Chateau de Lefty

Flynn is sitting here next to me trying to help by licking my hands while I’m typing…

Tuesday Benjamin helped me prune the roses out the front before he eventually cracked it (may have had something to do with the bitter cold), so towards the end it was a race with me rocking him in the pram with one hand while hacking at the roses with the other, prunings flying everywhere. Then we went for a walk around the neighbourhood which he seemed to enjoy for the few minutes before he fell asleep.

Yesterday we visited Babcia and Dzia Dzia (grandma & grandpa in Polish) on the way to a work lunch that I was kindly invited to to celebrate the end of financial year and the capital works program being completed. I thought I packed everything that I would need and timed it so that I would be able to feed Benjamin at Mum and Dad’s before going to show him off at the depot and then swanning off for a relaxing lunch in which Benjamin would sleep the whole time, or be awake and act cute before falling asleep again.

It didn’t go according to plan.

Baby (and Basia) time took over, so by the time I bathed Benjamin and had a shower and attempted to dry my hair and then checked to see if some of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit again (I did find a skirt that did. Yay!) I was already running an hour behind. But that was alright because I could meet the other three for lunch first and then go to the depot afterwards. So rolled up at Mum’s, said a quick hello and then because Benjamin was hungry, put him to the breast.

He quickly decided he didn’t like Chateau de Lefty (thanks for the name, Gary). So after a few tries at that side we tried Chateau de Righty. Benjamin didn’t like that vintage either, so after a lot of yelling and crying and holding and Babcia taking over, I gave up and gave him the emergency stash of breastmilk that I carry for just such emergencies.

He was happy, the grandparents were happy, I was happy, but since I had last breastfed at 8am, by 4:30pm (after a delicious Vietnamese lunch – thanks Nick – and with Benjamin crying for the first hour of it; luckily Nick and Rohan have young children and Andrew’s just a laid back, understanding person so it was all good, then out into the rain again to make the dash to the depot where Helen kindly gave him the rest of the bottle while I organised myself and we said hello to all and saw how radiant Kimberley looked  – she has 10 weeks to go before she pops so she got a little practice cuddle in with Benjamin. Can’t wait to meet his new friend!) my breasts were decidedly not happy and I spent the whole drive back home wondering if my breasts would spontaneously explode once they reached critical mass (volume?) with visions of mastitis on top.

But we made it. Ahh, the relief. I have never been so happy to see a deranged gramaphone-like plastic contraption a.k.a. The Breast Pump in my life. Won’t be leaving home without this awkward little beauty again!

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