Point + Shoot

Here's a few snaps of my weekend for Chantelle's latest Point + Shoot bit of fun. Head over to Fat Mum Slim to check out more.

!!Short Hair!!

More than 20cm cut off, and shorter than I've had it since I had no hair when I was sick about 8 years ago! A good move I think - I had a silly long hair = health association that needed a kick in the butt.

Littlest Buddy (Lachie) hanging out in his new bumbo (such a clever head-holder-upper) and... intently watching the cricket!!! SO cute.

*love*

The tree is trimmed

Our Christmas tree is a constant work in progress.

T and I have a tradition of buying one very beautiful ornament to put on the tree each year. So at the moment, the tree has fleeting moments of beauty, in amongst some pretty stock standard baubles. But each year the balance shifts. I love this ongoing transformation.

This year we bought the Wedgewood 'my first christmas' booties for the boys, and I can't wait until they start picking our their own decorations each year.

I can't guarantee that our tree will always be beautiful, but I can be totally sure that it will be grow to be more and more meaningful every year.

*smile*

This is what made me smile today:
A gift from friends who know how obsessed T is with Oasis!

pop along to fatmumslim and tell chantelle what made you smile today

Oh, pretty

12 weeks!

Darling boys

You are 12 weeks old today! Happy 3 month birthday little ones.

You are very special little monkeys and we love you so so much.

I know people don't believe me when I tell them, but you're really no trouble at all. You're both good natured, and pretty easy to please.

It's a privilege to watch you grow and learn. You're such funny little things.

You pull hilarious faces. You smile at us - right at us - it's amazing. You grab hold of toys and reach out to touch things. You stare at us with such intensity. You grab each other's hands. You both love snuggles, and that's a good thing, because your Mama and Daddy do too.

As ever, all the love in the universe

Your Mama

Hello babies

Oops, I drove over the pram....

...thankfully sans babies.

How? oh, I just don't know. I blame general exhaustion, trying to get everything done quickly, and plain old bad luck.

The pram ended up very squished between the car and the garage door. Totally totalled. Unsalvageable. Rather entertainingly twisted out of shape.

Rather miraculously, the insurance company was able to approve the claim over the phone, we happened to find the last pram (had to be the same kind) in Australia, and were able to pick it up immediately.

So, except for the marks on the back bumper of the car, and that sick-to-the-gut feeling that you get when you know you've done something Very Bad, it could all have been in my mind.

Happy 10 week birthday boys

Darlings, you're 10 weeks old today. My goodness, you're practically men already. Where has the time gone?

So many milestones have been reached. First night at home, first walk in the pram, first restaurant outing, first smiles, first sleep through, and first 0000 outfits!

Now you're both old-hands at the walking and the dining out part. You love going out for weekend breakfasts. And you love your daily walk.

As for me, I love every bit. But I especially love the big grins, and the little cute noises you make when you're sleeping. I could watch you sleep for hours.

You've both grown so much too. You're definitely newborn size now. Both of you in 0000 sized clothes! When you were born you were too small to fit even 000000 sized clothes. You grow so quickly I can almost see it happening. From one day to the next you change so much.

You're funny little things. You have such different personalities, and it's amazing to me that they're so obvious even at this stage.

Hamish, our little wombat, you're so quiet and placid. You just lie there, even when you're awake, looking around and generally chilling out. You are a gorgeous looking little baby, and you give the most excellent newborn cuddles. You're a snuggler, that's for sure. You're so much like your daddy - you even have the same toes!

Lachie, our little squawker, you look like you're thinking something. Your beautiful eyes are enormous and constantly looking at the world around you. You stare at us with such intensity that my heart feels like it's going to explode from my chest. You look like a gorgeous tiny little china doll.

I've never been happier than I am now. And it's all down to you two - who knew that two tiny little things could change someone's life so much.

All the love in the universe
Your Mama xxx

The steep slippery slope to kitsch

Since becoming a mum, I have found myself doing a whole load of things I said I never would.


I wasn't going to rock the babies to sleep. I wasn't going to use dummies. I wasn't going to pick them up every time they cried. I wasn't going to dress them the same.


And I wasn't going to do this:






But I have.....

I know! Not only are they matching, but they're Christmas Themed.

I couldn't help it. And now I don't know if I'm going to be able to stop. It's not my fault. It's Christmas. It makes me lose my mind a little.


Forgive me boys. I really do love you. You're just so ridiculously adorable.

Sleep! Glorious sleep!

I hope I'm not jinxing myself here. I'm touching every piece of wood within reach.

BUT, I have had four nights - in a row - of sleep without the babies waking to be fed.

I had been led to believe this didn't happen for a long long time yet. Is it possible they have reached that holy grail of Sleeping Through The Night? At 9 weeks (with an adjusted age of only 3 weeks)??

I admit, I have been trying to achieve this. I am a routine girl all the way and have been feeding the boys every 3 hours between 7am - 11pm (or so, depending on when they wake up) so that they get their nutritional needs during these hours, hence reducing the need to wake up for food in the very uncivilised hours (or that's the theory anyhow).

I know lots of people think it's very selfish to do this to a baby - after all, it's for your convenience, not theirs - but to them I say "Do you have twins who don't sleep at the same time during the day, which means you can't rest? They're not exactly old enough to entertain themselves while Mama has a little lie down to recover from only 2.5 hours sleep overnight". After a few weeks of this I suspect common sense would prevail eventually and the routine wins the day :)

So, yay! Good boys. Fingers crossed it continues.

An explanation

I have just been reading Mama Mia (http://mamamia.com.au/weblog/2009/11/here-comes-the-bride-and-there-goes-her-name.html).

I didn't change my name when T and I were married. 5 years later I did. But I didn't lose my surname. I just simply added his to the end. No hyphen. Just two surnames.

I did it for a few reasons. One is that there was no way I was going to give up my name. It is part of my identity. It is who T fell in love with. It's me. It's mine. I love it. It's special to me.

Similarly, I am married to a wonderful man. We wanted to have a family. We wanted a family unit. I wanted to honour and respect our relationship and our future family.

T thinks it's pretty cool. Even if his mates tease him by calling him Mr my name / his name.

Our boys have my surname - the double one. I'm sure it won't confuse them. I don't feel sorry for them. It's not pretentious. It's a few extra letters.

But it's more than that.

It's a lesson that women and men are equal in marriage. That personal identity is important, and to be respected. That women are strong, independent and don't need a man's name to find their place in this life.

Important lessons for little boys, no?

So, my darling boys. That's why you have both Mama and Daddy's surnames. We both love you. You are part of both of us, and both of our families. We think that's important stuff.

And they're off and racing

I LOVE the Melbourne Cup Carnival.


Being a milliner, it's all about the hats and headpieces for me.


And being a bit of a purist, Derby Day is my favourite. But there's something about Melbourne Cup Day and all the colours of the rainbow that come out in celebration.

But because I've been pregnant nearly all year, I haven't been able to do much hat-making: the chemicals were best avoided.

I have, however, taken a couple of last minute orders and managed to finish them off, as well as make myself something to wear.


And in celebration of the fact that this is the first year since I finished uni that I haven't had to work on Melbourne Cup Day, I've invited some girlfriends over tomorrow. We all have new or nearly new babies, so it will be an interesting afternoon with about 13 little ones here, but I'm very excited.


Maybe next year - when they're a bit more mobile - we'll race the children.. hee hee

xx

7 Weeks

Today is your 7 week birthday boys. 7 weeks! I can't believe it's been that long since you were born.

You both started smiling this week. Adorable. Adorable. Adorable. I have been trying to capture it in a photo, but haven't successfully managed yet. I'll keep trying.

You survived one of mama and daddy's parties this weekend. In fact, I think you rather enjoyed the attention. All those cuddles from all those lovely people. What lucky boys.

Lach having cuddles with Aunty Renae

and Uncle Mike

and Aunty Shari

Hamish with Daddy

and Uncle Mike

and Uncle Dom

It was supposed to be an afternoon get-together, but in typical Campbell Case fashion it went for a full 12 hours - right through until 1am. You stayed up and partied with the best of them too. Didn't cry. Just sat back, chillled, and enjoyed the show (and oh my goodness, what a show!). Daddy and Uncle Dom looked very very funny with your pram toys attached to their earlobes didn't they.....!!!

You're just delightful, and I adore you with every breath in me.

All the love in the universe
Your Mama

Dear Queensland

why oh why oh why can't we please have daylight saving?????

Due today!

To my darling boys

Today is your official due date. Your daddy and I are so lucky to have had an extra 6 weeks worth of cuddles and love.

I can't imagine it any other way. Every single extra day we've had with you has been wonderful.

We love you so much.
Your mama

This is you on the day you were born

This is you now! Nearly 6 weeks old, and still snuggling up together.

Anyone like wine?

I do.

Check this out:

http://thewinewank.blogspot.com

Hilarious, tongue in cheek wine reviews that poke fun at reviews written by a bunch of self-important wine afficionados but yet leaves you with a tantalising urge to run out and buy a bottle.

A lot irreverent, very funny, and most importantly, useful to anyone who likes good wine.

Go on, have a read.

Jenxx

What a whirlwind

Where have the past three weeks gone??

I can't believe my little darlings are three weeks old already. I can't believe the fierce intensity of my love for them. I can't believe how much I would do for them, how far I would go for them. They are the centre of my universe.

The past three weeks have been such a whirlwind that I can barely keep my head straight. Hamish had respiratory distress syndrome, so had to have some help with breathing in his first few days so was in a higher level of intensive care than Lachie. Having them separated for their first five days really tore at my heart.

Then they both developed jaundice and got to have a little bake under the phototherapy lights. Hamish only needed a night, but poor little Lachie was under for four days. And he hated almost every minute of it. He kept pulling his little sunglasses off, causing me to worry that his little tiny eyes would be damaged.

Then Lachie developed a digestive problem and for a few days had horrible bile and blood in his stomach. He didn't seem too concerned by it though, but apparently the phototherapy lights make little ones very lethargic, so it was probably lucky he was under those at the same time or we might have had a distressed little one on our hands.

Once those problems cleared up, the boys really started going fantastically well. They have put on loads of weight, with Lachie now weighing 1.94kg and Hamish at 2.16kg!! All we're waiting on now is the feeding. They're still a bit too small to suck feed at every third hourly feed time. They can generally do two feeds, but run out of puff for the next one. So until they build up enough stamina to be able to eat enough regularly enough, they'll remain in the nicu.

I miss them so much when I'm not at the hospital with them. It's heartbreaking to leave each night, but it is slowly getting easier. Getting used to the new sleeping schedule is difficult too. Because the boys are in hospital, I have to express my breast milk. Every two hours. Day and night. Except for one four hour break overnight. I know all mums are sleep deprived, so I'm not complaining. In fact, I like being able to provide something so important for them, but it is taking some getting used to.

So that's a quick summary. They are gorgeous little men. I love them so much. We hope to have them home soon.

Welcome to the world Lachlan and Hamish

Hamish Charles born at 9.11am on 09/09/09, weighing 1.46 kg
Lachlan Edward born at 9.12am on 09/09/09, weighing 1.23kg
- born at 34 weeks, and currently in NICU but doing very well -

Letter to my boys on the day of their birth - part 1

[Part 1. 6.25am, 09/09/09]

Well, my darlings, the day has arrived!!

You are officially 34 weeks and 1 day old and today is the day your daddy and I will finally lay our eyes on you for the first time.

We have been so excited about this moment for so long it feels like forever. We have been eagerly anticipating this day since the minute we knew you existed.

Your daddy and I have spent countless hours talking to each other about how wonderful it's going to be when you arrive, imagining how wonderful our family is going to be with you both in it, and we can't believe that in only a couple of hours time we'll have you in our arms. We barely spent a wink last night because we were so excited.

We love you so much, and can't wait to see you very very soon.

All the love in the universe
Your Mama


[Part 2]

Oh, my darling darling babies. You're here. And you're beautiful. I love you so much. You're so so tiny. Much smaller than we were expecting, but you're perfect. We're all going to be in hospital for a little bit longer than we thought, but everything is going to be ok. Grow my tiny ones.

I love you more than I ever knew I could. Nothing could have prepared me for the intensity. It took my breath away. I loved you so much, so instantly, that for a second I couldn't breathe.

Welcome to the world darling ones.

Your Mama

It's Tuesday and I can't wait....

....09/09/09....

for tomorrow!!

I'm finally going to get to meet my little boys. In less than 24 hours I will be a first-time mama to two little darlings who I have loved since before they even existed.

And what a cool birthdate: 09/09/09!!

to play along, go to http://buttonsbyloulou.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-tuesday-and-i-cant-wait_08.html

The baby shower was divine!

M baby shower was abosulutely perfect! The weather was gorgeous, sunlight dappled down through the ancient fig trees, the garden at the front of the hospital had been conveniently freshly planted and mulched and more than 40 of my girlfriends showed up to celebrate with me.

My mama, sisters and mother-in-law all did such a beautiful job of keeping it pretty, catered, and fun. And my gorgeous friend Megan was superwoman when it came to keeping on top of the guest list and administering a rather cohesive gift list. What a lucky girl I am to have such wonderful friends.

Even the lollies, cupcakes, and presents were colour-coordinated!!

And while, for so long, I had it all mapped out in my head to be held at home with crystal stemware, fine bone china, etc etc, it ended up being even more perfect than I could have imagined. And doesn't that just prove that it's your family and friends that make special occasions so special. I love them all.

Here are some happy snaps!

And remember those origami cranes? Well, instead of a signed guest book, I had all my family and friends write little messages on the wings of the cranes, and I'm going to string them into a hanging mobile for over the change table. Photos to come!!

2 sleeps to go!!!!

Only 2 sleeps until I meet my little darling boys!!! I just can't believe it. I'm so ridulously excited, slightly nervous (I'm going to have to have a c-section), and a bit overwhelmed at what it's going to be like with my babies in the NICU.

The three of us have been having daily foetal heart monitoring and umbilical cord flow scans every other day or so for a week now. One of my little ones is very little, and unfortunately isn't getting everything he needs. Technically they're calling this "impaired placental bloodflow with increased resistance". And the poor little mite's heartrate has been dropping quite low with each contraction that I have, so the consensus is that he's under a bit too much stress and will be better off out than in!

They will be 34 weeks gestation, and I've been having steroid injections to help with their lung maturity, so we're not expecting any major problems relating to their prematurity aside from needing to 'fatten up' a bit.

What an amazing journey this pregnancy has been! And what an even more amazing journey is about to begin!

Bring it on :)

#14. Be a gracious guest

When you are invited to a gathering or party be sure to never turn up empty-handed. Always take along something for the host to show your appreciation. It doesn't have to be lavish. A bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers is plenty.

It's Tuesday and I can't wait....

...to head outside for my first lungful of yummy spring air!

The weather has been glorious up here in Brisbane, but because I've been cooped up for so long, it's been ages since I felt the warm air on my skin, heard birds, felt the sun, or took a long deep breath of fresh fresh air.

I'm heading out in my wheelchair soon, and I CANNOT WAIT!!

to play along, visit Lou Lou at her blog here: http://buttonsbyloulou.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-tuesday-and-i-cant-wait.html

The Belly Diaries - 33 weeks

[photo to come]

You're still hanging in there boys! Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

But the hugest news of this week is that we are all going to be seeing each other for the first time next week!! On Wednesday - 09/09/09! You will be 34 weeks and 1 day. Daddy and I can't wait to meet you.

We've all had some more tests this week, and my little one, your umbilical cord is having a few problems. There is a bit of a blockage, which means that all that lovely blood, oxygen and nutrition you need to keep growing is finding it a little difficult to get to you. This means that you're not growing as much as we'd all like, so the doctors all agree that the best course of action is to let you both make your grand entrance a little earlier than expected so that we can make sure you get all the stuff you need to grow big and strong.

Mama's friend Rachel had her little twin girls this week, and they were born at the age you are now. They are doing very very well, breathing on their own, and learning how to eat. I have been down to the special care nursery to visit them, and they are just beautiful. I am sure you boys and Moleigh and Leeyah will be friends.

On Saturday, about 35 or so of Mama's good girlfriends are coming to the hospital to visit us and to celebrate your pending arrival! I'll make sure I get lots and lots of photos so that when you're older you can look back and see all the love that is already surrounding you.

Not long to go now my darlings. We can't wait to hold you. We love you so much.

Your Mama

The Belly Diaries - 32 weeks

Hello again darlings

Well, your mama is still pregnant! That's the very best news of this week.

I had a growth scan and learned that one of you is struggling a little bit with growth, so we need to keep a very close eye on you. I have been having lots of extra scans and monitoring. All our fingers are crossed that you were just having a little break from the hard work of doing so much growing and needed a little rest. Hopefully by the next scan you will be back on the chart.

If not though, it means we just get to meet you both a little sooner than we expected. So that's exciting! We've been down to visit the special care nursery, because if you are born in the next week or two that's where you will stay for a little while.

I'm constantly reassured by all the kicks and wriggling around that you get up to in there, so keep moving!

I love you so much
Your Mama

A slightly different baby shower

The big news from today is that I won't be going home from hospital before my boys are born. So, a hospital based baby shower it is!

I'm allowed to go downstairs to the garden in a wheelchair, so I think we will have it outside. I miss fresh air. And the weather up here in Brisbane is fabulous at the moment.

It's not going to be the perfectly coordinated event I had in my head, but I think it will still be lovely. It will just be so nice to see my friends. I've had visitors but I miss my lovelies.

Thankfully I have already made the martha pompoms!!

The Belly Diaries - 31 weeks

Hello again darling boys

Do you want to know the best thing about this week? Although I'm in hospital, and there have been a few little scares, I have been lucky enough to listen to your gorgeous little heartbeats at least 4 times every single day. They're amazing - so strong and vital. And it's so wonderful to be able to feel you and hear you at the same time.

You're doing so well in there - getting nice and big and strong: I think you've had a growth spurt this week, because your Mama's tummy has really popped out. Your dad thinks it's amazing watching you grow every day. He loves feeling you wriggle around. Especially today - it's his birthday!!

We can't wait to meet you.

All the love in the universe
Your Mama

#13. You're the only person truly responsible for your happiness

We humans always seem to think that happiness comes from outside of us. A friend, a partner, a lovely day, a good job. And it's easy to blame other people, other things, outside forces for our mood when it's down. But ultimately, we are responsible for our own happiness. Recognise those things within your control and act to change them if it will make you happier. Those other things that really outside of our control? Well, let them go. If they're not in your sphere of direct influence, then don't let them influence you.

Pedis, pressies and parties...

...these are the little delights are on my agenda for today!

My mama and sisters are coming up to visit me today, and they are committed to giving me the best pedi I've ever had!

It's T's birthday tomorrow, so I have sneaky deliveries of pressies arriving (thanks Mama and lovely mum-in-law) for a bit of a present wrapping session.

And I'm organising a little in-room birthday shindig for T with cake and friends so that his birthday doesn't get forgotten in the drama surrounding me and our boys at the moment.

I'm looking forward to today :)

You've made your bed......

Well, kind of. It's been made for me.

I'm back in hospital and apparently this is where I will remain until my babies are born. This could apparently be any time. The general consensus seems to be in about 2-3 weeks. I am convinced I can hold them in longer.

I'm a bit of a Pollyanna by nature. I count my blessings regularly, refuse to lose my temper, and generally get about with a stupid smile on my face. Sure things go wrong sometimes, but it's never that bad, or at least that's how I try to look at my world. I much prefer being happy to being negative and miserable - I just don't have the energy to be grumpy.

So, I have decided that I am going to keep the boys in. Until at least 34 weeks. And preferably to 36 weeks.

I have what's known as an irritable uterus. It's apparently rather common with multiples. Basically, the weight of my two babies combined is the same weight as one full-term baby. So in a really basic way, my body thinks it's ready to go.

The other component is that my twins are going through a rapid growth phase, which means that my uterine muscles are almost constantly stretching. This upsets my body, because it knows it needs to contract in order to push the baby out, and so, in order to counter-balance the stretching, it has started contracting.

And this is where the problems start. Ongoing contractions will put me into premature labour, so I'm on meds to stop the contractions. I've had steroid injections to strengthen the boys' lungs in case they are born very soon, and now it's just a waiting game.

I miss T. I see him every day, but I miss sleeping beside him. I miss listening to his breathing. I miss snuggles on the sofa.

On the other hand, how long will it be before I get another chance for a few weeks' feet up, with everything being done for me? 25 years? Ha. I'm going to enjoy it for what it is. The rest I always feel I need :)

Blog This Challenge - What's on your bedside table

I love books. I love their smell, I love the rustle of pages, I love the way they make me think in a different way, I love how they give me an insight into other ways of life, and I love the way I can escape into another world, even just for a little while. I love to have them in my house, forever. I like being able to re-read them, look at them, remember how they made me feel. It's for that reason that I don't use a library, although I know it would be a waaay better financial decision :)

This is my bedside table - it's usually this full. Lots of books, some flowers, and more often than not a half-finished or empty cup of tea. I'm not reading all of those books at once, but this is my current 'reading pile'.

My reading pile usually includes two novels 'on the go' at once, a book that I have read previously that touches me somehow, and which I can revisit at any time, just to delve back in for a minute, a few 'to read next' books, and something 'instructional'or 'educational'.

And while I always make time to read - every single day - I've been known to choose reading over sleep (!) - I admit I have more-than-usual time on my hands at the moment. I am about 7 weeks away from giving birth to twin boys and have found myself on bedrest because of threatened pre-term labour. So I'm enjoying more reading than usual.

Last week I finished Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I really liked it. I couldn't always relate to it, but I thoroughly respect her raw and brave honesty.

I also finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This one fascinated and appalled me in equal measures. I've always thought there is something sinister about those travelling circuses earlier this century, and the exploitation of people was appalling. But it was magical too. There's something spectacular and compelling about the illusion of performance.

Right now I'm reading The Shifting Fog, by Kate Morton. I have a big soft spot for historical fiction. Plus, she's a Brisvegas chick!

I'm also reading some pregnancy, birth and baby books. I'm especially trying to understand what it's going to be like with two little munchkins, so I have a few twin books there for reference.

In my 'to read next' pile are The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, The People's Train by Tom Keneally, and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.

Ah, books. I love you!!