Visiting the Mt. Coot-tha Botanic Garden

What better way to spend Boxing Day, December 26th, than to visit the Botanic Gardens? The Mt. Coot-tha Botanic Gardens are a short drive from our house and are at the foot of Brisbane's tallest mountain, Mt. Coot-tha. We've been there a few times before. But, we've never taken Nicholas. Because we had spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the house, it was nice to get out and smell the fresh, summer air. We found a nice shaded area on Wedding Lawn #1 and plopped ourselves down for a rest. Nicholas nursed while Ryan made sure the giant water dragons stayed far away from us. Someday, I'm sure Nicholas will bring me lizards. However, I DON'T look forward to that day. I really do hate lizards!! And boy do they grow them big here.



We didn't stay long. But, it was nice to get out and have a family day at the beautiful gardens of Mt. Coot-tha.

Our First Family Christmas

This was both mine and Ryan's 2nd Christmas in Oz. However, it was our 1st Christmas with little Nicholas. Being only a month and half old, Nicholas is too young to distinguish the difference between Christmas Day and any other day. But, to Ryan and I this Christmas was special.


We didn't buy heaps of presents this year. In fact, we didn't have any presents under the tree. Instead, we bought a family present. When Nicholas was 2 weeks old, we had professional pictures taken by Wild Spirit Photography. We fell in love with the pictures and decided that we would buy them and call that our Christmas present this year. I've already warned Ryan that next year, when we're back in CA, I might go a little crazy at Christmas since it's my favorite holiday and since Nicholas will be older and might enjoy unwrapping a few gifts. But, this year, I was happy to have the photos.

The 10 photos we purchased for Christmas

Nicholas and I started Christmas day by watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer while daddy had a bit of sleep in. Nicholas seemed to be really paying attention and enjoying the movie. But, when the Abominable Snowman appeared he wanted out of his bouncy chair and to be held by mom. Funny how even at such a young age, he can get scared.


Later, after Ryan woke up, we watched old home movies from Christmas 1981 and had a bit of a laugh. After that, Ryan and Nicholas took a 2 hour nap in the bedroom and I had some alone time and was able to rest up a bit before we made our first family Christmas dinner. Ryan BBQed a whole chicken, and I made garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing and a green bean casserole. Nicholas went to bed early, and Ryan and I were able to enjoy dinner with a glass of home-brewed Belgian Triple. It was a perfect end to our first family Christmas.

A few days before Christmas, Marg and Howard invited the three of us over for a nice Chrissy dinner of slow cooked lamb, roasted potatoes, fresh green beans and the most delicious hot, lemon pudding. We dressed Nicholas up in his Christmas outfit and elf hat, and Marg took some family photos of us.

Our First Family Christmas Photo

Mama and her Santa Baby

Marg and Me...and Howard being a goofball

All in all, in was a fantastic 1st Christmas. It was a little bittersweet knowing that it'll be our last one in Australia, while at the same time, we were excited knowing that next year we'll be surrounded by family, many of whom will be meeting Nicholas for the first time. So, as we think about taking down all the Christmas lights and decorations, we smile knowing that the next time they're put up, we'll be back home in California celebrating with family.

Our 2nd Week Alone - Just Nicholas and Me

Nicholas and I successfully got through week one alone while Ryan was in Asia for work. When week two rolled around, we were well on our way to having established some sort of routine and the days were passing more quickly. I had plans for most of the days and getting out of the house helped to keep me busy so that I didn't miss Ryan as much.

On Monday, we were supposed to go with our neighbor, Louisa, and her 7 month old daughter, Sienna, to DFO (Direct Factory Outlets). However, after getting Nicholas and I both ready and out the door on time (not an easy task), I soon discovered that our car battery had died. Louisa and Sienna went ahead without us. But, made sure to stop by our apartment after for a play date and coffee. Ryan and I Skyped soon after and decided that I didn't need the car that week, and we would wait until he got home to deal with the battery. It was sort a new thing to know that I'd be taking public transport all week. Not so difficult to do in Brisbane, where there is a great river ferry system and three stops within blocks of our house.

On Tuesday, Nicholas and I took the ferry across the river to downtown Brisbane. We had an appointment with the American Embassy to get his Consular Record of Birth Abroad, Passport and Social Security Card. But, first we had to get his passport picture taken at a photo place downtown. Marg told us that she'd meet us just in case I could use a hand. I'm so glad she did. Nicholas had fallen asleep on the ferry ride and was taking a great nap in his pram. But since he had to have his eyes open for his passport photo, we had to wake him up. He is not a happy baby when he's woken up early from his naps. So, for the next hour I was left to deal with a very cranky baby while we waited for his passport pictures to be developed. After that, we met Marg at our Embassy appointment where things went much more smoothly. We waited a short time and our appointment lasted under 10 minutes. His passport should be here any day and then he'll "officially" be an American Citizen and be able to fly home to the US.

On Wednesday, Nicholas and I took the ferry up the river one stop to my 6 week OB appointment. Again, he slept GREAT on the ferry and during the walk from the ferry. But, once we got to Arrivals and stopped moving, he, of course, woke up just in time for Dr. Higgins to call us into the room. I then did the difficult task of feeding him while being examined myself. However, something makes me think that Dr. Higgins has seen this many times before. He even burped Nicholas for me at one point, and Nicholas thanked him by doing a loud pooh while the doctor was holding him. Talk about embarrassing! LOL. After that, we decided to skip the ferry and instead walked home through the Kangaroo Point Parklands along the river. It was a great day for a walk.

On Thursday, we had our mums/bubs meet up group at the Powerhouse Cafe. We took the ferry down river a few stops and then walked from there. It seems like all the other babies are so quiet and always sleep through the whole meet up. Maybe their mums time their feedings a little better. Nicholas, however, is always hungry right when we get there even if I've fed him just before leaving the house. Then, he wants nothing to do with the pram afterwards and instead wants to be held the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I love holding my baby. But, it makes it difficult to drink a hot coffee or eat anything when you have a very alert and active baby in your arms. That's alright. It's not the coffee we go to the meet ups for anyways. It's the interaction with other mums of babies Nicholas' age and being able to compare notes with them. It was another fun morning with the mums/bubs group.

On Friday, Marg was going to come over and we were all going to go for a walk around Kangaroo Point. But, she asked for a rain check since she had a lot going on that day, and Howard had just flown in after a 3 week work trip to the US. So, instead, Nicholas and I stayed around the house and had a rest day. Well, Nicholas had a rest day while Mommy cleaned so that Daddy would come home to a clean house. I guess after almost a week straight of plans every day it was nice to have a semi-lazy day at home.

On Saturday, Nicholas and I woke up smiling because Ryan would be home that afternoon, and our two weeks alone would soon be over. When I first learned that I would be alone with our newborn baby for 2 weeks, I panicked slightly. I was so unsure of myself. But, in retrospect, it turned out to be a very positive experience. It forced me to stop being so nervous with Nicholas, and I found out he's not going to break as easily as I thought he would. Being alone with him also helped me to discover more about him. I was immersed in the maternal role and I learned quickly how to determine when he was hungry, tired, bored, awake, social etc... and I adjusted myself accordingly so that we had a good time together. It also gave us time to start establishing some routines. Routines that we are keeping even now that daddy is home.

Don't get me wrong... I don't like when Ryan travels for work. I miss him, and it's hard work taking care of a baby by yourself for days on end. But, if/when he does have to go away again, I know that Nicholas and I can handle it. We'll miss Ryan. But, we'll get through it just fine!!

Our First Week Alone - Just Nicholas & Me

When we got notice that Ryan would need to travel to Asia, to say that I was disappointed would be putting it mild. I was not happy AT ALL. But, I can't really complain too much. Ryan didn't travel for four weeks before Nicholas was born just in case he arrived early, and Ryan took 3 weeks of Paternity Leave after Nicholas was born. Also, I guess one of us has to work to keep us living in this beautiful place. So, even though I didn't like it one bit... I had to let him go. Nicholas and I were going to be just fine.

I made sure to make lots of plans to get us out of the house so that we didn't miss Nicholas' daddy so much.

On Monday, we met our neighbor, Louisa, and her 7 month old daughter, Sienna, downstairs and then walked a block to the Dockside Cafe for a coffee. We live in Tower 1, and they live in tower 2. But, our balconies face each other. We've yelled across and said hello before. However, this was our first meet up. It was fantastic. In fact, we're doing it again tomorrow. Except this time, we decided to go to the outlet stores and go shopping before our coffee.

On Wednesday, we had a follow up doctor appointment for Nicholas. That was pretty uneventful, except leaving the appointment is where I learned that it's NO FUN putting a baby in a car seat when it's pouring down rain and you're not in a covered parking space. Oh my gosh!! I was soaking wet by the time I got myself buckled in. You can't really avoid the rain during the wet season in tropical Queensland. However, in the future I think I'll avoid places that don't have covered parking. That was ridiculous!!

On Thursday, we went to our first Mums and Bubs group. Ryan and I had taken Nicholas to a Chemist (=Pharmacy) in New Farm a couple of times to have a midwife weigh him and do a quick exam. That same midwife called us a week later and let us know that a new group had formed with moms of babies around Nicholas' age. Generally, I'm not one to join a group like this. But, being over here 7,000 miles away from all of our family and friends convinced me that maybe in this case it will be a positive thing. We had a great time. Or maybe I should say, "all the moms had a great time" since all the babies slept right through our coffee date. All the babies are between 3 weeks and 7 weeks so it's no wonder they were a little sleepy. We're meeting up with the group again this week.

On Friday, we met Marg at the Indooroopilly Mall. There was a bit of a mix up about where we were meeting. I thought we were meeting at the mall, and Marg thought we were meeting at my house. It was pretty comical. Once we figured out that I was at the mall while Marg was outside of my house, we decided that I would go wait by Santa while Marg drove to the Mall to meet up with us. It was the first time Nicholas saw Santa. He was seriously uninterested. It might have been due to the fact that I was feeding him at the time. It was pretty funny to watch the reception that Santa got as he came out to start his picture taking shift. Some of the kids reacted as if they were seeing a ROCK STAR. While others threw themselves on the ground and started throwing a holy hissy fit! Maybe they don't want gifts from Santa for Christmas. Who knows! It was funny to watch, and it made me wonder how Nicholas will react when we try to put him on Santa's lap for the first time.

Today is our apartment complex's first annual Christmas Party. Everyone is meeting down by the pool and media room. I really wish Ryan was here to go to it with me. But, since that isn't possible, Nicholas is going to have to be my date. I think he'll make a pretty good date. Ryan has lived here for 3 years, and I have lived here for 2. I think because it's a secure building ~ meaning no one can get into the building OR up to our floor without us buzzing them up ~ we haven't really met anyone that lives here besides two men who live on our floor, Louisa in tower 2 and our on-site Property Managers Roger and Cheryl. So, it will be nice to meet some neighbors. Although, I'm looking outside and it looks like rain is coming. I sure hope there's enough room for everyone under cover and out of the rain.

We have 6 more days without Ryan, and Nicholas and I have something planned for each of the 5 days leading up to Ryan's return (I'll write more in a future blog) It hasn't been easy having Daddy away this soon after Nicholas was born. But, having some outings has made the days go by a little faster.

A Month of Firsts

We've had a lot of firsts this month.

• Nicholas had his first car ride when he was just 4 days old. Here is a picture of us as we're leaving the Mater Mother's Hospital.
  
  
  
  
• He had his first visitor when Ryan's mom, Grandma Linda, flew over from California and stayed with us when he was just one and two weeks old.
  
  
  
  
• He visited the International Airport for the first time when we picked up Grandma Linda
  
• He had his first (and second) dinner party with Marg and Howard when he was just 6 and 11 days old
  
• He went to the grocery store & to Target for the first time with Grandma Linda, Ryan and me. It took all three of us to tackle our grocery list. Ryan minded the baby, grandma pushed the trolley, and I pushed the stroller as I put the groceries in the trolley. And, of course, he had a pooh explosion at both stores :)
  
• He took his first ferry ride across the river to downtown Brisbane in order to get his Queensland birth certificate, and he slept through the entire thing.
  
  
  
  
• He took his first walk around Kangaroo Point in his new pram

• He took his first City Cat ride & went to his first Powerhouse Farmers Market when he was 10 days old

• and he had his first professional photo shoot when he was 2 weeks old
  

♥ I'd say we've been a pretty busy family this month.

❤ Your Birth Story, Nicholas Edward Kearn ❤

The books, apps and midwives at the prenatal classes all told us to write out a birth plan. However, family and friends cautioned us about how labor is unpredictable and how a birth plan can't always be followed. We decided to outline our plan anyways and hope for the best. No where in the birth plan did we write that at midnight we'd like to have an emergency C-Section (called a "Caesar" in Oz). But, on November 2nd, 2011, that's exactly what happened. Our little October baby ended up being born via C-section a week late.

On November 2nd, 2011, we arrived at The Mater Mother's Hospital at 7:30 pm for our scheduled induction.


Speaking of things NOT going according to plan. Even our induction didn't happen like we planned. The plan was to have prostaglandin gel inserted on the night of November 2nd. The gel would start to ripen my cervix overnight, and I would hopefully start labor contractions by morning and have you on November 3rd. That was the plan.

Before inserting the gel, they monitored your heart rate for an hour. I guess they needed to establish a baseline. Your heart rate was good at around 130-140 beats per minute. Just what we wanted to see. After an hour, the midwife inserted the gel and we needed to continue to be monitored for another hour before being sent up to the 10th floor to sleep for the night.

Sucking on some nitrous to ease the pain and nerves

Everything was going "according to plan" for about 30 minutes or so. Your heart rate was good and mum and dad were happy. Then, I had to pee. They left the heart monitor hooked to me. But, unhooked it from the machine so that I could use the toilet. When they hooked us back up to the machine, they noticed that your heart rate was lower than they'd like to see. It was hovering around 106 . Then, it dropped to 88. The midwife monitored us for a minute and watched as your heart rate climbed again. Phew!! Before she left the room, she told us to use the call button if we saw the monitor hovering in the 80s again. A few minutes after she left, your heart rate dropped to the 80s and then I saw 56. To say I panicked would be an understatement. I was so incredibly scared. I told your dad to get the midwife QUICK!

She came back into the room and pushed the "panic" button behind my bed. I call it the "panic" button. But, they would call it the "team" button. As she pushed it, she said, "there are going to be a lot of people in here in a minute". My first thought, "OH SHIT!" I knew this was NOT the plan. After the team monitored us for a minute or two and saw that your heart rate was fluctuating with contractions, they called Dr. Vincent Loh, our OB from Arrivals, who was on call that night. He was there in minutes and let us know that my contractions had started and that with each contraction your heart rate would drop. After the contraction was over, your heart rate would return to normal. He thought it in your best interest not to go through hours and hours of contractions since they were causing you stress. Instead, he thought it best to preform a C-Section right then. What?? This was DEFINITELY NOT according to plan. I hadn't even read the sections in the books about C-sections because I was sure it wasn't going to happen to me.

Your Daddy was rushed off to put on surgery scrubs as I was wheeled into Theater (the surgery room). I remember taking a deep breath as they wheeled me through the double doors into the bright room, and I remember thinking, "Here we go...There's no turning back now!" I also remember thinking that there were so many people in the room. There must have been 10 people waiting for us in Theater. I remember my body shaking uncontrollably and crying like crazy. I had never had any kind of surgery before. That fact plus the fear that something terrible might happen to you before they could get you out, was more than I could handle.

Once Daddy returned wearing scrubs, the anesthesiologist gave me the epidural and they got started. I had been so afraid of the epi for 9+ months, and in the end, it wasn't bad at all. Your daddy held my hand and sat near my head while Dr. Loh and Dr. Seto (your Pediatrician) preformed the C-section. Three minutes later, at 11:52pm (Australia time) on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011, they asked us if we wanted to meet our son. As they lifted you over the curtain, I said, "Oh my gosh! He's so big".


I remember thinking that you looked HUGE! I don't know if I could have pushed you out. I know they say you find the strength and that your body knows what to do. But, you were one big baby. I guess you didn't listen to me throughout the pregnancy when I told you that you weren't allowed to get any bigger than 7 lbs. You were born weighing 8 lbs 5 oz.

Once we got a quick look at you, you were taken to the other side of the room to have your Apgar scores taken, to be weighed, cleaned and to let Daddy trim your cord while I was sewn up.


I could hear you crying, and I can't tell you how happy that made me. I always thought that I would cry when you were born. Instead, I had a perma smile that made my cheeks hurt. I was so damn happy to hear you cry. Your Apgar scores at one and five minutes were both 9. You lost a point for having pale arms and purple fingernails, which I guess is pretty normal.

A few minutes later, you were bundled in a hospital blanket and brought over to me. Your face was so squished up and had signs of water retention. Something else which I guess is normal. Daddy has our first meeting on video, and someday we'll show you.



o



Soon after, Daddy and you went to wait for me in the recovery room for a few minutes. They had to get me off the surgery table and onto a regular bed before I could leave the Theater. When I got into the recovery room, your daddy was holding you and had the biggest smile. He was one happy man to finally be holding his son.



We stayed in the recovery room until my temperature was normal and the feeling in my lower half started to come back. During this time, I nursed you for the first time and we talked to Dr. Loh about the procedure.




The next four days were a whirlwind. We stayed in the hospital for four nights, one night less than we thought we would. We met many wonderful midwives who gave us heaps of advice and tools for our tool box. Our favorite midwife was Charlotte. She was a riot. She not only educated us, but also made us laugh. She is the person who gave you your first bath.





Your Daddy was wonderful during those four days and nights, as well. I was recovering from the C-Section and couldn't even get out of bed the first day. He took such good care of both of us. He changed all of your nappies (diapers) and stayed awake with you so that I could sleep in between feedings. When one of us needed him, he was there. He's always been that way, so I shouldn't have expected any less from him. You are a lucky boy to have such a fantastic Dad.



On Sunday November 6th, 2011 we excitedly loaded you into your carrier (car seat) and took you to your new home on Kangaroo Point, where we will raise you for the first year of your life. ❤ Welcome Home Sweet Baby Nicholas



Edited by Ryan - And after the excitement of the homecoming had worn off, you and Mum took your first naps.

The Final Days

Dear Baby,

It's hard to believe that you're due to arrive in 10 days... But, you could make your big debut any time now. These last days have been filled with many different emotions. We are so excited for you to be born so that we can meet you and give you snuggles. I think my favorite feeling is when you get the hiccups. It feels like a little rhythmic heart beat in my belly. They aren't painful, and I know your lungs are getting a healthy workout. Ironically, you just started hiccuping as I wrote that last sentence. Too funny!!

280 Days is a long time to be pregnant, and I am especially looking forward to you being born. I've enjoyed carrying you, and I've loved my pregnant body. However, these last weeks have been quite uncomfortable, and there have been a lot of days when I've really wished for you to be born. I'm usually content until mid to late afternoon. The midwife told us that this is normal. My body gets tired by then and that's when the discomfort generally starts. The discomfort comes in the form of Braxton Hicks contractions and cramping, both of which are normal and considered good preparation for actual labor. During the more painful moments, I've been practicing relaxing and deep breathing. I also imagine your cute little face, and all of that combined seems to help. I've also been having not only lower back pain, but also pubic bone pain, which is, again, normal since you have dropped and your head is putting pressure on the bone.


We've only taken photos, but it would be fun to take a video so that you can see how I move these days. Between the Braxton Hicks, cramping, back and pubic bone pain, I now move very, very slowly. It's more of a waddle where I sway from side to side. Even when I try to move faster...there is NO moving fast! Your daddy has been so supportive, and I love that he helps me off the couch, in and out of the bath, in and out of the bed and pretty much any other time I need help ~ which these days is pretty often.

We haven't done a whole lot in the last month. We've stuck pretty close to home. While your daddy works from home, our days are filled with cooking, baking, cleaning, reading, gardening, watching movies, IMing family/friends and the occasional swim. Swimming is THE BEST! I would live in the pool if I could. The buoyancy of the water helps relieve all of the discomfort and heaviness I'm feeling. The hardest part is getting out of the pool. I feel three times heavier than before I get in, and it's a bit difficult to make myself get out.

Relaxing Poolside 38 weeks

All in all, this has been an incredible journey over the past 9 months. We have loved seeing you in the ultrasound pictures, and I've loved feeling you growing inside of me, even when you've been a bit rough and have hurt me. It just means that you're a strong baby and that you're developing like you should. Your daddy and I are very much looking forward to your arrival. Our hospital bags are packed and we're ready to go. Now, it's up to you to decide when you want to arrive. But, for the record, you should know, I'll be happy with sooner rather than later.

I love you already,
Mommy

40 More Days...The Final Count Down

I can hardly believe that it's almost time for bub to make his debut. We only have 40 more days 'til our due date, and I'm REALLY hoping he doesn't plan on being fashionably late. Mum is getting quite uncomfortable these days. They say that feeling your baby move is the "BEST feeling in the World". Don't misunderstand me. I love being pregnant and am happily anticipating this little guy's arrival. But, I would be lying if I said, "I love feeling him move".

Pregnancy is different for everyone. For me, it's been quite painful the last few weeks. Our Baby likes to do what the books call "pedaling". Pedaling is basically what it sounds like. His arms and legs are pedaling inside me as if he's riding a bike. His feet, hands, knees and elbows punch on the insides of my belly and then strongly scrape across me. This can go on for hours, and it's caused me to feel quite bruised inside. But, that doesn't stop our little guy from scraping my bruised areas daily/hourly. In addition to scraping my belly, since he's dropped and is in the head down position, his feet have found my ribs. UGH! He doesn't know what he's doing. He's just trying to make some room for himself and get comfortable in the small space my vertically challenged body has given him. I understand this. However, this mom has been brought to tears from the pain his movements have caused. It seems the only time I am truly comfortable is while in the bath. Baby seems to relax and settle down, and my belly softens as it becomes weightless. I love it! For about a month, I've been taking a warm bath nightly, and there have been days when I've contemplated taking multiple baths. You know it's been a rough evening when Ryan disappears into the bathroom, runs the bath water, pours the lavender bath in, and orders me in . It doesn't take long before I am saying, "I feel SO much better".

Like I said, I know bub doesn't know he's hurting me, and I know that he's only trying to get comfortable as his space gets more and more cramped. When I get scraped and rib punched, I do my best to remember that. It's not always easy. But, I try. In the end, what else can I do? We have 40 more days til D (Due) Day, and for this Mum it can't come quick enough.

Falling for the Perfect Photo

Double Rainbow as Tropical Storm Approaches across Lake Weyba

Beautiful shot, huh? Well, there's a story behind this picture. It's a painful and stressful story....

As we were sitting in the Lake Room enjoying Howard's surprise birthday lunch, I looked out the window at the 180* view of Lake Weyba and saw this brilliant, double rainbow. I immediately grabbed my camera and headed for the back door. As I was walking out onto the back deck, Ryan yelled, "be careful!". He knows me well, and I wish I would have heeded his warning. I safely made my way down the steep, wood stairs to the jetty. I don't quite know what happened after that. I think because I had made it safely down the stairs, I let my guard down. Ironically, I was on flat ground when it happened. I had just stepped off the jetty in order to get the perfect angle for my photo, and my foot got caught up on a thin wire cable. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. Oh, my poor knees!! I am so thankful I had the sense to protect my belly because, honestly, it was the kind of fall that should have laid me out flat. I not only protected our baby, but also my camera by going down on my knees. It wasn't a planned landing. But, I went down HARD on both knees and on the hand that wasn't carrying the camera. I think I scared Howard and his brother in law, Dietmar, but I KNOW I scared myself. I was, understandably, panicky for the rest of the night for fear that the fall had hurt the baby. Ryan kept reassuring me that my poor, bloody knees were the only thing that I had hurt. And he made sure to add, "I told you to be careful". Ever since the fall, I have been conscientiously aware of how I move my body and am being much more methodical about my steps so that nothing like that ever happens again.

Babymoon on the Sunshine Coast

Ryan and I drove up the Queensland Coast this past weekend for a last getaway before Bub makes his arrival in a few weeks. It was a BIG weekend in Oz. We met Marg and Howard at Eumarella Shores on Lake Weyba to celebrate Howard's 60th Birthday, it was both the 1st weekend of Spring & Father's Day, and Ryan and I were happy to have a Babymoon on the Sunshine Coast. Heaps of things to celebrate!

We drove up at midday on Friday stopping at Howard and Marg's beautiful lake front accommodations on Lake Weyba. We had planned to pop by for a quick visit before leaving to check in at our place at Castaway Cove. But, we ended up being invited to stay for a delicious wild Baramundi dinner, and how can you say no to that? It was delicious! Plus, we had a 5 Star view of the lake from the Lake Room at the cottage. Not too shabby!!


On Saturday, Ryan and I started the day at the Eumundi Markets , which is an outdoor hippy, skippy, artsy, fartsy type market. Here "you'll find original artworks, sculptures, furniture, handmade toys, housewares, and skincare, as well as cutting edge fashion and jewelery by local designers", not to mention the plethora of food stalls. I LoVE the Eumundi Markets, and was happy to find a small, handmade purse for a reasonable price.

Here are a couple of stalls from the markets

After spending a lazy morning wandering the market stalls, we headed back to the lake cottage to celebrate Howard's 60th Birthday with a surprise lunch. Marg had organized for about 20 people to join them for a beautiful afternoon. I wish I would have taken a picture of the food table. It was gorgeous! There were scrumptious salads, ripe fruit, a variety of cheeses, beautiful breads, meat & sea food trays and more. Everyone used a plate to start lunch off. But, then we all grazed for about 6 more hours. We finished the night with ice cream and berries while watching a Paul Kelly tribute DVD. I would have to say, Howard's surprise birthday lunch was a huge success.

On Sunday, Ryan and I checked out Castaway Beach, where our hotel was....




before heading a few kilometers into Noosa. We walked up and down the quaint beach town window shopping and drinking a cappuccino. We didn't spend too much time in Noosa since, as we sat on the beach, we watched a tropical storm approach.

Paddle Boarder at Noosa trying to beat the storm

Noosa Beach looking toward the National Park

We started our two hour drive home just as the rain started to come down. It was perfect timing. The weather had cooperated for our last getaway before baby is born, and we couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

*Click here to see the full gallery of photos from our weekend on the Sunshine Coast.

Pre-Natal Class Panic leads to Positive Thinking

This past weekend, Ryan and I went to our pre-natal class. I am, admittedly, a HUGE wimp when it comes to hospitals, doctors and/or medical procedures. Always have been. I was the kid who passed out while on a 6th grade field trip to a hospital. They had to admit me, and my mom had to drive to the hospital to pick me up. Yup, that's how serious my fear of hospitals is. So, it wasn't a big surprise to me or Ryan when I got slightly anxious during the hospital tour of the birthing suites on Friday night. I think seeing the actual birthing room made it a reality. After the hospital tour, we ended the night with 14 other expecting couples in a class like setting. I didn't feel too worried during the class. However, after we returned home that night the restlessness began. To say I didn't sleep well would probably be an understatement. I don't think I slept AT ALL. I was obsessing about the labor and all that is involved with that. And I, of course, kept going to a negative place thinking about a lot of the worst case scenarios. I must have finally fallen asleep at some point. However, I woke up early Saturday feeling sluggish and drained. We had the second part of our pre-natal class, an 8 hour Saturday class, to get to. So, even though we were both tired, we got ourselves to the early morning class. We settled into our chairs and prepared for the long day ahead. Before that day, I was, honestly, looking forward to the class. I was excited to meet other expectant mums and dads, and I was anticipating learning things I hadn't read about in the books. But, after a couple of hours, I started to be filled with trepidation. I can't say exactly what made me so filled with terror. All I know is that it felt like someone had turned the heater on high. I began sweating profusely, I felt faint, and I couldn't drink water fast enough. I kept looking at Ryan with scared eyes, and he kept rubbing my leg and reassuring me that I was fine. I was far from fine. I was in the middle of a severe panic attack. I was sure that I was going to be the pregnant lady who passed out at the pre-natal class, and that thought wasn't helping my already escalating panic attack. The last 20 minutes before lunch felt like 3 hours. I was glued to my chair for fear that if I stood up I would either pass out or throw up. But, what I really wanted to do was to get myself outside and get fresh air. As soon as we were dismissed for lunch, I hightailed it for the door with Ryan close behind. Once outside in the fresh air, I felt a hundred times better. We walked to Subway for lunch and as we sat there eating our sandwiches, I tried to explain to Ryan how I was feeling. Like I mentioned earlier, I have never been good with hospitals and/or medical procedures and listening to the midwives explain all of the possible worst case scenarios was just too much for me. I was imagining them ALL happening to me, and it made me panic. The funny thing is that none of the information was new to me. I've read about it in the books and on the Ipad apps. So, I'm not sure why it effected me so strongly that morning. In the end, Ryan and I didn't return to the class. I told Ryan that I just couldn't see sitting in the class and panicking for 3 more hours. That is not an ideal situation for me or baby. We had already had the two parts of the class that I was really looking forward to ~ The Hospital Tour and the Non-Pharmaceutical Pain Relief Options. I was so thankful that Ryan didn't make me feel bad about leaving early. Instead, he suggested the we walk along the river and go check out my favorite outdoor market, The Life Style Market in Southbank. After we got home, we took a long nap and recovered from the lack of sleep the night before. When we woke up Ryan and I talked about my anxiety, and he made me feel much better. I realized then that when I was thinking about the hospital and all the pain and panic that will most likely happen that day, I wasn't thinking about the light at the end of the tunnel ~ Our Baby! I wasn't ever getting to the end of the labor process and imagining that I'd be holding our baby in my arms. After this realization, I wrote out of a list of all the positive reasons to welcome labor. Since then, I have felt fantastic. I now welcome labor and say, "Bring it on!"

Precious Previews 3D/4D Ultrasound

A few days ago, we visited Precious Previews and had a 3D/4D scan of our baby boy. We had been waiting for this day for months, and we were very excited. Ryan and I have both been to this type of scan before. I was there six year's ago for our nephew, Mark's, scan, and Ryan and I both went to our niece, Kaylee's, scan two years ago. But, nothing can prepare you for the 3D/4D scan of your own baby. It was INCREDIBLE!

I know there's a baby inside me. Believe me... I can feel his strong legs kicking me. But, to see his precious face and to see how much he looks like Daddy made me smile bigger than I thought was possible. Now, whenever I get uncomfortable, and I think his kicking and has gone on long enough, I look at the pictures of his gorgeous face and it helps me through the discomfort. How can I not smile??

The only thing that would have made the day more exciting would have been to have had our parents and siblings with us. The centre is set up to include families. There is a large, leather sectional couch and a huge, flat screen TV. We invited Marg and Howard, bub's surrogate Aussie Grandparents, to join us. But, they had family obligations in Melbourne and weren't able to make it. So, Ryan and I went alone. It was still magical. It is our baby, after all. But, it would have been nice to share it with family.

I uploaded the pictures to FB right away, and Ryan worked on getting the 20 minute video uploaded, as well. So, even though our families weren't able to be there in person, thanks to the Internet, they have been able to get a glimpse of bub. And now, it seems everyone is smiling!

30 Week 3D/4D Ultrasound Pictures

Maternity Photo Shoot

This past week, our friend, Aaron, offered to take some photos of us. So far, all of our pregnancy pictures have been taken by Ryan. So, daddy hasn't been able to be in any of them. We decided to take advantage of Aaron's superior photography skills since he'll be moving to California in two weeks to be with his beautiful fiance, Patty. This was our last chance for an Aaron Kelly Photo Shoot.

We had fun posing with "the bump" and chatting with our good mate. The pictures were taken a couple blocks from our apartment at the Kangaroo Point Parklands. It's a special place for us since we walk along the river through the Parklands most evenings. Since the photo shoot, as we pass the location, I make sure to comment about "our bench", "our tree" or "here's where bub was a little bastard".

The last comment is because half way through the photo shoot bub decided to get into an awkward position causing me much pain. For the past couple of weeks, he's been wedging some body part down into my left hip and it feels like a nerve is being seriously pinched. It sends shooting pains down my left leg almost paralyzing it, and it also causes pains to shoot upwards towards my back. Sometimes, it lasts just a few minutes and I can lay on my side and breath through the pain. Other times, it is almost more than I can handle and has brought me to tears. This time, it was causing such a severe pain that I, honestly, thought I was going to pass out. Ryan and Aaron were great. Ryan guided me back towards the park, and Aaron patiently walked with us at my super slow pace. As soon as we got to an open space, I laid down on the grass hoping to readjust bub. A few minutes later, I felt him shift and the pain eased. Phew!!

Thankfully, bub readjusted just in time to take advantage of the last minutes of daylight. Below are our favorite pictures from that day.

Visit to Dr. Bretz

I went to our 28 week Doctor's appointment by myself. Ryan was working in Beijing for the week, and I didn't want to reschedule our appointment. It was a little strange going alone. I know many women go to most of the their appointments alone. But, I've been really lucky. I'm almost 7 months along, and until this appointment, Ryan hadn't missed one.

Anyways, I took the ferry up river to the stop closest to Arrivals and walked the rest of the way. It felt good to get out and walk, and it was a lot easier than finding parking alone.

The appointment was another routine appointment. Dr. Bretz checked my blood pressure, weighed me and measured my bump. My blood pressure was great, I had gained 6 more lbs. since the last appointment, and my bump measured at 30cm., which was right on target for that time. Dr. Bretz also told me the results from our gestational diabetes screening. I am happy to say that we are in the clear. No gestational diabetes here!!

After the OB appointment, I decided to walk home. It's really not that far. But, halfway home my belly got super tight, and my slow walk became a snail's pace waddle. I crossed the river over the pedestrian bridge and walked through the botanic garden. The garden is ideally located directly across the river from our apartment. At the far end of the garden, I jumped on the ferry to cross the river back home to Kangaroo Point.

Brisbane City Botanic Garden

How to Prepare Your Bub's Nursery

1. Find a quality line of baby furniture in the color and style that you prefer and discover that, like everything else in Oz, it's WAY overpriced.

2. Let your man search Gumtree (Aussie Craig's List) weekly/daily and search for the same furniture at a major discount.

3. Find the PERFECT Pre-Loved Furniture on Gumtree.com.au at 50-60% off the market price, and decide that you're willing to pay that price.

4. Hire a Ute = Rent a Truck

5. Enlist the help of your strong Aussie Mate



6. Find the Historic Queenslander House where the furniture is and panic slightly as the men carefully carry the furniture down the steep flight of front steps.



7. Watch (and take pictures ) as the men load the Wardrobe into the back of the Ute, and use your helpful Mate's handy tie downs to secure the Wardrobe




8. Happily drive the new furniture home and confuse your aptartment receptionist by asking to use the "dolly", which the Aussies, of course, have another word for.

9. Use the "dolly" to get the furniture into your apartment and thoroughly clean it.

10. Smile as you put all of your baby's things away in his beautiful, new furniture, and then visit the room often to smile some more : )

Bub's new wardrobe ~ part armoire + part dresser + part book shelf = PERFECT!!

Bub's new wardrobe...you can see the view of the back garden from his room

Plenty of space for storage

Daddy bought bub two stuffed crocodiles and a set of Aussie Animal Picture Books

Changing table with heaps of storage space and a
view of the garden and downtown Brisbane

The cot (= crib) which is presently housing the car carrier (= car seat),
bouncy chair, nursing pillow and nappy bag (= diaper bag)