Freddie one month old

Freddie you are one month old & it's your first Christmas Day. 

The past month has flown by! I really can't believe that you are a month old already. You hate being put down and like nothing more than being snuggled up on mummy's chest. 

You are still in newborn clothing and size 1 nappies. You are taking 4oz bottles every two and half to four hours. You have given us a few five hour blocks over night which is good. You get so grumpy if your bottle is taken away from you. You seem to be taking after your big brother and like music channels and of course the jingles on sky news - they seem to always grab your attention.

You love doing tummy time on your changing mat, which James hated till he was a few months old. Again just like James you have amazing head control and have done since the day you were born. We have had a few instances where you have tried rolling during tummy time, as much as I love you copying your big brother and his development I want you to slow down so we can savour every moment! I'm hoping you are not an early crawler like James! I'm not ready for two little boys following me around the house! 

You have been a bit poorly with a cold and now a cough but I suppose it's to be expected with a big brother bringing home germs from nursery. 

I'm so excited for Christmas and our family being completely. You have really just slotted in and it feels like you have always been here. I know you won't know what's going on but I'm excited for our day. 

I really wish your great nannie could have met you, I'm sure she would have loved you as much as she loved James. I hope when you are older you will like to hear about her & I'm sure James will teach you all the songs and things she taught him.

James is starting to get braver around you & actually let mummy and daddy give you both cuddles at the same time. Hopefully by two months old he may have actually given you a cuddle!

Love you lots my little Freddie Bear

Mummy xxx

Freddie Three Weeks Old

Three weeks

So Freddie is now three weeks old! It's gone so fast. Andy has now been back at work a week & we are slowly starting to get into a routine in the mornings. 

Freddie now weighs 8lbs 2oz. He's still in newborn size clothing & wearing size 1 nappies. He's moved onto 4oz bottles, taking them every three to fours hours. We have had one episode where he went six hours over night, but he woke up in such a hissy fit, so trying to keep it to a minimum of four hours between feeds. He's got a bit of a cold which he picked up from James, it's making him very snotty & snuffly, so using saline drops to keep his nose clear. He's still very much a mummy's boy. He loves being in his baby carrier for the school run and loves being in his pram. We have had to buy a newborn snowsuit as the ones our friends gave us, which are 0-3 size, swamp the poor boy. He's still being really strong and lifting his head. He passed all his checks with the health visitor too! He's very alert when he's awake too! 

Mummy is doing really well three weeks on. I had my stitches out on day ten and everything is great. I only weighed myself a couple of times while I was pregnant & one of those was at the hospital the Friday before I had Freddie, so I was pretty surprised to find I was only 1lb heavier than my pre pregnancy weight fifteen days after having Freddie. I still get the odd twinges of pain,but only if I do too much.

James is still not impressed with his little brother. He is starting to get slightly better at times. He let mummy sit on the floor and build towers with Freddie sitting on my knee. Hopefully having two weeks of school with mummy & Freddie and a few days with daddy too will help him. 

 

Silent Sunday

Freddie one week update

So our little man is now a whole week old! How is that possible, it feels like he's been here forever.

I'm going to write about Freddie first, then mummy, then James.

So at a week old Freddie now weighs 7lbs 4oz so he didn't actually lose any of his birth weight he gained 2oz. He takes 3oz feeds every three to four hours. He's wearing size 1 nappies and is wearing newborn size clothing. He is such a mummy's boy and likes nothing better than lying on mummy's chest after a feed for a snooze. He's not too impressed with his Moses basket, so he normally settles on me then daddy moves him into his basket. He had his heel prick at five days old and yes screamed his head off! Someone needs to remind Freddie that he is only a week old as he uses his legs to push himself up my body when he's lying on my shoulder. And like his big brother he has amazing head control for a newborn!

A week on for mummy from c section and I'm not feeling too bad. I'm getting out and about walking slowly normally just up to the nursery to pick up James. Still getting plenty of rest while Andy is off work and able to help with James! The dressing has been taken off and I'm using a maternity pad to cover the stitches to avoid catching them on clothing or James catching them.

We need to try and get ourselves organised a bit better in the morning as once Andy is back to work we will need to be out the door by half past eight to get to school on time!

James is still very unsure about his little brother. He always says good morning and good night to Freddie but still no kisses or cuddles. I know it's going to take time but hopefully we will get there! 

Silent Sunday

The arrival of Freddie

So Freddie Andrew Tinline Hockley arrived safe and sound on 25th November 2015 at 1219pm weighing 7lbs 2oz.

As I said in my 38 week update I was hoping the midwife would refer me back to the consultant, which they did. They rang up there and then getting me an appointment for the following Tuesday when I would be 39 weeks pregnant. 

We (Andy, myself & my mum) went along to the appointment to find out the safest way to deliver Freddie after all the trouble I had when I had James with the slow labour and how fast James came out causing a tear.

We were advised that a c section was our best option. Another appointment was made for me to go in on the Friday at 39+3 to make all the plans.

So fast forward to 25th November when I was 40+1 weeks pregnant. This was the date we were given for the section. I had to be in the RVI (Royal Victoria Infirmary) for 0730am. We arranged for James to be with my parents the night before and that once we were in recovery Andy would let them know. We also arranged that once we had the OK Andy would ring them to come in with James. 

I was third on the list for that morning so once I had all obs done, we chilled out n as we hadn't had much sleep the night before plus it had been an early start for the hospital. 

They took me down at 1120 and I did start to get a little nervous as I knew we would soon be holding Freddie. First thing done was a cannula in my wrist as I have pathetic veins in my hands. All too soon they had the spinal in and I was lying down. The combination of the medications made me feel sick so anti sickness medication was given. 

The first I was aware of Freddie being born was hearing him cry which made me cry as when I had James because he came so fast I was more stunned than emotional. The midwife brought him over to me then took him to be cleaned and weighed. I couldn't believe he was 7lbs 2oz! 

He was brought over to me for skin to skin which was something I didn't get with James, so this time it was important I got it and also that I did his first feed as again I also missed this with James. I did have some more nausea so more anti sickness medication was given while Andy had cuddles with his second born.

Once we were in recovery, I gave Freddie his first bottle which he guzzled down. I then got his wind up first attempt. We also started letting people know that he had arrived. We had made decision that nothing would be posted on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram etc till after James had met him.  

Once I was able to start moving my legs, I was transferred to what is called enhanced recovery. It was once I was in here and able to eat and drink that mum,dad & James were able to come in and see us. I was so happy to see James as I had really missed him. 

Once I was in my own night clothes and able to walk I was transferred to postnatal ward. Once I was in there Andy and James went home and I finally got a chance to rest although I did spend most of my time staring at Freddie. 

Once I had seen the doctor I was cleared for discharge, so once we had my painkillers we booked a taxi and home we came to start our life as a family of four! 

The care we received from the community midwifes and the staff of the RVI was amazing. I can't thank them enough for bringing our second little man into the world safely.

Pregnancy update 38 weeks

Well I have made it to 38 weeks and I'm not going to lie, the last two weeks have been totally and utterly horrendous pain wise! I now have just two weeks until his due date but if it's like last time it will be three weeks! 

Last week at 36+6 had to phone midwife and the assessment unit due to the amount of pain I was in sitting, standing, walking in fact everything I did caused pain. Was given the advice of paracetamol and a bath. All ok when you have someone in the house but I hate taking painkillers when I'm at home alone with James and I have been like that since he was born. I don't even like having a bath when I'm home alone with James at the moment, in case I can't get out. I can't even read James a bedtime story as I cannot get comfortable on his bed. Poor Andy has been getting home around half past six every night and been having to do bath time & bedtime as its impossible for me. 

Then on Saturday at 37+4 I was even worse with pain trying to get around, it got to the point James was having to help me up the stairs, so again spoke to midwife who wanted me to go into assessment unit, but low and behold their answer was go see GP, which I haven't been able to do as all the triage appointments would leave me unable to get to the school in time for James.  

Baby is doing good though, he's head down and a proper fidget. He has been moving his body from side to side which has been a big source of my pain. I don't have any fat on my stomach so I feel ever little movement which at times is agony. He's a very big squirmer and likes to poke his bum & feet out! It feels like he's going to have big feet like his big brother! I just hope he does not have smelly feet like James! 

I'm back to midwife on Thursday so hoping she will refer me back to consultants to see what can be done to help me. I really don't fancy going over due again as it was hell last time as I was in slow labour for a week & no one knew when my waters actually went therefore I ended up back in hospital with a five day old baby, but add James into the mix this time that would be even worse - having unsettled baby & unsettled three year old, especially now James is at nursery.

James has been pretty unsettled due to how mummy has been, even acting up in nursery which is not like him at all. I really hate how all my pain and lack of being able to move around is affecting him. I'm so hoping baby comes sooner rather than later so we can start being a family of four and going back out and about without me struggling. 

But over all we are so ready for this boy to come! His pram is ready in the kitchen, his Moses basket has been moved into our room so James can get used to it being there and yes CB bear has already had a sleep in it on more than one occasion!