la petit magazine

If you like pictures of super pretty kids wearing clothes you can't afford..
Then check out the latest issue of 'la petit magazine'.

(I'm only joking.. I do love this online kids magazine).

*Photo via 'la petit magazine'

twenty three weeks

Most of the time I am surprised how easy bed rest has been, as in, I am able to keep myself busy during the day and other than being very sore physically, I don't have much to complain about..
But, every so often I have a really bad day. A day when I feel like I am going out-of-my-mind-crazy and if I have to spend a second longer in this bloody bed I am going to scream.
I wonder if this is what it feels like to be in jail? I am like a prisoner of my own bed room.

Sophie is having a really hard time at the moment too. She is starting to get really frustrated that I am in bed all day. Sometimes she falls to the floor next to the bed and wails "why mummy? Can't you please just get out of bed?" and she is getting so sick of being shifted to different friends, family and babysitters every day of the week. A few days ago one of my friends actually had to pry her arms from around my neck in order to take her for a playdate. And these are friends and family that she would have jumped at the chance to go play with just a few months ago.

Obviously, poor little Sophie is in desperate need of some more mummy/ home time, and while we spend every evening together reading stories before she goes to bed it's impossible for me to look after her during the day unless there is someone else here to get her food and help her with things.

Luckily though, we are so close to getting through this!
In just 6 more weeks I'll be able to do so much more.. I'll be able to eat meals at the table with everyone else (woo hoo!), I suspect that I will be able to mind Sophie myself because I'll be able to get out of bed to make her lunch (very quickly) and my obstetrician said that even a quick trip to the local park is not out of the question (as long as Tom drives me there and I don't walk too far).
I can not wait!

And of course, I just have to keep reminding myself why I am here lying in bed all day and what I am going to get at the end.. Can you imagine the second I get to hold my healthy little (alive!) boy in my arms?

My gosh.. it's going to be absolutely incredible!




*Photo of me on my way to my obstetrician a few days ago.. it's the only time that I am allowed out of bed and I literally count down the hours days until my next appointment. It is soo good to go outside!

Play time

I forgot all about this stage.. it was not so fun at the time (who has time to give their kid three baths a day?) but it is fun to look at photos years later..

The benefits of bed rest..

This morning I woke up at 5am.
Luckily, Tom was already awake too and it was cold so we snuggled up under the doona and waited for the sun to slowly make its way into the room.
I must have drifted off to sleep again because the next thing I remember is Sophie jumping into bed with me, and Tom (who was already showered and ready for work) walking in with tea and eggs on toast for his "two little girls in bed". (Sophie has started to eat every meal with me in bed.. it's going to be such an effort to get her to learn to sit at the table again at the end of this, let alone get our sheets clean!)

The next hour was a rush of activity to get Sophie dressed and off to school. It usually consists of Tom rushing around making lunches and packing Sophie's school bag while saying "Thats great.. now go get mum to brush your hair" and Sophie staying as far away from my bed (and her hairbrush) as she can.

After everyone had made it off to school/ work and the house was quiet again I turned on the computer and checked my email, read some blogs and read the news.. and then I lay down and snuggled under the doona, closed my eyes, made a noise like you do when you get into bed at the end of a really long day and went back to sleep..

It was 11am.


*Photo of Sophie and me in bed a few weeks after she was born (January 2008)

James and the giant peach

Tom and I are having such a hard time thinking of boys names. There are about 20 girls names that we both love but we are having a really hard time making a short list of boys names. We both really like quite normal, everyday names.. nothing too trendy or out of the ordinary. In fact, we seem to like the same names as everyone else because the names that we like are always in the top 20 most popular names (e.g Sophie, Grace).

I thought that maybe we could name our kids after characters in Roald Dahl books.. We already have 'Sophie' from the BFG (which was Tom's favourite book when he was little) and so we could have a 'James' from James and the giant peach (which was my favourite book when I was little)..

Then all we will need is a tortoise called Alfie!

N.B Tom didn't find my suggestion very amusing.. back to the drawing board (or baby name books) I go!
Did anyone else have a hard time choosing baby names?

*Book cover via here

22 weeks

I'm 22 weeks this week. Many of you will remember that I was 22 weeks pregnant when I went into labour with Grace in my last pregnancy. It's a very scary time but I have to keep telling myself that this pregnancy is different and I know that I can carry a baby to full term.. I have done it before!

We are right in the thick of the risky stage as babies born at 22 weeks have no chance of survival, but babies born at 28 weeks have a good chance of survival.. just 6 more weeks and we will be on the home stretch! (Not that we want a baby born at 28 weeks.. that is still very premature.. we are aiming for 37 weeks here and not any earlier!)

Everything is going really well and I am literally just counting down the days until I get to 28 weeks and we can all let out a great big sigh of relief!

The strangest thing is that because I have given birth to a 22 week old baby I know exactly what this little boy in my tummy looks like (well obviously he will have his own features) but not many pregnant women can say that they know how a baby looks at 22 weeks.. It's slightly scary and kind of comforting in a funny way.

With every single kick I get I am so grateful that I am pregnant and that this little boy is still in my tummy.
I just need him to stay there for another few months. Sometimes I find myself talking to him and saying "I can't wait to meet you" and then I quickly add "But not now.. I don't wan't to meet you now! Stay in there until full term okay and don't come out any sooner!"

Okay little man, you got that?



*Photo of a little baby blanket I have been making this week.. after 4 years of being surrounded by pink everything, it's nice to have a bit of blue!

Bookhou

I just bought myself this awesome little bag from 'bookhouathome' on Etsy.
I'm calling it an early mother's day present to myself.. That's allowed isn't it?

*Image via 'Bookhou'

So what does mummy do for fun?

Sophie just came home from kindy with my mother's day treats..
I got a lovely tea towel that had drawings by all the kids printed on it, a laminated drawing that I can use as a placemat if the urge strikes, a delicious chocolate shortbread cookie (I know it was delicious because I ate it already), a vase with flowers made from an old glass bottle, a bracelet painted by Sophie and a very funny note..




I was in hysterics reading it. I love that Sophie thinks I am 13 or 15.
Sophie's school had a special mother's day afternoon tea and concert and she was so upset that I could not go, but I sent Tom's mum along instead so at least she had someone there..

I hope you have a lovely mother's day planned (or being planned for you)..
I am pretty sure I will get breakfast in bed this year (as I have had every day for the last 3 months!)

A friend in need..

The most surprising thing about bed rest has been the people that have supported me.
So many friends say they can not believe that I am spending 6 months in bed and how amazing I am. (I don't think I am amazing.. I think anyone who has given birth to a dead baby would also do anything they can in order to prevent it from happening again without a second thought).

But I am not really the amazing one.. it's the team of people around me who have to do everything who are the amazing ones. Tom, of course has the biggest load on his shoulders.. not only has he got to do all the housework, washing, cooking, look after Sophie, get her ready and make her lunch for school every day but also make sure that I have every meal I need during the day without getting out of bed and trying to work a full time job. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have not seen him sit down in months!

Of course Tom and I knew what we were getting ourselves into and were prepared for a tough few months. But what has been surprising is the friends who have been helping me out.. Remember that I only moved to Perth last year so any friends I have here have known me for less than a year, yet they are willing to drive an hour with 3 kids in the car in order to bring me lunch, a home cooked meal so Tom does not have to cook that night and keep me company for a few hours.

The other funny thing is that some of the people (both friends and family) that I thought I would be relying on the most have not even been to visit and other people who I never thought would help (not because they did not offer but because they have young kids and work themselves) are coming over every week with a home cooked meal, magazines and yummy treats for the pregnant lady in bed!

I have been blown away by the kindness and support from those that I expected it from the least.
One of my old neighbours who I had not spoken to in 3 years send me a gift subscription to McSweeney's because she remembered that when I lived next door I used to love borrowing them off her bookshelf! The mothers at Sophie's school offered to do a roster of home cooked meals and even offered to film the mother's day afternoon tea this week so that I didn't feel left out!

I feel very lucky to have so many people thinking about me and wishing me well, not to forget all the lovely emails I get from strangers who are just letting me know that they have me in their thoughts..
So a big thank you to everyone Xx

*Photo of me and Sophie a few weeks after she was born

"Good God Lemon"

Source: mynewroots.blogspot.com.au via Katie on Pinterest

I just saw this cake over at 'My new roots' today and my mouth started watering on the spot!
I'll have to file this one in 'things to make when I am allowed out of bed' (or convince Tom to make it for me), but you could try it in the meantime and let me know how delicious it was..

Photo from 'My new roots' via pinterest

The title of this post has nothing to do with 'orange blossom sesame cake' and has everything to do with the fact that sometimes Tom and I watch too much 30 rock and end up talking like Jack Donaghy for the rest of the day.

Baby knits and crochet

A few weeks ago I started this (way to advanced for me) baby knit and I have almost finished my second one now. When I learnt how to crochet I thought I would never knit again because I found crochet so much easier than knitting, although I think that was just because I could only knit scarves and had no idea how to read a pattern (or increase, or decrease or do anything really).

Tom's mum was very patient with me when we were up at the farm a few weeks ago and taught me how read this pattern and taught me all the stitches I need to know. (The pattern is from Debbie Bliss baby knits).

I have had a few people ask me what is the best way to learn how to knit or crochet and other than having someone sit next to you and teach you, I found the best way to learn is by watching a tutorial on you tube. There are thousands of tutorials and many are made for the absolute beginner.

I also have quite a bit of time to sit and practice at the moment!

Two

I love looking back at old pictures of Sophie. I really can't believe that I have a primary school kid already!
She just grew up so fast!

Slow down little one!

Pina

Doesn't this look like a brilliant film? I can't wait to see it.

I watched 'the beginners' a few nights ago and really loved that too.

Have you seen any good movies lately? I would love some recommendations to keep me busy during my days in bed.