Last Firsts and all that jazz

When you're the last baby, especially when you're the last of 5 babies, there's not much celebration of you (especially from extended family)

We've always tried hard to celebrate Sophie in any way we can, because noone else is walking beside her cheering her on.

dear sophie | today, you are four months old

today you are four months old

you love it when dad comes home, giggling and chatting to him

you have teeth buds annoying you constantly

you smile and chat with Douglas every evening

and try to escape from Riley's loving kisses

Natalie loves to pick you up and jiggle you on her lap

but most of all you want mum.

You're still a terrible day sleeper, but an awesome night sleeper

you've found your voice, chattering away to the world when it's quiet

you're fond of early mornings, and love snuggles on the couch

you're still trying to figure out your playmat, but love your taggie toy

you're growing every day

and you are so very loved

dear Sophie

today, you are two weeks old

it's been a strange two weeks, adjusting to our new normal

{and spending lots of time thinking about Chloe}

but you've fit right in.

Thursday was our worst day, too many errands in one day, but we made it to the end, and slept well.

You sleep well every night - 3-5 hours from around 10pm, then 2-hourly until about 7am (much better nights than Natalie and Riley)

You feed very well, you were born knowing what to do, and we've figured our way through the small hiccups.

You're starting to spend little blocks of time awake, watching the world. The newborn stage is almost over, never to occur again in this house.

I've realised this is a time of firsts and lasts for our family. Firsts as you learn your way around, and lasts for dad and I, watching you learn.

{but that doesn't stop dad calling you every name except Sophie when he's trying to get the kids to listen to him - it's funniest when he calls you Amy or Molly [the cat and dog]}

two weeks, with many more to come

[this has taken all day to write, maybe next week I can find more time to write]

#baby5 | what's your name?

One of my favourite photos when I was pregnant with Riley (is now lost in my archives) was of my bump with names stuck all over it. It was something I knew I needed to do again, and I finally got around to doing it a couple of days ago (you might have seen it on instagram)

One of these is her name.

And seeing as I'm scheduling this for midnight my time, within 24 hours, you'll know what it is.

looking up, looking down

I've tried to link up with Helena's clever look up, look down series before, but never quite managed it. But yesterday at the playground with the kids was the perfect opportunity. I wanted some last bump photos, from a different perspective.

gosh, now I remember why I don't wear black!

And then I looked up in front of me.

And spotted a big eucalyptus against a bright blue sky.

bloggers baby shower

On Sunday, Blog Power Events finally hosted their blogger's baby shower. The weather was beautiful, a perfect winter's day, and there was plenty of homemade goodies to munch on, and lovely friends to chat with!

Now, before we go any further, I have to tell you that I've stepped down from Blog Power Events. Bringing bloggers together is still something I'm passionate about, but life took a huge turn this year and I need to step back and focus on my family.

photo courtesy of Sew.Cook.Laugh.Live.

Renee from NeeSay, Cass from Cass Can Sew, Trudie from My Vintage Childhood and I are all adding to our troops (third babies for Renee and Cass, fifth for Trudie and I). As you can see, we're all at varying stages of bumps - Renee is due in October, Cass and Trudie in August, and me, well, any day now! I also finally got to meet Anne from Domesblissity, and spend time chatting with Jos from Sew.Cook.Laugh.Live. and Rachel and Lisa.

We all exchanged gifts. In typical organised Cate-fashion, I realised at 8pm the night before I didn't have any wrapping paper, so I improvised with butchers paper and my washi tape collection! Love how it turned out!

photo courtesy of My Vintage Childhood

Would you believe I forgot to actually photograph my gift? I created baby albums for the girls, using a two-up album and the Project Life Baby digital products. (I forgot to create one for myself, though I'm re-inspired to start my project life album again.)

It was interesting that we all went with gifts that played to our strengths.  Back row - in the green owl bowl, Renee made chocolate brownies (I've still got some left, downside of gestational diabetes is only one a day!), Lisa was inspired by pinterest to make lolly jars, Rachel painted the beautiful balloon canvas. Down the front from right to left, Trudie put together a package with a vintage dress and some paper crafting bits and bobs, Cass sewed a little beanie and pants, Jos has been teaching herself to crochet and created the beanie and edged the bunny rug, and gifts from two fabulous sponsors - Handmade Redcliffe gave the earrings, and Safety 1st sent the medicine syringes.

photo courtesy of Blog Power Events

There was also one big surprise - Dorel Australia gave us all a Coco Bassinette from the Mothers Choice range!

We set ours up as soon as we got home (let's face it, if we didn't do it then, it might never have been done!) It's tucked into a corner of our room (I was lucky enough to get the walnut colour which matches our bedroom suite perfectly!), and will come in handy for day sleeps and move-the-baby-away-from-the-children moments.

And the kids had heaps of fun, playing on the beach (with dad supervising), while mum chatted and ate yummy food. A fantastic day was had by all!

#baby5 | 38 weeks | what's in the nappy bag?

I don't usually use a big, bulky nappy bag, especially when baby is small, but it's impossible to go outside the house without a little bit of organisation, and a few things for baby. Here's how I do it.

This is a cosmetics case I bought from Target. It has everything I need inside for those quick trips to the shops, and stays in the car so I'm ready in case of emergency.

It's small enough to not take up a lot of space, but big enough that there's a lot of stuff tucked away inside.

1. nappy sacks for dirty nappies
2. wipes
3. bepanthen
4. spare suit (I'll probably add another suit, just in case)
5. disposable change mat
6. four nappies
7. clean blanket
8. burp cloth and hat
9. spare socks and singlet
10. spare boob pads for mum

I'm got my eye on this bag on Etsy for when I need to carry more stuff.

5 crazy mad things I'm going to do in the next 7 days

{source}

have a pedicure. As you can imagine, my feet are sore. I'd like someone to rub them and give them some pampering, just for a little while. And a splash of colour wouldn't go astray.

{source}

sew at least 1 fabric basket. Because I'd like somewhere to store nappies on my change table that looks a little nicer than in the packet.

{source}

sew at least one baby nightgown. Because I suddenly remembered freaking out at 2am in hospital when Riley was crying and I couldn't remember how to put a onesie on.

{source}

make tissue paper pom poms (and baby shower gifts). Because handmade gifts and decorations are awesome.

drink lots of hot tea. Because soon I'll be so busy I'll forget the cup is full, and I hate reheating tea!

#baby5 | 37 weeks | are you ready?

discovered cat hair on the cover

I have the capsule out of storage

and a packet of nappies, ready to go

All the clothes are clean and stacked in the drawers

I've even cleared space for the change mat

The sling is ready to go

and we've got a rocker or two (we were given one, and might still have our old one in storage)

The baby bath needs a scrub

but there's a nice new towel and soap ready for the first bath

I'd say we're ready for the next part of this adventure

busy hibernating

{and sewing}

staying warm inside while the rain pours outside

trying to rest and let the stress wash away

browsing pinterest for ideas

laying awake at 3am, willing my brain to stop

{last night, I actually lay there, mentally writing a list of all the things I was thinking about. This morning I can't remember any of it}

keeping my blood sugars under control

{and wishing the nausea would disappear}

counting down these last days

{because of previous fast labours, I am booked for induction soon}

5 things you can do for a mum with a newborn

It's well-known by now that this isn't my first baby.

Riley, about 10 minutes old

But, except for my first baby, I've never had a visitor in hospital. I've never had any gifts given to my babies (or myself), I've never had any flowers, or anyone offer to help. I don't want to sound whingy, or ungrateful, or unhappy, but it has left me feeling unimportant. And as if this precious bundle isn't important to the rest of the world.

So here's my wish list, the small things I'd love someone to do for me, and maybe you can do for someone you know

1. send flowers to hospital or give a flowering plant at home - this is a small token to show you're thinking of mum and the family (I took photos of my flowers when Chloe was born. These days, those photos would go here on the blog and in my project life album)
2. a useful gift for mum is magazines, socks, new pyjamas - mum brought me new pjs and magazines after Chloe was born, a godsend when I couldn't sleep and was colder in hospital than I realised.
3. share a meal - either feed the family while mum is in hospital, or provide a meal the first, or preferably the second night, mum's home. We visited friends the night after I came home with Chloe, they made all my favourites then shooed us out the door when we'd finished eating.
4. don't say "call me if you need help", text mum and offer to do something right now - pick the other kids up and take them to the park, lug the washing downstairs and turn a load on, or turn up with chocolate cake and put the kettle on.
5. remember, if she says "no thanks", keep trying, there's a silly notion that mums (especially mums-of-more-than-two-kids) have to manage without extra help. And I know that personally I knock back offers of help because I feel judged by the world. So if you offer to help me, I'll do my best to smile graciously and say "yes please"

NB I am feeling super-loved by my friends around the world at the moment, I smile ear-to-ear every time I think about the effort people are going to to join up with Deb's online baby shower for me. And I'm thrilled with the local bloggers baby shower Lisa and Rachel are pulling together for us.

ETA I wrote this post a week ago. Since then, one of the mums at our playgroup contacted me and asked if she could make a meal to put in the freezer for us. I nearly burst into tears there and then. 

#baby5 | 34 weeks | mama guilt

I realised a couple of days ago that I've been suffering from a bit of mama guilt with this pregnancy.

Mostly because it shouldn't have taken me so long to get used to the idea of having another baby. Partly because I have no idea how Chloe feels about having another baby. Partly because I've got so much to do, from cleaning the house to finishing off paperwork for the accountant to sewing stuff that is pinned together ready to be sewed. And partly because we're in a financially bad place at the moment, on the verge of sliding over the edge of the cliff and I can't do anything to help take that stress away.

And after seeing 4 day old twins at school today, and a friend's 3 week old, I realise I'm woefully under-prepared for such a small creature to find it's way into our hearts and lives. I'd forgotten just how small babies were! How do you forget something like that?!

I'm not sure that the reality of a new bundle of pink will hit until she's actually safely in my arms. And even that will pose a problem, because I have a super-jealous small boy here at the moment, not happy at all despite all the explanations about a baby sister coming soon.

And the sheer logistics of birth are doing my head in. Steve has changed jobs and is now gone five days a week. The only person available for the kids to stay with is my brother, and being a truck driver himself who goes all over the south east of Queensland, that's not the easiest thing to achieve.

{The actual labour process is a no-brainer - my last two were 2hrs each, which already has the hospital reminding me what to do if bub arrives quickly at home}

Sometimes I wish I could wind the clock back, and plan better (although our plan was for no more.) And right now I'm at the point where I want to wind the clock forward and just get on with it. Because when I stop and take a breath and calm down, I know everything will work out just the way it's supposed to.

happy mail

Who doesn't love getting something in the mail other than bills? And when it's little parcels of cuteness, well, that's even better!

This beautiful, summery top made it's way from England to my mailbox (last month, but it got lost in a pile on the desk) - Thank you so much, Deb!

And this cuteness made me cry! It's come all the way from Arizona, USA! Thank you, Deb!

And this little parcel of bits and pieces is from Chipper, as part of Sian's Great Big Swap of Very Small Things! And it's all so spot on! (there's also a couple of stamped journal cards, but I didn't discover them until I'd taken the photograph - I was so excited to see the truck and veneers and flowers!)

When did you last get a parcel in the mail?

BPE | blogger's baby shower

inspired by these cards by Wendy Sue Anderson

When Rachel and Lisa heard that I'd never had a baby shower before, they wanted to throw one for me. And then we heard that Trudie from My Vintage Childhood, Cass from Cass Can Sew and Renee from Nee Say were also pregnant and due around the same time, so we decided to have a big party!

I've been scouring pinterest for fun ideas, trying to plan something not-too-cheesy and heaps of fun and I've got a couple of ideas for cute little gifts I want to make for the other mums (because isn't half the fun of a baby shower silly games and gifts?!) It's shaping up to be an awesome day!

So, if you're a Brisbane local, consider this your invitation to join us for a fun day (I've got my fingers crossed for good weather, my kids are so excited!)

And if you're not local, don't forget about the online baby shower my friend Deb is hosting on May 30th {AEST} - I'm still trying to figure out a way to combine all the blog posts that will be shared into an album for bubba.

I think I can safely say I've been spoiled by my friends. I'm so excited to see these two events happen!

what does a newborn need?

I have been asked so many times lately if I'm "ready" for #baby5 to arrive. And every time I answer "no way!" But today I bought some nappies, so I consider myself ready if she pops out tomorrow!

But if there's one thing I've learned since I had Chloe 15 years ago, it's that the list of things you need before baby arrives is actually quite small.

Car restraint
This is a legal requirement to be able to carry baby in a vehicle. Make sure it is compliant with Australian standards (it will be marked on the box, and on the restraint when you remove it from the box.) It's up to you which style you want from newborn - I've used a reversible car seat, and capsules before. Reversible car seats don't fit in my current car, so we will use a capsule this time (one of the few remaining items from Riley's baby years.)

Clothes
I have always found that for the first three months of baby's life, onesies are a mum's (and dad's) best friend. They're easy to slip on and off when poo-splosions happen (and they will happen) , you don't need to change baby into anything at night time, and they come in a huge variety of makers, colours and sizes. Buy a couple of 0000 for bringing baby home from hospital, but invest most in 000 and 00 sizes, babies grow much quicker than you think they will! Singlets and socks are a great way to build layers to keep baby warm - I put the socks on under the suits, less chance of them falling off or being in the way for nappy changes.

A sling or carrier
This one truly comes down to personal preference. When Chloe was a baby, I carried her everywhere instead of bothering with the pram. I had never heard of a carrier or sling, so when Natalie was born and I was dealing with a reflux baby and big kids, a bit of google (and eBay) research led me to Baba slings. I still have my original sling, it is fantastic for quick trips to the supermarket with lots of kids in tow, and for use around the house when bub wants mum but mum needs to cook, etc. I've also used an Ergo carrier with both Natalie and Riley. It was fantastic as they got bigger for longer trips to the shops or any visit, walking, adventures we had planned. And dad can use it, too!

Wraps/blankets/bunny rugs
Handy for swaddling, especially in the early days, great for throwing over baby if you're not sure about how warm they are, especially handy for cleaning up random projectile vomiting. And laying baby on the floor at playgroup/mum's group/the house of Great-aunt Mabel who has three big dogs.


Burp cloths
I made burp cloths for Riley, but had an enormous pile of towelling nappies for both Chloe and Natalie. Whatever shape or fabric they come in, it's handy to have a small cloth over your shoulder every time baby gets near it. And even more important for dad who will whinge and carry on about vomit on his clothes. Between 15 and 20 is a good number, but you will be washing them every day in the first couple of weeks, baby can't help the small spit-ups after feeds.

Lotions and potions
I'm of an age now where I use the same products my mum used. I've tried other things, but I come back to the smells and memories of those products every time. For probably the first two years, I just wash baby with Johnson & Johnson head-to-toe wash. It's slightly milder on hair than the old no-more-tears shampoo, and smells fantastic!

I was given a bottle of Johnson's baby lotion when Chloe was born. I think I might still have the original bottle. This is another awesome smelling product, but I was never really sure what to do with it. It found a job when I had sticky sudocrem to get off baby's butt, because it wiped away with ease!

Johnson's baby powder has always been on my shelves. I think my grandmother still uses it to dry her feet! In our house (and growing up) it was called "foof" Great for rubbing in to all those creases on a newborn and making sure they're dry and smell-so-sweet!

Lastly, I use Bepanthen. Chloe called it "nanny's magic cream" - it's fantastic for sore nipples in the early days, great for soothing baby's bottom, and fantastic to heal the kids bumps and scratches (I currently have 3 tubes in my room, all in use) I smear it on baby's bottom at every nappy change for the first few months, and have never had a problem with nappy rash.

Nappies
Nappies are another personal preference. I used terry cloth flats with Chloe, as that was all I had available to me, but chose disposables for both Natalie and Riley. I did try to convert to modern cloth nappies with Riley, but found the expense of purchasing the nappies was more than our budget could handle at the time, and they were often too bulky for his clothing. This time, I'll be sticking to disposables, although I'm open to trying a few different brands as baby gets older.


Washing clothes
I've always used Sard Wonder Soaker. It's slightly cheaper than other brands, and I've been using it so long it's second nature. A couple of nappy buckets with well fitting lids will help keep fingers out of the soaking clothes. I'd recommend soaking all baby's clothes in the first few months - poosplosions and dribble can leave yucky stains and ruin the look of clothes. It isn't necessary to use a different laundry powder just for baby's clothes, wash them all in the same load (baby touches your clothes, sleeps in the sheets, uses the towels, why make work for yourself by keeping clothes separate?)

Washing baby
A midwife once told me that babies who showered with parents were more used to putting their faces under water, and therefore didn't mind doing it when learning to swim. My anecdotal evidence is that this is true for my older kids. A baby bath is an extra expense, taking up extra space that isn't really necessary in the beginning - this girl loves standing under the shower with water washing over my belly, so I don't see she will be any different once she pops out. It is handy in the beginning to have standing by with a towel, as babies can be slippery, and no matter how many you've had, you always feel like a butterfingers in the first few days.


Extra equipment
Cot or bassinet - personal preference. I have co-slept with all my children, so never used either a cot or bassinet. Make sure whatever you buy is compliant with Australian standards.
Port-a-cot - another personal preference, but I believe it is unnecessary.
Pram or stroller - I still have the pram and stroller I bought when Natalie was a baby. They are handy to have as baby gets bigger and is away for longer periods of the day when you want to get out of the house. Because I'm an advocate for baby wearing (using a carrier or sling) I don't see the purchase of either a pram or stroller as necessary until baby is at least six months. But again, personal preference.
Rocker - I have used a rocker with all my babies. It's handy to move baby into whatever room I'm in (especially the bathroom!), and great for reflux babies to sleep in without any discomfort. There are so many different sorts available on the market, shop around for one you like. But the bells and whistles aren't necessary.

day 7 | I'm most afraid of

Wanna know something really silly? My biggest fear at the moment is the silliest thing you've ever heard.


I can't wrap my head around big things coming out of small holes.

I know.

It's not particularly related to having {another} baby.

It's just the whole oozing, squooshy big thing and small hole thing.

I'm reminded of a cyst on my leg a number of years ago that saw me hospitalised for a week or so. When the doctor initially drained it, she packed it with gauze (to soak up the gunk inside), and the removal of the gauze was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. (Yes, even more painful than childbirth.) And it was horrible to look at. Big things out of small holes.

There.

I said it.

But I can still see it, oozing, and squooshing.

Can you see it too?

#baby5 | 30wks | 5 random notes

 

fabric for the triangle quilt

• With less than ten weeks to go, I have to make a quilt. A triangle quilt, no less. As well as sew all that fabric I bought in February and have done nothing with.
• I've never been struck by the urge to nest. Until this morning, when you would have found me on my hands and knees in the shower, scrubbing the non-slip mats. Wonder if it will extend to the rest of the house?
• I've had a rough week with my BSLs. Trying new foods, food I ate last week increasing my numbers, starving myself so they wouldn't go too high, it has been a journey. I'm actually looking forward to my dietician appointment on Monday, so she can help me figure it out.
• Baby hasn't had hiccups, and only given me indigestion a couple of times in the last week.
• She kicks Riley when he wants to climb on my lap, but he hasn't quite figured out what it is yet.

guest post | a bloggy baby shower for me!

Hello friends of Cate! My name is Deb ~ I blog over at PaperTurtle, and I’m throwing an online baby shower for our dear Cate.

Since Cate lives in Australia and I'm in the US, it would be a bit tricky {if not impossible} for me to host an actual baby shower in her honor. And since we have been blog friends for over three years now, it kind of makes more sense to do it the bloggy way.

You're all invited ~ and you don't necessarily have to have a blog to join in the fun!

There are a few different ways you can participate:

Create an 8"x 8" scrapbook page to be included in a scrapbook for Cate.

Photograph the layout and create a blog post to publish on Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

Link to my Bloggy-baby Shower blog post on that day and join the party!

(I will provide more specific details as that date gets closer.)

or

Create a baby-blog post to publish on May 29, 2013 and link to mine.

Your post should include something mommy-baby related.

Ideas include: helpful tips/advice, a game you've played at a

baby shower, baby photos of yourself or family members...

basically anything random and baby-ish.

or

If you don't have a blog but still want to create a layout for

Cate's scrapbook, you are more than welcome to do that as well.

♥ ♥ ♥

Scrapbook layout specifics ~ Are you ready for a challenge?

In order to have some sort of cohesiveness throughout

Cate's baby album, please use the following guidelines:

♥ The base must be a white, 8"x 8" piece of cardstock. You can use textured or flat, you can embellish it like crazy, but please start with white.

♥ Please leave space on your layout for a 4"x 6" photo that Cate can add later on.

♥ Cate loves the color purple {They don't call her PurpleCrazyMum for nothin'!} so please use purple in your layout, and feel free to incorporate other colors as you see fit. I'm planning to use pink and purple on mine.

♥ If you plan to use a specific theme {i.e. bath time, Daddy time, a nursery rhyme} please let me know before you begin designing your page. I will keep a list of specific page themes so that we don't end up with duplicate subject matters.

♥ When your layout is complete, mail it to me. I will gather all of the pages in a scrapbook to send to Cate. If you plan to do a blog post and link to my blog {PaperTurtle} on the day of the shower {Wednesday, May 29}, photograph your layout before sending it my way. :o)

♥ Please RSVP for the bloggy-baby shower by leaving a comment on this post. Make sure that your comment provides a way for me to contact you {either by way of a link to your blog or an email address}.

I will remind you of this fun event over the course of the next five weeks, but until then, I will leave you to your creative thinking process!

I've tried to cover all the bases, but I'm sure there's something I've left out!

Please leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions,

and also let me know if you plan to "attend" Cate's Bloggy-baby shower.

Ooooh...I'm so excited for us to do this for Cate!

Hooray for baby girls!

{and blog-friend-moms!}

♥

PS: My email address is djturtle{at}cox{dot}net if you need to contact me.

PSS: Thanks, Cate, for having me as a guest blogger today!

#baby5 | here we go again

This girl threw a curve-ball at me last week. Well, sort of - I was kind-of expecting bad news when I walked into the glucose tolerance test last Thursday, but one can live in hope, right?!

So, I've got gestational diabetes again. And like last time I'm hoping to control it with diet. But that's easier said than done this time, because this time I have fussier children, more evening commitments that require shovel-it-in-as-you-walk-out-the-door-meals, and strained finances. But we'll make it work, cause it's only 12 weeks, right?!

12 weeks of finger-pricking fun.

And doctors stressing about baby's size.

And bending over to tie shoe laces so I can increase exercise.

Finger pricks 4 times a day.

Oh, my, I wonder if I can manage?

#baby5 | 26 weeks

Apparently, I look like a "pea with legs" (thanks husband!)

When you say "there's only 14 weeks to go" it doesn't sound as long as 3.5 months.

But this is the boring bit

Nothing's happening, it's another waiting game.

This time, I'm waiting for the Glucose Tolerance Test next week - no 1 hour test for me, it's straight to the big one!

I don't know what my chances of having GDM again are, although I'm told it's pretty high

It's not something I'm looking forward to

But having an answer will allow me to move on, so I just sit and wait.

While I wait, I'm imagining how much our life is going to change over the next few months

Sleeplessness, dirty nappies, piles of washing, housework never done...

Actually, it probably won't be that different at all!