Harriet the Doll

Seeing as my last post was so serious and sad, I thought I would post an update on my latest wee babe Harriet Pearl.

She is the light of our lives. A wonderful sleeper and has already slept through many nights. Last night, her final feed of the day was at 9:30pm and she didn't stir until 6:15am. Yes, my bosoms were rock hard when she woke but I was grateful for the sleep. 

She is a great feeder although this week we hit our first speed-bump with a case of thrush (me) and as a result of this, Hattie has been vomiting up blood. It's rather confronting to see a 9 week old baby covered in what looks like strawberry jam puke, so I have decided today to pump from the sore/infected side until the blood disperses. Wish me luck, I am in foreign territory here. I had mastitis with both Abi and Ted but never thrush. I also have a razor throat today and hope she doesn't catch a potential virus from me.  To say I've had a crummy week, is a major underestimation.

Abi and Ted love their new sister to bits. They often help with settling her, bringing me nappies and wipes, burp clothes and my feeding pillow. They want to hold her at any given chance and to them, she is probably like a doll, considering she is still quite small. This week, Harriet weighs in at 4.01kgs so James and I are stoked that she is really thriving now.

Time certainly flies with a 3rd child in the home. Since Harriet has come along, we have run out of hot water, had folding bursting from the laundry, shed tears of joy and laughter. Life as a family of 5 is big change, but a lovely one.

A thoughtful friend of mine gifted me with the Baby Milestone card set when Harriet was born. They are absolutely adorable and I have had so many comments since I started using them. Here is the a couple of the photos below;

I feel like I've known Harriet for years. She is quiet and peaceful and seldom cries. Sometimes when she sleeps, she literally looks like a doll. She is smiling and coo'ing and kicking her legs in her bouncer. I cannot wait for every day to begin with her in my life. 

The Waiting Game

Hi friends,

The last few days have been some of the hardest in memory.

I looked in the mirror on the long weekend and barely recognised the woman staring back at me. I looked tired, sad and distant.

As I write this post, I am dealing with some pretty heavy personal health issues that ravage me with serious emotional ups and downs.

Next week, I have a hearing test booked. Then another appointment with my GP whom I've seen twice in the last two weeks. There is talks of seeing a neurologist and ENT as well. MRI and Cat Scans, Audiograms and blood tests have been ordered.

At the moment, the outlook is uncertain. But I am potentially going to be diagnosed with Meniere's Disease, an incurable disorder of the ears. What this means, is that I'll suffer from it for the rest of my life. We don't know what triggered it off, most likely my recent pregnancy. Since pregnancy increases the retaining of fluid, this has triggered off a serious of symptoms that my Ob-Gyn, GP and nurses couldn't find a diagnosis for.

My symptoms are severe. I don't have any warning when an attack will strike, but when it does, I am bed ridden for days with vertigo and tinnitus, followed by days of fuzziness in the head. I cannot take medication as I am breastfeeding Harriet who is only 8 weeks old.

My family have been concerned about my well being for months and as my Mum checked in on me this week after another appointment with my GP,  she mentioned that my uncle has Meniere's Disease too. So we do have a family history of the illness.

I had an attack on Friday night which really frightened me. My last attack was early January and it was mild at best. I convinced myself that after I gave birth, the symptoms would disperse and I would recover.

Our family plans for Easter were cancelled. I felt guilty all weekend, watching the kids become bored inside. They didn't seem to mind, watching movies, doing craft and building lego. But I was overwhelmed with guilt, knowing that this could be a common part of our future as a family. Plans being cancelled, and my children watching me become bed ridden and unable to care for them. During an attack I am barely able to care for myself as the symptoms make driving, cooking, even doing basic things like going to the toilet impossible. I think deep down this is the worst part of the disease, that I will always need someone to care for me when I become symptomatic.

Treatment for the disease is different for everyone. Some people claim a low sodium diet helps, as salt retains fluid in the body. Most people treat the vertigo with heavy medication like Valium to calm themselves during an attack.

I guess I can't get too carried away with all this information until it has been confirmed. But as my usual anxious self, I have already pictured a life, living with this disease and it what that will entail for my family and myself.

I am seeing my therapist next week and will be able to get some techniques to deal with the anger and denial that I am feeling.

It's a waiting game, for results and relying on the professionals for more information and advice.

I will know more soon, until then xx

She's Here...

Welcome to the world Harriet Pearl McKinnon. She made her early arrival into the world on February 1st 2013 at 5:56pm weighing a slight 2.85kgs, measuring 49cms long.

I cannot believe it's been nearly 2 years since I posted about welcoming Ted into my life. He turns 2 next month and seems like he has grown SO much since arriving home from the hospital with Harriet.

My c-section went really well, it was quiet and intimate and I wasn't *too* nervous. My milk has come in and Harriet and I are bonding and feeding well. She is smaller than we had expected but is thriving nonetheless.

More photos to come!

xx

Merry Christmas!

The time has come, the big day is almost upon us.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone who reads this teeny tiny blog. I hope the festive season brings you much happiness, love and laughter.

Please drive safely on our roads and take care of one another. 

At this very moment, the kids are off at Grandma's house while I wrap the last gifts to go into the Santa sacks and under the tree. 

Tomorrow we are having a huge family lunch at my parent's house, then my inlaws are heading over for a hot dinner with all the trimmings.  I'm sure to weigh a few kilos more than I currently do, when I see my Obstetrician on Thursday to check on wee little baby. 

Be safe and merry.

xxx

Image from Able and Game, where I purchased all my Xmas cards. Check them out!

5 Year Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday on June 2nd, marked my 5th wedding anniversary I share with my gorgeous husband James.

On Friday, with my younger sister minding the kids at home, we dined at Quay in Sydney to celebrate this milestone in our life. It was fun to dress up and drive in together, talking about how blessed we are to have met each other and for our relationship to be so strong and honest.

Guava Snow Egg

8 Texture Chocolate Cake

Here are 2 of my favourite photos from that very special day 5 years ago. We were married on Hayman Island in The Whitsundays, in front of an intimate party of 50 friends and family. Looking back at these photos yesterday made me slightly sad, as a few people have passed away since this day which made me realise how amazing and fragile life can be. I don't take my love for granted, and these photos remind me of how lucky I am.

Happy Mother's Day

Here's my card, which I adore. It's from Abel and Game, my favourite card shop.

Beautiful, simple words were strung together. Abi signed her own name and drew a chocolate cake and her and Teddy too.

We are off to Doyle's at The Rocks for a family lunch including 9 adults, 3 preschoolers and Teddy too.

I hope today is special for each and every Mum out there. To the old and young, the Mum's who are expecting a wee bub soon, to the Nannas and Grandmothers. My heart goes out to anyone who might struggle through today. We lost our Nanna right before Mother's Day and the feelings were still so raw when we had to celebrate a few weeks later. Go easy today my friends.

With that, I'm off to pick outfits and sip my latte.

Happy Sunday to you all and Happy Mother's Day!

Christmas 2011 Part II

Our first Christmas tree in our new house.

Abi's great grandmother gave her a special advent calendar on December 1st. These were some of the goodies in the boxes.

Christmas lights on our street.

Watching Frosty The Snowman on Christmas Eve.

Abi and Edward opening their Santa Sacks on Christmas morning. Edward loved scrunching the paper more than the gifts, as expected.

My simple but festive breakfast table on Christmas morning. This is the only shot I took, was too busy eating and being merry!

Edward with his great-grandmother Shirley.

Mum's Christmas Tree. It's always decorated with decorations collected from her travels all over the world.

The huge Santa decoration that my parents put out every year for the kids. He moves up and down.

Edward enjoying his Vegemite sandwich.

The parentals.

The kids table where all the action was! Abi with her cousins Mikey and Lucy.

The kids eating their ham and turkey.

All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth!

Lunch included ham, caprese salad, noodle salad, stuffing, asparagus with prosciutto, turkey and curried egg salad. We didn't have a hot lunch this year and it was nice to have a break from the huge, heavy hot lunch.

Christmas 2011

Christmas. A month ago already. It came and went so quickly.

It was a long holiday for me. It started a few days before Christmas with Abi getting sick. Then Edward caught it. And took a turn for the worst. On the eve of Christmas Eve, I had been up with Edward ALL night long. My little babe who usually sleeps so soundly, could barely breathe while lying flat on his back so I had to hold him almost all night. He slept in his old bassinet in our room, just so I could watch him breathe. He coughed and cried and wheezed, it was heartbreaking.

On Christmas Eve, with only about 2 hours sleep under my belt, I got up at 6am and headed to Woolies. And it was packed. At 7am when the doors opened, the car-parks were full and trolleys sparse! So I did my huge shop as quick as I could and headed home. To find James holding both the kids, saying it was time for a trip to the medical centre. Abi was so sick and had already been to the Dr's that week, Edward could barely breathe, he couldn't breastfeed because he was so uncomfortable laying on his side. So off we went. Both kids had a bad case of croup and Edward had a middle ear infection. So we hit up the pharmacy for some antibiotics and headed home. Where I realised I had forgotten some items from Woolies so HEADED BACK there at around 5pm. And it was a ghost town, thank goodness! Abi was really sick when I got home, so James whisked her BACK to the medical centre for another check.

As I wrapped the last of the presents on Xmas Eve, I felt sick listening to my kids coughing and spluttering in their beds. So cruel to be sick on the best day of the year (for kids!) We placed the vaporiser in Edward's room to try and clear his chest.

They were both so sick on Christmas morning, I thought about cancelling the family breakfast I was hosting and skipping the family lunch and dinner too. But we pushed on and the kids were as good as they could be.

On the positive side, the kids were spoiled and so was I. A new coffee machine and juicer sit in my kitchen. A new white kindle sits on my bedside table. Abi and Edward enjoyed being with family and eating all the lovely Christmas foods. Our special day went a little like this:


7am - Kids wake and we open Santa sacks and shower.

8am - In-laws arrive at our place for breakfast including croissants, mangoes, fruit salad, fresh juice and champagne.

9am - Present time. My in-laws were WAY too generous this year and I temporarily lose my kids in all the wrapping and gifts under the tree.

10am - Edward has a nap while we clean up breakfast.

1pm - Drive the 5 minutes to my parents house for lunch.

5pm - Head home to drop off presents and change outfits. Feeling exhausted by now.

6pm - Drive the 8 minutes to my in-laws house for family dinner.

7pm - Dinner is served. Put Edward to bed.

10pm - Head home. Edward feeds and goes straight to bed. Abi is hysterically tired by now. Delirious and sick, she cough vomits in my bathroom and cries in the shower for 10 minutes.

12am - Hop into bed and fall asleep in 12 seconds.

Noosa Trip: People

Here are some of my favourite "people" photos of the trip.

Edward digging into his avocado on toast at Seasons Restaurant on Noosa Beach

My favourite photo from the trip. Taken before a ride on the buggy

My gorgeous younger sister and her BF Carl, who we have an ongoing joke with, because he looks like Warner from the movie Legally Blonde. Oh Warner! This photo was taken on NYE, a quiet dinner at home

Happy New Year Abs!

My folks. This photo was taken at lunch at Sails Restaurant on New Years Day. It was SO hot but gorgeous. 

Abi sick of posing for me, on New Years Day at lunch. She looks very 'Noosa' in her kaftan.

Dad and me on the boat, the most gorgeous afternoon.

Having a picnic down by the river, enjoying Vegemite sandwiches.

Noosa Trip : Australia Zoo

This was our 4th visit to Australia Zoo, but Edward's 1st time. He was obviously too young to enjoy the main show but he did love seeing the smaller animals and watching his older sister running around from exhibit to exhibit.


Australia Zoo is a 45 minute drive from Noosa, the kids slept on the way which was great. After dropping an obscene amount of money to enter the main gates, off we went to explore the zoo. Abi's favourite animals were the crocodiles, kangaroos and the new Africa exhibit. Bindi, now 13, is growing up and is the star of the main show. Her brother Bob, age 9 is the spitting image of his father Steve, and Abi thought he was really "funny" because he was cheeky and told jokes to the crowd. Terri is still wearing those high waisted jeans which should be outlawed if you ask me. She is too young to look so old!


Being inland, the zoo is incredibly humid and muggy. We happened to go on a 30'c day which felt even hotter in the jungle environment. We left around 4 hours after opening time and headed back to Noosa for a swim and icecream. Will we return again? Probably. But we will wait till Edward is older and can enjoy it more. Maybe next time we will go to PissWeak World instead.


Here are the best of the 'Zoo' photos from the trip.

This is the 1ST thing we had to do upon entering the park. Go on the kid's reptile cup ride. Abi loved it and wanted to ride it again and again. 

Loving the spinning snake pod!

Here's when the Canon DSLR battery gave up and I realised the spare battery was back at the house, dammit! Look at Bindi, all grown up, hurling a piece of rabbit towards this croc. Oooooooohhhhhhwaaahhhhhhh

Edward was well and truly over the croc show pretty quickly. His expression says it all really. Get.Me.Out.Of.Here!

Abi begged us to ride the pony so how could we refuse?! Now, of course, she wants a pony. Reminds me of Seinfeld. My sister had a pony, my cousin had a pony, I HAD A PONY!

This kid has no fear sometimes. She walked right up to every animal for a pat. This joey wasn't too keen on visitors so off he bounced. 

Abi in front of the giraffes at the new Africa exhibit. She loved watching them eat and walk around. It was SO hot here though, no shade at all. Blergh.

I love this photo so much. It looks really 80's, I don't know why. Maybe the legionnaires hat and the colour blocking t-shirt? She looks so grown up in this photo. Can't believe she is 3 & 1/2 yrs old.

The only photo of me at the zoo. Hot and bothered and over it by then. Peace out.

Noosa Trip : Water

As most people do in summer, we try and spend alot of time near, in or on the water. Noosa is great for this.

The beach is amazing. The sand is incredibly soft and white. The water temp is refreshing but lovely. The boardwalk is doted with amazing cafes, restaurants, shops and people.

The river is a short drive away and is the main attraction for watersports. Boats, jet skis, paddle skis, sailboats, swimmers, fisherman, all use the river from sunrise to sunset.

We hired a boat one afternoon and set course down the river to fish and enjoy the passing scenery of riverfront mansions, old houseboats, treehouses, waterskiiers and marine life.

My parents house has a small plunge pool in the yard which we used every day. At one stage, we had so many floats in there, you could barely swim a stroke but the kids loved it.

Here are the best of the 'water' photos from the trip.

James and Edward enjoying a dip

Abi riding, what appears to be a deer. We don't know why anyone would make a deer pool float? Deers don't swim do they?

Edward, a Piscean, is very comfortable in the water.

The lone pool noodle

Abs cooling off by the pool

Noosa Main Beach. It reminds me of Amity Island in the film, Jaws. The water is so clear and calm.

Abi in her beach get-up. I am super strict about being sun smart. My poor kids will be wearing these suits forever!

Noosa River

Edward having a steer of the boat, with a little help from his Pa.

Abi's turn to drive and she loved it!

Water-skiers sailing past our fishing spot.

My special little girl

Summer on the river