Welcome to the World Jack

Our precious little boy Jack Terence McCarthy has arrived.

Jack was welcomed into the world on Saturday 26 January 2013 at 4.23pm, weighing 3130 grams (6 pounds 9 ounces) and 50 cm long.

If you have followed along with our journey particularly through my pregnancy with Jack you will know that I had complications with an incompetent cervix diagnosed at 22 weeks. It was picked up at a routine follow up ultrasound, however we lost a baby in 2011 at 19 weeks so the doctors suspected a weak cervix and therefore my cervix was checked at each ultrasound.

Jack Terence McCarthy 27/1/13

At 22 weeks a rescue cerclage was placed and I was on bed rest until 36 weeks when the stitch was removed. At my 36 week ultrasound Jack decided to flip and was breech, by the end of the week he was head down again. At my regular Drs appointment last Friday (37 weeks 5 days) we discovered that Jack was now transverse (lying diagonally with head down on my right side, bottom up on my left side). 

Unfortunately the position Jack was in was not great, with my weak cervix it was possible I could dilate without realising it and my membranes could rupture then the umbilical cord could prolapse, bub could move down quickly and put pressure on the cord cutting off oxygen and blood supply and endangering bubs life, so we decided that I wasn't going home and the best thing to do was book in a c section as soon as possible.

I was admitted to hospital that afternoon and given a booster shot of steroids, I was placed on the emergency theatre list for the next day (Australia Day) and after fasting from midnight we were finally wheeled into theatre at 3pm. One last ultrasound showed that Jack was now head down but face up with his back to my back :-) After all the prep and with the spinal block inserted I was ready to go and Jack was finally yanked out at 4.23pm. 

one last pic the night before Jack was born, @ 37 + 6 weeks

I had an emergency c section with Nicholas 13 years ago and I am pleased to say that the semi-planned surgery was much better and I am amazed at how quickly my body is recovering. I came home yesterday and haven't had any painkillers since my two panadol this morning. I was advised to take panadol regularly (3 times daily) to keep on top of the pain for at least a week, but truthfully I forgot after my first lot this morning.

Jack is settling in well so far and we are all so excited and thankful to finally have him here.

Thank you for all of your wonderful support and encouragement throughout the whole journey, it has been amazing. 

xx

Baby Shower

My wonderful sister in law organised a baby shower for me on Saturday. She did such a lovely job especially since it was all a little last minute.

The food was all fantastic and Tabitha (SIL) organised for Candy Chic to set up a candy bar. 

The shower was held at our house so I disappeared for an hour and a half prior to pamper myself and have a manicure, when I returned I was treated to a delightful afternoon of games, food and gifts.

Tabitha organised games and prizes, we played a game similar to celebrity heads except you had a paper nappy pinned onto your back and written on the nappy was a baby item. When you guessed what your item was then you got to open your nappy and if you were lucky enough to have something in your nappy then you won another prize. 

We played pass the baby (similar to pass the parcel), when the baby laughed she was passed to the person next to you, when she cried you got to remove nappy and either win a prize or answer a trivia question to win a prize.

The ladies all got to guess how big my tummy was by cutting some ribbon to the length they thought would be closest to fitting round my tummy. Very funny and harder to do than you think :-)

I was very very spoilt or should I say our baby boy was very very spoilt and if you look behind me you can catch a glimpse of the bassinet our bub will be sleeping in soon. I slept in this bassinet when I was a baby. It has had a revamp with a new mattress and new bedding but is still in great condition and perfect to use for the first few months. 

We haven't set up the nursery yet as we have always planned for bub to be in the room with us for at least the first three months. Hubby's job now is to convert the garage into his office and include some display shelving for my store, then the spare room will move into the old office and the baby will move into the current spare room. We didn't rush anything prior to Christmas as we knew we'd have a house full of visitors and every room was needed but now that Nick has had a rest after all of his hard work (he rendered the house, replaced the pergola, ran his business to pay the bills, travelled 7 hours return trips on weekends all whilst being a single dad for four weeks while I was in hospital in Sydney) prior to Christmas he can make a start on the garage conversion. I am sure once bub arrives and he starts suffering from lack of sleep he'll move pretty quickly ;-)

As you can see I am feeling pretty loved with all of the lovely attention I had on Saturday and Tabitha even organised lovely thank you gifts for my wonderful friends and family who made the day so special.

Today we have reached 37 weeks and I am still feeling pretty good. Sleeping is not as pleasant as it used to be, my hips and thighs get sore very easily and I need to turn over far more than I would like and I have found that I sleep much better when the nights are cooler but I really can't complain of anything too major.  

Now I just have to be patient and wait for bub to make his arrival. Oh and thank you for all of your advice on turning bub back around. He ended up flipping back over on Tuesday evening and was confirmed via ultrasound on Friday at my appointment, Yay! 

37 weeks

I tried frozen vegies on his head for as long as I could stand as well as kneeling on the lounge, bum up and head down on the floor for as long as I could cope. I did both of these through the day, didn't have any immediate results so I just continued to pray that bub would turn and Praise God, he did!

xx

36 Weeks pregnant and the stitch is out!

I am so pleased to say that the removal of the stitch was over and done with so quickly and painlessly I was shocked. I expected to feel at least some tugging but not a thing. I only felt the speculum going in as it does when you have a pap smear but that was all. Yay!!!

The stitch itself was a surprise, it was just like fishing line but blue. I should have taken a photo but didn't think of it until later. So thank you all for your prayers and best wishes, it all worked so well, no pain relief needed and no bleeding or cramping afterwards. This stitch was removed this morning and nothing has happened, it will be interesting to see how long it takes to go into labour :-)

I also had an ultrasound this afternoon to check on bub, the good news is that he is still growing well and measuring ahead in size at 37 weeks 4 days and 3.088kgs. The not so good news is that he has decided to flip over and is in a breech position. Any suggestions you have for flipping him back around would be great. I would really love to try for a vaginal birth but we can only wait and see.

xx

Happy 2013 and ALMOST 36 weeks pregnant

I am so thankful to say that bub is still inside and all is still going really well. It was such a relief to make it through Christmas and New Year and I must confess that once we were past both I gave up on bed rest. That may sound rather drastic but in reality I have been on bed rest for 3 months and I am now many kilo's heavier so giving up bed rest doesn't mean I  have been running around lots either. Unfortunately my stamina and fitness just isn't what it once was and I still need to sit and put my feet up a lot and truthfully there are just some jobs I really prefer not to do so I continue to let the boys do them ;-)

34 weeks

However the need to nest did kick in and I have spent a few days rearranging the shed with all my stock, washing all the baby clothes my sister dropped off, wiping down the bassinet, change table etc. I have cleared out some books, magazines, clothes etc and taken them to our church in preparation for next weeks op shop sale. I am feeling ready for baby to arrive any time he likes now.

I had a Doctors appointment today in preparation for the removal of the suture on Monday, I am excited about getting the stitch removed, it means a lot of restrictions will be gone and I can have a swim or go for a long walk :-) I am also a little apprehensive, I have read a lot of stories from other women who have had cervical sutures and some of them had a lot of pain when removing the stitch, a few have even said it was worse than labour. I am going to be brave and attempt to have the stitch removed in the labour ward, my doctor assures me that the worst discomfort is caused by the speculum but if we have any problems we will head to theatre and remove the stitch under general anaesthetic.

34 +5 weeks

I will go in to hospital on Monday morning to remove the stitch and should be home by lunchtime, it is not common to go straight into labour (only about 5% of women) once the stitch is removed so I will pack a bag just in case but most likely leave it at home so Nick can grab it if needed and bring it in.

I am starting to get very excited about the arrival of our new little boy, it is all starting to feel real and I am quite happy for him to come any time now. He is still growing well but this week I have started to feel uncomfortable, the heat hasn't helped but even without that my sleep is not as sound as it was. I am starting to get aching thighs and hips so I have to switch sides more often and that isn't as easy as it once was, bub shifts from one side to the other when I do and that can be a little painful. I also have finally started to get up to go to the toilet through the night, I know I am much more fortunate than most and am so thankful I have a big bladder but I can't seem to make it through any more and find I need to get up early in the morning or I am just too uncomfortable to sleep. I figure now that I am not resting as well as I could be than bub may as well come :-)

just for fun on the left 32 weeks pregnant and on the right today at 35 + 4 weeks (today my tummy measured at 37 weeks and I put on a kilo this week, Nick thinks it may have something to do with the 1kg tin of toffees that I have had out each night after dinner)

I hope the start of the New Year has been wonderful for you so far, I really enjoy this time of the year as everything seems to slow down and it is a wonderful time to just relax and enjoy life at a nicer pace.

I just love this handbag so much I have decided to use it as my nappy bag, it is a perfect size and all I did was buy a Isoki Change Mat Clutch that fits easily inside, perfect!

Have a great weekend and if you are in Orange please pop into the Church of Christ on Burrendong Way next week (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm) we are having a big Opportunity Shop sale and when I stopped in today I saw lots of fantastic bargains.

xx

McCarthy 2012 Christmas Wrap

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, it is sad to think it is all over for another year.

We love celebrating Christmas and we're so blessed to have been able to spend time with all of our family this year over the course of a few days. Hubby's family arrived Sunday evening and stayed through to Christmas Day evening and my family arrived Christmas Day lunch and stayed until Boxing Day evening. We all had lunch together and the extra time either side with each family was a great opportunity to catch up with everyone.

I was just so thankful that I was able to stay out of hospital and spend the time at home :-)

Once everyone left I confess I have been rather exhausted mentally and emotionally, finding that I am getting very teary and upset easily. So I have been catching up on sleep and just pottering along cleaning and preparing for bub. 

I have finally bought a car seat and pram online (yesterday) as well as picked up the bassinet from my mum's house (today), fortunately God has been so faithful and our little boy has stayed put for so much longer than expected. 

Next Monday we hit another milestone and if I go into labour the Dr's won't do anything to stop it and the good news is that I can deliver here in Orange, provided bub has no complications we can stay here as Orange Hospital has a special care unit that can take babies from 34 weeks gestation.

It has been quite a journey and an eventful year for us. I doubt I will be back prior to the New Year so I wish you all the best! 

See you in 2013!

xx

32 Weeks Pregnant

I am so excited to have made it this far in the pregnancy. I am still feeling great (probably as a result of all of the bed rest) and I'm sleeping well, I have no discomfort and I'm not huge yet. The great thing about having a big belly is it makes my thighs and arms look smaller ;-)

We had a little set back last week when I went for my routine ultrasound and discovered that my cervix length had reduced from 20mm to 14mm. I was sent straight up to the maternity ward to consult with the Doctors. At one stage it didn't look like I was going back home, it sounded like the only decision to be made was whether I would need to be sent back to Sydney or whether I would be admitted to the hospital here in Orange. I was rather disappointed to hear that :-(

Having a incompetent cervix is rather scary as you don't feel anything happening, the cervix can shorten and dilate without you having any knowledge of it so it makes it very hard to monitor how you are doing, there is often no warning signs reminding you to take it easy and given that I feel so well, bed rest can be very frustrating.

Anyway, while I was kicking back in the hospital bed yet again, the Doctors decided that I would be given steroid shots and they would run some tests. One test that they did was similar to a pap smear and the sample taken indicates whether or not you are likely to go into labour in the next week. The result only takes 10 minutes and fortunately for me it came back negative :-)

In the end I was allowed to come back home with instructions to put my feet up and move even less. I just need to make it another 2 weeks and then bub can be delivered in Orange and I won't need to go to Sydney. 

I had the first steroid shot on Thursday before I left and then went back 24 hours later for the second one. They are not overly pleasant but who administers it and how makes a big difference.

So I tried very hard to behave and move as little as possible over the weekend and this morning when I went in for my ultrasound I had the best news, my cervix length had increased to 21mm :-)

I am so thrilled, bub is doing well too. I didn't get a growth scan done today but they checked his vitals as well as fluid levels. Next week we'll check how big he is getting .

The good news is that with my need to stay put more I finally finished another 2 of my cross stitch kits and hung them on the tree. It is nice to accomplish something and when we get them out each year we can remember this stage of our lives and I'll probably be wishing that I was back on bed rest.

I hope you all a wonderful week and I hope you are enjoying the festive season, we looooove Christmas and even though this year is so much quieter for me than normal I am still enjoying it and one big bonus is that I have none of the stress that can often come with the business of the season :-)

PS. Thank you for all of the wonderful support for my shop, it has been lovely to see sales pick up and nice to be moving some stock so I can have a shopping spree in the New Year xx

Last minute Christmas Buys

I have some gorgeous new goodies in store for some last minute Christmas Shopping.

You can find them all here.

I also have 30% off store wide right up until Christmas Eve.

31 Weeks Pregnant

The last week has flown past since I have been home, yes that's right just in case you didn't know I am home :-) Yay!!!!!!

My last ultrasound in hospital was Wednesday week ago and the Professor came in to see how it was all going and gave me permission to head home. 

Bub and I are both doing really well and I have had another ultrasound here at Orange hospital last Thursday, confirming that the stitch is still holding up well and that bub is growing well. Last approximate weight was 1.85kgs or just over 4 pounds with big feet and long legs (measuring in the 95th percentile). 

 31 weeks

It's not not just big feet over here, my belly is pretty big too. It expanded quite rapidly and noticeably, thanks to all of those people who mentioned it ;-) Unfortunately with all the bed rest my belly isn't the only thing that has expanded so looks like I will have to hit the pavement once bub arrives, to not only get back my fitness back but to fit into my normal clothes again.

30 +3 weeks

My first week back home was fantastic, hubby had already decorated the house for Christmas but when we had news that I was coming home he set the tree up but waited till we were all together to decorate it. we've had carols playing all week and I am feeling super organised with all the presents wrapped and already under the tree. Hospital bed rest does give one lots of time to shop on line and it is so convenient to have it all shipped straight to your house. 

Speaking of online shopping, just in case you missed it I have a big 30% off store wide sale happening over at my store - 

McCarthy Designs & Occasions

grab a cuppa or a glass of wine (have one for me too) then sit back and finish off your Christmas shopping, my couriers are fantastic and they will get your goodies to you asap, unfortunately they're not miracle workers so don't leave it to the last minute ;-)

Hope you are all having a great festive season, I confess this year is the quietest lead up to Christmas ever for us but I am enjoying it and I am sure we will make up for it next year.

xx

30% Off Store wide @ McCarthy Designs & Occasions

Christmas in Store at McCarthy Designs & Occasions

Because  I am stuck in hospital this year I cancelled my big Christmas orders and only bought a few new things for the store this year :-(

I am also so disappointed that I am not at home to arrange them and take some pretty photos for you, however I am sure that you will be able to think of lots of wonderful ways to use my goodies in your own home or you know someone that will.

These gorgeous Christmas baubles come in a hexagonal box, each box contains 14 pieces measuring 7.5cm and they are $26.95 each

Find them here and here 

I love these mercury vases in two sizes

18 x 30 cm for $21.95, find it here

or 14 x 26cm for $14.95, find it here

Add a lovely glow to your home using these hurricane vases, just add some candles, the vases are available in silver or red, measure 9 x 11 cm and are only $9.95 each

Red here

Silver here

Place a few of these sparkly pretties around you home for only $4.50 each. These candle holders measure 7 x 8 cm and are available in red or silver

Red here

Silver here

What do you think, I think they are just gorgeous.

xx

PS. I reached 29 weeks pregnant yesterday and am still in hospital, all is still going well with bub and my cervix is still closed and  holding at 2 cm. Still hoping to be home for Christmas :-)