Category: baby

Baby bumps

/ Renae / 2 Comments

Tomorrow I hit 37 weeks pregnant which according to whomever makes the rules, puts me at full term. Unless the rules have changed and no one told me. But whatever. If this baby arrives before 41 weeks it’ll be a miracle. I’m here today to share some photos of me around the same stage with my previous babies.

This is me at 32 (ish?) weeks with Chance and here is the blog post it is from

And 37 weeks with Chance (Sian – it’s our favourite maternity top/dress!!!)

And this is 38 weeks with Quinny (and blog post). Yes, that’s a 2-year-old Chance, not Darby! I don’t have a lot of belly shots of Quinn as we were between houses for a month and I had other things on my mind!

And this is 37ish weeks with Darby with related blog post

And 4 days overdue with Darby, on our 7th wedding anniversary. I’m spewing that I got rid of this dress (it has pockets!) and the one above, when I “decided” that I was stopping at three kids! When will I learn, seriously!

So that’s a nice little comparison with where I’m at right now. Which is here:

Not long now little one x

If I didn’t know better…

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(but I do) …I would have wondered if I was in labour last night. I had some crazy back pain and the baby was going completely loopy and felt like it was trying to get out. The bursts of pain were stopping me in my tracks and taking my breath away.

But it all calmed down after an hour or so, and being the expert I am (so I keep being told) I know it’s just all part of the late stages of pregnancy. Though, I would have hoped by this stage that the baby would be more engaged and still, and less flippy-floppy, making me nauseated.

Let’s see what tonight brings.

(And yes I know I missed yesterday’s blog post. Life!)

Two hours

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From blah to goddess.

Remember this pedi I had in Sydney? This is what it looked like five weeks later, aka yesterday.

Now I don’t know what the heck was is in shellac they used but damn it lasted well. What didn’t last was the smooth supple feet, so when my dear friend Sarah gave me a voucher for some pre-baby pampering I knew a spa pedi was on top of my list. Oh joy of joys I feel like such a queen after a good pedi a gorgeous colour.

Not to mention a desperately needed eyebrow wax.  Thanks a million Sarah. I honestly feel like a million bucks.

A High Tea

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These ladies. Honestly. How did I ever get so lucky?

A couple of months ago my friend (far right) said to me “so what are we going to do for your baby shower?” And I was like “ummm my what now?”

I mean it’s the fourth child. I’m lucky if people a) know I’m pregnant b) remember I’m pregnant and c) really care either way! So when she asked the question and insisted an event take place I was really quite chuffed. And I may have leaked a bit out of my eyes. These girls really are the sweetest damn things.

We decided on Delizie for Sunday afternoon high tea and just invited a few people. Mum and I came here about 18 months ago and it was so memorable then. And it certainly impressed again today.

I had a light brekky and only a coffee for lunch in anticipation. Oh the food!

So much deliciousness.

Such lovely company and beautiful atmosphere and some very thoughtful gifts which were even more unexpected! And it took quite a lot of organising with the three kids at three different places as Hubs was working so thank you to everyone who helped out with that.

The only thing left now is to have this baby! 35 weeks and counting.

Do you have a clown?

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I know I say it all the time but Darby is such a clown. It’s all about the laughs. If he gets them, he wants more, and Chance and Quinn are only too happy to oblige!

Actually those two photos were just him doing his thing today and hanging out, though he had me in stitches. He has taken to putting his pj pants on his head for story time because it has the other two in hysterics. I wonder what his next antics will be…

Slightly uncomfortable

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I really must delve into the archives for some photos of me at 33 weeks pregnant with the other kids. Bending over is getting tricky, so I do it sparingly. I’m often asking the kids to grab stuff for me since they are so much lower to the ground. It does mean that the place is a little more untidy than usual and that is saying something. I find that once I’m bent over, picking something up, I do think to myself “well while I’m down here, is there anything else I can collect?”

Of course, there always is.

My lungs are running out of breathing room, so even though I’m keen to keep lifting my heavier weights at the gym, my breath just can’t keep up, and according to our trainer, I’m supposed to be able to carry on a conversation while working out. If I’m too puffed for that then I’m pushing too hard. I definitely pushed too hard on Monday which saw me completely exhausted and utterly useless for the rest of the day.

Lesson learnt. I now know my new, albeit temporary limits.

Getting up off the couch is not something I look forward to, nor is getting up out of the kids seats I sometimes sit in to play with the kids.

It’s hard to believe that in just 7 weeks (probably 8, let’s face it) I’ll be holding a little bubba in my arms and saying goodbye to sleep for a few months. And all this discomfort will be worth it. (And be replaced by other discomfort but again, only temporarily.)

I seriously can’t wait I’m so excited ❤

I know I’ll be made to eat my words

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But kids get easier the older they get, right? I mean my Mum and her dear friend always say “the challenges don’t ever go away, they just change” or words to that effect. And yeah I get that. Maybe I’ve just been eyeball deep in the same challenges on repeat for the last 5 years that I’m looking forward to different challenges?

Like I’m really looking forward to not having to run interference with 2-year-olds every 30 seconds all day; I’m kind of looking forward to not having to wipe tiny bums anymore; I’ll be glad when my children are all old enough for school drop off and pick up to not involve me tearing after a toddler while trying to hold in my pelvic floor; I’m looking forward to engaging in more in depth conversations with the kids and reading chapter books with them.

I’m not wishing this time away and as I said, I know parents of older kids are reading this and laughing at me while shaking their heads. It’s all a challenge I suppose. The trick is to enjoy the ride!

Yee-ha.

And some nights

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I just don’t have it in me.

Even though I know an hour is all it would take tonight to do the kitchen and some tidying up that would make the rest of the week easier, I just can’t do it.

The heat + pregnancy + three kids is leaving me so drained and I’m just giving myself permission to rest. As long as my beautiful children are fed and loved, a full dishwasher, full sink and full basket of clothes makes no difference. Their bellies and hearts are just as full and that suits me just fine.

There’s always tomorrow.