Learning New Tricks

So Emily recently turned 4 months old and both Chad and I can't believe how fast she is growing!
She is constantly learning and trying new things out.
Some of my favourite tricks is the blowing of bubbles...and the new awareness of what is happening around her, she is so very curious about everything. She has some serious FOMO (fear of missing out) and has just transitioned to a front facing pram so that she can see the world!

Emily is still very much making putty out of Chad and I, but we are lucky to be blessed with an incredibly easy going baby who travels with us all over Sydney with ease.

How time flies

Emily is almost 8 weeks old and I can't believe how much she is growing!
The first few weeks were a time of mutual learning...
Chad and I learnt to be parents and Emily learnt about her new world...
It has been an amazing journey so far...

Whilst newborns are very sweet... they are very limited....
they eat, sleep (if you're lucky) and mess in their nappies...
their concentration (interaction) is very limited....
but as Emily has grown, she has really started to show off her personality!!
She has also perfected a range of facial expressions & noises to help show this off!!

She still really loves to sleep:

She loves her bath with Dad in the evening:

But when she's awake and playing she really uses a wide variety of expressions.....

She likes to poke out her tongue

She likes to gaze at her Parents

But best of all are the thinking and exploring expressions:

Then there is the smiling and laughing that has recently started and is melting our hearts....
Even at 1am...when she should be sleeping.... its hard to be cross with her if she gives you a cheeky smile and a small laugh!!

Hello world, it is me, Emily!!

From the 24th February till the 1st of March, Emily and I were residents in the Maternity ward at the SAN hospital. We have had a great week, with Dad staying there with us on the first night... and visiting every other moment he got!!

The week was one of discovery and learning and all of us get to know each other.

What follows is a picture diary of our time there.

Happy Family on Day 2

Giving mom's finger a suck!

Nom Nom.... more food please mom!!

Daddy's girl

Counting how long till i dirty my new outfit!!

The obstetrician and I didn't exactly get on!!

Blowing raspberries

Having a cuddle with Dad

Trying my going home outfit

My comfy ride home

I sleep ALOT

YAY... visitors!!

I loved being bathed... especially by Dad

Welcome to the world Emily

On Friday 24th Febuary at 9:24am Emily Paige Rogers was born.
Weighing a healthy 4.025kgs (8pounds 14ounces) and measuring 54cm long.

That's the basics .....

If you're not to squeamish, keep reading for the full birthing story of Emily.

Chad and I arrived at the hospital at 7am....very excited and very nervous.

After making it through admin, we were admitted to the Delivery wing. Here we were given one of the smaller rooms.... as I wasn't going through labour, they used one of of the small rooms to do the preparations for the Caesar. This prep included a whole lot of initial tests, such as my blood pressure and temperature, then I had to use the showers to wash in a special antiseptic soap and then we were outfitted in our super awesome hospitals outfits.... a gown for me and scrubs for Chad.


After that it was off to surgery. Here Chad waited outside while they  hooked up my IV and my epidural. Once I was all settled and a screen was up over my chest, Chad joined us in the theater.

The next thing I knew, they said that she was almost here, lowered the screen slightly and let us watch her being born. She was quickly moved to an incubator where she was rubbed dry, warmed and checked, all under Dad's supervision. He also had the chance to cut the cord!

Then while i was being sown back up (about 30 min) ... she was placed on my chest and her Chad and I had some time together! It was here that Chad and I discussed her name... and before they had finished with me... she was named Emily Paige Rogers.

Once I was all sown up,we were moved to recovery area and it was here that Emily was weighed and measured and we then enjoyed some precious skin to skin time.

Once they were certain we were all ok, we were moved to the Maternity ward, which was to be our home for the next 6 days.

I am looking fashionable in my gown!

The dad outfit!!

Emily is born into the world

Getting to know her while in surgery

Chubby cheeks is weighed and measured

Skin to skin bonding

A happy Dad in Recovery

The Nursery

So after almost 2 weeks at home already dare say I think I am ready!!
All the clothes has been washed and the nursery (aka...Jellybean's room) is ready!!
Now we are patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting the arrival of missy!

I must admit the clothes washing was fun! As a friend said when they came over and saw our clothes horse full of her clothes...
" Look honey... its a line full of cuteness"


So our nursery is filled with the furniture and toys we have bought & been given...and we can't wait for her to take up residence and bring life to the room!
It has been well documented that Jellybean is obsessed with owls... so this theme is featured heavily in her room!

Next blog will hopefully be from the hospital... with pics of Jellybean... and maybe the great name reveal!!

Waiting for Jellybean....

I know I said that I would put up the pics of the nursery next....

but I'm still busy working on that.....

Today I am officially 37 weeks pregnant! I have 3 days of work left....I have been thinking about how soon it is till she's here...and it really feels like she could appear anytime now!

In the mean time... we have been keeping ourselves VERY busy!!

We went to the beach....I scrapbooked..... on Sunday

Today we went to a childcare class, we had the car seat fitted and Jellybean has been thumping (and moving) non-stop for a couple of hours!!

 

So i just wanted to post a couple of pics... from these busy days....

The bump of the beach

The first page of Jellybeans scrapbook album

Chad practising settling techniques at the Baby care class....

Lastly, I have uploaded a 30 sec clip of jellybean doing alien baby impersonations...

If you ignore my tummy movements from breathing, you should see her thump me right in the beginning of the clip and then you'll see her have a good go at Chad's hand towards the end of the clip....

Last week at work, she was doing the same thing... and a colleague who was talking to me happened to spot the movement and it totally freaked him out! The whole office thought I went into labour  because this guy was having a panic attack at her moving under my skin! So I think I emotionally scarred him... and the rest of the office is treating me like a ticking time bomb!

So its probably a good thing Friday is my last day!!

That said, even Chad has been surprised by the strength of her kicks and movements... today it felt like she was performing a tumble turn! I must admit.... I will be pleased to make it out of this pregnancy with my ribs somewhat intact!

She's going to be a BIG girl!!

So on Monday we went for a scan to check on her size and growth!
Good news is She is definitely a GIRL!!

Also good news is she is perfectly healthy... growing well and in the right position...
She is also BIG... already weighs 3.2kgs.....
so expected birth weight is almost 4kgs... (oh help!!)

She is also swimming in plenty of fluid... I am actually carrying FAR more amniotic fluid than the average women at my stage....
So little brat is having a whale of a time in her own spa bath... with plenty of space to move... cause her mom is stretched like a pig...holding it all in!!
(So basically when my waters break.... it wont trickle... I will GUSH - big time)

Unfortunately we didn't get any good pics... as she was turned face down....
but we were told that it looks like she has lots of hair....

We also saw the obstetrician on Wednesday... and he basically said that he would prefer to let me pop naturally, but that if I hadn't popped by the 28th, he would induce me as he was worried about her getting to big for me to push after that!!
I now and reconsidering all the methods of pain relief Chad and I had learnt about and discussed... the birthing plan may yet change..... after all... no one gives you a medal or an award for pushing with no pain relief!

Anyway.... I have one more week at work.... and until I pop I will keep feeling like a beached whale....who is smuggling a bathtub full of water!!


Stay tuned as the next post should have pics of the nursery!!