Camping in Tasmania

Earlier this month, we hired a campervan and spent six days touring the Tasmanian East Coast, staying beachfront in Freycinet National Park and the Bay of Fires.  

The road to the coast weaves inland and out again, through ancient forest and quiet coastal towns of fibro shacks and million-dollar vistas, the winding roads heaven for motorcyclists (and babies who need a sleep!). 

We found our site at dusk and settled in just in time to watch the sunset over Coles Bay, before cooking dinner in the very well-appointed van kitchen. After going bush camping without running water a few weeks earlier, it was quite luxurious! The following day we did the walk to Wineglass Bay, a 2.5 hour return. Hugo happily travelled in the Ergobaby carrier on Marcus' back, sleeping when he needed to. 

While staying in Freycinet, we also took part in a Ranger activity on bush teas and edible plants. We sipped tea, and sampled nuts, seeds and berries from surrounding bushland, while learning about the settlement of the region and indigenous customs. 

After three nights in Freycinet we headed north to a free camping spot at Cosy Corner, at the southern end of the region known as the 'Bay of Fires'. It was given this name in 1773 by an explorer who saw many fires on the beach, lit by the local indigenous people. 

It's name could also be attributed to the fiery orange-red granite of the rocks, quite breathtaking against the aqua water. The colour of the water was a real surprise; we didn't imagine Tassie to have the inviting waters of other parts of Australia, I suppose due to the climate. February is a fantastic time to camp in Tassie as it's the end of the holiday season and the weather is still warm. I'm sure the crisp winter days are beautiful too, but with a baby it was definitely easier being outdoors as much as possible.

Here are our baby travel essentials:

• car seat for interstate travel (you can hire them, but we've enjoyed the peace-of-mind knowing that Hugo is comfortable sleeping in his own seat for long drives
• a baby carrier or two: we take the Ergobaby carrier and a woven wrap/sling
• lots of changes of clothes, particularly if you have a mobile baby!
• disposable nappies (we use cloth at home but use eco-disposables when travelling)
• bibs, washcloths, baby wipes 
• a plan for daily meals (we meal-planned for the week on our first day, doing most of the shopping in Hobart)
• a picnic blanket
• first-aid kit 
• stroller 
• a few favourite toys and books

Hugo enjoyed watching the wildlife, eating dirt and chewing travel brochures more than his own toys, but they were handy to have when we needed to confine him to the van. 

Have you done much travelling with young children? What would your 'essentials' list look like?

When worlds collide

Today I returned to paid employment after 12 months maternity leave. Waking up before the alarm, I slip out of bed, leaving my two sleeping boys, and pull on a pair of pre-pregnancy 'work pants'; they look different on this body, irrevocably changed by motherhood. And not unhappily so; where yoga teaches respect for the body, pregnancy and childbirth leave me in awe.

With post-it notes on lunches for husband, baby and grandma in the fridge, and my lunch and breast pump in a bag, I say my distracted goodbyes and i'm out the door to make the train. 

My head already at work, my heart forever at home.

I bounce up the stairs of Parliament station, greeted by the familiar cheer of the homeless man selling the Big Issue, his weather spiel unchanged (forecasting a scorching 62 million degrees today). 

My mind is a sponge, trying to absorb the information; of conversion funnels, user experience and journey mapping. Everyone asks about my son, now almost one: "how times flies!"

Everything changes, yet everything stays the same.

But I am different. 

On sourcing food and growing your own

Every Friday is 'co-op day' for us, and this assortment of organic goodness is just some of this week's haul. I'm fortunate to be part of a lovely little community of people who share the tasks involved in ordering from the farm, picking up and packing our produce. We get a mixture of farm-grown and market-sourced organic produce and functioning as a co-operative means we're making significant savings on our food bill, which of course can get quite hefty if you want to eat mostly organic! 

I supplement this with produce from our local farmers markets, our local greengrocer (for organic milk and bread), ALDI, and as a last resort, the big two supermarkets. I'd love to say we eat lots of home grown stuff but that's just not happening at the moment, apart from a handful of green beans and cherry tomatoes. 

Our plan is to clear the yard for four large raised veggie beds, put in a tank and irrigation and get some chooks. When I was pregnant we had a permaculture design plan done, but it's taken a bit of a back seat until now. The 1950s Hills Hoist in the backyard is sadly meeting its end this weekend, but it's exciting to finally be making things happen in our sad and scorched looking yard!

I'm reading Jamie Durie's 'Edible Garden Design' at the moment and it's so inspiring, I really want to get outdoors and get my hands dirty. I have a little person who I know will be happy to join me too (though i'll have to keep him well away from the potting mix, he'd eat fistfuls of the stuff if he could!)

Do you grow much of your own food? How important is it to you where your food comes from?  

Dear Hugo: Eleven months old

Dearest Hugo,

Wow, they say the early days are fleeting with a baby and i've never felt it to be more true than now, as I reflect on this past year. You're crawling around and pulling up onto everything, exploring your world with gusto. You love music and 'dancing', using me as a climbing frame, Bronco the labrador, 'birdies' and my boobs when it's sleep time. 

You like playing with food just as much as eating it, and the high chair 'car ride' to the sink to cleanup is the highlight of mealtimes; you squeal with excitement! Your favourite books are 'Noni the pony' and 'Moo, Baa, La La La'. At bedtime we read 'Kissed by the moon'. 

So far you've been in an aeroplane twice, to Western Australia and Tasmania, and you've camped in a tent and campervan. You adapt really well to new environments and you give a beaming smile to just about everyone. 

You clearly recognise the 'light', 'fan', 'dog' and 'water', and your dad thinks you've got 'mum' down pat too. Or rather, 'mum-mum-mum-mum'! You like pinching your dad, giving open mouth 'kisses', standing in the bath, putting everything in your mouth and keys. You don't like going to sleep, having your nappy changed or getting dressed.  

You're a determined, sweet and funny little person who fills our home and hearts with love and laughter every day. Raising you is our greatest privilege and our greatest responsibility and we feel so incredibly blessed to have you in our lives.

xxx

Three in the bed

Like any design-loving mother-to-be, I spent many hours perusing Pinterest looking at baby nurseries. I wanted to create a warm, gender-neutral room with a comfy yet stylish aesthetic. I put it all together and was so pleased with the result; I imagined reading stories in the white Acapulco chair, placing tiny folded outfits in the mustard yellow chest of drawers, and laying my contented sleepy baby into the lovingly painted grey cot.

Well. Hugo has never slept in the cot, we’ve read a handful of stories in the chair and the drawers are still filled with odds and ends. Oh and his bedroom was pretty much a storage room with a change table until he was eight months old. 

You see, as my post 24 hours – the newborn phase details, we didn’t have one of those babies who sleeps all the time, even as a newborn. For weeks I diligently picked up my hungry/unsettled baby from the moses basket next to my bed and fed him on the couch in the lounge, keeping myself awake by reading blogs on the Ipad. Then it was a quick nappy change and back to bed - for an hour, tops.  We'd mastered feeding lying down for day naps, so Hugo would come into bed with me at 5am. Then it became 3am, then finally 1am. We were both sleeping so much better together; it was a revelation. But of course, SIDS guidelines recommend against bedsharing, plus it’s just not the ‘done thing’ (in mainstream parenting circles at least). I felt I was doing something that was taboo, even though it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

So I got informed. If we were going to do this, I needed to understand the risks, how to mitigate them, and I needed Marcus on board. Thankfully, he was – anything to ensure I got the rest I needed – and he even built a beautiful side cart to give us more space in the bed.

I read Dr James McKenna's work on mother-infant sleep and the physiological benefits of bedsharing and how well it facilitates the breastfeeding relationship, and the many evidence-based articles on the Evolutionary parenting site, and I was sold. 

These days Hugo goes to sleep at night on a king single on the floor in his room, and comes in with us when I got to bed. He feeds when he wants to overnight, and we all get a pretty good sleep – and a smiling, playful baby to wake us up every morning.

Bedsharing wasn’t something we set out to do, and it won’t be forever, but right now it works for us! 

24 hours - the newborn phase

I realise this is likely to be of zero interest to others, but I want to record what a typical day is like as we navigate looking after a newborn. I'm sure those with more experience or different philosophies on feeding and sleeping would do some things differently - with the hindsight (and experience and confidence) provided by just a couple of days I would change my approach on some things too!


Tuesday 23 April, 2013

12am - enjoying sweet slumber while the little man has his biggest sleep of the day (3-4 hours).

1.29am - Hugo wakes with a screech after going to bed at 10.30 (45 minutes previous to this was spent asleep in our arms while I waited for husband to get home/had a shower). I lift him out of his Moses basket and into bed with me for a feed. He latches on immediately and begins guzzling.

1.47am - falls asleep on the breast, I put him back in his basket and make a quick dash to the toilet. I can hear him stirring from there. He won't settle so I pick him up again.

1.51 am - decide to change him to rule out uncomfortable wet nappy. In the lounge room now so offer another feed and he takes it. 

2.10am - put him back in his basket, I hop into bed and begin to settle him to sleep with gentle patting and shushing sounds. 

2.30am - around this time we both fall asleep.

4.32am - Hugo wakes and feeds for ten minutes. 

4.45am - he resists sleep again but we eventually get there.

5.40am - Hugo wakes grizzling, obviously uncomfortable from wind. Lots of farting. He has another small feed but is too uncomfortable to sleep it seems. 

5.55am - try in vain to burp him to relieve the discomfort, walk around the house doing the 'colic carry'. 

6.10am - Marcus is awake now and cuddles me while I comfort the little man. We decide to change his nappy and see if that helps. 

6.20am - Hugo is wide awake now but we still try and put him down. No luck so he comes into bed with us.

6.30am - lots of back rubbing and tummy patting - he's happy enough and he has lots of chats with Daddy. 

7.00am - Husband gets up while I lay in bed and feed Hugo.

7.15am - he's asleep! I move him up the bed away from the pillows and covers and attempt sleep myself. 

7.50am - I wake up to noise in the kitchen and dog paws clicking around on the floorboards. Contemplate making my breakfast but decide against it as I don't want to leave Hugo in our bed alone, plus he could wake up at any minute.

8.00 am - instead do five minutes of tidying and get half dressed, then hop back into bed and enjoy staring at how peaceful our little boy looks.

8.15 - 8.45 - decide to doze for a while but don't really sleep.

8.45 am - grab my iPhone and do some mindless internet browsing. 

9.12 am - Hugo wakes up - should have had breakfast, now starving! Move him closer to me for a feed. 

9.22am - he's done so we get up and change his nappy and I pop him in the bouncer while I race against the clock to make my breakfast ( fried eggs on grainy sourdough and pomegranate & cranberry juice). 

9.45 am - he's still happy enough in the bouncer so I move him to the bathroom so I can wash my face, put contacts in and slap on some makeup. I get halfway there before he becomes unsettled - good run though little man! 

9.55am - we grab a book and I start reading but he has other ideas - time for another feed.

10.35 am - Hugo briefly falls asleep in my arms after a longer feeding session due to wind - pulling off the breast and writhing around crying. Not fun for either of us! Zip him in a swaddle in his basket and hope for the best

11.00am - Hugo wakes up and I carry him around with me for five mins while I finish a couple of chores and the last of the apple I cut up for a snack. I'm now dressed, teeth brushed and ready to face the day. 

11.15am - while walking around with Hugo talking to him about his doggy friend he does a little spew. Time for a change of clothes and a new nappy while I'm at it. 

11.25 am - Hugo is unsettled so I offer a feed: he latches on with gusto! No wonder he's growing out of his clothes before he's even had a chance to wear half of them. 

11.35am - he done, so we saddle up and take the dog for a walk in the sunshine. 

12.25 pm - home from our walk, I put a very sleepy Hugo into his bouncer and make myself lunch (leftover poached chicken and spring onion mix in a sandwich with avo, cherry tomatoes and Camembert cheese). Sit down and read some of the weekend magazines - spot a recipe for some savoury muffins and add ingredients to shopping list to make tomorrow.

12.46 pm - he wants out of the bouncer now - kindly waited until I'd finished lunch and wiped the bench. Not enough time to put out the washing though, that will have to wait for later. Must say this bouncer is a revelation! 

12.55 pm - after a bit of playtime and chatting he gets restless and looks for food. Another feed!! 

1.10 pm - attempt for the third time to read story - he's not having a bar of it. Might need to start with some shorter books! Hear some movement so it's nappy change time.

1.20 pm - leave Hugo on change table while I put clothes on the clothes airer. Figure I've got a max one week before he's in danger of rolling off so can't do this for much longer! 

1.30 pm - head out to do some grocery shopping. I put Hugo in the Ergo carrier and he was bobbing his head around for a while taking it all him, then his head thumped on my chest for the last time as he fell asleep. At the cashier a lovely older lady could see it was a bit of a juggle so she emptied my trolley onto the conveyor belt and then put it all back in again once I'd paid - such a nice thing to do! 

2.15 pm - Arrive home and he's hungry again! No wonder I feel like I'm glued to the couch. Still, it feels wonderful to be able to easily give him all the nutrition he needs and enjoy all the cuddles and closeness that goes with it.

2.30pm - he looks tired and is falling asleep so I attempt to put him down for a nap. After zipping him in his swaddle he's wide awake, wriggling around and doing his 'poo face'. I persist and pat him to sleep until 2.40pm then stop to put away the shopping.

2.55 pm - prepare to do the dishes but a few strong cries call me into the living room. After a bit of a cuddle I put Hugo in the bouncer in the kitchen while I do the dishes. He then gets unsettled so I change his nappy.

3.25 pm - move the bouncer to the living room in the hope I might get some thank you cards written - no such luck, but hey at least the dishes are done! 

3.30 pm - after he won't settle I offer a feed which he takes. I'm not sure if I should be trying to stretch out his feeds at this point? Something to mention to the health nurse tomorrow.

3.50 pm - Hugo comes off the breast, milk drunk. He obviously was hungry! 

4.00 pm - nap time. I top and tail some green beans to go with dinner, bring the bins in, eat a plum and sit down to get started on the thank you cards. I get half way through one.

4.30 pm - Hugo wakes up and wants a feed.

4.55 pm - asleep again so I put him in his basket. Not happy with that though. He feeds some more - I'm actually pretty happy he ramps up his appetite at this time of day as hopefully it sets him up for a better night's sleep...

5.25 pm - finishes feeding and falls asleep in my arms. 

5.40 pm - after getting off the phone to mum I put Hugo down in his basket for a nap.

6.20 pm - Marcus arrives home from work early! Hugo still asleep so I'm getting through the thank you cards. 

7.00 pm - We eat dinner - Eggplant and lentil lasagne with a side of green beans. Meal from the freezer since I haven't quite worked out how to fit cooking into my day yet!

8.00 pm - he's finally awake after nearly two and a half hours asleep! Marcus changes his nappy and clothes. 

8.20 pm - begin what should be a decent feed.

9.00 pm - stop feeding as he's getting a bit restless. Time for some cuddles with daddy while I have a shower and get ready for bed. 

9.45 pm - we change his nappy and I give another feed.

10.15 pm - he falls asleep.

10.30 pm - bed time for me! 

Phew. All in all, a pretty good day! I'm actually getting more done that I thought I would at this point, coping with the broken sleep better than I expected and really enjoying watching Hugo grow every day and awaken to the world around him.

Dear Hugo: One month old

Dearest Hugo,

At this very moment you are nestled on my lap feeding - you're such a big boy I don't even need to cradle you now! You are just on five weeks old and while the transition into parenthood was difficult in the early weeks, we're now relaxing into a gentle rhythm with you and better understanding how we can best meet your needs (plus your mum has surrendered to the sleep deprivation!) It really is a lesson in savoring the moment, you are growing and changing so quickly.

You entered the world after a (mostly) calm, 12 hour labour, where we utilized the techniques taught to us in the Calmbirth course - you worked with me every step of the way and showed no signs of distress - I really couldn't have asked for a better birthing experience. I won't lie though, pushing out all 9 pounds 7 oz of you was no walk in the park! 

We've nicknamed you 'The Guzzler' since you love to breast feed so much - you regained your birth weight very quickly and you're now in the 90th percentile on all measures. It's very satisfying to see you thriving solely from the food my body provides you. Every day we take Bronco for a long walk and you fall asleep to the motion and sounds of the gravel crunching underfoot. You don't enjoy the car as much, as your grandma and I found out when you cried all the way from St Kilda to Chelsea on the way home from a wedding.

In the last two weeks you've become so much more alert, you become transfixed at looking at the wall or ceiling, and now you're even focusing on a wooden book of animals. You're more content to lay on the lamb skin or change table just taking things in, rather than needing to be held - though we still love to have you fall asleep on us like a little koala bear. Watching you bob your head on my chest as you try and hold yourself up and focus on my face is so lovely, and you seem to enjoy it too, making little excited sounds which we mimic back to you. You also love bath time - we think you'll be a strong little swimmer as you love to kick against the outside of the bath to propel yourself forward. 

You've met so many people already - your grandma (who was there when you were born) and grandad, poppy, nan and poppy pete, your great pop, uncles and aunts and many of your mum and dad's good friends. And there's still so many more people who can't wait to meet you!

We're amazed at how you're changing before our eyes which gets us thinking about how we can bear facilitate your development and build a fun and happy family life. Your Daddy can't wait to take you to the football and already had your MCC application underway when you were three days old! 

Hugo Charlie, thank you for coming into our lives little man xxx