Three becomes four...

Well five if you include the dog...

Alba Maxwell Wright arrived 6 days late on Thursday June 4th at 10.57am. She weighed a nice 8lbs 9 and a half ounces. Exactly one pound more than her big brother. And I'm pretty sure that whole extra pound was in her cheeks. 

I had started to get pretty fed up by the time I'd reached 40 weeks. Well pretty fed up is an understatement, I was extremely pissed off. Jacob was a day early and apparently subsequent babies arrive earlier. I now do not believe any of these old wives tales. None of them. I did everything to get this baby out. She was having none of it. So when I woke up at 4.30am on that Thursday with what I was certain was contractions, you'd think I'd have been overjoyed. Except the reality of having another baby hit me and I started freaking out. I was worried I wouldn't actually know I was in labour as I was so uncomfortable and in pain for the last few weeks, but my god, when it starts for real, you know. It all came crashing back. By 6am my contractions has sped up to every 3-5 minutes so my sister got her nice wake up call to come and collect Jacob and we went off to the hospital. Four and a half hours later, our last piece to our family puzzle arrived. And she is perfect. 

Labour this time round was a lot more painful and as she was in a rush to get out, I only had gas and air for the pain. Although I begged for an epidural! Alba needed her lungs inflated and oxygen when she was born which was very scary and after the longest two minutes of my whole life, she screamed the place down. And hasn't stopped since! It is amazing how different two babies can be. Jacob wasn't a very clingy baby at all, hardly ever wanted feeding, I remember if I stopped feeding to wind him, he would refuse to take anymore so it was a total challenge to see how much milk he would take before it was absolutely necessary to wind him. Alba however loves mummy cuddles, which is lovely, but also very challenging with a two year old fighting for attention too! She also loves her milk! She had actually gained weight at her five day check, and has been stuffing her face since. It's good to know she's doing well though. She was also tested for the cancer gene which Jacob carries and she got the all clear! Which is amazing. If there was even a 1% chance she had it, she would need screening under general anaesthetic for the first few years of her life. So to say we were over the moon would be an understatement. The doctor who called with the results must have wondered what was going on as I was absolutely hysterical on the phone. I'd blame it on the hormones, but I'm pretty sure I'd have been the same with or without them!

Jacob also turned two while I've been neglecting this blog! He has changed so much in the last month. There are new words coming out of his mouth almost daily, and it is so nice to be able to get answers from him when I ask questions. Although if I ask what he wants for lunch, the answer is always "cakey". Someone has developed a major sweet tooth recently and also become a bit slack with teeth brushing. Not a good combination. He has some time on the naughty step most evenings now when it comes to brushing his teeth. But we get there in the end! Alot of his naughty habits have come around in the last few weeks since Alba arrived, which I completely expected so I have allowed a little bit more breathing space than normal as I am sure it is an unbelievably unsettling time for him. He is an amazing big brother though which makes up for a lot of it. He is so good with her, although we've had a few instances where he has tried to feed her his breakfast. Again, expected.

Rich went back to work yesterday, so it's just me and the babies, and we are now most of the way through Tuesday and we are all still here. So that's a good sign to me! I'm sure it will be a different story by Thursday!

A few things I've learnt in the 19 days of being a mother of a newborn and a toddler..

• When the toddler naps, the baby is guaranteed to cry and wake said toddler up, and vice versa. They're a scheming duo.

• You will feel like you spend your whole day changing nappies.

• A shower is a total luxury, a bath is like winning the lottery.

• You will eat more biscuits and drink more tea than your body knows how to deal with.

• The tiredness isn't any easier second time round. If anything, it's tougher. I've actually drank Red Bull in a bid to stay awake.

• Your washing machine is never empty, and most of the time you will leave a wash in there for two days and end up washing it another 3 times before remembering to hang it on the line.

• Your toddler now gets to play with anything they want while you feed the baby. Including the dog poo you didn't pick up from the garden. (This actually happened today.)

• Your toddler now gets to eat a lot more crap than usual, and play on their iPad a lot more than usual. Despite me swearing this wouldn't happen.

• You'll surprise yourself at the things you can do with one hand. I actually learnt this the first time round but the list gets longer the second time, such as change a toddlers nappy.

• The feeling you get when you catch your usually rogue toddler stroking his little sisters head is indescribable.

• The same as when both babies are curled up on you on the sofa.

I was scared that I wouldn't love her as much as Jacob and didn't know how it would be possible, but my friend said something her mum told her, "you just have more love" Even if you didn't think it was possible, it is. And I genuinely couldn't imagine life without her now. Even when she is screaming the house down and waking Jacob up at 3am. But please do me a favour, if you see me in the street, don't tell me how much of a mess I look, or be offended if I cant remember your name. I just about remember my own.

Bump Update: 36 Weeks Pregnant!!!!

Oh my goodness, I don't remember being this uncomfortable before. So this bump update is probably going to be me moaning more than anything. This pregnancy has been so much more tough than with Jacob, most likely because I have a toddler to chase around. A toddler that doesn't need sugar to behave like a child that has been given all the sweets in the land. He is 100 miles an hour all the time. To be honest, I think that's why I've started to panic that I've gotten to 36 weeks pregnant and haven't actually accepted it yet. I haven't had the time! I cannot believe that in possibly 4 weeks (well anytime from next Friday really) that we will have a newborn in the house. And I won't be pregnant anymore! I have done nothing but complain this pregnancy which I feel horrible about as I loved being pregnant with Jacob and honestly don't think I moaned once. But I have started to realise that soon, the bump will be no more, and I will miss it. We don't plan on anymore children after this one. Never say never, but for now, two is enough for us.

Midwife appointments are every two weeks now which I like as you get to hear the baby's heartbeat each time and being panicky Polly, this keeps me happy that she's happy! I had to go get monitored in hospital last week as Lady Wright thought she'd have a lazy day and not move, and any reductions in movements should always be checked out. Luckily everything was fine, and I had an irritable uterus which I had with Jacob. Basically, I think this means that you get tightenings much like Braxton Hicks and I suppose the baby just chills out til they're done. I have had Braxton Hicks contractions loads this time! It's terrifying because it's like a reminder of what's to come and as Jacob was in a rush to get out, I didn't have pain relief, so I remember all of the pain. And this time, I can honestly say I am a bit scared! I cannot wait to meet our little girl, but there is definitely more fear this time!!! When I was being monitored, we were in the same room where labour started with Jacob, and the room he was actually born in was opposite and empty so the door was open. I really freaked out and got a bit emotional seeing it as I hadn't been back there since he was born. It has also made me very excited too. I'm hoping to get to go into the water this time as the birthing unit where all the pools were was full when I had Jacob. It was a busy baby day!

Strapped up to the monitor! (And yes, I have edited this picture to hide my newly adopted whale arms. Vain I know.)

I had a babyshower last week organised by my brothers girlfriend Lou and my sister. It was really lovely, I didn't really want one this time as more than anything, I couldn't be bothered. Which is dreadful. But I'm glad I let Lou talk me into it as it was a lovely day and I got to catch up with all of my friends. We went for a bit of an afternoon tea theme, although not much tea got drank, but there was so much cake! I still have some left now. Which is not good! Lady Wright also got very spoiled with some beautiful clothes which I cannot wait to put her in! Below are a few pics!

I haven't bought half as much this time around as Jacob ended up with so much stuff, most of it only got worn once, if at all. I did finally order a changing bag too. I went with the Cath Kidston one I wanted originally as it looks quite roomy, big enough for two children's things!!! Plus it had shorter handles as well as the long strap which I liked as it will be easier to carry if I'm loaded up carrying two kids too! I'm going to look like a donkey.

My hospital bag is pretty much packed, I just need to get a couple more little things and a lightweight dressing gown and I think that's me done! The baby's stuff is all ready too, I just have to wash it and put it all into her bag when it arrives this week. Its all getting very real now!!!

I have started to get so hungry again too, I eat dinner, then an hour later I'm hungry. It is so hard to not just pig out on crisps and sweets and chocolate at night time as I'm so tired usually. I've been trying to have a bowl of reasonably healthy cereal such as Shredded Wheat or Weetabix or something like that. Although the Frosties and Coco Pops do win a lot! We've always got so much cereal in as I am quite partial to a bowl even when I'm not pregnant.
Sitting on the sofa has become a challenge in itself too. I have been trying to sit on my birthing ball more often than the sofa, not only because its good for me and helps the baby into position, but getting off the sofa is such a drama. Rich just sits laughing at me lolloping around like a seal. So glamorous!!! The same at bedtime, I have to get up to pee about eight thousand times a night at the moment and its such a work out! Haha.
I am going to miss being pregnant, but definitely not being so immobile. And I think Jacob will be pleased to finally have a mummy that can move through Wild and Wacky without the risk of needing to call the fire brigade to get me out!!