2 weeks down!

I can't believe how FAST the past two weeks have gone :( Our little boy is growing so quickly! He'll be moved out and heading off into the world before we know it! But it is exciting at the same time.
He has slotted into our family sooooo well! He truly is a dream baby. He is content and happy and relaxed, and he even put himself to sleep last night! OMG where did this baby come from lol.

The kids have adjusted so well to having a new baby in the house. There were a couple of hiccups at the beginning with Ayla and feeling sad that she was no longer the baby, but that all seems to be smoothed over now YAY.

I absolutely HATE having to come to work each day and be without 2 of my favourite people. But I know I have to do it. Oh to win the lotto and live like a queen!
Channy is recovering so well too! She amazes me, although just quietly I think she may be trying to push herself a bit too much. She said last night that she hates not being able to do stuff for herself. Not so much now, but earlier when she couldn't even dry herself. She has turned into such an independent person since I first met her. I'm so proud of her :)

So feeding routine at this point is aprox every 4 hours during the day, sometimes 3, and he only wakes at around midnight & 4/5am for feeds! See, DREAM BABY!

Bath time is becoming more fun too! That is generally my job in the afternoon, which I look forward to all day long! The first couple of days, Luca would scream blue murder every time he felt the press studs pop open. He HATED being naked! Certainly doesn't take after Channy there ;-). But now he is quite content to lie on the change table for a bit kicking freely! He seems to have settle down on the peeing on everything in sight as soon as the nappy comes off too lol. Probably shouldn't speak too soon though hey! So anyway, the bath is now a fun time for him. He is so relaxed in there now, and happy to float around and kick his little frog legs naaaaaaaw <3
I can't wait until we have hot water again (whole other story right there) so I can put him in the shower! I think he'll LOVE it!

I am absolutely loving being a mum all over again. This sounds quite tragically sad, but I don't have much in the way of photos and mementos from when my kids were small, because a certain ex-husband has taken it upon himself to keep all of that :-( And I don't want to feel like I'm trying to replace all of that with Luca, but I really am cherishing every single moment! Taking a buzsquillion photos every single day too!

Actually I found this awesome app, which I'm excited to look back on, that is called Project365 which is like a calendar but you put a photo in each day! I have set a reminder for each day so that I don't forget (yeah right, like that's going to happen lol) so when Luca turns 1 I have a running view of how much he has changed! I love the idea! Seriously, check it out! Download the app and start snapping away!

Not much else is happening in our little world at the moment! We are all living harmoniously with a newborn in the house! I don't know how, but we just are :)

So at risk of starting to prattle on about the Federal Budget from last night, I'm going to sign off now, and go & have coffee with a friend & my 2 favourites! (Thanks Budget, for making my morning at work non existent!)

I'll leave you with a photo of perfection!

Be kind to yourself and love those around you just a little bit more than you did yesterday

Bel xx

Oh I almost forgot! I called my nana to wish her a happy Mother's Day & told her about Luca and she was genuinely excited 😄 I knew she would be but there was always that small amount of doubt in my mind! She was also quite concerned that Channy had to have a c-section, which was lovely! I love my Nana! I also spoke to Mum, and although I know she would know, nothing was exchanged about the baby situation! I know everyone probably thinks that's wrong because it's their grandchild, but that's how awkard our relationship is 😒

One week on!

WOW! I can't believe it has been a whole week since the whirlwind that was welcoming Luca! This time a week ago channy was being stitched up and I was in complete awe if what she had just done and the tiny guy that was in my arms!

And life since has been a dream! He's an amazingly calm baby, who sleeps even better! He only wakes for 2 night feeds, around midnight & 5! I know right! A trooper! 

He had his home midwife visit on Monday, and we were lucky enough that it was Jillian, the midwife that spent 15 hours with us last week! He passed everything with flying colours, and he was just 10g off his birth weight (2510) which is FANTASTIC! Channy is a machine!

Tuesday Channy ventured out with Luca for the first time, as he had a doctors appointment. We have a small practice in the centre where the salon is, so she came up to work with me and just hung around for the morning. Luca was a dream while there! He slept the entire time 😃 

He apparently pee'd all over the doctor, which is his favourite thing to do -nappy off means open shot for this kid lol.

We also went to visit Kenny on Tuesday afternoon, who is our tattooist. That would have to be the hardest thing for Channy to do the whole pregnancy - not get a tattoo! So we went to show him Luca, which only made Luca look even smaller, because Kenny is a BIG guy! Now this whole experience has left me a bit miffed...not the visiting of Kenny bit, but the fact that Channy booked in to get Luca's name tattooed on her, seems to be open for public opinion! So she posted on Facebook that she is booked in for the 2nd of June, and within a matter of seconds, people thought it their right to comment that if she is breasfeeding, she shouldn't do it! Last I checked, Channy & I were Luca's parents! Not anybody else! There is this modern day thing called expressing breast milk, that mothers sometimes do, and that is the intention when it comes to getting tattooed! Not that it is anyone's business, but I can assure you that if Kenny had have said that it was not safe while breasfeeding, then she would wait forever! NOTHING is more important to her than that little guy, and she isn't about to put him in harms way for something as minor as a new tattoo! This was Channy's first experience of public opinion when it comes to parenting. Not my first, and probably not either of our last! But all the same, when did it become ok to judge, criticise and ridicule somebody else's parenting choices? I certainly wouldn't do it, so don't expect to be on the other end of it. 

I am still in complete disbelief that he is actually here, and cannot believe how content and calm he is! Looking back on my own first baby and he was a ball or tense, screaming, cranky flesh! I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Channy is so calm as well though.

The other exciting thing that happened today was his cord fell off! And he has the cutest little belly button! I love the anticipation of waiting for it to fall off to see what it looks like underneath! There is simply nothing cuter than a baby belly button ❤️

I am absolutely hating having to go to work and leave two of my favourite people behind, but I know I have to do it 😔 so the deal is Channy has to send me a buzillion photos to keep me going! And this was one of today's photos...which had me in stitches! This is one of Ayla's toy babies that is just a regular size doll, and at 1 week old he is still smaller than it! Bless.

Be kind to yourself and love those around you just a little bit more than you did yesterday
Bel xx

What a whirlwind!

It's Saturday morning and we had our first night at home with Luca. I cannot believe it has all happened! He's here! He's actually here!

Being on this side of things makes it feel like it's never actually going to happen! But it did. And we have a baby!

I still cannot get over how tiny he is! It doesn't make me feel nervous or the need to be super careful, he's just miniature compared to my porker babies!

Now I said I would go back to the birth as soon as possible, but it was all such a rush I'm not sure I actually can. The thing that blows my mind the most is the idea that waiting 15 minutes of them testing his blood gases he was OUT! He was born. But to me it seemed like a life time. Everyone who has been through it says the same thing, but it really really really did feel like forever. 

So now he's attaching for feeds much easier, which I think has a lot to do with Channy feeling comfortable at home, and not have different people tell her different things. That and the fact that he now knows what he should be doing.

Channy is feeling sore, but the worst of it is she has all this phlem on her chest that she can't cough up properly because it hurts and I think that's worse than the pain in her belly. So last night we put the humidifier on so hopefully that will help break it up a bit. 

I'm a bit bummed that I have to go to work today, but if I don't, then the million bills that are due right now won't get paid 😞 

It's GO Time!

So I'm not going to publish this until the little man is here, but OMG we are having a baby! Well of course we are, but we are actually going to have a baby at most in the next few days!
At 10:45pm on 28th April, Channy got up to blow her nose and her waters broke!!!!!!!! Now they broke before she blew her nose, so no, it wasn't the nose blowing that broke it lol.
So we both just kinda looked at each other and paused for a moment to decide what to do lol
Then Channy called the hospital and they said to go on in to be checked and monitored. So next call was to Channy's sister who was on standby to look after the kids...which of course we have because their father has chosen now to go on an extended holiday!
Anyway, we called...and called...and called some more, but like most people do at night, her phone was on silent. So we called our dear friend Erin to come over til Channy's sister could get here (she's about 20 minutes away) and after Erin realised that we were serious, she came over, still kind of asleep and expected to see Channy panting on the ground naked lmao!
So anyway, we finally get ahold of Channy's sister (17 calls later lol) and we head to the hospital. By this stage Channy is having a few contractions, but nothing serious, just little cramps really.
So we get to the hospital and they check her out, and yep, her waters have definitely broken. They hook her up to the CTG and she's having mild contractions, which is a good start. So then a really lovely doctor comes in to have a chat, and was great at explaining everything, then says she wants to do an internal.
So she does her bit, wand says that we are only 1cm dilated, which is 1 cm closer to meeting our baby!
So our options are to hang around and wait, or go home and get some rest...so we opt to go home. I asked Channy if she wants anything to eat on the way home, and she said no. Then when we were just about home she says, 'I could probably go a cheeseburger'. So what else does one do when In labour but go through Maccas drive thru ,
So now we are home...but not resting...too excited and timing contractions, which at this point are about 8 minutes apart...so now we wait!

So it's now 10:43, and we are still waiting...no more or no less regular contractions...so we still wait. Heading off for a walk soon. We have to head back up to the hospital at 3:30 this afternoon. Hopefully more happens by then! 

Update: it's now 12:56 and this feels like the longest day of my life lol! We all went for a walk at about 11 to see if that kicked things along...she had all of 1 contraction while walking pffffft! So we come home and decide to have a rest. Lie down and about 5 minutes later they hit! 3 1/2 minutes apart! At the moment she is napping and they have slowed to about 7-8 minutes apart. Part of me wants to make her move to get things going, but part of me wants to let her rest! She is worried at the moment that if we go to the hospital, they will stop or tell her to go back home, which I understand completely! Nothing worse than thinking you are getting somewhere and you aren't...so more waiting for now.

So it's now 8:40pm on Tuesday. We have been up at the hospital since about 4pm, at which time not too much was going on...contractions here & there but nothing stable/regular/shout worthy! So the decision was made to start an IV of cintocinon which was started at 6:30pm. It only made it to 4 mls before contractions became pretty intense! They are about every 3-4 minutes apart at the moment and enough to render a f*^k or two 😉 

At this point Channy is coping great with the pain, although I don't think she feels the same way! 

Love this girl to bits!

Next stop is doctor to do an internal at about 10:30, so the hour forty five countdown is on! I'm hoping for about 5cms! 

Well well well...that all got away from me lol! It's now 7:59am on Thursday May first! And our boy has been here for 23 hours and 54 minutes! That's right! Luca Paul joined our family at 8:05am on Wednesday 30th April! Not even the month he was supposed to be born!

Tuesday & Wednesday were very full on, and he ended up entering the the world via emergency c-section. Although he was teensy tiny, poor Channy has a pelvic arch that is even smaller, and there is no way he would have fit! But he is here, and he is perfect and I simply cannot believe it! 

I don't have time at the moment to finish off the birth journey, but I want to do it very soon while it is still fresh. But for now I will end with the perfection that is our son!

Luca Paul Kanofski-Tenuyl

Wednesday 30/04/2014

5lb 9oz

46cm

The waiting game...

So, technically we only have at most 35 days until we meet our little man! In reality, it could be at any moment! This bun cooking adventure has simply flown by! And not just for me! Even Channy says how fast it has gone! 

Although she has hit the uncomfortable, can't sleep properly, need to pee every 5 seconds stage, she said this morning she is really wanting to meet him but doesn't want it to be over! She's the pregnant woman everyone hopes they will be! She really is enjoying every single moment of it, which I think is as much of a shock to her as it is to me! It's an amazing feeling being pregnant for the for the first time! Everything is new and exciting as well as scary and overwhelming! But I am over the moon that she really has enjoyed it all! (Insert massive smiley face here)

Anyway, today we got in and finished off all the last little things in bubbas room. We have had it pretty well set up for a couple of months now, but had some stuff just chucked in there *blush*. So now we are ready to roll! I even put the car seat in the car to get the kids used to it being there! And we had a bit of a mission fitting the pram in with one of the back seats up to fit all the kids in, but after about 15 minutes of head scratching and taking it out and putting it back in, we got it sorted! YAY

So I shall leave you with a snap shot of the nursery, which will probably never look like this again once the little man arrives ;-)

Day of reflection

A day of reflection, respect and rememberence. ANZAC Day has always been a day that has touched me, and I'm always moved to tears at the Dawn Service. This year I took both my daughters with me, it being the first one Ayla has attended. Rhiannon has been to quite a few, but she has always been a child who is capable of being quiet and appreciating things that most adults can't. Ayla on the other hand, is the kind of child that can't keep quiet even if her life depended on it! But this morning she made me one proud mamma! Sitting quietly, taking everything in and saving her questions and observations for the walk back to the car <3

I thought that I would come home and snuggle back into the warmth of my bed and have a bit more sleep, but I'm the kind of person that once I'm awake, I'm up! So home for another coffee with my girl, who stayed tucked up in bed so we didn't have to take Connor (for those not aware, Connor has autism, and struggles big time with waiting and sitting still). I would have liked to take Connor to see how he went because his teacher wrote in his communication book yesterday that he sat beautifully through the service at school, and he was most excited to tell me he heard the "ANZAC song", but I really don't think that is the kind of place to test his patience. Perhaps next year.

So now today we are going to do the final finishing touches to the nursery, put the car seat in the car & just generally have a quiet relaxing day :-) love having days off with my family <3

Lest We Forget

Be kind to yourself and love those around you just a little bit more than you did yesterday
Bel xx

Liquid Gold!

At our last ante natal visit last week the midwife mentioned something that is completely new to me, which isn't an overly odd thing as soooo much has changed in the past 8 years since I was pregnant! Apparently now it is a common practice to express colostrum before bub arrives! It's not recommended, or even allowed, until 36 weeks, as stimulation can cause uterine irritation and lead to contractions, but considering we are now in the 'full term' status (eeeeeeeeppppp), it's all systems go. 

Now I get the theory behind it all - you express some colostrum, hopefully remember to take it to the hospital in the mad rush that is sure to be craziness, and have it on hand 'just in case' baby needs to go to the nursery or can't feed properly from the breast. It's a great idea...in theory...but my concern with it is the pressure it places on the mum-to-be even before baby arrives! There is such a stigma attached to breasfeeding...it is such a taboo subject among many online & real life communities! And it shouldn't be! It saddens me that there is so much pressure and negativity surrounding something as simple as the basic human right to be nourished! 

I was very lucky to be able to breastfeed all 3 of my children! Infact, I was thinking about it while brushing my teeth (weird I know) and I have so far spent over 4 & 1/2 years being the human equivalent of a jersey cow lol! However, if I were unable to feed my babies, I would hope that I had enough positive support in my life to move onto bottle feeding without a hitch! Does it really matter how my babies are nourished? As long as they ARE in fact being nourished and properly cared for, who's f'ing business is it how it's achieved? 

Ok, getting right back down off my soapbox and back to the reason for my post! So we hit the 36 week mark on Tuesday, so tonight Channy had a go at getting some of that much desired liquid gold into a cup, and OMG did she what! I was a hell of a milk maker back in the day, and had enough milk to feed a small village, but I'm positive I wouldn't have gotten 25mls of the ever perfect colostrum BEFORE giving birth! My girl is a champion! She had been quite concerned about not being able to breast feed, even to the point of saying the other day that she was more worried about that than actually giving birth! Yup, she's nuts lol. But that is the pressure that is inadvertently put on mums! If the fear of not being able to breast feed is greater than the fear of labour and delivery, there is something seriously wrong with the message being sent to mums! 

I do my absolute best to support my girl in her decisions, regardless of what they are, and I will certainly not be forcing anything on her that she's not happy with! And I hope that the fact that she has managed to get far more from her first time expressing than I even thought possible, is enough to ease her mind and prove to her that it's not something that should be stressed over, rather something that should be embraced if possible, and moved on from with comfort & ease if not! 

So I'll leave you with the evidence! I certainly wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it, so wouldn't expect anyone else to ;-)

Off to catch some z's, because tomorrow is ANZAC day & my little girls & I are headed to the Dawn Service to pay our respects!

Night night all.

Be kind to yourself and love those around you just a little bit more than you did yesterday
Bel xx