A bogan child no longer

Okay, so I'm not the best hairdresser in the world but a pair of sharp scissors and a wriggly four month old are not a good combination. Here's the results:

Imogen BM (Before Mullet)

Imogen AM (After Mullet)

Yeah, yeah I know the cutting job is dodgy but gee it looks a damn sight better.

This post is bought to you by the letter L and the number 5

Five years . . . five emotionally draining, tiring, pull your hair out years but the best years of my life.

Five years ago today we commenced a new chapter in mine and Brian's lives - we became parents.

Liam George 8lb 12.5oz 55cm long

This little being that I'd dreamt of for so many years was finally here. I'd longed for your touch, longed to stroke that baby velveteen skin, longed for that moment when your eyes first met mine and now here you were. Those first few days were a blur but having you home with me was nothing short of amazing.

Then the reality hit and along with this came the panic. Am I doing the right things? Why isn't he sleeping? Why does he keep crying even though I'm holding him? Why is he still losing weight? How can I not have enough breast milk? What type of a mother am I if I can't do the basics like breastfeed? Why do I feel like I've failed him?

I look back now and shake my head at my naivety. I really struggled those first few months. Not that I struggled with Liam - he was nothing short of an angel baby. But I struggled with myself. It took me almost three years to even be able to talk about my struggles breastfeeding Liam without crying. If I only knew then what I know now - but I guess that's what being a first time parent is all about.

My baby boy you taught me what life is all about. I cannot even put into words the joy and wonderment you put into my days. I thank you for all that you are and all that you have made me to be.

Happy Birthday my Big Man xx

And again since it's all over the WWW I thought I should put it up here as well - Liam's Birth Story:

I considered that I was having a fairly normal pregnancy - morning sickness until 14 weeks, bad indigestion for the whole thing (and I mean really bad indigestion), except for the excessive weight gain.

The weight gain didn't really start until the last trimester. I had my gestational diabetes test at 28 weeks, but didn't have another appointment with my OB until 32 weeks. Obviously he didn't check the results until my appointment, since I wasn't asked to come in early. I ended up with GD that I couldn't control with food and was on insulin injections. At the same time my blood pressure was high enough for me to be put on medication for it. The only good news that came out of this was an induction at 38 weeks.

The induction went smoothly - 1st lot of gel at 7am and other at about lunch time. By about 2pm I could feel period pain cramping in my lower stomach. My water broke at about 4pm and along with that came intense contractions 3 minutes apart. This part of the labour continued for a few hours with the contractions getting closer together, me having the gas and eventually asking for an epidural. I was given pethidene at 11pm and the epidural went in at about 11.30pm. Apparently I went straight to sleep.

I was woken up to check how the epidural was working with the ice block. When they got up to my breasts and I still couldn't feel anything the midwife had a bit of a panic and people started running around pushing a beanbag and heaps of pillows behind me so I was almost sitting up to a 90 degree angle.The epidural had pretty much stopped the contractions, but had really dropped my blood pressure so I had one arm hooked up to two IV lines and the other arm with a blood pressure cuff permanently left on and the monitor thing on my finger permanently left on.
At this point I was drifting in and out of sleep for a few hours (God knows how!) and eventually started pushing at 3am.This is when I realised that the epidural was not working properly - I could feel in some areas, but not in others. Unfortunately, the place I could feel really well was my bum. I said this to the midwife who said "I'm sorry darl, but that's probably the worst place to feel it". (Thanks for the encouragement)

I felt like I had been pushing forever when the OB finally appeared, did an internal and decided that one lip of my cervix just would not flick back, so it was time for a vacuum extraction. Throughout the whole birth, this being inserted was the most painful part. The midwife and DH had to pretty much hold me down as I was climbing the walls from the pain.
I remember the OB sitting on a stool between my legs and pulling with all his might every time I pushed through a contraction. All of a sudden, the vacuum slipped and the OB went flying off the chair, back into the wall, while I screamed from the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced. The OB started yelling instructions at the midwife and the room started filling up with equipment and people. I saw him pick up something that looked like scissors (my DH looked like he was going to pass out at this point) and then he cut me, and went in with the forceps. This is when he realised that Liam had his head turned at a funny angle - he tried to turn him, couldn't and just grabbed what he could with the forceps and pulled his head out. Then Liam's body just followed through with the next contraction. This was at 3.51am.
He was put straight on to a resus table and checked out before they passed him to me for a few seconds. I was told he wasn't breathing properly and had to go the SCN. I sent DH with him. The placenta was delivered and I was stitched up and given an injection to help me sleep. The next thing I knew it was 7am and I still hadn't really seen my baby.
A midwife came and I asked to see Liam. She was shocked that I hadn't been allowed to see him yet. She told me that before they would bring him in, I should be warned that he was a little bruised and battered from the birth.

I cried when I saw him - he had a cut that went across his nose, the bridge of his nose was swollen and a black/yellow color which went all the way over his eye and on to his forehead. On the top of his head he had an enormous bruise (the size of the vacuum suction cup) with a deep cut running through it that was about 6cms long. I was told to breastfeed him with him lying down and me leaning over him as he would be in too much pain if he was held upright at all. I wasn't allowed to move him other than to change his nappy then back to the SCN to be monitored. He was allowed in my room after about another 12 hours.

Liam was born 8lb 12.5oz and was 55cms long.

Snipity, snip, snip

Would it be remiss of me to say that I giggle everytime Brian tries to walk.

Ok, so I don't outright laugh in his face - but by God am I getting a good snigger at his John Waynesque gait.

And the nightmare begins...

The dreaded post pregnancy shed.

So you're probably wondering why it's a nightmare???

THE DRAIN INCIDENT

And there is your answer!

I like to bounce

Considering the princess is obsessed with standing I though I'd try her out in some new positions to see what she thought...












And today was the first exploration of a playground.











By all accounts, both seemed to be a hit!

In keeping with the Olympic theme

Let them eat cake donuts...

Grrrr I don't know what is up with Blogger, but this pic is crystal clear on photobucket!

To my littlest man

A year ago tomorrow at precisely 9.42pm my life changed forever - forever for the better.

Jack Graham Brodrick 10lb 13oz (4990gms) 59cms long

When I close my eyes I can still feel the excitement and anxiousness building while waiting for my contractions to start - watching the clock tick by waiting for that first little sign that you were making your way into the world.

In what was to become so much like you, you arrived with all the bells and whistles blaring. Just like it is today, four years ago the Olympics was playing in the background. Ausralia was celebrating a gold medal win and just as the first strains of Advance Australia Fair began playing you took your first breath. Your Daddy and I wonder whether it's an omen of what's to come - maybe you'll one day be an Olympic athlete. Your Daddy thinks more like a politician since you've been blessed with the gift of the gab.

Looking at you now, it's so hard to imagine that you and that chubby bubby are one and the same. You've become such a little man and you amaze me everyday with your thoughts and actions. You are now, and always will be my little ray of sunshine.

Happy 4th Birthday Little Man xx

And since I have it saved on my computer and various places all over the WWW - here's Jack's birth story:

Jack Graham (aka Horace throughout pg)was born 16th Aug 2004 at 9.42pm. Weighing 10lb 13oz, 59cm long and with a head circumference of 36.5cm.

Where to begin...At 36 weeks an ultrasound estimated that Horace's size was already 9lb 2oz, so I begged them to induce me before 40 weeks. I know most people hate the idea of inductions, but Liam was 8lb 12oz and I had heaps of trouble delivering him (failed vacuum extraction, episiotomy and forceps delivery) so I was scared that the same thing would happen again. The OB said no for the time being and to discuss it with him at 38 weeks again.

So 37 weeks comes around an it's a different OB and she doesn't even want to talk about inductions, so instead I convince her to give me an internal to see if anything is happening. Thank god - I am 2.5cm dilated and 30% effaced, so I can finally have my induction.

16th August, 2004

7.45am Arrived at the hospital and was shown to a delivery suite and was told to make myself comfortable and that a m/w would be with me shortly.

8.30am Still no sign of any m/w.

9.00am M/w comes in and explains that since I am an elective induction, I have a lesser priority over some of the other patients, and that she was about to go and do an emergency caesarian, I had to bide my time. She said not to panic and that my baby would be still born today.

Between 9am and 11am I have several m/ws check in to see how I am and to make sure that I am settled in.

11am Another m/w and student come in and want to break my water. She has two goes and can't break the membrane. Another midwife has two goes as well and she can't break it either. They call in an OB to have a go. The OB gets it first go, but I think it's because she is SOOO much rougher than the m/ws. Anyone who tells you that having you water broken doesn't hurt, lies. (Then again maybe it was just that OB).

Between 11am and 1.30pm Nothing was really happening except fairly mild contractions.

1.30pm Here is where the pain started to kick in. This is when the m/ws decided that I was officially in labor. From here the contractions were at about 2 minutes apart and lasting for about 45 seconds. The m/w offered to check how dilated I was, but I said no as I was not too concerned as I knew I still had hours to go.

4.00pm Decided it was time for the gas. At this point the only comfortable position for me was sitting straight upright with my legs handing over the side of the bed. The gas was great. At first it wasn't doing anything, so the m/w turned it up and suddenly, WHAM, the room was spinning. I didn't tell the m/w that as there was no way I was letting go of the gas.

6.00pm Time for the epidural. I was really concerned about getting this, as it was patchy with DS1. Between contractions, I managed a discussion with the anesthetist as to why it didn't work last time, and was it going to happen again. Basically the answer was, I don't know - to both questions. By this stage I figured, what the hell, he is here anyway, might as well do it. It took 5 attempts and staying still during contractions is almost impossible, but boy was it worth it.

7.00pm Pain free and kicking back watching TV. After Liam's birth, it was really weird to be in labor and not in pain. I could still feel when I was having a contraction, but it just felt more like pressure rather than pain. I don't believe that I slept at all during this stage, but I did really relax.

8.50pm The pressure is getting a lot stronger and I feel like I need to push. The m/w checks me and tells me that I can push whenever I am ready. This starts off a flurry of activity - things are getting wheeled in, other things moved out.

The bed is getting set up for the stirrups (I asked for them to help push). Did you know that they end of the bed comes off for these? I found it quite fascinating, the m/ws were laughing at me.

It was at this stage that I started to get a bit panicky. I had got a hemorrhoid the day before and I was terrified that it was going to get worse and/or I'd get more. The m/w thought this was funny and said that it should be the least of my concerns. Brian thought that me having a hemorrhoid was hysterical and proceeded to call it Roy and informed the m/w of this. So here I am, legs in stirrups, in full labor, big hemorrhoid sticking out of my bum, and Brian and the m/w are pissing themselves laughing at my expense. I was not amused, as you could imagine.

Suddenly the room is full of people, there are 2 trainee m/ws (one of which is delivering the baby), and 3 other m/ws. They start telling me to push harder when I have contraction, 3 pushes per contraction. Between contractions they are all talking amongst themselves, but soon as one starts building they all are staring intently between my legs. As the head starts to crown, they ask Brian and my mother if they want to look. Brian declines, but they talk him into it. I can tell by the look on his face that he was a little horrified by what he saw, but my mum is almost crying. They ask me if I want a mirror - No thank you!!! One of the m/ws is giving me a running commentary of how much of the babies head you can see. It's the size of a 20c piece, it's the size of a vegemite jar. By the time she got to margarine container, I was beginning to think he was never coming out. How much bigger could his head be??

9.42pm All of a sudden he was there. They told me to stop pushing while they cleared his airway, but the next contraction pushed him out without me trying. I was stunned. I just lay there, I didn't know what to say or do. I could hear the m/ws laughing and I was starting to stress out, but all they were doing was placing bets on his size. They brought him to me and my first thoughts where, "Oh my god, no wonder I was so fat". He was the boofiest thing I had ever seen. But he was also the most precious thing (well equal to his brother) that I had ever seen.

After this, it was the usual, deliver placenta, get stitched up (2nd degree tear), feed baby, have shower.

And thus - Jack Graham entered the world.

What was Mummy thinking?

Since Miss Imogen is now too small for her baby bath, I decided to try a novel approach...

Probably won't be doing that again in a hurry considering I ended up almost as wet as her!

It's a pain in the bum that one of my knees is still too wrecked from her birth for me to be able to bath her in the big bath - although that said, at least I can palm bath time off to Daddy :)