Merry 1st Christmas Our Little Lady

Well your first christmas has come and gone, and although you probably wont remember this I wanted to jot down what you received so we can look back on this in the years to come

1. Zany Zoo Animal Mobile - Nan, Janet and Jayden
2. Old McDonalds Farm - Aunty Fran, Uncle Mark & Harrison
3. Pumpkin Patch Top & Pants Set - Nan & Jayden
4. 2 short-all-n-ones (1x pink with butterflies and 1x lime green with butterflies) Mummy & Daddy
5. 2 x t-shirts (1 red and white, 1 white with butterflies)-Mummy & Daddy
6. 1 x dress (pink with butterflies) Mummy & Daddy
7. $15 - Great Grandma (will use this to buy something nice)
8. Rubber Duckie Set - Grandad Dennis, Lee & Tama
9. Trinket Box & Voucher - Aunty Nikki

As you can see your first christmas was a great success on your behalf and there are lots of people who love and care about you dearly.

We all love you sweet heart

Love Mummy

Where does time go?

Thought it was about time for an update... it's been a while :P
Miss Keziah is 2 months old now and time is fleeting away towards christmas with only 4 days to go until the big fat man in the red suit shows up bearing lots of pressies.
Keziah is now over 4kg's and gaining more by the day, at our last Plunket visit she had gained a whole 190g in one week so we're obviously doing something right on the feeding front :)
She now has a set sleeping routine she has a nap during the day which starts at about midday and she'll sleep for a good 3-4 hours before wanting more food... and at night she has a feed at 7pm, then I change her bum, swaddle her up and put her on the other side and sometime around 8 she falls asleep for the night and she normally sleeps through to somewhere between 4.30 and 5.30 which is awesome considering she's still so young :) She's now smiling and cooing also which is absolute heart melt material.. it's so gorgeous!! :) She just loves to dance and sing crazy songs (like Spider Pig from The Simpsons movie) with me and the kids :)

Keziah is my everything, can you tell??

There are LOTS new photos in her photo album at photobucket so you can just see how much she is progressing so go over and have a look!!!!

PRINCESS KEZIAH

(click on the above link to be taken to the pictures)

Oh, time sure does fly...

when you're a mummy :) Keziah will be 3 weeks old on Wednesday (OMG, she'll be in college before long...) Things are going really well so far and even the night time feeds are becoming more bearable when I actually get into the swing of things :) We've actually established a routine somewhat and is feeding 4 hourly for about 45 minutes which is quite good :)

She was weighed today and has passed her birth weight but only just... 100g gained so far, but at least that is better than loosing weight due to not eating enough... her head circumference was 35cm at birth, but today it's 2cm bigger YAY must have big brains growing in there LOL

My poor little lamb is sick...she has a stuffed up nose and it's making her feel icky :o(

my sweet keziah

Myspace Glitter Graphics

The 48 Hour Labour

(The Story as I remember it....) We ended up back in hospital at 6.30pm on Monday the 22nd of October for the start of antibiotics because my waters had broken 18 hours before hand and just to be on the safe side of infection.. I had a IV lure inserted into my right hand and the first dose of antibiotics was given before mum, Raoul and I hit the hay for the night all while still getting mild contractions... slightly painful but still NOTHING compared to what was to come..... Tuesday the 23rd of October Woken up really early to get given another dose of antibiotics and a couple of panadol for pain relief - Due for another internal to see how much we had progressed..... 1CM dilated GAH, was it ever going to end??? Not yet that's for sure... Now it was time to be induced *rolls eyes and bites nails* I got transfered to a birthing suite on level 9 and yet another midwife to meet and greet with and to change into one of those sexy hospital gowns... by 10am I had received my first dose of syntocinin & also some fluids as I was quite dehydrated via IV lure which kicked the contractions off a little bit more so they were getting a little bit more painful but I was still handling it quite well... by the time 80mg of Synto had been pumped through the IV i had had enough of the pain and wanted some strong pain relief so I opted for Pethadine.... which spaced me out for about 1/2 an hour but that's about all it did and I could feel every little niggle... so the next step was calling... EPIDURAL.... So I had that done and I felt so much better...I even got a few cat naps in as the Synto level was raised to 120mg (eeek, now those contractions would have been really painful I could only imagine)
By 2am Wednesday the 24th of October I was fully dilated and starting to feel the pain again... I asked for a top up and the midwife said "Oh no, we can't do that or you wont be able to feel the contractions"...Shit isn't that the point??? (by this time I was more than a little belligerent screaming for more pain relief OR a c-section) the midwife (Hannah) and her superior both stood by while I was in absolutely agony, wasting precious time screwing around saying "you can do it, you have to do it a c-section is dangerous so late in labour blah blah blah".... I tried to push a little more but I was so frustrated and really hot that I kept blacking out on the table... I just couldn't do it... No more!!!!
By 3.30am I was prepped for surgery and on the table feeling REALLY anxious but comfortable since I had another dose of Epidural that went from my bust right down to my toes... I couldn't feel a thing... First up.... Ventouse 3 rounds of contractions 3 big pushes in each.... she began to crown and then the suction cup popped off and she disappeared back up the birthing canal again ripping a HUGE haematoma on the top of my babes head.... NEXT it was Forceps and again 3 contractions with 3 rounds of pushing in each.... still no baby *cries* was she ever going to come out?? "We're going to do a c-section next Anikka" I heard Jai (the surgeon) say about 2 minutes later.. All of that happened and I couldn't feel anything until they started pushing and pulling to her her out.... that seemed to take forever but finally Keziah Leiandra was born!! YAY the wee princess we were all eager to meet was finally here... but there were problems afoot she was blue and not breathing properly due to having a bit of fluid on her lungs so off to the NiCU with her in an incubator (with my mum in tow) to be monitored while I get closed up.. I didn't know anything... not even the time of her birth....her weight....NOTHING I began to bawl uncontrollably!!!! Mum returned a short while later with a photo of my gorgeous baby girl all hooked up to machines but still looking beautiful :) Again I began to bawl.. Once in recovery where I was for about 45 minutes (could of been longer but it didn't feel like it) I found out that she was actually born at 0557 and weighed in at 3390 (or 7lb 8oz)
I was then wheeled to the NiCU to see her... again I bawled (this was the trend over the next few hours) she was even more beautiful than I had first seen... Raoul and I took some photos of her in the incubator before heading up to the ward to recuperate...

Photos of Keziah Leiandra from Pregnancy to Now

(lots more to follow later...)

WOOHOO it's happening....FINALLY.....

It seems Labour Day is the day for me..

I crawled into bed around midnight after watching some terrible werewolf movie and by 1.30am I thought I had the need to go to the toilet urgently (TMI sorry) so I jumped out of bed... turns out it was just a trickle so I got back into bed and before long my waters broke :blush: yes, I had actually wet the bed... and then the wicked period type pains hit me!!!!!! It was constant at first (between 1.45 and 2.30 and leaving for the hospital) but then it died off somewhat until we were in the car and half way there then I was getting a few mild contractions

Raoul rung his mum as she was our ride upto the hospital, and I rung my mum before ringing the hospital who then told me it was my choice whether I came in now to be monitored or if i stay home until I was actually in established labour..I decided to be on the safe side that I would go in to ensure bubs was okay...
I was monitored and checked internally (OUCH) at about 4.30am and I was a whole 1/2 a center meter dilated LOL so I was given the choice to stay there and wait it out... or to come home and relax a bit and if nothing happens between now and 6.30pm to come back in... so I decided to come home (mainly so I could have a shower and freshen up a little bit since I was still kinda dreary from being woken up)

Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers today everybody and I will update again as soon as I can

40 Weeks

Well we made it through 40 grueling weeks so now it's just a waiting game as to when our little lady actually arrives..
(My mum and I spent the day shopping hoping that she would pack her bags but I have no signs and symptoms so far, so we'll just have to play it by ear)

I have an appointment next week Thursday @ 9.30am (if she hasn't arrived by then of course) to talk to the doctors regarding an induction date, and also to do a stretch and sweep/breakage of waters if I want them too! It sounds ICK if you ask me, but if it has to be done it has to be done. I mean, she's got to come out sometime doesn't she? :o)

SLIDE SHOW

39 Weeks 1 Day

Wow, I have been waiting for the single digit count down for so long and now it's arrived... 6 DAYS TO GO!!! I'm so excited and eagerly awaiting the arrival of our little Princess

Nothing much really to report here.. I have been having AF (= Aunty Flow for those who don't know :)) type tummy pains for the last 2 days and haven't really been able to walk unaided since Monday, so I'm taking that she could arrive any day now!! We're all sorted and now all we can do is wait... wait... and wait a bit more :) When she's 'cooked' I'm sure she'll let us know so that she doesn't burn LOL

(OMG check out my belly growth in 3 weeks!!!!!)

38 Weeks Down...

2 Weeks to go!!!

Keziah is getting lower and lower... any lower and she'll fall out without having to go through labour LOL if only it was that easy eh???

Have tried a whole range of different things that are supposed to aid the whole going into labour process..

~ Baths
~ Showers
~ Walking excessively
~ Nesting
~ Drinking ALOT of chilled water
~ Curry (is the most recent one, so we'll see if it works or not)

I still have a few more to try though

~ Evening Primrose Oil (supposed to soften the cervix if taken around this time)

~ SEX (although I don't really feel up to doing this unless it's absolutely necessary..I so don't feel "sexy" at the moment LOL)

37 Weeks 4 Days..

And now we're just doing the waiting game.
Lots of niggles but nothing too much out of the ordinary and definitely nothing that I couldn't handle pain wise... *sigh* I honestly think she has made herself quite comfortable and will probably end up having to get evicted LOL

36 Weeks 5 Days..

I didn't post yesterday as I didn't really have much to say, but today on the other hand....

Wiggle Bum is now engaged!!!!! And also she's starting to make the great turn so is no longer posterior, but still has a tiny little bit of turning to do before she's completely face down. I guess that would explain why I had the best sleep ever last night (since joining the third trimester club I mean) :o)

My blood pressure hasn't gone up any and has now reached a plateau at 140/70 (point 3 lower than last time) and my midwife said there is absolutely nothing wrong with me so I am really happy with our progress as you can probably imagine :oD

36 Weeks 3 Days Pregnant..

Well we had a rather interesting night last night.
We had just finished watching Spider Man 3 and eating copious amounts of pizza and at about 10pm we decided it was time for the kids to head to bed so that we could watch our other two movies (Stomp the Yard and The Number 23) We had finished watching Stomp and it was just before midnight, and Raoul had just started to watch the other film when I had dozed off to sleep...I was then woken up by a wicked dose of braxton hicks contractions.. 3 in a row!! OMG they were painful.. then I couldn't get comfortable at all and Wiggle Bum was moving about something chronic so I sat up on the edge of the bed then to have ANOTHER round of braxton hicks (about 4 in total) I then rang my midwife in a bit of a panic saying that I thought I was in labour due to the large amount of contractions in the last little while. She told me to calm down, relax and to take a few deep breaths.. which I did all while talking to her on the phone. I was still feeling apprehensive when I hung up from her but I took a few deep breaths and lay down again.... and I must of relaxed a whole lot because before I knew it.. it was 7.15am...
Oh, the joys of being a first time mum....
I do hope the real thing isn't TOO far away though, I'm quite over feeling like a beached whale :o)

36 Weeks 2 Days Pregnant...

And I have swollen hands and feet pretty much all the time now, so I've decided to take time off my 40 minute per day exercise regime until further notice.

Wiggle Bum had the hiccups again this morning, and THIS time Raoul felt them and had a giggle to himself LOL

36 Weeks 1 Day Pregnant...

3 Weeks 6 Days to go!! hehe, can you tell I'm counting down?????

Feeling a little lethargic today since I didn't really sleep well last night as Raoul was hogging the bed (if not with his feet, then with his knees pressed right into my back) *sigh* For once bubba wasn't the one keeping me awake so that's a good thing I suppose :o)

We're still doing quite well, taking each day as it gets thrown at us.. It's the school holidays for the other three starting tomorrow so we wont be rushing around doing the school runs in the morning and afternoons and we'll generally just be doing family activities to keep the kids occupied and out from under our feet for two whole weeks, taking me right upto 38 weeks...

...Roll on October 18th I say

And the prognosis...

To yesterday's blood tests are GOOD!!!!!!!!!! *phew* Nothing to worry about apart from keeping myself cool calm and collected for the next couple of weeks to try and get it under control on my own without having to go on complete bed rest or medication too control it

Well 36 weeks down 4 weeks to go and I'm feeling rather 'blah' and wanting this bubba out but she can't come too early as she's not ready to complete her baking cycles just yet :)

Keziah has been giving me LOTS of 'what about me' jabs to the ribs and bladder to ensure I don't forget about her (HA, like that's happening anytime soon)
She is steadily gaining weight and I can feel her dropping so she is sitting more and more on my already squashed bladder making me need to go to the bathroom 5 or 6 times MORE than I already was and that was already alot

Problems in Pregnancy Land

Well I had my midwife appointment yesterday and everything was going well until...the dreaded blood pressure check!!!! "It's up a little bit" she said "I'm not worried about the bottom number it's the top number that's elevated since last time" (140/70.35 compared to the last appointment 128/80) It's scary to think that I have done so well up until now..
I'm 36 weeks tomorrow leaving me with a grand total of 4 weeks to go. I had blood tests this morning to test for Renal function and the later natal tests so I'm hoping that comes back all clear otherwise we have issues and things might be worse off than they appear. Keep your fingers crossed for us

Until next time...

Awaiting the arrival of our little lady

Well here we are just 4 weeks out from the birth of our first child (a little girl) together..

Keziah Leiandra Griffiths is estimated to be due on or around the 18th of October 2007

It's pretty scary to think that in a few weeks time, this little life that has been growing inside of me for the past 8 months is ALMOST ready to finish baking.. It's been a pretty cruisy journey really, but it's had it's moments I can assure you. I've been through the baby blues, the hormonal mood swings and the temper tanties!! I'm sure my partner and family are ready to meet the little girl that has turned me into COUNT BITCHULA!!!!!! LOL