Firstly, here is my 35 weeks + 1 day belly pic. Yes, I am getting very large and uncomfortable now! I missed my 36 week photo as we were on holiday but I'll do my best to remember my 37th.
Speaking of 37th week, I looked through all my old photos today for the date Remmy and I did a plaster cast of my pregnant belly with Jasper (as we have the same cast ready to do again this time around) and we discovered that it was done at exactly 37 weeks + 2 days! This means that we'll do the mould in exactly one week. It will be exciting to see if I am much different with this bub...I think I'm sticking out further and, after 'putting on' the Jasper-cast tonight, we know that I am a bit narrower this time...this could change in one week though I suppose!
As far as baby preparations go we have made quite a few purchases of late. We have bought a new bassinet (as I was starting to really dislike the idea of bubs going into his own room straight away and our port-a-cot is too big to fit in our bedroom)...
...Jasper got the beginnings of a new bed (Remmy is in the process of making it for him...should be finished really soon!)...he hasn't slept in it yet but is enjoying pretending to sleep on it. We'll have to get him started in it for day sleeps but I'm not entirely sure how to have success with this...must do a bit of research.
...we also ordered a 3m long security gate so that we have a 'parents-only' area in our house. This is fantastic as we can now bring in some pot plants from outside, we're using our glass coffee table for the first time since I don't know when, we don't have to worry about Jasper bumping his head on the corners of the glass dining table, we have the whole computer and desk area safe, and we can finally start decorating with ornaments! We haven't yet had any energy for decorating but it's so good to know we can! ha ha. Another purchase we made was for a baby bath/changing station that fits over the bathtub. It's a fantastic invention but unfortunately when we unpacked it we discovered that 2 of the main parts had cracks/splits in them. We e-mailed the company some photos of the damage and they apologised, saying that they've had troubles with their couriers, and they sent us replacement parts. Would you believe that these parts are damaged too? Yep, we're so keen to use this invention (it means an end to having a change table in either of the boys' rooms, plus it will save us water -- apparently the bath can be used up to age 4 but can hold 100kg so could be useful for a bit longer! -- and, being in the bathroom where there is a heat lamp, little newborn bub won't get cold in Winter), hopefully we can sort something out with the company...I guess we had best take some photos of this lot of damage and let them know!
One very scary (for me!) new development is that Jasper can now climb up his cubby house ladder and can't get down on his own! Unfortunately for us both I am too short to help him down myself so we aren't spending much time outside lately! He was bound to discover the cubby one day...all it took was for me to host mother's group here and he soon saw how much fun the other kiddies were having climbing up there. The whole episode got us talking about the difference between 'wrapping kids up in cotton-wool' and protecting them. I have always been a bit of a nervous nelly when it comes to Jasper's physical safety but I have been giving him more freedom to explore and grow lately. This ladder-climbing has thrown me though because, as one of my mother's group friends so aptly phrased, they're going to get their first broken bone sometime. Hmmmm, yes, they might break a bone one day but I'm not so much worried about a broken bone as I am a fatal accident...a fall from a cubby perhaps, landing on such an angle as to cause fatal damage! Ok, so maybe just a tad melodramatic but seriously, how could I ever forgive myself if I ignored that jittery-feeling I have sometimes and something serious happened? So, the mission for the cubby house area now is for Remmy to take Jasper out and give him lessons on how to get down safely (both down the ladder and the slippery dip), and, for those times when I'm the only adult around, Remmy is going to make a quick device we can hook over the first few rungs of the ladder so Jasper can't get up...just until he's confident and skilled enough to not need help down. For me, this is a good mix of parental responsibility while teaching independance and safety.
One very scary (for me!) new development is that Jasper can now climb up his cubby house ladder and can't get down on his own! Unfortunately for us both I am too short to help him down myself so we aren't spending much time outside lately! He was bound to discover the cubby one day...all it took was for me to host mother's group here and he soon saw how much fun the other kiddies were having climbing up there. The whole episode got us talking about the difference between 'wrapping kids up in cotton-wool' and protecting them. I have always been a bit of a nervous nelly when it comes to Jasper's physical safety but I have been giving him more freedom to explore and grow lately. This ladder-climbing has thrown me though because, as one of my mother's group friends so aptly phrased, they're going to get their first broken bone sometime. Hmmmm, yes, they might break a bone one day but I'm not so much worried about a broken bone as I am a fatal accident...a fall from a cubby perhaps, landing on such an angle as to cause fatal damage! Ok, so maybe just a tad melodramatic but seriously, how could I ever forgive myself if I ignored that jittery-feeling I have sometimes and something serious happened? So, the mission for the cubby house area now is for Remmy to take Jasper out and give him lessons on how to get down safely (both down the ladder and the slippery dip), and, for those times when I'm the only adult around, Remmy is going to make a quick device we can hook over the first few rungs of the ladder so Jasper can't get up...just until he's confident and skilled enough to not need help down. For me, this is a good mix of parental responsibility while teaching independance and safety.
The most important thing, however, that has happened since I've been on here is that Sam had her baby boy!! She called him Javier (Jay for short). It was an exciting day for everyone because it was also our mother's birthday!
Pretty much immediately after he was born he was taken away to have a stent put in his heart. I don't fully understand what that was for but he is due to have his big operation (to switch the heart valves so his blood can properly oxygenate) soon...maybe even in just under a week!
As Terry's birthday was just a few days after mother's, Remmy and I hosted a big birthday BBQ on the Saturday night to celebrate. It was here that Mother and I decided that we'd go on a road-trip to visit Sam and Javier (and Sam's partner, Ritchie). I was hesitant at first, wondering if it would be just my luck to go into labour on the road, but decided in the end that it was worth the small risk. Actually, we left on Monday and by Monday night I was having very painful Braxton Hicks almost constantly! We were getting pretty worried but after stopping for the night and getting a bit of rest I was as good as new (and the Braxton's were never that strong or persistant for the rest of the trip...lucky!)!
Sam seems to be doing really well thankfully! She's staying in good spirits and is spending a lot of time with her new little man. Javier is just adorable! I was so glad I was able to have a cuddle with him...I was a bit nervous the entire time though because we were warned not to touch him too much as it would excite him, yet my unborn bub wouldn't stop kicking him...making him wriggle and his little heart rate seemed to race! I was holding my breath just waiting for the buzzers to go off! Thankfully he was fine! Sam and Javier are now in the cardiac hospital where he's to have the big op. I'm sure everything will be just fine...I will, however, be holding my breath with the rest of the family until he's safely at home in *hopefully* a few short weeks.
Jasper was such a good boy for the entire trip! We have a dvd player in our car so that saved our sanity a few times but all-in-all I've never met a happier, more patient child! We were amazed! Here are a couple of piccies from one of our many visits to a road-house (taking 2 days to drive there and 2 to drive back you can imagine how we were happy to see the back of such establishments! ha ha).
Even though I knew we wouldn't have much time, I couldn't go to QLD and not pop in for a quick visit with my old very good friend (and one-time flattie) Lydia, and her adorable little girl! They live just on this side of the NSW border so we got to see them on our way home for the shortest amount of time. Lydia hadn't changed much and it was so good to meet little Alana! Here are some happy snaps...
Actually, looking at them reminds me that Jasper had a massive tantrum while there which, while probably being due to a bit of teething, was pretty disgraceful! Check out the middle photo again, I could hardly keep him in my arms! ha ha
Just in case you haven't seen enough pictures from our journey, here are some cuties from a quick coffee break (hot choc in my case!) at McCafe. I don't think I ever did get around to posting piccies of Jasper wearing his monkey harness so here you go!
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