These little booties (or beauties!) were on top of a present from Auntie Jode, Uncle Mick and Cooper.  They are made of paper and could almost fit Ella’s rather long (but still little) feet!

The stats on Ella:

• born at 9:55pm.
• weight: 7lb 10oz, or 3465 grams
• length: 52cm
• head circumference: 35cm

With two boys that made their way into the world very quickly, we were pretty much on standby, suitcase packed and in the car at all times and the birth suite numbers not quite memorised, but always close at hand!  Ella didn’t disappoint – we arrived at the hospital at 8:06pm…  In time to walk straight into a birthing suite!  All I can say about the next hour and a bit – the gas is good!  :)

While uneventful for the most part, in the last half an hour before she was born, her heart rate was dropping quite a bit, getting as low as 92 and the midwives were giving her only a limited time to continue along as she was.  Oh, and they confiscated my gas thingy…  This I was not happy about at all!  Thankfully, she arrived quickly and we just missed out on going down the path of alternative birth plans…  Much like what we went through with Owen.  Watching more people come into the birthing suite was an all too familiar situation, even though Owen is now 4 and a half!

Ella didn’t cry but looked around the room at all the faces with those huge eyes – I’m assuming she was in shock over what she had just been through!  I’m sure there is a very good reason none of us can remember being born…!  She was checked over by the pediatrician and given the all clear but for a small amount of fluid on her lungs.  As to the heart rate dropping, the pediatrician put it down to her speedy entry into the world, so nothing to worry about.

Her first night was spent in the nursery, with the nurses keeping a watch over her while she continued to get rid of the excess fluid in her lungs, and I was supposedly having a decent night of rest without the responsibility of a newborn right beside my bed.  That didn’t happen, of course.  I spent the night just waiting for sleep to come my way… and it did not!  Probably because I was waiting all night for them to bring her back to me for a feed.  This also did not happen, until 6am!  I guess all the excitement wore her out :)

I had initially thought that I would stay as long as possible in hospital, you know, to have a holiday of sorts before going home to the reality of three kids under 5, but all the hospital noises and other babies crying (and some new mothers) left us both sleep deprived and sick of living in the hospital – after only 24 hours!  Since we both got the approval to be discharged, and seeing as though Ella wasn’t a first child, we were allowed to go home on Wednesday afternoon.

first sleep at home

Needless to say, Wednesday night was a peaceful (and sleep filled) one for all of us.  There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed.  And there is nothing like a newborn who is very good to her parents, only waking twice a night for a short feed, nappy update and then back to the business of sleeping!

And how are the Big Brothers dealing with having a little sister?  They think she is hilarious, and Owen wants her to be awake constantly so he can talk to her.  Try explaining to an impatient four year old that a sleeping baby is a good thing!!!  Reuben continues to “pat” her, like any one year old would – hard!  We have had to separate their car seats and put Owen in the middle so as Ella doesn’t end up with “pat marks” all over her head!  All in all, she is fitting in easily and well with the rest of the Harvey’s.

The hardest thing at the moment: Getting three kids in and out of their car seats in under 20 minutes!

The most frequent question I have been asked since we have been home:  What’s it like having three?  Great, actually!   However, Owen being that little bit older is really good.  He can help out quite a bit and isn’t too old to not want to – yet!  Reuben dealing with not being the baby anymore was our main concern before Ella was born, but he has taken Ella in his stride and other than the “patting” and a little bit of whining (which could have something to do with two pesky teeth that are trying to push through) he’s doing great too. Ella is an easy baby (so far) which has really helped to keep things pretty normal around our house and I think that has helped the boys out a lot.

Reuben pointing out her eyes

So we think we will keep her.  She’s a little bit cute and I can’t wait until she shows us her smile.  In the meantime, I am trying to adsorb all that baby-ness while I can!

Right…

Tomorrow is this baby Harvey #3’s due date.

And I am still doing my beached whale impression and it’s not pretty.  Seriously.

Not.  Happy.  Jan!

And no, I AM NOT HAVING TWINS.

And yes, I am due tomorrow.  Really?!  YES!!!!!!!!!!!

And no, I am not sure what this baby is, even though we were told, I’m not trusting the scan.  Call me pessimistic.  I don’t care.  All I know is, that I am prepared for this baby to be a surprise, even though it shouldn’t be.

~~~

Tomorrow is also our little nephew, Cooper’s first birthday party (his birthday is the 1st February).

Jodie’s plan as of yesterday:  Meegan to have this baby and be home again in time for the party tomorrow.

Doesn’t look like that’s going to happen Jode!

Although…  I would definitely welcome a pass on the party to have this baby and it not to share a birthday with Cooper – they deserve to have their birth day all to themselves!

Cooper (with Jode and Mick) could come visit us in hospital instead maybe???!!!

~~~

Instead of having this baby, baking cookies, eating lots, and attempting to keep my puffy legs and feet elevated while still keeping the boys somewhat out of trouble is what I’m doing.

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?!

How many times/ways can to tell this child to HURRY UP????!!!!

Today...

While we have been offline, moved states and houses etc etc etc, I haven’t kept up my usual #3 updates on the blog.  Actually, looking back, I haven’t posted at all since my very last obstetrician appointment in Sydney!  I can’t say a lot has happened since then, unless you count turning into a ginormous blob and becoming more impatient with every day that passes!

Since we knew that we were coming back to Brisbane, and would be living close enough to have this baby at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital, I could not see the point in finding a new private obstetrician, when the care is fantastic at the RW, and familiar since that is where Owen was born and I had the first few months of Reuben’s pregnancy in their care as well.

Apart from the horrendous waiting times (some days it’s been more than 2.5 hours), going to the RW and seeing a specialist and then one of the doctors there has been as good as going to the private OB that I was seeing in Sydney.  I guess this is because I never seem to have any questions or problems/concerns and I know how this process works, it has been easy to slot back in to the public system.  And even though you may not see the same person two weeks in a row, everyone I have seen in these last few weeks has been great.  My patient file is kept up to date, very detailed and easily accessible for all who require it.

So would I probably ever go down the private patient path again?  Probably not.  It’s expensive, even if you have private health insurance and for me, the level of care has been very similar.  Now, BRING ON THIS BABY!!!

Dr Saadie wasn’t as upset as I would have liked him to be, but I guess I’m not the only 28 week pregnant person to relocate at what seems like such a stupid time to move.  Really though, I think I have a pretty good deal.  I can’t do anything much to help pack/move/unpack!  Bad for my health (and the baby’s) you see :)

It was one of those uniquely normal visits, where the waiting room wasn’t full of expectant parents or noisy children and waiting was non-existent.   I walked straight into his rooms and got on with my 15 minute visit.  Here’s what I found out this time:

• BP 120/70 -I’m very consistent!
• Weight – we won’t talk about that…  Dr Saadie didn’t flinch, so I’m taking it as acceptable!
• Belly button hernia OK – still watch it closely though… Does poking it count?!
• Test results from gestational diabetes extra long test where I sat in a TINY TINY TINY pathology waiting room with the two boys for 2.5 hours (they were so well behaved, I was pretty sure they were possessed, in a good way) – 6.0!!!!  Yay!!!  I can still eat all the chocolate I want!!!!
• Test results for iron levels – low…  Started off this whole thing at 141 g/dl and now I’m 117 g/dl.  Not good apparently.  Have to take extra iron supplements.  No wonder I’m tired all the time.  Oh hang on, that could be because I have 2 noisy boys and Marc to look after as well as myself and BH#3….!!!!

So.  I have one more visit to Dr Saadie before we leave Sydney, as I am now down to fortnightly visits.  With this last visit I will receive a referral letter and all my records to take with me to Brisbane, where I will no longer be continuing down the Private Patient/Hospital Road.  I will be booking myself into the Royal Brisbane Hospital, as a public patient, just like I did when waiting for Owen to arrive some 5 years ago…  I am a little bit (OK, a lot) sad that I don’t get to have this baby in the new hotel hospital down here, but being home with all our family and friends certainly beats a 5 star hospital stay any day!

I walked into to an empty waiting room (a mentionable note for a obstetricians rooms…) and walked right into Dr Saadie’s room.  Awesome.   I didn’t have any questions, he wrote me a script for the glucose test I need to do in a couple of weeks’ time, had a check of the baby (all good), poked my belly button hernia thingy (call him straight away if it starts to hurt or goes red), checked my blood pressure (Good.  120/70) , got weighed (Bad.  I put on 4 whole kilos this time.  I need to lay off the junk food…  My restriction, not the doctor’s!  Won’t happen though…!) and I was out the door!  Too easy.  See you in a month Dr Saadie and Lovely Receptionist Lady!

I didn’t even have to find a car park this time, as Marc took the day off and chauffeured us all around the countryside this afternoon AND did the housework this morning while I took the boys grocery shopping (he got the better end of this deal…).  It’s a tough life when you make your weekend into a long one ;)

Again, another quick and painless visit.  Dr Saadie did mention in passing that I have a belly button hernia (or umbilical hernia)…  And in my haste to just get out of there with the boys still behaving themselves, I didn’t think to ask any questions about it.  He was not concerned at all, so I thought, I guess I shouldn’t be worried either…  Then I got home and forgot about it until this morning.  And Googled it.  And of course, I got a very wide variety of results…  From posts about other pregnant women having the same issue (and having to hold their belly buttons in while laughing or coughing!), to plastic surgery options, to horror stories from people not seeing a doctor about the problem!  So wait and see and not worry about it, is going to be my approach.  It doesn’t hurt, so I don’t even notice it.  I’m sure it’s not a big deal :)

On the Wednesday just passed, Reuben and I went to the new Norwest Private and had my maternity admissions appointment.  Basically, it’s a half an hour appointment where a midwife checks that your admission forms have all been correctly filled out, keeps them all, gives you the first of three Bounty Bags (it’s a sample bag for new parents) and a Norwest Private bag of goodies (not to be outdone by the Bounty people, I assume!) and takes your $60 for the privilege!  Reuben and I did get a bit of special treatment though.  Kay, the lovely midwife who booked me in, had a bit of spare time before the next appointment so took us on a private tour of the maternity ward, including a squiz at the birthing suites, hotel rooms and the nursery.  Did I say hotel rooms?  I really meant single rooms for the new mums.  Actually, no.  I take that back – they really were hotel-like rather than hospital-like.  Very, very nice.  I will be quite happy staying in there for as long as they will have me, I think!  The hospital also has an atrium for the mothers and their visitors to spend time in, away from the rooms, but get this – you can’t take your baby out there – they ask you to leave them in the midwives care in the nursery!  I really am going to love staying in this place…!

For those of you who would like to know if this baby is a boy or girl, please email me.  I’m not going to shout out the information we received yesterday, just in case there people who don’t want to know for the next 20 weeks!

So far, I’ve had two obstetrician appointments and two scans.  The scans you all know about, but the appointments haven’t been documented.  This time round we decided to utilise the thousands of dollars we have contributed Medibank Private over the years by using a private OB and trying out the new Norwest Private Hospital.  It hasn’t even opened yet, that’s how new, new is!!  Think 5 star rating, if a hospital ever had such a thing.  I’m actually a little bit excited about the hospital stay (after I’ve done the hard work, that is!).  Sad, I know :)

Anyway, back to the appointments.  The first and second appointments have been very similar experiences, so I won’t bore you with a duplicated story.

The very first thing that is so, so very different to going through the public system:  The receptionist called me about an hour before my initial appointment to inform me that Dr Saadie was at the hospital and there would be approximately an hour and a half wait as he was running late with his appointments.  I very nearly fell off the couch!   But instead, I thanked her very much for letting me know and turned up when she said, only then having to wait about 15 minutes.  Awesome!

The second thing that is different:  I get weighed every visit…  Which would be fine, if I happened to be one of those in the minority that don’t have a care about shouting out sharing what the dreaded scales tell you.  But I’m not.  And I do not like it.  At all.  And my appointments are all later in the afternoon so I’m always going to weigh more than what my scales tell me in the mornings.  Dammit!

It is really nice not to have to retell my entire medical history, including detailing past pregnancies and births (or not) for every different doctor/specialist/midwife/receptionist/cleaner/passer-by in the hospital I happen to have to speak to.  I have my very boring (but good boring!) history down pat.  Since that experience is all I know, it’s almost as if talking to the same person every visit without having to retell my story is a luxury!

Dr Saadie has been great so far.  He’s very calm, quietly spoken, no fuss type.  Because I never seem to have any concerns or questions for him (yet!) he does what he needs to do, and I’m usually out of there after only a 20 minute consult with him.

My next one isn’t for another 4 weeks so will update you then.  We will have had another scan before then too, so maybe another picture of BH#3 may appear on our little blog :0)