Breastfeeding

Before I became pregnant with Aston I hadn't thought much about breastfeeding, I assumed it was something that came naturally to most women and although I was aware that not everybody did it I didn't really know the reasons why.

Breastfeeding however is not always easy and it can take quite a while for both mum and bub to learn what they're doing. Sometimes they can't breastfeed at all.

Aston loved to breastfeed and other than sore nipples at the very beginning we had it mostly under control quite quickly, he loved it so much he developed a sleep association with feeding that made life miserable for all of us. You can read about that here. (NB. This was a problem for us, for others this kind of sleep association may be a more positive thing.)

I think I was expecting Zachariah to be like his brother, in fact I was a bit worried that as he got older Zach too might develop a similar sleep association. At the moment there is no chance of that.

Most of our feeding sessions are quite stressful and often accompanied with much crying. Poor Zach just can not get comfortable. I need to use two hands, one to support him and the other to support my breast otherwise he won't stay latched on. As well as this, my milk was coming out too fast and causing him to choke and gulp and upset his tummy, after a few weeks it settled down and now I think he struggles to cope with how hard he has to work to get his dinner.

After watching a feed the early childhood nurse said "it's not very relaxing or comfortable for either of you is it?" It was comforting to have someone else acknowledge how I felt. She suggested swapping sides every time he got upset which does help. After the first day of doing that Zachariah was a lot more settled during the day and did lots more poos which made me worry that I'd been under feeding him for eight weeks!

I also spoke to an Australian Breastfeeding Association counsellor who encouraged me to stay calm during feeds despite the screaming, to remember that it's Zach's problem not mine and if I am calm he will feel calm(ish) too. Sometimes this is easier said than done.

It is frustrating to not have an easy answer but we are soldiering on. It's not all bad, sometimes we do have a decent breastfeeding session with minimal crying and just this morning Zach stopped sucking and looked up at me with a very cheeky smile! :-)

A possible alternative to breastfeeding?

Waiting for Baby

Today I am 40 weeks and 6 days pregnant, that's theoretically 6 days overdue. This shouldn't surprise me as Aston was 9 days late but it is starting to get a bit tiresome.

I know the baby will come when he's ready and I know that technically full term is anywhere from 37 to 42 weeks. However I'm well and truly ready to have this baby!

This afternoon I have my "postdates" appointment at the hospital where we will probably be booked for an induction. I'm not terribly keen to be induced especially if it means being confined to a bed strapped to monitors. I'm also not terribly keen to have a 2 week overdue baby who weighs almost 5kg!

I've been praying for baby to come and praying for patience and I know that in 2 weeks time all this worry and stress will be irrelevant but I just want to get on with it and have a baby!

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Medicine

Aston has been sick. We took him to the Dr yesterday who said both of his eardrums looked as though they were about to burst! He was so miserable, hot and shivering and only wanted to sit and have cuddles. His cousins came over and he didn't even want to play with them which is really unusual!

Stuart and I were not looking forward to having to give him another course of antibiotics.

He used to like having medicine until a few weeks ago when we ended up in RPA's emergency department. We were sent there by a GP who was worried Aston's cough and rattly sounding chest were signs of pneumonia. After enduring attempts by 3 different doctors to take a blood sample while being wrapped in a sheet and held down, Aston spent the next week or so objecting to anyone trying to do anything to him. Including brushing his teeth and giving him medicine.

It would take two of us to squirt antibiotics into his mouth which he would then spit out!

This time around it was the same the first lot of antibiotics were painful and we managed to get him to swallow less than a third of the recommended dose of panadol. I bribed him with chocolate the second time which worked for the antibiotics but again he only had some of the panadol.

This morning he woke up feeling much better with no fever and ready to play. Stuart told him it was the medicine that made him feel better and Aston seemed to like that idea. At breakfast he said his ears were sore and actually asked for more medicine!

Since then he seems to be coping with having to take it, it still takes a bit of coaxing and the occasional bribe but we no longer have to force feed him!

Work

I'm realising more and more how much information Aston absorbs without us deliberately trying to teach him anything.

Here is a conversation I had with him about work.

A: I am a lady
Me: What are you doing?
A: Going to work
Me: Men go to work too
A: Daddy is a man (in a tone of voice as if to say 'but daddy doesn't go to work')

In another work related conversation, I was trying to get Aston to stand up so I could lift him out of the bath. His response was "no, I'm doing work!" which is what he gets told when he wants one of us to play with him while we're working...






Aston not doing work...


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2011 So Far

It has been quite a while since I last blogged. Life has been pretty busy, and my laptop screen has died which has been extremely inconvenient.

I'm writing this on my iPhone using a wireless keyboard. It's rather weird because my phone is about a metre away from me charging on the kitchen bench while I am sitting typing at the kitchen table.

The main reason for my lack of blogging is our new 2011 routine, Stuart started a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning this semester which he really enjoys (yay!) and I am now working 3 days a week. I really don't know how families survive with two full time working parents, the two of us are 'working' part time and it feels like every day is an effort.

I was at Credo's Easter Conference (ETC) over the long weekend - there were some amazing talks on "the End" by Murray Smith, it was exciting to look towards the New Creation and know that we are part of it now through Jesus' death and resurrection.

ETC was followed by a few days off, mostly just hanging out at home, doing a bit of shopping and yesterday we took Aston to the Powerhouse Museum. There was lots of fun stuff for him to do and he had heaps of fun!

I'm really not looking forward to getting back into it on Monday

However it's not all bad, I am constantly amazed at how good God has been to us. After a year of being unemployed, Stuart is doing something he enjoys and that will hopefully help get a job he enjoys. I love working with Credo and an extra day a week is not painful at all - the extra money has been helpful too. We both get to see Aston when he is awake and spend one-one time with him and God has provided some amazing friends who love looking after Aston on Mondays - he loves them too!

The manic rushing around will be over soon, only two more months until the end of semester and my maternity leave. Hopefully I'll have a month of rest before baby number 2 arrives, and then a new type of craziness will begin!




Aston and Stuart at The Powerhouse museum

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Greenkids

We use cloth nappies, at the moment only for sleep times - yay but when the new baby comes the box of nappies will be unearthed from the garage and put to good use again.

Our favourite nappies are Greenkids and they are having a sale 20% off storewide! Check them out!

Aston in his Greenkids Froggy Funtime nappy

Bye Bye Nappies!

Yesterday we put most of Aston's nappies in a box and now he wears Big Boy Undies!

We had talked about it for a few days, he was quite keen on the idea of getting rid of the nappies but as I placed the box on top of my wardrobe there were a few tears.

Day one wasn't too bad, there were a few accidents, lots of trips to the potty with no results and one decent wee... I think he still needs some practice but that's ok

We attempted toilet training a few weeks ago and at this stage I was quite discouraged. Since then I've read "The No Cry Potty Training Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. She says learning to go to the toilet is like any other skill, you wouldn't expect a baby to know how to walk perfectly after one day so why expect him to know how to use the potty perfectly after one or even three days?

It makes perfect sense and I don't know why I expected Aston to unlearn almost 2 years of nappy training in a just few days!

So, here we are again, there may be wet undies and wet floors but day by day Aston is learning more and more!




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Playdough!

1.5 cups of flour and 0.5 cup salt












Mix together












Add 0.5 tablespoon of oil












Some water












Food colouring












Mix and knead to form a soft dough











Play with dough!

Advent (Day 25) It's Christmas day!

With Nana :-)





"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)

Happy Birthday Jesus!

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Advent (Day 24)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the
law, so that we might receive adoption as children.
(Gal 4:4-5)




The blurry thing in Aston's hand is a My First Christmas baby dog tree ornament. Grandma gave it to Aston last year.


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Advent (Day 23)

We had trouble getting a decent photo today... Here we are with Aunty Belinda



And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matt 2:12)



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Advent (Day 22)

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
(Matt 2:11)





With Aunty Liz :-)

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Advent (Day 21)

Today we are at Grandma and Grandpa's!

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. (Matt 2:9-10)



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Advent (Day 20)

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem,
saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." (Matt 2:7-8)




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Advent (Day 19)

They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" (Matt 2:5-1)




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Advent (Day 18)

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
(Matt 2:3-4)



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Advent (Day 17)

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its
rising, and have come to pay him homage." (Matt 2:1-2)

Advent (Day 16)

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)

Stuart spent ages last night checking the lights on the tree one by one to see which were blown! He replaced 10 bulbs!

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Advent (Day 15)

...and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:18-20)




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Advent (Day14)

I'm starting to realise I should have put more thought into which character goes with which verse.

Today we met a Wise Man



So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child…(Luke 2:16-17)

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