Hello… It’s me and Baby C.

Hello, let’s rewind back a couple of months (sorry!) to early June (still only mid-year gosh). Baby C was about six months old, and we just had news from husband’s orthopaedic specialist that he needed to have the tendon repaired to his right ankle urgently (as it was hanging by a thread!). I found out later that same week my surgery had been booked only days before husbands. I was adamant I wasn’t going to have any more pregnancies or babies, and that I was well and truly DONE! So, I saw my specialist weeks prior, who recommended tubal ligation (tie the tubes up in knots, so no more babies could get in or out). Little did we know that husband was going to be immobilised in a moon boot for many weeks, and not be able to drive for at least eight weeks (specialist said maybe a few weeks depending on how the surgery goes…)

I managed to get through my day surgery (just), had more work done (not a tummy tuck unfortunately), and had a lot more pain than was expected for this type of procedure. Saw my specialist afterwards and he said, “We had to do a bit of work to separate some of the bowel that was stuck to the tubes. It was a bit of a mess in there, but you shouldn’t have much pain”… I recall thinking NO! the ‘endo’ (endometriosis, my worst enemy) is back. Not being able to feed Baby C for twenty-four hours after the procedure, due to the anaesthetic drugs I had in my system; here I was a drowsy overflowing jersey cow, with a sore bloated gut…

No time to feel sorry for myself, only days later husband had to go in for his surgery. Luckily it went well and he didn’t lose his ankle (damn those two decades of being a soccer goalie). Funnily enough husband remembers a very tall certain female pro-basket baller (later our nanny) in the hospital having surgery to her ankle on the same day too. “What a spin out”, said the freaked out husband. I thought he would be staying overnight in the hospital, but I had an unexpected phone call from a staff member saying my husband was ready to be picked up? Still hobbling around myself, busy with the girls and Baby C, I managed to get husband, get home and deal with the next problem at hand; getting husband comfortable and dealing with the heavy moon-boot and crutches (which husband hated)…. I have to say Baby C was a very good baby that week, cut his first tooth and said lots of great da-da words all day long.

Mind you my stomach wasn’t much better, in the shower (much) later that night, I realised my belly button wound dressing had come apart (sorry I have to share the puss story). I pressed on the area and all this gross puss came oozing out (I know it’s YUK!). No time to go back to the specialist with Baby C and the incapacitated husband, I managed to clean it up and use a good antiseptic to clear up the infection (what a good nurse?), days later it looked slightly better. Weeks later at my follow up appointment with the specialist, I had to have the wounds checked and I think some non dis-solvable sutures removed. It still didn’t look great, where years later I could still feel part of the suture that was missed deep in the scar line, due to the swelling that was present on the day of the review (I know, gross right?).

Well, we can all have a laugh about those crazy weeks, we made it through as we always do. Mind you I was going to throw my husband in the rubbish bin, if he didn’t start driving again. It took nearly eight LONG weeks… I recall my husband writing in his journal, “Wife and I are at our wits ends with each other, I guess due to us being together ALL the time since my surgery. It is weird cause it’s for minor stuff really, like I commented that I turned the baby monitor on that morning, and wife sarcastically said, “Thanks for checking on me!” The moon-boot is really quite f’d, sick of being stuck at home, back to work soon before we get truly sick of each other.”….

Thankfully the bad times always precede the good, and is generally the case with our family life. Weeks later we were able to enjoy our girls with their activities, and watch Baby C start standing and then walking around all the furniture right before our eyes. Before we knew it, he was about to turn the big ONE! I believe it’s such a wonderful milestone to celebrate, not only for the little one involved, but for the parents and family involved too. As we all know it takes a ‘community’ to raise a happy and centred child, where it’s a milestone for everyone to enjoy (and secretly think thank goodness that’s done now…)

After having Baby C, we certainly could tell the difference (than apart from the obvious) when it comes to raising boys and girls. The girls were gentle, quiet and sat for long period of time; quite happy looking at story books, toys and drawing things. Baby C on the other hand was loud, rough and barely ever wanted to sit still (thank-you to who-ever invented the ‘Jolly Jumper’ is all I can say). So, on that note, we had a big first birthday celebration with lots of music, food and laughter; the weekend just after his actual b’day. Along with Baby C’s squeals of delight, he loved his special red car cake, with the number one candle on the top of the roof (thanks to all and again sweet Kelly- number one cake decorator!) It was a great day and Baby C (graduated to Mister C now) slept like an angel that night- all night…(the parents certainly did too)…

A word from Mister C…

Wednesday was a sad day. ‘Daffodil’ the sweet budgie was swept away with the bad winds, (yes! silly me forgot to bring her back inside before I went out). Her cage was swept up, plants and clothes on the rack were knocked around (I know it’s not as bad as the fires at present, but sad enough for our family)… Mister C and big sister were sad, both shed a tear and Mister C said, “You know Mummy, ‘Daffy’ will be OK, she can join all the other birdies out there, and have some fun flying from branch to branch”…(Husband did comment, “I thought the bird chirped too much and too loudly and was a general annoyance; but had to pretend to be sad for the sake of the kids”…) Thursday big sister was sad about ‘Daffy’, I mentioned going for a look at the local pet shop and both kids squealed with delight! I asked Mister C what he would like to call our new budgie. Mister C replied, ” I think it should be called ‘cloud’, it’s as white as one you know!” After a few different names, we all finally agreed on ‘Pearly’. So, introducing ‘Pearly’, our new white baby budgie, nearly three months old, very cute…

Stay tuned…

For lots of Mister C squeals of delight, to lots of baby talking and walking perfected into RUNNING. Mister C’s escapes (and attempted escapes) out the front door, with more infections and oral abs to hold off those nasty ripe ‘raspberries’…