Baby Shower Surprise

Prologue: This post is a little overdue but I was waiting for happy snaps to add in :-) Here we go!

I confess: I was duped. Completely and utterly conned. And it takes a lot to fool me but my mom and friends (and even Trevor!) pulled it off and gave me a surprise baby shower.

I was happily spending time with Tanya when I got a call to come over to my mom's for "cake". Two pregnant chicks aren't going to say no to cake so we jumped in the car. I was pretty confused when I saw all the cars outside the house but figured it was the houseguests, Sandro and Nicci, who invited half the world over seeing as they're visiting from London. It wasn't until Tanya pointed out a sign that said "Baby Shower" that I realised what was happening. And then my brother appeared with the camera...oh boy! 

My mom was waiting at the top of the stairs and I was halfway up when I saw my godmother. I got so excited I literally sprinted up the stairs which isn't a good idea when you're 8 months pregnant and wearing a long maxi dress. Angels must've been with me because I didn't slip and fall and in hindsight it wasn't the smartest move to have done that but I was overwhelmed. Anyhoo, a whole bunch of lovely ladies (and my brother?) were waiting for me. I cried like an idiot and it took a while before I calmed down. The whole scene was just a lot to take in.

My godmother, best surprise ever!

The afternoon was exactly what I'd hoped for. The guests were relaxed and I was happy to see so many of my friends meeting other friends and getting along. It was wonderful to walk around and chat to everybody and we tucked into some yummy food. Gosh, I'm really blessed to have such awesome people in my life!!!! 

And boy oh boy were there gifts! Lots of gifts! It completely filled the boot of the car and we had gifts packed onto the back seat as well! Our little monkey is kitted out with toiletries, diapers and clothes for a good few months and it takes a massive load of Trev and I which is a blessing in and of itself.

Yup, we're teaching her to pray from the get go!

Personalised gift bag - very cool! 

My friend had these awesome "science geek" vests made especially for Wren :-) 

Now, about my brother being there. It's odd for a guy to be at a baby shower especially when he's the only male  in attendance. Every now and then, Lyle surprises me with his thoughtfulness and this was one of those times. He asked to be at the baby shower because he'd never been to one before and, as my only sibling, he wanted to be present for a big moment in my life as a sign of support. The ladies enjoyed having him around and he said he had fun. 

I have to say a massive thank you to my mom and her team of helpers. It was quite a group effort and one that extended quite far geographically. Nicci helped my mom plan the event from London and brought some of the decorations from the UK. My aunt sent napkins and other decorations from Pretoria. Natalie handled all the invitations and RSVPs in her highly pregnant condition. And even Lara, stationed in Robertson, chipped in with help and supplied wine which was made by her talented wine-maker husband. Sandro insists that he was the MVP of the team because he made the call that got me to the house and he came all the way from London for that call. Honestly, Trevor had one of the most difficult jobs because he knew exactly what was going on and had to keep me clueless. That is particularly tough for a guy who can't even keep my birthday present a secret because he gets so excited. 

Anyhoo, I'm deeply grateful to my mom for all her hard work. Organising a baby shower is no mean feat and she did a stellar job. Also, she didn't cry which was pretty awesome LOL! 

I only got home close to midnight so I had a look at the mountain of gifts in Wren's room the next morning before accepting that the day before wasn't a dream. Every time she wears one of her little outfits or we use a product that was given as a gift, I'll remember that it came from someone special at a very special party. 

Thank you all!! Much love for all of you!!!! 

Rude awakening

All I wanted to do was get up to go to the bathroom. I rolled over onto my right hand side and as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed...

BAM!! AGONY! PAIN!!! CRAMP!!!! 

Trevor was up in a flash and had to shove Rhapsody away who had rushed to my side to see what was wrong. He grabbed my leg and quickly started to stretch it and massage my calf muscle which was now a tight little ball. All I could do was lie there and breathe...lots of breathing.

Now, this is not the first time I've had a cramp in the middle of the night. (Ok, it's only the second time it's happened since I've been pregnant.) Last time I was clearly lacking potassium so a constant supply of bananas meant freedom from the cramp threat. This time around we suspect I'm not getting enough water and salt.

Anyhoo, all this happened around 3am. While Trev went back to sleep, I hobbled to the kitchen for Rehidrat because I was too scared to fall asleep again. My trusty bodyguard, Rhappy, faithfully followed. I didn't manage to fall asleep until well after 5am and so I'm a bit fuzzy today. I'm also limping because my leg hurts but at least I got the muscle stretched out.

(Where was Buttons through all the late night commotion you ask? She did what she does best: Let Rhapsody run off and waited on their bed to see if it was worth her while to get up. And then she went back to sleep *face palm* So much for the affectionate nature of Jack Russells.)

So, what's the best cure for my half-asleep limping state? According to my mom and Nicci, a day of swimming at the Arabella hotel. I'm being "kidnapped" from work to go frolic at the pool and I shall be returned to my husband later.

Hey, I'm not complaining :-)

Sienna has arrived!

02-02-12 - Sienna Jayne D'Oliveira's birth day :-)

Our dear friends, Natalie and Duane, welcomed Sienna Jayne into the world and into their family this morning at 7:21 via C-section. We'll be meeting the first of The Fearsome Foursome of 2012 later this afternoon. Lots of pics and lots of tears to follow soon!

(Much, much later...)

Ok, no tears. Managed to keep my emotions in check when we went to see Sienna, Natalie and Duane at hospital. Had to sit quietly in a corner for a large chunk of visiting time because 1.) there were lots of visitors and I'm the biggest person in the room with my belly 2.) I was a bit overwhelmed by everything and didn't want to be the only one having an emotional breakdown in front of everybody. Still a bit surreal that she's no longer the alien creature in Natalie's abdomen. I'm also just a teensy bit proud of myself for teaching Duane how to wind her. He's being such a good dad and he's only been on the job for a few hours. Good man!

And we got pics!!!!

Natalie's all like, "Trev, don't take photos of me!" 

Hello kiddo. I'm Erin. I'm your friend's mom. 

We all said that the rollercoaster has officially begun. Four babies in five months. And we're next on the launching pad. Approximately 40 days till ETA.

Oh. My. Gosh!

Hospital Tour Tale

Ah the long-awaited hospital tour - an event that was both nerve-racking and interesting...

Firstly, let me sing the praises of the staff at Durbanville Medi-Clinic. Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful and kept on reiterating that they are there to ensure the birth experience is happy and special for families. If the tour was anything to go by, then they'll definitely make good on their promise to give the best service imaginable.

There was a short presentation which effectively and concisely covered all the administration procedures, all the services the hospital offers and what happens during the hospital stay. The best part was hearing the fathers get excited when they were told they'd raise a pink or blue flag outside the hospital heralding their child's birth. Trust the boys to get all pumped up about raising a flag for the baby ha ha ha!!! But as we learnt, dad's are very much a part of the experience and they actually have a lot to do while us moms relax.

After the presentation, it was off to the maternity ward. Our group was the first to go and we got pretty lucky. Just as we got into the ward, a brand new baby was being wheeled in from theatre where it had been delivered by C-section. The baby's father was one of the tallest men I have ever seen and he had to duck to get in through the door. Of course, he was positively glowing and the ward manager gave us a few seconds to observe the new dad bonding with his little one. As if that wasn't enough, a few minutes later another mom was wheeled out for her C-section. The nurses apologised to her profusely for us being there but she told them it's quite alright, smiled, waved and said hello to everyone as she left the ward.

The ward itself is super duper quiet and most mom's are lucky enough to end up in a room by themselves. An average of about 4 or 5 babies are born at the hospital each day which is very little by comparison to other hospitals. This is why, although the ward has semi-private rooms i.e. one room takes two moms, most moms end up in a room alone. Dads are welcome to be there as much as they like and the nurses are happy to show them how to bath and handle the new baby.

Getting to the actual labour and delivery room was where my nerves kicked in. Trevor, typical guy, walks in and the first thing he notices is the Lazyboy chair for the dads. Because we were the first couple in the room, we were the last to walk out. Trev took the opportunity to practice where he'd stand during birth and familiarise himself with his space. I just laughed at his comical display.

Being in the room was a reality check. For the first few minutes, seeing all the equipment and medical supplies scared me witless because birth became very real. By the time I walked out, I was ok. I'm a pretty strong girl and I'm confident that my doctor and the staff will guide me through the process carefully. I had a chat with my friend Carlyn who also gave birth in the same hospital and she assured me that the room becomes a lot less scary once the labour process is in full swing.

Once the tour was over, we got cupcakes and juice and had a look through the gift bag the hospital gives to every new baby and mom. It's choc-a-bloc with goodies to help see us through the first few days. We're also quite excited to see what the romantic surprise is that the hospital arranges for the parents before mom and baby head home.

So, all that's left is for us is to book our bed and get pre-admitted which will be done after our next appointment on 13 February where we'll also meet our new doctor. That day will also be the fourth anniversary of my and Trevor's engagement and it's both mind-boggling and exciting to think that baby will be just four short weeks away by then.

The clock is officially ticking...

A very pleasant surprise

I've been reading Your Pregnancy magazine from the beginning of my pregnancy. In fact, it was Natalie who bought me my first issue while we were grocery shopping in Hermanus two days after I'd found out. Well, I recently decided to try my luck with the mag.

As you'll recall from my previous post, Clint took a lovely photo of us pregnant fairies. I bought the latest issue of the magazine last Thursday and got the bright idea to submit the photo in hopes it would appear as part of a regular feature. So, I mailed the pic along with a little description of how the photo came about, how we all know each other and the unique situation we find ourselves in i.e. friends all pregnant at the same time.

On Friday morning, Trevor and I went on our maternity ward tour (another post!) and I decided to check my phone because I'd forgotten to turn it onto silent mode. There, at the top of my mail inbox, was a reply to the mail I'd sent the day before. I thought it was pretty odd that the magazine had responded so quickly. When I looked at the mail properly at the office, I had to read it three times before the words sank in: They wanted to do a story on us!

I messaged the girls, told them what happened and quickly got permission to pass their contact details on to Camilla Rankin who would be interviewing us. We completed Part 1 of the interview process via e-mail over the last two days which is all about pregnancy, our friendship and our expectations of birth and motherhood. Part 2 will cover the actual birth and life after the babies arrivals so that interview will happen in a few months from now.

We're all extremely excited and very honoured to be sharing our experience in a national publication. It's going to be quite surreal to see it in the mag but it's definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Don't worry, I will you updated on little taste of the celeb life LOL!

Hot Hot Hot

So, Cape Town had its first heatwave of the summer. More than a week of temperatures 27 degrees and higher left everyone pretty frazzled. I've been fortunate to not have been too affected by the heat thanks to air-conditioning at the office, our house being quite cool indoors and my consumption of multiple litres of cold water. But some of our friends just couldn't take it anymore on Saturday...

We issued an open invitation for the use of our swimming pool at the start of the heatwave and the pregnant brigade happily accepted. The group must have been in the water for close to 3 hours, a bowl of chips was floated in the pool so nobody would have to get out for snacks and the boys kept us hydrated with a constant supply of chilled drinks. After being decidedly cooled off, everyone emerged happy, relaxed and about 4 shades darker. 

While the boys focused on the football match on TV, us pregnant fairies made ourselves comfortable on the couch and watched a bunch of grown men yell at the screen. Clint spotted a photo opportunity and quickly snapped this pic. 

Natz (38 weeks) Me (32 weeks) Tanya (24 weeks) 

We didn't realise until after it was taken that we were seated in order of our gestational time frame. There's one person missing from this pic, our friend Carlyn, who is about 8 weeks behind Tanya. We should totally Photoshop her in to make it complete :-) 

30 week check-up: Excitement!!!

Happy New Year folks!!!!! Let's get this blogging show on the road for the home stretch of the pregnancy :-)

This morning, we had our 30 week check-up with Dr White...our last visit with her (very sad!). I think I'm still a little emotional and overwhelmed by the scan. 

Wren was awake and we got to see her move about, turn her face and got a clear view of her yawning. Ok, she can't actually yawn yet but she is exercising the reflex and it was unbelievable. That's my little angel in there and she does stuff awesome stuff like that! She weighs 1.7 kilograms already (oh my gaawsh she's getting big now!) and Dr White says that her projected weight at due date will be a maximum of 3.5kgs. My due date is still the same and doc is confident I'll make it pretty close to full term. Wren's measurements comply perfectly for the 30th week of gestation and she's a healthy little kiddo. Best surprise: She has a full head of hair :-) It's a surprise because both Trevor and I were bald babies so we didn't expect her to be rocking locks of hair before birth. Guess I'm going to need a baby brush after all (very excited to have little baby hair to wash *clapping hands with excitement*). 

As for me, I've got orders from the doc: Start slowing down, taking it easy, resting and revert back to my Low GI eating style. I let the reins go over the festive season and finally ate like a crazy pregnant chick for the last month but it's time to go back to the healthy stuff. Insulin levels tend to spike in the third trimester and its not good for me or the baby so slow-release carbs are back on the menu. Hey, at least I got to indulge over Christmas and New Years. Trevor is also embarking on a bit of a lifestyle change this week so we're going to help and support each other when it comes to our food. As for the resting bit...we'll see how that goes. I have 2-3 days where I'm full of energy and then one day where I recharge the batteries. While I won't entirely commit to slowing down, I will listen to my body and act accordingly. Dr White says I'll feel more tired in the coming weeks and the summer heat only makes it worse. Like right now for example, I'm extremely tired and drained after a busy weekend and a scorching hot day yesterday. 

How am I holding up in the summer heat? Pretty good actually! 

It's not the heat that bothers me, it's being in stuffy areas where I feel I can't get enough air. As long as there's ice cold water and access to fresh air, I'm content. 

How did Dr White do for our last visit? She was super as always. Really going to miss her! She was a bit awkward toward the end and I couldn't gauge if she wanted a hug or not but she's asked that I send her pics of the baby. Of course we're sending her pics but she'll also get a little gift from us as a token of our thanks and appreciation. She'll still be tending to a few patients at Durbanville Medi-Clinic around the time Wren's born so, fingers crossed, we might get lucky and see her at the hospital. I do hope so, would be great for her to meet Wren in person. 

Next step: Maternity ward tour on 27 January, booking our place in hospital for baby's birth and meeting our new doctor on 13 Feb. Exciting times ahead!