10 Thoughts of a Sleep Deprived Mum During Night Feeds

Renee BartonLeave a comment

I’m sure other Mum’s will agree that we can have some pretty weird and wonderful thoughts when we are awake through the night tending to our little ones.

It is a special time. The rest of the house is quiet and dark. Baby cuddles up to you and stares lovingly at you with their big blue eyes whilst guzzling their midnight snack. But its not all warm and fuzzy. Literally! It has been pretty cold in Brisbane lately, peeling back the doona is even more difficult now and don’t even mention having to get your boobs out in the cold night air! It can be downright frustrating too. When all you want to do is sleep but baby is cranky, hungry, wet, cold, hot….and its your job to figure out which of these it is so that you can both get back to sleep as soon as possible.

So, here are 10 thoughts I’m sure we’ve all have whilst fulfilling this motherly duty.

  1. My life sucks right now.
  2. Has it been 3 hours already??
  3. Shit its cold!
  4. Awww….look at my husband sound asleep completely oblivious to everything….asshole!
  5. I am the luckiest Mummy in the world….and boy do I make cute babies!
  6. My life is awesome right now.
  7. I wonder what is happening on Facebook at 3am…..hmmm, not much!
  8. Ok, please settle so we can get back to sleep now.
  9. I’m sooo bloody tired! OMG, am I ever going to sleep though the night again ever?!
  10. Great, we’re done….well at least until you wake me up again in a few hours time and we do it all again.

All jokes aside, we wouldn’t have it any other way would we mums? As we pat their backs and kiss their faces and smell their heads, we know we are the luckiest (albeit tired-est) mummies in the world.

Thoughts during the night

Thoughts On Going Back To Work

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So it’s Sunday 12 July, 2015. Tomorrow, I head back to work after having the last 7 weeks off for the birth of our little Jesse Jack Barton.

Oh dear… To say I am a little unprepared for my return to work is probably an understatement.

The past 7 weeks have been absolutely amazing. It’s been nothing but an absolute joy getting to know our little Jesse and getting used to life as a new family of 3. It’s been 7 weeks of getting out of bed when my eyes open… Sitting back and watching Jesse all day everyday… Being able to do what we want as a family during the week…

But come Monday, it’s back to the daily grind.

It’s going to be tough getting back into the routine of heading off to work early and coming home late. It makes me wonder how other new dads out there have handled that transition of being on leave with a new baby to going back to work.

The one thing I am going to miss the most, is being able to spend so much time with Renee and Jesse. Spending time as a new family. Especially because Renee has the rest of the year off. Which also makes my transition a little easier because I know that she will be there for Jesse while she continues her journey of being a new mum.

I will say that heading back to work won’t be too hard (despite the early mornings, as I said before), as the people I work with are great. I’ve built some good relationships with my work colleagues. And I’m not one of these people who hates where I work.

Work

I know that I will have plenty of support and sympathy from my work mates during my first week back. Many of my colleagues have kids, so I know that the first couple of days will be full of catch ups and photo sharing and sifting through emails. I also know that if I fall asleep at my desk, I won’t get in too much trouble. They may even just let me nap.

In all seriousness, I know that I need to go back to work. While I love being at home and spending time with my new family, I know that I now need to take on the responsibility of providing for my family. I need to be the one that works to make sure that Renee can spend as much time at home with our little Jesse as possible.

I know that Renee won’t mind that I am heading off early to work and getting home late. Because in the end, we will be able to spend important time as a family down the track.

Just don’t talk to me when I wake up on Monday morning at 5am!!! Maybe just give me a couple of hours…

Photo Friday: Who Does Jesse Look Like?

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So right from the start, many if not all of the visitors we got in the early days said that Jesse was a spitting image of me. It certainly looked that way. Blonde hair, blue eyes, big nose.

But the more time passes, more people are saying that he is now looking more like Renee.

So we visited both our parents houses and went hunting through old baby photos of ourselves to try and see if we could find any that would be good to use as a comparison. And so below, we have 4 photos to compare. Photos of both Renee and I as babies with photos of Jesse at the same age (in days/weeks).

Have a look for yourselves and let us know who you think Jesse looks like… Mummy or daddy?

Jesse and Kaine:Kaine and Jesse

Jesse and Renee:
Renee and Jesse

An Open Letter to Dads Returning to Work

Renee Barton3 Comments

Next week Kaine will be returning to work and I am nervous to say the least.  I am wondering how I am going to handle things on my own without someone to share nappy duty with, without the chest which Jesse loves to fall asleep on and without someone to keep up the housework and bring me things when I’m breastfeeding.  But most of all how I’m going to cope without my person with me, my best friend, my husband.

But as hard as it will be for me, I know it will be even more difficult for him to leave us every morning and spend a large part of the day away from us.  Especially after enjoying such precious family time over the last 7 weeks.

So here are my words to my husband about his returning to work. Perhaps there are other women that feel this way about their spouse also so this is my open letter to working Dads.

To My Dear Husband,

The time we have spent together recently has been so special. The opportunity to be together every day as a new family while we navigate the challenges and joys of being parents has been incredible. I didn’t know I could love you more than I already did but seeing you as a Dad and the way you are with our baby, and with me, has deepened my love for you in ways I could not have anticipated.

But soon you will be returning to work. I know this will be difficult for you and that you will wish you were at home with us but I want you to know that work is exactly where your family needs you to be, at least for now.

Each day you leave our house please know that we love you and appreciate all you do to provide for us and ensure we are happy and healthy. We will miss you and the moment you arrive home will be our favourite part of the day.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue staying at home to care for our son. I know it is incredibly important to the both of us, and to us as a family, to be with him as much as possible and provide him with the best start in life.

So until a time when we are able to spend all of our days together again; we thank you.

Lovingly yours,

Wifey for Lifey

letter to dad

365 Project Update: How Are We Going?

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So tomorrow will mark day 40 of ‘The 365 Project’. The big question being, how are we going?

For those who haven’t ventured through to that area of our website, simply put, the 365 Project is a brutally honest account of a year in the life of a new mum and a new dad.

The mission was simple. We will:

  • Over one whole year from the day our baby is born, chronicle our first year of parenthood through writings and photos.
  • Each journal something every day of Baby Barton’s first year of life, no excuses (no matter how sleep deprived)!
  • Each take a photo every day of Baby Barton’s first year of life, no excuses.
  • Not share our journal entries or photos with each other, until the day Baby Barton turns 1 (the end of the project).
  • At the conclusion of The 365 Project, compile and publish the journals and photos as two individual books titled ‘Not So Secret Life Of Us: A year in the life of a first time Dad’ and ‘Not So Secret Life Of Us: A year in the life of a first time Mum’.

So how are we going? Well, so far so good I think.

Life with a baby is sometimes pretty tough, especially for Renee who is up throughout the nights breastfeeding. But as of today, we have both stuck to our mission and have successfully taken a photo and written an entry every single day.

Collage 1

However, we are still both on leave from work which makes this whole chronicling our lives a little easier than it normally would. The real test is going to be when we finally climb out of this having a new baby bubble and go back to work and regular life starts getting in the way.

I think it’s going to be tough, but I think we will be able to do it. We may only be 40 days in, but I still feel as passionate about this project as when we started it on day 1!!!

Close To My Heart

Renee Barton1 Comment

If your news feed is anything like mine this past week it has been filled with pride rainbows and celebrations of the US’ decision to legalise same sex marriage. Though I haven’t updated my profile photo with a rainbow, marriage equality is very close to my heart. I am absolutely an ally and 100% support the right for same-sex marriage.

I hold marriage in the highest esteem and it is something that is of the utmost importance to me. One of my most cherished roles is being a wife. And calling Kaine ‘my husband’ brings me such pride and happiness. I don’t believe that anyone should be denied that opportunity.

To me, marriage is so much more than a piece of paper or a wedding day (although weddings are awesome and everyone should have the opportunity to have their dream day!). It is a deep commitment and an exclusive promise to love and share your life with another human. It is having that one person, a partner in life, that you can truly be yourself with, grow with and share this crazy adventure we call life with.

It actually baffles me that this is even an issue in this day and age. Its pathetic!

From a young age I have had many gay people in my life, some of whom are my closest friends. And it breaks my heart that they are denied a basic human right like marrying the person they love. I was reminded of this recently when attending a friend’s wedding. It was such a beautiful, special occasion but as I looked around the room I became very aware that many people there were witness to an experience that they themselves can’t have… because its illegal… how ridiculous!

I don’t write this to spark some sort of debate as I honestly don’t believe there is one.

The simple fact is, there is no excuse for this stupidity any more. It’s time.

#LOVEWINS

love-wins

Being a Fit Dad

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

Being a fit and healthy dad. What exactly does that mean? What does it encompass?

As I stood on the scales at my PT’s gym yesterday for my weekly weigh-in, waiting to see what the damage had been this week I began to think about that question.

As I pondered, I looked down with nervous anticipation as the number flicked up on the screen of the scales. The number staring back at me was 80 kg. Mixed feelings washed over me consisting mostly of disappointment.

‘There’s an 8 at the beginning’, I thought to myself. ‘It’s time to get my health and fitness back on track’.

Now I am well aware that 80 kg isn’t exactly heavy for someone of my height, but I know that my ideal weight is somewhere around the 75 kg mark and that’s when I feel and look my best.

I think every dad out there has their own thoughts on what a fit dad is. So the question I need to ask myself, is what does being a fit dad mean for me?

For me, I think being a fit dad first and foremost means being active, healthy and getting back into my pre-birth routines.

The past 5 weeks have flown by in a blur of nappy changes, cluster feeding and entertaining a newborn. And that has come at the expense of any kind of normalcy as far as routine goes. And because there are only two weeks before I go back to work, it’s a good time to start focusing back on my own habits to get back to feeling and looking my best.

IMG_2307

So, keeping in mind there is a new element in the mix (named Jesse Jack Barton) what needs to change? Well, it is my promise to start doing the following:

  • Exercising more regularly (PT sessions, circuit training, walks/runs with the dog).
  • Keep as active as I can, even at work.
  • Eating less and eating healthier options (no alcohol, less sugar, less carbs, more protein, more fresh foods and vegetables).
  • Better sleeping patterns (going to bed earlier and waking up earlier).
  • Start supplementing diet with good vitamins and supplements.
  • Involving Renee and Jesse into these routines wherever possible.

These are all very simple things to do and re-instate, but I now believe that they are more important than ever to do. It’s now time get off my ass and start doing them if I truly want to be a fit dad!

Outside of being a good dad, being a fit dad was the one thing I really wanted to try and achieve. Throughout our pregnancy journey, it’s one of the things that Renee and I would discuss every now and again.

I have always thought of myself as being relatively healthy and fit (except for when I’m on holidays and have a blow out, but hey, doesn’t everyone…). I want to be the dad running around the park or court with our son kicking the football or shooting hoops.

I want to be the dad playing in the backyard or park with our son, pushing him on the swings or playing in the sand pit.

I want to be the dad going to a bike ride with our son through the bush tracks and stopping to look at the weird and wonderful wildlife that he has never seen before.

I want to be the dad that could run and jump and carry and swing our son around when playing with him.

I want to be the dad that our son looks up to and develops good habits from with respect to being active and healthy and fit.

It’s time to chase these goals. It’s time to make a change.

It’s time to be a FIT DAD!

Photo Friday: Baby Barton Diaries – The Final Chapter

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

What’s this? Another video for Photo Friday? You betcha!

Throughout our pregnancy, we uploaded a series of videos called ‘Baby Barton Diaries’. Well, as you are all aware, our pregnancy journey came to an end just over 4 weeks ago when we welcomed little Jesse Jack to the world.

Yesterday we recorded the final Baby Barton Diary entry where we talk about the labour and delivery, our experiences at the hospital and my infamous ‘Cigars, Scotch and Cards’ night to celebrate the birth of Jesse.

Because of it’s length, it ended up becoming 2 separate videos (Part One and Part Two). So that said, we hope you enjoy the 2 part finale of our ‘Baby Barton Diaries’ video series.

Part one:

Part Two:

If you are interested in seeing any of the previous videos we did throughout our pregnancy, you can check them out on the Baby Barton YouTube Playlist HERE.

Happy One Month Birthday

Renee Barton3 Comments

We have a four week old baby. Yup, we have managed to navigate our way through parenthood for one whole month. And fairly successfully I would say.

Most say by the six week mark we will finally emerge from the haze that is life with a newborn. That sounds about right too as I don’t quite think we are there yet. However we have started to find a rhythm and even on the most difficult days there is still so much to be joyful about. Jesse is starting to smile a lot so that is all that we need to brighten our day and lift our spirits.

He is also starting to spend more time awake. Instead of just feeding and sleeping we now have a sprightly and curious bub for several hours a day. So we have been finding ways we can interact with him and help him develop.

You’ll find us giving Jesse a blow by blow of everything we are doing from changing his nappy and clothes to a running commentary of the Brisbane Broncos game.

And today we have pulled out his new play mat and a multitude of rattles and toys (all which were gifts from family and friends) so that we can start some play time with him.

I have no idea whether it is too early for all of that, but he already seemed to really like the shiny colours and interesting noises of the toys hanging across his carrier. And then it all must have got too much for him because he soon fell fast asleep. A win-win I suppose.

One Month Old Photo

I was hoping not to be one of those parents that wishes their child doesn’t grow up and instead just relish in every stage and every age. But even four weeks in I am starting to have those thoughts. He has already changed so much since he was born and pretty soon he will be too big for his 00000 clothes.

A reminder that no matter how monotonous or challenging some days may feel, this too shall pass. So drink it all in and cherish all the beautiful moments. And the tough ones too.