Everything is looking fantastic!

I had a doctor appointment today and everything is looking fantastic!!! :D She said the baby is three above (was four above last week, which means it is starting to engage) so maybe that kerb walking did work! (I went for a walk and had one foot on top of the kerb and one on the road while I walked. Josh followed along behind me! Very funny) And the babies back is on the left hand side, so all that uncomfortable sleep has paid off too :D She thinks I will go into labour this week. But we asked the Magic Eight Ball at Kmart and it said Monday and it said a boy - so there you go!

Its another really nice day today... I feel like I need to be outside, but I don't really want to do anything out there! I've just been wondering around the garden, and feeling very... I don't know the word.. unsettled? Can't sit still?

Tomorrow Kel is taking the kids to the show. I think he is mad, but anyway! I don't know what I am going to do with myself. Might have to go visiting.
Oh and I keep feeling like I need to go to the toilet... but nothing happens. I think its coz the baby is sitting so low now.

The Baby Shower / Blessingway

On Sunday I had a babyshower / blessingway. It was lots of fun, and a nice relaxing time. I didn't want a traditional baby shower this time, so instead we had footspas, massages, and lots of food!

I still had blue toenails left over from Magnetic Island which were looking a bit worse for wear, so Lisa kindly redid my nails in a nice purple colour.

Esther gave me a very nice back massage with oil.

I had the nursery set up with the massage chair and the foot massager, lavender oil burning and nice relaxing music so that everyone could have a turn of just sitting back and relaxing.

I had everyone bring a bead and I made a necklace that I will wear while in labour. Here is a picture of the finished product:

Then we all got creative and had to design a picture to paint onto my belly! Everyone really got into this activity (I think people like getting back to their childhood!!). I chose a design and then everyone had a turn of painting on my belly. Here is the final result...

Here is a closeup of my belly - after a bit of wear and tear! (It looks a bit like a mosaic) I ended up having to pick Kel up from Mark's house (yes I am crazy and went out in public with my belly art!!!) and when I drove home the steering wheel was rubbing on my belly! I can't believe that my belly has grown so much in such a short amount of time - it was fine when I drove on Thursday!!

As everyone left they were given a candle and a name of somebody to call - like a phone chain, so that when I go into labour everyone can light a candle and send positive thoughts my way.

Now I just have to wait for the big event to begin...

Some information

This is some info for people who have been asking about Ballarat Hospital...


Ballarat Health Services - Base Hospital
On the corner of Sturt St, Drummond St and Mair St (Main entrance is on Mair St)

If you are driving from Melton, just keep driving on the Western Freeway until the 1st Ballarat exit. Keep driving along this road, it will end up driving around past McDonalds (this is when it becomes Sturt St). Keep driving until you get to Drummond St and turn right. Then turn left at Mair St. The car park is off Mair st.

The car park costs $2.00 but is usually full!!! There are other on-street car parks with parking meters.

The maternity ward is on the 5th floor.

Visiting hours are 2:30pm til 4:30pm and 6pm til 8pm.

There is a cafeteria on the 1st floor that visitors are welcome to use. There is also a kiosk in the foyer opposite the emergency department.

The phone number for the hospital is 5320 4000.

That's all I can think of at the moment. If there is other info you need, just let me know and I will update the website some more.

The Official Guessing Game

OK, here is a link to a website that lets you log your baby guesses.

http://expectnet.com/games/TraceAndKel

You can enter in your guess for:
* Gender
* Weight
* Length
* Birthday

There will be a prize for the lucky winner!

Terms and Conditions:
Only one guess allowed per person.
Entries must be submitted by the 30th September, however you cannot backdate an entry.
The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into :)

Happy Guessing!

Nearly there!

I am thirty seven weeks now... only three weeks to go (or less I hope!).

I thought I had better update the site again especially since our hospital visit last Wednesday.

We had the 36 week appointment at Ballarat and this guy (I am not even sure he was a doctor!!!) was checking the position of the head. He had no idea what he was doing, and could not tell where the head was. So he took us to the room next door where we got to have a scan. The problem was that he still couldn't tell where the head was! The funny thing was that I was looking at the screen and it looked like a head to me! I could even see eyes and a nose and a mouth. The 'Dr' said he would have to go and get his boss so he left the room. While he was gone, Kel got up and grabbed the scanner and started giving me an ultrasound! It was so funny, and even Kel could see it was a head! But he did hurry up and sit down before the dr came back! When the 'boss' came into the room it was great. He felt my belly and straight away knew it was the head. Then he did a quick scan, pointing things out. He said that the baby still had a bit of vernix, which means that it isn't quite ready to come out yet. And then he said we have a GREAT baby!!! It is in the perfect position and everything looks set for a natural delivery! I am so glad this boss guy came along, otherwise the whole trip would have seemed like a waste. This guy was able to put my mind at ease, and we left feeling very happy! Plus I will know if I see a guy named Marvin when I am in labour to steer clear of him!!!

I have still been having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, and a very sore back at night. Sleeping is getting uncomfortable. But I am looking forward to a half hour massage that I am having at work tomorrow!!!

34 weeks 4 days

Here is a photo to compare to a while back when I was wearing the same outfit. Doesn't quite fit anymore!

I got a gym membership for 2 weeks for $5! Bargain! Every night I have been down to the pool and done a few laps and then floated around in the hydro pool - bliss! It is so relaxing! Especially after all these braxton hicks contractions I have been having.

I girl at work had her baby on the weekend... she was only due a week ahead of me! Now that is scary! Three more weeks left of work now.

The turntable baby

Do you want the good news? Or the bad news?

The good news is that after spending a week in QLD swimming, snorkelling and just generally floating around on my belly in the middle of a blow up ring in the pool... the baby is no longer posterior!!!

The bad news is that it is now breech! (head up instead of head down)
So now I have to start researching techniques for turning a breech baby, which I think involves lying down on an ironing board with my head down and my feet up! Sounds interesting!

Anyway, the plane ride up to Townsville went really well. I only got a little bit of swelling in my hands on the way up. I made sure to get up and go to the toilet midway through the flight - it was the first time I had been in a plane toilet! It sure is squishy in there, especially when Josh came with me!

Nothing much else to report... I have locked in my last day of work as the 19th September. That means exactly 16 more train tickets to buy (which sounds better than saying four more weeks of work!).

I go to Ballarat in two weeks time for my 36 week checkup and chat with the OB. I will be having another scan at around 37-38 weeks to see what position the baby is in. Head down and anterior position would be very nice, otherwise it is looking like another CS for me.

Not Again!

I had my normal 2 weekly checkup on Wednesday (32 weeks) and everything is going fine. Blood pressure is 110/70 (for all those people who like details!). The only problem was that she thinks the baby is posterior...

I kind of had a feeling, after an especially active day from Blob my belly started to feel a bit different. For those who don't know, posterior is when the baby's back is on my back (rather than toward the left hand side where it normally is). Josh was posterior and it is one of the reasons that he ended up in a caesarean.

So I have been doing my research and started scrubbing the floors, lying in the middle of a bean bag on my belly, and next week I am hoping to go snorkelling every single day (while on holiday on Magnetic Island!!!). If the baby is still posterior after all this then so be it, but least I have done everything I can to try and turn Blob around.

Pink or Blue???

Well as you know, this time around I decided to keep the sex of the baby a surprise.

I want the whole feeling of giving birth and then getting to look for myself to see what it is. I also wanted to see if I would have any feelings about it being a boy or a girl.

I have had some people tell me it is a girl, some swear it is a boy!

There is a lunar prediction thing you can do on the internet that is based on conception date and where the moon is at that time - that one says a girl.

Then there are the old wives tales, like the way I am carrying the baby all at the front like a basketball - that says its a boy.
Or the fact that I didn't have morning sickness - that points to a boy too.

Things have felt pretty much exactly the same as with Josh, so that kind of makes me think it is a boy.

Some days I think girl, some days I think boy.
Some days I wish I had just found out!!!

So I am going to ask all of you to leave a comment and tell me whether you think Blob is a girl or a boy. Should we buy pink clothes? Or just stick with all Josh's old blue stuff? What colour should I paint the old drawers that I have been sanding back?
(Can you tell that I am desperate for some comments here?!?)

Ten Weeks to Go

I had an appointment with my local GP today (as part of the shared care system).

She did a urine sample (well I provided the urine, she did the testing!)
took blood pressure, measured the fundal height and listened to the heart beat.

Everything was great. And she was cracking up when she was looking at my belly and the baby was moving all over the place.

She also had a good idea of getting an ultrasound at 38 weeks, or even at the start of labour to check the baby's position... then if it is posterior I can make a decision about whether it is worth trying or not (since that is the reason Josh wouldn't come out).

Here is a special treat... some video footage of Blob's acrobatic antics: http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/traceandkel/?action=view&current=7b98ed9f.flv&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch7

29 Weeks – The Third Trimester

A lot has happened in the past month…

We have now booked into Ballarat Base Hospital. I know that it is a longer distance to travel (about 40 minutes compared to 10) but I really feel that we have the best chance for a VBAC at Ballarat compared to Bacchus Marsh.

We went for a tour of Ballarat and I just got a really good vibe from them. They were really supportive of me trying for a VBAC and said that there was no way I could have had Josh naturally and there is no reason why the same thing should happen for this baby.

Ballarat has a really nice maternity ward with five Birthing Suites, a spa (which I hope I will be able to use) and a kids play room (Josh was already eyeing off the toys!).

I had my first appointment at Ballarat last week. First I saw the midwife who took my blood pressure and explained how things will work. Then we saw the Dr. It was the same Dr who my friend had for her baby and she LOVED him! He explained the risks of VBAC and basically explained that he will let me go to about one week overdue. I need to go into labour by myself (no induction) and I would need to have continuous monitoring. This is to watch out for uterine rupture. I am happy with everything except the continuous monitoring, so I might try and negotiate on that one.

The best news I got from the Dr was that the baby is already head down, and he said that it does not feel like a 4.2kg baby (which Josh was). That is great news for me!!!

I am now doing shared care, which means that every two weeks I see my local GP to have a check-up for blood pressure etc. It will save a long drive every two weeks! I go back to Ballarat at 36 weeks.

This baby has been so active lately! I think I have been having Braxton Hicks too. I didn’t have them last time so I’m not sure exactly, but it feels like my whole belly just goes really hard.

Where's the ball?

On Friday night I went to visit my friend's new baby - a very cute 7 pound baby girl. While I was holding her, Blob started kicking like crazy!
Now I thought that must mean this baby is a boy because he is taking after Josh and bashing my friend's kids up, but other people have said that it means it is a girl because she must have been jealous...hmmm only time will tell!

We have been trying to explain to Josh that there is a baby in my belly, but he is just not interested in hearing anything about the baby... while his cousin Riley is interested in an entirely different way... At Hayley's party yesterday, after playing with some balloons, Riley came up to me, lifted up my top and asked me where the ball was!!!!! So funny!

Lock me up now!

My pregnancy brain is getting worse, I think I should be locked up... it started with me losing Josh's Thomas fork... which he had used on Friday night. I looked everywhere for it and the only thing I could think of was that I scraped his leftovers from his plate into the bin... sure enough, after scrounging through the rubbish bin (outside bin too! ) I found it . After a dishwasher cycle it is good as new!

Then I went looking for by bathers today to go swimming. I couldn't find them anywhere. I had them last Monday for swimming, and I left them in a shopping bag on the washing machine. It seems like Kel saw the bag there and thought it was rubbish and sat it on the inside bin. Then apparently I took the bag outside and put it in the outside rubbish bin... so that one was a joint effort! And that was before rubbish night, so no more bathers! I am spewing about that one! I spent ages trying to find the perfect bathers. I had my requisite padded top, bikini with pink rash top to go over the top. And I lost the lot, as well as a pair of shorts (since my swimming boardies don't fit anymore) I went out today to try and find some more, but I can't find anywhere in Melbourne that sells swim wear in Winter!!! I'm sure I could find them in a surf shop, but they would cost $80 just for the top half!

Josh has kindly given me his cold (must have been those sloppy kisses)... so it is really hard to breathe. I can't take anything like Codral, so I just have to put up with it with some Lemsip, and eucalyptus oil in the oil burner. I think we are going to go through a pack of tissues between us.
I hate not being able to breathe through my nose, especially at night. These last few nights Josh has had the vapouriser in his room, but tonight I am taking it. We bought one of those new plug in things from Coles today so we will try that in his room tonight.
Sweet Dreams!

PS. The photo is taken at 22 weeks and 4 days. (I think we are coming up to 24 weeks this week).

22 Weeks and 3 days

Not much has been happening in the past two weeks. I saw the OB again, after the ultrasound. Everything is going fine. The only thing that he mentioned that I wasn't too happy with was that about my weight... now any sensible man would know not to comment on a woman's weight, especially not a pregnant woman's weight! He basically said he only wants me to put on between 12 and 14 kg for the entire pregnancy. When I told him I put on 20kg with Josh his eyes nearly popped out of his head!

So even though he is a bit silly for going on about the weight thing, I can't help but think about it in the back of my mind and try and eat healthy foods and cut back on the junk food. The funny thing is that I am actually weighing less this time that I was with Josh at the same stage.

Anyway, I won't have to see him again until 29 weeks after I have the blood glucose test for gestational diabetes.

We went to the movies the other day and saw The Da Vinci Code in Gold Class! It was so nice to have a night out, and to relax in those nice recliner chairs eating wedges and sour cream, pizza, and sticky date pudding for dessert! (That was my day off from being healthy!). So much better than just popcorn and coke!!!

I worked out the other day that we have four months to get Josh out of nappies before Blob comes along! Wow - four months! That doesn't sound like much to me! I still can't believe that we are going to have a little baby. I wonder what Josh will be like? I will get to see soon, when a couple of my friends have their babies. I think that he will probably be jealous at first, especially when I am sitting in the rocking chair feeding the baby, but I think he will be really helpful too, like when I need him to get me nappies and stuff like that.

Well I am feeling hungry - again! (What is new?) Better go see what I can find.

Our Cheeky Little Baby

Oh wow, what a week, well actually it has been two! For some reason my Blog site became blocked (they thought I was a SPAM Robot!!!) and then the site was totally gone. I was not happy Jan! (And that is an understatement).

The worst part was that I hadn't even printed any of these pages yet, so that is the next thing on my list of things to do.

So, where was I?

We had an ultrasound at 20 weeks. This is the big one where we found out the sex of the baby... or did we? No, actually this time I wanted it to be a surprise - and the baby did too. It was lying on its belly most of the time being very secretive!

Blob did put on quite a show though, giving us a wave, the thumbs up sign and even sticking its finger up at us (how cheeky!).

In the photos you can see the hand print, and the foot print. The middle picture is of the thumbs up, but it is a bit hard to see. There is also a really good profile shot.

I have been feeling so many movements lately... especially at night time. Kel has even felt the movements now. This morning Blob had an elbow or a knee, or something, sticking right out just above my belly button. It stayed there for about 10 seconds, it was so cool!

I had the closest thing I've come to a craving the other day, actually it was after the ultrasound, me and Kel went out for lunch together to the local Country Club. I had the yummiest Lemon Squash, and since then I have been wanting lemon cordial, lemon slices in water and sour lollies! I wonder if that means anything?

I started going to an antenatal aqua class last week. It was so nice and warm in the water, and I actually got a good workout too!

Well I am going to save this now and hope that it works.

A Belly Photo - 15 weeks 3 days

Here is the first official (published) belly photo. I am actually in shock because I look the same as I did at 20 weeks with Josh.

I think I felt the first movements on Easter morning while waiting for Kel to wake up. I was just lying there and I felt little bubble movements... but then again, it could have been gas!!!
But I did feel it again this morning.

Today I was sorting out all the baby clothes into different sizes. It was so weird to look at all these tiny clothes that Josh used to wear, and I could even remember the first time he wore some of the outfits, or I knew straight away what size it was.

We will definitely be right if we have another boy! We have got Josh and Riley's old clothes. We do have a few girls outfits that we had bought last time, or that used to be Hayley's. But anyway, girls can wear blue right???

We really don't need any bibs... I think we have got enough to wear three a day for a month before we would have to wash any! And we have lots of hats, and HEAPS of shoes (thanks to Riley's donation).

Fifteen weeks - and maternity pants already!!!

I am in shock today... I went to get dressed this morning and the pants that I wore one week ago don't fit me anymore. So I had to get out my maternity pants! I am only fifteen weeks and already wearing maternity clothes!!! My belly has just popped right out over the weekend. The other thing that is wierd is that my old maternity pants were too big! Like, even the thighs were baggy, so I must have lost weight since I was pregnant with Josh - strange because back then I was going to aerobics twice a week, and all I have been doing this time is going for a walk at lunch time. I haven't put on any weight yet, but I have a bigger belly and boobs!

I have been doing lots of reading lately. A book that I just finished was called "You don't have to have a repeat cesarean". Reading that book has made me feel confident that I should be able to attempt a VBAC. I read in two places that when a baby is brow presentation it is impossible to deliver naturally! It makes me wonder why they couldn't work that out earlier for me. And having a posterior baby (the baby's back on my back) makes for a very difficult labour. I knew last time from 38 weeks that Josh was posterior but they didn't tell me anything to do to try and get him to turn around. I have now read a whole heap of stuff about 'Optimal Fetal Positioning' to encourage a baby into the right position. The most important thing is to sit with my back perfectly straight - not slouched. Since I spend most of my waking life sitting down (at work and on the train) I had better keep that one in mind.

Everybody Knows!

On Wednesday we had our 12 week scan. It went really well, and the Ultrasound (US) guy was very good. He obviously loves his job - he just got so excited when the baby moved around!

I can't believe how much the baby has grown in three weeks! It has arms legs now, and was rolling around onto it's stomach, then back onto it's back.

Then we headed for the OB. It was a long wait this time, and a pretty uneventful visit, except for us trying to talk him into giving us a referal for the US so we didn't have to pay the $60.

The next US is at 18-19 weeks. Then we see the OB a week after that.

Today I finally told everyone at work. I printed a copy of the US and put it on my wall at my desk. It took two hours for anyone to notice (that is what it is like working with a bunch of guys!!!). And of course they noticed when I wasn't there! Lenise said that she thought that I was the week before, and another couple of girls made the same comment! So I guess I couldn't hide it much longer anyway! I actaually got sprung on my lunch break last week by someone from work while I was looking at baby stuff at Big W! Luckily I think she just thought I was looking at stuff for Josh, coz she was there buying stuff for her boy.

Nothing much else to report... no morning sickness, I have started to put away the clothes that I won't be wearing for a while, and I bought a few pairs of pants and loose tops.

Ten Weeks

Well things have been plodding along nicely. Slowly we have told more people. Now I just have to tell the people at work. Though they probably have started to guess already - we had a drinks night on Friday night and I was asked why I wasn't drinking. I said that I was trying to be healthy. I don't think they bought that one! I will probably tell them in a couple of weeks time, when we hit the twelve week mark.

I told the rest of the family at Ben and Anna's wedding. I wasn't going to, but I had been getting some comments - I actually think this was the world's worst kept secret! And it turned out that half the people at the wedding knew and were coming up and saying congratulations, so after all the formal wedding stuff, I told the future great-grandparents the news.

I have been taking a photo each week in the same position in the same clothes, so I will be able to see how I grow each week. This week I think the belly is really starting to show, my pants have been getting tight, especially by the end of the day. Oh and those nightly toilet breaks have started already. It seems to be 2am every morning.

I think I will go and update Josh's website now, and put in a link to Blob's website. How exciting, it means I might actually get some comments to my messages!

I can see you Blob!

Today we had our first scan - to try and work out dates. I was amazed to see proof that there really is something in there! Blob certainly lived up to it's name - looking like not much more than a blob with little buds for arms and legs. The sonographer was able to show us a beating heart, a stomach, a bladder, the cord and we even saw the baby move a little bit. I am in awe that all this has already been created at 9 weeks and 2 days of age - that is the date that came up after he did the measurements. So that means I am a little bit ahead of where I thought I was... hmmm interesting.

Here is a photo - the very first photo of Blob!