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a beautiful blue eyed bundle. a perfect combination of mum and dad. with a sense of calmness. with an aura of serenity. he is perfection. he is purity. he is flawless.
Noah…
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notforeating.com.au » Photography by Renee Bell, Newcastle based photographer
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WEDDING (ALARM) BELLS CREATING OUR FOUNDATION He was the first boy I met who owned a car, the first boy I knew who had his own mobile phone and the first boy I knew who didn’t eat vegetables. Needless to say, my Dad was absolutely thrilled to meet this tall guy, three years my senior – who happened to be wearing a mildly offensive t-shirt on the occasion of their first meeting. GETTING ENGAGED I always thought that getting married would be more of a formality – social recognition of what we already felt in our hearts. But getting engaged, coupled with deciding to have a baby has really forced us to consider our whole future together – what we want our lives to look like, what kind of home to we want to create and how we want our children to experience love and life. Rather than planning for yourself, you begin planning for your family. Rather than considering only what you need for yourself (which is still important!) you consider it in light of how it will affect your family. Rather than disregarding an opportunity because it doesn’t suit you, you give it more thought if it suits your family. You basically become less selfish and your value hierarchy changes – that’s been my experience of it anyway and it’s been a real shift for me. OUR WEDDING So our wedding is rapidly approaching and the lovely wedding bell sounds are quickly becoming wedding alarm bells. SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLANS… What I had forgotten was that Dean and I had worked hard to research, meet with and secure our favourite suppliers over 18 months in advance. Didn’t I think about the fact that these in-demand suppliers would be booked? Well, not really… I blame pregnant Renee. We had to change our venue, celebrant, car choice, cake maker, accommodation booking – and as a result of the changes have added a caterer, stylist and event hire group to our entourage. It has at times felt like we had to start from scratch. What I had also forgotten was that when planning any event, the time during the immediate lead up (whether it be days, weeks or months depending on the scale) is taken up with all the ‘detail’. So while madly securing the additional suppliers and paying deposits, we have been busy pulling all the unique details together that will make our wedding day personal and memorable. This has all been while attending our fetal echocardiogram, morphology scans, hospital booking visit (yes – I FINALLY got one) and preparing our lives and home for our much-anticipated addition. While many aspects of the original wedding have had to change, we have created a much stronger representation of who we are as a couple and new family. It will be easy going, elegant, relaxed surprising, full of small details and above all else, fun! Our new venue will also be spectacular – it will be on a property called Adams Peak Retreat, in the Broke region of the Hunter Valley. Their barn is providing us with a beautiful clean slate, free of the bright paint, RSL carpet and bad lighting of so many other ‘function’ venues. FITTING THE BUMP After figuring out that I would be over 29 weeks pregnant at the time of our wedding day, I had a pretty major body image freak out. I have to admit that some tears were shed over the wedding dress that I would never get to wear… so I thought. But Melanie didn’t even bat an eyelid when I told her I was pregnant and bringing the date forward. She got straight into planning mode and told me we could start the fittings a mere 8 weeks before the big day. That easy. It’s also basically the same dress with a few minor adjustments – like the removal of the corset…. SHOW AND TELL She is an amazing friend and I really don’t know if I would be surviving without her. Here is a picture of our gorgeous save the dates, as well as some pages of my scrapbook, which is my collection of clippings and ideas.
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One week old Who am I? I last wrote about how I’ve lost the plot, I now know I didn’t know what that truly meant. I do now. If someone could please remind me what my name is, what day it is and what I was supposed to do today, that would be great! I am proud, and a little surprised to say, I survived the first week of motherhood…just! Little Aria was born last Monday, two days early. I found labour to be a really positive experience. I won’t go into any of the nasty details, but I will offer a small piece of advice. Trust your instincts. Doctors stress that the contractions have to be regular for it to be considered “real labour”. My contractions were never regular, and let me assure you my labour was very real! 14 hours, a tiny bit gas and lots of ‘maternal effort’ as someone once put it, and the apple of my eye was thrust onto my chest. My first question was “is she a girl?!” In my haze I was a little confused as to whether the umbilical cord was boy bits or not! My stay in the hospital was a rocky one. Mum was right when she said you don’t go to hospital for a rest. An endless stream of midwives, doctors and visitors ensured that I got quickly accustomed to life with very little sleep. That and the fact poor little Aria developed some jaundice and had to be treated in the special care nursery for a few days. That coincided with my milk coming in, so to say I was an emotional wreck would be an understatement. That is all behind us now, and I am quickly realising what my life has become. I am now a slave to a tiny, very cute, but very demanding little girl. It’s also an example of the circle of life. I now need my own mum just as much as my daughter needs me. My mum is my hero. She is living with us for 6 weeks acting as my confinement nurse (like they do in China) and my rock. I can honestly say I don’t know what I would do without her, especially at 2am. Last night she was sitting on the floor of Aria’s room while I fed her, then I laid on the ground (asking if i was ever going to sleep again) while mum tried to settle her. Now as I write this, Aria is crying out for more milk. And the one valuable thing I have learnt in this whirlwind week, is little miss doesn’t like to wait. She really is a chip off the old block! :) Kate
Show 16 comments Beautiful, She looks like her mummy! XX Little Aria better behave! @[525668402:2048:Toni Slattery] argh so excited – and perfect timing because i had about 7 shipments of new props arrive on monday!!! I’m excited to see your gorgeous pics of the divine Aria and her lovely fam x love this recap of week one by Kate Haberfield! and ~ Kate and her gorgeous family will be in this studio in an hour or so for Aria’s first photo shoot – so excited! so when can we see her? Helene is right Kate. It is amazing how quickly time goes by. I know it sounds like a long way off but, before you know it, your little Aria will be having a baby of her own. Trust me, this time will fly. You’re doing all the right things… you are a great mummy. Congratulations Kate! Aria is adorable. And it has been really nice (plus entertaining) to read about your experiences of pregnancy and (early) motherhood, great little pieces of writing!! (maccas fb link led me here) Wishing your little family all the best. Ange @[658896467:2048:Kate Haberfield] yes, they can do the dishes together, and we can watch.. Helene YOU just brought a tear to my eye with that post!!Beautiful! x Thanks! We should get our girls together some day! Hey kate, firstly congratulations. Great writing, but you make me feel very guilty for being a bloke.. good work with the bub, and make sure you don’t forget to put some money into your mum’s retirement fund. looking forward to see the little one. Its amazing how quickly the time goes, Its like it never happened for me, but reading your latest post brought it all floodibg back, enjoy ecery minute of the sleepless nights, because soon you will learn to miss the nights when you were needed, when that tiny cry for milk meant being able to hold your precious bundle in your arms!!! I miss it so much even 1 year on that im beggong simon for a second. They grow so quick, soon you wont be able to get a hug without her squirming to be free! Ur post made me teary eyed and ever more obessesed with baby fever! Cant wait to see you tomorrow and hold your daughter like she is my own! Xo This is beautiful Kate, I got a teary! xo Massive congrats! She is darling! So glad your mum is helping you out – sounds like she is doing a wonderful job already :) Love it! So honest in every way. Being a mummy can be so tiring but so sooo rewarding. It also helps you understand almost instantly how your own mum would stress out completely when you weren’t home when you said you were going to be or didn’t answer your phone when she called you at a certain time. Life is so precious and miss Aria is one very much loved little princess, what a lucky little girl to have so much love around her. Just as it should be xxxx
flowers make me happy! we had lots of fun stringing these up and trying really hard not to move so that they didn’t move around in the breeze. wait till you see what else we did with them – very special indeed!
Show 3 comments [...] we actually loved this dress so much that we did two shoots with it, playing around with a few “different” ideas with a head scarf, a cute little curl and some hanging flowers that we blogged about here [...] thanks Rach! so creative:) “everything they ever wanted”, this is what Charlotte is to her parents. let me tell you, upon meeting baby Charlotte it’s completely clear just why they are so smitten. with a combo of mums eyes, dads feet, her own glorious newborn baby smell and those rose coloured squishy lips, Charlotte is a sight to behold! she may not have entered the world as planned but Charlotte is here and her mum says that having her snuggled in her arms is the most satisfying feeling in the world. i have to admit, after having a bit of a cuddle myself i can totally see where they’re coming from. Charlotte, mum and dad’s everything….
no comments Alicia can only be described as extremely talented, amazingly creative and very passionate. not only is this wonderful lady a mother, partner, daughter, sister and fabulous friend but she’s also a wonderful designer of children’s clothes. ok, she does other things too like surfing, playing the violin and she was even once a flight hostess, but designing is her thing. Alicia has been sewing since she was three years old and has a passion for creating wearable pieces of art. when describing how Billy n Moo came to be she says,
Alicia loves a challenge and one of her favourite things is to design to a brief. collaborating with others and coming up with something original to achieve a specific outcome is what she finds inspiring. this drive to create something different is what makes Billy n Moo clothes stand out from the rest. her choice of materials and textures is unique and beautiful and her talent in design is absolutely mind blowing. As is the case with a lot of businesses and individuals, the environment and her impact on it, is also something Alicia keeps in mind when designing her clothes.
here are a few questions that i asked Alicia recently…. how would you describe yourself in three words: creative, caring, stubborn how would your best friend describe you in three words: creative, talented, loyal how would your partner describe you in three words: beautiful, perfect, magnificent. what is your biggest vice? the thing you absolutely cant say no to? chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! what smell makes you smile? Mangoes. They remind me of family Christmas as a child. describe your ultimate day… My ultimate day is spending it on the beach with my family. Warm enough to swim, but cool enough to stay all day. I would be wearing a loose organic cotton beach dress over my swimmers, there may be a band playing in the afternoon and when we have our dinner of colourful salad and fish. which cartoon character would you say you are you most like? Angelina ballerina – because I love to dance! where did the name billynmoo come from? My gorgeous girl Macy is ‘moo’ to her dad and I and ‘billy’ came from my little brother Wil who is grown up now and lives in New York, but I will always see him as my baby brother who we called willy woo!
one day Alicia hopes to be famous for “being me” and with talent, drive and determination like this lovely lady has, I’m pretty sure it’ll happen. In the meantime I’m just happy to call her a friend and to have the opportunity to work with her and to photograph her delicious designs. Alicia of Billy n Moo…
a peek at some designs photographed last month….
and a gorgeous new skirt and top, photographed just recently….
you can see all of the recent photo shoots we have done with billynmoo here you can contact Alicia here hello@billynmoo.com and you can follow billynmoo on facebook here the flowers used in these photos were designed by Rach at Sapphire Designs
Show 2 comments thanks Rach <3 <3 <3 …..LOVE…. <3 these eyes. they absolutely take my breath away. looking into them makes me remember. everything. every little moment. every adventure. every giggle. every private joke. every tear. every hug. every time one of us has said ‘i love you’. every tantrum. every little thing that she does that is so “her”. the feel of her hand in mine. the way she sits up with a start and smiles this massive big smile when i sneak into her room in the morning before she wakes. looking into them makes me dream. of every moment after this one right now. where i will look into these eyes again. and remember. and smile. and forget to breathe.
i stare at this face. into these eyes. ten, twenty, fifty times a day. almost every day. i photograph this face at least once a week. then i stare at a digital version of these eyes, of this face. and i print a version of this face and hang on my walls or place in albums, or scrapbooks. and i see these eyes again every time i walk past the wall that they hang on. every time i see something different. a new depth.
this beautiful outfit is available from Juliet’s Closet. Hooded Batwing Dress in navy stripe Black skinny Jeans Show 7 comments I think you can guess how I feel about this post… You two are so adorable … Even when you have your cranky on -cause a face isn’t washed and hair not brushed :) it makes me smile so much and long for a child of my own to photograph and have memories to treasure like you so clearly do. Just beautiful – what a treat to be able to share some of those memories with you. It makes me smile to think how cheeky liana is and her big cheasy smile <3 xxxx Molly – thank you for taking the time to write to me! i never used to write much, and am slowly finding my “voice” in that regard. i even don’t mind if i am talking to myself most of the time ;) lol Lovely writing Renee… I love the relationship you have with Liana… and she is so clearly your child in every way, from her beauty, to her playfulness, to her sense of wonder about her world. Thank you for sharing. xx <3<3<3 WOW, and WOW xox. Kate, Here come the tears, what beautiful words. I wonder if the size 14 would fit, love this dress!! today, i am writing a blog post about me! which is kinda weird, but i’m game if you are :) i figure that i write about so many other people, and my bio pic on my website is a year or so old, so unless you are friends with me on facebook, you might not even know what i look like… and therefore you wouldn’t know that i “got my hair did” this week. and i am loving it. very Astro Boy! does anyone remember Astro Boy? anyways… the hair. i do love it. but anyone that says short hair must be so easy has clearly never had short hair. waking up looking like you just put your finger in a power point. not sexy. the poor courier drivers doing the early run that come ringing my doorbell at ungodly hours… especially in winter, when my fluffy brown dressing gown also makes an appearance. and you cant tie short hair in a ponytail if you are having a bad hair day. not if you are 32 anyways. when you are 2, those cute little sticky up ponytail bits on the top of your head are cool. not so much now…. i do have quite a few hats though! but, i digress. so, today i decided i shall share a pic or two of me. and my cool new hair. cool is all relative of course. i think it is cool, so that’s all that matters! what else can i tell you about me? well i like to keep up to date with politics and take long romantic walks on the beach. actually, nope. neither of those things are true. and i think this is the wrong place for that kind of bio? politics?? bleh. vomit!! how about i just share the pics?
ok, three words to describe myself? stubborn. busy. messy stubborn, because, well i am! busy, because i always have a very long list of things to do. but also i love to be that way. i bore easily. i can’t sit still. i can’t actually sit through a whole dvd without pausing at least once. lol. messy, though i sometimes wish i was a bit more pedantic about tidying. i am very good at tuning out things i don’t want to be reminded of. in my head, my house is perfect and clutter free. it is beautiful. and i always say that messy and dirty are different things. the house isn’t dirty, just messy :) but i do love cleaner day!!! oh the joy of clean mopped floors. and fresh sheets. i sometimes leave the dining chairs on the table for a few days, just to maintain the feeling of “just cleaned house” that is not weird at all. or lazy. i asked Liana and she said beautiful, photographer, loving… isn’t she a treasure!!! and i like that beautiful came before photographer.
a few things not many people know about me… my hair is actually blonde… hence the frequent trips to hairdresser. keeping this look maintained is hard work! i don’t know why i prefer dark, i just do. proof that you always want what you don’t have.. to all those brunettes out there who spend a fortune to make their hair blonde.. want to trade? i don’t like hot drinks. or any hot liquid actually. and the smell of coffee makes me want to hurl. so when i say “lets do coffee”, really i mean you have coffee and i will have a glass of water. and i will usually bring my own because tap water makes me very ill. i do like cake though. even though i shouldn’t eat it on account of lactose and gluten and all those nasties i shouldn’t have… i am bad with actually following through with tasks. i have ideas. lots of them. too many for one brain to handle and they just spew out of me at random intervals. we moved here nearly 2 years ago and i still have boxes to unpack. clearly we don’t need those things. whatever they are. there is a large framed print sitting against the wall in my bedroom. on the floor. has been there since the day we moved in. it just needs a simple hook to hang from which i am quite capable of doing. i even have a large box of picture hooks in the next room. and a hammer. i will do it one day. i also collect photo frames. i buy them all.the.time. i clearly have no shortage of photos to display. i just never actually hang them on the walls. one time i did hang a whole photo wall of frames on the assumption that the hanging was the hard bit and once i had them up i could easily decide what pics to put in each frame and get.it.done.finally. that was before christmas. a few months before christmas, actually. the frames are still empty.
anyways that is enough rambling for now… happy friday evening my friends!! if you have a question you want me to answer for you then write it below. and i shall answer in a blog post soon! Show 16 comments [...] Renee, for the [...] I totally get the empty frame bit, I had One sitting out for about 6 months or so and told everyone that the two random blondes in the frame where my sisters… Even though the had text scrolled across their chests :). I would also agree short hair is hard work :)! I chopped 8 inches off a couple of years ago and it got to be too much for my liking to maintain… So now it’s long again lol. So I give you credit and it looks super cute ;)! haha Abby!!! :) thanks for sharing. I think in that last paragraph you were talking about me without knowing it :) makes me feel happy that I’m not the only one out there collecting frames and leaving unpacked boxes and having too many ideas to follow through with all of them! you are right Shuva!!! “organized chaos” that’s how i live my life!!! hope you are well!! @[714177576:2048:Cathy Crawley] haha some brands of water i really dont like the taste of… good luck with the hypnosis!! short hair rocks… also, I prefer the term “organized chaos.” @[1444536902:2048:Renee Bell] you are a better girl than me. I want hypnosis so I can drink water over coke. I can cope with water if it has a little bit of flavour, but not plain. My taste buds don’t like it. yay!! so excited there are so many of us @[714177576:2048:Cathy]!!! i don’t drink soft drink either. haha. or much juice. so i literally just drink water! boring huh! haha… i should blog more often!!! glad everyone is enjoying the read! i have a list of things to blog about. i even make notes about them when i should be sleeping. but then i get distracted. like right now. it’s 950pm and i am going to bake something… just because! we need to birthday celebrate together. which reminds me, i need to plan my own birthday party. Renee, I don’t do hot drinks either! Not even soup. Usually when I say let’s go for coffee I mean ‘I’ll have a coke and you can have that yucky brown stuff that smells horrible”. Well that’s an interesting read. I understand you better after reading that! In fact I have an awful lot of similarities with you which figures seeing as our birthday’s are only a week apart. Am happy to swap my brown hair for your blonde any day. although I did go brown last year and I thought it would be easier to manage but it seems I have actually dark blonde or light brown so it is either and neither. It seems I will always have to dye mine! Oh and I do like hot drinks and loads of them, although these days I am doing my coffee with rice milk which is not easy to come by out and about! Happy friday evening to you too! oh no i am a Taurus. hence the stubborn comment! :) bec says she used to go for milkshake too but too much gives her an upset tummy! you 2 are funny! are you a Cancer by any chance? haha – i knew there was a reason i liked Bec!!! i used to “go for a milkshake” but i don’t have milk any more :( but hot liquids… yuk yuk. and tea, it tastes and smells like dirty water? are people crazy?? why do they drink that? hehhe love this! bec is sitting beside me vey happy.. she HATES hot drinks… and when ever “we go for coffee” – she drinks water! :) she says..”if I had a dollar for every time someone says- “but your english your meant to drink tea” -I’d be a very rich woman!” introducing Benjamin…
welcome, sweet baby boy. it was a pleasure to meet you!
Show 2 comments He is just a gorgeous little chap. Megan Hurley’s gorgeous boy Benjamin! so adorable!
yesterday we received a divine package of girls clothes from Juliet’s Closet… i am going to share more about this brand, what they do, what they stock [and why] later, plus of course the images… but for now a quick shot from the iPhone while we were trying the clothes for size…
if you would like to purchase this dress for your little girl (sizes avail are 8-14) you can check it out here!!! if you are based in Sydney, or feel like a drive and have little girls aged between 7 and 14 then please check out the details below of the Juliet’s Closet launch party to be held next weekend in Oatley. Liana and I will be there and we would love to meet you!!
Show 3 comments oohhhh cant wait to see what you come up with Rach <3 <3 I’m so thrilled to be involved as well- thank you Renee Bell and Megan for including Sapphire Designs <3. so excited to be working with you Megan King and thanks so much to the fabulous Lisa Jane Humphries for the intro!
2 days. Introducing Aria Della I was convinced I would be forced to write an entry about my 40th week of pregnancy, but thankfully my little time conscious angel heard my pleas for an early arrival. Aria Della Haberfield was born just after midday on Easter Monday, two days early (she’s good with a deadline like her mum). She’s a petite little thing, weighing in at 2.96 kgs or 6lbs 9oz, measuring 48 cms – figures I am definitely not complaining about!
More details about the fabulous arrival to come, as soon as I stop staring at her long enough to write something!
:) Kate
Show 4 comments Congratulations! Outstanding production. Im jealous i havent met her yet!!!! She is so perfect! I cant wait to meet her! Oh my god i LOVE her, just simply gorgeous like her mummy. Good job miss kate xxx Kate!! Aria is perfect :) Colin wanted to wake me up when he heard the news! But alas he waited until the next day!! She is beautiful and her name! Love love love!!! All the best and Looking forward to hearing about your adventures with mummy hood x Liana and i are SO>FREAKING>EXCITED about this!!!! yoga! for kids! she has been practicing at every opportunity, and even trying to teach Nanny “the moves” (and no, Nanny cant do them… yet!) anyways… details of kids classes below! . Mini Munchkin Yoga (2 1/2 – 5yrs) & Monster Munchkin Yoga (6-10yrs) Yoga is an uplifting, non-competitive, mind-expanding, and fun way for children to build strength, spirit, and self-esteem.
Let Munchkin Yoga for kids help your child develop flexibility, focus, and coordination for a happy, healthy, balanced life. Mini Munchkin Yoga – Wednesday and Thursday at 845 am for 30 min class Register your interest TODAY via info@verveforlife.com.au or call 4954 4191 for more information. Mini Munchkin Orlando…
hope to see some of you there!!! Show 10 comments thanks so much for sharing @[568227605:2048:Amy]! @[601811961:2048:Alicia Nash] good point!!! Yes that is a shame! They can still practice together though! ohhh fabulous @[601811961:2048:Alicia] !!! shame Macy and Liana wont be in the same class :( Macy’s keen! Looking forward to it! Love it!! i agree Nath, it is going to be super cute!!!! and fun!! Ok Newcastle people! KIDS YOGA is in town at Verve For Life, a beautiful studio where I teach. This is for kids 2.5 -10 yrs of age. Thanks for sharing Renee!! Can’t wait to get this program started. See you all next week :) Can’t wait to have all the little munchkins in our yoga studio!! It’s going to be FUN. my all time favorite recipe, with lots of adapting, baking and tasting, now perfected and as gluten free and organic as i can possibly make it… using coconut sugar in the cheesecake ribbon gives it an amazing (but subtle) toffee like flavour and cacao products are jam packed with antioxidants… you could almost convince yourself it is healthy!!!
500g cream cheese + 5tbsp coconut sugar + 2 tbsp agave nectar + 1tsp vanilla extract + 2tbsp of coconut butter/ oil (if you want it to be less “cheesecakey” you can halve this portion of the recipe) beat until smooth and set aside
100g butter + 3 tbsp raw cacao powder (if you wish you can use coconut butter/oil instead of regular butter – the flavour is amazing. also a tablespoons of cacao butter will intensify the chocolate flavour if you have some on hand. ps: use butter, not margarine!) place in small pan and heat gently till butter melts and mixture combines then set aside
2 eggs + 2/3 cup raw organic sugar beat until light and fluffy
stir the cacao mixture and the eggs + sugar together and then fold in 3/4 cup of flour + 1.5tsp of baking powder (note i use a mixture of 1/4 cup coconut flour and the rest a soy-free + gluten free flour mix. you can use regular flour if you don’t need it to be gluten free)
pour half the brownie mixture into a 20cm pan lined with baking paper. carefully spread the cream cheese over the top and then cover with the remaining brownie mixture. swirl a little with a knife. you can place a handful of pecans or walnuts in between the layers if you like, and also some cacao nibs if you want it extra chocolately! (you can also bake in muffin tins or case if you want individual serves. just watch carefully while cooking, it will take about half the time)
bake at 180C/ 350F for approx 40mins wait patiently, give it a few minutes to cool (ok maybe an hour or so) and ENJOY!!!! this needs to be kept in the fridge because of the cream cheese and is actually much nicer when cold if you can wait that long…
as i said, this recipe has been experimented with lots, you can easily use standard products if you don’t have access to raw cacao, coconut sugar etc… but it is well worth the shopping trip to have these wonderful products on hand… plus you can order it all online and have it delivered to your door!!! all the items in orange are links to the online store to purchase them… also, for those trying to limit sugar, the original recipe had over 1.25 cups between the brownie mix and the cheesecake swirl. i have cut it back as much as possible (in my opinion)… regarding the brand of cream cheese, they all differ in taste. for those in Australia i find the Philly and the Woolworths brand have a strong taste which i don’t like. Coles brand is my preference…
and if you make it – let me know what you think!!! no comments babies are made up of everything soft and sweet and delicate… what is your favourite part of your bubba and why? is it the soft downy hair, the 10 wrinkly little toes, that soft roll of skin at the back of their neck that always smells like baby, or their chubby cheeks (and yep, that’s my favourite part). if your bubba has all grown up, then what teeny tiny part of that newborn stage do you remember the most…
ABOVE: Joel ~ 10 days
ABOVE: Beau ~ 3 weeks and my all time favorite chubby cheek photo from 2011…
ABOVE: Ruby ~ 7 days
i would love to hear your favorite newborn memory in the comments below!!! no comments part one of Anna’s story ~ from 0 to 38 weeks here now, with a 1 week old baby boy, Anna talks about the 5 lessons she has learnt the last week! part of our real life. real stories series
Well persistence must pay off! On Tuesday 27.03.2012 at 9.21pm we welcomed a beautiful, healthy, baby boy into our world. Tobey Dominic Bail was 3.68kg and 52cm with hair like a sheepskin rug. On Tuesday morning I walked the dog up to the general store as usual & chatted to the owner – yes, still no baby, I had said. Not long after returning home my contractions started. I let them go as long as possible – did a few loads of washing – then called my husband to let him know we were on. We waited it out at home until the contractions were 4 mins apart & I thought the car trip to the hospital might start to get uncomfortable. It was the best thing we did. Those birthing suites aren’t the nicest place to spend hours pacing the floor! Things moved very quickly once we arrived – so fast that drugs weren’t an option. This was actually a saving grace in a way as I’d always wanted a natural, drug free birth but, as happens, things get rather painful especially when they move quickly & I distinctly remember yelling at Kris to make the nurse give me something! Tobey was born 3 hours after we arrived at the hospital. I got the natural, drug free birth I had wanted, albeit not a heroic one I’ll admit – I’d have taken anything I could get my hands on! Lesson number 1: Birth plans are a waste of time – know your options but you’ve just got to go with the flow on the day. For those wondering, my wonderfully stomach-challenged husband was fantastic. Never faulted. Talked me through the actual birth like a professional. Seriously, I never really doubted him(!). And so our world of 2 became 3. Tobey was a dream in the hospital. I was getting 10 hours sleep a day!!! This is easy, I thought. Lesson number 2: It’s never easy. We headed home after 3 days as Tobey was feeding really well & was only 180g down on his birth weight. He is a fierce little feeder! That’s when reality hit – at the same time my full milk came in. The first night he screamed from 2am to 6am. Not crying. Screaming, twisting, scratching at us, arching his back in pain. We were at a loss as to what to do. Through the day he slept like an angel in his bouncer. The next night will be better, we told ourselves. That night he again screamed the house down & would only sleep reclined on our upright knees. I think I cried as much as him. Kris was brilliant again, taking him & going to another room & trying to settle him. We started to worry. This wasn’t normal. We spoke to friends & family. I rang the hospital & asked for advice. Our suspicions grew that he might have silent reflux – only evident now that my milk was fully in. We moved him into a bassinet instead of the cot & inclined it to about 15 degrees & set it up next to our bed – something we had said we’d never do. We changed his feeding patterns. Smaller, more frequent feeds with lots of breaks during the feeds to burp him. We often resorted to pitting him in the bouncer to sleep – it was the only place he (and us) would get a few hours of sleep. Lesson number 3: You do whatever it takes when you have to- the rule book goes out the window. Another 2 horrible nights, an exhausted, teary call from me to Tresillian and us noticing Tobey was now gagging and regurgitating when we tried to put him down sealed our thinking. I took him to our family gp who confirmed it was silent reflux and prescribed some medication. It is slowly working, though it can take 10 days for the full effect. Lesson number 4: Always go with your instinct. Don’t question it. We are completely smitten with what we’ve created and thankful every day for having him in our lives. He makes us laugh with his facials and his smiles. But there have been some tough times too when both Kris and I have been at a loss as to what to do. Its ok to cry. Reach out to friends and family. And we’re not even 2 weeks into this crazy, exciting journey called parenthood….. Lesson number 5: That’s why they make bubs so cute – so you always forgive them in the morning.
updated with a pic from Tobey’s photo shoot at 13 days old…
Show 3 comments reading that back there are a few words wrong and in places they are not meant to be but I’m sure you will understand my unedited post LOL Oh Anna, Tobey is a gorgeous baby. You are a natural at motherhood as you went with your gut and that is what a parent is all about. Every baby/child is different and you know what is best and what works for you, Kris and your Tobey. Like Rach said, you and Kris are doing a brilliant job, being a parent is not easy and you constantly learning :) Congratulations to you both for the support you have given each other in these tough few weeks. Anna, you and Kris are doing an awesome job, and this is only the beginning of many frustrating, heart breaking, wonderful, memorable and loveable times ahead! |
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Thanks for the lovely photos of your beautiful son. I’m so glad things are settling, pleased you are using the rug, it was made with love, Elveraxx.