Weeks 5 to 8 are tough for Bubs, Mums & Dads!

Ethan chills out on the porch

Hi Everyone,

How are you all going? I hope this blog finds you and your families all well and healthy. So today is 6 weeks since Ethan's birth! And just as I think I'm getting the hang of this whole 'parenting' thing, a new surprise reveals itself. I've since discovered that weeks 5 to 8 can be pretty tough weeks for babies. It seems that during this time, there are huge growth spurts, both physically (read, bigger head, longer body, chubbier toes, fingers & thighs!) and neurologically (what you can't see, the changes in the brain). And how does Ethan respond to these growth spurts? Well mostly, he's cranky. I think he finds his changing rhythms as unsettling as I do and it's up to me and Craig to help us all survive these changes!

For all you non-parents out there, let me introduce you to the term 'Cluster Feeding'. You know what this is? It's when a breast-feeding baby constantly wants to eat as they prepare for a growth spurt. And if you're a breast feeding Mum, it means you don't get much done as you're pretty much parked in the one spot, either feeding or burping the baby. At first, I was getting really frustrated by all this but then I realised that it was actually a great opportunity to catch up on lots of reading and TV viewing. I've discovered the trick with parenting is to make the most of the situation and milk these golden opportunities for all they're worth. I keep reminding myself that in a year's time, I probably won't have much opportunity to sit down cause I'll be chasing a wild & exploring toddler!

What's even more exciting today is that I've officially reached 6 weeks post c-section, which means (hopefully!) I'll be able to drive again. Hooray! This means I won't be stuck in the house quite as much and I can visit a wider range of places. Mind you, even without the car, this hasn't stopped us exploring. For example, Ethan and I were both so house-bored yesterday that I put him into the pram and we took a 1.5 hour stroll, even picking up an Oz Lotto ticket for the $70 million draw. Obviously, we didn't win or the title of this post might be something more like OMG, OMG OMG! But since Ethan did nap for the full stroll, that's reward enough for me. See, it really is the little things in life!

Anyhow, time to go. Ethan has woken up from his nap and is somewhat bored with the scenery. Even at 6 weeks, this little boy loves variety in his routine! So until next time...

Lots of love,
Demi, Craig & Ethan.

Ethan @ 5 Weeks

Hello World! What an amazing few weeks it's been. I'm getting used to being a 'stay-at-home-Mum'. Heck, I'm getting used to being a Mum! My headspace has improved considerably. I think I just needed time and the TLC from my loved ones to help me to digest the craziness of giving birth and the madness that is parenthood!

Do you like Ethan's outfit? My Mum and his Aunties & Uncles thought it quite fitting as Ethan is a breastfed. Speaking of which, Ethan is doing very well. He's beginning to take greater interest in the world around him and I'm getting to know his personality with each new day. It turns out Ethan is a very vocal baby. And boy, I mean V.O.C.A.L! He isn't afraid to let me know when he needs me (we're talking loud demanding wails here) and as soon as he's picked up, takes keen interest in what's going on. It's not so much that he's clingy, more that Ethan doesn't like being left in the rocker, away from whatever we're up to.

Also his appetite for food is somewhat scary! The desperate and frantic "search-and-destroy" seeking of my boobs is still unnerving. I'm just relieved that teething isn't for at least another 3 months. At night, Craig and I are often woken by a lovely symphony of grunts, groans, whines & squeaks. At times, I'm not sure whether we're sleeping in the same room with a baby, chicken, dolphin or ogre. It certainly makes for interesting midnight entertaintment.

I'm still being woken up at least 2-3 times a night but oddly enough, my body has learnt to function on broken blocks of 3 hourly / 2 hourly blocks of sleep. Yes all you would-be parents out there - this is what awaits you! Despite the craziness of it all, there are still plenty of golden moments slipped in amidst the dirty nappies, baggy eyes & buckets of laundry. We're always having a laugh at Ethan's pitiful whines for attention or the strange faces he makes when milk refluxes. His interesting array of noises have a way of interjecting our subject of conversation, usually to humourous effect :D

And boy has he grown! I swear in the last week, his head somehow expanded in size and he's nearly filling out his bath. When we first put him in 5 weeks ago, he looked so lost in that tub of water. Now it won't be long before he takes up the whole length! Luckily for us, we've got plenty of clothes for the next stage. Double '00' - here we come! (For those of you not in the know, the '00' refers to baby clothing size. The fewer 0s there are, the bigger the size of baby clothes.)

Is it all worth it? Hell yes.

Lots of love,
Demi, Craig & Ethan.

On-Call Mum & Dad

My New On-Call Job

When I worked as a radiographer, I used to be on-call for Greenslopes Hospital. In the middle of the night, I would be jarred awake by my ringing mobile. Then I would sleepily drag my arse out of bed, into my car and off to work. These days, I'm jarred awake by a completely different sound - that of my crying 3 week old baby. But unlike being on-call for work, it won't end after 3 or 4 days. As of now, I'm On-Call indefinitely!

This week has been a hard one. My Mum & siblings left on Sunday and naturally, I miss them dearly. For the last fortnight, they've been a huge help to me. My Mum & Siobhan tamed my much-neglected wilderness-of-a-garden while Sharlene, Erin & Aidan were invaluable babysitters. My Mum pretty much organised all my meals and fed me delicious Asian-goodness to help boost my energy. She also reorganised my pantry, brought us heaps of goodies to better organise both house and Ethan's nursery. I'm just filled with so much gratitude. I hope that one day, I can return the favour and look after my family, the way they look after me.

This Tuesday, Craig returned to work and suddenly, the house felt horribly empty. Ironically, the spaciousness of my house contrasts against the confinement of not being able to drive, because of my post c-section. It'll be another 3 weeks before I can drive again. The adjustment has not been easy. Yes, there have been tears. My full-time career, independent wanderings in my car, trips to Langri Tangpa Buddhist Centre and my Buddhist Studies have all come to an abrupt halt. Compounding all this is sleep-deprevation.

For the last three days, I've been searching the Web & Books for answers to improving Ethan's sleep. Like On-Call radiography, I never know when he'll need me, but I'm determined to do all I can to ensure he gets as much sleep and nourishment as possible. Slowly, I'm settling into this new role. I'm a 24/7 Mum now, for the rest of my life. My days and nights revolve around Ethan's needs but with each new day, I'm settling into the job and learning to find small pockets of joy, sprinkled amidst the mundaneness of Mummyhood. There's a lot more poo, pee & vomit than I bargained for. But at least it's by my son and not patients at work, hehe.


I remind myself that these moments are fleeting and brief. It's become my new goal to try and take some more photos while Ethan's still so little. Already, I see his belly filling out and before long, he'll become all chubby and big. Yep, his newborn days are nearly behind us. So I better capture these moments and mindfully enjoy them, while I still can.

Some of my favourite moments so far: Our midday baby massage. An afternoon dance to some of my favourite songs. Reading a bedtime story to him while he feeds. His reflex smile as he tries to fall asleep. And this might be kinda gross... but there's something oddly hypnotic about his cherry lips, locked onto my boob... (Again, sorry if I grossed anyone out. You have my permission to vomit - but not on me.)

It makes it all worthwhile especially for the hard times, like when he groans and cries for me in the dead of the night. Even as I reluctantly give up my sleep and drag myself out of bed, I somehow find the energy to attend to my baby.

Yours truly,
Demi.