Darian Elijah Pillay - The Birth Story

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last blog entry, well in my defense it's been quite an eventful 2 weeks. We've welcomed into the world our son, Darian Elijah on April 16th. And we cannot be happier with our wee boy. He is the ultimate best gift in the world. Labour was not the easiest thing to endure, (and all the mums in the world say AMEN) but it definitely was worth every last minute. When I look at this beautiful face, all I can say is thank you Lord.

From the last blog entry I made mention of the Braxton Hicks contractions that I was getting, well in actual fact it was not just that, it was actually the start of early labour, and well, I was unaware that this was happening. I did ask my midwife and she said to me that is probably wasn't and that I should just take it easy. Well, we went through the entire weekend like this. The contractions came and went very irregularly, about every 10-15 minutes and by Saturday night they were coming in every 3-5 minutes then would go back to every 10 minutes then I would have half an hour of nothing and then it would start all over again. It was the LONGEST weekend of my life because I was in so much pain and discomfort. By Sunday I couldn't manage any longer and we got hold of Deb and she arranged to come by and examine me. When she did she noticed that I was only 1cm dilated and almost fully effaced (my cervix was down to 1/2cm) but because baby was still in a posterior position my cervix was asynclitic, which means that the position of baby in the uterus is to one side causing baby's head to not be in line with the birth canal. In other words his head was in front of my cervix, she then had to pull my cervix to the front, which I can tell you is one of the most painful things to endure! So what was happening was that I was having contractions but because baby was pushing in the wrong place my cervix wasn't dilating. Deb then told me to rest and take panadol, and lay on my left side and do things that would encourage him to get into the right position. She guessed that within the next 16-24 hours we would go into established labour. So I rested and took panadol and rested!! And prayed that baby would turn and that my cervix wouldn't go back and would stay in the right position. That night we had minimal sleep as the contractions, although still irregular were getting worse and worse in terms of pain. Cameron actually slept with a pen & pad in one hand and a watch in the other so he could time the contractions. But by morning, our position hadn't changed. Deb came by at lunchtime for another exam and although I was now fully effaced, I was only 2cm dilated. Baby was still posterior which scared me a little because I knew (and she kept reminding me) that I would have a painful back labour if he didn't get into the right position. She then gave me a herbal birth mix which would encourage the contractions and told me to come to the hospital by 6pm that evening for another exam. So I took her herbal mix, 2 drops on my tongue every 10 minutes and suffered through contraction after contraction after contraction, but they were still so irregular. By 4pm we decided to have an early dinner in case I went into labour and I then went and had a long, hot shower to help with the contractions. By 4:30pm Cameron called Deb and told her I wasn't managing with the pain and that we were gonna head off to the hospital. We live no more than 5km's from the hospital but it felt like the longest car ride I ever experienced. We got caught in peak time traffic on the motorway and got to the hospital just after 5pm. We met Deb there who told us in no uncertain terms that we were not leaving this hospital without a baby! By 5:30pm I was admitted and was changed into a hospital gown. Deb did another exam shortly after and found that I was 5cm dilated and was in established labour. She then broke my waters and got me some gas for pain relief. The contractions were still coming in hard & fast and still irregularly. Baby was still in the wrong position and that meant the contractions were "coupling", this meant that instead of having a contraction every 3 minutes I was having 2 consecutive contractions every 3-5 mins. Needless to say it was extremely painful and by 6pm I had aptly requested for the epidural!!! Sadly for me, both the on call anaethetist and obstetrician were in surgery so it was quite a wait for an examination and the drug. Let me tell you one thing about me, I am a sucker for pain, if the pain threshold went from 1-10 I would be somewhere around 1.5. I cannot take pain and labour pain was no walk in the park. The Anaethetist, a lovely Nordic lady named Mikayla, only came in to see me about 7pm, I remember her asking me if I knew what the risks were and I don't know if I was rude in my response but I said something about yes I did my research! All I wanted was the DRUGS!!! I had about 3 or 4 contractions while she was busy giving me the epidural. I remember Cameron standing in front of me and trying to keep me calm. I felt so vulnerable in that moment and all I can remember is him telling me how great I was doing and how proud he was of me. After the epidural was given I remember looking around the room and my mother was nowhere in sight, poor thing couldn't handle me in pain so quickly left the room. She came back a few minutes after and was amazed at how calm I was. I could finally talk and take in the fact that I was in labour and about to have this baby. By 19:45 Deb noticed that baby's heartbeat was dropping and quickly called in the hospital midwife and the obstetrician, it happened twice in about 5-10 minutes and they quickly got me prepped for theatre in the event I had to be rushed into surgery for an Emergency C-Section. I was so calm about it though, I wasn't afraid & I just committed it to God. I knew that I was in good hands and that nothing was going to go wrong, my mother disappeared round about then as well, she later told me she was going into the waiting room to pray every time she disappeared. Cameron stood right next to me throughout this and kept checking if I was ok, he knows me so well and thought I would be panicking with all this happening, but I was just so calm and kept reassuring him that I was good. Deb and the rest of the team kept an eagles eye on baby's heart rate and because the monitor kept moving they decided to put an internal monitor on baby's head to get a better reading on his heart rate. After the two decelarations his heartbeat got stronger and remained there for the rest of the evening. Although I was still prepped for theatre, we never got there. Deb told me to rest and sleep, which I did. The last thing I remember was telling Deb I could feel the contractions again, she then gave me a top up and I told her that I could feel the pressure to push. She examined me & I was fully dilated and ready to push, this was at 22:10. It happened so quickly. One minute I was asleep the next I was actively pushing. When preparing for the birth, Cameron would always say he would not be down the business end but come time for baby to be birthed, he was the first one to check baby's head crowing and the first one to be down there checking things out! Deb made sure he was involved in everything and really made him feel part of the whole experience, I really appreciated that. Even my mother who said she would stay in the waiting room so she didn't have to see me in pain, was right there holding the mirror up so I could see baby's head, etc. They were both so involved, it was incredible. I pushed for a full half hour and baby was born at 22:40 on Monday the 16th of April. It was THE most amazing experience of my life.

We had been toying around with the name Darian Elijah for months now, we knew we wanted the name Elijah as a middle name but couldn't decide on a first name. A few months ago we came across the name Darian and loved the meaning, "Upholder of the Good". And we kept saying it over & over & over again so by the time he was born we both knew that this was the name for him. I remember after I got the epidural and was calm, I kept saying to Cameron is that his name, are we gonna spell it "Darian" or "Darien" which has a whole different meaning, "Gift". By the time I was fully dilated Cameron said "A-N, we're gonna spell it DARIAN" so when he was born we already knew what his name would be.
Darian was 3.545kg's at birth and was 52cm in length. And UBER-CUTE!!! The moment Deb placed him on me I cried, I cried for what seemed forever. It was so hard to believe that after all this time, after all that pain and discomfort, he was here, in my arms.

I was then moved to the ward and stayed for a few nights. When Cameron left that night I cried, it was the first time we'd spent a night apart and it was scary. Not because I was alone with baby but cos I hated being away from Cameron, called me a baby why don't you!!! LOL! But I didn't sleep a wink that night, although Darian did, he slept soundly and was a real champion with the breastfeeding. It took me a few time to get it right but he knew exactly what he was doing and by morning I didn't have to call the hospital midwives to help me with getting him latched. Everything was going well but Deb asked me to stay one more night just as a precaution, but the midwife on call that night said to me that she was happy and that if I wanted to go home that morning they would arrange it with Deb. So that morning I called Deb told her I wanted to go home and she came in to discharge me. Both mum & Cameron were excellent help for me and they took turns each day that I was in the hospital to come spend time with me so that I could have a moment to go shower or sleep. I think the first night when Cameron was there, I slept while he watched baby and he stayed in the same position with baby until I woke up, it was priceless! We got home on Wednesday morning, and he looked so cute in his capsule (car seat).

He actually was so well behaved in the car seat, he slept all the way home (we still stopped at the pharmacy for a few things we needed for him & I) and when we got home he was so peaceful we actually left him in there a few minutes before taking him out. The feeling of bringing him home was so overwhelming. I mean when I left there was no guarantee that I would come back with him (until we got to the hospital and Deb gave it to us) so actually coming home with him just took my breath away. And the fact that I wasn't on that uncomfortable hospital bed and had two extra sets of hands to hold him and take care of him while I took care of myself was the best.

Mum then gave him a good bath and a rub down and he was all settled in.

Our first few nights were a bit rough, he just wouldn't settle and I would take him to my mum in the middle of the night for her to break his winds and settle him and would have a little sleep while she sat up with him. But other than that, and that's mostly due to him not being able to break his winds and me not being able to do it properly every time, he has been amazing. Once we got into his routine he has been feeding every 3 hours and sleeping in between, he wakes up just before his next feed is due and once he's had a nappy change is ready for his feed and another sleep. The nights have been much better too, I've been having a good 3-4hour sleeps at night and am getting used to the bouts of sleep, so much so that I am wide awake through his feeds, the first few days I would battle to stay awake through his feeds and would rouse Cameron so that he could talk to me while I fed baby and wouldn't fall asleep. But honestly, we have been blessed with an amazing little boy and cannot complain. The last few days he has been really struggling with his winds and for the life of me all the pharmacies and supermarkets in Auckland have run out of gripe water (problems with the manufacturer/wholesalers) so we've stuck with Infacol (suggested by Deb) and my mother's Dutch medicines, which I have just recently stopped as I don't want to over-medicate him with different things. We now are looking at arranging his dedication in a few weeks, so that we can have it done while all the family is here. So that's my next organising project. Cameron's parents arrive in less than 2 weeks (May 10th) and Bradley & Shamini arrive on the 22nd. So we are so looking forward to Darian meeting his family, and my first Mother's Day on the 13th. In the past 2 weeks Deb has come round to see him quite often, at his first weigh in post-birth, he put on 180g and from that weigh-in last week til this week, he has put on a whopping 310g, placing him at 3.880kg's. He is filling out so well and is so strong, that Deb's suggested starting tummy time for a few minutes a day so he can work on his strong neck muscles. He is feeding very well and as a result has a nappy change every 3-4 hours (in between feeds and naps). He has really long bouts of awake periods where he is getting accustomed to his surroundings and our voices. He loves music and is very responsive to singing or music playing (Loves his Daddy's singing). He also loves his baths although hates being naked(go figure). The minute you take his clothes or nappy off he starts crying and moaning but once he is on the water he is calm and happy. We are so blessed with our little Darian and have enjoyed every minute of every day we've shared with him. Here he is at 2 weeks old...

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!

Mum's 62nd birthday

Today we celebrated mum's birthday with her. We've missed a few of her birthdays with us being away from home so we had to take the opportunity to celebrate with her this year.

To start the day her & I went for breakfast at the little cafe around the corner from home called Fuze. We thought we'd do a bit of shopping but the weather has been quite depressing over the past few days with Tropical Cyclone Daphne running rampant in the Pacific so we've been dealing with strong winds and rain for a few days. So we didn't want to take a chance driving to the mall and then just came home and spent some time together. We ended up just relaxing at home and chatted all afternoon, like old times! We then went to Lone Star for dinner once Cameron got home from work. We had a blast... laughed and joked and talked for hours and then made our way home.

We really had a fabulous evening celebrating with mum, Happy birthday Ma, here's to another 62 years.

Oldies

My mum brought a few old photo's with her which really stirred me up. Although I do have some old baby pics of me it's so nice to see some of my favourites, and because I want to actually have a few collages of me & Cam as a baby along with our babie's pics it was a nice little gift that mum thought of.

Here's a few that she brought. these are my faves...

This is from my first birthday, my aunt (mum's sister) Elaine is carrying me here.

Here I was about 3 years old and it was Christmas at my mum's parents house. I'd just got this doll as my christmas gift and was too chuffed about it.

And this is a pic of my brother Kale with my granny (mum's mum) at our house in Newlands East, don't know if it was a special occassion but it's such a beautiful picture.

I love old photo's. Wish I could have more. I remember we had tonnes of photo albums at home & I would page through these all the time looking at all our baby photos and I'm so grateful I have some to add to my own albums.

Thanks mama for the wonderful gift.

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!!!

Countdown - 9 weeks & 3 days

Today we are 30 weeks and 4 days. We have approximately 66 days to go until our darling baby is born.

Yesterday we went for our 30 week check up with our midwife, and well, all I can report is that baby is fine and I am healthy! Thank God! My fundal height is 37cm which, when plotted on the growth chart shows that baby will be approximately 4kg's at birth! Yes, that's 4 kgs, no typo there! Well she actually said 4.3 or 4.4kg's so guess this is going to be a big baby, well that's an understatment to say the least. The biggest baby in our family was my nephew Dylan who was 3.990kg's at birth and 50cm long, guess this little one's gonna give his cousin a run for his money! Well, considering Cameron and I were over 3kg's at birth (Cameron being the biggest baby in the ward the day he was born) and my midwife said because Cameron's so tall and I am not a small girl either, it's a given that this baby is going to be big & tall. Because of this though we might have to go for another scan at 36 weeks which will chart baby's growth in preparation for birth, in case we have to opt for a C-Section which I am hoping doesn't happen. But it's all in God's hands, whatever is meant to happen will happen, by God's grace we will get this baby out! Cameron's face when I laid on the exam bed at Deb's was so funny, his eyes almost popped out of his head when he looked at my tummy. I asked him why he was so surprised because he sees it everyday, his response was that he hadn't seen it from that angle before and well, proved even more how big I was.

Ok, what else can I report. The routine tests that we did at 28 weeks came back clear. Deb says I'm a textbook case, which she wishes she could show all her patients. Everything is normal, all that they look for shows relatively normal levels and my blood pressure is perfect.

The only thing we need to work on is turning baby into the right position. Currently s/he is currently in a posterior position which means that although he is head down the back of his head is against my spine, hence the back ache and well, this means he isn't in the right position for birth. It means it will bring some difficulty in labour so we have to work on turning him. And by him I am not eluding to the baby's sex. At our last scan we told the sonographer that we didn't want to know but when we went to our midwife a week or so after, she told us what the sex was, we were quite upset that the secret had been shared but excited that we knew what we were having. Then yesterday at our check-up I asked her if she was sure and she said that it was still 50/50 and that it was impossible to know for sure. So we are back at square one and have no clue what baby's sex is, but the excitement of actually finding out at the birth is something we've regained! Anyway, our focus for the next few weeks is to ensure that he or she is in the right position for birth, so that means I have to change the way I sit, always leaning forward, and always ensure I'm on my side when laying down. It's going to be hard to do because I am so used to leaning back when I sit but have to make the effort if I want an easy birth.

Baby's heartbeat is strong, is between 137 & 140 beats per minute and Deb was very happy with that. Although given his position, it was very hard to hear and find. I had to turn onto my left side for him to turn so that we could hear the heartbeat. Funny thing though, I had a Braxton Hicks contraction while I was laying on the exam bed and Deb had to wait for it to pass before she could do the examination. It was weird cos I hadn't known what to expect, or at least didn't know what a Braxton Hicks contraction felt like until she pointed it out, so luckily it happened when it did. Now I know, when my tummy gets really hard, that means I'm having a Braxton Hicks contraction! Good to know!!!

Ooh, just got the biggest kick, guess baby know's I'm talking about him or her!!!

Deb also gave us a whole lot of reading for our birth plan and what to expect in labour. So we have to do loads of research and planning. She says information is power so be prepared for every situation, but don't think it'll be perfect, be prepared for anything to happen. Which is pretty much the outlook I've had since day one. I am believing for a complication free labour and believe that God will see me through it and give us both the strength to get through it but I've told Deb I'm not gonna have preconceived ideas of how it should go. So now we are nearing the end of this pregnancy and we still have alot of preparation to do, both physically and mentally but I know we can and will be ready when baby comes.

Today Cameron's parents confirmed their tickets so they will arrive on May 10th. Bradley & Shamini will be here on May 22nd and my mum arrives on the 29th of March. So everyone will be here, and it's finally dawning on me that this is for real! Soon, we will have this little one in our arms and will be going to pick up Ma & Grandpa Pillay and Aunty Shamini & Uncle Bradley from the airport with our little baby in the stroller, I can already see their faces when they first lay eyes on this baby! And I am so grateful I will have my mother with me, and thankful she will be here from day one. Mostly, I am so excited to become a parent and share this experience with Cameron. I know he is going to be an impeccable birth partner and am trusting that he will continue to be his amazingly calm and supportive self when it all happens.

And so the countdown begins...