my most prominent role at the moment - mama to two preschoolers and a baby.
I am coping seemingly better with the transition to three babies than I did with the transition to two. the thing is though I really have little capacity for much else now. Doing the mother/home thing with three is all consuming. It drains my energy and ability to mentally focus on other things.
Hence spending time capturing my thoughts here has become sparse.
sometimes I resent being at home - all the things I would like to pursue and simply can't at this stage. Living on one income is tight as well.
The thing is though, each day I have moments where I look at them and the depth of emotion I have for them overwhelms me. They are simply divine - delicious, sweet, beautiful kids
I wouldn't trade being with them for the world
Monday, June 09, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Faith & Endurance
James 1:2-8
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5 -8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
The Message (MSG)
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5 -8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
The Message (MSG)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Our Family at Coralee and Alex's wedding
Reuben, Isaiah, Hannah, Isabella & myself after the ceremony
Three little cuties
Hannah, Isabella & Joshua on the steps to the church straight after Coralee and Alex got married
Monday, February 11, 2008
Lent committment 2008
My lent commitment is to eat in a healthy manner so that I have more energy for life in all respects.
The rules are as follows:
Unlimited
· fruit and vegetables
· lean meat
· water and hot drinks
· pop corn & nuts
Limit of
· Cereal @ 1 meal per day
· Equivalent of four pieces of bread per day
Off limits
· sweets
· chocolate
· cake
· biscuits
· chips
· soda pop
The rules are as follows:
Unlimited
· fruit and vegetables
· lean meat
· water and hot drinks
· pop corn & nuts
Limit of
· Cereal @ 1 meal per day
· Equivalent of four pieces of bread per day
Off limits
· sweets
· chocolate
· cake
· biscuits
· chips
· soda pop
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
thought for tonight
Fred Phelps - pastor of westboro baptist in Kansas America... delluded, preaching a message of hate which has absolutley nothing in common with the message of Jesus Christ.
Sadly the message of Fred Phelps will be what some equate with Christianity.
how offenisve that is to me.
How offensive that must be to God.
Sadly the message of Fred Phelps will be what some equate with Christianity.
how offenisve that is to me.
How offensive that must be to God.
Monday, February 04, 2008
the longest blog drought ends
just a few thoughts for tonight...
- Today i had cause to reflect that I have proof against the big bang theory and subsequent development of intelligent life, right here in my own home. Let it be known that order tends to chaos and in my experience NEVER the other way around...
In my recent experience
- Having your first baby is hard cause everything is new, all the babies firsts are your firsts as well.
- Having the second baby is hard also. Although you are no longer a virgin parent, now there is the juggle of two to care for
- having the third baby is largely lovely. Its now third time around, you are now a seasoned multi-tasker, and third babies have to just fit in and go with the flow of the family. And fit in they do!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Isaiah seven weeks on...
One week old
Two weeks old
Three weeks old
Four weeks old
Five weeks old
Six weeks old
Seven weeks old - these pics taken today!
its been a crazy ride so far... but he is so cute and we are all sooooo in love with him!
Monday, October 15, 2007
knowledge is power...
From the NZ Herald today...
This is one of the reasons I choose to stay far away from hospitals when given the option of where to birth!
The leading Auckland maternity hospital has also been advised that more women should be moved to low-tech primary birthing facilities such as Birthcare Auckland if they are expected to have a straightforward delivery.read more hereThe advice is from Dr Sally Pairman, the Midwifery Council's chairwoman and head of midwifery at Otago Polytechnic, who compared the outcomes for low-risk women at National Women's and Birthcare.
She found the rates of epidural pain relief, birth interventions and bleeding were all higher for those who initially booked into National Women's.
Advocates of a more natural approach to birth care say one intervention makes the next more likely, a "cascade" that starts with an epidural or medicine to induce labour and which ends in a caesarean.
New Zealand's caesarean rate has steadily increased from 11.7 per cent in 1988 to 23.7 per cent in 2003.
National Women's rate last year was 33.1 per cent among women of all levels of risk
Dr Pairman said that if women were admitted to a high-tech hospital such as National Women's before their labour was properly established they were at risk of staff interfering medically to speed things up.
She said that because large hospitals had such an array of medical technology and expertise they tended to use it, even when not needed. Its use then became virtually the norm. National Women's higher use of epidural pain relief might be a reflection of this. She wants more primary maternity units built, separate from base hospitals.
"Across New Zealand we should have a system where women who have normal pregnancy and birth are expecting to give birth in a primary unit. Probably a lot of our intervention rate is because we are mixing primary, secondary and tertiary services in one facility which is completely dominated by the needs of tertiary."...
INTERVENTION RATES
* Among low-risk patients who started their first birth at Birthcare Auckland last year, 80 per cent had a straightforward vaginal delivery.
* For the comparable group in National Women's at Auckland City Hospital, 55 per cent had a straightforward delivery.
* Emergency caesareans: National Women's 20 per cent; Birthcare 8 per cent.
* Epidurals: National Women's 64 per cent; Birthcare 29 per cent.
* Episiotomies: National Women's 30 per cent per cent; Birthcare 10 per cent.
* Note: All figures are for low-risk women having their first birth. All the caesareans and epidurals occurred at National Women's, including transfers of Birthcare patients.
This is one of the reasons I choose to stay far away from hospitals when given the option of where to birth!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
words of encouragement
These two scriptures were significant leading up to Isaiah's birth and really encouraged me. God gave me a deep sense of his peace as I repeated them over and over to myself. Just wanted to share them and I guess record them for my own memory. Reading them again now, I think they are just as significant to me as encouragement for the days that lie ahead as I work out how to be a mummy to 3 little ones...
Psalm 139: 3 & 5
You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am...
You both precede and follow me,
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to know!
Philippians 4:13
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
Thanks God for being here with me right now, in the days that have just passed and in the days to come. I can't do this without you...
x
Psalm 139: 3 & 5
You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am...
You both precede and follow me,
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to know!
Philippians 4:13
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
Thanks God for being here with me right now, in the days that have just passed and in the days to come. I can't do this without you...
x
Psalm 100 - A psalm of thanksgiving
Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Our sweet babe's arrival - my birth story
Today our newborn son is one week old. In fact as I write this and look at the clock, I'm reminded that exactly one week ago almost to the minute, we would having parking our car in the car park at birthcare (where we delivered) and heading to the birthing suite! For those who haven't caught up here are the details.
We have named him Isaiah Gary Toka te manawa (Isaiah pronounced I-say-ah, Gary after my dad, Toka te manawa - "contented" in Maori). He weighed in at 4555g or 10lb 1oz, was 57cm long with a head circumference of 36.5cm. I told you my baby was gonna be big!
As you know if you had been following my previous posts, Friday 7 Sept - Sunday 9 Sept I had been having contractions at a semi regular rate. I knew they weren't just good old Braxton-Hicks contractions because they had a bit of a bite to them. Completely manageable - just no longer pain-free. These continued through Monday and by Monday night I was semi-convinced it was all on. We decided this might be our last chance to capture the preggy belly shots, so here's one of 'em!
I texted RK (my midwife Rhondda) that contractions were regular at 10mins apart (still quite manageable) and headed to bed for an early night in preparation for what lay ahead. I was quite sure that at some point in the night I would no longer be able to sleep through it all.
5am Tuesday 11 Sept
Reuben had to make the decision about whether or not to go to work. We decided he would stay home as I was still contracting.
8am
everything has pretty much stopped. Me being quite keen to get it all going decided to go for a walk around the block. So out we all headed for a 30min stroll. On return home - still pretty much zero activity. I was pretty grumpy about it all by now, so we decided to send Reuben off to work and me and the girls headed out to our usual outing at playgroup in an attempt to distract myself. Text RK and tell her its all stopped. She tells me "Don't worry, it will happen soon"
1.15pm
I arrived home at after dropping Isabella at Kindy.
1.30pm
Go to the toilet and discover I've just had a show (google it if you want details of what a show is!). Feel both nervous and excited as I never had this with the girls, and realise I must be going to be in proper labour soon enough. Text RK and she says "keep me posted"
2pmContactions start again - 10mins apart and this time they are fairly uncomfortable - I want to move every time one comes on.
2.20pm
call Reuben who decides its time to jump on a train and come home
3pm
make the 10min drive to kindy to pick up Isabella. She wants to hang around and play - so I tell her we have to go because Coco is coming out today. She gets way excited and runs to her teacher Lisa to tell her Coco is coming out today. Lisa looks way confused so I - slightly embarassed - tell her that I am in labour and we need to go. Lisa gets into a panic and starts asking if I need her to look after the kids or drive us home etc etc. I say I'm okay and go to the car. Then Lisa and another one of the teachers come out to the car and frantically try to help with getting the girls strapped in, again offering all sorts of help. I again say I am okay and drive off to get Reuben from the train. I now have a massive adrenaline rush from the drama at kindy and wonder if everything is going to stop again.
3.30pm
Arrive at train - labour hasn't stopped and I am greeted with a lovely contraction as I get out of the car to move to the passenger seat. Reuben gets his first chance to try applying pressure to my lower back - relief!
3.35pm
At home getting bags for me, girls and reuben all together and in to the car. Sort out food for the animals. Have to juggle car seats around to try and find best place for me to be. Eventually decide on me being in front seat, kneeling on floor, leaning over bean bag. Me fairly calm, Reuben a little less calm!
4pm
Begin journey to my parents to drop off girls. Contractions now 7mins apart.
4.30pm
Arrive parents. Contractions still 7mins. Reuben calls RK. We are wondering if we should get in the car and go to birthcare as rush hour is fast approaching and birthcare is 25mins away when there is NO traffic. She says to meet her at birthcare at 8pm unless things really heat up.
5.30pm
Contrations about the same. Everyone having dinner at mum and dads. For some reason I am not interested in food right now!
6.15pm
Decide to have a shower and see how that helps me cope with pain. Is awesome relief! Love the hot shower on my back - coping really well - contractions suddenly drop to 3mins apart. I stay in the shower for 15-20mins and time contrations - yip, they are still 3mins apart.
6.45pm
Out of shower and tell reuben I'm at 3mins apart. He calls RK and she says - "time to come in!"
7.00pm
Leave for birthcare. Again a "great" trip. Reuben is doing a great job timing contractions, applying pressure to my back through contractions and driving the car. I knew there was more than one reason I have had two home births previously - contractions and car rides don't mix! On the way in I decide that I want the extra support and call my friend Kristen to ask if she can come support. She is able to come in and says she will see us there.
7.30pm
Arrive at birthcare - perfectly timed as RK drives in behind us. Great fun timing getting in and out of elevators as I have contrations.
7.40pm
RK checks me and I am 6cm dilated. Feel slightly cheated and wonder how much longer this will take! The birthing pool is already full and so in I get. The water is great - but almost too hot at 40 deg c. My contractions have slowed, but as I relax they start to pick up pace again and it is not long till I am concentrating hard through each one. In between contractions we chat and laugh about all sorts of amusing topics.
8.45pm
It all becomes a bit more serious for me as I enter transition. I just want it to be over and start telling Reuben that we are not doing this again. I get a bit grumpy but find the encouragement from everyone spurs me on and helps me concentrate. RK offers me gas but I am not sure if I want it - she tells me If I am not sure that I am better not to have it.
9.00pm
Urge to push... roll on second stage of labour. Feels good to have something to do with each contraction. I get a bit lippy and start asking RK "can you see it yet" she replies "oh yes love" I reply with a fair amount of tone, "how much". This converstions occurs at least twice more.
9.20pm
RK checks if waters have broken which they haven't. Asks me if I want her to break them. I say "no, not yet"
9.30pm
waters still haven't broken and are slowing things down. RK asks again if I want her to break them. I say "yes" and wish I had said yes earlier!
9.35pm
waters broken and I literally feel Coco come right down with next contraction
9.40pm
Head crowns and is out, shoulders are stuck. Reuben and Kristen have to help me stand up and with the next contraction I push Coco out - I am sure they heard my roar in reception! I am helped back to sitting down in the pool and handed my beautiful baby - its a second before I remember to look and there he is - my sweet baby boy. At this moment the pain is gone and Reuben and I are looking in awe at our first son - its an absolute magical moment.
welcome to the world sweet boy!
RK getting Isaiah all dressed for the first time
About an hour or two after Isaiah was born - out of the birthing suite and getting settled into "hotel" birthcare!
me and my babies - Isaiah day 1
sleeping in daddys arms - Day 2
We have named him Isaiah Gary Toka te manawa (Isaiah pronounced I-say-ah, Gary after my dad, Toka te manawa - "contented" in Maori). He weighed in at 4555g or 10lb 1oz, was 57cm long with a head circumference of 36.5cm. I told you my baby was gonna be big!
As you know if you had been following my previous posts, Friday 7 Sept - Sunday 9 Sept I had been having contractions at a semi regular rate. I knew they weren't just good old Braxton-Hicks contractions because they had a bit of a bite to them. Completely manageable - just no longer pain-free. These continued through Monday and by Monday night I was semi-convinced it was all on. We decided this might be our last chance to capture the preggy belly shots, so here's one of 'em!
I texted RK (my midwife Rhondda) that contractions were regular at 10mins apart (still quite manageable) and headed to bed for an early night in preparation for what lay ahead. I was quite sure that at some point in the night I would no longer be able to sleep through it all.5am Tuesday 11 Sept
Reuben had to make the decision about whether or not to go to work. We decided he would stay home as I was still contracting.
8am
everything has pretty much stopped. Me being quite keen to get it all going decided to go for a walk around the block. So out we all headed for a 30min stroll. On return home - still pretty much zero activity. I was pretty grumpy about it all by now, so we decided to send Reuben off to work and me and the girls headed out to our usual outing at playgroup in an attempt to distract myself. Text RK and tell her its all stopped. She tells me "Don't worry, it will happen soon"
1.15pm
I arrived home at after dropping Isabella at Kindy.
1.30pm
Go to the toilet and discover I've just had a show (google it if you want details of what a show is!). Feel both nervous and excited as I never had this with the girls, and realise I must be going to be in proper labour soon enough. Text RK and she says "keep me posted"
2pmContactions start again - 10mins apart and this time they are fairly uncomfortable - I want to move every time one comes on.
2.20pm
call Reuben who decides its time to jump on a train and come home
3pm
make the 10min drive to kindy to pick up Isabella. She wants to hang around and play - so I tell her we have to go because Coco is coming out today. She gets way excited and runs to her teacher Lisa to tell her Coco is coming out today. Lisa looks way confused so I - slightly embarassed - tell her that I am in labour and we need to go. Lisa gets into a panic and starts asking if I need her to look after the kids or drive us home etc etc. I say I'm okay and go to the car. Then Lisa and another one of the teachers come out to the car and frantically try to help with getting the girls strapped in, again offering all sorts of help. I again say I am okay and drive off to get Reuben from the train. I now have a massive adrenaline rush from the drama at kindy and wonder if everything is going to stop again.
3.30pm
Arrive at train - labour hasn't stopped and I am greeted with a lovely contraction as I get out of the car to move to the passenger seat. Reuben gets his first chance to try applying pressure to my lower back - relief!
3.35pm
At home getting bags for me, girls and reuben all together and in to the car. Sort out food for the animals. Have to juggle car seats around to try and find best place for me to be. Eventually decide on me being in front seat, kneeling on floor, leaning over bean bag. Me fairly calm, Reuben a little less calm!
4pm
Begin journey to my parents to drop off girls. Contractions now 7mins apart.
4.30pm
Arrive parents. Contractions still 7mins. Reuben calls RK. We are wondering if we should get in the car and go to birthcare as rush hour is fast approaching and birthcare is 25mins away when there is NO traffic. She says to meet her at birthcare at 8pm unless things really heat up.
5.30pm
Contrations about the same. Everyone having dinner at mum and dads. For some reason I am not interested in food right now!
6.15pm
Decide to have a shower and see how that helps me cope with pain. Is awesome relief! Love the hot shower on my back - coping really well - contractions suddenly drop to 3mins apart. I stay in the shower for 15-20mins and time contrations - yip, they are still 3mins apart.
6.45pm
Out of shower and tell reuben I'm at 3mins apart. He calls RK and she says - "time to come in!"
7.00pm
Leave for birthcare. Again a "great" trip. Reuben is doing a great job timing contractions, applying pressure to my back through contractions and driving the car. I knew there was more than one reason I have had two home births previously - contractions and car rides don't mix! On the way in I decide that I want the extra support and call my friend Kristen to ask if she can come support. She is able to come in and says she will see us there.
7.30pm
Arrive at birthcare - perfectly timed as RK drives in behind us. Great fun timing getting in and out of elevators as I have contrations.
7.40pm
RK checks me and I am 6cm dilated. Feel slightly cheated and wonder how much longer this will take! The birthing pool is already full and so in I get. The water is great - but almost too hot at 40 deg c. My contractions have slowed, but as I relax they start to pick up pace again and it is not long till I am concentrating hard through each one. In between contractions we chat and laugh about all sorts of amusing topics.
8.45pm
It all becomes a bit more serious for me as I enter transition. I just want it to be over and start telling Reuben that we are not doing this again. I get a bit grumpy but find the encouragement from everyone spurs me on and helps me concentrate. RK offers me gas but I am not sure if I want it - she tells me If I am not sure that I am better not to have it.
9.00pm
Urge to push... roll on second stage of labour. Feels good to have something to do with each contraction. I get a bit lippy and start asking RK "can you see it yet" she replies "oh yes love" I reply with a fair amount of tone, "how much". This converstions occurs at least twice more.
9.20pm
RK checks if waters have broken which they haven't. Asks me if I want her to break them. I say "no, not yet"
9.30pm
waters still haven't broken and are slowing things down. RK asks again if I want her to break them. I say "yes" and wish I had said yes earlier!
9.35pm
waters broken and I literally feel Coco come right down with next contraction
9.40pm
Head crowns and is out, shoulders are stuck. Reuben and Kristen have to help me stand up and with the next contraction I push Coco out - I am sure they heard my roar in reception! I am helped back to sitting down in the pool and handed my beautiful baby - its a second before I remember to look and there he is - my sweet baby boy. At this moment the pain is gone and Reuben and I are looking in awe at our first son - its an absolute magical moment.
welcome to the world sweet boy!
RK getting Isaiah all dressed for the first time
About an hour or two after Isaiah was born - out of the birthing suite and getting settled into "hotel" birthcare!
me and my babies - Isaiah day 1
sleeping in daddys arms - Day 2Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Due date tomorrow
I am tired and a little teary this afternoon. I want to be in proper labour as weird as that may sound. Since Friday I have been experiencing regular contractions - the only problem is that they aren't that strong and therefore I am not really in labour - just "early labour" which can go on for days!
If you are reading this please pray it would all heat up soon and become the real thing...
x
If you are reading this please pray it would all heat up soon and become the real thing...
x
Thursday, September 06, 2007
3 days till due date...
I'm hoping this might be the last post before a sweet new babe makes its anticiapted arrival. Went to see Rhondda our midwife today. Coco is completely engaged at D3. (Midwife talk...) In her words he/she can't get any lower. And even though Coco is right down, I am measuring 43cms. Basically that means Coco is BIG and there is NO ROOOM LEFT!! Come out little baby!!! The really annoying thing is that because I am tall, I guess I don't look huge to some people. A woman at the playgroup I go too kindly informed me that I am actually "small". I just smiled sweetly and told her if she put this belly on someone who is average height, they would probably fall over! My body is def at its limit, rolling over in bed is a slow painful process - I am sure I wake Reuben every time I have to move.
I think Isabella and Hannah sense big changes as they have been much more cuddly in the last couple of weeks. I am going to try and make the most of these last few babyless days to spend time with them...
For now its off to bed to have some energy for tomorrow
x
I think Isabella and Hannah sense big changes as they have been much more cuddly in the last couple of weeks. I am going to try and make the most of these last few babyless days to spend time with them...
For now its off to bed to have some energy for tomorrow
x
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
And then there was one...
Over the past 2mths there has been a wee group of family and friends all having babies. I will be the last in a line of 6 to give birth. First off the mark was friend Kylie who had a little boy - Asher - then my sister in law Marilyn who also had a boy - Issac - then a friend Amy who had another boy - Ethan - then Kristen (whose birth I was at) who had a girl - Raegan - and today my good friend Antoinette (who is currently in labour) will be having a girl who I believe they are going to name Aria.
And that leaves me. 38.5 wks pregnant and feeling quite ready to be done with being pregnant. I am holding on though I think for our wardrobe to be completed so that the clothes and wardrobe stuff currently taking up residence in our lounge and babies room can be put away. And then the chest of drawers can be exited from our bedroom to make way for the bassinet. All a bit last minute I know but it will be great once its done! And big ups to Josh our American import across the road who has been such a trouper lending his building skills!
Hopefully will get some preggy shots and might post them if they look okay.
Midwife visit again in two days and hopefully she will encourage labour along for me! maybe baby shots will be appearing soon??
x
And that leaves me. 38.5 wks pregnant and feeling quite ready to be done with being pregnant. I am holding on though I think for our wardrobe to be completed so that the clothes and wardrobe stuff currently taking up residence in our lounge and babies room can be put away. And then the chest of drawers can be exited from our bedroom to make way for the bassinet. All a bit last minute I know but it will be great once its done! And big ups to Josh our American import across the road who has been such a trouper lending his building skills!
Hopefully will get some preggy shots and might post them if they look okay.
Midwife visit again in two days and hopefully she will encourage labour along for me! maybe baby shots will be appearing soon??
x
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