Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Uncategorized category.
Big brother
Although Gary’s a huge fan of Big Brother (which I watched for the first time ever this year), I’m referring to the fact that Benjamin met his big brother Cameron on the weekend for the first time – and liked what he saw judging by the smiles he gave him!
We drove out to Gippsland to watch Cam’s footy team Hill’s (Hill’s End) play the elimination final against Traf (Trafalgar to the uninitiated, i.e. me, a town near Traralgon). Cam played an excellent game and it was very close until the final quarter when they unfortunately lost.
Also unfortunate – although we did get to spend some time with Cam driving him to the Traralgon Hospital – was that one of the opposition had collided with Cam in the final quarter so that his elbow rammed into Cam’s forearm, and he needed an x-ray to check whether it was broken. The poor thing was in a huge amount of pain but was very brave for the whole trip and as they put his arm in a sling. The x-ray came back clear but it could be a soft tissue injury, so he will need to go to the doctor again.
We also dropped in to see Myra, Edi and 8-month-old Nicholas. It was lovely to meet Nicholas who behaved perfectly – as opposed to Benjamin who turned into the screaming banshee at about 3:15pm (his haunting time for the last couple of days). We have become (sort of) inured to his ear splitting cries, but it was all new and exciting for Myra and Edi, and it freaked poor Nicholas out a bit as he decided he had better join in too!
After spending endless hours in the car, by the time we swung by Jessica’s house in Woori Yallock to pick her up on the way back, Benjamin was getting pretty shirty. So much so that we had to sing him his favourite song, ad nauseum, the whole hour home (‘Galumph’ said the little green frog one day…). We sang it fast. We sang it slow. We sang it soft. We sang it fast again. We sang it in a German accent. We sang it in an American accent (thanks John ‘Gary’ Wayne). The only thing we couldn’t do was change the words because Benjamin would start crying again! We would experiment every few goes because we were becoming mind numbingly bored with the song, and sure enough as soon as we changed the words a thin wail would start up from the back, quickly crescendoing until we went back to the proper words.
Boy were we glad to get home.
Big boy
Benjamin slept in his cot overnight for the first time – and he loved it. So much so that he didn’t even cry out or wake himself up with his moving hands the whole night. He now seems so far away as I lurch to check on him when I think he’s crying (twice last night but he was sound asleep by the time I got there, so not sure if I imagined it! Clearly I was more worried about him being in the cot than him).
I’ve been putting him in his cot for his daytime naps on and off over the last three weeks, knowing that he’ll be outgrowing his bassinet, so as to get him used to it, (initially wheeling the bassinet into his bedroom, then putting the bassinet in the cot, then putting him into the cot) but he took to it last night without a peep – and almost a sigh of relief now that his swinging arms don’t hit the sides of the bassinet. But I miss him being so close, next to the bedroom door in the lounge room. He’s just growing up too fast. I want to keep him little.
We are getting more sleep though.
Actually, I can’t tell yet since I woke up more than he did last night, but I imagine we will be.
Laughing boy
When the first baby laughed
for the first time,
the laugh broke
into a thousand pieces
and they all went skipping about,
and that was
the beginning of fairies.
Sir James Barrie, PETER PAN
Benjamin laughed for the first time last night while Daddy was making funny faces at him – and to prove it wasn’t a fluke he did it three times in a row! It’s almost like he’s remembering to laugh rather than learning to.
Weeks ago he did it in my arms a couple of times while falling asleep. And almost from the start he would smile this little half-smile as he slipped off my breast in his sleep. What was he remembering that made him smile? A few weeks later a plaintive little cry was introduced in his sleep, and I would wonder what it was that made him so sad.
There is a belief that children choose their parents so as to teach them whatever lessons they need to learn in this lifetime.
Do they remember their previous lives from before they were born and gradullay lose these memories as they connect to this new life?
Girly weekend
Benjamin had a bit of a girly weekend – which I think he thoroughly enjoyed. Then again, who doesn’t like being waited on hand and foot. Hang on, that happens to him all the time! - while Gary went on a man trip to Buchan. Six blokes decided they needed to retreat to their cave, literally.
We had a lovely time going with Babcia to the St Andrews market on Saturday morning. I had warned mum that it was a bit of a hippie market. I introduced her to her first chai tea (the proper one boiled in milk. I had had my first one here years ago at the Chai Tea tent and had fallen in love with it) while I breastfed sitting on one of the cushions there while Mum proceeded to tell me in Polish how I was right, this really was a hippie place, full of weirdos. Of course she used the English words for ‘hippie’ and ‘weirdos’, so there was no doubt about what she was talking about!
Auntie Jo-Jo came to stay over on Sunday night, so we had a lovely Sunday afternoon sitting in the sun in the backyard gasbagging before we went for a long walk.
Gary came back yesterday afternoon having enjoyed the trip except for the fact that they all froze their butts off the previous night as the temperature had dipped below zero, vowing never to go during winter again! Well, Buchan is near the Snowy River…
New morning
Yesterday was a struggle. Not sure why – perhaps too much excitement on the weekend. I was tired all day with thoughts going round my head that usually surface at 3am, all I wanted to do was eat and although I knew if I got out of the house that would help, I couldn’t muster the energy or the willpower to do it. In fact, I was inhabiting the dark space in my head, a bit like an internal dememtor that no one else can see. And although most days fly far too fast, yesterday I started counting down the hours until Gary got home by about 10am. In short, a day with depressive symptoms.
Thankfully, it was just a day because I woke up full of hope and inspiration (ok, not that much inspiration but I was showered by 10am today – a new record. I’d like to put it down to positive attitude but it was more to do with Yarra Valley Water fixing a leak in the road out the front of the house and the thought that perhaps they may cut the water off while they do it! So I didn’t wait until Benjamin was asleep but left him playing in the sun on his playmat in the bedroom while I did my ablutions. Which meant he was asleep by the time I got out. Bless him.). Lovely frosty morning (lovely for me as I didn’t have to get up and drive through it! I did take the jug back in after Gary had defrosted his car… I’m so good to him!) and lots of sunshine. I could do without the sound of the jackhammer as constant background noise, but I may even take the little man for a walk in the morning, something I don’t think I’ve managed to do to date – but I won’t hold myself to it, just in case!
Benjamin is growing so fast that his bassinet won’t be fitting him soon, and he’ll have to go into his own room in the cot. I’m already missing his newbornness even though each day brings exciting new develoments.
Although everyone gets so excited when someone is pregnant, I didn’t have a real sense of what living with a baby was like, having never been around any new ones for any length of time. Even when he was born I didn’t feel an instant surge of overwhelming love, it was more like, ‘right, what do I do with him now? I don’t know anything about babies!’ I wasn’t too concerned as in my frenzy of reading before and after the birth (knowledge is power – well, it made me feel slightly more in control anyway) the books say that not all mothers feel that, and that the bonding experience occurs over the weeks and months. Now I can’t imagine my life without him and I’m looking forward to seeing him grow and develop into his own little person, but that total dependency and helplessness is such a special time that I can see I’ll miss it when it’s over.
Of course it’s because he’s perfect. If he was one of those unsettled screamy babies I’m sure I would be at my wit’s end and a frazzled wreck. So I’ll be trying to enjoy each day as it comes, even the hard days.
Where’s Benny?
Can you spot the difference?
Last night was a bit warmer than usual for this time of year, so Flynn didn’t come and curl up under the covers like he normally does (and put all four of his freezing cold paws onto my stomach to warm up).
Benjamin woke up at 4:30am for his night feed, so when I walked into the nursery at 5am to change him at half time, this is what I saw: here
I thought it was cute. Mind you, at 5am not that many things are!
Benjamin went to his first uni class on Thursday – thought I’d start him early- actually, to meet my classmates in my ‘Writing for Children’ class. He was a big hit and was very good, although I had his babcia (grandmother) on standby to whip him away as soon as he started to grizzle. She will kindly be looking after him on Thursdays while I go to class.
Benjamin’s big sister Jessica has come to stay for the weekend as she can’t come next weekend. Benny was very excited to see her and lost all interest in feeding on the other side when she arrived. He just wanted to talk to her instead! I guess he won’t starve…
The milk bar is closed
Been a busy couple of weeks – not in terms of going out but rather in playing catch up. A couple of weeks ago Benjamin had a growth spurt which looks like it coincided with a drop in milk supply, so all of a sudden I went from a baby who was feeding every 3-4 hrs to 1/5-2hrs. Freaked me right out and I was bloody tired! Who knew that producing milk takes so much out of you!
I’ve been popping fenugreek and blessed thistle like there’s no tomorrow and it seems to be paying dividends, well, litres anyway but it took me about a week and a half to play catch up so that I felt more comfortable with my supply. It also banged my confidence around in terms of going out but hopefully that should improve this week.
It’s going to be 20 degrees this Friday. Can’t wait!
First Mother’s Group
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Benjamin (and his mum). He had a lovely visit from his Auntie Carole and cousins Danielle and Jamie (with her new camera) over the school holidays. They brought some yummy bread rolls and orange and poppyseed cake from Dan’s work so we had a veritable feast! Which was good since this lactating mother is always starving!
We had our first mother’s group on Tuesday – the coldest July day in about 8 years. Typical. Mum came over in the morning to babysite and asked if I REALLY wanted to go since it was so cold and I shouldn’t be taking Benjamin out. For my sanity that’s a resounding YES!
Seems like a nice group so far with 5 little girls and 4 little boys including Benjamin. We really only had time to do introductions and have a bit of a chat but I’m looking forward to next week.
Benjamin’s been an aboslute angel – except, of course when he’s the devil child. Ok, not really the devil child but the velcro baby. He did this to me last week on the Monday and the Friday when he just did not want to have any proper sleeps during the day unless I was holding him. So every time I went to put him down he’d wake up and cry. I was at the end of my tether by the evenings but that did mean that he pretty much slept through Tuesday and Wednesday to play catch up. Friday night I was very cranky with it all – and I didn’t work out until Sunday it was because I had PMT! Was not impressed. I was convinced that I wouldn’t get my period for 6 months and was quite enjoying not having had them for a while, so in the loo on Sunday morning there was me in a very surprised tone going, ‘Oh. Oh. Oh.’
‘They’re not noises you normally expect to hear from the toilet?’ said Gary.
‘I’ve got my period and I wasn’t expecting it for another few months!’ I wailed. I’d only just finished my post birth lochia 3 weeks prior!
‘Well you are a fertile woman.’
Lucky I had been to the ob for my roadworthy the previous Tuesday and had got the mini pill – and this time filled the prescription in rather than wave it in Gary’s face as proof of my efforts!
The pharmacist explained the ‘rule of 3′ with the mini-pill: you have to be very strict in taking it at the same time every day and if you go over by 3 hours, you’re unprotected for 3 days. Then she went on to explain to me that if I wanted to get a period, to stop taking the pills for 5 days as that would bring it on.
‘So that means I won’t get a period for the next 4 months if I go straight through?’
‘No. It won’t stop you getting a period if you’re due.’
Then why the hell woulld I want to bring one on???? Is she crazy? I know you girls are with me. She clearly isn’t part of the sisterhood of normal women.
Oh well. Enough about me. Lets talk about you talking about me.
Here are a couple of very cute photos of Benjamin that Gary took over the weekend: Here
and here .
Motherhood for dummies
Benjamin celebrating his 6 week old birthday
This morning I decided to ‘top and tail’ Benjamin as many of the books suggest (I now have a reference library with a plethora of baby information). Up until now I’ve been rather slack. I figured that since he isn’t really running around much now, he’s not really getting very dirty. And I do use the baby wipes religiously each time, so we bathe him a couple of times a week and that’s about it.
There’s a great book I’ve been lent called ‘The Complete Book of Mother & Baby Care’ which has step by step instuctions – with photos – on every aspect, including how to fold nappies, how to change nappies, how to wash boys (and girls!), and all other sorts of useful stuff, so I thought I’d give the top and tailing a go.
By the time I read through it all and referred back at each step (do you know how many cotton wool balls you go through with each wash?) and then had to do it all again after I had nearly got Benjamin dressed since he wee-ed again after I had taken so long, it ended up taking longer than a bath!
I think I’ll wait a few days (or weeks) before I try the cloth nappy origami.
The pictures are pretty good, though.
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!
