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