Look who's finally 21.... !!!!!

**Happy 21st Birthday Siany!!!**

We wish you all the BEST for the year ahead!!
You are the BEST Friend, 'sister in law' & Aunty ever!!!
We wish we were with you to celebrate!!
XXx Jess, Matt & Liberty!!

Tagged...

Yes, I am a mum, & I’m a person too! I've been tagged by my good friend Daria!

I've only been a mum for exactly 5 weeks today, but i still want to fill this out as my life seems so different and more important now! I just couldnt imagine my life without Liberty in it, its a very different life to before i had her (i was pretty lazy before) hehe! Okay, here goes...

1. Name your 3 previous occupations before becoming a mum?

Waitress. Nanny. Thats it! I've grown up in my parents restaurant, so being a waitress is second nature to me! Some people look at me funny when i say that 'all i am' is a waitress.. but think about it.. there are many out there... But how many serve you well?! My brother and I (and we've dragged Siany into it now too) were taught how to be with people and work hard since we were about 8 years old. And without trying to sound totally up myself... we do a great job and serve with a professional attitude, and it shows in the tips we recieve ;)

2. If you are in a relationship, how did you meet your man?

My friend Jen (Hi jen!) kept talking about going indoor rock climbing! When we finally got around to going, we loved it and kept going on a weekly basis before work! It was awesome fun! Matty was the manager at the Climbing Gym, and I slowly got to know him, and we ended up moving in together, and things progressed from there!

3. Tell us about 3 things people who only know you as a ‘mum’ wouldn’t know about you.

I have a fear of vomit! Yep, weird i know! I havent spewed since i was 6 years old! I cant be near anyone that does, otherwise, i pretty much have a panic attack! For some reason, baby spew doesnt bother me as much! Which is lucky, cos the amount of times i've been spewed on lately....

4. List 3 hobbies you had before your time was completely consumed by being ‘mummy’.

Scrapbooking!! I still havent created since being a mummy! But ill be back into it as soon as i find the time!

Indoor Rock climbing! I stopped once I found out I was pregnant, I didnt want to take any risks! I wanted my baby way too much and was so scared to lose it especially in that 1st trimester! Looking forward to starting again soon though!
Sleeping!!! I didnt realised it was a hobby till I had Liberty!! HAHAHAH!

5. Besides being a mum of course, what would you say is your biggest achievement?

I have no idea! I'd say it is becoming a mum, and giving birth too! I know we have to do it, but I was so proud of myself afterwards for surviving the birthing experience!

Post a photo of YOU before you were a mum!

Seeing as Daria tagged me.. here is a photo of us about to go rollerblading, way back in 2004!!!

Now.. I tag all you Mummies out there! Let me know if you do it as i'd love to read what your life was like before babies!!!
Xx Jess

Published

Hi Everyone!

Im so excited to let you know that I am published in this months Scrapbooking Memories Magazine (vol 10 no 3)
I got to write and create a layout for the telling tales section! It was lots of fun!!
Xx Jess

attack of the teddy bears...

at 5 days old...
at 4 weeks old...

a little liberty fix...

Hi Everyone!!
Here are some piccies of Liberty at 3 weeks old! Today she turned 4 weeks old! Its going by so fast!! This weekend Liberty and I went up to Katoomba and stayed at my parents for a couple of nights, Matty had to stay back to work.
We were busy with lots of mountain visitors! It was great to see everyone!
Im hoping to get back into some scrapbooking very soon!!
Tomorrow im off to my first mothers' group meeting! Im looking forward to meeting other mum's in the area!
Okies, just a short write up as Liberty has just gone to sleep and I think i might join her!!
Xx Jess

Liberty napping...

Bouncing on the ball with her Daddy...

With her Mummy...

With her grandparents...

and this last photo makes me laugh so much!!! (even though its blurry!)
I wanted to take a photo of Liberty's feet and just as i was taking it, she did a big stretch!! hehehe, look at her little stretched out toes!! She's so funny!!

Xx Jess

She's growing so fast...

Hello!!
My Mum and Dad got us an awesome video camera the day Liberty was born!! But I still havent figured out how to put the video onto my computer i'll have to read the instructions!
But I have taken a couple of videos with my mobile phone...
(please, for the second video, turn your sound off! The sound is terrible! Something is wrong with my phone!!)
Look how much Liberty has changed in 2 1/2 weeks!! We love her so so much!

Liberty - One Day Old...


Liberty - 2 Weeks and 4 Days Old...


Xx Jess
P.S. let me know if you cant view these!! Normally i upload them through youtube, but for some reason, i cant figure out how to do that today! Grrr

My Book!!!

Hi Everyone!
Before Liberty was born I hurried to publish my blog into a book! I used the Blurb.com program and today I recieved my book!! Its awesome! I totally recommend this to anyone who is thinking of publishing their blog! Yes, it takes time to edit and create your book but its totally worth it! It looks so professional! Im very happy with the result, and it cost me about $100, for a book I know I will look at and treasure forever!
Xx Jess

Front Cover

Back Cover

Some pages in the book

a very 'breasty' post...

Hi Everyone!
This morning Liberty, Matty and I walked up to the Narrabeen Early Childhood Clinic for the free drop in breast feeding clinic! Matty went to the bank, post office etc whilst Liberty and I got settled in!
I weighed her: 3.83kg - what a fattie!! Im so happy that she is doing well there! As im having so many problems with my boobs! So im happy that these problems aren't being passed onto our precious little baby!

So, my mastitis is still there! Arrgh, the lady at the clinic told me I needed to get more antiniotics (mine finish tomorrow) ARRGH! My GP is about 40minutes drive away, and i didnt go to him last week, I just went to the local medical centre (cos it was late at night), but when i popped in there today to get a refil, you should of seen how BUSY it was! I knew i'd be in for a looooong wait so I decided that i'll go visit my GP tomorrow! He'll get to meet Liberty too + he's an awesome doctor!

So, not only do i need more antibiotics, but we had to run around to find a breast pump, breast warmers and a feeding top! The books all prepare you for what your baby will be like once its born, but you personally... not much is written!!
Did anyone else find this too??
I mean they ask you to leave the hospital after 48 hours, but they dont tell you anything about whats going to happen to your body! I'd love to put a book together (or at least a pamphlet) on what happens to YOUR body once you've given birth! I know i'd love to read something like that!!

So, tonight we are off to the hospital for our birth classes reunion!! Im excited to see all the new families and see who had boys and who had girls (most of the people in our class, were like us... keeping it a surprise).

I think i might go and have a lye down, or vege in front of the teli whilst Liberty is sleeping! Today she's been so alert, she didnt want to sleep! I just think she doesnt want to miss out on whats going on around her! She's adorable!
Here's a little selfie we took today.... (yep! I managed to cover up this time!!! heheh) and thanks Siany for the gorgeous outfit, doesnt she look cute in it??!

Xx Jess

two weeks old already!

Woah! I cant believe Liberty is already two weeks old!! Thats amazing! She has changed so much! She is eating like a champion and is getting chubby cheeks, so cute! Last night Matty and I managed to sleep for about 6 hours (of broken sleep) thats the best so far!! I woke up feeling good and refreshed. I think the antibiotics have finally taken effect and is helping me with my mastitis!
I took her out on a walk by the lake, into Narrabeen via pro kayaks to visit 'daddy'! It was her first walk in the Baby Bjorn which we recieved as a gift from Matt's bosses! She loved it and slept the whole time! Liberty also LOVES her bath and getting her nappy changed! She is a happy little baby! When she is contente she holds her hands together like she is thinking or preying, its so cute!

Here are some photos of today...

Liberty and I by the lake

Liberty and Teddy (@ 2 weeks old)

Happy in her rocker

Tonight after her bath

I sware, i dont always have my belly hanging out! I just seem to be photographed when it is hanging out!!! Will have to make an effort to cover up for future piccies!!!
Xx Jess

The Birth...

Hi Everyone,
I've been struck with mastitis! Im hoping the antibiotics will kick in soon - not fun. Everything with Liberty is great though! She is the perfect newborn!
I thought i'd post up my birth story.. its pretty long! But i've added photos down the bottom for you clucky readers!
Xx Jess

The birth
On Friday night throughout the night I started feeling my first bit of back pain I’ve had in at least 3 months! I had a sore back when I was about 6 months pregnant but not in the 3rd trimester, lucky me!! So on Saturday morning I said to Matty, don’t go too far today, I might go into labor, I’ve got a sore lower back! We both giggled as I really didn’t think I was ready as I still didn’t have the ‘signs’ everyone talks about… the show, diarrhea, sharp pains in your inner thigh and groin. So without these signs I knew id be fine!

During the day on Saturday, I went on a walk by the lake to visit Matty at work and we walked into town together to get some lunch! I still had a sore(ish) lower back and very mild period pain but that’s all!

In the evening, I made fried rice for dinner and we ate then cracked out the yahtzee for a few games. Whilst playing, I started complaining about period pains that kept coming and going, and then I said to Matty, ‘maybe we should time these, they may be contractions’. So we started timing them at about 7pm on the Saturday night. They were 5 minutes apart and only lasting about 10-15seconds and not very painful (more just annoying). We called the hospital at about 8pm and the midwife asked if I could still talk through a contraction (yes!) so she just said as its my 1st baby, these kind of contractions could last up to 48 hours! AHHH! She told me to get lots of rest!!I went to bed at 10:30pm, contractions still approx 5 minutes apart but lasting a bit longer and were a bit stronger. I tried to sleep but all of a sudden, I finally felt a strong contraction! Matty heard me yelp and came into the room and watched me, and wait for it…. He laughed at me!!!! Little bugger! So I was now in pain! After an hour or so, I called the hospital again and they told me to come on in…

We arrived at the hospital at midnight, they put me straight into the delivery room. The midwife checked my cervix. I was only 1cm dilated. ‘what does that mean?’ I asked! – yep! As you can see, I didn’t read up that much on the birth as it was too scary!! – the midwife said it meant there was still a long way to go and that it would be the midwives on the day shift that would be meeting my baby. I thought to myself ‘shit! This HUUURTS!’

Mona Vale Hospital is great and I was really looking foreword to using the spa bath during my labor. So Matty ran me a bath and the midwife told me which position to lye in (on all fours) to get the baby into the right position. I thought I’d enjoy the spa but infact, my contractions got stronger and I really wasn’t enjoying it. Once I got out a student midwife came in and tried to tell me to relax during the contractions (yeah right!) they were now so close together, Matty was trying to make me sip h2o during contractions, and sometimes I didn’t even have time to do that! I asked the student midwife, ‘when can I have the drugs?’. She said I wasn’t dilated enough yet (not that she checked) and I’d have to wait! This was at about 2am. Matty was very good, rubbing my back and giving encouraging words, no more laughing now!

The main midwife came back in at about 3:30am and checked me… I was now over 8cm dilated! She said that went really, really fast to dilate that much in 3.5 hours!
My question, ‘so, can I have drugs now??’
The answer.. ‘its too late, its almost time to push’

I looked at Matty and cried ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’
I think he laughed and followed that by some encouraging words about how well I was doing! Ahhhhh, finally! They gave me GAS!!! I don’t know how well it worked but at least it had me concentrating on my breathing! The midwife then broke my waters, I felt a gush of warm water come out of me, ‘ewe, gross’ I said, then I forgot about being embarrassed as my contractions then got about 3times stronger!

It was time to push! Oh my gosh what a feeling. Its amazing!! It hurt like hell but how amazing! Matty could see her coming out! I touched her head once it was out, whilst waiting for the next contraction, and then out she slid (it bloody hurt).

At 4:12am, Liberty was born weighing 3.4kg and 47cm long. I was only at the hospital for 4 hours!

They put her on my tummy and I got to check to see what sex she was! I had to check twice to see we had a beautiful baby GIRL!!!! I had told myself if was going to be a boy in fear of disappointment if I didn’t prepare myself for it, as the whole pregnancy, I secretly wanted a baby girl! My wish came true! The most beautiful baby girl ever!

Liberty didn’t even cry when she came out, she just looked around soaking in the view. I then pushed out the placenta, they took liberty to do her checks then Matty (who shed a tear when Liberty was born) had some cuddles. Whilst I lay there and got stitched back up! Yep, Liberty coming out so fast gave me 2nd degree tearing. It took about an hour to get sewn back up! Ouchy! This time I was sucking on that gas like a champion!

Then we got to spend some time with Liberty, I got to breastfeed her and Matty and I talked and cooed over Liberty! I couldn’t of done it without Matty’s support and the help of the fantastic midwife that was on duty that night!
We are so blessed and happy with our beautiful baby girl!

With Daddy...
With Mummy
With Teddy...
Our little princess...