thribble

A week ago today I was freaking out at the thought of Pete being away for a week. Eamonn wasn't sleeping (in fact was screaming for hours on end over night) and I was exhausted. I've never been without family for more than 24 hours since Eamonn was born. More to the point, when Eamonn and I went to the UK without Pete, Eamonn woke up every hour overnight for the two weeks until Pete arrived. To say I was a little apprehensive about his sleep patterns changing would be a bit of an understatement.

What a difference a week makes. We sorted the problem with the sleeping (too much cows milk) and I've had a nice relaxed week. The mornings are easier as I don't have to worry about whether or not to bring Eamonn into bed with us at 5:30 or whether to battle him to sleep in his cot. Getting out of the house on time is easier, as Pete is NOT a morning person!! I've taken time out and enjoyed the sunshine, and made sure that Eamonn didn't miss his Daddy too much.

Don't get me wrong, we've both missed Pete and it'll be great to have him back, but this week has made me realise that I can cope on my own, and it's not all going to overwhelm me. Which is good, because I'm sure there will be a next time!

I'll leave you with this poem, by the famous poet "anonymous". I've seen it a lot in the last year, but it has captured my two SAHM days this week perfectly.

I Took His Hand And Followed

My dishes went unwashed today
I didnt make my bed
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.


Oh yes, we went adventuring
My little child and I
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the sun and sky.


We watched a robin feed her young
We climbed a sunlit hill
Saw cloud sheep scamper through the sky
We plucked a daffodil.


That my house was so neglected
That I didnt brush the stairs
In twenty years no one on earth
Will even know or care.


But that i've helped my little child
To noble adulthood grow
In twenty years the whole world
May look and see and know.

Eamonn turned one this week. I always knew that this would be emotional, but I didn't realise the depth and variety of emotions that it would stir up in me. I have written a lot about Eamonn in various forms this year - on Facebook and Twitter mostly, and often pleas for him to go to sleep. I think I owe him better than that, so this blog entry is for you, gorgeous boy.

Labels: Eamonn

I recently ordered some nappy covers online as Eamonn has grown out of his. I received a single woollen nappy cover, instead of two PUL ones. I emailed the company asking them to let me know how to return the wrong order, and to please send the right one. This is the email I received in return:

I've just been door knocked by a representative of AGL, an energy supplier here in Australia. Apparently there have been "complaints of over charging in this area", so can he see my electricity and gas bills. I checked his ID, yes, he works for AGL.

Via the email rounds...

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn’t mean me – then you should probably read this twice.

1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is ‘Congratulations!’ with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father – not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase ‘my baby’.

3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it…

4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight…ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is ‘You look fabulous!’.

6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.

7. There is a reason that tickets to Labour & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren’t invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won’t be invited to be there when it comes out either.

8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parent’s home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to ‘help out’. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

Sincerely,
All the Pregnant Women in the World

Labels: Pregnant letter

It seems appropriate that for my 1000th post I tell you where you can actually find updates re my life - after all, it's clearly not here. First up has to be flickr. Followed by twitter or facebook for status updates. To be honest, I'd rather you all looked at twitter - it saves me logging on to facebook and the status updates copy across anyway. So there you are. This may be my last blog post. I can't even remember html anymore. Go find me somewhere else. Or even better, email me or call me on skype!!

Those of you not following my status updates on Twitter or Facebook may not know that I'm in LA. This is because said status updates seem to have supplanted blogging. They're way easier, for one, and I don't have to think too hard about what to say. However, there are times when they just fall short. Like today, when I've done so much stuff I can't fit them all in. So here goes.

Kirsty:

- has rented a convertible chrysler sebring
- has had lunch on the beach - yes, as sandwich!
- resisted the temptation of the "Aussie Special" - meat pie and any side.
- listened to "The World's Greatest Wino" sing "jingle bells, jingle bells, give me some money so I can get drunk".
- avoided buying a CD of "happy Senegal music".
- narrowly resisted buying a T-shirt saying "I need more cowbell".
- had the best value $12 massage ever and now feels a lot less pain!
- got her feet wet in the sea
- drove on the right nearly all the time :O but remembered just in time on the exception!
- bought Oreos, the world's best biscuit. Sorry, cookie.
- discovered that her hotel charges for parking. Cheapskates.

That's all for now, folks!

Labels: holiday, LA