mkgell

Matt and Kylie

16 February 2013 – 5 months February 16, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 07:12

Dear Lyla

Mummy knows that you aren’t at a monthly milestone right now, so it seems a little odd to be writing this right now, but she is scared of remembering when some of your “firsts” happened.

You started sleeping significant stretches at three to four weeks, and you slept through the night for the first time when Mimi and Pa were staying, so between four and five weeks. Since early December, you have been waking at least once a night for a feed, but occasionally you will surprise us and sleep right through.

You have got two teeth. The first (lower gum, just right of centre) broke through on the Wednesday before Mummy had to go back to work. You had had a bit of a runny nose, and were rather snuggly. You have been excessively dribbley for weeks and you had had rosey cheeks and chin for a day here and there. The second tooth came last Tuesday, and you were in a bit more pain with it cutting through. You started to put two fingers in your mouth for comfort just before the first tooth came through. You won’t use a dummy, but enjoy sucking on your index and middle fingers (either hand will do, but you prefer your left).

You started at childcare three days a week a couple of weeks back, and you love it. Mummy was ringing to check on you a couple of times a day, but has settled in now too. You love to watch all the other kids, and try and get up or out from where you are to join in.

You started on solids on Christmas Day. We were at Mulwala with Mimi & Pa and Aunty Heidi & Uncle Adam. You ate rice cereal, and you didn’t love it, but it was okay. You are now eating pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, carrot, banana (which you adore!), yoghurt and custard. You still get rice cereal for breakfast, which you tolerate better at childcare and prefer it more if it includes banana purée. You had a reaction to broccoli and tinned peaches, so we are taking the transition into solids slower.

You can sit up for short periods with your arms out supporting you in front, but as soon as you get distracted you face plant. You like to recline back while sitting between my legs – Daddy comments that it looks like I’m an armchair for you. You are also scooching backwards. You raise yourself up with your incredibly strong arms, and then push back, moving the rest of your body and lowering your chest to the floor. You raise your upper body again with a massive grin, and make lots of excited noises. You can easily roll back to belly and belly to back, but don’t really use rolling as a means of transport.

You love to communicate verbally to anyone who will listen. You blow raspberries and make lots of “ah” noises. You gasp in excitement, only it’s not quite a “gasp”, more using your vocal chords while breathing in. It is usually followed by an”ah” where you can hear your grin. It makes both Daddy and I smile. You have great facial expressions when you make your excited noise.

You like to giggle when we pretend to eat your belly, pushing us away with your arms, grinning like your mouth is going to expand larger than your face. You also giggle when we blow raspberries on the back of your neck, and have other tickley spots.

You like to munch on your Sophie giraffe, and have a favourite blue hippo that you like to have in the car. Any soft toy that has a sound seems to be good in your books. You particularly enjoy the crunkly taggy blanket when having your nappy changed, or are lying in your cot and meant to be awake.

You still love bath time, and we have taken you to the indoor pool twice, and you were pruney well and truly before you wanted to hop out both times. You still don’t like having your fingernails or toenails trimmed, but love weekend mornings being able to lie in Mummy & Daddy’s bed and play with us in our half asleep daze.

We love you precious girl, and can’t wait to see the little lady you grow into.

Love Mummy
xxxooo

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The wait is over!! September 8, 2012

Filed under: Baby — Kylie @ 13:12

So, just a few hours after I published the last post, the baby decided that she might like to moesy on out to the real world. I’m not going to go into heaps of detail (for the sake of pregnant women and future mums that might read), but a summary.

Waters broke at 0730 (lying in bed). Didn’t gush, so was a little unsure of what was going on. Went to the loo as Matt jumped in the shower. “Ah, Hun, that noise… That’s not urine…” Because I had tested positive to GBS (Group B Strep) a few weeks before, we had to get to the hospital soonishly. Rang labour ward to let them know, asked if I could have breakfast, and they said yep, so breakfast (fresh pineapple) was had.

Arrived at the hospital, the registrar confirmed that my waters had indeed broken, but everything looked really good. Was 1-2cm dilated, but not very effaced. Cannula was inserted, bloodwork taken and moved into the delivery room. At about 1000hrs, Syntocin was started (IV medication used to induce labour) as I hadn’t started contracting naturally yet. I was able to deal with the initial dose of the Syntocin quite well – yes, painful, but not unbearable. I wasn’t able to complete the game of Rummy-o that Matt and I had started though.

At about 1230hrs, the dosage was bumped up, and I jumped into the shower for pain relief. Only thing was that the contractions were happening back-to-back with no recovery time between. New midwife came on duty and told me that she wasn’t into cruel and unusual punishment, and that I needed more effective pain relief (I was attempting to scream the roof down). Another check was done – 2cm dilated, further effeaced, but still a while to go. The anaesthetic team was called up and an epidural put in. I had decided that I didn’t desire an epidural, but had also decided that if the midwives or doctors told me it was necessary, then I would have one. It was necessary (for the sake of eardrums if nothing else!) so it happened. I don’t think I have ever held onto anything so tightly as I did Matt’s hand as the prep was going on and the epidural going in.

Few hours later, the Syntocin got turned up (it had been turned down between the shower and the epidural) and that’s when things started to go a bit more pear-shaped. The baby started to have decelerations with each contraction. So the Syntocin got turned down and then off. Baby recovered. Syntocin on, baby decelerated. Syntocin down then off, baby wasn’t recovering. Another check: 2-3cm, better effaced. Baby posterior. (Had previously been vertex [on the side, but head down].)

Syntocin back on, more decelerations. Registrar called. Consultant rang. Syntocin down. Theatre called. Another theatre case bumped. Into the lift, down to theatre. Checked in. Matt into scrubs. Hehehe.

Epidural topped up. Could still feel everything. Tongue tingly. Feeling everything. Anxiety increasing. Second anaesthetic consultant called in. Decision made for spinal block to go in. Complications with getting it in (apparently something about the column being swollen and there wasn’t a suitable needle or something, so kept having to resite). Complete numbness from lower ribs down. Massive headache. Nausea (I hadn’t chucked til this point). Up came the prophylactic antibiotic against incision site infection. Yay. Blood pressure dropped. Medication given. Heart rate increased (175). Medication given. Other issues occurring (they didn’t tell me). More medications to counteract each other. Meanwhile incision made. I asked if they had started, Matt said yes. I asked how he knew, and he showed me his blood splattered hand – the first cut made blood splatter over the screen and onto his hand. Baby out. Baby whisked away for a check – perfect. Sewing up commenced. Name decided. Matt trimmed the cord. Baby in Matt’s arms and photos taken. As each doctor left, they came and had a chat. Kinda a little weird knowing them all, and what of me they had seen…

Into recovery. Skin to skin. First feed. Back up to the ward. Into high observation room. Baby dressed. Phone calls made and photos sent.

Matt went home (up to about 0030hrs now). I started coughing up fresh blood (with sliced stomach muscles – fun!!). Baby whisked out to the nurses station. Doctors in to check on me. Pulmonary odeama. (Excessive fluid on the lungs.) Matt called back in (0330hrs). Medication given, coughing settled-ish. Baby back in and Matt on a fold out couch.

The next night baby was coughing blood. Paediatrician called in and checked – amniotic fluid coming up, and it caused rawness and bleeding in her throat, so fresh blood vomit. Baby spent the night at the nurses station do I wouldn’t leap out of bed and do more damage to my belly.

Spent two nights in the high obs room, then moved to one of the private insurance rooms for another two nights before coming home.

Lyla Kate
25th August 2012
2102hrs
Emergency caesarean
Weight: 7lb 5oz (3320g)
Length: 49cm
Head circumference: 35cm

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Waiting… Still waiting… August 25, 2012

Filed under: Baby — Kylie @ 05:46

I don’t do stand-by mode very well. Not well at all. And seeing that I was basically convinced that this baby was going to grace us with its presence early rather than late, it’s been a long couple of weeks.

Sleeping medications (Temazepam and Panadeine Forte) aren’t sustaining through the night, so the doctors plans to get my body back into a normal sleeping pattern before Grubby arrives are failing.

The heartburn has been incredible over the last week or so. Because of the fructose malabsorption, I can’t use any of the antacids on the market, or take anything that “fizzes” with stomach acid (like Enoz etc). Yesterday morning I asked M to pick up a few things from the supermarket before he went to work (I may have been craving avocado – he picked a really good one too!) and added chocolate milk to the list (being careful of the ingredients because of fructose). I may have drunk the full 2L of chocolate milk over about 12 hours… But I had extremely minimal heartburn!! Brilliant outcome! Grubby certainly got sufficient calcium yesterday!

But yeah, that’s about all that life is up to at the moment – playing the waiting game. We have plans to go garage sale-ing in a few hours once it is acceptable to be awake. And until that moment, I might browse pinterest. Or something equally unproductive.

 

I’m a silly duffer!! June 13, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 23:32

Why didn’t I think last night to look for a WordPress app so I could upload the photos (which were taken on my phone – I emailed them to the laptop last night)?!

The only down side is I can only figure out how to publish one photo per post. Sorry.

And about the Thomas fabric – I have googled. The one I really really like is out of stock. I think I might try looking at the quilting shops up on Victoria St (there are 2 that I can think of) to see if they have any. Might be a long shot though. Otherwise wait until we next go to Melbourne.

 

Attempt 3 at Art Thingos – Outside

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 23:28

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Just so you can see it is pink with snails.

This baby can come now – I’ve found a template that I’m happy with.

 

Attempt 3 at Art Thingos – inside

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 23:27

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Wider elastic, and just 2 press studs.

 

Attempt 2 at Art Thingos

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 23:25

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Pattern altered, elastic added and press studs instead of ribbon.

 

Attempt 1 at Art Thingos

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 23:24

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Dummy clips

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 23:23

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The blue is the grosgrain ribbon, and therefore double sided. The pink (while it looks very cute IMHO) is only one sided.

 

Sew on and Sew on June 12, 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — Kylie @ 23:50

So early May, we purchased a sewing machine. For anyone who knew me in high school (especially), this would be a rather surprising fact. Let’s not talk about the frog that took me over 12 hours to sew (12 hours is being generous) in year 7. Or how I killed my Mum’s sewing machine by altering the tension. Yeah. Sewing machines and I don’t mix well.

 

So the first few hours after we purchased the machine, there was excitement, and what’s more: success! (ish). I sewed a template skirt out of the white fabric we have metres and metres of from our wedding. It’s not wearable, but it makes for a good template. Plans were made to sew an actual skirt (complete with a belly band – maternity clothes are so expensive!) but then there was an unplanned trip to NSW that put plans on hold for a week. There was one skirt made (wearable!) and then another! Two successful projects – both wearable, even in public!

 

Two weeks went past with the sewing machine just sitting still on the dining table. Then over the last weekend, inspiration struck, and resources purchased.

 

Project 1: Dummy Clips. Completely successful right from the word go! I am waiting on some more clips to come from Hong Kong (eBay had them 25 for less than $5, Spotlight stock them 2 for $7-$8. Yeah.) and I have some grosgrain ribbon (slightly more successful, and is a thicker/stronger ribbon) ready to go – all in very girly colours for my niece.

 

Project 2: Art Folders/Crayon Cases/Drawing Things. I had seen these months and months ago while googling, and had instantly dismissed them because I can’t sew (or couldn’t sew). But with the success of the skirts, I re-thought that instant dismissal, and decided to give them an attempt. Or three.

 

The third attempt is actually a Christmas gift for another niece (anything girly goes – and she likes snails – or at least used to, I am pretty sure that she still does).

 

Let’s not talk about the dummy bag that was a dismal failure, but that’s okay, because I have found another tutorial/pattern (that is 11 pages long, complete with coloured pictures) that I am going to attempt, and am hoping for a little more success. Unfortunately the failure of the first bag does mean that I have run out of the fabric I was wanting to use (the pink/purple/white/green/blue/red stripes) but that’s alright. I know where I got it from, and know that they have more. 🙂

 

So with another 7 (at least) art thingies to make (I want to find some Thomas the Tank Engine fabric for the youngest nephew – any ideas where to source it?), I better not lose momentum!

 

And I’m really rather grumpy with WordPress because it won’t upload any photos. Hmph. I’ll try again another day.