32 Weeks, 6 Days Pregnant * 5 Weeks, 6 Days to Go * Ellie - 14 Months Old!

I just got halfway through this entry and Firefox crashed, Grr.

Anyway, it certainly feels like everything's happening right now! James has just spent the past two days at home because he was really sick, poor thing. He's back at work today but still not 100%. I just hope we can have a nice quiet weekend so he can rest and get back to his normal self.

Ellie is now 14 months old, time is really flying! I think she must be getting another tooth because she had another restless night last night. She is still really into her babies, carting them around everywhere :)

 
This is her favourite baby

 
This one's a little dark but this is Ellie and both babies watching In The Night Garden

She has recently started walking backwards, especially if she's holding somebody's hand, though she can do it on her own and she can also climb up and down our front stairs. It really amazes me how well she does it. She can go up them so fast and mostly only puts one foot on each one. She always holds one of our hands on the way down and mostly on the way up, too.  

We have a bath book, which she currently loves called 'Splish...Splash...Splosh!' and when I read the page about the boats that bob she says "Bob, bob". And yesterday, when we went to get the mail we were watching a Willy Wagtail and she pointed at him and said "There's a bird" ("Deresa burr").

She has had a growth spurt recently, too, she's such a big girl! I think she will be tall - not like her Mumma.

On the pregnancy front things are going well, apart from being exhausted and sore, which is to be expected at this stage! I had a midwives appointment on Wednesday and everything's looking good, Bubby is currently breach - apparently if she stays that way it may make it easier for her to be delivered. She is measuring 33cms, so she doesn't seem so big anymore.

Bubby is still very active, although movements have slowed somewhat lately. It's crazy how different Bubby is to Ellie already. Ellie was a kicker. If James talked to her or poked her in my belly she would fight back, everytime I got a scan or listened to her heartbeat she would kick at the operator. Bubby will just wriggle when James pokes her and her movements have always been things like her summersaulting, moving position or wriggling. I can't wait to see the difference in their personalities as they grow up together. I think Bubby will be calmer, quieter and less independant than Ellie - time will tell!

I still haven't gotten onto packing my hospital bag, anything on the list I do have I need to use! I would love to get it done, though. I've also started thinking about things to have on hand to entertain Ellie while she's visiting. I have decided to make her a special pack full of things to keep her occupied if she needs it.

 I want to include things like:
* Snacks (things like fruit pieces, crackers, cheese blocks, muffins, sandwich squares... I hope to have most things ready so my mum can just put a selection in each day)
* Colouring Book and Crayons
* Jigsaw puzzle
* Stickers she can place on paper or in her colouring book
* A special new toy
* A book

I have had other ideas at times, which I never wrote down so I can no longer remember them! If anyone has any ideas, let me know!!

Ellie and Her Baby

I have two Cabbage Patch dolls which I tried to get Ellie interested in a little while ago to kind of get her used to the idea of a 'baby'. I could get her to give them a kiss but then she would toss them away by their hair and pay no attention to after that. I gave up trying and put the dolls in a basket with some other toys she doesn't play with.

Yesterday we were playing in her room and she went and got one out, she carried it around for ages, hugging it, kissing it, playing with her hair and pointing to her eyes, nose and mouth. Now both dolls are in the loungeroom, though she does prefer one over the other. She is so cute with them, still a little rougher than I would like but it's good to see her with them. I will try and get some pics later, she puts them down everytime I get the camera out - Cheeky Monkey!

I've started making a list of what we need before Bubby arrives - with only 6 weeks and 4 days to go, I am starting to feel underprepared! I figured a list would help. I'm having a bit of a blank though!! I am thinking about starting to pack my hospital bag - but most things on my list I don't have yet! I want to get started because I feel like if I don't she will come earlier than expected and I won't be ready, especially since I have so many Braxton Hicks with her! With Ellie I walked and walked at 40 weeks and barely got a twinge, with Bubby I can barely do anything without getting some.  

My list so far:

Preparing for Baby

Key: Need to Buy/Get

Already Have/Just Need to Pack

Have Since Bought

Packed

 

Essentials	Hospital Bag (Me)
Toddler Bed for Ellie	Yellow Card
S’n’S Maxi Rider car seat for Ellie	Cotton/lycra full briefs
Amolin to wash clothes/sheets	Summer pjs  (button top for bf)
Nappies	Comfy pants and tops (?)
	Slippers
	Maternity Bras
	Light Dressing Gown (or the like)
	Deoderant
	Toothbrush/Tooth Paste
	Maternity Pads
	Breast Pads
	Body Wash  and cloth
	Hair Bands
Hospital Bag (Baby)	Lip Gloss
Nappies	Hair Brush
Wipes	Mascara (for pics/visitors/going home)
Nappy Rash Cream	Magazines/Reading Material
2 or 3 Light Wraps	Nibblies for late/early breast feeding
Going Home Outfit	Photo of James and Ellie
	Cameras and Chargers
	Phone and Charger
	Bags for dirty clothes

 

 

I Guess We'll Keep Her :)

I got no takers on the free toddler so I suppose we'll just have to keep her!

We had a shocking night last night and this morning I look in Ellie's mouth to find she's cut another bottom tooth! It wasn't as horrible as the last two she cut, in fact I didn't have any idea it was happening until she kept waking last night and I thought another might be on the way. That's tooth number 7.

I am feeling a bit better today, able to actually do things, which is a plus. This morning I made Ellie some 'puff' paints and we went outside to use them. The good thing about the recipe I used is it has heaps of salt and so she only took a taste, instead of practically eating most of them - which she has done in the past. We have some paintings hanging on the line to dry now :)

This is what the paints looked like BEFORE Ellie

 

And After

 

I made a picture for her to 'paint' because I have noticed if I draw with her she likes to come over and draw on what I've drawn or written
 

Taste Testing


In the end she much preferred to paint herself than the paper
 





What a masterpiece :) Lol

Free to a Good Home: 1 Toddler

Ellie is currently going through a bit of a feral stage at the moment... She is very defiant and really isn't into listening when we tell her 'No'. She's good at the whole tantrum thing, stamping her feet, putting her hands on her hips or folding them in front of her (which is cute), throwing herself on the floor, biting and sometimes screaming. She has also become real good at turning away/moving her arm just at the right time so we can't catch her!

My favourite thing, of course, is her hitting. Yesterday and today have been the worst. If I say "No" or if I don't understand what she wants when she points and babbles I get hit. I don't know where this has come from. We don't smack. Granted there have been little taps on her hand (very rarely) in the past but we have stopped that. For me, I felt that if I wanted Ellie to not learn to vent her frustrations by hitting then I wasn't prepared to teach her that a tap on the hand was okay. She doesn't know the difference between hitting and tapping and I was worried about what might happen once Bubby arrived on the scene. Obviously, not tapping her hand hasn't stopped her developing this annoying habit but I want her to hear me saying that it's not nice and see that I don't say one thing and do another.

I am grateful, however, that she is continuing to go down for sleeps/naps well. She no longer wakes for a bottle, the only reason I have to get up is that she will crawl to the side of her bed and cry (while still asleep) because she is uncomfortable. I would leave her but I am scared of her falling out! I just lie her back down next to her doll and tuck her in - no issue :D It's so great to finally see a positive change in her sleep.

The worst thing about her sudden spate of 'feral' is that it coincides with me being sick! I have been quite sick since coming home from our visit to Bathurst on the long weekend - this week has been the worst for both my sickness and Ellie's behaviour! I am finally feeling like I am on the mend but I still feel pretty crap. Pregnancy just really doesn't agree with me - lucky we get something wonderful at the end that makes it all worth it! 

Edit: Also, there is only 7 weeks until we meet our baby girl!!! Not long at all!