The B’day party
Now that the blog is back up I can finally post about Connor’s birthday party!
On Connor’s birthday we had our family over for a small party. Connor had a fantastic time and loved all the attention. He received lots of new toys, clothes and books. I have always received a huge bounty of presents for birthday’s and Xmas as I was growing up (actually, I still do!), so I didn’t expect anything different for Connor!
His favourites included his “That’s Not My Monkey” touchy feely book, which Duncan was made to read over and over to him (and David and myself have since become very familiar with!), a bouncing, vibrating, singing pig, which Connor loved dancing to (much to David’s distain - he hates noisy toys!) and a ride-on bulldozer which is apparently great to be pushed on around and around the house!
I decided to keep Connor up in the afternoon rather that putting him down for a nap in the middle of his own party. Despite therefore being tired, he was a very happy boy and had a great day.
We did, however, pay for it that night (he was up from 10pm until almost 1am - woke up screaming and seemed very hyperactive!).
And of course, I can’t sign off without mentioning the b’day cake! I did end up making one. I made a ladybug and matching ladybug cupcakes. The icing didn’t really work and for some reason was lumpy, however, overall I was happy with my first attempt at cake decorating (saying that, I may have had a little hissy fit when the icing didn’t work - again, my perfectionism rearing it’s ugly head). I am going to have to start making cakes for all of my friends kids to get some practice in as making a cake for Connor once a year isn’t really going to help me improve! And of course we gave Connor some cake to try, red food colouring and all. Perhaps that’s what the problem was in the middle of the night!
And here are some pics of the cakes!
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Birthday boy
Well, my beautiful little baby is no longer a baby and as of Saturday can now officially be called a toddler! (although is he a toddler when he doesn’t toddle yet?).
I can’t believe that Connor is 1 already! How did that happen so quickly?
This time a year ago our tiny baby was in special care. We were learning how to feed, change and bath him. Every cuddle was a scary experience, he seemed so small and fragile. It was hard to believe he was ours. We took him home after 2 weeks and felt so lost and frightened. How were we to care on our own for this tiny human being who was totally dependant on us?
Yet, we managed, and we have watched our little baby grow and flourish into a gorgeous happy boy. Every time he smiles when he sees a favourite toy, laughs in delight while being spun around or bounces up and down in excitment when he sees us (or food!), our world is complete.
Connor makes us smile and laugh every day too. When he puts his head down and crawls really fast (much more streamlined this way!) and giggles when we try to catch him. When he manages to steal his dummy from the top of the cot, puts it in his mouth and stands up looking very proud of himself, as if to say “I know I’m only allowed my dummy at sleep time, but I found it, so it’s mine!”. When he squeals and kicks his legs in excitment when picked up to have a bath. When he bounces, flaps his arms and pants when he sees a biscuit or yogurt heading his way. When he dances to music by getting up on his knees, bouncing and flapping his arms. And no matter where he is in the house and the TV is on, he somehow knows when the credits to a TV show are playing, he will make his way to the loungeroom, watch the credits, then move away as soon as they are over. Watching the actual show is overrated.
Happy 1st Birthday my little man. We love you to bits.
Filed under Connor | Comment (0)A year ago today
I am feeling reflective today. Thinking about this day one year ago. I was 34 weeks and 4 days pregant and had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia the week before. It was the long weekend Monday and we had enjoyed a nice relaxing weekend so far. I had been monitoring my blood pressure periodically each day, and although it was high, it had been nothing to worry about. On Mon afternoon I took my BP again and found it to be much higher than it had been so far, higher than when I was admitted to hospital for one night the week before. I called the hospital and luckily my obstetrician was there. He asked me to come in. Little did I know it was to be the beginning of the most scary, difficult, emotional and yet rewarding experience of my life.
On Mon the 11th June, a year ago today, I was admitted to the maternity ward at the SAN, and my BP monitored every 4 hrs. I also had blood taken and urine tests done. My bloods indicated abnormal results for my kidney and liver enzymes as well as a low platelet count. I also had protein in my urine. I was nil by mouth on Tues night in case I needed to deliver on Wed. By Wed, however, my test results had improved, so my obstetrician informed me that I could go home the following day, although I would continue to be monitored closely and most likely would need to be induced early.
That wasn’t to be. At approximately 3:30am on Thurs the 14th of June, a midwife took my blood pressure. She said it was 180/120. I didn’t believe her. Two other midwives also checked and got the same result. They called my obstetrician (poor man, he recieved many calls about me at the most inconvenient times - he has since retired from obstetrics, I’m sure he is glad he won’t have to see me next time!), and he asked them to take me up to the delivery suite and high dependancy rooms. It wasn’t until I was hooked up to the automatic BP monitor setting off alarms and I could actually see the electronic BP reading myself, that I believed them. I was getting readings like 210/120!
Needless to say, things moved pretty quickly from then on. Before I knew it, my obstetrician had arrived, an anesthetist and a paediatrician were called and I was whisked down to the operating theatre, pushed ahead of the line of other women having caesarians and people having hip replacements.
I was given a spinal block for the caesarian. Normally they would administer a general anesthetic if you have a low platelet count, as I did, however, apparently I have an interior larynx which would make it difficult to intubate me. An epidural has a higher chance of blood loss, so a spinal block was decided on. I don’t think I have ever been so scared in my life. It was certainly a bizarre experience. I was positive that I was going to feel the obstetrician performing the caesarian. I wanted to shout at them not to go ahead, but I didn’t, and I didn’t feel any pain (until I tried to walk of course!).
Our son, Connor Arlan Sawyer Midgley entered this world at 8:14am on Thursday 14th June, 2007. A scary experience, but an amazing, wonderful one.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Obsessions
No one changes the world who isn’t obsessed ~ Billy Jean King
Lately, I have been obsessing about a birthday cake for Connor. I tend to do this. I decide I want to accomplish something, and I then spend hours obsessing over it. Eventually I do nothing about it. A combination of procrastination, and also fear of failure, I think. I have therefore spent many hours on the internet researching cake decorating. Yesterday, I purchased a book filled with children’s birthday cakes. Today, that book sits on the coffee table while I move onto something else.
Today’s something else has been cot manchester for Connor’s cot which I have been perusing on the internet. (Don’t ask, I have no idea why this has suddenly piqued my interest - especially considering Connor’s cot is made up with just a white fitted sheet, as he sleeps in a sleeping bag!). As an aside, however, there is some really beautiful manchester available in the US, we really don’t have the range here in Australia that can be found in the US.
Anyway, back to birthday cakes. Although I may have been sidetracked, I am determined that I am going to make Connor a birthday cake for his very first birthday!
Again, continue to watch this space, hopefully I will have some birthday cake pictures to upload in three weeks time.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Birthday cake madness
Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake ~ anon
In the spirit of procrastination, as mentioned in the previous post, I have FINALLY started to look into organising the making of a birthday cake for my soon to be 1 year old son. We have decided to have a small family get-together on his actual birthday. I have been thinking for some time that I would like to make Connor a special cake for his first birthday, however, it has taken me until now (only 3 weeks before his birthday) to actually attempt to do something about organising it.
It is here my perfectionism comes into play. And this is why I say above (well, below actually), that procrastination and perfectionism are not a good combination. Afterall, I don’t want to settle for a standard chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Oh no! I want to create a spectacular, decorated masterpiece to dazzle all who see and taste it!
There are a number of different cake decorating methods that I could utilise to make a first birthday cake for Connor. Starting with the most basic “cut-up” cake, this is essentially using a few standard sized cake pans to make shapes, which are then stuck together to make an animal or a train (for example), and covered with buttercream frosting. Alternatively, I could use a shaped pan and decorate it by piping icing. Or, finally, I could go the whole hog and try my luck with decorating a cake with fondant.
Given that Mr. Procrastination has led to me having only 3 weeks to get myself sorted, I am thinking I may have to go for the easiest option, even though Mr. Perfectionism is calling for the fondant cake.
Watch this space….
Filed under Cake decorating | Comment (1)Procrastinating
Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday ~ Don Marquis
Yes, I am a procrastinator. I am also a perfectionist and a control freak. Not a very good combination, really. Just ask my husband. Therefore, being the procrastinator that I am, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to learn it has taken me almost 5 months to write a post for this blog which David set up for me back in January. Maybe I’m jumping on a bandwagon that left years ago, but hey, I’m a procrastinator, remember?
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