Love, bubs and life on our little farm

Elka turned 6 weeks on Monday. She got to celebrate by going to her paeditrician check-up! The Dr is lovely and I really like his manner. Seems Elka did too as she flashed him huge grins and doey eyes the while time he examined her! He declared that he wasn't surprised that we didnt have any questions or things to discuss as he considered her to be a perfect baby. He also commented on how aware and "social" she is and that she was doing wonderfully. Hehe he also commented on her very fat round tummy, which she is so ticklish on - touching it is nearly guaranteed to get her to dissolve into smiles. She is now 5.41kg and 60cm long!! That puts her in the top 5 percentile for height and top 10 for weight! My little chubba bub!

So after a lovely check-up, we had a gorgeous lunch and Jase came with me to the first session of Parents group. There were some lovely girls there so I am looking forward to meeting some local friends :)

Today I had my 6 week check up at the obs - the lovely receptionists minded Elka for me and when I came back out they were just raving at how gorgeous she was as she had been chatting to them and charming them. She is cheeky! But I got the all clear from the obs and he even commented on how good my stomach was looking and how strong my pelvic floor is (hey these things matter after a pregnancy!). He also assured me that due to the "loosening" that giving birth does to your pelvis, that I should be OK to try and give birth vaginally next time as there will be more room. So I guess I will give it another shot and not book that C-sect in straight away!

I also visited work for a morning tea and it was so nice to see everyone and Elka was a little angel thankfully - no crying this time!

I have started pilates and the exercise bike again but slowly slowly! I nearly expired trying to do one sit-up! Things are just so weak but I am determined to get it all back ;)
I am expressing milk and trying to get a frozen store set-up. I am loving the breastfeeding weight loss - I cant keep up all my jeans (size 10's) so I went and bought two cute new pairs in size 9! Woot - 6 weeks after birth, not only am I back in pre-pregnancy clothes but they are too big and I am down a size - nice! Not what I was expecting!

Spech has recovered from a strained fetlock brought on from playing silly buggers in the paddock with Sam so I am looking forward to the weekend and a chance for another ride! We also have a BBQ with friends and catching up with my parents and my visiting uncle - should be nice..

As for updates on Elka - well she is officially in 000 now - the 0000 is long gone! She is also out of newborn nappies and wearing the infant ones. She is cooing and chatting and loves sticking her tongue out at us! She smiles and smiles and smiles - even when she is sleepy or just waking up. As soon as she recognises my face she starts grinning. She has grabbed her playgym toys a few times rather than just hitting them. She is sleeping fantastically, self settling like a champ and never fusses at night - she is sleeping from 7pm-7am as per Tizzie Hall's routines with a dreamfeed about 10pm and a quiet feed at 2.30am. I can only keep her up during the day for about 70mins before she is overtired and then she sleeps for 1.5-2 hours at a time mostly. Such an easy bub to deal with! And she has developed gorgeous long black eyelashes - they look stunning resting on her soft cheeks when she has her eyes closed, so I just had to get a picture!

..in all senses of the word! Decided I was close enough to 6 weeks so took advantage of Jase being home to saddle up Spech and get back into it. Damn it felt good!!! And he was brilliant - he was soft, flexible and remembered his lateral work. This is the first time I have ridden him since he has had his hooks and ramps removed (teeth issues) and I can feel the difference.

But it was only a gentle walk/trot session (for both him and me!) so I am still craving a good gallop! Was keen to be back on again today but have woken up with tender but and thighs so I think in the interests of being able to walk for the rest of the week, I will rest today!

I am hopeful that bubba's good sleeps will allow me to sneak a ride in during the week :)
Happy days!

I keep asking myself when the holiday is going to end! I cant believe that I get to stay home everday and chill out! Its pretty blissful. Yeah yeah there is that whole looking after a newborn thing! But she is a joy to care for and truly compare to how hard I am used to working and exercising etc I do feel like I am getting a break! Not sure how many mums would want to kill me for saying that!

But I mean, I have had morning teas, afternoon teas, lunches and shopping all with lovely mums and friends in the last week :) I was out lunging Spech on a gorgeous day when all my workmates were slaving inside the lab. I get lots of bub cuddles and she smiles and babbles at me while I stare in wonder at her. I mean its not too tough!

I have the weekend to look forward to now - 2 whole days with Jase and Elka. Looking forward to letting him have some carer time and I can sneak off to play with the horses! Next week she has her 6 week check-up and we start Parents group.. I also have my 6 week check-up and I am popping into work to say hello :)

I bought myself a lovely top today to spoil myself (I keep buying Elka clothes instead of me!) - good for breastfeeding and its gorgeous :) Next on the list is jeans but I had a pram and Elka in the carrier so trying on jeans just wasn't going to happen! I think I will stay much the same weight and shape? I am 60kg (so 2 kg less than true horse competition weight - which I am not aiming for at the momement!) and back in all my size 10 pants and tops... so should be safe to buy jeans now. Although I hav to watch all these morning and afternoon teas or I might put on weight with this good life!

Bring on next week when I can start pilates and the exercise bike again (and horseriding - whohooo!)

And because I hate posting without pics - here are two pics of my gorgeous munchkin that I took during our own little "photo shoot" :)

Well OK maybe not but I dont trust them! We seem to have plague proportions of them at the moment and they are eating all my horses grass - grrr!!

I am actually quite scared of them after a few feral ones down in Canberra drowned a ladies dog in front of her and another one stalked a women hiding in a shed for hours. Yes truly!

So I get up this morning and there are like 5 at my backyard gate and then a huge one literally pulling apart one of our paddock fences cause he couldnt be bothered jumping over it. Then I am lunging Spech and all I can see is bouncing - there are so many! Poor things I think they are being run out of the area due to all the clearing and development - which is so sad :(

In other news, I took Spech's rug off today to do some repairs (I am handy with a sewing needle and a horse rug but not much else!) and while he was "nude", Sam has bitten him and literally pulled off a massive chunk of flesh :( Poor Spech. I was just out there putting the chickens away and Sam attacked Spech and Spech in his haste to escape fell over a tree stump and hurt his leg. Grrr if I am to have a competition ready horse, I may have to seperate them so that Spech doesnt get injured and maimed! But they are also best friends - what to do!? Sam is a bit big for his boots at the moment :(

ooh the dramas at Berraba. Jeez I think I need to get out more!

Oh I noticed today - Elka has grown beautiful lush eyelashes - they are so pretty and she looks like a doll when she has her eyelashes resting on her cheeks while she is asleep.. gorgeous

She slept 9 hours straight last night - what a gift from the heavens, so much sleep for me! It was great! And has beena little angel today snoozing away. FUnny how sleep brings on sleep in a baby!

Little Elka had her PixiFoto shoot today :) And we discovered that the poor little dear isn't very photogenic! She won't be being asked to be a child model anytime soon! She managed to move, frown, not smile, slump and generally look chubby in nearly every shot! The photographer was working hard to get the shots! I think she is even more the cuter for being so hard to make look cute - if that makes sense!

She then passed out from tiredness while we shopped and then woke up just in time to scream the house down when we returned to PixiFoto to pick the photos! We quite liked our free photo and there were two others that were just beautiful so that made choosing easy (and much cheaper than expected!) We dont get them for another two weeks though..

In the meanwhile, I managed to catch her gorgeous grin this morning. She was charming Hubby with lots of big smiles so I finally snapped one! I know I am biased but her grin is SO cheeky and lovely - it lights up her eyes :)


And in annoying news - only 1 week till I can start riding again and Spech has thrown a shoe - ggrrr!! Am so hoping to be able to get the farrier out sooner rather than later!

Elka had another check up at the baby clinic today - my little one has cracked the 5kg mark! She put on another 284g and is 5.014 kg now! she also grew another 0.5 cm in length and in head circumference. The nurse was super happy with her alertness and commented on just how strong her head and neck are!

So I am a happy mum :)

I also found out about the local mothers group which starts soon - will be nice to meet some local mums. There is also a stroller-exercise group that I might go to...

Bubs is growing up in leaps and bounds - she talks away, cooing and making sweet baby noises. Her grins are getting bigger and even more frequent. She is growing out of 0000 clothes on a daily basis - which is a shame cause they are all so cute! She has had her first bottle of expressed breast milk - she didnt swallow much but was happy to suck the bottle... She is sleeping like an angel in the afternoons, evenings and overnight - up to 6 hours between feeds. She has much lighter sleeps in the mornings and can catnap but I cant complain!

I am loving being home looking after her - its so special and peaceful.

I got the cutest grin from Elka when I was just playing with her! She is 4 weeks today and is so alert now!

She loves her play mat and even reaches out her hands and knocks the two toys that are rattles. Its not really co-ordinated but there is definite purpose there!

Elka is 24 days and we headed to our Childhood clinic for another check up. Where I discovered my little newborn is now a big bubby! She has put on 720g in 2 weeks bringing her up to 4.73kg! She also put on 2cm in length and 1.5cm in head circ!

I am so happy to see that breastfeeding is working so well - its just an amazing thing and to see how I can nourish a little growing being is quite boggling! Plus the weight loss has been superb!! ;)

Its cold here now - winter has finally made an appearance. We have had some beautiful rain so its green, a far cry from last winter and its devestating drought... All the animals are well - the horses albeit a little neglected and hairy!

Wearing a little dress that I had as a baby, handmade by one of my mums friends. Showing her little frown that she does when she is taking it all in!


Wearing a dress that my Grandmother gave me as a baby - with her happy face :)


My little chubber :)


Playing with her mum :)

My little one is three weeks old today and she has changed so much! We brought home a little newborn who barely opened her eyes and now we have a little bumper who stares at everything and takes it all in. She has put on so much weight and has little fat rolls everywhere - even on her wrists! She has the hugest double chin too!

Her nature is still very calm and accepting. She barely cries except for hunger and loves to feed for long periods at a time. She self settles in her cot or basinette and sleeps really well. She naps during the day for 1.5-2 hours usually and sleeps much deeper at night for between 3-5 hours at a time. She feeds and then goes straight back down for more sleep at night which makes my life so much easier. We have never had to settle her to sleep in our arms or co-sleep with her. I am hopeful that we wont have any major sleep issues with her (but who really knows!)

She loves her bouncer and sits in it watching the moving bubbles and fish with an intense stare. We put up a toy over her car seat and she loves to stare at that bobbing around! She stares up into our faces and pulls the most brilliant cross eye faces as she works it all out - it is so cute! She has a "happy face" where she has an upturned open mouth which is so close to a smile but not quite! I am looking forward to seeing her first smile!

She has been out nearly every day - lots of shopping and walks. We are getting pretty good at balancing her feeds and changes and I am getting used to having to try and breast feed in public areas..

We have bought her a carrier where she sits on our front and she falls asleep in it quickly. It must remind her of being in my tummy with the body warmth and motion.

We are going to the childhood clinic for her next weigh in on Thursday and having a morning tea catch up with some other new mums from our antenatal class on Friday which should be lovely. Jase goes to uni/work from Wednesday onwards so we should start developing an at home routine soon.. SHe has visited my work and cried the whole time, making liars of us about how good she is!

I cant believe how fast she is growing up but every new thing is just a delight and I cant wait to experience it all!

Tummy two weeks post birth

Well its no longer an update on bubs and I together... so I thought I would take the time to record how I am going post birth and then of couse do an update on little Elka with excessive amounts of photos naturally!

So its 2.5 weeks since I gave birth... and I feel pretty darn fantastic! My tummy is nearly gone and I am dying to tone the poor flabby flesh up! I am dropping kgs daily thanks I am pretty sure to the breast feeding :). Am now 61kg and am hoping to eventually get down to about 58kg but not in any great rush and am also suspicious that my huge boobs are responsible for about 1kg each lol

At times I miss that huge tummy full of bub but mostly its bliss rediscovering what it feels like to be slim and mobile :) I am loving sleeping (when I get a chance!)as I can roll around and sleep on my tummy.

My stitches were painful for the first week but were much less than I had imagined they would be. By Day 10 they were more or less feeling healed.. I am no longer getting cramping from my shrinking uterus either.

In fact the most painful thing has been the milk coming into my boobs. But I am proud of how well my body is handling breastfeeding and supporting my little one (she is piling on the weight - 500g in 6 days!)so its all worth it - yep even those rotten stretch marks!

In all I must say the recovery has been so much faster and easier than I would ever expect. It does make C-sections look tough in comparison.

I am not even that sleep deprived - my little angel lets me get at least 2.5 hours of sleep at a time, sometimes 3.5-4 hours at a stretch and she goes straight back to sleep after her feed. I am very lucky!

I visited work today - a bit of a shock to the system, trying to juggle work talk and a screaming baby! But it was nice to see the familar faces and touch base...

All in all, life is good and I am counting down to being able to get back on the horse, exercise bike and back into pilates!