Keepin Me On My Toes

Yesterday we welcomed three more beautiful kids.  After participating in Bellas birth it was easier for me to see what the early signs of labor are.  So I brought May Daisy, one of our Sable Saanen does, up into her birthing stall late in the morning.  She was looking good and ready.  

I gave her a bit of grain and within a couple of hours she went into labor (about 10 minutes before I had to leave to pick up my son...great timing!).  I had just enough time to watch her birth the first kid (back feet first), dry off the face, and call my neighbor, who once again graciously rushed over. 

When I got back home 40 minutes later, two more healthy kids awaited us.  Three girls!  Way to go May Daisy!  Within an hour she pushed all three out just like that.  Birth is so amazing.  

With no help from us she licked them all dry, chewed off the cords, and ate her placenta while the little ones found her teats.  What a great mamma she is.  Arent they cute how they are up on their feet, ready to explore the world, only a day old.  

This morning when I went to check on May Daisy she had an engorged udder.  It seems the kids were having a hard time latching on to such full teats.  Once I milked her, the kids were able to nurse easily.   (I also gave her some Ibuprofen to help with the inflammation.)  We will milk her several times a day until her swelling goes down and feed the nutrient rich colostrum to the kids.   

This little one below is a tad smaller than the others so she will get some special attention and extra manual feedings.

Whew, this farming business sure does keep you busy.  Looking forward to fresh raw milk once again.  And CHEESE!!!

   

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Baby feet

This is just a very quick post to say that I absolutely adore baby feet. They are utterly amazing wonderful tiny little things.

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Apples

The variety you get with homegrown organic apples are amazing. Above is our biggest and littlest apple together. Then just the littlest one to give perspective of size.

It was the cutest littlest most sour apple ever.

We have unfortunately lost a lot of our apples to coddling moth and even fruit fly. It is completely heart breaking throwing out kgs of fruit every day.

We need to try and figure out how to manage these issue organically. Hopefully we can and fast. Once we have chooks and ducks free ranging the numbers of these pests should be significantly reduced.

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My Mini Aquaponics Set

Hai everyone, since my bigger aquaponics set left behind in Sabah. Therefore I made a new one here in Johor. This is just experimental indoor set. Because of large space is not available, I just make a mini set. I have gone through a lot of trouble in finding the material needed, and finally, this is the result.

Overall view

Grow bed

Fish tank/ container

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Merry Xmas and a Happy 2015 to all my readers

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The most influential speakers of my time

When I chose science as a career back in 1994 I was just a 15 years old kid who wanted to make a huge difference in the world. We all start of by the same baton but the music ends up being a lot different when we arent shielded by our parents anymore. We learn, most of the time on our own expense; we learn that dreaming and accomplishing demand from you an impressive blow of energy, and most of the times you can give it all and still the world wont even care for who you are. It is quite easy to become overshadowed by the loathing reality of frustration when one is just a teenager. The impact on the worlds heartbeat as it happens to us since our early days  becomes sort of an understatement. We become, progressively, with the attenuation of our own energy and drive, a paler shade that at times needs reassurance, rebooting, an injection of self-esteem and confidence.

To a personal level and emotionally speaking our family and friends exist exactly for that sense. Professionally, you only have a dual choice that can, at times, work simultaneously - Teachers and Idols. 

For people like me, naturally and innately iconoclastic, Idols do not work that well. I then tend to replace them for figures of a more human composition, fibers of a reality that I need seen. To properly integrate the experience, knowledge and wisdom carried by these figures must be shaped into a solid element of human eugenics, with a pinch of suffering that makes them, above all, REAL.

When I chose science as a career back in 1994 and even throughout my way to the years of, say, a BSc in Portugal, I could never find any mentor. By mentor, I mean a person so inspirational that I would be able to immediately point out as a driving force. All the professional positive energy that I was feeding on came from books, different ones. Some I cant even remember their covers properly, but I still have them in a safe place somewhere in my mums house. It all started at a very early age with a Carl Sagan book "Cosmos" and then "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins. After that, the three most relevant ones consisted on the "Sharks still dont get cancer", also a book of interviews with Principal Investigators worldwide, and finally one published by the British Medical Association on cloning and ethics (blue cover, great info, but cant really remember the title). These were the influences I had back then, and without a wallet that could help me feed on my book/science addiction, I had to accept what coincidence and destiny had to offer to me.

During my graduate days I had a few people who actually helped me a lot in terms of motivating myself and in trusting my professional skills: Dr. Martin Luck, Dr. Debbie Sparkes, and Dr. David de Pomerai, were three individuals that really boosted my confidence in a personal level. In addition, they made me want to go out there and look for my niche. And I dont really think they even know that they did that to me!!! But that was an eventful period where as a graduate or masters student you absorb and absorb without much judgement. You tend to just take and eat it in without much criticism because you are no expert. When you get home youre still starving, you want more, you want influential speakers, someone that speaks to you as an individual not to a crowd of people where you might or not be. You want someone that enter your senses and slap you right in the Id/Ego and tells you "This is for you, you can make it, wake up". I had that on a few moments where my life really took a turn. It happened firstly with the final lecture of Randy Pausch with whom I cried my eyeballs out and my scientific and human heart fused in one single indissoluble piece. The second moment of spiritual/scientific rebellion/awakening was produced by the very first book of Dr. Brian Weiss "Many Lives, Many Masters" where I met the work of Carl Jung and salivated on the many contributions this incredible scientist produced, especially on his strength to go where no one else would go.

Nonetheless, I was still craving for more, for THE TALK, the purely scientific one that would make all different variables converge and hit me straight in the cerebral heart. And that was accomplished only recently, very recently with the work of a person that doesnt really need any introducing, I may say. I am positively staggered by the amazing communicative power held by Professor Brian Cox. I have to tell you that I dont know the man, and to be fair I am not the type of guy who would be running after his autograph or just wanting to shake his hand. I am a natural iconoclast, I dont do these kind of tacky things because inside I just dont feel any need for it. But every time I sit down with my wife to watch some tele, it is because of Professor Brian Cox. He has this hallucinated Boris Johnson meets Richard Ashcroft look. I became raptly taken to new dimensions, the ones he talks about and where all sciences meet in a festive orgy of knowledge, of what we are and where we go.

If I could offer anyone the prize for most influential speaker of my times, I would even ditch Sir David Attenborough... The winner would definitely be Professor Brian Cox.

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Mustard

Igloo wanted me to share the mustard plant he has been growing. I is really proud of his little vegetable garden. I am proud of him looking after it too.

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My Latest Aquaponics System

It has been so long since my last post.  Anyway, this is my latest aquaponic system, built on last June- July 2012. These pictures was sent by my brother in Sabah.

I am still experimenting the best possible and simplest system. One thing for in my opinion, every aquaponic system should have some filtration system, regardless of the techniques used (media bed, deep water culture, nutrient rich technique and whatever), filtration system is really crucial.

In this system, the water level is constant, and I think, some adjustment should be done. The media is quite alkaline, around ph 7.5 to 8. However my mom said the fishes are great and healthy.

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Scott Weiland and all my other Autumn leaves

They keep falling like autumn leaves, and it makes me really sad that Scott Weiland is no longer with us. I loved his music, I loved his melodic disturbance, I loved his work.

Kurt Cobain, Layne Stayley and now Scott Weiland... one by one all my symbols from the 90s fade away in a gloom mist of incredible sadness. I have no words to describe what he represented for me has a teenager. I am chocked because I honestly though he was recovering from all his dramas and all his battles.

How can anyone not feel the presence and the essence of Interstate Love Song? ... 

No words.

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Bibliophilia is my BIG ISSUE

Whats the name given to a complete addiction to books, not for the sake of buying per se, but books that you see from afar, at distance, and ones already checking the pounds and pennies with the tip of ones fingers poking through ones pocket? I am pretty sure Bibliophilia is my issue. A BIG ISSUE so to speak!

I go somewhere and if there are books available at an acceptable price, of subjects that really pick me up to a good read, I get them. My wife says shes driven crazy by my addiction and often argues that I really need to stop buying them. "Do you ever read them?" - she asks me livid with two or three guilty pleasures of mine in her hand. In fact, I do. I honestly do. Not as many as I would love to because time is scarce; kiddo, PhD, start-up, blog, wife, preparing for a future career... my reading times are confined to these 1.7 miles in between home and workplace. 

34 minutes with eyes planted on bright pages of whatever gets to my scope after breakfast, at hands reach, from a dusty pile of reasons Im driving my wife manic with. There I go, successfully avoiding bikes on fast acceleration and anxious passers rapidly pass by for their own professional duties. Never killed a snail, never had a crash, always mind the traffic lights. Thank whoever God you Love. I probably own a sixth sense developed in a Darwinian way from early days of Petzi (my first drug ever)! Who knows? A sat-nav based on the pure pleasure of a good read.

I know now that I suffer from Bibliophilia because whilst looking for the technical/clinical term to niche me "disease" cosy cosy, I found a website with considerations on addiction to books. Signs youre addicted to books, Ive got 5 of them severely entrenched in me blood:

Number 8:

"This is all you think about when you picture your dream home"

Number 9:

"Walking by a closed bookstore is torture"

Number 14:

"TV is OK... sometimes"

Number 19:

"The book is always, always, always better"

Number 24:

"Finishing a book you love is like losing a best friend"

Today, as I walked myself to the nearest ATM in the Queens Medical Centre, I got four new ones. All by James Herriot, all with lovely covers, all 50 pence and all with that lovely old scent that only books spread and that inevitably deepens my Bibliophilia even strongly. And I say to myself...

BIG ISSUEEEEE, BIG ISSUUEEEEE ANYONE?

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Perennial Leeks

A few years ago we got some perennial leeks online. Like all plants you get online it is difficult to know if it will survive being posted or survive in our garden. They are meant to grow and taste just like ordinary leeks. Instead of saving seed and raising seedlings they grow numerous tiny leeks from their base.

When we moved here I dug up the leeks and brought them with us. Normally they keep growing as usual but this summer they seemed to die down to bulbs which made moving easier. I planted them out in one of the vegetable gardens. The picture below shows some of the leeks I have planted.

Perennial leeks - very hardy

Having never eaten or grown any other type of leek I can not compare them, but these are easy to grow and are tasty. They are very productive and take heavy frost with no worries. If they die down when stressed they should also be able to take the heat here.

As all leeks apparently do, they grow rather slowly. But these ones multiply fast. I have let some plants flower but they have never produce viable seeds for me. By the time a large leek is ready to be dug up and eaten it will have numerous smaller leeks ready to take its place. If you divide the babies off they all grow large and start to multiply, if you do not divide them they keep growing but are much smaller.

The picture below shows a larger leek in the background, with many smaller leeks in the foreground waiting to be divided. As you can see the lack of viable seed is not a problem whatsoever.

Like all the vegetables that I have got online I had hoped that these would do well and would eventually pay for themselves in one way or another. Some things have paid for themselves by reducing the amount of groceries we have to buy, others such as yacon pay for themselves by being sold. The leeks certainly have been hardy and generous plants and have grown and multiplied well. After seeing the prices for leek in the supermarket I know that they have paid for themselves several times over just from what we have eaten.

Since writing this I have grown some regular leeks and have written a post comparing these with perennial leeks here

 I do sell perennial leek plants as well as some other perennial vegetables, herbs and some vegetable seeds, please see my For Sale page for details.

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Back with a bag of goodies for my audience

Im back to work my friends, but let me tell you, Ohhh what an amazing time I had in Portugal. Let me briefly flash it back to revive all those sunny melting days I had over my skin. It started with two weeks in Monte Gordo where I introduced my 7 months old to his first experience with beaches and salty water; with quick visits to Vila Real de Santo Antonio and Castro Marim. An interlude to know our respectful neighbours of Isla Antilla and Ayamonte. And finished with a pinch of Santarem, the capital of goth art in Portugal. I tasted Portuguese delicacies that would made monks go horny... You dont believe me? Try them yourself and let me know of the incredible addictive side-effects! Check the links for mouth-watering images of Portuguese Doughnuts (Bolas de Berlim), Portuguese Custard Tart (Pastel de Nata), Farturas - ohhhh my gooood I love them so much.

It was a lovely replenishing time that allowed me to see family and friends, enjoy the Portuguese atmosphere and learn from others. Had great conversations about a bunch of subjects I want to bring to the blog starting next week. Stuff like MyFitnessPal, aquaponics; Science4YouToys - a Portuguese company doing great with their science workshops/toys for kids, the financial progress of the pharmaceutical market in Europe and a lot of other interesting stuff.

I read some books and even managed to bring a crazy one along. Parental Advisory, this book has nothing to do with science and a lot to do with crazy dudes from the country where the World Cup is taking place. The book Im talking about is "PornoPopeia" and if you want to rest your neuronal synapses for a bit and have a great contagious laugh, be my guest.

But dont worry, Ill keep in touch in the coming weeks, as soon as Im done with my 3rd year PhD Presentation/Symposium, and well learn together about so many interesting things. Haaaaaaa, I cant wait, I love this blog.

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Birth at Mudflower

?Immalis birth is almost indescribable, there really are no words for how absolutely amazing it was. I can write about what happened, I can list the things in order but there really is no way to capture the awesomeness of her birth. I almost feel blessed to have been given the privelege of bringing her into this world. It was the most perfect birth and I find myself each day longing to go back to those moments to re-live them.

But to tell her story. It all began at around 11pm on Monday 16th May at 41 weeks pregnant. I was not utterly convinced that I was in labour for real this time and so tried to sleep, but much like the prelabour of the past 4 weeks I could not sleep through it particularly well. Close to midnight I thought I best call Lisa (my midwife) and let her know what is going on. The intention was to let her know to get some sleep, she decided for me that I was most definately in labour and she was on her way.

Since Lisa was on her way I thought I best get Damo out of bed and get him moving on the pool. Then tried to get hold of Danielle without a great deal of effort as I really was feeling no urgency. While Damoworked like a machine getting the pool ready I stayed online chatting to the beautiful Kizzah in between contractions. Funny to think I had told her I would not been online updating her when I was in labour, but there I was being wonderfully distracted in between each contraction while I sat on the gym ball. The hour flew by thanks to a wonderful friend staying up late with me.

At 1am I decided a shower might be nice, things were getting a touch more intense and thought the hot water on my back may ease the pain. It did help ease the pain but also massively intensified the contractions. I really started to struggle in the shower and was really wondering why I was coping so poorly (little did I know how close I was to birthing). I filled the base of the shower with water, the tiny tiny bath base and squished myself into the water to help ease the pain a little more. I started to completely lose track of time and everything else and went completely into myself. Id had enough of being squished in the shower and tried for what felt like forever to climb out, eventually I managed to call out for Damo to help. Somehow I got dry and dressed and went and found the ball to lean on. Strangely I decided to kneel on the incredibly cold and painful uneven slate tiles. Oh my were my knees hurting but the pool took up the entire rug. A cushion would have worked but I was beyond that sort of thinking.

Danielle turned up at what I think was around 2am, may have been earlier may have been later Ive really no idea. I remember smiling at her awkwardly after she entered slightly embarrased at how poorly I was handling things (I look back now and realise how well I was actually doing). At some point she came and rubbed and held my back which was almost bliss. I thought my back was going to split in half and the hand there reminded me it wouldnt. I will forever thankful for that hand.

Lisa turned up not long after and I think I gave her the same awkward smile then went back to trying to deal with the contractions. I heard talk of Lisa having a nap, and it was then I started thinking hmmmm Im not sure if there is time for that but hey what do I know.



I think it was around 2:30am when I demanded the pool, thankfully due to Damos massive effort it was ready. Oh my the water, the water was just wow, absolutely perfect bliss. Things were intense really intense then crap oh my there is a head wanting out. I freaked, I cried, I asked for help, I for a moment did not know what to do. When no one understood what my cries actually meant I pulled myself together and realised I could do it. It took a few incredibly painful contractions to pull myself together and realised I had to push, getting the head out was the only way the pain would stop. So out her head popped still in the caul. Panic two came then about what I should do, and took me a moment to gather myself in this time I remember feeling a little nose pointing up, didnt process what that meant at the time. Another contraction and push and out she came, the caul broke at I think roughly when her feet came out. It really was an incredible experience having that break in your hands. I lifted her up to meet a stunned room of onlookers very surprised at her sudden entrance at 3 oclock in the morning.



I checked to make sure she could breathe, checked to make sure she was in fact girl, then realised she was the most chubby baby I have ever seen in my life. She was just perfect. Next thing I know her two brothers are there to meet her. Nanuq overly excited and Igloo refusing to wake up.



I wish the birth could end here, but the placenta must be birthed apparently. It was agony and felt like it took forever. The one thing I wish I had done differently is cut the cord a little sooner, it was much too short for me to do anything but sit and I really needed to move. But I did it to a degree. The membranes thought they may stay behind and so the placenta hung for a while until we cut the cord and I stood up. It then ripped away and I spent the next week passing the remnants of membrane.





It was done, I had birthed my gorgeous girl all by myself in the caul, posterior, and weighing a whopping 4.6kg (10lb3oz), 54cm long and 36cm head. It was the first time I had touched my own babies head before they were born, this was something I could not bring myself to do with the boys, it was amazing and terrifying at the same moment. Who would have thought I would catch my own bub, not me that is for sure. Maybe Damo can be 4th time lucky and finally get to be the catcher like he has wanted since Igloo. Thats if I let him :).

Welcome to the world my precious girl, thank you for letting me birth you. I cannot wait to birth your next little brother or sister.

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Happy Birthday Maxen

Two years ago today I was finally being relieved from the weeks and weeks of prelabour. I had lost focus of you and just wanted the pregnancy over.

On Wednesday 10 June 2009 I woke at around 2am thinking oh no I wet my pants, to then realise no hang on my waters may have broken. Went to the loo, and there seemed to be more than just wee, so put on a pad and when that got wet and I knew I wasn’t weeing I was sure my waters had broken, I figured somewhere up top since there was no big gush. Knowing I could be in for some wait I went back to bed to try and sleep, but was too excited about what was coming, little did I know what was coming.

At 3am contractions started slowly and nicely, by 4am they were no longer nice at all, very strong very regular, and I really had to stop and remember to breath. Knowing I still had some way to go I walked the house, sat on the gym ball in front of the fire, and just generally tried to keep moving. By 5am they were rather difficult to stand through. I knew though that each contraction was bringing me closer to meeting you, and really I was coping well, nothing was overly painful.


At about 7am things just felt different so I called Toni to let her know what was happening and then started trying to get hold of someone to mind Lachlan. After an hour of panicking thinking I would find no one and me thinking that I did not have much longer and desperately wanted to get to the birth centre I did get hold of someone. Dropped Lachlan off at 8:30am and then headed off to the birth centre in some decent Canberra traffic. I was sure things were really close and was not expecting to be at the Birth Centre long before it was all actually happening. I did not let Damien know my thoughts he seemed in enough of a rush and I did not want an accident, it was hard to be so excited but not tell him. We arrived at the birth centre eventually just after 9am I think it was a relief to see Toni and know that she was there when needed. Damien and I were left to do what I needed.


After a few hours and not having progressed as much as I thought I had I hopped in the bath for some relief. And well things almost stopped, but I did enjoy the rest and close to had a nap in the bath between the contractions that hurt a whole lot less in the bath. Think I was in there for about half hour, felt like longer, when I thought I should get out and try and get this actually happening, Toni may have suggested this but I don’t really remember. So got up and wondered around for awhile, knelt, leaned, crouched, sat things got very painful and very strong and I had more than had enough.


So at around 12:45 I re-enetered the bath and again contractions become less regular. I knew I needed to get back out, but I was starting to feel exhausted. I made several attempts, but the lack of the warm water kicked the contractions back in before I could even climb out. I did drag myself out after about 45mins.


At around 2pm I called Toni in for some help and Damien asked if I could use the gas. I was relieved that I was going to get some help with the pain. First though she ruptured my membranes which we had discussed earlier, and then set me up on the gas.



I spent some time on my hands and knees on the bed before my knees started to give way so flipped myself over onto my back and my goodness I HAD to push. Damien called Toni in and that was it, it was baby time. It was wonderful to have Toni there, someone I knew and could trust to get me through the last bit. I tried to move up into more of a sitting position, but I just couldn’t move I was stuck, and I just wasn’t able to ask for help. Every time I tried to speak I seemed to just cry and moan instead, I was so frustrated I could not get the words out that I needed to. So there I was stuck on my back trying to focus on getting bub out while knowing I was not in the greatest position. As Nanuq crowned he wiggled and squirmed his head it was a funny feeling. I wanted to push and get rid of the feeling but also wanted it to never stop, a sensation I will never forget. Toni asked several times if I wanted to touch the head, for some reason this is just not something I want or need to do. Eventually the head was out, then for the body. With Lachlan the body just followed, so I did a half arsed push to get the body out, nothing budged and I panicked. Was calmed down by Toni and asked to push again so I gave it all I had about 3 times I think who knows really could have been heaps more and out he came and onto my chest at 4:25pm, I almost pushed him away because I didn’t want the yuck on my shirt, LOL little did I know the bottom of my nightie was already soaked in yuck. Once he was there I didn’t care anymore and was just pleased to be holding my little boy. He just cried and cried and I couldn’t stop him, I felt terrible, but I still had work to do, had to get the stupid placenta out. My goodness getting that thing out hurt this time. Then it was all over, but the tear hurt like crap and I whinged like an idiot about it, wanted the gas but Toni took it off me (LOL Damien gave it back when she left the room). After a little bit I calmed down and didn’t need/want the gas anymore, so I popped Nanuq on the boob and he had a good feed. It was a relief to have it all over, and a joy to be holding my little baby boy. I may have ended up in the one and only position I didn’t want but it no longer mattered. I had my baby, and the birth was wonderful anyway, besides the pain and my moments of panic the birth was beautiful.



We decided to ice the tear until the OB could come and stitch me up, she turned up at about 7pm. The waiting was awful I just wanted it over, wanted a shower and just start settling with bub. He had a couple of feeds in the time we waited, Damien called my Mum and I messaged the whole 2 people I wanted to know. I was allowed the gas again as I was stitched up, I didn’t need it for the pain just to help me be a bit more out of it while someone had their face in my groin stitching up my second degree tear. Eventually got the shower after this and was finally allowed to eat. So at 8pm I ate my first meal of the day and boy did I eat, and ate all night. We stayed the night at the birth centre since we decided it was too cold to take bub home at night and Damien was way too tired to drive. We all got a little bit of sleep, all snuggled in the bed together since Nanuq did not want to be let go and after his day I do not blame him. Hearing test and baby checks the next day and we went home just after lunch. Igloo came into the birth centre to help bring his baby brother home and boy was he proud.
Toni came to check on us both at home on the Friday, it was after this visit that I fully realised how completely wonderful the whole pregnancy and birth was. To share the pregnancy and birth with the same midwife is great, but to also see them enjoy the bub they helped deliver is fantastic, it makes it all so much more special.

As I re-write your story you have officially been two for around half an hour, watching you read yourself a book, walking and talking and being a typical 2 year old. You are such a precious boy and I will love you forever, after the scare you gave us as a bub I know I am exceptionally blessed to still have you.

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