be monitored until 39 weeks and if he hasn't dropped by then, the OB is suggesting a c-section as bubby will be getting pretty big by then. I really hope I don't need a c-section.

Time to try any means necessary to get bubba moving down!

Massive bump!!

I seem to be expanding very rapidly at the moment. I'm loving my bump but it is uncomfortable at times.

35 weeks :-)

Yesterday was my last day at work and the girls bought me a lovely bunch of flowers and a gift card. It was really nice. Gonna miss the kiddies a little but so looking forward a little break before bubby comes out.