It’s the little things.....
A while back I was so blessed to read a post from MCM Mama Runs. She took some time to remind those of us following her that it is the little things that tend to make such a big difference in our lives.
As I draw ever so near the end of my pregnancy, I have a lot of coals on some never ending fires. I find myself stretched thin between work and chores at home, family time, social time, and personal time. I seem to get lost in the post it notes and day journals that I’m not noticing the little things that are making me smile. So without further ado…..
Little things I’m thankful for each day….
The way Lil Mister calls out ‘Momma’ in the mornings before climbing out of his bed
The late night cups of coffee with MIL while the house is asleep
Morning sunrises as I get an early swim in
Feeling LJ move each night as I say prayers
Sisters and friends in God who bring light on the cloudy days
Fresh fruit and plain yogurt
Friends and co-workers who are believers and live a life dedicated to God whom I can look up to
The ability to take a photograph each and everyday
My husband’s strength and perseverance in tough times
The blessing of working on a farm and being able to watch the circle of life as our products plant, grow and harvest
The stillness as a summer storm breaks through the night sky
Evening walks with Lil Mister as he points out each new thing he has learnt
Having a job I enjoy and look forward to going to each day (and co-workers who make it even better!)
Technology that lets me stay in touch with family
Laying my head on my husbands chest
The joy on Lil Misters face when he goes ‘wee-wee in potty’
In-laws who stand by us through everything
Soaking my feet in the pool at night
A birds chirp in the morning….
The never ending love of God…
Baby kisses and ticklish toes…
My family
Shana
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Monday, 12 November 2012
Training and Changes
First off you will notice the blog has a new look! Don't worry it's still me! Just a new look! I'll be adding some new features over the next couple of weeks too. All is just preparing for me to be awol for a couple of weeks after LJ joins our world!!
November 4, 2012. That was the day. It was decided. Mommy and Daddy had had enough. We were….we were….POTTY TRAINING!
Okay this past week hasn’t been so bad. Poor Lil Mister had a bit of a tummy bug last Wednesday and had quite a few accidents and therefore we resorted back to nappies for the day. (I’m not a fan of washing poo out of underpants so there is NO WAY I expect it from the crèche either!) Otherwise we’re doing okay. He just doesn’t want to sit on the dang potty! He will wee in the grass with daddy (and in the bath :-/ NOT WITH DADDY!). But that potty is just not something he wants to sit on! I’m considering taking the middle part out that sits on the toilet and trying that. Maybe he’ll like it more…feel more like a big boy! I don’t know at this point. He sits when he wants too. We try placing it in front of the tv…that keeps him still for oh two minutes! Toys distract him long enough to get a good sit but he just doesn’t wee then!
Wednesday morning he started to go on his bedroom floor! I ran like lightening to him with the potty and we got about half in the potty. I screamed for excitement therefore Lil Mister also screams! He points at his potty and claps his hands! I’m not sure if he got it or if he was just happy that I was happy. Whatif as long as he starts to understand that going potty in his potty equals GOOD! Ha-ha!
Here is my problem with the whole potty training extravaganza. Lil Mister is in said crèche because of his wonderful teacher (read a little about her here). She is only working half day at the moment because she is also prego! The mornings usually go pretty great. I send two nappies to school. One is for nap time. I send the extra nappy incase he decides to make a poo. He actually comes and asks you to put a nappy on so he can poo! Yet everyday when Hubby Dearest picks Lil Mister up from school he has a nappy on with his underpants OVER it! W-T-heck is wrong with the afternoon people?
Thursday it wasn’t even one of Lil Misters nappies! This makes absolutely no sense because he had a clean nappy still in his bag! Are they just too ignorant to go take a nappy out of Lil Mister’s own bag? The nappy he had on was SO full that all the gel stuff busted out all over Hubby Dearest’s bukkie. It was like a blizzard of wee soaked snow globe flurries! I can literally imagine the stuff belting out the lyrics to “I want to break free” as they scurried across the seats and onto the floor board.
After that, Lil Mister’s bum was a shade of pink that closely resembled my cheeks after shoveling the snow from a driveway! Iwas am furious! I asked the owner of the school Friday morning if the afternoon people are just too darn lazy to deal with potty training. They’re busy undoing any work we are accomplishing! I know he goes on the ground! We JUST STARTED! He isn’t so sure and if you don’t take him to the potty he isn’t going to get his jolly playing self up and walk there!
Hubby Dearest picked Lil Mister up 2 hours early Thursday as well. I said to Hubby Dearest I think they’re using other kids’ nappies every afternoon! Because we only send one extra and they don’t want to send him home in a soaking wet nappy and clothes. I would freak (like I’ve done now!). Therefore they use someone else’s and then change him into his just before Hubby would normally come! I’m ready to have a mental breakdown at this point.
I don’t like mopping up the wee either. I don’t like scrubbing all of the clothes. (Ma helped me on Sunday and it still took us over an hour to wash all his stuff! We do wash his by hand!) I mean really they could be thankful that a 22 month old child at least has enough sense to tell us he wants to poo! If they’d listen to him then they wouldn’t have to clean those underpants! Put a darn nappy on the kid if he wants to poo and then take it off. How hard is it?
Lil Mister will be attending a new school next year. The age requirement is two. They are a pretty strict school. They have high standards! They will make sure Lil Mister is potty trained but I’d like to walk in there like bam spanking darn good mom with a two year old who is well on his way to being fully potty trained! This is a pretty formal school setting. He will be wearing uniform from three years of age. I’m excited for this school and their curriculum! I don’t want to explain that the previous school f……screwed up any hopes of potty training by complete confusing the wiring in my child’s head!
Sunday he did the majority of his business on the ground outside. Lil Mister spent the entire day (when at home…I did dress him for church!) in the nude. We played safari, swung on the tire swing, and swam twice! There was too much going on for him to manage the potty I assume.
There is hope however! This morning as we are getting ready for the day Lil Mister comes to the potty and stands there. He asks me to take his nappy off and then does his business in his potty! I was extremely proud of him! He of course looked at me like I’m crazy. I guess the excitement is starting to wear off a little.
So for now, I look forward to a pee filled week. I’m sure I will wash the carpet more than once, do a ridiculous amount of laundry, and slip into a coffee induced coma as I suffer nightmares of another nappy bomb! (I’m considering restricting liquids but dang if it isn’t already 37 degrees C!) At least I know the grass will be getting watered ;-)
Wish us luck!
November 4, 2012. That was the day. It was decided. Mommy and Daddy had had enough. We were….we were….POTTY TRAINING!
Okay this past week hasn’t been so bad. Poor Lil Mister had a bit of a tummy bug last Wednesday and had quite a few accidents and therefore we resorted back to nappies for the day. (I’m not a fan of washing poo out of underpants so there is NO WAY I expect it from the crèche either!) Otherwise we’re doing okay. He just doesn’t want to sit on the dang potty! He will wee in the grass with daddy (and in the bath :-/ NOT WITH DADDY!). But that potty is just not something he wants to sit on! I’m considering taking the middle part out that sits on the toilet and trying that. Maybe he’ll like it more…feel more like a big boy! I don’t know at this point. He sits when he wants too. We try placing it in front of the tv…that keeps him still for oh two minutes! Toys distract him long enough to get a good sit but he just doesn’t wee then!
Wednesday morning he started to go on his bedroom floor! I ran like lightening to him with the potty and we got about half in the potty. I screamed for excitement therefore Lil Mister also screams! He points at his potty and claps his hands! I’m not sure if he got it or if he was just happy that I was happy. Whatif as long as he starts to understand that going potty in his potty equals GOOD! Ha-ha!
Here is my problem with the whole potty training extravaganza. Lil Mister is in said crèche because of his wonderful teacher (read a little about her here). She is only working half day at the moment because she is also prego! The mornings usually go pretty great. I send two nappies to school. One is for nap time. I send the extra nappy incase he decides to make a poo. He actually comes and asks you to put a nappy on so he can poo! Yet everyday when Hubby Dearest picks Lil Mister up from school he has a nappy on with his underpants OVER it! W-T-heck is wrong with the afternoon people?
Thursday it wasn’t even one of Lil Misters nappies! This makes absolutely no sense because he had a clean nappy still in his bag! Are they just too ignorant to go take a nappy out of Lil Mister’s own bag? The nappy he had on was SO full that all the gel stuff busted out all over Hubby Dearest’s bukkie. It was like a blizzard of wee soaked snow globe flurries! I can literally imagine the stuff belting out the lyrics to “I want to break free” as they scurried across the seats and onto the floor board.
After that, Lil Mister’s bum was a shade of pink that closely resembled my cheeks after shoveling the snow from a driveway! I
Hubby Dearest picked Lil Mister up 2 hours early Thursday as well. I said to Hubby Dearest I think they’re using other kids’ nappies every afternoon! Because we only send one extra and they don’t want to send him home in a soaking wet nappy and clothes. I would freak (like I’ve done now!). Therefore they use someone else’s and then change him into his just before Hubby would normally come! I’m ready to have a mental breakdown at this point.
I don’t like mopping up the wee either. I don’t like scrubbing all of the clothes. (Ma helped me on Sunday and it still took us over an hour to wash all his stuff! We do wash his by hand!) I mean really they could be thankful that a 22 month old child at least has enough sense to tell us he wants to poo! If they’d listen to him then they wouldn’t have to clean those underpants! Put a darn nappy on the kid if he wants to poo and then take it off. How hard is it?
Lil Mister will be attending a new school next year. The age requirement is two. They are a pretty strict school. They have high standards! They will make sure Lil Mister is potty trained but I’d like to walk in there like bam spanking darn good mom with a two year old who is well on his way to being fully potty trained! This is a pretty formal school setting. He will be wearing uniform from three years of age. I’m excited for this school and their curriculum! I don’t want to explain that the previous school f……screwed up any hopes of potty training by complete confusing the wiring in my child’s head!
Sunday he did the majority of his business on the ground outside. Lil Mister spent the entire day (when at home…I did dress him for church!) in the nude. We played safari, swung on the tire swing, and swam twice! There was too much going on for him to manage the potty I assume.
There is hope however! This morning as we are getting ready for the day Lil Mister comes to the potty and stands there. He asks me to take his nappy off and then does his business in his potty! I was extremely proud of him! He of course looked at me like I’m crazy. I guess the excitement is starting to wear off a little.
So for now, I look forward to a pee filled week. I’m sure I will wash the carpet more than once, do a ridiculous amount of laundry, and slip into a coffee induced coma as I suffer nightmares of another nappy bomb! (I’m considering restricting liquids but dang if it isn’t already 37 degrees C!) At least I know the grass will be getting watered ;-)
Wish us luck!
Shana
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
How Having Kids Will Ruin Your Sex Life
I've decided to join in with Cloudy with a chance of wine and try out the Thursday Theme!
Each week she posts a new theme for us to write about! Try it out!! Have fun!
Let us start at the beginning…you know…the mushy-gushy yet still hot and heavy part. The part where you and baby daddy had just started doing the deed! Oh yea…you’re there. Slowly allow the cartoon memory cloud to form above your head as we walk down the road of your sex life……..
At this point, nothing he did wrong could damper your attraction to him (okay we’re all still attracted to our men but really…the fact that you must put his dirty socks in the basket EVERY MORNING is starting to wear on your nerves by now!). You’re no longer calling it sex but you are making love. You’ll take it just about whenever and where ever because you want it all the time! Your bodies are new to each other. The sex is exciting. You spend countless hours over countless months getting to know each other in all the right ways. You try new things…..until one day something happens. Your little friend decides not to visit…at all…for nine months (then it comes back with a freaking vengeance for 6 weeks!!)
At first you are so SO excited (okay we stay excited!). Not only was it feeling great emotional, mentally and PHYSICALLY but you’ve now created something beautiful in your love. You’re giddy and want to share the news with everyone and are subsequently even more in love with said partner and therefore want to do the deed even more! And what is better than knowing the risks are gone now??
But then the sickness hits. All of the sudden you’re not looking so fresh in the mornings and your hormones can plainly see that your digestive acrobatics from the last 30 minutes while you acquainted yourself with the toilet in a whole new personal way seem to turn him off a bit. You pretend to be offended, upsetting him for your lack of understanding. When actually you’re perfectly okay with him not wanting to jump into the sack with you because honestly the idea of any rocking movement makes you think of a boat which brings images of the sea and subsequently fish which reminds you of the sea food you ate 3 nights ago and you rush for your new best friend, Mr. CrapPot, again. The next 8 weeks are spent in a daze of staring at the bottom of the toilet; forcing yourself to actually put real clothes on instead of sweats and figuring out how the hell you’re suppose to stay awake for more than 10 minutes when you aren’t allowed caffeine!
But the storms settle and the clouds part ways to allow for streaks of sexual sunshine to burst through. You emerge into your second trimester with a new found energy. You swear you never had this kind of energy before you got pregnant and are starting to convince yourself that this isn’t so bad after all! Hubby is seeing you in all your glory. You’re radiant, glowing even and best of all doing everything you can to be the best carrier for his little one in there. He starts touching again and you find that your pregnant body is a little more sensitive. It feels different, sensual, and romantic. You’re suddenly ready to pounce. But wait….
You don’t remember getting wet so quickly before. Oh…ohh…EWWW!!! Not to mention what before could have looked as if you’d scripted each bedroom rumble from start to finish now looks like an awkward teenagers first attempt with a girl way out of his league. The bump seems so small when you stand in a mirror. How can it be causing so much trouble now?
Do not fear. You quickly master the art of the bedroom bump and although you are not as frequent as before you enjoy a different kind of bond.
You gracefully pass into the third trimester. You think this is going to be a breeze. You’re attending the classes together, you’re doing your kegals, and the bedroom is become a cinch. What you did not expect was the exhaustion that would return! Suddenly just getting undressed leaves you needing a good 6 hours of sleep let alone the antics to come afterwards. It is uncomfortable to lie on your back and if you’re on top you can’t bend over far enough to kiss. You deduce that there is one, MAYBE two, positions that are comfortable and realistic. These become your fail safes and you stick by them (don’t worry we’ll discuss this later on again!) Baby takes up so much room by now that he is pushing into your lungs so even a slow, vanilla style shag leaves you breathing like you’ve ran a damn marathon. You’re almost at the end and everything will be normal again you tell yourself.
Finally, baby arrives and everyone is in their glory! You and daddy are reconnecting because, well, you’ve just brought a little pooping crying never sleeping miracle into this world. You go home after the hospital and daddy is SO excited to have you back….but that little friend of yours has decided to reek havoc on you for making it disappear for nine months! That’s right daddy…you got six weeks of patience ahead of you. It’s okay…learn the baby’s schedule.
The day has finally arrived. You think after 6 weeks of no show you’d be roaring to go. However, the incessant feeding and lack of sleep has left you without a drop of energy. You kindly try to explain that it isn’t mascara smeared on your face (you haven’t even seen your mascara since before baby was born) but it is the dark circles from being up ALL THE TIME!! And to you and daddy’s surprise your body didn’t exactly spring back like the rubber band you thought it was. :-/
Slowly however you find your groove again. As you begin to kiss, baby cries. Soon baby is crawling and moving and you must restrict yourselves to only when baby sleeps. At which time you’d also like to be sleeping.
Eventually the fun starts and baby is walking and talking. This comes just as things are reaching a stable point in the bedroom in which if you can successfully get through one position without baby crying or waking then you consider it a great session! This leads to a few oops as you and daddy get adventurous and try to squeeze in a quickie as baby watches Dora for the 8th time today, or so you thought. Later that night at your in-laws for dinner you actually realize that baby claims to Grandma at the dinner table that she saw mommy and daddy wrestling but they were naked! Your cheeks flush an unknown color of red as you now battle to figure out how to tell Grandma she is Grandma again!
And the fun starts over!
Okay, maybe it isn’t so bad….mine definitely was a little more of a medium sex kill but hey we need to keep our expectations low so that it always surpasses them…right?!?!
Shana
Week 34...and we're moving on!!!
Today would normally have been my Worship Wednesday and it will return next week. However in light on current events I needed to get my bumpdate out here AND I have decided to try out the Theme Thursday by Cloudy with a chance of wine. Check it out tomorrow!
Not wanting to loose complete view, however, I have to give praises. It is a praise sent out for God providing as He ALWAYS does and also for giving me the most amazing job and boss. My family and I have been blessed since being offered my current job and God continues to do work in this area. I can not express enough how thankful I am to have my boss and his family in my life both via work and personal. God is amazing. I am praising God now for the job He is GOING to provide my husband. Hubby Dearest’s contract with work ends at the end of December but I know God has things in store that we can’t even imagine. I thank Him for this now and I thank Him for using this time to teach us more about faith and patience!
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
WEEK 34…ish
Have I mentioned that I choose the most confusing birth possible? Not actually because of the birth but because of the doctors! Lil Misters pediatrician is Dr. Daya. So when it came time for me to choose a hospital I naturally choose the one that Lil Mister had been in. I knew the way the staff was. I knew the care they gave and was familiar with the layout. I had been quite impressed when I was there. So now came finding a gynae. Pediatrician was solved as Dr. Daya would also be there for LJ. Arranged and set up…check! So what do I go and do when finding a gynae? I choose our pediatricians brother! It made since to me! I liked him so I’d probably like his brother! Only one problem…they have the same name…duh! So now when I’m talking to the medical aid, Hubby Dearest or anyone else about this pregnancy I have to constantly specify Dr. Daya gynae or Dr. Daya pediatrician. I never assumed this would be a problem. I have an appointment with Dr Daya on Tuesday as my friends freak and ask what is wrong with Lil Mister. Confused me says ‘WHY IN THE HECK WOULD I TAKE MY SON TO A GYNAE…then it clicks! In my mind however they are now effectively labeled Daya va-jay-jay or Daya kids! Hehe
On that note….said Daya (gynae) will not be here for the first 2 weeks in December! His ultrasound (being much more advanced) has kicked out a whole spew of due dates for LJ. All are consistent and within 1 week before or after guestimated conceived date. However, this proposes huge problems! The earliest date we are getting is 6 December and that is via the head. The legs give us the 18 December. The abdomen and weight give us the 10 December….all of which do not satisfy my need for control. I was much happier at my GP where the due date had remained the same the WHOLE pregnancy!
Still, gynae says that baby is growing fine. I’m looking good and baby is in prime position for birth. He just needs to drop a little tiny bit lower. Hubby Dearest and I are feeling good. We’re happy. Then he hits us with the bomb shell. He is gone from the 1 December to the 17th!! WTH….apparently another gynae who I opted NOT TO USE will fill in for him during that time and then that gynae takes the remaining time in December off. He gives us an ultimatum….grr!
I must return on the 20th of this month and we will do an internal exam and check the baby’s lungs. At that time if everything says okay (I will be somewhere between 36-37 weeks) we will schedule an elective induction for late the following week putting me within days of 38 weeks if not already 38 weeks. INDUCTION!!!! This is not part of my plan. (Go here to know about my obsessive planning/control!) What am I suppose to do?
If I choose not to do an induction (or if baby isn’t ready) I get stuck more than likely going into labor and having a doctor I DO NOT KNOW! This concerns me. This bothers me. What if I do not like the doctor? What if he makes me uncomfortable? What if we clash as people? I like my gynae. I wanted him to deliver my baby! I wanted him to be the one I check back with! All of this is throwing me for a loop. I feel like I am being ridiculous. The ‘other guy’ is still a doctor. He’ll know what to do, but that doesn’t comfort me. After the terrible experience I had with delivering Lil Mister (all hospital not labor problems) I was so relieved to be going to a hospital I love with a doctor I like. I was feeling good about this. I was feeling confident. I was feeling like everything was falling into place. Now I get this put down in front of me.
It isn’t like we have a lot of time to decide! I wasn’t expecting to meet LJ for another almost 6 weeks. Now if I do this then he is here in 3! I was planning to be at work for another 6 weeks, but now I’d have to settle everything in 2! I’m all of the sudden nervous about meeting our newest addition. I’m nervous about the transition for Lil Mister. (Who by the way we started potty training! OMW! That was also suppose to be done before LJ got here!) I can’t understand how a God who is so mighty and strong and full of love can put such a decision into the hands of a human. I do not understand how I can be expected to make such a decision with so many what if’s for my child. What if the induction doesn’t progress and LJ gets stressed and I have to have a cesarean? What if the stress affects my body and my uterus ruptures (I know there is like a 1% chance but still!)? What if LJ isn’t physically ready and Daya says I’ll have to wait and use the ‘other guy’? I feel cheated. I feel confused. I feel lost. I really do not know what to do at this point. I am praying for guidance from God.
Total Weight Gain: 15kg or 33 lbs
This week, Baby is: 2.3 kg (LJ has grown 400g in two weeks!!)
How far along? 34 weeks, 4 days (Kind of…so we think…guestimate…)
Due date: 6-18 Dec 2012 :-/
Total weight gain/loss: 2kg or 4.4lbs in 2 weeks
Maternity clothes? No, but I’m starting to regret this….
Sleep: haha what is that??
Best moment this week: Hubby Dearest seems to be getting more interested and excited as we get closer to the end!!
Food cravings: Fresh fruit and Veg…I want to make a salad with tuna, fresh greens, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, cranberries, pecans, feta cheese, mixed peppers, radishes, and green onions….hmm
Movement: busy busy busy….especially when I eat
Symptoms: exhaustion…..does that count as a symptom???
Labor Signs: Nope!
Stretch Marks: nope and we’re working hard to keep it that way!
Swelling? Has gone down tremendously!
Belly Button in or out? its definitely almost out.
What I miss: sleep!!!
Feeling toward Pregnancy: Nervous….
What I am looking forward to: time at home with my family!!
Milestones: We had our Gynae appointment!
News: I will be making a decision in the next couple of days after I’ve spoken more with work and Hubby Dearest but you must either follow on facebook here or wait for next weeks bumpdate…sorry!
GENERAL NEEDS
4-6 Tommy Tippee bottles (I’m not using Liams again) (I’m up to 4!!)
Dummy
Toweling nappies (Just need to embroider them now!) (MIL has done a beautiful job at crocheting and sewing ribbon on the outsides! Will get photos asap!)
Hats
Bibs
Socks
Stage 2 diapers
Stage 3 diapers (Bought 1 pack!)
Wet wipes** I like to stock up
Breast pads (I have one pack now so I'm waiting to see how the breast feeding goes this round!)
Aqueous cream
Baby powder
Baby oil
Bum cream
New monitors
Nipple cream
Face cloths
Pharmacy stock(Panado, tissue salts, boscopan, telements colic drops, gripe water, milk of magnesia, ear buds, cotton wool, )
****Things I’d like to have*****
New breast pump (I received a great gift from Living and Loving and Avent in a new pump!! Now I can use Liam’s old bottles with stoppers in them for storage as it fits the pump!
Stoppers
Microwave sterilizer
2x more blankets
2x more receiving blankets
New nappy bag
2x new towels
0-3 MONTHS
Coming Home Outfit (Need wool! A friend is going to crochet a jacket and hat and booties for him! Then we'll just wear a vest and white pants!)
2x summer jammies
3-6 MONTHS (this is where I gave a lot of Liams stuff away!)
12x vests (4 long sleeves) (I got 2!!)
4x cotton pants (with feet)
2x summer jammies
4-6x T-shirts
3-5x Rompers (I got 1!!)
3-5x Onesies (I got 3!!)
6-12 MONTHS (this is a season change from winter to summer for us! 3 months in each season)
2x Winter jammies
3x summer jammies
2x jackets
4x cotton pants
3x shorts
2x long sleeves
6x short sleeves
12x vests
2x Rompers
Oh and in my true fashion I have made a list for the hospital bag as well! Maybe this will get me in motion a little bit. However, despite having been through this before I feel like I’m not packing everything I will need! Open to suggestions!
Labour/Birth Bag
Admission documents
o Passport
o Doctors documents
o Hospital documents
o Any birth preferences
Snacks/drinks
Lip balm
Little cash
Music/Something to Read
Calming focus photo
Camera
Facecloth x2 (one for in labor, one for shower after)
Towel
Change of comfortable clothes
Change of panties
Maternity pads
Post-birth clothing
LJ’s first outfit
o Vest, pants, shirt, sweater
o Socks, hat, bib
o Nappy, bum cream
Receiving blanket/blanket
Mommy’s Hospital Bag
Maternity Pads
3-4 sets pajamas
Nursing bras/panties
Bath robe
Socks/slippers
Breast pads
Breast pump/bottles
Toiletries
o Shampoon/Cond
o Soap
o Toothpaste/toothbrush
o Lotion/oil
o Deo
o Hairbrush/gel/spray/clips & bands
o Nipple cream
Extra towel
Rehydrate
Journal/Reading material
Phone Charger
Pillow & blanket
LJ’s Hospital Bag
1x pack disposable nappies
Dark face cloth for bum
Wet wipes
Bum cream
Aqueous cream
Cotton balls
Soap
Hair brush
Towel/face cloth
Vaseline
Surgical Spirits
5x baby grows
5x vests
5x socks/booties
2x hats
Jacket/jersey
3x receiving blankets
1x blanket
3x toweling nappies
Colic drop.
Shana
Not wanting to loose complete view, however, I have to give praises. It is a praise sent out for God providing as He ALWAYS does and also for giving me the most amazing job and boss. My family and I have been blessed since being offered my current job and God continues to do work in this area. I can not express enough how thankful I am to have my boss and his family in my life both via work and personal. God is amazing. I am praising God now for the job He is GOING to provide my husband. Hubby Dearest’s contract with work ends at the end of December but I know God has things in store that we can’t even imagine. I thank Him for this now and I thank Him for using this time to teach us more about faith and patience!
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
WEEK 34…ish
Have I mentioned that I choose the most confusing birth possible? Not actually because of the birth but because of the doctors! Lil Misters pediatrician is Dr. Daya. So when it came time for me to choose a hospital I naturally choose the one that Lil Mister had been in. I knew the way the staff was. I knew the care they gave and was familiar with the layout. I had been quite impressed when I was there. So now came finding a gynae. Pediatrician was solved as Dr. Daya would also be there for LJ. Arranged and set up…check! So what do I go and do when finding a gynae? I choose our pediatricians brother! It made since to me! I liked him so I’d probably like his brother! Only one problem…they have the same name…duh! So now when I’m talking to the medical aid, Hubby Dearest or anyone else about this pregnancy I have to constantly specify Dr. Daya gynae or Dr. Daya pediatrician. I never assumed this would be a problem. I have an appointment with Dr Daya on Tuesday as my friends freak and ask what is wrong with Lil Mister. Confused me says ‘WHY IN THE HECK WOULD I TAKE MY SON TO A GYNAE…then it clicks! In my mind however they are now effectively labeled Daya va-jay-jay or Daya kids! Hehe
On that note….said Daya (gynae) will not be here for the first 2 weeks in December! His ultrasound (being much more advanced) has kicked out a whole spew of due dates for LJ. All are consistent and within 1 week before or after guestimated conceived date. However, this proposes huge problems! The earliest date we are getting is 6 December and that is via the head. The legs give us the 18 December. The abdomen and weight give us the 10 December….all of which do not satisfy my need for control. I was much happier at my GP where the due date had remained the same the WHOLE pregnancy!
Still, gynae says that baby is growing fine. I’m looking good and baby is in prime position for birth. He just needs to drop a little tiny bit lower. Hubby Dearest and I are feeling good. We’re happy. Then he hits us with the bomb shell. He is gone from the 1 December to the 17th!! WTH….apparently another gynae who I opted NOT TO USE will fill in for him during that time and then that gynae takes the remaining time in December off. He gives us an ultimatum….grr!
I must return on the 20th of this month and we will do an internal exam and check the baby’s lungs. At that time if everything says okay (I will be somewhere between 36-37 weeks) we will schedule an elective induction for late the following week putting me within days of 38 weeks if not already 38 weeks. INDUCTION!!!! This is not part of my plan. (Go here to know about my obsessive planning/control!) What am I suppose to do?
If I choose not to do an induction (or if baby isn’t ready) I get stuck more than likely going into labor and having a doctor I DO NOT KNOW! This concerns me. This bothers me. What if I do not like the doctor? What if he makes me uncomfortable? What if we clash as people? I like my gynae. I wanted him to deliver my baby! I wanted him to be the one I check back with! All of this is throwing me for a loop. I feel like I am being ridiculous. The ‘other guy’ is still a doctor. He’ll know what to do, but that doesn’t comfort me. After the terrible experience I had with delivering Lil Mister (all hospital not labor problems) I was so relieved to be going to a hospital I love with a doctor I like. I was feeling good about this. I was feeling confident. I was feeling like everything was falling into place. Now I get this put down in front of me.
It isn’t like we have a lot of time to decide! I wasn’t expecting to meet LJ for another almost 6 weeks. Now if I do this then he is here in 3! I was planning to be at work for another 6 weeks, but now I’d have to settle everything in 2! I’m all of the sudden nervous about meeting our newest addition. I’m nervous about the transition for Lil Mister. (Who by the way we started potty training! OMW! That was also suppose to be done before LJ got here!) I can’t understand how a God who is so mighty and strong and full of love can put such a decision into the hands of a human. I do not understand how I can be expected to make such a decision with so many what if’s for my child. What if the induction doesn’t progress and LJ gets stressed and I have to have a cesarean? What if the stress affects my body and my uterus ruptures (I know there is like a 1% chance but still!)? What if LJ isn’t physically ready and Daya says I’ll have to wait and use the ‘other guy’? I feel cheated. I feel confused. I feel lost. I really do not know what to do at this point. I am praying for guidance from God.
Total Weight Gain: 15kg or 33 lbs
This week, Baby is: 2.3 kg (LJ has grown 400g in two weeks!!)
How far along? 34 weeks, 4 days (Kind of…so we think…guestimate…)
Due date: 6-18 Dec 2012 :-/
Total weight gain/loss: 2kg or 4.4lbs in 2 weeks
Maternity clothes? No, but I’m starting to regret this….
Sleep: haha what is that??
Best moment this week: Hubby Dearest seems to be getting more interested and excited as we get closer to the end!!
Food cravings: Fresh fruit and Veg…I want to make a salad with tuna, fresh greens, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, cranberries, pecans, feta cheese, mixed peppers, radishes, and green onions….hmm
Movement: busy busy busy….especially when I eat
Symptoms: exhaustion…..does that count as a symptom???
Labor Signs: Nope!
Stretch Marks: nope and we’re working hard to keep it that way!
Swelling? Has gone down tremendously!
Belly Button in or out? its definitely almost out.
What I miss: sleep!!!
Feeling toward Pregnancy: Nervous….
What I am looking forward to: time at home with my family!!
Milestones: We had our Gynae appointment!
News: I will be making a decision in the next couple of days after I’ve spoken more with work and Hubby Dearest but you must either follow on facebook here or wait for next weeks bumpdate…sorry!
GENERAL NEEDS
Dummy
Stage 3 diapers (Bought 1 pack!)
Aqueous cream
Baby powder
Baby oil
Bum cream
New monitors
Nipple cream
Pharmacy stock
****Things I’d like to have*****
Stoppers
Microwave sterilizer
2x more blankets
2x more receiving blankets
New nappy bag
2x new towels
0-3 MONTHS
3-6 MONTHS (this is where I gave a lot of Liams stuff away!)
12x vests (4 long sleeves) (I got 2!!)
4x cotton pants (with feet)
2x summer jammies
4-6x T-shirts
3-5x Rompers (I got 1!!)
3-5x Onesies (I got 3!!)
6-12 MONTHS (this is a season change from winter to summer for us! 3 months in each season)
2x Winter jammies
3x summer jammies
2x jackets
4x cotton pants
3x shorts
2x long sleeves
6x short sleeves
12x vests
2x Rompers
Oh and in my true fashion I have made a list for the hospital bag as well! Maybe this will get me in motion a little bit. However, despite having been through this before I feel like I’m not packing everything I will need! Open to suggestions!
Labour/Birth Bag
Admission documents
o Passport
o Doctors documents
o Hospital documents
o Any birth preferences
Snacks/drinks
Lip balm
Little cash
Music/Something to Read
Calming focus photo
Camera
Facecloth x2 (one for in labor, one for shower after)
Towel
Change of comfortable clothes
Change of panties
Maternity pads
Post-birth clothing
LJ’s first outfit
o Vest, pants, shirt, sweater
o Socks, hat, bib
o Nappy, bum cream
Receiving blanket/blanket
Mommy’s Hospital Bag
Maternity Pads
3-4 sets pajamas
Nursing bras/panties
Bath robe
Socks/slippers
Breast pads
Breast pump/bottles
Toiletries
o Shampoon/Cond
o Soap
o Toothpaste/toothbrush
o Lotion/oil
o Deo
o Hairbrush/gel/spray/clips & bands
o Nipple cream
Extra towel
Rehydrate
Journal/Reading material
Phone Charger
Pillow & blanket
LJ’s Hospital Bag
1x pack disposable nappies
Dark face cloth for bum
Wet wipes
Bum cream
Aqueous cream
Cotton balls
Soap
Hair brush
Towel/face cloth
Vaseline
Surgical Spirits
5x baby grows
5x vests
5x socks/booties
2x hats
Jacket/jersey
3x receiving blankets
1x blanket
3x toweling nappies
Colic drop.
Shana
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
So you've got this parenting thing down....huh
“Your son is very clever. You must be a stay at home mom!”
“Umm…no actually I’m not. I work full-time.”
“Oh, well that’s a shame. You must pay like crazy then for the education!”
Jab. Double jab. That is all I could think. This was a conversation between me and Mr. P’s best man for his wedding. For me this was a knife straight to the heart. I’m sure it was not intended that way, but I took it personal. I mean this is MY child. What gives? Just because I work that automatically means that I spend no time with Lil Mister, is that it? Well, listen here condescending, narrow minded; my wife works so my children can slack excuse user! (Okay, actually this guy and his wife are pretty cool and get along great with us :-/ forgive my raging hormones for a minute while I stand proud on my soap box!) I spend every moment I get with my son! And no those hours are not filled with meaningless TV or random play. I put in effort! I know what they are teaching my son at crèche and we incorporate that into our everyday! Oh so Miss Clever School Teacher wants to teach about the color yellow this week…GREAT. Fan-friggintastic! We’re wearing yellow, eating yellow foods, and playing with those dang yellow toys! Not to mention that yes my family is bi-lingual so I have to do everything double! We separate the blocks into red, yellow, and blue and then mix them up again and separate into rooi, geel, and blou!! I make flashcards for my son. Oh yea, they are made on my computer but I did the friggin work! I googled the pictures and placed everything just right! I cut them out and laminated them because chocolate and paper glued to card stock DO NOT MIX! Phew….
In reality, I understood where he was coming from. Yes, I do feel that my 21 month old son is quite clever. I would love to blog the next 20 minutes about his development in two languages and how advanced his physical skills are (I’m big on athletics if you haven’t picked up on that), but that isn’t the point of this particular post. I’ll leave that one for another time when you really want to hear me brag!! ;-)
My focus is about the fact that I DO actually spend time with my son. There are so many debates going on that cling to two extreme sides of parenting. I automatically get grouped into a negative aspect because I work! I work for two reasons. The first reason is my family. We cannot afford only one salary at this time. Yes, many moms and “experts” are screaming right now that I should not have had children! Please refer to My Boys tab to learn about how Lil Mister came into our lives! It is not that we live an extravagant lifestyle, but we need both salaries. The second reason I work is personal. I enjoy working. I enjoy the satisfaction that I get from it. It is something that I need and want as a person. A career is something that helps me feel fulfilled. It is not my everything but I have goals and enjoy meeting those goals.
My point here is that we moms cannot just be lumped together into groups! Especially this “crunchy” group! I’m all for each mom having her own ways and believe that we should NOT be judging each other! We are here to support each other, laugh through the down falls together, smile when one can only see tears, and give advice. What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another, right? Well, apparently according to some I am flat WRONG! I will continue to stand by my belief however! And will NOT tolerate being judged by women or men for that matter who obviously have too much time on their hands if they spend it ridiculing others…maybe they’re the ones that need to get a job and a life! RAWR!!
My parenting may not be perfect. Oh who am I trying to fool, I’m a mess at this most of the time but my son loves me! But I put my all into what I do. When I am with Lil Mister, he is my entire focus. I cannot tell you how many meals have been burnt because I was too engrossed in the tower we were building or how many times I’ve been doing laundry in the night because I spent my day time wheeling cars across the tiles. I don’t shove knowledge down my sons throat the whole day, but rather I try to tie things together. Such as a car is not just a car, it is a red or blue or whatever color car. Things are always big or small, in front or behind, on top or under. We don’t sit around doing nothing. We run, swing, ride bikes, and swim. It all seems pretty normal to us. Learning through playing is the number one concept. Those flashcards I made him have pictures of tractors. Why? Because he loves tractors! Counting is fun because we’re counting the pictures of tractors!
Oh sure, we have our issues. Like that my son has learnt the F word! Oh yea nothing like sitting in the grocery store and hearing my toddler say ‘F it’ and daddy covering it up by asking “waars die vouljie?” (where’s the birdie in Afrikaans but vouljie is kind of pronounced foolkey!). We always try to turn that word into something else when he says it. Just a few weeks ago Lil Mister comes home with a bite mark on his arm! When I’m told what happened he got bit by another little boy in whom he had first bit…my perfect angel would never, right? Wrong…we got problems. Do I think we have these because I work or that my parenting style is too loose? No. I think we have a normal toddler. I do know, however, that my son is clever because we make an effort to make learning fun. Learning and exercise are FUN in our house.
Yea, it’s pretty cliché but that is reality. If Lil Mister doesn’t like a method, we try something different. If an approach that worked for months suddenly stops working we change it. But one thing is for sure…I’m not the only working mom facing this dilemma! So my ideal for now is that I’m kind of chewy.
Chewy is not the opposite of crunchy. Chewy is a medium. Kind of like a chewy bar. They have some nutty parts and some hard parts but they’re still soft enough to get stuck in your teeth! I got a list about crunchy parenting from another blog and thought I’d share it and highlight what we are and are not.
• Attachment Parenting (we fit this to an extent….we do feel Lil Mister must explore his world and create some boundaries himself)
• Co-Sleeping (we both co-sleep and have a nursery. Lil Mister has always been put to bed in his own bed but at one point his bed was in our room too. He has had his own room and now sleeps there every night but he still wanders in to cuddle which is fine with us!)
• Baby Wearing (we do own strollers and used them regularly but it was easier to clean the house and/or shop when he was small if I had him in a sling!)
• cloth diapering (Considered this but the crèche won’t accept it and I don’t have the time or energy for scrubbing the darn things!
•Elimination communication?
• natural birth (I loved natural birth; my husband would prefer a c-section as opposed to going through it again with me! But I never judge a woman! Both types are there for a reason and I believe that you must do what is best for you and baby!)
•home birth ( if I had to give birth where I gave birth for Lil Mister again this would be at the top of my list but I’m still a ‘what if something goes wrong’ person and am much happier where there is a hospital!)
•water birth
•delayed cord clamping
• breastfeeding (I tried and was unsuccessful with Lil Mister. I will try again with LJ…again no judgment on formula using moms. I used formula and Lil Mister is the top in his class!)
• extended breastfeeding
•delayed vaccination
• selective vaccination
• vaccination exempt
• holistic medicine (we still use prescriptions. We however do try alternative methods first!)
•alternative health
•Veg/Vegan (I like my meat!)
•Tree Hugging drug free Hippy Mama
• Homeschooling/Unschooling
• Natural Products (we use if we can otherwise it is whatever is convenient…sorry!)
• Toxin Aware (this I am very careful for and avoid any products that can possibly be truly harmful!
• Plastic Free
• No Cry It Out (haha my temper gave to this one….sometimes Lil Mister has to cry it out or else Mommy and him are going to have a bad day! He is okay in spite of this…I’m not about to just give in all the time!)
•No Spanking (I got my butt whipped as a child and I still love my parents!)
• Peaceful parenting (We aim for this!)
• Minimalist
• Free Range Children? (are we talking about chickens here?)
• Child Led learning
•TV Free
• Limited Media (We do try to be strict about what Lil Mister sees and hears!)
• Eco-Friendly Home
• Buy WAHM
• Buy Small Business
• Buy Local
•Travel Green (On foot or Bike or bus)
• Organic Gardening
• Buy Organics First
• Poison Free Homes
•Midwife Care
• No Circumcision
• Handmade
• Activism
• Human Rights / Animal Right
• Active Parenting
So yea…we don’t always comply 100% with a category, such as eco-friendly home. We are not energy hogs and switching off lights and appliances are important. But no we are not ripping up the 20 year old tiles to put in new ones that are organic. We don’t necessarily strictly organic garden but we garden. I believe in researching my options and making a decision from there.
Can you relate?? Maybe you’re a little chewy as well??
“Umm…no actually I’m not. I work full-time.”
“Oh, well that’s a shame. You must pay like crazy then for the education!”
Jab. Double jab. That is all I could think. This was a conversation between me and Mr. P’s best man for his wedding. For me this was a knife straight to the heart. I’m sure it was not intended that way, but I took it personal. I mean this is MY child. What gives? Just because I work that automatically means that I spend no time with Lil Mister, is that it? Well, listen here condescending, narrow minded; my wife works so my children can slack excuse user! (Okay, actually this guy and his wife are pretty cool and get along great with us :-/ forgive my raging hormones for a minute while I stand proud on my soap box!) I spend every moment I get with my son! And no those hours are not filled with meaningless TV or random play. I put in effort! I know what they are teaching my son at crèche and we incorporate that into our everyday! Oh so Miss Clever School Teacher wants to teach about the color yellow this week…GREAT. Fan-friggintastic! We’re wearing yellow, eating yellow foods, and playing with those dang yellow toys! Not to mention that yes my family is bi-lingual so I have to do everything double! We separate the blocks into red, yellow, and blue and then mix them up again and separate into rooi, geel, and blou!! I make flashcards for my son. Oh yea, they are made on my computer but I did the friggin work! I googled the pictures and placed everything just right! I cut them out and laminated them because chocolate and paper glued to card stock DO NOT MIX! Phew….
In reality, I understood where he was coming from. Yes, I do feel that my 21 month old son is quite clever. I would love to blog the next 20 minutes about his development in two languages and how advanced his physical skills are (I’m big on athletics if you haven’t picked up on that), but that isn’t the point of this particular post. I’ll leave that one for another time when you really want to hear me brag!! ;-)
My focus is about the fact that I DO actually spend time with my son. There are so many debates going on that cling to two extreme sides of parenting. I automatically get grouped into a negative aspect because I work! I work for two reasons. The first reason is my family. We cannot afford only one salary at this time. Yes, many moms and “experts” are screaming right now that I should not have had children! Please refer to My Boys tab to learn about how Lil Mister came into our lives! It is not that we live an extravagant lifestyle, but we need both salaries. The second reason I work is personal. I enjoy working. I enjoy the satisfaction that I get from it. It is something that I need and want as a person. A career is something that helps me feel fulfilled. It is not my everything but I have goals and enjoy meeting those goals.
My point here is that we moms cannot just be lumped together into groups! Especially this “crunchy” group! I’m all for each mom having her own ways and believe that we should NOT be judging each other! We are here to support each other, laugh through the down falls together, smile when one can only see tears, and give advice. What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another, right? Well, apparently according to some I am flat WRONG! I will continue to stand by my belief however! And will NOT tolerate being judged by women or men for that matter who obviously have too much time on their hands if they spend it ridiculing others…maybe they’re the ones that need to get a job and a life! RAWR!!
My parenting may not be perfect. Oh who am I trying to fool, I’m a mess at this most of the time but my son loves me! But I put my all into what I do. When I am with Lil Mister, he is my entire focus. I cannot tell you how many meals have been burnt because I was too engrossed in the tower we were building or how many times I’ve been doing laundry in the night because I spent my day time wheeling cars across the tiles. I don’t shove knowledge down my sons throat the whole day, but rather I try to tie things together. Such as a car is not just a car, it is a red or blue or whatever color car. Things are always big or small, in front or behind, on top or under. We don’t sit around doing nothing. We run, swing, ride bikes, and swim. It all seems pretty normal to us. Learning through playing is the number one concept. Those flashcards I made him have pictures of tractors. Why? Because he loves tractors! Counting is fun because we’re counting the pictures of tractors!
Oh sure, we have our issues. Like that my son has learnt the F word! Oh yea nothing like sitting in the grocery store and hearing my toddler say ‘F it’ and daddy covering it up by asking “waars die vouljie?” (where’s the birdie in Afrikaans but vouljie is kind of pronounced foolkey!). We always try to turn that word into something else when he says it. Just a few weeks ago Lil Mister comes home with a bite mark on his arm! When I’m told what happened he got bit by another little boy in whom he had first bit…my perfect angel would never, right? Wrong…we got problems. Do I think we have these because I work or that my parenting style is too loose? No. I think we have a normal toddler. I do know, however, that my son is clever because we make an effort to make learning fun. Learning and exercise are FUN in our house.
Yea, it’s pretty cliché but that is reality. If Lil Mister doesn’t like a method, we try something different. If an approach that worked for months suddenly stops working we change it. But one thing is for sure…I’m not the only working mom facing this dilemma! So my ideal for now is that I’m kind of chewy.
Chewy is not the opposite of crunchy. Chewy is a medium. Kind of like a chewy bar. They have some nutty parts and some hard parts but they’re still soft enough to get stuck in your teeth! I got a list about crunchy parenting from another blog and thought I’d share it and highlight what we are and are not.
• Attachment Parenting (we fit this to an extent….we do feel Lil Mister must explore his world and create some boundaries himself)
• Co-Sleeping (we both co-sleep and have a nursery. Lil Mister has always been put to bed in his own bed but at one point his bed was in our room too. He has had his own room and now sleeps there every night but he still wanders in to cuddle which is fine with us!)
• Baby Wearing (we do own strollers and used them regularly but it was easier to clean the house and/or shop when he was small if I had him in a sling!)
•
•
• natural birth (I loved natural birth; my husband would prefer a c-section as opposed to going through it again with me! But I never judge a woman! Both types are there for a reason and I believe that you must do what is best for you and baby!)
•
•
•
• breastfeeding (I tried and was unsuccessful with Lil Mister. I will try again with LJ…again no judgment on formula using moms. I used formula and Lil Mister is the top in his class!)
• extended breastfeeding
•
• holistic medicine (we still use prescriptions. We however do try alternative methods first!)
•
•
•
• Natural Products (we use if we can otherwise it is whatever is convenient…sorry!)
• Toxin Aware (this I am very careful for and avoid any products that can possibly be truly harmful!
•
•
• Peaceful parenting (We aim for this!)
• Minimalist
• Free Range Children? (are we talking about chickens here?)
• Child Led learning
•
• Limited Media (We do try to be strict about what Lil Mister sees and hears!)
• Buy WAHM
• Buy Small Business
• Buy Local
•
• Organic Gardening
• Buy Organics First
• Poison Free Homes
•
• No Circumcision
• Handmade
• Activism
• Human Rights / Animal Right
• Active Parenting
So yea…we don’t always comply 100% with a category, such as eco-friendly home. We are not energy hogs and switching off lights and appliances are important. But no we are not ripping up the 20 year old tiles to put in new ones that are organic. We don’t necessarily strictly organic garden but we garden. I believe in researching my options and making a decision from there.
Can you relate?? Maybe you’re a little chewy as well??
Shana
Monday, 5 November 2012
Holiday Jealousy
Today, I’m going to rant. Today, I’m going to moan. Today, I’m going to ask for all of your sympathy. Today, I’m going to tear apart every American holiday!!!
Don’t get your panties in a bunch here. Stick with me!
If you didn’t know, I live in South Africa (jeeze why aren’t you with the picture yet??!!) Here we have lots of public holidays which are really just great excuses created by a government, who believes that a 15 minute tea break means 30 minutes, to give us more days off work…PAID! Oh it is lovely. Of those public holidays I believe that we celebrate Easter and Christmas with America. The other 3 holidays which were what my calendar revolved around as a child are NON EXISTENT. This I am very upset about. For this I get very heartbroken. And for this I am VERY jealous when I read all of the great food, clothing, and decorating ideas that come across ALL of the blogs I read!
Aren’t you even slightly concerned for my mental health? You all are killing me! You have no concern for the better of your fellow Americans living abroad! RAWR! (Sorry I really do love all of you!)
We will start with the most recently past holiday…Halloween! As a child I could not understand why on such an important day we were in school! Have any of your children professed the same confusion? I’m sure they have! It is a logic beyond a young minds comprehension. Halloween is just as important as our own birthday. I never knew the logistics or the background of it growing up as I did the other holidays. For me it was always about the costume (which is exactly the same as dress up play!) and the free candy! Candy is also just as good presents when you are 6! What also surpassed my logic well until the first Halloween rolled around in South Africa was that this IS NOT a holiday celebrated world wide. In fact, most don’t even consider it a holiday! It is a random day chosen to give permission to be someone your not and get away with antics you would never attempt in your work clothing! Why in the world would people not understand how important this is to human sanity???!?
South Africa is starting to come around and I’ll be damned (oh that’s right…DAMNED) if my children will miss this lovely excuse for CrAziNess their entire lives! Somehow, my small farming town in no where South Africa will realize the joys of this day. (Especially the moms who can get away with not dressing up but still getting chocolate by explaining to their children that parents must test the candy to make sure there isn’t anything dangerous! Oh my mom was clever!) I am getting involved and will be that crazy American woman who plans a Halloween party “for her kids” every year but actually just wants to give herself the prize for best costume in the adult category! (I may be quite a small girl but for this mom of two I automatically disqualify you if you are dressed as a slutty/exotic ANYTHING….can I hire a bouncer?)….
Ideas welcome for Halloween hits South Africa 2013!!!
The next holiday that I am sick to my stomach over is…duh duh duh…THANKSGIVING!! I have nothing to give thanks for on the last Thursday in November as no one here understand what the flip I’m talking about! (Okay I'm still thankful for so much in my life and will WILL {double promise will} write a post before Thanksgiving to fall into theme!) Nor do they understand that it is like an American tradition to have such a big dinner! No a BRAAI DOESN’T COUNT! We need a turkey that has been stuffed, the potatoes AND sweet potatoes. We need corn and rolls, and cranberry sauce, and beans, and all the ‘fixins’ (also explaining to South Africans why most Americans don’t actually say a g is tiring too!) I want a table that seats the whole family! I NEED to watch the Macy’s day parade (even if it is 4pm here and I’m watching via internet!). It is not just another excuse to put our crazy families together in one house for an entire day and see if Grandma White and Grandma Gray can agree on the texture of the mash while the men scream at the football! It is not an attempt to see if we will all emerge unscathed!
This was a day where we all were together. Yea, the kids fought, the men lounged, and the women ‘slaved’ away over the perfect dinner. You looked forward to your Aunts famous Pumpkin pie and your Grandmothers perfected baked beans. We all have that one special dish that we craved all year round but is only made on these special days!
I’ve started stock piling articles and ideas for how to teach my children about Thanksgiving. I feel that they are American too even though we live here. They need to know about the pilgrims and the Indians. They need to know about the history. They need to know about that silly looking cornucopia in the middle of the table and how peace was achievable (however short lived!). I believe that I am one of maybe a handful celebrating this beloved holiday across the world….but heck I can’t sit drooling over your pictures of dinner for the rest of my life now can I!?!?! (My biggest concern is how do I cook that much all on my own….my boys have to learn to cook and fast!)
The last holiday that is absolutely heartbreaking that I cannot celebrate is…..FOURTH OF JULY (hear Katy Perry’s Firework playing in the background…oh yea!) Try explaining that this is more than just a BBQ to a South African (Oh heck try explaining that a Braai and a BBQ are the same thing and that we don’t just grill hot dogs and hamburgers but steaks, and pork chops and just about anything else we think we can pull off!!)
One would think that a country who also fought off the British to gain freedom would understand the importance of such a day! You would think they would also bear pride in having a day that they could throw everything off, have bottle rocket wars, and shot the national anthem at the top of their lungs. But sadly…no. This country is lost at the concept of our grand firework displays, our 10 foot Uncle Sam’s on stilts, or the parades!
I miss trying to schedule the whole week to squeeze in as many firework shows as possible, meticulously planning what small towns are having their parades and when as to make sure I get to see them all! I miss the excitement as you lay out all the fireworks you’ve accumulated and debating the order in which they’re going to be lit (only to have, as it never fails, a mishap…like when your grandfather lays his lit lighter stick next to the box holding the grand finale and everything ignites…..or when someone gets a clever idea to string the poppers through the apple tree!!)
I miss the feeling that summer was finally in full swing as we rapidly approach the beginning of a new school year. I miss being proud to be an American and the pride that emanates from everyone you pass that day! Old Navy’s flag shits!!
Oh, in reality, I love South Africa. I truly do. I’m glad I live here and am proud of all this country has overcome in the last 100 years. I just can’t turn off the fact that I am American and I don’t want to! I love these holidays and the silly traditions that come with them. I miss the apple pies and down home country feel. I miss the American pride and attitude that the people in this country can’t understand and I can’t describe to someone who hasn’t felt it!
I want to incorporate our own traditions into the lives of my children in hopes to keep some of this
American-ness alive. I hope that they will one day get a chance to experience each of these holidays in the States so that they can understand these wacky ideas that come from their mother (who is creeping out their friends with spiderwebs in October and turkeys made from construction paper in November!).
I hope that as time goes by I won’t want to quit following all of you every year as you RUB IT IN MY FACE the joyous times you are having during the best holidays EVER created!! Just kidding!
Don’t get your panties in a bunch here. Stick with me!
If you didn’t know, I live in South Africa (jeeze why aren’t you with the picture yet??!!) Here we have lots of public holidays which are really just great excuses created by a government, who believes that a 15 minute tea break means 30 minutes, to give us more days off work…PAID! Oh it is lovely. Of those public holidays I believe that we celebrate Easter and Christmas with America. The other 3 holidays which were what my calendar revolved around as a child are NON EXISTENT. This I am very upset about. For this I get very heartbroken. And for this I am VERY jealous when I read all of the great food, clothing, and decorating ideas that come across ALL of the blogs I read!
Aren’t you even slightly concerned for my mental health? You all are killing me! You have no concern for the better of your fellow Americans living abroad! RAWR! (Sorry I really do love all of you!)
We will start with the most recently past holiday…Halloween! As a child I could not understand why on such an important day we were in school! Have any of your children professed the same confusion? I’m sure they have! It is a logic beyond a young minds comprehension. Halloween is just as important as our own birthday. I never knew the logistics or the background of it growing up as I did the other holidays. For me it was always about the costume (which is exactly the same as dress up play!) and the free candy! Candy is also just as good presents when you are 6! What also surpassed my logic well until the first Halloween rolled around in South Africa was that this IS NOT a holiday celebrated world wide. In fact, most don’t even consider it a holiday! It is a random day chosen to give permission to be someone your not and get away with antics you would never attempt in your work clothing! Why in the world would people not understand how important this is to human sanity???!?
South Africa is starting to come around and I’ll be damned (oh that’s right…DAMNED) if my children will miss this lovely excuse for CrAziNess their entire lives! Somehow, my small farming town in no where South Africa will realize the joys of this day. (Especially the moms who can get away with not dressing up but still getting chocolate by explaining to their children that parents must test the candy to make sure there isn’t anything dangerous! Oh my mom was clever!) I am getting involved and will be that crazy American woman who plans a Halloween party “for her kids” every year but actually just wants to give herself the prize for best costume in the adult category! (I may be quite a small girl but for this mom of two I automatically disqualify you if you are dressed as a slutty/exotic ANYTHING….can I hire a bouncer?)….
Ideas welcome for Halloween hits South Africa 2013!!!
The next holiday that I am sick to my stomach over is…duh duh duh…THANKSGIVING!! I have nothing to give thanks for on the last Thursday in November as no one here understand what the flip I’m talking about! (Okay I'm still thankful for so much in my life and will WILL {double promise will} write a post before Thanksgiving to fall into theme!) Nor do they understand that it is like an American tradition to have such a big dinner! No a BRAAI DOESN’T COUNT! We need a turkey that has been stuffed, the potatoes AND sweet potatoes. We need corn and rolls, and cranberry sauce, and beans, and all the ‘fixins’ (also explaining to South Africans why most Americans don’t actually say a g is tiring too!) I want a table that seats the whole family! I NEED to watch the Macy’s day parade (even if it is 4pm here and I’m watching via internet!). It is not just another excuse to put our crazy families together in one house for an entire day and see if Grandma White and Grandma Gray can agree on the texture of the mash while the men scream at the football! It is not an attempt to see if we will all emerge unscathed!
This was a day where we all were together. Yea, the kids fought, the men lounged, and the women ‘slaved’ away over the perfect dinner. You looked forward to your Aunts famous Pumpkin pie and your Grandmothers perfected baked beans. We all have that one special dish that we craved all year round but is only made on these special days!
I’ve started stock piling articles and ideas for how to teach my children about Thanksgiving. I feel that they are American too even though we live here. They need to know about the pilgrims and the Indians. They need to know about the history. They need to know about that silly looking cornucopia in the middle of the table and how peace was achievable (however short lived!). I believe that I am one of maybe a handful celebrating this beloved holiday across the world….but heck I can’t sit drooling over your pictures of dinner for the rest of my life now can I!?!?! (My biggest concern is how do I cook that much all on my own….my boys have to learn to cook and fast!)
The last holiday that is absolutely heartbreaking that I cannot celebrate is…..FOURTH OF JULY (hear Katy Perry’s Firework playing in the background…oh yea!) Try explaining that this is more than just a BBQ to a South African (Oh heck try explaining that a Braai and a BBQ are the same thing and that we don’t just grill hot dogs and hamburgers but steaks, and pork chops and just about anything else we think we can pull off!!)
One would think that a country who also fought off the British to gain freedom would understand the importance of such a day! You would think they would also bear pride in having a day that they could throw everything off, have bottle rocket wars, and shot the national anthem at the top of their lungs. But sadly…no. This country is lost at the concept of our grand firework displays, our 10 foot Uncle Sam’s on stilts, or the parades!
I miss trying to schedule the whole week to squeeze in as many firework shows as possible, meticulously planning what small towns are having their parades and when as to make sure I get to see them all! I miss the excitement as you lay out all the fireworks you’ve accumulated and debating the order in which they’re going to be lit (only to have, as it never fails, a mishap…like when your grandfather lays his lit lighter stick next to the box holding the grand finale and everything ignites…..or when someone gets a clever idea to string the poppers through the apple tree!!)
I miss the feeling that summer was finally in full swing as we rapidly approach the beginning of a new school year. I miss being proud to be an American and the pride that emanates from everyone you pass that day! Old Navy’s flag shits!!
Oh, in reality, I love South Africa. I truly do. I’m glad I live here and am proud of all this country has overcome in the last 100 years. I just can’t turn off the fact that I am American and I don’t want to! I love these holidays and the silly traditions that come with them. I miss the apple pies and down home country feel. I miss the American pride and attitude that the people in this country can’t understand and I can’t describe to someone who hasn’t felt it!
I want to incorporate our own traditions into the lives of my children in hopes to keep some of this
American-ness alive. I hope that they will one day get a chance to experience each of these holidays in the States so that they can understand these wacky ideas that come from their mother (who is creeping out their friends with spiderwebs in October and turkeys made from construction paper in November!).
I hope that as time goes by I won’t want to quit following all of you every year as you RUB IT IN MY FACE the joyous times you are having during the best holidays EVER created!! Just kidding!
Shana
Friday, 2 November 2012
And the award goes to...
Live from New York at the annual Bloscars (World Wide Blogging Awards)…
You like me….you really really like me!!
I’ve been so surprised this morning as I turned on my blogger. It had been a particularly poop-worthy morning (literally during no nappy time Lil Mister decided to do his business right there on the floor in the family room as he points out the screen doors to the puppy who had also done her business under the lapa! “Mama, Puppy poo…(he points to puppy) Liam poo (he grins VERY proud of himself and points to his!) Oh the joys of motherhood!! (I do love him and was glad that he was proud of himself and even more proud that he has managed to wee-wee in the pottie this morning at least!!)
As I debated what in the world I would post about today…
Fridays tend to be an on again off again post day for me…I just can’t seem to focus!
…I read that I…I have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award from the lovely Leesa over at One Olive Short! Being that it is my first nomination…I would like to take a minute to say thank you! THANK YOU! (Yes, I’m that one behind the podium holding the champagne before the party or let alone toasts have even began….hold up I still got 32.8 seconds!)
On a more serious note, I figured (yes I’m that new to all of this!) that I better at least have an idea of what I’ve been nominated for! I assumed since she nominated some pretty fabulous other blogs like Let Them Eat Cake and Funny Postpartum Lady it couldn’t be so bad! Just now I’m up for the wooden mic award of the blogging world! AHH!!!
The history of this award is a little bit…umm…miffed but here is what I could Google about! Liebster is one of those funny German words (hehe sorry!) that means favorite or dearest. This is what “they” (the infamous they!) tell me. Kind of like I was told that the symbol on my wrist means hope in Chinese…I’ve yet to actually venture and find out the truth! And back to the award! It is to showcase up and coming bloggers with 200 or less followers (hey jump on the bandwagon peeps…I’m thankful for this but don’t want to remain qualified for this award forever!! ;-])
Apparently, it began with 5 facts, 5 questions, and 5 nominations. Yet, as the blogger world has grown ever so rapidly we are up to the number 11!! YAY!!
The rules are as follows:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog!
2. Link back to said presenter!
3. Add the award to your blog award mantle (a.k.a. post the button/linky on your blog)
4. Give 11 facts about yourself
5. Answer the 11 questions asked by said presenter
6. Ask 11 questions for the….
7. 11 bloggers you nominate & post their links in your Thank You blog post! (Go to their page and let them know!) (No tag backs!)
Sjoe…okay I think I got all that!
11 Facts (maybe they are strewn with some self opinion…)
1. I am that crazy girl who said she was only going to get married after finishing her PHD in something or another and traveling the world, but ended up moving half way across the world following this extremely sexy guy with an accent and married him at 19 AND I’m super happy I did!
2. I talk way WAY too much…like non-stop. It was bad before, but I just enjoy it now when I can talk and listen in English instead of some other language!
3. My youngest brother is just over 2 years older than my son! My dad is freaky! Hehe ;-)
4. I love the ocean and would decorate my entire house in variations of a nautical/beach theme if I could.
5. As much as I miss America and my friends and family, I wouldn’t trade living in South Africa for anything.
6. I played violin my whole life until I left mine behind when moving to South Africa (insurance on it was WAY outrageous for the flight) and have regretted not bringing it everyday since I landed.
7. I’ve never met my birth mom.
8. I want SO SO badly to study to be an accountant (I think the hum-drum balances my personality CrAziNess) even if it means that when I get to study it must be in the middle of the night on top of my full time job and two children.
9. Did I mention I love the ocean….yea I want to retire someday in Capetown.
10. I have an obsession with planning…I have a day planner, a blog planner, a birthday planner (with ideas through my kids 30th birthdays!) and a fitness planner! Now if I could just organize the rest of my life to file into the plans!
11. I love the blogging community I’m a part of. I actually realized now when reading the nominations from One Olive Short how much of a community we are (Leesa you stole so many of my nominees! Lol! Great minds think alike!)
Okay…now to answer the questions I have been assigned…
1. What is your most prized possession and why?
This is a tear for me. I have to say that I have two that pull equal rank. First is my ‘box.’ This is a box that I throw everything in. It has pictures, keepsakes from my wedding and friends weddings, things from my son and husband. It is anything and everything I want to hold for memories.
The second is my day planner(s). I really can’t live without them. They help keep my head on straight between all the fires I have burning!
2. Where is one place you have never visited and want to go and why?
Morocco…apparently my birth mom’s family is from there or she is from there and I’d really just like to get an idea of that part of my life I don’t know
3. What is your dream job?
To be an accountant…call me boring!
4. If you could have a super power what would it be and why?
I’d want to control moods like Jasper in Twilight haha! When I want things calm, I want them calm NOW!
5. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, has anything ever happened to you to make you believe?
No, not ghosts really. But I do believe in a spiritual realm that is much more in touch with our daily lives then we believe it is, but that spiritual realm is firmly placed in God.
6. What is your favorite childhood memory?
Going on the road in the summers with my dad in his semi. We have so many great memories and saw so many places together. It was just us….I miss that.
7. Finish this sentence: I AM ____
I am made in the image. This world is always attacking us but I know I was made in the image of God. Take me or leave me I am what He wanted me to be!
8. What is your favorite holiday?
Mother’s day!! Hehe I like celebrating the fact that I am a mom. It is my favorite title!
9. Do you have a FB page? If so, let us know here so we can come follow you!
Yep…check me out at www.facebook.com/shanadanascott
10. Do you have a bucket list and if so, what is on it?
Oh yea. You can find my bucket list here. It’s got a lot. Check it out!
11. If you could choose ONE person to speak to that you have never spoken to before who would it be and what would you say or ask?
Frances Hayward. She ran the Comrades Ultramarathon in 1923 as an unregistered runner. Women were not allowed to participate actually until 1975. I would want to ask her what went through her head that morning as she prepared to run. The emotions and thoughts surrounding such a exigent decision. I would ask her what it felt like to be the first woman to ever run and complete the 90km run and why she would do something so personally challenging when she knew she would not receive the credit or recognition for it? Especially considering how oppressed women were as well at this point in South African history!
And…my 11 questions…duh duh duh
1. What is the accomplishment in your life that you are most proud of?
2. If there was one thing you felt your children HAD to know growing up, what is it?
3. What is your most quirky and/or embarrassing personality aspect?
4. What is one thing you think we’d be surprised to know about you?
5. Did you have a favorite toy as a child? If so, what?
6. If you could time travel, to when would you go and why?
7. What is the most shocking thing you’ve ever done in your life?
8. What did you want to be when you were in grade school?
9. What is the most daring (or out of the box for you) thing you want to do but are too scared to attempt? Can we encourage you to go for it?
10. What is the one food you wouldn’t eat for a million dollars?
11. What game show have you always wanted to participate in? (Oh come on…we’ve all got one! Or if really isn’t one…what TV show sitcom have you always wanted to guest appear in? You can answer both it you choose!)
And without further to do…the nominees are (drum roll please…)
1. According to Mags
2. The Family Pants
3.Figuring it Out as we Grow
4. Taking the Plunge
5. My Wonderfully Imperfect Life
6. Moore Organized Mayhem
7. Handmade Tears and Triumphs
8. Letters to Ian
9. Army Wife, Mommy Life
10. A.D.D. Music Mamma
11. You Know What I Like the Most
You like me….you really really like me!!
I’ve been so surprised this morning as I turned on my blogger. It had been a particularly poop-worthy morning (literally during no nappy time Lil Mister decided to do his business right there on the floor in the family room as he points out the screen doors to the puppy who had also done her business under the lapa! “Mama, Puppy poo…(he points to puppy) Liam poo (he grins VERY proud of himself and points to his!) Oh the joys of motherhood!! (I do love him and was glad that he was proud of himself and even more proud that he has managed to wee-wee in the pottie this morning at least!!)
As I debated what in the world I would post about today…
Fridays tend to be an on again off again post day for me…I just can’t seem to focus!
…I read that I…I have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award from the lovely Leesa over at One Olive Short! Being that it is my first nomination…I would like to take a minute to say thank you! THANK YOU! (Yes, I’m that one behind the podium holding the champagne before the party or let alone toasts have even began….hold up I still got 32.8 seconds!)
On a more serious note, I figured (yes I’m that new to all of this!) that I better at least have an idea of what I’ve been nominated for! I assumed since she nominated some pretty fabulous other blogs like Let Them Eat Cake and Funny Postpartum Lady it couldn’t be so bad! Just now I’m up for the wooden mic award of the blogging world! AHH!!!
The history of this award is a little bit…umm…miffed but here is what I could Google about! Liebster is one of those funny German words (hehe sorry!) that means favorite or dearest. This is what “they” (the infamous they!) tell me. Kind of like I was told that the symbol on my wrist means hope in Chinese…I’ve yet to actually venture and find out the truth! And back to the award! It is to showcase up and coming bloggers with 200 or less followers (hey jump on the bandwagon peeps…I’m thankful for this but don’t want to remain qualified for this award forever!! ;-])
Apparently, it began with 5 facts, 5 questions, and 5 nominations. Yet, as the blogger world has grown ever so rapidly we are up to the number 11!! YAY!!
The rules are as follows:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog!
2. Link back to said presenter!
3. Add the award to your blog award mantle (a.k.a. post the button/linky on your blog)
4. Give 11 facts about yourself
5. Answer the 11 questions asked by said presenter
6. Ask 11 questions for the….
7. 11 bloggers you nominate & post their links in your Thank You blog post! (Go to their page and let them know!) (No tag backs!)
Sjoe…okay I think I got all that!
11 Facts (maybe they are strewn with some self opinion…)
1. I am that crazy girl who said she was only going to get married after finishing her PHD in something or another and traveling the world, but ended up moving half way across the world following this extremely sexy guy with an accent and married him at 19 AND I’m super happy I did!
2. I talk way WAY too much…like non-stop. It was bad before, but I just enjoy it now when I can talk and listen in English instead of some other language!
3. My youngest brother is just over 2 years older than my son! My dad is freaky! Hehe ;-)
4. I love the ocean and would decorate my entire house in variations of a nautical/beach theme if I could.
5. As much as I miss America and my friends and family, I wouldn’t trade living in South Africa for anything.
6. I played violin my whole life until I left mine behind when moving to South Africa (insurance on it was WAY outrageous for the flight) and have regretted not bringing it everyday since I landed.
7. I’ve never met my birth mom.
8. I want SO SO badly to study to be an accountant (I think the hum-drum balances my personality CrAziNess) even if it means that when I get to study it must be in the middle of the night on top of my full time job and two children.
9. Did I mention I love the ocean….yea I want to retire someday in Capetown.
10. I have an obsession with planning…I have a day planner, a blog planner, a birthday planner (with ideas through my kids 30th birthdays!) and a fitness planner! Now if I could just organize the rest of my life to file into the plans!
11. I love the blogging community I’m a part of. I actually realized now when reading the nominations from One Olive Short how much of a community we are (Leesa you stole so many of my nominees! Lol! Great minds think alike!)
Okay…now to answer the questions I have been assigned…
1. What is your most prized possession and why?
This is a tear for me. I have to say that I have two that pull equal rank. First is my ‘box.’ This is a box that I throw everything in. It has pictures, keepsakes from my wedding and friends weddings, things from my son and husband. It is anything and everything I want to hold for memories.
The second is my day planner(s). I really can’t live without them. They help keep my head on straight between all the fires I have burning!
2. Where is one place you have never visited and want to go and why?
Morocco…apparently my birth mom’s family is from there or she is from there and I’d really just like to get an idea of that part of my life I don’t know
3. What is your dream job?
To be an accountant…call me boring!
4. If you could have a super power what would it be and why?
I’d want to control moods like Jasper in Twilight haha! When I want things calm, I want them calm NOW!
5. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, has anything ever happened to you to make you believe?
No, not ghosts really. But I do believe in a spiritual realm that is much more in touch with our daily lives then we believe it is, but that spiritual realm is firmly placed in God.
6. What is your favorite childhood memory?
Going on the road in the summers with my dad in his semi. We have so many great memories and saw so many places together. It was just us….I miss that.
7. Finish this sentence: I AM ____
I am made in the image. This world is always attacking us but I know I was made in the image of God. Take me or leave me I am what He wanted me to be!
8. What is your favorite holiday?
Mother’s day!! Hehe I like celebrating the fact that I am a mom. It is my favorite title!
9. Do you have a FB page? If so, let us know here so we can come follow you!
Yep…check me out at www.facebook.com/shanadanascott
10. Do you have a bucket list and if so, what is on it?
Oh yea. You can find my bucket list here. It’s got a lot. Check it out!
11. If you could choose ONE person to speak to that you have never spoken to before who would it be and what would you say or ask?
Frances Hayward. She ran the Comrades Ultramarathon in 1923 as an unregistered runner. Women were not allowed to participate actually until 1975. I would want to ask her what went through her head that morning as she prepared to run. The emotions and thoughts surrounding such a exigent decision. I would ask her what it felt like to be the first woman to ever run and complete the 90km run and why she would do something so personally challenging when she knew she would not receive the credit or recognition for it? Especially considering how oppressed women were as well at this point in South African history!
And…my 11 questions…duh duh duh
1. What is the accomplishment in your life that you are most proud of?
2. If there was one thing you felt your children HAD to know growing up, what is it?
3. What is your most quirky and/or embarrassing personality aspect?
4. What is one thing you think we’d be surprised to know about you?
5. Did you have a favorite toy as a child? If so, what?
6. If you could time travel, to when would you go and why?
7. What is the most shocking thing you’ve ever done in your life?
8. What did you want to be when you were in grade school?
9. What is the most daring (or out of the box for you) thing you want to do but are too scared to attempt? Can we encourage you to go for it?
10. What is the one food you wouldn’t eat for a million dollars?
11. What game show have you always wanted to participate in? (Oh come on…we’ve all got one! Or if really isn’t one…what TV show sitcom have you always wanted to guest appear in? You can answer both it you choose!)
And without further to do…the nominees are (drum roll please…)
1. According to Mags
2. The Family Pants
3.Figuring it Out as we Grow
4. Taking the Plunge
5. My Wonderfully Imperfect Life
6. Moore Organized Mayhem
7. Handmade Tears and Triumphs
8. Letters to Ian
9. Army Wife, Mommy Life
10. A.D.D. Music Mamma
11. You Know What I Like the Most
Shana
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Week 33....almost there
So next week is my gynae appointment! Quite excited to hear what he has to say. At this point in the pregnancy everything seems to be hitting me all at once! There is a lot of stress going on which probably affects it all, but physically I feel like I’ve hit a brick wall. Things were going great only 2 weeks ago! If you’d have asked I’d have told you I’ve barely noticed this pregnancy other than that I can’t run simply because I know that physically I can’t take so much. But I was still walking and doing aerobics and even starting to swim with the weather warming up. Yet after the last month, I think it is finally a brick wall. We had in the last 6 weekends a bachelor/bachelorette party, a wedding, a carnival, another wedding, and the picnic. This weekend we have my works year end function. My body is tired, my mind is tired, my emotions are empty. As much as I want to carry full term and have LJ born on Hubby Dearest’s great grandfather’s birthday (15 December), if I was to go into labor now I’d be perfectly happy!!
Total Weight Gain: 29.7 lbs!!!
This week, Baby is: 1.9 kg or 4.2 lbs (and expected to double from here on out which will put him right in line with Lil Mister!)
How far along? 33 weeks, 5 days
Due date: 15 Dec 2012
Total weight gain/loss: Okay I know it is quite a jump and not completely accurate but it has been 6 weeks since my last appointment and I was guestimating!! So in 6 weeks I gained 12.1 lbs!! Whoo-hoo!!
Maternity clothes? No but with all the weight gain in the last few weeks I’m starting to see it! Haha but I’m way too stubborn. I’m past the point of no return.
Sleep: Getting worse…I seem to be having a lot of Braxton hicks in the night and in the morning and generally all day long...:-(
Best moment this week: I'm actually starting to really get excited for the birth! I guess because it is starting to get closer!!
Food cravings: I don’t even really want to eat at this point! There just isn't room for food...
Movement: Much less but he’s still busy in there. Extremely EXTREMELY still today...hmm
Symptoms: Just strong Braxton hicks...and another thing but I'm not so much into the over sharing :-/
Labor Signs: Nope!
Stretch Marks: nope and we’re working hard to keep it that way!
Swelling? My feet :-(
Belly Button in or out? its most definetly out.
What I miss: eating spicy foods without regretting it!!! Jalapeno and Pineapple anyone??
Feeling toward Pregnancy: Ready to meet LJ and be done with pregnancy….
What I am looking forward to: raising two wonderful boys to be men of God!
Milestones: Nothing major but I'm pretty sure LJ is in perfect position because I've gone still on my right side and all his kicks are to the left!!
News: Less than a week until gynae...YAY!!!
GENERAL NEEDS
4-6 Tommy Tippee bottles Did anyone else realize that the small Tommy Tippee bottles are the same ml as the medium Advent bottles??? And the price is better!
Dummy (Side Bar: Lil Mister used Nuk dummy's until he was 18 months then only took a Tommy Tippee one but we still call it a nuk-nuk lol)
Toweling nappies (Just need to embroider them now! MIL is working on that now...will get pictures up!)
Hats
Bibs
Socks
Stage 2 diapers
Stage 3 diapers (I bought 1 pack!)
Wet wipes** I like to stock up
Breast pads (I have one pack now so I'm waiting to see how the breast feeding goes this round!)
Aqueous cream
Baby powder
Baby oil
Bum cream
New monitors
Nipple cream
Face cloths (MIL is also working on crocheting these!)
Pharmacy stock (Panado, tissue salts, boscopan, telements colic drops, gripe water, milk of magnesia, ear buds, cotton wool, )
****Things I’d like to have*****
New breast pump (I received a great gift from Living and Loving and Avent in a new pump!! Now I can use Liam’s old bottles with stoppers in them for storage as it fits the pump!
Stoppers
Microwave sterilizer
2x more blankets
2x more receiving blankets
New nappy bag
2x new towels
0-3 MONTHS
Coming Home Outfit (Need wool! A friend is going to crochet a jacket and hat and booties for him! Then we'll just wear a vest and white pants!)
2x summer jammies
3-6 MONTHS (this is where I gave a lot of Liams stuff away!)
12x vests (4 long sleeves) (I got 2!!)
4x cotton pants (with feet)
2x summer jammies
4-6x T-shirts
3-5x Rompers (I got 1!!)
3-5x Onesies (I got 2!!)
6-12 MONTHS (this is a season change from winter to summer for us! 3 months in each season)
2x Winter jammies
3x summer jammies
2x jackets
4x cotton pants
3x shorts
2x long sleeves
6x short sleeves
12x vests
2x Rompers
Oh and in my true fashion I have made a list for the hospital bag as well! Maybe this will get me in motion a little bit. However, despite having been through this before I feel like I’m not packing everything I will need! Open to suggestions!
Labour/Birth Bag
Admission documents
o Passport
o Doctors documents
o Hospital documents
o Any birth preferences
Snacks/drinks
Lip balm
Little cash
Music/Something to Read
Calming focus photo
Camera
Facecloth x2 (one for in labor, one for shower after)
Towel
Change of comfortable clothes
Change of panties
Maternity pads
Post-birth clothing
LJ’s first outfit
o Vest, pants, shirt, sweater
o Socks, hat, bib
o Nappy, bum cream
Receiving blanket/blanket
Mommy’s Hospital Bag
Maternity Pads
3-4 sets pajamas
Nursing bras/panties
Bath robe
Socks/slippers
Breast pads
Breast pump/bottles
Toiletries
o Shampoon/Cond
o Soap
o Toothpaste/toothbrush
o Lotion/oil
o Deo
o Hairbrush/gel/spray/clips & bands
o Nipple cream
Extra towel
Rehydrate
Journal/Reading material
Phone Charger
Pillow & blanket
LJ’s Hospital Bag
1x pack disposable nappies
Dark face cloth for bum
Wet wipes
Bum cream
Aqueous cream
Cotton balls
Soap
Hair brush
Towel/face cloth
Vaseline
Surgical Spirits
5x baby grows
5x vests
5x socks/booties
2x hats
Jacket/jersey
3x receiving blankets
1x blanket
3x toweling nappies
Colic drops
Total Weight Gain: 29.7 lbs!!!
This week, Baby is: 1.9 kg or 4.2 lbs (and expected to double from here on out which will put him right in line with Lil Mister!)
How far along? 33 weeks, 5 days
Due date: 15 Dec 2012
Total weight gain/loss: Okay I know it is quite a jump and not completely accurate but it has been 6 weeks since my last appointment and I was guestimating!! So in 6 weeks I gained 12.1 lbs!! Whoo-hoo!!
Maternity clothes? No but with all the weight gain in the last few weeks I’m starting to see it! Haha but I’m way too stubborn. I’m past the point of no return.
Sleep: Getting worse…I seem to be having a lot of Braxton hicks in the night and in the morning and generally all day long...:-(
Best moment this week: I'm actually starting to really get excited for the birth! I guess because it is starting to get closer!!
Food cravings: I don’t even really want to eat at this point! There just isn't room for food...
Movement: Much less but he’s still busy in there. Extremely EXTREMELY still today...hmm
Symptoms: Just strong Braxton hicks...and another thing but I'm not so much into the over sharing :-/
Labor Signs: Nope!
Stretch Marks: nope and we’re working hard to keep it that way!
Swelling? My feet :-(
Belly Button in or out? its most definetly out.
What I miss: eating spicy foods without regretting it!!! Jalapeno and Pineapple anyone??
Feeling toward Pregnancy: Ready to meet LJ and be done with pregnancy….
What I am looking forward to: raising two wonderful boys to be men of God!
Milestones: Nothing major but I'm pretty sure LJ is in perfect position because I've gone still on my right side and all his kicks are to the left!!
News: Less than a week until gynae...YAY!!!
GENERAL NEEDS
Dummy (Side Bar: Lil Mister used Nuk dummy's until he was 18 months then only took a Tommy Tippee one but we still call it a nuk-nuk lol)
Stage 3 diapers (I bought 1 pack!)
Aqueous cream
Baby powder
Baby oil
Bum cream
New monitors
Nipple cream
****Things I’d like to have*****
Stoppers
Microwave sterilizer
2x more blankets
2x more receiving blankets
New nappy bag
2x new towels
0-3 MONTHS
3-6 MONTHS (this is where I gave a lot of Liams stuff away!)
12x vests (4 long sleeves) (I got 2!!)
4x cotton pants (with feet)
2x summer jammies
4-6x T-shirts
3-5x Rompers (I got 1!!)
3-5x Onesies (I got 2!!)
6-12 MONTHS (this is a season change from winter to summer for us! 3 months in each season)
2x Winter jammies
3x summer jammies
2x jackets
4x cotton pants
3x shorts
2x long sleeves
6x short sleeves
12x vests
2x Rompers
Oh and in my true fashion I have made a list for the hospital bag as well! Maybe this will get me in motion a little bit. However, despite having been through this before I feel like I’m not packing everything I will need! Open to suggestions!
Labour/Birth Bag
Admission documents
o Passport
o Doctors documents
o Hospital documents
o Any birth preferences
Snacks/drinks
Lip balm
Little cash
Music/Something to Read
Calming focus photo
Camera
Facecloth x2 (one for in labor, one for shower after)
Towel
Change of comfortable clothes
Change of panties
Maternity pads
Post-birth clothing
LJ’s first outfit
o Vest, pants, shirt, sweater
o Socks, hat, bib
o Nappy, bum cream
Receiving blanket/blanket
Mommy’s Hospital Bag
Maternity Pads
3-4 sets pajamas
Nursing bras/panties
Bath robe
Socks/slippers
Breast pads
Breast pump/bottles
Toiletries
o Shampoon/Cond
o Soap
o Toothpaste/toothbrush
o Lotion/oil
o Deo
o Hairbrush/gel/spray/clips & bands
o Nipple cream
Extra towel
Rehydrate
Journal/Reading material
Phone Charger
Pillow & blanket
LJ’s Hospital Bag
1x pack disposable nappies
Dark face cloth for bum
Wet wipes
Bum cream
Aqueous cream
Cotton balls
Soap
Hair brush
Towel/face cloth
Vaseline
Surgical Spirits
5x baby grows
5x vests
5x socks/booties
2x hats
Jacket/jersey
3x receiving blankets
1x blanket
3x toweling nappies
Colic drops
Shana
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