Asian Baby Love...

I fiiiiiiiiinally embarked on our first pram trip into town yesterday, where I variously sorted out how to use the usb microdrive at Dick Smith- so far so good!

I submitted the vaccination exemption (conscientious objection
) form, and bought skincare and hair things as well as an anniversary prezzie for D, mesh hanging toy baskets and a multi-purpose folding table which I picked up this morning (too big to put in pram basket and carry uphill) all inexpensively from Red Dot and Homeart. I also got a few things from Coles, where
I ran into Maddy who piously cautioned me about what her midwife had told her about eating chocolate while breastfeeding (I had a chocolate bar for anniversary celebrations and some Musashi 'Growling Dog' protein bars in my hand). Too bad- yesterday was Ginny self-indulgance and pampering day! Also bumped into M.H. whose phone number midwife M had given me and who I rang on Wednesday re bra sources for the well-endowed.

I also bought a bamboo steamer and some tempeh in our local Asian supermarket. I was struck by the cultural ease the Chinese have re babies- the mother spontaneously picked up Bryn when he grizzled and I had my arms full (captured in lovely photo, above). I seem to remember this from when we lived in Singapore when I was a toddler and my lil sis M was a baby... 

There were Two in the Bed, and the Little One Said...

...Thanks for bringing me home, Mummy! Taken by Daddy D, a couple of nights after we settled in at home together

Housebound...

Well, I organized the pram, but between Bryn's hunger and the rain, didn't make it out of the house yesterday to do shopping and errands in town. I did, however, manage to download mp3 file sharing program and some songs! I'm keen to get what I need to transfer files from old pc to new, asap.

To the left is the photo relating to my zoo blog a few posts back- will try and relocate it to that post. I accidentally stumbled on and downloaded Picasa- free photo editing software by Google which makes uploading pics to this blog a bit quicker. Okay, off into town we go...

At Home with Homeopathy...

I have to say, I am increasingly placing my faith in homeopathic remedies as an adjunct to other health strategies, on the basis of how effective they have been for healing from the labour and birth. I think I have midwife T.C. to thank for this. I nipped into town to the High St Pharmacy, where the homeopath recommended silica for the stye, saying it pushes out any foreign bodies quickly (therefore contra-indicated for people with metal pins in their joints). I started taking it at 10 minute intervals on Sunday night, and by Sunday morning the stye 'popped' and drained itself! I'm feeling much better after sleep, a cry and resting both eyes, salt baths and chamomile teabag eye pillows. I also highly recommend hammamelis for haemmorhoids, arnica for bruising and swelling, and belladonna for engorged breasts.

Bryn is being thoroughly cute these days- at the seven-eight week smiling, gurgling and giggling stage! The camera has been a God-send: I've taken quite a few mini videos capturing the behaviours and expressions while they last- everything changes so quickly!...

Pig Stye?...

Bizarrely, D and I have both had styes in our left eye, a week apart. I think I'm just a bit run down- still recovering plus seven weeks of breastfeeding. According to test results my iron levels are good now, so it can't be that. I put it down to colloidal iron supplement. D is visibly stressed and stretched, too. I've become a bit stiff and sore from lack of exercise and lying or sittig smewhat awkwardly to feed Bryn.

I hit the pool for a stretch with R.J. looking after Bryn. Her bub is due in three weeks. Then had a massage with G.T. the doula and went for dinner to Pinakarri community, at J.D's . invitation. I feel so much better for having had some body TLC to take away the stiffness and soreness, which is the main difficulty right now especially as Bryn gets bigger.

Late Night Forays...

I haven't been getting up so much in the night, just feeding Bryn and going back to sleep, but tonight I have a kind of sciatica and need to stretch and not lie in bed for a while.

Perhaps it's just that the novelty has worn off, now that Bryn is seven weeks old, and we are not getting so many visitors and my hormone levels are changing, plus cumulative tiredness, but I am feeling flatter and actually less fit than while pregnant before the birth. I checked out post-partum physio classes at KEMH, but I wasn't able to park and catch the train (no parking available at any station between here and Claremont), so I drove all the way and parked at Daglish and couldn 't feed Bryn as planned. I did about two minutes of stretching and the effort of going and returning was more than the benefit of the class. The baby massage segment was lovely though- it's the most I've seen Bryn grinning and squirming! I'm going to stick with local things such as swimming and yoga. I also went up and visited one of the midwives which got videoed. I've taken a few home vids so far-amazing how far the technology has come. I also stumbled on some vid sequences of me in the tub during labour which I hadn't known existed. Fantastic to have and play back on my laptop.

Yesterday, I followed up Bs suggestion to go to mums and bubs home group, but there was a sign on the door saying cancelled due to illness. I spontaneously popped in to Ns nearby, to book a haircut and ended up having an informal mums chat with her friend A, who has an 11wk old 'Michelin baby', all folds and rolls of fat! N invited me to stay for lunch with them- tempeh and salad in mountain bread, yum! Brynnie finally finished feeding, so I then slept all arfternoon until D got in from work.

I'm a bit miffed that my AWGRAD (artists way online group) posts aren't arriving, although I'm still receiving somewhat skimpy daily digests. I need some advice re digital pics as I've had no luck uploading and emailing photos.

It finally feels like Spring with temps in the mid-twenties. A bit of a shock to the system, actually, and I have to adjust to moving Bryn in a hot car, sunshine on his soft skin etc. Other than that, I'm lookng forward to spending more time outdoors in the sunshine

A Whole Week...

And a busyish one at that, since my last post. It's been full of an outing a day, myself and bubs to mother's groups, doctors appointments and the zoo, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday respectively and with D to Garden City to buy a digital camera, then to sister's Birthday Friday and Friday evening. It's great to have the cam for pics and vids, which came with some decent photo editing software. I was pooped today, so I rested a lot and caught "Five days, one Summer." Synopsis: an interesting, subtle English film starring Sean Connery, set in the '40s, about a married Doctor involved with his much younger (20s?) Niece. Both are avid climbers who brave the Alps along with their young Swiss guide, who dissuades her from the liaison once he discovers the truth.

The zoo trip in particular was surprisingly fun. I'm not a huge fan of animals in captivity, but the forum I attended on Saturday morning happened to be at the zoo's convention centre. I couldn't walk far, but put Bryn in the pram and did the circuit of the African Savannah animals (elephants, lions, hyenas, zebras, rhinos etc). I snapped some cutely funny photos of Bryn, who happened to be in his "Baby Giraffe" label jumpsuit, beside the world-famous photo of the baby giraffe being kissed by its Mummy (hopefully it will post here). When I got home and showed them to D, he told me he went to school and was good mates with Ronald D'Raine the photographer, who also took the photos of D's wedding to his first wife! I stopped to feed Bryn outside the orangutang enclosure and we watched them at play for some time, grooming each other, tumbling, climbing, cuddling and coming up to the glass to interact with people (much to the horror of a wee two-year-old girl). I had a brief conversation in French with un couple francais en vacances.

Well, Munchkin has fallen asleep on my lap and I'm fading fast, so it's adios and goodnight...

Lazy Sunday afternoon (and Monday)...

Sunday was quite fun. Doug fetched his Mum and A was dropped off by hers. (she got bored and taken home early). I signed the father's day card with paw prints and burps from 'the boys' along with toast and tea in bed. Later J who has just returned from Bali and not seen Bryn yet popped over. We all piled into 'the bus' (our VW Caravelle), including Charlie Brown, and headed for Boyembara Park. Bryn thoughtfully slept in the ring sling on Doug and didn't grizzle until we got close to home in the car. We made a quick detour up to Monument Hill to watch the sunset. Grandma Pam appeared to have a great time. It was my first major walk since the birth, so I slept well last night!

Today ws D's first day back at work. I wasn't alone for long- Mum arrived with soup for lunch and some gifts from the Mandurah choir people, which included a towel and blanket for Bryn, a hand-knitted yellow baby cardigan and some lovely pampering products for me (bath oils etc). Yay, something for me at last (it's been baby clothes, baby clothes and more baby clothes, which has been wonderfully generous of people, but something self-nurturing for me, when I'm still recovering from the birth, feels luxurious!).

After an intensive feeding session, we managed a trip into town on foot to take care of some business with Bubs in the pram. Bryn bawled all the way in and slept all the way home. After Mum left, we both crashed out on the bed- was I knackered from the hike home uphill. To think, I used to do that walk every day, effortlessly. Oh well...

I had a quick chat with S who is feeling very tired and sleep-deprived- in fact S, L (who wants to visit tomorrow) and D rang within 15 minutes of each other but luckily Bryn slept on until 2 minutes before D walked through the door. Apparenty work was quietish, so not too big a shock to be back, for him...

I'm aiming for my first solo outing in the car with Bryn, to a mother and baby group. Luckily it isn't far.

,

Going Solo...

Tomorrow is the last day before D returns to work. It also happens to be Father's Day so I've bought a card from Bryn and Charlie :)

I'm wondering how I'll go without his support during the day. I guess I 'll just have to give it a go. B has offered her support, too. Mum is a bit unavailable. I'm looking forward to being more autonomous.

So, we'll have big Sis and Grandma over for lunch tomorrow...