Festive Cheer

Well Christmas and New Years is done and dusted and Aidan is heading back to work. I've thoroughly enjoyed the holidays and being able to spend time as a family. Aidan had a total of 9 days off which feel like they've gone really quickly.

Our Christmas began on Christmas Eve where Aidan and the rest of the staff at his work finished up at midday then headed to a local pub for lunch. Family was invited so the kids and I met up with everyone there. We enjoyed a yummy lunch, the kids opened presents, and the staff exchanged secret Santa presents. Aidan was so pleased with his and he put a lot of effort and thought into the secret Santa present he gave out so I hope the recipient loved it. 

After lunch it was time to head home and bake bake bake! We hosted Christmas at our house this year as we now have a house we can fit people in. Being vegetarian I instructed people to bring meat if they wanted it and a side dish. I used this as an opportunity to make a few dishes that have been on my to try list for a long time including salted caramel fudge, baileys cheesecake balls and a peppermint cheesecake. They all came out beautifully. I also made this "cheats" potato bake but added a little onion. I personally wouldn't recommend that recipe, it's much tastier doing a potato bake the traditional way. 

Christmas Eve night we went Christmas light looking heading to a local favourite where you can get out and walk through the garden. The owners of the house greet people as you enter handing out candy canes. The kids fell asleep in the car and then it was time to play Santa. The only thing more exciting about being a kid on Christmas morning discovering Santa has left you lots of presents is being Santa and watching your kids faces as they discover Santa has left them lots of presents. I feel so blessed that we were able to spoil our kids. 

On Christmas morning the kids woke up and opened presents and then we enjoyed a family breakfast together before the family started arriving. It was a little frantic as family arrived and wanted to exchange presents while I was running around preparing food and cleaning surfaces. The oven turned itself off while our vegetarian roast "tofurkey" was cooking so we skipped our protein and had the most amazing roast and gravy sandwiches for dinner. Everybody headed home late afternoon and the kids crashed early so Aidan and I ended the night by snuggling up and finishing off Sons of Anarchy which we ended up finishing the complete series. Just an update for those interested the last episode made me cry just as much the second time round as it did the first with all those post baby hormones running through my body. 

The next day Aidan's Aunty and cousins came up to visit and spoilt us with presents. Aidan and I were gifted with this beautiful herb garden. A gift that keeps giving. They live three hours away so visits are few and far inbetween. It's always lovely to see them. Although it's long overdue that we head down there for a visit. 

On New Year's Eve we hosted a gathering at our house. Everybody bought a plate and we had a BBQ, nibblies and drinks. We played card games and had sparklers and the kiddies minus Archie managed to stay up until midnight. I've always found New Year's Eve to be a sad sort of day because of the year ending etc but I actually had a lovely time this year. 

Our cruelty free BBQ. 

We had a campout at our friends house on New Year's Day, we both set up our tents and the kids loved it. Once the kids went to bed we attempted to play a card game and have a few drinks but we didn't have a late one. I really enjoy sleeping in a tent, we did some camping in Europe a few years ago and I've missed it. I love hearing the sounds of nature and waking up to the sun. 

We had a few beach days and a pool day thrown in there as well I think. We also attempted some DIY projects and just pottered around the house and relaxed. With people coming and going the whole time my house never really stayed clean. I did a big reorganise of the playroom but that's about it. I haven't had the time or energy to give the house a thorough clean and reorganise even though it badly needs it! Oh well I'll save that for another day.  

Well this was a quick recap of our festive period {two weeks late!} it was a really lovely chance to relax and indulge and catch up with friends and family. 

P.s no New Years resolutions were made here but we are going to work on being more organised and we are planning on opening a little business selling handmade kids toys. We are working on the finer details and experimenting with designs but hopefully we will be up and running very soon :-) 

The Birth Story Of Archie Paul...

I gave birth to our second baby, a handsome little boy who was unnamed for about a week. Although I'd aimed for a VBAC or Vaginal birth after cesarean at the last minute I opted for an elective cesarean and we had a fantastic calm birth which resulted in Archie remaining by my side from the moment he was born save for about half an hour when he went to recovery before me while I was getting stitched up.

I had a relatively good pregnancy with Archie you can read about it here  I felt strong and had my heart set on a VBAC. I even did a hypnobirthing course which was fantastic and I highly recommend it. If anyone would like the details of the lady who ran mine feel free to ask and I'll pass her details on. One of my favourite memories of my pregnancy with Archie was laying in a bath lit by candles scented with clary sage listening to my hypnobirthing tracks. I still get butterflies whenever I sniff clary sage.

Anyway everything in my pregnancy was on track and the ultrasounds were showing the baby growing on track with no evidence of slow growth or IUGR. However when I was 39 weeks even though I'd only just had an ultrasound the DR I seen that day was concerned with my fundal height, it was measuring behind. This can happen late in pregnancy as the baby can drop down into the pelvis preparing for labour. I knew this and due to the results of my most recent growth scan I was not worried at all and felt slightly annoyed even that I had to go for another scan.

I had the scan which showed babies growth had slowed down and my fluid was decreasing similar to what happened with Aisling but at a later gestation. The DR highly recommended induction. I told her my concerns and wishes to go into labour naturally and she decided to consult with her boss. He agreed that baby should be born now as I was almost 40 weeks and I was able to push it back over the weekend and booked in for Monday afternoon. She gave me a stretch and sweep and told me I was 1 cm dilated. I tried everything to put myself into labour over the weekend even calling the birthing unit for a second stretch and sweep. I even woke up in the early hours of one morning with time able regular contractions. I was certain this was it. I didn't wake Aidan up as I wanted him to have as much rest as possible. But unfortunately as I got up and started moving around those contractions died down. This is common and just means the body is starting to prepare itself for labour. Over that weekend the two people who were pregnant at the same time as me gave birth on my due date{of all days!}. I can't complain though as one of those ladies was 42 weeks and had been pushing back induction as far as they would let her and she really wanted to labour naturally so I was super pleased she got her wish.

Anyway after failing to go into labour naturally doubts about being induced started creeping into my head and after much conversation with Aidan decided to book in for an elective c-section. I made this decision as a calm birth was more important to me than actual labouring and vaginal birthing. I was scared that if I was induced we would wind up with another emergency c-section where anything could happen and my baby and I could be separated. And so at my induction appointment I told them I changed my mind and I was booked in for a c-section the next day. We called our parents and told them of our plans and made arrangements for Aisling to be looked after.

Aislings last sleep as an only child.

We had to be at the hospital at 6am and so it was an early start leaving at 5am to drop Aisling off with my sister who had claimed baby sitting duties months before. It was a drive filled with so much unspoken excitement and wonder. What would this little person we would be meeting in a few hours be like? When we arrived at the hospital I was shown to my bed and given a care package that contained my hospital gown, surgical stockings and nappies on my bedside table.

Seeing these newborn nappies excited me!

They told me to get dressed right away and Aidan took some of the most unflattering photos of me ever and then the long wait began..... I believe I was last on the list and the nurses would give me an update every time someone returned from recovery or was taken up to theatre, and then it was my turn. I felt so important as I was wheeled out of the maternity ward up the theatre everybody was watching and I felt like waving and saying "No worries guys, I'm just off to have my baby!"

My awesome stockings that I had to wear for two weeks 24/7

I was taken about 11am I think and when I arrived upstairs I was greeted by a bunch of medical professionals all explaining the risks of the operation. Somebody begun by putting a cannula in my hand however not having water since the night before meant I was dehydrated and he pricked me many times failing to insert the cannula into a vein. He could tell I was starting to get distressed and so gave me a bandaid with a sad face to indicate my bad veins to try and lighten to mood. The anesthetist came along and tried with my other hand and it went in successfully.

Notice my sad vein.

Operating theatre selfie time!

Aidan was instructed to wait outside while the spinal anesthetic was inserted into my back. This is where my hypnobirthing practice came into effect. A training anesthetist was to insert the spinal tap needle and she began to struggle. The whole room was tense as the needle was inserted and then re inserted again and again. I begun to get very anxious and started to use the breathing techniques I learnt in my hypnobirthing class. The main thing I was worried about was that they wouldn't be able to get the spinal in place at all and they would have to put me under general anesthetic. The head anesthetist was very calm and patient as he guided the anesthetist in training in how to insert the needle successfully. After what seemed like an eternity they succeeded and they laid me down as my body from my shoulders down became numb. Aidan was allowed back in and questioned how long it took. I started feeling unwell once they started the cutting and so they gave me medicine to raise my blood pressure and subside my nausea. One thing I remember was how incredibly itchy and light sensitive I was during the operation and afterwards. I was constantly scratching my face and squinting my eyes.

Aidan and I just watched each other and he stroked my face while we waited and jumped in surprise when we heard a baby cry. It was so quick, tears came to my eyes immediately our baby boy was born and his cry was so strong. Someone came and got Aidan to help while they checked his vital signs and cleaned him and wrapped him up and then Aidan carried him over to me and we had our first cuddle. I fell head over heels in love with him. He was so different to who I imagined but that didn't matter he was perfect. Aidan, the baby and the midwife headed into recovery while I was stitched up. I quickly followed and as our new little man was hungry he latched onto my breast straight away. I can't remember why exactly but they were keen to get me out of recovery and back to the ward but my blood pressure was really high from the medicine they gave me in theatre. Eventually I was allowed back to the ward and Aidan and I were left head over heels in love with our new little man. I had no IV pain relief this time round. I don't know why they gave me some last time and not this time which I thought was a little strange.

Archie's first photo.

Aidan cutting the umbilical cord. When a baby is birthed by c-section, they cut the cord long so the opportunity is still there for the birthing partner to cut the cord. 

Introducing Archie Paul born the 9th of December 2014 weighing 6 pounds 1 or 2.6 kilos and 46 cms long.

The one thing I really wanted was for Aisling to meet her brother for the first time with just us four so we made family wait outside while the first meeting happened. Aisling had just turned two and she didn't care much for her new little brother just more about her big sister present Archie gave her. Shortly after we allowed family in and Archie was passed around from person to person until everyone had had there fill and left. Aidan stayed as late as he possibly could that night and left us tucking us in before heading home picking up Aisling on the way. Then the real fun began I still was unable to move around much and had the compression machine still on my feet but Archie stirred every hour or so wanting a feed. We both had a really restless night and in the end we co-slept in the hospital with him in my arms and I dozed off as he wanted to be near me as he wouldn't settle in the bassinet. The nurses didn't say anything but I think they checked me often to make sure we were safe.

Hey Brother!

The next morning Aidan arrived and the nurse came in the get me up and ready. It was so different this time round, I stood up and hardly felt any pain just pressure and stiffness. I was dizzy again however so opted not to shower and just changed my clothes brushed my hair and teeth and freshened up. I remember so clearly leaking a large amount of blood clots on the floor of the toilet when I walked there to pee and I had to shuffle back to get Aidan completely mortified so he could clean it up. He did so without any judgement. He just did it because I couldn't bend over to do it. Because I was dizzy again I spent most of the day laying down and resting. Family came to visit again and so did our friends.

I don't know about anyone else but I always find it really overwhelming when people come to visit you after you've had a baby. I know it's the done thing to do but it always causes me lots of anxiety. It's like here I am with this brand new baby completely dependent on me and I've no idea how to breastfeed properly and discreetly and I'm lying in my bed bleeding everywhere in discomfit. And then people come in wanting to visit and yeah I just find it so overwhelming.

I felt capable of going home that day but I wanted to stay in one more night just in case so I let the nurses know I wanted to go home the next day and they promised they would tell the morning staff so they could begin organising our discharge papers. I even bumped into my student midwife I had the first time with Aisling. She was in her last year of Uni and working as a midwife assistant I believe. It was really special that she was involved in both my births especially as I never had anyone the same looking after me throughout my pregnancies. So we stayed one more night and she was the one caring for us during afternoon shift I believe. That night was pretty much the same as the first, Archie wanting to feed often and be in my arms. Somebody was in my room which was a shared room, in the early stages of induction and I was worried about making too much noise and disturbing her. Which was kind of silly considering it's a maternity ward and babies cry all the time.

In the beginning before he could wriggle around and pull her hair, she used to love having him on her lap. 

My family.

The next day I asked a nurse to watch Archie so I could have a shower and get dressed in normal clothes and I chased up to make sure we were still on track to go home. I missed both Aisling and Aidan and wanted us all home. Aidan and Aisling arrived and mid morning she began to get restless so Aidan took her over to Hungry Jacks to play on the playground and she ended up falling asleep on him. Archie and I had our newborn and maternal assessment and we received the clear to go. I called Aidan and he said he was on his way back over. About half an hour later thanks to traffic and parking him and Aisling were back and helped me pack up and then we thanked the nurses and we were out of there! Aidan left us at the front entrance and went to get the car so it would be easier for us all. Once we were all packed up we made the journey home. You can read about our journey at home settling in with two under two here.

It's tiring work being a big sister you know!

On our way home.

My birth experience with Archie was so calm and it meant so much to me that he was able to stay with me from birth. We both bonded really well and ended up breastfeeding successfully. Archie just fit straight into our family it was like he had always been here.

The Birth Story Of Aisling Grace...

My 1st daughter was born by emergency c-section on the 26th November 2012 at 4:50pm. I was 37 weeks and 3 days. She was 43 cms long and a teeny 2 kilos or 4 pounds 12. Such a petite dainty little thing.

Aisling is only three years old. It feels like she's been here forever I can't imagine a time when she wasn't here yet at the same time I hear myself saying out loud often, Oh my goodness my baby girl is three already time really does fly! So while you read her birth story bear in mind that the day of her birth feels like yesterday yet at the same time it was really ages ago and so much has happened since so I may have forgotten some minor details.

I've mentioned this previously but here is a recap. At the beginning of November a midwife noticed my fundal height was measuring behind. She assured me it was probably nothing to worry about but she wrote a referral for a scan. 

I tried to get an appointment at my local hospital for the scan but seeing as it was just a "growth scan" I couldn't get an appointment for another 3 weeks. Being a first time mum and no consistent midwife {I was seeing someone different every appointment} to reassure me, I ended up making an appointment at a local x-ray and ultrasound place. This caused issues as the ultrasound technician didn't have the baby's previous measurements. At this ultrasound it was picked up that the baby was measuring a few weeks behind.

I then had an appointment with the doctors at the hospital clinic who referred me for another scan to compare the growth in two weeks between scans. Fortunately the doctor called and made the appointment for me and I was able to get in the next day. My husband knew this doctor from a common hobby they shared. He was very nice and spent a lot of time going over everything. He mentioned the possibility of being induced. 

At this scan the baby was still measuring behind but the ultrasound technician wasn't too concerned. Again because she didn't have the measurements from the previous growth scan she wasn't able to compare growth.

At my follow up doctors appointment I had a African doctor. I didn't really like her bedside manner. She went through my results and kept walking out of the room to check with the consultant. They decided as I was 37 weeks exactly and considered full term it was safer to induce me as baby had shown minimal growth and my fluid was decreasing. She instructed me to come in for a NST {non stress test, where they strap monitors to your abdomen which can measure the babies heart rate and any contractions you may be having} the next day (Saturday). She checked my cervix for dilation and informed me I was "so closed" then I had a NST that day which showed the babies heart rate to be fine.

The next day I called the birthing unit a few times until they told me I could come in around 4 pm. I had to go on my own as Aidan was at work. They hooked me up to the monitors, gave me a glass of ice cold water and left me in the room by myself listening to my babies heartbeat. It was one of the loveliest times of my life, just relaxing in a darkened maternity room knowing that in a few days I would be holding my precious bundle in my arms. The babies heart rate was fine and I was allowed to go home. I was to come back the next day to begin my induction.

The next day they wanted me at around 5pm {which I had to call about 100 times to discover when they had a free slot} and when I arrived they took me into a birthing suite and told me to take a wee sample and leave it in the toilet then get comfy. Not long later the obstetrician came in and informed me they were going to try and insert a balloon catheter as it was a more natural form of dilation with less chance of causing distress to the baby, but it if it wouldn't go in they would have to try the cervadil. I was made to get on the bed with my legs in the stirrups and they managed to insert the balloon catheter. That was the easy part. The painful and uncomfortable part was filling it with water. They got the bottom balloon fully filled however the top balloon was more painful and they only half filled it. I found this a bit disappointing as I felt I could have pushed through the pain. They told me I did well throughout the pain. After this was in the midwife told me to go for a walk outside with my husband to collect my suitcase as this was the last time I might be seeing daylight for awhile and then I could have some dinner and be shown to my room. I was upset because I really didn't want to stay in overnight but they wanted to keep an eye on me because my baby was small. On the way to being shown my room they took us into the special care unit to familarise us and introduce us to the concept that our baby might have to stay here for a little while.

My husband left the hospital late that night and was due back at 08:00am the next morning. My hospital unfortunately doesn't have the option of partners staying over.  

Once he left I had a shower and put myself to bed. It was hard to get around as I had a massive tube coming out of my vagina and strapped down my leg. 

Once I laid down in bed I started having intense period pain style cramps. I feel I have a pretty high pain threshold but these cramps were unbearable leaving me in tears and unable to get comfortable. If this was the pain before labour how was I going to make it through labour? I didn't want to have any pain relief so I battled through it with hardly any sleep until 3am when they gave me paracetamol and codeine and I finally managed to sleep for a few hours until I was woken up at 7am by a midwife "are you ready to come have a baby?"

Once in the birthing unit the doctor came to remove the catheter which had made my cervix 2 cms dilated and it was possible for them to break my waters which felt really cool, kind of like peeing yourself but having no control over the flow. After my waters were broken all I wanted to do was have a shower as I now stunk and was sticky everywhere and felt terrible. I was then given some breakfast which I threw up as I was tired nervous and in pain. By this stage my partner had finally made it to the hospital. I will never forget the image of him walking through the door with his backpack on his back and an excited yet scared expression on his face.  

A midwife who was training in cannulation put my cannula in and started the syntocin which is a drug used to stimulate contractions. The syntocin caused me to have severe period pain which the midwives said were mild contractions{only mild, really?}. 

During this process I was in pain, I was really tired and I felt sick. The midwives kept telling me to walk around as it would improve labour but I was so tired I wanted to lay down and sleep. I alternated with walking around for a bit then laying down.

They began watching her heart rate closely as it was dipping but it wasn't a concern at first. 

Around lunchtime they started becoming concerned because I wasn't really dilating and baby wasn't reacting well to the syntocin as her heart rate was dipping. They mentioned testing her lactate which was getting a blood sample from the top of her head and measuring the lactate levels. However they kept missing out on supplies that they needed such as a light and glycerine. 

They said a c-section was a possibility as it looked like she could be in distress and I wasn't very far dilated. 

They prepared a tray for the lactate procedure and I started getting nervous as I thought it would be very simple at first, but then they started preparing a sterile tray with all these surgical looking instruments. They gave me gas for the procedure which made me feel very lightheaded and drunk and dizzy. I heard the doctors voices spinning around in my head. It was very invasive. The doctor lined the metal cone up perfectly however some of my waters decided to gush out. The cone was misplaced and they then had to start again. It was just too much and I started to cry. Another doctor suggested getting an epidural. I was so tired I agreed. The anesthesiologist arrived pretty quickly as I was put at the start of the list even before another woman in active labour. I remember sitting with a whole room of medical professionals needing my consent to perform the epidural and feeling somewhat ganged up on. My doctor really wanted me to get one so they could perform the lactate test and the midwives and anesthesiologist were warning that getting an epidural when I wasn't even in active labour wasn't the best idea. In the end I gave my consent and the procedure began, which was a lot less scary and invasive and painful than the lactate procedure.

Aidan sat in front of me and I leaned on him while the anesthesiologist got to work. First he injected a numbing needle then inserted the epidural needle. It felt like a lot of pressure in my spine so he had to take it out and re insert it. When it was inserted correctly and working I felt relaxation throughout my body but then they needed to redo the lactate procedure. It was successful this time but I was still tense. They tested the lactate levels and they were 6.8 which is high and I was immediately prepped for a c-section. They put surgical stockings on me then wheeled me upstairs to theatre. The theatre had to be cleaned so I was waiting in the waiting bay for quite awhile. It was very peaceful and I felt really good. Apparently this was because of the epidural. I was shaking like from the cold and very emotional. I knew right behind those doors I was going to meet my baby.

I always thought if I had to have a c-section I would want to be involved and see as much as I could but in reality I didn't want to see or know what was going on. They inserted a catheter before they began an incision. Aidan sat with me while I was cut open. It didn't seem to take very long. Once Aisling was born they lifted her over the curtain so I could see her then Aidan went over to where they were cleaning her and the pediatrician was checking her. Once she was wrapped Aidan was able to bring her over to me. My first thoughts were how small she was and how she didn't have any eyebrows or eyelashes. I thought she looked completely different to how I imagined her. This was such a different reaction to how I imagined I first meeting would be.

Our first meeting.

Minutes old.

Aidan went with the baby to the special care nursery and I was stitched up then taken to recovery. I had to stay in recovery until the epidural wore off below my chest. They tested this using ice packs. I was sad I didn't have Aidan and Aisling with me but I was happy I had my student midwife to keep me company. Once I was allowed to leave recovery which seemed to be quite quickly, I was wheeled into the special care nursery where I was introduced to the staff and finally allowed to have skin to skin with my new baby. I was then taken to my room and Aisling was allowed to come in for a bit. Finally it was just Aidan, myself and our new little princess. It blew me away seeing how Aidan fell head over heels in love with her. He was very doting and protective of her. You never know how much you can love someone until you see them with your children.

Our first family photo.

Look at his arms. They are wrapped around her even when she slept in her cot.

Aidan stayed until quite late that night but went home and I tried to get some sleep. I had patient administered pain relief throughout the night. It caused me to have very short bursts of sleep but feel like I'd been asleep for ages. It was the longest night ever, imagine being a young child knowing you were getting the best present ever for Christmas but you had to wait just one more night. That's what it felt like. It was also very weird and sad not having Aisling in my tummy anymore and not having her in my arms either.

A nurse came early the next morning and removed my catheter and stood me up. It felt like my insides were falling out, a lot of pressure and massive stinging. But I was also nauseous and dizzy. I had to sit down or I felt like I was going to pass out and vomit. The nurse said she would come back later. When she came back {which seemed like an eternity later} I managed to stand and have a shower sitting down with her help. I was wheeled around in a wheelchair for the next day and a bit. We found out through blood tests that I had low iron levels that bordered on getting a transfusion but because it started going up I wasn't given the option of a transfusion. The nurse said breastfeeding it would take 3 months to feel normal, not breastfeeding it would take a month.
Late morning Aidan finally wheeled Aisling into my room and we were finally allowed to be together. From the moment I was able to walk again I spent every moment I didn't have to sleep in the special care nursery with Aisling. I felt like the nurses in the SCU expected me to be in there all the time but the midwives caring for me in the ward warned me to look after myself. I found it hard to find a balance.

Cuddles the day after her birth.

"No more photos please guys" I used to always look back through my photos on my phone to see her when I wasn't with her.

Her NG tube. She had this for a few days until she woke up a bit and could suck effectively. 

Driving her home. 

I found it hard to catch up on sleep and felt exhausted and teary. I would look at the other mums around the hospital and wonder how they were able to look so normal, I didn't wear a bra for the first couple of days as I was so sore and dizzy I couldn't do it up myself and then my breasts became so heavy and engorged.

Aisling was being fed through a nasogastric tube she started with formula until I was expressing enough milk to sustain her. She wouldn't latch unto my bare nipple so we fed with a nipple shield. I was happy with this decision and we didn't have any further troubles. Aidan did most of her cares until I was able to stand without feeling like I was going to pass out. We were in hospital and the special care nursery for a week. They were expecting her to be in for at least two weeks but she gained weight like a champion and we were allowed home. She came home with just me and Aidan on a Sunday evening at roughly 7pm. Aidan had gone back to work on that weekend and I remember waiting anxiously for him to finish so he could take us home.

At home I was anxious and exhausted and struggled as Aidan was working so much. In the special care unit they have a three hourly rotation so babies are fed every three hours. Because of this strict routine and I didn't know any better I thought that's what it had to be like at home. I didn't understand about cluster feeding and the likes. It breaks my heart to think that she would cry and I would try everything else leaving a feed for the last resort when all she wanted was to popped onto the breast.

At about 4-6 weeks Aisling started to be weaned onto formula and as my iron levels improved and I healed from my operation I started feeling better and back to normal. But I'll leave our settling in at home journey for another time..

Two Under Two, Bringing Archie Paul Home..

Our babies were  exactly 2 years and 13 days apart. We didn't plan it that way it just happened. We originally wanted a five year age gap. I couldn't imagine that now I honestly think 2 years difference is such a fantastic age gap. The kids are so close already.

Becoming a Mum for the second time just felt so natural It's like we already had solutions to all the issues we encountered the first time around. Archie latched straight onto my breast and fed like a champ. I honestly believe this was largely due to the fact I didn't stress about it. I just kept telling myself that breastfeeding is natural and Archie was born knowing how to do it. And he did, he was gaining weight and the engorgement and cracked nipples eased after a few weeks. I also popped Archie onto the breast whenever he needed it.

I had a c-section which meant even though I would have liked to I wasn't able to leave hospital straight away. I even felt well enough to leave the day after my c-section but wanted to stay for my safety in case I had any complications from the operation. They were happy to let me go home on the second day after though. And so we packed up both kids and all our luggage into the car and begun the journey home. It was just after lunchtime when we left, summer had just began and it was hot so we put the air con on as soon as we arrived home. We had a chilled out afternoon and that evening I popped my newbie into my ergo baby carrier and went for a little walk around the neighborhood as our first outing as a family of four, to view the Christmas lights.

Bringing Archie home was such a different experience to bringing Aisling home. From the moment Archie was born it felt like he had always been here, like there's always been a place for him. The love I felt for him was instant. I think the whole family fell head over heels for him.

One of the reasons I was so keen to get home from hospital apart from the main reason of our family being together was the Sons of Anarchy finale which was aired on the day Archie was born. We recorded it and Aidan promised he wouldn't watch it without me. Now I'm not going to give away any spoilers but the only "baby blues" I experienced was transferred onto the Sons of Anarchy finale. At the end of the show I cried and I cried I was just so sad. Poor Aidan was a bit concerned I think at how much I was crying for a TV show. And then every time we mentioned Sons of Anarchy for about a month afterwards I would get teary and often have a little cry. But apart from that for the first three months my emotions were pretty steady.

 Newborns sleep a lot {well mine did, you hear horror stories of those babies who won't sleep though} and Archie pretty much slept and fed for the first twelve weeks. He woke up every two or so hours in the night but always dozed straight back off to sleep. He slept in a bassinet next to our bed. I had to put both my babies on Aidan's side of the bed otherwise I hear their every move and sound and it puts me on edge thinking they are going to wake up.

 When Aisling was born Aidan wasn't able to take time off work and I think this contributed to the post natal depression I experienced the first time. Luckily this time around Aidan was able to take two weeks off then he went back for half a week and he had another two weeks off for Christmas and New Year. I feel so blessed that Aidan was able to enjoy this new being we had created together and to spend time together as a family. I think this is one of the reasons we were so relaxed this time around.

The first time I ventured out with Archie and Aisling by myself, I think was when Aidan went back to work for the half a week. We headed to a park for a play date with some other friends, Archie of course wanted to be fed so I had my first experience breastfeeding in public and then he did a massive poo which exploded out of his nappy all over my dress. I changed him and tried to clean myself up but we left soon after only to return home and discover I had left our front door wide open. Oh dear!

This time round I baby wore which really helped me get stuff done like essential housework and cooking dinner. Aisling was at an age where she was able to play by herself for a little bit or attempt to help me. Sometimes Archie would sleep in his swing and move around the house with me. When we went grocery shopping the kids both loved and still do, being in a double trolley together.

The biggest difference with having your second is that you can't just spend all day snuggling like I was able to do with Aisling. Once Archie was fully asleep I tried to put him down and spend one on one time with Aisling.

The biggest challenge would probably be sleeping times and getting both to sleep. It's very hard having to put a baby to sleep while there's an energetic toddler bouncing around the place. Letting Aisling watch videos on You tube on my phone came in handy for these times, as much as I hated having to do it, sometimes you have to put every bodies sanity first and just do what you need to do to survive.

Sometimes we would have days where nothing would go right and no body in the house was happy so I would load everyone up in the car and head to a park for a play. Sometimes I would just do this to get out of our messy house and forget about all the housework that needed to be done, after all babies will grow but housework will always be there.

Before we eliminated Aislings nap{to encourage a better nights sleep for her}, Archie and Aisling would have an afternoon nap together and it became one of my favourite times of day relaxing close to my babies often with Archie asleep on me.

The first twelve weeks after Archie's birth were pretty blissful save for a few issues such as the post birth constipation and initial breastfeeding discomfort.  It was after those first three months that I slipped back into post natal depression and our whole family headed to a really bad place but that's a story for another day.

The most fantastic thing about having two kids is watching them grow together. It's the most amazing thing watching them interact with each other and watching Aisling share her toys or hand him one of her toys when he is crying. It's the sweetest thing when one of them will cuddle the other. Yes they sometimes have their disagreements, just today I watched Aisling push Archie out of a cozy coupe ride along car so she could have a turn. Archie wasn't even dazed by that but Aisling got a timeout and some stern words even though I was trying to fight back my laughter as it was rather cute {the first times always are}.

Archie fitted into our family so well and we just adjusted to life with him. On a good day I'd say I would have a third in a heartbeat and on a bad day I'd tell you I was crazy for ever thinking that but from the moment Archie was born I've always felt there's another child out there for us. Who knows what the future will bring? All I can say is Aidan and I are blessed with the most amazing little kiddies ever!

Dress Up Stand

Aidan and I have really gotten into the whole DIY thing, we've been pinning onto our joint Pinterest board, projects that we want to try and it seems like now we've finally started them we won't be able to stop! I think though that my favourite project will always be our first project we completed together. Aisling's dress up station. I've had this project pinned as something I've wanted for a long time however as it came closer to Aisling's birthday I started to look into options for it too become a reality. I got a quote from a man making pallet furniture who quoted me $120 then when I was due to pick it up I asked for an update and he changed the price to $170. I didn't feel comfortable with the price increase and lack of communication so I started looking at the plans I had saved on Pinterest again. This one was my favourite.

At that time we literally had no power tools so I asked around to friends and family on Facebook and managed to come up with the tools we needed to attempt this project. We priced wood in Bunnings and settled on purchasing plywood sheets and Aidan reworked the plan on paper to fit in with the dimensions of the 1.2 m x 1.2 m plywood sheets.

This was such a simple and inexpensive project only requiring two sheets of plywood {although we only used about one sixth of the second sheet} a handful of screws { we used screws that we managed to find laying around our parents} and paint. On top of that the tools we used were a measuring tape, circular saw, jigsaw or multi tool for rounding the edges, sander and a drill.

The cutting of the wood was simple. Aidan did those cuts while I minded the kids inside {Archie really hates the circular saw} then he rounded the edges of the pieces of wood that were going to make the sides. He tried two different jigsaws for this but he struggled as they bounced and jumped around a lot. So he gave up on the jigsaw and had more success with the multi tool cutter.

Once the wood was all cut it was a matter of using the drill to screw the correct pieces together which did not take long at all. Once it was all assembled we gave it a quick sand and began painting. We gave it a coat of white to start with and then gave it two coats of our chosen colour, mint green.

Once the paint was dry Aidan applied our cast vinyl letters onto the front. Aidan works in a sign shop so we were able to print the letters and wording professionally.

It's the most rewarding thing to look at your handiwork and think "we made that" and it's even more satisfying to know that you made it for a fraction of the cost. If you are interested in a quote please contact us at "AMYzing play" and we can work out a budget friendly customised dress up stand for you :-)

Super Easy Sensory Bin Stand..

So Aidan and I aren't the richest people in the world and I'm sure many families with young kids can relate that while money needs to be budgeted towards more important things, you want to give your kids everything they want and need {within reason of course} I feel I put a lot of time and effort into choosing ours toys and I prefer to steer away from plastic and flashy toys that are only going to be played with once or twice then get thrown in the bottom of the toy box and opt for longer lasting wooden toys that will spark the imagination. Unfortunately these toys can be harder to come by having to travel further to find them or ordering online and they can come with a hefty price tag. Which is why when I came across a website that has fantastic FREE patterns for DIY projects and Aidan received Bunnings vouchers for his birthday we knew we wanted to invest in tools.

This particular project that I want to focus on today has been on my wish list for over a year now. To buy in shops is over $100 plus postage. The reason I haven't made the investment yet is because we have a plastic version which works OK even though its not the right shape. Anyway I am talking about a sensory bin stand or a sand and water table. I was scrolling through some of my favourite blogs when I was inspired by this post and thought that's perfect and simple, we can do that.

We ducked into Bunnings to buy some screws and ended up walking out with a round tub that I thought I could use for our stand. When we got home however I found what I often use when I put out a sensory bin. It's simply a kitty litter tray {unused by cats of course} the perfect size for one, two or even three kids and the perfect depth. So our plans changed from round to rectangle which is what I wanted in the first place.

We had a large bit of plywood that we were going to use to make a similar version of the original stand but when Aidan had a look at all of the timber scraps we have been able to salvage from around the place we were able to mostly make it from the free timber we already had :-)  

To start with Aidan cut the legs to the correct lengths approximately 40 centimetres. Then he cut four pieces of wood from a pallet to make a frame that would fit around our tray snugly and screwed them to each other then we screwed a piece of plywood cut to shape underneath so the tray would have a base to sit on. And then he screwed the legs into place and we decided to add a shelf so we cut four squares into the corners of a second piece of plywood so the shelf could be screwed into the legs. Then we placed the tray in and it was finished. It still needs a sanding and a painting or a coat of lacquer but that's OK as we can still use it in the meantime.

The finished product, still needs a good sanding and a coat of lacquer.

The kitty litter tray used, you can see how it is the prefect size and shape for a sensory bin. 

All up this project was under $20 due to the scrap wood used and the fact we already had the tray and it's something we will use everyday. We will be selling a version of this in our mini store "AMYzing Play" so keep your eye out. And it will at a budget friendly price as well ;-)  

Aisling finally got a chance to dive into the Christmas themed bin I put together.  

                  

So simple, red and green waterbeads, shaving cream and mini Christmas figurines provide plenty of fun! 

A Christmas Proposal...

Seeing as it's December and I feel very festive at the moment I want to write about Aidan and I's first Christmas alone together. As I've mentioned previously Aidan and I spent a year overseas together travelling and working. We were working at Christmas time {well not on Christmas} and everybody else were going back to their families etc. So we thought we didn't want to be alone over Christmas missing our families so we thought we would book a trip away! There were a few places on our list but due to the amount of time we were able to take off we decided on a Christmas tour to Scotland. We booked to fly to Edinburgh, then a three day Christmas trip to the Scottish highlands with Haggis tours and then we were to fly back.

We flew easy jet to Edinburgh airport. The first thing I noticed when we walked off the plane was just how cold and windy it was and how it seemed to go through your clothes even. We were meant to be getting picked up from the airport by one of our Scottish customers but he couldn't make it due to traffic or something or other. Lucky there's a regular bus at the airport that takes you right into the city centre. We chose to wander around town suitcases in tow. It was bustling city with a mixture of medieval and Edwardian architecture, absolutely beautiful. All the streets in the city centre lead out to a big walkway and park that sits beneath Edinburgh castle. We walked along underneath Edinburgh Castle and we encountered a cute little reindeer petting zoo. Then we headed into a pub tucked away in a side street and had pies and cider. It was really delicious.

Reindeer petting zoo along the streets of Edinburgh.

Ice skating rink underneath Edinburgh Castle.

I don't know why but I've always been so suspicious and wary of  catching taxi's so we decided to walk to our hotel. It turns out it was a chain branded hotel called "Premier Inn" and they are fantastic! All the facilities are super clean and modern. There is a great restaurant downstairs that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact I think we were that exhausted we had dinner at our hotel, I remember I had the most amazing Christmas cider. Then it was off to bed for a super early start.

Best cider ever and I haven't seen it since.

The next morning we were up early to meet up with our tour. Again we walked there through little windy hilly back streets behind the castle. Our tour began on Christmas Eve and we headed straight to the Scottish Highlands to Inverness stopping at the William Wallace monument, Glencoe and Loch Ness. The Haggis tour was different to Contiki in the sense that our Haggis tour guides were constantly entertaining and informing us the whole journey there. Our hotel was beautiful and it had a bath. The pub we lived and worked at did not have a bath and I missed relaxing in a bathtub.

The William Wallace monument. 

Glencoe. While we were here it was very foggy.

The Titanic inspired staircase at our Inverness hotel- The Royal Highland hotel. 

That night we went out as a group to a local nightclub and woke up the next day on Christmas day! I was hoping and praying for a white Christmas but it reached 14 degrees Celsius. We went out exploring with the group that day our first stop was Ben Bhraggie a hill we were to climb. Our tour guide wanted us to experience snow and we found a little patch up the top. Aidan confessed later that he considered proposing up here near the snow but with people around it just wasn't the right time. Then we stopped at a castle where we had lunch in the gardens, it was like a fairy tale. Then our last stop before going back to our hotel was a beach! That night we had a Christmas feast in the great hall and there was traditional Scottish dancing afterwards. Aidan and I finished off the night with a Scottish whiskey.

The weather forecast for Inverness on Christmas day. I laugh because I was actually really worried that if we flew our plane might get grounded due to heavy snow fall. 

The view from Ben Bragghie.

The fairy tale castle!

Aidan and I on a Scottish beach on Christmas day. 

The next day was the end of our tour and it was back to Edinburgh. On the way back we stopped at the battlefield of Culloden. The weather was so fitting the wind was blowing a gale and the sky was dark grey. It was a struggle to hear our guide as he spoke about the battle that occurred on the ground we were standing on. It's such an eerie humbling feeling to see these places in history. Then our final stop was to the falls of Brauer a beautiful short, surprisingly strenuous {Well for the unfit like myself} walk to see a waterfall. Then we arrived back to Edinburgh. That night we decided to walk back down to the river to see the castle of a night time. Being Boxing day there was not many people around and it was spooky. I had read that Edinburgh is one of the "most haunted" cities in the world and this played on my mind as we walked through the deserted streets{We made it back safely with no ghosts jumping out at us.}.

Battlefield of Culloden. 

Falls of Braur. They were so pretty.

Edinburgh castle lit up of a night time.

The next day we had to check out of our hotel {the same Premier Inn} early and we dropped off our suitcases at the train station, they had lockers were you could store your luggage. We headed to Edinburgh castle and explored. Again it was amazing I remember standing in a bedroom where a Queen gave birth to all her children {I'm terrible and can't remember who} and just thinking I can't believe that bit of history happened here right where I am standing. After the castle we went to the same pub that we had dinner at the other night and had the same meal. Again it was delicious. Then we wandered back down to the riverfront underneath the castle and explored the Christmas fair. Mulled wine is my favourite drink of all time and so we purchased a mulled wine each and drinking it outside in the chilly air with Christmas carols playing all around just felt so perfect.

Edinburgh Castle.

The view from Edinburgh Castle.

More of the Christmas lights along the streets of Edinburgh.

Now I wasn't sure if Aidan was going to propose to me while we were away but I had my suspicions. I remember being there on a few occasions throughout our trip and thinking in my head "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! This is it!" The anticipation was amazing. Anyway with the end of our short holiday drawing near and the atmosphere so perfect, we sat there on a park bench sipping on our mulled wine holding hands and Aidan said to me "Amy I need to ask you something...." This sent all sorts of butterflies going off in my tummy but I tried to remain calm as he reached into his pocket and bought out a navy blue box. He did not get down on one knee {which at the time I was happy to not draw extra attention to us} and asked me to marry him. I of course said yes and then we kissed. We had to head back to the airport to catch our plane and I remember I could not stop looking at my pretty new ring. I had mentioned to Aidan that this one was the one I liked when we were browsing in a jewelry store previously even though I originally wanted a plain solitaire.

Our view of the Christmas fair.

Post engagement selfie.

My beloved ring. It came with a wedding band that matches. 

We told our families the next day and everyone was thrilled and I started buying wedding magazines every week. We planned to be engaged for two years and return to Europe for a long honeymoon in Scandinavia.

All my life I've wanted to visit Ireland but Scotland was my first trip to the UK and Irish countryside and I fell head over heels in love. It is just so gorgeous! The people are friendly and welcoming and photos do not do the scenery justice. I think both Aidan and I would move there in a heartbeat. All in all our little getaway to Scotland was a perfect little festive getaway from busy London life. Our engagement was just the icing on the cake. We both couldn't have been happier.