Just cause I can...

See Mum - I can read!!!


After a day of hard play at day care!


Peek-a-boo I see you!


In one of my fav places - under the coffee table!


Just thought I would share some photos while I had the time to do it... am at home today as I have got a nasty sore throat and a headache that keeps coming and going and am a bit snuffly too! Felt yucky all day yesterday but just plodded on but I had a real crap night last night (as did Rachel) and woke and could hardly swallow and ached everywhere! So decided that the best place for me was bed! So struggled around this morning and got Rachel off to day care (Steph would have done it for me and got to work later but he had to open up for the day)... once Rachel had been dropped off it was straight back to bed for me for 3 hours! Felt a bit better then and after a nice hot shower I felt a little bit better yet again. So finally had something to eat a wee while ago (2 min noodles) and have just been sipping away on my water bottle while blobbing out.

I think Rachel may be coming down with it too as I had to wipe her nose just before we left for daycare and she had been coughing quite a bit last night despite the vapouriser going and having a dose of some medicine. Typical that we get sick just as we have a family lunch to go to on Sunday though if either (or both) myself or Rachel are not well on Sunday we won't be going anywhere as we certainly don't want to spread our germies around.

Now some opinions please... we got a permission slip yesterday from day care saying that the nursery room (where Rachel is) are going to do a trip to Te Papa for a story book session. They are going in the official van which holds car seats etc but Rachel is the only one there who is still in a rear facing car seat so my concern is can vans have rear facing seats in them? And would there be a place for tether straps? Yeah I know I will ask day care those questions as well... but I am wondering if I am just being to paranoid or what? My personal opinion is that she is to young for this sort of trip as yet - yes we read to her (not as much as we should) but she is more interested in eating the books etc rather than listening to it. I think I will ask for her to stay behind a the centre or is that just being mean? Oh it is also right in the middle of when she normally has her morning sleep... and she really is still to young to realise that she has been left behind so to speak... yes she will know that most/all of her friends aren't there but she will be having fun with the next room which she just loves cause they have lovebirds in there! So what do you gals think?

Oh we booked tickets to Christchurch last night getting CHEAP fares on the new Pacific Blue airline! Worked out it was so much easier to do that and book a rental car rather than the 3 hrs on the ferry, petrol to and from Picton etc... So we are heading down lunchtime on Boxing Day and then come back lunchtime on the 2nd Jan :) So yes Paula - we are coming down so look out!!! Will drop you an email to give you more details but hopefully your offer still stands :)

Before I disappear, after a few emails to Janene yesterday, I have decided to give Reductil a go to give me a boost in the right direction. So just need to make the Drs appointment and go from there.... but am looking forward to it. Have done some research on the net and all looks ok :)

Right, time I was moving... catch ya all later.

Hi all

Anne, thanks for the email this evening - I would have replied but we are having MAJOR problems with our email at the moment. Anyone else with Xtra having problems since their upgrade at the weekend???

All going ok here just busy plodding on day by day. I never get to sit down properly for the evenings during the week till about 8.30/9pm and by then I check emails (can receive but not send at the moment), play my online backgammon games (family thing since Dad died) and then check out the parents forum, it's usually time for bed! Yeap I am in bed almost every evening between 9.30-10pm including the weekends!

Just tried to download the latest photos of Rachel but the camera battery was flat so have got that charging at the moment so will do that later in the week... oh we got the ones back from Daycare that were taken at the beginning of the month and we are quite disappointed with them! We have got better ones on our camera and disks! Will get the basic set but no extras :(

Rachel spent the day at home with her daddy today as she woke yesterday with another bout of conjunctivitis! Steph picked it up as soon as he got her up in the morning so once I was up and dressed, we headed to the chemist and got some drops for her (had a repeat remaining from the last time she had it) and started treating her straight away and they were looking quite good this morning though she has been one very grumpy grizzly girl yesterday and today so will see how she is in the morning and if needs be I will stay home with her. I think it is her top teeth still annoying her - I just wish they would make a god damn appearance as they seem to be causing her nothing but problems!

Have got a few busy weekends ahead of us which will keep us out of mischief! Am really annoyed though as we have my nieces family birthday lunch in Petone on Sunday but was also invited to attend the Women's Expo by Helena who is organising a great day out for the most amazing women around! :) Am gutted that I am gonna miss the get together but that's life and life sure can be a right bitch at times. The following weekend we have the Upper Hutt Spring Festival and then a Baby shower to attend. The following one is my friend Jo's daughters Maddies 1st birthday party - can't wait for that! Then the following one, there is the Parent and Child Show in town and we also have Rachel's 10mth Menz B jab! Probably sounds worse than it actually is but will keep us busy. Then late Oct/early Nov we have another run of busy weekends. And then of course it will be Christmas time!

Anyway, it's past 9.30pm now and my electric blanket should have warmed the bed up nicely by now... and my back is starting to annoy me (that's another long story altogether). Catch ya all later :)

Hi all

Thank you all for your lovely comments, texts and emails after my last post... sorry I have kept you waiting for so long but have had a hectic few days and kept running out of time to sit down and post on here.

Had the mammogram on Thursday - no where near as bad as I thought it would be. Lovely wonderful nurse who made me so relaxed and comfortable. Yes there was a bit of discomfort for approx 3 secs each time they took a photo (5 times in my case) but that was all. The nurse showed the results to the radiologist while I waited and all seemed ok from what they could see but would still need to see the specialist on Monday (today). Saw him this morning and he was a lovely guy and after showing me the correct way I should be doing my monthly breast check, he then did a check himself (with a nurse present at all times) and then did an ultra sound as well which showed up an all clear breast! So basically after all of that - I have an "overactive hormonal breast" LOL I need to go back in 2 months time for a recheck but overall I got the all clear! YAY!!!

Have had full on few days. Rachel's plunket check went well and she is weighing in at 9.4 kilos at 9mths which we are happy with. Plunket nurse was happy with her overall progress in all aspects :) We have been trying some new finger foods recently including: cheese (not that keen on it), luncheon sausage (thinks its ok), dried apricots (loves these) and fish fingers (loves these too). Still 2 teeth and still only crawling but is trying to pull herself up on some things so is definitely trying to get more mobile. We had a couple of days when her cough seemed to return but it seems to be ok again now (touch wood). Spent yesterday in Masterton and went for a trip up to Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre which was fun and as always it was great catching up with my sister, her partner and his girls.

It really sucked being back at work today - I did sweet fuck all work to be honest! Spent most of the day clearing emails and sorting out things on my desk! Just couldn't get my motivation back to get stuck into it all so hopefully I have it tomorrow otherwise I could be in deep shit! LOL

Right, its 9.20pm now and I still need to organise Rachel's bag for tomorrow and then head to bed... so will say good night now and will catch ya all later :)

Wow 2 updates in 2 days! That hasn't happened for a long time! But just wanted to a post on my visit to the Dr yesterday.

After chatting and getting a repeat of my PND meds and a repeat for the Pill... I mentioned a rash under my arm - turns out that I have a fungal infection under my arms!! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Have no idea how the hell that happened as its not as if it is the middle of summer and I am sweating heaps! So have a cream to treat that with - shit forgot the lunchtime application - must remember to do it when I go to bed. Anyway, after that - I decided to mention a pain I had been getting for the last week or so in my right breast - so Dr did a check and discovered a lump! But she is pretty confident that due to me having the pain that it is more than likely to be a cyst rather than anything else... and as we have medical insurance I decided that I may as make use of it and go privately so am getting a mamogram and ultra sound done tomorrow and then seeing the specialist first thing Monday morning. If it is a cyst - it will just need to be drained (with a big needle). So fingers crossed it is just a cyst but will keep you posted once I know more but until then its just a matter of waiting, waiting, waiting...

The only thing that annoys me is that tomorrow was gonna be a "me and Rachel" day and can't really have her sitting there for all the time while I am getting the mamogram and ultra sound done... so have decided that I will keep her home in the morning, take her to Plunket and then drop her off to day care before going to Lower Hutt for the tests. And then will probably keep her at home on Friday to spend the day with her then.

Today, I had a good day down at Westfield shopping centre - and finally spent my vouchers on two decent bras!!! I haven't had a new bra since getting my maternity ones when I was 8mths pregnant! So I have been wearing those ones for 10 mths then!!! So got a fitting done and although the cup size is still the same, I have gone up from an 18 to a 20! Must admit they feel so much more comfortable! :) Also tried on some new clothes while I was there - GOD I SO NEED TO LOOSE SOME WEIGHT BEFORE BUYING ANY NEW CLOTHES!!! They all looked hideous on me and and emphasised the extra weight on my tum and bum!!! Checked out some shoes too but didn't buy any today.

Anyway, enough rambling from me - will keep ya all posted on how things are going. Oh if anyone wants to email me on their mamogram experiences (before midday tomorrow) that would be wonderful as all I have heard is how much they hurt!!! I asked Mum and she just said sometimes they hurt and sometimes they don't...

Catch ya all later

Oooops this time 2 weeks have passed since my last update... gees I sure am getting slack at this blogging! I am even getting slack at commenting and even reading at times! There was once a time that if I didn't read every blog every day that I would have withdrawal symptoms from them but now it can be every 2/3 days when I read blogs and commenting - well even less at times :( So please forgive me - I am still here and I am still reading - just a bit slack at times!

Before, I start rambling - a huge but belated congratulation to Emily and Jonny on the arrival of Kellie Grace on Friday 27th July (Steph's birthday too). Kellie is gorgeous and Emily did so well with a 10 hr drug free labour!!!

Also - sounds like the blogger party at Chris' place at the weekend was a huge success and lots of fun was had by all attended. Will definitely make an effort to attend the next one.

Well I got my leave for this week approved so am sitting in the lounge with the sun streaming in and the stereo going! :) But not for long as today is a busy day - heading to the Drs shortly for a medication review (for PND) as I have been on it for 4 weeks now - still have the occasional down day but overall I really do think I am on the rise! Am no longer "scared" of being myself with Rachel - yes it had gotten to that stage at times. Though I still get frustrated when she won't drink a full bottle etc but I just keep reminding myself that she won't starve herself and if shes hungry she will drink/eat and if shes not hungry - well then she won't eat. She is now down to 3 bottles most days and has proven that she can have big long sleeps in the afternoons as she does that for us at home so I have written out our home routine in her notebook for daycare and they are going to try it but when Rachel is playing with 10 others she does get tired quicker so will see what happens. Would love it if she had some kind of routine with her sleeps - would make things so much easier at times.

So yes I am at home and Rachel is at Daycare! This week is about me having me time and doing what I want when I want! Sounds a bit selfish when I say it like that but it's what I needed. Will have Rachel on Thursday as we have Plunket and then we are catching up with my friend Jo and her daughter Maddie :) So will see how I manage on Thursday and if all goes well I might keep her home on Friday too and catch up with other friends. Just means I have to have my shopping day tomorrow! :) I got vouchers for Westfield Shopping Centre for my birthday (back in January) which I still haven't used so am planning on doing that this week!

So anyway - after the Drs, I will grab some lunch and then head to the Hairdressers where I am getting a colour and foils - can't wait!!! :)

Yesterday, I went back to bed after dropping Rachel off as we had that thunderstorm here... and then after getting up, showering and having breakfast, I got stuck in to tidying up Rachel's room and going through all her clothes. Oooops she really does need quite a bit in the 9-12mth range so am surfing TM when I can for some good bargins :) And then I tackled Charlie's cage (the poor bird gets a bit neglected at times) and then vacumed, lunch and then tackled the bathroom/toilet etc before heading off to pick up Rachel. Oh yesterday, they had a photographer at daycare taking photos of all the kids playing etc and apparently everytime Rachel saw the guy, she would start smiling at him and giggling and would follow him everywhere with her eyes and smiling as if to say "pick me pick me"! LOL A couple of the teachers have had a sneak preview of the photos already and they said there are some awesome photos of Rachel so can't wait to get the proofs etc... hopefully they won't be to far away.

Trying a new crockpot recipe for a meatloaf - I have never done meat loaf in it before - always done either corned silverside or a casserole so it feels strange putting it in the pot with no water etc... hopefully it turns out ok otherwise I guess it will be takeaways tonight.

Oh my weight - has gone down a couple of kilos in the last fortnight too which is fantastic though I do eat less at home than I do at work. So just gotta keep working on it going down - slowly but surely and I am sure I will get there.

Anyway, time I was moving to get myself organised for the Dr's - will catch ya all later :)