Our Girl Maisie (aka George)

It has been a long 6 months for our girl Maisie. She has been pretty sick all winter. In the last week I have taken her off all her medications and a new girl has emerged. It's hard to put into words how she has changed. She just seems much happier and not as highly strung as she was when on it. She is not getting as upset and is getting better at playing on her own.

She has been so cheerful and happy. She waddles around the house like a playful baby bear. She is learning new words every day. She enjoys reading books and drawing pictures. She is cheeky and very intelligent. She has always been happy to go down for an afternoon nap and happily goes to bed at night. She really gives us no trouble at all. In the past week we have really noticed all these beautiful qualities that have always been there just more so lately.

Nick and I have been discussing her behavioural changes in the last week at great lengths and we have decided to do everything we can to keep her off medication. Today we are having our weekly shopping delivered. Nick ordered it online and it's all organic. I have been hearing so many stories lately of how much better our health can be by going organic. My sister is in the health field and has been organic for some time now. When she stayed here we were impressed by the meals she made.

Today's Horoscopes

I was just sitting down to my usual relaxing Saturday breakfast reading the paper. Now I wouldn't usually read the horoscopes but something drew me to it today *hehehe*.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21): The money is simply pouring in during the next
few days, bringing a huge smile to those Scorpion lips! Some of you will be
purchasing a long awaited luxury item.

Now that is too funny. 'Bringing a smile to those Scorpion lips' *mwahhhhhhhhh* rofl. I don't take these things too seriously but Nick did mention this morning that he would like to go out and buy the children a trampoline. Stayed tuned because we might just have one by the end of the day rofl........

She can grow up now.....

Newborns are only newborns for such a short period. I wanted to capture that moment with Poppy because I know she will be my last and we have been in a better position to do something like this. I kind of felt guilty that I hadn't taken many pictures of the pregnancy. We have been extremely busy with our business and life in general. So much so that the whole pregnancy felt like a blur. There were a few times during the pregnancy when I had some down moments because I felt guilty for not having appreciated it as much as I could have. When I look back at it now I don't know where the time went.

All of these things made me determined to have something special done for Poppy once she made her entrance into the world. Now for those who know me would know that of course I left it to the last minute to organise. I had picked out the photographer a few weeks before I was due but never got around to ringing her. In fact I think Poppy was about a week old before I finally got around to it. They say to have these types of photos done in the first two weeks to capture the newborn look. They are still floppy and sleepy. Lisa who I wanted to use was very busy but managed to squeeze us in when Poppy was just short of three weeks old.

I was really excited about having this done and when I met Lisa I knew I was in for a fun morning. In her blog entry she describes it all very well. I plan to take all four girls there in a few months time. I am yet to see all the images but I am certain they will be beautiful. Lisa sent me a sneak peek look at three of the images in an entry on her blog. I am absolutely wrapped with them. I can't stop opening her entry to just sit and stare at them. I am in love.

Now that this moment has been captured forever she can grow up........................................

Some pics of the girls.....

Just thought I would share a couple of photos I took of the girls this morning. I am finding now that Poppy is almost 3 weeks old she is more awake and alert. I can't believe it has been three weeks since she was born. She is a good little girl. She feeds and sleeps pretty well. Has a couple of unsettled times which is very normal.

The girls all seem to love her. Maisie is happy to have a cuddle and get on with what she is doing. Sophie would hold her all day long if she could. And like Maisie; Jess is happy to have a little cuddle and move on.

I am looking forward to her longer stretches of awake time after a feed so we can get out and do more things. I am a little house bound at the moment.

The day we met our tiny baby girl.....

She's here finally and I would love to share our very special day and the events leading up to it.

I went to see the fill in Ob the week before I was due. She said the head was very low and it could be any time now. I had been having regular episodes of very strong lower back pains which required a heat pack. Which is a sign of early labour. I started to worry a little because my mum was not due to arrive until the Saturday before my due date. After a phone call with mum she decided to catch a bus down the following day. I finally relaxed and really started to enjoy what was to be my last week of pregnancy.

As it always happens as soon as help arrived all my symptoms disappeared. I felt totally normal again. We spent the week getting so many things done around here like the girls room. Mum sewed curtains. We rearranged the furniture and the girls freckles quilts finally arrived. My mum got out in our garden and made it beautiful. Nick spent time catching up with business things and I spring cleaned the house.

Nick and I sneaked in a few wonderful child free outings during this week. We went to the movies, breakfast and one night the pancake parlour.

The Friday before my due date I had my last Ob appointment. As time was ticking with my mum's stay I decided to ask for an induction if my body was ready after an examination. My Ob happily obliged as she knew what I was capable of with my previous natural labours. She did a S&S in the hope I might go into labour. She took my blood pressure and it was very high. I was sent for bloods and urine tests and they all came back clear. I went into the delivery suite over the weekend and it had gone back to normal.

If nothing happened over the weekend I was booked in for an induction on Tuesday 25 September my due date.

My sister and her two boys arrived on the Friday afternoon so the house was a buzz of excitement with us all eager to meet the baby. I thought things might be happening that night when I had a bloody show and heaps of mucus. I went to bed early and nothing happened. I continued to loose the mucus plug all weekend.

We spent the weekend shopping, relaxing and going to floriade. It was a fun time which I will hold onto forever. My dad arrived on the Monday and we all went out for a lovely dinner.

Tuesday came and I was up early to prepare to go into hospital at 7am. I was putting some make up on after my shower when I heard the phone ring. I knew it would be the hospital. They were full so I would have to wait till lunch time. Nick and I casually dropped Maisie off at child care and went into the city on the way home to check mail and have another casual breakfast. We received another phone call from the hospital at around 10am to come in as soon as we could. We raced home very excited and packed the car and off we went.

I went into this labour with a simple plan. Hold off on drugs for as long as I could and try to get through each contraction by focusing on something in the room. I had a wonderful labour with Maisie using this technique. Another thing that I planned to use to help me through the contractions was thoughts of my late BIL Brian who died of cancer 4 years ago. I thought of him often when in labour with Maisie and it helped to ease the pain of contractions by focusing on his pain which was much worse than mine.

My Ob came in and broke my waters which didn't hurt at all. Because it was late in the day we decided to start me on the drip straight away. My midwife Julie said it would take about half an hour before I felt anything. She was right it was exactly half an hour later that I felt the first beautiful contraction. Something I had been waiting to feel for weeks now. I embraced each contraction and visualised my baby moving further down and my cervix opening more with each one. With each contraction I was one step closer to bring this little person into the world. I sat on a chair and found my object in the room to focus on. This was a dark grain line on a piece of wood on the wall opposite me.

I remember feeling the outline of her body being pushed down with each contraction. It was the same feeling you get when you take off in an aeroplane and you have that moment of pressure. Truly an amazing feeling to naturally experience with labour contractions. With all this going on and the contractions getting stronger and faster I imagined paddling down a stream. I was in full meditation at this point enjoying each contraction. Embracing each contraction.

It suddenly hit me like it had with Maisie. I knew it straight away and called Nick for the first time since my contractions started. I looked him in the eye because I knew the crazy woman was about to emerge. He knew it was time. I said it was time and I was about to get the urge to push. He raced out and told my midwife. She got me up on the bed as fast as she could. They all knew how fast the transition period goes for me from my previous labour with Maisie.

As she rushed out and rang my Ob I breathed through the urged to push saying in my head in sinc with breathing 'don't push now, don't push now'. I continued this until she came back into the room. She examined me and I was only 6cm. I was upset and she said my cervix was a soft as butter. If I wanted to push I could. So with my next contraction I pushed. This all happened very fast my Ob was now in the room and both of them had no time to even put on gloves. I pushed her out with no intervention. She came out with a gush of water and landed between my legs. It was the most natural wonderful experience.

Now the fun part. The contractions stopped and the crazy Belinda disappeared. And she was placed on my chest 1 hour and 20 mins after my first contraction. There is no other ultimate in life than meeting your child for the first time. This feeling of ecstasy is addictive and like no other.

She was just beautiful. So different to how we imagined she would look. She was tiny and looked nothing like her older sisters. She cried and cried in that first half an hour of life. The midwife left us with her on our own to explore her and give her the first feed. I have never had that with the other girls so it was a moment Nick and I will never forget.

One week on as I sit here reflecting on her birth I have a smile on my face. I loved every minute of it and have had an easy relaxing week getting to know her. I am lucky that my body came out of it unscathed. And I feel like I am back to normal. Each day my tummy is getting smaller and my milk supply is getting better.

We are so lucky and blessed to have another baby who we named Poppy Frances........

An afternoon at the park...

Last weekend we met up with Nick's family for a picnic lunch to celebrate father's day. Here are some pics from the day.

Cupcakes for morning tea......

Last night I attended my dear friend April's 30th birthday party. She has the most amazing red curly hair like Maisie only hers is long. She wore the most beautiful green dress that complimented her hair.

She has always been very good to my girls showing them with gifts and spoiling them rotten when she see's them. Nick and I hold April in high regards. So much so that we have asked her to be the godmother of this baby due to arrive in 4 weeks time. She has happily accepted.

When I was leaving the party she made me bring home these beautiful cupcakes for the girls that she made herself. She went to great details l with the coloured icing and cute paper lined boxes.

Today is a beautiful spring day in Canberra so I took the opportunity to have a little cupcake picnic in the backyard. Enjoy the pictures.......

Some more pictures for Aunty Tanya....

A gift from Stella

I have a phobia of driving on highways so Nick had to take us up to my parents last weekend. It was a good opportunity to try out the new car. It was dropped off to him at work on the Friday lunch and we left that evening. The following day on his way home he took up the opportunity to meet up with our publicist Stella in Newtown. We have only ever spoken via email or over the phone, so it was nice for him to put a face to a name.

She had a lovely little gift for me. I have never thought of myself as a 'yummy mummy' but the cup is just so cute I will use it from now on. I thought it was a lovely little gesture. I now can't wait to meet her one day soon.

A few pictures

I just wanted to share a couple of pictures I have taken recently. I have been very busy getting the house organised for the upcoming arrival of our baby. I am trying to create a happy room because the baby will be on its own; while the three big sisters have a party in the room next door. I will take some of the girls room soon. I am waiting for some quilts to arrive in the mail. And I am busy making Maisie a beautiful new quilt for her cot. When that is all done I will show it off.



I am in love with this house as is Nick and the girls. We spent a week up at my parents and had a very nice time but they were all happy to return to their home. The twins take great delight in playing games like teachers and hospital up on the top bunk away from Maisie. They really missed this up at grandma's. The first thing they did when we got home was escape up to the top bunk.

The couple of Maisie show off her shorties that Ziz, Norman and Zane sent up for her birthday. This is the most beautiful cover she owns. It has some lovely dragonflies on the back. I had been promising poor Ziz for months to take some pictures so here they are. Thank you Ziz.

A peek inside my womb.....

Two weeks ago we had a 4D/3D ultrasound. This was a unique experience that opened the window to our little one's warm cosy home. The baby spent the whole hour in the same position. Facing out towards the placenta and laying sideways. I tired to drink some hot chocolate but this baby was snug as a bug.

In the pictures you can see him/her with its feet up to it's mouth. And there are some shots of its arms up near its face. This little person as so much room in there but obviously seeks comfort in using less space. My tummy is not very big and I feel this baby is going to be smaller than Maisie and what the twins may have been if they were full term. I might be wrong but within myself I am predicting a baby of about 3.5KG which is a small baby for us. I can say that this baby has the same nose as Maisie and the signature chubby cheeks like Jessie and Maisie.

As everyone knows, Nick and I know the sex of this baby and it has a name. I am now counting down the weeks till I can properly introduce this little one to you all.

I am starting to prepare myself mentally for labour and beyond. I am really looking forward to sharing this journey in the coming weeks.

Belinda