Baking the Goods

I have now been an oven for 23 weeks which means I'm over halfway before this little bun will come and greet the world. It is also time for another update...

1. Baby Blue
   We are having a little boy!! So exciting and feels so much more real now that we know and can start calling him by his name instead of 'it' or 'bubba'. I was convinced we were having a little girl because I had dreams of a girl and just had a feeling – turns out I was wrong! Was bit of a shock but couldn't be happier to have a son :-) Just don't tell Dr Love's folks, they want a surprise so won't know until he is born (or someone slips up)!
2. Milo and milk
   I should own shares in Nestle and a dairy farm because they have been my constant source of nutrition for the last few months. I still spew in the mornings if I try to have breakfast so Milo and milk is all I have. Also have a glass before bed at night. Must be the chocolate I'm loving in it – crave chocolate A LOT! It is like PMS times a million. At least I'm not craving tabouli anymore – was getting real garlic breath.



Leaning tower of Milo - didn't empty my car for a few days ( due to the insane weather and full hands) and this is what happened - evidence of my breakfast on the way to work.

3. Making a nest
   Nesting has made me the cleanest and most organised I have ever been, to the point where it is actually impacting on my everyday life. One night I couldn't sleep until I had organised our linen cupboard including making labels for all the piles. These labels are very specific, for example, I have one that says 'light towels' and another 'dark towels'. Yes everything is colour coded and folded to perfection. It makes me just feel so calm when I see it all organised. Dr Love is really enjoying this new me, as I've turned into the wog wife he never had. He reckons I have been a bit mean though 'cause of the babymones which I responded with 'you get a neat wife, or a nice wife, but not both'! ;-)



This linen cupboard from Martha Stewart makes my heart soar!

4. Movement from within
   The first time I felt my son move was the strangest feeling I have ever had. I was sitting at my desk at work and felt like bubbles were going off somewhere around my stomach, not in my stomach. I jumped up and said to the ladies at work "I just felt a kick"!! Was so lovely. Since that day (around 19 weeks) the movements have gotten stronger every day. I have started to recognise this little man's schedule – he likes to be active when I try to sleep but then sleeps in until about 8.30-9am. He tells me he is hungry or my pants are too tight by giving me a few punches. The last two nights I have even see my tummy 'jump' when a limb pushes out. So far Dr Love hasn't been able to feel it, but that is because when he puts his hand on my stomach our little boy calms down straight away :)
5. Cry me a river
   Sometimes (OK bit more than just sometimes) I just start crying. I've had to stop watching any sad movies (Red Dog was a bad idea), reading some books – even having to hang out the washing has set me off!! As soon as the tears start they stop, which is followed by laughter. Babymones sure are crazy!
6. French Children Don't Throw Food
   Is the current 'it' book in the child rearing section of any Australian bookstore. I picked it up mainly because it seemed like a light yet interesting read, the cute cover didn't hurt either. So far it has been quite interesting on its observations on why French children seemed so much better behaved than 'anglophiles'. I do appreciate the more relaxed attitude the French have towards pregnancy and settling a bub in the first few months. Also love how the French hardly use the equivalent word for 'discipline' but rather say 'educate' when it comes to child rearing.

7. Ready, set, ummn..... go?
   I have had a few self-doubting moments over the last few months around the lines 'can I do this'? When it really hit me was when I went with my mum to one of those massive baby warehouse kind of stores. I saw so many products I hadn't even thought about such as feeding pillows, sterilizers and bunny rugs! Had a mild panic attack as all these things bombarded me at once. With the advice from friends, family and my midwife I am working my way through all of this and determining what is necessary and what isn't – hey, at least I know what a bunny rug is now!!
8. Group love
   Being pregnant has shown me how much love surrounds me in my personal and work life. Everyone has been so supportive and excited which is just making the best joy vibe all around me. So wonderful to share this experience with such special people! People have gotten involved by participating in a few baby sweeps (hey, I'm the granddaughter of a bookie, gotta have bets on sex, birth date and weight of bub), generous gifts, kind words, carrying heavy stuff and just being really cool. They will all be rewarded with lots of baby cuddles, kisses and maybe a nappy change or two when bub is here! ;-)
9. Boobs just keep getting bigger and bigger!!
   Yep, the gals are officially out of control. They look like massive footballs and feel that way as well. In the last month they have grown by four inches but my belly only by one inch – eek! Thank goodness for my cousin working at a local lingerie shop to 'hook and strap' me up with much needed support*.
10. Stay tuned for some pics...
    My gorgeous friend took some shots of the bump and me – the idea is to take some once a month until bubba is born and then when he is here – I'll post some up when I get them.

See ya,

M xx

*Pun intended

Bun in the Bakery...

So I have been an oven for about four months now and I thought this would be a good time to share some experiences I have had. I will do this each trimester so we can all look back and remember what it was like, as these babymones are already making me very forgetful....

1. Frozen drinks are the bomb!
After spewing multiple times every day for the last four months, frozen cokes, slurpies and Boost Juice Berry Crushers have been lifesavers and often meals on their own...



The one thing I could keep down on the worst spewfeast weekend...

A pregnancy-friendly birthday from the girls at work - watermelon and gingerbread man :)

2. Roast chicken is evil
That is all, just thinking/typing about it makes me queasy

3. Double D boobs can get bigger
Ever since I hit puberty the 'girls' have been a somewhat hindrance. Take school socials as an example - awkward as f*** when late blooming boys' faces was directly inline with them during a slow jam – I had to move back a bit for fear of suffocating the poor guy! When college came along the same boys would call me 'A cup' just to be ironic – ha ha. Anyway, since being knocked up the girls have turn into a whole another life force growing to ridiculous size where I stare at them and think 'is this for real?' in between the leakage and all day throbbing – oh yeah, real hot boys!!

4. Dogs know all
Alfie our beloved pooch and 'first son' has been lying on my belly whenever he gets the chance. He has never done this before and doesn't do it to anyone else. When we go into the room with the 'bebe' sign he always wants to come in and have a sniff. Yep, he can sense his skin sibling for sure!

5. Bikini bump
I have never felt more comfortable in a bikini as I do now with my big belly out for the world to see. It is so liberating to be like 'yeah, I'm preggas and I don't care because the human body is beautiful'. However, I must admit when I see other sunsoakers on the beach eyeing the bulge off I hold it, so there is no doubt that there is a bun in the bakery.

6. Is it a boy or girl?
If you know me you know I am so impatient. I really, really want to know the sex of our baby. Can't find out for another month until the 20 week scan. In the meantime I have created a family sweep – everyone has picked the sex and date of when bub will join us. I will go and buy a gift for the winner :)

7. I've never been happier
No truer words have ever been spoken – up until bub is actually born I'm sure – then I think I might actually burst from all the joy that is inside me, in our home and in our families.

8. So glad the first three months are over
Because they are full of anxiety, ups and downs. Every time I felt a cramp or something strange I got scared, the rare day I didn't spew I got scared. Full of excitement and fear at the same time was a tad hard to manage. So I just turned to God and said a prayer whenever these doubts crept in, which of course, made everything better. I still have some of these nervous thoughts (which is why I'm researching the best baby monitors that detect breathing patterns), but nothing like the torture of the first trimester.

9. Can't wait to start pre-natal yoga
Had to stop my usual power yoga because overheating is a no no for Bubba, so missing yoga (and wogball) a lot. Classes start in a few weeks.

10. What is in a name?
Dr Love and I picked our future baby names on our honeymoon. Everyone has an opinion on them but we don't care, because they reflect the country we really love Italy, and honour one of our favourite people of all time Nonno.