First Three Stitches

Its been one of those hot, muggy days here in Ipoh. The kind of day that makes me lethargic. Unfortunately, there was no lounging around enjoying a fresh coconut though. We have had some excitement in this household today.

Adrian was playing on the floor next to me this morning while I paid some bills on the internet. He played quietly with his toys and seemed contented. I looked at him one minute and things were normal. After I finished with the bills, I looked down and there was blood all over his face and hands. BUT, he was still playing quietly and contentedly!

My first instinct was to check his mouth thinking that he had chewed on something sharp. Not the problem. Nosebleed? No. The blood was everywhere but we finally figured out that it was from a cut on his index finger. We tried cleaning it up, applying pressure, putting a cold compress on but it just kept bleeding.

So, off we rushed to his pediatrician. He checked it out and it appeared that Adrian had somehow nicked a blood vessel or an artery or something and he would need stitches. For this, he recommended we take Adrian to a plastic surgeon because he would be better with tiny stitches. Off we rushed again in the hot sun.

About 30 mins after I looked down to see all the blood, two nurses were pinning him down and the plastic surgeon was doing his work, leaving three stitches on my baby's tiny finger. The screams were heart wrenching! The poor little guy is only 6 months old.



The only dressing the wound received was a simple band aid over the stitches and we have been having a horribly hard time keeping it on. Adrian has bitten it off 4 times this afternoon and each time he does it, we need to hold him down, dab on a little antiseptic cream and then try to get the band aid over his finger again.

We tried putting a sock over his hand for awhile but he ended up sucking on it till it was all soggy.



So the latest thing we've tried is to pound up some leaves from the Neem tree and dabbing a bit of that bitter stuff on his finger. Lets hope it works.

Does anybody have any other ideas on how I can keep him from taking it off?

My Bald-ish Babies

"WOW! Look at that hair!"

Thats what I heard a lot of when Aaron was born and also when Adrian was born. Actually, I still get that with Adrian if people are looking at him from the front. Its a different story from any other angle.

It supposedly didn't happen with me or my brother and none of my friends had babies that went bald but take a look at these two...

Aaron at around 6 months - Bald at the front and top.


And this is Adrian now - Bald at the back.


Bilbo once left a comment saying that if a man is bald in the front, he's a thinker. And if he's bald at the back, he's sexy. (And if he's bald all over, he thinks he's sexy!) I wonder if these bald babies are giving me a hint as to what I can expect from them in the future!

Baby Flip Flops

Adrian is still flip flopping around the place. He can't sit yet and whenever we prop him up, he either flips backwards or just flops to the front or side. He is pretty good at commando crawling about the place. Staying with the commando theme, he is extremely adventurous and has been trying his best to explore the entire floor area of the house. He is determined to touch (and taste) everything he can see.

Moving away from the commando theme and on to a puppy one, he seems to like the legs of tables and chairs best! We're forced to keep pulling him back before he starts gnawing on them.

And of course, the things that are most interesting to him are all of Aaron's toys. Thankfully, Aaron has been patient, generous and most importantly, wise enough to find himself a play room. They play together sometimes but its really more Adrian chewing on Aaron's toys and Aaron trying his best to wipe the saliva off.

So, Adrian is still a long way from walking or even standing but a good friend of mine has made sure that he's still looking cool as he flips and flops around the place. Check out these Baby Flip Flops!



As the mom, I know I would be too practical to buy them myself but I am extremely appreciative of my friend's thoughtful gift. Sometimes its good to have cute but not necessarily useful things. Useful things are boring!

So, have you been to an osteopath?

I haven't, but Adrian has. Twice now.

Remember how I mentioned several months ago that he was a super sleeper that slept so much, he needed to be jostled awake just to feed? Well, that was a different baby. The Adrian we have now is very.....challenging with his sleep patterns. I'm not going to say its a problem because so far, I have not complained about it and I'm holding on tight to the notion that if I don't acknowledge it as a problem, then it really isn't a real problem.

Nevertheless, after a particularly difficult week, I took him to the osteopath last Friday. I never knew what osteopaths did and when a friend of mine mentioned (nearly a month ago) that she took her daughter to one to help with her sleep, I was intrigued but didn't act on it because I felt that I could get things under control. Until I lost too many sleep battles.

So what exactly do they do? The center we went to specializes in osteopathy in the Cranial Field, a very gentle approach that is suitable for babies. It aims at "restoring the structure and function of the body to a state of balance and health using drug free, manual therapy. The treatment process involves a subtle manipulation to the small rhythmic motions in the tissues and organs of the body." Their brochure and the posters on the center's walls indicate that they can help with everything from ear infections and colds to ADHD and even mastitis. They're magic doctors that help with EVERYTHING! So, I gather that its not that they fix sleep issues in babies but instead, they help to align the body so that everything is working as it should and this in turn may translate into the baby sleeping like the proverbial baby.

Honestly, I can't tell if the osteopath is actually doing anything or is just resting her hands on Adrian's back. But, whatever it is that she's doing, it is having some effect on him. I still have the dark circles under my eyes and am as grouchy as last week but, there has been a change. Adrian is sleeping a lot more peacefully. He even nearly fell asleep on the way to his session today instead of screaming the whole way. I like how things have been progressing so far.

Now that I have put this down in black and white, he'll probably keep me up all night again. Should I actually click "Publish Post"? If I have a good night, you'll hear from me tomorrow morning.

Hey! What Happened?

Aaron is baby #1. That meant that I only had him to look after and I had my eyes on him all the time. I also had my camera on him so often that I actually have a video of the very first time he rolled over from his tummy to his back.

Adrian, baby #2. No less loved, but definitely less looked at (thats looked AT, not looked AFTER) and less photographed. Hey, my attention is divided now. And not just by two either.

Anyhow, I was out harvesting some of our okra when I heard Aaron yelling for me to come back. I had left Aaron to his lunch and Adrian on the floor, playing contentedly.

When I got in, Aaron was pointing at Adrian and shouting "Look! Look!". I took a quick look at the baby. He looked fine. Not hurt. Not crying. Whats the problem?

So I look back to Aaron, "What?"

And he says, extremely proudly and excitedly "Adrian rolled over! I saw him!".

D'oh! How did I miss that? He was having some tummy time when I left and now he was face up! Not only did I miss the actual roll over, I didn't even realize it when I saw him face up.

The best I could do was capture the moment immediately after the first roll over. He just looked so dazed....

Don't worry, I didn't put him on top of a sarong over the hard, tiled floor. Its actually a sarong, over a yoga mat, on top of the tiled floor.

This reminded me of a story that Mike left me about subsequent children:
First kid - Pacifier hits the floor. Mother grabs it and boils it in hot water to sterilize it.

Second kid - Mother picks up pacifier of the floor, wipes it off and gives it back to kid.

Third kid - Mother takes pacifier out of dogs mouth and sticks it back in kids mouth.

Our New Toy

Well, he's not so new anymore. He's about two months old now and very playful. He smiles, laughs and pretends to talk like the rest of us. For our part, we treat him like a little doll to be passed around for cuddles.

Everybody know that there are more cute girl clothes out there than boys' and I always look at it as an easy way for me to avoid spending. I did come across these cute socks that I couldn't resist. I



Sometimes, we get a bit carried away with 'props' from around the house.



Other times we keep clicking away with the camera to catch moments like these.

Milk Saver? Auto burper?

I've been browsing a lot of online shops lately looking for nursing wear. Just like all other baby related items, these can be quite pricey. Very often, they aren't even very good looking! (Yes, I can just wear my normal tops but my tummy is not 'pre-pregnancy' yet and I don't want it hanging out as I feed.)

Anyway, I've got my tops. And just in case you wanted to know, I found that the shops from the UK offered the most reasonable prices for the ones I wanted.

During my internet travels, I came across this really strange item - The Milkies Milk Saver. Its for saving leaking breastmilk as you feed or pump. It actually is a very clever idea and for people that leak a lot, it would make things a lot less messy.

These days the invention that I would really like is an auto-burper. Adrian is one super gassy baby. I'm spending more time burping him than anything else. We burp halfway through a feed, after a feed, 15 mins after a feed, 60 mins later...ALL DAY LONG! His whole heads turns purple if I leave him to try to get some of these out himself. If you had your eyes closed when he did burp, you'd imagine it came from an obnoxious teenager. They really are huge and rumbly.

They have all sorts of seats and carriers for babies these days. They just need to invent one that will hold the baby either in the full sitting position with chin supported or have the baby lying on his stomach with chin supported and limbs hanging down. Then, they can have an automatic hand that will keep patting until the burp rolls up. Actually, I don't even need the auto hand. I don't mind patting him while something else is holding him up. It has been really hot having him over my shoulder these few days and getting him even more irritated than he already is.

Hey check this out! I thought I'd just quickly Google "Crazy Baby Products" before finishing off my post and look what it came up with: 20 Products Great For Traumatizing Infants. (OMG...I think No 9 has me traumatized.)

What happened to my week?

I didn't even realise it but its been a week since my last post! And its not as if I've been very busy or overly sleep deprived. In fact, we just sit around all day long and our nights are fairly decent too.

Babies definitely know how to take up time. If they aren't being fussy, they're either being cute or peaceful. I find myself staring at Adrian as he sleeps. And when he's awake, I'm still staring and wondering what he will look like as he grows.

Occasionally, I get very guilty as I stare because this thought enters my head : "Now there's a face only a mother can love." He just looks so strange when he gets fussy and screws up his face. I know not to compare but I can't help thinking back and trying to remember what Aaron was like at this age. Thankfully, Aaron was the world's fussiest baby when he was a newborn and I have only the vaguest recollection of what he was like.

As for Aaron, he continues to be incredibly mature about the latest center of attention in our household. He is sometimes the protector and occasionally also Adrian's "advocate" when he's crying. Aaron will say "I think you better feed him." or "Poor little guy. He's wet."

Under all of Aaron's cuteness, we sometimes see him feeling as if he has lost his mom. He has been asking to be carried a lot more and has also indicated that while he understands I have to spend a lot of time feeding or doing other things for the baby BUT would like me to look after him again. I do of course, but what he probably means is that 100% attention.

Its time for me to go check out the news and all your blogs. I have absolutely no idea whats been going on in the world or in the worlds of my blogging friends. Its been really nice being in the new family cocoon.

A Surprising Babymoon

I'm (fairly) well rested and blissfully happy. Before the baby was born, I kept thinking of all the hard work that was ahead of me and all the pain that would come with the breastfeeding and healing.

Surprisingly, things have worked out much better. I do wake up through the night to feed the baby but it has been pain free and the baby goes back to sleep afterwards. I know its early days at the moment but this period of relative peacefulness has allowed us all to ease into life as a family of four without the stresses of having to deal with a crying baby that doesn't sleep. After 2 years and 8 months of nursing Aaron, I'm a pro and this time around, we've had no problems and it really helps to keep everyone a lot more calm.

I think the difference between having this baby and having Aaron is that with Aaron, I did not know what to expect, yet had a whole lot of expectations of how life was going to be. This time, I had an idea of what could happen but had no expectations at all on what life was going to be like. Am I making sense? Even with the significantly easier early days we're experiencing now, I think I am still prepared for the hard stuff to start at any time. An unsettled baby, sleepless nights, an upset stomach making for a zillion dirty nappies, whatever it may be, I'm rested and ready. And I'm enjoying being a mother of two more than I could have imagined.

I am constantly amazed at how little he is. And, I also keep thinking about how this is probably the last time I'll be enjoying the tiny-ness of a newborn.



Going back to my little darlings now. I know there have been questions about the baby's name.....its coming soon. Its almost decided and once we send in the registration papers and I can't change my mind anymore, I'll let you all know.

The Baby Will Be Here Soon.....Maybe

"You're having a Christmas baby."

"You're not going to last until 7 January."

"Not long to go now."

Those are the sorts of comments I've been hearing a lot this past week. Even from total strangers.

With Aaron, he came eight days early and that cut out all the anticipation and any waiting time.

And because Aaron was early, I've always had it in the back of my mind that this baby will come early too. I know there is absolutely no scientific reason for it to happen but I've got that sort of expectation built into me already.

So on top of that, there are all these people who look at my belly and say "Its coming soon!" and thats just building the expectation in me even higher. I really prefer not to have all this anticipation but its happening whether I like it or not.

What have I been doing about it? I've read about the 'nesting instinct' where expectant mothers supposedly get this uncontrollable urge to clean, tidy and organize. In the final days of pregnancy, this is often a sign that labor and delivery is close at hand.

I definitely have not been cleaning and have no desire to do so but I have been doing a lot of online organizing. I've set up and checked that anything that can be done online, is set up. I've cleaned up my hard disk and updated all my documents.

The other thing I've been doing is eating. Not to get this baby any bigger but in anticipation of several months of potentially bland food. With Aaron, he seemed to react (by not sleeping) to anything I ate that was not vegetables stir fried with garlic. I couldn't eat anything with too much meat, oil, food additives or flavour. So, I've just been snacking on junk food all day long for the past week.

So back to when this baby is coming out. Who knows?? Sometime in the next two or three weeks? Do I want it before Christmas? Not really. Before New Year's Day? I don't mind. All I know is that it'll come when it comes and in the mean time, I'll be eating lots of junk food, maybe in front of the computer.

Birthing A Ping Pong Ball

Tonight I went for an ante-natal refresher class. It was more like a question and answer session rather than an actual class, except for this one exercise. And I now have the imagery that silly balloon and ping pong ball exercise burned into my brain.

The educator got us to shove a ping pong ball into a balloon. After blowing the balloon up (but not tying it off), we turned the balloon upside down so that the ball sat over the opening. Once the ball was there, we could let go and the ball would act as the plug to prevent the balloon from deflating.

Here comes the fun part...

Firstly, we squeezed the sides of the balloon to show how uterine contractions do not happen. Its ineffective.

Then, we squeezed the top of the balloon, which is what the uterus does during labour and the ping pong ball kept moving up and down the 'neck' of the balloon. The neck representing the cervix.

Then the lady says "crown your baby". So, we all squeezed the top of the balloon until the ping pong ball was about a quarter of the way out of the balloon.

Now, "puff your baby out". And there were ping pong balls flying everywhere! I'm glad there was that funny ending to the exercise because I really did not need the extra props to boost my imagination skills.

I did not like this exercise at all because it made things too easy to imagine. I was quite happy just knowing on paper what would happen...didn't need to see it. But anyway, its on my mind now and I felt like sharing it here. The more I talk about it, the more accepting I will be of it. As 'they' say, I've got to trust my body....somehow.

Webcamophobia

Webcams....Hmmmmm....Of course, we have one here. But, I think I have webcamophobia. I really don't like them.

Well, I like them for looking at other people but I can't stand having it focused on me. Its been good for chatting with friends and family but I always have the camera pointed at Aaron. I find it too uncomfortable to have it pointed at me and usually avoid it unless Aaron isn't around and I'm talking to somebody else who has their camera pointed at them. It would be rude not to show my face. Sort of like speaking to somebody in person but not looking at them.

If my own screen didn't show the image of myself, maybe I wouldn't have been so averse to using it. Right now, its like looking into a mirror. I don't like looking in mirrors and always end up scrutinising my too big forehead, too small chin, larger than desireable pores, real or imaginary dark circles, crooked teeth, chunky arms maybe and the list goes on. What would the other person think if they saw me like that?! (Yes, I realise they have all seem me and probably don't notice any of that.) (Or maybe they do...)

Anyway, what got me thinking about this is the fact that Richard has not seen me in nearly 8 weeks and he's arriving tomorrow morning! According to the records, I'm only 3kgs heavier but while I might have been the size of a rockmelon the last time he saw me, I'm now a huge watermelon! I have not gotten in front of the camera the entire time and always had it pointed at Aaron if we were talking.

I felt a similar way when we arrived in Brisbane. I was so conscious about my then rockmelon sized bump and what my parents would think. Silly, yes. But it always makes me think that if I didn't have webcamophobia then I wouldn't be left with the last minute thought of "OMG, They're going to see me like this."

What if MEN got PREGNANT?

I'm starting my countdown. No, not to the EDD (estimated due date) but to next Tuesday when Richard arrives. Right now, he's having a holiday in Malaysia. Let me repeat that:

HE'S HAVING A HOLIDAY.

As in a real one where he gets to sleep in, meet up with friends, go shopping, go out to eat, basically do whatever he likes without a kid in tow. Without even a kid to go back to at the end of a couple of hours out.

Well, I'm hoping my holiday starts when he gets here. I'm not hoping, I KNOW its starting next Tuesday. After all, six weeks after that and I'll probably be starting my next stint in hard labor (both types).

In the mean time, I came across these few jokes on what the world would be like if men got pregnant:

~ Maternity leave would last for two years....with full pay.

~There would be a cure for stretch marks.

~Natural childbirth would become obsolete.

~Morning sickness would rank as the nation's #1 health problem.

~All methods of birth control would be 100% effective.

~Children would be kept in the hospital until potty trained.

~Men would be eager to talk about commitment.

~They wouldn't think twins were so cute.

~Briefcases would be used as diaper bags.

~Paternity suits would be a fashion line of clothes.

~They'd stay in bed during the entire pregnancy.

~Restaurants would include ice cream and pickles as main entrees.

~Women would rule the world.

He's Finally Head Down

I guess I'll have to start my visualisations now. A scan finally confirmed that the baby has turned itself around and is head down with 7 weeks to go. I believe in visualising but up until now, I felt that doing it for both a quick, calm, normal delivery AND a c-section wasn't going to be effective. I should have visualised the baby turning around but I didn't really bother with that either.

It started occuring to me last week that the baby may have flipped. I was getting constant jabs in my side ribs and these are getting stronger each day. Sometimes, they really give me enough of a shock to jump back. And now, he's using his head as a battering ram downwards! If he's not doing that, he seems to be moving as if he's trying to flip himself back the other way.

Anyway, everything is good. They did all the other growth measurements and I don't have anything to worry about. Not for the baby anyway. BUT, there is a number stuck in my mind - 8.57cm. Its the baby's current head diameter. Great number in terms of baby's growth but when you think about it a second longer...not so great. On top of that, I Googled the average diameter of a newborn's head - 11cm! I shudder when I think of these numbers.

All I can say is that I've done it once, I can do it again. Faster this time :)

Me, mother of two? Really?

I really should get a move on with the preparation for this baby. We have been making half hearted attempts to get things sorted out every few days but I must admit that I haven't made a list yet. And, I am a list person.

With Aaron, we found out about 3 months into the pregnancy that we would be moving to Palembang. Shortly after that, we also found out that the house we were renting was being sold and that we'd have to move out to somewhere temporary before moving to Palembang. So we had to plan for two moves and a baby. I won't say it was easy but I had all the time in the world then to plan, make lists and actually do stuff.

Once again, this time around sees us with another major move plus the baby on the way. My rough plan was to get the move out of the way (which we have) and then I can focus on preparing for the baby. We'd not only have to prepare ourselves for the baby but we'd have to set things up for Aaron too.

I have all these ideas of planning out Aaron's days with a sort of curriculum for what he needs to learn. Previously, I was the only one with him so I just planned on the fly but now he may have different people engaging him on different days. At least I have been trialling all the potential activities that we can take him out to each week. I want to set up a routine for him so that it will be easier for us all to know what to do with him and also so that he will continue having all the individual attention and learning experiences that he has had so far.

There must be fairness, of course, but I find myself spending more time worrying about how Aaron will adjust to the new baby and less on the new baby adjusting to life outside the womb. I know that we have most of the baby clothes and equipment somewhere, its just a matter of getting them cleaned and put out where they can be used. In my mind, if I can get the nursing thing settled in a week (i.e. pain free feeding sessions), everything else will fall in place and I can still make sure Aaron is happy. And the baby, well, he'll be all cute, cuddly and easy to handle. (LOL! Yes, I'm laughing at myself too.)

I don't know...its just so hard to fathom being a mother of two! I guess I'll just have to experience it. The same thing happened with Aaron....couldn't imagine life until he was right there, screaming his head off in front of me.

I Slept In!

For the first time in years, I had a bit of a sleep in today. Sort of. Actually, Aaron woke me up at around 6am and I started the day as usual. But, after breakfast and after making his bed, we sat down on his bed to listen to the tape of Brothers Grimm Stories. Thats when I fell asleep. I was asleep for over and hour and he let me! Thats the amazing bit - Aaron actually left me alone to sleep while he went off to do something else.

Recently, Aaron has been 'growing up' a lot and my life has become easier. 'Easier' in the sense that I don't have to watch him every second of the day, be physically carrying him or constantly entertaining him. Obviously, this has been happening continuously for months but I never noticed it as much until recently when I've started imagining endless days that merge into nights with the new baby. That cycle of feeding, putting baby to sleep, changing nappies, and then feeding again is looming for me.

I keep trying to think that every baby is different and that things might be easier this time around since I have done it before but, I know it will have its own set of challenges. Aaron is probably going to be a huge factor in the new challenge too.

Its not all doom and gloom though. I'm just trying to set some realistic expectations for myself. The first time around, I thought it was going to be all about cuteness and had no real idea about the hard work. Although, I'm looking forward again to all the cuteness coming our way. The new baby smell, tiny toes, baby skin, gummy smiles...

A World Of Differences

I went for one of my routine pre-natal visits with the midwife today. It was my third time there and still, I'm amazed at how different the experience is from what goes on in Malaysia.

Firstly, since I'm going through the public system, it was absolutely free. And each visit, my waiting time was no more than 15 minutes (this morning only 5 minutes).

Just over three years ago, when I first got pregnant with Aaron in Kuala Lumpur and went in search of a good obstetrician, I ended up waiting 3 hours or more for a mere 10 minutes with the doctor each time. And, it regularly cost over RM100 per visit. (The public system there is definitely not where you want to be hence the hunt for a doctor.) The majority of doctors there are still very old school in terms of birthing practices with episiotomies still routine and mandatory delivery in the supine position. Thankfully, I did find a doctor that was much more supportive of natural birth and definitely more reasonably priced.

Also, midwives in Malaysia play a very small role. In fact, I only interacted with the midwife during the final 30 mins of labour with Aaron. And she wasn't all that much help even then. I like what I hear from the midwives here so far. They have been very helpful and friendly during the routine visits and supposedly, they stay with you throughout labour and provide a lot of guidance. Imagine that! Well, I'll reserve any more raving about them until after I have the baby but it certainly sounds like a more helpful situation to be in than what I had with Aaron.

The thing that makes me most happy about the system here is the emphasis on breastfeeding and the support around it. Today, I asked if I could have some time with the baby after birth to nurse before they take it away to do whatever, if the baby could be kept with me at all times they need to do and about how much they 'pushed' formula feeding. She just looked at me with what I imagined to be an expression of disbelief over how silly my questions were. She was nice about it though and explained that they will hand over the baby and encourage you to nurse, and the baby stays with mum at all times. They have lactation consultants on hand and also available at no charge for the first month after birth. They were also promoting lots of skin-to-skin contact with the baby. All the things that I had to specifically request when I had Aaron!

Anyway, my experiences with the public health system so far certainly makes me feel better about the taxes I have to pay in Australia. I hope it stays that way....

Ever had an ECV?

I've mentioned that the baby is currently breech. At 30 weeks, this is apparently not a problem and supposedly about 18% of babies are breech at 32 weeks anyway. By the time they reach full term only 3-4% are breech so most of them should turn around.

Early on in the pregnancy, somebody asked me if I was going to have another natural drug free delivery. I said 'Yes' of course. I mean, its what I believe is right for the baby (and my recovery). BUT I also told my friend that part of me (secretly) wishes that I would have no choice but to have a C-section because 3 years and 3 months later, I still have the vivid memories of the natural drug free birth. *I hate thinking about it*

So, if I did it for Aaron, how could I not try my best to do it for this next baby too? Anyway, the baby's position is constantly on my mind and I'm always imagining I can feel his legs in my side or his head poking about. The doctor mentioned that at 36 weeks if he's still breech, they can try an ECV - External Cephalic Version. It seems safe but some women have mentioned that it is extremely uncomfortable.

This first video with the happy music cheered me up a little. Put my mind at ease.



And then I had to go look at another one!

External Cephalic Version

+ Jenny + | MySpace Video

I'd better go try all the other natural ways of turning a baby before 36 weeks.

I Want My Normal Toenail Back

I've got a great reason for not blogging yesterday. I hurt my toe! Ha! Ha!

No, its not a good reason but I really did do some damage to my toenail. I don't know how I got this talented but my right foot somehow kicked my left little toenail. Heaps of blood but from what I could see (not really a lot with the bump in between my head and fee), the nail was still stuck on.

This morning, thanks to Aaron's monkeying around, half of it has flipped up and has been throbbing most of the day. Since then I've been in one long, grouchy mood.

In fact, the whole mood of this particular post is a grumpy one. Any pregnancy, after the first, is really no fun. There is no pampering, 'looking after yourself' or 'taking it easy'.

I've always been a morning person so when I was pregnant with Aaron, I still woke at 5.30am or 6am each day and went for a brisk walk followed by 30 mins of yoga. I did this even more religiously than before I was pregnant. AFTER that, I'd have breakfast followed by a nap. Those were good times. The rest of the day was just reading, watching TV, internet, y'know - relaxing things. I just did whatever I felt like doing.

Now, the day is spent 'serving Aaron'. Thats what it feels like on the bad days anyway. He's a good boy but an energetic one and I try not to waste his energy. Something is wrong with my back this time around too so all the playing on the floor isn't helping. Then there is this already rebellious baby deciding to be in the breech position and I think making me more out of breath than normal. AND there is the fact that I think I feel my pelvis loosening and making it a little painful to move my legs in certain positions.

So you see how one tiny toenail incident can make me blow things out of proportion and drag out the grouchy feeling for a whole day? Its all hard work and absolutely no pampering this second time around!

So for today, this blog will be used for venting. After all, it is the first thing I listed under the title. But don't worry I'll be back to normal soon. Thanks for reading.

Thoughts On Hand Me Down Items

I've got about 3 months left before the next little baby arrives. Technically, I already have everything that is needed. Most of Aaron's stuff is still in good condition and they'll probably be the right size. BUT. Doesn't this little guy deserve some new stuff too?

I've bought a few new items but keep thinking that I can save so much money to buy other stuff if he just uses everything that Aaron already has. By 'other things' I mean books and toys which are usually ridiculously pricey.

I could buy the stuff now and have Aaron enjoy them. And since he keeps his things in good condition, his little brother can play with them in the future. Double usage for the one price. Unfortunately, it would still be a hand me down.

Don't get me wrong. There isn't anything wrong with hand me downs and I really like the idea. And I'm sure kids at that age don't feel anything except joy and excitement when they get something new anyway. The issue here is more with me. Its the whole feeling of not wanting to be partial to one child. Why should Aaron get new things and his little brother not?

The conclusion I've reached so far is that everything Aaron has will obviously be re-used. Aaron never had a lot of going out clothes as a baby because we never had anywhere to go. So, automatically, this next baby might get some new items there. The majority of Aaron's toys right now are hand me downs (from me!) anyway so he can continue to get new items at special times. Nothing excessive because I don't want him growing up materialistic. The next baby can get new toys/books in the same way that Aaron has been getting them. He'll probably need less since Aaron's toys will be around to play with but I'm sure he'll get crisp new books and shiny engines too.

So in the end, the second child, usually the one to receive hand me downs, is the one that ends up with a lot of bonus items!