Wednesday 30 September 2009
Monday 28 September 2009
First Week with Finlay
Finlay James Malcolm Brown arrived at 11.45am last Monday (21st Sept) weighing 8lb 3oz. That's exactly 1 year and 1 day after our wedding, I'm thrilled!
It's been a very traumatic week for me. The birth didn't go as I'd hoped because when I was admitted in labour they found I was running a very high temperature and had to continuously minitor me and Fin throughout, cutting out most of my natural water birth hopes immediately. Fin's heart rate kept dropping very low so we had doctors regularly checking us and a student midwife with us at all times to watch the machine, c-section was also mentioned early on. I managed a very long time just using paracetamol and gas & air but eventually had to have an epidural as it got too painful and I was only 4cm. Managed to avoid the section but had to have a ventouse delivery so that made it all a bit worse and means I'll take longer to heal up.
Got out of hospital about 9/10pm on the Tuesday night but was feeling realy bad all Weds and Thurs with increasing back pain and a pain near my ribs. Thurs evening it got excruciating so we had to call Scott's parents to come and watch Fin whilst Scott rushed me to A&E and I was given an enormous syringe of morphine. Initially they thought it might be an effect of the epidural so I was taken back to maternity and given some stupid diagnoses (bad posture... ) before they noticed something strange on a blood test to do with liver function. I was kept in overnight and on Friday afternoon they found I had gallstones. I was kept in another night for obs and came home Saturday with a new diet which means I can have practically no fat, very difficult for me! I have an appointment with a surgeon in 6 weeks to talk through my options but will most likely have keyhole surgery to remove my gall bladder to prevent any recurrances.
I'm sure you can imagine just how stressful this has been for us all, not only having a new baby but having this straight on top of it. Being in hospital 2 nights without Fin was agonising as I was in the baby blues phase and struggling to come to terms with everything. He made it very easy for me by being an angel for his grandparents and not crying when they had to take him away in the evenings.
It's been a very traumatic week for me. The birth didn't go as I'd hoped because when I was admitted in labour they found I was running a very high temperature and had to continuously minitor me and Fin throughout, cutting out most of my natural water birth hopes immediately. Fin's heart rate kept dropping very low so we had doctors regularly checking us and a student midwife with us at all times to watch the machine, c-section was also mentioned early on. I managed a very long time just using paracetamol and gas & air but eventually had to have an epidural as it got too painful and I was only 4cm. Managed to avoid the section but had to have a ventouse delivery so that made it all a bit worse and means I'll take longer to heal up.
Got out of hospital about 9/10pm on the Tuesday night but was feeling realy bad all Weds and Thurs with increasing back pain and a pain near my ribs. Thurs evening it got excruciating so we had to call Scott's parents to come and watch Fin whilst Scott rushed me to A&E and I was given an enormous syringe of morphine. Initially they thought it might be an effect of the epidural so I was taken back to maternity and given some stupid diagnoses (bad posture... ) before they noticed something strange on a blood test to do with liver function. I was kept in overnight and on Friday afternoon they found I had gallstones. I was kept in another night for obs and came home Saturday with a new diet which means I can have practically no fat, very difficult for me! I have an appointment with a surgeon in 6 weeks to talk through my options but will most likely have keyhole surgery to remove my gall bladder to prevent any recurrances.
I'm sure you can imagine just how stressful this has been for us all, not only having a new baby but having this straight on top of it. Being in hospital 2 nights without Fin was agonising as I was in the baby blues phase and struggling to come to terms with everything. He made it very easy for me by being an angel for his grandparents and not crying when they had to take him away in the evenings.
Friday 18 September 2009
The Nursery
I finally got around to photographing the nursery and here's the proof! Have a look around...
1. The entrance to the room. Those drawers are temporary, eventually they'll move into our room and swap places with the cot which is in there now for the first 6 months or so. Pic is a cartoon lithograph of Cinderella Castle surrounded by Disney characters and "autographed" by them all at he bottom. Also visable is Bean's laundry basket.
2. Bookcase which is mainly housing Scott's books at the moment. Second shelf down is all Bean's books and our Harry Potter collection is on the top along with more toys. I've changed the bottom shelf a bit now, it has some wooden jigsaws there.
3. Changing table, all neat and tidy - that won't last! The baskets contain nappies, cotton wool, wipes, muslins an other random bits like dummys and talc. You can just see the bouncy seat propped up on the left. Those cuddly toys won't be staying, they're just there for decoration until we start actually using the thing. Picture needs to go up on the wall when we get around to it but might get replaced quite soon.
4. The wardrobe with height chart stickers on the side. It's a kiddy size one so I can actually reach up on top of it! There's a big box of Lego on top which Bean will have once he's a lot older and some other toys like Mr Potato Heads and a school in a boot (of course...) Wardrobe has some clothes hanging in it on one side and bits like the baby monitor and my breast pump in there for now. The shelves have more baskets with all the clothes he's too little for yet and the drawers have his bedding and more nappies.
5. The nursery from the door. The drawers have all his current clothes, bibs etc in them. There's a Farthing Wood clock on the wall and toy animals on the windowsill with some picture frames that need more appropriate prints in them, still got the old ones from Leeds in there. Moses basket is just on the floor for now, all wired up with the breathing monitor in place, fresh bedding and new mattress.
1. The entrance to the room. Those drawers are temporary, eventually they'll move into our room and swap places with the cot which is in there now for the first 6 months or so. Pic is a cartoon lithograph of Cinderella Castle surrounded by Disney characters and "autographed" by them all at he bottom. Also visable is Bean's laundry basket.
2. Bookcase which is mainly housing Scott's books at the moment. Second shelf down is all Bean's books and our Harry Potter collection is on the top along with more toys. I've changed the bottom shelf a bit now, it has some wooden jigsaws there.
3. Changing table, all neat and tidy - that won't last! The baskets contain nappies, cotton wool, wipes, muslins an other random bits like dummys and talc. You can just see the bouncy seat propped up on the left. Those cuddly toys won't be staying, they're just there for decoration until we start actually using the thing. Picture needs to go up on the wall when we get around to it but might get replaced quite soon.
4. The wardrobe with height chart stickers on the side. It's a kiddy size one so I can actually reach up on top of it! There's a big box of Lego on top which Bean will have once he's a lot older and some other toys like Mr Potato Heads and a school in a boot (of course...) Wardrobe has some clothes hanging in it on one side and bits like the baby monitor and my breast pump in there for now. The shelves have more baskets with all the clothes he's too little for yet and the drawers have his bedding and more nappies.
5. The nursery from the door. The drawers have all his current clothes, bibs etc in them. There's a Farthing Wood clock on the wall and toy animals on the windowsill with some picture frames that need more appropriate prints in them, still got the old ones from Leeds in there. Moses basket is just on the floor for now, all wired up with the breathing monitor in place, fresh bedding and new mattress.
Thursday 17 September 2009
An Open Letter...
Dear Body,
At this point, I have a fairly good idea, actually make that a very good idea, what a contraction is. I've done the classes and I've lost count of the false labours and Braxton Hicks. I do not need any more "practice" contractions. I especially do not need them:
a) when having my dinner in a restaurant
b) in the car heading AWAY from the hospital
c) in ASDA
Next time we do the whole "contraction" thing, please can we do it for real? We both know what one feels like and don't need to practice anymore ok?
Thank you,
Xxx
At this point, I have a fairly good idea, actually make that a very good idea, what a contraction is. I've done the classes and I've lost count of the false labours and Braxton Hicks. I do not need any more "practice" contractions. I especially do not need them:
a) when having my dinner in a restaurant
b) in the car heading AWAY from the hospital
c) in ASDA
Next time we do the whole "contraction" thing, please can we do it for real? We both know what one feels like and don't need to practice anymore ok?
Thank you,
Xxx
Friday 4 September 2009
Calm Before the Storm???
These past two days have been pretty unbeliveable. I've had more energy than I've had in the past two weeks added together and I've barely experienced any pain at all.
Today I almost finished off the scrapping room/office - just a few bits and pieces to find homes for. I also made scrapbook pages (digital ones - not feeling upto getting all my traditional stuff out yet), baked a cake, made up Bean's moses basket ready for him coming home, bought mum's Disney tickets and ordered Scott's anniversary card and present - phew!
Yesterday I got all mum's holiday paperwork in order, downloaded and organised a ton of digital scrapbook kits, scrapbooked and printed off copies of every birth, marriage and death certificate that mum doesn't have so she's fully up to date with the family tree.
It's crazy how much I'm getting done and I wonder if this is the infamous "nesting instinct"? I wondered if I'd spot anything like that as I've done little but tidy and organise since we've moved in, but these last few days there does seem to be a major increase in my activity. For now I'm just making the most of having plenty of energy, sleeping well and getting lots done.
Today I almost finished off the scrapping room/office - just a few bits and pieces to find homes for. I also made scrapbook pages (digital ones - not feeling upto getting all my traditional stuff out yet), baked a cake, made up Bean's moses basket ready for him coming home, bought mum's Disney tickets and ordered Scott's anniversary card and present - phew!
Yesterday I got all mum's holiday paperwork in order, downloaded and organised a ton of digital scrapbook kits, scrapbooked and printed off copies of every birth, marriage and death certificate that mum doesn't have so she's fully up to date with the family tree.
It's crazy how much I'm getting done and I wonder if this is the infamous "nesting instinct"? I wondered if I'd spot anything like that as I've done little but tidy and organise since we've moved in, but these last few days there does seem to be a major increase in my activity. For now I'm just making the most of having plenty of energy, sleeping well and getting lots done.
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