19.5 weeks
19.5 weeks
19.5 weeks
26.5 weeks
26.5 weeks
26.5 weeks
32 weeks
32 weeks
32 weeks
32 weeks
38 weeks
38 weeks
38 weeks
traded my bump for a baby
Just got most of these back the other day…
seems so surreal to look at them now.
Nesting is in full swing. The carpet has been cleaned, floors have been mopped, spiders have been evacuated from their homes…drawers have been organized, cabinets and window seals have been wiped down…dirties and nasties are not safe inside the Kroezen home. My body kind of hated me for a bit after that, but it’s recovered again. Good thing because then there was laundry and vacuuming furniture and the list goes on.
I’ve finished up work now and have less than two weeks until my due date. I’ve been trying to figure out what I am going to do in the mean time since the only thing left on the to-do list is to write down some cliff’s notes for Mat from my birthing skills book so he can prompt me when the time comes. I really want to learn to knit, and I found a really easy youtube tutorial on how to make a newborn elf hat with a loom. However, while everywhere seems to have yarn on sale (since it is just that time of year), no one sells looms. NO ONE. I can purchase one from the states of course and pay a million dollars in shipping only to have it not arrive for months….but I just haven’t stooped to that level yet. I’m sure I’ll think of something.
For the time being, I’ll be doing exercises to prevent baby K from turning posterior. The kid can’t make up her mind whether she wants to be anterior or posterior….she’s on the fence, just facing the side. But she is on the left which is the natural way for her to turn Left Occiput Anterior instead of Left occiput lateral which is what she is now. I love that people automatically want to tell me their horror stories at any given point in my pregnancy when I mention an obstacle arising in mine. I DON’T WANT TO KNOW. I hate that bad things happened during other people’s labours, pregnancies, etc., but that doesn’t mean it will be the same for me. I have done nothing but express my desire to avoid negativity and yet somehow people still think I want to hear it. I don’t know what it is about pregnancy that people feel the need to tell you what you should & shouldn’t do, eat, drink, think, expect. I appreciate the concern, but I’m not the first “First-time Mother” in the world and I’m pretty sure I will figure it out.
Autumn has been gracing us with her glory lately…a couple of chilly days but now it’s back to 66-71 sunny degrees for the next 7 or so days. This morning it was yoga in the crisp sunlight, hot raspberry leaf (preps uterus for labor) tea, and pancakes. Then U2 and I took a long walk around the neighborhood soaking in the pure beauty. I really love having mountains in the background…they are stunning. I think I might get out and about tomorrow and capture some Autumn Canberra beauty on camera.
So the car made it out of surgery, all safe and sound. This weekend it got a wash, vacuum, replacement of a couple of bulbs, windshield wiper, and a fancy new baby car seat installed. The car seat will make for some interesting adventures because it is such a tight fit, but I suppose we can’t just tape her to the roof so we don’t have much of an option. We had thought about selling the car and getting another, but it’s kind of pointless for the amount of time we will be here.
Sunday was the most gorgeous autumn day, and we took full advantage of it. We were up early…partly because my husband decided to go to sleep at 7:15 at night, and also because we gained an hour with the time change this weekend. Mat’s Mom was in town for Dragon Boat Racing (which I’ll get to shortly), so we headed over for tea/coffee at Mat’s Brothers where she was staying. While Mat’s mom and the rest of the family got ready to head out to the Dragon Boat Race, we decided to catch up with them later and head off to the markets. The “markets” are kind of like flea markets…thats the closest thing I can compare them to. Some places have them every weekend, and some places hold them once a month. We started out at one of the markets that only come on the first weekend of the month. The markets are full of crafts and handmade goodies, produce, animals, food, and misc. treasures. I was on a mission to find a elf/gnome newborn hat for baby k’s photos. We wandered around until we had hit every stall, but no such luck. We decided to go to the old bus depot markets, which are held every Sunday. The quality of the stuff being sold there was much better…but I didn’t find anything there either. It’s looking like I am going to have to order one from the states and keep my fingers and toes crossed that it gets here on time.
After the markets we headed over to the lake to catch up with the family and see the races. Unfortunately, we missed Mat’s mom…but they came in second place in a national competition…so I’d say they had a pretty good day.
kroezen sandwich
Dragon Boating…apparently the fastest growing, or most popular water sport in the world at the moment. Basically there are a bunch of people with a paddle in a boat with a dragon head on the front and a tail on the back. There is a drummer who sits in the front and keeps the pace for the rowers…and a sweeper in the back who steers the boat. Then you just try to go as fast as you can. Seems like a lot of work…but a good workout 
This weekend I finished up washing the rest of the baby’s things. With the car seat now installed, there isn’t much left to our preparation. Before baby K makes her grand appearance…I still have a few things to purchase, fix the iphone (when the new LCD screen comes in), pack my bags, clean the carpet, finish my birth skills book and make note cards, and check on our taxes. I’ve got an entire bag of “birth tools” to take with me to where ever it is I end up delivering. In my bag of tricks will be: wheat pack, massager, birth skill notes for Mat to prompt me with, iphone for timing contractions and hypnobirthing music (or any music for that matter), relaxation oil, stress balls, popsicles, and electric candles. They have birthing balls, stools, wedges, showers, spas, and various other things to help. She’s full term now…so now we’ll just be waiting on her to decide she’s ready.
There are Dr. visits in a woman’s life that are a little bit more than personal. However, you know going into the visits what the go is, and you prepare yourself accordingly. As for myself, I generally prepare myself with a female Dr. for starters. Anyway, last week I got the magical call that my number had been called for physiotherapy….yay! I probably would have done anything just to get relief, but it took my by a bit of surprise when the guy asked me to take off my pants. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t expect that to be part of standard physio procedure. All the sudden I couldn’t remember the last time I shaved my legs, or what undies I had on…seriously, you can’t just look down and see these things when you have a basketball in your belly. So he gets on his knees behind me while holding my pelvis and asks me to lift up my left leg, and then my right…all was going fine…then he asked me to bend forward. So here I am…super pregnant standing in my undies bending over literally into the face of a guy on his knees behind me holding on to my hips in true stripper lap-dance style. A bit awkward. So later he says he is going to release some tight muscles and puts down some kind of foam support that lets me lay on my belly (for the first time in sooo long). The next thing I know he is getting quite personal with my butt….but I have to admit, the accupressure was so good that I had to get over the fact some man was rubbing my butt cheeks. I walked out of there much better than I walked in, and with a pregnancy belt on. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite the miracle-fix I expected, but it did make a difference and I have another appointment next Friday. I think I will be prepared to strip down next time!
We’ve got roughly 30 days of being a two-some left. Sometimes you have longer than that to back out of a contract! A little bit late to be doing any backing out now I suppose. I’m sitting in the living room staring at the clothes rack full of freshly washed baby clothes I need to fold and put away. I can’t help but imagine her little body filling them out. Next I’ve got to wash all of the linen, and seat covers (swing, car seat, and bouncy chair). Luckily we won a twin tub washing machine from ebay the other day and I should be getting that pretty soon. A twin tub is all that will fit into our little cottage, but they are great (well, the one we had was great before it broke). I figured we really needed a washing machine with a baby – especially a cloth diapered baby. Because we got it for a massive discount, it’s brand new, and we’ll only have it a few months, I have no doubt we’ll be able to sell it for what we paid for it, if not more.
I’m on the hunt for elf/pixie newborn crocheted hats for the little one’s newborn photos. I find them all over the states, but I can’t find them here. I’m a bit afraid of the postal service and depending on shipping one from the states…I haven’t had good luck with things getting to me on time. I’ve thought about trying to learn how to crochet myself because there are sooo many cute things, I just don’t know if it is overly ambitious to expect to be able to learn how and then make a hat in time for her photos. So if anyone knows a good place to buy one and save myself the hassle, let me know I’d also like to find a little newborn pod or hammock…but they are a bit expensive.
This past weekend was a very much needed 3 day weekend for the Canberra Day holiday. Work was a little worse than a nightmare in the stress department last week and I needed the extra day off like Charlie Sheen needs a stint in the looney bin. Nesting was kicking in and for some reason I felt I had to do clean and organize *everything* in the house for baby’s arrival. I wonder how people lived in one room cottages back in the day with their families as I am struggling to figure out how to fit a baby into our one bedroom place. Our lack of closet space is really a pain, and I’ve culled clothes until I am down to three drawers in a dresser so that the baby can have an entire drawer to herself. Things are shoved into every nook and cranny, and I think maybe, just maybe, we will all fit cozily into our cottage for the remaining few months we are here. I don’t know if it was all the cleaning/running around/and organizing that did it or what but by Sunday evening I was in pain. I decided I had done enough and prescribed myself a big dose of couch sitting for Monday instead of going out to enjoy the Canberra Day festivities. Needless-to-say, I’ve still go no clue what you do for Canberra Day. I heard tales of the Symphony, concerts, and fireworks…but not really sure what goes down on the day. Unfortunately the couch sitting didn’t make a bit of difference and my back/hip are still killing me with every step I take. I’m starting to wonder if I am going to make it until April 8th as that is supposed to be my last day of work. Until then, I’ve made my heat pack my bestie.
I’ve decided to take some “me” time right before the baby is born and spoil myself. Yep…because I NEVER do and I feel like I have grown a person and I can’t think of a much more exhausting job. It occurred to me that I have not cut my hair, other than a trim, since meeting my husband. I have also had one solid color in my hair since I started my first “real” job post-graduation and I’m pretty over it. My hair was always spunky with 2-3 different colors in it, and had some kind of trendy hair cut….it is now long, drab, and boring. I don’t know what I am going to do to change it, but it’s going to happen. Perhaps I will also splurge on a massage and a pedicure…when will I ever have that opportunity again? Besides, I’ve been promising myself a massage since the end of every quarter of school and never got one…and with the exception of the 15 minute teaser at the show the other weekend, I’ve never had a real massage in my life. It’s due time, and I’ve been saving my coins since I got here so might as well spend some.
That’s pretty much it for excitement in the Kroezen house. We’re slowly preparing for baby K, a little here and a little there. Soon we will be putting in the car seat – a pain since there in only one that will fit in our tiny car and even with that one in the back the passenger seat has to be all the way to the front – with no airbags. SO safe, I’m sure. Baby’s hospital bag is packed, and I’ve started gathering my things as it is the “suggested” time to start packing a bag. I’m not sure when I am supposed to start washing all the baby’s clothes/blankets/linen and all that…but I’m sure I need to get on that pretty soon. My mother told me last night that I need to start toughening my nipples for breast feeding…a seriously awkward conversation to have with your Mother. Especially one like mine with a wicked sense of humor. I’ve got my mom telling me to pinch/twist/squeeze my nipples, a midwife telling me I need to be stretching and massaging the perineum, and a book suggesting I put ice cubes on my wrist to help use my birth skills to combat pain…I never knew preparing for a baby would be such a lesson in self-mutilation. Obviously the birth itself is not punishment enough!
Also, just a public service announcement: it is NOT a good sales technique to refer to your potential buyer as “the one that’s about to pop”.
