Average day of a mommy and an almost 3 month old baby ;-)
Between 06:00 - 10:00 (depending what time she wakes up) - Nappy change, Feed, Sing-along time, Mommy-pull-faces-time, Nap
Between 10:00 - 15:00 - Nappy change, Tummy-time, Play-time, Feed, Singalong-time, Nap, Mommy-pull-faces-time, Nap
Between 15:00 - 18:00 - Nappy change, Feed, Play-time, Singalong-time, Nap, Walkies (this is Imke's most niggly time of the day!)
Between 18:00 - 19:30 - Get bath ready, Tummy-time, Bath-time, Massage time, getting into pajamas, Feed, Cuddles, Story-time, Sleep
REPEAT 7 days a week!
Oh, and a nap can be anywhere from a five minute 'power' nap to an hour & a half sleep :-)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
On sleeping straight through the night and wedding anniversaries
We are doing so well - Imke surprised us on Saturday night with 9.5 hours of sleep. And on Sunday she slept 10 hours. And Monday 10.5 hours. And last night a whole 11 hours! From 19:00 till 6:00! It seems the trend will continue (hold thumbs!!) and that she is now going to sleep through just before her 3 month birthday heee haaa!
She is such a cutie - she loves 'talking' to mommy(ah-ghuuuuu) and she seems to 'sing' with when I sing to her! She ah-ghuu's along while I am singing and then stops when I stop singing - it is so darling!! She is also starting to reach for stuff - not much luck yet in grasping them but she gets sooo excited and flaps her little arms up & down!!
And it is my birthday on Sunday!!! AND our 1st wedding anniversary - whooo hooo! Jeroen seems to be planning all kinds of things cause I asked what are we doing and he said "wait & see" - so very excited :-)
Can't believe last year this time I was getting ready to marry this sweet man of mine (today a year ago I was being waxed to within an inch of my life LOL!!) and here we are a year later with a precious little baba!!! Wow is all I can say :-)
She is such a cutie - she loves 'talking' to mommy(ah-ghuuuuu) and she seems to 'sing' with when I sing to her! She ah-ghuu's along while I am singing and then stops when I stop singing - it is so darling!! She is also starting to reach for stuff - not much luck yet in grasping them but she gets sooo excited and flaps her little arms up & down!!
And it is my birthday on Sunday!!! AND our 1st wedding anniversary - whooo hooo! Jeroen seems to be planning all kinds of things cause I asked what are we doing and he said "wait & see" - so very excited :-)
Can't believe last year this time I was getting ready to marry this sweet man of mine (today a year ago I was being waxed to within an inch of my life LOL!!) and here we are a year later with a precious little baba!!! Wow is all I can say :-)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Poetic Justice..
Definition: Vice to be punished and virtue to be rewarded, but also for logic to triumph...
Ye, Gods, the person who coined that phrase must have been a new parent. I just know that he/she felt the same as I am feeling right now - the same ironic twist of fate that reveals itself to you as you consider your child's future.
I've spend so much of my life thinking that my sisters' rebellion was directly caused by my parents' overindulgence. That my detached attitude towards them stems from them not holding me or cuddling me enough. That my insecurities are due, in part, to not feeling loved enough by the two people who should, in all rights, love me the most.
And then, WHAM, the tables are turned. I have a child of my own. Now everything I do or don't do has an influence on this little human's life. NOTHING can prepare you for this feeling - it is just so overwhelming.
I want to do everything right, no mistakes. I do not want her to ever feel that I have let her down. But I guess that the rational part of me knows that that is just impossible. Even if a parent does everything in their power to do things 'right', there will come a time when, in your child's eyes you did the wrong thing. Even if the 'vice' was not deliberate it will be 'punished' :-)
And then I also just so wish with my whole heart & my whole soul that I can keep my baby from ever feeling sad or hurt. I wish I could save her from ever spilling a tear because of injustice or unfairness. But logic will prevail - I know I can not prevent all heartache from ever visiting my dearest little girl. I know I can not stop tears that are bound to fall. All I can do, and do to the best of my ability, is be there to dry those tears and to provide a safe place to fall.
Oh, brother but I am maudlin tonight :-) Forgive my ramblings friends - when you are so tired you can't sleep your mind does strange things he he he.
Can I just add one thing, please?
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE, LOVE, CHERISH MY LITTLE GIRL :-) I wish every person on earth could experience this feeling of utter unabashed, unselfish, unconditional love for another human being.
Ye, Gods, the person who coined that phrase must have been a new parent. I just know that he/she felt the same as I am feeling right now - the same ironic twist of fate that reveals itself to you as you consider your child's future.
I've spend so much of my life thinking that my sisters' rebellion was directly caused by my parents' overindulgence. That my detached attitude towards them stems from them not holding me or cuddling me enough. That my insecurities are due, in part, to not feeling loved enough by the two people who should, in all rights, love me the most.
And then, WHAM, the tables are turned. I have a child of my own. Now everything I do or don't do has an influence on this little human's life. NOTHING can prepare you for this feeling - it is just so overwhelming.
I want to do everything right, no mistakes. I do not want her to ever feel that I have let her down. But I guess that the rational part of me knows that that is just impossible. Even if a parent does everything in their power to do things 'right', there will come a time when, in your child's eyes you did the wrong thing. Even if the 'vice' was not deliberate it will be 'punished' :-)
And then I also just so wish with my whole heart & my whole soul that I can keep my baby from ever feeling sad or hurt. I wish I could save her from ever spilling a tear because of injustice or unfairness. But logic will prevail - I know I can not prevent all heartache from ever visiting my dearest little girl. I know I can not stop tears that are bound to fall. All I can do, and do to the best of my ability, is be there to dry those tears and to provide a safe place to fall.
Oh, brother but I am maudlin tonight :-) Forgive my ramblings friends - when you are so tired you can't sleep your mind does strange things he he he.
Can I just add one thing, please?
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE, LOVE, CHERISH MY LITTLE GIRL :-) I wish every person on earth could experience this feeling of utter unabashed, unselfish, unconditional love for another human being.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
First 6 weeks are tough!
I won't bullshit you - the first 6 weeks are hectic LOL! You don't get much sleep and you are nervous & apprehensive as to whether you are doing things right. If you are breastfeeding you keep on wondering if your baby is getting enough to eat - if you are bottle feeding your baby has twice as many eina winds to try and rub out.
You feel guilty when you can't get your baby to stop crying - like you are a failure as a mother cause you can't read her cues. It DOES get stressful and on top of it all your hormones are still all over the place so you cry at the drop of a hat..... AND your own body is still recovering from the birth (whether C-sect or vaginal). I kept on saying to Jeroen that when I step out of the shower (TMI following.....) that I don't know where to pad first - sanitary, breast pad or tissue for my tears. Your breast may hurt & I did not like the tingling feeling every time my milk let down.
BUT - it gets better! There is light at the end of the tunnel & you WILL get through it. Make sure you have a support network - even if it is just your husband or a domestic worker that you trust. You will need to be able to have a nice long bath or a walk down the road while someone else holds baby or keeps an eye on her. Get out of the house even if just for half an hour! If you are close to your mother, let her come visit for a week or so after your baby is born (but only from week 3 I would recommend - so you have time to bond with your baby first!)
And all of a sudden at about 5 - 6 weeks she starts making noises that sounds like she is trying to communicate with you and she might start smiling and you can read most of her cries and you know it was all worth it!!
I said to Jeroen that I can not imagine going through this with a man who I don't feel 100% comfortable with. Cause all of a sudden you are not their sexy love goddess (LOL!!) anymore but a human milk machine that bleeds & cries and want to talk about how many dirty nappies there was today ;-)
So, prepare your DH's for what lies ahead!!!
Also, the BIG thing that has made this whole experience sooo much easier for us is that we had no preconceived ideas about what lay ahead. I know I've said this before, but it is so true (for us at least he he he!!). Make peace with the fact that your best laid plans (breastfeeding, co-sleeping or not etc) MAY not work! If you are willing to just take each day as it comes & not get stressed out cause your plans are not working then you will have so much more fun with your little bundle.
Also, HUMOUR! Laugh at yourselves! Cause crying doesn't make anything better & if you can see the humour in a situation you will calm down & your baba will be more relaxed as well!!
You feel guilty when you can't get your baby to stop crying - like you are a failure as a mother cause you can't read her cues. It DOES get stressful and on top of it all your hormones are still all over the place so you cry at the drop of a hat..... AND your own body is still recovering from the birth (whether C-sect or vaginal). I kept on saying to Jeroen that when I step out of the shower (TMI following.....) that I don't know where to pad first - sanitary, breast pad or tissue for my tears. Your breast may hurt & I did not like the tingling feeling every time my milk let down.
BUT - it gets better! There is light at the end of the tunnel & you WILL get through it. Make sure you have a support network - even if it is just your husband or a domestic worker that you trust. You will need to be able to have a nice long bath or a walk down the road while someone else holds baby or keeps an eye on her. Get out of the house even if just for half an hour! If you are close to your mother, let her come visit for a week or so after your baby is born (but only from week 3 I would recommend - so you have time to bond with your baby first!)
And all of a sudden at about 5 - 6 weeks she starts making noises that sounds like she is trying to communicate with you and she might start smiling and you can read most of her cries and you know it was all worth it!!
I said to Jeroen that I can not imagine going through this with a man who I don't feel 100% comfortable with. Cause all of a sudden you are not their sexy love goddess (LOL!!) anymore but a human milk machine that bleeds & cries and want to talk about how many dirty nappies there was today ;-)
So, prepare your DH's for what lies ahead!!!
Also, the BIG thing that has made this whole experience sooo much easier for us is that we had no preconceived ideas about what lay ahead. I know I've said this before, but it is so true (for us at least he he he!!). Make peace with the fact that your best laid plans (breastfeeding, co-sleeping or not etc) MAY not work! If you are willing to just take each day as it comes & not get stressed out cause your plans are not working then you will have so much more fun with your little bundle.
Also, HUMOUR! Laugh at yourselves! Cause crying doesn't make anything better & if you can see the humour in a situation you will calm down & your baba will be more relaxed as well!!
Imke 'slept through'!!
On her 6 week "birthday"!!!
Which doesn't mean she slept right through the night (yes, you learn these things quickly!) - but she dropped her 11 o'clock feed! Which means she slept from 19:30 to 02:30! That is a whole 7 hours :-)
Unfortunately she did not inform her mommy of her plans and mommy sat up waiting for the wake-up call (ahhh ahhh ahhh wheeeeeeeee) - so mommy only got 2.5 hours sleep last night he he he ;-)
PS - preggy girls, you must must must get the Sleep Sense book - and read it beforehand if possible. Try to implement the sleeping strategies from the start & you will be a MUCh more contented mommy & your baby will love you for it as well. In baby world sleep begets sleep -so the better she sleeps during the day the better her night sleeps are. Really a very helpful book.
PSS - she is also smiling at mommy - melts your heart I tell you!!
Which doesn't mean she slept right through the night (yes, you learn these things quickly!) - but she dropped her 11 o'clock feed! Which means she slept from 19:30 to 02:30! That is a whole 7 hours :-)
Unfortunately she did not inform her mommy of her plans and mommy sat up waiting for the wake-up call (ahhh ahhh ahhh wheeeeeeeee) - so mommy only got 2.5 hours sleep last night he he he ;-)
PS - preggy girls, you must must must get the Sleep Sense book - and read it beforehand if possible. Try to implement the sleeping strategies from the start & you will be a MUCh more contented mommy & your baby will love you for it as well. In baby world sleep begets sleep -so the better she sleeps during the day the better her night sleeps are. Really a very helpful book.
PSS - she is also smiling at mommy - melts your heart I tell you!!
 | ||
| Our first gummy smiles!! |
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
First Shopping trip with Imke :-)
I am heading to the shops WITH IMKE for the first time today...... he he he please think of me LOL!!! I am a little bit nervous :-)
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he he he, so we are back!!! And we survived!!! She is actually such a little angel that I don't know why I even get stressed :-)
And she got spoilt rotten again - she got a bouncy chair & a bumbo seat and new vesties & a rattle etc etc etc. Amazes me to think that I would NEVER EVER have spent R2000-00 in 1 day on myself but I don't even blink when it's for Imke LOL!!!!!!
(BTW - it was the bouncy chair that was so very expensive (R780 odd))
Had fun though with all the tannies wanting to see this cute tiny little baba!!!
**************************************************
he he he, so we are back!!! And we survived!!! She is actually such a little angel that I don't know why I even get stressed :-)
And she got spoilt rotten again - she got a bouncy chair & a bumbo seat and new vesties & a rattle etc etc etc. Amazes me to think that I would NEVER EVER have spent R2000-00 in 1 day on myself but I don't even blink when it's for Imke LOL!!!!!!
(BTW - it was the bouncy chair that was so very expensive (R780 odd))
Had fun though with all the tannies wanting to see this cute tiny little baba!!!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Almost 1month already!
I can not believe that it is almost a month since this little sweetheart has joined our family! She is growing sooo fast & is such a pleasure to have around!
We are doing a newborn shoot tomorrow - can't wait :-) I will post those pics as soon as I have them!!!
We are doing a newborn shoot tomorrow - can't wait :-) I will post those pics as soon as I have them!!!
Monday, June 22, 2009
20 of being a mommy & Imke's Birth Story
20 days of being a Mommy ;-) The time really flies – and Imke is growing soooo much! She has grown 4.75cm since birth & her weight is now 3.470kg! And her little cheeks are getting so chubby – it is too cute for words!!
I don’t think I can really describe the last 20 days – exhilarating, exhausting, wonderful, frightening, emotional, nerve wracking, filled with love, love, love………………..
I was not prepared for how much I would love this little girl – I thought I knew, but nothing compares to this overpowering sense of love & wonderment every time I look at her little face. I love her so much it hurts my eyes to look at her…….
The c-section went smooth; my blood pressure just dropped a whole lot & I was in recovery for a little longer than is usual. I felt very dizzy & cold but otherwise fine. Beforehand I was so scared of the drip & catheter (strangely enough I was not scared of the spinal tap LOL!!) but none of it was sore at all.
They had a bit of trouble getting Imke’s head out (since she was breech) – her ears seem to get hooked LOL!!! But it all went so very quick – from the cut being made to her being placed on my chest was maybe 7 minutes in all.
It was absolutely amazing to hear that first cry – my heart just melted & I was crying right along with her! What an amazing, amazing moment seeing your child for the fist time :-)
I was up & about the day after the op – was quite sore but I think the quicker you get up the quicker you heal. My milk also came in very quickly – I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I was roaming the hallways so soon!
Breastfeeding….. now that is another story all together LOL!!! Imke’s little mouth could just not latch correctly – my nipples were soooo sore after just one or two feeds. As soon as we got home I started expressing milk cause I hurt just too much. So she still gets the benefit if breast milk but from a bottle! And Jeroen gets to share the joy of feeding his daughter. She is also very very voraciously hungry LOL!!! So we are topping up with Formula as the breast milk is just not enough for her :-)
I am healing very nicely – sometimes the place where the inside stitches were seem to hurt (I am sure they are dissolved already though). The wound is healing nicely – my gynea has given me some kind of tape (almost like masking tape?) that I put over the wound & then rub bio-oil or tissue oil over until the tape falls off & then I just put a new piece over. He said that would minimise the scarring & prevent keloids from forming.
Emotionally the last 3 weeks have been very very up & down! The tears pour for no reason at the most random moments! Never underestimate the changes your hormones will be going through ;-) But I have not felt sad or blue or anything like that – there are just moments where I have felt a little bit overwhelmed by it all. It is so frightening to realize that this little human being is totally & utterly dependent on you for her EVERY need.
I don’t think I can really describe the last 20 days – exhilarating, exhausting, wonderful, frightening, emotional, nerve wracking, filled with love, love, love………………..
I was not prepared for how much I would love this little girl – I thought I knew, but nothing compares to this overpowering sense of love & wonderment every time I look at her little face. I love her so much it hurts my eyes to look at her…….
The c-section went smooth; my blood pressure just dropped a whole lot & I was in recovery for a little longer than is usual. I felt very dizzy & cold but otherwise fine. Beforehand I was so scared of the drip & catheter (strangely enough I was not scared of the spinal tap LOL!!) but none of it was sore at all.
They had a bit of trouble getting Imke’s head out (since she was breech) – her ears seem to get hooked LOL!!! But it all went so very quick – from the cut being made to her being placed on my chest was maybe 7 minutes in all.
It was absolutely amazing to hear that first cry – my heart just melted & I was crying right along with her! What an amazing, amazing moment seeing your child for the fist time :-)
I was up & about the day after the op – was quite sore but I think the quicker you get up the quicker you heal. My milk also came in very quickly – I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I was roaming the hallways so soon!
Breastfeeding….. now that is another story all together LOL!!! Imke’s little mouth could just not latch correctly – my nipples were soooo sore after just one or two feeds. As soon as we got home I started expressing milk cause I hurt just too much. So she still gets the benefit if breast milk but from a bottle! And Jeroen gets to share the joy of feeding his daughter. She is also very very voraciously hungry LOL!!! So we are topping up with Formula as the breast milk is just not enough for her :-)
I am healing very nicely – sometimes the place where the inside stitches were seem to hurt (I am sure they are dissolved already though). The wound is healing nicely – my gynea has given me some kind of tape (almost like masking tape?) that I put over the wound & then rub bio-oil or tissue oil over until the tape falls off & then I just put a new piece over. He said that would minimise the scarring & prevent keloids from forming.
Emotionally the last 3 weeks have been very very up & down! The tears pour for no reason at the most random moments! Never underestimate the changes your hormones will be going through ;-) But I have not felt sad or blue or anything like that – there are just moments where I have felt a little bit overwhelmed by it all. It is so frightening to realize that this little human being is totally & utterly dependent on you for her EVERY need.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Imke, 2 weeks old!
WOW!! Tomorrow Imke is 2 weeks old already! I can not believe how the time has FLOWN past.
Being a mommy is exciting, exhilarating, exhausting, frightening, nerve wracking, wonderful! I can not put into words how much I love this little bundle of of ours :-) She has filled our lives more than I ever thought possible & I can not get over how perfectly wonderful she is (I am prejudiced; I know LOL!!!!)
Being a mommy is exciting, exhilarating, exhausting, frightening, nerve wracking, wonderful! I can not put into words how much I love this little bundle of of ours :-) She has filled our lives more than I ever thought possible & I can not get over how perfectly wonderful she is (I am prejudiced; I know LOL!!!!)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Imke's Birth Announcement
Was born at 9h19. 3.24kg & a whole 47cm tall. Mom tired but everyone is doing fine. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Jeroen, Cyndi & Imke
xx
xx
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