Different specimen

Baby Boys and shopping lists

So this morning, my galfriend Meliki (yes she is the one pictured!) gave me some very important advice about 'tucking the penis' away during diaper change! I just had to laugh at this so hard Mel -- sorry other moms of boys (eyeing Mia, Tanya and Jone!).

Not to take a swipe at men but i just had to laugh at how i didnt stop to think in my obsession over baby preparations - to prepare for the fact that iv never been mom to boys so i have next to no idea as to what is different about boys. Apart from the obvious fact about blue clothes over pink... and the dreaded difficulties in shopping for men - i hadnt googled 'baby boy preparations' or 'the difference between baby boys and baby girls' yet! Have i mentioned that iv been called Ms Google before? I google everything (and yes, everyone!)

• Google search results for baby boys, baby girls differnce
  
• The difference between boys and girls
• The difference between boys and girls2
• Telling the difference between boys and girls (!!odd title)
• 10 helpful hints for raising a boy
• 5 Tips On Raising Your Newborn Child
• Q&A: Preparing for a Baby Boy
• 10 tips for raising a well-rounded boy
• Tips on raising a boy
  

No Jone (and John K u can stop too!) - i will not at this point take advice from MEN on raising boy babies - just advice from moms of boys thanks! But if you have helped (and i dont mean once a week sort of help) to take care of a male infant, put me on your mailing list of advice or better yet, make me a follower of your blog!

SHOPPING LIST
Have i written about my shopping episode at Mahesh Syndicate two weeks ago. In i walk with my bobcat slippers (yes Jone the ugly ones meant to be worn at home that iv been wearing to work) and probably harried look. The salesgirl takes one look at me and probably thinks very little of me so of course answers 'Oh thats very expensive' as i look at a set of booties, caps, mittens that is priced at $35. Someone remind me to google 'pregnancy style tips' at some point of my next pregnancy because im pretty sure my dress code in 'elephant' mode is not doing too well for me! Or was it my demeanor?

Anyway - so i of course i meet her rather arrogant (or it might have been innocent but anyway!) remark with a 'i didnt ask how expensive or how cheap it was, i asked you HOW MUCH IT COSTS (last four words in rather high pitch high volume). This of course woke the shop manager our of her reverie and to my aid. The manager seemed a lot wiser because the rest of my 2-hour long shopping expedition was done with me sitting comfortably with a cup of tea on a stool, my numerous shopping lists, diaries and checklists in front of me, irritating salesgirl sent away - friendlies sent to replace her.

I walked out of the shop the last customer with almost everything i needed to be at the hospital, in tow... and even a free suitcase as a gift --- for my goodnature in agreeing to forgive offending salesgirl? or maybe as a lure to return when i have to do this shopping expedition again once Jacob is 4 months old?? who knows, i just liked that i got a $50 discount and a free suitcase that i will probably never use or fill up with books! (hmm... google DIY book cases!).

So i think im ok to go to the hospital now, once jacob engages (thank you Nica for the affordable and good quality breast pumps)... my shopping list is considerably SHORTER: | Bottle Warmer | Diaper Cover | Plastic Pants | Scratch Mittens | Warm Mittens |Booties | Hats/Caps | Gowns | Undershirts (Snap-side) | Gowns | Heavy Woolen Blanket | Hooded bath towels |

Send me those baby boy tips will ya my baby boy mom friends: Tanya, Mia, Mel, Mary, Irene, Jillian?

Ready

and waiting… and accepting advise!

Today was officially my final clinic – woooooo hooooooooo – im now officially due on 23rd June – and im so excited.

Jacob has now finally turned head down. I was so excited to hear this that I forgot to ask whether he is facing my back (which is the preferred position) or facing my stomach! Either way – head down is still a great thing.

So iv done a google session on the 'natural ways to induce labour' …. Don’t worry Mia (cause I can see you wanting to smack me) – no herbal or naturopathy or anything new age like that for me .. just wanted to get the info on exercise etc.

As I was telling Mia whilst sitting for an hour waiting to be seen at the CWMH ANC this morning – Jacobs clothes have been washed and ironed (complete with fabric softner each time) four times before Pio and I finally packed it for the last time two weeks ago.

The mosquito net; both the one for my bed for when I feed baby in bed and the one for over Jacobs cot – have both been washed (yes with softner too!!) twice and last night ironed ready to be sprung up.

Pio (and indentally the lovely new landlord we have) has been hassled at least twice daily this past two weeks to put up the mosquito net as well as the dog chain & hook contraption (do not ask!!!) that will hold up my sons mosquito net.

The cot is all set, all ready to be layn on. The nanny has been hassled for the 4th (and I swear last time or im killing someone!) time to wash (again) and iron baby's coming home clothes. It’s a cotton sailor type outfit (like the one pictured MINUS the blue) that Tanya gave me (again Tanya has blessed us in sooooooo many ways!) which I think given the cold, will need some leg warmers to go with. Im looking and looking and looking … oh yeah and googling.

Pretty soon ill be doing DIY leg warmers since none of the baby supply shops here ever thought of the cold season and don’t stock leg warmers (or am I just not the accomplished shopper – feel free anyone to correct me). So coming home clothes are ready.

Pio has wiped both car seats (he gave them actual washes a long long time ago) already and today I told him that id like them wiped again this weekend (this time with disinfectant).

He has informed me this morning that he (and he throws in esthers name for good measure!) is tired of my crazy nesting habits and my bad temper (me??).

So yes im ready and waiting and will take any advise anyone wants to give me on inducing labour.

A friend told me this morning that apparently bananas (or did you say A banana) were good for when you do go into labour cause they give you energy. This advise was met with some scepticism by some veteran mommy friends of mine – all of whom preach the wisdom of stairs! Yes I read that a lot too. So stairs and long walks are going to be a huge (!!) part of my coming weekend.

Anyone else want to give me their secret to an 'encouraged' labour? Can I push my luck and ask for ur secret to a painless labour? … It doesn’t exist? No I didn’t think so .. but u cant blame a girl for TRYING!

Turning 30 ... again!

Pio turned 30 today and he said, 'Hon it’s the beginning of a new lap of the race.' I thought yes that’s true – many things change when we turn 30, quite unlike all your other 20-something birthdays.

I turned 30 just two weeks ago as well and I remember feeling that somehow I was wiser and in case I wasn’t, then I had better start wisening up or at least acting like I was.

Being who he was – he forgot it was his birthday until late yesterday I asked how his last day of being 20-something was like? He said, really? Is it my last day?

Mind you – this is my husband who forgot my birthday despite my constant reminders – so yes it seemed like it wasnt a big deal to him at first until he woke up this morning and I wished him happy birthday 30 year old! A new lap indeed!

Well - at some point when he and I are done bringing this little Jacob into the world - we might try to find a memorable way to celebrate the beginning of this new lap! Ideas Anyone?

Reciprocity and the law of the universe?

On the weekend, the pastors wife Radini Pamela talked about reciprocity in Gods Kingdom. She was on her way to a women's meeting at our church and wanted to buy 2 packets of cookies – one for afternoon tea with the ladies and the other for her 2 kids at home. Upon purchase she decided she would take all the cookies to the women at church instead.
On her way back from the meeting, one of the women came running after her to say she had a packet of cookies that Pamela could give her kids --- that was instant reciprocation!

Anyway, I bring that up because I have been BLESSED at thousands of dollars worth of baby equipment – so my son might be minimally dressed for a while!! But whew aren’t we thankfully we gifted away everything we had prepared with Esther because we have been blessed in terms of a crib for the first few months, a cot for 3months to 2 years, a pram for the first few months and a jogger stroll for when I want to exercise and take him too (thank you Tanya (pictured) for your optimism!!!!), a car seat that doubles as a rocker, a baby carrier, a baby bjorn, and heaps of other goodies that will make it hard for me to say I wont have another baby once im done with this one.

I mean hey --- if having all this equipment makes having a baby a fun vatatalo (that’s "playing with toys" for you non-fijian speaking types!) affair --- man id do it again! (Take note that hormones have often been known to change brain activity in pregnant women!)

Some people call it Karma but I think its just the law of the universe – what you give comes back to you – you give bad, you get bad – you give good, that comes back too!

Crazy nesting habits

Today one of the many many baby websites I subscribe to, sent me a newsletter about the things im meant to be experiencing, feeling, doing and watching out for.

Isn't it interesting how as we become more technically advanced, we also become more mentally and emotionally reliant on the technologies we create? Im not complaining but someday when I go back to studies – it is something I hope someone (not me cause im just too lazy!) will focus their thesis on.

I can already hear Ricardo saying yes yes for the hundred and tenth time as I ramble about another thesis idea for someone else to study! Not me --- someone else! Have I mentioned I come from an academic-obsessed family but somehow I missed the part when we were getting our share of genes on the academic side?

Anyway – so yeah, im reading todays newsletter and it tells me that im probably driving my partner (only in my case its him, daughter and the nanny too are along for the ride!) MAD with all my spit-shining, organising, cleaning, washing (YES! I washed all weekend and with my hands too!) as I prepare for Jacob.

This morning I yelled at the nanny (who happens to be my grand aunt too) because she had used the brush I use for washing the kids clothes on her feet! Remind me to buy her some pumice stone or whatever it is women who are fussy with their feet use when they shower. I for one have always had ugly man-feet and even uglier nails that I fail at disguising with nail polish. So needless to say that my feet are a part of my body that I ignore. Seeing as how I don’t get foot massages (wudnt that be nice too!) – I have never had reason to pamper them. Whats a pedicure?? (an idea for a belated 30^th birthday present maybe RICK??)!!!

On the weekend I mustv made my poor loving husband come outside to the wash area to lift the bucket … from one sink into the other, from the sink to the floor, from the floor to the top of the old washing machine, from …. U get my drift?... yes I think I did that at least 10 times a day and I washed on Saturday and Sunday.

So that’s a total of 20 times that I tortured my husband and not once did he complain. Of course, I realise later that it might have been a better idea to just wait for the nanny to get home on Sunday afternoon to do the washing…. "NO, I absolutely MUST DO THEM NOW" was my response to Pio when he asked why I couldn’t just wait for the nanny (her name is Nau!) to get home.

When the nanny did get home at around 7pm on Sunday night --- she looked me at me with a really weird look followed by a 'What are you doing?' … as I was sitting on the ground catching my breath because I had finished my fifth load of (hand) washing that afternoon … have I said it was now 7pm?

Yes --- spit shining is setting in. I have to blame nature – we all become our real animal selves at one time or another – I think for me its when I start to prepare the nest for the birth of an offspring.

Preparing for Jacob

June 02, 2009

As of yesterday, i am officially 4 weeks away from bringing my son "Jacob" into the world and i am no where near ready - at least not in terms of preparations! Mentally i CANT WAIT to bring Jacob into the world - whether they cut me up for the process or i push him out!

Name of our son!
Yes Pio and I decided on Jacob for one reason - we want our son to be strong of faith. Well, at least that was his reason when i asked him what Biblical name we would choose for our son in keep ing with a baby naming pattern we had started with Esther.

Being stubborn and rebbelious, i challenged him for the sake of it. Then i came to work, got on to google and my online bible and became immediately convinced too of the appropriateness and relevance of this name that my husband had felt in his heart - to be the right name for our son.

In the Old Testament, Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the twin brother of Esau and the father of twelve sons and a daughter. From his sons came the twelve tribes of Israel - the Israelites. God later changed Jacob's name to Israel. Other explainations of the name say that it means "may God protect" and that it means TOUGH.

All the explainations have convinced me that the name is indeed the right one! We just need to now complete the pattern and choose/ask for an appropriate Fijian name that is actually named for a close male relative so that our son has a yaca he can relate to his blood too! That though is proving to be a challenge - more later!

Preparations
Four (4) weeks from Jacobs arrival and im panicking a lot! When i had Esther, i thought people were just basking in the novelty of a female birth with all their comments of how cute girls were, how easy girls were to dress up, how much fun it would be to get them ready etc. etc.

I realise now --- 4 weeks away from delivery (have i not emphasised that enough?) - that i could be forgiven for PANICKING! Yes people, i am panicking --- boy babies are REALLY difficult to prepare for? Someone tell me again why society is gender discriminatory and prefer girls over boys? Clearly the market favours girls ---- i mean when you walk into a baby shop (not that there are any in Fiji to walk into), there are frills, laces, pink in all modes and personalities everywhere!

Wish List
So, iv shopped twice and spent close to 1000 FJD and am still not even halfway ready. In Esthers case i didnt even spend $700 and she had EVERYTHING a baby could need, everything from the necessary to the clutter!

So iv got a list of things that i still need which hopefully over the weeks i will find, borrow or buy!

I have been blessed with friends who are willing to help me get some of these things cheaply. ANd i have just been blessed PERIOD with some very very very cool relatives/inlaws who have offered to bless us with these things for free from abroad too!

Im panicking but i know panick is part and parcel of preparing for delivery. Iv been told im just too organised too and that all my documenting/spreadsheeting and blogging is running my confidence to the ground --- but here i go anyway!

Stay tuned and watch this space as i prepare to begin my two week countdown to Jacobs Day!