Daily Photo Challenge - Week 43

Another week down, and one where I felt like I regained some of my mojo - at least behind the lens.

One thing that hasn't ceased to amaze me is how long it takes to do things when you have two kids.  For example, I started this post at about 9:30 this morning, and its now after lunch and I still haven't managed to get it finished.  I only had three photos that needed editing too, but between feeding junior, tolerating senior, washing clothes, getting last minute groceries (aka nappies) for our trip, getting the dogs to the kennel and packing I have been working on this post in bits.

Motherhood this week has still presented many challenges.  I have discovered bribery is everything at least for senior.  If he refuses to do something (which is everything) I offer something in return.  I realise it will bite me in the bum later but for now its what is working.  Junior is still not feeding that well, he is gaining ludicrous amounts of weight (last check he was 5.2 kgs, thats 800 grams in 3 weeks!!) but I am still struggling to get him latching properly despite the tongue tie being fixed.  This means lots of expressing for me but thats ok, I can handle it for now.

We did manage to survive our first solo trip to the zoo this week.  The zoo is a great place - Junior required feeding twice in only a couple of hours but it was incredibly easy as I could leave Senior to run around which I can't do at home without having to chase him mid feed or even worse if we're out and about.  At home Senior has been surprisingly well behaved, probably because we've managed to get out and about a bit more and he's slowly become a little more independent.  Its also helped that Bryce has been around a bit more this week, or at least in and out except for being away the entire day/evening.

Monday we leave for Hamilton Island for our business work conference.  Ash is incredibly excited about the "2 airplanes", mum and dad are dreading that part but really looking forward to what is hopefully a bit of relaxation mixed with business.  Keep your eyes posted for hopefully some decent photos from this trip!

Here are the photos for the week, a bit of a mixed bag, and two from last Sunday as I couldn't decide which one I liked more.  Enjoy!!

Brotherly love "A Side"

Brotherly Love "B Side"

Mini Monkey

Helensville Athletics

Sweet Slumber

Helensville Primary Ag Day

Mr Goggle Man

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 42

Another week down - only 18 weeks left to go!

This week has been another blur, the kind of haze new motherhood brings, I barely know what the time is let alone the day of the week.

Harry was diagnosed with a tongue tie which explained the excruciating pain I'd been experiencing when feeding, and also a possible answer to his unsettledness as with tongue tie babies find it difficult to get a full tummy of milk.  Anyone who has had a tongue tie baby will know its not cheap to get it fixed, in fact the most popular place in Auckland will set you back $680, the 2nd most popular a still whopping $275.  The lactation consultant I was working with knew of a place in Hamilton so last Friday off I went for a day trip to the Tron where the procedure set me back a much more palatable $168. I was the fifth customer they'd had that morning (my appointment was only at 10am), and also the fifth customer from Auckland.

I'd like to say the procedure fixed all the problems, and to some extent it has certainly helped but I'm still getting a lot of pain while feeding.  Since going down I've checked Ash's tongue (I also had major issues when I fed him too) and found that he actually has the same tie.  At about six weeks everything came right with him (I was also being treated for thrush so it could have been a combination of the two) so I'm hoping that six weeks might be the magic number for Harry too.

In terms of the photo challenge this week was a bit harder as I've been getting back into a new hurried routine of looking after two kidlets.  Ash has been pushing a few more boundaries this week, something I'd expected to happen but one I found frustrating due to sleep deprivation and constant pain in the nip region so it was a testing week for all involved.  I'm hanging out for our work conference in a week where I will have the full attention of Dad for five days and able to share the workload evenly.

So here are the photos for this week...

Watching TV together

Sleeping Angel

Shower time with dad

Joe rocking the swing 

Wheels on the Bus

Cuddles

Checking out the Helensville 150th Parade

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 41

A busy week in our little household and my first full week as a mum of two.

I would like to get all philosophical and talk about the wonderfulness of having two babies, but to be honest I've been in a daze of breastfeeding (struggling I'd like to add), nappy changing, controlling the temperament of Mr 2, and the week has flown by.

Harry has improved massively since the first few days and has now started settling into 3-4 hourly feedings day and night which has helped my lack of sleep immensely.  He still has moments of being quite uncomfortable and so I've decided to take him to a cranial osteopath next week to see if they can help at all.  I've never done anything like that before so it will be interesting to see if it helps.  My biggest concern is he's super squirmy and never seems to be able to sit still.  He cries much more than Ash ever did which I believe is because of wind (he struggles to bring it up) and general discomfort.

Ash is still very much the doting big brother but has been suffering cabin fever over the last few days as he's used to us being out and about which hasn't been a priority since Harry came along.  I'm still feeling quite daunted about taking both of them out at the same time but I guess I'll have to get used to that idea pretty quickly!  We did however make it to touch on Thursday night, and we have been for a couple of walks around the township which have proven uneventful.

I have also managed to get a few hours of work in, finished our end of month requirements a day before they're due and kept things just running (I think!).

Oh, and I've also managed to quite comfortably meet the daily photo challenge this week :)

Enjoy!

Grandma cuddles

Learning how to do thumbs up!

Ash & Kody (3 weeks apart), Harry & Khloe (9 weeks apart)

Teeny toes

Feeding the fire truck obsession

Wind smiles

The big baby

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 40

So this week...

I had a baby!!

Baby Harry George Coles came into the world at 12:31am, October 3rd weighing in at 4.4 kgs (400g lighter than Ash), or 9 pound 10.  I ended up being induced due to my blood pressure and other issues and while the induction itself took its time, the labour ended up being incredibly intense but only two hours so manageable (if barely!) on my part.  What followed was a small complication, due to the speed of my labour I had a small bleed which meant I had to be admitted into hospital for one more night for observation, then off to the luxury of the Helensville Birthing Centre to recuperate.

I arrived home yesterday feeling probably not so much refreshed (as Harry has decided night times are party times), but definitely appreciative of the break to get to know my little man.

Ash has adjusted incredibly well - he adores his little brother.  He tries to help at every nappy change, every cry, and whenever Harry is up he wants to hold and cuddle him.  I am a little afraid of the what the week will bring as Dad has to go back to work (as do I to a certain extent) but it is nice knowing Ash at this stage is behaving.

Harry is a very different baby to Ash.  Ash was as much chilled out as Harry is not - he is unfortunately a very windy baby so while we're adjusting to it it's fair to say its brought its challenges.  Hopefully though its just a small phase and we can get it sorted sooner rather than later!

In the mean time here are my photos of the day - apologies they're a little repetitive but I have to take advantage of my new little model :)

Trainspotting

Friends

Last day as an only child

Kisses for Harry

Brotherly Love

Harry

Detail

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 39

Wow what a week!

This week has definitely been out of the norm and quite interesting, and unfortunately has meant the SLR has had to take a back seat and the iPhone take over the shots for the week.  Monday I spent the night in hospital due to my blood pressure and some other issues, with the plans to bring this baby out the following day (unbeknown to me I'd like to add!).  Fortunately though things appeared to calm down and I was sent home on Tuesday afternoon with instructions to have strict bed rest (yeah right!) until Friday which saw me return to see the specialist and make a plan as to what we were going to do.

So bed rest with a 2 year old improved impossible and while I definitely haven't been 'bed resting', I have been taking it very easy with only one outing this week to Kiwi Valley in Henderson with Mr A.  Definitely not how I had planned to spend our last few weeks together but unfortunately my health and the baby's has had to take precedence.

Lets see what next week will bring!

Charlie Brown

Productive use of my time in hospital

Baby Monitoring - it was a moving and a grooving so we didn't have much luck!

This bed rest stuff is a b*tch...

Pony Ride at Kiwi Valley

Chilling with Uncle Mike

Cuddles with Dad

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 37 & 38

Another two week update - I know I'm behind, I'm trying I'm trying!!

I've officially been off work for a week and while I would like to say I have been relaxing its far from the truth... in fact I've been in and out of labs, hospital, and midwife appointments due to a few complications with my blood pressure which seems to be behaving for now.  Also throw into the mix moving/cramming our office into our lounge room, working on lots of pricing for our business, madly doing washing in case my blood pressure did decide to throw a wobbly meaning I may be admitted to hospital - all this has meant updating photos has been a low priority!

But here we are, another couple of weeks done and dusted.... enjoy!

Spring has definitely arrived

Pink or Blue?

Final Rays

Twilight in the city

Iced Up

Last day at Educare with best friends Alex & Stella

Newest family member - Charlie

Wiggly Fun

Early Morning Walk

Rocking the Sunglasses at Auckland Zoo

Cheeky Charlie stealing Ash's couch

My beautiful boy

Playball Action (thanks Educare for letting us stop in to finish the term!)

Getting ready to be a big brother

Daily Photo Challenge - Week 36

Ok so I'm late again this week... and for that I do apologise!  However, I am as of 4pm today a free woman (at least in the full time employment sense) as I left TVNZ for the last time as an employee for a year.

This week and last has been a mix of emotions - I am excited about leaving work and beginning the next chapter (plus having a little bit of down time and spending some quality time with Mr A), but also devastated as Mr A has had to leave his beloved Educare that has become such an important part of our lives for the last 16 months.  Having never experienced another daycare I can't firmly say that Educare provides the best care or any of that jazz, but I do know that I have developed relationships with all the teachers and other mums that I don't think you can get with another daycare as they're not literally in your back pocket.  We are so very lucky to have a daycare within our company - Ash has literally been on the next floor down from me for the past year and that is a luxury I don't think many can claim.  His teachers have been amazing - right from the day that we started.  He has loved going to daycare, to the point that some days I have had to literally drag him out kicking and screaming because he's wanted to stay and play.

Another blessing has been the friends he has made.  Since nearly day one, Ash has been best friends with Stella and Alex.  The three of them are only about six weeks apart in age and while their relationship borders hate one minute and love the next it has been awesome watching their friendship develop.  We have had many mornings where the three of them have been walking around our floor with their buzzy bees, and often they have walked down to daycare holding hands, racing each other or aggravating each other.

I know a couple of the Educare teachers do look at this blog from time to time and I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for becoming such an integral part of our lives.  And thank you for putting up with the 8 month blubbering pregnant woman for the last week - I know I've been a bit of a mess but leaving you guys has been the hardest part of this journey to date.

Right, after that spiel here are the photos for last week xx

Fathers day - saying hi to Grandpa Coles

Speed Racer

Post Bath Kisses

The Bed Hopper

My day started at 5:30am...

35 week Bump

Pregnancy Cravings (home made of course)