6 months ago

today I was in labour. Again. And awaiting Angus's arrival.

I'm not sure if I have told the full story, but when I was pregnant with Angus I started getting contractions at 26 weeks. I had my first labour stopped at 27 weeks with a short stay in hospital following. The second labour occurred at 31 weeks, the third at 32 weeks, each of them stopped, and each requiring just that little bit longer in hospital.

At around 34 weeks, perhaps a little earlier, the contractions stopped. Good thing? Not particularly, because they had stopped due to Angus turning and lying transverse (sideways). He was then given two weeks to get his act together and get head down or they would attempt to turn him. Just under two weeks later the contractions started again, so I (accurately) assumed that he had moved back into position.

I had pretty well assumed that, due to all these early labours, I would go early. Lexi was born at 38+2, Tabitha I went into labour at 36+6 and she was born at 37, and with Angus, as mentioned, I assumed it would be very early. I think you may recall my comments about assuming.....

39 weeks, and there you go. Welcome to the world little Angus.

And now he is 6 months old. And Lexi is nearly 3. And Tabitha is nearly 2.

And I am constantly amazed by them. Every minute of every day. Today marked the cessation of Lexi answering "no" to every question. She now answers "why" which I guess is a step up isn't it? You would think.....

I'm pretty tired today, another another another dodgy night. Lexi woke up screaming blue murder at 1.30am and woke the entire house (and I'm tipping several neighbours). Sleep visited them by 2.15am, then 3.30am marked the arrival of Tabitha redecorating her bed, floor and self with vomit.

One of the things I have learned in my years of parenting is to always have two things handy overnight. A change of clothes and a change of bedding. And towels. Because you just never know when you are going to need it and the last thing you want to be doing is ferreting around in the middle of the night trying to locate the correct sized fitted sheet and a replacement doona. Luckily my anal retentiveness in this matter ensured an expediatory bed change, however it did not assist in the 'get back to sleep Tabitha' quest, and she was "up" from that time. Me, I was simply counting down the minutes til the grocery man arrived with the Red Bull that I had ordered yesterday (along with some other groceries of course). It's funny you know, I ticked and unticked the Red Bull so many times. I keep saying I don't need it, which of course I don't, but it does help a bit when I have been up all night. Even if it had no effects whatsoever, the psychological part of the equation is that I BELIEVE it does have those properties, and that's enough. Just like if you feed peopled drinks all night and tell them they are alcoholic they will get "drunk". The mind is a pretty powerful thing. Placebos work the same way. In some instances they do work, because the brain has immense power to control the body. Many physical conditions are merely manifestations of the psychological state. That's my deep thought for the day.

Shallow thought? I vacuumed (again) today and pulled the chair out from the table to vacuum underneath it. I have only recently started doing this. I was sweeping up and someone said to me "why don't you pull the chairs out from the table?" as I was weaving in and out of the chair legs. And to be 100% honest with you, the thought had never even crossed my mind. So I tried it today with the vacuuming, because I had forgotten about it until now. You know, it does make it easier.

Angus is rolling around on the floor looking like an intoxicated frog, flailing around looking as though any moment he will leap forwards and just crawl. Lexi is lying on the floor watching tv, looking at a clock (Which she has in her hands, wondering why I can't put it up on the wall, when I explained to her that I need a hook and will get it on Wednesday so instead she has decided to just hold it all day, while asking for apple juice), and Tabitha has randomly fallen asleep beside the sofa. As you do. And I vacuumed around her. As you do.

I might have a coffee. Ooooh actually no, I won't, I have Red Bull, might pop another of those bad boys.....