santa photo

Okay so here he is...

... and what a funny photo it is! We weren't getting any smiles, so I did the mum thing... made a total fool out of myself for my kid... squatted down, wiggled my bum (shook the tailfeathers), waved my hands around (like a grandma pickles goodbye wave) and blew the biggest raspberry, which resulted in this gummy grin! Poor little man has been a bit off the air the past few days, grizzly, unhappy, not settling well, not sleeping, and when I look at this photo it reminds me of photos of brother pickles when he was teething... could we be getting teeth soon??? Each day I have a good feel around in that little mouth, but nothing that feels like teeth yet....

Oh, and in case you were wondering, no this is not a miniature santa, but an enormous baby boy!

Video of the little gherkin eating soon to be posted, so stay tuned!
xo

oh my... five months old already

03-12-08-open mouth
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

He can't be... but he is.

Five months have flown by and I can feel myself clinging desperately to every moment with the gherkin, knowing that these moments are strictly limited and disappearing faster than I could ever have imagined.

I am loving being his mum, especially right now.... I feel as though we have gotten to know each other by now, and I not only love, but really like this little person who has entered our lives.

We are so thrilled the gherkin chose us as parents! We are very lucky indeed.

Chat soon xo

Oh! and yes, he loves his food! check out my flickr for more photos...

oh my... five months old already

03-12-08-open mouth
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

He can't be... but he is.

Five months have flown by and I can feel myself clinging desperately to every moment with the gherkin, knowing that these moments are strictly limited and disappearing faster than I could ever have imagined.

I am loving being his mum, especially right now.... I feel as though we have gotten to know each other by now, and I not only love, but really like this little person who has entered our lives.

We are so thrilled the gherkin chose us as parents! We are very lucky indeed.

Chat soon xo

Oh! and yes, he loves his food! check out my flickr for more photos...

four months old already...

loves of my life
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Where does the time go?!?

I think the first 12 weeks are just so scary, overwhelming, wonderful, that I lost time.... time seems to be slowing down a little, but now our social life is picking up again, I am sure life will pick up pace again soon enough!

We have had a wonderful time this week, got home from Adelaide (Adelaide update on its way), hung out with the two boys, had a few coffees/hot chocolates out and about, put eye drops in for poor hubby who has "pink-eye", bought a new quilt cover (photos to follow --- not the one spotted in Adelaide) .

Then on Monday we spent the day with the very lovely h&b and her youngest for the day, whilst the gherkin had many many photos taken by someone who actually knows what she is doing! We felt so very lucky, and yes, h&b's home is as gorgeous as the photos (better actually because of all of the warmth & love in their home). And I baked... a great banana and date loaf (a one bowl recipe... my favourite!). And hubby had the day off to play with us today while those horses ran around some track in melbourne.

Just lovely.

Chat soon, and yes, aunty k, I owe you a phone call...
xo

someone's a celebrity

james brown bandanna (1)
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

...google brown pug, and on the second page, up pops james brown in his smashing bandanna attire! ah, the things we learn from flickr stats!
have fun, gotta dash, the gherkin is complaining about having dropped his dummy xo

concentrating.... on growing perhaps?

concentrating
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Here he is, our little man, looking as though he is concentrating quite hard! And maybe there was more going on than just shaking a dinosaur...

Thinking that he was getting much taller but not a whole lot heavier, Mr & Mrs Pickles agreed it might be worthwhile having another weigh and measure done by the very lovely Ethna at the maternal & child health centre.

So, here are our boy's latest stats:
head circumference: 43 cm
weight: 6295 grams
length: 65 cm

So, that's a whopping 3cm increase in length over three weeks, and only 215gram increase in weight. So we're upping the feeds to 210 mLs... will keep you posted on how we go.

Chat again soon, xo

our absolutely beautiful baby boy

our absolutely beautiful baby boy
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Okay, there is news, there's heaps of news, but I am short on time, and this photo is just divine. Hope you are all well and happy --- we are! xo

three months already? go on, pick your favourites

Gherkin is three months old already (those of you who are sticklers for the details, yes I know I am nearly a fortnight behind with this post!). To celebrate, I am planning to do something VERY SPECIAL.... a secret something, but I need happy participants to get it to work.

What I need from you is to go to my flickr, and go to the gherkin's very own tag set (you can just click here to make things easier). Then, select your ten favourite photos by clicking "a fave" above the photo (you can only do this on the actual photo page). Other people can be in these photos... the only rule is the gherkin must be in the photo. Those of you sharing a flickr username can click "a fave" and then note in the comments who voted for that favourite. If both of you have the same favourite, then you would note that both of you voted for that photo.

If one of your favourite photos was actually taken by someone else and is on someone else's flickr account, please send me a flickr mail with the address of the photo. I will then get in contact with that photographer and ask if I might be able to do something VERY SPECIAL with that shot.

Sounds relatively straightforward? Then get to it! All photos need to be marked as favourite by 16th November at the very latest. Then, we will have the big reveal of the something very special in December.

Get fave-ing peoples!

xo

baby love

I have been running out of song lyrics. As we know from an earlier post, the gherkin loves to be sung to. And recently I have been singing a song known to me as "Baby Love" and known to others as the Carlton FC themesong. But I couldn't even remember all of the lyrics to the chorus. This is all I could remember...

Who's my babylove?
Who is my one and only baby love?
Who's the little cutie I adore?
Who's the little one who yells for more?
Who says she loves me, she says she loves me
(blah blah blah blah blah - mssing lyric)
She is my one and only baby love,
She is my sweetheart and my love...

Now, imagine my surprise this week when I discovered that these were not the real words of the song but were an amended version sung to me by my dad. Mum and Dad couldn't remember the original lyrics either.

So I googled baby love, got bundles of completely irrelevant links, and eventually went to the Carlton FC website, which let me know the song was called Lily of Laguna (the plot thickens!). And here are the original lyrics according to wikipaedia...

She's my lady love,
She is my dove, my baby love.
She's no girl for sitting down to dream,
She's the only queen Laguna knows.
I know she likes me, I know she likes me,
Because she said so,
She is the Lily of Laguna,
She is my Lily and my Rose.

Think my dad did a great job... I like his lyrics better. (By the way, I am taking suggestions for the sixth line..)

we've had visitors

gran and pa visit2
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

And what a lovely time we had!

I think gran & pa may think that The Gherkin is alright, so that's lucky (I'm not sending him back to where he came from).

The Gherk' impresed with his talking, mouthing of toys, hands, everything, his strong legs, and yes, even a little bit of tummy time (thanks Gill for the handy tips on how to get a bub who hates tummy time, doing tummy time).

It was lovely to have you down to visit Dill Pickles - thanks for travelling all this way to see us. Oh, and for the washing, the reassurance, the baking, the cuddles xo

the most wonderful view

the most wonderful view
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

After a rather unhappy afternoon, after the gherkin was robbed of his cot at after-lunch-nap time for the second day in a row (!), nothing beats the view of the little man fast asleep in his pram (sneaking a peek through the mesh so as not to disturb)....

the last time

feeding
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Well, it has arrived... the day we accept that the gherkin has officially declined his invitation to the boob party (this lovely metaphor given to us by the gherkin's very gorgeous paediatrician), and we pack up all the gear and go home.

Six midwives, one electric breastpump, four maternity bras, three lactation consultants, five hundred and sixty expressed feeds (about 56 litres of pumped breastmilk!), one maternal and child health nurse, three rounds of mastitis, two breastfeeding clinics, countless tears, one GP, australian breastfeeding association support and a paediatrician later, without any breakthrough, little gherkin's paediatrician has convinced us that no matter how much I may want to breastfeed, the gherkin is not going to meet me half way.

So in spite of all of our best efforts, the little gherkin has opted out. And whilst he looks contented enough in this photo (and yes, he does attach well), sadly he doesn't suck, but instead promptly falls asleep. Little rascal. (Part of me wonders if this is going to be a continuing pattern - Gherkin 1, Mum 0).

So, being me, of course I had to take photos... and yes there is a breast in this picture (one of mine, actually), but that is really the point, isn't it?

it's all in the mouth, baby

Pick the speech pathologist.

I was so incredibly excited today when Liam was mouthing his toys... just had to catch it on video and share it here.



What a clever little chicken... think he is going to enjoy those solids!
xo

man club meeting

man club meeting
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Our home was witness to many man club meetings over the weekend, thanks to a visit from our dear friend Tyges.

What is man club? Well, apparently it's when all the boys get together and chat, have laughs, and I am on the outer (because, yes, I am a girl). Mr Pickles tells me that there are many man club meetings to look forward to. Have to say I am not too distressed by this... they can have the man club, I will have the mummy cuddles - perfect!

Thanks Tyges for coming down to visit, especially since you missed out on the warm sunshine back home! It was sooo lovely to see you and fantastic for the little guy to meet one of his future lifelong friends and heroes. Can't wait to see you again in a few weeks!

Oh, and a couple of notes about the photo...
1. no there is no editing or photoshopping... this is the natural light in The Gherkin's bedroom... isn't it gorgeous?
2. the beautiful oobee blinkie on the right is The Gherkin's beby swap gift from the very lovely Leslie. You can go shopping for Leslie's beautiful creations here . We love all of Leslie's creations in this house, and are now lucky enough to have Billee the oobee and the oobee blankie in our home xo

Chat soon xo

he did it!

sleepy bear
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Eleven weeks yesterday and HE SLEPT THROUGH!!!!

Yep, little gherkin had a feed at eight pm, then a dreamfeed at 11pm and then he slept all the way through to 6.30am this morning... amazing. When we woke up this morning and realised the time... it was like Christmas! What an amazingly good (and content) baby! Happy days.

How excited we will be if it happens again!

Happy weekends everyone xo

james brown hangin out

james brown hangin out
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Nothing much to say here except JB is behaving himself, and being so good around the gherkin... we are very proud! (And surprised!)

Isn't he lovely?

have i mentioned the magic of oklahoma?

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A Oklahoma! Yeeow!

Need to calm down a baby? Well, if The Gherkin is one to judge, one of the best restless rascal remedies is to sing your way through Oklahoma (the musical). Start at the beginning and work your way through the whole musical score and he will be well and truly calm (and usually asleep) before too long. His personal favourite is surrey with the fringe on the top (yes, this video does feature the very gorgeous Hugh Jackman - it's worth a peek... though he is no Gordon Macrae). Perhaps it has something to do with the delivery... I love this song! Anyway, have just found the lyrics online so I can sing it for the boy in its entirety. The little guy especially loves the "don't you wisht y'd go on forever?" section.

Don't even need to pick him up for this one anymore, just lean over the top of the cot and sing it and he is calm, grinning, and then sleeping... perfect! Takes him from unhappy little man to this...

(Can anyone else hear crickets?)

Gran & Grandpa - this might be worth rehearsing before your babysitting duties in October!

Chat soon
xo

air guitar

air guitar
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Love this photo of the gherkin doing air guitar! Check out the arm rolls... think his weight gain must be going okay?

This week we don't have many plans... getting the plumbing fixed (hopefully sooner rather than later), and off to our first ever mothers' group later in the week. A pretty quiet one (bring on the trackies!).

Have a lovely one xo

our boy's stats

As of yesterday at the paediatrician's rooms...

head circumference 42cm
weight 5.63kg

No length measurement til the end of the month with our MCHN, but he is getting way too tall for many of his clothes and can no longer lie across his cot.. he's a big boy!

Chat soon xo

experiencing the classic parent experience... "he is not like this at home"

Sooo many years of speech pathology practice, working with kids who came in and did abominably on testing, parents saying "he can do this at home", and me just wisely nodding "yes, I am sure he can with your help, but when we do tests it is different"....

Today we went back to the breastfeeding clinic where Little Man did nothing in terms of his feeding... just promptly fell asleep every time. At home he has been doing really well for about ten minutes at a time... I was hoping that we might get some good news from the consultants. But Little Man had decided that he would instead sleep... not performing like a dancing monkey, thankyou! So, in spite of my explaining to the lactation consultant that this didn't work last time (when dad was down for a week and spent the time walking the hall with our screaming baby!), she decided the best way to get him feeding was to take him off and leave him "til he gets really hungry". So began the screaming. "I'm hungry I'm hungry I'm hungry I'm hungry!!!!"

By the end of the day (we were there from 9am -3pm) after four failed breastfeeds and only 150mLs expressed breastmilk top up which I had to go into battle for, I was red faced, puffy eyed, Little Man was red faced, puffy eyed, and the lactatation consultant had decided that Little Man had severe food allergies/intolerances and/or reflux because he is "such an unhappy baby". Such an unhappy baby? She clearly hasn't seen this video, or spent time with him when he has a full tummy.

I tried to explain that "he is not like this at home", to which she responded by wisely nodding and saying "yes, things are different at home". In spite of my written records (anyone who has been to our house lately has seen the pages on pages of records of every feed that Little Man has ever had), or discussion, the lactation consultant believed that I was popping him on for a feed every half hour which was teaching him to snack and leading to a terribly destructive cycle... anyone who has read our did do list will know what our routine looks like, and there just isn't time (nor the inclination!) to try to get him to feed every 30 minutes.

So, where do we go from here?
The lactation consultant wants me to take Little Man to an allergist osteopath (nope!) and for me to start an elimination diet immediately (not yet). She said that this would "sort out his behaviour" (!)
Instead today we are going to our paediatrician for some good advice... and I am going to have fun playing with our happy little boy.

Chat soon xo

being a rookie mum ain't so bad... challenge #1

Not sure if I have mentioned here before that I have joined being a rookie mum ain't so bad challenge hosted by temporarily me. I am a wee bit behind, but in the first challenge we were to record our baby talking. And here he is!

I was determined to get some footage of Liam talking, and after many nappy changes, wake ups, play times with me with the camera at the ready, I got one on tape! Here is Liam at just two months, holding a fabulous and very stimulating conversation with his mum... while having his nappy changed and managing a terrible case of the hiccoughs (he is a clever boy... multitasking!).
For those of you who know phonetics, Liam is using the following...

manner: plosives, fricatives, affricates, nasals, clicks, approximants
place: bilabials, labiodentals, labiolinguals, alveolars, palatals, velars, glottals
voiced & voiceless

He is growing up so quickly.

Enjoy! xo

some days (with screaming baby and naughty dog) are better than others

some days (with screaming baby and naughty dog) are better than others
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

They certainly are.

The little man has not had a happy start to the day, but somehow I have still managed to eat brekkie, pump two feeds and get dressed (no hair or make up, but gotta be impressed by the rest surely!).

Somewhere in amongst all of the chaos I felt and heard my glasses fall off the top of my head... and promptly forgot about them. Sadly, James Brown did not not forget and immediately got into remodelling them for me...

The next great challenge? Finding the lenses without my glasses on...

Have a fun one (I think we will!)
xo

hanging out on the lounge....

hanging out on the lounge....
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

have to post just to say this...

how gorgeous is our little boy?!?

have a great weekend xo

my did do list...

Inspired by Rookie Moms (http://www.rookiemoms.com/categories/001/) I have decided to dump the to do list this week (excepting our appointments) and embrace the did do list.

So, this is what I did do today (up to 6.15pm)...

* fed the boy... at 3am, 7am, 9.30am, 12.30pm, 3.30pm... and again any minute I am sure!
* expressed 720mLs for my little man... so far!
* changed little man's nappies... 7 times
* emptied and repacked the dishwasher
* visited a childcare centre
* went for a walk, boy in baby bjorn
* managed to eat breakfast and lunch
* caught up on my online baby group
* had three phone calls
* organised little man's two month injections
* sent two text messages
* heard some fabulous news about another couple of friends who are up the duff (yay!)
* sang heads shoulders knees and toes four times, and a carpenters medley, once
* tummy time
* played with the playmat from uncle rhys and auntie sars
* stayed calm

Now that I have written it down... not a bad effort for twelve hours?!?

Chat soon xo

handy hints for new parents...

It is always helpful to have some friends or family on standby for baby advice (especially when it's invited). Thankfully I have some great sources of baby/mum advice, who are happy to be on-call at all hours of the day - special thanks to Tam & Tash!

Sometimes advice is a little less welcome... in a favourite online forum this week a group of us were chatting about how often we are stopped in the street by complete strangers, telling us that our baby is cold/hungry/tired etc. It seems that the end of pregnancy does not signal the end of strangers crossing the line in terms of what would be considered inappropriate in any other circumstance!

However, some unsolicited advice from unknown sources is much more useful, like this little gem emailed to me this week by Mr Pickles.

I am really sorry to not know the source of this, so cannot give credit where credit is due... this is just one in a whole hilarious series, which I will share here over time.

Whilst wanting to pay attention to this valuable advice, I am wondering if perhaps the airhorn might come in handy at our house??? Check out this video of Little Man Pickles waking up yesterday (or, at least, trying to avoid waking up!).... do you think an airhorn might be warranted???

xo

my, how you've grown

Our little man is one month old today!

And how he has grown!

He is now 4.515kg, is a whopping 57cm long and has a decent 39.5cm head circumference. Looks like our little boy will also be experiencing life unable to buy hats!

He is a real delight. This past week he has really gotten the hang of eye contact, so has been completely melting his mum and dad's hearts by making lengthy eye contact. He is also doing beautifully on his tummy, and is really working very hard to lift his head... no mean feat when he has such a big one! Yesterday morning he even managed to turn his head from one side to the other when on his tummy... this was such hard work, he completely collapsed afterwards!!! He loves a good play on the playgym uncle Rhys and auntie Sars got hime in the morning, either after his early or mid-morning feed, and has started batting at toys. He really likes the hanging lion - perhaps because it has a clear face... he is so into faces at the moment.

He has a few favourite songs... "Liam On Me", "Liam, don't you lose my number", "God gave Liam H to you" --- all sung by his dad (hint: take a daggy 70s or 80s song and whack in Liam's name), and also some more traditional ones "You're just too good to be true" (or whatever that song is called), "Close to You" (yes the Carpenters classic) and "Mr Sandman" (not to be confused with "Enter Sandman") --- all sung by his mum.

He is also LOVING bathtime, and we will pop some videos up soon of him loving his bath... we just haven't had a whole lot of time out to spend on the computer (he is napping at the moment and has been napping for about 40 minutes now, woohoo!). It will be amazing when we get him into swimming lessons in the next few months.

For photo updates exclusively of our little man, visit our flickr ... there are just a few photos there...

Thanks again to all of you for your congratulations and excitement on Liam's arrival, its has been wonderful to be able to share this with all of you.

Hugs to all xo

he's a boy!

playtime2
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

So, here he is, our little hearts' delight...

Liam Douglas

Born 3rd July 2008
12:12pm
Weighing 4.31kg
Measuring 53cm

Haven't actually done the maths yet, but I think that Uncle Phil is the winner of our guessing comp! (I will do the maths and confirm when I am running on more than a couple of hours' sleep...)

Thanks to all for your warm wishes, congratulations and shared excitement! We are all over the moon (that is, excepting JB who is completely confused and has gone for respite at club med for dogs).

Watch this space for more updates on the adventures of a pug and a handful of pickles... xoxo

39 weeks

39 weeks
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

here is the latest belly shot, for your enjoyment!

....and some stats to date...
weight added over duration of pregnancy: 15 kilograms
belly circumference (at my belly button): 116cm (67% of my height)
bra size: up by three back sizes and four cup sizes
feet: still squeeeeze into my original size 9 shoes
fingers: wedding and engagement rings are still on
brain: tired, and as ready for this baby as i'll ever be!

xo

it's a .....

it's an outie - 37 weeks
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

boy? girl?

who knows??? one thing for sure though... it's an outie!

yep, that is my belly at 37 weeks in all of its glory... gotta love that outie belly button!

sorry to any of you who might be disturbed by this picture, but it just had to be photographed!

not long to go now ;)
xo

These are a few of my favourite pugs xo

These are a few of my favourite pugs xo
Originally uploaded by summer pickles

Would always rather spend time flickr gazing than at a work meeting... and this was a lovely way to pass the lunchtime.

Of course, my favourite pug will always be James Brown, but I have really enjoyed these other beauties! Plenty more in my flickr favourites....

1. Amazing flat face of Pugs, 2. Resistance Is Futile, 3. deep in thought, 4. Yes Master., 5. Chloe, 6. IMAGE0047-adjusted, 7. Wizen, 8. *SMILING PUG* - HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, FROM THE SWEETHEART PUG, MEL C *-*, 9. Wookie says "Happy Easter!"

we know something you don't know...

secret squirrel by sylvan_

That's right people... we have a date of arrival! The caesar is now as good as locked in (unless something totally unexpected happens in the next week and bub actually moves its head out from under my right ribs) and we know what date bub will be joining us!!!

So0oo exciting!!! (And such an amazing secret to have to keep quiet... I am LOVING it... don't think for a moment that any one of you will get it out of me!). And, the funny thing is, that unless something dramatic happens or if the date is for some reason changed, we already know which one of you has probably won the baby guessing competition (that is, unless you completely mess up the gender, weight etc)...

Yay! Not long to go now til we meet our baby!!!
xoxo

all bets are now closed!!!

Okay, so if you haven't placed your bet by now, you are no longer able to... the deadline has passed and all bets are now officially closed. So, to sum up....

"It's a Boy!" still seems to be the bet of choice.

There are almost four weeks between the first and last predicted birthdates.

The average weight predicted is 3.79kg. If a boy, this would place him at the 75th percentile for weight. If a girl, this would place her around the 80th percentile for weight.

For those of you guessing a time of birth, the majority of you think bub will arrive in the morning.

And here are the guesses (in teeny tiny font!)... good luck everyone!
Hannah xo

i've been nesting...

this whole maternity leave thing is all that it's cracked up to be and more! in the past few days I have been that productive, in terms of getting things ticked off my list of things to do...

electricians in to fix up dodgy electrics job? check.
carpenter in to install skirting and architraves? check.
wardrobe guys in for measure and quote? check.
flannelette wraps/bunny rugs made? check.
dog booked in for wee holiday at the resort while floors are sanded and polished? check.
kinderkot sourced for a very special visit this week? check.

Not too bad an effort for one and a half days of maternity leave.... Anything else I need to add to my list????
xo

your time, love and hugs are the best gifts

So many of you have been asking what you can get us for our soon to arrive addition to the family... really, all we want is your time, love and hugs!

But here is a wee list of things we don't have on our wish list (so please don't get us any of these!).

• Jolly Jumper (encourages toe walking)
• Baby walker (just don't like them... not very safe)
• Sheepskin (give my allergies to lanolin, and Paul's allergies too, probably not a very good idea)
• Cot bumpers, pillows or quilts (sids risk) --- quilts for bub to play on the floor are terrific, just not for bed

Thanks again everyone, and really, all we want as a gift is time with you!
xo

gut and butt 31.5 weeks

gut and butt 31.5 weeks, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

ha! just posting this photo cause I can.... makes me giggle...
getting closer... (and BIGGER!)
xo

the boys have it.... and a new rule

Hello!
Well... it seems the boys have it, with an overwhelming majority of you saying it's a boy! Some of you have admitted to just plucking a guess out of the air, some of you are hedging your bets and using the two guess rule to your advantage, and some of you are using highly technical reasoning, such as how much orange juice I have been drinking, if my belly looks like a basketball or a watermelon, if I am craving sweet or savoury foods... etc...

None of you have mentioned hiccoughs, but this baby has hiccoughs throughout the day, for at least ten to fifteen minutes each time. Not long now til we find out for sure!

Oh! and there's a new rule... if you don't nominate a time of delivery, I will assume you mean midday. If you haven't nominated a time and don't like the idea of being put down for midday, you will need to leave a comment and let me know when you think bub will be making her/his appearance.

A belly update for those of you still keen for updates...

Chat soon, xo

Oh! and a very big congrats to the lovely Cat who has just added another little one to her family. Welcome to the outside world little kitten xo

guessing comp update

Hi all

So here is the latest update on the guesses so far... only a few weeks of guessing to go, so if you want to change your guess (or sit on the fence like Grandpa to be) then now is the time! Looks like we are pretty evenly split between a boy and a girl at this stage... interesting!

Thanks to each of you for playing along.

Hannah xo

a cheeky hint perhaps???

fruit loops originally uploaded by thomas hawk

Mum's diet can determine baby's sex
From: Agence France-Presse
April 23, 2008

OYSTERS may excite the libido, but there is nothing like a hearty breakfast laced with sugar to boost a woman's chances of conceiving a son, according to a new study.

Likewise, a low-energy diet that skimps on calories, minerals and nutrients is more likely to yield a female of the human species, says the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Britain's de facto academy of sciences.

Fiona Mathews of the University of Exeter in Britain and colleagues wanted to find out if a woman's diet had an impact on the sex of her offspring.

Click here to read the full article on the website

This may help some of you out in the gender stakes... xo

View from the top 28.5 weeks

view from the top 28.5 weeks, originally uploaded by summer pickles.

No chance of seeing my toes at this point!!! I promise, it is not a basketball up my tshirt!

This is yet another shot of me in my favourite http://www.discobelly.etsy.com/ tshirt.

Now, as there has been some confusion about how to play the guessing game, here are the easy steps:

1. go to http://pugandpickles.blogspot.com/2008/04/hello-and-baby-in-making-guessing-game.html
2. go to the bottom of all of my chatter, and you will see the word COMMENTS (with a number next to it).
3. click on the work COMMENTS, and then a new screen will open up with a blank box on the right for you to fill in your guess....then follow the instructions, and.... you're done!

You can also comment on any of the other posts in the same way, so if some of my chatter interests you, or if you have some thoughts about a photo you have seen, whatever... feel free to drop me a comment! (For those of you not into "internerding" as much, leaving a comment is sometimes referred to as "de-lurking").

Hope everyone else is well and happy, chat soon,
xo

baby in the making guessing competition - an update

So, here are the guesses so far.... good luck everyone! Oh, and a very special mention to Glen who has us going well past our due date... thankyou! And to Fi, who has decided that those born on the 4th July are genuinely outstanding people (I wonder where she got this idea xo), so is wishing that for our baby in the making!

Keep those guesses coming! Will update with another belly shot in the next couple of days...
xo

the competition hots up....

Thanks to those of you who have thrown your hat into the ring and are giving our baby in the making guessing game a good go! I wish all of you good luck though.... with Laura in the competition, it makes things a whole lot tougher for everyone else (she is good at this game). But be brave, give it a go!

Speaking of things hotting up, this weekend was a glorious one in sunny Melbs, and we had the opportunity to learn something new sbout our little person. Bub either loves the sunshine, or will only ever be able to sleep in a very dark room... sitting in the sun this weekend, bub got so active I was watching the chandelier on my discobelly tshirt dance all over my stomach... hilarious!



This weekend also saw the start of some developing tensions between James Brown (aka the pug) and bub... JB was very unpleased yesterday when he was firmly booted whilst sitting in my lap. Poor little dog will learn a whole lot about his position in the house in the coming months...

Anyway, keep your guesses coming!
xo

happy fourth anniversary lovely!!!

Here's to four years of marital bliss and a sweet 16 for our many years of friendship! Love you hubby! This much! XO!

ps. to all of you people out there who have logged in but not hazarded a guess about our baby.... come on peoples... there IS an amazing prize available! (not to mention the fame and the glory!)

Hello! and baby in the making guessing game

Hi! Welcome to our new blog all about the pickles family - a pug, two grown ups, and a baby in the making.

You have been invited to view this blog as you are a special person in the pickles' life! If you know of someone I have forgotten to invite, please just send me a little email at summer.pickles[at]yahoo.com.au and let me know (quite possible I have forgotten bundles of my favourite people... am blaming it on pregnancy brain, or as one of my fellow fattie, soon-to-be-a-mum friends says, "mum-nesia").

This is the place to get all of the updates about growing bellies, puppy adventures, the land of renovations, and general pickles updates. We hope you will enjoy! Make sure that you de-lurk and leave comments, messages etc --- I promise that I will do my best to reply to you all.



Now, this first post is focussed on the baby in the making.

This is your opportunity to show off your baby tipping talent and really shine! Baby is due on the 9th July 08. Both parents are tall - dad to be is 6'3" (or 6'4"... can never remember?), mum to be is 5'9". Bub is said to be big at this stage... two weeks ahead. Neither Mum- nor Dad-to-be know the sex, so your guess is as good as ours (this blog is only pink because I like pink... it is not a hint!).

So, let the guessing game begin!

All you need to do is to leave a comment with your guesses for bub's gender, date of birth, time of birth, weight. Rules are as follows:
* each person may enter only twice (yep, we're happy for you to hedge your bets!)
* tipping will close on 23rd May 08
* every entrant will start with one hundred points. 15 points will be deducted for incorrect gender, 1 point deducted for every day away from the correct date, 1 point deducted for every 100 grams away from correct weight (for those of you still thinking baby weights in pounds, here is a helpful imperial to metric converter.)

Let the games begin! The winner will be awarded AN AMAZING PRIZE! So make sure you are in it to win it!

Chat soon,
Hannah xo