Baby's an early bird-- update

Like I said in my last post, the morning my parents left my water unexpectedly broke!  I was shocked and confused since I was only 34w 2d and by no means "prepared"!  It was all a bit overwhelming at the time but at this point we are all doing really well, baby still in my belly!  They have planned to induce labor on Tuesday July 23rd.  I just wanted to do this blog for anyone who was wondering what was going on with us over here in Australia.  I am mostly just copying an email Brian sent to family and friends (his email was much more articulate than my crazy explanation!)

"July 11:

Just an update from us in the hospital:

The doctors are happy w/ the condition of the baby, and have decided to hold off on the birth for the near term if things continue as is, so I guess we’re in a bit of a holding pattern.  The nurses are coming in about every 2-4 hrs to monitor the baby’s heartbeat and movement.  Additionally, Erin’s being monitored for any sign of distress (blood pressure, pulse, temp, sign of infection, etc).  She’s taking a regular dose of erythromycin to help w/ managing potential for bacteria infection (and also there’s apparently been a study that suggests this med can potentially help defer labor for awhile, which is a nice benefit in this case).  So far so good. 

It’s been explained to us that we’re in a bit of a “risk / benefit” monitoring situation.  On one hand, there is additional risk associated w/ infection to the baby and Erin once the embryonic membrane has ruptured… but at the same time there’s the benefit of allowing the baby a few more days or weeks to further develop in the womb and be a bit better prepared for the world outside.  The baby at 34 wks may have a bit of trouble feeding and regulating his body temp, and will become better able to do these things in another week or so.  The doctors have said at 36wks, these concerns are likely diminished, so have kind of established 36 wk term as the target for inducing labor.  After the 36 wk mark, it seems that the added benefit of leaving the baby in the womb is nil, while the risk for infection remains, so would then prefer to introduce the baby to the world outside.

For the time being, Erin and I are just hanging out in the hospital.  The staff here have been quite accommodating, and yesterday moved us into a private, newly renovated room w/ a double bed and TV / internet.  I’m set up w/ my work laptop at a small desk and manage to get a bit of work done from time to time, and Erin’s keeping busy growing our baby and reading and doing a few other various this and that’s.  I’m going back to the house from time to time to take care of the dog and a few other domestic chores.

All and all, everyone is doing quite well.  "

On Monday July 15th they allowed me to go home to relax.  It has been VERY nice being home.  I got to pack a bag, organize the nursery, spend time cuddling with Brody and cook some pre-made meals for the weeks after baby. Brian has been amazing and has done almost ALL the cleaning and errands plus working from home full time during the week.  

We are so excited for the arrival of our sweet baby boy! 

XOXO 

36 weeks -- 2 days before getting induced

my favorite lil visitors, Indi and Max

family visits before bub

Wow it seems like so much has been going on since Ive last posted but it really hasn't been that long.  First of all, my mom, dad and brother, Garrett, came to visit end of june-mid july!  And that's what this post is all about :) .....

The gang arrived in Sydney June 25th and that night flew to Port Douglas in Queensland.  The following morning they all went snorkeling the Great Barrier reef and that evening I came to see them!  I know I just got back from Port D but who can have too many tropical vacations?!

The weather was VERY nice while we were there-- sorry, Brian, but much better than the weather of Babymoon.  We went to the beach the next day....

 Not too shabby :)  I didnt take a whole lot of pictures this trip (because I had just taken most of these pics while here in May!) but did get some great shots with the sun a shining!  After we pried ourselves away from the gorgeous beach we went on a croc tour!  On the babymoon it was very overcast and the crocs wanted to stay in the warmer water but on this trip it was a Croc Frenzy!  We saw soooo many creepy big ones and a few babies!  All in all a successful trip on the Daintree River.

It is truly not fair that a river this beautiful cannot be enjoyed with a floating tube and an ice cold beer.  Crocodiles are pretty ruthless creatures.  Most of the baby crocs on the river get eaten by other older crocodiles, including their own parents, so surely they would not be too concerned about eating me or you!!  Yikes!  They are pretty used to the boats stopping and circling around them so barely raise an eyebrow-- we would be pretty excited if they did actually because as my mom said, they all almost looked like "props" strategically placed along the banks of the river!  All in all a wonderful tour!

The next day we did the long day drive up to Cape Tribulation and back.  Again, it was a gorgeous day and I enjoyed seeing the views again with the sun shining!  Here are some pictures.  We mostly did the same treks as before but added in the Daintree Ice Cream company- something I wanted to do before but ran out of time....

Cape Trib-- where the Great Barrier Reef meets the Daintree Rainforest.  2 world Heritage sites

Ice Cream break!  "This might be the most scenic Ice Cream company ever" 

In front of the orchards they use to make the unique flavors
(I cant remember them from the day we were there?  Mom dad garrett-- any ideas?)

It was a beautiful day but we had to get to Cairns so we could fly to Melbourne that night.  We got back very late that night and rested most of the next day.  That was much needed for our jet lagged guests and this 7 1/2 month pregnant mama to be!

We did make plans to watch the footy that night so it wasn't all lying around for us.  We went to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) and watched the Melbourne Demons beat the Western Bulldogs!  Neither team are very good this year but it is still fun to watch!














The next day we went to the Mornington Peninsula and enjoyed some wineries, breweries, (well not me) and the gorgeous views!

 I seriously didnt take anymore pictures until the following weekend when we went to the Great Ocean Road.  I will steal a few from my mom, dad and brother to help fill in the gaps though!

The next week we :

• Toured the city.  We saw some of the great laneways with all the graffiti AKA street art, the beautiful churches, visited Chinatown and ate some delicious dumplings at one of their dumpling houses and strolled through many of the cities parks.  

• Wined and brewed in the Yarra Valley.  We stopped at about 3 breweries, 3 wineries and even a dairy throughout the day.  It was wonderful-- except the fact that Im getting a little over going to wineries without being able to have any of the good stuff :)

• Went to St Kilda Beach and Pier.  It was cold and windy but its still nice to know we can walk to the beach if someone feels the urge :)

• Boat toured along the Yarra to Williamstown.  This was also July 4th so went to the local American diner for some all american food :)  

• Gambled the night away after trying Korean BBQ.  Some got luckier than other but turns out Susan and Arthur are big fans of the casino.  I guess we know what to do with them if they get tired of listening to a crying baby next visit! :)

• Shopped till we dropped/ lost everyone in our group at the Queen Victoria Market.  It can be tricky when only one person in the group has a cell phone and everyone separates.  Oh well we got lots of good purchases.  

 The last weekend we did the always wonderful Great Ocean Road Drive.

It was a very great visit from my family and I hope they had as much fun as we did showing the around our beautiful corner of the world.  I am looking forward to my parents coming back very soon to spend some time with our baby boy.  And speaking of the little guy....  The morning my family left, July 9th, I had quite a shock as my water broke!  It was quite early at 34 weeks but at this time July 16th he is still in my belly growing and growing.

Ill update on that this week :)  Baby boy will be here VERY soon!!!!!

XOXO

Babymoon-- Port Douglas

Brian and I got to go on one last trip before baby boy gets here.  Our BABYMOON!  We went to tropical Queensland :)

We had such a great time enjoying the beautiful coast, rain forest and reef while still spending plenty of time relaxing!

On our first day we took a very short road trip to the Mossman Gorge area in the Daintree Rain forest.  We explored the surrounding jungle by taking an hour walk through the forest.  After the jungle trek, Brian took a dip in the river afterwards (a bit too cold for me).  It seemed safe from crocodiles as we were quite some distance inland from the ocean and there are a few waterfalls in between.

When we got back we spend the rest of the day on the beach.  There was a big sign before you got on the beach with a few warnings....  Needless to say we didnt swim. I dont know what would be more deadly, the stingers or the salties (crocs that is)-- either way, I wasnt risking it!!  Did I mention there were saltwater crocodiles here?!  I mean, these guys grow to be over 20 ft long and weigh over 1000 pounds.... and they eat people.  I was a bit nervous about that but luckily we only saw them when we were trying to on a croc tour the next morning.  We still enjoyed lounging on the beach though :)

Like I said, the next morning we went off to see some saltwater crocodiles in the wild-- but FIRST-- I got a wonderfully fabulous massage.  AHHH so nice, I was really needing that!  After an hour of being pampered in the spa  we were off on our next journey-- just what everyone wants to do after a massage-- see man eating crocodiles!

 It was a pretty overcast day and even rained a bit (imagine that-- it rains in the rainforest !!)  So the crocs weren't really out on the banks basking.  They wanted to stay in the warmer water rather than get up out of the banks when the weather's crummy. We did see a few small little guys and a very creepy head coming out of the water!  Luckily the folks at the river tours issue a pass that's good for a few days, so we decided to return another day to see if we could get a better encounter.

Although semi disappointing that the big salties weren't out, it was still quite an experience touring through the mangrove estuaries that is the Daintree River.   

After that we got off the boat and continued our adventure to to see more of the Daintree.  The road took us over the river (via cable drawn ferry) and continued into the heart of the rainforest.  A self-guide CD told us all about the local flora and fauna as we drove along.  We decided to drive all the way to Cape Tribulation straight away, which is about as far north  as you can drive in Australia without a 4 wheel drive.  Upon arriving at Cape Tribulation, we stopped and walked along the beach -- careful to stay a safe distance from the waters edge!  Did I mention there are saltwater crocodiles here?! The beach was beautiful and lovely, and we could have spent much more time enjoying, but it was on to more jungle adventure for us.

All along the drive through the Daintree forest there are stops for nature walks and scenic lookouts
 We really loved walking through the forest. It was really beautiful and it was amazing to think of how all these plants have been here for so long.  I think Australia does such a great job with all their national parks, and this one is no exception.  so many nice nature paths and boardwalks made the experience quite nice.  Here are some pics from the day's tour:

           

YIKES-- SPIKES!

That evening we made it back to town and had a delicious seafood dinner, and we just happened to be in Port Douglas the same weekend that the community holds their annual festival, so also got to watch a parade going through the cute little beach town!  We went to bed early because we had a big day out on the Great Barrier Reef the next morning!!!

I was a bit nervous about this part of trip.  The last few times we've snorkeled I've gotten anxiety and haven't been able to fully enjoy the underwater world .  I think its just the fear of the open water that causes it.  So there was that, plus the crew of the boat was making quite a big deal of the possibility of a windy day with  big waves causing sea sickness and no medicine is safe for my pregnant self (looking back on it, I think the boat crews just try really hard to get everyone to take sea-sickness medicine so they minimize the number of sick people they have to deal with)  So with all that I was pretty surprised that I had a great time!!  The wind was hardly blowing all day and the ride out was fairly smooth so I didn't get sea sick and I loved being in the water, I was really relaxed!  I think our little unborn son was a big fan and wanted me to stay in the water!  We took sooooo many pictures...  Here are just a few!

dont judge, its hard smiling with goggles :)

After the long day of snorkeling around the Opal reef (thats the name of the little patch of the Great Barrier Reef we were at), we made it back to town for a relaxing evening in Port Douglas.

The following day (our last day of the trip), we decided to give the river tour another go.  The town of Daintree isn't far from where we were staying, so after a lazy morning and breakfast we headed that way.  The weather was only slightly better than the first day we took the river boat ride, so we didn't know what to expect.  but not long after heading down the river, the boat captain spotted a fair size saltie catching some sun on the bank.  it was creee-ppppyyyy!

Not so bad watching it from far away.... and then the boat driver kept getting closer.... and closer.... and closer.  He was trying to make everyone (an by everyone, I mean Brian and I and maybe 6 other people on the boat) feel safe by telling us something like they can't move very well sideways, but I think it was a little too close for comfort.



After the close encounter, we finished the rest of the boat ride with some pleasant bird watching and just enjoying the time on the water in a beautiful setting

The rest of our last afternoon was spent eating our last seafood meal-- seriously, every meal we had was amazing-- nothing beats fresh grilled fish!  On our way out we stopped by the Port Douglas Open Air Market they have every Sunday.  There were so many beautiful things!  But I kept it short-- not Brians favorite vacay activity!  We then started the drive to Cairns for our flight back to Melbourne.  I think we drove through about 50 roundabouts in the hour drive back-- its really annoying and weird... I guess Queensland just loves a roundabout !  We did spend a bit of time walking around Cairns.  They have a lagoon built in the city, which is basically a big pool, because they don't really have a beach and even if they did the jellyfish are really bad there so no one would get in the water.  So basically everyone goes to the waters edge and gets in this big pool!  Kinda strange but I guess it works!  That's the main attraction for the city so after checking it out we left for the airport got on a very late flight back home!

We had such a great time together before baby gets here!

 August 18th will be here before we know it!!!  WE ARE SO EXCITED :)  

------>     There I am at 27 weeks pregnant! :)  Baby boy is getting big!