family

Isaac and I only stayed in hospital for 1 night, bed was way too uncomfortable and hospitals are so noisy! We came home around lunch on Monday and have been trying to settle into some sort of rhythm before Julian starts working again next week.

Isaac is doing really well, although he got frustrated before my milk came in, as he is a big boy and very hungry. He is much more settled now and we are getting some decent stretches of sleep. Angus is trying hard to be the helpful big brother but is finding it hard to talk in a quieter voice around Isaac.

We'll hopefully get some more photos over the weekend and put them up.

I've just reached 35 weeks down and 5 to go in this pregnancy so it's all downhill from here!

I must say this pregnancy has been more challenging than the first for a variety of reasons: I'm not as fit; dealing with a 3 year old Angus; I'm 4 years older....But we are all starting to get very excited about meeting Isaac (we found out so that Angus could bond better and it has really worked).

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago and I was lucky enough to be given a voucher for a pregnancy massage (from Bella Mama). Sam the masseuse was wonderful and knowledgeable - she is also a Doula, first one I have heard of in NZ. Having used a Doula for Angus' birth in Sydney I find it hard to believe they haven't caught on here in NZ. Although we aren't using one this time (2nd time around and all) I would definitely recommend a Doula for first time mums. My lovely husband also made me home made bacon for my birthday, check out the photos on the right!

I've been reading Nicola's blog since being pregnant with Angus and just read one of the articles she linked through to on some American midwives going to work in a Senegalese clinic. It was really interesting, especially the American's having to learn to be able to be less interventionist, also the Senegalese women learning how to be a little more hands off during the pushing phase. I know that sounds contradictory (the interventionist vs hands off part) but it's more the American's having to learn to get by with less.

For both my pregnancies I have tried hard to remember I'm not sick/ill so therefore don't need much help/attention during the pregnancy and that during the birth itself my body was designed to do this so don't have to have intervention/drugs. I know that's not for everyone but even though I ended up being induced last time I was glad I managed to labour without any drugs for pain relief. This time round I'm hoping to have a water birth (all things going to plan of course). When we did the tour of the hospital and got shown the birth pool a little voice piped up from my side and said "but I didn't bring my togs" (bathing costume to non-kiwis). Very cute.

Am off to visit the midwife, but am starting to feel it's the beginning of the end now!

If memory serves (which of course with lack of sleep and current pregnancy it may not), we were told of this thing called the terrible twos. Angus turned two and all went on as normal, he was a generally polite and obedient child and continued that way.

Until about a month ago - he turns three in about a month, so about 2 months before being a big three year old his behaviour changed (for the worse of course!). These are turning into trying times, hence the trying threes. He seems to understand we have limits and boundaries to what we will put up with, and he seems to need to push those limits when we ask him to do things. He quite obviously hears and understands what we are asking but then waits until he is on the verge (or sometimes past) of being punished for not listening. We have had to change our behaviour and stop counting to three before he gets "timed out", because he was simply waiting until 3 to do anything!

But we are viewing this as a stage he goes through (hopefully a short one) and eventually we will get back some semblance of that polite and obedient child we once knew. As with all kids he has the moments that make it all worth while - like when he told me "Mummy, you are my best friend". Will be interesting to see how he copes when the baby arrives in a few months. He is getting to observe his older cousin and newly arrived baby brother, so hopefully it won't come as too much of a shock to the system...I know that will come back to haunt me!