Love, bubs and life on our little farm

Its been a nice quiet week - a lovely weekend hanging out with Jase, some shopping etc. We are having some issues with Elka not wanting to be held by anyone but me. This was most noticeable when I tried to leave her with Jase while I wwas out with the farrier. I could her screaming her head off and poor Jase had to bring her back to me as she had tears rolling down her face :( I expressed and Jase gave her a bottle which she wasn't hugely keen on but she did take it. I am hoping we can get her to improve as I have agreed to go on a work trip on the 1st of October. Poor mum will be looking after her!

In awesome work news - turns I am eligible for the extended maternity leave that was brouight in just after I started my leave. I am so happy as it means another 4 weeks of leave at half pay for me - yay! So I will be going back 2 days a week at the end of Feb rather than Jan now :)

Have been working on Spech a lot this week - he is looking beautiful. At least he will look nice even if he is being a turd in the arena ;) Otherwise we had a gorgeous dinner out with the two couples we made friends with from our antenatal class - it was great to have some "adult time". We all did a great job of ignoring the three crying babies - hehe talk about surround sound crying, so that we could eat a lovely dinner :)

Tonight we are heading to the lovely surf club at Currumbin for a farewell dinner for my Candadian family. The club is basically out in the ocean and looks back up the Gold coast so the lights of the skyscrapers are beautiful. Should be a nice impression for the visitors! Then a busy weekend, setting up for the dressage comp and riding in it on Sunday - yay!

Yep almost 4 weeks since I got back on the horse and what a difference it has made! I am talking about the horse more than me ;)

Well his changes are more obvious then mine anyway! I cant believe how in such a short amount of time Spech has gone from really hairy dull coat, fat grass belly and no muscle to a shiny coat that has that gleam (advantages of being a stay at home mum who can groom most days!) and he has the definite beginnings of his dressage muscles through his neck and back and the tummy has streamlined. I so wish I had done a "before" photo!

I am feeling fitter on the horse - can actually half halt now! It was pretty impossible when I first started and didnt have any core or thigh muscles! My arms are startign to show bicep tone too - hurrah! Now I just need the stomach to go flat again - the muscle definition is back but there is a definite sticking out bit :( I live in hope that it will go back to flat but who knows!

The dressage isn't too crash hot yet. Spech is still really stiff to the right - I am trying leg yielding, shoulder in's and tight circles to improve that... But hey bring on our first comp next week!

Elka continues to grow and change - she is sitting up by herself for a few seconds now! She is doing little pushy up movements in her tummy time now. We spent the day out shopping at Harbour Town with the family yesterday and she was brilliant - she stuck to her routine despite all the disruption :)

In big news - I will be leaving her for a full day trip to Canberra in September for work :( I am excited about the work trip - its fascinating stuff but gosh it will be from early early morning till late night that I will be away from Elka. Still it has to be done at some point! I swear I am probably the only mad person who does work trips whilst on maternity leave!

Elka's first trip to the beach and first hat!


Breastfeeding on the beach - soooo much baby stuff surrounding me!


A sunset walk


View from our main balcony


The resort, our apartments visible across the lagoon

Oh it was so nice to get away and relax on the Sunshine coast! The resort was so nice and I was blown away at just how gorgeous and deluxe the apartments were! We felt very spoilt. More importantly it was really special to spend the time with my family from Canada. It was so nice having Elka there - I am glad the timing was so good - I would have been sad for her to have missed out if they had come when I was pregnant instead.

We ate way too much, had a gorgeous dinner out, went for long walks, soaked up the sun, sailed and canoed, swum (too cold for me though! and lazed about reading magazines and watching the Olympics. Bliss!

Elka was fantastic - she just went with the flow and missed a lot of sleep during the day but slept when she got the chance. I was impressed that she managed to sleep in her pram through a very rowdy dinner at a noisy restaurant. We left her with my parents so that Jase and I could grab a relaxing drink together in the resorts lovely bar area but we got called back after 45 mins as she had woken from her nap and was inconsolable. Poor munchkin! We could hear her screaming long before we even got near the apartment complex! She instantly stopped crying in my arms - poor little thing! I didn't think they got so attached this early but clearly she has. Will have to work on that as I want her to be able to be babysat - let alone the childcare that she will need when I go back to work..

In great timing with my relaxing break, Elka at 8 weeks has also started "sleeping through the night". I am so proud of her :) Basically she goes down for sleep at 7pm and I feed her at 10.30pm whilst she is still asleep (dreamfeed) and then she was sleeping till 3.30am when she wanted another feed and then I woke her up at 7am. But now she is sleeping through to 6-6.30am - very exciting! I am hoping that she might move that forward to 7am which matches with her routine.. but either way I am a happy mum!

Elka is now 9 weeks and still shocking us with how much she is growing and changing. She is basically supporting her own head and her tummy time is amazing! She makes the funniest goo's and gaa's when she is raising her head and turning it around when she is on her belly! This morning she was sitting on my lap leaning back on me and she pulled herself forward and sat unsupported! I was very impressed! She has started interacting with her panda bear toy, reaching out and grabbing his flowers and pulling at his face etc. She is sucking her fists fiecely when she gets tired or hungry and has discovered that she can just suck her thumb rather than the whole hand. She has nearly grown out of her 000 suits :( Her SOS routine is still fantastic - her day sleeps are amazing - 2 long sleeps of 2 hours 15mins and a 1 hour nap - plenty of time for me to get things done!

My horseriding is going well. I am getting a surprising amount done - lots of rides and lunges and grooming sessions etc, mainly thanks to Elka's long day sleeps! Spech is looking like a different horse already. His coat is getting shiny from the grooming and extra rugs that I am using. He is starting to show some muscle through his neck and on his legs thanks to the dressage work. We still have a long way to go but I am really pleased! I am still not as fit as I would like to be and getting him collected and moving forward is hard to near impossible with my lacking core muscles! But slowly slowly I will get there.. Only 1.5 weeks to my first dressage comp - I am looking forward to it. I have no expectations but it will be nice to just blow the cobwebs away and to prove to myself that I can compete and have a baby at the same time...

Anyways.. enough raving! Am probably heading to Dreamworld tomorrow with the family - should be chaotic and fun!

Aww poor little bub got her 2 month vaccinations the other day - Jase held her and it was horrible seeing her little face when she got the two injections :( But a nice hug and breastfeed made her forget all about it!
She slept really well through the night but woke up with a fever. We sorted it out with some baby panadol and she slept it off. Poor little grizzle pants - one minute she was smiling and the next minute crying!
She has woken up today back to herself which is great.

Now.. to concentrate on packing for our beach holiday - yay! How can something as small as a baby need so much stuff!

Time is truly flying and I don't know where the days go! The last week has been busy and lovely - my family from Canada are over visiting and its been great spending time with them :) We are heading to the Sunshine Coast on Saturday and I am so looking forward to it - the resort looks beautiful!

I have been trying to get my "match fitness" back for the dressage - poor Spech and I are both unfit and flabby and dont have long to get a little more respectable! My legs and butt are killing me and we aren't even riding for long periods yet - although we are getting in rides or lunges most days which is great! have ridden the last 3 days out of 4 which is pretty good! Now just to learn the test...

Its getting cold here finally - we have had two mornings of frost - brr!

Elka is now 8 weeks and in a few days will have her 2 month "birthday" - she is going for her vaccinations today :( and I am already sooking about it! I think it will of course be harder on me than her! I just hope she doesn't have any bad reactions :( I am not sure if my scientific knowledge and PhD in vaccine technology makes it worse - I kinda think it does! Its a lot for a little body to go through :(

In Elka's update - she is just growing and growing! She is very aware and loves to chat to us. She is very slightly starting to grab at her toys which is cool! She seeks me out from further away and stares at me. She loves to be stared at and responds with big grins and silent giggles when she gets attention. She has learnt to blow raspberries which is cute! She has also started feeding much faster and stronger which means she is very good at filling herself up, not burping properly and then spitting up for the next hour! Needles to say bibs are pretty popular in this house now! she is going fantastically on her routine and sleeps and self settles very well. I know I am being demanding as she puts in two huge day sleeps but I would love her to drop her 3.30am feed as I am getting so tired now that I am back in training and being so active! But I really cant complain - I could actually take a day nap if I wanted to. I havent had a single nap during the day since I gave birth! There is just so much else to do!

Anyways thats my update :) and here of course are some pics!
Elka just chilling on her bouncer and looking around during tummy time - her neck is getting nice and strong!

I have just been crazy busy hence no posting! Elka and I have been out at something everyday since last Thursday and my diary is still full up until the weekend! I am hoping next week might be a bit quieter! Then the weekend after we go on our family holiday to the Sunshine coast - cant wait!

To add to the craziness, Elka has been having a growth spurt - she has been feeding nearly every 2 hours and grizzly and wanting to be held. Thankfully that seems to have passed and she is even more grown up - some 000 suits are gettin too short and she is starting to grab at toys and talk even more!

Just because I like to stress myself ;) I also sent in my entry form for my first "post-baby" dressage competition. I have managed to get a few rides in on Spech and he is doing really well so I thought may as well plunge in with a small comp and just one walk-trot test :) Plus I have been exercising Sam and it is nice to get back into educating him.. I managed to get a lunge in this morning with bub sleeping and me carrying the baby monitor - it worked well.

Elka and I visited Jase's work yesterday - he was a very proud dad! Even if she did loudly poo the whole time he was showing her off - hehehe timing!

She is so big now that I have had to remove her cocoon from the pram and she is just lying on the normal base. Sad but good as Elka seems to prefer it - it has a lovely soft lambswool insert similar to what she sleeps on in the cot so maybe that helps! So she has had a few sleeps in the pram in the last few days - a great sleep at Mothers group and lots of naps while we were in the city yesterday. Definitely makes me relax more about taking her out and about!

Tomorrow I am meeting my family from Canada that I havent seen since the wedding (3.5 years) and we are going to DFO - should be fun! Anyways best be off as I have to get ready for my antenatal mummies group meet up - always lovely to chat the afternoon away!

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!