Olive's outfits 7 weeks

Olive spills enough milk that our carpet looks mottled but she still has been sporting some cuteness in amongst the reflux!

Fist bump baby. 

Hi miss cheeks!

Father's Day

Cam describes being a father as all your priorties changing at once without you intentionally deciding the changes but you don't mind. 

All I know is that I have two very lucky girls. 

I am so lucky too. 

Happy dad's day to all. 

happy 21 months miss Ada Ann

Having a laugh and a sultana at Cereal Killer.  So yummy by the way, the food rather than Ada's sultanas. 

hey home girl

a perfectly lovely day

We needed one. So lovely. 

Tool boss. 

Tool boss likes crackers. 

Tummy and focus. 

Bed time xx

domestic duties

Two things make me very happy at the moment. One is incredibly beautiful, a sleeping baby. Ah, there is nothing like the sight of your baby asleep, finally! The other is incredibly mundane, but necessary, clean laundry. Both of these are in progress as I type. Happy overload. Haha.

A sunny day without washing out is a crime to me. There is so much washing with a baby in the house and I'm not even using cloth nappies at the moment. Getting the washing out, dried, folded and away is a stay at home mother victory! So satisfying. Did I mention this is mundane and yet necessary? Washing is one task I don't even want Cameron's help with because I want it done right. A pet peeve of mine is something going in the wash that I didn't know (or he didn't know) needed a stain scrubbed out. Washing done that isn't even clean? Le sigh. 

By good fortune the nice folks who make Vanish Napisan Oxi Action Powder to try. One use is as a in wash laundry stain remover, if this works my days scrubbing could be over! Cam could do some washing, with training of course...

I'll let you know how it works out! 

Do you want to try some too? If you are in Auckland be in touch, I have spares! 

Hoorah for sun and lambs x

what to wear?

So true...

Ada's first selfie

how it all started...

Lovely dates over Pinot noir and twice fried fries with this handsome devil.

I know you wanted these out there Mr Hockly. 

We escaped the house with Olive during the rain on Saturday, remembered that there are other establishments to get a drink besides cafes and had a lovely time flirting (with each other). Thank goodness for grandparents. 

laborious labour number two

Well when I think of labour with Ada, I think about how calm we both stayed, how long it lasted, how alert and adorable she was when born and then how much pain I was in long afterwards. Similarly when I think of Olives labour, I think about how long it lasted, how stressful it was during, how alert and adorable she was at birth and how much less pain I am in after.

I went into labour at 40 weeks and 6 days on a Saturday night. All night at 10 minute intervals I had painful but bearable contractions, sitting up in bed, lying down, dozing and repeat. They stopped being regular on Sunday morning but continued on throughout the day. Unfortunately at the end of my pregnancy I had some nerve pain in my hips and pelvis from the pressure of my 9 pounder on my pelvis and this pain was at all time peak during labour. During Sunday I was holed up in a chair as standing and walking was too painful. The worst part for me was the knowledge that the contractions weren't behaving, they were irregular in timing and strength. They became regular again on Sunday night, mostly every 4 or 5 minutes, stronger than the previous night, but still not the length they needed to be for labour to have started in earnest! Each time a strong contraction came, I would hope that finally everything was amping up but again in the morning the contractions were irregular, very painful and disappointing.

My midwife came to see what was happening and I requested a review in the hospital, with the possibility of speeding things up. We went to Middlemore Hospital in the afternoon and by the evening the contractions increased into proper labour while I was getting checked out. Once things really got going the pelvis pain was worse and worse and in I opted for an epidural due of that nerve pain and my lack of sleep and rest over the previous 48 hours. I'm so glad I did! I hadn't planned this but I was tired and over it and I relaxed and was ready to meet Olive once the pain was dealt with. This epidural was even better than the first and I could move my legs enough to change positions. Once fully dilated the contractions stopped, just as they had with Ada. Again I required syntocin to keep labour moving along and again, as with Ada's birth, the syntocin didn't result in long and strong contractions. I made efforts to push but Olive didn't progress very far. The doctors arrive and find that Olive must be face up and plan B (aided delivery where we are), plan C (aided delivery in theatre just in case) and plan D (C-section) are discussed. Finally there are 3 doctors, a nurse and two midwives in the room and I am given the go ahead to birth Olive naturally. The contractions are not the strongest or longest but I manage to move Olive along and she was born by a ventouse at 00.59am on Tuesday 9th of July. Hooray! The active labour phase was much shorter than with Ada and I didn't lose any blood or suffer much undue trauma. Olive is finally here! She is strong and beautiful and bigger than we all expected, 4165g or 9 pounds and 3 ounces!
 

mastering the basics

We made a return to Playcentre this week. Ada used the time to go up and down the stairs. She was so pleased with herself! Ada settled back in and didn't come running for me all morning. I was so proud of her and enjoyed seeing her loving the time to play independently. 

I was really nervous, this was my first outing with the two girls. A little bit slow out the gate me. I'm sure I will make up for it in time. Getting out of the house was crazy, spare clothes for two, nappies, wipes, food, cloths, a front pack, a pram. Getting them out of the car went great, back in was much more of a challenge! Olive grizzled in the car on the way there then fell asleep when I attached her car seat to its wheels. So far so good I was thinking! It wasn't to last and so I shared Olive about, others need newborn cuddles too. 

Here is to a slow return to the new normal!

Olive's looks

Newborns don't look you in the eye too much. Here are the moments Olive communicates with a bit of eye contact. 

The Bing! 

You pop her down and her eyes pop open. She looks you straight in the eye and says, as if I'm going to sleep that easy. As if. 

The Glare. 

This one comes when Olive has been made to wait for her supper. She latches and then boom, she looks up at me, angry furrowed brow, what took you so long?! 

The Business. 

This is her business as usual face. 

Sup' Olive. 

Love this girl to pieces.  Look at Ada down there in her face, she does too.

to do list

My 'to-do' is usually:

1. Feed Olive

2. Entertain Ada

3. Feed Ada

4. Feed Cam and I

5. Maybe some washing in, out or away

Today I also have to:

6. Blow my nose

7. Take Panadol

8. Organise lactation expert appointment

9. Decide whether I'm going to brave taking the two girls somewhere any time soon

And it all feels a bit much! 

Back to this:

"Ada, more cuddles" she says. 

Oops, my hand looks like a claw. 

dinner date!

Shamefully I missed the moments where I could photograph in Instagram style my dear husband and the amazing pizza we demolished at Epolitos in Oranga. First dinner out post baby number two!

Why would this regular blogging lady miss such an opportunity?

Well, we had just dropped Ada at dear Jo and Simons, aka Aunt Jo/Aunty and Symie, she barely waved goodbye as she played with Uncle Fun. Olive had been awake since 2.20pm with a 30 minute nap and so we were expecting her to drop off to sleep in the car or on a short walk. We arrived at the pizza shop about 6.20pm. Olive perkily looked out at us under the wrap over her seat. The pizza was to take some minutes so we went for a wee walk, she stared out at us through the darkness as we wandered the streets of Oranga. Suddenly the twitches became cries of hunger, this takes about 30 seconds for our second born. We turned the pram around and hurried back to the shop as Olive cried out into the cold night. So as we ate our amazing pizza and stared into each others amazing eyes, Olive was feeding away, again. See, no chance of photography!

We thought as we put her back in her car seat, this would be it, sleep time. Nope, tears on the way home. Poor lady. So Olive gets more milk and more cuddles and more jiggles and finally is asleep about 8.20pm. I'm crashed out about 8.30pm. Such a lovely evening with one baby, honestly not stressful, just lovely to be out with dear Cameron.

One eighth of the glory. Yum.

joy

God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21

A dear friend gave Olive a canvas with this verse on it even before she knew her middle name. In the middle of the night if Olive is having a hard time due to wind I look at the verse and am reminded that this is only a season, Olive will grow out of this wind and become a little ray of laughing sunshine. 

My serious lady began smiling on her month birthday! She smiles most on her change mat. Cute stuff. Here is a sneak peek:

one month!

Can you believe it? Neither!

Olive is doing great! Wind is much much less of a problem. She put on a kilo over weeks 2 and 3 but not so much week 4. Phew. I can hardly jiggle her for very long as it is! Olive's likes, other than boobs, include, black and white pictures, having her nappy off and considering the art in our house from the vantage point of our shoulders. 

boop

I'm doing well too. Definitely in the Groundhog Day of feeding, constantly, it feels a bit all day and all night, but there is some rhythm to it truthfully. I'm imaging going out now, it will happen soon! I delay because Olive is still quite unpredictable, who knows when she will be awake for a few hours, or feeding for a few hours, also I can't quite get Ada to do what I want while feeding yet, so at the moment we stay home till Olive is asleep. 

swinging

Literally and figuratively. Postpartum hormones and a lack of sleep. It is a wonder Cam is not tired of me, I'm a bit tired of me. We go on.

Mummy, sit!

give yo'self a cuddle

Two wee girls with wee colds round here. As I write Ada seems to be getting better and Olive has only just come down with it. She is going with the maximise feeding and sleeping as to be expected...

Today Ada and I are sitting at the table listening to this Mumford and Sons song.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lyapalater/the-new-mumford-and-sons-music-video-parodies-itself-and-its

I danced with my shoulders and Ada tried to copy. She discovered she could give herself a cuddle. Cuddle! So pleased with herself. Mama cuddle. And Repeat. Good idea. Ada's teaching me heaps.

hiding

Ada's favourite activity at the present is hiding. She has found a variety of spots including the hands over the face classic but behind the curtains in another room is her pick. We never have to wonder where she is, Ada announces that she is hiding. She points out animals or people 'hiding' in books and behind the flap books have new joy. Hiding is a great enticement and distraction too! 

Boo!

Running!

The best advice I ever got: toddler preparation for sibling

Ada coped amazingly well the first few days Olive was home. We got her a baby doll with a few accessories and she mimicked me a lot. Rock, pat, cuddle, car seat, night night baby and repeat. Ada is only 20 months old but has understood a fair amount of what is happening. She definitely got overwhelmed in the first week, being tired from being sick and sleeping poorly along with adjusting to sharing Mama and Dada has meant a few more wails from our generally amicable girl. We are learning how to approach these, how to respond when Ada wails over being told no or how to respond when she needs a bit of space and has chosen to cry in the corner because she can't figure out what she wants or how to get what she wants (often Mama). That's probably another story. 

• We got Ada a gift from Olive for when we came home from the hospital. This was a picnic set that Mama and Ada enjoyed straight away. Ada is mimicking everything we say and so we got a "thankyou Olive", Arr, so cute!
• We have a few cheap wrapped gifts on hand that double as an activity. Things like stickers, puzzles, colouring book, crayons, bubbles. If Ada gets jealous of the gifts arriving for Olive we can distract her with a gift and give her something entertaining too!  
• When Cam is at home from work I try and go out with Ada just for brief trips. Out of the house time and one on one time with Ada is a real treat,  trips to the pharmacy or a wee walk to the nearby horses are great. 
• Ada is small but we let her know Olives cries are to try and tell us that she is hungry or sleepy, or has a dirty nappy. We try to explain feeding takes a long time because that is where Olive gets all her food and water. 
• Older toddlers may be curious about scrunched-up legs that come from all that time spent tucked in mums tummy, the floppy neck which isn’t strong enough yet to support babies head and the soft spot and the reason we need to be extra gentle with heads. We have a kiss on head and pat on body policy that works ok. 
• For older kids: Together you can make a list of quiet activities she can do with you while the new baby in the house sleeps. 

count your blessings

They say that a newborn can see only as far as the boob to the face. I was never really sure as Ada was always going too hard out to open her eyes and gaze at her Mama. That plus she fell asleep there all day long, what with it being summer and all. Olive looks up at me while feeding, it is lovely! 

hi baby!

Now that I have a newborn that knows no routine, who wakes in the night more than once, sometimes staying awake for hours I can enjoy the complaining camaraderie with all the mothers. The universal bond of motherhood is made that little bit stronger. So, ah, Ada woke once in the night from day 3! I napped when she napped, twice a day often during those first few weeks. I really only got very sleepy/tired with Ada from 12 weeks or so. But now! I am in sleep deprivation mode, already too overtired and over wrought to nap well. I get it folks. So to all you naysayers and cynics who said my second baby would be different, ah, she is.

Olive is a bit huge, here are her legs poking out her newborn jumpsuit. Next size time! I am getting a work out for my forearms and shoulders. The best way to calm Olive is a flying up and down rock, held in two hands, head and bum in each hand, out in front of your chest. Feel the burn.

Last time I had so much pain in the first weeks, I felt like I literally sat still for 3 weeks post Ada's birth. The pain kept up for ages sadly! Whereas this time Olive and I have burping/I love Mommy best/sleeping upright is da bomb dance parties, all the time! Woo! Swinging away the baby weight.

Olive knows her Mama, it's sweet how much she is calmed just by being passed to me.

Ada's hair is a joy to many a stranger. We get comments on it everywhere apart from Mangere PakNSave, those haters. It is quite long now and reaches to her shoulder blades when wet. The other night in the bath Cam got out her knots just by wetting the bottom and Ada had an amazing curly on top mullet. I should have photographed!

My final blessing to count is that Ada likes the cafe. Small outing, much relaxation.

little feet

brand new feet

i love little socks

little fuzzy feet

what is up with...

Newborns liking to poo in a clean nappy?

who me?

Night sweats, 3 weeks of night sweats. Thank you hormones. 

Memory loss. You forget most of the tough stuff when you have a baby. Just in time to have another. 

Newborns looking like elderly men? Obvious but so noteworthy. 

receeding

Ada giving up a nap this week?! Tired? Yes! Crazy? Maybe!