And we're back online!

The third trimester is upon me! Where did that time go??

We just got our connection back after over a week! Apparently we had a corroded line or something. I don't really care as long as we have a connection back! Admittedly, I did spend too much money on my mobile internet over the last week to access email and Twitter. Proves my addiction to this thing. 

So.. what have we been doing since the forced silence? 

We put up the Christmas tree and Molly and I worked together on some Christmas-type craft.

We have been swimming like fishes and Molly is getting really good! She has gone up to level D2 at her swimming lesson and is now the only 3 year old in a class with 5 and 6 year olds (!!).. She looks so tiny with the group however as soon as she is in the water she is no different. I love how her swimming school progresses them through the levels at their own rate and not just as a group. 

I am loving the swimming myself too. The feeling of weightlessness and freedom of movement I get is just something else. I bought a cheap pair of maternity bathers/swimmers/togs last week and I am so much more comfortable in a cossie that actually fits. My endurance in the water is still really good, which is lovely as I am now pretty much restricted to swimming for exercise due to some pretty bad pelvic instability and abdominal separation (4 fingers!!). I have even been advised to invest in a maternity belt/brace thingy. Ugh! The osteo has recommended I cut down on my walking (*cry!*) and to be super careful with yoga as there is a good chance I will injure myself. An injury is the last thing I need before planning an active birth at home. So, swimming is it really.. oh, and some light body weight resistance exercises (mainly for the legs and butt) and pelvic floor work.  

Baby is still doing flips and I am looking forward to him/her settling in a head down position. The head under the ribs thing is getting a bit old. I am getting increasingly frustrated with people telling me that I must be due soon. The sympathetic look they give me when I say I still have 3 months to go doesn't make me feel any better. I can only imagine the looks of panic I'll get when I venture out of the house closer to the due date.

Speaking of due dates, I have a feeling about March 5th 2011. And I have boy vibes... So there, it's out there now. It will probably be later and a girl, but thought I should record this in case it's right. lol

I am attending my first ever ABA (Australian Breastfeeding Association) meeting on Friday and I am looking forward to meeting a group of mamas who care about human milk for human babies as much as I do. Hopefully Molly will like the kids too. I am becoming more and more aware of our families choice to live in an intentional community based on loving and connecting with marginalised and underprivileged people. There is so much Molly is learning about how we are all different and all the same, and what a beautiful thing this is.. Living like this though, we have compromised certain things.. Often (but not always of course), this means that the kids Molly spends her time with have quite high needs and sometimes quite significant behavioural/attachment/social issues which can be a lot for Molly to deal with. She has never mentioned it in the past however she has recently started saying she doesn't want to be around certain kids as she is worried they wont share with her or might be too aggressive. She can rarely just relax and play. I have realised that she has no really close (and local dwelling) peers who are really similar to her in age, interests, language development etc. The closest is an 8 year old! This is just not fair on her and I am hoping that there are some children she can connect with through the ABA group. 

I should probably go and spend some time with hubby. It's our anniversary on Saturday.. 6 years of marriage! Wow! Time flies! 

I hope you all enjoy the first day of summer tomorrow! 

27 week belly pics

26 week belly pic

Recipe: Lactation cookies

I have seen a few different recipes for these cookies and I intend to make myself a huge batch to enjoy during our baby-moon.

Lactation Cookies

Makes approx 72 cookies

* 1 cup butter or spread

* 1 cup sugar

* 1 cup brown sugar

* 4 tablespoons water

* 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*

* 2 large eggs

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* 2 cups flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them

* 1 cup or more chocolate chips/sultanas/almonds (whatever takes your fancy)

* 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast** (be generous)

Preheat oven at 180 degrees C. Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment. The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.

Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

*can be found at any local health food store.

**Don't substitute brewer's yeast for anything else... that's what makes them work!



Knitty knit knit..

Crazy family...

25 weeks already!

24 weeks (ish)

I am not sure how early I started feeling uncomfortable last time I was pregnant although I am pretty sure it wasn't until quite a bit later.

In the last few days I have started to feel really big and awkward. It's as if the baby has had a significant growth spurt and my centre of gravity and muscles have not been able to keep up!

I am going to get MUCH bigger between now and when this baby is born and I really hope there is some shift in how I feel. I have started taking liquid chlorophyll in the mornings to try and keep on top of my iron levels and to hopefully give me a little more get-up-and-go.

I have also set myself a challenge to dramatically reduce (I'm not saying cut-out as for me right now that is not practical) the amount of wheat and refined sugar in my diet in an attempt to ward off bloating and discomfort that tends to go along with me consuming a lot of wheat. I am two days in and am feeling less bloated already and enjoying looking for alternatives to my usual wheaty staples. Today, for example I started with muesli, extra seeds, skim milk and pear, then for morning tea I had a pear and some grapes. Lunch was half an avocado, some seeds and a few olives. For afternoon tea I munched on rice crackers with cheese and I am about to enjoy a chicken burrito and extra salad for dinner. The tortilla is the only wheat for the whole day so I am pretty pleased with my efforts.

I'd better go as the said burrito is ready and smelling great!!

:)

Daily Affirmation

I know how to listen to my body and respond to it's needs.

Retreating inward...

I had a lovely time sharing sandwiches and chatting with my midwife today. I visited thinking there would be other mothers there for the fortnightly mother-baby support group that is run from my midwife's house, however, for whatever reason I was the only one who went! So the afternoon looked a little different to how it usually does!

After a free-flowing discussion on a range of topics including a recent surprise twin birth that my midwife attended, personal vulnerability (and for that to be seen), aspects of our faith journeys, aspects of parenting (instilling responsibility and accountability without fear) and other things, it came up that I am feeling a great desire to "go inward". That for the first time since being in my job, I am starting to lose my patience with clients (in my head- no one would have any idea) and I have less and less emotional energy to deal with things that come up outside the comfort and protective bubble of family. I cannot think critically and respond in a methodical and measured way like I usually can.  The fortnightly staff meeting that I enjoy attending due to the fact that it is a great connection point between the weekend staff members and weekday staff, is becoming a real drag... It's not that anything has changed. I love my job. But the passion and spark that I usually have is dull. I just want to be with my loved ones.

This is ok. This is good.

Joy and I discussed how this is a natural "nesting" response in preparing to bring another new life into our family. To draw the closest closer and to create some distance between the family bubble and the ones who aren't and shouldn't be closely involved during this time.

It doesn't make me a bad social worker, a bad friend or a bad Christian... it makes me a mother.

Daily affirmation

My pregnant body is beautiful

Ooh! 30% saved for the homebirth!

Every single time I see the % number change on that little icon over there ----> I get SO excited!

You see, I have never ever been a good saver... like.. ever ever!! And now that I have this goal in sight and that little gadget to do automatic transfers each fortnight I can see it coming together. I CAN save, I just need to have the motivation and the right tools to help me.

I am over 50% through my pregnancy so I am a little behind in my goal but I do have some back up money just incase we don't get there. I am assuming that we may (fingers crossed) get a couple of family donations which may top it up however I don't want to pin my hopes on it just in case that doesn't happen.

I have increased my fortnightly transfer amount to $180 and I have also been making random contributions when there is some spare money on my salary packaging card.

Fingers crossed we can get there without having to dip into our ever-dwindling savings...

Belly 24 weeks

Green, green, green for my little bean!

In an attempt to save $$$ and to bring a little colour into our lives I decided to dye all our tired old baby "whites"... Done in the washing machine, it was as easy as pie!! I am really pleased with the result.

Okay, so it looks like I'm obsessed with green.. but I do intend to dye more bodysuits in different colours... Going to scour some op shops for barely worn body suits!!

Dying stuff is fun!!!

A few snaps

I just bought this cute little knitting kit.. The pattern looks easy enough and I can see myself churning out dozens of these little legwarmers for gifts every time a friend has a baby.. 

This emerald green dye is going to spruce up all the old greying baby singlets that I have. I refuse to buy more so hopefully this will give them a second life

Molly- a self portrait. Taken shortly after her little fainting/vomiting episode the other morning.

Half of the gorgeous rainbow we saw out our bedroom window.. Molly is convinced it was God trying to cheer her up with a pretty picture as she was feeling so sick. It's probably true.

The other half of the rainbow...

Feeling much better!

What a weird little bug I had.. This morning, it's as if I was never sick! :) So here I am at work again and once again, the place is dead!

I am going to try and convince one of my outreach clients to come with me to the Queen Victoria Market for some delicious food later on today.

I go quite often, however sfter reading THIS wonderful piece (shared by @shauna on twitter aka DietGirl) about the culinary delights at the market, I think I NEED to go today!!

I usually get a spinach and feta borek however I might expand my horizons today..

Update

Vomited on the way home from work... I guess it was inevitable.

Feel much better after getting it all out.. Managed a couple of slices of avocado for dinner. It was delicious..

Off to rest up.. Hopefully that's the end of it.

Feeling pretty rotten today...

I am at work.. truth be told, I should probably be at home however work is sometimes more relaxing than home. I am here on my own and there have been no clients on site all day. So I have been able to do some Christmas shopping and kind of chill.

John and Molly have both been sick.. with different things. John had a virus which has left him with really bad asthma for the first time in ages. Molly has an ear infection and has also had a gastro tummy bug (and fainted in my arms!).

I am not sure whats up with me. I feel heavy and lethargic and have had a yucky headache and nausea today..

Tomorrow is another day... Hopefully a good night's sleep will fix me.

Making room for baby

Three posts in one night! I know, astounding!!

Just thought I'd mention our hard work re-arranging, cleaning and organising our bedroom in very early anticipation of welcoming another little sprocket into our clan.

We have decided to have a cot. Honestly, it will probably get more use for day sleeps as we have pretty flexible sleeping arrangements. I love co-sleeping for the safety, closeness and convenience but I also know there will be times for us where a cot is useful. Molly usually spends the start of the night in her bed but ends up coming in for a cuddle and staying for the rest of the night. I am interested in feedback from other co-sleeping families on how you have introduced a new baby to the family bed without making the older child feel they are not welcome. I know Molly can come in bed and lay with Daddy but she generally comes in to cuddle me and it is going to be a big adjustment for her. We have started a conversation about it and asked her to practice coming in on Daddy's side or at the very least climbing into the middle of the bed and hugging into my back.

Anyway, that's not the point of my post really.. but I'd love your feedback!

Here is the point of my post...

Before:

The crazy pile of stuff on John's side of the bed after we re-arranged the furniture...

After:

A few more pics of the family hard at work...

Knitty knit knit...

I am making a cute little elephant toy for my niece. It has been happening in fits and starts but it is finally close to being finished! I just need to do the ears, foot pads and tales.. Here's a couple of snaps..

23 week belly...

23 weeks

My "happy pants".. damn they're comfy!!

23 weeks.. a few noteworthy things

Seeing as this is meant to be a record of my pregnancy I thought I'd better write about when I first felt belly babe move.

I'd say "quickening" officially happened at about 16 weeks although I am pretty sure I felt something as early as 12. I can't be sure of course but it felt different to a gassy tummy.

Now, at 23 weeks I feel babe every day and have noticed a pattern of sleep time and awake time. Early morning and late at night are the most active times with quite a few periods of movement during the day. I'm sure if I wasn't so busy I'd notice more and my movement probably rocks baby to sleep. At times I can almost grab bony little limbs that stick out.. It's quite odd really.

Babe has not settled into any position yet although more often than not I feel strong kicks low down on my right hand side. So I am assuming that s/he is head up with back on my left. I'm looking forward to feeling kicks higher up and noticing as the head settles down low (fingers crossed).

My belly actually somehow seems smaller this week. Probably due to bub's position shifting and also my level of exercise increasing a little. I will post a picture tomorrow when I am not in daggy PJs.

The other noteworthy thing is that my libido is absolutely rampant! I feel like a teenager again! Woo! Hubby is happy.. :)