Feb-May 2011 Mommies

Hi all, you have been busy here...

Betty, sounds like you have a wonderful gyne. My little girl was also 1.8 at 31 weeks.

Faw, good luck with the divorces, hope it is all over soon. I agree with Kimika, write the letter, but burn it afterwards, don’t give to hubby, I think the less communication the better. And I totally agree, you are welcome to vent here !! I am so glad you and your mom stuck to your gone, maybe you should report the friend’s dagga in the hot house at the anonymous crime line. Ooh wow, hope the contractions stay away…..it is definitely time to pack your bags !! Try to relax and stay calm today.

Joli, I agree, I think it is wrong for someone to shadow you, I love your pics and that is why I insisted with hubby to do it with you, if everyone learns your methods, than you will not be in demand anymore, which means all your hard work for nothing.

Thank you all for the advice on the washing of baby clothes. I have a tumble drier in the garage, not using it a lot, but hubby will bring it inside tonight, I think that will make a difference as well.

Mistymom, Congrats, I love the names you have chosen !!

Cath, wow you make everything sound so easy, but I am glad all is well with you both. The best advice I got is to listen to people’s suggestions, but do what feels natural to you.

Tazzy, so exciting to think you will have baby in your arms next week.

Meags, glad you finally had some sleep. I am sure the cats will adjust quickly without the litter box. Wow, that is a lot of money to pay for your photoshoots and prints…it is crazy.

Schatsie, I really hope you get parking closer to the office. I agree, it is 2 nights for normal and 3 nights for C-Section – probably depends on your medical aid. Luckily you have a wonderful supporting husband, I love the backrubs, love and attention I get when DH want to help, but not sure how. Just a couple more weeks !!

Jessica, whoooohoooo, so Riley will be in your arms soon, how exciting. Good luck, I am sure everything will go according to plan. One healthy big baby coming up !!

Emsmom, wow the picnic on a winefarm sounds wonderful. Enjoy it and happy B-day to DH !!

Schatsie - just wanted to say - Em's Mom's pics are gorgeous.

Joli, hope you come right with the Dr's and Med aids, they are so useless when it comes to sorting out mistakes..

Schatsie - Abby is old old family friend of mine - if you do contact her tell her Rikki recommended you., I had my maternity pics done last week-end with her - they are on facebook now - but if I recall you cant get onto facebook during the day? I will try mail you some of the pics, I think they came out really well.
I also get you on the pain thing - yesterday I just said thank God this is our last one cause I dont think I could go through this again. It was easier with Em, but I carried in winter, which I'm sure helped alot!

Em hated being swaddled - she would always find a way to get her hands out, and then would sleep - I didn't like restricting her movement, cause they are used to having the ability to move in our tummies.
But do what works for you and baby - each child and family is totally different.

Joli I'm only going on ML end of March. I was thinking today, I really love my job, but if it wasn't that I really needed the last month's salary I would have gone on ML next week! I'm just SO uncomfortable! Then again, even lying in bed isn't comfortable, so I might as well sit at my desk.

Re the swaddling, the lady at Panorama told us that babies like to have their hands close to their faces (it makes them feel safe), so when she swaddles a baby she wraps them in such a way that their hands are close to their faces. I must agree with you tho, I don't really feel that I want to restrict my baby's movement, so I will probably not ne swaddling him at all, except maybe in his towel after a bath.

I'm probably going to be one of those moms who listen to everything people advise me to do and then go home and when no one is watching do everything just as I please anyway.

Emsmom I think you were the one who gave us Abigail's details re photography. I've been Googling (is that really a verb now ) photographers in CT and her materni/newborn package sounds very reasonable.

Did you use her for a maternity shoot and if yes, at how many weeks did you go? Alos, do you perhaps have any pics I can see - her site only has 1 maternity pic on it. You can mail me at schatsie@gmail.com.

I have so much that I want to reply on, but no time, I have a ton to do and we have to meet a client in Rustenburg!! tonight.. so sleeping over at my sisters'... so lotsa packing

Jess, yippeee youll be next!!!!! Cant wait

Joli, I must agree.. you are always generous to give camera/photo advice, so its not like you are being nasty.. Glad they can submit the rest of the invoice!!

Sorry to anyone else Ive missed now.. will also prob only chat again tomoz.

Mwah!!!

Ps. Faw, pls try and not stress so much, it can seriously bring on labor!!! Keep doing breathing and try focus on relaxing/stressfree thoughts! xxx

Good Morning Ladies

Schatsie – shame – I hope you get closer parking. When are you going on maternity leave? He he I just love to be pregnant, but no more babies for us

I currently charge R1200 for a newborn shoot and R700 for a maternity shoot – if you book together for the 2, it’s R1700 so R200 discount, but I’m putting my prices up end of March. I don’t print – I give clients a CD with the pics on and they can print it themselves so they never have to come back to me for prints etc. and they can print as many of the same pic they want and e-mail it etc.

Meags – when I got quotes from photographers’ work I like for shoots, the cheapest quote was also like R2000 with no prints – and right here in SA. So ya some photographers do charge a lot – but didn’t you find out re pricing before you booked? I do think my newborn shoots are way too cheap – it takes about an hour to set up for a shoot, then 3 – 4 hours of my time to shoot, then about another hour to convert the images from RAW to JPEG and then the editing starts – which can take a couple of days.

Oh my goodness Meags – pls come give us an update on the mom with all the kids – 11 month old and 3 week old triplets!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I will just run away!!! Never mind all the other kids.

Thx for the comments on the pics all. I just can’t help myself taking all these pics he he.

Kimika – nope the difference is not due to the discount – and my total bill was R4000 – they called back this morning and never submitted the emergency part of the invoice to the medical aid which I can’t understand because it was all on one invoice. She told me yesterday that she’s got lots of accounts to sort out and I told her yes – I understand that but I’ve got lots of accounts to pay and month end is this weekend! Your birth story is really awesome – made me all sad that I couldn’t experience it again, but I had my turn (twice) so I shouldn’t complain. I didn’t even know that you can get a ‘light’ epi he he.

OK re the student girl – I’m glad most of you understand where I’m coming from. I do feel like a bitch for not wanting her to shadow me, but honestly the photography business is HARD and not easy at all. And I’ve spent lots of money and time on courses and stuff and I don’t think it’s fair to just give it away to someone I’ve never even met. I’ve got no problem with helping people getting into photography. I took people with me on wedding shoots before, showing them what I’m doing etc. I’ve had ‘clients’ back here showing them how their new camera works, the settings etc. I’ve given some of my study material away to people and I’ve got people mailing me asking me for advice which I’ve given them and even people mailing me pics they’ve taken and I will tell them what else they could have done to improve the pic, but ya I’m not comfortable with someone sitting in the studio watching me. So thx for the advice ladies.

Cath – gro baby sells a swaddle blanky which I’m sure you will get from the baby shops – I’ve got 2 – it’s lovely to use and it’s in the shape of a cocoon – got a little hole in the back so you can use it in a carseat as well – and it’s got Velcro parts so you can swaddle your baby nice and tight. I’ve never swaddled my girls – I didn’t like the idea of them not having freedom and not be able to put their hands by their faces / mouths, but Callum is used to it as they swaddled him in hospital, so I’m still swaddling him. Just shows how different we all are – I hated the hospital staff and couldn’t wait to get home with my girls to do things my way.

MistyMom – Love the names. Really special.

Jessica – well that’s very soon! Actually it’s Tuesday!! Wow can’t wait.

Faw – hope all gets sorted and that your baby won’t arrive too early.

Yip, I also warm up the room before I bath Callum and he just looooves to bath. I bath him in the big bath on one of those material thingies and then I take him off and move him around in the water as well.