The West Wing

December 14, 2014 / Renae / 2 Comments

As per #097 of my 101 in 1001, I wanted to finish watching The West Wing. I know. The series ended almost 10 year ago. What can I say? The day I went into hospital to have Darby, I had a mere 7 episodes to go for the whole series. I batted my eyelids and asked Hubs very nicely if he would copy them over onto my phone so I could watch them in hospital while I was playing the waiting game. Hubs obliged (he always does.)

It was totally worth the wait. I loved the series so so much and never got bored of it to the very end. And am I the only woman who has a huge crush on Josh? Surely not. He’s just too adorable. There were a few things that happened in the final episodes that tied everything together nicely that left me feeling completely satisfied.

So, another item to cross off the list!

Another baby boy

December 11, 2014 / Renae / 2 Comments

Already having a boy and a girl is an interesting position to be in when pregnant with your third child. Everyone asked if I knew what we were having this time around and I’d always have the same response:

“No we’ve never found out. We like the surprise. But if I already had 2 boys I think I’d want to know!” Obligatory laughs all round.

And that was the truth. I’m not saying that I would have found out, but I know that I would want to have a girl if we had 2 boys already. Of course I would love my baby no matter what, and to be honest I don’t know if I’d have the courage to say “I’m really hoping for a girl.” (Or a boy if I already had 2 girls.)

I really thought this one was going to be a girl and I was really excited about the name we had picked out for “her”. Hubs always insisted it was a boy, so when he was born and Hubs said “I told you so” all I could feel was pure joy. We didn’t even have his name finalised (that’s a story for another day) but possibly because our first born was a boy, it was like I was reliving that moment, and what a moment it was. Both times, just as special.

I guess I’ll never know how I would really feel/react in the case of already having 2 babies of the same sex. I do know that I love babies and I want to have more children, and in the meantime, this is the darling face I get to stare at any time I like 🙂

As useful as…

December 10, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

An exciting thing about having a baby is the goodie bag you get in hospital. It’s full of cool free stuff like a nappy, some wipes, an assortment of creams and bath products, and a bunch of information that you end up reading out of boredom in the hospital.

I was having a good look through the goods tonight and came across an item I hadn’t noticed during my initial rifle through:

I’m not sure if this blog is ready for the likes of this post, but I’ve just had a baby, my hormones are raging and I’m going there.

This is about as useful to a new mum, as a condom. I mean, look at this thing?!!

It is absolutely laughable. And laugh I did. And now here it is on my blog.

And now it’s time to go to bed. Well, I might wait for the Nutella crepes Hubs is making us for dessert 🙂

As easy as 1… 2… 3…

December 9, 2014 / Renae / 2 Comments

1. Have a lovely big feed and a little lie down, and wait for the bubbles to build

2. Feel a big hefty amount of toxic gas bubbling away, and give a hint of a smirk to let bystanders know what’s about to happen

3. Let it rip

Oooooh yeeeeaaaaah……

We’re home

December 8, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

The doctor’s gave me the go-ahead to come home today. That is the shortest hospital stay I’ve had post-baby, and even though I thought I’d want to stay longer, I was actually itching to come home and get on with our new life.

I’ve unofficially decided to do an unofficial NaBloPoMo for Darby’s first month in our family. I often think back to the first month with Chanbe and Quindy, and really don’t remember much, so it would be lovely to have a bit of a record of what life with a newborn is like; to look back on and reminisce.

So today, we arrived home around 11:30am. Hubs suggested we do the whole “buy a gift for the older kids from the baby” thing which we didn’t do with Chance and Quinn, and to be honest, I think it was just an excuse for Hubs to buy more Lego, but it went down well. Chance is very keen to give Darby lots of cuddles and wants to share his food and toys with him which is just making my heart explode. Quinn on the other hand, hasn’t taken too kindly to the “noisy baby” as she calls him. No doubt she’ll come around, but I can just see the possibility that Chance might be protecting Darby from Quinn in the months to come!

Oh the irony 🙂

He basically just fed and slept today which was lovely to ease into it all. He’s just had a big-ish feed and now it’s off to bed for us all. I have made this an unofficial NaBloPoMo so as not to put unnecessary pressure on myself, but I do plan to post at least most days. Even if it’s just ate, slept, repeat…

Thank you for sharing this lovely time with us!

Welcome to the world

December 7, 2014 / Renae / 7 Comments

Please meet our son, Darby Jacob. He finally decided to grace us with his presence at 12.45am, today the 7th of December. He was born a very healthy weight – 4.32kg (9 pound 8 oz) and is already feeding nicely.

I know I’m completely biased but he is just so beautiful. I’m catching up on sleep today and will go home to start our life as a family of 5 tomorrow. Hubs has time off until Christmas day so we get to hang out a lot over the next few weeks.

Chanbe and Quindy met him this morning. Chance is quite besotted, asking for lots of cuddles and wanting to know when the baby can come home. Quinn was a little unsure about the whole thing but is already walking around saying his name.

For the last couple of weeks, Chanbe has been asking on a daily basis “is it the baby’s birthday today Mama?” It’s so nice to be able to answer him “yes”.

40+4

December 4, 2014 / Renae / 1 Comment

Another day, another morning spent sitting in the outpatients waiting room. I’m a regular there these days. They are taking very good care of me which is lovely, but I’m kind of over it now. Very very ready to meet this little baby of ours. Unfortunately there are still no signs of me going into labour on my own, so there might be some more intentional prods and pokes coming up this weekend, to see if they can help move things along.

I am trying to make my way through the last season of The West Wing (as per #097 on my list of 101 in 1001) and have “only” 17 episodes to go! That’s still a lot of hours, but I’m loving it. There won’t be much time for viewing in the coming weeks, so just trying to get in while I can.

Other than that, I’m just enjoying having Mum here, and enjoying sitting in front of whatever air conditioner I can get near. I’m not fussy.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock….

Bigger than my body

December 3, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

I’ve almost always felt big. Too big. Bigger than others. Bigger than I want to be.

Choose your poison.

Except, ironically, right now. I’m probably the biggest I’ve ever been: I’m 40 weeks pregnant, I’m huge, and I’m feeling amazing. Okay, amazing is a bit of a stretch in this heat and not-particularly-comfortable stage, but I look in the mirror and think “nice”. Admittedly sometimes I think “woah I’m huge” but not in an “I’m so fat” way. More in a “wow look at that baby in there. I can’t wait to meet him/her” way.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m marveling at what my body can do, or if I just feel like I’m rocking some pretty cute dresses, but I just feel good. There’s a number on the scale every time I go for a check up that I don’t recognise, and that the midwives aren’t particularly fussed with, and it doesn’t define me as it has in the past.

No one thing defines me. I decide. I am the decider.

Yes I have health and fitness goals for myself, but they are not based around guilt or any kind of timeline. They are based around wanting to be able to move more freely; wanting my body to function at its best so I can be the best person and wife and mama I can be. I don’t expect any changes to come easily; I know I will have to work for them; but I want to enjoy the process as well as the health benefits I will gain.

I remember when i started my couch 2 5k training last year, I was so surprised at how quickly I noticed changes. Small changes yes, but enough changes to make me keep going. So even though I’m currently bigger than I’ve ever been, I’m always going to be bigger than my body.

“Once I lose weight I will…” blah blah blah…

December 2, 2014 / Renae / 2 Comments

I was chatting with a good friend of mine while I was in Brisbane about blogging and stuff. She is an avid reader and always gets cranky when I don’t post often enough 🙂 I said that I had a bunch of posts that I’d started and never published and she said I should go back to them and finish them off! So that’s what today’s post is. The following was written in September 2013:

This phrase has been with me a long time.

Once I lose weight I will:
– spend money on nicer clothes that fit me well and look great
– take up tap dancing again (it’s been 20 years since I last tapped…)
– do a 10km fun run
– keep the weight off and magically never be emotionally attached to food again
– go on the swings and playground equipment with Chanbe without fear of it breaking (I never said I was rational!)
– not poke my tongue out whenever I look in the mirror (my daily positive thought is helping with this though)
– be happy

So the way I see it, I have 2 choices. Lose weight and do these things, or don’t lose weight and do these things. That’s the only way I’m going to be happy in my own skin. To do all these things (and there are so many more) now. Just as I am.

Cos I’m pretty all right.

I actually remember writing this post, and I’m not sure why it never made it to the published stage. Maybe I was waiting to lose weight so I could publish it as an afterthought.

I’ve also had another post floating around in my head recently that I titled “Bigger than my body.” While waiting for my obstetrician appointment this morning, I wrote down the crux of it, and will write it in full later on tonight, as it is a bit of a continuation on this theme, but not.

You’ll see what I mean soon!

(Update: the baby is still nice and snug in my uterus. It’s happy and I’m happy, so my doctor is happy for me to continue along, and hope that I go into labour all by myself, to avoid being induced. Fingers crossed!!)

Happy 7th Anniversary (and Happy Due Date!)

December 1, 2014 / Renae / 2 Comments

Dear Hubs,

I love you. Very few days, if any, go by where you don’t somehow make me smile.

We have been talking a bit lately about how much we have both changed in the last 8 years. Some changes have been intentional, some not so much. Some positive, some still need refining.

At the end of the day, I know we are in this together. We are a team and we have everything at our disposal to keep our marriage going the direction we want it to. Even though it won’t all be rainbows and unicorns all of the time, the hard stuff makes the good stuff even better, and there’s plenty of that to speak of.

On this day 7 years ago,

I made vows to love you and cherish you forever. It’s hard to imagine what “forever” means on your wedding day. Even 7 years isn’t actually that long, but it still excites me that I found you; that I found a man who I do want to share life’s special moments with, as well as the day-to-day mundane that fills the gaps. With you, there is always some new idea and adventure to talk about; always dreams to be dreamt and plans to be made.

Don’t stop dreaming with me; don’t stop getting excited about ideas; don’t stop sharing those ideas, no matter how crazy.

Don’t stop believing (hold on to that feeling) (I don’t love Journey)

Love, Wifey xx