Australian Identity and a Bed Rest Update

Ok so I have been watching A LOT of tv! Don't have much else to do and it goes on mainly so I don't have to sit in silence the entire day. Here in Singapore we get the Australian Network. While it is mostly boring - there are at times programs that I don't mind watching. Today after one of these shows there was a short segment on Australian Identity and Culture.

It really did make me think.

Do Australian's have an identity or did we ever have one in the first place?
Are we culturally confused?

I do wonder how much this pertains to me, to my children! Having not lived in Australia for the past 8 years (my children have never lived in Aus) it really does make me question my "Australian" identity and culture!

The "experts" on this program discussed the fact that Australia is possibly the luckiest country in the world and yet there is this air of confusion and depression. Are Australians really as "happy" as what they appear to the rest of the world. Are we culturally confused due to our history, immigration, other????

A few thoughts continue to flow through my head and I do question what it means to be Australian?

STILL IN BED

On the other hand I have now been in bed for 7.5 weeks and the last has been really tough. With so many weeks still to go boredom has really set in and I stress! I stress about going to the Dr and being told I will have to go to hospital. I stress about stressing - that the stress is not good for me or the baby - ridiculous I know but you try lying in a bed 24/7. I stress when I am in pain. I cry over everything (must be hormones) but things that I would never get emotional about - I get emotional about - even happy things on tv. I get angry about everything too! Seems to be that every emotion is 10 fold.

In my last pregnancy by the time I got to 8 weeks in bed I was allowed to go home from the hospital and spend the rest of the time in bed and I was past the danger stage. So emotionally it didn't bother me so much. However this time I am only just entering the "danger" stage now and still not even half way through my bed rest!!!

ON a positive note I have been knitting a baby blanket and I am getting closer to finishing it. Will post pics when I have finished.

All the time in the World!

Even though I have all the time in the world - YES I REALLY DO - I haven't been able to bring myself to start this new blog. Maybe it's the fact that writing everything down makes it too real! Brings the feelings that I have subdued and ignored into reality... But here goes...

Oh and I guess you're still wondering how I have all the time in the world, even though I am a mum to 2 boys. WELL I have been put on strict bed rest by the Dr. I am 20 weeks pregnant and will remain in bed until I deliver. I am hoping that it will not result in time in hospital like my last 2 pregnancies. So I really do have all the time in the world to do whatever I wish - so long as I am lying down!

However, this is quite frustrating for me - I am not the kind of person that can sit still for 5 mins and the things I really LOVE to do mostly involve sitting or standing. Just prior to bed rest I purchased a heap of silversmithing supplies and had a heap of new ideas to try out. PLUS I had just started experimenting with slumping glass in my kiln. AND I love to scrapbook but cannot do that in bed either!!!

So not satisfied with that I had my wonderful husband bring ALL my beads into our bedroom - AND I HAVE A LOT! so that I can make jewellery. I have also taught myself how to needle felt and have had fun making felt games for my boys for Christmas. This is a fishing game I made for my 3 year old who loves fishing!

BED REST BLUES

Today marks the end of my 5th week in bed! Yeah! I am pretty much 1/4 of the way through my bed rest. That means possibly only 15 weeks to go in bed.

No I don't really have "bed rest blues"! It's more about everything else that I am missing out on I suppose. Also the fact that I find it hard to concentrate for long periods of time and therefore don't really get done what I would like to get done. Not to forget the stress of the unknown! What do the next 15-20 weeks hold? Will I make it? Will I have a healthy full term baby?

I have done it before - I CAN DO IT AGAIN! Yep my last pregnancy resulted in just around 12 weeks in bed and 8 of those in hospital. BUT a full term healthy baby! I defeated all the odds with every Dr telling me I would deliver at 27 weeks. My first pregnancy was also not without drama and a slightly shorter hospital stay, but again a full term healthy baby!

NEW BLOG

Welcome to my new blog!  You can read all about our new adventures in Singapore here!

If you want to check out my old blog and a little about our life in Muscat, Oman in the Middle East and my jewellery making etc please check it out here -

http://expatmumsilverjeweloman.blogspot.com/