So my friend Kate over at A Year of Frugality has inspired me. Financial priorities and everything that comes with it.
I will admit to being horrible at sticking to a budget but that's usually both myself and The Man Thing buying things we don't need and at the worst possible times. Last week we spent most of our grocery money on takeaways and junk food! It was terrible! I guess even though we did that we still had 3 meals a day each and the Munchkin had nappies and formula to last him so there was at least SOME prioritizing. Also all the bills were paid.
We usually stick to a fairly strict budget but sometimes we slip up and then sometimes we slip up bad! Luckily we don't have a credit card or the like so we can't rach up a massive debt but let's just say that unless we are on a very strict budget, The Man Thing and I are hopeless with money.
Having a budget it our only saving grace. If we didn't have a budget we would be right royally screwed. It's actually suprising how easy it's been for us to have one and keep on top of all of our bills. Our budget is what has enabled us to go from piddly slow-as-a-wet-week dialup to broadband recently.
I have friends who have no idea how to prioritize and it's hard to see them falling over their feet time and time again but I've tried giving them advice and it always fails. Don't you hate that, trying to give someone advice and they come back with "But...but...but" to everything. People from all different walks of life have shown me this attitude. There's a point where I have to give up.
I always try to live within my means and I think we do a pretty good job, except when we have a bit of a blowout but then we're only human.
So after this ramble, what are your priorities?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Torture by Infant
I can't believe how frustrating and infuriating an 11 month old can be! Especially when he's sick, even just a little.
We're not entirely sure what's wrong with him but I'm positive he's teething. He went and saw the doc today and his ears are BOTH a bit inflamed *headdesk* so he's got antibiotics for them. He has a bung eye from a stye so he has eye ointment for that even though I don't think he needs it because the stye has popped and is now almost completely healed. The Child is also having breathing problems and wheezing but according to the doctor he's perfectly fine. WTF? I had a nurse listen to his chest later on the same day and she heard him wheezing pretty badly so I have no idea what's going on.
PMS is killing me, along with horrible cramps :-( Even though it's the middle of summer (heh, so they say) I've had to sleep with a hot water bottle clutched to my abdomen and even paracetamol isn't helping.
You know it's real bad when even though you got a manicure and an eyebrow shape/wax for FREE and you still feel murderous.
My house is a total bombsite. It's a combination of being busy, having little to no energy and I think PND nipping at my heels. It's not nice for me at the moment. Add on top that my crawler is advancing to being a walker waaaaaay too quickly for my liking and I'm a wreck! Also he figured out how to get into the cupboards and so nothing within reach is safe! My kitchen is a complete bombsite because the darling child pulled everything out of my plastics cupboard and scattered it all over the floor. Admittedly I did let him but that was because I really couldn't be bothered with wrestling with him, finding some way to secure the handles so the cupboards wouldn't open then dealing with the ensuing tantrum afterwards. I'm having trouble getting out of bed in the morning let alone dealing with all of that.
My little angel has turned into a whingey, clingy, grumpy brat. Not quite but it sure feels like it at the moment! Him being unwell certainly isn't helping matters.
Anyway, sorry for the short rant, I just had to get that off my chest. More ranting to come soon, this time about The Man Thing. Censored of course because he reads this blog :-S
Ciao for now
We're not entirely sure what's wrong with him but I'm positive he's teething. He went and saw the doc today and his ears are BOTH a bit inflamed *headdesk* so he's got antibiotics for them. He has a bung eye from a stye so he has eye ointment for that even though I don't think he needs it because the stye has popped and is now almost completely healed. The Child is also having breathing problems and wheezing but according to the doctor he's perfectly fine. WTF? I had a nurse listen to his chest later on the same day and she heard him wheezing pretty badly so I have no idea what's going on.
PMS is killing me, along with horrible cramps :-( Even though it's the middle of summer (heh, so they say) I've had to sleep with a hot water bottle clutched to my abdomen and even paracetamol isn't helping.
You know it's real bad when even though you got a manicure and an eyebrow shape/wax for FREE and you still feel murderous.
My house is a total bombsite. It's a combination of being busy, having little to no energy and I think PND nipping at my heels. It's not nice for me at the moment. Add on top that my crawler is advancing to being a walker waaaaaay too quickly for my liking and I'm a wreck! Also he figured out how to get into the cupboards and so nothing within reach is safe! My kitchen is a complete bombsite because the darling child pulled everything out of my plastics cupboard and scattered it all over the floor. Admittedly I did let him but that was because I really couldn't be bothered with wrestling with him, finding some way to secure the handles so the cupboards wouldn't open then dealing with the ensuing tantrum afterwards. I'm having trouble getting out of bed in the morning let alone dealing with all of that.
My little angel has turned into a whingey, clingy, grumpy brat. Not quite but it sure feels like it at the moment! Him being unwell certainly isn't helping matters.
Anyway, sorry for the short rant, I just had to get that off my chest. More ranting to come soon, this time about The Man Thing. Censored of course because he reads this blog :-S
Ciao for now
Friday, January 27, 2012
Oh the Shame
I can't believe it's been more than 5 months since I last updated this! Where has the time gone?
Munchkin is a much bigger munchkin now, he's at about 9kg and boy do I feel it! I certainly know that I've gained some strength from lugging him around because I can now go from sitting on the floor with him in my arms to standing. It's extremely ungainly but I can do it! I couldn't even do that BEFORE I got pregnant.
It's hard to believe it but my little baby is growing up! It's too soon!! He's 10 months old now, has had his first Christmas and is on the verge of walking. It's scary, I tell ya.
Just before Christmas my little darling learned how to sit. He'd been commando crawling since October and he finally decided to crawl PROPERLY at about the same time he started sitting. He's a real little man now *sniff*
The Man-Thing has a job! A real one! He's been there for 3 months now which is a huge relief. It's a nice steady income and apart from a few blips in the road here and there it's been great. The Man Thing is happier now that he has a job and to be honest he's a lot more bearable to live with *wink*
So I have a crawling, climbing, babbling, cheeky little monkey who still terrorises me to the edge of my sanity but I love him to bits. I'm still taking my wonderful little while pills for my PND but it is a lot easier to cope with now. I've had group therapy sessions as well as one on one with a counsellor. Our PND therapy group has turned into a coffee group now so we meet up, usually weekly, and chat about anything and everything! I really like it.
Not much else to say right now than the baby is in bed, asleep and that's where I should be too.
Ciao peeps!
Munchkin is a much bigger munchkin now, he's at about 9kg and boy do I feel it! I certainly know that I've gained some strength from lugging him around because I can now go from sitting on the floor with him in my arms to standing. It's extremely ungainly but I can do it! I couldn't even do that BEFORE I got pregnant.
It's hard to believe it but my little baby is growing up! It's too soon!! He's 10 months old now, has had his first Christmas and is on the verge of walking. It's scary, I tell ya.
Just before Christmas my little darling learned how to sit. He'd been commando crawling since October and he finally decided to crawl PROPERLY at about the same time he started sitting. He's a real little man now *sniff*
The Man-Thing has a job! A real one! He's been there for 3 months now which is a huge relief. It's a nice steady income and apart from a few blips in the road here and there it's been great. The Man Thing is happier now that he has a job and to be honest he's a lot more bearable to live with *wink*
So I have a crawling, climbing, babbling, cheeky little monkey who still terrorises me to the edge of my sanity but I love him to bits. I'm still taking my wonderful little while pills for my PND but it is a lot easier to cope with now. I've had group therapy sessions as well as one on one with a counsellor. Our PND therapy group has turned into a coffee group now so we meet up, usually weekly, and chat about anything and everything! I really like it.
Not much else to say right now than the baby is in bed, asleep and that's where I should be too.
Ciao peeps!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Long time, no see
Well now it really has been a while since I updated this. I just haven't had the time!! Seth went from sleeping like the proverbial angel to driving me insane! 45 minute naps all day, every day. Settling him to sleep was hell too. I was always rocking the cot, patting his tummy, turning him on his side and patting his back, stroking his head, letting him fall asleep feeding or on me. Hell I tell you!
My mum was my saviour, even with all her faults and everything about her that irritates me so much, she has been invaluable to me over the past few months. She called for help, Plunket help, and they were actually very helpful. Shh but the area coordinator gave us a little booklet of advice which has changed our live now, for the better! It's not Plunket endorsed so really they can't hand it out but mum and I were SERIOUSLY desperate.
So now after putting the advice in the booklet into practice, Seth is now going down to sleeps a LOT easier, I put him down, tuck him in and walk away. He's still only sleeping for 45 minutes at a time but I can deal with it a lot better now. It's even better that in the past few weeks he's been sleeping for longer and longer during the night. He's now sleeping from between 7 and 8 pm until between 5 and 8 am. It's so cool, I actually get to sleep. Now what is sleep again?
Seth is now fully formula fed due to my supply reaching a maximum of 80mls at a feed while Seth was taking more than twice that amount, medication for my PND when I was diagnosed (yeah I have PND, will talk about that later), and Seth not gaining weight as he should have been. Things have been going pretty well here since I decided to wean, yes wean not just go cold turkey. I managed to do it with nearly no engorgement. I still have a small supply if I try to hand express, it'll still shoot across the room, but that will eventually fade, probably. Seth has taken the transition pretty well though he still turns to my breast at times and will try to feed even though there is clothing in the way. Makes for lovely slobber patches. I still give him breast occasionally if he's really frantic for a feed, though he pops on and off so he barely gets anything.
PND. Ah yes, postnatal depression/distress. I think it started slowly with just little things, having to settle Seth to sleep every. single. sleep. His screaming in my ears as I did so. The frustration at not being able to fully breastfeed like I wanted and expected to. Little things that built up until I was screaming at him to shut up and go to sleep. Slamming my fist into a wall so I wouldn't do something I would later regret. Banging my head against a wall for similar reasons. I would get SO angry that he wasn't sleeping, that he was crying, that he wouldn't cooperate. That he wasn't doing what I wanted him to and what I thought he "Should" do.
Looking up the signs and symptoms was hard, talking to my husband about it even harder. I was put onto the Edinburgh scale by a few people I would talk to online and I scored an 18. Not as bad as it could have been but bad enough. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me some medication and I'm going to a PND support group which is really helping.
Since being on the meds things have improved hugely. I don't start screaming/crying/raging over little things anymore. If I miss a dose then the next day is bad though. I can now handle things a lot better and I feel a lot more relaxed. Most of the time anyway.
Well that's a bit of a novel so I shall leave you with that and I will certainly try to update more often.
Ciao for now.
My mum was my saviour, even with all her faults and everything about her that irritates me so much, she has been invaluable to me over the past few months. She called for help, Plunket help, and they were actually very helpful. Shh but the area coordinator gave us a little booklet of advice which has changed our live now, for the better! It's not Plunket endorsed so really they can't hand it out but mum and I were SERIOUSLY desperate.
So now after putting the advice in the booklet into practice, Seth is now going down to sleeps a LOT easier, I put him down, tuck him in and walk away. He's still only sleeping for 45 minutes at a time but I can deal with it a lot better now. It's even better that in the past few weeks he's been sleeping for longer and longer during the night. He's now sleeping from between 7 and 8 pm until between 5 and 8 am. It's so cool, I actually get to sleep. Now what is sleep again?
Seth is now fully formula fed due to my supply reaching a maximum of 80mls at a feed while Seth was taking more than twice that amount, medication for my PND when I was diagnosed (yeah I have PND, will talk about that later), and Seth not gaining weight as he should have been. Things have been going pretty well here since I decided to wean, yes wean not just go cold turkey. I managed to do it with nearly no engorgement. I still have a small supply if I try to hand express, it'll still shoot across the room, but that will eventually fade, probably. Seth has taken the transition pretty well though he still turns to my breast at times and will try to feed even though there is clothing in the way. Makes for lovely slobber patches. I still give him breast occasionally if he's really frantic for a feed, though he pops on and off so he barely gets anything.
PND. Ah yes, postnatal depression/distress. I think it started slowly with just little things, having to settle Seth to sleep every. single. sleep. His screaming in my ears as I did so. The frustration at not being able to fully breastfeed like I wanted and expected to. Little things that built up until I was screaming at him to shut up and go to sleep. Slamming my fist into a wall so I wouldn't do something I would later regret. Banging my head against a wall for similar reasons. I would get SO angry that he wasn't sleeping, that he was crying, that he wouldn't cooperate. That he wasn't doing what I wanted him to and what I thought he "Should" do.
Looking up the signs and symptoms was hard, talking to my husband about it even harder. I was put onto the Edinburgh scale by a few people I would talk to online and I scored an 18. Not as bad as it could have been but bad enough. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me some medication and I'm going to a PND support group which is really helping.
Since being on the meds things have improved hugely. I don't start screaming/crying/raging over little things anymore. If I miss a dose then the next day is bad though. I can now handle things a lot better and I feel a lot more relaxed. Most of the time anyway.
Well that's a bit of a novel so I shall leave you with that and I will certainly try to update more often.
Ciao for now.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Boobie Madness
So breastfeeding is still tormenting me, but not as much as it was. I talked to a Lactation Consultant and she said that my problem could be that I don't have a lot of breast tissue, the milk producing tissue, and that could be why I'm not having an easy time of it. Seth is now starting to take even more formula at his topups, up from about 50mls at a time to anywhere up to 90mls. I'm still giving him as much boob as he will take, he just drains them and gets really fussy because he's sucking and barely any dribbles are coming out.
I'm wondering if my boobs are going to go through a growth spurt and suddenly start producing more milk (heh, wishful thinking right) but something is going on with them at the moment because about an hour after a feed my boobs start getting a bit stingy painful and it tends to just linger until the next feed. Weird, huh! It's similar to the achey feeling I would get in my boobs occasionally during my menstrual cycle.
I'm still taking my Domperidone and supplimenting my diet with other lactation promoting foods and trying to get enough protein and plain enough to eat! I'm terrible for forgetting to eat.
I'm wondering if my boobs are going to go through a growth spurt and suddenly start producing more milk (heh, wishful thinking right) but something is going on with them at the moment because about an hour after a feed my boobs start getting a bit stingy painful and it tends to just linger until the next feed. Weird, huh! It's similar to the achey feeling I would get in my boobs occasionally during my menstrual cycle.
I'm still taking my Domperidone and supplimenting my diet with other lactation promoting foods and trying to get enough protein and plain enough to eat! I'm terrible for forgetting to eat.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Hurdles
I guess there's plenty of hurdles to traverse and hoops to jump through when you're a parent and I'm just starting to stumble my way through the course but damn if I'm not stubbing my toes! Well the hurdle of sleep is overcome for now, the one I'm trying to find my way over at the moment is breastfeeding. I'm stuck on this one because I still have to top up my little darling with formula otherwise he just wont settle and I can't pump enough breastmilk to use that as a topup, hell I can only pump 20mls at the most at the moment and most topups are more like 40-50mls.
I'm also not very happy but I am relieved because I've had to make one feed completely formula, which The Man Thing gives to the munchkin while I get some sleep because before we started doing this I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown due to lack of sleep and now that we have started this (we're only on day 3) I'm much more relaxed, rested and able to cope with those hairy moments when the baby just keeps crying! I know it's not going to do my milk supply any favours but it was a case of do this or go insane. I prefer to keep what remanants of my sanity I still have so I'm ok with our decision.
I'm also not very happy but I am relieved because I've had to make one feed completely formula, which The Man Thing gives to the munchkin while I get some sleep because before we started doing this I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown due to lack of sleep and now that we have started this (we're only on day 3) I'm much more relaxed, rested and able to cope with those hairy moments when the baby just keeps crying! I know it's not going to do my milk supply any favours but it was a case of do this or go insane. I prefer to keep what remanants of my sanity I still have so I'm ok with our decision.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Growth Spurt Hell
So my little munchkin has hit his 2 week growth spurt and my sanity has gone right down the drain. Since Saturday my little angel has been a screaming little mess which then turns me into a crying mess and it's a horrible cycle because I can't get him to settle which means he gets overtired and cries which upsets me and then upsets him and so on and so forth.
Today I think that either I made a bit of a breakthrough or he's settling down again. 2 feeds in a row now I've managed to get him into bed without a fuss, long may it continue! I think I was keeping him awake for far too long feeding him and so now I've started trying my best to get him fed, changed and back into bed within an hour, things seem to be looking up. 2 hours of awake time is a lot for a little baby!
Anyway, just thought I'd leave you with that little update. I'd better head to bed now before my eyes fall out! Babies are not good for the under-eye luggage!
Today I think that either I made a bit of a breakthrough or he's settling down again. 2 feeds in a row now I've managed to get him into bed without a fuss, long may it continue! I think I was keeping him awake for far too long feeding him and so now I've started trying my best to get him fed, changed and back into bed within an hour, things seem to be looking up. 2 hours of awake time is a lot for a little baby!
Anyway, just thought I'd leave you with that little update. I'd better head to bed now before my eyes fall out! Babies are not good for the under-eye luggage!
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