Baby Brain, it's a real thing

Top 5 baby brain moments so far.

5. Searching for my fuel discount card in my wallet, my bag, my wallet again, under the car seat, wallet again! Oh wait, there it is. In my wallet. Right in the first pocket. Staring right at me.

4. Walking into the supermarket. Carefully recited list of necessaries vanishes inexplicably. Walk up and down aisles for 15 minutes hoping something will come back. Got some stuff. Got back into the car. Drove home. Didn't have what I went there for. Husband not impressed.


3. Walking into a class and prepping the board. Kids I've never seen before walk in for class. Clearly NOT my class. What on earth am I teaching now? Late to class.


2. I really should start writing things down, 'cos number 2 was a winner.......


1. Is it the first of April or the first of May that's April fools....oh, wait.

Baby Fashionista and knowledgable Hubby's

This, is cool.

What is it? A baby bath, of course! Just read the article and tell me it isn't the best thing ever!

Of course, if that isn't enough, there's also this amazing gadget....

What is it, you ask? Why it's none other than the incredible 'Mamaroo', of course! You can choose between 'car ride, (save some petrol), kangaroo (what the...), Tree swing, rock a bye and ocean. Just to save you time in case you ever decided the one thing your baby needs is to be carried by a kangaroo, or left to sleep on the ocean.












I shouldn't mock it though - I actually really want one...but for $599???




My hubby and I just got back from (possibly) our last ever 'pre baby' holiday. Credit card got a bit of a hit, but nevertheless, it was wonderful! Only thing I am having second thoughts about, is the wisdom I displayed in asking my man to please read the pregnancy mag I bought (see amazing baby gadgets above).

It seemed great at the time, but I forgot that he is a smart, soaker upperer of information ( he has 4 degrees), and he seems to have memorised the entire thing. Cue somewhat alarming random comments regarding amniotic fluid (apparently it tastes different depending on what I eat), expressing of milk (if I do this, he can feed the baby at night, not just me. Actually, that sounds alright), and his sudden interest in all things crying (he hopes we don't have a colicy baby, don't we all?).
I'm beginning to wonder if it weren't better to just let him remain oblivious for the next few months, even if it all it meant was that I don't have to think about amniotic fluid in the middle of dinner.

Attack of the 'What If's'!

Yesterday, I treated myself to a pregnancy magazine. Thinking (rather naively as it turns out), that it would make me feel better about all the weird pains, the bad skin, and the impending (and inevitable) labour process.

I was wrong.

All the pictures of happy, gorgeous pregnant women did nothing to raise my currently lowered self esteem, nor did the maternity fashion spread, in which the most 'affordable' item of clothing was a Tunic (spelt 'tunique') going for $77 AUD. Add to that the article about the 3 stages of labour in which I read this;

"It is absolutely paramount during labour that you feel 100% safe, as this sets up a colossal chain reaction mentally that can affect your labour physically. Feelings of fear or anger automatically activate our fight and flight hormones such as adrenaline, which quickens the heart rate, tenses muscles, intensifies pain, and during labour, inhibits the synthesis of oxytocin for productive labour contractions. Fear and anger in childbirth become like a strong head wind, hindering progress and lengthening the whole process."

Good. God.

A mild panic attack quickly followed, in which I tried to call my husband at work. No answer. I had a shower to calm down, but ended up crying instead. Quite simply, I have absolutely no faith in my ability to get through labour without a panic attack.

What if I cause baby distress?
What if I make it lose oxygen?
What if the midwife yells at me?
What if I pass out?
What if the doctors think I'm crazy?
What if it's my fault something goes wrong?
What if.......

Be strong little baby, we will make it through together. Somehow. 

Remaining Dainty

Remaining dainty whilst pregnant is difficult.
Firstly, at 17 weeks, I now feel like I'm about to tip over onto my face, and regularly have to straighten myself up. I feel like I must look somewhat similar to a depressed spotty teenager, or possibly an elderly sloth.

At least, if I could actually reach the ground with my hands anymore, I might look somewhat sloth-like.

Not to mention, that I can now not stretch up to reach things as I get little pangs in my stretching tummy - this makes writing on the whiteboard rather difficult, in fact, it makes everything difficult, as I am already rather short, so this has essentially shortened me further.

One thing I'm learning this week, being embarrassed and conservative about bodily functions while preggers, is not a good idea.  Let it all out they say! (I say...literally?)

Never mind though, we find out the sex in three weeks, and then I can start imagining what fun things I will do to pay baby back....perhaps one of these will work?

Oh little baby, what fun we shall have! 

Disclaimer: I will not be using any of the above techniques to discipline my baby. We will wait until they are at least 6 months old.

Disclaimer re Disclaimer: That was a joke. We would NEVER use these on a 6 month old. 

We will wait until they are slightly older.

Things I never expected when I was expecting

My anxiety has fluctuated greatly over the past couple of months. One moment I feel fine, like I can handle all these changes and uncertainties like a pro! The next, I look in the mirror, see my spotty skin and growing waistline and freak out. Thoughts like "I can't do this, get me off!" are not uncommon in our household at those moments. It doesn't help that I feel completely useless next to my superhero husband who has started doing the groceries, making tea, doing the dishes, the laundry, and still managing to work and rehearse his show, all while I battle the urge to eat an entire box of coco pops, struggle to get off the couch, and can barely keep my eyes open during the day, yet lay awake all night. Basically, I have become a useless and incompetent incubator who no longer fits anything, or can walk anywhere for longer than half an hour without having to sit down. I do buy him lots of presents to show him how grateful I am, but it doesn't feel like enough. He says it's fine, but I don't believe it is. I only hope that I can show him how amazing he is and pull through this pregnancy without too many anxious meltdowns!


The top 10 things I never expected when I was expecting (other than how amazing my husband would be).
16 weeks edition

1. My cute tiny feet would grow.
2. My hair would fall out...I thought it was supposed to stop falling out at all!
3. How quickly I would no longer fit my clothes.
4. How ravenously hungry you can be after eating all day, and how sick being hungry can make you feel.
5. ...I can't quite remember this one......Baby brain! (It's a real thing).
6. That food aversion is just as real as food craving.
7. At the start, it hurts when you cough, it hurts when you sneeze, it hurts when you laugh
8. Suddenly women everywhere are dying to tell your their pregnancy stories, their birth stories, in fact, any stories.
9. How sore your boobs can get.....even going over speed bumps was TORTURE.
10. That I'd stop being so afraid of labour - the thought of not being pregnant is just too good!

and the added bonus thing: 

1. How many weird dreams of trying to crawl through tiny spaces I would start having....hmmmm.
2. oh, did I mention how amazing my husband would be?