Baby number 2, Gender revealed

Well well well... What can I say? We are super stoked that we are having another baby boy. Went for my 20 weeks scan today and without hesitation I asked to be told the gender if it was possible. Needless to say he made it quite known he is a boy by flashing his goods the whole time.

I can't find the words to describe how we feel. Cameron couldn't make this scan because of work commitments so I had to call as soon as I was done. 

When we first got pregnant we were both convinced we were having a girl, but as this pregnancy progressed I realised more and more that there were too many similarities between this pregnancy and my pregnancy with Darian. Morning sickness gone by the second trimester, similar aches and pains, similar carrying and kicks in the same place! Can you believe it! I literally feel the kicks exactly the same place Darian kicked me all through my pregnancy with him. 

Baby is very healthy and strong. Developing well and the sonographer was extremely happy with what she saw. Beautiful healthy heart beat, 10 toes & fingers, beautifuy developed brain and good strong bones! I couldn't be happier!

He even lays the same way his father and brother lay, with their hand behind this head. Very cute! And just like Darian one leg was up and the other crossed under him! 

This time round they gave us a disc with all the pics so at least Cameron can get to see it as though he was there. 

Can't wait for our little boy to arrive! Now to think of boys names!

 

16 week update

So today we had our 16 week check up with Renee. It was the first appointment for this pregnancy Cameron was able to get to, as he's been so busy the last few months. I was super excited that he was there though, and we got to hear baby's heartbeat, my second, Cameron's first. Renee was happy and says it sounds strong and typical of a healthy, active baby! What more could I ask for. The heartbeat was between 130-150 beats per minute, depending on when baby moved or rested. If old wives tales are anything to go by, the heart rate shows it's a boy. Well, we'll see. We have an anatomy scan at 20 weeks, which is just short of a month from today and this is when we'll find out the gender. That's hoping baby doesn't cross his/her legs and not show us!

Renee is referring me to a Physio as I've been battling with aches and pains especially in my back. She says they will also give me a belly belt free of charge too so that's a saving, as we were going to buy one today. She says that the aches I've been feeling are all normal and is just ligament pain but I should watch out for any pain that doesn't go away with panadol (paracetamol) and/or rest, and of course if there is any bleeding.

We see her in another month, March 10th.

I just wanted to share a picture of Renee as I'm not sure I've done this before.

We also covered pain relief options today and I finally found my old notes from my pregnancy with Darian which I was able to share with Renee. She was quite shocked to see that Debbie was our midwife with Darian, as she works with Debbie now in her new role in Diabetes Support.

I can't believe that we are almost halfway. Time is really ticking by fast.

This is me at 16 weeks, 3 days (today).

Pregnancy update - 14 weeks

So we're finally at 14 weeks and into the second trimester.

The first trimester was full of tiredness and nausea, the usual symptoms. And even though we went for a scan at 8 weeks, I just didn't feel pregnant throughout the first trimester. There was none of the usual excitement and apprehension that comes with a new pregnancy. And I guess that all boils down to the fact that Darian takes all my attention. He is so full on and demanding that it's hard to have a moment to just relish in the new life growing inside of me. When we got back from our Aussie holiday I went for my 12 week blood tests and Renee warned that my iron levels were just on the cusp, and I needed to just be aware of that. And weirdly my Rubella antibodies were low, which means, once again I have to avoid any one with measles or mumps. I find both those results so strange because I've been on iron supplements since preparing for the pregnancy, so probably since about July last year and in the same month went for an MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) immunisation. So took all the steps I needed to ensure that this pregnancy would be healthy yet I am faced with the same issues as my pregnancy with Darian. Anyway, it is what it is and there's no sense stressing over what I can't change.

So I also needed to have a NT (Nuchal-Translucency) scan between weeks 11 & 13 but as I was on holiday left it for when we got back only to ring Horizon Radiology and be told they are fully booked so was booked on the very last day that it was possible for me to have the scan done, Tuesday the 20th of Jan. Which made me about 13 weeks and 3 days or so. At the scan the sonographer was unable to measure the skin behind baby's neck and therefore unable to do the NT scanning. This scan is to check for any chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome, spina bifida, etc. Although she did say to me that baby was formed very well and was looking good. Baby needed to be no bigger than 8cm to do the scan successfully and at the date of the scan this little peanut was just over 9cm. So, Renee had to send me for another round of blood tests, which will be able to tell if there are any abnormalities. I'm very confident that baby is healthy and from the scans we can see that s/he is developing well.

This baby, just like his/her brother, wouldn't keep still the whole scan long. It's so weird how you see the baby moving on the screen but can't feel anything. Although I feel tiny flutter every now and then but my midwife is convinced that I won't feel anything til about 16 weeks. Anyway, I think I know what baby movements feel like and I've felt them. Not continuously and not all the time, but definitely every now and then, especially if I drink something cold or move onto my side.

So I went for my blood tests yesterday and will wait to hear back from Renee if there's any cause for concern and what the next step is. And go for my next check up in 2 weeks (Feb 10th).

I've been very bad with belly pics this pregnancy, but here are some that I've taken at 9, 10 & 11 weeks.

Family Holiday - Christmas and New Year

So as I mentioned in our last post we're on holiday in Australia visiting Brads and Sham and little Xavier. The in laws arrived on Christmas Eve. Darian was stunned when he saw his Pa and couldn't believe that Pa was actually here.

Needless to say he hasn't left Pa's side since he arrived, but I don't know who's enjoying it more. We were planning on going to the Christmas lights display, as we did last year, but the in laws were quite jet lagged and we decided to best leave it for another day.

Christmas morning we opened presents and watching Darian open his gifts and of course the amazing gift from his aunty and uncle, a huge train set, was the highlight of the day. He hasn't worried about anything else since it was opened. Cameron and Bradley had to do a bit of a mad dash to find a shop that was opened as we realised once the set was opened, that it needed batteries. Anyway, two trips later they had all the batteries needed to get the train set ready for play. Once that was set up, that was Darian for the rest of Christmas day. He absolutely loves it and they couldn't have bought a better present.

Love this pic of mum & dad with their 4 boys

Cousins

Xavier opening his first Christmas present

Cameron loved his Raiders cap that Brads & Sham bought him. 

It was also so cool to be a part of Xavier's first Christmas. He may not fully understand what all the fuss is about, but having this time with him and Darian, and the family is just so amazing.

We ended the gift opening with a very special gift for Pa and Nana.

Their reactions are priceless. And they are super excited to be grandparents again.

We then got about cooking Christmas dinner. Brad made his yummy Roast lamb, along with creamy chicken and veg pie. I made Italian Chicken Bake, but forgot the olives and needless to say it wasn't as yummy as it normally is. That went with some garlic bread and Sham made some veggies as well. We had intended for it to be Christmas lunch but it turned out to be an early dinner.

Our Christmas Table

We spent the rest of the day just lounging around as it was way too hot to do anything else.

These two cousins watching the Train go round and round

On Boxing Day we decided to go to the beach. A fun idea and a fun time that ended with me doing something totally stupid. In my excitement to get into the water and my dash to not let Darian notice I was leaving him with his grandparents, I ran into the water and dove head first with my specs on. Not the brightest moment but in that one single moment, my glasses were gone forever. A pricey mistake that I'll never repeat! Bradley took pity on me and lent me a pair of his old glasses, better than me being totally without sight for the whole holiday. So anyway, a nice relaxing afternoon ruined by my moment of not thinking!

It's been extremely hot here in Newcastle, I am so not used to this kind of heat anymore. Too acclimatised to New Zealand's cooler weather. Although Auckland does get quite hot in summer, there's always a nice, cool breeze to help you out. We always compare Auckland's summer to Durban's spring. Hot but bearable. So, yeah we haven't been getting out of the house much, as it's just too hot to do anything. Don't want to spend too much time in the sun with the kids so when we do go to the beach we try to go after 4pm, when the UV danger subsides. But looked at the weather the other day and the UV danger was between like 8.15am and 5.45pm! I was gobsmacked! Only in Australia... that's why Aus & NZ have the highest number of skin cancer patients in the world! It's insane. So we've been trying to keep out of the sun most days, thankfully Brads' house has airconditioning. The boys took their parents to Hillsongs in Sydney on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year and left us mums with our baby boys at home. It's a 2 hour drive to Sydney from Newcastle and we didn't want to take 2 cars so we stayed home with the kids. It was quite a treat for Cam's parents.

For New Years we took a drive to Hunter Valley to see the Christmas lights. Darian thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the firework display.

When we got home, Darian was asleep and we got on with our New Years celebrations. Sham battled with Xavier a bit and he eventually slept about 11pm. The boys were busy bbq'ing and of course getting into the New Years spirit. Drinks were up and the music system was set up on the verandah and the party was on. They were having a fabulous time. We eventually ate and waited for the countdown.

We eventually got into bed about 3am. Darian was up by 7am, as usual. Spent New Years Day baking in the Aussie heat. About lunchtime I had to go throw a dirty diaper in the bin outside. On route to said bin, I noticed something in the corner of my eye, low and behold, a red-bellied-black snake was curled up in the shade next to the garage door. Talk about worst nightmares coming to life. The hands on reptile park they took me to last year had nothing on this sighting. It was like looking into the eyes of pure evil. One of the most scariest moments of my life. I slowly backed away before it noticed me and ran into the house saying "snake" over and over! Cameron jumped to it and so did Brad and they were off hunting this snake. It must have been about 70-80cm long so just a baby. So we were quite worried the mother was around and that would be worse, theses snakes can grow up to 2.5m long. I'm not going to google a picture of these things, you can do that at your own risk. But they are ugly! And scary! You do not want to see these things in real life! Everyone was shocked that I was so calm but I wasn't. I felt so yucky and creepy after that and was never going to set foot out of the house and neither was Darian. While Brads & Cam hunted for the snake who had now disappeared, Sham rang animal control. It is illegal to kill snakes in Australia, all you can do is contain them. So we had to ring animal control to come try to capture this snake, but as it was a public holiday, their call out fee was AU$150 so we decided we, I mean the boys, would try to do this on their own. Let me just mention that these snakes are one of the most deadliest snakes in the world, and I think in the top 5 in Australia. They are not to be messed with. Thankfully everytime Cam & Brad would find it, it would make a quick escape. They can flatten themselves to slide under impossible gaps, which they saw for themselves. At one time it even got into strike mode when Cameron approached it, thank God it found an escape before Cameron got too close. Eventually it escaped into the neighbours yard and after that we have no idea where it went. The next day Cameron heard some commotion in one of the big trees down the road and we assumed the snake was in the tree that caused the birds to make such a ruckus. They have yet to find the snake. A few days later Sham showed me a news report of a King Brown Snake (the second or third most deadliest snake in Australia and the most deadliest in New South Wales) that had emerged from sea at a nearby beach, politely slithered to the lifeguard stand and sat in the shade for up to 2 hours and then very casually went back into the surf. Needless to say we did not go back to the beach at all! Gotta love Aus, between the dangerous creatures and the extreme heat, it sure is paradise! LOL! Seriously, how do people survive there I don't know! I love my little New Zealand, with no dangerous creatures, well besides the white tail spider, and cool, bearable summers. Ok, so it rains 9 months a year, so what! LOL!

Eventually we did leave the house. On Sunday we went to Brads and Sham's church, the Newcastle branch of Hillsongs. After church we went and had lunch at a hotel downtown. Later that evening the boys took their folks to the casino for a few hours of fun. And then on Monday, Sham, myself and mother in law took the bus to Charlestown mall. We had such a lovely time, just the 3 of us as we left the babies with their daddies and grandpa. It was the first time the 3 of us had ever been shopping together. In SA I used to go shopping with my mother in law all the time, as we worked together and we used to go to the mall in our lunch breaks, so going with her 2 daughter in laws was something to be cherished. We had a really good time, did some shopping and then had some lunch before catching the bus to get home.

Mother in law really spoiled us all though this holiday with all the yummy food. Every day was something we haven't had in years, including dhal ghos, masala biryani, sugar beans and roti, even braised spinach and other veggies for her pregnant daughter in law who couldn't stand the sight of meat. Brads even made me my favourite food of all, crab curry! It was so yum! And of course my darling father in law made his famous prawn chutney for us too. What a treat, no wonder I look like I'm about 5 months pregnant and I'm only 3 months! LOL!

So far the pregnancy is going well, I'm 12 weeks now and starting to feel a bit more human. The nausea is subsiding and food aversions slowly dissipating. I went for my 12 week blood test this morning and go for a scan in the next week or so. Also visit Renee on Tuesday.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We left for Auckland on Friday the 9th. A very sad departure. Brads & Sham head to SA in April and we don't know when we will see the folks again. We are hoping that they will come to NZ in the next year or so to meet the new addition but we can't rely on that. It's way to expensive a trip to make annually. So we'll see. Cam's dad came along with us for the drive to Sydney and to keep Brads company on the way back. While Sham, mother in law and Xavier stayed home. It was, as usual, a very tearful goodbye. Darian was very excited to get on the plane so couldn't fully understand that he wouldn't see Pa and "uncle Brag-ly" for a long time. He was a champ on the flight home as he was going to Sydney. As he gets older he appreciates the flight more and more. We got into Auckland just after 11pm and eventually got home about 1am. It is quite sad to get home and know our holiday is over but nice to be back in our own space. Very bitter sweet. As it always is.

A lot to look forward to in 2015 with the arrival of our new baby so I'm glad we have that distracting us from the sadness of being away from family. It's times like these that we are hit hard by the sheer fact that we are far away from our family but on the other hand it makes our time together so very good.

So here's to 2015. 2014 was a good year for us and I know 2015 is going to bring even better things to us.

Happy new year!

And so grows our little family

Well, needless to say this Christmas is going to be a special one as we get ready to introduce our newest addition to our family.

Yes, we're pregnant with baby number 2! A very exciting time for us and we can't stop thanking God for the miracle which is life. We decided at the beginning of 2014 that we wanted to have another baby in 2015 so we have a 3 year gap between Darian and the new baby. So come, July I headed over to the GP for a check up and to ensure we're healthy enough to get pregnant the second time round. I had to have an MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccination and had to wait a minimum of 3 months before getting pregnant so the plan was set in motion. We started trying in October but failed on our first attempt. We were optimistic as we fell pregnant with Darian on our first attempt so thought it would happen the same way second time round. But alas, it didn't. Disappointed and surprisingly downcast, I was convinced there was an issue because it happened so quickly with Darian. Anyway, come the second cycle, I was not expecting anything until I realised I was due for my period in a few days but had no premenstrual signs or sumptoms, none of the usual aches and pains that come each month. So on the day of my missed period I was silently expecting that I was pregnant. On day 2, I took a home pregnancy test and low and behold, it was positive. It was a Saturday,  the 15th of November, Cameron and Darian were laying in bed and I yelled from the bathroom, oh wow! Cameron automatically replied with "you're pregnant". It was a very happy moment. I showed him the test and we both smiled at each other with these child-like smirks and told Darian he was going to be a big brother, his response, "no"! I guess someone's not ready to let go of the only child title! The rest of the morning went by in a bit of a blur, I couldn't process the information as easily as I did the first time. I felt a bit rusty and uninformed. Last time I had done so much research and done so much preperation that I felt like a specialist in the field! This time round it was so different. We waited a week before going to the GP's office & on Friday the 21st of November, he confirmed we were pregnant and that our due date is July 25th 2015. As with all early pregnancies I was very nervous and anxious so mum was the first call I made and asked her to pray for me. I know in my heart of hearts that this is a viable pregnancy and all will be well but there's always that doubt and it's essential to not let that doubt turn into fear, but allow the Holy Spirit to move, by replacing that doubt with Faith. And my mum, the prayer warrior and intercessor is just the person I need, to help me focus on the positive and keep my faith alive. 

We decided that we would wait to tell Cameron's  parents and Bradley and Shamini when we saw them at Christmas, as we had planned a family holiday to Brads and Sham to meet little Xavier and the folks were also coming to Aus, so this news would make the perfect Christmas gift. But our excitement did get the better of us, I told my friend, Dee, who works with me and Cameron told Felix, his workmate. And after a few weeks we ended up telling most of the people we work with, I guess you can't keep good news quiet for too long. I had to tell my boss, as I was offered a new role at work and felt it only right to be forthcoming so that they can make an informed decision as to whether or not to offer me the role. That worked out in my best interest, as it was meant to be a fixed term role but ended up being a full time role. God is good!

On Friday the 12th of December I went for our first scan, I was exactly 8 weeks along. Baby is developing well and has a very strong heart beat, 162 beats per minute. The sonographer was very happy. As it was still quite early on, the yolk sac was stil visible but that's has now disappeared and baby will look so different at our next scan in 3 weeks.

Here's our little bundle.

Very exciting! The minute I saw my baby, I instinctively said, "hello mummy's baby", thankfully the sonographer didn't hear or didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary cos she didn't flinch, unless of course it was all in my head and not out loud! Lol! 

In Tuesday the 16th of December, I visited the midwife. Sadly, Debbie Ross who delivered Darian has since stopped practising and I had to find a new midwife. Thankfully I came across Renee Roux De Buisson, and instinctively felt drawn to her and after a 2 minute conversation she took me on as a patient. After we met, I felt very comfortable with her and I believe she is the right person. She is young and has only been practising for a year but I felt peace with her and I've learned that Peace is Gods umpire, if you don't feel peace then it's not of God. So I'm learning to trust my instinct and the leading of the Holy Spirit. And believe she  is the right person. I do so wish I had Debbie but it is what it is.

That same week chatting to Premika she strangely started questioning me on being pregnant, I don't know how she guessed it but she did. I did my best to steer the conversation in another direction but after chatting to Cameron decided we couldn't go on holiday and not tell them so on Friday 19th, on our way to the airport we called them and told them the good news. They were very excited for us.

We flew to Sydney that day and when we arrived at Bradley and Sham's place in Newcastle, NSW we handed them envelopes with what we described as Christmas cards Darian had made at daycare, but was actually personalised Christmas cards with the pic of the ultrasound and the words, "Congratulations, you're going to be an une/aunty again". Their reactions were priceless and their excitement contagious. They couldn't believe we kept it from them but we explained we wanted this trip to be about meeting Xavier and not on us being pregnant. Also we wanted to tell them in person. 

The in laws arrive on Christmas Eve and we'll share the news with them then so I'll keep you posted on their reaction.

So far this pregnancy has been good, as with my last pregnancy the first trimester is overshadowed with nausea and exhaustion, but even more so this time round trying to take care of a rumpunctious toddler. This time round food aversions include meat and chicken, not just chicken as it was with Darian. I went through a few weeks of only wanting smoothies & all I want to eat is carbs and crave salted foods. Again, peppermint helps a lot to ease the nausea. Trying to keep the fluids up and again, I find fruit is my friend. Bedtime comes at 8:30pm when Darian goes down for the night and I find myself needing an afternoon nap which can never happen. Bouts of nausea in the morning which I've avoided now, learning to have a slice of toast and a cup of tea when I wake up. I have to eat small meals throughout the morning to avoid the nausea but by 2pm in the afternoon it hits me again and it stays with me throughout the evening and the only relief  comes with sleeping. Cooking is a bit of an issue but my darling husband has been very understanding and although we are trying to avoid take outs, we do buy food on days when I just can't manage to cook anything. 

We've been in Aus now for a few days and I am totally useless, I think I may be a bit jet lagged as all I want to do is lay around and not move, nausea hits me all times of the day but I'm hoping Brads and Sham understand and don't think I'm a lazy sod. Cameron keeps saying to me you can't lay around all day but I just can't bring myself to move.

We are now in week 9 and I am excitedly waiting for week 12 to come round for some relief from this nausea and exhaustion. Trimester 2 is always a great time for me so I can't wait for it to come. I head back to see Renee the week we're back in Auckland and go for a scan the same week. Haven't taken a bumpie yet, although I'm already showing, doesn't help that I haven't lost the baby weight from the first pregnancy so I already look about 5 months pregnant but hey, that's just the way I like it. Lol!

Super excited for the new adventure and seeing my baby boy become a big brother. Cameron and I both think it's a girl but obviously we will be happy with anything.

Too much to catch up on

Ok, so I thought I would back track and update the blog on all that's happened with individual posts but looking back there's way too much to talk about! So I'm doing it all in one, concise little post!

Since my last post, we've been to Sydney over Christmas, our little boy has grown exponentially and we're in the middle of planning a trip back home. Work has also been quite busy for both of Cameron & I and we've been trying to tidy up the house, well Cameron has. He's been water blasting and staining the deck and fence so that it's all neat and tidy. And has done a remarkable job so far.

It's been a beautiful summer in Auckland so far and we're dreading the end of it, with the end of summer comes cold, wet, dreary weather so we have to take advantage of this as much as we can.

To start our wonderful summer holidays we had our annual Ports of Auckland Christmas Family day at ASB Showgrounds and Darian had his face painted for the first time and got to play on bouncy castles which was much to his excitement.

Darian's daycare also had an awesome Christmas party but all the pics are hazy and distorted cos mr didn't stop dancing and had a massive tantrum when it was time to go home!

Over Christmas we headed over the ditch to see Bradley & Shamini. It was a wonderful two weeks of holiday that ended way too quickly. We visited the Australian Reptile Park, where no one took pity on me, who was a blubbering mess looking at all the snakes, reptiles, spider and other dangerous creatures in the Aussie wild.

Darian had a wonderful time playing at the beach, park and other exciting places we visited.

And on Christmas Day we got to spend a relaxing day at home, eating all kinds of yummy food and enjoying each other's company.

New Years was a quiet one for us. For the first time in a long time. We ended 2013 finding out Shamini is pregnant. She had a positive HPT on December 31st and another one on New Years Day. She then had a subsequent appointment with her GP who confirmed her pregnancy that Thursday, the day before we left. So our holiday ended on a massive high!

I promise to blog pics as her pregnancy progresses. 2014 is a baby boom year for the Pillay/Subban Family. Not only will Bead & Sham have their first in late August, but Cam's cousin, Kremalin & his wife Reena are expecting a week before Brads & Sham and Nicole, Cameron's cousin in Cape Town and her hubby are expecting their first at the end of May. Darian will have heaps of cousins by the end of 2014 and won't be the only one in his generation anymore!

On a sad note, at the end of 2013 we also lost the "Father" of our nation, South Africa. Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5th 2013. It was a sad day for all South Africans and was felt all across the globe. I happened to be in the office when the news broke, and one of my colleagues walked out of his office and announced it. I had to then google it to see if it was true. I spent the rest of the day reading up on all the good works and the life of this remarkable man and what he meant to me, as a South African. I also started reading his book, A Long Walk to Freedom.

So far, 2014 has been a busy year for us. Darian is now 22 months old and growing like a weed. He loves daycare and loves helping mum & dad around the house. Whether it be daddy in the garden or mum in the kitchen, he is always around saying, "help, help". He is such a joy and even though we're in the middle of tantrum season, we love every minute of parenthood. He is starting to mimic all we do and repeat all we say. Soon we will have to start censoring our vocab. He loves animals and thoroughly enjoys visiting the zoo. He's favourite animals are the seals and can spend hours just watching them play in the "Ta" (water). He is also loving his stuffed animals at the moment, including the "mama" (monkey - which is not funny that he has the same word for both mum and monkey), the "popo" (Hippo), pig and frog. He is still very much into his musical instruments and we are considering getting him a drumset but weighing up the noise factor against whether he will really enjoy it or not! And have decided once he turns 3 he'll start piano lessons, hoping his interest is still musically inclined by then.

We are planning a trip back to SA in April/May so that we can have Darian's second birthday party there so I'm in planning mode again. Lots to plan for with catching up with family & friends. It's super exciting!

So, I've tried to catch up as much as I can. I need to plan a day every week to update the blog so that I keep to it! Harder than it seems, keeping a blog updated!

So that's it from me for now. See you on the flip side!

4th year anniversary & Week 39

Cameron and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary yesterday. It's hard to believe that we are married for 4 years already but when I think about it, it seems like just yesterday that we made our vows to love, honour and cherish each other til death do us part. We've really been through so much over the past 4 years, immigrating, leaving our family, losing loved ones but we've also have gained so much, bought our first home together, having our first baby and growing closer and closer each and every day. We have been truly blessed over the past 4 years and we are so grateful to God for all that he has given us and all that He has planned for us. And after 4 years of marriage I still feel so in love and so grateful to God for my husband, he is truly amazing and I love that I get to grow old with my best friend!

Anyway, enough of me going gaga over my husband... because we were a mere 4 days away from baby's estimated due date we decided we wouldn't do much celebrating so we just stayed home this year, which is very weird for us!!! Although I got the most beautiful bunch of roses...

... and we had a lovely dinner at home, Chicken Tikka with spicy rice, mint & cucumber riata and a green salad...

We had dinner for 3 as my mum is with us for a few months for baby's birth but it was an anniversary celebration nontheless.

This week marks 39 weeks of pregnancy, we're days away from baby's due date and we're starting to get really nervous and REALLY impatient. Both Cam & I really want this baby out now... me because I am so highly uncomfortable and him because he just wants to meet his child and well, we're both eager to see who this child will look like more! I'm sure all new parents go through this. The Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming really intense and today was the first day that I timed them, this morning they were coming about every 10-15 mins and last for about 40-90 seconds. But this afternoon has been quite "uneventful", I've only noticed 2 contractions in the past 3 hours. I had a scan today too, Cameron couldn't make it because he is trying very hard to finish off his work in case baby comes next week and so mum accompanied me to the scan. She was so excited to see baby's heartbeat and face and spine, etc. The sonographer estimates baby's current weight at 3.8kg's, a whole kilo more than the last scan a mere 4 weeks ago. But baby is growing well (oh no, here comes a contraction... I spoke to soon)... and we can't be more happier that all is going well.

(Sorry I've tried so many times to upload this pic but it doesn't want to come out the right way round, so this is the best view I could get, you can see baby's face and an outline of the eyes.)

As you can see baby is still in a posterior position so we really need to work on getting him/her to face the right way round and get into an anterior position, also baby's body is on my left side and the legs and arms are out on my right side, which is WRONG! S/he should be the total opposite way round!!! Laying on my left side isn't working and being on all fours isn't working either, so I'm open to any ideas or comments on how to get baby into the right position. Deb says if baby is still in this position when I go into labour we will deal with it then, I am praying though that baby turns before then and if not while in labour at least, so that we don't have any medical interventions like ventouse or forceps and my ultimate nightmare, a C-Section, and so that no pain medication like an epidural is needed (if baby stays in a posterior position, I will have a very painful back labour which is not what I want).

This is a picture Deb showed me of the different positions babies take in utero and our little munchkin is in the ROP position so right occiput posterior. And note to self, DO NOT GOOGLE POSTERIOR BIRTHS.... OMG just scared the life out of me!!!

Okay, last time I blogged that I was diagnosed with SPD and my apologies for not explaining what that is exactly. Babycenter.co.au explains Symphis Pubis Dysfunction as "The two halves of your pelvis are connected at the front by a stiff joint called the symphysis pubis. This joint is strengthened by a dense network of tough, flexible tissues, called ligaments. To help your baby pass through your pelvis as easily as possible, your body produces a hormone called relaxin, which softens the ligaments. As a result, these joints move more during and just after pregnancy, causing inflammation and pain."

Read more: http://www.babycenter.com.au/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/pelvicpain/#ixzz1rtaCV0I4

It's really really painful and is more intense when I've been lying down or sitting for a long period and then get up or try to move. It's hard even putting pants on because having to balance on one leg puts added pressure on the groin area which is very painful and walking itself is really uncomfortable. I can only minimise the pain by wearing a pregnancy belt which is so highly expensive and considering I know no-one who's had this there's no one to borrow one from, and as we only have a few days to go it seems crazy to have to spend that much money on one for such a short time. So yes, I am being very strong trying to get through this pain!!! Anyone feel sorry for me yet!!! LOL!!! Anyway, I guess labour pain will be 10 times worse so this is like practice for it!!!

We've taken another belly pic to commemorate this week, I've tried putting together a collage of all the belly pics but alas my file got corrupted and I need to start again and well, being on the computer for too long doesn't help the Carpel tunnel and numbness in my hands so I will try my best to do that when I can.

Please mind the stretch marks!!! LOL!!!

So with 3 days to go we're hoping and praying for a complication free labour and birth and praying that this baby decides to come sooner rather than later, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's all in God's perfect time so I need to be patient!

Who knows, maybe in a few days we will have a little boy or girl in our arms or even next week this time!! All in all, we thanking God for this time in our lives.

Until the next post.... ciao!

Week 37

We've finally reached full term this week being 37 weeks. Its so hard to believe that in less than 3 weeks baby will be here, well we hope!

I'm finally on maternity leave now, having finished on the 9th of March, after much consideration and discussions with my manager, as I was only meant to finish last week Friday the 23rd. Its been lovely being at home. I've managed to clean out baby's room, get all the clothes and stuff washed and ready, I've packed the hospital bags and installed the car seat, have had the bassinet washed and set up and now we wait!!! We've even done the hospital run and know where to go when it finally does happen.

At 36 weeks I had my check up with Deb and also had my bloods done. We were a bit worried at our last check up with Deb as she had measured my fundal height, and as you know it was much higher than what it should be so she was estimating that baby would be at least 4.2kg's or so, so we had to go to the sonographer for another scan just to get a good measure of what baby's actual weight is and what we can expect.

These are the growth charts that Deb and the sonographer took respectively.

The scans have shown that baby is at the right weight and is growing as s/he should. Which is a great relief for me cos it means I don't have to deliver a 4kg baby, LOL!

This is the picture of our last scan.

We are really happy and getting really excited and really scared that baby is coming very soon!

And here's the last belly pic Cameron's taken...

I'm getting really tired and really exhausted. Deb's also diagnosed SPD which is really uncomfortable and really really sore! Baby is still in the posterior position, although his/her head is almost engaged (hopefully engaged by now). So I now have to sit forward as much as possible so that baby doesn't think my back is a cradle and turns around, and all the while try not to sit in a position that doesn't put any strain on my pelvis. It's a pretty difficult position because I have to decide what's more important, getting the baby to turn or being comfortable! Lovely!!! NOT!

This week my mum arrived from SA which was really exciting, she's so ecstatic and keeps shaking her head in disbelief at the fact that her "baby is having a baby". But I must say I am enjoying being spoiled and at least Cameron gets a break from having to do everything for me!

We go for another appointment with Deb on Wednesday and I'm hoping this baby makes an appearance sooner rather than later. We'll also get the results from my blood test so I'm hoping it's all good, although if it wasn't Deb would've contacted me already so no news means good news!

I can't believe we're nearing the end of this pregnancy and we are just so excited to meet our little baby and finally get to be a family of 3!

Everything is ready and waiting and we wait, Patiently!

Weeks 32 & 33

We haven't had a chance to do much belly pics over the past few weeks and with the usual pregnancy tiredness and lack of concentration I will admit I've been rather lazy in actually sitting in front of the computer and uploading any pics. But today I am so eager to share some pics with you that I will fight through the exhaustion and discomfort to get these pics uploaded and share them with you, Haha! You can thank me later!!! LOL!

I'm so happy that we got to commemorate this pregnancy with professional pictures and these pics are just so beautiful I'm more than happy that we have these for the rest of our lives, to remember this special time in our lives. Our first pregnancy, our first baby, the extension of our little unit. Last Saturday the 25th of February, we headed off to Auckland Domain to do a shoot with a wonderful photographer, Ella of Mojo Photography (www.mojophoto.co.nz). We were quite worried because the weather was quite dodgy and for some reason the sun came out for the duration of our shoot and literally, the rain started the minute Ella took her last snap! Anyway, the gardens were stunning and the setting was just spectacular. Before I go on too long, here are a few pics from the shoot.

I'm truly in love with these pics. Ella did such an amazing job and we've already lined her up for baby's newborn shoot as well as a family shoot when all the family comes in May.

That wrapped up week 32 and the official start of the 8 month of pregnancy. Can you believe it! Not long to go now!

This week, at week 33, we had an antenatal check up with Deb. We completed the birth plan and I'm really thrilled that we've found Deb, because we are all on the same page when it comes to the birth and I know that I can put my trust in her and know that all it going to be ok. She checked baby's heartbeat which was still very strong but this darling of ours although has turned right side up is still facing the wrong way, so I'm hoping to get him/her to turn around into the right position so that labour is easier. So keep praying people! We want a natural, complication free birth! And that's what we're gonna have, I believe it! S/he's not engaged yet so we still have a bit of a wait ahead, but as much as I say that I have a strange feeling that this baby is going to come early! So much so that I've amended my leave and will hopefully be able to leave by the 16th of March, a full month before our due date. I'm still measuring "Large For Dates" or LFD and currently my fundal height is 40cm, so I'm measuring as a full term pregnant woman! FUN!!! Not!!! So there's really not much more growing this baby can do, I'm filled to capacity. Because of this though, I have to go for a growth scan so that Deb can use this in the event I need a C-Section and the Obstetrician asks how she knows it's a big baby! Her measurements for the weight of baby are off the charts at time of due date, so this is why I don't think this baby is going to come on the due date. End of March, people, that's my best guess.

So that's all for now. We have another appointment with Deb in 3 weeks and in that same week I have to do more routine blood tests.

I will try to get onto blogging more frequently, promise. But for now, just enjoy the maternity pics! I know I will!!!

P.S Can you tell I'm excited over these! LOL!!!