Tagged!!

I've been tagged by Dani :)

4 Jobs I have had
1. Check out chick
2. Hotel receptionist
3. PA
4. Sales/Merchandiser

4 Movies I have watched over and over
1. When A Man Loves A Woman
2. Boys on the Side
3. The Princess Bride
4. City of Angels

4 Places I have Lived
1. Rockhampton
2.
3.
4.

4 TV Shows I Like to Watch
1. All Saints
2. The Amazing Race
3. Survivor
4. Big Brother

4 Places I have Been on Vacation
1. Gold Coast, QLD
2. Airlie Beach QLD
3. Sydney NSW
4. Yeppoon QLD

4 of My Favourite Foods
1. Steak with Balsamic Glaze
2. Malibu Prawns
3. Cheese Fondue
4. Chocolate

4 Places I would rather be right now
1. Tahiti
2. Fiji
3. Tasmania
4. Europe


4 People I will tag
1. Donna
2. Debbie
3. Sarah
4. Pauline

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!! (Insert frustrated scream smiley here)

I had some auctions on my ebay watch list and I forgot about it. I just went and had a look and they finished today. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted them too. Grrrrrr, I should have just bid on them when I first saw them. Grrrrrrr grumble grumble, damm ebay, sigh. Here's the auctions in case anyone's interested.
Fred Bare Army shorts w/ matching hat
Fred Bare tent shirt w/ matching hat

I find it really hard to mop my floors now that Jack normally dosn't have a nap during the day because the tiles are really slippery and Jack always ends up having a buster but I just couldn't leave it any longer so today I spent about 2 hours wrestling with Jack over the vaccumm and mop so I could do them, he even slipped over on the wet tiles just to make me feel even more upset and then what happens, 20 minutes later he falls asleep watching beebahs. Arrrrgggghhhh!!!

Things I Want To Do!!

From Sarah's Blog, here's a list of some things I'd love to do...

1. Have another baby.
2. Get a nice outdoor entertainment area or win the lotto so I can build my dream home
3. Travel to America (this won't happen by the way because we suck at saving money and Owen dosn't really want to go to America anyway)
4. Get a really nice hairstyle that suits me
5. Lose lots and lots of weight so that I can wear anything my little heart desires
6. Find a magic housework fairy
7. And a pot of gold
8. Spend more quality time with Jack and Owen
9. Be happy all the time
10. Open a Lush franchise

I'm sure there's more but that'll do for the moment

Scrappin' and changing nappies!!

That's basically been it for the last 24 hours for me!! Not that there's anything wrong with that.

There was an impromtu scrap n chat at EB last night which was great. Fiona set some fantastic challenges. So I did 3 LO's between last night and today and I have another 2 to show as well.


Oh and if anyone needs a good nappy rash cream I'd highly recomment Daktozin

One of my new favourite things!!

This morning after we dropped Daddy to work, Jack and I ate vegemite toast in bed for breakfast. It was so nice and relaxing. It was actually just meant to be me eating the toast but Jack stole some. He was watching Play with me Sesame and I was surfing the net. How good does that sound?

After we finished our leisurely breakfast we rushed around getting ready to go to pour Pixie photo appointment. Well actually I rushed around getting both of us ready while Jack just watched TV but hey it works for us! I used the last of my bounty bag vouchers which were such a bargain, well...free actually and the photo that you get is HUGE!! I think it went well. Jack was a bit of a wriggle monster and didn't want to play with the props that he was meant to but I think they'll be okay. Not that I probably going to buy any anyway.

Then we headed out to the Warehouse (discount shop) and I pick up a few things. I got a cute little bath pack to give to Mum for Mothers Day, some notepads and some other bits and pieces. I actually went looking for some canvas's but they didn't have the size I wanted.

I was really just killing time for an appointment in the afternoon so we stopped at a new garden store in town and I bought a really cool metal ornament for the garden. It's a big gerbera hanging on stake. Then we went to All About House which is the most gorgeous shop. It's in a beautiful old church and they have the nicest stuff, furniture and accessories. I bought an artificial water lilly plant to go in my little water pot at the front door. I think it's a bit big but it's soooooo pretty. Hang on, I'll go and take a photo.

After that we headed off to the shopping centre and as I was waiting to cross over the carpark I came across an elderly lady standing at the edge of the road crying. Of course I asked her if she was okay and she replied that she was fine. I had to wait for quite a few cars so I couldn't help but ask again, if she was okay or if she needed to borrow a phone or something. Anyhoo, it turns out she was waiting for her husband and wasn't sure where or when he was picking her up and she had had a bit of a bad day and he was being a right royal pain in the butt. She thanked me for listening, gave me a pat on the arm and said she'd be right now that she'd had a cry and a winge. Me on the other hand, I walked away thinking well f#ck, I thought for sure you'd be able to train your husband by that age. :P The poor old chook, I felt so bad for her, she was even from out of town.

Jack had fallen asleep in the car so I decided to have a browse through Loot and then grab a bite to eat and then I headed to my appointment which was to have a look at the Gotcha photos of Jack from last week (yes, I am one of those Mum's that makes her child sit there at every freebie photo place). I ended up buying the large portrait cause you can even see Jack's teeth, oooh hang on I'll scan them. So I sent Owen a message so that he's have time to calm down before he came home from work. Hee hee hee. Then I had a browse through a few other shops and then when Jack woke up we stopped for a coffee and a ride on Thomas the tank engine and then we headed home.

So there you go. That's my day in a nutshell.

And I guess I better post my latest LO's too.

And here's the original digi version...

Digi credits-The fonts are Hard Rock for the running and GF Halda Smashed for the typewriter font. As for everything else, the papers, brads, frame and buttons are from Funky Floral Freebie - Leah Riordan Designs, the things to be done list is by Sarah Batdorf and the backgound paper is by Katie Pertiet.

Oh and I've got some big scrappy news but I don't know whether I can say or not yet. Stay tuned.

Busy weekend!!

Well, we've had a bit of a busy weekend. On Saturday we went and picked up Grandma Joy (my Mum) and off we went. Firstly we stopped in at the shopping centre so I could post off my April recipe cards and get some Gotcha photos taken of Jack. I can't wait to see the photos, they come every couple of months and the last couple of times I havn't really liked any of the shots but I generally like their photos. After that we headed over to check out the orchid show. I LOVE orchids, they are such beautiful flowers and so unusual and there's just so much variation. Then we headed over to the home & leisure show and plant show but they sucked. It was $7 entry per person and there was really nothing much to see. There was one local store that had a fantastic display and Bunnings were running some cool demonstrations but overall it was disappointing. And there was the most awful lady running the ice cream stall there. She kept picking on the trainee (both women were in their late 30's or early 40's) and it was very uncomfortable to have to listen to. The lady in front of me had her order mixed up and the awful woman made such a big deal about it, the customer kept saying don't worry, it's okay and the stall owner was such a bitch about it. So anyway, when it was my turn I told the trainee what I wanted, a large caramel thickshake but with just one squirt of syrup which is exactly what she told bitchy, but as bitchy was making it she was talking out loud and said milkshake so I corrected her and said no it was a thickshake, so she started to have a go at the trainee so I said, well actually that is exactly what you were told and that it was her that made the mistake. I just couldn't keep out of it. She was just sooooo mean.
So then Saturday night we went over to Simon & Kerryn's which was really nice and relaxing. Sitting around chatting and eating nibbles. Their pool area has been finished, hence the party, and it looks fantastic. They got a rectangular pool put in with decking all around it and a thatched roof hut. It looks gorgeous.
And then this morning, after a sleep in and a HUGE rush around we went to Jack's little friend, Oliver's 2nd Birthday party. That was great fun. Jack is so funny to watch. He is just so independant. He was off dancing all by himself and I don't know, it's hard to explain, he just seems so confident and seems like he owns his space. He's getting a bit bossy though and man can he throw a tantie. Anyway, now we're having a relaxing afternoon. I'm surfing the net and Jack's watching the Wiggles.
Oh and for any Survivor fans out there. You wait until you see epidsode 10 of the next series. The turn of events at tribal council and the faces of the contestants is very cool. Some people just get too cocky don't they in that game? And speaking of reality TV, Big Brother starts tonight, WOOHOO!!, I'm excited

What a bargain!!

I can't beleive the bargain I got today at Target. I bought a Playdough Creativity Centre for $17, they're normally $59.95 and all that was wrong with it was a five centimeter split in the lid. Here's a piccy of what it looks like

It has so many bits and pieces and there's still room to fit all the playdough junk we already have in it as well. I was stoked. And to top it all of K-Mart had a further 50% off their easter eggs which were already half price. And I could have gotten a free Gotcha photo but we were pressed for time. I'm so peeved, I love their photos. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow or Saturday.

Owen was off today and is off tomorrow as well so I'm going to check the calendar and am hoping we'll be able to take Jack to the library tomorrow for the story reading. It's so great that they have that, the kids have such a fab time. They have a craft activity at the end as well but normally Jack has ants in his pants by then but we havn't been in a while so we might give it a go.

We also did drive by's off the public schools this afternoon to check out the grounds. Having never had a child before I'm not sure how it works with public school. Do you get to choose which school you want or is it allocated? Some friends of ours have a three year old and when they went to book him in to school they could only get a placement at one school so I guess it's something I'd better look into. Not that I'm wanting to push my baby to school early though, I was nearly crying in the car but I want him to go to a nice school, somewhere shady with cool play equipment.

Anyhoo, that's it for my boring life at the moment. Jack had a late nap this afternoon and is now refusing to sleep and Owen and I are half way through a movie. SIGH!! Oh well, he's got to fall asleep sometime...dosn't he?? At the moment he keeps slapping me out of the blue and wanting kisses.

The TTC Merry-Go-Round!!

F*ck, I hate it!! Okay, so if you havn't noticed this is probably going to be a depressing post...Read on if you wish.

Let me start out by saying that I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO very greatful that we have our precious Jack and that he is enough. Without making him sound like a possession or something that is owed to me I am so grateful that he is our son and that we conceived him after all that time and let me say that I am a bit of a lazy TTC'r. I'll chart for awhile or whatever but I do lose patience pretty quickly but in my defence I have had a lot of dissapointment in that department. I also know that there are a great number of people out there that have the same problem or that never get to experience parenthood and I truly feel awful for them and hope and wish that every woman out there that aches and yearns to hold their own precious child in their arms does get that wish.

Anyhoo, back to me :P The only contraception that we have used since Jack's birth is the screaming baby method and I know that these things don't just happen but you know, I just thought that this time around I would catch a break. I was sure that I would be pregnant quickly and easily but it seems that it's just not to be. I just don't know what to do. I'm 34 this year so my healthy baby production years are getting mighty short and I would LOVE to have another child (I think, I do remember sleepless nights and how bad they feel) and I know Owen would like to have another child too but I don't want the shit that goes with it. The waiting, the sex on comand (although it's always good ((just in case Owen reads this:P))tee hee), the waiting, the testing, the dissapointment, the saddness, the longing, the tears, the stress, the arguments it causes. I just truly do not think I could handle the same crap again. So that's my bitch for the week.

Anyone got any magic fertility spells???

Here's Charlotte!!

Well, my friend Kim had a beautiful little girl very early this morning so here she is, little Charlotte Louise...

Babies, babies, babies...& some shopping

All my friends are having babies!! My friend Tricia had a baby last month, the adorable Sofie, who I got to nurse heaps today. She has grown so quickly. She's doing really well, very alert and very strong. And, my friend Erica gave birth to beautiful little Hayley last Tuesday, Jack's Birthday, a month early but doing really well too. They got to the hospital at 10.45 and Hayley was born at 10.54pm. Obviously Pete needs to drive a bit quicker. Also, my friend Kim is in hospital as I write and we will soon be welcoming another new little bubba into the world. All these babies, cluck...cluck...cluck. Here's a picture of Hayley...

We've had some really good nights with Jack, sleep wise, lately. Last night he fell asleep on the way home from daycare at around six, woke a 10.30 for a very short amount of time and then slept until seven this morning. I think he must be going through a growth spurt.

On the subject of Jack, have I ever said how adorable my son is? He is just so lovely. He's started to say I love you which is just so beautiful. He says "I love you too Mummy/Daddy" even if you havn't said it first. I just think he is the ants pants. He's getting so independant too lately. He wants to walk or push the trolley when we go shopping, tries to lift the 3 litre milk bottles up to the counter when he needs his cup filled, can open the fridge, wants to dress himself and so many other things. He's fab!!

I can't beleive some of the bargains in the shops lately. I layby'd Jack a Leappad (is that what they're called) today to put away for Christmas. They're half price, such a bargain, and there are heaps of other good buys too at the moment. If only the scrap shops would have half price sales.

Hmmm, that's about it. Here are a couple of altered mint tins I did for the new babies.

We SO need a digital SLR!!

Jack is just too fast for our camera. We went to the beach this afternoon and he had an absolute ball. We did get some really good shots but we also got quite a few blurs. He was so funny, at first wanting nothing to do with the water and then at the end wanting to go out further and further. I would love to live on the coastline somewhere. The sound of the ocean and that beautiful sea freshness is just so relaxing. Anyhoo, here's some of the best shots of the day.

Oh and also this morning I was woken by a little chocolatey breath calling "Mummy" beside my bed. Easter bunny had hidden some little eggs in various locations around the house including in one of Jack's train carriages so obviously Jack got up and went to play with his trains when he discovered the chocolate and then he just had to come and let Mummy know. We had a fantastic time doing our egg hunt this morning. Jack was very excited.

Does anyone watch The Next Pussycat Doll thing that's on Sunday nights? They have the same bed in the pussycat doll house that we have so I'm practically a Pussycat Doll:P

I love you my baby

Well, at about this time of night (nearly midnight) two years ago, I had just said goodnight to Owen and was about to go to bed. I paused to shake some biscuits out of the dispenser for the cats and as a bent over I got a bit of a surprise...my water broke.

My gosh it was an interesting 23 hours. I called out to Owen to grab some towels and he came running in with the most hilarious look on his face. Hehehe, it makes me smile just remembering it. We excitedly called up the hospital to find out what to do next and were told to make our way up when we were ready. We were running around the house like idiots (well Owen was running, I was waddling around with a towel between my legs), grabbing things we might need such as snack biscuits which of course never got opened and checking off our checklist in the hospital brochure. So I had a shower, got dressed and up we went.

It was a very nervously exciting ride. I could not stop giggling and smiling. After 9 months of kicks and wriggles we were going to meet our first child. The first couple of hours we just sat/lied around on the monitor, waiting waiting waiting, then the contractions started to kick in. Hmm, not too bad I was thinking to myself. Owen was told to go home and get some rest as I was being taken around to the ward so off he went and off I went. I sort of felt like I was being sent to the principals office. You know that feeling...a bit scared, very nervous, not knowing what was going to happen next.

I was taken to a group room where I got the corner bed with a view. I knew one of the nurses so she came to check on me before she went off shift so I presume it was around 6 in the morning. My contractions started to get a bit more niggly and I couldn't sit still. I was pacing around the bed. Mum phoned and came up and we sat in the cubicle for awhile longer until I needed to move around some more and off we went to pace the halls. For hours. Just before visiting hours started at 11am we went out to the foyer and my Grandma and Aunt Jenny were out there so Mum had a bit of a chat with them while I just paced. Waiting for my Owen to come back. I almost collapsed into his arms as he got out of the lift. I burst into tears. I had been doing a pretty good job of holding it together up until then while Mum introduced me to all the hospital staff(she works there, on that floor) but when I saw him I just couldn't help it. I thought it was painful then!! I stopped a nurse in the hallway to ask for some panadol or whatever and she gave a little chuckle. "I think your a bit past the panadol stage", she said. We went back to our bed area to organise things to take around to the delivery suites and off we went. Well that next couple of hours were PAINFULL. I was just having a hot shower for pain relief and then the midwife came and said I'd better get out and we'd crack open some gas.

I LOVE that gas!! I was hilarious...apparently. The midwife even laughed at me. I was making duck motions with the gas nozzle and quaking for hours apparently. Hot footing it around the room with each contraction with the nozzle grasped tightly in my hand. The emergency helicopter landed and I was at the window waving like crazy saying, "Oh look, Ben's here!!"(our friend who's an engineer that works on the rescue chopper). After a few more hours I screamed out in desperation for some pethadine. Apparently I was very polite all through my labour. Saying please and thank you. The doctor came to visit and after a while he decided I wasn't progressing and needed to have a cesarean so I was prepped and had an epidural administered but he had an emergency to attend to and in his absence the senior OB came by and decided that I could deliver naturally. The doctor came back in after finishing his surgery and we carried on, slowly it seemed. My contractions had slowed and I was pretty tired by then but we pushed on.

Then at 10.40pm on Sunday the 3rd of April, 2005, our beautiful son, Jack was born into this world. It is so hard to describe the feelings of extraordinary joy you feel when you give birth to your child. What a monumental experience childbirth is. He weighed in at 3490g, a nice weight I thought. He had an apgar of 9 and had a bit of a fever and some unusual striations on his leg so I only got to see him initially for a little hold before he was taken to the special care nursery for some antibiotics.

I feel so honoured to be the mother of such a beautiful child. He is smart and handsome and well mannered and co-ordinated and has a killer grin that I'm sure will break many hearts in his teen years. I feel blessed to be a mother and honoured that I could carry and deliver my husbands child. It has changed me in so many ways and I am grateful. He is a precious child that for many years I thought was never going to be and I treasure the gift that is he.

I love you my baby boy. Happy 2nd Birthday!!

Check out Jack's party!!

Well our little man is turning 2 on Tuesday so we had his birthday party today up at the gardens. I was a bit worried last night because it was a bit overcast and it had poured at his first birthday and everyone had ended up scrunched under a little shelter but it turned out to be a perfect day for a party with a nice breeze and everything. Plus all my planning went well so we were actually on time, even dare I say earlyish, for once in our lives. I'm really pleased with the way it all went. It was much less stressful than the last one. Mum came over in the morning and kept Jack entertained too which helped. We had all sorts of yummy things, violet crumble slice, cheesy tortilla roll ups, fairy bread pinwheels, hmmmmm party food. Anyhoo, here's some photos.


These are some of the decorations and the board for pin the banana on the monkey game.

Jack playing the banana toss game. Owen painted the monkey.


Jack opening some gifts. He got some great things. A heap of Thomas the tank engine figures, a cool wiggles accordian, a jigsaw, some books, a tool kit, a personalised water bottle and heaps more. He was very excited.
Jack with his blower whistle. He thought these were just great.


The cheeky monkey cake. I think we should have practices blowing out candles though. Luckily the wind blew them out for us because when Jack went to blow he put hip lips around the wick. Ouch.


The ride home...he didn't even stay awake long enough to get to the bridge. We had to stop and wait for a train to cross and even with his love of trains he could only keep his eyes open for a second to see it.

Jack had such a great time. Joe, Rasharna and Justin followed him half way around the gardens while he chased birds for the first 20 minutes and then he had a great time playing on the slippery slide and swings. It was so nice to have so many friends and family around to help us to celebrate our special little boys day.