Would ya look at you grow

Would you check out my meyer lemon tree? You may recall I bought it while in Baltimore and it has been as yet unsuccessful at producing any fruit.  Last year I was donated a massive pot when someone left  town and through the winter it started growing flowers which I cross-pollinated.  From those flowers, five small fruit are growing.  The poor thing gets a bit banged around in this wee apartment during the winter and I'm always glad when it gets warm enough to be able to keep it outdoors.  I don't know what we'll do next winter.  Perhaps I'll get a winter covering for its' trunk and pot and leave it below the overhang outside our apartment.  Or ask a friend to store it in their garage.  

Since I've had it outdoors again this year, it has been thriving.  There are loads of flowers and more baby fruit developing.  A few of the fruit are yellowing before they're even nearly big enough so I suspect they won't make it the long-haul.  I think the tree is probably too busy growing to provide its' whole system with the nutrients it needs.

 

The next generation

Hmmmm...It appears this is shamelessly becoming a 'mummy blog'.  Don't let it be so! I am so in love with little A., I don't know how not to do so.  Here are some pics highlighting her next generation-ness.  One of three generations of Kirkby/Short/Bird ladies.  The other comparing little A. to her dadda with his first teddy.  The blankie BabyBird lies on is my creation.

I'm a mummy now

As my tummy shrinks, my stitches heal (or I hope they do), and BabyBird becomes more accustomed to her surroundings, I start to lose my memory of before.  The tightly stretched tummy and sleepless nights.  The heavy feeling I had except when swimming: it's all beginning to fade away.  Even the pain of childbirth.  I remember it vividly, but did it really happen to me?  

It has been nice to start using all the items we've been collecting over the past few months.  It was beginning to feel like we had an over abundance of items yet she seems to make use of them all.  Janey (my mother-the-midwife) took her grandbaby for her first walk in the pram yesterday.  And today Janey and I will venture out to do some shopping while Jbird watches BabyBird.  Amongst all the bustle, and with the help of Janey, Jbird and I are slowly learning to make necessary decisions about her needs. 

First walk in the pram

Photo journal of the labour, delivery, and first days

 Heading to the hospital - do I have to do this?

Checking my own and baby's vitals on arrival

 Trying to ride out the pain

With the drugs comes a smile

 Whiling away the time

 "Are you my mother?"

First family portrait

 

First bath with Daddy

 I'm not sure if I like this

 Hmmm...pianist's hands

 Proud Janey

The Bird family goes home

A 7.25 lb weight loss in one day

On Sunday the 19th of May at 11:30pm I started experiencing regular contractions.  We went into hospital the following morning and met my midwife at around 8am. I spent the morning in the bath and on the exercise ball.  At 11:30 mum suggested I get an epidural as the contractions were becoming more and more uncomfortable, to the point where I felt inconsolable between them, yet my cervix was dilating very slowly.  With the help of the drugs I managed to rest, even sleep a little bit, as we waiting for baby to be ready to be born.  Around 6pm my midwife broke my waters.  I started pushing at 9:30pm.  The epidural slowly wore off during this time until I could feel everything and thought the end of the world might come by the time our baby was born.  I was again inconsolable between contractions and was glad Mum was there to be my mummy as I became a mummy.  In fact, my whole birth team were supportive and loving and I felt encouraged by them all through to the end.  Jbird was number one wet cloth and ice provider, hand holder, and made sure the lights were at a nice level and the music was gentle and peaceful.

Aurora Grace Bird was born at 1:07am on the 21st of May, 2013.  Weighing 7 pounds and 5 ounces - 3.3kg and measuring 18.9 inches or 48 cm long.  She was born posteriorly which means she was head down but her face was facing my tummy instead of my back.  This accounts for the slow delivery - and for the back pain - 'back labour' - I experienced throughout pushing.  It meant she spent the day ramming the back of her skull against my back all the way down the birth canal.  Getting into my pelvic bone was an almost impossible experience for her and she came out with a totally squeezed, misshapen head and a little round topknot of soft skin at the top of her skull.  This disappeared almost immediately according to the photos, I barely even remember it.  We were all surprised at her position as both my mother-the-midwife and my midwife nurse practitioner had been sure they could feel her back on my side and assumed she was in a 'normal' anterior position.

The experience of labour and delivery seemed very traumatic and I couldn't think about it on her birth day without crying.  Today, I am glad for it as she is so very beautiful, I am so glad she is here.  Jbird and I have fallen in love. 

As they placed her on my belly, I could barely know what had just happened.  We both had the shivers from going through the experience together.  She  looked around all wide eyed and did a little breast crawl with some prompting from her inexperienced mama to start suckling.  I was surprised to find I'd birthed a baby with dark hair, my one expectation was she'd be blonde as I had blonde hair when I was a little girl.  I barely know how the three of us slept that night, or if we slept at all.  

The stay at the hospital was lovely yet overwhelming - Jbird stayed with me on a pull out couch bed for the three nights.  We had a few guests and Mum joined us in the afternoons.  Our poor baby was so poked and prodded by nurses and doctors, she developed a high pitched pterodactyl scream.  We were instructed in the ways of bathing and changing and had daily visits from our midwife, a paediatrician, and a lactation consultant. 

Now here she is at home, as peaceful and content as anything.  Learning to feed well, sleeping lots, and treating us with a mild curiosity as to what's going on. 

Drunk on milk - a little buddha

Putting it off

Let me see.  What can I do besides packing my hospital bag?  There's a garden to plant, potplants to repot, floors to sweep and mop, window blinds to clean and windows to scrub, cupboards to wipe down, a fridge to clean, The Office finale to watch, a dresser to paint, and curtains to be made.  I guess Mum did the fridge and a lot of the planting so I should take that off my own list.  I've also given her the curtains job.  The point is, the days keep going by and that bag remains half packed.  I don't really know what is holding me up, it seems like the easiest job of them all.  I do know that that job will take me one step closer to having to stay at a hospital - something I have very little experience in and probably fear subconsciously.  

However, BabyBird is coming regardless of my lack of ability to commit to actually going to the hospital.  To get over this hurdle I'm going to pretend I'm packing to visit a friend and just do the bag.  Here goes nothing.

D-day

Today is our due date and as babies are very unlikely to arrive on this much longed for date, we were advised to plan something a little bit special.  After painting baby's dresser in the cooler morning, we put together a picnic lunch and went down to the lake for a swim.  I was one grumpy cow on the way there - I needed FOOD - but I managed to calm down to a very pleasant storm after some lunch and a dip in the big pond.  We have had two gorgeous summer days in a row, ranging around 26-32 degrees Celsius (80-90 degrees Fahrenheit).  Storms are forecast for tomorrow and the next day.  This may seem incidental to your life but I wanted to let you know and be jealous that we finally have some lovely weather and/or what the weather might be like when BabyBird arrives.

A little Debussy

Jbird just made a new video from his recital with Soph.  It's very pretty.  Have a listen. xx

A special Mother's Day

It is great to have Mum here finally.  She has been empowering me to face the labour room and I'm not feeling as nervous/scared as I was.  I feel...ready.  Almost.  I was especially excited to celebrate mother's day with her - it's a day I haven't cared too much for in the past because mum and dad both have birthdays within a week of mother's day so it's always felt a bit stressful to distinguish between the three celebrations.  This year felt different, probably because I'm about to become a mother and if pregnancy is anything to go by, motherhood is a big job.  We also enjoy any opportunity to celebrate with family members now that we live abroad.

In honour of my first mother's day (as a nearly-mum) Jbird made us a delicious breakfast first thing that morning.  He does a great French toast, using the Tartine baked method.  Mum and I were given a huge box of Godiva chocolates, I have been very restrained around so far and haven't eaten too many of them yet.  

For lunch, I'd planned a high tea for Mum.  I had wanted to take her to a hotel for high tea but I decided we could do just as good a job and enjoy doing it together here in my own kitchen.  I'm sure it was also much cheaper.  I did some of the preparation during the week which made our afternoon much easier.  This included Tartine's lemon cream, their chocolate souffle cake (which I made as cupcakes and froze), a loaf of bread, and some yummy strawberry lemonade syrup which I also froze, adding strawberry slices, soda water, ice, and mint leaves to serve it.  On the day, Mum and I prepared bread toppings - cucumber with salt and pepper on some, and boiled egg combined with fresh garden herbs, salt, and pepper on the others.  We baked fresh lemonade/soda scones which were served with blueberry jam, lemon cream, whipped cream, and strawberries.  Lastly we assembled a platter of salami, blue cheese, and sliced pear.  Someone had placed a beautiful long stemmed rose at our door while we were out at church that morning which we used alongside a few candles and a scarf as the table décor.  It was a delicious affair.  The only thing missing was the presence of Jbird's mum. 

 

A rather Kiwi meal

It occurred to me as we were eating tonight that I'd made something for dinner that had been a feature of both my and Jbird's childhoods.  Well, maybe not Jbird's as his family were vegetarian for many years.  Anyway, it definitely felt like home.  I have been including a lot of red meat in our diet to keep my iron up.  Steak is readily available here but I'm off grilling it because of the carcinogens when it blackens (nobody wants to encourage cancer).  Instead, I've taken to searing the meat and then placing sliced onions and carrots on the bottom of the pan, adding a splash of water and some other flavouring like Worcestershire sauce or red wine vinegar, putting the lid on and leaving it to stew.  If you leave it long enough, the onions caramelise and the meat becomes lovely and tender.  Served with smashed sweet potatoes and steamed veges and we've got the quintessential "meat and three veg" Kiwi meal.  Justin swallowed his down so quickly last night: I'm a fast eater and he finished his faster than me so it must've been a goodie.

Three showers on three fine days

Yes, we were given three baby showers.  Greedy, huh?  BabyBird has been spoilt by those we know both here and in New Zealand.  Thanks to these gifts, I think we have everything we need.   I have written nearly 60 thank you cards.  

One of the parties was a high tea with friends from one of the churches we attend.  Another was hosted by an older crowd from a church where Jbird plays the piano and the last had more males than females as it was held by our international bible study.  Sherbert featured at two of them which was a highlight for me - who doesn't like icecream melting in fizzy drink?  I made a strawberry shortcake for the high tea and yummy mini chocolate friands for the bible study group.  The games weren't too overwhelming, just the standard guessing my belly measurements and stealing pins if someone says the word 'baby' and a few others.  Here are some photos from the events.

A period of rest

Jbird and I are both on 'summer vacation'/waiting for baby mode with all my work finishing and my gym membership ending yesterday.  Things have been go go go for so long that it feels rather strange to come to a sudden stand still.  I even felt a little bit bored today.  I baked cinnamon buns and chocolate soufflé cupcakes, and had friends over for games and dessert to fill the time.  They were also extra relaxed as school finished up for them yesterday.  

We have a week before mum arrives.  We were planning to go on a holiday but I got nervous about travelling and it felt like an expensive thing to do so we will holiday from here instead.  We visited a museum we hadn't been to before yesterday and used a coupon to go out to dinner today.  Hopefully the weather gets warmer and sunny again so we can do some summery activities.  In the meantime, the nursery feels ready and I really only have to pack the hospital bag.  This should be a nice time of quiet before our new arrival - if I can manage to be patient.