Waiting for Baby Barton Number Two

Renee BartonLeave a comment

A little under two years ago we published our first blog Waiting for Baby Barton . After a fairly lengthy TTC process, I was 37 weeks pregnant with our first baby and we were eagerly anticipating baby’s arrival.

Now that sweet baby boy is a cheeky toddler, two months shy of his second birthday and soon to be a big brother. And I am again 37 weeks pregnant.

It all seems so surreal. Some days I still can’t quite believe that within the next few weeks we will be a family of four and will have a tiny newborn again.

But then my giant belly, constant braxton hicks, aching back and constipation reminds me that it is in fact real! Oh the joys of the final month of pregnancy. When simple tasks of rolling over in bed, putting shoes on or bathing the toddler are like doing a workout. I love it though, and try to never take the blessing of pregnancy for granted.

It’s funny, it feels like so much has changed since last time and yet it’s so familiar too. Again wondering what will our baby look like? Will it be a boy or a girl? How and when will I go into labour? Will I be a good mum?

I guess it’s always the same questions no matter how many children you have.

But, the bassinet is ready and the baby clothes are washed and folded. The hospital bags are in various stages of packed and the car seat ready to be installed. Dad is counting down the days to his parental leave and keeping fingers crossed baby stays in until then. While Mum is savouring these last weeks of pregnancy and preparing mind and body for birth. All the while big brother is blissfully unaware of what’s to come.

Montage

To you my big boy, mummy loves you so much. You will be the most wonderful big brother. It is a big responsibility being the eldest but I know you will take it all in your stride and continue to be the funny, loving, cheeky boy that you are.

And to my second little love curled up safely in my tummy, it will soon be time to come and meet us my precious one. Scary I know, but I promise it will all be okay and we will all be together soon.

Until then….we wait…

10 things you may not know about us…

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

Wow… what a journey it’s already been on this ride we call the ‘Not So Secret Life Of Us’.

Last week, we posted on Facebook that we had almost hit 600 likes. We promised that when we did hit that magic 600 likes, that we would release a special video to celebrate.

Well, we did it! We hit 600 likes! WOOO HOOO!!! That is 600 of you out there in internet land that have taken the time out of your busy lives to visit our humble little page, read our humble little blog or watch our humble little YouTube channel. And for that, we say thank you.

So, as was promised, here is the special video for the celebration of this wonderful milestone! A video that we had enormous fun filming and editing. A video that we are actually quite proud of. A video that we enjoying watching back as much as we enjoyed filming.

A video called, ’10 things you may not know about us…’

Again, thank you to everyone who has supported us on any of the many social media platforms we use. We really do appreciate it.

Enjoy the video…

Kaine & Renee

Hi! My name is…

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So as you would all be well aware, Baby Barton #2 is literally only weeks away from gracing us with its presence. And along with all the planning and preparation couples need to do when they are expecting a new bundle of joy, comes one of if not the most important thing that needs to be considered and agreed on before the arrival of any baby.

Names!

That right… what you decide to call your new addition to the family is probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life… right there behind deciding to have kids in the first place!

I mean, just think about it. You are responsible for naming a human! NAMING THEM!!! This boy or girl will be stuck with this name for the rest of their life… that is assuming it’s not something ridiculous like North West that the child will probably change by law when they’re an adult! What a responsibility.

And I can tell you right now, that choosing names for the arrival of your impending child is bloody hard!

There are so many things you need to think about when choosing a name for you baby. Things like… spelling of the name. Do you go for something common, or uncommon? Classic or modern? Do you give them a middle name? Will the name stand the test of time? Will it sound odd calling a grown adult by the name you choose for your child? What do the initials spell out (especially if you give your child a middle name)?

There’s so much to think about that it sometimes gets a little overwhelming and you just kind of sweep it under the rug with the intention of dealing with it later. Except, there comes a point in time when you can’t sweep it under the rug any longer. There comes a point where you need to finalise your list and decide on the names you like. Because otherwise, you’ll have a nameless baby!

And this is currently the problem we are having in our household. Choosing names we both like for both sexes… because for some reason… someone didn’t want to find out the sex of the baby!

When we first started looking at names for Baby Barton #2 we thought it would be easy. We agreed on a list of 3 options for both girls and boys for when Jesse was born. We just had it working like a well-oiled machine.

But this time around… oh dear. We just can’t decide on anything. We have a number of girls names we like, but are still tossing up what to do for the middle name.

But… we don’t have any boys names we are absolutely in love with. Not a single one. And then on top of that, we have no middle names for the boys either. Even the ones we had on the list when Jesse was born we now don’t like. So if we ended up with another boy currently, we’d be screwed!

The other big problem we have, is the whole, well this name would be cute for a little girl, but is anyone really going to take a grown woman seriously with that same name?

YOU SEE!!! THIS SH*T IS HARD!!!

I do know one thing though… we need to get this sorted out sooner rather than later! Because if we don’t come up a list of names that we both agree on and love soon, we will be in big trouble! I mean, we can’t call it Baby Barton #2 forever… … … or can we?

Photo Friday: Sick bubba… 😢

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So as you know from our last post… our little guy is one sick bubba. And it didn’t seem like he was getting any better.

Well, after two doctors visits we finally have an answer. Poor little Jesse is currently fighting through a case of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease!

Yup, that’s right, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is the worst. Vomiting… diarrhoea… lethargy… Jesse is certainly not enjoying himself. And I know exactly how he feels, because I’ve had the pleasure of having caught this disease myself as an adult. Renee is now the only one in our house to not have to suffer the effects of the most unfortunately named disease out there.

I mean come on… how awful of a name is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease!

So unfortunately, all we can do is make Jesse as comfortable as we can while he fights it off. It means plenty of paracetamol, keeping up his fluids as best we can, and letting him sleep it off.

Which is exactly what he’s been doing for most of today.


Get better soon little buddy… we miss your cheeky smile and bubbly outlook to life! 😢

When toddlers go full Exorcist!!!

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

Our house is in turmoil! Okay, so maybe it’s not quite that bad, but it is. Our house is in TURMOIL!!! Throughout this week, our happy go lucky (for the most part) boy has been not so happy or lucky. He’s been quite the opposite. Clingy… Sad… Cranky… Sleepy…


Jesse is unfortunately, not a happy bubba… Jesse is sick. And I’m not just talking teething symptoms or head cold sick… I’m talking a projectile vomiting, diarrhoea inducing, inconsolable crying and just plain miserable kind of sick. The kind of sick that you wish you could just heal them from instantly, even if it meant taking on the symptoms yourself.

While our little fella Jesse has been out of sorts for a little while, it has been the last few days that his symptoms increased in severity. What started out with what appeared to be just teething symptoms, turned into a scene straight from the movie ‘The Exorcist’!

It all started when we brought him into our bed on Wednesday night so we could lay with him while he fell asleep. It’s what we do every night. We love that time laying with him, listening to each breath and hearing that transition from being awake to that slow heavy breathing when he finally fell asleep. But not that night. There was a different plan for us that night.

Instead of hearing his breathing slow down while he fell into slumber, we were instead met with the sound of him heaving followed by projectile vomiting all over me and all through our bed. I had no idea this much liquid could come out of such a small human being! It was everywhere… all over me… through the sheets… over our pillows… and it was 9pm so the last thing we wanted to deal with was a vomit soaked bed. It was lucky that we had just recently invested in a mattress protector.

I tell you what… you have never seen two people jump out of bed quicker than when your toddler decides it’s the perfect place to unload a gallon of vomit.

Despite the start to the night, we survived the rest of it until the next morning when the diarrhoea, and more vomiting came. The diarrhoea wasn’t so bad to deal with… his nappies were holding up sufficiently. However, is delicate little bottom was another story. His poor bottom looks like it’s been smeared with a Ghost Pepper it’s that red. And every time he passed wind, it would inevitably end up with follow through which would end in crying and screaming because of how red and raw his delicate little bottom was.

And then on top of that, we again had to deal with projectile vomit. Luckily, he chose the tiled floor as his canvas this time, so the damage was minimised. Until later that night, when he decided Renee was the perfect target this time… with more vomit… and more crying.

RIGHT!!! THAT’S IT!!! Time for a home doctor visit…

Fortunately, there isn’t anything majorly wrong… it doesn’t seem to be a virus… he isn’t dehydrated… the only think we can really put it down too was we changed his formula. Since changing him back to his regular formula, the vomiting has seemed to stop and the diarrhoea seems to be less frequent.

But he is still in a sort of zombie-like state where he just seems really lethargic and run down.

Luckily, we have endless episodes of Pingu and Twirly Woos to keep him content while he battles through it. Isn’t streaming just the best invention ever! I mean who doesn’t want to just lie around binge watching tellie when they’re sick?!

And on that note, isn’t being sick just the worst… but watching your little one be sick and not being able to do much to help… that is heartbreaking!!!

We need your help…

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

We need your help…

We have never used our blog to ask for help before. And we certainly don’t want to come across as taking advantage of our followers through our internet presence. But we really do need your help.

Our extended family is currently going through a tough time in their lives. It’s a story we’re sure a lot of other families out there are familiar with. It’s a story that ultimately, never seems to have a happy ending. It’s a story, that involves cancer.

Aunty Carmel, a dear member of our family, is in urgent need of a daily home palliative care nurse to help with her needs during the day so that Uncle Phil can still go to work to pay the household bills while still being able to take time out to look after and spend quality time with her.

Aunty Carmel is by no means a burden and we all love spending time with her. Unfortunately the care required is going to be quite costly and their only other alternative is to be put on the QLD Health wait list for free assistance. Sadly time is not with her.

Aunty Carmel has the biggest heart of anyone we have met. She would give anything to help anyone in their time of need without expecting anything in return, which even extended to total strangers. This is just one example of the type of selfless, caring woman she is, which is why she is so dearly loved by everyone that has had the pleasure of her in their lives.

Sadly Aunty Carmel is bed ridden after being diagnosed with Melanoma cancer. And unfortunately, she now needs our help, but would never ask for it.

A ‘Go Fund Me’ page has been created as a way of us helping these wonderful, loving people to not have to worry about financial costs and just enjoy each others company with the time they have left together.

Please help us make their time together easier by donating as much, or as little as you can afford.

Help us, help them fight!

Help Aunty Carmel – Donate Now

HOPE

My Pregnancy ‘Survival’ Kit

Renee BartonLeave a comment

I am now well into the third trimester of pregnancy number two so I thought I would share some of my favorite things to use, do and have during pregnancy.

So, in no particular order here are some of my tips, tricks and favorite things for ‘surviving’ pregnancy.


Supplements

Now, it can be hard in those early days to just keep your breakfast down let alone a truck load of pills and potions, but optimum health is super important throughout pregnancy. Especially in those early days. I am a fairly avid vitamin taker anyway but I do switch it up slightly when pregnant.

I chose to take Nutriway. They are completely organic and actually contain food, plant and minerals; nothing synthetic which I love. Double X is my base daily habit to which I add Omega 3, Cal Mag (great for managing cramps and restless legs), Tri-Iron and Folic, Vitamin C (helps to absorb the iron and keep away nasty colds), Fruit & Veg (to supplement all the carbs and chocolate I’m inhaling) and Vitamin B if I need some extra energy. Admittedly, I haven’t taken Omega 3 since my first trimester because it was making me vomit… boo!

A Pregnancy Pillow

This is an absolute must! Now there are some super amazing, mega expensive options when it comes to maternity pillows. Mine however, is a humble body pillow that has seen three women through two pregnancies each so it is on its last legs. But it gets the job done. Perfect for supporting my belly as it grows and supporting my top leg to help keep hips aligned. It is a bit of an intimacy killer and takes up a fair bit of room in the bed, especially with husband, toddler and belly all fighting for space. But totally necessary for a good night sleep.

Exercise

I like to keep as fit as possible during pregnancy. I’m not a fitness junkie or anything but there are a few things I do to try to keep active (after all, it is all labour preparation!).

Obviously, being a post natal fitness instructor, Kangatraining is a regular part of my routine with two classes per week. I also do high intensity weight training (once a week is all I need) and I’ve done a bit of prenatal yoga which I’ll talk about a bit more later. When all else fails you can’t go wrong with walking, even if it’s at a snails’ pace and more like a waddle. I sometimes get cramps or braxton hicks when walking so I just take it easy.

Maternity Clothes

There are so many great brands out there now with gorgeous clothes for pregnant and nursing mothers. But some can be quite expensive. There are however, a few key pieces I rely on to get me through.

It has been a super hot summer here in Brisbane so my denim maternity shorts (one a cheapie pair from Kmart and the other slightly fancier pair from Jeans West) have been a definite wardrobe staple. I love a good maternity body con dress for when you need to dress up a little or just feel like showing off your bump. I have a casual one from Kmart and two from ASOS that are more fancy.

But I have to say what I have been living in the most is my Cadenshae active wear. The smoothie crop is so comfortable and perfect to double as a bikini top. And the bamboo casual tanks are the bees knees. Roomy enough to still fit my 33 week bump and easy to breastfeed in once bub arrives with extra large arm holes.

When it comes to active wear I also highly recommend the Enji maternity activewear pants and 2XU pregnancy compression tights.

Raspberry Leaf Tea

If you’re pregnant, you’ve probably heard about red raspberry leaf tea and it’s benefits as a uterine tonic. It is said that when taken during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester, it can strengthen the mother’s immune system, ease morning sickness and help circulation. It’s believed to also help strengthen uterine muscles and tone the pelvic floor in preparation for childbirth.

Now, I don’t know if any of that is true but I drank it in my first pregnancy and it served me well with a relatively ‘easy’ birth and no pelvic floor or prolapse issues so I’m doing it again. Mama Body Tea has a great range of pregnancy and nursing teas, or I’ve also used brands from a health food store as well.

Me Time

During my first pregnancy with Jesse I had the luxury of time and had regular massages and monthly visits to the chiropractor. While that hasn’t happened this time I still think it is really important to give yourself permission to take time out for yourself to relax and bond with baby.

I especially love prenatal yoga and listening to guided meditations or hypnobirthing audios (you can find them on Apple music). They are both beautiful ways to slow down and connect with the baby while learning techniques for encouraging a calm and positive birth experience.

A relaxing bath, going for a walk or just laying down and enjoying the feeling of baby move are great too. I also love Bowen Therapy and am looking forward to trying a float tank very soon. Sounds like the perfect way to ease the strain of a growing belly on tired, achy muscles.

All the food

After my pregnancy with Jesse I promised I would have a better diet the second time around. Not that I was super bad with Jesse but I did indulge pretty much my every whim towards the end. I think because food was such a turn off in the first 3 months that I was making up for it in the last!

Well, it would seem that I have broken my promise and chocolate has become a food group unto itself lately. But you know what, I don’t care. I’m still eating plenty of healthy stuff too and exercising. So bugger it! I will eat all the food and if that means chocolate on the daily then so be it.

So there you have it. A few things that help me enjoy pregnancy as much as possible and start to prepare for birth.

What are your pregnancy must-haves?? I’d love to hear what you couldn’t live without during pregnancy.

 

Jesse LOVES twenty one pilots!!!

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

When Jesse was younger (not that he’s all that old now… hahaha), he used to love it when I would lay him on my chest, play music videos on my iPhone and sing along.

And it would appear that lately, he has started to enjoy this once again.

But its not just any music videos that he will lay there to enjoy while he drifts off to sleep… oh no… it MUST be twenty one pilots videos. He just LOVES twenty one pilots!

As soon as he hears the beginning of Heathens start playing, he runs over to me with a grin from ear to ear, climbs up on my chest, gets comfortable and just enjoys the music and my singing (as horrible as it is) while he drifts off to sleep.

Heathens… Stressed Out… Lane Boy… heavydirtysoul… he loves them all.

Now I don’t really know if the music video for Heathens is the most appropriate video for an almost 2 year old to watch, but hey… at least he likes good music right!!!

 

Let’s talk about (Pregnancy) Sex, baby…

Renee Barton1 Comment

We don’t often write about sex. After all, many of our readers are our relatives. But let’s be real, we are having our second baby so even our parents know we’ve had sex at least twice!

When you’ve been married a long time like we have, sex is fairly predictable. Not in a bad way by any means, you just know what works. You know each other’s needs so well you can pretty much just assume positions and get it done… so to speak.

It’s lovely and familiar and satisfying… But predictable.

But then something throws a spanner in the works. You’ve heard of parent sex right? You know, that ‘hurry up and get your pants off, the kids are finally occupied or asleep’ sex. The type of sex that’s more about speed and efficiency rather than foreplay, intimacy and taking ones time…

Well pregnancy sex is a whole other challenge entirely.  And pregnant-parent sex… well that’s just funny really.

It all started when we finally had our bed to ourselves again last night. Yes! Hurdle number one overcome. Jesse was asleep, and he was asleep in his own bed. Time to make the most of the opportunity. Who knows if (or when) he will wake up and want back into our bed!

However, we quickly realised hurdle number two. Pregnancy. You know that familiar and predictable yet satisfying sex we talked about earlier? Well, it no longer works when you’ve got a huge belly to accommodate. Just rolling over is a struggle let alone trying to be sexy and getting into a position that’s comfortable and…. ahem…. effective.

Oh well, not to be perturbed we pressed on.

Just when we think we’ve found our groove…..dammit… leg cramp. That’s ok. Let’s keep going. Shit… butt cramp. Hang on, let me roll over for a second.

“Ok, let’s try something else. What about we try getting into a position that’s more comfortable?” he says.

Yup, great… let’s do that! Again, not to be perturbed by mood killing cramps mid-session, we fumble our way in the dark. Only slightly resembling a beached whale and sea world rescuer.

Who cares! We press on with the knowledge we might not get the opportunity again for a while. And it’s only going to get more difficult! Initially by a larger bump as we head towards D-day, but then by being parents of two under two.

But as for last night, yes it was funny… no it wasn’t the most romantic time we’ve had. But we got the job done!

High fives all round because we just had pregnancy sex and it was awkwardly great!


 

Learning the art of patience!

Kaine BartonLeave a comment

If there is one thing that I have come to realise of late, it’s that perhaps I need to learn (or is it that I need to re-learn) the art of patience and understanding.

And no-one probably understands this more than Renee.

How is it that I’ve come to this conclusion?

Well, it would seem that in our household, both Renee and I have different ways of dealing with stressful situation when Jesse is involved. And this has become increasingly more evident throughout the past few weeks while Jesse fights his way through what appears to be the last of his teething.

And throughout these past few weeks, at the times when the teething was so bad that Jesse was at worst practically inconsolable, was when I truly began to feel that if I’m going to have any sort of success as a dad, that I need to exercise more patience and understanding. Because it would appear that as of right now, Renee is far better at coping than I am.

I hate seeing Jesse when he is inconsolably crying and screaming, pushing us away and fighting us with everything we try to do to make him feel better. I know it tears us both up inside not knowing what is wrong or what he needs to feel better. But unfortunately, when Jesse is in such a state and I can’t do anything to help, I fail to remain calm. I not only feel upset and helpless that I am failing to help my son while he is in pain, but I start getting angry. I start losing patience. And I start losing understanding.

I don’t blame Jesse. He can’t help it. And I know that if he could communicate what was wrong, he would.

But in that moment, I forget all about the fact that Jesse can’t communicate. I start to get upset. I start to get angry (not at Renee or Jesse, but at the situation). And at that point I become useless and ultimately fail as a dad.

Inevitably, I usually end up leaving the room, or I will start pacing back and forth until either Renee has managed to settle Jesse down, or he has settled himself down. But by then it’s too late. I have failed by not being able to deal with the pressures of parenting.


So this might be one of the hardest posts I’ve written to date, but also one of the most important. Because as you would know by now, we have baby number two due in less than two months’ time. And when baby number two arrives, Renee is going to need all the help she can get. And what I’m seriously now starting to realise, is if I continue to lack patience and understanding when it comes to the needs of Jesse and baby number two, then Renee may find it very hard to cope.

I don’t know if there are any other dads, or even mums out there who can relate to this. But please know, that if you do find it hard to handle the pressure during those tough situations as a parent, you’re not the only one! You’re not alone! Don’t feel ashamed, recognise it, and try to improve on yourself to become a better, more patient, more understanding parent.

Renee is such a great mum and is a gun when it comes to handling the pressure in those tough situations. And while I still consider myself to be a great dad, there are definitely areas I can improve on.

So taking that first step in recognising that this is something I need to work on, is a step in the right direction. Especially because I no longer want to feel like a failure as a dad the next time Jesse or baby number two is in pain.

It’s time to change!