Meeting our newest family member

We hired a van so we could all go to Wangaratta meet my niece. My Mum also came with us as it was an 8 seater.
The best air con on another sweltering 40 degree+ day.


My niece is absolutely adorable.


The kids enjoyed playing with toys and we kept cool.



We even had a cake and everyone sang me Happy Birthday! The kids each had a cupcake and blew out candle too.



The cousins together....



With 3 cameras on them, we tried to capture the cousins together.


I think the kids were very patient to allow a picture with bub crying. You can see J worrying too.



We left in the evening and had to stop three times. (We usually don't stop unless hubby needs a powernap. 2.5hour drive). J was screaming which was very unusual for him. Had a cuddle and feed. Then about halfway Av was crying because he was cold! And needed the toilet. Just as we were almost home my eldest son was busting so much he flew out the door and fell to the ground before heading to a tree!

Cot

We put the cot up last night.

Looks a little surprised and overwhelmed!

Big brother looks over J in the bassinet in cot!
He slept in the cot during the day. Its been so hot. Just recently he prefers sleeping on his own during the day, usually on our bed, rather than in arms. At night he sleeps 10 hours in the bassinet. After all the stigma attached to co -sleeping I felt unsure of co-sleeping with my eldest, was confident though with my second child and we co-slept til he was 2.5years (then he went to sleep with his 5 year old sister). My third cried til I put him in the cot at night. Now with J, he sleeps through and loves his space at night. Its interesting how different children can be(and I love it cos you know people are not all the same either...)

Hot!

What to do when it gets to 40 degrees? Fill the birth pool, of course (everyone should have one).

Beach

My youngest went to the beach for the first time last night.

Its been quite hot in Melbourne this week, apparently the hottest in 100 years.

I think we all enjoyed the cool down.

Eureka Australia Day

There is nowhere else I want to live but Melbourne. Though wish it had less people.



We took the kids to see the city from a great height. 88 levels in 38 seconds.



A few years back we went up the Rialto, this time the Eureka Towers.




We tried to take it easy as with 4 kids in the city and stress don't mix well.



It was so busy and crowded but we tried to ignore all that! We watched the duck race which was not very exciting.



..... .........

Flamme singlet

Quite happy with how this cotton knitted up. 5mm with Flamme cotton.
About size 1-2 years.

Australia rocks!

I love living in Australia. I like reading about other places but I have no desire to travel outside our country. It would be great to travel the country by car one day. I still feel its the luckiest country.



And of course we have the best music.

Introducing my niece

My brother and his wife welcomed their second daughter at 2:30pm
24th January 2008.



She looks different to her sister, chubbier and darker.
I look forward to meeting her.

FotoFriday - Spot the real baby

Brotherly Love

My two eldest boys are fighting a lot. They play together sometimes getting along so lovingly but mostly fighting. *Sigh* My eldest is quite sensitive and likes quiet playing. My middle son prefers to wrestle and play rough.
.


My eldest enjoys playing with his baby brother. Its lovely to see.

J is four months

Just lazing around at four months. With them big feet! We saw the MCHN just to check weight and get letter for registering J's birth.

J's MCH check up was fine. Helen was the nurse.
Oh you are demand feeding? (as was written on J's history).
How is that going? Good.
So how often is he feeding? (Huh?) He is demand fed.
So every 4 hours? Well it varies...2,3,4 hrs whenever he wants it. (Do I really have to explain demand feeding?!!)
Then she asked about immunisation.
He's fully immunised?
No.
You haven't started yet?
No we will delay.
Oh okay that's personal preference.
Yes.
So any reason why? Are the older kids immunised?
My older 2 are.
So did something happen to change your mind?
Yes my eldest son had a reaction. (My husband said YEAH! as if to say vaxxing is evil and went on to say we are educated so end discussion.) He suffered with severe eczema after.
Oh but eczema is not caused by the needles.
Well it triggered it.
Well the risks of vaxxing outweigh the risks of the reactions.
Hmmm. (Yeah don't want to argue with you)
Its a personal preference.
Yep.

And still don't have the letter from our nurse. Frustrating. Would like J's birth registered asap.

Weight 8040grams.

Punk In singlet

T & J
Originally uploaded by inakid

Singlet knitted in pumpkin colour cotton with 5mm needle.
Just fits! Size would fit average 6-12mths.

Watch Wednesday

Introducing my nephew

Yet to meet him but apparently he is a big boy and looks like his father.
Born 14th January 2009

The year of babies continues. My brother is expecting his second child any time now.

2009 -The year of Birth Trauma Awareness

2009 – The year of Birth Trauma Awareness

Enough is enough.

We will no longer stand by while our sisters, partners, friends and babies are mutilated and traumatised.

The silence ends now.

What can you do to be part of this community effort?


Follow your passion in this three stranded project. We need to talk about:


How to avoid birth trauma.

How to heal from birth trauma.

How to raise awareness about birth trauma.

* put a birth trauma awareness sticker on your car, pram, bicycle helmet, letterbox, gate, fence, front door
* sew a birth trauma awareness patch on your sling or wrap
* put your traumatic birth pics on youtube with appropriate captions raising awareness
* drop off JB pamphlets and info on normal physiological birth to your local medical centre
* tell someone about your birth trauma
* write a letter to your daily, local or national newspaper
* talk to your community group, ABA group, mothers' group however casually you like
* tell your GP if you have one
* tell your natural therapists and give them some JB brochures
* write and share your own traumatic birth stories as well as your beautiful birth stories
* work at healing yourself - you're worth it!
* take a few pamphlets everywhere just in case the need arises
* say “Birthrape is real" on mainstream internet forums
* change your sig to something supportive of BTAY on mainstream forums
* put a link to JB on your website, blog, community group website or anywhere else you can
* host a showing of BOBB in your local area and invite the newspapers
* go to anything women-related and talk about birth trauma - WEL, CWA, IWD.....
* do some community-minded graffiti or even a mural!
* write stuff on toilet walls in maternity hospitals
* do some Wiki edits
* put a birth trauma quote in your email sig
* ring the radio when talkback time is on and talk about your experience of traumatic birth
* do an essay at uni about it if you can, or a tutorial presentation
* Join forces! Get involved with your other local homebirth and maternity groups. Volunteer your time, and bounce ideas off others


Use these slogans, or write your own.


Birth trauma happens. Has it happened to you?

Birth trauma happens. It happened to me.

Birth trauma happens - deal with it!

Birth trauma happens. So does healing.

Break the silence around hospital violence

Avoid birth trauma - birth at home

Hire a surgeon, get surgery.

Women have human rights too.

Birth trauma deserves our attention.

Birth trauma deserves your attention.

Does birthrape offend you? Good.

Yes means yes, no means no,
However we dress, wherever we go -
And that means in hospitals too!

Did your rapist wear a mask and gown? Mine did.

Episiotomy is genital mutilation.

Doctors, what do you do when a woman says no?

Midwives, what do you do when a woman says no?

I own my body and I give birth.

Epidurals are a pain in the back.

Fingers, forceps, hands, ventouse, baby - which one belongs in a vagina?

Did you feel your caesarean? I did.

Women say no to birth intervention and yes to powerful birthing!

Better a yummy mummy than a numb mummy. Say no to epidurals.

Drugs in birth? Just say NO!


Healthy babies deserve healthy mothers.


Health means more than alive.

Avoid birth trauma - manage your own birth.

Birth trauma is not a baby's choice.

Birthrape on demand, a surgeon's right to choose.

My body, my birth, my choice.

Birthrape - happening at a hospital near you.

Birth trauma - coming to a woman near you.

You deserve a great birth so stay home.

Unwanted interventions = birth trauma.

Vaginal exams without consent are rape.

Birth is not a medical condition. Leave women alone.

Birth is not surgeons' business.
Birth is women's business.

Consent is not consent when it’s obtained by lying or coercion.

The “dead baby” card does not obtain consent. It coerces women.

Did you know birth trauma can make women suicidal?

Did you know birth trauma happens?

Have you heard of birthrape?

Coerced surgery is human rights abuse. Women and babies deserve respect.

Forced caesareans are the ultimate violation of women’s human rights.

Doctors are not gods. Midwives are not gods.
Women can run their own lives.



Posters:

If We Say No....




Stop Birthrape!



Birth trauma resources on our website: http://www.joyousbirth.info/birthtrauma.html


Birth trauma area on our forums: http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=93

__________________

Pumpkin shoaker

J in shoaker
Originally uploaded by inakid

I haven't knitted for several months I think, since before I had J. He is growing so rapidly and needs a night cover. I really like the shoaker pattern so tried casting on 86sts (opposed to 72sts) to make it hopefully fit longer. I used organic 10ply merino.