Fun in Lilydale

This Easter holiday our days are packed with random things to do.  Yesterday it was the optometrist (Silke's eyes are fine but Mieke needs glasses).  Today it was my paid for exercise class at Yarra Health in Lilydale.  As it's an hour and a half and it takes about 20 mins to get there I had to take all my girls with me but it was a surprisingly fun day.

First we did some aerobic exercise, then yoga and then a talk about baby toys / activities.  Anouk was her usual angel self she presents when with other people, sweetly watching as we exercised.  Mieke and Silke read and did some drawing and Silke eventually joined me in doing some yoga and looking after all the babies.

The were really very well behaved and I was proud of them.  Afterwards we strolled across the road to the park where some ibis birds were also strolling about and lots of cockatooes flying overhead.  There are also ducks swimming in the public swimming pool so Lilydale seems to be a birdwatchers haven!  The girls enjoyed a play in the park, the weather was lovely - not too hot but still nice and warm.  Then we walked to the museum and had something to drink and biscuits.  Anouk slept so I could have my coffee in peace which was nice.  Then we visited the museum and had a look at some embroidery while the girls tried it out as well on a huge wall hanging.  Overall a surprisingly nice day!

We then popped into Target at Chirnside Park to get Silke some last minute birthday pressies, I got her a Moxie Girl prince and princess, her favourite Littlest pet shops and a baby doll.  I'm going to stop buying her stuff now as I already bought a dolls house, two dinosaurs and a blackboard.

Anouk is getting really cute now, screeching at the top of her lungs which I prefer as it's better than crying!  She also sits really well now and can pick stuff up and sometimes pass it from one hand to the other.  Still not that much interested in rolling but I'm not too worried, she's a strong, big girl!

Happy average 40th Birthday Werner & why things aren't getting done

On Tuesday it was Werner's 40th birthday and it is at times like these that we feel the pain of being away from friends and family.  Because instead of a Big Bash somewhere it was a quiet dinner at home with his 4 girls.  We did have champagne though!

Was also tricky with Anouk but I managed to make risotto, salmon and apple pie and Mieke made a chocolate cake all by herself.

He was impressed with his Nespresso coffee machine (although I'm enjoying it even more than him, especially with the milk frother thingy) and the fact that I had the pen he chose engraved with his name.

I also got him some helium balloons which was a feat in itself with Anouk and the pram and the balloons nearly flying away!

We will be spending Easter weekend at the Marriot but really how much fun can it be with three kids and one of them attached to my boob half the time?  Anyway we will try and celebrate and be cheerful.  But I must admit this baby lark seems really very hard this time around.

Of course I'm not working this time, which means I never get a break because I haven't introduced Anouk to a bottle as I'm dreadfully lazy at expressing and would like to avoid formula this time.  So it's all my own doing but bugger it's really hard!!  I'm sure my other babies were easier, or maybe one forgets.  What really gets to me is the hours and hours I spend upstairs every evening trying to get her to sleep.  Last night I sat there for an hour when suddenly she lifted her head up and SMILED!  Wide awake. So I took her downstairs and had my soup with her in the bumbo next to me and tried again at 10pm which is really far too late.

Today I'm feeling very frustrated as I cannot go out of her sight before she starts crying.  Werner tried to get her to sleep tonight but she just cried until I came. She is really very cute and we all adore her but WOW she's hard work!!  Which is why the dishwasher is half unpacked, laundry is not folded, half a basket is still wet and the filing haven't been done since, well since we moved here...

But they are only babies for such a short time, I must remind myself to enjoy the cuddles, her soft hair, the way she gums my face and pulls my hair when feeding and that smile... that gorgeous smile makes it all worthwhile.

Baby Baby Baby Baby

I'm obsessed... with everything baby.  And it really isn't my fault because as babies do Anouk just took over my whole life.  So 95% of my time I'm feeding, carrying, changing, dressing, bathing, singing to, playing with my baby.  In the morning I love it, in the evening dare I say it,  I hate it as it's exhausting.  But then we start all over again and it's love at first sight.

Luckily my two big girls absolutely adore their new baby sister.  Mieke likes teaching her new tricks like standing at 2 months.



Anouk is also smiling lots and laughed the first time last week.  Here she is chuckling at Mieke doing Michael Jackson moves on the Wii.



She's also keen on learning how to play the Wii.


Look at those fat little legs!  When I last weighed her at 2 months she was at the 90 percentile and weighed 5.8 kilos which is nearly double her birth weight.  Isn't it amazing that I did that, I'm feeding her fat!  I struggle a bit in the heat as it was 35 degrees in Melbourne today and I hate water and have to remind myself to drink a lot.  So sometimes there isn't enough milk and she moans a bit and sometimes it's just too hot and sticky and she doesn't want to drink.  But I don't worry too much as I know she's doing well and enjoys her melkie a lot!

I also moved her into her cot this week because she was getting a bit big for her bassinette - she seems to like it as she can see out of it.  Also when she wakes she looks at her mobile for a bit or spend some time sucking her hand before she yells for me which is nice.

She loves her bath, but really hates to get out and get dressed which makes life a bit difficult.

 But even though she's a sensitive little soul who burst into tears at the sight of bubbles or when she has to have her nappy changed or when she poos or ... or ... she is just adorable when she smiles at me in the morning and kick her little legs in the bath and cuddles up to me and I feel her soft hair against my face.  There is nothing as absolutely yummy as a baby!

My Birth Story - Anouk 27 October 2011 16:17

Well it's all done and dusted.  My beautiful little girl Anouk is here and she is such a good baby that I actually have time to write this!

To say I was petrified before the birth is putting it mildly.  I was scared stiff.  We just arrived in Australia, we couldn't get medical insurance as there is a 12 month waiting period, which meant I had to go to a public hospital and have a c-section done by whichever registrar is on duty which is basically a trainee doctor.

My antenatal care was fine but basic - waited a long time to see a doctor who took my blood pressure, listened for the baby's heart beat with a doppler and measured my bump with a measuring tape.  I got so nervous that I thought about having a natural birth, but all the obstetricians I spoke to were negative about this, saying it's safer to have another c-section as it's my third and I'm quite small.  I realized without the proper support it would probably not be the right thing to do.  Although I wished I would go into labour before my scheduled c-section date which was booked for the 27th October, a day after Mieke's birthday!

Just before Mieke's pamper birthday party on the 15th, I had quite a lot of contractions and it felt like the baby was pushing down - it was so sore that I struggled to walk when it happened.

This continued for a few days but the week before my c-section all went calm and I had no pain or contractions at all (even though I was desperately hoping for some!).

So at 10am on the 27th Werner and I checked in at the Birralee Maternity Unit at Boxhill Hospital.  I was taken to a room in a ward which was just off the antenatal waiting room so at first it didn't seem very private, but later on I forgot about it as the curtain was up most of the time.  I was very nervous but the midwife answered all my questions and concerns and I started to relax.  I was last on the list so had to wait until 3:30pm for my turn to go to theatre.  A doctor came and put a drip in my hand - she struggled quite a bit and then called a midwife to come and see if it was okay, so I was a bit worried at this point.  The registrar and assistant anaesthetist also came to see me.

When I got to the theatre there were loads of people - all of them trying their best to make the experience as comfortable as possible.  Werner was sent out while the spinal was put into place but as soon as it was done he was back.  In the meantime the theatre nurse held my hand and the anaesthetist kept on asking how I felt and adding meds to my drip if I didn't feel well.  They kept on chatting to me and asking me questions to keep my mind of things, I wasn't told when the operation started, so it felt like only a few moments when I saw my baby being held up, dripping blood and stuff all over my face!!  The anaesthetist took loads of lovely photos while they quickly checked her and dried her off a little.  Then they immediately placed her under my hospital gown on my chest, and got her to latch - still covered in vernix and smelling so sweet!!

She cried a bit at first but quickly snuggled cosily into me - it was such an amazing experience and one I only dreamt of having with my other children.  I was enjoying it so much that I didn't pay much attention to the sewing up bit and she stayed there in recovery all the way up to my room.

Finally, and very unexpectedly, I had the birth experience I always dreamed of.  Ok it was still a c-section, but it was still magical.

My recovery was also great.  On the second day I asked when I could go home and the midwife said 'Tomorrow!'.  I wasn't really ready and would've liked to stay another night, but they sent a midwife to my house twice after I was sent home to check on me.  And I didn't really get much sleep in hospital anyway so maybe it was for the best.

My most tender sweetish, saddish moment was on the second night after she was born.  It was about 3am, she'd been up most of the night wanting to breastfeed all the time.  Every time I put her down she would start fussing again, I didn't know what to do... eventually I lay her down on the bed next to me and fed her lying down - we both fell asleep and only woke up the next morning!  Sweet...  I wish I had a picture of that moment, of the crumpled bed and the exhaustion and the blissful sleep and the tenderness I felt while holding her.  But it will always be in my mind and my heart.

At home she is such a good baby, I'm actually a bit worried as she sleeps an awful lot.  Last night she slept from 10pm to 4am!  She does cluster feed at night so no more late nights for me, but overall she is a dream baby.  And I'm enjoying her so much - can't believe I've been given another chance...

The honeymoon has started....

We moved into our rental mid September and even though we've had all sorts of hassles (broken beds, etc.) we are just enjoying it here soooo much.

Mieke went to school, made a best friend called Piper and has loved it ever since.  The school seems great - she's learning Japanese, is in the top groups for most subjects but still gets challenged by things - she's had to do a Powerpoint Presentation for the first time.  She is going on a school camp to Beechworth next month, after her birthday Pamper Party on the 15th October - she had no problems finding friends to invite which is great.

Silke my baby is still struggling a bit making friends at her kindy, but she still loves going and I'm very glad I kept her back as next her they will all be new kids at school.

They spend all their free time in the park next to our house, or at their new friends' houses - we've got two sets of neighbours both with two girls - how cool is that!

Otherwise we are very busy weekends still sorting out the house (so far we've bought 2 cars, tv cabinet, tv, 3 bar stools, washing machine, fridge / freezer, sandwich maker and storage shelving!!) but we've also been to Brighton beach, Healesville Animal Sanctuary, Melbourne Museum, Victoria Market, Warrandyte, the Dandenong Ranges incl. Olinda and afternoon tea at Skyhigh, as well as twice to the drive in and a few times to the cinema.  I think we better slow down as we've only been here for 3 months!!

So we're having a great time and enjoying Melbourne, discovering more each day.

But for now I've got to go as this baby seems to want to stretch herself out of my tummy, so I think I better go lie down so she'll have a bit more space!!

Good days and bad days...

Today was a good day!  We went to visit our new valley again where we will be living next month and had a look at two schools and one kinder.

At the one school Silke told the headteacher: 'I have nits, my mummy is trying to get the nits out of my hair.'  Hence why yesterday was a bad day as any nit combing day would be...

So far we liked most of the schools we visited.  Which makes it a bit tricky to choose.  Do we just go for the closest school, we can walk to school and it's nice and small - in Prep only about 15 children per class?  Or do we go for the bigger, higher achieving school which is a 10 but probably closer 20 min drive away in the morning traffic?

But I have decided to keep Mieke in a public primary school and then apply for 2 private high schools, that way we save loads of money until then!

The schools are different here than the UK in the following ways:

The class sizes are smaller (can vary between 15 and 25).
They don't have school dinners but normally have a canteen open a few times a week.
Uniforms can only be bought at school and seem really expensive.
Although the kids are in their own home groups they work across 2 year groups, for instance Year 1 and 2, 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 work together.  This gives opportunity for children who find the work easier to go ahead as well as give time for the slower ones to catch up.
They are not as rigid with going to school at a definite age like the UK - for instance children can go to school if they turn 5 by the end of April in the year that they go to school, but you are free to keep them back as well.  Most of the schools I spoke to suggested I keep Silke back until next year, so she'll be going back to Kindy as they call pre-school here.
In the area where I am looking for schools (East / North East of Melbourne) there aren't catchment areas, so I am free to send my children to any public school I like!  This makes it good for me but quite tricky for schools as it is difficult to plan from the one year to the next.

The schools seem well equipped with interactive white boards / televisions, computers and basket ball courts!  Most of them have an art room, music room and language room where they learn LOTE (language other than English).  The schools I've looked at offered Indonesion, Italian, Chinese or Japanese.

The classes are mostly open plan though so I think this will be something for Mieke to get used to.

Things I like so far in Australia:

Watermelon and Avos - delicious just like in SA
Chocolate Milk and Strawberry milk come in 2 litre bottles!!
U turns are encouraged.
Parking is free at most shopping centers and the parking bays are big enough for our wagon.
They pack your bags for you when grocery shopping.  Hooray!!  I know I'm sorry but I'm lazy...

Sunday afternoon...

I'm lying on my side in bed looking out the window through a flyscreen.  The bedroom is at the front of the house, overlooking a quiet close.  There is a big gumtree right outside with brightly coloured birds cackling away.  My belly is heavy but busy.

I am in Australia...