Home at last!

Home now! We arrived home two weeks ago, it feels like it's been forever. Our little man is settling in very well and we have only had a couple of unsettled nights, but mostly he just wakes for one feed and then sleep through till 7, so we're very lucky I guess. Although, I've been avoiding a lot of foods that I would like to eat (ie: chocolate).... just in case! 

I am also very spoilt, in that I have mum here helping us out while I'm still recovering from the caesar. She has become the chief cook, cleaner and general helper, even lending a hand to brand some calves yesterday and today. Without her I'm sure the transition to motherhood would not be so smooth, and now I'm finally caught up on bookwork and photo editing/ sorting all I have to worry about is my beautiful bubba. 

We managed to get some photos taken (just a couple) in between feed time and sleep time and mum doing all that cooking and cleaning. 

This is actually one of my favourites and it was only taken with my phone!

Another fav of mine. 

This one too!

These photos are chronological because I've only just retrieved them from my camera. 

Like father like son.... no?

First bath

Aunty Kaye, who we were so lucky to have as our contact in Brisbane. 

Food coma!

Grandma has still managed to find time for the occasional nurse in-between house work.

Aunty Ange having a cuddle. 

Wind, but still cute as!

Some photos from before bub (this is how I will now refer to my life, like BC and AD, before child and after delivery)

Australia Day fireworks. 

Also had a visit from mum's cousin Susie and a surprise, last minute visit from Sheree (who left her kids for the first time just to come visit me... spoilt)

Some from our last night BC.

Walking over the Brisbane river in the middle of the day, in the stifling heat! Not our best idea!

Especially not at 36 weeks. 

 Out and about at home!

We have not seen the crabs like this for yonks. Bit of rain we had while we were away must have done the trick. Not a bad barra either. 

Yesterday there was a plague of barra frogs. I saw them first thing two mornings ago and there was still a handful this morning, all making some sort of pilgrimage up the hill, hundreds of them. 

Enjoying a feast of crab, although I'm still not too sure if it agrees with bubby. 

Went for a walk to visit my little Red Man. He has grown!

I think he missed me!

So there we are, all caught up! 

Jam Drop arrives!!

Introducing Garrett Justin Wall, born 8th February 2016. 

If you have been keeping up with my blog, you may be able to imagine, what this little bundle of joy means to us. He is so precious to us! 

There is nothing to say other than dad is smitten (and that's a bit of an understatement) and mum is smitten (also an understatement). He's gorgeous and I'm sooo biased but I don't care! Life will never be the same but it's so much better than it was before! 

Our little family. 

Grandma is smitten! 

I think he's a keeper! Not quite legal! 

Nanna is smitten! 

Grandad (I'm sure he's smitten too)😜

Aunty Jess is looking the proud aunt, although we are still working on her to produce her own 😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜

I think Uncle Nashy is a bit clucky! Need to put a ring on it mate! 

Dad doing the first bath.

Omg! So cute! 

Everyone is trying to catch up on their sleep! 

Mum and I wet the baby's head while dad was out to dinner with the folks. 

Then there was three....

So by the time I have scheduled this post to be published tomorrow, I will be a parent. I know your probably a parent somewhere during pregnancy, but I will have a living, breathing human (god willing) that I'm now responsible for! There aren't too many moments in your life where you can pin point and say "that moment completely changed my life". Especially not when you can predict it in the future. But here we go. I was going to call this post "the last supper", but it's not really, more likely the first! 

So tomorrow I am scheduled to have a caesarean at 1pm. It seems weird to have an actual time of impending parenthood and this is my fourth laparotomy, but my first one that isn't an emergency. So I've actually had time to think about it, which, when you've been through traumatic laparotomies like I have, I don't think that's such a good thing. I've been trying not to think on it too much and just keep calm. I will be awake this time, which is an added fear factor for me. I have been on the nursing side of birthing, both naturally and caesarean, when I was doing my training and spinal anaesthetic is something I have alway been scared of. That needle is HUGE!! 

So we have been keeping the fact that we have known about Jam Drop's arrival date secret because I still wanted the arrival to be a bit of a surprise. I feel as though I've been robbed of a lot of things with this pregnancy and I suppose that makes me a little selfish, but I had dramas with fertility studies, didn't conceive naturally and I had complications from my stent (that was a result of the fertility studies going pear shaped). Now I have been robbed of the option to give birth naturally, being that it was not the safest option for Bub; which, of course was not even a decision that needed to be made, a no brainer. So that's my little rant of feeling sorry for myself, after all, this is the last time I really get to be selfish anymore isn't it? I have a fair idea where my priorities will be from now on. 

At least my husband is now here with me and we can prepare for it together. Mum assures me that after what I've been through, this laparotomy will be a piece of cake, which is a bit of a confidence boost. 

Yes I know this next pic is not the nicest and believe me, it's hard to share, I'm not a exhibitionist, but it's hard to find photos on the Internet of what to expect from laparotomy scars through pregnancy. 

We went out for the most beautiful dinner this evening, our last before parenthood. I guess that is the only positive thing that can be taken from having a caesarean, it that we can plan a list of "our lasts", before we are parents. 

Well I'm going to sign off now and spend some time with my husband. I'm looking forward to meeting our baby. I'm excited, nervous, scared, worried, did I say scared? I told my obstetrician that the bar was not set very high because my last one nearly killed me. Yes that is in the back of my mind. But we are going to be positive now, as long as Bub is good, that's all I'm really worried about. Well, goodnight.