Cheeky Chooks

For this entire week, I've been wondering where the chook eggs are. I figured that they'd just stopped laying, as I couldn't see them brooding anywhere.

This afternoon, Andrew solved the mystery of the missing chook eggs, they were laying in the corner behind their shed! I'm sure they were quite pleased with themselves for hiding their eggs from me for so long, but like the meany that I am, I collected the eggs and made a decree that there will be NO BROODING in my chook-farm.

I feel a bit like a nasty Pharaoh, stealing their unformed babies. I'm sure they'll find somewhere else to lay now [they free-range the whole yard] and I'll be kept well entertained by playing "hunt the eggs".

I heart Sleep

As the countdown numbers get smaller and smaller, I'm keeping myself entertained in a variety of ways. Today I made a quick little project which will hopefully help me to get some sleep in the hospital. The Broken Hill Maternity Ward has enforced nap time from 12:30-3:30. [Ok, so its actually 'no visitor time', but the point of it is for the mums to get a little snooze]

I made an eye mask a couple of years ago, and it helped tremendously on those mornings where the sun rises far too early, so I thought, 'hmmm, an eye mask may help me sleep in hospital'.

Firstly, I wanted an INTERESTING eye-mask. None of this silk and ruffles stuff. So, I very badly backstiched 'I heart sleep' on some black drill fabric. The outline, and use of black, red and white makes it look a bit emo, but its kind of fun anyway.

The back, which is the bit touching my skin [duh] is the antithesis of the emo front, being a piece of rainbow striped flannel. This particular flannel has popped up on this blog many times now - one of a few remaining scraps from my Pyjama, bib, and nappy making activities.

Like the model shot? Its slightly too big for my face, but it'll do the job. I don't like the stiffness of the drill, but I'm hoping that it will soften with use. The flannel feels lovely on my skin :)

If I were to make this project again, I'd add piping around the edges to give it some 'finish'. I'd also either wash the drill a few times, try to soften it, or cut it on the bias. I'd also make it about 5mm smaller all round for extra comfort. Apart from those things, I love it!

10 days and counting

Yes. Its possible that I have really got 20 days left, but shhhhh. Don't tell the baby that!

I've been keeping busy reading about labour & birth from many different perspectives. I reckonend if you're going to read one piece of advice, read five, because they all bring something different to the table. This week I've been reading "Active Birth" by Janet Balaskas. The edition I'm reading was written in 1983, so only 2 years after I was born, but its got some good stuff in it, as well as very gory, hairy photographs of women in birth [good for scaring Andrew with!!].

My belly stretch "worms" have morphed into snakes, as the baby moves further down, and my pelvis is stretched more than I thought possible!!! I've also been getting warm-up cramps for the past week and a few other physiological signs that my body is getting ready for the eviction of it's little tenant.

I've also found I have only 2 moods at this present stage. There is the almost euphoric, peaceful happy Tab, who can't wait to meet this baby, feels calm and in love with life. The other Tab is grumpy, cranky, irritable and wants the baby to be out already! There is no middle ground!!!

My overall feeling is that this is an incredible, priceless time in my life. When I feel tired, I rest [I have the luxury of no responsibilities!]. When I want to rest but my body won't let me, I remember that its not long left to go. I can never recapture this time and person who I am right now, and while I'm impatient to see the little alien I've only seen in ultrasound, it will come when it is ready and ripe, and that is good enough for me now :) [clearly I'm writing this as 'happy peaceful Tab'].

Guestimations

Here are some results from our Baby Guestimator [we haven't had the baby yet so there is still time to respond!]

• 55% of people reckon that Andrew won't faint during the labour, but he will cry.
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• Not many people have an idea how big baby's heads are, as typified by this response "somewhere between pingpong ball and watermelon, I DON'T KNOW"
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• The shortest predicted labour time is 2 hours [which is how long I took to be born], with the longest prediction being 28 hours.
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• Gender Prediction breaks down til 57% - girl, 43% - boy

The following are suggested names.

Boy's

• Jacob
• Ryan
• Jonathon
• Jonah
• Bruce
• Lachlan
• Diego
• Robert
• Obadiah Andrew Montgomery Henry Schultz
• Gregsebella
• Michael
• Kabe
• Alister John
• Josiah
• Joash
• Jed
• Linden
• Huxley
• Jarrod
• Bultz
• Schultzy Schultz
• Jr Schultz
• Kernal
• Sachin
• Lara [I assume after Brian Lara, given this suggestion came from the Ellis-group]

Girl's

• Letisha
• Agatha
• Ophelia
• Theresa
• Evelyn Kathleen
• Heidi
• Katrin
• Marta
• Persephone
• Adele
• Jessamy
• Isabella
• August Rose
• Jemima April
• Anaximander
• Rebecca Anne
• Ruth Eleanor
• Naomi Marie
• Joanne
• Jennifer
• Andria Lilly
• Princess Pearl
• Charlotte Rose
• Ivy Rose
• Ellie
• Kylie Dakoda Britney
• Amelia Daphne Elizabeth Lea
• Angelique India Deirdree Erica

Not sure!

• Boo
• Banana

Don't call it

• Amelia Sophia Schultz [initials ASS]

23rd August 2009

23rd August 2008

A year has passed since Andrew and I were married. It hardly feels real!! For much of that time we've been expecting a baby, which has added to the fun [and drama!]

We've cut off my dreads [I still miss them] changed workplaces, moved house, been to lots of weddings, wasted much time on the internet, had heaps of arguments, watched a stack of DVDs, gone through tons of petrol, eaten more takeaway than is good for you, and had a really great year!

A highlight of our day this year, will be eating the top tier of the wedding cake. It's been in the freezer for a year, waiting to be thawed and eaten on this day. Yum yum!

In the last month.

Here's a pic of my belly these days.

 It seems to stick out and get in the way a lot. It is the only time in my life though that my abs have been rock hard, and I haven't had to exercise to do this!

Enough of this frippery! This morning was my 1st and hopefully last Obstetrician appointment. He poked my belly, listened to the baby's heart, asked if I had any issues and sent me on my way. Baby's head is 2/5 engaged [which is most confusing, but the midwife said it just means it's well stuck in]. This accounts for the painful sensations when I'm walking - and possibly for my sore sore buttocks. Anywho.

All that I want to do this week is sleep. I feel so tired!!! As luck would have it I also have reflux or feel nauseous or am just unable to relax b/c my legs/bottom/pelvis are sore when I have the chance to sleep, and generally just as I'm nodding off, baby squirms and makes me need to pee. 

Yet somehow everything is well, and that is fantastic. No other complications are present and all indications are that we'll have a pretty normal healthy baby! I'm also informed that as uncomfortable and cry-worthy as I feel my present state to be, in just a few weeks, when the baby is crying all night, feeding incessantly and doing other "newborn" things, I'll be looking back on this month and singing "those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end..." and so on, wishing for the time where my role in baby development was being a large portable incubator.  I shudder to think!

Week 37 begins this Saturday, which means baby will be "full term" and statistics say I could deliver any time in the next 1.5- 4.5 weeks. Anyway you look at it, in a month's time that baby will be out and raring to go! I'm completely terrified.

36 weeks pregnant - A month til we meet baby.

Dear Blog.
Its been a busy few weeks for me lately. I thought I'd give you a run down of things that I've been doing to prepare for the baby, and outline some things that are still left. This is probably for my benefit more than anyone elses :)

Things done so far.

• Made a survey about the impending 'hatching' [find it here] and have been reading the responses. Some are funnier than others, but all are pretty amusing. 
• Sewn nappies from RRP pattern. Find them here.
• Unpicked and improved on design of cloth nappies that I'd previously purchased. Yet to blog this. I feel like the 'redesign' will save me much stress later on.
• Made 2 skirts for my 'post baby' wardrobe. Trying to incorporate my love of 1950's to 1970's fashion [especially A-line skirts] with a potentially flabby tummy and breast-feeding practicality. As such have ordered a few 1950's blouse patterns from ebay. Am HOPING that some time after the 1st 6 weeks I'll have time to make them! I want to look pretty, I have worn out most of my 'old clothes' and this year's fashion doesn't suit a small top/ big hips/small waist.
• Had a baby shower - hosted by Jewels and Paula - heaps of fun, and was given some great gifts [including a lion hobby-horse!]. 
• Cleaned parts of the house that get ignored, like weird bits of the stove.
• Reading about childbirth and beyond. Laughed at some of the over -feminist stuff out there.
• Thought about our desires for childbirth, and have started writing my "ideals" so should my preferred midwife be unavailable, I may not have to fight too much to explain everything. 
• Started taking Raspberry Leaf tablets and doing Perineal Massage [if you don't know, don't ask] to make things 'nicer' for my poor birthing bits.
• Bought a cheap video camera with our tax return. Will NOT be filming the labour and birth, but we want lots of photos and video of baby from there-on. I understand this will teach our child early on that it is a superstar, but we'll deal with any 'diva'/rockstar complexes later in life.
• Bought digital camera batteries, and lollies so they're ready for when we need to rumble. 
• Started labelling the things we'll take so they don't go 'walk-about' at the hospital.
• Frozen a few meal-portions so we have food already cooked. Need to do a lot more of that, but don't have much freezer space. Will have more room when we defrost the top of the wedding cake to eat for our 1st anniversary [23rd of this month].
• Chosen full names to be prepared for a baby of either gender - even though we think we know - you can't always be sure!
• Put plastic and towels on my side of the bed, and in the car, just in case my 'waters' break in either place.  Unlikely, but I'd rather be safe and crinkly than sorry!
• Finished our 'baby classes' and are now experts on everything and will be perfect parents.

Things left to do

• Properly pack for hospital
• Cook more meals for 'after'.
• Sew appropriate shirts for hospital that will allow me to keep cool, be comfy, fit my weird shaped body and make me look "appropriate" for visitors.
• Sleep. I desperately need more sleep, but its been weeks since I've had a block of more than 3 hours sleep, and recently I consider myself lucky to have 2 hours in a row. I understand that this one may not get marked off the list for several months yet.
• Have copious baths to relieve aching bits. Also use gallons of moisturiser to keep the red stretch-worms from taking over the whole belly. 
• Try not to overdose on antacids but still manage reflux.
• Buy a few more jumpsuits/onsies so baby has size appropriate clothing.

I'm sure that there are a million more things I could add to each list. I have about 10 lists that I'm working from at the moment to keep my life in control and hopefully I'll get the majority of important things done.