Eli's First Christmas

Eli has always been a baby who likes to sleep in - he's a night owl like his Dad! But while in Brisbane the glaring bright sunshine at 5am turned him into an early bird. The only day he slept in was actually Christmas Day! So I got to lie in bed for over an hour reading Game of Thrones while he and Shane slept next to me. He stirred a few times, then suddenly at 7:50am he rolled over and flashed this enormous grin at me. He then crawled over to me and curled his head up on my tummy for a quick cuddle. We went downstairs. I wanted to get some photos so we did that. 

He found present opening on the whole quite overwhelming I think, but he did have a lovely day.  A huge nap on the floor! 

Ok I have to confess. When Eli goes down for a nap I have this terrible habit of spending the entire nap looking at his baby photos on the computer - of which there are thousands - and adoring him. (Shane has a tendency to say "You do know that's him just over there, right??"). So that's really why Shane Edwards has to cook dinner, not because Eli is a lil action man or I had too many work emails/calls/dramas to sort out. Just because I'm a photo addict who spends hours reliving happy memories! Now I've outed myself I'll stop and

Beauty

Ever since I was a child I've hated the insistence that "everybody is beautiful", because honestly it only seems to reinforce the concept that beauty is the only attribute of value and the label we should strive for.... How about instead we start to focus on our other good points? As an example, My mum tried to tell me I didn't have a pointy nose "because you're beautiful!!" and it really made me question my eyesight, and not trust the things I saw and *did* like. For example, my gorgeous blue eyes. Now I know my nose is big and I'm ok with that. It's part of who I am. It was silly and pointless to try so desperately to make me feel better by lying to me. I'm not suggesting we be brutally honest with impressionable teenage girls, just that we don't go out of our way to lie to them. Teach them how to identify, appreciate, and develop the positive things about themselves. Whether it's being great at maths, or a caring friend, or having the knack for applying nail polish perfectly. Some beauty does come from the inside. But that doesn't mean a person who is beautiful on the inside is necessarily beautiful on the outside. I just wish instead of saying "Yes she is beautiful but so are you!" we could say "Yes she is beautiful, but there are other things that matter just as much". And there are things that matter less. I am horribly inarticulate today, but the point is simply - the more we insist that everybody is beautiful, the more obsessed we will become with being beautiful.

A real page turner

In the bath this afternoon I read Eli's bath book to him. At the end he reached out and turned the previous page back. Then looked at the page for a second before doing the same - he basically read the book backwards! So cute. That's the first time he's turned pages on a book. I want so badly for him to love books as much as I do, hopefully this is a good sign!

Chatterbox

Eli has spent most of this evening lying on his playmat just playing, chattering and singing. I am amazed at the noises that are coming out of him! Every possible consonant and vowel in the alphabet, in unique combinations.

Just a few short weeks ago his only words were "Ugwa" "Ewa" and "Ig-goo". He repeated them constantly. But now he is as noisy as a toddler! Very cute. Convenient too, as Shane and I have been busy moving beds again to tidy up the spare rooms. Eli actually wants to play and entertain himself (with us conversing and stopping occasionally to say hello). He screams if I try to hold him or feed him - he wants his playtime! I guess he is his father's son, needs his toys or he gets grumpy.

Good Boy

I say "Good Boy" to Eli all the time. He often says "Goo!" back at me. This morning there was a distinct "D" at the end. To be fair, it sounded more like "Gourd" than "Good", but close enough! We were still in bed at the time. I was stoked. He seems really happy when I say "Good Boy! Good Eli" and smiles and laughs. Adorable.

Bottles n boobies

All the experts say to be careful introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby. I was therefore wary when it came to it, although I knew all along that I wanted to be able to offer pumped milk to bubba should I need to do so. Eli has a bottle on the odd occasion that Shane is with him alone, which isn't very often simply because I don't like going anywhere without Eli....

Tonight is a bit different though. Shane is away in Brisbane overnight, and I gave Eli a bottle. I'd had a glass of wine, and I had a small bottle (20ml, not a full feed) in the fridge that I pumped yesterday which would otherwise go to waste, so thought I'd use it up. Without question he cheerfully sucked away on the bottle, enjoying the easy flow no doubt. When he started sucking air I pulled the bottle out and put it aside. Completely unfazed, the moment that the bottle was removed from his mouth, he moved his head across to the boob and turned his head into the nipple ready to go! I think if he had a motto it would be "food from any source". He's not picky.

Bathtime

I've been doing morning baths with Eli for a couple of weeks now. It's become a fun, relaxed morning routine - even on days when I'm going to work we often start with a leisurely bath first! I start off showering to get some steam in his nose, and then put the plug in and taps on for a sitdown bath. There is a big difference in his showering in the past week - instead of throwing his head up into the flow of water, he just chills out underneath the shower head as if it's the most natural thing in the world. He is enjoying his bath more too. Yesterday was the day he really started to kick and float by himself. Up until now he just lies there and floats, completely still. Today he had progressed further and was pushing off the edge of the bath with his feet. I kept the water more shallow than usual and let him lie by himself and move around more freely, watching closely so he didn't turn his head into the water. He is inclined to attempt to drink the bath if I let him! He has some cool squirty toys, but his only interest is when I use them to squirt water on them. He doesn't watch them float yet or touch them. Bathtime is fun for me though - lots of singing, and games, and water splashing about. One day I kept topping the bath up until I ran out of hot water, then we had to get out! To get out I put the hooded towel on his head, then I lie him in the bed of towels I have outside the shower, and fold the towels around him. Now he smiles and starts pulling the towels over his mouth and sucking them, although he used to be confused. I then quickly turn the shower back on and rinse myself off, and dry myself before I take him to get dressed. So far it seems fine, although once the weather is colder I may need to rethink that strategy. When we did night-time showers his Daddy used to come get him out and dry and dress him. That was a nice routine, but we always felt rushed and never knew when to fit it into our evening. Really loving this new routine instead. I still skip a day if I feel like a solo shower, but I look forward to my bubba baths too!

Photos from 20th April:

Fun day out!

Eli woke up at 5:30am for a feed, which was a shame as I hoped he would do 6:30am. I gave him a dummy which he happily sucked on until 5:55, and then had a feed. We both went back to our own beds for awhile. My alarm and Shane's both went off, he snoozed his as always - except unfortunately he turned it off! At 7:25 I happened to look at my phone and swore... we were supposed to leave for the airport at 7:15, or 7:30 at the latest! Ah well, we made it out the door finally at 7:50. Eli went into his seat in his PJs, with his sleep sack half undone. He went back to sleep during the airport drop-off run.

After we dropped Shane off, we drove to Jeanie's for brunch. He was so happy the entire time there - relaxed, chatty, smiley self! Managed to fill 3 nappies though. Impressive. The first was his overnight nappy, to be fair, as I changed and dressed him when we arrived. But two more in the 90min we were there!

Then we dropped Jeanie at the bus stop and went to Broadway. At the last second I opted for pram instead of carrier, which was nice except that I then had to search for ages to find the parent's room to use the loo!

In Kmart Eli woke up and decided he doesn't like the pram, so I ended up carrying him in one arm and pushing with the other. He finally went back in with the back upright so he was sitting... you know, like the 6 month old he *thinks* he is! Blue bear suit



Smiling at strangers!

On a whim we drove to Olympic Park and went for a walk in the carrier, then I found a nice piece of grass for a feed and a lie on the grass.   I read a magazine while he stared at the sky and played with his new wrist rattle (which he had picked out off the shelf himself!)



Got home at 3:30pm.    In the evening he went to bed like a good bubba and I watched Les Miserables.   Lovely day, lovely evening!

Piano

When Eli was small I tried playing the piano to him, and he often cried, which I attribute to his excellent taste in music. It is the appropriate reaction to the noise I make on that thing.... He has shown more interest in playing the piano together, staring at the black and white keys.

Today was an exciting milestone though - he watched my fingers move along the keys (I was playing Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring for the record), and then carefully pressed a key himself. He seemed to now realise the relationship between the piano keys and the music. He continued to play notes, much to Shane's surprise when he came in a few moments later! Very cute.

Haven't been able to replicate the cot naps yet. He wakes up the second he goes in. Just likes to be held! 

Parade

No photos - I was in such a hurry to run outside I didn't grab my phone!   Heard exciting noises and took Eli down to Church St.   Exciting parade going by.  Of course realised afterwards that I had no idea what the parade was for.... turns out it was for a soccer/football team.  Eli enjoyed watching the people and the fire trucks, and the nice fireman said hello to him!

Monday Monday

Had "one of those days". On Sunday night Eli went to bed around 11:30pm. However, to quote an email I sent Shane: "I went to sleep around 1130, then got up at 130 to feed Eli, then 2am to put him to bed, then 430 to feed Eli then 5am to put him to bed, then 630 to feed Eli and there was no way I was putting him back again." I think he was cold as I can't think of any other reason he wanted feeding so much. I don't think he's in a growth spurt right now.

I still intended to go to work but in the end gave up, I was so tired. Eli and I had a nice day at home together instead. We also walked down to the supermarket with Eli in the ergo. He started out standing up half leaning out (while I supported him!) but eventually curled up to sleep and I was able to pull the ergo around him properly. Could only buy what I could carry, but it was still nice rather than driving. Got to keep our Vitamin D up!

Made a few decisions needed to keep our sanity. Such as ordering a clothes dryer, getting fruit & vege delivered each week, and possibly hiring a mother's helper a few hours a week to give me a hand. It's hard feeling torn between work and house duties.

Party!

Eli went to his first party today, a 40th birthday party for my cousin. He was a little overwhelmed by all of the people, and it was a noisy room, but that just meant he was very serious and had lots to think about! He had cuddles with Daddy while I ate my dinner - I got to eat first for a change! Many people assumed he was much older than he is, around the 6 month mark. Ah well, that's our big bubba! Later in the evening he fell asleep, and Jeanie put him in his carrier in the bedroom. Knowing his sleep habits I knew he wouldn't stay asleep in a new place for long. Sure enough, when we went to check on him he was lying wide awake staying at his surroundings curiously. However he wasn't alone - the birthday boy's parents were sitting on the bed either side of him, gently rocking the carrier and talking to him softly. They were enjoying a break from the noise and bustle also! On the way home I sat in the backseat, because he has only been in the car at night twice and fussed both times. I put my hand into the carrier to comfort him, and he immediately grabbed it and shoved my finger into his mouth! He gnawed away on my finger quite happily. Eventually I convinced him to take a dummy instead. By the time we got home, bubba was wide awake and cheerful.

Cot success!

I think overall my cot strategy is working (strategy being that we put him in there as much and as often as possible for sleeps, but don't make him stay there if he's unhappy). Until now he has always woken up within minutes in the cot - if not the second we put him down - regardless of how fast asleep or wide awake or anywhere in between he was when he was put there.

This morning he has gone down for his first cot nap AWAKE. And it worked. He slept in the cot for around an hour from 10ish - 11ish which is awesome. He didn't even have his dummy (he spat it out and I resettled him without it). I could hear him cooing at his mobile for awhile and then dropped off to sleep. :-) So that is exciting and means we are making progress!! Strange not having him where I can see him, but his little sighs in his sleep are cute. And great having my hands free instead of holding him the whole nap.

This afternoon I rocked and fed him to sleep, but he's been back in the cot for at least 20min now without waking. It's become a happy place for him.

Last night was a good night - he went to bed the same time as I did, I only had to get up once after 5min or so to stroke his head and reassure him then he was fine. All night long I kept waking up and thinking he was awake, and he may well have been - but he didn't call me. So I left him. I finally got him up at 4am for a feed as I knew he was hungry (gnawing on his fist!)

Then he was still asleep when his Daddy left for work, and didn't wake up until after 8am. (See previous post from today about that!)

I am so happy that my instincts were spot on, and glad I ignored all of the bad advice from people who insist upon routines and that nonsense. I'm not going to force him into something that doesn't work. I know I have awesome mummy instincts and I'm going to keep following them. Happy baby is the best kind of baby!

Words Words Words

Today was the first day I really knew that Eli understands the words I say.

This morning I was lying in bed and he called out from his cot, so I called back and he looked over and saw me, we had a little chat and a wave. But then I said "Would Eli like to come over to Mummy's bed and have some milk?" And he got this massive grin and excitedly waved his hands at me. It was instantaneous, and very clear that he knew exactly what I meant. I still hadn't moved from my bed either, so it was definitely the words.

Then later today he was a bit grizzly at one point around lunchtime, he'd had a long play with his toys on the floor. So I picked him up for a cuddle, but I needed to put butter on my toast for lunch which I can't do one handed. So I said "I'm just going to put you into your chair for just a minute" but before I could even get up to take him to the rocker he burst into tears. Again it was a clear reaction to my words, I was so surprised. I said "It's ok, you can stay up with mummy" and he stopped crying and was fine! Turns out he was really hungry too, so I fed him. Ok, I put him in the chair anyway and let him cry while I buttered my crumpet, then I fed him while I ate! And we were both happy.

Cleaners came this afternoon. And again it amazed me how uplifted I feel in a clean, tidy house. Part of that is all of the tidying I do before they get here - everything is in order! Eli helped me hang out the washing while they were here. It looks as though the sun has come out again, so fingers crossed everything dries and he has clean pyjamas (wondersuit) for tonight!

First public hissy fit!

Today was the first time Eli threw a tanty in public.

Because the school term has finished our "parent group" had decided to meet at a cafe for lunch instead, as there are no formal groups during the holidays. Most of our babies are too old for the official parent group now anyway - it goes up to 12 weeks of age.

Eli fell asleep and I put him down into his pram behind my chair for a nap. He slept peacefully ...until I was halfway through eating my meal. Suddenly he called, and I got up to get him. Before I picked him up he started bawling, and surprisingly didn't stop when I picked him up. I tried to offer him a boob, or a dummy, and he howled. I quickly stepped outside with him (after clambering over all of the other prams!) and he stopped. Once he was calm I took him back in, thinking I could sit down and feed him, but he immediately howled again as I took my seat.

So back outside we went, and enjoying some fresh air by the river. As soon as he was happily on my boob I headed back inside and sat down.

It was so bizarre being the lady with the screaming baby! I think perhaps he was hot, plus a bit bemused at being in the pram.

On a lighter note, at the end of lunch an elderly lady came up to our table and said "Excuse me, this has to be the most well behaved group of babies I've ever seen! And I've seen lots of mother's groups!" Very sweet. Still out of 10 babies mine was the loudest for once! Ah well, there has to be a first time for everything...

Bed shopping!

Finally went bed shopping.

Waaaay back before we got married we always said "When we get married we'll buy a King size bed!" Then we got married, and initially money was tight due to the mortgage and some unexpected wedding bills. Then we moved to Australia unexpectedly 12 months after our wedding - another hit in the pocket! The next 4 years we lived in a teeny tiny townhouse where our Queen size bed barely fit the bedroom. And then last year we moved here, and briefly considered it before deciding in a rare moment of frugality that we didn't really *need* a new bed. Instead we swapped our beds around, the ensemble I'd bought when I was flatting became the spare bed, and we slept on Shane's 16yr old slat bed with a firmer mattress. It was much friendlier to my giant pregnant self for getting in and out of bed!

But now we have Eli. And quite frankly, I'm lazy. Lying down to feed feels great, plus if I'm tired it's easier to let him fall asleep next to me and then move him. But somehow I'm the one who gets pushed out of the bed. There's the husband, and the baby, and the two cats... yeah we need some space for mummy!

So a day of shopping and testing out beds, we have a winner - mattress from Harvey Norman and a gorgeous base from Forty Winks. yay! Can't wait for delivery.

Here's some photos of Eli helping us test out new beds.

First Swim!

We went to the pool today! Sharon wheeled Eli in the pram, and the four of us (Dad, Sharon, me and Eli) walked down together. It was a really hot, bright day. The pool was empty apart from two guys swimming laps, so we had it to ourselves. Eli

Spew

Last night Eli did his first exorcist vomit. I had fed him lying down in bed, burped him, then gave him the second side. Afterwards I stood up and he was lying contented on the bed. Just as I was about to pick him up to burp him Shane said "oops he's spitting up" and sure enough there was a little sick on the bed. I lifted him and it all came flying out everywhere - hilarious! I was so stunned it took me a second to react. Good times.

Mum & Bubba first Solo outing! - 13/02/13

Eli's first solo outing with Mummy was back to the hospital on 13th February - to be a "demo" baby at the breastfeeding workshop.

Jane, the lovely daytime midwife at the hospital, is also the lactation consultant. She had asked me to come along as she thinks it's important that new mums know how easy breastfeeding can be and see it firsthand from somebody who has recently been there. Yes there are challenges, but they are surmountable.

I was quite nervous taking Eli out. In the morning Shane had to show me how to take the carrier in and out of the car, I'd never done it by myself and it's heavy. Sure enough, at the hospital I had a horrible time trying to get it out, but eventually managed. Enjoyed the workshop, he behaved beautifully and was oohed and aahed over as always. I fed him during the workshop without any problems. Changed a nappy during the break and he wee'd on the floor. Nice one! But all in all a successful outing. It was nerve wracking driving knowing he was behind me and wondering if he was ok. But he was. He's always ok! :-)

Sleep

Eli is having a sleepy day. Mum has taken care of him for much of the day - burping, nappies. I've done feeds and had little cuddles as he falls asleep.

Just now I put on a dressing gown, went outside to the backyard and stood in the sunshine. It was amazing. I realised I hadn't been in the sunshine since we bought Eli home from the hospital last Thursday - and that was just a minute or two outside. Since then I've been in the house, in this circle of feeding and eating and sleeping and exhaustion. So I grabbed an old sheet off the swing seat and lay down on the grass to soak up some sunshine for 15min. Shane came into the backyard awhile later and found me. I felt good.

Took 1 nap today, and have been trying to keep my nutrition up. Hopefully no more breakdown tonight. I can do this. It's not hard, it's just constant. I've made a long shopping list of food and mum or Shane will go out later. Focused on nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. I just can't keep enough in me. Eli is such a good feeder.

It's warm today (25 degrees) which is why Eli is sleeping more - he's curled up in his bouncer, wearing just a blue singlet and his nappy. Every so often he flings his arms into the air above his head like a victory dance. He wriggles his little bottom and screws up his face. Gorgeous monkey boy!

Shane went out today and bought me some nested tables. I've been using the side table on one side of my chair and my piano stool on the other. He knows how precious that piano stool is to me though, so using it to place drinks and snacks on is not ideal! I looked up tables online this morning, but he found a far nicer set when he got to the shops. Which is why I trust his judgment so much. I'm very worried that he hasn't rested today - he really needs to go to work tomorrow, and he isn't any more rested really. He also spent an hour in the shed fixing the washing machine so that it doesn't "walk" anymore on fast cycles. It's as if he has some kind of nesting instinct kicked in now that Eli is here.

Wishing us all a good night's sleep tonight!

Dark night of the soul

Last night when Eli woke up for his 11:30pm feed I burst into tears. I can't do this.

Because of Shane's wrist he can barely pick Eli up to burp or change him. We ended up both getting up together and going into the nursery, me bawling my eyes out the whole time. He had a nappy change, then a feed, then another nappy change, then a feed on the other side, then another nappy change before he went down an hour later. I got 3 hours sleep after that, but still cried again the next time he woke up. I actually dreamt that Shane was already holding him and burping him, but a few noises later as I awoke properly I realised he was still lying in his bassinette waiting for me. I had to get up. I took care of his change and a 30min feed with some tears.

Meanwhile this gorgeous boy cheerfully got on with his feeding and other needs. He is perfect. I'm just tired.

His final feed was at 5:45am, a repeat of his 11:30pm feed - 3 nappies, 2 boobs. Shane helped me. We tried to go back to sleep but Eli was grisley, I was crying and Shane had to burp him and change him again. Eventually it was clear he didn't want to hang out in his bassinette so I took him to see his Nan, who agreed there was no way he could possibly still be hungry.

I had my breakfast and went back to bed for a nap while Eli hung out with Nan. I think he knew it was daytime and wanted to be up.

It's 10am and I'm exhausted. Need lots of napping today to get through the night. Of course, Eli had a good night. It was only a bad night because of me - because I'm tired, because I'm depleted. My head aches and my soul hurts. But I have the most beautiful baby in the world hiccuping away near me. Shane is on the phone to his boss deciding whether to go into work today - he's pretty darn late. I hope he doesn't get into trouble. He needs that job.

Onward and upward.

Monday Monday 04/02/13

Shane went to work today - of course I had to wake him up to go, he was exhausted as expected. Eli had gone down after a feed at 5:45 so was asleep, we all got up at once at 8am. I felt completely depleted. Not tired, just as if all the nutrients have been sucked out of my body. Breakfast helped. The good news is that my boobs no longer hurt, the engorgement has already gone down and feeding isn't painful. So that passed much faster than expected. It's a good, comfortable day. Mostly spent sitting in my chair. Mum sorted through all of the hand-me-down baby clothes we'd received and we put most of them in bags for the op-shop. She also cleaned out the fridge, yay! I love a clean fridge.

When Shane left for work he said to Eli "Stay awake lots today little Eli so you have a good night!". Eli seemed to pay attention, he had 3 hours of lying awake in his bouncer before finally having a feed and a nap at 11:30.

My boss DB came to visit this afternoon. She sms'd around lunchtime to see if it still suited, and I was very excited. Of course she came bearing more gifts, as I'd predicted. Some toys for Eli, another giant box of nappies, and some lovely sweet treats for me. Also a necklace for when I'm "ready to start dressing up again". It's green, because she says green suits me. Eli was a little sleepy and just lay in her arms for 2hours while we talked.

We chatted a little bit about work although of course she refused to tell me any specific or anything bad, just the good things. We talked a bit about the birth, the name, and the future. The Great Unknown future.

When she left Shane had just arrived home and was talking to the landlord in the driveway. He was in good spirits, however admitted he'd tripped on the brick wall coming up the drive. A few minutes later in the house I saw him bandaging up his arm - it seems he'd cut up his wrist quite badly. Later he admitted he's scraped up his leg too. Another thing for me to worry about.

Skyped with Sam today, then Judith. She put me onto Dad for a bit and he mentioned they're going to come visit soon which will be nice. I hope the timing works though as I really want some of Shane's leave to be just the 3 of us, no visitors. Although I want to see everybody and I need the help, I also need some "us" time. Yummy steak and roast veges for dinner - mmmmmm!

Day Zero 30/01/13

They handed me this grey, squirmy, slimy baby. "Oh my God! It's a baby!" I exclaimed. At least, I think that's what I said - Shane isn't certain, although he agrees I certainly said something. He lay on my chest, wriggling around. I smiled. DH ran around with the camera taking photos of me holding Eli. He was so happy.

The First Night 30/01/13

As per maternity ward policy, DH was required to leave at 8pm. He kissed Eli and I goodbye, and left me lying in bed nursing Eli.

I started to feel the tiredness hit me. What a day.

I woke with a start as Eli slid out of my arms onto the edge of the bed. I immediately scooped him back into my arms, horrified at what had happened. How could I have let myself sleep?? Another few inches he might have been off the bed. I held him close for a moment. He was calm and happy, dozing in my arms. I climbed carefully out of bed and put him in his bassinet.

I turned to climb into bed and was aware of a sharp pain in my left hand. I looked down and to my surprise saw my hand and fingers dripping with blood. In my panic I'd knocked the IV tube out of my hand. It was gushing.

I hesitated for a moment before determining that this was an excellent reason to press my call button! Unfortunately they were less than responsive. I tried again awhile later, and even tried looking out the door to see if I could find a nurse. Eventually Jane showed up - it was past her shift finish time, but the night staff were evidently off doing goodness knows what. I said "Busy night?" and she replied "Nope!" with a glance down the corridor that told me all I needed to know about what the other staff were (or weren't) doing.

The blood was gushing so badly she had to summon another nurse to help. They got me patched up though and all was well.

I climbed into bed and lay facing my baby. He stared at me. I stared back at him. Eventually I realised I should sleep while I could, so I closed my eyes. Then I opened them again - yep, he was still there. Ok. I went to sleep.

Eli

Hi family,

Photos of the lovely Elijah James Arthur Edwards attached. Born @ 4pm AEST on Wed 30th January 2013. Weight 3.6kg (aka 7 pound 15), length 51cm,

Details for those interested: I went in on Tuesday morning (29th) as scheduled, and had already started to dilate, they gave me one dose of prostagin and kept me in for observation, and I progressed throughout the day. Unfortunately on Tuesday night we ended up in this awkward situation where I wasn't technically in labour far enough to go to the labour ward, but they insisted I stay in the maternity ward, and the in the maternity ward nobody else is allowed to stay overnight. So they kicked Shane out and left me alone. However as you can probably imagine I did not cope well with 5min apart contractions stuck in a hospital room by myself with nobody to talk to!! (We were doing great before he had to leave - he is a good support person!!) Part of the problem was the shift change in the evening, the daytime staff were great but I hated the night midwives and they pretty much thought I was making the whole thing up and treated me like a wuss. They kept telling me "get some rest, we're inducing you in the morning so you need to be well rested!" and I was saying "yes, I get that, but I'm telling you I'm in labour now and I can't sleep." So that bit sucked. Finally at 2am Wednesday I was prowling the corridors and managed to be violently ill in the passageway in between labour & maternity, so had staff running from all directions. The maternity midwife I particularly disliked said to the head labour midwife "She wants to come to you anyway!" so the labour midwife kindly took over suggested I come into a room with her and take a shower, after which she checked and confirmed I was 4cm dilated and put me to bed with some painkillers. She was a very nice midwife. At 5:40am my waters broke, and then they checked I was 5cm, they called Shane but by then I was still so exhausted and stressed from the night before that I couldn't cope, so around 9:30am they gave me an epidural and I had a nice, pain-free nap until 1pm. It was so nice in fact that when the midwife attending me finished her shift at 1pm I said to her "thank you so much for your help, it's been a lovely day".... in retrospect those must have been some good drugs. Just after 1pm they confirmed I was at 10cm, and then they switched the epidural off and waited until I got all my pains back before the fun part which took around 90 minutes and was not in fact very fun at all.

Eli came out very coneheaded, but he seems to have gone back to a more normal size now. He has Shane's nose, chin, ears and I think possibly going to have his eyes. He also seems to have his personality, he's cool as a cucumber. The midwives said "Calm mother calm baby" but I personally think it might be the other way around - I'm chilled out because he is! Yesterday afternoon they transferred us back to maternity, and my favourite midwife Jane was back on which was great. The night staff were rubbish again but as I didn't need them for anything it didn't matter. I kept thinking something stressful would happen but it all went great. He's feeding well. I got up this morning and changed him, fed him, then had a shower and breakfast while he happily lay in the bassinet watching me! Shane had a nice sleep-in today and came to get us at lunchtime.

We are now at home, discharged around 1pm. It's still the honeymoon period but I'd rather get home and organised now while things are going well and while he's still so chilled out, long may it last! So they did all the newborn baby checks and my physio checks etc this morning and sent us on our way. Midwives will visit the next couple of days and then again if we need them. So far the big challenge is keeping him cool on this delightful 30 degree afternoon.... but that would be a challenge regardless of when we came home!

Anyway, hope to see you all soon so you can meet the little guy!

Love from
Natalie & Shane & Eli

First Night at Home 31/01/13

When we got Eli home it was exactly as I imagined - we took photos coming in the door, then placed him in his carrier on the floor where we could take photos and adore him. The cats were wary. Donnie had a good sniff and seemed satisfied. Nibbler came up, sniffed, then walked away backwards very very slowly. It was clear they wouldn't be friends quickly. We tried lying Eli on the playmat but he seemed distressed, so we tried the bouncer instead. After awhile he looked a little red and we realised he seemed to be overheating. Shane grabbed a cold wet cloth and we dabbed him with it until he cooled. It was very anxiety inducing. But then he was fine again. We spent the afternoon editing photos and emailing to family, uploading to facebook. In the early evening Shane went to the shops to buy a thermometer. I sat in my chair feeding my tiny baby. A knock on the door. I froze - what to do? I looked at the little baby in my arms and decided to ignore it. However, a minute later another knock. I carefully slipped my singlet back over my breast and grabbed a muslin to throw around me. It was the neighbours (and landlady!) - Maria, Ted and their young son. I invited them in, and they each had a cuddle with Eli. They had given us some lovely gifts - cloth nappies, a gorgeous blue jacket. We visited for awhile but they were gone before Shane came home. Eventually it was time for bed, and Eli was settled happily in his moses basket. I sat on the edge of the bed and cried. I couldn't bear to lie down and sleep, not being able to see my baby. "It's ok" Shane said, "I'll be awake for awhile". But then he put in his head phones and turned on his mp3 player. I cried again. "You won't be able to hear him if he makes a noise!" He sighed, and switched it off. I settled down to rest.

Labour Day

My due date was 23rd January, and at my antenatal appointment the midwife scheduled an induction for the 29th assuming I didn't have the baby before then. Despite being generally adverse to medical intervention, I agreed. I was just so happy to have a definite end date, a resolution to all of the waiting. I went into hospital at 7:30am on Tuesday 29th January 2013. I was stressed - we were running 5 minutes late. As absurd as it sounds, running late stresses me out. I was upset that Shane had let that happen. They saw us into a room where we waited. Eventually I was hooked up to a monitor for Miwdife Diane to check baby's heartbeat. Then they conducted an internal examination and confirmed I was 1cm dilated. They applied a dose of Prostaglandin gel to encourage things along, and from then I was offically admitted to hospital and assigned a room in the maternity ward. We hung out for awhile and watched some tv on my laptop, then went downstairs to have a coffee and snack. Upon our return to my room Midwife Jane hooked me up to a monitor to check my progress and Eli's heartrate. All going well. "Do you want to have this baby tonight or tomorrow?" she asked me. "As soon as he wants to come!" I replied. "In that case, let's get you expressing!" She got me started and At 2pm Diane came to take me back to the labour ward to check on progress.  I'd progressed nicely so they decided no need to dose me again, and back to the maternity ward I went.  Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication between the staff that wasn't apparently until later in the evening.  The staff on maternity thought I'd been given more prostaglandin and that the pains I was having were "fake pains",  when in fact I had not been given anymore and my labour was simply progressing.  They made Shane go home when visiting hours ended - they did let him stay an extra 30minutes, but then decided he had to go.  Which sucked.   When he was there I was fine, he would help me stand during contractions which made the pain ok, but then I'd lie down in between and rest.  Once he was gone, the midwifes/nurses kept trying to make me stay in bed "and rest".   Because what every labouring woman wants is to lie alone, in the dark, in a strange place, scared and frightened and in pain?   As much as I loved the day staff, I loathed the night staff.   One midwife in particular was a very unpleasant lady who seemed inclined to think I was a pathetic wuss.   It took me timing my contractions (hard when in pain) to convince her to check me again, at which point she finally agreed yes I was kind of progressing.   She then allowed me to walk the corridors rather than being confined to bed.  How gracious.


I got as far as the staffroom door, where I had a violent, lengthy contraction that resulted in me vomiting all over the floor.  Staff came running.   The labour ward midwife was basically "WTF?" and the labour ward b*tch was all "Well she wants to come over to you anyway!" so the labour ward midwife said "Sure no problem" and let me go to the labour ward and have a nice shower.  It was heavenly.  I would happily have stayed under the water except that being alone I was concerned about slipping or passing out, so eventually I got out.  The nice midwife gave me some morphine and put me to bed, it now being the wee early hours of the morning.   She suggested we wait until later to call Shane as at that point we may as well let him sleep longer.   I reluctantly agreed that was best.   And I got a teeny bit of sleep in between the pain which was great!


At 6am approximately I felt a loud pop and my waters broke.  I was so proud!  Hehehe.   Then they called Shane.    They did a check and unfortunately I was still not very far along.  At that point I made a strategic decision.  I had had only a couple of hours of sleep, after 24 hours in hospital.  My concern was labouring all day, but being too tired to push.  So I asked for an epidural.   The funniest part of that was at this particular time my contractions weren't particularly painful and were manageable.  It was definitely part of a long-game.   It meant I slept for 6 hours (bliss!) got my rest.   Poor Shane hadn't bothered to bring his PSP or any other entertainment as he'd assumed it would be a long day with me, instead he spent the day chilling on the couch while I slept.   I was in bliss.  They then switched off the epi, waited for it to wear off, and then let me start pushing.   So I still got to "enjoy" the full birthing experience.  Lucky me!  They did realise that they had possibly turned it off too soon as I had full feeling but oh well.....    I didn't mind the pain of pushing or the baby coming out, but the back pain was agonising and excruciating.  Sadly whenever I tried to move positions they lost the baby's heartbeat on the monitor, so I was stuck on my back in full 1950s style out of control labour position, like some chump with no control.  There I was, attached to drips and all sorts of rubbish.   But I did push that baby out, and it was awesome.


So definitely decisions made that I had not anticipated, but made for a reason to respond to specific circumstances that I found myself in. 

The Story of Us

When we married, Shane and I always knew we'd have children. He said he thought 5 years after we married would be ideal - time to settle down, get finances together, that type of thing. I secretly wouldn't have minded a little bit earlier, but I also knew he was correct and sensible in his logic. As it happened, my various health concerns, followed by our relocation overseas, would have made it unpractical in any case.

When we finally did fall pregnant, it was after several years of work to resolve my health problems. At which point we decided to just see what would happen. We weren't in any rush, but didn't want to tempt fate by waiting too long. Just to be on the safe side, after a few months we consulted a fertility specialist just to get things underway. He ran some tests and SURPRISE - I was already pregnant! That baby wasn't Eli, that baby was Jaxon who passed away from foetal heart failure at 15 weeks gestation. We were so sad, but in a way that experience meant we knew for sure how much we wanted a baby. We were ready.

When I found out I was pregnant with Eli I was a basket case. I took a pregnancy test which was positive, but didn't tell Shane. I told him there was a "chance" I might be pregnant, but I didn't want to jinx anything. This song and dance continued for days until he finally insisted on me taking a test. What followed was a crazy period of uncertainty - I was adamant that we shouldn't get our hopes up, it might not last. On the other hand, I'd then get irrationally upset with Shane for not acting happy, when he was simply mirroring my own reaction.

But Eli did last. One scan. Two scans. Every medical appointment where I'd hear his tiny heartbeat I was filled with joy. That would last a week, after which I would start to despair again - was everything ok in there? How could I be sure?

Third scan at 20 weeks. "There's his little penis" said the ultrasound technician. We looked at each other and smiled.

On the way home Shane commented "Well that's good news!"

"What's good news?" I said innocently, knowing full well what he meant.

"It's a boy!" he said.

"And why is that such good news?"

"Because I couldn't handle two Natalie's!"

Of course, after a few weeks we started to question the results of that scan, and weren't confident until our fourth scan that the technician was correct.

Finally in the later stages I became more excited. This was real. This baby was really coming. Our lives would never be the same.

The Story of the Story of Eli

Today is 3rd February, 2013, and it is Little Eli's 4th full day in our lives. Eli's birth has made me more conscious than ever of my own mortality. For somebody who was acutely aware of this from a young age, this is a daunting prospect. I look at the small child lying in his bouncer, and the circle of life is clear. He will grow up. I will grow old. One day we will all be gone from this earth. And what will be left? Nobody knows. All I know is I want to live my life with joy and fulfillment. And so begins the Story of Eli.