Had the newborn midwife round today and could see just how big Joshua is getting in just the last two weeks. [beam beam] It was such a help to get feedback on his progress and pick up more tips on settling and easing his wind. I also got the chance to have a rest which was well deserved after a very busy school holidays.

If you live in Perth and would like to know what service I used, it is called Hush Post Natal (profiled on Today Tonight)

After reading info on Minti about Breastfeeding and foods to avoid. Sadly for me, I've had to cut out from having my favourite food, chocolate, even thinly covered chocolate cookies. Oh well, happier newborn with less wind, is better for mum in the long run.

It is so true each child is different...Codi (my firstborn) was a chucky baby. With Joshua being 4 weeks old I have experienced a strange phenomenon (that I have since found isnt so uncommon)...

Joshua huffs and puffs, grunts and grunts, even during sleep. Poor thing must be very uncomfortable but I can't help but find it amusing all this huffing and puffing, given that Codi is really into the "Three little pigs". Josh is very animated, at one point I was really worried. I tried the gripewater, but realizing it contained ethanol, I switched ti Infacol instead which absorbs the wind instead without the alcohol. He is alot better, still getting the funny huffing and puffing...we are burping a lot more, keeping him upright - all the usual techniques...I think I will still try the other homeopathic remedy (brauer brand) and see if that also works better than the infacol...

I just found it very different to Codi, with Joshy's huffing, puffing and grunting, I feel like I am huffing, puffing and grunting with him...I give him a big big kiss and a "welldone joshy" when comes out the other end...

woke up this morning with my favourite drink (chai tea latte) courtesy of my hubby who takes Codi out to give me a break, as he is quiet loud in the morning. I crashed again from about 8-12 boy did I ever need that sleep!!!!

I woke to find the backpack put away and the kitchen clean - wow its like I get flowers, thats what I tell him, I'd rather a clean kitchen than flowers that die after a few days, that I always forget to water!!!

I must say, hubby is very very good!!! Because I will confess, everyone (my friends) used to think that Rachel from Friends was very much like me, but actually I am a closeted "Neurotic cleaner Monica" and for him to keep up with me!!!!

He is definitely my Minti/Vibe CEO that works very hard to keep the Cook family going, so I guess that I am not working I am finding that I can get the house in order (as we have never been into house stuff when we were both working so hard...so for me its like the honeymoon period of playing house!!! I wonder how long it will last!!!
 

The good thing is I am making our house our house, considering how much we have moved around in just ten years. I think I am really motivated to do my half in making us a stable and grounded family!!!!

Morning gals, am up for the three am feed and only just made it up hehe...bub's fed and had a cry, but wind has gone thanks to wind syrup! okay I was at it again...last night after 11pm/midnight feed I....

- packed toys away in two rooms and tidied them

- groomed the dog lemonade so he looked like a dog, not a sheep - lol (saved us about $100 bucks in grooming hehe)

- put a load of washing on

- played on the computer (oops thats not tidying)

and for the 3am tidying capers...

- load of washing in dryer

- load in washing machine

- sorted out a huge pile of beach towels and swim wear

- added to shopping list

- refused to empty the footy back pack thats for hubby to do as I didnt even go to the footy - lol (so he has a note to remind him hehe can you tell he hates tidying, but he is very good at doing allocated jobs lol)

- sorted out clothes

- put dishes in the right piles (thats right the dishwasher is waiting for emptying but we've been so busy with a boy each to look after, leaving it for housekeeper come monday - lol)

- put clothes away, computers plugged in to charge

- change baby, new romper on

- cut up a variety of coloured paper into small shapes and pieces on Codi's table in living room to encourage gluing coloured paper and making a collage and also scissors to practice cutting texta lines on paper

phew!

am now on Minti again and am making a milo, before going to sleep again for the 6 am feed...the good thing and lovely thing is that hubby gets me a chai and breaky from down the road when I wake up for the 9 am feed and I always wake up to a milo...oh and he did make dinner last night on the barbie, yummy!!!!

aaww its all worth it ladies my tidying bug, hubby is such a help!!!! [as I send him a compliment]

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okay bad idea to tidying up last night :s - am totally sleep deprived ahhhh!!! No more tidying up for a couple of days

You know I have always been a good motivated house tidy uperer. So I have just finished tidying up the house (I had to do it, I have to stop the internal reminder of what needs to be tidied and organize and put away only for so long)...so all the boys including hubby are asleep and I have just realized it has taken me 1-2 hours to tidy the HOUSE!!! Wow I enjoy doing it, so I never really calculated how long it takes and this time round I am amazed at all the jobs I find that need to be done...Hubby wakes up and finds a list of things that still need to be done (I have one for him on the kitchen table - lol) and he is amazed at the list. I am guessing if I wrote my list out before he wakes up it would look like this...

- sort out books in Codi's room

- putting nick nacks away in so many different cupboard

- loading and unloading the washing

- wash the dog

- tidy kitchen

- put toys away under stairs

- tidy up under stairs (couldn't move inside)

- sort out school bag

- hallway cupboard, remove items not used and put away

- tidy bathroom

- fold clothes

- put away clothes

Gees, thank goodness we have just hired a housekeeper to ease off the load and clean the hard things like the oven, bathrooms and toilets. Hats off to mums who just do all of this by themselves every day without even complaining.

Well at least the house is quiet, I am on Minti blogging with a cup of milo (hot chocolate drink)...

BTW Joshua (Baby Joshy as we must call him as stated by our gorgeous Codi) is doing really well. Am learning to manage his gassy wind and only getting an unsettled period of about 2 hours a day. Breastfeeding is going well too. Am feeling like the family unit is very happy and its been a plus with the school holidays giving us the chance to bond together as a family of four now and not three...

It's so cute when Codi copies my soothing talk to Joshy..."It's okay daddy's/mumma's here"....and adds some phrases into the mix himself...."oh poor Joshy, he is so crying"

What's my funniest three year old saying?

Daddy says "Codi do you need to go to the toilet?"

Codi replies "No Daddy (slight pause)...I fear not..."

This photo is of my brother Jimmy (James) and girlfriend Carla with Codi.

 

Hamish came into the world last Friday the 11th of April. They have just now brought baby Hamish home. We at Minti wish the Macfarlane's/Felix's family a warm congratulations and love.

Here's the announcement on Matt's blog "This is Hamish"

It's a great idea if they are first time writers of a Minti article to send them this way to Minti's Editorial Guidelines

http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/233/Mintis-Editorial-Guidelines/

We have been thinking a lot today of Matt and his wife. I hope the labour goes well and mum and baby are okay, as well as Matt.

i have the laptop on my knees as i breast feed, yep i am a minti maniac lol

Its so good to be home. We have been trying to keep this week quiet with less visitors, just to let Joshua and I settle in. I also had a midwife mind Josh one morning so I could peacefully sleep, and only feed (which I didn't need to). Anyway, am in a happy mood as I found my most favourite surf video