Our Maternity Shoot 20Jun09 & Bedroom Pics

Hi All

Loren, my dear sister, and most fabulous photographer, took photos of Kim and I last Saturday at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort. We got started pretty early in the morning and it was surprisingly warm enough to wear just a T-shirt. We could never have done that today with the minus temperatures that we woke up to, so we were really fortunate. I think she's a marvellous, talented, creative photographer and writer and I just need to tell the whole world about her. If you want to see more of her work and perhaps contact her, go to http://www.lorenstowphotography.blogspot.com/

Natalia's bedroom is also done, with a couple of things here and there that I still want to add..... but I don't want to be forced to just buy anything to fill the gaps. She wont be sleeping in there for the first couple of months anyway...... and when I see something cute then I'll get it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics

Love Leigh & Kim

And Her Name is Officially Natalia

Padded Toy Chest

Door to Natalia's Bedroom

Hello All

This morning we went to Trinity House School for their Open Day to find out more about the school. We have to look now already at what school we want to enrol her in, and she isn't even born yet. This particular school only has openings for babies born this year now - 2008 is already closed for admission as they are full. If we want to secure her a spot, we have to put down a non-refundable deposit of R5000. We both like the school a lot, but we have a month or so to think about it and then we need to act. The private schools in jhb are ridiculous so we need to do school shopping now!

Kim and I went for our gynae visit today. So the update is: she weighs 3kgs now, head circumference is 31.8cm and femur length 7.21cm. So our little Miss Pomario is growing at a rapid rate. Her head is still in the right position, down bottom. Her bum is up near my ribs - Kim loves playing with it, pushing it in and she pushes it out, so they are already playing with each other. I also have her little elbow sticking in my right side which is painful at times.

For those of you that don't know, we are naming her Natalia. Natalia (Italian) means 'birth' and Natale (Italian) means 'Christmas / Birth of Christ'. Now we just have to think of a 2nd name, and we don't have much time.

Then while were in Clarens in April, we bought a lovely Toy Chest for her. See attached pic.

Anyway, that's the news for now.

Love Leigh & Kim

Final Ante-Natal Class, Maternity Leave & UIF

Hi Everybody

So last Wednesday was our last Ante-Natal Class. It was a enjoyable evening ending off with bathing a month old baby. We got some good tips on how its done, but of course we only watched so doing it will be very different. You only really need 2-3 products to bath a baby, but there are hundreds in the shops, proving that there are so many unnecessary products out there!!!

Then, one of the couples on the course became proud parents on the Sunday before to a baby boy. The brand new father got to tell us all about their experience. She went a la natural all the way.....good for them!

Friday was my last day at work, thank goodness. I am so uncomfortable, bloated, swollen, weeing every 20min, that's its actually a blessing. Originally, I wanted to work until the week before, but now I realise that its not an option. Besides driving to Midrand and spending up to an hour (one way) in the traffic was taking a huge toll on me.

So today is my 1st day of being unemployed - I slept late (if you call 7am late), considering I got up 3 times during the night to wee. I went for my reflexology appointment at 11h00 and went to the bank to get some UIF forms filled out. I am driving through to Pretoria tomorrow to drop them off - its been a time consuming operation, but I finally have everything together.

So I am due back at work on the 19 October, but seriously its too far away to be thinking of that!
Love to all
Leigh

Miss Pomario is No Longer Breach

Howdie Doodie

Went for my gynae visit on Wednesday, just real quick one. I was there for maybe 5mins. The Doc just measured all the important things and I was outta there. So she now weighs 2.3kgs, wow that is a 500g increase in 2 weeks. Her head circumference is 30.3cm, femur length is 6.56cm. And Miss Muffet is now head down and no longer lying breach..... She is headed towards the light, but no engaged yet, thank goodness.

Otherwise, Wednesday was a really crappy day. When I got home after the visit, I couldn't get in. The driveway gate just packed up and wouldn't open and I was not about to climb over it. So I did some retail therapy instead. Kim was far away in Pretoria, so he only arrived home around 6pm.

Then yesterday, I went for my reflexology appointment, and upon leaving the ladies electric gate closed on my belly - she opened it just enough for me to squeeeeze through because her dogs were going to run out!!! I got pinned front and back between the gate and my stomach was squashed. I got a hell of a fright and started shouting and freaking out. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I went back the the gynae rooms yesterday to just check that she's okay. They observed me and her for half an hour and everything seems fine, thank goodness!!!

And today, my mommy is here from Durban so I have taken the day off work and we are going to do some retail therapy together. There are a couple things I still need to get for the hospital and I am so happy to have her with me..........

Anyhoo
Love to All
Leigh

Belly Update - 33.1 Weeks

Hi All

Okay, so I am getting huge now and I still have about 6 weeks to go. I don't know if I can stretch anymore. My feet and ankles are swollen and constantly in pain. My hands are swollen, making a fist even hurts and my face is really bloated. Sleeping is getting more difficult and having to go to the loo every other minute is not helping either. But hey, these are the joys of being pregnant!

Kim and I have been really active this weekend. No relaxing going on here!!!

Loren came around yesterday to help me sort out baby clothes - to see what I have and to make a list of what I still need. I had another baby shower at work on Friday, so I received a whole lot more stuff! Loren will be coming around next weekend again so we can go shopping for the clothes and other things that I still need. While we were busy with baby stuff, Kim was finishing off a couple of things in our new nanny's room - hanging cupboards and shelves. We also all went the the Gateway School Fund Raising Day to support them - a school for children with special needs. Little Malakai was with us and I think he enjoyed the outing. We had other things on our agenda for the day, but it flew by, and before we knew it Loren had to leave.

This morning Kim and I got off to an early start. After being scolded yesterday by Loren, that we haven't got the baby room together, we got cracking. I hadn't realised that we don't have much time. We received our furniture last Friday, but have been waiting for the linen and curtains to arrive, but it's no excuse not to have the other things done. So this morning we went to buy a variety of shelves to put up. We also put up the other goodies we bought long ago like the clock, height-chart and coat hooks.

So when the room is finished we will take some pics and post them!

Anyway, that's it for now

Love Leigh & Kim

Missing House Keys, Follow Up Visits & UIF

Okay, I had a really bad day yesterday........

I left work early at 2pm as usual to get to my gynae appointment, to get through the road works etc. I was making good time, so I went past the postbox to empty the box since I hadn't been there for 2 weeks+. Got the gynae in time for my appointment only to have to wait 45 minutes because a lady came in just before me having a miscarriage. So I waited patiently, had a good consultation with the Doc and was off home. Until I realised that my house keys were missing in action. Of course the last place I used them was to open the postbox!!! Raced back there and of course they were no longer hanging from the box, where I am sure my porridge brain had left them. I rushed into the Post Office, the Spar and other shops, even asked the car guards - no one had seen them. mmm, I feel like a real Poepol!!! So I couldn't get into the house and had to wait for Kim to organise for his keys to be brought to me. Now we have to change our locks, the house alarm, the remotes for the gate...... man!!!

But on a lighter note - about how little Miss Pomario is doing.
She is still lying breach, which the Doc says is a terrible way to lie because this hurts me! Which explains why I am seriously in a lot of pain here. I was convinced that she had moved, but my little lady is obviously comfortable. Her 'head' is no longer 'too big' and now perfectly in proportion. She weighs 1.83kg and her head circumference is 29.4cm and everything is on track. It's getting to a point now, where I am tired of being pregnant and uncomfortable...... but I am happy that she's in the right place and safe.

I am also trying to organise my UIF for when I'm on Maternity leave which is a lot of work. There are about 20 forms that need filling out, from the gynae to the bank, to prove that I have a bank account, copies of my marriage certificate and ID and then this has been done on 4 seperate copies for the 4months of Maternity leave........ man, this is ridiculous.

Anyway, I am working from home today. I'm not even going to venture out into the world. I'm safer here; I wont hurt myself or anyone else! LOL

Love Leigh

Baby Shower Pics

All my pressies, still unopened!!!

Got it wrong - Don't feed me that stuff pls!!!

Oh cute, little socks and babygrows

Oh that's hard work, I need a drink!!!

Yay, guessed it right!!!

Our 3rd Ante-Natal Class

Well Tina was not able to make it so we had Sister Linda Dickson instead........ the very same Sister Linda that looked after me when I was in hospital in January. It was great to see her again and she is very informative and talks on our level. She really encouraged questions and interaction.

So what did we learn last night? It was a follow on of last weeks class. This time vaginal births with pain intervention. Namely epidurals, spinals and episiotomies. We also got to see how the forceps and suction cup works.

I didn't go to work today. I opted to rather work from home. I just couldn't face driving, especially in traffic, and yesterday it took me more that an hour to get home. When I woke up this morning my back and legs were aching, and my ankles are rather swollen.

So today in a week is our next gynae visit. I cant wait to find out how she's lying. I seem to be carrying very low the last couple of weeks. I wonder if she's dropping down already.

I have started working on my Hospital Bag list of things to buy and pack for myself and little Miss Pomario. And I have also started writing my my Birth Plan. Its getting rather close now and I don't want to be unprepared.......

Love Leigh & Kim

Baby Shower & Bed Booking

Hi All

So, surprise surprise. I had my baby shower yesterday at Loren's house. She made up a nonsense story that I had to babysit Malakai because she and Darryl were going out for the evening blah blah blah. But of course when I got there, it was My Baby Shower!!!

So, I received a lot of lovely baby goodies - clothing, toys, cleaning stuff etc. The 2 of us were really spoilt. I want to thank all those that were there to make the day really special, Loren and Mom for just being you and even those that could not be there but sent wishes from afar - Alison from Switzerland!!!, Cherdine, Linda and Christelle that were there in spirit. Thanks again for all the gifts........

Kim and I went to the hospital this afternoon for our Maternity Ward tour to see where it all happens. The nursery where that babies are bathed, the different types of rooms on offer, what an incubator looks like, the birthing rooms, where the theater is etc. etc. Only thing that I'm not happy about is that siblings are not allowed in the ward, at all!!!. Only fathers and grandparents, can you handle it. Loren........ what will I do without you??? Then Kim, and the other fathers, were told sternly that they need to know how the car seat works for when baby goes home, because mothers get irritable when they don't know how to put them safely in the car, lol. Then we were off to the admissions desk to book our bed and fill in numerous forms - the amount of times I had to write down my physical address was tedious, as if I will forget where I live afterwards. So I hope that's that on that.

Anyway love to all
Leigh & Kim

Natural Vaginal Births & Breast-feeding

Hi All

The nights are getting rather chilly now, around 6deg, so winter has definitely arrived.

Kim and I went to our 2nd Ante-natal class last night with Tine Otte. We covered Natural Vaginal Births (no pain intervention), what happens, how your husband should assist you, what you should do etc. We got to see a video of a woman that goes natural all the way. Very primitive I must say. While I understand now why its important to give 'natural birth', I don't think this option is for me.

At the end of the class I signed up for a breast-feeding class in June that I was not going to go to. After speaking to my sister, who had a baby last August, she said that it wasn't necessary and she would assist me. But now I'm worried that I won't get it right, after speaking to Kim's Mom Sheila on the weekend. She tells me that all her children (4 of them) were unable to breast-feed because they all sucked the bottom lip instead of the breast. Now, after seeing the 4D Scan, we have all seen that she has Kim's lips, hence being worried! I am not prepared for bottle-feeding, and really want to breast-feed, so lets hope this class works!!!

Love to All
Leigh & Kim