3 Months is a coming

Hello everyone I turn 3 months old this Tuesday 24th June 2008, and am getting so big and clever, here are some pictures to show you.

A big welcome to baby Sarah Cobley born 18th June 2008, we know you are in good hands and cant wait until you are out of hospital to meet you personally - photos are just not good enough!

More good news is that my Nanny Meriam has started and she is absoloutely great so far, so that is a HUGE weight off my shoulders - Yay!

Can you see the resemblence - its me - many moons ago

Joshua at just on 3 months - taken today

What Mom?

Its a sin to be this cute...

After my 2nd set of injections on Thursday - eina

Moms a bit messy but hey we were playing...

Kisses for my angel

xxxxx

Highs and Lows (mostly Highs though)

Relaxing on mom and dads bed am getting so tall

In the bath with dad - loved it!

When you going to take me out this chair mom?

Smiling for this damn camera again

Max Davis - 1st Birthday party and his cute face he pulls

Davis family

Sigh... life is good - in the arms of Nana Fi at Max's Party

Motherhood has highs and lows and the other day I was at a low. Joshua my little angel was not being an angel! He has started to wake again for the 10 / 11 pm feed and I am feeling seriously sleep deprived again, he does not adhere to the so called 4 or even 3 hourly feed pattern and it is more like every 2 and a half hours. Those that have breast fed know that the period between feeds starts from the time you 'start a feed' so for example 9am start - next feed is at 12 or 1, well some feeds only end at 10 or 10:15 and then he wants to feed again at 11:30, which does not leave room for me to do anything. Not to mention to worry what will happen with the nanny when he is at home with her. So I will speak to the breasfeeding clinic again as it is probably a growth spurt again as he will be 12 weeks on Monday and due for his next set of jabs. (shame) I was lucky last time he was fine that day and the next but the day after was miserable no fever though so am hoping that it will be the same this time round. It looks like though sadly that when I go back to work I am going to have to supplement his day feedings with formula as I just cannot express enough for 3 feeds in the day so am hoping that he wont go off my breast once I introduce him to formula. So therein lies another whole new chapter and learning curve with formula bottles etc, which I am not used to, how much, side effects, storing etc, all new things to learn.

Oh yes, good news, I have found a nanny she must still meet clive and she will be on a trial basis for 3 months (probationary period). Her name is Meriam and so far so good, she is 40 and is a african mama who has her own 2year old boy (and 2 older boys) and was just great with him, singing to him and picking him up, and is so jacked around the house. She worked for a family for 5 years in Melkbos who are moving to JHB and she is not going with as her family is here, she is initally from Bloemfontein and speaks really nicely. So fingers crossed everyone that she is THE ONE. Must say that is a relief that I have made some progress there. Other than that life with Joshua is so precious and he is growing so quickly that I cant keep up and am trying to mentally savour all the moments I have with him. Secretly cant wait to have another one, crazy I know but really would love a little girl, and dont want to be 36 or older when I am pregnant again.

This last month and half of Maternity Leave will be really eventful lots happening and lots of friends down, Wendy and Lily arrive, Sarah Cobley will be arriving and another friend from Qtar Kelly arrives so we will be having a busy month and a bit.

We also had Max's 1st birthday party last week (Joshua's 2nd party in the same amount of weeks) Max is too cute for words and has a lovely facial expression that I am going to try upload on the blog with our ridiculously slow internet connection.

Motto for today: Life is great, Life is precious, look to and hold onto those things that matter most to you and ignore the rest.

Have a great weekend and Fathers day especially to Clive who will be celebrating his first !
xxx

Halfway Mark.......

Today is the 1st of June, it is a number of things. A friends 30th birthday, halfway through the year and more importantly to me, halfway through my paltry 4 month maternity leave. I know I have gone on and on a bit about this maternity leave, but honestly the companies in this countrys maternity leave is pathetic. I mean a baby is really tiny at 4 months, and what is a mom to do, these days it is few and far between those that are able to stay at home, and I am just unfortunately not one of those moms that get to stay at home.

Suffice to say I am jealous of those that are able to and I am quite happy to lose myself for awhile and relish in the joys of motherhood and take in all precious moments. Having read Pia's blog, I unashamedly know that I am the Alpha mom. Knowledge is power and I love knowledge. I have and do read a lot and have done since very young suffice to say I dont know everything but I know a lot from reading, be it stories, newspapers, biographies and believe it or not a lot of my general knowledge comes from my good old 'story teller' tape and book set I used to get once a week when I was younger. How else would I know Thor is the god of Thunder? Through my story teller I tell you. Anyhow I digress. How I long to stay at home and take in all of Joshua's new learnings. How on earth can you love someone so much. Clive asked me the other day if I love Joshua more than him, so I said it is a different kind of love, his (Joshua's) is unconditional and yours is conditional. Haha sad but true, although the love for my husband has increased since having a baby.

I must say I cant wait to have the second, not right now because I want to enjoy Joshua, but cant wait to have a little girl (hopefully....) or even another boy if that is what is written in the stars. There can be no greater gift or privilege than to be a mother, I wanted to start crying when I read Sandra Green's post on being a mother and am quite happy to put myself on the back burner for a while, unfortunately it is not possible for me to stay at home, but I will endeavour to make sure that I am the best Alpha mom when I am with him and not take a moment for granted. I am amazed that when I go out I miss him so much and when I am back home just hold him close to me and whisper "Mommy loves you" and I get a gurgle back, who needs anything more than that....

My little boy is growing at a rapid rate and is 10 weeks tomorrow, he has started to smile nicely talks to his mom all the time with goos and gaas and loves his bath now. Here are some updated pics for you all.

Me and My Dad

Me at Cafe Ntidia for breakfast

Me and My Mommy

Me and My Mommy again...

and again....

I am sooooo cute man

we are F.A.M.I.L.Y

Levi Nell - our godson's 1st birthday

Joshua sleeping through his 1st birthday party with his party pack

Levi's cake

Update - almost 8 weeks

I just woke up

hmm a little half a yawn
At the beach on a warm day with my mom, dad, grandpa and aunt

Hello Everybody... I am smiling now

Sleepy Sleepy
A bit cross I think
In my 'big bed'


Hi all, Joshua is almost 8 weeks this coming Monday, and time for the dreaded vaccinations. Thanks so much to Wendy and Carolines posts on tips, I've found them both very interesting and informative. Any advice on the vaccinations, Joshua is going for his 6-in-1 next week and am not looking forward to it and think I may cry! Otherwise he is doing really well and is over 5kg by now as his last weigh in at the paedtrician he was 5kg with no clothes on.


Shame she really preformed some not so nice tests on him, knocking on his knees to see the reflexes now I know it is necessary but shame he did not like it.


I am trying to load a lot of pics on the site but we only have dial up at home and is proving very tedious so will have to try and get to an adsl line to do this as I end up getting very frustrated.





Still no luck on the nanny front as yet, I have seen a place in the area called Babies Exclusive and they look after babies exclusively to 18 months but have only been open since January it looks nice from the outside and sounds nice, but am only keeping it at the back of mind as a last resort. And would need to go and have a look.





Yesterday was my check up with my gynae who did not deliver my baby :-) All those visits only for her to be away on bladdy holiday. So now I go and have her check out my 'birth canal' and get told i have to have a papsmear, wasnt expecting that! But anyway all is well and cut is healed nicely and my uterus has shrunk and gone back to whence it came and is probably all ready for another baby. Which is why I asked her to put me on the pill thank you very much. Not that I want to go back on the pill as dont think it is very good for you, but whilst breastfeeding is not a contraceptive and you are at your most fertile just after giving birth, dont think my body could take a shock like that! However am dying to have a little girl, but in the meantime will just enjoy waiting for Sarah Cobley to arrive and then start working on that a little later.





The days just fly by and wish I could freeze time, but on the other hand love all the new things that start to appear the smiles, recognition of my face, gurgling and coos. Bless his little heart this mom is so in love!





Hope these pics load


love Nicci
Here are some pics to keep all our friends near and far updated with our little precious angel.
Love The Lammers
xxx

One Month Old Today

Exactly a month ago Joshua was born ... where has the month gone, already a month off my 4 month maternity leave. Oh how I wish I could stay at home with my boy! Yes infomercials and Days of Our Lives can get a bit much, but I dont want to miss a thing. Then there is the daunting task of finding someone to take care of him. We are in the process of interviewing nannies and it is not going as smoothly as expected, perhaps my expectations are a bit high, but it is an important task leaving him in the care of somone that I actually dont really know. I am hoping to find someone by end of May so I can have a full two months with them.

The days fly by as I am still breastfeeding which is hugely demanding but also quite a bonding experience, it is just me and Joshua in the wee hours of the morning as I let Clive sleep as he has work the next day. I should actually be sleeping now (while he is) instead of trying to update my blog but hey it has been two weeks already since Clive posted pics and I turned 30. Well that was an uneventful day, could not do much for my 30th so saving it for a bit later and Clive and I will celebrate then. Though as Veronica points out, there are lots of celebrations happening all round at the moment. Cant wait to meet little Sarah Cobley, attend Wendy and Kristians wedding and watch my little boy grow more and more each day. I love him to bits and sometimes want to squeeze him and squeeze him but shame then I would squash him hee hee.

Motherhood is the best thing that has ever happened to me... cant wait to do it again... actually can wait a year or two and hopefully give Joshua a little sister.

xxx

Joshua... Growing....

Me & my mom..and again...

Dad.. Your so pretty....

You have a fat nose dad...

Chillin....

Tummy full... Now I'm a tired teddy bear..

I'm an angel... hey??

You Cant Beat the Feeling....

You cant beat the feeling...of motherhood.... You know it is going to be overwhelming, you know it is a miracle, but nothing can completely prepare you for the unconditional love felt instantly as your newborn is put in your arms. Welcome baby Joshua Lamarina to the big wide world, we already cant imaging our lives without you.

You are almost 2 weeks old already and I can already see that you have grown... no.!..slow down I want you to stay little and not grow too fast.

I gave birth on 24th March 2008 at 07:50am at Panorama Medi Clinic. Murphys Law my Gynae was away for the Easter Weekend and I had an appointment to see her on the 25th at 1pm, to discuss 'final details'. Well little mister couldnt wait evidently, either that or it was the Chilli Chocolate Fillet steak at Madame Zingara's the night before that lured him to come a bit early. After a late night at Madame Z, and then a farewell braai to friends down from JHB on the Sunday, I was exhausted. Clive and I got home at 6ish on Sunday evening and sat down to watch dvd's and relax. After eating a little mini lindt bunny i got for easter, I suddenly felt that something was going to come out 'down there'. I promptly jumped up from the couch and said oh oh, and my waters broke. Not a huge gush as you expect as happens in the movies, but quite a decent trickle (sorry for the gory details). I said to Clive, I think my waters have broken, we both experieced a mild sense of panic, but stayed calm afterward and phoned the hospital, who said take a shower and get here within an hour. We still stopped to get Energade on the way!

At the hospital they booked me in and monitored me and said that I had had a 'high membrane rupture' which explained why the waters hadnt been a bucket load. The monitors showed I was in very early stages, no real contractions and the sister on duty said I was in for the long haul, after doing an internal (horrible those) baby was still high and hadnt engaged. They put me in a Private Room for comfort and to get some sleep. Needless to say the only one who eventually got any sleep was Clive, he was exhausted. I had been booked in at 9:30/10pm and things were taking very long, I exprienced mild period pains but that was it and they said I was not dilating. The sister eventually offered me a Pethadine Injection which I didnt really want as had read that this had an effect on baby, she assured me it would be fine and that it would make me sleep. I think she was lying on purpose, it did nothing for me.. except bring on stronger contractions, which she told me were 'baby contractions' and there was no distinct pattern. When she went off duty at 6:30 they wheeled me into the delivery room and I was still having quite strong pains, to cut a long story short, after telling me that I wasnt dilating and me eventually saying give me the epidural as the pain was now quite bad. I had been having the gas which was fantastic, they did another quick internal to check before contacting the anaethetist, only for the sister then on duty to get a shock and say contact the doctor urgently to come straight away, she is already 9cm dilated, baby's head was starting to show. I of course felt the need to push and she was telling me not to, well Joshua was coming and was born 7:50am, and was the best moment of my life when they put him in my arms. It all seems a bit surreal now, how on earth did that little person fit in my tummy!

I had a fantastic stay at the hospital and am coping well at home, though there is so much to do and the day flies by, anyone who says stay at home moms have it easy, should bite their tounges. It never ends, feed, wind, change, do some washing, have a shower, eat, feed, wind, change etc... it just goes on and on. But there are many moments while feeding I just stare at him and hold his hand and talk to him and drink in every moment as I know that each day is a memory and a moment to treasure.

Will keep you all updated hopefully a bit more often.

Love Nicci, Joshua and Clive

xxx