This is my…Getting back to normal day

Even though I know nothing will be back to normal again, I’m finally starting to feel human at least, so either my body is getting used to no sleep or I’m getting more rest in my cat naps than I realise. Either way, today I actually made it out of bed!
Granted it was only to go downstairs to make some bottles and saunter back up again but I’m trying to stay active to help stretch my back muscles and to stave off nasty things like DVT and piles. Also started the all important pelvic floor exercises, I like comedy shows, don’t want to leave a puddle when I laugh.

So apart from the usual nappies (he’s hiding the poop from us at the moment) feeding and watching him sleep I actually managed to get on the computer for a few moments mainly to thank everyone who’s sent us messages over the past few days, it really makes me feel loved that even people I’ve never met or haven’t spoken to in years have come out with beautiful comments. Big thankyous again.

Few other things that I’ve thought/noticed is, I have got the worlds sorest throat today, which I’m putting down to how hot the room is, a massive breeding ground for all bacteria. Yerp.
Other thing, I saw when I turned on the TV (for the first time since being back home) was a report on BBC breakfast news on…”Why Swaddling is bad for your baby“. Really felt like printing this off and pinning it to the midwife just to see if she believes anyone elses opinion. I’m guessing not.
As it happens, Kal is getting an ultrasound at some point to check his hips out as my sister was born bendy and she’s an immediate relation and I don’t pin him to within an inch of his life anyway, so I’m not really too fussed about this report from that point of view, but interesting to read that “too hot” is just as much, if not more, of a risk of cot death as “too cold” so from now on, I’m going to wrap my baby how I think is appropriate and to check his temperature with my thermometer as I can’t be dealing with yet another change to “accepted ways of doing things”.

Bleugh.

This is my…Auto Pilot Day

Somehow my body is still running after all this lack of sleep.

Greatly improved by the mahoosive can of energy drink I downed this morning and the chocolates stashed away but still no day naps, which is a pity as he seems to sleep a heck of a lot better during the day than at night.

I think it’s something to do with when he was still in the womb he’d be rocked about to sleep during the day and when I stopped at night he’d be wide awake. Will take a little while to get him the right way round I guess.

Again, with the not much other than staring at him, the occasional poke to check he’s still breathing, but overall not a lot of movement on my part.
Chris, bless him, managed to get food shopping, washing up, clothes washing, hoovering, my food, Kal’s food, cats food all done before Eastenders.
Did however manage to get out of yet another pooey nappy.
This is a skill in itself.

So, quite daringly, we took Kal downstairs (in the Moses basket as his bouncer is way WAY to big for him) and settled him in front of the TV. Managed to get not only Eastenders in, but the whole of X-men Origins, with advert breaks!

This has led me to the conclusion, we have a very VERY quiet baby.
He pretty much only screams when he’s having his nappy changed and is we take a bit too long getting his food. Even then, he’s not got a solid scream, he has a bit of a wail, then gives up for 5min, then has another go, then gives up. It’s like crying is all too much effort for him, poor little thing!

Was planning on another shift night of sleep, but somehow we managed to keep him going for 4 hours between feeds so managed to get a little doze in between (I’m getting better at blocking him out. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not) and for the first time, minimal amounts of stress at 4 in the morning.
Hoorah!

This is my…New Baby Smell

Kal Day 2

Nyawww…

NYYYAAAWWW…(Shush you’ll wake him up!)

It’s amazing. I’ve been awake for pretty much 60 hours solid (compared to the 3 or 4 I was managing when still pregnant) and yet I still feel like there’s no more hours in the day because they have all been spent just staring at Kal.
Even though all they do is eat and poop at this stage, they still somehow manage to take up all of your time.

*snaps back*

Last night we worked out he really doesn’t like being breast fed, so after a small battle with my conscious, we decided that we better stock up on some formula and just get him eating SOMETHING. Only problem with this, is it’s a Sunday morning, and a grand total of nowhere is open. So when Kal woke up for his 8 O’clock feed it was time to try some distraction techniques till 10 am.
1. Chewing on his own fingers
2. Chewing on MY fingers
3. Skin to skin hugs
4. Playing lullabies at him

Surprisingly managed to keep him relatively sane till we could get some grub into him. I suppose were lucky that I had bottles/warmer/sterilizer already bought and stashed away as we would have been 50 shades of screwed by now.

After some more hugs and sleeps and sleeps and hugs (well, sleep for him hugs for me) the community midwife finally came round at 2pm, without any phone call or warning to say she was on her way. Cos clearly we have nothing better to do.

And that was just the start of my irked-off-ness. I know we’d seen her before, but as she works clinic and the local hospital, I couldn’t quite place her, till she started talking to me like I was a 3 year old. As Chris said afterwards, we might be new parents but we’re not idiots.
First thing when she came through the door to the bedroom (where I’ve been holed up all day) was “Oh we’re having a lazy day are we?”
Er, yes, I’ve had no sleep and I’m recovering with stitches as well as keeping this little man entertained. And the midwife I saw yesterday TOLD me to have a nesting day in bed and let Chris do all the other work.
Her main problem with how we are raising OUR baby is how cold he was.
Now, for starters he had just had a feed, so was a bit unwrapped, but he didn’t feel cold other than a bit on his hands and feet which another midwife had said don’t regulate themselves as quickly as the rest of the body so shouldn’t be taken as an accurate temperature reading.
Yet, I still go a lecture on how to wrap baby properly (as I said, literally just finished a feed, hadn’t got round to it before you snatched him off of me), how we didn’t have the right clothes for him (he’s not naked) and how the heating needed to be on all the time (are you gonna pay our gas bills? Thought not) and the room needed to be kept at 25C.
Hang on, everyone and everywhere else says 18C.
Even the NHS website (which I trust more than her) says 18C. 25 would roast the poor man. 25C + the vest + sleep suit + double swaddled blanket + double blanket on top would make him about 35C by the time we’ve finished, and if you’re still measuring his hand temperature, it’s not gonna go up much because little Houdini won’t stay swaddled for more than 10 seconds and those mits are free in no time waving around in the cold air.
And because of that, she now booked us in an extra midwife appointment tomorrow in addition to the normal ones for good parents.

Grr.

So, after a little cry, and Chris having a 10 minute panic buy at Asda for some more sleep suits (even though what we had were fine really, again if she wants us to have other things, she can damn well buy them) Nanna Janet popped round for some sensible adult conversation (and brought us some more blankets)

After watching him sleep again for hours we though we should try some sleep ourselves.
Best decision, as I can’t sleep very well in the heat (but I still wanted to try and get in a routine of sleeping in the proper bed rather than the spare room) was to kick Chris into the spare room and to leave me with squeaky & the Moses basket. Turns out however it’ll take me a while to get used to even squeaky’s squeaks as I didn’t get ANY sleep when I was on guard. Also I think hospital sounds were still ringing in my head and the slightest murmur my brain immediately switched to him. Which I suppose is a good thing.

So at 4AM to try and give me some respite, Chris and I swapped and I managed to get a couple of hours in the spare room to recharge. I don’t want to make this a regular thing but at the moment there doesn’t seem to be a Plan B.
At least until I learn to drown out everything except Kal screaming.
And Chris snoring.
And the cats howling.

This is my…Calm Before The Storm

So, as I said yesterday, nothing came of the sweep really, bump is still very much happy with his squishy hotel room and I can’t convince him otherwise.

Therefore, my due date has now been replaced with an overdue date.

However, because I’m already booked in, it’s left me with quite a strange feeling.
I know I’ve got nothing to compare it to, but I guess I must have been mentally holding my breath for the past week or so, waiting for bump to make his big arrival and now that’s been taken off of me I can actually stop and think about stuff.

Some things have been quite weird, like “That’s the last bath I’ll have with bump” or “That’s the last night I’ll spend in this bed with bump” not even in an emotional way just observing that you normally don’t get that luxury if they come early or late with no medical intervention.

Mainly though it’s meant I know I have had a chance to double check I’ve packed everything. For example, my phone charger has stayed out of the bag as I’ve still been using it (in the last 3 months the rest of the bag has been packed) and knowing I’ll be in probably at least a couple of days/nights now depending on how things go means I’ll have to pack some more clothes and entertainment (though once bump is here I’m sure he’ll keep me occupied for at least a couple of hours!)

So today, to counteract yesterdays post I’ve given myself a bit of pampering to get myself fully geared up for whatever the next few days throws at me.
Bathed
Nails trimmed (Chris can thank me later)
Clothes in wash
Bags double triple quadruple checked.
Decent nights sleep with aromatherapy oils (turns out this stuff actually works)

Not much more to say now.
Almost there!

This is my…Nope, Nothing

Zip. Nada. Nothing.

Today, because Chris was out for the day, I moved less than normal, if that’s possible.

After waking up late, I stumbled downstairs and grabbed enough food for breakfast & lunch then went right back to bed. Nibbling away at the grub I managed to catch up with my telly box that I missed over the last few days, starting with Stephen Fry’s program on homosexuality.

Most of the places I knew about had atrocious rights for gay people like Russia and most middle eastern countries, but the most bizarre is Brazil. They have one of the worlds biggest gay pride marches in the world, but it’s possibly because of this that the anti-gay people (I hate the word homophobic, you’re not scared of gays, you’re just a douchebag)  feel that they’ve been swept up along with everything too soon and are coming out (so-to-speak) so far the other way it’s very scary.
And to think that between them and Russia they’ve got all the major sporting events for the next few years covered, that’s not gonna do anything for homosexuals in these sports, or to give them the confidence to come forward.
Grr.

Anyway, after that to cheer myself up I put on a spot of Have I Got News For You with the lovely Richard Osman presenting. Very funny, best quote being “It’s exactly like Pointless, except I can say f**k!”

Rounded off with QI on Killers, and I very much enjoyed being introduced to a chappy by the name of Trevor Noah who (at the risk of sounding like colonial) entertained me the most by singing a traditional South African song with the clicks in it, wish I could find it on Youtube and I’d share it with you, I love music from all cultures and what better place to show it off than QI.
Well, possibly Jools Holland, but seeing as I don’t watch his show I’d never know.

This is my…38th Week!

As BabyGaga.com says “If you’ve just tuned in I’m as big as a Jumbo Jet in a holding pattern impatiently waiting for those first contractions to let me know it’s time to clear the runway for my baby boys epic landing”

Here feety feety feet…

And boy do I feel it.
Yesterday I found I have the added pleasure of not just getting dizzy and out of breath going up and down the stars, but a simple walk from my bed to the loo (for the 100th time) seems to have the same effect.
Once again, thank god Chris, for 2/3rds of my meals being in bed, cos between that and the general hip and back pain much more movement feels like the end of the world.

Having said that, sitting in bed is no longer the pleasurable experience it once was, as tail bone and right butt cheek are conspiring against me, meaning I have to shift position every 10 seconds or so. Hot water bottles are wonderful things, but considering I’m still running hotter than the average bear (and that in turn is making me sick, twice in the last week) it’s not always practical.

In official news, well not much else to report, he’s still fully cooked and just piling on the the pounds (hence why I’d like him here sooner rather than later, less to push out). I’ve still not had anything in the way of twinges, other than every time he gets a good kick in my whole mid section lurches half an inch to the left, and enough cramps to take down the hardiest man, but nothing else that seems to constitute progress.

Any decent amount of sleep still seems to be a no-go too, as I’m waking up about every 2 hours or less overnight. I can usually get back to sleep soon enough, but it does mean I never get into a really deep refreshing sleep, so those aches and pains never fully get dealt with and I wake up just as grumpy as when I went to bed.

I’m really probably not a nice person to be around right now!

This is my…Sound Of Silence

I didn’t realise quite how quickly those new windows would make a difference.

Fitters had to come back this morning just to finish off the last few bits and bobs, and were done before half 9, so I was back in bed before 10, and out like a light till 2pm. Oh boy did I need that.

No cars, no kids, no dogs, no train (even though the line is miles away) just me, my eye mask and a comfy bed. Hoorah.

One slight problem has been highlighted though. The main bedroom has 3 odd shaped windows, which used to have curtains and really dodgy blinds at them. I say “used to” because the blinds were basically ripped down by the window people (can’t say I blame them, they looked unloved) and unfortunately the hooks where the net curtains line ran into were on the old wooden frames so also can’t be re-hung leaving anyone in that room a little exposed to the neighbours. Which very much makes this weeks car boot mission FIND SOME CURTAINS. We have the tracks already, just nowt to hang on em.
Nothing much else was accomplished today, fish and chips was a welcome change to my diet even if the fish was pretty much burnt to a crisp. Oh and a very welcome return of 15 to 1 on Channel 4s 80s night. Few hours of internet surfing then more sleep.
I have such a hard life…

This is my…Sorted Life

“All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go”

I don’t like surprises, and as there’s nothing less predictable than going into labour, I felt a very strong need to get my bags sorted as soon as possible.
After scanning about 300 different check lists online I managed to compile a list of essentials, pretty much all of which I had stockpiled already, was just a matter of plonking them all into bags.
Even got myself some little clear travel bottles to decant some shampoo & conditioner (as I’m suspecting things may get a little bit messy) and about 300 changes of clothing (for the same reason) & I know I’ll be in there at least 24 hours because of bump needing a test for diabetes whilst were there.
Still not sure of how many nappies I’ll need to take, but I guess that’s the sorta thing you can pick up at the Hospital shop anyway. Same goes for snacks and water.

Other things done today, cancelled the dentist again. (Side Note: Receptionist sounded bored out of her skull. Answered the phone with such a pause/sigh between the name of the surgery and her name, I started to talk because I thought she’d stopped), still not really in the mood to have people rooting around in my face, and a good job too because I was actually sick around the time I should have been in there. Probably partially to do with what I’d eaten, but even so I don’t really need any extra motivation in that department.

Also phoned the nice window people to see what time they’d be putting in an appearance Thursday as I feared it may have been 9AM, which is the exact time I need to be at Lowestoft Hospital for my midwife check up. He assured me they normally get to homes between half 8 and quarter to 9, which would be fine, but any later and they’ll be on the doorstep till about half 10 waiting for us.
Can’t say I haven’t warned them.

Other than sorting out the few bumpy bits and bobs that mum washed for me, like the Moses Basket sheets (all reassembled and ready for little bumps arrival) and the kicky keyboard thing (which I worked out may not be any use on two counts, one it can’t be fixed to the end of bumps cot as there’s no bars top and bottom only on side & two it says not to be used once baby can pull itself up, which will probably be just when we start using the cot, as he’ll be in the Moses Basket before then) I had a pretty much lazy day as I couldn’t function much more due to lack of sleep.

So to round off the evening, I was in bed before 11, with an improvised hot chocolate (warm milk, chocolate milkshake powder & sugar) hot water bottle & no Xbox. I’ll let you know how that went tomorrow.

This is my…Day of Crazy

Well, between the trying to sleep and trying to calm bump down probably only a couple of hours of crazy.

Didn’t go out to the car boot, because the weather looked like it was going to chuck it down at any moment, and Chris had said it was pretty much desolate anyway.

Managed to get those clothes sorted as promised, but had to be hung inside because it WAS chucking it down by then.
And just as a side note, can someone tell me, how a dress that was cream and cream (ie, cream slip with cream netting over the top) can somehow end up cream and blue. The slip had turned blue and the netting was still cream. Also, it was only washed with other light colours, not a blue in sight and nothing else was turned blue. Curiouser and curiouser.

Been playing another 360 game that Chris wants to sell, F1 Racing Stars. Pity it’s quite fun as I could have spent a bit more time on it, but seeing as I’ve already commandeered The Simpsons Game, I figure I should let him sell something this week so we can eat.

But yeah, only real thing in my mind at the moment, basically I’ve gone from being able to sleep for Britain to not being able to sleep. At. All.
I think it’s to do with the fake contractions and slightly where bump is sitting but I can’t get even remotely comfy unless my ribs are fully stretched out (same applies when eating) which in turn is not a comfy way to sleep because I tend to roll over onto bump and crush him, or it just plain hurts my hips and back again.

On a slightly brighter note, I got my special delivery through yesterday 2 packets of Tim Tams for £3.93 including delivery.

Nom nom nom indeed, and any excuse for a cup of tea and an afternoon of Tim Tam slams are most defo in order.

This is my…Relaxed Saturday

Saturdays are fast taking over Thursday for lack of productivity.

However, this didn’t stop me being up at 8AM in the morning, through no fault of my own. The neighbours (or the neighbours, neighbours) were hammering something into something for ages. I was just waiting till they stopped to go back to bed, when Chris got up. Then I persuaded Chris that I really needed to get some sleep as I hadn’t recovered from yesterday pain and just about got myself back to sleep when someone knocked on the door trying to flog us a loft insulation grant. This pretty much woke me up completely, as I didn’t even hear them come in, all I heard was a strange voice from right outside my bedroom door. Eeep.
After all that, they wanted to come back with someone else and I’m sure they said after 2PM.
2PM came, went, and I was bored out of my skull watching the clock.
So in the end, it was decided to mentally tell them go to hell and we went out for a little drive and sit down Oulton Broad with a book each (and avoiding the swans who came up to say hello). Very middle class.

After it got too chilly to justify sitting outside, we went in search of food. I was simple enough to please as a can of spaghetti hoops and loaf of bread is more than enough for little old me. Beastly other half demanded fish & chips, and finding a a chippy that is open before 5PM (it was only 4 by this point) was almost impossible.

I managed to kill a few minutes by strolling into Glamr beauty salon and booking myself a Pregnancy massage (think normal massage, but on my side so bump doesn’t get crushed). Even more fun is I know the person who will be giving said massage, as she’s a friend of a friend and has been to a few of my Karaokes in the past. I wait with baited breath (& back) till Tuesday.

This just about got us till half 4, so a drive to the other end of town to find an open chippy where beasty could get his dindins.
That was about it for the day as we both decided an early night was in order.
Oh but I did FINALLY manage to complete Dynasty Warriors 7, coming in at a grand total of 143 hours. Woot.