12 July 2013

home

There is no place like it. 

Olive is settling in!
Dada!


I haven't spent time with Ada, just us, since last Friday, um 7 days ago, due to the weekend and prolonged labour and time in hospital. So, so strange. She adapted SO WELL to only having Daddy available. I missed her so much. We have had such a nice afternoon and evening. We had a picnic, just Ada and I. 

Life is so different! Ada seems so grown up. Olive is a mix of tiny/huge because she's brand new/4.1kg already. 

Oh my. Here we go!

11 July 2013

Olive is 2 days old!

This morning Olive and I have awoken to a brighter day! Since posting yesterday morning, when I thought I may be off home that day, we saw the neonatologist who definitely wanted us to stay. The night before hadn't given me a clear picture of how much bilirubin Olive had in her, her second test in at 3am she didn't really cry for, her levels had risen since her test at 11pm. The doctor wanted to send us downstairs to NICU but we were still waiting on her new levels. I quickly asked a few people to pray. NICU wasn't my first choice for Olive. Her third test wasn't completed until 12pm Wednesday, it showed that she was getting better but still had more bilirubin to drain away.

Seeing her wee personality come out as the bilirubin left her body was great. 36 hours ago all I thought was that she wasn't a very hungry baby and that she found it easy to sleep. She has been alert the whole way through but as she becomes super alert and interested in everything Olive seems like she will be a fun baby. 

Olive is now 2.5 days old officially by number of hours. Seems strange as she was born Tuesday first thing in the morning and is already Thursday afternoon. This mornings test shows that Olive is pretty much well! Wahoo! We are in hospital again tonight as a precaution against the jaundice rebounding at home and the ward seems so quiet. I'm really, really looking forward to going home tomorrow!!!

Sleepy Olive. Curious Ada. 

Alert Olive circa 3am Thursday. 

09 July 2013

day 2 and a blog plan

There is most definitely a lot going on right now! At home I would have no time for blogging. But I decided to post a picture or thought a day this year to commemorate our new girl Olive and her big sister Ada. I wrote down Ada's achievements and memories one for each day in a journal last year, it is so fun to read. I remember someone saying I wouldn't do that for number two. If you've been reading you know that my fairness nerve has been triggered on behalf of li'l Olive as we were rather smitten with Ada and can you gush so much over two babies?! 

So here is day two. I'm at Middlemore, fine but sleep deprived. The room I had to myself since early yesterday has a new patient with a very noisy two year old visiting right now!! Olive is asleep under uv lights to help her get rid of jaundice. She is due for a heel prick blood test (boo hoo, its as horrid as it sounds) ASAP to see if the lights have worked and she is well enough to go home. Waiting and hospitals. Peas and carrots. It was surreal the panic over her bilirubin levels last night and a bit much for both of us as the nurses tried to settle her in her cot with just a nappy on. Olive has a great startle reflex! No settling in there, instead many, many tears trying. Now she's sunbathing and holding hands and we are very happy!!

See? 




welcome Olive!


We are very proud to announce the arrival of Olive Hockly into the world at 1am this morning. She is 9 pounds 3 of loveliness! I didn't see that coming!



02 July 2013

there goes my EDD

I am ready! Finally. Today was my due date and I have a happy dancing baby content in the womb for now.  

Baby has a bed all made up next to mine and a special space that is just for her waiting in our office. I have a bag packed for the hospital and have been thinking about what I have to do once I get there! Never getting to the crazy urge to push stage last time means I'm nervous about labour this time. But not too nervous. I'm tired of being pregnant and more keen on getting to know our wee newborn than I am to conserve energy by bossing Cam about with the vacuum cleaner!

We sort of have a name. It isn't the same sense we had last time, how we KNEW Ada's name from the first time we discussed it. Hopefully that sure sense will be present after she is born. It is a great thing to love the name you give your baby. I find it frustrating how baby number one gets so much energy and excitement and anticipation and preparation and baby number two gets a bit of a shadow of all that. But that just is what it is and baby number two gets a sibling from day one and possibly more relaxed, assured, knowledgeable parents. Possibly. 

Im not quite at the impatient stage but  definitely more uncomfortable each day and night. I'll start on the old wives tales and home remedies to get labour started soon I'm sure. Ideas anyone?