Julia 2yrs
7months (March 08)|Sarah
17months (March 08)|TJ 2yrs
7months (March 08)|Nikki almost 17 months
13/1/08 - Sarah is talking a heap, Julia is potty trained, Sarah has terrible diarrhoea, Mark starts a new job as a Senior in 2 weeks – still at Fremantle. Dad’s chosen a contractor for the house, who is supposed to be very reliable and honest, he says it should be done by year end. We have 10 weeks to go till baby is here, this baby hardly ever seems to sleep, even when I wake up at night he’s going hell for leather. Thank goodness he already has two older sisters to try to help sap his energy when he pops.
Teresa is very sick still and tried to quit her job in the week but found she had to give 4 weeks notice or repay 4 weeks worth, so has tried to cut down her hours a little and work afternoons only.
Saturday 19/1/08 – I’m just 7 months now – Baby due Easter Monday.
Sarah is far further in speech than Julia too (about 5-6 months ahead) – probably because Julia chatters all day. I think Julia was more responsible in other areas though, probably because when she was small she was the one I asked to fetch / carry / pack up and she still is the one I ask and Sarah gets it lightly.
Teresa is still very sick and 15 weeks behind me, so she’s into 2nd trimester now and should have got a little better.
See Tim and Amanda fairly often – perhaps 1ce per week or fortnight usually. More lately as family have still been in town with Bill’s wedding.
Names for new baby: we’re thinking John Paul or David Paul (or something else if I decide to change my mind!
Monday 28/1/08 - I keep weird hours now, often can’t sleep before 1am or 2am, or if I conk earlier, I’m wide awake at about 2.30am and get up for a few hours then instead.
Tuesday 29/1/08 - We have been well for the past almost 2 weeks. We spent Monday with all our friends – them included. Soiree was wonderful, and a lovely warm, but not too warm evening. The music was lovely. Mark sang only one song on his own as there were a lot of people to sing and he wished to give Geoff more time. He sang the song he wrote for me 8 years ago, and he had really perfected it wonderfully. Unfortunately I didn’t get to hear much of his singing as, as soon as he was on stage Sarah just wanted to see him or tell everyone near that that was her dad – so we escaped into the house. Mark sang 2 with Talitha and Bec, and they really sounded heavenly. Geoff was very brave and did 2 songs on his own. He did VERY well and was very pleased with himself afterwards. Matt Tuson did a lovely piano/singing solo, and then one or two with Joe. Berries did various in different forms with various people – Josh on drums or Guitar, Cammi on Violin. Jess flew over for the soiree and sang in the ‘Grand Finale’ incorporating a few of the players/singers. David Grieve sang a lovely song to his Ipod as Sean was AWOL. Brendan didn’t do anything this year.
Michelle came late but enjoyed herself. She’d been fishing all day with a friend and 5 kids between them. They all came and the kids were very good. Bianca has really matured, she converses well, and sat still watching for a good ½ hour. She and Jeremy played a ran around a little, but then both conked to sleep, so Michelle had a nice relaxing evening. She had an appointment Friday with the specialist to schedule her op, but even though I asked her a number of times when her op will be, I never got a reply as there were always other people walking past and enquiring about her leg. She was looking very well, chirpy and happy, and still insists that she’s loving life in Toodyay, apart from when the horrible heat heats up the metal in her ankle so much it burns her skin, and so she has to sit with it in a bucket of water. Her aircon is out of action at the moment as something crawled into it as died so it stinks when she turns it on and she hasn’t got around to digging inside yet.
We had hoped to see Michelle last weekend as we went to Gidgegannup for an engagement party, but unfortunately just could not dredge up the energy but the time we’d already been out a few hours with girls running in opposite directions in a nice big home full of ornaments, ponds, bush and snakes, alcohol – you get the idea.
Teresa finally managed to quit her job by puking all over the computer at her desk while trying to deal with a customer on the phone. Previously she’d always managed to make it to a bin or loo.
Friday 1/2/08 – Undercoverwear party at my home – their clothes are lovely quality and VERY comfortable. It was a nice evening with adult company. Mark took the girls to Bill’s new in-law’s house. Terry is a star (or sucker for punishment) and it was nice to have a bit of a chat with ladies in a mostly clean home.
Wednesday 6/2/08 – Ash Wednesday
We have been busy, Ash Wednesday, playgroup, baby appointment, apparently it’s tummy is on target, but head circ and length are slightly shorter than average (though very slightly by the looks of her chart, I wouldn’t be too surprised with the other two being so very average) – which I can’t say I’m too unhappy about – birthing a smaller head.
Thursday 7/2/08 - We’ve been playing in the puddles this morning, but apart from hearing some overnight, and it raining today, we haven’t had any earlier in the week. I’m feeling a little better.
Sunday 10/2/08 –
We had a bunch of rain last week (one whole night and day) and so spent a day playing in puddles and raincoats and things, which was lovely for a change. Temps expected to be back up near 40 by the end of the week, so we will be staying in a lot.
Piece of an email of
Mark’s to his parents – I’ve put it in here to keep a bit of life from his
perspective. Half of the point of this website
is to keep track of our goings on to add to my photo scrapbooks as I get to
these dates. At the moment, much of the
information I put up is stolen from emails to Mark’s parents on their
wanderings – I hope they don’t mind, but it really has helped me keep up with
recording rough events and how the family is changing, learning, growing.
It really has been
hot, the air con in the house and the car has been a lifesaver -
particularly for Diane.
Di has been battling a
bit with sleep, uncomfort / tummy cramps, but as always been charging on. Julia
is really coming into her own now in terms of helping out / listening and
playing with others (Kids at park etc). Sarah in the last week and a half has
started singing nursery rhymes (Sometimes in tune) - much quicker that
Julia – probably as with so many other things cos Julia is already showing her
how and we are doing more stuff with them both like that. Work has been good. I
have been covering my old position as well as most of my new position for the last
2 weeks and will do until 18th of Feb cos the person we hired to replace me
can’t start till then. It’s good but very very busy and stressful in terms of
covering 2 positions in the one day as well as learning all the new stuff with
the new job – but getting there. It’ll be good when I am backfilled properly
and I can focus on my new position.
Yeah, Michelle is
looking really well, sounds like she really has found her niche out there – the
abundance of manual work and seeing the outcome of the same has been good for
the whole family I think. Great support network too. Theresa found and left
messages a week or two ago but Di was out or sleeping, so no real news. Caught
up with Cheryl and Dave Grieve who are going on a 14 day cruise around the
pacific islands in a weeks time – they are really looking forward to it.
Otherwise everything
else is just cruising on, church music, play groups, friends etc. The soiree
went really well, Geoff got up which was excellent.
Tuesday 12/2/08 –
We’re doing pretty well. Spending all our time at home, so heat is not affecting us much, except that I don’t go out even into the garden with the girls apart from a little some mornings. Oh well, not too many weeks longer. Mark is absolutely pooped as he’s still trying to cover both positions until next week. He’s been working long hours, and with the heat and tiring day does not have the energy to take the girls to the park which he used to do.
Girls are going well. Sarah argues, states her mind and sings nursery rhymes with actions at every mealtime and most of the rest of the day too. She’s very clingy and won’t give me more than about 2 minutes peace at a time. She used to be a daddy’s girls but lately only mum will do. Julia’s really excited about the baby. Everything I eat she checks with me whether or not the baby will like the food, and often asks to cuddle him when he pops out. She feels and watches him kicking a lot. Sarah just likes to giggle and pock my belly button – I don’t think she can follow what we’re on about. Julia is a really helpful little star, with a large field of understanding which is excellent – we can really reason with her nicely.
We’re just too tired to go anywhere, I have hated the few times I’ve got up the energy to go to the shops and then felt so ill once there, but still had to pay for groceries, get kids in car and come home before collapsing, so lately I’m just too chicken and Mark goes on the weekend with one or more of the girls or I go on my own. We go to playgroup Wednesday morning, and that is all. I’m not been to my parents since mid January – just too much effort. Mark’s taken them for a swim once a few weeks ago. Mum and dad were very drained after all that happened in December, and with extra things going on from Bill’s wedding, especially as both now work full time and fairly long hours.
Must go, kids are sad, and Mark’s just done the dishes. He’s really turning even more (I know he always was) into a really helpful husband, and hands-on dad even while being so tired. He’s really enjoying the kids at the moment, just watching them, playing with them or trying to work out what they’re on about which can be very amusing.
Thursday 14/2/08 – Valentines Day
Nibby had them for about 4 hours on Valentines Day as Mark took the day off and took me for a movie and lunch. They were sad when I left, but when I got back to Nibby’s, they were so happy they weren’t interested in hopping up to come to me. They just chatted and told me what they’d been doing. They were sitting next to each other on the outdoor swing, having a ‘tea’ party and drinking water from their tiny cups.
Thursday 21/2/08 -
We’re doing well. Mark’s slightly less stressed with week as it’s his first week ONLY doing his new position. We all now have snot, sore throats, coughs and I have a bit of an earache – so our lovely run of being nice and healthy is over. I did some gardening Tuesday morning (I try to do it every Tuesday to fill up the leftover space in the bin with grass (I have to cut our long grass with shears as our lawnmower is broken and Mark is not too worried about long grass – I prefer short grass so that girls can play on it, so have been slowly week by week cutting about 2-3 square metres of it per week) as our pickup is Wednesday) and all the housework – vacuuming, washing floors, toilets, bathroom, and so by the time I then went and did groceries after our nap I’d pinched a nerve in my bum, which made walking very slow and awkward. It’s still twinging a bit as I think I overdid the exercise (we were just having people over for dinner), but this pregnancy has been so much better strength and energy-wise. I think having to just keep going and doing cleaning, lifting (at least up to kid weight), hopping up and down all the time has meant my muscles are still used to doing that despite the tummy. The other two pregnancies I think I was a slob at this point as I relaxed far more previously, and so to do anything then seemed like a huge effort.
Julia’s been very amusing and such a star lately – she’s continually coming up with funny things. Sarah’s a bit clingy. Both of them especially at dinnertime, where they sing Mark every Nursery Rhyme in their repertoire (which is good distraction for shovelling food in) and tell him all sorts of stories about their day (some they just make up or borrow from last month or what they’d ‘like’ to do). They are continually ‘sharing’ their food, water and giving each other peace (like at Mass). We will have to watch them as they grow up, as they’re beginning to figure out to just eat what they like (they like different things) off both plates – sharing all their food. Julia is a star, whenever they get something nice to eat eg. Dried fruit, biscuit etc. Sarah will eat hers in one mouthful, and then will ask for more, and Julia will sit their and share hers with Sarah until hers is gone too.
At one point on Tuesday Julia was trying to do puzzles and share with Sarah. Sarah kept yelling and wanting different bits etc. Eventually Julia stood up, took Sarah and said, “OK, Julia read books with Sarah” and lead her off to the corner of the lounge where all Sarah’s favourite little books are and they both sat there next to each other reading little books for 15min or so – very cute. Later in the day she was looking for her undies, I heard her wandering around asking her angel to help her, it was really cute. She was saying, “Angel, where Julia’s undies?” – every few seconds as she looked. They spent yesterday singing together, making music with spoons and lids (to nursery Rhymes on a CD), holding hands dancing, and just generally being monkeys with each other instead of playing/fighting over toys. It was lovely to watch and a welcome peaceful change. They had gone to playgroup in the morning to work off energy, Mark took them to the park when he got home, and the cooler change has meant they can explore outside a little more again, so they were very happy overall.
Friday 22/2/08 - Michelle Mark’s sister was due to have her operation (to get the metal pins out of her leg from her fall off a horse in November) today.
Saturday 23/2/08 - Mum and dad had the girls ALL DAY Saturday – evening picked them up and dropped them off, so Mark and I could go to a homeschooling conference. It was a really weird day, but nice knowing they would be being entertained (probably far better than we would have had energy to do) and happy. They were really happy leaving, and everyone had a good afternoon sleep there as well, so it sounds like it went really well.
Tuesday 26/2/08 - We’re going ok – up and down. Mark had a ‘recovery’ day on Monday so is a little more relaxed I think. He even spent an hour fixing taps with Julia. He made the kitchen ones worse, but the bathroom one he made turn like a breeze. It used to be very stiff but not drip. He changed the washer so then it was nice and easy but dripped. He then changed the whole tap unit to some spare one we had from one of the flats and now it’s unmatched (who cares) and is easy enough for Julia to wash her own hands which she is very excited about and doesn’t drip. He’s become very adept at changing taps, washers and filing taps. ½ the time he fixes them, and ½ the time they end up worse or similar – poor thing. They are the bane of his life I think (as he always has some on his fix it list, whether from this house, or the flats – at least dad messes with Tim’s house), but he’s got quite quick and proficient at them – I think they’re much less annoying than trying to fix cars. He’s also getting good at drilling holes. He’s been working on Michelle’s old house (Baden) for a few weeks, adding curtain rails and is due to go back to finish mounting a tumble drier and filter in the laundry (needed a pipe tracker machine first which we can’t find) and we had to put up a new pagola, which he tied to the wall in places through holes he’d drilled.
Julia was very funny last night going to sleep. After lying there for a while I heard her saying prayers in the dark. Roughly along the lines of “Jesus, please look after me tonight while I sleep”, and something to do with her angel which I can’t remember, but then the funny part was that at the end she said,” OK?” pause “alright” – like she was making a deal and listening for confirmation. Gave me a smile anyway.
Sarah still looks like a spider when she walks, skinny legs sticking out awkwardly and arms to balance herself (though mostly as she loves hats but ends up with them so low over her eyes she can't really see).
Mark’s finally conked with the girls after MANY late computer nights this past week and a half. He’s given up Tuesday and Thursday nights playing computer for Lent (though it doesn’t extend to movies etc.), so has wonderfully put his evening to good healthy use – and given me time on the computer. He’s on a LAN this coming weekend, so he’s a bit hooked at the moment preparing and practising and getting scores and characters and I don’t know what else done.
Geoff Mark’s brother has taken long service leave from army – which he can do for 5 years. He’s got an old work van which he can bring home and use any time Emma’s out in the car and he needs to go somewhere. He’s seen a few concerts recently and spending lots of time with the Talmage boys (Emma says Byron is his other girlfriend). He sounds more relaxed than previously, and happier.
We had a baby appointment today – just under 4 weeks to go. Baby is posterior as were the other two. I have read that some doctors suspect some women are more susceptible to posterior babies due to the shape of their pelvis. Mark says maybe it’s because the same woman obviously will live life in the same sort of positions, lending her body to be more comfortable to the baby in certain ways. Whatever, though I have been far more active this pregnancy and only very occasionally and briefly sit to have a restful slouch. Oh well, the other two turned during labour, so I will just hope for that. Our little son (according to the 32 week ultrasound) is of normal fatness (around the belly), but is a little shorter than average – I don’t mind as they also mentioned the head was a little smaller too. He’s been head down at any appointment I’ve had for a while, and he’s riding very low, which has meant slightly less sore ribs.
Tuesday 11/3/08 - I have so much paperwork and financial
junk to do and never get time to do it. I’m having real trouble
sleeping so am up in the early hours doing the needed paperwork, and much
cramping most of the day, so not doing a HEAP during the day.
Sarah’s teething and a bit snotty, so is driving me up the wall with
whinging. Julia’s being pretty good, though she’s being very bossy
to Sarah which results in even more whinging. Sarah seems to be
continually told off by Julia for nearly anything she decides to
do. Mark’s had a bit of backache the last couple of days (probably
cause he was drilling and up in the roof of our
Enjoyed reading Granny Colleen and Grandpa Paul’s blog of their adventures around Australia(Sarah and Julia sit on my lap and ‘read’ it too, asking lots of questions – Sarah I think may not really remember who they are, though she says Granny and Grandpa at the pictures, but Julia often asks questions about where you are and what you’re doing and asking to see them on the computer.)
Tim and Amanda:
Amanda’s working at KFC now, frying burgers, so very hot and
uncomfortable. She works 4-9 hours per shift, and does 4-5 shifts
per week. Tim is therefore being stay-at-home dad, which I think
has REALLY motivated him to get another job! He’s still looking
(mostly only on Mondays and Wednesdays when kids are in daycare), had a few
possibilities fall through (bit hard not being able to drive) and is being
strung along a bit 
for
a drilling job he really wants.
Sunday 16/3/08 – Lovely day scrapbooking while Mark took the girls to Joe and Nibby’s (eternal suckers for punishment).
Friday 21/3/08 – Good Friday
Sunday 23/3/08 – EASTER SUNDAY
Spent the weekend doing all sorts of chores and decluttering
after reading “Kitchen Sink Reflections” or something like that from the Fly
Lady. Very inspiring. Have chucked/given out a heap, feeling much
better. Poor Mark put his back out with
his first chore (suspicious) 
but
has still been very helpful.
Spent some time at Grandpa PG’s and Granny Darrell’s. Grandpa PG made a dolls house after a request from me for some similar to my childhood dolls house. Julia loved it.
Monday 24/3/08 – DUE DATE
Tuesday 25/3/08 – Family Birth Centre appointment - they told me he was ‘up’ (so less engaged than 2 weeks ago). They said being 3rd baby he’ll be up and down right up until labour as the muscles are so much slacker. Mark was home sick (he and Sarah have mouth ulcers) so he looked after the kids and I went on my own. I got home at 12.30pm and Julia was still at the table eating her breakfast (we are trying to get her to feed herself, she is just so slow and unmotivated – she’ll happily eat dinner and lunch, and will eat things if we feed her) after 4 hours. I’d got an exercise trampoline from the verge (we are due to have bulk collection this week and have put a heap out and scored some nice things including a chalkboard/white board easel for the girls, fencing for the new house at mum and dads, wood for shelves in one of the broken chest of drawers in the craftroom, carpet covered ‘notice/drawing pin’ board for my schooling of them etc.) which uncle Bill set up (required legs screwed on and bricks for the missing leg). This motivated Julia to finish breakfast in record time. Bill was visiting (he visits fortnightly on a Tuesday around lunch time, though never eats, on his way back from doing contract computer work for a taxi company at the airport). He is at uni FULL TIME (which requires Thursday evening only of contact time). He has the life Mark always dreamed of. One evening Uni, a couple of hours per fortnight work, a wife doing a heavy uni course and working 2 days per week, newly married, living with inlaws, so limited cooking/cleaning, rent, maintenance, heaps of time for COMPUTER GAMES – though Bill does play things like scrabble rather than just mindlessly shooting other people on the web).
My baby tips for family or friends or
myself as each impending birth approaches:
I LOVE booties over socks, if anyone offers you any, snap them up. Booties can be tied tight, socks ALWAYS fall off.
Babygrows (the long sleeved long legged (usually with feet) things are best to live in during winter (with a singlet underneath)) are a pain if they have to go over the head. The ones with poppers down the front are AWESOME. Bonds ones are brilliant, not too baggy, not too thick, not too thin (jumper can always be added), but be aware that their sizing seems to be out of sinc with any other brand. A 0000 bonds babygrow will fit your baby for about half a day unless it’s prem, as it’s equivalent to another size 00000. So 00 bonds is about 000 anything else. Basically I would not bother with anything less than bonds 000, and even then my babies were in the 0000 (bonds 000) only for max 3 weeks.
I also LOVE the one piece short things with sleeves (especially for summer) over dresses (very annoying before they can walk) or shirts and shorts, as when you hand baby, his/her shirt/dress never come up exposing their bellies all day and getting cold. These are also good under the babygrows, but I find singlets easier as the babygrow holds everything in place and otherwise you have two sets of poppers to do at every nappy change (Julia as a young baby did 4-7 very runny leaky poos per day and so ALWAYS needed to be changed (nappy and clothes). Sarah only pooed about once every 4 days.
A few pairs of mitten things are essential for their early days when they scratch themselves.
Wraps are great and you may need a lot if your baby poos like Julia.
I have found a pack of the cloth nappies (just square pieces of towelling) great and mine are still heavily used now. First I change them on them, and they can lie on them if a wrap isn’t around, they are hardly, and clean potty training messes later, and then food/water messes when they get still older. Can be a towel if none are available. Just good all purpose rather than having designated change mat, cleaning clothes bla de bla.
Saturday 29/3/08 – Had a wonderful day playing with TJ and Nikki at Granny Darrell and Grandpa PG’s. No fighting – amazing.
Teresa almost 26 weeks pregnant, myself almost 41 weeks pregnant.
Sunday 30/3/08 – Divine Mercy Sunday. We got to Mass 1 hour early as we’d forgotten about the end of daylight savings. The girls had a nice play on the jungle gym nearby. The girls were really good at Mass, very quiet and this was the first Mass I didn’t hold Sarah all Mass to stop her running away, and she didn’t (though I sat the entire Mass – I was too sore – and so she still had quite a few cuddles on my lap). Julia has taken to excitedly stepping out of the pew into the isle each time there is a song, and dancing. Sarah often joins her, but she is inclined to wander off. We have to ensure we’re right at the back or edge to stop this distracting others. She picked this up from some other kids (but at least it’s better than running around with the other kids the ENTIRE Mass as they used to do in the cry room – I hate those places unless we’re the only ones in there – it’s like crèche.) and I’m trying to get her to do her dancing in the pew as she used to. They both love the ‘sign of peace’ and give everyone around ‘Peace’. We have a bit of trouble though if there is an old granny or grandpa that has not paid attention and given them peace, and they (Julia in particular) gets very upset. They also love putting money in the plate at collection time. Luckily Sarah learnt a number of months ago to just drop it in, rather than trying to swap it for someone else’s money that looked more interesting.
Julia hopped out of the shower to do a poo on the toilet. So Sarah hopped out and did her first poo on the potty (I found one in the cupboard that had a small enough seat bit for her bum, as the one Julia has used before was too wide and Sarah would just sit ‘in’ the potty where the wee’s are supposed to go) too – we were so proud.
Monday 31/3/08 – Received Lovely black Sleepywrap I ordered. Much like the material sling I made and have used for the other two, but hoping it’ll stay in place better when the baby is not actually in it, as it’s got some spandex in it. I’m looking into getting the ERGO for Mark. Mum’s at co-op love their, have worn them to death, and they are really easy to put the baby in and out of, and very supportive. I just like my cloth slings for wearing a long time, as they can take the babe from birth and are SO comfortable.
Ordered our twin toddler seats today, to convert the double Adventure Buggy Company Pram we have (which I LOVE) into a Quad pram. We wanted it especially for Fairbridge late April so we have somewhere out and about for children to sleep/have bums changed etc. From what I understand it has a toddler seat in front too, so it could take 5 children. Though by then its 100kg or more you’re lugging around – by then some should definitely be old enough to walk and take turns or something. Unless we have a multiple birth.
Tuesday 1/4/08 – Our 6th Wedding Anniversary – will today be the day for our impending arrival?
I awoke (late – Mark had set Julia up drawing and watching Winnie the Pooh while I slept some more with Sarah and he went to work) and let Sarah out of the room, and lay there a while listening to the two of them. Julia has become such a loving and helpful big sister. /
Dialogue:
Julia: “Here Sarah, come do drawing. Here. No, one each, one for Sarah, one for Julia. No Sarah, one each. Use your pencil. Ok, hop up in chair, here is your paper.”
Sarah: Just repeating
various of Julia’s nouns and verbs.
Julia: “Sarah, draw an angel. Needs face. And wings, no two wings. One this side, one other side.”
Julia came and showed me her drawing a little later and I was so impressed. She’d drawn a face, and my baby (which she keeps praying to Jesus will pop out soon), some mountains. Sarah began complaining to get down, and Julia said to me not to get up, but that she’d go and get Sarah. She told me she’d told Sarah to get up into her highchair, then she’s pushed her in to the table so she could draw. She then went and pulled her out from the table so Sarah could get down.
Baby sleeping happily – I can walk again this morning. Must have just been mad from excursion to town yesterday to pick up a free 4 drawer filing cabinet – bit of a mission with fat belly, and two toddlers – though my darling uncle Moo came along and did all the heavy work. Last Wednesday afternoon, Saturday and yesterday were all afternoons with a lot of discomfort, but they were all after being out and about in the morning, so maybe I have to just stay home and rest. Or maybe I do double the excursion so that labour truly GETS going? I’ll see how brave/energetic I feel.
Julia on the phone to Aunty Reeze – “When new baby pops out then dad will take it to the park. New baby can go in the pram like Sarah. Julia will walk, Julia is a big toddler.”
Wednesday 2/4/08 – Tim starts a new job in
Amanda’s been working up a storm for the past 3 ½ weeks at KFC, saving for airfares home to Sawn Hill to see her family. Teresa’s been babysitting TJ and Nikki a lot. They are in day-care Mondays and Wednesdays which Nikki loves, and TJ’s not too sad about. Teresa is finally feeling better and has only thrown up once in the last month (McDonalds was the cause) and is enjoying her lazy lifestyle – bit of a midday movie junkie now.
Julia and Sarah have been playing together so well this past week; it’s really made my heart and soul, fill with love. They love chasing each other around the house with their noisy push toys, pouring water over each other in the shower, and last night spent ages putting each other to bed in boxes in the lounge, complete with pillows, blankets tucked in and teddies.
Thursday 3/4/08 – 40 weeks 10 days - Went into the hospital for a foetal heart monitor, ultrasound and GP appointment. Baby is fine, didn’t kick much. Fat baby, already 8 pounds 1 ounce, head pretty average 34cm. They tried to ‘entice’ him by messing with the membranes (sac) through my cervix, as with most 2nd, 3rd babies your cervix can be open a little for weeks before delivery. Well mine isn’t, so they could do anything ‘naturally’. My body and baby are obviously neither, thinking about anything any time soon. If I go into labour up till Monday I can have it at the Family Birth Centre still. They won’t induce, so whenever I get induced I will have to have the baby in the hospital. If induction doesn’t work (not always guaranteed) they will caesar. If they don’t Caesar and birth is good and uncomplicated I can go home after 6 hours, which they’d like as they are so busy, or I could go back down to Family Birth Centre to recover for the usual 24 hours there. Caesar is a 4 day recovery. I have to ring Sunday 2pm to see if they have room to induce me Sunday evening. They are fully booked until Friday (baby boom over last couple of years in particular has really been stretching them), but the risks of still birth increase dramatically after 14 days. If they are full, on Sunday, then I’ll just get pushed to a waiting list for Monday, and then Tuesday etc. getting more and more urgent.
Any tips? Doctor gave me a recipe for Castor oil, orange juice and bicarb – to blast it out of there I asked?. She said it will give me tummy cramps and diarrohea and maybe even start labourJ. Mmm. Sounds like I have great alternatives.
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Julia (2 yrs 7 ½
months) |
Sarah (17 ½ months) |
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Favourite Nursery Rhymes |
10 fat sausages sizzling in the pan |
Incey Wincey Spider |
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Favourite Songs |
Twinkle, twinkle little star, Lollipop |
Wheels on the Bus (she knows all the actions), Twinkle, twinkle little star (Sarah has just learnt to sing all the lines on her own in order - wow.) |
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Other things they like to do actions for and sing at the table |
Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, Hot Cross Buns, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Once I caught a fish alive, and many others |
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Favourite Activities at home |
‘Wrapping’ things like block, or imaginary babies in scraps of material to give to us as presents. Building towers our of duplo (the large lego stuff). Drawing, or even better PAINTING. Being read to. I have not determined the length of Julia’s attention span, as mine has always waned first. Walking on the wall in front of the house. Riding tricycles. |
Putting little tuna cans in bowls and cups and delivering
them to people as ‘pancakes’ or pushing them around the house in a trolley,
or sorting them out and hiding them on surfaces all over the place. Julia sampling some
of Sarah’s ‘pancakes’. Reading her little books. Being read to – her attention span is slowly increasing. Walking on the wall in front of the house. Being pushed around on her tricycle. |
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Excursions |
Playing with ‘all my friends waiting for me’ at the park – Mark takes them often in the evening. |
‘Playground’. She asks Mark for, “pram, walk, playground” as soon as he gets home. |
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Weekly homeschool playgroup co-op Monthly Catholic homeschool First Friday gathering |
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Best friends |
TJ, friends at the park and others at Playgroup |
Nikki, Lyra at playgroup and baby Aston. |
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Favourite toys |
Dolls, blocks, stones (she can’t stop picking them up off the carparks of anywhere we go), other things she can sort through like buttons |
Push toys, little niknaks – like the tuna cans, teddys and Tigger, balls, clothes and other things to pull out of drawers, fitting things (like clipping herself in her highchair, wooden pegs into holes in an egg carton), opening and closing lids on pots, posting things. |
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Videos |
Winnie-the-pooh, Dumbo, Letterland, Veggetales – all sorts – Julia would watch all day if she could (daddy and her definitely have the same genes). |
None, anything keeps her attention for a matter of minutes |
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Favourite books |
Many – thank goodness. Various Doctor Seuss ones, books about Spot |
A little Asian book about a baby sister coming home, books about Spot, and picture (e.g. alphabet dictionary or household items ones) books or touchy feely ones. |
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Favourite animals |
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Tigers are number one, then bunnys, cats, dogs, ducks. |
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Current questions |
Whether that particular animal bites or not? Where the mummy, daddy, or baby of that animal is? Questions about how/when mum’s new baby is going to pop out. |
All the parts of the body – she loves naming them for you, and will especially begin when in trouble or when you’re asking her to do something else. She loves belly buttons, noses and eyebrows. |
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Current prayers |
Always for Aunty Shell, Jeremy and Bianca. Lately also Fr. Paul and of course mum, dad, Julia, Sarah and new baby. Often closes her eyes to ‘see’ and ‘talk’ to her guardian angel. |
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Favourite outfits |
Stockings, hats, gumboots, ‘pretty dresses’ |
Any shoes (even daddy’s stinky sneakers on her hands), and definitely hats – all sizes – being able to see where you’re going after putting them on, is not an important aspect. |
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Knowledge they like to demonstrate |
Letters she recognises on Bill boards, in the books I’m reading – some letters we’ve purposely been trying to learn, and then others she’s just learnt through osmosis. Songs she can sing right through and doesn’t want us to join in with any more. Bits of the ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘Our Father’ prayer. Undressing herself totally and mostly dressing herself. |
Letters she recognises, eg. On postboxes, books, out and about. Body parts. |
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Learning |
Terribly scarey things on the jungle gym – I’m glad Mark takes them, not me. |
How to jump |
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Skills acquired lately |
She learnt to go down the fireman’s pole at the park on her own a couple of months ago. |
Feeding herself with a spoon and without too much mess. Drinking from a cup without spilling. She has been able to drink from our water bottles from a few months which has been great, but having mouth ulcers recently meant her bottle and to some extent ours were sore, and so she switched to wanting a cup. |
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How they like to help |
Julia loves getting things when Sarah’s upset, to make her happy – e.g. toys at nappy change time. She fills the water bottles from the filter, by getting a chair so she can reach. She then screws all their caps on and puts them in the fridge (I hate this job). Doing the toilet thing all by herself – stripping, getting on toilet, doing some wiping herself, working out which flush to use, washing and drying her own hands. Getting things for me, that I’m about to get up and get. Opening the door for visitors. Going out to get the post all on her own. Helping with the sprinklers for the grass. |
She often tells us when she’s done a poo, which is great. She loves to do her own teeth, and promises of teeth can get her attention from most things. |
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Favourite Foods |
Rice, pasta, couscous, banana, egg, ice, tomatoes, cheese |
Chips, rice, pasta, couscous, banana, tea, ‘joos’, ice, tomatoes, cheese |
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Food Dislikes |
Capsicum (no matter how we cook it), chips |
Capsicum (no matter how we cook it) |
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