Welcome to the World Baby Scarlett !

The little miracle baby has arrived!

“Scarlett Peyton Black”

My beautiful sister Bek and her lovely husband Clayton have been waiting for many many years (so have I and mum) for this little angel to arrive and arrive she did on the 27^th of February early Sunday morning at 3.38am. This gorgeous little girl weighed 3.2 kg and measured 54.5cm long on her arrival. She has the longest little legs and I’m sure it was the nurse who called out she has red hair too, much to mum’s delight!!

Little miss Scarlett has got to be one of the most beautiful baby’s I have ever seen, apart from my own two little darlings, of course! Not monkey like at all. I was very blessed to have been apart of Bek’s labour and the birth of this little one. It was such an intense time and this little miracle baby made her mama work so very hard so she could meet us all.

There is so much to remember and share about this wonderful moment in time. So I thought I’d list them for you, you know how I love my lists.

Anyway here we go:

Bek in Labour 5.00am 26^th Feb

Bek takes mum in to town to a doctors appointment.

Clayton rings and says Beks in labour but we aren’t telling mum so that she will go to her doctors’ appointment. Conspiracy or what!

Bek & Clay arrive at hospital 1.00pm

Mum gets there at 2.00 and I get there at 2.30pm, after waiting for my husband to get home from a surf, arghhh.

Bek trying to get comfortable, not!

Trying out the gas.

Hot packs

Shower, Gym ball, Funny horse shoe chair and mum’s feet getting wet, hehe.

Midwives, doctors and anaesthetists popping in and out all the time.



Were having a baby!



Red Frogs and Lime & Pepper Chips – Yum

Still in the shower Red like a lobster, heat helping with contractions.

Exhaustion setting in.

Out of shower baby monitor on.

Big sadness at 5.30, only 1cm dilated and it’s been 12 hours.

Morphin at 6.00, little bit of rest in between

Back in the shower.

Bek is starving, not eaten all day, sandwiches between gas and contractions. After the contractions we’d have to remind her to eat cause she was a little bit out there with the good stuff!!

Most horrible encounter with one of the anaesthetist.

*Now I promised myself that I would not get angry when I wrote this part but I can already feel myself getting furious. I won’t go into to much detail but this so called anaesthetist who is supposed to be a professional just wasn’t.

“Richard the Dick” as I call him, had absolutely no respect for Rebekah. Bek, she was pretty much one of these cases that was in his to hard basket and to cover up his own incompetence decided he would act like a dick.

Seriously, all Bek needed was for some anaesthetist most likely getting off on his own private stash to come in while she is in the middle of labour and act like he is god! And of all places the shower.

While he was on his own little rant and Bek would have a contraction, he would stop and say “oh go on you have your contraction then” like she was interrupting his time. Damn right she’ll have her contraction. Who the hell did this man think he is, Bek sure didn’t need his attitude.

I looked over at Clay and he had is hands clenched tightly together and it wouldn’t have taken much for Clay to put this guy on is arse. I would have loved to have seen that. I did actually visualise myself snotting the guy in the face, it made me feel a bit better.

It made me so mad, my little sister had been doing this now for 15 hour and it wasn’t good for her to be upset and angry or for the baby. In the end the other anaesthetist (the nice one) two midwives and my mum all came into the bathroom and the Dick stopped his badgering.

This was Bek’s time, her labour, the birth of her first child, how dare he spoil it for her.

I tell ya, FURIOUS!!!   We will continue…….

Bek having a moment, rambling, pretty funny stuff. Talking to her self and saying “ I just don’t have the energy to tell em off”

Mum and I cracking up!! It’s one of those, you had to be there kind of a thing.

Best Hamburger ever – Clayton went and got us some dinner from over the road, it was like an old style with beetroot, Awesome!

Bad hospital cups of tea - mum did bring her special triangle earl gray but I think it’s the Styrofoam cups that spoilt it. Nice try though mum!

10.30, only 3cm dilated, decision made to break the membranes.

Holy crap, it gets really full on from here.

Contractions much more intense now, really painful and really strong.

11.45 trying to decide on which kind of pain relief, epidural please. But not from Richard the Dick.

Horrid contractions.

12.45 Finally the epidural kicks in. From the nice one!

Bek able to rest, thank you god.

1.30 Clay snoring in the corner, ahahahaha.

Baby’s heart rate doing crazy stuff, getting anxious now.

Getting ready for Lacto test, Stirrups, bright lights & glamour oh my!

1.45 Lacto test, to check if we need to get ready for theatre. They clip a piece of skin off the baby’s scalp to measure the lactic acid.

1^st test normal, this is so so intense. Doctor gives a few options and what our plan will be in certain circumstances.

Bek getting prepped for theatre, just in case.

Clay still snoring.

2.00 Babys heart rate still going crazy

Clays up

2nd Lacto test, not good, did another one just to be sure even worse than the 1^st

Baby well and truly in distress and we’ve got ½ hour to get the little one out.

Tanya (obstetrician) so calm and Bek is able to go with the vaccum so here we go. It’s time.

This is full on, the room filled up with people, midwives, baby doctors, and specialist. Mum and I got our spot in the corner and Clay with his beautiful bride.

This next part was very surreal and seemed like it happened really fast.

The vacuum came off part way through and all the smeg went flying over the obstetrician, uh oh, hehehe, must be part of the trade.

My heart sank, dreading what little ones head would be like but Tanya was amazing and she had this incredibly soothing voice and so in control for someone who had been smegged.

Finally baby was born at 3.38 am 27^th Feb 2011

They put her on Beks tummy for a couple of seconds while Clayton cuts the cord and I’m taking the photos, that was my important job and I was trying not to get it wrong.

This is amazing and really bloody scary!!!

She was so floppy and wasn’t making any noises, the baby doctors took over and they had to resuscitated and then put the tube down her throat with the suction. They then rubbed her all over with a towel to make her nice and pink while giving her oxygen.







Hello World, I'm here!

Intense would be the word.

Then when the baby doctor was happy for the moment and this most beautiful little angel came back to her mama’s arms and had us all in awe of her.

Little Angel!

These little wide eyes just looking all around at the new world.

Bek, Clayton and beautiful baby girl, a new family, it was the most wonderful thing I have ever seen.

It was less than 10 minutes and the little angel was whisked off to the special care unit.

We were all so excited, it didn’t matter anymore how exhausted we were.

A fair amount of time had passed and we hadn’t been moved to a ward and baby Black hadn’t come back so Clayton went on a mission to find his baby girl and see how she was. When he returned back he said she was doing ok and they were still observing her at the special care unit. So we tried to shut our eyes for a minute or two, then one of the nurses rolled in with the bassinet with the beautiful Baby Scarlett.

All I remember is Bek with Clayton holding on to this precious little bundle and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him and he could take his away from her and the tears were rolling down his cheeks. Just beautiful.

Mummy, Daddy & Me!

Then it was time for me to go and let them enjoy their new baby girl. When I walked outside it was a fabulous day, gorgeous sunrise and I had all of these overwhelming mix of emotions. I was teary and felt like crying but I was too happy at the same time.

I also made it home just in time before Madison woke up, thank goodness because that could have been a bit tricky.

I am so proud of my little sister, she is an amazingly strong woman and I am so very very happy for Bek and Clayton.

It’s so weird, I have never thought of her that way, as a woman I mean, only ever as my little sister, how funny!

Bek’s pregnancy has not been a very easy one, a lot of medical issues and a fair bit of pain, well a lot of pain at times. Even with the labour we weren’t sure how that was going to go down.

So to see Bek and Clayton with this beautiful child, all that they have dreamed for, for such a long time. A little family of their own. It was definitely a spellbinding moment; you couldn’t help but feel so many different emotions and get the goose bumps too.

So the little miracle has arrived and with a name like Scarlett Peyton this girl is sure to be a star and I am positive she will make an everlasting impression where ever she goes and with who ever she meets.

So look out Clayton, your baby girl is going to be breaking hearts and melting them too. 

Grandma seems to think that Scarlett, when she is old enough will have her own signature saying…..

“Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn”

I believe it too and I seriously can’t wait till then. I know Grandma will be secretly coaching her on the side because that’s what grandma’s do!! If you haven’t guessed, one of my little sister favourite character’s would have to be Scarlett O’Hara out of Gone with the Wind.

This will be one of my most cherished memories that I will keep close to my heart forever and I am truly grateful to have seen our little miracle being born into this big crazy world of ours.

Welcome to the world

Little Baby Scarlett 

x

Slow Down Your Movin’ To Fast

I’m not sure if it is just me but are the people of this big wide world of ours moving crazy fast!!

The past 5 years I know that I have been crazy crazy chaotic because of our life style, some of this I didn’t have a choice but some of it I did, and still do and this has got to change.

This year I have made a promise to myself,

 “I have to slow down”

Let me re-phrase that I “want” to slow down.

Or else I am going to find that I will miss so many wonderful moments, experiences and opportunities in my life and time will pass by quickly as it has been already. You know the big 4 0 is knockin’ at my door, well a few years away, but still! I don’t even know how that happened.

Now that just freaks me out!

I have hit burn out more than once (you’d of thought I would have learned by now) that’s a story for another time though. So I am only too aware that I have gotten back on that crazy treadmill of chaos again.

At the end of the year gone by I started to really think about what I want out of my life, this life, I only get the one so I want to make sure I use it wisely and to get the most out of every day and every minute.

Adam and I had, and still are having, one of those moments in time when your whole life gets flipped on its head, on its arse and every which way but the right way. I’m pretty sure everyone goes through life with at least one of these times but if you’re lucky like us, it happens a lot as we seem to attract it. Not sure why? Hmmm……

Anyway this certain moment in time made me take a long hard look out our so called lifestyle and to be honest I am a bit over it. We are just bumbling along on this path that never seems to end. Just going through the motions and not really living life to the absolute fullest. Don’t get me wrong I do love my life but I know it can be so much more than it is right now.

So this is it I’m slowin’ things down, I’m taking control, I’m taking time to breath.

I’m going to relish and cherish in all the joys of my family, my friends, our place we call home and the world that surrounds us. I want to reconnect relationships with the people that surround me and be able to really communicate with each other and express ourselves and our true feelings.

You know, I always have thought I was really good at being switched on to their every need and want, my husband and my girls I mean. But lately I have found myself saying things like “not now” or “maybe later” and sometimes not even really listening because I am just snowed under with all the stuff that has to get done. Most of these requests, so simple, could have brought some joy and happiness to us all and I missed it, I missed the opportunity and that makes me sad.

Time is a funny thing. For me it has always seemed impossible to find any more time through out the day and god forbid I use any of it on myself!  Boy oh boy, I was so wrong.

You know what I did. It is soooo shocking. I actually just said NO!!!

I said No to people, No to all sort of things. It is really quite liberating. Saying no has always been such a hard thing for me to do and the guilt was oh so nasty but I did it. I was always trying to please everyone else and I had never thought to put myself first. I learned to say no and you know what, the world didn’t stop turning and the people around me just kept doing what they do.

I did it for me. I did it for my loved ones.

I want my life to be simple & uncomplicated.

Do you think that is possible? I have seen many a blog where there are amazing people doing just that and this is some thing I want for me and my beautiful family. So I am on a mission to discover just that.

I do realise there is always going to be a certain amount of complexity to life but surely there is a way to balance all that out.

We have one of those big desk calendars that I have on our fridge and all of those squares (days) were always filled up with things that had to be completed. Now days not so much because I have learned how to use the “NO” word.

Those squares on the calendar had stuff like after school activities, Netball, Karate, Soccer, Speech therapy, Psychologist appointments, Volunteering at school, My time support group, Coordinating the Sibs Club, Pottery classes, the gym, Girls social club and the list goes on. So much time gone out of the week, the month, and one big old crazy mess on the calendar.

Granted many of these things I love and have enjoyed doing and some have been a necessity but actually just going through that list it makes my head hurt.

Me & my faithful calender

So I found myself going through each of these activities and prioritising.

I love lists; I am one of those nutty list making people. I love being able to cross off something I have finished. Which is ironic as my mum and husband would tell you I am renowned for not finishing anything, so it is a great accomplishment to me to cross off my list. Told ya, nutty!

Anyway, I am also renowned for getting of track!

So to shorten my never ending list of commitments that have to be done, it became a bit easier as our financial situation, like many, was and is looking quite sad. This is also the year of us living frugally but more on that later. So off I went, culling away at that list, making choices on what was essential and what was not.

Now my calendar is looking so so good and every time I walk past it my chest doesn’t go tight anymore. I literally feel free and I able to breath.

I highly recommend this for anybody who is living in their own world of chaos. It’s as easy as making a list, well there is a bit more to it but you know what I mean.

This is just the first step for me but I’m on my way to finding a little bit of calm amongst our chaos.

Love this song, Paul Simons “Feelin’ Groovy”, it’s my happy tune, I think I’ll make it my very own theme song.

Slow down, you movin' too fast
You gotta make the MORNING last
Just kickin' down the cobblestones
Lookin' for fun and
Feelin' groovy____________

Hello lampost
Whatcha knowin?
I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me?
Doo Bee Doo Doo,
Feelin' groovy____________

Got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me...
Life, I love you,
All is groovy____________________

                                                          

Does anyone else have a theme song; I’d love to know what!

Our Family is a Little Different

Our family is a little different, we are living with Autism. 



Meet our Madison


So life at our place is full of chaos, drama, lots of fun, happiness, heart ache and most of all adventure. The adventure part it does have a double meaning to us. Meaning, adventure can go either way, really really good or really really bad. You'll see what I mean!

This is a place were I can talk about our crazy, chaotic life. Where we are at now and where we have been in the past and where we want to be in the future. A place to share in all those life changing experiences and how we learn from the choice we make.

I want to make big changes to the madness & mayhem. I want a simple life, a frugal life in so many different ways and this is a way for me to share my journey, our journey where ever that takes us. So who ever wants to listen and come along for the ride, I welcome you …..

I’m on my way to finding that little bit of calm amongst our different kind of chaos.

  

Meet our Jaimee



Beautiful !







Ad & Me