After Christmas I will.......

After Christmas I will ............. be making this quilt (from The Janelle Wind Collection)while I enjoy some quality time at home in the school holidays with my two beautiful boys. I am going to make the most of lots of home time with Tuck before he starts full time school next year. So far we have had a week of mostly been at home and he is loving it! We do things together and then he will be happy to go off and play with his lego, read a book, paint, ride his bike..... the list is endless while I do something for myself - like sew!

Hand made presents.......

Some more of my Christmas present creations!

Christmas time 2009!

Hi all,

let me take this opportunity to wish each and everyone who reads this blog a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2009 has been a very interesting year for me - plenty of joy and success, but also a great deal of sadness with the death of my very dear dad. I have to be very honest right now - I am finding this time very very challenging - my mind is constantly running overtime and I am struggling with many thoughts and images which a very hard to clear from my mind.

Christmas day is going to be a nice quiet family day spent with my dear husband and two beautiful sons, with my beautiful dad not too far from my mind. I will talk to all my family at least once on Christmas Day. We are going to join some dear friends for some celebrations on Boxing Day.

I thought I would share with you some things I have been making for Christmas presents.......

........ a shirt for Essington - I sewed the name and the car on!
....... a top for friend of Tucker's (this one was actually a birthday present for a party we went to last weekend......
....... and another Christmas present. I have had a little help and got the idea from my friend Jo. She is amazing with fabric and card making, plus many other super skills too. You can check out her blog here.

In between typing this post I have just had a call from a very special friend who moved from Karratha to Broome in August. She called to say that on the 28th December she is going to come down and stay with us for a few days. We are very excited to see them. Their son and Tucker are very good friends, and they have not had the chance to meet Essington yet!

I had better go and get some more organising done. x

Leg Training Today

WOW! I have a really sore set of legs! As i said in my post yesterday i wanted to ramp my training up a notch - well it went up about 5 notches. Legs day was a good day to start on - it's my favourite body part to train! I love the feeling I get when I work really hard and have pain when I leave the gym! Sad I know!

Today I did:

Lateral squats on duro discs

Pop Squats and reverse lunges (set)

Jump lunges and walking lunges (set)

Front to back toe jumps and wide squats (set)

Straight leg dead lifts and single leg hamstring stretches (set)

I think tomorrow I am going to a little sore - think an epsom salt bath may be required. Tomorrow I am going to follow this workout with a RPM class! Thats if I can walk.

Yesterday I used a Fire wire cable and transferred all my photos from my old Mac across to my new lap top. I am now in the process of making sure they are in the right folders and labelling any pictures that were not already labelled - I have nearly 5000 pictures to check through!

Today is one of Tucker's non school days - I love having him around. We have so much fun together - I am really going to miss him when he starts full time school next year! I am one of the mums who will love school holidays so we can have extra time together.

Essington has just had a feed and gone to bed - he will more than likely sleep now for about 3 - 4 hours! I am so lucky to have a good baby - I put lots of hard work in, in the early days and now I reap the reward!

Time to go - a friend is coming over shortly - have few things to pick up and put away. xxx

Hi all!

Hi Everyone,

how has your past week been? and what do you have planned for the week ahead?

We have had a great week - we started last week down in Perth - Tucker, Essington and I all went and saw the Wiggles in concert at the Burswood Dome - we had an awesome time. They are such great entertainers - Tucker is very proud to tell EVERYONE that he shook hands with Murray!!!

We enjoyed our time in the cooler weather and made the most of doing a bit of shopping. I got a few small things for the boys, but this tiume it was really a trip for me. I got some new linen pants - these are ideal for where we live because they are so cool. It was also time to update my phone - i went for an iPhone and I love it! Last but not least we got a new computer - a 17" Mac Book Pro! We have gone from a desk top to a laptop - I am loving sitting here on the couch in front of the TV typing this through my wireless connection with our new Time Capsule !

The first pic above - was my first attempt at photo booth - an application that takes pics on the computer! I could not resist to include the other 2 of the boys!

You might see that In the first pic that I have had all my hair cut off! I have gone for a shorter style because I found I was alwys tying my hair up when it was long. I am loving the new style and the new lighter colour - nice and fresh for summer.

Tonight once I finish on here I am going to write my weights program to do at the gym tomorrow. Since Essie was born I have been just training weights on a spontaneous basis with no particular program - but now I am ready to step it up a notch and really get in there and make a difference. I have downloaded music onto my new phone to listen to at the gym - I work best when there are no distractions! I will let you know after my workout tomorrow how it goes.

If I am going to get that program written, download some more music and still make it to bed on time I had better get moving! Until next time - keep smiling, eat clean and train hard, and tell the special people in your life tat you love them.

PS - this week I am going to attempt to write an article for a breast feeding magazine - will keep you posted! xxx

An exciting day!

Today has been an awesome day! Since Essington was born and had numerous feeding issues, I have been expressing all my milk with an electric breast pump and then feeding it to him with a bottle! I was determined for him to have my milk. At odd occasions I have attempted to put Essington back on the breast but without success. i thought expressing and then bottle feeding him was going to be our pattern until I decided he could go onto formula. This was a very time consuming process and was also at times quite challenging, however not too hard to require me to give up.

I was speaking with a friend on the weekend and she had similar issues and then she finally got her son back onto the breast at 14 weeks. This gave me great hope! Essington was 12 weeks old on Sunday. This morning I thought I would offer him the breast in preparation for trying to switch him over gradually! 

We did not need to take the gradual approach - he too his whole feed this morning and every feed thereafter today from the breast. I am so excited! We had the most beautiful time today! I felt very blessed to be able to have such a close relationship with him. Through all the challenges I have faced this year, I feel like it is some ones way of saying hey its your time to have some really great things happen. 

Today I did my training at home - I have a commercial grade treadmill in a big open plan room just off my kitchen. Tucker was happily playing with cars and trucks on the mat next to me, Essington was in his rocker watching me and I was running at 9.5km/h x 3mins then 6.0km/h x 2 mins and I repeated this 6 times! Fun! 

Its 7.45pm here in WA - both boys are bathed and sound asleep, dinner is eaten, kitchen is tidy, washing is done - it must be time for me to go a

nd relax on the couch! 

xxx

I'm back.......

Hi all,

Yes it has been a really long time since my last post - unfortunately that was a sad post - my dad sadly passed away. he had previously been sick but the last bit was very sudden! Something quite unexpected. he was always such a fighter and I thought this time he was winning the fight too, but unfortunately the fence was too high for him to climb. He is at rest now and free of pain. I feel like he is watching over us all. I love you dad, and miss you every day. One of the most special aspects of a sad situation is that he was fortunate enough to meet his new grandson and what's more on that same day he was able to have a brief assisted hold of Essington - luckily I had the camera with me and I got a picture which I treasure. 

Onto a brighter note, little Essington is developing in leaps and bounds. He has gained plenty of weight now and is a very strong and healthy baby - a big contrast to the early and sick little man we had when he arrived. 

He is a very placid baby and has the most beautiful personality. He is now 12 weeks old - full of smiles, babbles away and is trying very hard to laugh. He does not just smile with his mouth - his whole face lights up! I am very blessed with his sleeping - he sleeps anywhere between 4 and 6 hours during the day and sleeps for 10 + hours at night. It must be all that good breast milk he is receiving. Unfortunately he does not feed off the breast - I express all my milk and feed it to him through a bottle. Initially i was a little disappointed that I could not feed him - now I focus on the positive that he is still having my milk - it does not matter how he receives it. 

Tucker is the most beautiful big brother - he could not be anymore affectionate to his little brother if he tried. He is nearing the end of his first year at school - Kindy, and is quite excited about pre-primary next year. He is now writing his name very clearly and especially loves to be able to write his own name in cards. He is doing very very well with his swimming lessons. He was very reluctant to start with but now I struggle to get him out. All my hard work of visits to the pool every day has paid off. he is very excited about our trip to Perth this weekend - we are off to see the Wiggles live in concert!

Mike is the most amazing husband and dad. He is so helpful with both of the boys and loves coming home to smiles from Essie and stories from Tucker. His PhD study is going quite well and broadly on target. Work is keeping him busy with frequent trips to Perth. 

I have returned to training at the gym - which I am loving. My weight is falling off at quite a good rate..... always helped by a good clean and natural food diet. I have been doing step, attack and rpm classes as well as treadmill running, and weights. All the pelvis problems I had in the pregnancy have disappeared - YAY! 

I better stop there otherwise you will be there reading my post for half the night. I am now aiming to post more frequently. I hope you like the pictures of two of the three beautiful boys in my life. xxx

RIP DAD

On Sunday 11th October I lost a very special friend - my Dad.

I love you so much Dad. I will always be your little girl and I will forever be your Lucy Lou and your Mary Mary.

I will never forget the last "I love you" that you said to me.

Essington Louis - the little champ!

Where do I start with the journey surrounding the arrival of our little 4 week early champion?

On Tuesday 25th August I went for my last check up with my GP - there were a few issues and she sent me for some testing at the hospital here in Karratha. When they hooked me up to the machine it was identified that i was having contractions!!!!! I was only 35 weeks and 3 days at this point so i was given medication to stop the labour progressing. The tablets sort of worked. I still had the odd contraction but not at regular intervals. I stayed on the medication and flew to Perth on the 28th August as planned. 

Once I landed it was planned that I call my specialist. I then visited him that afternoon and he said to stay on the tablets for another 24 hours and then we would see what would happen. I stopped taking the tablets on saturday night. 

Sunday morning I did not feel very well and spent alot of time sleeping. Sunday afternoon we went to Hillarys Boat Harbour for a walk. By the time we got home I was not feeling well so called the hospital expecting them to say all is okay and to just take it easy.......... but oh no they said to come in and they would see what was happening! 

We arrived at Glengarry Private Hospital at around 5 pm. I was then monitored and yes I was having more contractions. At this point i am 36 weeks pregnant! The obstetrician arrives and it is confirmed I am in labour! As I had a booked c-section planned I sent everyone running to get organised and at 6.46pm our gorgeous son was born 4 weeks early. 

When Essington was born I was able to have a very quick hug - he had some breathing difficulties so had to be rushed to the special car nursery. 
 Essington in his incubator. He needed some help with his breathing. He also has a drip in his arm for fluids. 

Tucker meeting his little brother for the first time. This was not how we had really expected them to meet. Tucker coped very very well with seeing his brother this way. Tucker also came and saw me in my room. I am so proud of the way he handled seeing two very precious people. 
Approx 12 hours after he was born I was able to go by wheel chair to meet my little boy. I had cuddles and then Tucker had a cuddle too. He was so excited. It was all quite quick because he needed to go back in the incubator. 

Out of the incubator at approx 2 days old. he still has his drip in his arm. He was too weak to suck for milk so he was fed through the nasal gastric tube. He loved to hold the tube and I really thought at times that he was going to pull it out. 

We initially spent 6 nights in hospital and then we were allowed home to our house in Perth. Unfortunately we had many trips back to hospital - for many feeding issues and for photo therapy for Jaundice. 

Tomorrow the 26th September is Essington's due date and on Sunday he will be 4 weeks old. We are still having feeding issues that we hope will be sorted very soon. He is still quite small and only at 4 weeks just over his birth weight. We are getting lots of wear out of 0000 and 00000 clothes. Thank you all for your support during my challenging pregnancy and we hope our new challenges resolve themselves soon. 

ESSINGTON LOUIS BAILEY

ESSINGTON LOUIS BAILEY

BORN 30TH AUGUST AT 6.46PM

(4 WEEKS PREMATURE)

7LB 4OZ 49 CM LONG

I will post some more pics and more details soon. There are many challenges we are facing right now and time is difficult to come by. xxx

Not long to go!

It has been ages since I posted last but have simply lost track of time - getting organised for a baby to arrive can take up a considerable amount of time!

I leave for Perth in less than 40 hours! I can not believe we are at this point already. Mind you with the headaches I have had throughout this journey, no wonder the time has gone quick. 

Shortly after my last post my pelvis stared to play games again so had to stop exercise and go back to a very quiet lifestyle. The pain has not been as bad as last time but enough to restrict me in what I want to do!

Yesterday I had what I presumed would be a straightforward appointment with my GP which ended in me staying in hospital overnight!!!! I had headaches, swollen feet and hands and protein in my urine - all signs of Pre Eclampsia - so I was sent straight to the hospital for monitoring. The Pre Ecalmpsia was not an issue, however the mild contractions I started to have at regular intervals while I was there were an issue. The end result - I am now on medication to make sure between now and Friday I do not go into labour! I have my legs crossed - everyone else keep your fingers crossed! I am really hoping this little baby plays by my rules and stays where he is at least until after 12 noon on Friday when I will safely be in Perth!!!!

I will try and post as often as I can while I am away to keep you updated but incase I can not get to an internet cafe or on my husbands lap top, I will post pics and details as soon as I get home.

Until next time, fingers crossed please and happy blogging!!!! xxx

Another great day!

Have had a great day again today. Tucker goes to occasional care on a Monday morning and it is right near the gym so I made sure i was organised and headed straight there after dropping him off. 

I rode the bike at level 3 ( seems so low but better than in bed in pain!) for 20 minutes and then walked for 20 minutes at 5.6 km/h (a little different to my normal 7.0 km/h) again for 20 minutes. I have not even needed an afternoon sleep today, but am about to go to bed soon as have just about hit the wall for today.

This afternoon Tucker and I were sitting together on the couch and little junior was been quite violent with his kicks. I took Tuckers hand and placed it on my belly and put my hand over the top. Junior kicked again - Tucker turned around and looked up to me with the most amazing expression on his face - that I will never forget and was so excited that junior had kicked him!

The things kids come out with. The other priceless moment was when we were about to wash his hair ( which he hates) in the bath tonight and he piped up with ........... "if i let you wash my hair you can give me a treat" - I DON'T THINK SO! But worth a try I suppose. 

xxx

An expanded update....

1. Mike Tucker and I all flew over to Brisbane for the July school holidays. It did cross my mind many times to cancel the trip with all the pregnancy challenges I have been facing, however decided we would go and deal with the effects while we were there. Although the flight over was a little uncomfortable, we made it safely and it was all positive from there. I had a few nasty episodes of the pain but nothing drugs and laying down could not fix. 

We saw my mum and dad (one of the main reasons why we went - my mum relies on oxygen 24 hours a day and will not be able to fly to see the new baby), Mikes mum, my two brothers, my two sisters in law and a dear family friend Carole. 

We had lots of quality family time together and enjoyed every minute of our time together. Most mornings were sleep in's and then headed out from our hotel / apartment by around 10 or 11 o'clock. 

I would have loved to catch up with the Queensland crew but it was a holiday were I did not want to be tied down to time and where we just needed family time together.

We took Tucker to Australia Zoo - he loved it all, Science works, a Ferry ride on the river, a drive down to the Gold Coast for a walk on the beach, shopping and lots of relaxing!

2. Since I have come home from holidays the pain in my hips and pelvis has almost reduced to zilch! YAY!!! It is so much easier to be mobile. I was really struggling with the isolation of been at home all the time on my own, but now am feeling so alive now that I can easily get out and about. I have had the odd twang of pain and there are still things I find hard to do but am 95% better than what I was. 

3. With the reduction in pain, I returned to the gym last week. I am doing some very gentle cycling and walking on the treadmill. Initially I was very nervous and wondered if the nasty pain may return but so far so good. I am not there to break any records ( considering I only have 7 weeks to go) but I am been active and that's what is most important. On my gym days I generally need a sleep in the afternoon but that is a  good side effect of what I am doing

4. I LOVE the new car - it is so easy to drive and park, and I do not need to climb in and out of it like I had to do with the 4WD. Fuel economy is amazing - one because it is smaller than the 4WD but also because it is a hybrid.

5. Good friends of ours, and Tuckers best friend at Kindy are leaving town to move to Broome in the next couple of weeks. Tucker, Mike and I are going to miss them a lot. Lucky it is only 800 km up the road so we will easily be able to visit. 

6. I am now down to 7 weeks and 1 day until I have little Junior. The last part of the pregnancy seems to have gone very quickly. Junior is a very active boy, but love the feeling of all the kicks and punches. Tucker is so excited. I am going to make him a calendar so he can mark the days off until his little brother is here. He is helping me get things ready........ and loving it. 

Wow - glad I got all that down. Hopefully not too much reading for you....... lol. xxx

Quick update......

1. Went to Queensland for school holidays and had a very relaxing time
   
2. Almost all the pain in my hips and pelvis has gone
3. I have returned to the gym for very gentle exercise
4. The new car is fantastic and very easy to drive
5. We are really sad about our good friends moving to Broome
6. I only have 7 weeks and 3 days and my little man will be here

It is my aim to expand on all these points over the weekend but thought I should let you all know I am okay and had not forgotten about blogging. xxx

Our new car!

This is my new car. It is on it's way home with Mike. It's a Lexus GS450h (hybrid). Silver exterior with black leather interior. I can't wait to see it tomorrow night! 

Nearly count down time.....

Well I am nearly down to single figure weeks to count. On Tuesday the 7th July it will be exactly 10 weeks until I have my beautiful baby! 

Things are really not going to plan. I have spent another day in hospital this week. I had gastro and could not keep even water in. So in to hospital, struggle to find a vein because I was so dehydrated and then finally it is in and they hooked me up to a drip. Once again a bit like the pelvic pain I have, little Junior is doing just fine and not at all concerned or showing any signs of distress from all the vomiting and diarrhoea. I am home again now, struggling with extreme fatigue (associated with the fact that I am finding it really hard to eat), and trying to resume a normal life! If laying on the couch and sleeping in bed which I have had to be doing for the last few weeks is normal!!!!!

Mike is been amazing - working really long hours in a busy job and then having to come home and pick up all the loose ends that I can not do right now. We are so fortunate to have so many great friends around us who are doing so much to help right now. 

Tucker is showing some signs of a bit of a struggle with mum been sick. He has been having to go to school with other people because I find driving very difficult - but yesterday morning he flat out refused to get in the car with friends. We had a bit longer at home, I dosed myself up on pain killers and then I drove him. There are a few other little challenging moments that I am monitoring! 

Better go. Tucker is off to family day care for a half day today and I need to make sure he is ready to get out the door. 

Have a great weekend. xxx

The crutches are out!

I had really hoped that I could manage for at least a while longer if not until junior arrives without the crutches. But after a bad night of pain, I have woken up this morning very uncomfortable with any movement so have dug out two extra legs to try and take some pain out of my pelvis.

Tucker has been having such a good time - friends after school yesterday and got home at 5.30 and today off to another friends at 2.30 for a play. That will be after a lunch time sleep for him ( and me) - all his socialising is making him very tired.

Have a great day everyone. xxx

Kind and supportive friends in my life!

As I mentioned in an earlier post Tucker was going to a friends after care today and she was going to drop him home on her way to get her other daughter from school - she has just called and said that Tucker and Amber are playing so nicely she asked if he could stay a little longer....... how kind is that.

Tomorrow Mike is going to go to work and then come home and drive Tucker to school for me, then he is going home with a friend in his class for a play and then they will drop him home later!

Another friend is going to come and get him another day after school and take him for a play too. I am so happy that so many people are able to help so much. The last thing I wanted with all of this is for Tucker to miss out on doing things that he really loves. 

I am going to go and spend some more time reading my book. xxx

Home Time.....

Well today is my first home day - mind you I did dose up on pain killers and drive myself to physio - it almost seems silly - I take pain killers to get to an appointment to reduce the pain. I am going to have to think about what I do here! 

This morning sitting on a seat I tidied the linen cupboard. For too long now things have just been dumped where they fitted. Now it is really organised. For Tuckers linen I have put each set inside the pillow case - for example his tractor quilt cover and the matching sheets are folded up inside the tractor pillow case - makes it much easier when changing linen sets!

Today is Tuckers occasional care today - a friend came and collected him at 8.15 and she is going to pick him up, take him to her place for a play and then bring him back at around 2.00. he enjoys playing with her daughter Amber so I am sure they will have lots of fun!

I am off to have a sleep now - will blog again soon Just really wish I could post that all is great and the pain has gone!

xxx

26 Weeks today

Well yesterday was an interesting day....... thought I would drive to town and buy the couple of things we needed. The trip home generally takes 5 minutes - yesterday it took 15 minutes. I was in such bad pain I had to stop on the side of the road until it had eased before I could finish driving! So that means very little driving of the car for me for the next 12 or so weeks!!!!! Looks like I am going to grow to love lots and lots of home time!!!

My beautiful husband is going to drive me to town later so I can have coffee and catch up with a couple of friends. Looking forward to that. Tucker and daddy are going to go and do boy jobs together.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! xxx

Pain Diagnosis!!!

Hi all, 

we have arrived home from Perth today. I went down on Sunday night with my husband Mike and Tucker. On Monday I saw my Obstetrician - everything was really good concerning the baby - which was the best news. However the pain was still happening - he was pretty certain it was something to do with the ligaments in my Pelvis, but recommended I see a pregnancy specialised physiotherapist and see what she thought.

I visited this physiotherapist yesterday - and I have been diagnosed as having a condition called "Pubis Symphysis Dysfunction" (a huge thank you to Nicole Weir and Julie at Nicole Weir Physiotherapy in Sorrento). The two halves of the pelvis are held together by a joint called the "Pubis Symphysis" and a dense network of ligaments. In my case this joint is very inflamed and so are all the ligaments. The pain is possibly going to get worse before the pregnancy is over because as the baby gets heavier he will place more pressure on this joint! What do I do about it?

• I wear a brace for 90% of the time. It wraps around from my back and does up just above my pubis bone - it basically does on the outside what is not happening on the inside (and is very unattractive)
• I have to avoid too much movement - including walking
• I have to take lots of rest periods 
• I do not carry any weight in my hands (no shopping bags, washing etc)
• I sleep with a pillow between my legs to try and keep the pelvis aligned (harder than you think)
• I must not do anything on one leg - both legs need to do everything together eg no stepping one foot in to the car and then getting body and other leg in, I have to sit on seat and then swivel around, also getting dressed - need to do it sitting down, 
• I will have regular physiotherapy appointments between now and when the little man arrives
• No vacuuming, sweeping or mopping floors
• where possible I need to cook, iron etc while sitting down
• May need to use crutches towards the end to take some of the weight out of my pelvis and through my arms. 
• Maintain a very quiet lifestyle for the next 12 weeks

I am glad to now know what is happening and where all the pain is coming from, but very disappointed that I need to be so quiet. I have gone from been able to train hard and heavy and really love it, to the point where I struggle to walk for 200m!!! I am going to be even more passionate about maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle after this is all over. 

I am focusing on my mental state as much as dealing with the pain of the condition. I feel very frustrated and disappointed - I know it could be a lot worse, but what I am dealing with is bad enough for me.

Apologies for a gloomy post, looks like I am going to have to get over my reluctance to ask people for help. 

xxx

PS on a little brighter side Mike and I did go and have a look at a beautiful new car in Perth while we were there. Will keep you posted. 

Thank you everyone.......

Just 5 minutes ago, while laying on the bed  feeling pretty awful I wondered what I was going to prepare for dinner......... There was a knock at the door and if it was not for a nosy 4 year old I might have ignored it (rude I know but when you feel sick a visitor is the last person you really want to see). When I opened the door it was a dear friend Jo - who was delivering lasagne and garlic bread for our dinner.

I am so grateful to everyone right now who is really lending a hand during this challenging time. People are helping with washing, cooking meals, picking Tucker up from school, taking Tucker for a play at the park so I can have a sleep, phone calls, text messages, and friends in Perth are going to have Tucker for me while I see the specialist on Monday morning. How am I ever going to say thank you! As I have said in an earlier post I would much rather be helping someone than having to be the one who needs help. I have always been such an independent person and unfortunately right now this is not entirely possible. 

I called school around 2 hours after I left my distressed little man in the arms of the teacher - he was fine, playing with his friends and the crying had stopped. Tucker is going to now miss one or possibly two days of school next week, but when we get back we are going to try and do a very quick drop off and see if this helps. 

I can not remember if I said the place where we were going to stay when we have the baby had been sold so was no longer available! I have now found a new place which is managed by the owners ( and will not be going on the market), is a little bigger with more room than the other place, has a back yard for Tucker to play in and is closer to the hospital - very happy that this is now sorted. 

My time must be up for sitting in the chair - the pain is creeping back. xxx

My sad little man........

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to handle a very emotional 4 year old due to Mummy been sick?

He normally loves school - did not want to go today. Cried and cried in the car. Had to almost pull him out!

Got him in there in the end. He settled until it was time for the class to go on a little excursion to see a school play, then the tears started again. I said bye and kept going - by that time I was also crying - not that I let him see me. School is going to call me if he does not settle. 

Any suggestions or advice would be great! xxx

24 weeks and 4 days

Well I thought I might be able to post that things were going well, but unfortunately I need to say that they are sliding back down the hill. So much so that on Sunday night I am flying to Perth to see my Obstetrician on Monday. The pain seems to have increased again and am needing to take Panadeine Forte every morning!

The best news is little Junior seems to be doing well - I must say he is very active - maybe he is feeling the effects of the drugs I am on! 

My little man Tucker is struggling a little because there are so many things I can not do right now, and my big man Mike is been an awesome support and doing so many extra things to help out.

Will not prattle for too long -- do not want to bore you with a post written in pain about pain. xxx

An interesting 24 hours!

Soon after I posted this post yesterday I heard an urgent call for mummy from a 4 year old - when I got there he had vomited everywhere! The vomiting lasted for approximately 4 hours - by which point he was exhausted and so was I! I think we were lucky it only went for this long! I was up and down to him all night - he kept asking for water - I was reluctant to give him too much at a time! By the time we reached morning he was starving hungry - we started very gradually with food. A very quiet morning was had by all - by lunch time he was back to about 90%. Tucker has never had gastro before - it can start and stop so quickly. I am just really glad he is okay now. 

Now on to some good news!!!!

Today I saw the specialist and it was good news! I do not need an operation, and it is nothing major! He believes the pain is coming from all the tension been placed on my ligaments. It may disappear or this pain may stay with me for the rest of the pregnancy! I am going to need to take every day as it comes - some days will be great like yesterday and some days will be painful like today!

All the pieces are here now for our new study book shelves so Mike will be working on those on the weekend. This will free up the room for our new arrival. I am looking forward to getting this ready. I was going to leave all the washing until much later but as a just in case I am going to start to do it next week. 

I have to find another place for us to stay when we are in Perth for the birth because the place where we were going to stay has been sold! DAMN!!! Never mind I am sure we will find another place just as nice!

Tucker is in bed already - asked to go to bed at 6.45 pm. I am heading to the couch to watch some TV and relax! 

Looking forward to coffee with a friend tomorrow morning - am going to wear my new maternity jeans and shirt from "Soon Melbourne". xxx

23 weeks and 4 days

Time really seems to be flying by with the Pregnancy now ....... I think so much has been happening I have not had time to think about where I was up to!

Am starting to feel a slight improvement with how I am feeling after my hospital visit. I had to give blood again today to see if they see anything noticeable. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a surgeon here in town - he is going to see me and discuss the symptoms I have been having and see if he can come up with a diagnosis. I and I hope he is too very reluctant to have surgery at this point - maybe it will just mean a very laid back time for the next 14 weeks before I have the baby. Today has been the first day since last Wednesday where I have not had to take Panadeine Forte to beat the pain. Energy levels are very low - but this is due to the fact of no appetite. Yesterday for the whole day I ate 2 slices of toast and a cup of tomato soup! And all these nutrients (what nutrients there are in soup and bread) went to the baby. 

Tucker said to me on the weekend "this business of having a baby is not much fun mum!!!!!" - talk about old head on young shoulders! He is coping very well considering mummy's state. 

I have had to do something I find very hard to do - and that is ask for help! I would much rather help someone else than have to ask someone to help me! When you live in remote places like I do friends become like family! One dear friend had Tucker after school last Thursday until Mike could pick him up, another great friend picked Tucker up after school yesterday for me and dropped him home after dinner last night, and another good friend is having Tucker tomorrow afternoon when I need to visit the surgeon.  

On the baby side - he seems to be a very busy bouncing baby - feeling lots and lots of movement now, sometimes he even has the hiccups - now that is a strange feeling. 

Better go - it seems when I sit upright for too long the pain returns. xxx

Home from hospital...........

Well my week which was going reasonably well took a turn for the worst late on Wednesday. I started to get pain in my lower tummy around 4.00pm - I tried sitting up, laying down walking around - but it would not leave and was getting worse so I drove myself to the hospital and met Mike there. My initial concerns were the baby!!!

After we established that the baby had a strong heart beat it was a matter of trying to eliminate everything else - including pre term labour!!!!!! Scary thought when you are only 22 weeks and 4 days pregnant! They have taken blood, done ultrasounds, urine and bowel samples, and many more tests and investigations! What have they come back with - NOTHING!!!!! I am not sure what is worse finding out something is wrong or having unexplained pain. They are wondering now if I may have adhesions from an appendix operation I had when I was 12!!!!

To cut a long story short I stayed until Friday night - when I came home - lasted only 1 hour and had to rush back with more abdominal pain. Late on Saturday afternoon I came home, and have been home ever since. 

The staff at the hospital have been fantastic - but you can really see that cost cutting measures in public health make it very difficult for the staff. A great friend of ours who is a Doctor at the hospital has been keeping a close eye on me, even though this is quite challenging for him been such a good friend. He is going to keep in touch with me and we will see what the next few days bring.

Not exactly the pregnancy I had expected, but am still trying really hard to keep smiling! 

Hope everyone else is doing great. Will catch up with comments soon. Sitting upright in a chair right now is not the most comfortable of positions. xxx

My new Kitchen toys and my cook book successes!!!

Dinner in the Bailey household previously revolved around what was healthy quick easy and did not take much time - the kitchen was not a place i really enjoyed spending too much time. .............. Well how things have changed!!!!!

I have always read Tosca Reno's articles in Oxygen and took quite an interest in her approach. I have been observing Tucker's behaviour quite closely and realised that anything with preservative, colouring or too much sugar caused numerous issues - he would not listen, couldn't follow a direction and got quite aggressive - not attributes I really enjoyed experiencing or seeing. Mike and I had a chat and decided we would purchase the cook book below and live according to the eat clean lifestyle. 

What a difference it has made to our whole family now all those nasty additives have been removed. Tucker is so much calmer, and both Mike and I feel so much better!

With my new passion for spending time in the kitchen we decided some new cooking equipment would be great so we got:

 2 scan pan frypans
A Mundial knife block set
A 28 cm Le Chasseur casserole

and our toaster we have had since we were married 12 1/2 years ago had died so we got a 4 slice kitchen aid toaster. 
I will try and not dig into my meals so quickly and take some pictures of my kitchen art!

Have a great weekend everyone! xxx

Family holiday to Queensland

We have just booked our trip to Queensland for Tucker's July school holidays. Mike was able to get leave so we are all going. 

I have two older brothers - one who lives near Ipswich and the other who lives around 30 minutes south east of Brisbane. My mum and dad will be visiting them at that time so we will have  chance to see everyone. Mike's mum also lives in Brisbane. I have said that we might need to organise central meeting laces because I REFUSE to spend the whole time driving from one side of Brisbane to the other........ especially considering at that point i will be 28 - 29 weeks pregnant. Am sure some may read this and think I am been cruel - but it is a holiday and not just a run around to keep all the mum's and dad's and siblings happy!!!!

Tucker is a huge fish and sea creature fan and LOVES the wiggles - so I am sure we will have a visit to Dream World or Sea World - or maybe even both. 

So far have had the best week of the pregnancy. Am learning and applying self pace really well and it is helping heaps. I am not feeling nearly as sick, energy levels have increased slightly and I do not need to sleep as often during the day.

The weather at the moment is just delightful - makes you forget those 45 degree days from summer - we only have the odd day at 30 now - most days any where between 27-29 degrees and dropping to a beautiful 15-18 degrees overnight. I can actually sleep with covers on now and our air conditioner which runs non stop from late October until the end of April is turned off. 

I will post again later and tell you all about some cooking adventures I have been having with my new scan pan gear, my Tosca Reno cookbook and a passion for producing beautiful meals. 

Hope everyone is great. xxx

PS ....... who says you can not buy beautiful clothes for baby boys - my little man is going to look adorable in some of the things I have purchased for him!

PSS Tucker is still hugging kissing and rubbing my tummy every day and talking to his little brother - it is very sweet and think he is going to be a very special big brother. x

21 Weeks...... and meet our baby!

Hi all,

again a long time between posts - where does the time go! Well I have included pictures of our very healthy baby boy! We are all so excited that we are having another little boy - Tucker is jumping for joy at the fact that he is going to have a little brother.

The scan I had in Perth was fantastic. The detail was amazing - including seeing the blood flow both ways through his heart, measuring limbs, checking for holes in his heart, cleft lip, kidney function and brain. All came back perfectly normal. I feel very blessed to be be fortunate  enough to be carrying a healthy little baby.

As i said above Tucker is very very excited - he talks to his brother every day and tells him so many special things. He kisses my tummy lots and hugs me and the baby. He frequently asks what his brother is doing and reminds us to be quiet if I say he is sleeping. 

I had wondered why I was not feeling a lot of movement. The reason is because I have a front lying placenta - so for me to feel him kicking it first has to be strong enough to pass through the placenta. I think I can feel him when he kicks towards my side or down towards my hip.

Tucker and and I had a great few days in Perth before Mike arrived on the Friday and then we had an even better time when we were altogether. We went scooter riding, visited the park every day, went shopping, went to the beach, fed the ducks, caught up with friends and the list goes on. 

I got spoiled on mothers day - two new pairs of shoes and new shoes and lots of special cuddles from my beautiful boy Tucker Jackson, and my gorgeous husband Mike. I love you both so much. xxxxx

Mike had a very important day on Saturday - he presented his proposal for acceptance as candidature for a PhD at the University of Western Australia - and on Saturday night we got the fantastic news that he had been accepted - congratulations goes to my husband who I am so very proud of. 

I think that will be enough for one post - otherwise you will need to bring a snack and drink to get to the bottom of it. 

xxx

18 Weeks and 2 days

Wow!!! I can not believe I am already at 18 weeks ...... and don't forget the 2 days. LOL. I am starting to get very excited because I am DESPERATE to know what I am having, and by this time next week all going to plan we are going to know if it is a little boy or a little girl!!! Some people say when they are pregnant that they know what they are having but i really have no idea. The only thing I do know is this has been a very different pregnancy to Tucker's - but this is not a sign that it is a girl. I just wish for a healthy happy and settled baby. I will keep you all posted. 

I have been following pregnancy nutrition guidelines in association with Tosca Reno's Eat Clean approach. Exercise wise - I walk for between 30 - 60 minutes every day and then in addition to this I use one of my pump video's at home or do a full body workout at the gym or do cardio at the gym - yes I like to have variety. I have been swimming too - but now the weather is getting as low as 20 degrees overnight and max day temps. of 34 - it has become too cold. Oh how things change when you live in hot climates. This is heading towards winter for us and the ugg boots (HOME WEAR ONLY) have come out of the cupboard!!! I can see you all having a laugh!

I have lived here in Karratha for 4 years and 8 months now. Snakes are regularly sighted in this area - dogs frequently die from snake bites and the snake catchers live a busy life. Well we had first snake in our driveway on the weekend. I was around 1.8m long and called a Gwarda and is  very venomous. We are all okay and none of us got bitten, but considering it was getting quite close to our backyard where Tucker plays all day, and where we have 2 dogs we feel very lucky.

Dad seems to be doing okay. I have  spoken to mum a few times. He has been reading a lot, watching TV and generally relaxing. Will hopefully be able to speak to him this week when some of the bandages come off. 

Mike has gone in to work this morning - with no phones ringing he finds it a very productive time. He will be home around lunch time when we are heading to look at a HD DVD player.

Hope everyone is having a great long weekend. My thoughts are with my dear friend Sara whose mum is really sick in ICU in Queensland. xxx

Update on Dad!

Dad is home from hospital now and seems to be ding okay so far. 

On Tuesday it was his 10th operation to remove cancer from his body. This operation was the 6th operation on his left ear. We hear the results as to whether further treatment is required on Tuesday night. 

My dad had an orchard where they commercially grew apples for the Australian and International markets. We are talking a long time ago - and in those days when they sprayed pesticides etc. no protective gear was worn like it is today. We have never had it confirmed but wonder if this is the reason why he has suffered so much. 

He seems to have his chin up now which is a good sign. I have not spoken to him because he is deaf on his right side and the left side is still all bandaged up. 

Will keep you posted with any more updates. Thank you so much to all my beautiful friends for stopping by and leaving a message. xxx

Good luck for my dad

I am posting this because I know I have some great friends out there who in their own way, may keep my family in their thoughts tomorrow.

My dad is heading back to the operating table for another operation to remove cancer tomorrow morning. Unfortunately I have lost count of the number of times this has happened now......  it must be his fighting spirit that keeps him going.

Normally dad is so strong leading up to his operations but i think this time it has got the better of him. He has been very emotional and is very very scarred. He visited the graves of his mum and  dad, and his brother and sister on the weekend for fear that he would be joining them soon. 

I am not asking for anything special, but because this is close to my heart, I thought I would be open, honest and up front about what is happening in my world. xxx

16 weeks and 3 days

We have just returned last night from the most relaxing 6 days I can remember. We drove the 840 km to Broome for our Easter holiday and stayed just 5 minutes walk from Cable Beach (picture above). We all spent lots of time relaxing. Our accommodation was great - we were right next to the pool, which was fantastic for our water boy who swam at last twice every day. I spent time in the pool, going for walks and I read two 500 page books!!! Mike also had a fantastic time. Some nights we ate out but our accommodation was apartment style so some nights we just stayed in. 

We caught up with some friends one night at Matso's brewery and enjoyed a great meal together. 

We took our ocean kayak with us and used this a couple of times - once on the far end of cable beach and the other time we drove approximately 50 km North to Quondong Point. Tucker even came out on it once with me - something we have been trying to do for a little while now. He loved it - but was holding on very tight just in case!

I was very spoilt for Easter and received the most beautiful pair of Paspaley stud pearl earrings. They are just beautiful and I feel very lucky to own such a beautiful piece of jewellery. Thank you so much to my beautiful husband Mike. xxx

Easter Bunny visited on Saturday night - he had no trouble finding us and came with lots of chocolate for Mike, Tucker and I. As we all enjoy chocolate none of it got wasted and it was enjoyed very much.  Easter bunny also seemed to know that Tucker loves Lego so Easter bunny also delivered Two Lego packs - Mike and Tucker spent some of the morning building and creating. 

There were a few other children staying at the same resort, and one of these children had a mask very similar to the one above. Tucker took quite a liking to it so we headed to the outdoor equipment store and found one very similar for Tuck. Since it was purchased it has barely left his face and his swimming is coming ahead in leaps and bounds. he calls himself a deep sea diver! For the first time he is now swimming along with his face in the water. 

As in the title I am now 16 weeks and 3 days into my pregnancy. My last check up showed my blood pressure as still been very low, and my fatigue seems to be about the same. There is no hiding the fact any more - there is certainly a defined bump now! On the way home in the car yesterday I could feel a few kicks and punches - I am starting to think I have another kick boxer the same as Tucker in my belly. In just under three weeks now I am going to know what I am having - I can not wait to find out - then the shopping can commence. 

Better go - still seems to be so much unpacking to do, and the washing line is full of dry clothes. Hope everyone had a great Easter. xxx

14 weeks and 2 Days

I am now 14 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The baby is approximately  9 cm long and weighs around 375 grams. Fingerprints and toe prints have developed, the baby can suck his or her thumb, and the placenta is fully functional. Arm and leg bones are getting harder and hey are moving - soon you may even be able to feel this.

Wow ..... so much is happening in my belly. When you read all of this, it seems quite amazing that our bodies can create such a gift. 

Unfortunately I am not really having the dream pregnancy I had hoped for, but it could be much worse. I have had mild asthma for around 18 years now. Normally I do not need medication, however I am now taking a preventer in the mornings and Ventolin as required. Now I am on regular doses of medication i am not nearly as short of breath, but still am very aware that it is there - especially when I have a long conversation with someone.

The other thing that is happening is low blood pressure. Quite often in pregnancy people suffer from high blood pressure, but instead mine is really low. I can not make any sudden movements, and have to be really careful going from laying down to sitting up. As a result of this I have stopped work. I decided it was in the best interest of the baby and me to take some time out and not rush around. The low blood pressure is making me fatigue very quickly, so I have short bursts of doing something and then I take a rest. Apart from all of that everything is really good. 

We are driving the 800 kilometres to Broome for Easter and staying just a 5 minute walk from the magnificent Cable Beach. We have had many trips to this spectacular place while we have lived here - great restaurants, beautiful beaches, a selection of nice shops, and a fantastic place to relax. 

I think I have rambled enough now. xxx

12 Weeks and 4 days + New clothes

Well I have not felt too bad the last couple of days. I think the morning sickness is really starting to go now. I still have to make sure I pace myself - and if I don't the consequences are not so good.

Even though Junior is going to be born in Perth, I still have to go to the hospital here for ante-natal appointments in case something happened before hand. Yesterday was my first appointment. All routine things covered so not that exciting, but the most exciting bit was I got to hear Juniors heart beat for the first time. It was at 164 beats a minute - I know when mine is at this sort of pace I am working pretty hard, but it is normal for a baby to have a much faster heart beat. Junior also had the hiccups when she was taking the heart rate - quite funny to think a little one just 6-8 cm long can have hiccups. 

I have to be a little careful - i have really low blood pressure. It is normally on the low side but due to the pregnancy it is even lower. No quick change of direction or getting up out of a chair too quickly.

The pictures above are of some of the maternity clothing I have purchased already. Yes I have had to start in maternity clothes already - I am already showing - I don't remember this happening so early with Tucker. At least now people do not just think I have put weight on for no reason.

Tucker and I have just had library time so I am going to head off now and read him his new library books. 

xxx

12 Weeks and 2 Days

Today I had my 12 week scan and here are some pics of our bundle of joy. Everything looks really good, 2 arms, 2 legs, and a string heartbeat. Little junior was having a fair kick and wriggle about while he was trying to take all the necessary measurements. 

It might sound really funny, but there have been a couple of moments in the past week where I would almost be certain that I could feel Junior moving. They say for the second one that you feel it at around 16 weeks, but I am wondering if you are in tune with your own body whether it is possible to feel it sooner.

Tucker came with me - he was so excited. Straight away he said "look mummy I can see the baby!" I think it is really starting to sink in now - and I am feeling really excited about the coming months and the arrival of junior in September. Mike and I have been trying to think of names we both like. We have come up with a couple but nothing too set just yet. We still have many weeks to decide so plenty of time. 

Tucker goes to an occasional care centre on Monday mornings. Normally I work while he is there but this morning I did not have any clients. I decided to not go near and went to the pool for a swim instead. I ended up swimming 26 laps of the 50 metre pool. I am going to try and do this twice a week now as it was really enjoyable. 

Better go dinner needs to be prepared. I have been trying out a few new recipes so we are not having the same thing all the time, and this means a little longer in the kitchen. 

xxx