Wide Awake

*waves hello*

I just noticed that you updated your signature to specify 3.5 children-- congratulations, and I hope all goes well!
 
Love the picture Ry! :D

Thank you. I kept debating about whether or not to post it. I kept thinking, "I look huge."

I totally respect the path you've chosen in life, and I think there will always be naysayers no matter what you choose. You have to do what's right for you, and for your family.

Thank you. At this point, I am doing me, and I am happy. Forget following a script or walking down some predetermined path. That path no longer fit who I was and what I was about, and I have made my peace with it. I would rather not be bound by an identity, so I eschew all labels. I tried that before, and I lost myself. I look at it as choosing the path that lead to happiness.

This pregnancy was unplanned, and I am perfectly fine with that. I am sure people will have something to say about how it is too soon after the adoption and too soon after the turmoil of my marriage. We do not look at it like that. This little life has given us something to believe in again. After the last pregnancy I had, I thank God every day for this baby. Even the days when my foetus was not fond of anything I chose to eat, I was still thankful. I truly do not care what naysayers have to say. I will raise my Tasmanian Rain Water to them and say, "Cheers, darling." My MIL and my mummy both said I hit 34 and stopped giving a damn. They are right.

I have never even met this baby, but I love him/her with all that I have, all that I am, and all that I could ever aspire to be. He/she is one of my most favourite people, and we have yet to formally meet. I highly doubt a second relationship could even remotely compare. This is the kind of joy that has filled me up inside and given me everything I need.

And I always like it when you post. :)

Thank you again. I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. :D
 
Not huge. Marginally showing (to the point where I questioned myself for wondering). Thanks for sharing the picture, and well... if people complain that it's too soon, tell them to take it up with baby. :p

Congrats!
 
Not huge. Marginally showing (to the point where I questioned myself for wondering). Thanks for sharing the picture, and well... if people complain that it's too soon, tell them to take it up with baby. :p

Congrats!

Thank you!

I am huge in comparison to my pre-pregnancy size, but considering how far along I am and the fact that this is my third pregnancy, I am not a big as I could be. The good news is I have not ballooned like the Michelin man, so thank the heavens for the small blessings. My foetus and I are not entertaining any negativity, so people can keep it away from us. Negative people will have to take it up with my mini human because mummy is not trying to hear it. :D
 
Thanks for sharing the picture. How is your middle child doing?

Eis is doing better than she was before. Our good days outweigh the bad. Do I still have days where I have to remind myself that she is my child and I love her? Yes, but we are not having nearly as many issues now. I do see where therapy has made a difference. She has calmed down quite a bit. She is not as angry. She trusts me to some extent. She is warmer towards me. She actually told me she loved me last month, and it shocked me because it was like, "She can feel something other than disdain towards me." She does feel comfortable talking to me about her feelings in a calm manner. It is important for her to be heard, and I am glad that she feels comfortable talking to me about what she is thinking and/or feeling. It is a slow process with a child with attachment issues, and consistency and trust building are the current outcomes. We take it day by day and on some days, hour by hour. I am visible but not suffocating. She has to maintain some level of control. The key is allowing her to channel that control in healthy ways, which is a challenge in and of itself. I have to remember not to pressure her and to allow her to seek me out when she is comfortable. She initiates any type of affection towards me because she had an aversion to affection coming from me. She has just come around to hugging me, so I suppose some of the ice has slowly started to thaw. I have adapted to this new parenting style, and it seems to be working now that I am more confident and sure of myself. Overall, things are a lot more calm and relaxed at home. I am more hopeful than I was when she first entered therapy.
 
*waves hello*

I just noticed that you updated your signature to specify 3.5 children-- congratulations, and I hope all goes well!

Hello! Thank you. Aside from a bout of acute morning sickness (read: all day sickness), my pregnancy has been smooth. I am hoping it continues to go well. I do hope you are doing well. :)
 
Glad to hear things are going better with Eis.
 
Happy New Year.

I am doing really well. Working, a toddler going through the terrible two's, my hubby, a sassy six year old, and a teenager have been keeping me on my toes. Our oldest has been with us for a year, and she was just happy to start 2015 with the family surname and to be a legal member of our family. Last year was a bit different, as she had only been with us a very short amount of time. This year, she has found her place in our family, and she knows that no one can break what we have built. Confident swag is how she described it. She is doing well. She has a job, and she is preparing to take the test to get her licence later on this year. She is starting to look at universities. It is about that time. She is starting her second year of high school next month. Big things in store, and I am proud as any mummy could ever be. She is really wonderful young lady, and I will never forget that I have been blessed with the gift of calling her my daughter and loving her.

Our little lady turned six in December. She is a handful and a half. She has warmed to me. During the holidays, we had a lot of time to connect and bond. We watched movies, ate junk food, and cuddled up in bed on the rainy days. We coloured together, read books, wrapped presents, and just talked. She really is not fussy. She was happy watching a telly show or just doing the simplest of tasks with me. I have learned how to have fun and relate to her. Before, I struggled with playing with Barbies and imaginary play. Now, I am all for tea parties and things that she enjoys. It was smooth sailing all December. She tells me she loves me all the time, and she likes giving me kisses and hugs. I can only hope that things will continue to improve between us. I am thoroughly enjoying our new relationship. I was blessed with the opportunity to right my wrongs and pen a new novel in this series called Life with her, and I am not willing to mess it up.

Right now, all of our children and their nanny are with their grandparents. The girls summer break does not end until February, and my in-laws wanted us to have some alone time before the new baby arrives. We have no idea what to do with ourselves. We are accustomed to ballet recitals, rehearsals, club meetings, etc., and it is just us now. Our home is empty and too quiet. I miss the noise. When they return, it will be time to go back to school shopping. I am not looking forward to that. High summer temperatures and pregnancy? I am jumping up and down at the thought.

I am ready for this pregnancy to be over. I am still not happy with having to undergo a [forced] Caesarean. I was told about this before agreeing to the surgery for our son, but I was hoping something had changed in the past couple of years. Wishful thinking. Surgery saved our then-unborn son's life, and this is just one drawback. For that, I will not complain. Every specialist I have met has agreed with my doctors that the process of labouring and delivering would not be in my favour. The odds are, however, in favour of my uterus rupturing. If that were to happen, I would have to undergo an emergency Caesarean because of foetal distress and potential haemorrhaging. Foetal morbidity is low, but it is not worth risking his/her life. There are no specific figures, but the risk for rupture is "significantly higher." Joy. Depending upon mini human's weight and lung maturity, he/she will be here at the minimum of 36 weeks but no more than 38. I am officially getting nervous. Oh Jesus. We will have a newborn soon. Yikes! :eek:

In other news, I have made peace with Kensi. We broke up almost two years ago. I have forgiven her because it was the Christian thing to do. We are cordial, and we exchanged pleasantries over the holidays. I do not know if it is the hormones, my new forgiving nature, or simply just because, but I have softened towards her. I can tolerate her more than I previously could. I am keen on building a friendship with her and healing the rift. We had lunch yesterday, which was not terribly awkward. My hubby no longer views her as a threat (read: worthy of his thoughts and sustaining disdain), and the only thing he told me was, "Have a nice time, sweetheart." It will not be an overnight process, but I am happy that we can at least be civil and friendly. I am not saying I expect us to be best friends or even overly chummy. We have mutual friends, and it would be nice to attend weddings and parties without tension being present in a room and making everyone feel uncomfortable. Here is to new beginnings and fresh starts.

I do hope all of you are doing well. I often read the threads and shake my head at them. Happy 2015 to all of you!
 
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Depending upon mini human's weight and lung maturity, he/she will be here at the minimum of 36 weeks but no more than 38.

I can see 38 weeks, but 36 :eek:. Do you tend to deliver early? Otherwise, 36 seems excessively early. 20 years ago, VBAC was a big deal here, but now it's only a few hospitals that will even allow it (those just happen to also be the ones with the lowest c-section rates in the area).
 
I don't know if your uterus is extra weak, but I had 2 ecstatic healthy home VBACs after a c-section with my first. But that was over 20 years ago during the "natural birth" movement and birth has become now more medicalized than ever.

Glad the rift is healing between you and the 6 year old.

Does Kensi live near you? I had thought she stayed back in England.
 
I can see 38 weeks, but 36 :eek:. Do you tend to deliver early? Otherwise, 36 seems excessively early. 20 years ago, VBAC was a big deal here, but now it's only a few hospitals that will even allow it (those just happen to also be the ones with the lowest c-section rates in the area).

I am classified as high risk, and my last baby was preterm after undergoing open-foetal surgery. Fortunately, I was on Tocolytics from 26 weeks forward, so his stint in a special care unit was not as long as it could have been. It was known that I would not make it to full-term, though. It was also hammered into my head that any future births would have to be by planned Caesarean. I was not fond of it then, and I am not fond of it now. Maybe, undergoing a hysteronomy at 26 weeks and a Caesarean at 34 weeks soured me on my uterus being cut into again. The irony is the incisions were in two different spots to prevent placenta accreta in future pregnancies, but the outcome for delivery would presumably still be the same: Caesarean. I suppose my doctors are being cautious, and I understand why. It is better to not take any chances.

I am not loving 36 weeks. I am okay with 38. Ideally, I would prefer 39-41, but I am not crazy enough to test my luck. The concern is that a uterine rupture could occur without my knowledge and cause him/her distress, and that would force me to undergo an emergency Caesarean provided I could get to a hospital before any further damage occurs. As we all know, labour starts when it pleases. What would happen if I started labouring and experienced a rupture while not at the hospital? That is the worst case scenario because often foetal distress is one of that signs that something has went wrong. If every local hospital was equipped with level II or III units, on-site Neonatologists, and a Maternal-Foetal Medicine Specialist, who could deliver my baby safely, I would fight a little harder to let the process happen naturally. I know how most private hospitals here work. If they do not have doctors with specialities on-site or pre-arranged for them to be there, they have to call them, and the average wait time is 30 minutes. There is too much than can happen in 30 minutes. I would rather have everything in place and be prepared.
 
I've had 3 children born at 36 weeks, all in a very healthy full term weight range. For what that's worth. Best of luck, and congratulations on so many good things!
 
Sounds like a lot of things are going well (in December and) this year so far. What a shocker about things smoothing over with Kensi! I get that you guys won't be BFF's or anything, but it seems like good news that you won't have to actually be enemies in the future.

Nice to hear your update as always. Cheers!
 
Just a quick check-in. I am doing okay. Heavily pregnant and bloody miserable with unwanted bouts of kick arse morning sickness. Scratch that. All damn day sickness. I am due this month, but the end seems incredibly far off. :mad: I am officially on maternity leave, and I am going bonkers because the workaholic in me is missing work.

I am on a mini girls break with my daughters. Their term break started on Thursday, so we are visiting Kangaroo Island. I wanted some quality time with them before the bub arrives. I feel like I am simply unprepared for this little one. We have not picked out a name, finished either of his/her nurseries, or bought very much to say we have a couple of weeks until he/she arrives. Here is to hoping that I get it together soon.

I hope you all are doing well. I read posts from time to time. I was miffed by the influx of unicorn hunters. I just had to shake my head at their know-it-all attitudes. If you knew it all, duckies, you would not be seeking help from a forum of strangers. Much like Kermit and his tea sipping memes, "That is none of my business."

I will update again when I have a new baby in my arms.

xRy
 
I feel like I am simply unprepared for this little one. We have not picked out a name, finished either of his/her nurseries, or bought very much to say we have a couple of weeks until he/she arrives. Here is to hoping that I get it together soon.

Sounds like 3rd or 4th childitis to me :). I'm guessing you have the necessities, car seat, diapers, blankets and a place for bub to sleep. Sometimes after a while, all the other stuff is just clutter to take over your lives and interfere with the important things, like a mini-break with the girls.

Glad to hear things are going well. Sorry about being sick all the time, my SIL went through that. Remember overload on SLEEP :p
 
Wow, I thought morning sickness only happened in the early months of a pregnancy.

Hang in there ...
 
Wow, I thought morning sickness only happened in the early months of a pregnancy.

Hang in there ...

It is coined as "acute morning sickness," but that is an insult. It is the pain in the arse formally known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum, or simply "HG." I have encountered people who have had HG, but Lord, now that I have experienced it, I would not wish this on my worst enemy. The first three months were rough, and I was hoping it would start tapering down around 12 weeks. No such luck. It continued and kicked my butt. It was a challenge to get a formal diagnosis and find an anti-nauseum that was safe for pregnancy, would not cause birth defects, and did not contain a heap load of nasty side effects. At one point, I was losing weight, dehydrated, and could only keep the bare minimum down. Compared to my first and second trimester, my third trimester has been a breeze. Nausea and vomiting included. It is better now. I feel for women who deal with this from weeks six to forty and sometimes even after the baby is born. As long as our baby is healthy, I will be fine. There are women who have miscarried and lost their babies as a result of HG, so I wish I would complain. My only concern has been the baby's development and making sure he/she is getting everything they need to be healthy.
 
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Sounds like 3rd or 4th childitis to me :). I'm guessing you have the necessities, car seat, diapers, blankets and a place for bub to sleep. Sometimes after a while, all the other stuff is just clutter to take over your lives and interfere with the important things, like a mini-break with the girls.

Glad to hear things are going well. Sorry about being sick all the time, my SIL went through that. Remember overload on SLEEP :p

:) Indeed! I am just going to say yes, but the answer is technically no. I cannot chalk this up to feeling ill because even on good days, I was still procrastinating and highly unmotivated. I could drive by a baby store and say, "Oh, I will go there later." Later is now, and I am still not trying to get ready for this baby.

If I went in to labour right now, he would have to go buy a car seat...and nappies...and bottles...and some clothing appropriate for the weather. I do not have a bag packed for the hospital either. Matt was like, "Sweetheart, we are going to have a naked, nameless baby who is going to have to co-sleep." It is so bad that he went shopping because he saw that I was just not going to get around to it. And he hates shopping. I will get it together...in due time.
 
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