a little personality

This should keep the rellies sated for a little while, a wee montage post last nights feed.

She already has quite a personality, feisty I think our mid-wife put it. Definitely lets you know what she wants and you’d better be quick smart about it. Yesterday she burped in Grandpa’s face as he went to kiss her goodbye, I thought, that’s my girl. The dark hair still has us stumped but with all her papa’s other features he can hardly blame the milkman. She feeds extremely well, glug, glug, glug until she chokes and has has to come up for air, eyes all red and watering.

She holds our gaze for long periods of time and gives little open mouthed half smiles (not wind) when you kiss her face or snort into her neck. She has wee dimples when she smiles, very sweet.

she gets crotchity when i do like i’m doing now and try to multi-task while feeding. I tell her a mother can only gaze lovingly into her babies eyes every other feed or she’ll go mad with bordem. I don’t think she understands.

We’re still waiting for the red stalk mark on her forehead to fade, I hope it does! our midwife assures us she think it will. Her eyelids too are still red from all that face first pushing, poor wee dot.

First Video

Pete made the first video for the Fam.

Annie-Rose

She came. OH THANK GOD! I thought when the contractions started at 3am on Saturday morning. They began without much warning 5-6minutes apart. By the time our lovely midwife Diane arrived at 10am?! They were down to 2-3minutes apart and about as painful as I thought I could bear but the body surprises us all eh. 

Without all the gory bits I found labor to be the single most painful, exhausting and hardest thing I have ever gone through and put my husband through for that matter. I know that’s what people tell you but I always think I’ll be different. HA.

We managed to labor at home as planned until my waters broke with tremendous gusto around 3pm and then around 4pm made a mad dash for North Shore Hospital on the suggestion of the midwife having found ‘meconium’ (baby poo to you and I) in the water. This led to concerns about infection and I was in no position to argue and besides which had complete faith in her judgement. I barely remember getting to the car, my eyes stayed firmly shut, mum guiding me and Pete running ahead with hastily packed bags, flinging open doors and trying to make sure towels and pads and what not were well positioned. Every time a contraction came I thought, that’s it, this time I will surely die. Dramatic eh? It’s embarrassing in hindsight but if this account is to be honest then there it is.

We swerved into emergency, somehow mum got me into a wheelchair and we honestly careened like they do in films through the hospital coridoors looking for the maternity ward. ‘Room 5 Diane!’ someone called out as we passed the nurses station, my eyes were squeezed shut as somehow this made things more bearable.

The pleasure of the hospital was the wonderfully deep spa like birthing pools they had and as I practically fell into that warm water I felt a small sense of relief. Up until this point I hadn’t wanted anyone to touch me or talk to me much, but as I began to push I needed Pete like I have never needed anyone before. I was overwhelmed and terrified and exhausted, I couldn’t fathom how she was ever going to come out. More than anything I was just so tired. My body shook with exhaustion, I know my eyes implored Pete’s to help me and the noise! oh my god. Pete said at one point he walked 3 corridoors away and could still hear me yelling. The funny thing I registered as we moved from the room to the pool was a massive ante-natal group getting a tour of the suites, 20 odd pregnant mums watched in horror as my sweaty pale face screwed up in pain was pushed passed them and then just yelling and screaming from behind the closed door. Those poor people.

The other funny thing I remember as we arrived at the hospital, I was in my jandals, green fleecy dressing gown with blood and what not on it, my sweat soaked hair tangled back from my face held with a banana clip and my vanity thought, ‘ooh, take that silly silver pin out that’s holding back your fringe, you must look a right sight’. hahahhahahahahahahaha. And I did and felt much better, good good, now we are prepared. Onwards team.

When Annie-rose popped (literally) into the world Diane scooped her up onto my chest and according to ma I kissed her face and said ‘I love you’. I don’t remember what I said but it’s exactly how I felt so I’m pleased I managed to communicate. She was born at 5:30pm Saturday 7th May 2011 weighing a whopping 9 pounds -approx 4kg. (well she was a week and a bit overdue after all!!!)

She is her father through and through. Nose, ears, lips, round face, hair (he was born with dark hair which then went white blonde) Everything about her is big featured, her eyes might be mine, can’t tell yet as they are still a bit swollen. In fact her little face is pretty battered as she came out head tilted up instead of tucking her chin into her chest. It’s a bit bruised and red and one eye is puffy, I clearly wasn’t the only one working hard. Actually I wasn’t anyway. Pete and ma were my support people one and two and I couldn’t have got through it without them. Mum exudes calm and is a very solid and strong presence in any room and Pete got me to focus and bore down on every push with me and held me up in the water when I could no longer hold myself. He was an absolute rock and tower of strength when mine had all but left me.

Annie-Rose is a watchful little mite, lots of staring so far, finding voices with her eyes around a room. She’s a still child with the most delectable little sighs and puckers of her mouth. This is about all I know so far, she is 2 days old and very sleepy. Our hearts are just brimming over with love for her and times ahead are exciting.

 

come out come out come out

Dear unborn child,

Now that you are at least 50cm long and weigh nearly 4kg it is time for you to come out.

There seems to be no room left for your mama’s lungs or bladder or heart or stomach, everything feels very compact and like it is working at half ratio’s. I am ready to return to the days I could take in a full breath of air and eat a plate of food in one sitting. Also, when I push your foot out from under my rib cage it is no longer done just in love but with a tinge of annoyance, please stop sticking it up there, it’s rather unpleasant. Did you get that spicy food I sent down? At least the 1000 chilli’s we grew this year are going to some use i suppose.

On the plus side your room is all ready for you, Oma finally finished knitting the most gorgeous soft wool blanket for your bed and your aunty Lou painted a picture for the wall and yesterday pa made you another toy to play with but I won’t tell you what, you’ll have to come out and see it.  We have even re-organised the living room so that we can pop you in the centre of the rug and admire you from each and every armchair, so seriously, come out, otherwise we stare at an empty spot of white fluff where there should be a baby. There is a pram in the hallway lined with thick warm sheepskin just for you, pa is dying to take you walking in it, it’s like a cool gadget that doubles as a baby thing, you’ll understand when you meet him in person how important this is. ps. that’s the voice you hear reading you Grimm’s Fairy Tales at night (how weird was that one about cinderella that ended with happy henry the frog?! don’t worry if you didn’t get it we were both confused too)

As you can see your pa and I are incredibly impatient and have told you on numerous occasions that ‘today would be good’ but you seem reluctant to acquiesce. On Sunday it is going to rain, you would love the rain, it stills the world and pa and I sit inside and watch films and eat popcorn and vege soup or roast some nice pork. This would be a good day for you to come. We’ll be waiting just in case.

Lots of love from your mama.