Menu Planning

Well I got my A into G and sorted out my menu planning after finding a useful article on the Simple Mom website.

This is an example of my first two week plan: So the theme on each night stays the same i.e Thursday night Asian night but then I just change the meal.

I am doing my groceries fortnightly as well, and so have chosen to plan two weeks worth of meals at a time.

Week One
Monday – Mexican: Mince tortillas
Tuesday – Fish w Potato bake
Wednesday – Casserole: Beef HotPot
Thursday – Asian: Thai Green Curry
Friday – Leftovers Night
Saturday - Takeaways
Sunday – Roast: Beef Roast


Week Two
Monday – Mexican: Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday – Fish: w Stuffed Potatoes
Wednesday – Casserole: Sausage Casserole
Thursday – Asian: Chinese Beef Stirfry
Friday – Leftovers Night
Saturday - Takeaways
Sunday – Roast: Chicken Roast

Domestic Bliss

Today is one of those days when I love my job. Nearly three weeks into being mum to two, I feel I have a good grasp of what it takes and my routine is beginning to form.

Both my cherubs are in bed at the mo and I am enjoying some precious time on the computer while the sun streams through onto my lap, ah the simple things in life.

It can be a marathon effort getting out of the house in the morning, but that satisfaction when we are all in the car and everyone is smiles (Sienna in her sleep) is really rewarding. It has been so refreshing to add a new challenge into the mix. Whilst I was enjoying Bianca so much, I did feel as though life needed something extra, a new challenge and Sienna has been just the challenge required.

Today I have been working towards putting a meal planner together. I have established that cooking and grocery shopping really are my weak points when it comes to organisation. Often I wont know what I am having for tea come 4pm and I would like to shop weekly at the supermarket without forgetting half of what I came for and needing to go back.

My Favourite Things

I know there are a few people reading my blog who are expecting babies so i thought I would make a list of the things I have found most useful in having second time around

A moses basket borrowed from a friend. I have found it great being able to put Sienna on the couch to have a kick and know that she is safe from Bianca accidently kicking her on the floor, also if she falls asleep in it, she can stay put.

I brought two snow baby merino gowns, from JK they are fantastic with scratch mittens to pull over and they also dry really quickly which is useful during this time of year.I also borrowed this front pack off a friend and it is by far the best front pack I have ever used. It is called a Baby Bjorn Active Carrier. I find it so much easier putting Sienna in the front pack and Bianca in her pushchair, as opposed to the double pushchair

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My subscription to NZ Home and Garden. With doing so much breast-feeding it is a real treat to have a mag handy to occupy the time.

A friend brought me a box of Complan as a present, it turned out to be the best baby present ever! I have a shake for breakfast and I know that if I dont get a chance to have anything else it will tide me over until late morning

Online Shopping Addiction

Well I have found my vice at the moment. In those rare but precious moments when both of my cherubs are sleeping I like to relax in front of the computer to puruse the shops.

I brought these gorgeous items for Bianca's room from a site calledhttp://felt.co.nz/

One is a cushion and the other goes on the wall.

I also brought these door plaques for the girls rooms (obviously with their own names on them). They are $19.95 each and available on trademe, the sellers name is kamhlz for anyone who is interested.

Sleep Deprived but Happy

Sienna is two weeks old and I have been amazed at how quickly I have got used to having two littlies. It has been challenging at times but I have to say with no word of a lie that it is easier than I imagined. I am still getting my housework done, managing a quick morning shower and throwing a stew in the crockpot (sometimes).

The challenging part is when both girls require you at the same time then there is a period of craziness with an angry hitting, stomping toddler and a red faced flapping newborn vying for your attention. But even at these moments I have managed to stay airily calm. I mean what can I do? I could join Bianca on the floor for a tantrum! I have been most surprised at the experience I gained with Bianca and how much calmer and more confident that makes me feel in caring for Sienna.

Things that have been difficult:

• At meltdown moments dealing with two crying children
• Getting cabin fever from being at home more than I would like
• Transitioning from being available to Bianca 24/7 to her having to share her mummy
• Not being able to sleep in with newborn, because I need to get up to Bianca at 7am
• Having 10kg of weight to lose!!!

Things that have been wonderful: (these far outway the difficult)

• Watching how proud Bianca is of Sienna and hearing her call her 'my sisa' and 'our baby'
• Enjoying the newborn stage without as much apprehension as first time around
• Having the opportunity to do some things differently second time around - a fantastic birth experience for starters
• Feeling a completeness to our family (not that we are stopping at two) but just the feeling of having not one but two girls!!
• Having my love for one child multiplied by 100%, what a blessing.
• Having a sense of newness in my work as a stay at home mum. Enjoying establishing new routines and feeling really proud of myself at the end of a day knowing I have accomplished so much

Sienna's Birth Story

For all who are interested I thought it would be easier to post the details of Sienna's Birth on my blog site.

Well I cant believe she came early I had assumed she would be late like her sister. The biggest lesson I learnt from Sienna's labour is that subsequent births are a walk in the park compared to your first!! My midwife told me that but I didn't dare believe her.

At midday last Friday while chewing on a Big Mac at Tahunanui Playground, I commented to Chris that I was having some 'funny pains', just Braxton Hicks was my first thought. Chris was due to leave for a weekend hunting trip at 1pm and as we waited for him to be picked up I had a worrying suspicion there was something going on, but being in denial I told him not to worry. At about 2pm I started to time these 'funny feelings' and found that they were quite regular.

It was at 5pm that I dared to think it may be something more than pains and my friend Jen came around, She knew straight away I was in labour but I continued to think it may be nothing. Jen was fantastic, in fact she should rent herself out as a labour support guru. She rubbed my back through my contractions and encouraged me to try different positions that really worked. By 7pm I was needing to concentrate and breathe through the pains and by 8pm when we called the midwife I was beginning to get vocal.

So Jen bustled me in the car and we headed for the hospital. Contractions were 2-3 mins apart and painful enough to be mooing like a cow and clutching Jen in a iron like grip.

Sienna was born at 9.03 pm. Just 40 mins after arriving at the hospital, sucking gas like there was no tomorrow, with 4 pushes she was out. It was no walk in the park, don't get me wrong, but it was very empowering and a healing experience after having such a hard birth with Bianca.

Chris arrived back from Greymouth an hour after Sienna was born and my other support friend Kim arrived just moments after Sienna arrived and was there to hold my hand through a tough period where the placenta got stuck.

It was an amazing experience and I am thoroughly enjoying being mum to a newborn again. I will write soon on how the first week has been.

Thankyou for all the well wishes.