Monday, February 20, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Another child?
After having your first child, having another can seem such a big decision. This is especially if you have been sleep deprived for a while. Sleep deprivation makes you go back and forth in your decision about having more children. I have had friends who have advised that if I'm sleep deprived, I should have another one since I'm not getting much sleep anyway. However, my reasoning is I couldn't deal with any less sleep than what I'm getting at the moment. Some parents are amazing to put up with even less sleep with another child.
So, when is a good time to have another child? Some parents like a very close age gap of about 1 year and some between 2-3 years. I know of a mother who, shortly after giving birth to her first child, talked about having another. I couldn't imagine myself doing that as I was learning the ropes of being a mother, was exhausted but was also grappling with the lack of my own personal time and space. But as we're all different in our ways, we know what we can or can't cope.
The discussion about having another child is often out of our hands, especially for us. We didn't fall pregnant with Miss P quickly. It took us 18 months and a laparoscopy operation and 3 months after that, it resulted in the desired lines in the pregnancy test. What joy!
Yet when talk of another child came up between Mr B and I, we were hesitant. Miss P hadn't been sleeping consistently well. Some nights were better than others. Some other nights were quite disastrous. There was a period where she would wake at midnight or 2am and then it'll take us between 2-4 hours to get her back to sleep. We were like zombies!! Did we want another child?
However, since it took so long with Miss P, we thought we better start thinking about no. 2. And believe it or not, within a few months, we've fallen pregnant. So different this time! And perhaps I should say here that it's the reason I've not been blogging as regularly as I like. Pregnancy nausea and tiredness haven't been great. Even though the nausea is still lingering, I must have gotten used to it because I don't feel as down about it as I was at the start of this pregnancy. Bub no. 2 is due in early July.....and we can't wait!
Was having another child a big decision for you? Was it a difficult or easy one?
So, when is a good time to have another child? Some parents like a very close age gap of about 1 year and some between 2-3 years. I know of a mother who, shortly after giving birth to her first child, talked about having another. I couldn't imagine myself doing that as I was learning the ropes of being a mother, was exhausted but was also grappling with the lack of my own personal time and space. But as we're all different in our ways, we know what we can or can't cope.
The discussion about having another child is often out of our hands, especially for us. We didn't fall pregnant with Miss P quickly. It took us 18 months and a laparoscopy operation and 3 months after that, it resulted in the desired lines in the pregnancy test. What joy!
Yet when talk of another child came up between Mr B and I, we were hesitant. Miss P hadn't been sleeping consistently well. Some nights were better than others. Some other nights were quite disastrous. There was a period where she would wake at midnight or 2am and then it'll take us between 2-4 hours to get her back to sleep. We were like zombies!! Did we want another child?
However, since it took so long with Miss P, we thought we better start thinking about no. 2. And believe it or not, within a few months, we've fallen pregnant. So different this time! And perhaps I should say here that it's the reason I've not been blogging as regularly as I like. Pregnancy nausea and tiredness haven't been great. Even though the nausea is still lingering, I must have gotten used to it because I don't feel as down about it as I was at the start of this pregnancy. Bub no. 2 is due in early July.....and we can't wait!
Was having another child a big decision for you? Was it a difficult or easy one?
Friday, February 10, 2012
The Big Rocking Horse
By Bec,
In the Adelaide Hills we have The Big Rocking Horse. You can climb the horse (for a minimal cost of $2), and see the animals (bags of food also $2). There are picnic areas so you can bring your own food, or purchase from the cafe! Such a wonderful family outing!
In the Adelaide Hills we have The Big Rocking Horse. You can climb the horse (for a minimal cost of $2), and see the animals (bags of food also $2). There are picnic areas so you can bring your own food, or purchase from the cafe! Such a wonderful family outing!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Getting rid of the dummy
By Bec,
Savannah is 2 years and 10months and loves her dummy. We had it to the stage where she was just having it for sleeps and she was happy with that! I always knew we would have to get rid of it eventually, but wasn't quite ready. I just had a week of leave from work, and Savannah was on leave from childcare so I thought now would be a good time as if she went to bed late at least she didn't have to be up early in the mornings.
My son gave his dummies to the Easter Bunny. He must have been 3 1/2 years old. We talked about it and how the baby bunnies need it and that the Easter Bunny would leave him HEAPS of chocolate! So he happily left the dummies out in a basket the night Easter Bunny comes and went to bed well without it. He was so excited the next morning when he had heaps of chocolate - and went to bed really well without it that night too. The next night however wasn't so great. He was very distressed and asked hubby to ring the Easter Bunny to bring them back. We rode it out and that night was the last he ever asked of them!
Savannah on the other hand isn't going so well. The first night (Monday) she cried and cried and cried, and eventually went to sleep in my bed with hubby at around 10.30pm. She never once asked for her dummy, but wanted either Mum or Dad to lay with her. The second night she was so so tired from going to bed late the night before and fell asleep watching TV around 5.30pm. She slept for about 1.5hours and then woke up hungry and inconsolable. I let her get up and have some dinner and she layed on the couch with me and we watched Young Talent Time and some of my shows. Around 9pm I took her to bed and I layed next to her and read whilst she whinged a bit and eventually went to sleep. I really didn't know what to do. She doesn't know how to get to sleep without her dummy. And part of me thought, just give her the dummy and she will be straight to sleep. But the other part said the longer we leave it the harder it will get...and we have already had 2 really really bad nights, may as well continue it!
The third night she cried from around 8-8.30pm. Then fell asleep. She then woke up around 9.30pm and cried and cried and cried and was quite unresponsive to us. The fourth night she cried for about 5 minutes, then went to sleep - oh yay we are getting somewhere we thougt. But then about an hour later she woke up again unresponsive and inconsolable. The week continued along much the same way - she would cry herself to sleep and may or may not wake up -and maybe inconsolable and unresponsive. We didn't know, is it dummy related? Is she unwell? But then it finally dawned on us - we think it's night terrors. All the signs fit! So not really sure if it's related to her dummy or not! Possibly overtired - as she is also cutting out her day sleeps!
But we are now 7 days down the track - she is on her 8th night with no dummy! She has never asked for it and is so proud to tell everyone (Grandma, Grandpa, childcare staff and friends) "I'm a big girl, I don't need dummies, dummies are only for babies".
I took her to the shops and bought her a "big girl present" - her choice!
Savannah is 2 years and 10months and loves her dummy. We had it to the stage where she was just having it for sleeps and she was happy with that! I always knew we would have to get rid of it eventually, but wasn't quite ready. I just had a week of leave from work, and Savannah was on leave from childcare so I thought now would be a good time as if she went to bed late at least she didn't have to be up early in the mornings.
My son gave his dummies to the Easter Bunny. He must have been 3 1/2 years old. We talked about it and how the baby bunnies need it and that the Easter Bunny would leave him HEAPS of chocolate! So he happily left the dummies out in a basket the night Easter Bunny comes and went to bed well without it. He was so excited the next morning when he had heaps of chocolate - and went to bed really well without it that night too. The next night however wasn't so great. He was very distressed and asked hubby to ring the Easter Bunny to bring them back. We rode it out and that night was the last he ever asked of them!
Savannah on the other hand isn't going so well. The first night (Monday) she cried and cried and cried, and eventually went to sleep in my bed with hubby at around 10.30pm. She never once asked for her dummy, but wanted either Mum or Dad to lay with her. The second night she was so so tired from going to bed late the night before and fell asleep watching TV around 5.30pm. She slept for about 1.5hours and then woke up hungry and inconsolable. I let her get up and have some dinner and she layed on the couch with me and we watched Young Talent Time and some of my shows. Around 9pm I took her to bed and I layed next to her and read whilst she whinged a bit and eventually went to sleep. I really didn't know what to do. She doesn't know how to get to sleep without her dummy. And part of me thought, just give her the dummy and she will be straight to sleep. But the other part said the longer we leave it the harder it will get...and we have already had 2 really really bad nights, may as well continue it!
The third night she cried from around 8-8.30pm. Then fell asleep. She then woke up around 9.30pm and cried and cried and cried and was quite unresponsive to us. The fourth night she cried for about 5 minutes, then went to sleep - oh yay we are getting somewhere we thougt. But then about an hour later she woke up again unresponsive and inconsolable. The week continued along much the same way - she would cry herself to sleep and may or may not wake up -and maybe inconsolable and unresponsive. We didn't know, is it dummy related? Is she unwell? But then it finally dawned on us - we think it's night terrors. All the signs fit! So not really sure if it's related to her dummy or not! Possibly overtired - as she is also cutting out her day sleeps!
But we are now 7 days down the track - she is on her 8th night with no dummy! She has never asked for it and is so proud to tell everyone (Grandma, Grandpa, childcare staff and friends) "I'm a big girl, I don't need dummies, dummies are only for babies".
I took her to the shops and bought her a "big girl present" - her choice!
I'm pleased not to have to buy dummies anymore, and Savannah's teeth will be thanking her!!
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Louisa is mum to two littles, Miss Bliss and Little Bear. She lives in Melbourne and is addicited to coffee, to-do lists and blogging, in no particular order. She loves being a Mum even if sometimes it feels a bit frantic. Louisa writes most days at 
Becky is a busy SAHM to three little Munchkins; Ellie, Kahlei and Jasper. She is about to embark on a new adventure and move her whole family into her mum's house while waiting for her house to sell. She is currently concentrating on doing her bit to remove the stigma surrounding Post Natal Depression and encourage mothers to take care of themselves to be the best they can be for their families on her blog 
Bec is Mum to Master Hunter (4 years old) and Miss Savannah ( 2 years old). She lives in Adelaide and juggles working 4 days a week in education research, volunteering for St Vincent de Paul, Kindy Governing Council, gym, kids sport and keeping the kids entertained and active. Life is busy but rewarding.
Victoria is mum to 19 month old Miss P and lives in rural Victoria. Having just returned to work as strategic planner in a local council, she is learning to juggle work, studies, and being a wife and mother, while finding some time for herself. When she can find the time, she enjoys watching movies, reading, and catching up with friends and family.
