Carols by Candlelight

Last week, Jeanie hosted a small gathering for some "Carols by Candlelight". She had arranged for Brenda, the music teacher at Kirsten's school to come along and play her keyboard for us, but with all the Eskom load shedding it seemed at some point that we would be going acapello. However, just in time, the electricity came back on and shortly after that, Fr Christmas made his appearance. The poor chap stumbled in (literally) and all the kids were delighted he could make it so early before Christmas. We all sang a few carols together and then it was time for him to move on to the next group...... he assured us all that if we stayed well behaved, he would be back on Christmas eve with some more presents! [even for the adults ;~) ]

Car Comfort

I can't say Zara is the happiest baby when in the car......

Unfortunately we have been spending quite a lot of time in the car lately, trying to get organised for her Christening, Christmas and our holiday. However, thanks to Pat (my Godmother) we now have some good entertainment for her. She seems to love watching the frog, butterfly, turtle and fish as they dangle above her car seat. Her little legs kick in excitement and every now and again I her "whoop" in delight.

This pic was taken while waiting for Chris as he was coming with me to a small shoot to look after Zara while I worked.

In my Cot

Now that Zara is having more awake time during the day, I decided that we should try encourage a different environment for her day time naps when we are home. So this morning she had her first sleep in her bedroom, in her cot. She looks so tiny in the huge cot, but appeared to be quite comfy as she had a good 45 min nap while I managed to make so phone calls.

Paediatrician Visit

Today we had Zara's 8 week check with the paediatrician, Dr Lucic. This is not the same doctor that was at her birth but was our doctor of choice. Unfortunately for us it had been her weekend off when Zara was born and so we had her partner Nelli. After a thorough check we now have some stats about Zara:

	Birth	Today
weight	3.280 kg	4.880 kg
height	52 cm	56.5 cm
head	36 cm	39 cm

According to Dr Lucic, this puts her in 50 percentile and makes her 100% average on all levels.

As suspected, Zara's belly button has herniated, but Dr Lucic is confident that it will rectify itself as she grows and gets stronger. So far she has not inherited my heart murmur and it is apparently unlikely she will. There is apparently only a 2-3% chance of genetic transfer.

Dr Lucic gave me all the time I needed to ask any questions and at no point did I feel like I had to hurry up as the next patient was waiting. Once again we have been lucky to get such an amazing doctor. Even though she was running late, I must admit it was worth the wait and I look forward to seeing her again at our 6 month check next year.

Gym Bunnies

On the nights we don't go walking, "Bun and Baby Bun" enjoy a gym session together.....

This picture was taken last night while I was trying to get some "work" done. Hopefully a good exercise routine will be instilled in Zara as she watches her Dad in the gym

2 months old

Last week marked Zara's two month birthday! Life in the Atkinson household has certainly changed but we are loving every moment with our precious miracle! It is now so hard to imagine a life without her!

Zara, remains a very content baby and is growing in leaps and bounds, getting stronger and cuter everyday. She is a lot more interactive and she tracks us as we move around her. She has been enjoying her play gym (thanks to Durban v G Family) and can lie under it kicking for ages cooing and listening to Mozart. She also definitely recognises our voices and reacts when we speak to her. Often when Chris gets home from work and greets us as he comes in the door, she turns her head to where his voices came from. She also appears to be a social being and thrives on some activity, be it an outing to bumps & babes or even a walk around neighbourhood.

Although she is still a little stingy with her smiles, I was able to get this one on camera!

As you can see from her clothing, we are still having four seasons in a week....... from bright sunny days to freezing cold wintery days ~ roll on summer PLEASE!

Paddle Power

Last Sunday(on her 8 week birthday), Zara decided that "sleeping-in" was for the birds. Usually our routine is to wake for a feed between 6 & 7 am and then go off to sleep again till about 9am. Which, as you can imagine has been absolutely perfect for her late rising mother. So at 7.30am after her feed , she decided that it was time to play. I took her cue and decided to surprise Dad by going to watch him paddle the time trial. We got ourselves organised and headed off to Emmarentia.

When we arrived, we saw Chris & Dave carrying their boat back to the racks.... very confused, I went and joined the other wives on the grass and waited to see what happened. Chris eventually came back to fetch his paddle and I then heard that they had managed t break the rudder-cable and were therefore no longer able to paddle.

Never the less , we sat on the banks of the dam, had a cup of coffee and fruit salad till the time trial was over. Once again, Zara enjoyed her outing, but lets hope next time we make it to watch Dad paddle, we will actually see him paddling.

Bumps & Babes

One of the perks of having Sharon as your midwife is "Bumps & Babes". Sharon hosts this on a wed morning for all her ladies while preggie or after baby is born. Sadly I never attended as a "bump" but have been enjoying the weekly get together since Zara was 4 weeks old. It was at my first "Bumps & Babes" that I hooked up with Melanie Woodliff who was there as a "bump" (her baby was due mid Dec, he was born 3 weeks ago, Jayden is healthy and growing nicely!). So bizarre after all these years to meet up again.

Basically "Bumps & Babes" is a very informal social gathering where we take a plate of eats and sit and chat to other Mom's. The babies range from newborn through to toddlers. We are able to weigh our babies if we choose to but there is no pressure. Sharon is also available to answer any questions and guide you if you need.

As you can see on this particular day the weather was great and we all got to sit outside ~ in the first pic, the front lady is Tania who I met through yoga, her boy, Jayden, lying on the blanket is 4.5mths old. Next to me is Nicole who I did yoga with and was also in my antenatal group. Jasmine is 2 days younger than Zara!

~ thanks to Sherene for the photos!~

Walkies

In the evenings we have been going walking round the neighbourhood. Most evenings we take her out in the pram, so that Dad can proudly show her off to the world, (we often play-fight as to who will push). Some evenings we drive down to Zoo Lake, it is busy at this time of the year as the weather is usually good. Zara seems to enjoy the outing and has a good bath and then settles well for the evening.

While Graham & Heather were here a few weeks ago we enjoyed a walk around Zoo Lake and then had a delicious coffee and cake at Moyo, the African restaurant at the lake.

I have also gone walking with my friend Serife, who I met at yoga. Her little boy, Tao, is 2 weeks older than Zara. We meet at Zoo Lake and walk around with our babies in their slings. Although they are usually blissfully unaware of each other they enjoy the outing.

First Trip Away

Last weekend we had our first weekend away. With Zara, all of 6 weeks old we braved the drive to Wakkerstroom for our first weekend away. Knowing this would be a good dress rehearsal for our trip to Durban over Christmas, I made sure that she was fed before we left and true keeping with her content nature, she was as good as gold. As we were turning onto the motorway, we saw Shaun & El. Even though we had planned the weekend at the same time we had not expected to leave Jozi at the same time, let alone basically travel in convoy. Approximately 15 mins out of Standerton, Zara began to stir, ready for her next feed. We had planned to stop there for lunch so her timing was impeccable. We met up with Shaun & Eleanor and enjoyed our lunch together. After lunch, back in the car and we made it there safe and sound. The weekend was lovely, although the weather was a bit miz and cold. On Saturday night the temp dropped to about 10 degrees. Many good laughs and too much good food and it was time to come home again. The trip back was just as "easy", so roll on December! When we arrived back home I took this photo to show how we can no longer travel light and how little miss muffet has the most luggage of us all!

(while we were away, there were HUGE storms in Jozi, hence the mucky driveway! Poor Senzo is still trying to catch up all the mess that was made...)

Six Weeks Old

Last week little Zara turned 6 weeks old! I really cant believe how the time has flown by. I must say that the first six weeks of pregnancy seemed to drag by for me. That is possibly due to the fact that one feels completely exhausted and on top of that I had this constant nausea to contend with. I am not saying that the first few weeks of parenting have not been tiring, its just that when your little one looks at you its all worth it.

Chris and I are very lucky as Zara has been a very easy baby! She is extremely content and relaxed. She feeds really well and sleeps quite well too. I have been lucky to only have an average of 2 wakes during the night. She just does her little grunting thing and that's my cue for her feed. Its amazing how I have become so tuned into the sound that I don't hear the police sirens going past but one grunt and I am up.

We had her weighed at "Bumps & Babes" last week and she is now weighing 4.7kg and is 56cm tall. This means that since Sharon's last home visit (on day 7), Zara has grown 4cm and gained 1.5kg ~ according to the Chinese horoscope, 2007 is the year of the pig, and our little "pork chop" is certainly living up to it.

Zara is also a lot more interactive. She is a little stingy with her smiles ~ except to Dad, he gets loads! She sometimes lies with me at the computer kicking her legs and gurgling while I get some work done.

Everyday certainly does get better and more rewarding, but I still feel the need to slow things down. I just want to savour every second with her while she is still so tiny.

Night Owl

A couple of nights ago, at 10.30pm I took this photo Zara. As you can she she is very alert and wide awake - hence we are trying an earlier bath time schedule.

Looks like she is going to take after her Mom.......

Water Baby

Zara is now just over 5 weeks old and definitly a lot more alert and responsive. She is interacting with us an as you can see from the photos loves her bath with Dad. We have been trying to bath her earlier these days as we find that her bath seems to wake her and then she goes to bed far too late. Dad is not always home in time but when he is they have a great time together....

Lazy Dayz

In stark contrast to how we spent the Sunday Zara was born - FIVE weeks ago, we took full advantage of the beautiful weather in Jozi and spent the day in our garden.

Its hard to believe that we are already into November and this is one of the first days we can truly consider being summer. So with the sun loungers for us and the sun cabana out for Zara, our little family soaked up the quiet sunny environment. Zara was more than happy to lie on her play mat in the shade while Chris read his newspapers and I read my book. Zara even spent a little time looking at her activity gym in between the numerous feeds and naps (perhaps she is having another growth spurt...) After our picnic style lunch it was time for me too to enjoy a nap....

Multi - Tasking

The other night after my bath I came into our bedroom to see Dad really multi-tasking!

While I was having my bath, Zara had been fussing a little as she was due for her "top-up feed" before bedtime and Chris had been wanting to get some work done. As you can see from the pictures, he managed to comfort, cuddle and re-prop her dummy all while get his research material read as well!

So FOUR weeks into our new family roles and we all settling in to each others space really well.

I'm a Baby Bokke

Not only was Saturday the World Cup Rugby Final 2007, but it was Zara's given due date by Prof Jeffery and Prof Nicoloau. So, knowing how much her Dad wanted o watch the World Cup Rugby Finals, our daughter planned her entry into the world, allowing us three weeks to settle into parenting and make it possible for us to enjoy our first night out to watch the South Africa win the trophy.

Having spent the past three weeks at home, it was time to face the outside world, so we started the day off with a hearty breakfast at Fournos down the road. We then went on to do some grocery shopping and look for an appropriate outfit to show our support for SA in the rugby finals. Chris already had a rugby jersey so it was Zara we needed to kit out. Not one shop seemed to think that parents may want their newborns in a rugby jersey so by chance we went into "Buddy Bear"... Low and behold there was the perfect size rugby jersey for Zara. "Buddy Bear" is the same concept as "Build a Bear". Kids go to the shop and make their own teddy bears and then they can dress them too ~ hence the clothing. The shop assistant thought I was crazy buying teddy bears clothing for my newborn baby. When I got home, I had to make a minor adjustment to the neck line so that it would fit over Zara's head.

Zara, cause quite a stir at the restaurant in her ama bokke bokke outfit and was named the lucky charm of the evening by our table. It was a lovely evening out and Zara was as good as gold!

Guess Who??

Chris and I have seen a similarity between Zara and her cousin Leo.....

So see if you can guess who is who ?

Tight Squeeze

One week before Zara was born, I had a belly-mask done. Two weeks after she was born, I took this photo of her next to the belly-mask..... Remember that at this stage she was still supposed to be in my tummy for another week! But as you can see, it was certainly a tight squeeze and she looks as pleased as punch and highly amused that she surprised us all by joining us in the real world so early where her space is not so cramped anymore.

Sun Goddess

As promised, I have managed to keep the sunshine d treatment going. Every morning, after Dad has left for work, I get my breakfast, undress Zara and let her lie in the sun in our bedroom while I eat my food. I then give her a nice massage and after a bit of "tanning time" I get her dressed and ready to face the world. Zara loves her time in the sun. She spreads herself out to get the full benefit of the sun on her tiny body. Looks like she will be just like her parents and those family beach holidays will consist of the three of us spread out soaking up the rays.

Baby Bunny

As many of you know, Chris' nickname when he was growing up was "Bunny".

I think Graham once told me that the nickname came from the fact that his plates and mugs and "stuff" had bunnies on them..... as the years past, he then became "Bun" and many of his school friends and family still affectionately call him Bun to date.

We now have our "Baby Bun" and she is sporting an appropriate label to prove it. She is obviously quite the thinker - just like her Dad!

Snow-Girl

Its October and we have yet to experience some summer!

Since Zara was born, 11 days ago, the weather has been cold and wet! Chris and I needed to get some groceries so we decided to get Zara kitted out in her snow-suit she inherited from cousin Leo. I think this is the same snow-suit he wore home from the hospital. Although a little big for her, she was as snug as a bug for the little outing to the Woolies up the road from us.

Dummy or dumby

Being 11 days old, I decided it was time to introduce a dummy. I also made up my mind that I was not going to get caught up in offering a zillion types. Either she was going to take what was on offer or not. Anyway, besides being rather massive in comparison to her tiny face, she took to her dummy like a duck to water and soon enough was having a cat nap while I got the supper started.

Bathing with Dad

On the few nights that we have battled to settle Zara, the common denominator has been that she hasn't bathed. We are now trying to make it part of our routine to bath with Dad every night. They have a bath together while I potter around..... I then dress her and feed her. Once that's done she lies with Dad while he reads and I get to have a "quick" bath. She likes to stockpile her meals round this time so I don't get to soak for ages before she's ready for the next round of grub.

So far so good and as you can see, she really enjoys her bath time.

All the way from America !

Chris' folks got to meet Zara on day 8! They were on their way home from visiting Sue and family in America and taking a trip on the Queen Mary. Graham had been convinced that they would return home to meet their newest grandchild, and so she obliged and granted him his wish. It is amazing how modern technology is so wonderful ~ Graham and Heather boarded the Queen Mary only 2 days before Zara was born. I was in a panic about how we were going to get in touch with them to let them know they now had another granddaughter. I knew they both had email address on the ship, but was concerned as to how often they would be checking them....Mike A kindly sent off an email to them announcing Zara's birth and as luck would have it, they received pretty soon after it had been sent. On Monday, they called us via satellite phone with great excitement! Even though they were exhausted from the travel when they arrived in Jozi, Zara had a good bonding session and is looking forward to many more visits!!

Visit to Osteopath

During our home visits Sharon picked up that Zara had a very droopy shoulder. She suggested we take her to be checked by the Osteopath. Chris and I have been seeing Dr Emma Roberts and as luck would have it we both had appointments the week after Zara was born. We made the necessary arrangement and Emma was due to see Zara on day 5 but called to let us know she was not well and would rather not see Zara. The other unfortunate thing was that she was leaving that weekend for a 3 week holiday..... Sharon then suggested we take Zara to see Dr Pleass. Conveniently he is just 5 mins away from home. So, all of 8 days old, off she went.....

Dr Pleass did the initial assessment and picked up that her shoulder was indeed droopy, her neck on the same side stiff and her diaphragm "split". They would also need to realign her spine. With each step, he took the time to show both Chris and me how he makes his diagnosis. We had also been concerned by the length and strength of her hiccups. I know we sound paranoid but he assured us that these were as a result of how her body had been twisted during her birth and that within 3 weeks he expected them gone. Dr Pleass advised us that we would need to bring her in twice a week for the next 3 weeks and then they would re-assess her progress. After his assessment, Derek came in to do the treatment. It was amazing to watch this "big, burly, biker type dude" work so gently on our tiny baby. During the subsequent treatments we have seen a marked improvement in her in general and the hiccups have definitely lessened. After only the third treatment, Derek told us that he feels she has responded so well that we only only need to take her at the end of the month again.

WHAT A CLEVER GIRL!

First Bath

Zara is 7 days old! Where has the time gone?

Today was the last home visit with Sharon and time for her first bath. Again, Sharon's way is different to what we are used to. She ran a deep warm bath. By warm I mean the kind of temperature that we adults like to bath in and by deep I mean the same. This was going to be like an olympic swimming pool for our little girl.

With the bath run, the fun began. First things first and that's to take all her clothes off and leave her nappy on. While lying on the changing mat, wrapped in a towel to keep her warm, Sharon gently washed Zara's face. Next she held her over the bath (still wrapped in the towel) and wet and soaped her hair. Then it was time for the real fun..... towel and nappy off and all soaped up, Zara had her first bath! She loved being in the water! She floated around as if in pure heaven. The only minor squawk was when she was transferred from Sharon to Chris, but within a second or two all was calm and quiet again. As you can see, even her ears are in the water. Often, we are told not to get babies ears in the water.... however the theory behind this way of bathing is that it reminds them of when they were in utero and they find it very soothing and calming.

We have seen how much Zara enjoyed her first bath and will now continue to bath her this way!

2 peas in a pod

I think the photo pretty much says it all!!!

Before Graham and Heather left for America, Graham emailed me a photo of Chris as a baby.
Clearly I was just the incubator........

Home Visits

One of the best things about having Sharon in our lives is the 7 day postnatal home visits. This is all part of the package when you book her as your midwife. Everyday she arrives to check on how Zara and I are settling into our new lives. Our temperature is monitored which is usually within a points difference, helps with establishing breastfeeding, particularly as the milk comes in. Checks how many wet nappies we having in a 24 hour cycle, signs of jaundice, responses etc. With me she monitors how my uterus is contracting, whether I am having problems with the feeding. How well I am eating and resting. Sharon is very strict about resting properly in the first week. She caught me down stairs twice and I got wrapped over the knuckles for not letting Chris help me.

Sharon also weighed Zara again on day 7. Her birth weight was 3.280kg and on day 7 she weighed 3.2kg. What a star! Majority of babies loose 10% of their birth weight by the time they are discharged from hospital. I decided not to weigh her in the hospital and we are happy to see that Zara has lost very little weight and is clearly enjoying her mommy's milk!

One of the things Sharon likes, is to analyse postnatal dreams during her home visits. I have been totally useless at remembering my dreams though. So we have put it down to the fact that I have had all my issues and life is now dandy with Zara here safe and sound.