Last night I paid the price for bragging about Natalya sleeping through (before last night she had slept through for 6 of the last 7 nights). She woke me up every two hours of so. It was the first night since she was born that she hasn’t given me at least one three and a half hour block of sleep if not more or longer.

Today she has been feeding so much I feel as if my nipples are about to fall off. She has taken to shaking her head or pulling it backwards with my nipple in her mouth–ouch! Any ideas on how to stop a nine week old from shaking her head with my nipple in her mouth?

This post is from from my other blog here

Last night I paid the price for bragging about Natalya sleeping through (before last night she had slept through for 6 of the last 7 nights. Last night she woke me up every two hours of so. It was the first night since she was born that she hasn’t given me at least one three and a half hour block of sleep if not more or longer.

Today she has been feeding so much I feel as if my nipples are about to fall off. She has taken to shaking her head or pulling it backwards with my nipple in her ...

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Natalya was very unsettled last night. She fed and she screamed. I had to hold her and pat her back the whole time. At one stage the phone rang and even with it right up to my ear I could barely hear the person on the other end over the sound of her crying. I moved the phone across to my right ear and just managed to make out my mothers voice saying “I’ll call you tomorrow night”. Haydon was on night shift. When he got home this morning I had a quick coffee and a cuddle with him before I had to get up and get ready for fitball. While I was cuddling with him he said “It’s ok darling you don’t need to pat me”. I wasn’t even aware of doing it but apparently when the baby made a noise I started to pat his back just like I do to settle Natalya.
Natalya has been rather unsettled tonight too but at least she is not crying as much. As long as she is being held and patted or fed she is happy. So much for me getting any housework or blogging done tonight either. It is now quarter past midnight. I have a load of washing going through the machine that I am waiting to hang out and this is my first chance to blog all day. I took some photos of Natalya yesterday to put on my page but have not had a chance to put them up either and please don’t ask about the baskets of clean washing waiting to be put away.
Natalya and I had a busy day today. I got up early and got a load of washing on the line, a load of nappies in the machine and I put the dishwasher on before Haydon got home from his night shift. I managed to run myself late for fitball. Straight after that was parenting group and then 4 of us (plus babies) went for lunch at the coffee shop followed by a shopping trip on which I resisted the temptation to buy anymore baby clothes or toys. Tomorrow we have craft, followed by a 60km trip down the hill to ‘baby beats’ and then coffee with a friend. I have to go back down the hill again on Friday after fitball. With Haydon working night shift I figure it is better that I take Natalya out during the day to give him a chance to sleep. I hope that washing machine finishes soon. I am nearly asleep here.

This post is from from my other blog here

Natalya was very unsettled last night. She fed and she screamed. I had to hold her and pat her back the whole time. At one stage the phone rang and even with it right up to my ear I could barely hear the person on the other end over the sound of her crying. I moved the phone across to my right ear and just managed to make out my mothers voice saying “I’ll call you tomorrow night”.

Haydon was on night shift. When he got home this morning I had a quick coffee and a cuddle with him before I ...

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Natalya had her 8 week old immunizations today.  Mika and I both took our babies to the doctors surgery to get their immunizations today. Mika’s baby Urina was born just hours before Natalya. While the obstetrician was in my room advising us on our options about my pre-eclampsia he was paged to deliver Mika’s baby in the hospital next door.

Amanda had Jaxon immunized last week and she recommended that we have the boob ready for the baby as soon as the needle was given. Natalya took it after the first needle and was drinking when she was given the second needle. That started her screaming again but she would not take the boob again. She had a good scream.

On the way back to our cars we stopped at the pharmacy to get some baby paracetamol.

This post is from from my other blog here

Natalya had her 8 week old immunizations today.  Mika and I both took our babies to the doctors surgery to get their immunizations today. Mika’s baby Urina was born just hours before Natalya. While the obstetrician was in my room advising us on our options about my pre-eclampsia he was paged to deliver Mika’s baby in the hospital next door.

Amanda had Jaxon immunized last week and she recommended that we have the boob ready for the baby as soon as the needle was given. Natalya took it after the first needle and was drinking when she was given the second ...

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This post is from from my other blog here

Today was the start of ‘Pram Power’, a walking group for new mums in our town. It was the brainchild of one of our Child Health Nurses - Sandra. Apparently there is research to show that exercise helps to prevent and/or reduce post natal depression.
There were five of us turn up with our prams today. Not bad for 8:50  in the morning! One of the mothers had a two and a half week old baby. She is doing well, there is no way I would have been organized enough to make it by 9 when Natalya was that young.
I ...

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Today was the start of 'Pram Power', a walking group for new mums in our town. It was the brainchild of one of our Child Health Nurses - Sandra. Apparently there is research to show that exercise helps to prevent and/or reduce post natal depression.
There were five of us turn up with our prams today. Not bad for 8:50  in the morning! One of the mothers had a two and a half week old baby. She is doing well, there is no way I would have been organized enough to make it by 9 when Natalya was that young.
I suggested to Sandra that we head past the local paper office and get them to take a photo and write an article to publicize the group. The journalist came and took some pictures of us at the local park.
Sandra suggested that I should write a column for the local paper on what is on for parents and share parenting tips etc. She was going to speak to the editor but she wasn't available this morning. I would love to do it.

Natalya slept through last night - again. Make that 3 nights in a row. She woke this morning when Haydon's alarm went at 5:50. I didn't sleep through. My left boob was ready to burst! I woke up with the discomfort during the night. Usually after a long sleep she is ravenous when she wakes up but not this morning. Little tease, she just wanted to look around and take her time. I was begging her to have a feed and relieve the pressure.

Today I actually managed to get Natalya and myself ready in time for church. It starts at 9am (how blasted uncivilized!) and we got there about 9:15. I figured being late was better than not getting there at all.
This was the first time I have been to a church service on a Sunday for years! We moved here in March last year and I kept meaning to get to church. I actually got ready for an Easter service and then read in the paper that it started at 9 instead of 9:30 like I was expecting so I didn't go.  While I was pregnant I really needed my sleep and usually slept in. When I was in the last town I used to do fire brigade on a Sunday so I never got there then.
Natalya was pretty good but I took her outside when she started to cry during the sermon. The priest told me afterwards that I was welcome to stay when she cried, he could out shout any baby's cry. The people were very friendly but there were not any young ones. I guess it is a sign of the times- an aged congregation.

Natalya slept through for 2 nights in a row. Last night she slept from 11pm until 6:30 am and the night before she slept until ten to six (time Dads alarm usually goes).
We went to Perth for Haydon's neurologist appointment. We drove up Wednesday evening and drove back again yesterday evening. The appointment went well. He will write a letter so Haydon can apply to get his drivers license.
We left the pram home because it takes up too much room in the car. We just used the front carrier. I can breast feed her in it as we walk around. We got a backpack nappy-bag for when we don't take the pram. We went looking for a smaller lay-back stroller to keep in the car. Couldn't find one we liked at a price we liked. We have a great reversible 3 wheeler for walking etc we just want a cheapie for longer trips when boot space is an issue.

Natalya is now just over 7 weeks old. I don't know where the time has gone. She was weighed at her 6 week check on Tuesday. She is now 4.35 kilograms (birth weight 3.140) and has grown 7 centimeters in length since birth. My little girl is growing up!
I haven't got around to blogging much in the last 7 weeks, or got around to much of the house work. Natalya likes to be held during the day but she does let me sleep at nights. Mostly she sleeps in 4 hour blocks at night with a feed in between but she has slept though a few times.
I have another load of nappies in the washing machine at the moment. She sure can go through nappies, but that is a good sign as it means she is feeding well.

On Monday I had some chillies  in my lunch. I thought about it at the time, but I though 'well hey, the women in many parts of the world eat spicy food while breast feeding so why not!'. That afternoon Natalya threw up twice, then again at night and then again the next morning. Not to mention the fact that I wasn't allowed to put her down that afternoon or evening and she was crying even when I was holding her.
Then again I haven't eaten chilies today and she has been crying a lot even when being held so maybe the chillies weren't to blame.
She is usually fairly good. She sleeps for 4 - 6 hour blocks at night so with two 4 hour blocks (separated by a feed of up to 90 minutes) I generally get enough sleep.
Lately she has wanted to be held a lot during the day so it makes it hard to get stuff done but as I have had enough sleep I don't mind. Natalya grows every day, I don't know where the last 6 and a half weeks have gone, but apart from getting the washing done, I haven't spent much of them doing housework. The housework will always be there waiting for me. This time with Natalya is a once in a life time opportunity.

This post is from from my other blog here

My eight week old daughter Natalya slept through last night - again. That makes 3 nights in a row. She woke this morning when Haydon’s alarm went at 5:50. I didn’t sleep through. My left boob was ready to burst! I woke up with the discomfort during the night. Usually after a long sleep she is ravenous when she wakes up but not this morning. Little tease, she just wanted to look around and take her time. I was begging her to have a feed and relieve the pressure.