Hello World

Hello World, originally uploaded by priscillafh.

This is our little boy, or not so little.
He was born after 37 hours of labour by emergency c section on the 5th November @ 2.37pm. He weighed 5165 grams (11 pounds and 6 ounces)

Update

Apologies, I have been a terrible blogger but I have a few excuses up my sleeve!

We have finally moved into the new house (horrah) but we had no Internet access for a week (I am not sure whether this was bliss or not). Finally I have managed to get the laptop up and running but the pc is not wireless so currently is offline...

Baby has still to make a grand entrance, he is hanging in there refusing to come out!! It is now week 40+4, and he is the size of a 42 week old according to the fundus measurement. My midwives have declared him a big baby, and on hearing that I asked about his head measurements. They are ok and not overly big so hopefully he will be a long baby... ouch.

The women in my NCT group have already started to sprog and none of the offspring have paid any attention to their NHS due dates, one was running late and arrived after a sweep, the next arrived suddenly within 2 hours of his mums waters breaking. The last one baby arrived like we all hope, in a nice orderly fashion, ie, waters broke, contractions in due course and then baby arriving (he was early though)....

Now my bambino is a little bit different, he is large, out front, kicking up a storm, engaging one moment and then disengaging the next.
Due to his size, my oedema and bountiful bod, plus the new NHS policy I was given a sweep on Friday (EDD) .... this was my choice, the midwife offered and I went away thought about it and came back shouting "bring him on"... but nuffin happened.... cramps, spotting, but anything else.... nope!!
It was good to find out that I'm getting ready, but boyo has decided he's snug as a bug in a rug!!
I even went to IKEA on Saturday and walked around for 3 hours!! Which was hugely uncomfortable and painful on the ankles and feet.

So this week I am drinking raspberry leaf tea to strengthen my uterus, eating fresh pineapple, doing the stairs sideways (when I remember), bouncing like Tigger on my ball and having another sweep on Friday ...

If he still refuses to budge then he will probably be induced around the 11th. I have thought about refusing this as I have heard that being induced causes a cascade of interventions, but in all honesty my body is starting to really moan. Oedema in my hands, legs, feet and face is quite painful, my hands won't close and my ankles are hard to walk on.
I am sooooooo big it's not funny....

I'm still here and baby is far toooo comfy...

Did you know that babies can disengage? Well, yes they can.

I was hoping for some exciting news today about how well baby was doing in finding his exit route... Imagine my amazement when I was told he had floated back up!

We are not amused, baby is getting rather big, oedema has kicked in big time, hands, face, legs... My hands are extremely painful and due to the water retention have developed carpel tunnel syndrome.

I am trying to get things ready as we are moving over the next few days to the new house. Today we cleaned and sorted the nursery out. Photos soon....

Nesting is happening but unfortunately without the energy burst that accompanied it on Wednesday.

My midwife has offered a sweep next Friday but I'm a bit hesitant as I'm not sure about giving birth on Halloween.... Not that I follow it much here but I would like baby to have his own special day without the pumpkin jokes....

So this week we will be giving the natural induction techniques a whirl..... except the Castor oil one....

Nesty Wednessy!!

Holy shite (already swearing ooops).... when they mentioned the nesting instinct whilst pregnant they didn't really warn me about the insanity of it!!

I thought I was nesty when I contemplated taking up sewing (notice I said contemplated), I thought I was nesty when I got a load of filing boxes for my office, I thought I was nesty when I attacked the babys clothes and washed them 3-4 weeks ago....

Hell No!! Nesty was today, and it was unlike anything I have ever been hit with before. Actually it's similar to the missions I used to have but they were rational (and I was fit and could bend properly)...

Today, I have changed the bed sheets, washed up, attacked the office paper work that needs to be recycled.

Cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the outside of the cupboards.

Cleaned the stove, vinegered the glass in the kitchen cupboards.... 3 laundry loads, the last one has just gone in...

I am about to tackle the kitchen floor and then I am sneaking looks at the bedroom...

Add the mad Ebay frenzy of getting Bambinex nappies and wraps, a video and sound baby monitor.... plus some Ralph Lauren Jeans and a Hugo Boss Shirt for the Don.... Oh and a nursing bra...


Oh and I did some work to.... had to really tear myself away from the cleaning though...
Scary thing is I have just looked into being nesty in the last trimester and it all points towards the boy making his way imminently into the world...

I don't know quite what to shout "hurrah or hooooooooh shite!!!"....

I have just introduced baby to Elvis, and been actually dancing around with cloth in hand, so if the cleaning frenzy doesn't shift him I am sure the dancing will...

My curtains are wide open and I am sure the teenagers in the park are having an amusing time watching a very large pregnant woman shimmy around the flat...

Tuesday Excitement

I'm so excited, nope, baby hasn't started to make his way into the world yet!

I have just enrolled on an Art of Photography Course.

Should I wish to, I could go on from this course and take a degree in the subject. Hmmmm, we shall see if I can keep it up for that many years.

The course is with the Open College of Arts - it's all online and through the post which is fabulous.

I think I will need to be pretty flexible with learning, assessments and the baby, therefore lectures are out of the window. Plus I will still be doing office stuff for the Don. Hopefully I will become ultra organised and efficient!!

The Don is very supportive, lets hope he can keep it up whilst shopping for an SLR, we have a lovely little point and shoot, but unfortunately it cannot be used for the majority of the course.

So I am saving up my Christmas presents already....

My mum is going to help me with the course, she was the one that recommended that I do it (hurrah). Something to keep my brain ticking over with and a hobby/interest that is nothing to do with work or the baby.

This is also a fantastic subject, as I know that if there is any problems with the language or technical bits etc Mum will help me. If she does not know, I know she will be happy to help me work it out.

I also thought I could practice on baby when he arrives. Little feet and hands seem to appeal... arhhhh.

On a baby note, he is still rummaging away with no signs of oncoming labour. He has become very heavy and sometimes my tummy feels bruised where has been leaning against it.

I keep swinging from "come out come out" to "stay in, stay in - the house is not ready and I'm not organised"...

I am pretty organised really (with his things), there's just a few things that I need to buy before EDD:

Changing Mats

Nappy Bucket

Swadding Blanket

Nursing Bras

I keep putting the nursing bras off, as I half expect the breasts to increase (I hope they don't), the NCT lady advised we wait until week 38 to get fitted as by then baby should move down and your chest be free to expand with your lungs etc.

This is my excuse, it has nothing to do with the fact that I have bought nearly £100 worth of bras in the last 9 months and it has to stop somewhere!! As soon as I buy one I seem to suddenly overflow the new cup (even if bought at a bigger size!!)...

Monday sleepy-time...

Link to sleepy-time article

It's that time of year again when I start playing around with my blog template and totally destroy it beyond all recognition.

Well, at least this time I left the same header photo up, just so it doesn't look so girly.

As most of you know I am in the last leg of pregnancy (I am week 37+3 days) and am finding it absolutely exhausting!!

It feels like I spend most of my days doing nothing.... and the time just disappears. I have to keep reminding myself I have done stuff (just goodness knows what).

Well, in the last 3 days, I have managed to hoover the new house, go to the weekend NCT nearly new sale (which was madness) shop like mad for 2 hours... then the rest of the time I seem to sleep, or seem to be fighting sleep.

The Don has been picking up the slack, he woke up this morning and did all the washing up.

The Don has also been popping down the shops for food. Everything just seems to make me even more exhausted. Oedema has kicked in big time and my hands can't shut properly and sometimes it's painful to walk (all very annoying)...

This weekend was just what I needed, baby shopping on Saturday with NCT, chilling around mothers, then Sunday was just lazy!! And I still had to sleep come 2pm!!

I do like to sleep, but this is getting ridiculous! I think if I could, I would sleep most of the time now... Goodness knows how my body will go into shock once baby is born and the feeds start.

Thank goodness I still know how to operate the washing machine, at least I can contribute a little to the household cleanliness.

The Don also started moving the furniture into the new house over the weekend, and it's looking fantastic. My mother has been showing the neighbours around as she is so impressed! Our neighbours are very friendly and have been showing an interest in what we have been up to even before we fully completed.

As a townie (sort of), I have found this friendliness refreshing and nice. Don't get me wrong I don't stand by the garden gate and tell everyone my inner secrets, but feels very right and relaxed to speak to my new neighbours. This is very different to the feeling I have towards my present neighbours, whose child is the most annoying thing on the planet...

Plus someone is feeding Madame M!! I was extremely worried that she was not eating... Time to move on!!

Burning Leaves, Wakehurst

Burning Leaves, Wakehurst, originally uploaded by Victor Keech.