blurb by bronwyn

Hi there all.

I just thought I'd jot down some of my ideas about my first days of motherhood—especially when it became “for real”—we're not just on holiday anymore—Duncan had gone back to work and my Mum had gone back to Hamilton. I seemed to hit a “growth spurt” day on day 1 by myself as Eden stepped out of his mostly 4 hour routine and wanted constant attention and feeding eek. Day 2 = mixed and day 3 = a very settled day.

The funny thing—which I had been wondering about—was the feeling of “free time” when Eden has a day when he sleeps more routinely. The so called free time that comes in short patches gets quickly filled with the big 3: housework, shopping and emailing. These activities just feel like sort of daily maintenance and I discover I actually am quite goal oriented! I need something meaningful in the day to work towards—a visit or an errand. I had been wondering what it would be like once all the jobs that consumed me to do with shifting house and getting ready for baby came to and end. I am reminded of our friend Adrienne's joy when she just has her baby daughter to look after when her boys have gone to Grandma's for a few days—she feels blissfully on holiday! I feel a sudden need to be doing more stuff that I won't be able to do if and when we have more than one child! Really looking forward to settling into a church/Christian community where I may be able to contribute something. Also keen to have more contact with our wee street community here—we have met some of our neighbours but keen to meet more. Our house is surrounded by 7 other residences, and I hear there are some other Mums and babies nearby.

Here are some ins and outs of my first 3 days—I won't continue regularly in this vein, but it was kind of interesting just to be able to document happenings and then look back on the detail...

eden day 3

8:00am? Feed + nappy time, Mummy very sleepy so slow to burp and both have a little snooze while listening to the radio.
9:00am? Back to bed for Eden, Mum has shower.
9:20am Eden back up and Mum manages to cuddle him while she dresses—very dextrous (!) he falls asleep in her arms and is put back to bed—nice and settled. Laundry load gets put on and breakfast done and Mum checks email and writes a couple.
11:15am Eden up again and Mum tries to figure out where he is at... the way he enthusiastically mouths her knuckle when it is near—me guesses he's hungry again!
1:00pm Back to bed after some tummy time in the sun (where Mum manages to quickly eat and drink something) and a “top up” of milk. (+ a nappy and clothing change due to the weapon of mass saturation!) Another load of washing hung out (bit late in the day?) + a curry crock pot prepared.
1:25pm Mum has a short sleep for half an hour.
2:00pm Mum gets ready to take Eden out on a trip to friend Joanna's place.
2:30pm Eden wakes up and has a very long feed at Joanna's. Miles is entertaining—nearly 22 months old and is very keen to learn new words—today's favourite word was “pliers” which he learned as he emptied his Dad's (Leigh's) toolbox.
3:30ish Eden has a lovely cuddle and snooze with Joanna.
4:30pm Good byes and travel back home.
5:00pm Quickly get the washing in as little boy is waking up.
5:15pm Another feed + nappy change + clothing change as nappy leaked.
6:00pm Daddy comes home and puts a “blotto” Eden to bed and Mum finishes preparing dinner and then it is consumed (in peace for once).
8:00pm Mum works on this blog entry.
9:00pm Planning on getting Eden up to have a bath. He has some very sore looking areas in his thigh creases—and after a bought of nasty nappy rash last week—we need to get this irritation under control too.

I shall stop now as we all get the idea!

eden day 2

7:00am Feed, nappy + burp time.
8:00am Eden back to bed—Mum has shower, dressed, breakfast + short catch up on email.
9:15am Eden up again and another feed, nappy change + 5 minutes of tummy time + baby gym time + burp time.
10:15am Eden back to bed and seems to settle—Mum tidies up in Eden's room, Eden has a vom and is upset, more burp time.
10:30am Eden back to bed again and not settling—screaming insues.
10:40am Babygym time—quite happy for half an hour! I manage to organise a load of washing.
11:10am Cuddle and snooze together on the bean bag—broken only by a phone call from my midwife.
12:05pm Denise (midwife) visits—Eden has grown another 500 grams.
12:15pm I start a feed and finish chatting with Denise—She says Eden may be having a growth spurt—trying to up my supply of milk because he needs more or he just may be turning into a baby who is always hungry—hopefully the former!
1:05pm Eden back to bed and Mum to put together some lunch—oops she realises she hasn't had a drink since breakfast time! Mummy has time to call Daddy and do more complicated photo attaching to emails etc.
3:15pm Mummy has a sleep until Eden wakes up.
4:15pm Eden wakes up, feed, tummy time in the sun, nappy, change clothes, 2nd half feed.
5:40pm Eden back to bed and mummy has a good think about dinner—since Daddy will be home soon—late but soon.
6:00pm Eden unsettled—I bring him downstairs and put him under the babygym again while I finish off tea prep.
6:30pm Cuddle/snooze in the chair while we wait for Daddy to call us to pick him up at the bottom of the hill.
7:15pm Daddy arrives home having got a lift, and after a cuddle with Eden thinks its a good idea to put Eden to bed—Mum's not so sure and he screams while his parents try and eat their meal quickly.
8:00pm Time for screaming to turn feeding, + nappy change and burp time.
8:40pm Eden back to bed and settled.
12:40am (or there abouts—hard to remember exact times when you're sleepy) feed and nappy change—thought this was a really untypical quick feed and back to bed @ 1:15—turns out Eden wasn't quite finished as he has a bit of a wah wah (which he doesn't normally do in the night) end up with another feed + another nappy change + a change of underclothes as he managed to pee on himself with the nappy off—ended up being awake for an hour and a half.
2:15am Eden back to bed and settled.
4:50am Another feed and nappy change.
5:??am Eden back to bed and settled.

eden day 1

In an email to Duncan:

and later in an email to sister Stephanie: