The one where The Jess gets married

“I think Hannah is going to steal the spotlight at the wedding.”  I said to anyone who would listen.  We were at The Jess’ wedding rehearsal and Hannah was running anywhere and everywhere in the church, squealing, laughing, and getting the oldies to look at her.  Then she climbed over the little ledge, under the railing, and onto the stage.

The next day:

Waaaa!!!!!  I looked at the clock.  4:20-something am.  Hannah was crying.  Hang on, Hannah wasn’t there.  I was staying at Silvermere (where the wedding reception was) with The Jess.  Hannah was at home with Aaron.  Figures I’d dream about Hannah crying and actually wake up the one time I could have a non-interrupted sleep.  Stupid brain, stop being annoying….  No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get back to sleep.  The Jess was getting married!  Not to mention, the night before, when we were eating fish and chips and Heaven ice cream in bed while watching “Grease,” I saw an ad on tv letting me know that the Amazing Race was coming to Australia.  For the first time, Australians could apply!  I couldn’t stop thinking about what to put on the audition video.  Of course we have to apply, we’ve always wanted to go on the Amazing Race, but Aussies were never allowed (and I wasn’t allowed to apply as an American because I don’t live there).   My tossing and turning woke The Jess up.  Oops.  Sorry The Jess.

We were up, it was early, we were hungry.  Why not go to the supermarket in our pajamas (ok, that doesn’t sound so out there to you Americans, but Aussies just don’t EVER do that!)?  Pancakes and eggs sounded pretty good.  Unfortunately when we got back (after some funny looks.  It’s not every day Aussies see someone in bright pink pajamas with white stars on them at the supermarket) we couldn’t work out how to use the industrial gas stove at the house.  Humph, no pancakes and eggs.  Back up plan, to the bakery we went (still in pj’s).  We loaded up on chocolate croissants and some cheese and bacon rolls for later.  So hungry….

Our hair and make up was taking ages (well, mostly mine, hmmm…what does that say about me?).  And what to do with those short little spiky bits of annoying hair that sit in the very front of my head on each side?  I can see your screwed up what-the-heck-do-you-have-those-for faces from here.  Well, a couple of months after Hannah was born, a lot of my hair decided to take a vacation.  It’s been growing back for some time now, but is still annoyingly short and sticks out funny mostly at the very front.  Awesome.

I walked past the front window of the house and nearly jumped out of my top.  Oh wait, I wasn’t wearing one.  I looked outside to find Lozza and Marianne laughing at me.  It’s not everyday you see someone frantically running around a house with no shirt on.  Don’t get too excited, I was wearing a bra.  I had to take my shirt off because I only had tight non-buttoning shirts which would mess up my newly curled hair when taking them off if I left them on.  Oh well, everyone’s seen my boobs anyway.  That’s what happens when you breast feed for a year.  Lozza brought the bouquets (and did an amazing job putting them together by the way) for us.  Lucky she was there as we needed extra hands to help The Jess get into her dress.  It was no easy feat.  There was no way we could get the dress over her butt if she were to step in it (we know because we tried), so we had to get it over her head without a) messing up her hair and b) ruining her makeup.  Let’s just say we got a little friendlier than any of us intended (but she did end up with the dress on, makeup intact, and hair not very messed up).  By that stage we were 30 minutes behind when we intended to depart for the church.  Oh well, the bride is always supposed to be fashionably late right?  I quickly slipped into my hollywood fat sucker (body stocking from bottom of boobs down to just above knees, designed to, well, keep it all in), stuck on my “revolutionary” boob sticker bra (which turned out to be see-through as well.  Hmmm… the whole point in my wearing said stickers was to hide nipples.  Oh well) to my poor deflated I’ve-fed-a-baby-for-a-whole-year boobies, followed by my slinky see through (lucky I wore the fat sucker or everyone would see my goodies) bridesmaid dress.  Step b: shove my duck feet into thin nice looking heels (and hope I don’t trip as I tend to not wear heels due to duck feet, and probable falling over).

We must have looked an interesting sight on the way to the church.  Bride and bridesmaid in the back seat with flower girl in the baby seat (Violet, not Hannah), Chief Bridesmaid (aka me) driving, sans shoes (I can’t drive in heels, I can hardly walk on them!).  Not that anyone outside could see my feet….  When we got there (faster than expected luckily), some people were milling about outside.  I know The Jess is no bridezilla, she didn’t seem to mind, but I was rather annoyed.  These people were going to see The Jess before she walked down the aisle!  I wanted to run out of the car and cover all of their eyes.  I couldn’t of course because I probably would have tripped, broken my ankle, and made everyone think I’m a nutbag.

I was getting nervous and I wasn’t even the one getting married!!  My nervousness was more about having to stand up the front ignoring my daughter as she would probably try to get to me, while wearing heels that I was not allowed to take off for the entire ceremony.

We decided to carry the babies (Romana, the other bridesmaid’s daughter was also a flower girl) instead of letting them walk up the aisle with their too-cute flower girl baskets, mainly because they probably wouldn’t walk up the aisle (they never perform when you want them to),  and would quite possibly take off running in some other direction, sending us in a frenzy with high heels, probably falling over, breaking a bone, and showing the whole crowd our unsexy fat sucking undergarments and/or tried-to-cover-them-up nipples.

The wedding went off without a hitch (the babies had to be taken outside when they started getting loud so they didn’t interrupt), The Jess managed not to cry during the ceremony (as far as I could see, but then again, her back was towards me most of the time), and no one forgot the rings (although The Jess almost forgot hers).

I know I wasn’t the photographer, but I couldn’t help myself, I took lots of photos at the reception.  I also decorated the pavlovas, decorated the newlyweds’ car and posed for bridal party photos, so I was a busy woman.  I actually ate less at The Jess wedding then at my own!  It was a beautiful day, a beautiful ceremony, and a great reception.  I hope The Jess and Jimmy had a great day and a wonderful honeymoon.

Here are some photos for your enjoyment (some are mine, some are the photographers.  None of the ceremony shots are mine, FYI).  Most of the getting ready photos have been eaten by my stupid memory card so I’ll have to post those later, after Aaron works his computer nerd file recovery skills :

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My jaundiced baby

Time since birth: 2 weeks 1 day
Total weight loss: 7kg (15.4lbs)
Weight loss this week: 100g (.22lbs but I weighed myself after eating and fully clothed so this is not too accurate)

Last Monday (a week ago today) a nurse from the early childhood centre came to do a home visit. She checked Hannah’s jaundice (which is now gone), weighed her (she had gained over 200g since that Thursday, which is really good), pushed on my tummy to see how my uterus is going, and asked any questions that I have. She said we were doing really well and that I seemed really calm for a new mom. I find it very odd that after getting stitches when Hannah was born, not one person has checked the stitches since then. I had a total of 4 home visits (3 from midwives, 1 from the nurse), and some checks in hospital, but no stitch check. This seems very odd to me. What if they are infected or not healing right or something. I wouldn’t know, I don’t know what vajayjay stitches are supposed to look like (nor can I see down there anyway…). I’m sure they are fine, but I still find it odd. I would think that would be something that needs checking.

I can’t remember if I mentioned it last week, but after you have a baby, your appetite goes out the window. I had to force myself to eat 3 meals per day for a week and a half. I could only get through small portions. The nurse said that is normal, and is due to hormones, etc. I’m happy to report that I now have my appetite back. Unfortunately I have not been drinking any milk as Hannah had lots of gas and I read online that sometimes this can be due to mom’s ingesting milk products. So, I’m giving up milk for a week to see if there is a change. It’s torture though, I LOVE milk!! I don’t think she has been as gassy though. Poor little Hannah gets quite distressed when she has too much wind. her poor little tummy hurts. Hopefully I can reintroduce milk slowly to my diet. I will have to ask the nurse about such things.

It’s funny how things change as soon as you have a baby. I never used to go out without at least a light dusting of my mineral makeup, but now, who cares, I just had a baby, I don’t have time for that! I’ve been living in sweats since I got home, and only shower every other day (except for washing my stitches which I do every day). I walk to the shops in my sweats and take Hannah for walks in my sweats. That is just what happens after you become a mom. I don’t want to be daggy for the rest of my life, but for now, while little Hannah is so young and in need of attention all the time, I just don’t have time to make myself look nice.

I am so thankful to our church and it’s members. They have been bringing us meals since we came home from hospital. I don’t know what we’d do without it. There just isn’t time (or energy) for cooking dinner at the moment. Hannah doesn’t really like to sleep during the day (she is sleeping now, but it’s the first time she has slept today, and it’s 4:40 in the afternoon), so that doesn’t really give me time to tend to any house duties or cooking. We are very grateful!

My coccyx is still sore, but getting better. I can now sit on the couch and breastfeeding chair (cushioned gliding rocking chair in Hannah’s room. Hannah and I love that chair) without a folded towel under each cheek. I still can’t drive as the seats in the car are quite hard and I have to sit really awkwardly in the car. If it was an automatic I might be able to drive it, but as it’s a manual, I’d have to sit properly to have both feet doing what they are supposed to, and that is painful still.

Hannah loves it when Mommy or Daddy holds her in a sitting position so she can stare at our faces. Sometimes she even smiles. She may not like to sleep during the day, but at night, Hannah is wonderful. She usually sleeps at about 10pm after a feed, and then sleeps for 5 hours. Another feed, diaper change, and settling (45min – 1 hour total), and she sleeps for another 2-4 hours. Another feed, etc, and she sleeps for another 2-4 hours. I get lots of sleep luckily (most nights, but we have had the odd bad night). She is just so cute.

Hannah was really unsettled yesterday. She didn’t sleep all day. We went to church last night, but she cried so much that Aaron had to take her out to the car and just sit with her the whole time while she bawled her eyes out. I wish I knew how to make her feel better when she is so unsettled. We check her nappy, feed her, make sure she is not too hot or cold, give her cuddles, etc, but still, she cries. I guess it’s just because she is a baby. She looks tired (yawning, and other tired signs), wakes up about 5 min after putting her to bed. I suppose she will grow out of it though. Better to be like that during the day then all night though! She does sleep when I take her for a walk in her pram. She will be bawling her eyes out all the way to the top of the driveway, then, as soon as we hit the sidewalk, she is out. She will be out the whole walk time, until we get right outside our driveway, then she is up and screaming again. I don’t know how she knows we’re home, but somehow, she always does. She is too smart for her own good I think.

I find getting out for a walk does wonders for me too. I like to get some fresh air, and it really puts me in a good mood. I might be really stressed or upset from trying to settle Hannah all day, but as soon as we go for a walk, I’m refreshed. Good old vitamin D (the happy vitamin) I suppose. I guess that is why all the baby books tell you to get out everyday no matter what, even if it’s just to the mailbox and back. Good advice, I second that. I like going for pram walks so much that I emailed all the girls from my antenatal class (we all keep in touch and meet up sometimes) and suggested we all meet up fairly regularly after everyone has their babies (one popped yesterday, and another today, a couple more to go) and go for pram walks. I’ve gotten favourable responses so far.

Anyway, Hannah might wake up soon, so I’m going to go now. ToOdLeS!