One week old already.... :(

Mummy's scared!!! It's going too fast already!!!!

I think we're kinda in a routine! He's a good feeder. Every 3-4 hours. I can almost set a clock to him... I'm not going to count my chickens just yet though cause it's all bound to change!

Off to the hospital tomorrow to see the Physio's about his little foot (slightly turned in cause of how he was in the womb.. just needs to be exercised out) and to be weighed again to see how much MORE weight the little heffer has put on!!! (He was up 100g from coming home Sunday to Tuesday afternoon!)

As for me... the weight just seems to be melting off...

From Induction Day to coming home I dropped 8.9kg (brought almost 4 of it home with me though!) and since have lost a further 4.1kg... they're definately right about breastfeeding helping!!! Just need to figure out how to fit some exercise in to tone things back up now.... hrmmm....

Introducing... Ezekiel Martin

Arrived at 1.53pm on Thursday 23rd September 2010, weighing in at 8lb 9oz, 51cm long with a head circ of 36cm.

Birth Story!!

41w 5d

Wednesday 10am

ANC visit to discuss options as overdue. Dr asked me when I wanted to be induced - to which the answer was.. "Now would be great!!" and it turns out that it was because my blood pressure was 155/100!!! He got me to do a pee sample and go and get some bloods done at pathology and then report to Birth Suite. Stu had come up to the appointment after doing a work job - so had to go back to Redcliffe (30 mins) drop off the work car.. get our car and all the hospital stuff and come back. I text my mum while I was waiting for bloods and she arrived about the same time as I reported to Birth Suite.

They put me on the CTG to do a trace and then did an internal to accertain I was not ready for business - AT ALL - so they inserted a Cervadil to soften things. They waited for Stu to get back and it was all done and in by 12.30. They monitored me in BS for a while to check that the Cervadil wasn't causing issues for bubs and then sent me to the ward. Mum and Stu did some car swapping and manouvering and got me some Macca's on the way back.. which I ate.. and then ate my hospital dinner too!!! (oops!!)

The Cervadil is supposed to be in for 24 hours.. and soften the cervix enough that they can break your waters and go from there at the 24 hour point.. well... my body wasn't happy about that.. It decided that it wanted me to start contracting pretty much straight away. I went from 14 mins to 7 mins to 3 mins!! That said we were out wandering the car park and trying to get things going! The actual Cervadil thing fell out around 11pm so they took us up to BS again to do another internal to see how the progression was going... 2cms... BLERGH! The pains were uncomfortable, but nothing really in the scheme of things. They gave me some Panadol and told us to get some sleep. Managed maybe 2 hours.

Thursday 7am

Dr came in and broke my waters in the hope it would speed things up... well.... it did... for a little bit - but then it all just SLOWED! They mentioned the Syntocin drip and we discussed how I wanted to labour and deliver etc... and it was all put into place to happen if the labour hadn't progressed by 10.30 which is when I was due another internal... (there is no such thing as dignity anymore.. seriously!) Had a canula put in (that was ouchy too!) and more bloods drawn before they got me situated and started on the drip at 11am. Bubs was engaged and ready and cause they couldn't get a good trace off the CTG we had the head clip thing done. (Sorry honey... they said it wouldn't hurt!)

Thursday 11am

Internal from 10.30 showed that I had gone to 3cm... Whoopdy doo!!! They 'stretched' me to 4... and then started the drip. It goes in increments 1, 2, 4, 8 and so on. I started contracting straight away.. I managed it without pain relief until they had increased the drip to 4 (I remember Stu saying they'd missed a step!) At that point she came back in and gave me the gas.. 30 good stuff /70 oxygen. We also removed the dress I was wearing and got me up and into the position that I wanted to labour in... Hands and knees.. over the bean bag on the bed... and I didn't move from there until after the birth! I remember saying I wanted to go and wee... but then things heated up.. and I'm pretty sure I pissed myself... multiple times! She asked if it had relieved the pressure so I guess I did anyway!!! I don't know when they did it but they so nicely turned the gas up to 40/60 at some point... obviously I was getting too loud or something!

Thursday 1pm (guessing!!)

The paperwork in my folder said this is when I hit 10 cm... so I'm guessing it's when the urge to push started... and they said to go for it!!! I asked for an Epi... (too late!) Told my mum she was a martyr..... sorry... effen martyr! (she was going to leave but we really needed her to be there! she kept asking Stu if he was okay with it...)

The gas at this point and my breathing were the only things I could concentrate on.. the contractions were so strong and fast.. there's just no room left for you to think about anything else. It didn't help me to moan and groan and grunt either.. cause that just took away the focus on the task at hand.

I obviously shit myself.. cause I heard her say that she was going to wipe me... cheers! Should have just done it!!! and I can still feel the fingers of them trying to stretch my perenium cause it just wasn't working right! that was fun too... They had to keep moving me back up the bed cause I kept bearing down and pushing myself back instead of pushing bubba out.. It's all instinctual.. but it took a bit for my brain to catch up to what it was supposed to be doing... I think hearing the Dr say something about forceps helped me regain my focus. Especially when I hadn't heard the Dr come in... turns out that with my contractions bubs head was going in and out and his heart rate was dropping each time. So much so that the machine was alarming and they just turned the noise off so Stu wouldn't stress over it!

There are no words to describe the actual birthing sensation... OMFG fits well here though. It's just a burn that you have to push through... there's no way around it... nothing you can do to stop it - other than push through it. I heard them say the head was out and to do another few pushes and then the shoulders were out and gush... it was over! (I wasn't dropping cause he was plugging the escape route! All the waters were up behind him!) Stu said the rush was on to get him over to the baby crash cart cause he was purple. They shoved the scissors to him and got him to cut the cord and then we waited for the cry.. for what felt like forever... I was still out of it cause to me.. I didn't know there was other stuff going on so was still trying to figure out what was happening!! It's like an out of body experience - 'cept... you don't leave your body! After being in that position and pushing for almost an hour it was really really hard to turn over... I almost ended up off the bed... I had to be lifted over so that I could get the placenta out.. One push and it was done. They brought bubby over to me.. but he was wrapped and I wanted him naked! Skin on Skin dammit!!!! I was instantly smitten. Stu was in tears... so was I... Mum was in charge of the camera!!!

Thursday 23 September 2010 1.53pm - Our lives changed forever! No longer just us.. now us three! A family in the real sense of the word. A little life, created in love that is ours to cherish forever and ever.

40w+3d

So....

Knock Knock....

Hello....

Where are you....

I really really really want to meet you....

You've been SUPER DOOPER active in there the last few days... is this because you're running out of room or are you looking for that big flashing green 'GO' button that I keep telling you to press??

Well.. I've had breakfast... so that's a good start for the day - so you can start your decent now if you like... We really don't want the Dr's at the hospital to induce us cause that hurts alot more than what it has to if you start things off normally little man...

Going to take some more panadol now to combat this ear pain..

So...


HURRRY UP... (you know - like the blackboard used to say in Mr Squiggle!)

Due Tomorrow.....

You know what I have realised this morning - while leisurely eating my toast and jam for breakfast - after waking up at 6.. and cuddling with Stu for 30 mins.. and then watching the news in bed until he left for work at 7.30.... I'm not going to be able to do this for much longer......

It scares me to think of how much is going to change when those pains start and we have to head to the hospital. I know the benefits of having a child will FAR outweigh the negatives (although I may require reminding sometimes!!!) but I like it just being Stu and I! I like the split decisions of lets go out to dinner instead of cook - or i'll just duck to the shops quickly.. just need my purse and phone... It's not going to be so simple anymore!!!

I was pretty lazy yesterday too... Went back to bed and read for a couple of hours after Stu had left for work.. then watched some TV... then ate... then had a bath... I could have easily cooked something for dinner last night.. but it was just easier to go to the local for the two for one dinner!

I'll be going from washing twice a week (sometimes only once!) to daily... the sleep pattern isn't going to change too much cause I'm up every two hours without fail to pee anyway.. but it's not like that during the day.... I can rest in the day time! Most of our meals will have to be either quick and easy, or slow cooked so that they look after themselves... or.. I'll just spend Sundays cooking and we'll reheat during the week! I'll probably end up with my groceries being delivered cause it's just too much effort to go to Woolies to get them myself! Checking the mail will be a 'Stu Job' on his way home from work!

All the apparent negatives aside... I am soooo looking forward to meeting this little man. I can't wait to see him and hold him and love him (more than I already do) I can't wait to learn about his personality, and to teach him things, and see whether he's picked up Stu's or my brains... (God I hope it's Stu's!!!) I also can't wait til he sleeps through for his first night... I think that is going to be just AWESOME!!!! (will be a long time coming though - and I'm prepared for that!) I look forward to seeing all of my close friends and family become part of his life - I can't wait to see him smile when he starts to recognise faces... I can't wait to have our first family holidays and camping trips - and realise that we are now our own family unit.. we don't just slot into our parents lives anymore - we are the parents now! It's mind boggling.

I'll leave here in pain.. and come home with a little miracle!

Today is Sunday right???

Because yesterday felt like Sunday and now I have a full day - with nothing to do - and no idea what to do....

I could go to the markets... but... there's nothing that I need from there....
There's a fundraising thing in at South Bank today too... could go into there and have a looksie...
Could clean the house.... (or not!) Stu and Mum can get in and do it while I'm in hospital! (The washing is however up to date so that's all that matters!)
Could take the dogs for a walk.. but they're so full on I'll probably pull something!
Puppies need a wash.. but again.. that means injury! (I see a hydrobath visit in their future!)
Could go for a drive.. but to where.. and what would we do when we get there??

Doesn't help that my darling is still in bed asleep - but I want to give him as much of that as I can as it's all going to change soon... and he'll be up at sparrows fart with me every morning!

It's such a gorgeous day today too... Would be a shame not to use it well...

Dropped??

9 days to go.... HURRY UP!!!

So.. we're at the 9 days to go mark!

Can this go any slower???

Today would be a cool date to be born... (08/09/10) but unless I'm going to have a full labour no longer than 7 hours start to finish.. I don't think it's going to happen!

Stu for some reason has written in an old work diary that it's going to be tomorrow (09/09/10) but upon my clinic visit today, I've been assured that everything is still very clearly closed for business so not thinking it's going to happen either... that said.. I have cleaned out the fridge, done groceries and all the washing just in case.

My next hospital visit is scheduled for the 22nd.. which puts me at 40weeks and 5days at which time they'll set an induction date for me (oh joy!) if the little mister hasn't made his grand entrance! Fingers, toes, everything crossed that it doesn't go that way! I want to try and do this naturally.. and that includes the 'going into labour' part!

Until then I am trying to enjoy my relax time (even though I'm bored out of my brain!) cause I know that I don't really have THAT much of it left!

Can't wait to have the little blue bundle in my arms though!

It came... and went....

My chosen date has passed.... Bugger!!!!

When I went to see the Hospital yesterday - I asked ever so nicely that they remove him so I can meet him but for some reason they don't want to! He's doing just fine is their excuse - not too big - not too small - HB perfect so he has to stay put... I don't agree with them but... not much I can do about it!

Yesterday was Stuart and my 3rd anniversary... I seriously have to think really really hard to make out anything BIG that we've done in the last three years.. It seems that time has just melded together and we've just been floating along... well... apart from growing a baby this year! I'm pretty sure though that it's a good thing that time flies.. It makes me feel happy anyway.

Stuey still had to go to work yesterday - but I went down after my hospital appointment to have lunch with him. We went to Outback Jacks at Redcliffe.. it's like Lonestar - but without the Pumpkin Soup... Really nice!!! They have a 1kg Rump (and sides... so 2kg of food really!) that you have to eat in 30 mins to get a 1/2 price T-shirt and a photo.... the record stands at like 4 mins for a guy up in Townsville and 12 mins for a chicky on the Gold Coast... No way in hell would I ever be able to shove that much food down in that little time without bringing it all back up again later!!!! I'm a tad excited though cause they'll be opening one in Morayfield soonish... so that means if we want to go out for a good steak - we don't have to go to Aspley... or Hoggies (which I don't like their steak anyway!) we can go here!

I know it's shocking to say - but I didn't realise how nice the Redcliffe waterfront is. Rather picturesque! Not that I would ever want to live there - as you still have to drive through Deception Bay to get there... but... it was nice.. and it is my intent to go down there once a week with bubs to have lunch with daddy and a walk along the water... so bubby... hurry up so we can do it okay!