Busy Weekend

This is what has happened to my hot drinks. Decaf, what a nasty word!

I thought I'd just skip my morning coffee and cup of tea before bed, but after 12 years its a hard habit to break! I tried a warm Milo in the morning but then I just wanted to go back to bed, stike that one off the list. Cordial, juice, water? Nope just not cutting it. So I'm having decaf. Only 6 more weeks and Michael's first job after we get this baby out, is to go to maccas and get me a latte from the McCafe mmmm....

On Friday we went to Rocky for our ultrasound to see how gigantic my little man is, thankfully only measuring 2 weeks ahead, and there's no reason I should have to have a c-section or be induced early, so now we just play the waiting game, my guess of his birth date is the 10th of September. Keep that in mind!

So while we were in Rocky we also did some shopping and of course Jack found a playschool ride and insisted he and James had a ride, this is the only picture I got of both of them where they look semi-human, the rest are very blurry!

While we were there we put on a Target lay by of toys for Christmas, so much fun, and a baby lay by at Big W, unfortunately they were out of a lot of stuff(due to the sale that's just finished) so we only got 1 car seat, but most what I really wanted we got, I'm happy with that.

On Sunday we had a very special Birthday party to go to. Alex who turned 3 on Saturday and her lovely mum Peta deserve the world. Peta was told Alex would never walk or talk(She can walk and Peta is working on her speech) She has a special formula that goes straight into her belly she's allergic to food and can only drink water and even then she can't have a lot. They spend more time in Brisbane seeing specialists and having operations than they spend in Blackwater, and after 3 years of fighting there is still no word for whats wrong with little Alex.

So I got her some fun crafty gifts, but I thought I'd make some party food as well. Not that Alex could eat any of it, but I knew the rest of the kids would!

I added a pic just so everyone knows I don't just make ugly biscuits, I can also make pretty cupcakes ; )

So today we are having are taking it easy, I may not even get out of my PJ's : )

If you can't beat them....

Well I have succumbed to rest. Kinda.

Although yesterday I still did 3 loads in the dishwasher, folded washing and changed the boys sheets I did it very slowly and it took me all day to do that much. Today I have had a nap, made the kids lunch, changed a couple of nappies broke up a couple of fights, and thats about it!

A few days ago Michael and I were telling the boys that we might take them somewhere fun on Friday where there will be jumping castles (Rocky has an indoor fun house called The Crazy Joker, it sounds great) and lots of fun things for them to do, now Jack has a fantastic memory when it comes to something he wants, ask him where his shoes are or his cup, very different story, so he has been hassling Michael and I about the jumping castle so Michael decided if we threw all the lounge cushions off the lounge, add beanbags and anything else soft we could find the boys could have a 'jumping castle' and did they love it? I haven't heard anything else from them!

We have re-created the jumping castle a few times and yesterday while I was 'resting' I finally got some pics, although by the time I took them they were up and off again so they are all blurry, but hey you get that.

James decided rolling off the lounge on to the pillows was by far the best way to do it, Jack just wanted to jump off the end of the lounge as far as possible.

After James went down for his nap Jack and I made monster bickies which are butter biscuits with coconut and choc-chips I asked his what colour the monster bickies should be, green, blue, red maybe? Nope he said purple. He cracks me up this kid! So we made the most ugliest biscuits you have ever seen there was too much blue food dye so they are a very dark purple but the boys have almost devoured the entire lot of them.

Jack pushing more choc-chips into he tops of the biscuits, just in case there wasn't enough in them already!

Trying desperately to get the food dye off his fingers, he is my clean child after all and doesn't like being dirty or mess. Yes just in undies because it was too hot in our kitchen for jeans and he didnt want to wake up James by going in there room to get some shorts, cute. Aren't they the ugliest biscuits you have ever seen? : )

I'm falling apart

So I've had an 'interesting' 24hrs. We are defiantly not having any more babies after this one, I'm tempted to have a c-section and get my tubes tied while there in there, yes I am that serious. Yesterday I started getting pains, my heart was beating very fast and very hard almost like a cartoon where you see the heart pounding out of their chest, that's how I felt. I of course googled it, a bad thing to do when you have any medical problems, after a few phone calls with Michael he decided to come in to town and take me to hospital to get it checked out. Now we live in a small mining town (6000 people) and I realise that means that there isn't always what you want when you want it. But yesterday when we went to the hospital I saw a nurse who gave me ECG and sent me to a doctors surgery as there was no doctor at the hospital. After waiting for an hour in the doctors surgery we were told the doctor had to go to hospital as there was an emergency. By this time it was 5pm and my heart palpitation's had started at 1pm and I was starting to be in quite a bit of pain, and I sure worrying about it was only making it worse. So we drove an hour to a different hospital, had another ECG, some heart monitors put on me and bubs and I had some oxygen to stop the pain in my chest. I then got seen by 2 different doctors (love that!) and was told I have a irregular heart beat, but everything else looked fine, he said the sumo baby in my belly is probably putting stress on my heart he told me to rest and steer clear of caffeine. He sniggered and rolled his eyes when I explained what had happened at our hospital, seems to happen a lot apparently. My poor boys (all three of them, I think Michael was the worst of the lot) by this stage were so over tired and had been trying to be such good kids for the hours and hours of sitting around in waiting rooms, and not being able to touch anything fun when I was laying in the hospital bed. So Michael and I took them to Donalds for a run around and a cheeseburger, always a hit. This morning we went to hospital for more blood tests to make sure its not a thyroid problem. So I'm planning on reading my book and doing some laying around *yawn* I felt so good yesterday morning and had planned to come home and do some serious housework. On the up side I'm probably going to get a housecleaner, and soon. Michael and I joked that maybe I'll become a lady of leisure or a lady who lunches, someone to clean the house someone to watch the children, after all its whats expected of a miners wife isnt it?? : )

Oh Brother

I don't know whats going on with my (feral) boys lately, I think they may be feeling the effects of having a pregnant mother, and I think I'm feeling the effects of trying to spread myself to thinly~ mother,expectant mother, wife, house cleaner, friend, patient person!

I know in 2 years time the three of them will be as thick as thieves and I will be so glad that we had this baby when we did, but for now I feel the mother guilt that I have no energy or interest in doing anything physical (read that as fun) with them. My patience is a thing of the past, and I'm struggling to think of anything except what still needs to be done before this baby arrives (including Michael's 28th birthday, and what the hell I'm going to get him!) and what I need to buy next, and how many pay checks Michael gets before then and how many other things need to be payed for before then! Blegh! I hate being the responsible one sometimes, I wish I could just go and spend and let Michael clean up the mess, oh to be ignorant would be so much fun!

So to cheer us all up and to stop me from yelling at them again for nothing more than just being little boys also to wear them out so they will sleep for me this afternoon (so I can also sleep!) we went for a walk to our park at the end of our street, I'm even more sure that I want to get them a swing set/jungle gym for Christmas, they had so much fun.

James on the slide with his concentrating face on.

James on the swing looking like such a little cutie pie....

The boys showing me how they can swing all by themselves, they were laughing so hard at each other. Funny little creatures they are.

Mum annoying them so I could take a funny pic of them laying in the tube thing that always seems to be in parks.

Jack with his serious shop owner face on, he was selling me a $15 blue ice-cream, better be good!

On a boring baby note~ I am currently bidding on and winning 2 nappy bags, 2 slings and a whole bunch of bundles of baby boy clothes on eBay. Total for all items before postage $38.45. If only it would stay that way til the bidding finished!

My Re-Newed Love....

So while I was avoiding the housework yesterday I was cleaning out the applications on my facebook profile(I know bad hey?) and I found the link to my montages that I had basically forgotten about! I haven't quite finished fixing a few things but here's the link to them if you want to have a look, I can't wait to make one for Charlie (poor Jack misses out because we didnt have a digital camera when he was tiny)
James Michael
Our Wedding Day

Trying so hard...just not getting anywhere

Well its only 3pm and I have had a crap day.

No matter how hard I tried today things just were not working out for me. I don't know if its the wind or what but my boys are driving me batty, just being intentionally naughty.

James woke up cranky~ not with 'Hello Mummy did you sleep well? I would love to watch some cartoons, Yes I would love a warm drink of milk, thank you mummy dearest'

I got 'CARTOONS MUM!! Chocolate Milk Mum! Now!' Followed by hours of tantrums and tears.

It just went from bad to worse, James ended up tipping out a box of washing powder ($8) then tipped up a tin of Dulux Wash and Wear paint ($56) threw a tantrum because he was in trouble for tipping out said things.

Jack wasn't much better, stirring his brother up at every available chance, taking away his blankie, his drink, his favorite car,and to make matters worse pretending to be a dog and chase James around the house until he fell and banged his head.

I just wanted to do some painting and wash some baby clothes and have a quiet relaxing(ish) day with my little boys.

Its days like this I wonder what possessed me to have a 3rd boy!

On a happier note I did manage to do some painting and wash some little baby clothes, I didn't realise how many clothes I actually had already! Much easier to see them all in the one spot!

I also washed some blankies and towels, and the seat cover from the automatic swing we bought when James was born and the only thing he slept in til he was big enough to go in the cot. I feel much more prepared for this boy if he happens to turn up early.

The bookshelf I painted today when it was still sporting the 70's green, wasn't it nice!

Now a much nicer white, will need a second coat, not going to happen today though!

My clothes line view from Charlie's room, look at all those cute little outfits in the making! My little James when I could strap him in somewhere, if only it was that easy now : )

This is the swing that will now be little Charlie's. All washed and ready to go(well when it comes out of the dryer it will be!) So if heaven forbid Charlie came out tomorrow I would have clothes blankets, if need be, somewhere to put him in the car, somewhere to sleep. Hopefully he stays put until I have everything, but this is a good start!

Taking over my brain and body, oh the joys!

This is me today 32 weeks 4 days I'm at that stage where people only ask you two questions~ 'How are you feeling?' and 'How long have you got too go?' Usually followed by 'The count down is on!'

I understand I am the size of a small whale and I probably look like I just want to sleep for 100 hours (which I do!) but I'd love to talk about something else apart from how uncomfortable I am and how big I'm getting.

OK rant over!

I am still having trouble sleeping, my hips hurt and the new one for the week, my elbows are starting to hurt, I don't know whats up with that but I'm not loving it! I'm still needing to pee at least twice a night, usually in the dead of night and again after Michael's bloody alarm goes off, the poor guy he gets me grumpy in the morning and then by the time he comes home from work I'm grumpy all over again because I'm ready for bed again!

I'm so excited for next week were going to Rocky to spend 2 nights and a whole lot of time at the hospital, another ultrasound to see how big this boy can grow, blood tests, a shot of Anti-D and a normal check-up, were also going to do a big toy lay by at Target, can't wait I'm shopping for 3 different age groups, that's kinda scary!

Were hoping to take the kids to see Ice Age, take them bowling, and if we have time putt putt golf, I'm planning on doing no cooking (ahhh) and eating all the things I've been craving Double Whopper from Hungry Jacks, a really good prawn laksa, and a proper curry from a proper Indian take out : ) Poor Michael is still on Jenny Craig so he'll just be fetching me these nice things. Hopefully fingers crossed we'll also have the money to start buying some of the baby stuff on my ever growing list!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my Dad's Birthday, he is between 50 and 60, I won't embarrass him by letting on what number : ) He has had an exciting 12 months since the last birthday, my Dad got married last year for the 1st time, moved in with his bride and her daughter, she also has 1 who lives away at uni, (yes I realised I have 2 step sisters and yes I always think of Cinderella : ) has managed to cut down his work hours to finally finish his Law degree(I'm sure his Dad is proud) that he started at Sydney Uni in the 70's before he met my mum and got side tracked with being a young man living in Sydney in the 70's and all the fun stuff that was happening then!

A few things about my Dad:

My dad introduced me to Jazz music at a very young age, he is quite clever my Dad he can play most instruments without much difficulty, mostly clarinet, trumpet and of course the sax. I have fond memories of Dad playing a gig and me dancing around and playing with the wait staff at what ever venue the band was at. So much fun.

My Dad makes a mean sausage curry~Always with lots of liquid and puffed up sultanas, no matter how many times I try I cant seem to make it quite the same!

My Dad is Welsh which is where I get my colouring from (thanks for the 1 eyebrow!) and the older he gets the more he looks like my grandpa, who still has his welsh accent, I love it.

My Dad has worked many jobs my favorite is when he and Mum decided to run a strawberry farm when I was born(can you say hippy parents?) hence my love for strawberries, they were probably the 1st thing I ate!

This is my Dad at Jack's 3rd birthday party with James, its funny to see your parents as grandparents, they turn into strange people around their grand kids, it works both ways though my boys act totally differently with their grandparents, not as comfortable as they are with Michael and I, but there is a strange bond even from birth I think they just know these people are related to them somehow, and don't they know how to work it, I know my boys have my parents wrapped around their little fingers and my parents love it : )

This is Dad and Robin the day they got married, I love this pic, Dad looks so happy and comfortable with her, and she is happy to have step grand kids.

* Note to self I need to get some photos of Dad and I, I seem to only have one's of Dad and the kids!

Now I'm off to make sausage curry in his honor : )

Friends From Far Far Away

On Thursday we had our 1st visitors from home that weren't family, do you think I was excited? Yep you could say that!

Emily and Jim, who are travelling around the country before heading back to Orange to build a house (and hopefully start having babies) and getting on with the boring mundane normal parts of life, made a stop over to see us on their way from Cape York to Orange.

Emily and I used to be Party Girls/BnS Girls/Wild Girls, we also lived together and lived out of each others pockets, until I met Michael, but that's another story completely!

I was Maid of Honor at Em and Jim's wedding, and she helped me pick out my wedding dress, do you get how close we are??

We looked through old photos album's and reminisced about before we were married and were still crazy girls, had cups of tea together and caught up the way you only can in person, its just not the same on the phone. The men in our lives occupied each other and the kids were just happy to have people to show off to, they both have know Emily and Jim their whole lives and are comfortable with them, not everyone gets along so easily with our noisy boys.

This is us just before she walked down the aisle, I was so happy for her, I almost squeezed her to death every time I hugged her!

That's my country girl and her country boy. Such a suited couple, I can't wait for them to start having babies!

Emily and I busted by the photographer doing what we do best, having private jokes between the two of us, this is one of my favorite photo's from their wedding, you can tell were up to no good!

Its funny how quickly you slip back into the way things were after being apart for so long, thank heavens our husbands get along, and the four of us always end up having a bit of a laugh at each other, I wished we didnt live so far away!

Now we just need everyone else we know and love to visit us!

Oh Baby...

Well I've finally done it, I've reached the cranky irritable, had enough stage of pregnancy, its only taken me 32 weeks not bad considering with James I don't think I enjoyed it at all, having a 1yr old and being horrendously sick with a darling hubby at work all the time really sucked, this time has been so much nicer! I have suffered over the last few days bad pregnancy insomnia, heartburn, the major water works and braxton hicks, I'm so over it. I'll start with the insomnia, my hips are too sore to lay in bed so I potter around the house trying not to wake up my little boys(no chance of waking Michael up : ) then by 7.30am after the boys have been fed and watered and James has a clean bum (I'm not that bad of a parent) I pop on some cartoons and lay down and doze on the lounge, usually with James snuggled up with me. Major Water Works: Last night Jack was telling Michael about the horrid boys from Playgroup and Michael was telling him not to take it and fight back etc etc and they were having a great old time pretending to punch each other, I on the other hand was in tears I hate the thought of my beautiful sweet boy having to learn that not everyone is going to be his friend and go to school and look after himself, I want to be there to protect him I realise this is a silly idea and the pregnancy hormones were defiantly kicked in, this was made extremely worse by the reaction I got from Jack when he realised I was a blubbering mess, 1st he got me tissues, no mean feat in our house to reach the tissues he had to get his wee stool out of the bathroom take it to the kitchen. He brought me back half a ripped tissue and started wiping the 'water' off my face then tried to get me to blow my nose, he then took my cup of tea off me, filled it up with water and told me it would make me feel better to drink some water, sat down next to me held my hand told me I'm his best friend, then asked me if I needed a cuddle ?? Michael was almost wetting himself he thought this was so funny, Jack looking after me with his grown up voice being such a lovely little person which of course made me cry even more! Ugghh! So then the braxton hicks kicked in, for those of you who haven't suffered from them, be very glad its like a pretend contraction, although mine usually don't go away I just become very sore, after a hot shower and Michael fetching me a hot water bottle I attempted sleep not so successfully, I'm over it.

On a lighter note our impending arrival is taking over my brain and I feel as if, if I don't get all this down in one place I'll completely forget where and what I want, so here is my list of things I want to buy and what I'm planning on buying soon!

A New Pram: Ours is still ok but the skateboard on the back is more suited to Jack than to James he's just not tall enough to hold on and still see where he is going and I don't want to have to carry him, hold Jack's hand push the pram and try to shop all at the same time, so to save myself the drama I'm getting a tandem pram, hopefully like this:

Its called a VeeBee Doubletake

Love from Big W and only $298 which is a heap cheaper than the baby shops I was looking at.

Car Seats: For my big boys and Charlie, Jack's seat was a cheap nasty thing we bought when I was pregnant with James and I've always hated it, James is still in the convertible car seat I bought for Jack, and its getting a bit worse for wear as you can imagine, so to fit the 3 of them in the back of our car I'm getting for Charlie:

Cargo Hybrid Convertible Car Seat

For the big boys Voyager Expandable Booster Seats Then when Charlie is big enough to be out of his convertible car seat (Oh geez am I really thinking that far ahead?) he can have Jack's seat because by then Jack will be defiantly be out of his! That's a scary thought, I like having them in their car seats makes me feel better!

Now for the nursery I'm going with the farm yard theme from Big W, I've also got my eye on some cute removable wall stickers, I haven't decided whether getting Charlie's Farm is too much for his walls, this is the cot linen I've found, I didn't really like any of the expensive trendy baby shop brands so I thought check out Big W and I love it! So much cheaper as well!

Apart from that I have a whole tonne of clothes love from eBay, Aunty Isha and of course Nanny! There's still a few things I want to get, singlets, socks etc. Now I just need to finish painting all the nursery furniture, pick up the cot, go to Mackay to pick up our baby hammock from hire for baby and were pretty much done! So basically I still have a trillion things to do : (

PJ's Park and Painting

After getting our lovely prizes yesterday in the mail the boys wanted to wear their new PJ's to bed, so even though it wasn't really cold enough they did, just with nothing on underneath! Funny kids!

This is Jack with his photo face which I'm not loving but what can you do?

And James also with his photo face, I don't know where their normal smiles went!

Today is Tuesday which usually means playgroup for us, but as its school holidays there is no playgroup so we all meet in our local park for a chat (read that as gossip) while the kids throw sand at each other, I only got a couple of pics as I was watching three very horrid boys teasing my poor sweet Jack who thinks everyone is his friend and no one really wants to be mean to him they are just playing, I told him if they hit him to hit them back, and I had a very unexpectecd proud mother moment when one of the horrid boys came to me complaining Jack had punched him! I don't know if I'm ready for him to go to Preschool next year : ( He needs to toughen up, but I don't know if I want him to lose his innocence

After playgroup and lunch James and I had a fight about naptime he is definatly in the terrible two's grrr... throwing things and yelling instead of talking, I realise he is still sick but geez! Jack was ready for his nap but James wanted to scream the house down, so Jack and I painted Charlie's Chest Of Draws which will double as a changetable, Jack remember's when this was James yellow changetable, and proceeded to tell me how much of a god job he was doing and how naughty and noisy James was, and what happened on sesame street this morning (I'm sure he forget's I'm usually in the same room when he's watching it) it was quite nice to spend some quiet time with him, he is a mind field of information : )

This is the draws still yellow

Action shot (he had to get changed and put on a singlet 'like dad does')

There's the fake smile again... Doing such a good job! All done! And since it took so long with a 4yr old by the time we finished the 1st coat it was dry enough for the 2nd coat, gotta love that!

Parcels,Parcels, Parcels!!!

Don't you just love it when the parcels delivery person turns up? Our's is a lady, she is refered to by my boys as 'the post lady' she knows the boys names and always has stickers for them, such a sweetheart. Anyway I got 3 count them 3 parcels today, 1 from my beautiful sister who always buys me much too much stuff when I have a baby and claims it was 'on special' or 'really cheap' and then spends a fortune on postage and always adds something in for the older boys, this time some cute sippa cups and some educational placemats that the boys have decided is for driving their cars on, on the floor. 1 from my lovely mum, something practical for the boys and a fun thing for me. The last one wasn't as fun an eBay parcel that's new shoes for the big boys, something I picked for them, never as fun as when suprises turn up!

Beautiful little suits and a gorgeous blanket from Aunty Isha

The cutest shoes a hooded towel set, wraps and bibs to match the suits, you couldn't ask for a better sister.

The matching jeans to the top that has this pattern on it, so cute! Practical sleep suits from Nanny for 'Pookie' (Jack) and 'Poppet' (James)

Just what I need another cookbook! At least it goes with the matching cupcake stand, she knows what I'm like with cookbooks, because I got the obsession from her! Thanks Mumma! Just what we needed to brighten up our day, James is sick and has made everyone else as cranky as him, Jack is sick of hearing James cry and whine and wants his play friend back, James just wants 'duddles' which is not an easy thing to do with a 2yr old when you are 31 weeks pregnant, and poor Michael is cranky about work, his boss/friend/role model was made redundant at the last minute on Thursday, damn mining game at the moment its making everyone cranky, cant wait til we get out of it and have our own little tyre shop in the middle of nowhere *sigh* one day it'll happen.

xxx

Ta-Da!

Well after much consideration and thought, I've decided to start my own blog, having become addicted to Danimezza's and all the beautiful blogs on her blog roll, and after Danielle suggested I should have my own blog, I figured why not, what an easy way to keep the whole family up to date with our branch of the family. I love to ramble so don't expect small posts from me : ) I thought I'd start with a few pics of my adorable little boys and my lovely hubby. This is my favorite wedding photo, even though we are looking at someone else's camera and Jack has snuck his way into yet another photo, I just love it. This is one of the only family photo's that we have, and soon there will be another little man to add to the picture, hopeless aren't we! All of our pictures are of the boys or Michael and the boys, guess who always has the camera?? Thanks Danielle for getting me started on what I think will be a time consuming (but very fun)activity xxx