Hen's adventures in Oz

In my life...

2009-10-12T22:32:00.003+11:00

This is a list that was apparently doing the rounds some time last year. I've only just discovered it and thought it was interesting so I'm putting it up. The ones in bold are those things I have done.
There are many things on this list that I would love to do and hope to achieve one day so I decided to italicise those.
I'm not tagging anyone but feel free to try this yourself.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Fatherly love

2009-09-08T14:38:00.003+10:00

These are the photos I took for Luke's Father's Day present, I took some last year and it was a lot easier when my subject couldn't run off. It took a lot of cajoling and pleading to get Jacob to sit still and hold the letters but I finally got nice photos. Luke has a threefold silver photo frame on his desk so these will now be displayed there.

We're blue

2009-09-02T14:46:00.002+10:00

We went for the 18 week scan and we're found out we're having another boy.
It's exciting news, I was hoping for a girl but I'm sure Jacob will love a little brother and the two will hopefully be good mates
.

World Breastfeeding Week

2009-08-13T18:31:00.004+10:00

World Breastfeeding Week was celebrated 1st August - 7th August this year. The theme or topic was breastfeeding in an emergency which at a glance sounds strange or even humorous but when you consider how safe and convenient breastfeeding is and the disasters that have occurred in recent years it is an important issue.

You don't need to cart around bottles and cans of formula or worry about keeping them clean and dry. In an emergency situation, whether this be fire, flood or cyclone, finding fresh clean water is probably one of the most difficult and concerning problems. Finding boiled water is even harder, yet this is what is required to make up safe baby formula and then even more clean water is needed to wash and sterilise bottles.

It is a common problem in disaster areas for bottles and formula to be provided but no provision made for sterilisation or enough clean water.
Breastmilk is portable, clean, and always at the right temperature.

My local ABA group celebrated WBW with a morning tea at our playgroup morning. I made cupcakes and iced them as close to the ABA teal as I could get. Excuse the wonky lettering, it was just done with the corner snipped off a snaplock bag, in about 10 minutes.

Lovely surprise

2009-08-13T18:15:00.005+10:00

Yesterday a delivery man unexpectedly knocked on my door with a big box.
In it was a fluffy white bathrobe, slippers and some Bio Oil so thanks Bio Oil and MotherInc for picking me as a winner in your June Mother's Day competition.
Here is Jacob modelling the bathrobe.

A big transition

2009-07-27T15:02:00.003+10:00

On Friday night after some some discussion over the dinner table, it was decided that the time had come to convert Jacob's cot into a toddler bed. He had been attempting to scale the side any time it was lowered and Luke had caught him trying to scale it when it was not lowered!

We decided to do right there and then so Luke and I went upstairs to take off the sides and put on the two bars that turned it into a bed. It looked very grown up for our little boy but he was very excited about it. The other thing was he would no longer sleep in his sleeping bag so he would have to learn about sheets and blankets and how to mange the covers.

This all changed when it came time to actually go to sleep and he tearfully told Luke that it wasn't "his bed". We had little fingers creeping under the door, banging on the door with 2 hands, shouting and crying but eventually he calmed down in Luke's arms and went to sleep in his own bed. That night he woke up at 3am cold and unable to get back under the covers but went back to sleep as soon as Luke re-covered him. Then he woke at 5am because of "the birds" so I brought him back to our bed where he went back to sleep for another 1.5 hours.

Since then he has been going to sleep quickly and mostly staying asleep the whole night. Nap time is a little more challenging but I discovered I can fold myself into his bed to give him "na-nas" which is a nice way to go to sleep after a hard morning playing.

Coming clean

2009-07-22T10:28:00.002+10:00

while I've posted a little recently, I have been hibernating for a while and there's a very good reason for that.
I'm pregnant and due early February.
I have had bad morning sickness again but not nearly as bad as last time and it almost seems to be gone.
Mum has been here helping out and consequently I have hardly had to lift a finger which I think has greatly contributed to how I've been feeling.

We went for the 12 week scan this morning and saw Baby no.2 wriggling around. No pictures unfortunately which I think is what happens when you go through the public system but he/she looked very cute.

More sourdough

2009-07-19T14:50:00.003+10:00

I made bread today!
It turned out fairly well for a first attempt using my starter, it didn't rise as much as I hoped but I think that's usual for the first loaf.
The crust had the little bubbles you get with a sourdough loaf and the texture and taste were great.

Sourdough beginning

2009-07-14T08:14:00.003+10:00

I'm attempting to make sourdough bread by creating my own starter.
Sourdough doesn't use commercial yeast, you instead capture wild yeasts in a fermenting mixture of flour and water.
Once you have a fully active starter you then use this to make a sponge or active mix of more flour and water and after leaving this to activate you then turn this into your dough reserving some sponge to carry on as your starter or mother.

So far, day 5 after creating my starter I have a very sour fruity smell and bubbles. Overnight it has grown by a a third and in a couple of days I'm going to attempt to make bread. My first attempt probably won't look very impressive but should taste great.

I have been using a combination of strong flour, rye flour and filtered water as starter food and for the first few days you keep feeding every 24 hours but by day 4 when I had bubbles starting, you remove most of the starter and replace it with a greater volume of the same mixture and the small amount is enough to keep the starter growing. You do this for a couple of days until the starter is active enough to start making bread.
I have found this site invaluable and there are lots of other good places on the web as well .

Makes for interesting supermarket conversations

2009-05-22T17:35:00.004+10:00

bodily functions, that is, when you have a toddler.

I caught a poo in the potty last week but felt it was a bit of a fluke; combination of catching the elimination signs and a quick moving mama.
Since then we've been talking about poo and pee a lot and DS has been examining pooey nappies and often telling me he wants to sit on the potty without any success.

The conversations have been a bit like this
Jacob: poo
Mama: do you need to do a poo?
Jacob: no *shakes head*
Mama: have you done a poo in your nappy?
Jacob: *thoughtful pause* no
Jacob: daddy poo
Mama: daddy's done a poo?
Jacob: yes *big grin*

cheeky monkey!

But this afternoon even while really sick with gastro he insisted he needed to do a poo quite tearfully and so I sat him on the potty. After a while I asked if he was finished "no" so I asked if he needed to do a poo "no" so then I asked him why he was sitting on the potty and he started peeing I nearly fell off the couch.

Poor little man he's so sick, he's just lying on the couch a real change from the usual nonstop motion.

a taste of summer

2009-05-03T15:46:00.003+10:00

I just made some delicious sweetcorn soup in about 10 minutes.

I brought to the boil 4 cups of vegetable stock (I would normally use chicken stock but my vegetarian sister staying with us)
I then added one cubed potato and boiled it for 5 minutes.
I added some frozen corn kernels and brought it back to the boil and let it boil for another 5 minutes before taking it off the heat and whizzing it up with my stick blender (carefully)
Once it was fairly smooth, I added a swirl of cream but it wasn't really necessary.

It was very moreish but needed salt and pepper. I didn't add this to the pot as I tend to heavily salt soup and decided to allow everyone to season to their own tastes

at the going down of the sun and in the morning

2009-04-25T14:52:00.005+10:00

We went to the ANZAC dawn service this morning. It was a surreal experience getting up at 2.15am (yes you read that right) to catch the train at 3.11am.
There were not many on the train but by the time the service started at 4.30am, Martin Place was packed.

Jacob was very good but after about an hour of standing around he was pretty restless so Luke took him off to find some food. They then spent the next hour looking at shoes (his current obsession) and riding the escalators up and down.

I enjoyed the service, loudly sang the New Zealand national anthem and even knew most of the words to the Australian anthem.

I met up with my boys and we caught the train home. I caught sight of the sun rising as we sped away from the city and my son fell asleep on my lap.

Photo; Martin Place Dawn Service 2008 ABC.net.au

Start them young

2009-04-10T13:55:00.002+10:00

Can you believe Jacob had a tantrum until I organised for him to wash the dishes. It's a shame I can't leave him unattended and come back to a pile of sparkling clean crockery :-)

A bit joy to brighten Good Friday

2009-04-10T08:53:00.002+10:00

Apparently this is actually an ad campaign for a reality TV show but I like to think it's just a random musical number in the Central train station in Antwerp, Belgium.

March Book Club Book

2009-04-02T12:43:00.003+11:00

so I'm a few days late, what's new?

Extremely loud and incredibly close / Jonathan Safran Foer
Synopsis
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, Francophile, letter writer, pacifist, natural historian, percussionist, romantic, Great Explorer, jeweller, detective, vegan, and collector of butterflies, Beatles memorabilia, state quarters, miniature cacti and coral. When his father is killed in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, his inward journey towards some kind of peace takes him on an odyssey through the five boroughs of New York, as he attempts to solve the mystery of a key he discovers in his father's closet. ~from the blurb

Did you like/dislike the book?
I really could not get into this book at all. I persevered for a while and ended up dipping in and out. I found both stories; that of Oskar's search across New York and of his grandparents, disjointed and confusing. For me a novel is all about the story, the narrative and it was hard to follow here. I also found the pictures, that others have commented on, off-putting because they disrupted the narrative. I find it difficult to read graphic novels or comics so obviously this is a personal quirk.
The book this reminded me of was 'The curious incident of the dog in the night time' by Mark Haddon. Oskar seemed to display some behaviour on the autistic scale and his 'voice' was similar to that of Christopher's.

Our next book is 'In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto' by Michael Pollan. I hope I enjoy this more.

Where the Wild Things are

2009-04-01T15:39:00.002+11:00

I'm so excited about this movie

Stick Figure Family

2009-03-18T21:29:00.001+11:00

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

snapshot

2009-03-03T14:19:00.001+11:00

Isn't this just the greatest frame? I found it here but be warned it's addictive!

Blogosphere Book Circle Book of the Month: February

2009-03-03T14:15:00.001+11:00

Blogosphere Book Circle Book of the Month

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society / Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.

About the Book

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. Born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island, the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. (from the book's website)

Did you like/dislike the book, did it affect you in any way?:
I LOVED it, normally I find books written in the epistolary style (to steal the correct etymology from Mimbles) disjointed and difficult to read but this was very clear and well paced. The correspondence was witty and interesting and the story was lovely.

I cried at the end because I couldn't imagine being separated from my child as Elizabeth was and I don't think I ever would have had the strength of character to put my own life and my child's life in danger by helping an escaped prisoner.

The other aspect of this story that intrigued me was the correspondence and how the world has changed in terms of waiting for news or just idle chatter. Imagine how long it would have taken for a letter to get from Australia to London. Even the invitations to the theatre would normally be the territory of the telephone or even the text message today.
I'm sure I had a lot more to say about this but as the only time I have to write is while Jacob's napping and I also have washing to hang out, dishes to wash, floors to sweep, and minutes to write up, this is all for now.

I'm about to start our next book so hopefully I will enjoy this also.

You can read what the other book circle members wrote by visiting their blogs (<--- in the side bar)

Sweet as pie

2009-02-26T09:01:00.001+11:00

I've been teaching Jacob to call out for Luke when he's finished his last breastfeed of the day as he no longer feeds to sleep and Luke puts him to bed.
His little "Daddddeeeee" is too sweet for words and accompanied by lots of giggles.

Firstborn meme

2009-02-20T14:23:00.003+11:00

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yes

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yes, we'd been married for 7 months

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Disbelief, we got pregnant first try

4. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
29

5. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
I peed on a home pregnany test LOL

6. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
I jumped on Luke who was still in bed at 6am and demanded whether he too could see the line (it was very faint)

7. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
No but Luke did and so at the second scan I relented and we found out. I could actually tell without the technician's help.

8. DUE DATE?
12 November 2007

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
OH GOD YES 16 weeks of almost continuous vomiting and I went to hospital 3 times to be rehydrated.

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
peanuts (including peanut butter) and watermelon

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
the weird garlicky smell that emanated from Luke especially first thing in the morning. Poor boy had to keep Oddfellows (mints) on his bedside table

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Boy.

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
no we actually tried for a boy

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
none I was actually 5kgs lighter

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
no :-(

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE SHOWER?
I wish

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
I have a list - hyperemesis (excessive vomiting), carpal tunnel, cellulitis, unstable pelvis, heartburn....

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
RPA, Sydney

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
Hmmmm lets see my waters broke 2am Tuesday morning and Jacob was born 8.46pm Friday. I had a hindwater leak but didn't go into established labour. Actually I was never in established labour as my contractions were never regular right up until the very end. I dilating very slowly but had to be induced Friday morning.

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
Luke

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Luke, our doula, the midwife, the obstetric registrar and the peadiatric registrar (I think). It got a bit dramatic there at the end.

22. WAS IT VAGINAL OR C-SECTION?
Vaginal.

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
I used a TENS machine, gas, and finally an epidural

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
3685g or 8lb 2oz

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?
8.46pm 2nd November 2007

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Jacob Albert Dinko

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
15 months

Dear Victoria

2009-02-08T20:33:00.003+11:00

I don't really know what to say...
Australia's worst bushfire disaster
So many people have died or had their entire homes and possessions destroyed.
Entire towns have been wiped out.
My heart goes out to all those affected especially those still waiting to hear if their loved ones have survived or unsure as to what has happened to beloved pets.

To contribute to the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund call the Red Cross on 1800 811 700

Hen's adventures in Oz were brought to you today by the letter M

2009-02-08T18:57:00.000+11:00

10 Things I love beginning with the letter M
This has taken me an age to do but I finally realised I was being a perfectionist about it and let go

Milky - that's what we call breastfeeding. I love breastfeeding Jacob, I never thought I would be a lactivist activist but I am. I was determined to b/f to around 6 months but at 15 months we're still going strong and he's such a milky addict I don't think I could wean him. I'm now very involved with the Australian Breastfeeding Association and training to be a counsellor.
Some scary statistics - WHO recommend b/f until 2 years and beyond with exclusive b/f until 6 months. This is recommended for the health of the mother and child. The world average weaning age is just over 4 years however only 1% of of Australian children are b/f beyond 1 year. Ok off my soapbox now

Menus - I love food, eating it, cooking it, reading about it, growing it and watching it (love the food channel) and I love reading menus. Even BC (before child) we never ate out often enough to satisfy my lust for menus and dining out. I now write my own weekly menus to help with that five o'clock dilemma and also to help budget our weekly grocery bill. I live vicariously through Helen at Grab Your Fork and NotQuiteNigella as they eat their way around Sydney and occasionally Paris, London and Tokyo.

Mama - I love being a mama (most days). I have always loved babies and small children and the joy I experience every single day with Jacob is immense. He's such a happy, affectionate clever little boy and I'm very proud to have had at least some part of that.

Meat - I could never be a vegetarian; I love meat. I have even started eating pork more frequently, last Saturday we had Mustard pork chops a la Nigella and they were great. I actually do enjoy meat-free meals and if I didn't live with Luke I would probably eat a lot less meat but one of my favourite meals is a good steak medium rare.

Merlot - I love a good merlot or a shiraz or a chianti or even a lambrusco. I'm very fond of a good fruity NZ sauvignon blanc but not a fan of chardonnay.

Movies - I love movies. Not all movies and something not even the critically acclaimed movies but I do enjoy movies. I've just seen 'The Duchess' based on the life of Georgiana The Duchess of Devonshire.

Mummies - No not maternal people but genuine mummies as in Egyptian preserved dead. I love anything to do with Ancient Egypt. One day I will visit both Egypt and the London Museum which houses some of the best Egypt antiquities including the Rosetta Stone.

Milkshakes - I love a good milkshake or an iced coffee. I've been making my own at the moment. Block your ears any coffee purists but I've been using leftover coffee from the stovetop espresso maker and cold milk.

Mexican food - guacamole, tostadas, burritos, enchiladas, sangria Mmmmmmmmmm

Musicals - My parents took me to see Cats when I was about 8 and since then I've been hooked. I've seen Phantom of the Opera and Le Miserables twice. I have trouble watching ballet because I always feel the dancers should be singing.

Tuna and couscous salad

2009-02-03T14:58:00.002+11:00

I found this recipe last week while I was looking for something easy to prepare and that required little or no cooking. Partly because it's been really hot here and partly because until just this very moment our oven's been out of commission which does limit what I can cook.

I was a bit dubious about it, I'm not a huge fan of fish although I know we need to eat more to help decrease Luke's cholesterol levels and I've had bad experiences with snow peas in the past but it was very very tasty and I'm going to add to my list of "Things we like" as even Luke thought so. There was enough for all of us and Luke's lunch and a small amount for my lunch to be supplemented with Jacob's leftover baked beans :-)

I forgot to buy the red onion at the greengrocers last week. *note to self - try to avoid shopping with Jacob at 5pm on a Friday so I added some chives I had in the fridge and I spiced it up slightly by adding half a teaspoon of minced red chilli (yes from a jar!).

Book Club

2009-01-26T09:43:00.002+11:00

When we left NZ, one the of the things I sadly said goodbye to was my bookclub. It didn't matter that sometimes most of us hadn't read the book, it was an opportunity to get together and talk about everything and anything. We did discuss the book at some point during the night :-p

My brave friend Penny has organised a Blogosphere Book Circle, an online book club and I'm excited to be taking part. I'm especially excited about our first book as I was fondling it in a book shop the other day. Here's our list for the next 12 months.

February: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society/Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
March: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close / Jonathan Safran Foer
April: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto / Michael Pollan
May: The 19th Wife / David Ebershoff
June: The zookeeper's wife / Diane Ackerman
July: Letter to my daughter / Maya Angelou
August: PS I love You / Cecelia Ahern
September: Beautiful Boy/ David Sheeff
October: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
November: The girl with the dragon tattoo / Stieg Larson
December: Love in the time of cholera / Gabriel García Márquez ; translated from the Spanish by Edith Grossman
January 2010: The book thief / Markus Zusak

Puck's Adventure

2009-01-16T08:53:00.003+11:00

Puck's our younger Siamese cat. He's almost 18 months old and is a Seal Point meaning that his points (legs, ears, tail and the mask on his face) are a dark brown and his coat is beige. He has bright blue eyes and is very curious.

Last night after 35 degree heat, a cool change came through in the early evening. I opened up all the windows upstairs and shut Loki and Puck in the guest room, which has screens, so I could open the ranch sliders downstairs. Loki and Puck are indoor cats but at any opportunity they like to explore outside.

Just before dinner the oven tripped the circuit breaker on the complex circuit board. An emergency electrician wasn't able to come until the next morning so we were stuck without power. Luckily I had just finished cooking so I got out all the candles, we all ate by the fading daylight and Luke took Jacob upstairs for a shower while there was still hot water. While he was up there I shut the ranch sliders and let the cats out as they were now pitifully meowing. I also opened up all the doors upstairs to get air moving. I forgot that one of the windows in our room hasn't got a screen on it.

Luke dried Jacob, dressed him in a singlet and nappy and put him in his sleeping bag. He read him a story or rather recited him "Kisses for Daddy" and then I took over to feed Jacob to sleep. Luke went downstairs to take out Jacob's dirty nappy and I started hearing this strange noise. It sounded like the ranch slider opening but that there was something terribly wrong with it. It happened again and again and I was wondering what on earth Luke was doing when I heard a very sad and scared meow.

Suddenly everything clicked, I put Jacob on the floor, ran through to our room and looked out the window. There was Puck out the window on the roof over our terrace. He was almost in the gutter and the noise I had been hearing was him trying to climb up the roof and sliding back down. I yelled for Luke, he ran upstairs and climbed out the window. He grabbed Puck by the scruff of his neck and hoisted him up to me and then climbed back in the window. Puck was very sorry for himself and to make matters worse very time he'd slid back down he'd been poked in the bottom by our overgrown bougainvillea.

After Jacob went to sleep, Luke and I read by candlelight. Puck is over his little adventure but hopefully he won't be quite so keen on outside. We now have power restored but the oven needs to be checked over.
I'll post some photos of the cats at another time. We have almost used up our data allowance this month so no more down or uploading for a little while. But you can check out early photos of Puck here and here

Glass

2009-01-08T14:29:00.002+11:00

Yesterday Jacob broke a glass, luckily he was not hurt and I swept up every shard or so I thought.

I've just pulled a .5cm shard out of my heel. I was twisting to step over the baby gate into the kitchen so it went in at strange angle and took me ten minutes and a pair of tweezers to remove. I will now resweeep the floor in case there are any more.

Prop 8 - the musical

2008-12-05T09:54:00.001+11:00

This made me laugh so hard but it's also something I staunchly support.
I heart Neil Patrick Harris

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

On the last day of November the power went kaput

2008-12-05T09:21:00.006+11:00

I feel like I could sing my own version of the "12 days of Christmas" with all the calamities that we've had recently.

On Sunday while Luke was cleaning the stove it sparked and shorted out the power to the entire house. So we had to call the emergency electrician who replaced the melted main fuse. I then cooked dinner on the BBQ.

On Monday while in the midst of cooking dinner on the BBQ again Jacob locked me and Luke out of the house while he was inside. This was one of the most terrifying hours of my life while I calmly tried to get him to lift the deadbolt and watched him run round with a dinner knife he'd snatched off the table. Luke finally broke in and everyone was fine but we are going to be extra extra vigilant about carrying our keys. Of course the next morning the little monkey lifts the bolt without any encouragement.

On Tuesday the electrician fixed the stove so no more enforced cooking on the BBQ. But Jacob fell on the concrete outside and gave himself a blood nose and a fat lip :-(

On Wednesday nothing really happened yay!

On Thursday we woke up to discover our portable air-conditioner had leaked water on the carpet in our bedroom. Luckily friends had just returned our dehumidifier they had borrowed so we've been drying out the carpet. I then discovered we have a wasps nest outside under our eaves. Luke rang our real estate agent and must have put the hard word on getting it sorted because we have a young child as the exterminator rang me and is coming today and he also gave me advice as to first aid if Jacob was stung. LOL

So I hope today and the rest of year is event free

There's a tui and pohutakawa on my Christmas tree

2008-12-02T14:00:00.004+11:00

and a Christmas jandal

I decorated the Christmas tree yesterday while Jacob was having his nap. You should have seen his eyes when he came downstairs to find this amazing tree covered in colourful decorations and surrounded with his playpen.
It's a huge temptation and I've found a few decorations in strange places that he's managed to snag off the bottom branches but there's nothing too breakable on there apart from the angel on the top. Luke lashed the playpen to the china cabinet last night and I've tied the whole thing to the banisters this morning as the playpen keeps moving :-)

The tui is a bird, native to New Zealand, it has beautiful iridescent black/green feathers and a tuft of white feathers at its throat so it was often called the parson bird. Pohutukaw a is another New Zealand native, this time a tree. it's often called the New Zealand Christmas tree as it has beautiful red blossoms in December. Jandal is of course the New Zealand term for thongs or flip flops, whichever you call them.

Flickr mosaic meme

2008-12-01T22:02:00.003+11:00

The Rules:
1. Answer each of the questions below using Flickr
2. Choose a photo from the first three pages.
3. Copy the URL of your favourite photo into this site.
4. Then share with the world.

01. First Name - Heather
02. Favorite Food - Watermelon
03. Hometown - Auckland
04. Favorite Colour - Blue
05. Celebrity Crush - Gerard Butler
06. Favorite Drink - Gimlet
07. Dream Holiday - New York City
08. Favorite Dessert - Trifle
09. What I Want To Be When I Grow Up - a grandmother
10. What I Love Most In The World - Family
11. One Word That Describes Me - maternal
12. My Blogging Name - aussiehen (had to change this to aussie hen)

I thought the female-centric bird thing I've got going on in the last 4 photos was interesting

1. heather bokeh ..dedicated to dear Heather !, 2. watermelon_rd01, 3. Rangitoto @ Dawn, 4. I stand on the beach alone,and gaze at the misty blue... I wish I could pause this moment forever..., 5. Gerard Butler, 6. Cucumber Gimlet, 7. Daily Bugle aka Flatiron, 8. Spring Trifle, 9. 3 generations, 10. family love, 11. Maternal, 12. Hot Chook

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

First Birthday

2008-11-02T16:39:00.005+11:00

The day started quietly with unwrapping of family presents and has finished with a very sleepy boy having a nap but we celebrated my baby's first birthday with a lovely party.

Opening presents

Operating a vehicle while using a mobile phone

Eating fairy bread

The cake

Birthday boy and Dad

Mmmmmm cake

Then

Now

Lucky to be alive

2008-09-15T21:15:00.003+10:00

We were sitting in our local fish and chip shop tonight when there was a huge screech of brakes and we saw the rear end of car coming straight for us.

Luckily it hit the doorway and stopped but for a second there both Luke and I thought we were going to die. He was holding Jacob and didn't even have time to turn him away. We were showered with dust and broken glass but none of us even had a scratch.

Jacob was screaming in fright but is fine now, I was quite panicked as I was worried about the car catching alight but after a few minutes it didn't seem that was likely.

Neither of us have any idea what actually happened but there was a bus and cyclist also involved. The driver of the car didn't seem badly hurt but no one was moving her as she had back and neck pain. No one else was hurt which I am amazed by. The takeaway owners just continued cooking our dinner and we squeezed past the car to get out and after taking a few photos we just left. There were plenty of people helping and ambulance and police were on their way.

The car in the doorway

Damage to the car

Car in the doorway from another angle

We were sitting at that table!

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred

2008-08-31T21:13:00.005+10:00

Two of my blog friends have ;posted this recently Penny and Mim and as food is a longtime passion, I thought I'd also see how I went.

A food meme from Very Good Taste

"Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results."

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle ( I have had truffle oil though)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. ~~Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper~~ (not keen on losing all my taste buds)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda (I have a recipe for this that I've been meaning to try but it requires a tealight fondue pot)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi (have had mango and rose lassis)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (Isn't this a black cow?)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail (Oxtail soup?)
41. Curried goat
42. ~~Whole insects~~
43. Phaal (extremely hot food for the sake of it just doesn't appeal)
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. ~~Fugu~~ (gambling with my life over seafood?)
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. ~~Sea urchin~~ (not heard very pleasant things about this)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (according to my accupuncturist supposed to stop morning sickness - Phhhzzt!)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. ~~Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (would if I could and I've just had a twinkie my sister brought from the US)
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong (Mmmmmmmm)
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (have had a rabbit pasta dish)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

53 - that's not bad and I will continue to work on the others, must try harder :-)

2008-08-05T19:58:00.003+10:00

1. What is his name? Luke

2. Who eats more? Depends on what - he can eat an entire family-sized block of chocolate in 10 minutes

3. Who said, “I love you” first? Me I went to say it very early then stopped myself and he told me to say it and he said it back straight away.

4. Who is taller? Him by about a foot!!!

The next question seems to have vanished somewhere in cyberspace, but Hannah/Teeni/Penny made up her own one so I’ll copy her …

5. Who drives most when you are out together? He does and sometimes that irritates me as I drive more often as I'm at home during the day.

6. Who is more sensitive? He is

7. Who does the laundry? Mostly me

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me again at his insistence, something to do with his shoulder?

9. Who pays the bills? Definitely me, if I left it up to him we'd be in debtors prison.

10. Who cooks more? Me. He can cook but doesn't very often although as I type this he's baking scones for work.

11. Who is more stubborn? Hmmmm it's a tie - luckily we're usually stubborn about different things. Heaven help Jacob though inheriting it from both sides.

12. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Again we both do this and rarely fight.

13. Who has more siblings? We both have a sibling each and I have a sister while he has a brother.

14. Who wears the pants in the relationship? We're pretty equal and share the load. Recently I've been carrying the emotional burden as he's going through therapy but sometimes when I've had enough he'll step up. He will take over most of the childcare duties on the weekend to give me a break but also because he loves spending time with Jacob. We make decisions together although I've usually done the research.

15. What do you like to do together? We go to the local farmers market every Saturday and I love it because we actually talk to each other! Aside from that we both love reading and I've been having lots of fun "pushing" books his way especially some of my childhood favourites like Tamora Pierce. It was so fantastic seeing someone else love them. We both spend a lot of time our computers and sometimes a Saturday night consists of us sitting side by side companionably surfing the net or playing games.

16. Who eats more sweets? He does, I'm always finding chocolate bar wrappers in the car or he mentions he's hit the vending machine at work (see 2)

17. Guilty Pleasures? probably bad TV, trashy vampire novels, McDonalds nuggets and BBQ sauce.

18. How did you meet? Introduced by friends who thought we were completely wrong for each other but have been pleasantly surprised I think.

19. Who asked whom out first? He did - rang me the next day after we'd spent time together.

20. Who kissed who first? He did - surprised me completely

21. Who proposed? He did spontaneously got down on one knee during dinner. I was so shocked that I said yes then nothing else for 10 minutes

22. His best features and qualities? He's very loving and gentle especially with our son but is very affectionate with me too. He tries to come across as a mean tough guy but is the most sensitive person I know. He can be crazy and out of control in a good way and is sometimes exasperating but when I need him he's always there for me. He really listens although he may not agree and does not let me get away with stuff! Oh and I think he's gorgeous.

23. Tag some people. Penny tagged most that I would have tagged so feel free to take part if you have time. Mim? Anyone?

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

2008-07-29T19:08:00.002+10:00

Or rather we went on Sunday. Luke gave me a Zoofriends membership for my birthday so Jacob and I can go whenever we want. Also it can be used at the Melbourne Zoo which will be very useful in September when we take a trip there.

From the ferry on the way there

An elephant, I'm not sure who.

A Fennec Fox

A Meercat enjoying the heat lamp

A baby hippo

An Ibex (I think)Jacob Brown, a longbeaked Corella

A Wedge Tailed Eagle

The city from the Zoo. Notice the dark clouds; stormed not long after this and we had to wait on the dock for the ferry during the thunder and lightening, luckily under cover.

My Birthday

2008-07-29T19:02:00.003+10:00

In keeping with family tradition here's my last night of 30

We had a picnic on my birthday, it was lovely and sunny but pretty cold.

Blogging for a good cause

2008-07-28T23:16:00.003+10:00

A friend in Malaysia, Rachel is in an international scrapbook competition and needs our support.
Basically she's one of the final few and as well as judging their entries immunity is also important. Anyway how it works is like this

2 points scored if her blog post on PSA Challenge 10 has more than 5 comments.
2 points scored for every third party (that's us) that mentions Rachel and Project Scrap Away (including links) on your own blog and leaves a comment on Project Scrap Away's Immunity blog post (you just need to write your name + Rachel's friend and a link back to your blog).

So get blogging!

He conquers...

2008-07-22T16:38:00.002+10:00

The Destruction

and the Destructor

Expecting the return

2008-07-14T15:53:00.004+10:00

I have just ordered myself a new mooncup apparently you need a bigger size if you have given birth or you're over 30 years how depressing is that? While my period still hasn't returned due to Jacob breastfeeding, the number of times he is feeding is getting less so it may not be long before I need it.

So because of this I have a discount code for three friends - if you want this please leave a comment.

If you're a bit dubious or squeamish please be reassured that with a bit of practice it's extremely easy to use a mooncup. It's much much cheaper than using tampons and it feels much healthier and cleaner too.

edited to add: all the discount codes were taken, please don't comment asking for one.

Baker hard at work

2008-07-03T16:15:00.003+10:00

No not me - Jacob

(you might want to turn the sound down those bowls are loud!)

5 Things

2008-06-18T20:38:00.002+10:00

Penny tagged anyone who was so inclined to do this meme and while I'd like to be on an incline so I can get some sleep or is that reclined? I also was inclined to give this a whirl

5 things found in my bag:

1. Elizabeth Arden 8 hour Lip Balm in Berry

2. Teething Spray

3. Changing Mat

4. Merino Blanket

5. BabyBanz Sunglasses

5 favourite things in my craft room: (what craft room?)

1. My sewing machine

2. My PC

3. my paper and card all waiting for me to have time and inspiration

4. My bag of ribbons

5. My new elephant stamp from smiggle

5 things I have always wanted to do:

1. Visit New York City

2. Have a white Christmas

3. See a dugong

4. Spend the whole day at a spa being pampered

5. Write a book

5 things I am currently into:

1. Baking

2. Breastfeeding

3. Babywearing

4. Designing my dream kitchen (I can dream)

5. Scrapbooking

5 people I am tagging:

Whoever feels inclined

Menu Plan Monday

2008-06-16T10:03:00.004+10:00

I didn't get a menu plan up last week although I did have a plan. We're still eating the fabulous chicken soup/stew that Luke made - it was enough for 4 meals! We bought safety gates yesterday for the bottom of the stairs, the laundry and ordered another one for the top of the stairs.
The laundry leads into the downstairs toilet which is really the cats domain , they have their 2 litter boxes in there and at times it's a little messy. We've hopefully cut down on some of that mess by replacing the small shallow box with a big box that has a lid with a door in it so the litter shouldn't all end up on the floor but even so we don't want Jacob rolling around in there. We've also put their food and water bowls in the laundry behind the fence as Jacob's already upset their water twice. I think this maybe a sanctuary for them along with the stairs.

Monday - Spinach, ricotta and pine nut lasagne
Tuesday - Chicken Soup, rolls and Queen of Puddings
Wednesday - Cottage Pie
Thursday - Slow Cooker Beef Casserole with couscous, roasted pumpkin and leeks in a cheese sauce
Friday - Lamb casserole with oven sautéed potatoes and steamed broccoli
Saturday - Luke's probably cooking something this night
Sunday - Beef Fried Rice (we just bought a new wok at IKEA)

Oy vey you can tell it's winter can't you? Lots of casseroles and other hearty fare. All the casseroles and the soup are coming out of the freezer; I've been stocking up.

Ta da!

2008-06-10T18:03:00.003+10:00

Please excuse the terrible quality of this. Why is it I always take videos of my progeny at night when the lighting is poor?
Anyway this is Jacob getting up on his hands and knees and rocking. He's so almost crawling I bet he can taste it.
Notice how the cat runs past to entice him too. Also that sound just before the cat's entrance is not thunder but the cats rumpusing upstairs.
Also Jacob is shouting - he's grumpy, this was shot about 5.45pm and he has a cold but I think it's mostly frustration

Menu Plan Monday

2008-05-26T18:41:00.007+10:00

Monday - Sesame chicken served with rice and steamed asian greens and ricotta puddings

Tuesday - Pepperoni and Broccoli Fettuccine
Wednesday - Mushroom and Barley Soup with Toasted Sourdough bread and Bread and Butter Pudding made with Croissants and Cranberries
Thursday - Mince Stroganoff and steamed vegetables
Friday - Tuna Macaroni Bake served with Steamed vegetables
Saturday - Hmmm not sure Luke might be creative again
Sunday - corn fritters with bacon, relish, sour cream and salad

We've had a good week and this one is shaping up well too. Although Luke has been home sick today and might have strep throat again :-(
Luke did make the most amazing dinner on Saturday night, it was a Nigel Slater recipe of a slow cooked chicken soup/stew with chicken pieces, large chucks of veges, barley and herbs. It was delicious and very restorative.
The Mushroom and Barley Soup is a Maggie Beer recipe from the program The Cook and Chef on ABC. Repeats are also currently being shown on the Food Channel on Foxtel so Jacob and I watch it at least once a day during the week. It involves Maggie Beer (the cook) and Simon Bryant (the chef) the executive chef at the Hilton Adelaide. Every week they cook favourite dishes in their own styles and do small segments on local producers and ingredients. I love their banter and their food and look forward to every new episode.

Which Shakespeare Play are you?

2008-05-26T18:35:00.002+10:00

Apparently I am Much Ado About Nothing
Based on your results, we believe you to be a quick-witted, light-hearted romantic who is probably very charming and charismatic. While your stubbornness may sometimes get the better of you, we are confident that you always eventually come to your senses and do what's best. You probably have a lot of friends and we like you too!
You scored 24% = Tragic, 58% = Comic, 39% = Romantic, 35% = Historic

UnRead

2008-05-15T13:47:00.002+10:00

Pinched from Mim at Mim's Muddle
What we have here is the top 100 or so books most often marked as “unread” by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you’ve read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish.

Mim said
"Not going to do the underlining because often I'd already read for pleasure books that were later assigned as school reading. So, bold means I’ve read it, whether for school or for fun. Italic means I started and didn’t finish. Plain text means I haven’t even tried."

I second this as I read so fast that I always finished books I studied and often reread them

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary (was a bookclub book whoops!)
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities (just never grabbed me)
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel
War and Peace (again never got into it)
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin (I loved this although it took a couple of attempts to start it)
The Kite Runner (seen the movie, will not read the book, far too traumatic)
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods (this is genius)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys (must try this one, Luke loved it)
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible
1984
Angels & Demons
Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir

The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield

First Solids

2008-04-30T12:30:00.006+10:00

First taste of rice cereal

I help

Not quite as tasty as I first thought

Jacob had his first taste of solids on Sunday and he's doing well. He loooves pumpkin and sometimes lunges at the spoon when eating it. So far he's tried apple, pumpkin, peach, and rice cereal and today we're going to give carrot a go.

Family

2008-04-29T16:21:00.000+10:00

Last Thursday we flew to Brisbane to visit my husband's parents. It was a visit that we'd looked towards with reluctance and trepidation as it was the first time we'd seen them since Luke told them he'd been sexually abused as a child. Their reaction had been very discouraging but my brave husband needed to sort this issue out with them so we went.

From the moment of arrival the air was filled with tension, my FIL went through the gestures of greeting us, my MIL went to a workshop instead. When she did arrive home she was "too tired" to cook and then disappeared as early as possible to her room. The next day this pattern continued - every time Luke spoke they ignored him or spoke over the top of him in case he might say something they didn't want to hear. The only person they show genuine interest in or affection for was Jacob.

Finally on Saturday afternoon Luke asked to speak with them and they proceeded to attack us. First of all MIL's health somehow was our fault then we had behaved badly over the weekend then our parenting was at fault. They were not responsible for anything. They also did not believe Luke about the abuse.
So we left.
We packed up our clothes, toiletries and Jacob's toys and left. We got a flight home that night and were so glad to reach the comfort and safety of our own home.

MIL told us she had not raised the issue because she knew we would leave because Luke does not listen. We flew an awful long way and spent a lot of money to be there and all Luke wanted was for them to listen to him and show some concern. If you knew you were in danger of losing your son and grandson would you not try to fix this? Right up until the minute we left they could not unbend themselves to ask him if he was ok or how he was coping.

Luke's psychiatrist told Luke that while he does not support breaking up family relationships, in very rare cases the relationship is too "toxic" to be saved and that in his opinion Luke did everything he possible could to save it.
While Luke is making his peace with this, I grieve for my husband, apart from a brother who seems to be supporting his parents' view point, they are the only family he has.

Luckily my parents seem to love and care for him more than his own. They have been nothing but supportive and concerned through this whole ordeal and treat him as if he was their own son.

You've come a long way baby

2008-04-23T09:00:00.000+10:00

I watched the first video I shot of Jacob rolling last night and was just amazed at the difference in the past few months. He now confidently and quickly rolls from back to front and front to back and is now rolling across the floor to his destinations. It's not the most accurate way to travel and he's often frustrated but he's also very very close to commando crawling.

The video is so dark but I can't find a way to lighten it, way beyond my IT skills

Menu Plan Tuesday

2008-04-23T08:06:00.000+10:00

Sigh I was trying to post this yesterday afternoon but life got in the way.
Things got a bit turned around last week and I ended swapping meals around to different days. Tuesday night we actually went out to our local RSL for dinner and Sunday night I had a terrible headache and slept for a couple of hours so we had takeaways. We didn't have the felafel or the cottage pie. So here's this week

Monday - Felafel with pita, hummus, yoghurt, relish and salad (this, as always, was yummy)
Tuesday - Dunsandel Store's Macaroni Cheese
Wednesday - Chickpea Curry with fragrant rice, peas, naan bread, and gulab jamun

On Thursday we're flying to Brisbane to spend 5 days with my in-laws so I don't have to plan the rest of the week - Yay! I'll make the Cottage Pie on Monday when we get back and that will probably yield enough for dinner that night, another meal which I'll pop in the freezer and maybe even lunch for Luke the next day.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-14T14:57:00.004+10:00

I didn't update about our previous week so I'll attempt to catch you up now while my muesli baking.
Tonight's dinner was delicious although a bit fiddly to make. The gulab jamun (a cheese dumpling in a very sweet syup) was out of a tin and an experiment but I'll buy it again, it gives a nice finish as a dessert after a curry.

Monday - Lamb Kofta with turmeric rice, naan bread, peas and gulab jamun
Tuesday - Chicken Fried Rice with Asian greens
Wednesday - Devilled Sausages with mashed potatoes, peas and carrots
Thursday - Felafel with pita, yoghurt, hummus and salad
Friday - Crumbed Fish Fillets with Gratin Dauphinois and steamed veg
Saturday - Steak with baked potatoes and steamed veg
Sunday - Cottage Pie

The previous week we went to a lecture on Starting Solids at the Early Childhood Health Centre. Jacob is so ready for this to the point where he avidly watches everything I eat and stops breastfeeding if I'm eating because he wants some. However we're going up to Brisbane over Anzac weekend and I don't want to be fussing around mixing up rice cereal while up there so I'm going to wait until we get home. Jacob will be a week away from 6 months then and the WHO recommendation is to wait until 6 months as is the ECHC especially as Luke has a tree nut allergy so while I do feel a bit mean, I think it's the best option.
I also went to a session on Discipline without Distress with Judy Arnall who was visiting from Canada. I'll write a little more about this another time.

Last week I took Jacob to my old work for the first time. He was much fussed over and was on his best behaviour, very smiley and laughing so I was very proud and pleased that they'd all seen my gorgeous boy at his best.
Luke had Friday off so we tried to make the most of it by a walk to the library and then a picnic in Centennial Park where we could see horses being ridden as well as lots of people walking, riding bikes and making other uses of the park.
Saturday we went to the Orange Grove Markets held at the Orange Grove Primary School which is within a 20 minute walk of our house.

Sunday we went to view the photos we'd had taken the previous weekend. This was a "free session" deal with a voucher for $290 for a session and 1 5 x7 photo. Of course they're trying to get you to buy other photos which they sell at astronomical prices but as the photos were decidedly disappointing we stuck to our guns and ordered our free photo and nothing else.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-07T17:01:00.004+10:00

Will she finally post this on a Monday?

Monday - Alu Mattar Sukhe with fragrant rice
Tuesday - Beef and Haloumi Skewers with caper butter, corn tortillas and a peach tart
Wednesday - Lamb casserole with mashed potatoes and peas
Thursday - Beef Stroganoff with rice and green beans
Friday - Garlic Prawns with angelhair pasta
Saturday - Barbecued Chops (lamb for me and pork for Luke)
Sunday - Spinach Soufflé and salad

whew!
More about our week later

Is it Thursday already?

2008-04-03T10:11:00.001+11:00

Lol I had my post all prepared Sunday night ready to add a few comments and then upload and I forgot all about it. I was going to call it "Finally Menu Plan Monday! "

We've stuck to the menu plan so far this week and I'm really looking forward to tonight's dinner. I mastered the concept of fried rice a couple of week ago with some leftover rice I cooked up for my lunch , was just playing around really, experimenting and we had hardly anything to go in it so I added chopped up omelette, garlic and peas and it was great. So I'm expanding and this time I'll have cooked chicken, spring onions (called shallots here), omelette, garlic, corn kernels and peas. Hopefully Luke will like it as he used to make his own fried rice (more Thai style) in his bachelor days which was heavy on the lemon, garlic, chilli and soy and not really to my taste.

Monday - Greek Style Lamb on Couscous
Tuesday - Corned Beef with Mashed Potatoes, Cabbage, Carrots and Mustard Sauce
Wednesday - Frypan Cauliflower Cheese with Wild Rice
Thursday - Chicken Fried Rice with Asian greens
Friday - Tuna and Macaroni Bake with Steamed veges
Saturday - Barbecued Ribs, baked potatoes, coleslaw and a green salad followed by a Lemon Frozen Pudding and fruit
Sunday - Sausage Rolls and leftover salad

We're having friends for dinner again this Saturday, different friends so we're trying the same menu again as it was very successful last time.
The Easter Show was fantastic and Jacob was amazing. We left the house at 9.15am to drive to the station and didn't get home until around 10pm. He slept a lot in his pram, far more than he normally sleeps during the day and was fed and changed in some crazy places but apart from a few grizzles around 9pm while I was eating my dinner and he wanted to be fed too, he was an angel. It was partly due to that the couple we were with helped out with him and carried him around a lot meaning that he could see everything and didn't get bored. He even slept during the motorcross and V6 ute stunt riding.
We did all the things your supposed to do at the show; woodchopping, cat show, dog show, Country Womens' Institute Cafe where we had sandwiches, scones and tea, best art, best cakes, jams, preserves, the Oak milk bar, Dagwood dogs (hotdog on a stick), the rides although I didn't participate in this, show bags. We didn't see much of the farm animals and when we went to see them it was closed for the day so next year we'll have to show Jacob the baby animals.

Whoops Menu Plan Thursday?

2008-03-27T22:28:00.005+11:00

Well Easter has screwed me up, I keep thinking it's much earlier in the week than it is. We're doing really well with our meals though, I think the last time we had takeaways was when my Mum was here.
We had friends over for dinner on Saturday and had a lovely meal of barbecued ribs, baked potatoes, coleslaw and green salad. I also served pastizzis (Maltese spinach and ricotta pastries) with drinks and a lemon frozen pudding for dessert. We finished the evening with cheese, muscatel grapes, some divine blood plum paste and Muscat liquer and a good time was had by all. They have a little girl about two weeks older than Jacob and they were very cute together.

I roasted a leg of lamb for dinner Easter Sunday and then on Tuesday we had the leftover lamb in a white sauce with onions and mushrooms, very interesting. Monday we had veal cordon bleu from the freezer and Wednesday we had penne boscaiola, or at least my version of it. Tonight we had Tuna and Risoni Salad with a crusty loaf that I got free from Baker's Delight with my loyalty card. This is one of my favourite meals as it makes me feel very virtuous and healthy although the ricotta on the top of the salad probably detracts from this.

Tomorrow night it's frozen Swedish meatballs from IKEA and I'll try to remember the lingonberry sauce this time and Saturday we're having Beef and Haloumi Skewers with caper butter. Sunday we're having a Bacon, Leek and Potato Tart made using a frozen pie shell as I really don't have a hand for pastry.

We're going to the Easter Show this Saturday and I'm really looking forward to it. It's supposed to be amazing here and I'm particularly looking forward to the traditional events like the best sponge cake.
Jacob's just amazing, I had the new carseat installed in the car today and he looks so grown up. He now is rolling on to his front a lot and occasionally rolling from his front to his back which is a lot harder but usually he just yells for Mum to roll him back. He also is think about moving forward once he gets on to his front but not too inspired yet although I think it might be the cats that get him moving, he's very interested in them especially Puck.

Menu Plan Tuesday seems to be norm here

2008-03-18T12:05:00.004+11:00

These are photos of Jacob's first swim in our local pool and then him exhausted afterwards.

sigh I miss my Mum. She's just spent a week here and made my life so easy, she took care of all the washing and the dishes, did some gardening and all Luke's ironing and now here I am sitting in my pjs at midday waiting for my boy to wake up from his nap so I can shower him. I'm so unorganised but in my defence I'm getting over a cold and was up twice in the night coughing so I'm not feeling my best.

We've resolved to have at least one vegetarian meal a week hopefully to save a bit of money but also to be healthy. So last night we had Vegetable Pie - made with a rice crust, sautéed curried veges and a cheese sauce. The pie was made with me carrying Jacob in his sling - not the best way to cook but the best way to keep him quiet and I think it tired him out so much watching everything I was doing that after a snack of breastmilk he had an afternoon nap something that's quite rare over here.
I did wonder as I made the roux for the cheese sauce if it might not influence his career choice that I made the sauce from scratch with butter, mustard powder, flour, milk and grated cheese, not from a packet as I imagine a lot of others might do. Will my little boy turn out to be a chef, food critic, vintner, or hotelier? Do the things I do with him determine his path in life? But then I think that my mother also cooks things from scratch so to speak, taught me to make scrambled eggs when I was 4 and while I love food, consider myself a good cook and read and write about food I'm a librarian not a chef. So maybe all I'm teaching my boy is a love of food and the ability to care for himself, both important things.

Tonight it's Japanese grilled chicken with rice and stir-fried veges and tomorrow veal with tomatoes and olives served with herb rolls and a green salad. Past that I'm not sure but hopefully friends will be visiting for dinner on Saturday night and if so I've planned to have bbq ribs

Gotta help those academic mothers

2008-03-06T17:45:00.001+11:00

See this post below to help a blogging mom doing her PhD, the survey was pretty painless and interesting

Are you a mom? Do you blog?

I am a mom trying to finish my PhD; and I need YOUR help!

I am conducting academic research FOR you and ABOUT you. I have a particular interest in studying those things that make the transition to motherhood easier, or at the very least, better understood. The growing number of “Mommy Bloggers” has piqued my interest and I am researching the experience of blogging for mothers of young children. Your help would be greatly appreciated and go a long way toward increasing the knowledge of the ways in which blogging can be meaningful for people like mothers.

Please complete my survey and let me know about your blogging experience.

Please click HERE to learn more, or simply click the web button that you see below.

I know your time is valuable, thank you so much for participating.

Menu Plan Monday whoops Tuesday

2008-03-02T23:15:00.005+11:00

Last week was pretty successful as far as our menu went.
28th February was the anniversary of my positive pregnancy test, it's hard to believe it's only been a year since that morning, I remember getting up early, peeing on that stick and then watching in disbelief as the faint line grew in the 1st box. I raced into our bedroom, jumped on the bed and shoved the test under the nose of my sleeping husband and demanded if he could see both lines :-) He very sleepily said "what?" and then agreed that there were 2 lines and we were both rather stunned. It was our first attempt at "trying for a baby" and we thought it would take much longer.
Now the result of that test is sleeping on my shoulder Awwwwww

Monday - Swedish Meatballs served with mashed potatoes, peas and lingonberry sauce
Tuesday - Lamb Sausage and Salad Pitas
Wednesday - Pasta with Zucchini, Prosciutto and Lemon
Thursday - Steak Sandwiches a la Jamie Oliver
Friday - Quick Kedgeree served with a green salad
Saturday - Tortellini salad with crispy prosciutto and spinach
Sunday - Corn fritters, bacon and a green salad

The Swedish meatballs come from IKEA frozen and then you buy the packets of meatball sauce too. It's extremely yummy but we forgot the lingonberry sauce this time. We've now run out so time for another trip to IKEA

Why yes Puck is sitting on Jacob's head

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-25T13:18:00.000+11:00

Ooh it's been ages since I posted! Things have been chaotically busy recently but all good. I missed last week's menu but we actually ate well and finally had those Rosemary Lamb Skewers which were really good.
In other news Jacob is sleeping through the night from around 9.30pm to 7am and this weekend moved into his cot. He had no problem with the transition and has taken to sleeping with his arms straight out to the sides which he couldn't do in the bassinet. He's also sleeping in a sleeping bag which he's been doing for a few weeks and seems to love it or maybe it's Mummy that loves it; very easy, he can't kick it off and I don't worry about covers over his face. He was almost busting out of the bassinet and looked huge but now seems so tiny in the big cot.
Any way here goes this week

Monday - Bacon and Tomato Tart served with a green salad
Tuesday - Beef Nachos with refried beans, avocado, sour cream and a green salad
Wednesday - Quick Kedgeree served with a green salad
Thursday - Lamb Sausage and Salad Pitas
Friday - Pasta with Zucchini, Prosciutto and Lemon
Saturday - Greek Style Lamb on Couscous
Sunday - Chicken and Vegetable Risotto

Mummy and me

2008-02-11T16:02:00.001+11:00

I realised a couple of weeks ago that since those initial first photos in the hospital that there are very few photos of me and Jacob and hardly any of just the 2 of us. So I asked Luke to take some and these are a few of the results.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-11T16:00:00.000+11:00

Well once again things didn't go quite as planned so a few things have migrated, those lamb skewers do not seem to want to make an appearance. I am looking forward to them though as I love BBQed meat.
Hopefully Thursday's restaurant visit with enfant in tow will go well - fingers crossed.

Monday - Quick Chicken Florentine with pasta and salad
Tuesday - Roast Chicken served with coleslaw and roasted vegetables
Wednesday -Roasted Chicken and Couscous Salad
Thursday - Valentine's Day - we're going out for dinner!
Friday - Lamb Cutlets with Tabouleh Couscous
Saturday - Rosemary Lamb Skewers with Spiced Yogurt, couscous and salad
Sunday -Fettuccine Boscaiola served with a green salad

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-04T15:32:00.000+11:00

Well last week went well although we did succumb to takeaways on Friday night, I was exhausted and even though I'd spent the whole day at home and we were having a very easy salad I just couldn't do it, so we had pizza instead.
We resurrected the tuna salad for Sunday night and we're having the Massaman curry on Thursday as my father in law is coming to dinner Wednesday and Thursday and hopefully he will enjoy it.

Monday - Greek Chicken Pasta served with a green salad
Tuesday - Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day - Egg & Ham Crepes with Gruyere served with a green salad
Wednesday -Ash Wednesday - Fish Burgers with salad
Thursday - Massaman Beef Curry served with jasmine rice and stirfried green beans
Friday - Felafel with pita bread, hummus, relish, yoghurt and salad
Saturday - Rosemary Lamb skewers with spiced yoghurt, couscous and salad
Sunday - Quick Chicken Florentine served with baked potatoes and salad

Rolling

2008-01-31T18:52:00.000+11:00

This is for my sister who is passionate about baby-led development. Jacob has never had "tummy-time", we've chosen to let him develop at his own pace and not to put him in any position that he can't get into by himself. He has only ever been placed on his back - now look at that kid go!

Bad Mummy

2008-01-28T22:28:00.000+11:00

Last night I felt like the worst mummy in the world. While clipping Jacob's fingernails with baby nail clippers I nipped his little finger and it bled. He cried, I cried and Luke had to stop playing WoW and comfort us both.
The moral of the story is stick to the embroidery scissors - although they're sharp and pointy they actually seem to be safer.

Menu Plan Monday Mark 2

2008-01-28T13:23:00.000+11:00

Well last week was a bit of a disaster as far as our menu went. Luke came home from the dentist with the news that he had broken his tooth, he had 4 other teeth also in danger and he needed to eat soft foods until his next appointment on Friday week (sigh)
So the Rosemary Lamb Skewers were definitely out. I also discovered that the Chicken Quesadillas was a bit too complicated with a grizzly baby. The movie on Wednesday was cancelled as the outdoor screen had been damaged and we went out on Saturday night to our favourite Japanese restaurant.
So here's hoping this week will be better

Monday - Homemade Lasagne served with a green salad
Tuesday - Dunsandel Store's Macaroni Cheese served with a green salad
Wednesday -Veal Cordon Bleu served with potato bake and a green salad
Thursday - Panfried Chicken Breasts with baked potatoes, mashed peas and a creamy mushroom sauce
Friday - Tuna and Risoni salad served with herb bread rolls
Saturday - Jacob 3 months! - American meatloaf sandwiches and icecream sandwiches
Sunday - Massaman Beef Curry served with jasmine rice and stirfried green beans

another little glimpse

2008-01-25T19:48:00.000+11:00

Jacob's found his hands and his tongue and he's experimenting with new noises.
I'm sorry it's so dark, I hope you can see just how cute he is.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-01-21T18:05:00.000+11:00

While I was already doing my own version of this, I think it helps to post it for the whole wide world to see. Thanks to Penny for introducing me to this and you can read about for yourselves at I'm an Organising Junkie

Monday - Chicken Quesadillas served with guacamole, sour cream and a green salad
Tuesday - Quick Kedgeree served with a green salad
Wednesday - Hamper from the Starlight Cinema whilst watching Waitress at the local football ground
Thursday - Greek Chicken pasta served with a green salad
Friday - Dunsandel Store's Macaroni Cheese served with a green salad
Saturday - Australia Day - Rosemary Lamb Skewers with Spiced Yoghurt served with garlic roasted potatoes and a green salad
Sunday - Panfried Chicken Breasts with baked potatoes, mashed peas and a creamy mushroom sauce

I'll let you know how we got on next Monday.

Twinkle Twinkle

2008-01-19T16:20:00.000+11:00

I hope this works, it's a silly little video of me singing Twinkle, twinkle little star in the background whilst filming Jacob smiling and talking.

Baby Bounce & Rhyme

2008-01-15T16:37:00.000+11:00

Baby Bounce and Rhyme was great! We sang and danced to Twinkle twinkle, This old man, Row Row your boat, Grand old duke of york and a few new ones I hadn't heard before. The room was packed, it's obviously a very popular session.
Jacob's way too young to participate but he sat on my lap and I did some of the actions with him and he really enjoyed it. We'll definitely be going back.

Week 2!

2008-01-14T09:14:00.000+11:00

It's been a long hard road to get here but I've finally spent the last week at home by myself (during the day) caring for my baby. Since Jacob was born there's pretty much always been someone here, my Mum mostly but also Dad and Luke's parents and Nanna. I now seem to be almost 100% better now and trying to get into a weekly routine.
Last week was in turns both fun and frustrating but we made it through even surviving Luke's food poisoning .
Anyway this is what we have planned for this week
Mon- Housework
Tues - Baby Bounce and Rhyme at the Library
Wed - Errands
Thurs - maybe a movie?
Fri - Rest day

Merry Christmas from Auckland

2007-12-24T19:44:00.000+11:00

The photo is Luke and Jacob at Sydney airport

After what I think has been my annus horribilis it's nice to be at my parents' place in Auckland being looked after by them.
Mum has shown Jacob off to all and sundry and on the whole he's been a little angel, passed from one relative or friend to another.
Jacob's being christened tomorrow during the Christmas service at the church we were married in. We tried the heirloom gown on last night and Luke said he was wearing a doily. sigh. We're the coming back here to celebrate Christmas with my Dad's family.
Merry Christmas to everyone and their families - we wish you peace, love, and prosperity

Jacob has a bellybutton

2007-11-13T08:05:00.000+11:00

Jacob's cord stump just fell off after teasing us for days. I was changing his nappy after a feed when I noticed it. I've just wrapped him him up like a spring roll and popped him back in bed and he might sleep for another 4 hours.
Some days he's so good and sleeps for these lovely long stretches at a time so I can sleep myself or actually do something that requires both hands. Some days like yesterday he will just not settle and I end up spending all afternoon rocking and soothing him. It's hard work and it can be frustrating but I wouldn't swap it for the highest paid job.

Welcome to the world Baby Boy!

2007-11-12T15:00:00.000+11:00

This post has been a long time coming but I'm sure all of you who have experienced first-time motherhood understand just how exhausting/confusing the whole business is and will forgive the lateness of this post.

Our son Jacob was born 8.46pm 2nd November. He weighed a healthy 3685g (8lb 2oz) was 49cm long with a head circumference of 36.5cm (ouch!). It sounds all lovely and straightforward when you put down the statistics but really it was anything but.

My waters broke 4.30am Tuesday 30th November, when I got up to use the toilet in the middle of the night (Luke reckons I planned for them to break in the bathroom). I wasn't having any contractions so I rang the Birth Centre who said to check my temperature every 4 hours, go back to bed and ring them in the morning.
When I rang them I still wasn't having regular contractions just irregular ones that weren't very painful so they organised for me to come in for ctg monitoring that afternoon and then to see them to discuss our options.
We did this and the baby was fine, very happy in his less liquid hotel. At the Birth Centre they were all happy for me to go home to wait for labour to start until they felt his head and discovered he was still not engaged thereby running a risk of cord prolapse. So I was admitted to the antenatal ward. Luckily we'd brought all our labour stuff so I had the essentials. I spent 3 nights there; every night not getting very much sleep as my contractions got a lot more painful at night but they never became 'regular' enough for established labour. Finally at 4am Friday morning the registrar did an internal exam and I was 2cm dilated so at least something had been happening if very slowly. They sent me down to the Delivery Unit and I called Luke to come in.

When Luke arrived I was in the shower using the hot water as pain relief. He rang our doula to come and things got underway. They had let me go as long as I was allowed with my waters broken without inducing me so I was hooked up to the Syntocin drip and to the foetal monitors. This meant I was restricted to lying down. The pain was too difficult to deal with this way so I asked for an epidural and a fantastic anaesthetist put it in for me. This was lovely as I was actually alert for the first time in hours but also I got some sleep. When they checked me again I was 7cm dilated!
We finally got to the pushing stage about 7pm and at 8.46pm Jacob was born. Things did get dramatic towards the end as my temperature rose and they decided Jacob had to come out immediately. The registrar came in and did a forceps delivery with a 2nd degree episitomy. Jacob must have been presenting strangely as the first thing she could feel was an ear so I probably wouldn't have been able to push him out by myself anyway. Everyone was upset as the one thing I really didn't want was an episiotomy but quite frankly by that stage all I wanted was him out!

He had to go to the paediatrician who was standing by as soon as he was delivered but once he'd been thoroughly checked he was placed on my chest. After I'd been stitched up I was able to feed him.

I spent 2 nights in hospital longing to go home so we opted for the early discharge program where the midwives visit you at home for 4 days. I've recovered really well and Jacob is beautiful, feeds really well and is only waking once in the night at the moment so I'm very blessed.

Our champion

2007-10-29T11:38:00.002+11:00

It's been more than a month since I last posted and I think that's mostly because I'm fed-up and can't wait for this baby to make his appearance.
I am enjoying being a stay at home mum even sans baby and my house has never been so clean for so long. We also have regular healthy home-cooked meals every night. Luke loves it and the fact he's been let off most of the housework. We'll see how long that lasts once the baby arrives.

We pick up Puck next Saturday but yesterday he competed in the All Breeds Cat Society Of The Blue Mountains for best male kitten and he won 1 fourth and 5 fifths! Considering he was competing against kittens 8 months older than him, he did very well.
That's him with his mouth open in front.

A new addition to the family

2007-09-22T17:31:00.002+10:00

No, not the baby, we're getting a new kitten! We decided that our boy Loki really needed a feline companion especially with the impending arrival of his human brother.
I wanted a seal point Siamese male kitten so we contacted Penny, the breeder that bred Loki and she got back to us when Myumi had a litter of 4 kittens, 1 blue point girl, 1 chocolate point girl and 2 seal points - a girl and a boy!
We went to visit him today and he's quite a shy little boy but with 3 big sisters bossing him around that's understandable. We've decided to call him Puck and get to take him home towards the end of October.
The photos are me having a cuddle, Puck looking at the camera - check out those blue eyes, and Puck and his sister Berry, the blue point.

Heffalump

2007-09-21T12:12:00.001+10:00

32 weeks + 4 days
Excuse the awful expression on my face - Luke was having trouble with my new camera and I was starting to get impatient.

Rock a bye baby

2007-09-21T12:01:00.000+10:00

Just a few more photos to show the progress I've made in the nursery. The little bassinet is made up with sheets and blanket, the nappies are in the nappy stacker and the clothes are in the drawers.

We still need to hang a few pictures and I'm going to buy a lamp to go on top of the bookcase in reach of the rocking chair. I'll put a dim bulb in it and use it during night feeds.

Loki's big adventure

2007-09-21T11:19:00.000+10:00

For his birthday, our kitten Loki got a harness and a leash so that he could go outside. On the whole he has enjoyed his outings and he now will run to the back door any time we open the blind there and miaow to go out.

The problem is he is getting a bit too brave and thinks he can go outside without supervision.

The first few times he had a bit of agoraphobia as it all was too big and scary but he now feels very confident in our little courtyard. He wasn't quite so keen on exploring further, grass felt weird on his paws and he smelt a dog coming but Dad was with him so he got up on his shoulders and was brave again.

Here are some photos of the morning of his birthday and his first exploration.

3D baby

2007-09-01T19:24:00.000+10:00

We went last weekend for our 4D ultrasound. I'd had a breakfast of pancakes, orange juice and a hot chocolate so the little one was like a 'frog in a sock'in my belly. We didn't have to wait long and within minutes were looking at the profile of our beautiful baby boy watching him yawn, blow kisses, rub his little face and stick his fingers in his mouth.

I don't think it was as clear as it could have been, a mix of less quality technology and the fact my placenta is lying in front meaning that the ultrasound was often bouncing off the placenta and shadowing the baby's head. But we did get some amazing images and again a real sense of connection with our unborn boy.

We went out for dinner that night to a local restaurant just short walk up the road. I had to send my trout back to be cooked a little more as I'm not supposed to eat raw fish while pregnant but the maitre'd was very obliging. Later when he came back to check on us Luke was very lovingly rubbing my belly, a surprising show of affection for my bump. It turned out he had a 10 month old son so probably understood the trials of dining with a pregnant woman. We had a great night and it was lovely to be able to stroll home in the balmy night air.

Uncooperative baby

2007-08-13T18:17:00.000+10:00

We went for a 4D ultrasound on Saturday before dropping Mum at the airport however the baby refused to cooperate. He was lying with his face turned towards my back and his hands and feet up there too. We jiggled him, I went and peed and the sonographer even rolled a cold can across my tummy (Brrrrrr) with no luck.
We were trying for a profile shot to get a look at his little face. So we rescheduled the ultrasound for another two weeks.
It was a shame we couldn't get a good look at his face while Mum was there but we did see the head and the heart in 2D and get a confirmation that he's a boy! Note the masculine pronouns ;-)
This is me at 26 weeks - I'm huge!

Last night of 29

2007-07-30T16:42:00.000+10:00

As a family tradition my Mum used to take photos of us the night before our birthday. She has the cutest photo of me in my pjs, sitting up in bed, clutching Teddy on my last night of three. It's something I hope to do for my own kids and last week I made Luke take a photo of my last night of 29.
That's right folks I am officially 30. We didn't do much on my actual birthday as I had my first sewing night class but Luke made me breakfast in bed and then had flowers delivered to work so I was royally spoilt and of course I got my sewing machine we'd bought a few weeks earlier.

The next night we went out for dinner with friends to a restaurant called Thaitanic (groan) , the food was good and the company enjoyable.
Saturday we were checking in to a hotel for a night of luxury to celebrate my birthday. Saturday morning I decided to go to the doctor as I'd had athlete's foot for a few days and my toes had become unbearably itchy and red. After a 5 hour wait to see someone I left with a prescription. We made it to the hotel a little later than we'd wanted but proceeded to make the most of it.
We ordered room service, took baths, watched satellite tv and relaxed on the king sized bed.
During a lot of this I iced my foot as it was the only way to relieve the itching and it was swelling.

Anyway the next day after we checked out; we stopped off at RPA on the way home as my foot was getting worse. Luckily I am pregnant because Emergency were extremely busy and predicting an 8 hour wait but once they found out I was pregnant, they rang the labour ward and asked if they would see me. Labour and Delivery were quiet so were happy to look after me and I was dealt with in a couple of hours. I have some localised cellulitis in my foot so I am now resting at home, taking antibiotics and watching for any increase in redness. If it had been any worse I would have been admitted and given IV antibiotics so I am very glad we did something about it rather than waiting.

Nursery in progress

2007-07-22T12:34:00.000+10:00

We're slowly turning the study into a nursery. The computers and desks went downstairs into the open plan living area in May when my parents were here so they could help Luke schlep the heavy stuff down the stairs and the rocking chair I bought on ebay upstairs.
I cleared out the bookcase of all the non-baby books, redistributing them around the house and got Luke to move it across to the other side of the room so I could fill with all the children's books I've been given. He put together the change table I bought on ebay and the following weekend we bought a bassinet.
I could hardly wait to get it out of it's box , it's the one thing that really makes it feel like a nursery. We still need to buy a lamp and my father in law is making me a little table to go next to the rocking chair so I have somewhere to put my water, books and other paraphernalia but it does feel like the room where my baby will sleep.

A Night Out

2007-07-08T18:28:00.000+10:00

We went out for dinner last night to Bistrode in Surry Hills to celebrate Luke's new job. The food was very interesting, mostly things considered offal which gave us pause but turned out to be very tasty. I wasn't quite as brave as Luke mostly because I have to be careful about what I eat at the moment but I had a great dinner; choosing the smoked eel with a potato pancake and horseradish and the waygu corned beef with bubble and squeak. Luke had pig's head, black sausage and egg salad and cornfed chicken with sweetbreads, prawns and samphire (sea asparagus). He pronounced everything delicious. The maitre'd was very nice and served me sparkling water in a wine glass to go with Luke's glass of cuvee so we could toast his new job.

The baby's now a lot more active and the kicks can be seen from the outside of my belly. Unfortunately Luke's has yet to feel one yet as he doesn't have the patience to wait for a kick and every time he's tried to feel one, the baby won't cooperate. The photo is me at almost 22 weeks ready to go out for dinner.

What a silly galah!

2007-07-02T12:02:00.000+10:00

I sometimes forget I live in Australia, so many things are similar to NZ, but it's mornings like this when I'm driving to work and I see a flock of galahs grazing in the park near home that I realise I'm not in Kansas anymore.

Sad result in the rugby too :-( it was a close game right up until the end. Go the ABs!

One down, many more to go

2007-06-28T21:22:00.000+10:00

We took a long weekend and went up to the Hunter Valley to celebrate our first anniversary. In some ways it's hard to believe that it has only been a year since the wedding, in other ways it seems like forever (in a good way).
We stayed at Cedar Creek Cottages which are on Stonehurst Vineyard. We'd stayed there before almost 4 years ago just before Christmas and had a wonderful time. This time we experienced a completely different season as they've just had some bad flooding in this area. Unfortunately their cellar door and winery had been affected by the floods and the bridge over the river on their property had been washed away. They'd also lost our booking as they were busy drying papers all over their house. This didn't matter as there was an available cottage but to get there we had to cross over the neighbour's bridge, a very scary old iron bridge with just 2 tracks for the tyres and then drive across the bottom of the vineyard on a dirt track.

We had a great time reading, watching dvds, taking baths and vegging in front of the fire. We did also leave the cottage at some point and ate at some great restaurants, bought stinky cheeses and walked in the Hunter Valley Gardens. We didn't do any wine tasting as Luke didn't want to do it by himself so we feel we'll have to make another trip at some point to take advantage of the great vineyards up there. We did buy a few bottles of Stonehurst wine; mostly late harvest semillion, as they were having a 50% off storm sale because the bottle labels were damages by the flood.

We did wonder if we were going to be trapped there as it rained all night before we were leaving and that track across the vineyard turned into mud. We were going sideways at some point but we made it out safely and back to Sydney. The photo is of that morning looking across the vineyard from the verandah of our cottage and down over the river with the layer of mist.
Loki was very indignant when we picked him up and scolded us all the way home and since has been incredibly clingy, he's currently perched precariously on the edge of the keyboard tray and on top of my belly snuggling as close as possible.

In pregnancy news I've started feeling small kicks particularly last thing at night but becoming more frequent. It's the most amazing feeling and I can't wait until Luke can feel them too.

baby belly

2007-06-16T21:03:00.000+10:00

Well as you can see I definitely have a belly now and in fact I can't wear any of my old trousers, I've had to move into maternity pants. Luckily I've found a pair of comfy jeans at Pumpkin Patch. We had our 18 week scan this Thursday and everything is fine. My placenta is lying in front so that explains why I haven't felt any movement yet. You can see how squished up he/she is with the leg and foot top left.

a new yogi

2007-06-12T22:11:00.000+10:00

It's been a while since I last posted and I've been feeling better and better. I struggled with hyperemesis up until 13 weeks. The last weeks of it were terrible, I spent them in bed barely able to move without throwing up, eating very little and watching bad daytime tv. Then all of a sudden I got better and slowly I've regained my health and energy. I had 1 relapse that lasted a day at 14 weeks but nothing for the past few weeks (fingers crossed).
I am suffering bad heartburn on and off and sciatica, both which are side effects of pregnancy and darn uncomfortable but nothing compared to the debilitating effects of nausea.

I haven't feel the baby move yet but hopefully it should be soon, I can't wait for those first few flutters. I have my 18-20 week ultrasound this week which should be exciting.
I went to my first prenatal yoga class 0n Saturday, it was an interesting 2 hours. Not an awful lot of yoga actually happened but it was a good experience. The teacher is a nurse, theatre nurse, midwife, parent educator and international yoga teacher as well as quite eccentric with a broad Scottish accent. She interrogated everyone as to whether they had placenta previa or any other conditions before leading us in some yogic breathing and meditation. We progressed into a few gentle Hatha yoga moves and then all lay on our mats for relaxation. I've done quite a bit of Iyengar yoga previously so it was weird for this all to have such a strong pregnancy/labour/birth focus but appropriate and worthwhile. I won't be able to attend the next two classes but I look forward to going back when I can.

First real sighting

2007-05-02T13:36:00.000+10:00

breeders

2007-04-03T19:36:00.000+10:00

I think we've caught up most people with our news by now so I'll announce it to the community at large.
I'm pregnant!
I know, we're very goal-orientated over here and I think this may the first year I've ever fulfilled one of my new year's resolutions. This is also partly the reason for the lack of updates to this blog - morning sickness or rather all day and night sickness is kicking my butt.

So le enfant is due mid-November and we're hoping to return to New Zealand for Christmas with infant in tow. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, it does seem a cruel and unusual decision to take a new baby on a plane flight but I think my Mum would attempt a cross-border kidnapping if we weren't visiting.

It's the first grandchild on my side and (as far as I know yet) the first great-grandchild too so it's going to be royally spoilt. We are very much looking forward to visiting NZ over Christmas and catching up with all our friends and whanau.

We were discussing things we 'must do' while in Auckland and one of them is eat at Tanuki's Cave, our favourite izakaya bar in the city and Luke said in all seriousness 'we'll have to arrange a babysitter' I burst out laughing at him then explained there would be no shortage of people to babysit and I think any others may have to fight Mum for the privilege anyway.

OpenAir Cinema

2007-02-04T22:53:00.000+11:00

A couple of weeks ago Luke and I went to the OpenAir Cinem a at Mrs Macquarie's Point in the Domain. It was amazing to sit in the dusk facing towards the Opera house and the Harbour Bridge watching flying foxes flit overhead and watch a film on a large screen that was actually supprted by legs that were in the sea!

We went twice to this event, once to see Miss Potter, the story of Beatrix Potter who wrote Peter Rabbit and other wonderful stories. Then again a week later to see Stranger than Fiction with friends. Both films were captivating in different ways.
This is a photo of us sitting at a table at the cinema about to have dinner.

Auld Lang Syne

2007-01-01T00:48:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year! I hope this is a great year with not too many major events in it for us because if there's one thing I've learnt about major events is that they're expensive.

We've had a quiet New Year's Eve. I made a 3-course dinner consisting of Chilled Pea and Watercress Soup, Scotch Fillet served with aligot(french potato puree with garlic and cheese), baked crumbed tomato, steamed beans and horseradish cream and a beef jus. For dessert we had icecream sandwiches of chocolate fudge cookies and mocha icecream with fresh raspberries and cream. We meant open a bottle of champagne at midnight while watching the Harbour Bridge fireworks on TV but we were both a bit stuffed and Luke felt nauseous so we'll save it for another occasion. The fireworks were amazing though and we could see the light of them illuminating the sky in many colours from our upstairs window.

This year Luke's parents moved to Brisbane, our godson was born, we got married, my grandfather died, Luke got a job in Sydney, we moved to Sydney, we adopted our kitten Loki, our niece was born and I got a job at a large university. Whew!

There have been ups and downs this year; we still really miss everyone in NZ and we look forward to any visitors over the next year.

We hope to be parents by this time next year but who knows what's in store for us. I read somewhere if you want make God laugh? Tell Him your plans. So we're just going where the wind takes us.
A good friend's baby was due on Friday so I wish a easy speedy delivery for her and a healthy happy baby.
I also wish my family and friends a safe, joyful and rewarding new year.

the gang's all here

2006-12-14T22:37:00.000+11:00

My parents are visiting for 4 nights from NZ, it's so nice seeing familiar faces, hearing all their news and showing them our new place.

Mum went off shopping today and managed to make it into the city and home again in one piece. Dad had a quiet day at home as he is currently wearing a moonboot to help heel his torn achilles tendon but he was well entertained by Loki.

I've been well organised too and had Italian meatballs in the freezer ready to simmer in passata and chicken stock for tonight's meal. Fantastic when you get home from work at 6pm to have something that only takes about 20 minutes to cook but is a filling, tasty, healthy, impressive meal that does include meat. Unfortunately Luke doesn't consider vegetarian food to contain enough protein and as he can't eat nuts he may have a point but it does mean we eat a lot of meat sometimes I long for a simple vegetarian pasta dish or curry.

Tomorrow night we head out to Bar Italia for a cheap and cheerful Italian meal, the service may not be flash but it has a charm all of it's own.

The first Noel the angels did say

2006-12-03T14:13:00.001+11:00

well it's been a while since I posted, I've been a bit preoccupied with the newest member of our family.
Sorry for the scary red eyes in the photo but the red eye fix won't work.
Loki is just adorable, he's very good, no accidents so far and it only took 4 squirts of the spray bottle to teach him to mostly leave the Christmas tree alone. He is having a little bit of a problem with the whole 'nighttime is for sleeping' thing but he's learning I hope.

Apart from that we're just getting ready for Christmas, we put up the tree and put out the nativity set. I'm plowing through the Christmas card list and we put a wreath on our front door. We've also started Christmas shopping mostly because my parents are arriving in 10 days and we need to have the NZ gifts bought for them to take back for us.

I find it really strange how Aussies say 'chrissy' as in buying 'chrissy presents'

Right about now I'm wishing I held out for airconditioning

2006-11-21T22:33:00.000+11:00

It's soooooo hot. I slept very badly last night because of the heat, it was worse today and it will be even worser (hee!) tomorrow, getting up to 38 degrees. What did I do to deserve this?

Well actually during the day as long as I'm at work it's not too bad because of the airconditioning and as long as I catch a new train and bus home with airconditioning that's ok too. We're also planning not to open the blinds tomorrow to cut down on the heat entering the house during the day and tonight we're trialling sleeping with a damp top sheet and the fan blowing on us to hope cool us down. Sounds pretty nasty but as I sit here at 10.40pm at night and it's still about 27 degrees it sounds like heaven.

We're back...

2006-11-12T22:24:00.000+11:00

Finally after weeks of waiting we're back online and so much has gone on since I posted in October.
We went to visit our new kitten in Blacktown and on the way discovered Westies are the same wherever you go. We also finally came up with a name for the kitten, he's now Loki after the Norse trickster god. You can see the photos of our visit with him here. We get to take him home on the 25th November and we can't wait.

Also our furniture arrived. This was the cause of much jubilation and one the of the first things I did was connect up the washing machine and put on a load of washing then sink into the couch ahhhh! You don't realise how much you miss these creature comforts until you have to do without. I don't think I would have been a very good pioneer. Without my washing machine, a hot shower and the dishwasher I'm not a very happy camper. We still have a few boxes to unpack but most of the everyday stuff has been unpacked.

Hello am still alive

2006-11-09T18:43:00.001+11:00

should be online at home soon in next couple of days and will update them
Hen xxx

I feel like I've had a limb removed

2006-10-26T19:45:00.000+10:00

Not having internet access at home and very limited access at work is driving me crazy. Presently I'm sitting in an internet cafe inside a bookshop at 8pm at night, we haven't had dinner and my very patient husband is reading book while he waits for me.

But it's probably the least of our worries really. Not having any furniture or a fridge is more concerning and as yet there's no sign when Customs might release our stuff.
Sleeping on an airmattress is not fun, eating every meal out is fun but pales after a while and having to take your clothes to a laundry to be washed and wondering if you've got enough panties to last the week is definitely not fun indeed.

As Luke pointed out though these are the stories we'll tell our grandchildren about coming to live in our new country and they will probably wonder at the deprivation of it all.

We are very lucky really, at least we could afford to buy a portable dvd player to keep us occupied at night and there are amazing cafes and restaurant's within walking distance.
On Saturday we visit our kitten, we both are so excited about it we can hardly wait!

Who's a clever girl then?

2006-10-17T21:01:00.000+10:00

I went for an interview today at the Douglas Piper Library at the Royal North Shore Hospital in St Leonards, it was for a two month contract position as a reference librarian and later this afternoon I got the call that they want me to start on Monday.
I'm a bit astounded really, I felt I babbled too much in the interview and I wasn't specific enough but never mind it should be an interesting job, they seem like a good team and it's a nice library.

After Luke got home this evening we went to visit our house. He hadn't seen inside at all (he's a bit trusting really :->) so he had a good look through and I took a couple more photos of the outside this time. I also took some photos of the room at the backpackers so you can see the tiny cage we've been living in.

After the inspection we toddled off down the road to the Italian Forum. Leichhardt is a very Italian area and down a shop-lined lane off Norton St is a big open area surrounded by shops on the upper level and restaurants around the square. There's a fountain with a statue of Dante and the public library among the restaurants. From what I've heard the forum is pumping on the weekend and there's a market on Sundays.
We had dinner at Sapore and very nice it was too and the Italian waiter called me darling :-P

Ladies and Gentlemen we have a house...

2006-10-16T19:41:00.000+10:00

We went to the real estate agent's office this morning and signed our lives away for 12 months. Luke then went to work and I went to our new house. I spent the morning checking out which key went with which door and taking photos of our new place. Have a look, I've tried to set it up like a tour so you can see where we'll be living.
Unfortunately we got "lucky" and were chosen by Australian Customs for random inspection so at this stage we won't get our belongings until Tuesday next week. This means we have to buy an airmattress and go camping in our house for a couple of days as our last night here is Saturday.

There's also new photos of our kitten who currently goes by many names. He got nicknamed Mozart by a friend of the breeders although they normally never name their kittens. Luke wants to call him Mayhem and my idea was Bijou. We're waiting until we visit him before we choose a name so he may end up something completely different although it seems likely he will be Mayhem Mozart Cartner at the moment.

it's hot baby!

2006-10-13T17:55:00.000+10:00

We got up to 37 degrees today and it was incredible! It's like being on the footpath when a bus goes by and you feel the hot blast of its exhaust pass you by except it doesn't pass by it's just what the air is like outside.

I went for a walk at lunchtime and was very glad to get to the airconditioned mall. I can see why people go shopping or to the movies when it's hot. Apparently it was 15 degrees over the average temperature for October.

I like it though, it's hard to think that 2 months ago I was wearing a thick woolen coat and shivering in the cold.
Here in the city it's green but apparently inland drought situations are bad, a sobering reminder that not everyone enjoys the heat.