Wilted, I think, best describes us at the moment.
I got up at 5am to hang out the washing because I knew it would be too hot to do anything by 8am. I hung out four loads, folded the pile that was waiting for me then went back to bed by 6:30am and went back to sleep. I figure whatever happens now, I have achieved SOMETHING with the day.
The big kids want to go swimming at the pool, but I am not setting foot outside until at least 5pm when it starts to cool down a bit.
Beloved came home early yesterday because the power was out at work (kinda hard to do drafting and data management without computers these days!) and he joined us for swimming yesterday. The kids loved going in the "big" pool rather than having to stay near me and the babies in the wading pool. Billy rode on Daddy's back as he swum around and is taking to water like a little fish, Erin is a little more apprehensive but is getting there.
Billy is now going to the door looking for Daddy every few hours in the hope that he will come home early again!
I am very glad not to be carrying the huge belly at the moment, but a grumpy baby who dislikes being hot is very difficult to comfort - holding her only makes her hotter! Just making sure she keeps getting plenty of fluids and doesn't overheat is a big enough job.
The sun lizards (little skinks) are all coming inside to escape the heat too. I have seen 12 so far this morning!
I laughed at Beloved a few years ago when he bought the evaporative cooler - we live in Tasmania! We are as close to Antarctica as you can get and still be in Australia! It isn't supposed to get hot here. I'm not laughing now, I'm too hot.
If the TV tells me again that this is a record breaking heat wave I am going to throw something at it. They just make up these records to make people feel better about being hot I'm sure! And it doesn't work for me.
I feel so sorry for all the little ones going off to their first week at school in 40+Centigrade heat! Another reason we home school!
People keep posting snow pictures and pictures of ice storms on their American blogs to taunt me. It isn't very nice!
Things I can't do because it is too hot: Bake, knit, gardening, extensive cleaning (what?? It's HOT!), move overmuch!
What we are filling our time with instead: Puzzles, drawing, reading, blogging, impromptu arm chair naps, whining about the heat!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Some photos...
Mama Hen at Ship Full O'Pirates is having a home made Thursday where people link in to show off what they have made. My home made stuff is fairly limited at the moment (I am planning on making cookies sometime soon though!) but I thought these may count!
My three oldest, made 'em myself! Kinda.
Beloved and Christopher - do you know how rare this is!!!
Billy painted up as a Tiger at the community Christmas celebration.
Beloved and Christopher - do you know how rare this is!!!
Billy painted up as a Tiger at the community Christmas celebration.
Erin cooking her little sister's birthday cake - yes, my kitchen does look like that.
I expect to have kitchen cupboards some time in the next ten years.
Stay tuned for more photos of Anna. As soon as I can get Beloved to show me how to get the photos from the camera into his lap top!
I expect to have kitchen cupboards some time in the next ten years.
Stay tuned for more photos of Anna. As soon as I can get Beloved to show me how to get the photos from the camera into his lap top!
So there ya go Mama Hen, I kinda-sorta-little-bit made 'em myself - honest!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thought for today...
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff Life is made of.
Benjamin Franklin
Update
I got stung by a bee on the foot yesterday while I was hanging out the washing. Bees like clover flowers, there is clover all over the place here and a honey factory over the back fence!
Erin:
has Billy's cough and runny nose. She was devastated not to be sick enough to warrant going to the doctor with the boys and I yesterday!
Billy:
is grumpy, moody, grizzly, whiny and no longer coughing. I think the bad attitude may just be something that needs addressing with some training! His stamina is still down though and I am working on getting the weight back on him after the tummy bug.
Christopher:
now has some steroid cream for his eczema. It is a very mild cream and seeing as the itch has been waking him up at night I think it was warranted. It is already starting to make a difference. He has also walked 3-4 steps in a row on different occasions, he just forgets he doesn't walk yet and does!
Anna:
has a real belly button! I am not ready for this yet. She is feeding wonderfully in spite of the fact that I have enough milk for triplets and regularly try and drown the poor child. She is my most windy, colic prone bub, I suspect she has some acid reflux, but it is very manageable still and I am enjoying every minute of her.
The house:
is surprisingly well maintained given that we have a ten day old baby in the house. I can actually move around pain free at the moment and finding it much easier to cope with the heat now that Anna is on the outside! I am watching the sun lizards wander around the house at the moment. They come in and snack on scraps that Christopher drops under the high chair (peanut butter and chocolate crackles seem to be favourites!). We don't have to go on a nature walk, we just look under the table at breakfast time!
Jess
Erin:
has Billy's cough and runny nose. She was devastated not to be sick enough to warrant going to the doctor with the boys and I yesterday!
Billy:
is grumpy, moody, grizzly, whiny and no longer coughing. I think the bad attitude may just be something that needs addressing with some training! His stamina is still down though and I am working on getting the weight back on him after the tummy bug.
Christopher:
now has some steroid cream for his eczema. It is a very mild cream and seeing as the itch has been waking him up at night I think it was warranted. It is already starting to make a difference. He has also walked 3-4 steps in a row on different occasions, he just forgets he doesn't walk yet and does!
Anna:
has a real belly button! I am not ready for this yet. She is feeding wonderfully in spite of the fact that I have enough milk for triplets and regularly try and drown the poor child. She is my most windy, colic prone bub, I suspect she has some acid reflux, but it is very manageable still and I am enjoying every minute of her.
The house:
is surprisingly well maintained given that we have a ten day old baby in the house. I can actually move around pain free at the moment and finding it much easier to cope with the heat now that Anna is on the outside! I am watching the sun lizards wander around the house at the moment. They come in and snack on scraps that Christopher drops under the high chair (peanut butter and chocolate crackles seem to be favourites!). We don't have to go on a nature walk, we just look under the table at breakfast time!
Jess
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
More newborn tips....
It's all comming back to me now! I figured I should blog some of it so I remember for next time.
If you have a habit of being overdue, have a pump action bottle of almond oil or a good quality lotion (QV lotion is what I'm using right now) sitting on the change table. Put a little on their dry hands and feet at each change to prevent them cracking from being so dry.
Unless you are into co-sleeping (we aren't, we just don't sleep so well with babies in our bed) DON'T feed the baby in bed. Not even sitting up. You end up very uncomfortable a few hours later!
A good quality feeding pillow like a zoo pillow is great to help save your back and shoulders
Have all your slings and baby carriers located (I seem to have misplaced one of mine!) clean and ready to use.
Be prepared to spend lots of time just gazing at the baby trying to soak in every moment because - by number four - you begin to realise just how fleeting these precious moments are!
If you have a habit of being overdue, have a pump action bottle of almond oil or a good quality lotion (QV lotion is what I'm using right now) sitting on the change table. Put a little on their dry hands and feet at each change to prevent them cracking from being so dry.
Unless you are into co-sleeping (we aren't, we just don't sleep so well with babies in our bed) DON'T feed the baby in bed. Not even sitting up. You end up very uncomfortable a few hours later!
A good quality feeding pillow like a zoo pillow is great to help save your back and shoulders
Have all your slings and baby carriers located (I seem to have misplaced one of mine!) clean and ready to use.
Be prepared to spend lots of time just gazing at the baby trying to soak in every moment because - by number four - you begin to realise just how fleeting these precious moments are!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Things only a Mummy can understand....
Starting to doze off in a public place then jolting awake to do a quick head count of children, momentarily forgetting exactly what number of children you have in the fog of not-quite-awake-ness!
Enjoying a sloppy kiss that involved teeth given by a giggling toddler.
The feeling of relief that goes with a burp, fart or nappy fill by a grumpy baby.
Feeling a little weepy when the baby's umbilical stump falls off because they aren't a "real" newborn anymore!
Instantly checking what the kid's are doing when there is a strange noise or silence
Frantically looking for the dummy (pacifier for my US readers!), only to realise you are holding it by the handle in you TEETH!
_________________________________________________________________
I have a new motto - Sir Edmund Hilary wasn't thinking of the blisters as he climbed the summit.
I love hiking. I haven't done it in ages, not properly, but there is something about walking through the wilderness with a pack that makes me happy. When I have blisters the size of golf balls on the soles of my feet, my old shoulder injury is nagging and the pack is weighing a ton, I stop and look around. The vista reminds me of why I am doing what I am doing and suddenly I have the energy to go on.
When I am exhausted, still in my PJ's at noon, the kids are being 'challenging' (read: being bratty) and I am feeling a little like running away from home, I catch a glimpse of the view. Sometimes it is a close up thing that boosts me - a wisp of Erin's blond hair catching the light, Christopher planting a kiss on Anna's nose, an impromptu bouquet of lawn daises from Billy, Anna making a noise like a squeaky toy when she hiccups. Sometimes it is the wider view that lifts me. I see a hardworking man in the little boy who loves stacking wood, a potential medical missionary in the little girl ministering with her plastic doctor's kit, a strong, gentle man in the tender, sloppy, toddler kiss, a world of possibilities in the newborn's eyes.
Take a moment to enjoy the view, you won't notice the blisters nearly as much!
Enjoying a sloppy kiss that involved teeth given by a giggling toddler.
The feeling of relief that goes with a burp, fart or nappy fill by a grumpy baby.
Feeling a little weepy when the baby's umbilical stump falls off because they aren't a "real" newborn anymore!
Instantly checking what the kid's are doing when there is a strange noise or silence
Frantically looking for the dummy (pacifier for my US readers!), only to realise you are holding it by the handle in you TEETH!
_________________________________________________________________
I have a new motto - Sir Edmund Hilary wasn't thinking of the blisters as he climbed the summit.
I love hiking. I haven't done it in ages, not properly, but there is something about walking through the wilderness with a pack that makes me happy. When I have blisters the size of golf balls on the soles of my feet, my old shoulder injury is nagging and the pack is weighing a ton, I stop and look around. The vista reminds me of why I am doing what I am doing and suddenly I have the energy to go on.
When I am exhausted, still in my PJ's at noon, the kids are being 'challenging' (read: being bratty) and I am feeling a little like running away from home, I catch a glimpse of the view. Sometimes it is a close up thing that boosts me - a wisp of Erin's blond hair catching the light, Christopher planting a kiss on Anna's nose, an impromptu bouquet of lawn daises from Billy, Anna making a noise like a squeaky toy when she hiccups. Sometimes it is the wider view that lifts me. I see a hardworking man in the little boy who loves stacking wood, a potential medical missionary in the little girl ministering with her plastic doctor's kit, a strong, gentle man in the tender, sloppy, toddler kiss, a world of possibilities in the newborn's eyes.
Take a moment to enjoy the view, you won't notice the blisters nearly as much!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Anna's Birth Story
*long and contains detail of bodily function! if you're queezy, skip it!
I KNEW she was ready to be born, the fact that my feet turned a little blue every time I had a BH contraction because her head was so far down confirmed that to me! The heat waves and my very sore pelvis were contributing to me turning into one of "those" pregnant women. You know, the ones who complain all the time about their discomfort rather than being thankful for a healthy baby and normal pregnancy. Anyway, I remembered that when I was pregnant with Christopher (who was two weeks overdue) labour didn't kick in until I was away from home with the kids well cared for and relaxed, so I suggested a date night to Beloved.
You know you're a Mum when preparation for a date night includes treating the family for a potential head lice infestation and putting the labour bag and baby seat in the car just in case. I was semi-hopeful something would happen, Beloved was fairly sure bub would stay put until Sunday (my brother's birthday) and Mum split the difference and said I'd have bub on the way home!
So we went into town and ran a few errands (an appointment with my midwife, haircut for Beloved etc.) and then went out to eat. We had planned to go to a food hall, but Beloved ended up taking me to my favourite restaurant where I hadn't been for four years and buy me a VERY yummy steak dinner! Looking back now, the frequent loo visits during this time should have told me something, but when you are overdue (especially when you went two weeks overdue last time) you studiously ignore all signs of labour until things get a bit obvious, otherwise you go insane. Especially if you have pre-labour for a week or more!
After our very nice meal we went for a bit of a walk, went to a service station to use the ladies (again) and headed home at about 10. As we drove up the outlet I felt a painless but firm contraction which I all but ignored because I'd been having them for a week or more at this stage. I noticed that they were coming about every five minutes as we drove along and debated the wisdom of saying something. I didn't want to go back and have nothing happen. I mentioned it to Beloved and we pulled over about half way home to discuss it. I called my midwife and we decided to head back to the Birth Centre just in case. I phoned Mum and let her know that she MAY have been right and I MAY be going into labour half way home, but not to get too excited because I wasn't sure yet. And I didn't get ANY more contractions. Not one the whole way back to Launceston! Exasperated, we decided to stay at the Birth Centre for the night anyway and just make it an extension of Date Night. Beloved went in to town and grabbed some milk and things for breakfast while I chatted with Anna about this and that. When he got back, Anna went home to get some sleep and I had a shower before climbing into the queen size four poster bed fully expecting to wake up and go home in the morning and trying to work out the logistics of how to get everyone dressed and ready to be at the church camp meeting in the morning. When Beloved came to bed after his shower (at about 1:20am by this stage) I opened one eye and said "I have had two real contractions since you got in the shower - I'm going to sleep" and he climbed into bed next to me and promptly fell asleep too.
I think you are a little more relaxed about labour by the fourth bub!
Contractions kept coming and I dozed and prayed in bed for about an hour. I prayed that I would have no fear, that God's hand would be over my labour and birth and that I'd draw on His strength when things got tough. After a while it got to the point where I was finding it difficult to relax during a contractions and I didn't want to wake Beloved quite yet so I went into the bathroom, put a pillow on top of the cistern and sat backwards on the loo with my head resting on the pillow. This was a really good position for me because my pelvis, which had been very sore for about three months at this stage, was fully supported and I could just relax. I sang softly and meditated on scripture and prayed for a while. When it got to the point that I started feeling like making noise through the contractions, I got up and made Beloved a coffee and woke him up. He asked if I wanted him with me or if I was OK just me. I was enjoying the solitude though so I told him not to stress about getting up yet, I just wanted to let him know I was calling Anna. I called Anna (by this time it was 3:20am) and let her know what was happening and went back to the bathroom.
After a while I hopped in the bath and directed the hand held shower onto my abdomen. When Beloved came in I gave it to him to put on my back and knelt at the end of the bath on a towel with my arms resting on another pile of towels. This was very nice, but I felt that it was almost too nice and was slowing things down a bit, plus I had a feeling for some reason that this baby was meant to be born on dry land (the boys were both born in the bath) and knew it was going to be hard to convince myself to move out of the bath. So Anna laid out the birth pad and sheet in the lounge room next to the coffee table and we put some pillows on top of the coffee table for me to lean on. Anna heated a wheat bag and Beloved put it on my back for me. I stayed like this for a while just gently working through each contraction as it came, meditating on scripture with some quiet instrumental hymns going in the background. Every now and then Anna would sing along to one of the hymns or I would and Beloved just sat quietly being there for me. I asked him to sit back on the couch and flopped kneeling on the floor draping (as much as you can drape at 41 weeks pregnant!) across his lap while he held the heat pack on my back and rubbed me between contractions. The wheat pack wasn't cutting it so Anna started heating wet towels to put over my back at the peak of each contraction and this was HEAVEN! I was feeling very tired at this stage and just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.
After a while I got up and went back to the loo on my own where I promptly vomited what was left of my dinner which annoyed me because it was such a nice dinner, but it made me feel better. Memories of time and sequence get a bit blurry about here, but I know I ended up back on the loo backwards with the pillow and then I fell asleep, waking only at the peak of each contraction. Contractions were still a bit erratic, lasting different lengths and spaced unevenly so I thought I had ages to go yet. So I dozed, meditated on scripture and songs as each contraction came While I was sleeping Anna bought in a candle, the music continued to play and it was very peaceful.
I was making a bit of noise at the peak of each contraction. Suddenly I had a contraction which ramped it up a notch and I made a lot more noise with that one including a POP that could be heard in the next room as my waters broke. Beloved appeared at the door and asked what he could do for me, I told him to tell Anna my waters broke and get me a bowl to throw up in. I had a little vomit and sort of woke up at that point. While I didn't have a strong urge to push yet, there was definite pressure, but seeing as my contractions were still about five minutes apart and a bit erratic I thought I still had a fair way to go yet. I started stressing out about that then caught myself and started singing "He makes all things beautiful in His time". I asked for more hot towels on the next contraction and asked for one to go on my belly. When I was having a contraction I tried to put the hot towel on my tummy but my stretch marks were sensitive to the heat and my belly was up against the toilet seat so it was difficult to position the towel but I wanted the towel on there and it was all too CONFUSING! So I just sat holding my hot towel softly crying into my pillow. Anna and Beloved asked what I wanted and I sobbed "I don't know!!"
I decided to get up and move into the lounge room again and was surprised to see the sky turning pink. I looked at it and thought of a scripture in Isaiah chapter 44 (a chapter I had been drawn to repeatedly as I prepared for labour) which says something about our sins being burned up like the morning mist. That thought was very comforting, whatever discomfort I was facing right now was temporary, I have a reassurance that my sins were burned up as the morning mist and I was pure, clean and fresh as the morning in God's eyes. I remember starting to feel a bit more bright and chirpy and talking to Beloved about the sun coming up and such between contractions. Hot towels kept coming at the peak of each contraction and I was kneeling on one knee beside the coffee table again. Between contractions I asked Beloved if he thought we had a boy or a girl. We both agreed that we didn't know, but if we had to pick we thought it was a girl. Anna joked that it had to be a girl because she was being so gentle with me! I asked what time it was at about ten to six and told Jon that it'd probably be a good idea to call Mum in about an hour and let her know I really was in labour.
Then I had a contraction that felt a bit pushy, followed by two that didn't feel pushy at all then one where I pushed and felt a little head rush down! I put my hand down and a small head slipped into my hand much to the surprise of us all! I remember thinking that the head felt so tiny but then I was distracted by bub moving around inside me which really was not comfortable against my poor old pelvis. Once her shoulders were free, bub literally fell out of me into Anna's hands. I held bub close to me as I knelt up and called out to Beloved "We were right! Erin will be SO pleased!" (my oldest daughter Erin had prayed for a sister since before I was pregnant). I kept repeating "Erin will be SO pleased! Oh thank you God!" We exclaimed over how small she was. My next youngest was ten pound one at birth so she seemed very small in comparison at eight pound nine! She was very pale and her eye lids were puffy but she was dainty and beautiful all the same. I cuddled her close and Beloved got the camera to take a few photos. I remember turning to Anna our midwife (who, after being with us through three pregnancies and births in three years, seems like one of the family!) and introducing her to Anna Francesca, our little girl. I delivered the placenta, and Anna did her first poo all over me (ewww) and we waved a bit of oxygen at her to help her pink up a bit. We cuddled and weighed and measured our little girl and I cleaned up a bit and called home to let the three older kids know they had a sister. Erin was "thrilled about my new sister!" Billy was a little confused as to who exactly he was talking to and what was going on and Christopher didn't say much at all. After we rang our parents and I had something to eat, Anna (the midwife) checked me out and headed home. Beloved and I tucked into bed and went back to sleep for a while with our newest baby, our precious Anna Francesca!
I KNEW she was ready to be born, the fact that my feet turned a little blue every time I had a BH contraction because her head was so far down confirmed that to me! The heat waves and my very sore pelvis were contributing to me turning into one of "those" pregnant women. You know, the ones who complain all the time about their discomfort rather than being thankful for a healthy baby and normal pregnancy. Anyway, I remembered that when I was pregnant with Christopher (who was two weeks overdue) labour didn't kick in until I was away from home with the kids well cared for and relaxed, so I suggested a date night to Beloved.
You know you're a Mum when preparation for a date night includes treating the family for a potential head lice infestation and putting the labour bag and baby seat in the car just in case. I was semi-hopeful something would happen, Beloved was fairly sure bub would stay put until Sunday (my brother's birthday) and Mum split the difference and said I'd have bub on the way home!
So we went into town and ran a few errands (an appointment with my midwife, haircut for Beloved etc.) and then went out to eat. We had planned to go to a food hall, but Beloved ended up taking me to my favourite restaurant where I hadn't been for four years and buy me a VERY yummy steak dinner! Looking back now, the frequent loo visits during this time should have told me something, but when you are overdue (especially when you went two weeks overdue last time) you studiously ignore all signs of labour until things get a bit obvious, otherwise you go insane. Especially if you have pre-labour for a week or more!
After our very nice meal we went for a bit of a walk, went to a service station to use the ladies (again) and headed home at about 10. As we drove up the outlet I felt a painless but firm contraction which I all but ignored because I'd been having them for a week or more at this stage. I noticed that they were coming about every five minutes as we drove along and debated the wisdom of saying something. I didn't want to go back and have nothing happen. I mentioned it to Beloved and we pulled over about half way home to discuss it. I called my midwife and we decided to head back to the Birth Centre just in case. I phoned Mum and let her know that she MAY have been right and I MAY be going into labour half way home, but not to get too excited because I wasn't sure yet. And I didn't get ANY more contractions. Not one the whole way back to Launceston! Exasperated, we decided to stay at the Birth Centre for the night anyway and just make it an extension of Date Night. Beloved went in to town and grabbed some milk and things for breakfast while I chatted with Anna about this and that. When he got back, Anna went home to get some sleep and I had a shower before climbing into the queen size four poster bed fully expecting to wake up and go home in the morning and trying to work out the logistics of how to get everyone dressed and ready to be at the church camp meeting in the morning. When Beloved came to bed after his shower (at about 1:20am by this stage) I opened one eye and said "I have had two real contractions since you got in the shower - I'm going to sleep" and he climbed into bed next to me and promptly fell asleep too.
I think you are a little more relaxed about labour by the fourth bub!
Contractions kept coming and I dozed and prayed in bed for about an hour. I prayed that I would have no fear, that God's hand would be over my labour and birth and that I'd draw on His strength when things got tough. After a while it got to the point where I was finding it difficult to relax during a contractions and I didn't want to wake Beloved quite yet so I went into the bathroom, put a pillow on top of the cistern and sat backwards on the loo with my head resting on the pillow. This was a really good position for me because my pelvis, which had been very sore for about three months at this stage, was fully supported and I could just relax. I sang softly and meditated on scripture and prayed for a while. When it got to the point that I started feeling like making noise through the contractions, I got up and made Beloved a coffee and woke him up. He asked if I wanted him with me or if I was OK just me. I was enjoying the solitude though so I told him not to stress about getting up yet, I just wanted to let him know I was calling Anna. I called Anna (by this time it was 3:20am) and let her know what was happening and went back to the bathroom.
After a while I hopped in the bath and directed the hand held shower onto my abdomen. When Beloved came in I gave it to him to put on my back and knelt at the end of the bath on a towel with my arms resting on another pile of towels. This was very nice, but I felt that it was almost too nice and was slowing things down a bit, plus I had a feeling for some reason that this baby was meant to be born on dry land (the boys were both born in the bath) and knew it was going to be hard to convince myself to move out of the bath. So Anna laid out the birth pad and sheet in the lounge room next to the coffee table and we put some pillows on top of the coffee table for me to lean on. Anna heated a wheat bag and Beloved put it on my back for me. I stayed like this for a while just gently working through each contraction as it came, meditating on scripture with some quiet instrumental hymns going in the background. Every now and then Anna would sing along to one of the hymns or I would and Beloved just sat quietly being there for me. I asked him to sit back on the couch and flopped kneeling on the floor draping (as much as you can drape at 41 weeks pregnant!) across his lap while he held the heat pack on my back and rubbed me between contractions. The wheat pack wasn't cutting it so Anna started heating wet towels to put over my back at the peak of each contraction and this was HEAVEN! I was feeling very tired at this stage and just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.
After a while I got up and went back to the loo on my own where I promptly vomited what was left of my dinner which annoyed me because it was such a nice dinner, but it made me feel better. Memories of time and sequence get a bit blurry about here, but I know I ended up back on the loo backwards with the pillow and then I fell asleep, waking only at the peak of each contraction. Contractions were still a bit erratic, lasting different lengths and spaced unevenly so I thought I had ages to go yet. So I dozed, meditated on scripture and songs as each contraction came While I was sleeping Anna bought in a candle, the music continued to play and it was very peaceful.
I was making a bit of noise at the peak of each contraction. Suddenly I had a contraction which ramped it up a notch and I made a lot more noise with that one including a POP that could be heard in the next room as my waters broke. Beloved appeared at the door and asked what he could do for me, I told him to tell Anna my waters broke and get me a bowl to throw up in. I had a little vomit and sort of woke up at that point. While I didn't have a strong urge to push yet, there was definite pressure, but seeing as my contractions were still about five minutes apart and a bit erratic I thought I still had a fair way to go yet. I started stressing out about that then caught myself and started singing "He makes all things beautiful in His time". I asked for more hot towels on the next contraction and asked for one to go on my belly. When I was having a contraction I tried to put the hot towel on my tummy but my stretch marks were sensitive to the heat and my belly was up against the toilet seat so it was difficult to position the towel but I wanted the towel on there and it was all too CONFUSING! So I just sat holding my hot towel softly crying into my pillow. Anna and Beloved asked what I wanted and I sobbed "I don't know!!"
I decided to get up and move into the lounge room again and was surprised to see the sky turning pink. I looked at it and thought of a scripture in Isaiah chapter 44 (a chapter I had been drawn to repeatedly as I prepared for labour) which says something about our sins being burned up like the morning mist. That thought was very comforting, whatever discomfort I was facing right now was temporary, I have a reassurance that my sins were burned up as the morning mist and I was pure, clean and fresh as the morning in God's eyes. I remember starting to feel a bit more bright and chirpy and talking to Beloved about the sun coming up and such between contractions. Hot towels kept coming at the peak of each contraction and I was kneeling on one knee beside the coffee table again. Between contractions I asked Beloved if he thought we had a boy or a girl. We both agreed that we didn't know, but if we had to pick we thought it was a girl. Anna joked that it had to be a girl because she was being so gentle with me! I asked what time it was at about ten to six and told Jon that it'd probably be a good idea to call Mum in about an hour and let her know I really was in labour.
Then I had a contraction that felt a bit pushy, followed by two that didn't feel pushy at all then one where I pushed and felt a little head rush down! I put my hand down and a small head slipped into my hand much to the surprise of us all! I remember thinking that the head felt so tiny but then I was distracted by bub moving around inside me which really was not comfortable against my poor old pelvis. Once her shoulders were free, bub literally fell out of me into Anna's hands. I held bub close to me as I knelt up and called out to Beloved "We were right! Erin will be SO pleased!" (my oldest daughter Erin had prayed for a sister since before I was pregnant). I kept repeating "Erin will be SO pleased! Oh thank you God!" We exclaimed over how small she was. My next youngest was ten pound one at birth so she seemed very small in comparison at eight pound nine! She was very pale and her eye lids were puffy but she was dainty and beautiful all the same. I cuddled her close and Beloved got the camera to take a few photos. I remember turning to Anna our midwife (who, after being with us through three pregnancies and births in three years, seems like one of the family!) and introducing her to Anna Francesca, our little girl. I delivered the placenta, and Anna did her first poo all over me (ewww) and we waved a bit of oxygen at her to help her pink up a bit. We cuddled and weighed and measured our little girl and I cleaned up a bit and called home to let the three older kids know they had a sister. Erin was "thrilled about my new sister!" Billy was a little confused as to who exactly he was talking to and what was going on and Christopher didn't say much at all. After we rang our parents and I had something to eat, Anna (the midwife) checked me out and headed home. Beloved and I tucked into bed and went back to sleep for a while with our newest baby, our precious Anna Francesca!
I'm on my own now!
Mum has headed back to the mainland to take care of my ailing big brother now that I am sailing smooth. Clearly a mother's work is never done, in the last 3 weeks she has dropped my younger brother at the airport and waved him off to his 'round the world trip, come down here to take care of my family while staying in touch via phone with my big brother who has a prolapsed disk and a marriage break-up to deal with! We have all left home but I know we occupy her thoughts and prayers daily, and for this I am thankful.
Anyway, once Jon is off to work this morning I am flying solo with all four kids for the first time. Since my laundry is all up to date and my kitchen is clean (thanks Mum!) I am not too worried.
Check back in a fortnight though!
Anyway, once Jon is off to work this morning I am flying solo with all four kids for the first time. Since my laundry is all up to date and my kitchen is clean (thanks Mum!) I am not too worried.
Check back in a fortnight though!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)