the hang of it - maybe

I am 7 1/2 weeks into being a mom of 2 boys and I think I might finally be able to handle it! (although now that I have it in writing something is bound to go awry!) Last Monday we went to the pediatrician for Elias' 6 week check-up and we told him the issues that Elias was having with reflux. He gave us losec and it really seems to be working. Elias is in his crib sleeping now! I was also able to put him down during the day 3 days this week! What a blessing!

I think part of the reason I am doing so well is I have had a lot of help. Jeff (my middle brother) was here this week and Caleb had a blast playing with him. So during the day I really only worried about Elias. Jeff is here for a month, but is off exploring other parts of Australia. We will meet up with him in Sydney in a couple of weeks and then at some point he will come back to Canberra for a bit. I think he is going to see more of Australia in 1 month than we are in 2 years. It has been so great seeing him! I love having family in the house! In 3 weeks Marc and Betty (Brian's parents) will be here, we can't wait!

Elias had his first smile last week, on his 6 week birthday. Everyday he smiles more and more. It is so fun to see his personality come out. He seems to be more calm than Caleb - as he puts up with a lot of Caleb's antics. Caleb loves to play with Elias. He is always taking Elias's hands and making him wave at me, ("Hi Meghan!" - how funny is it that Caleb makes Elias call me Meghan and not mommy!) showing him how to clap, or how to hit the animals on his bouncer. Caleb also loves to give Elias big hugs and do tummy time with him. Elias has yet to whine or cry when Caleb does any of this. He just looks at Caleb and smiles :) I really hope that they can continue to develop a good relationship!

Other than the craziness in the house not too much is going on here. It is the dead of winter, so it is pretty cold. Unfortunately I think I have gotten too used to Canberra weather and I am freezing when it is 50 degrees out! I know I will be in for a shock when we get back to MD winters!

We went to the embassy to celebrate the 4th of July. They had jumping castles and slides for the kids. It was of course an American themed party, so there was batting cages, hot dogs, hamburgers, American movies and music playing. It was nice to go, but very cold since it was all outdoors!

We are coming up on our 1 year anniversary of being in Australia. It has been a great year! But now it is almost time to start making plans to head home. I love it here, but I miss my family and friends in MD a lot!

1st week alone

This was my first week of having the boys on my own during the day. My parents were here for 3 weeks and it was a great visit! We showed them around Canberra but also spend a good amount of time at home. They were so helpful! My dad played with Caleb and Caleb completely wore him out each night! My mom was so helpful with Elias. It really helped me recover from surgery. Plus it had been 10 months since I had seen them, so it was so good seeing them. 3 weeks was not long enough, I miss them so much already!

So Monday morning came and I was pretty nervous. I was starting to get the feeling that Elias had reflux. He was starting to show a lot of the signs that Caleb had when he had reflux as an infant. He will not sleep on his back during the day, when I put him on his back, no matter what the state of sleep he is in, he wakes up almost immediately. So, he wants to be carried all day, unless he is in his car seat. He also needs to be upright after a feed, or he will vomit. Also I notice he spits up a good bit, but will swallow it back down. So I was afraid that Caleb would not be ok with me holding Elias all day. Luckily Caleb has been wonderful! I have tried to keep to the same routine as before Elias was born (Monday - playgroup, Tuesday - Bible study, Wednesday - MOPS or library, Thursday - library if we don't go wednesday, Friday - free). He really enjoyed introducing everyone at playgroup to Elias. He also did really well at MOPS. When I told him we were going that morning, he cried and then cried again when I dropped him off. But luckily the Pastor of our church was in the toddler room and Caleb really enjoyed playing with him. I even heard him squealing from the other room! It was such a relief and an answer to prayer!

I took Elias to a GP on Tuesday to get medicine for the reflux and he gave me a prescription. So far I don't know how well it is working. I can put him down while he is awake in the bouncer or propped up on the boppy. But he still will not sleep on his back during the day. We go to the pediatrician on Monday for his 6 week check-up and if things still have not improved I might ask for a stronger medicine. I love my cuddle time with Elias, but holding him all day is really taxing.

Here is a picture of the 6 of us at the hotel in Sydney before my parents left. Also a picture of Caleb and Elias. Caleb really loves Elias! he is really sweet with him and includes him in almost all parts of his day, making sure he goes everywhere we go and doing all we do! In the picture he is making Elias wave at the camera :) The last is Elias (5 weeks) - almost smiling it was after a sneeze. I think a real smile is not too far away.

Welcome Elias

Elias William Charmatz is here! My c-section took place last Tuesday, May 17. Elias was born at 2:36pm, he weighed 6 lbs 13 oz, and was 17 3/4 inches. We had to arrive at the hospital at 9am and I had some blood taken. Then we were given a room and we just sat and waited until we were taken back for the surgery. The anesthesiologist and my OB did a fantastic job!

The funniest thing about the Cesar (what they call a c-section here) was when they lowered the curtain to show us Elias for the first time he peed on me! I could not believe he came out of the womb peeing! Then when the pediatrician took him examine him, he peed on the pediatrician too!

I was worried that I would be given too much medicine like Caleb's birth. But I was given the perfect amount. The day after the surgery I was out of the bed and walking around on my own. with Caleb I was not able to get out of bed for at least 2 days and I was not mobile on my own until the day before I left the hospital. This time once I was out of bed I was moving fine. It is amazing to me how well my body could recover when I only had the surgery and not the labor. My blood pressure has been high, which is odd for me, it is never something that I have struggled with. I also somehow hurt my shoulder. I am seeing a midwife tomorrow about the blood pressure, hopefully it has gone down!

Elias is wonderful. He is nursing really well which is such a blessing. Caleb did not nurse well until he was over 2 months old. For the most part Elias is sleeping well too, although he has a good amount of gas. So nights have been a bit of a struggle. Last night he was up from 3:30am-6:30am. Then of course he had a wonderful day. Hopefully tonight will be better!

Caleb and Brian visited us in the hospital twice a day. Elias gave Caleb a present each day he came. Caleb has taken to Elias very well! He loves to give him hugs and kisses. He gets upset when Elias cries, especially when I change his diaper. He says "no hurting". He also asks where Elias is when he does not see him. It is so sweet! I am hoping all the good feelings toward his brother will last!

My parents come in on Saturday, 5 days! I can't wait to see them!

Here is the last pic of me pregnant. The anesthesiologist told me I had quite a bump and the baby was bursting to get out! I agreed! Then one of our sweet Elias.

The night before

Tomorrow is the big day! After months of waiting and lots of conversations tomorrow we will meet our new baby boy, Elias! As I have written before I really struggled with wether to try for a v-bac or do a planned c-section. Last Tuesday Brian and I had a long talk with my OB about how the baby was looking and if the v-bac was a viable option. She wanted me to wait until 37 weeks to make a decision. She checked where the baby was and he was not in my pelvis anymore like he was the week before. It also looked like he is going to be at least as big as Caleb. So she said that realistically my chances of having a successful v-bac are slim. She said we could wait until I go into labor and see how it goes and then decide wether to do the c-section then. But my recovery from the c-section will be better if I just do the surgery without any labor. So Brian and I decided that the planned c-section was the best option for me. I go in at 9am and the baby will be out by 2:30! My OB has 2 c-sections for tomorrow and I don't know if I am first or second.

I have so many feelings about tomorrow. I am nervous about the surgery, I know the recovery will be tough. I am also nervous about Caleb's reaction to Elias. Will he be jealous of the time I will have to spend with Elias? Will he act out to get my attention? Or will he adapt to the new situation? Will I be a good mother to 2 kids? Will I manage time with my boys fairly? Do I remember how to care for a newborn? Will Elias have as many problems as Caleb did? And if he does, how can I deal with that and a 2 year old? But I am also so excited to meet Elias! I can't wait to see what his personality is going to be like. I wonder if he will be similar to Caleb or completely opposite. I am really looking forward to going through all the baby stages with a new baby! When will he roll over, stand, crawl walk, talk? I can't wait to find out!

I also can't wait to see my parents! They are coming in the 28th. It has been 10 months since I have seen them. We skype every week, but it is not the same as seeing them. I miss them terribly! I am so excited to spend 3 weeks with them!

Brian will be off work starting tomorrow for 2 weeks. I have stocked our fridge with leftovers from the last 2 nights of meals and the freezer with meals as well. I will be in hospital 5 days. So I think Brian and Caleb will be ok while I am there (at least as far as food is concerned). Our church is taking care of meals for us when I get out of hospital until my parents arrive. I am so grateful we have found such a caring church!

Well, here we go again! I hope Elias is ready!

a new perspective and Easter

I am 35 weeks now and I feel like the baby is coming so soon now! I feel enormous and the baby has dropped and it feels like he is sitting on my bladder. I also am starting to have some lower back pain when I walk or stand too much. I know it sounds like a lot of complaints but I am very happy and content that Elias is where he is! Over the past couple of weeks a few things have happened to us and friends that has given me a new perspective. One of my friends lost her baby, another gave birth to a preemie at 32 weeks, and we also found out officially that we will only be here in Australia for 2 years. These things have made me realize that my baby is exactly where he should be and he is growing the way he should (or he would not be giving me the pains he does). I have also tried harder to slow down and enjoy the experiences that I have here. I have made some wonderful, supportive friends here and I live in a beautiful country and now that it is fall going outside is stunning with all the fall colors!

Brian has a much deserved 5 day weekend now. The Australian government celebrates Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Anzac day (their version of veteran's day) this weekend. The last 2 months have been very busy for Brian at work. He has had a lot of extra work and had to work longer hours. So hopefully he can relax a good bit this weekend. That being said, we decided to use a lot of the time to get ready for Elias's arrival. We finished the nursery today, and did a couple loads of baby laundry. Tomorrow we are dropping off my car for some routine maintenance, so we don't have to worry about that later. We are also going to install the infant car seat and move more toys/organize the toys in the playroom. We are also going to try to go on a hospital tour tomorrow, they only run them when they have adequate nurse staff to spare. The last 2 weeks we have tried to go they said it was too busy and they could not do it. Hopefully it will be on tomorrow! It sounds like a lot of work but we have a bit of fun planned too, we are going to go bowling while the car is being worked on and Brian is going to watch Caleb while I get a pedicure one day this weekend too :)

This weekend more importantly is also Easter. We are having a family over from the embassy, "the girls" as Caleb calls them for Easter dinner. I am going to cook the traditional Easter ham with au gratin potatoes and whatever green vegetable looks good in the store this afternoon when I pick up the other stuff. I am happy to have a full house for Easter, it is such a joyful holiday! It does not seem to be a big celebration here. I asked the ladies in my Bible study how it is celebrated here and they did not really have an answer. They did say that they eat chocolate eggs and have Easter baskets. Also the stores have been selling hot cross buns for a couple of months now, which by the way are delicious! They have a lot of different flavors, raisin, chocolate, chocolate coffee, yum! It is not a big church holiday, they don't dye eggs or dress up. But they do get a 5 day weekend and school holidays are on now (they last 2 weeks) so a lot of people go away.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, remember to celebrate the true meaning, the resurrection of our Savior!

Here are some pictures of the nursery. Elias will be in the pack and play for a month or so while Caleb still occupies the crib, but as you can see it has a bassinet, so it will work out fine. The decorations are all decals since we can't paint. Brian picked the theme this time :p

mothering confusion

These last few weeks have been tough in the Charmatz household. Brian has had a busy month at work, I have been on restrictions, and Caleb has picked up on the differences in the house.

Brian has been wonderful helping around the house when he can. He has done all the laundry and cleaning. He even took over Caleb's swim lessons for a couple of weeks. Caleb loves swimming with daddy! I have felt really bad for him, he has had a lot going on at work and then he has to come home and do extra work at home. But he has not complained once, he is amazing!

The restrictions have worked. I have not had any contractions since I was in the hospital, so it has been about 5 weeks now! I tried to hire a mother's helper to come in on Friday mornings, but I don't think it is going to work out, we can't seem to sync up our schedules. I have been able to keep up most of our activities since I can sit most places we go. So we still do playgroup on Mondays, Bible study on Tuesdays, and MOPS or library on Wednesday. I have another appointment tomorrow. At my last appointment the OB was very happy with how things were going and said that I should be off restrictions at 32 weeks. I will be 32 weeks Wednesday :)

Caleb unfortunately has felt the changes the most. Ever since I was in the hospital he has been very clingy. He does not want me out of his sight and when he is approached by new people he cries. The worst is at MOPS. He does not want me to leave him in the toddler room and will cry continually after I leave. The last 2 times he has come out and sat on my lap for the majority of the time. Last week has has started getting restless in the house and his new favorite activity is throwing his toys. He has also started screaming at me/Brian when he is angry. I know these are all phases, but it is tough to deal with. We are also having more potty confusion. But I won't go into that now. Hopefully as time goes on and things continue to calm down so will Caleb. Being a mother can be quite confusing!

On the positive side we finally have a name for the baby! We are going to name him Elias William. Elias is a variation on the name Elijah, meaning The Lord is my God. William is my Grandfather, Dad, and brother's middle name. Now that we have a name I have started ordering decorations for the baby's room. I am not ready for him to come yet, but I am getting closer! 8 more weeks!

Here are some recent pictures of the family. The first 2 are Brian and Caleb enjoying March madness (Brian has his hand up so he cannot see the score of the game, the video was on delay). Some people have asked for a bump picture, so here I am at 31 1/2 weeks. I am frightened that I will still get a lot bigger! eek!

26 week curse

So as many of you already know I was put into the hospital this week with contractions. On Thursday morning, while I was feeding Caleb breakfast I started to feel some cramping. I decided to pay closer attention and time the cramps and realized that they were coming every 5 minutes (so not cramps, contractions!). They also started to get stronger and I realized I had to start breathing through them. At that point I decided to call Brian and my OB. The OB said to come in and she would see me first thing. She checked the baby and everything was fine, but she did say that my cervix was soft. Since I have been seeing her all along she knows that our family is not in the area. So she called the hospital and had me admitted. She knew sending me home and telling me to go on bed rest was not going to happen. So Brian picked me and Caleb up and we went to the hospital. They gave me meds to stop the contractions and steroids for the baby's lungs just in case the baby was adamant about coming out. We called a friend and she came and picked up Caleb for a few hours while Bri and I got things sorted out at the hospital. After things started to settle down some Brian picked up Caleb and went home. The night did not go well, after the contractions stopped I started getting horrible constant abdominal pains. The nurses tried to give me meds to help but they did nothing. I only got about 3 hours of sleep. But the next morning I started to feel better. Gradually the abdominal pains went away. The nurses monitored the baby the whole time and he did not seem to realize anything was going on. They just kept commenting about how active he is. Friday early evening my OB came to the hospital to check on me and since my contractions and pains had gone she let me go home. She knew Brian would be home the next 2 days.

I am calling this the 26 week curse because the same thing happened with Caleb at the same time. After a very long work day I started contractions at 26 weeks with Caleb. My OB did not put me in the hospital, but I was put on the same meds to stop them. I was on them for 5 weeks and they made me sick. I was also on restricted activity, I had to teach from a chair, and I was not allowed to do any housework at home.

This time it is a bit harder. The system is a bit different here, they will only give you the meds in the hospital so they can monitor it. I have been put on restricted activity again, which makes sense. I am not allowed to carry Caleb any distance, but I can lift him into the crib, car, etc. I am allowed to cook, but that is about all the housework I can do. I am allowed to go to playgroup, MOPS, and Bible study. But no swim lessons for awhile.

Luckily Caleb decided to stay for a lot longer and ended up coming 4 days early. Hopefully this baby will do the same. I have come to the conclusion that since it has happened twice now at the exact same time I don't think it is the baby. I think for some reason my body decides that at 26 weeks it is done being pregnant and I need to remind it that we still have awhile longer.

Since I left the hospital I have continued to feel better. I have not had anymore contractions and am in no pain. If however they do come back, my OB said I will be back in the hospital.

Brian has been wonderful through all of this! He has fully taken over the housework. He took 2 days off work to be at home with Caleb while I was in the hospital. He has been playing with him so I can have time off my feet. He is such a great father and husband. I am so lucky to have him!

Thanks for all your prayers and support! 13 weeks to go!