Appropriate reading...

Started The lost art of sleep by Michael McGirr last night, the title appealed to me for obvious reasons. So far it seems to be an entertaining read alternating chapters between Mythology, Philosophy and a little Shakespeare with the authors own experiences of having babies.

On this note, jealous friends who I have told that I only had to get up once in the night for the newbie will be pleased to note it was pretty much every two hours last night!!! Thank the goddess it’s childcare day today and the Newbie and I can have a pyjama day...

S is for...

Sierra!

She’s three weeks old today!

Here’s some thoughts on the past 3 weeks...

I have actually felt a lot more relaxed in the three weeks since she was born than probably the three weeks previous. She’s a very laid back baby... eats, sleeps and shits and thats about it! Oh yeah and she’s also pretty goddamn cute too!!!!

I got myself so stressed about the Caesarean but I’ve been absolutely fine since, I feel so good that I have to remind myself I’m not supposed to be doing certain things or whatever...

The operation itself was one of the strangest experiences of my life, I’ve only had one operation before (and I was knocked out for that one) being fully conscious but not being able to feel anything, and all these people there for little old me! I could see the lady in recovery moving my legs but they didn’t seem attached to my body. One of the other strange parts was that I only saw her for a few minutes, then she was taken away to be checked out and stuff while I was in recovery. So here I am, already having this out of body type experience, and my brain knows I have just had a baby but I can’t seem to comprehend this fact!

Feeding could cause me stress if I let it. I am trying to feed from the boob but don’t seem to be able to satisfy so have to top up with formula when I just can’t handle her hanging off the boob anymore! I have strong feelings about the whole breastfeeding business. I will not deny that breast feeding is most probably best, but it doesn’t work for everyone, I don’t care what the breast Nazi’s say! We have options and no one should ever be made to feel guilty or a lesser parent for utilising any of the options available. There’s talk of how it helps with the bonding process, well how can a stressed out mum and a hungry baby bond more than a contented pair with a bottle in hand? For me, a delicate mix of boob, expressed milk and formula is getting me through, and I figure if I last three months again, then I am doing pretty damn good! Part of me just doesn’t have the patience to sit still for so long with my jugs out!

Now it’s not actually been the newbie that been causing me any stress... its little miss, she regressed to wanting to be like the baby. We’ve had to take evasive action to get the toilet training back on track, and a little strawberry Quik has got us over wanting to have milk in a bottle all the time (lucky she hasn’t figured out you could have pink milk in a bottle too!) I’m doing all those things that the text books and magazines tell me too like making her totally involved with the new baby, she gets her nappies and picks her clothes for the day. She gives her kisses and cuddles and I don’t think it’s a jealousy thing, maybe just a comfort zone thing, or why try hard with all this hard stuff if the baby can just lay there and get the same sort of attention. But we’re getting there, getting a routine of sorts happening. And the electronic baby sitter is getting a workout too!!!

The boy went back to work today and I’ve managed to get through the morning ok!!! Just joking (I have got through the morning ok, Just joking that it needs to be pointed out!!) I’m enjoying some space with no visitors, no boy, two sleeping children and a yummy lunch (out of the freezer!). So I guess things are going along fine... so far!

Famous... again!

Just got word that your favourite Hot Rod Librarian made it into the DVD extras of the ABC's The Librarian's season 2!!!

My mum the rebel...

Well as much as you could be in small town Victoria in the mid-60's!

As I will be out of action for a while... here's a little story to keep you occupied (it's Rod's Ramblings from the latest Cruzin Magazine if the pic doesn't come up too clear.) It's about when my dad asked my mum to get down on the floor of the back of his Hot Rod to act as a balis (weight to add traction!) during a street drag race... though I have to say my mum tells the story better (probably with more embellishment!)

My mum also got caught once getting out of the boot of someones car at the drive in so they could avoid paying... except the driver pulled up next to some friends of my Granny and Jack! (for anyone who knows my Granny... she has eyes everywhere!) She got in big trouble for that one!!!

One more sleep...

So this time tomorrow (well actually a few hours ago) there will be a whole new person in the world!!!

I can't believe I have finally gotten to this point, I was sure the baby would have been here long before now (actually I was hoping for September 23rd which was my Jack's birthday), and it's weird but I actually feel like I can relax a little now! Ive been so on edge and expelling so much emotional energy with every little pain... thinking 'is this it? Is it all happening now' going through what I am going to have to do/who I'm gonna have to call and all that stuff!

Ive also been quite weird about thinking about the baby actually being here, after losing the last baby (see November '08 post) and the drama's attached with this one (though the irregularity in her heartbeat seems to be getting less with every scan) I guess I have just been subconsciously trying to protect myself a little bit.

Anyways, tomorrow... it's all happening tomorrow!!!

I think the little shit deserved it!!!

I finally got to read The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas's latest book. I love Christos and have been reading him religiously since Loaded and am so glad he's finally getting the recognition he deserves. (just like to point out that I got him put on the HBL standing order list just before this book came out!!!) He's also a friend of a friend so that helps too! This is definitely his best work since Loaded and I love the different perspectives of the eight different characters he focuses on, though it could have done with a little closer editing, there seemed to be a few too many tiny little details (particuly sexual) which I didn't find important, or maybe I'm just missing something!!! Also didn't like his description of Altona as something along the lines of 'Flat, grey suburbia' (I cant remember the exact words as I have taken it back to the library so I cant check... but they wern't very nice!) None of the characters are particuly likable, which can make for some hard going, but they are all very real and Christos is really good at bringing out the ugly side of human nature! Anyways, read it, it's a great book and I love reading anything Melbourne based where I can really picture everything being described.

Waiting, Waiting...

Still a week to go before my so called 'elective' Caesar... I hate that phrase as it brings to mind that whole 'too posh to push thing'... makes me realise that you never do know the circumstances behind any ones decisions and you shouldn't judge a book by its cover! (even though I do, quite often, literally judge a book by it's cover!)It's not my first choice, but I really just want to get this kid out safely... and soon!

But a week can be a long time in late pregnancy! and Ive already gone past the point where little miss was born... so you never know... and Ms Braxton Hicks is going crazy down there, freaking me out at all sorts of ungodly hours of the night!

So this week is going to include a lot of this, so called, 'taking it easy' business... yeah right... with a two year old!... and of course, the boy!!! Wish me luck!

try not to be distracted by the bump...

Check out my latest knitted creation...

pink and purple striped fingerless gloves/arm warmers... (sorry 'bout the crap photo!)
pity they are too hot now that spring it here!! Here is me wearing them to knit my current project... its a handle for my granny style shopping trolley which I have painted with flames and am lining with leopard skin fake fur!

Pics to follow...

If you want to make the gloves they are peasy;

I used 4.5 mm needles and some “Sean Sheep” wool that I just bought from big W coz the label said it was good for felting (it’s 70% wool/30% Soybean)

CO 20 (or however many it takes to go round your arm... remembering if you’re going to felt it it will shrink a bit)

St st for however long you want them to be (I did it for 144 rows all up because I wanted them to go right up to my elbow)

You can do the stripes however you fancy (or not), mine were 8 rows of each colour.

To make the thumb hole is the only vaguely tricky bit;

On row 117: K 10 then C/O 6 then knit to end (when you do the other hand it’s the opposite eg. K 4, C/O 6 then K to end)

Keep going in St st until long enough to go up to your knuckles (if thats what you want, you might just want them to where youre fingers start... again, up to you!)

When they are as long as you want, C/O then stitch up the sides.

I felted these ones just coz I like felting!

As you can see, these are a pretty straight forward project that you can easily adapt to your own style... just have a play and remember... you can always unravel it!!!

Two films I cant wait to see:

Jennifer’s body – Written by the gorgeous Diablo Cody (Candy girl, Juno, United states of Tara)

And;

Whip it – Not only is it directed by my fave Drew Barrymore but it’s about ROLLER DERBY!!!!

How Civilised...

I'm booked in for a caeser 11.30 am, Monday 5th October... It feels weird that I know what the birthdate is going to be allready... allthough I still think I could go earlier!

A woman possessed...

Finished up work yesterday, frankly, over the last couple of weeks, I wasn't sure I was going to make it!!!!

I feel like this baby wants to come out now! Or maybe that's just wishful thinking, or maybe I just want to know that everything is OK.

I know I should be using this time to relax but I I'm afraid that ain't gonna happen... I have some major nesting going on here!

Up at 6.30 this morning because I could handle the mess in the kitchen, last week I had the cooking palooza where I was like a woman possessed filling up the freezer with yummy goodness... what the hells going on, the Boy better not go getting any ideas about perfect housewives!!!

Have another Ultrasound tomorrow... should know more then, or have news... The Doc has instructed me not to eat or drink from 11am tomorrow just in case!!!

Long time... for me

Well hey there folks, It's been a while, for me anyway!

I'd love to be one of those bloggers who writes a post everyday and is all good and stuff... and hey it's not like I haven't had a lot going on to write about either, it's just my brain is such a full fuzzball at the moment that not a lot is getting done.

I finish work tomorrow and was hoping that would clear out some of the junk in there, but now it's got all filled up again with new stuff.

You see on Friday I went to my obstetrician (here by known as "Doc") for just a regular routine appointment and told him I was feeling pains and a bit weird and all that, so he sent me up to the hospital to go on the monitor for a while 'to put my mind at ease.' Well we discovered a whole new problem that hadn't been detected before. Seems my baby has an irregular heartbeat. So into panic stations, you see after what happened with my last pregnancy Doc is being extra protective and cautious. So he gets me in for an emergency Ultrasound (which he had to beg for), Instructs me not to eat or drink anything in case this baby has to come out today... Man, that would have been a really inconvenient day for me to have a baby!!! So the U/S showed that although the heartbeat is irregular, the heart itself is fine, which alleviated the initial panic, but still had to go back to the Doc yesterday for a steroid shot in case baby needs to come out early. Almost defiantly by Caesar which is OK but the recovery is what scares me. So now I am instructed to "take it easy"... yeah right! and have another U/S on Friday... and again no food or drink in case it has to come out then!

Geez nothing is ever simple in my life... and out of three births, not one is even remotely textbook!!!

So now it's just a bit of wait and see, Lets get through tomorrow, get rid of work, this so called "take it easy" business, then whatever happens, happens and when Bubba-ista is born, well then we'll see whats next!

The Couch is the new Bed...

But Leg cramps, headaches, swollen feet, constipation, insomnia and a really really sore back will never be in style thank you very much!

Hit 34 weeks yesterday, not long to go now! Predicted date... September 23rd. Two reasons,

a) That’s 36 and a bit weeks which is when I had little miss.

b) Jack’s Birthday and I think that would be lovely!

Jack was/is my grandfather. But when my brother was born there were still lots of the great grandparents around and as the great grandparent name debate raged on, he said... “Just call me Jack...” and that’s all he’s ever been, to anyone. In fact I used to get really confused when people would say ‘your grandfather’ or the like, I didn’t know who they were talking about!

Jack was cool, he could wiggle his ears and make this funny mouth noise. And everything was done at Jack pace which was not always easy with Granny around!

Check out the latest addition to the uterus...



My parents just got back from Hawaii where they were instructed to bring me back lots of Hula Girl tacky souvenirs... I love Hula Girls, they are up there with Cowgirls, Chick Racing Car Drivers and Stereotypical Librarians as some of my favourite feminine images!

Oh the joys...

Its kind of ironic I guess, the week that I am reading Toddler Taming and we are in the midst of mega-tantrum mode!

If I wanted to anlyise it I guess I would say;

• I am being punished for leaving her at Grammy’s for a few days (although she loves it there)


• She can sense that in a few weeks her world is going to be turned upside down with the arrival of a new little person in the house


• That my fuse is shorter than normal what with not being able to sleep and just generally tired and cranky...

but I think the answer is that she is just testing things out, maybe is not feeling herself and just a normal toddler! The Toddler Taming book is actually helping me just to feel like a normal parent and reassures me that I am doing a good job...

Of course this is what little miss thinks of it!!!! (Don't tell the library!)

Punk'd

My friend Neonfaerie made mention of her resemblance to a certain Miss Punky Brewster the other day which stirred up some bad childhood memories... Picture this; last day of primary school was supposed to be a dress up day. The young HotRodLibrarian gets dressed up in her finest Punkiesk outfit complete with odd shoes, several bandana’s and painted on freckles... and you guessed it... I was the only one dressed up!

Such things can scar a girl for life!

Fab 80's songs that I feel personally responsible for reviving!

Bop Girl...

Pat Wilson was kind of supposed to be Australia's answer to Cyndi Lauper or early Madonna... Wife of Aussie rock legend Ross Wilson and never to be heard from again!

P.S. I only just found out that Nicole Kidman is in this filmclip, and she does't smile in this either!

Wired for sound...

This is my favourite daggy, shameful sing along song... besides, it's got rollerskating in the clip so it cannot be overlooked!!!

Revolution baby...

Gotta Love Transvision Vamp... especially the bit where they jump through the paper screen thingi!!! Man... Wendy James was HOT!

Respectable...

RIP Mel... or was it Kim???

Enjoy and stay tuned for more!

Our Girls....

The next release from my friends at Arcade Publications... I can't wait!

Love Junkie...

I just finished reading Love Junkie: a memoir of love and sex addiction by Rachel Resnick. Wow. Makes my girly behaviour with past crushes pale in comparison!! But then again she usually got the guy in the first place... I never seemed to even get that far! ‘Cept when it came to the boy. Though some of my early behaviour could be considered questionable! But remember ladies... it’s not stalking if they want you back!