This is How I Feel About Work...

And no doubt will, for the entirety of my final week next week haha

Almost Time for a Big Fat Change

It's all happening.
Lately, any twinge that is a little bit different, I freak out thinking 'oh crap, is this it?!'
It's really quite full on hehe.
Overnight, the 5th baby in my Birth Group for January 2012 was born.
FIVE babies! All of which were due in January!! I'M DUE IN JANUARY! Eeeep!

36 weeks

Last night we went to the Foo Fighters concert and little miss was groovin the whole time!

This weekend is full of Christmas and baby-related things. This makes me happy, I love both of those things!
Saturday I would like to do a little bit of Christmas shopping.
Sunday we are going to buy a cot mattress, wash baby clothes & sheets, pack our hospital bags, set up her room a little more and hopefully do a tour of the birthing suite at the hospital!

Yikes. Someone pinch me?!

There's Nothing I Want More...

There's nothing I want more at this very moment, than to be on maternity leave already.
Why oh why did I not make my last day THIS week, instead of next week, when I am 37 weeks?!

My Beautiful Baby Shower - 26.11.11

I am so, so lucky.
I am so lucky to have the wonderful family and friends that I do.
I had the most amazingly beautiful day on Saturday, 26th November 2011.

It was my Baby Shower!

The day started off rainy, gloomy and all-round gross.
It was raining for about 6 days prior so everything was just wet, wet, wet!
Then, like magic, the sun started shining and it turned into a beautifully warm day! Just for us, I'm sure.

We played a couple of games, 'guess the belly size' was one. I was almost offended when my (hopefully, one day) Mother-in-law cut her piece of string at about 15 metres... hehe. The winners, not surprisingly, were my best friend on this earth, Kiera and my little sister Emily. Although, Emily was given her piece of string by our Aunty Denise... so I'm not sure who really won there...

The next game we played was one where you have to find safety pins in a bowl of rice.
I thought that it wouldn't be too tricky but boy, was I wrong!
There were some very amusing faces being pulled and some people started to get a little competitive!
The winner of this game was Tara, Shane's sister. You might also note the a million pink necklaces around her neck - she also won the "Don't Say Baby" game. Everyone is given a dummy necklace at the beginning of the day, and if you say the word 'Baby' and someone picks up on it, you have to give them your necklace. Tara is an all-round winner anyway so I'm not surprised.

We had THE most delicious food.
I am so grateful to everyone who contributed to our massive feast!
Here are a few of the delicious desserts that we had (I don't think there were any good ones of the savoury stuff but oh, the sweets!):

A very special mention and thank you, must go to Tara for the beautiful vanilla and rose cake that was so prettily decorated with butterflies and purple (my fave) icing. 

It was lovely and exactly what I wanted!

The last game we played was hilarious!
We've dubbed it "The Potato Ballsack Game"
It wasn't meant to be quite as, well, rude as it turned out to be! Me and my innocent mind thought that the potatoes would hang on either side of your hips... Not so.
Basically you get a pair of stockings (I definitely should NOT have bought tan coloured ones!! But it certainly added to the hilarity of the game), put a medium-sized potato in each of the legs, tie the stockings around your waist and have to hit a ping pong ball over the finish line, using only the potatoes!
Turns out that the potatoes (of course, when you think about it) hang right in between your legs and look quite a lot like a very saggy scrotum - to be frank.

Here are some photos of this belly-pain inducing, hilarious game:

  

Photo of the day?!

Lastly, I must make mention of how incredibly grateful we are for how generous all of our friends and family were with gifts.

It makes me a little bit teary every time I think about it.

We got so much STUFF! There were the most gorgeous truckload of clothes, beautiful bedding and bath things, stuffed animals that are almost too cute, books, toys, more clothes and some lovely and very meaningful handmade things.

This is JUST the clothes, stuffed toys and books!

We are a very lucky little family and so thankful for all we've been given.

Now we all just have to wait to meet this new addition!

Thank you to everyone who came, helped, had fun and made this one of my most unforgettable days ever!

And to those who couldn't make it, you were missed and I love you tonnes anyway :)

Hooray! 

Bring on this baby! 

Oh, when she's ready of course! 

After all, as they say, you can't rush perfection...

Today marks 34 weeks of my pregnancy.
34 is a lot of weeks.
That means there are only 6 more weeks until I am due to bring a human being into... well, being!

I cannot wait to meet my sweet little girl. I can't wait to give her all the cuddles in the world.
At the same time, things are getting a little scary and 'real'.
I mean, there's no denying that this is going to happen, but like so many other major events in my life, I just can't seem to see past the current stage I'm at.
For example, in school, I never thought I would get to year 12 and complete my HSC. I did.
Then, when saving for our overseas holiday, even once we had the tickets at home and were just waiting for the date of departure to come around, I could never see myself any further than being at the airport, let alone living in a country town smack-bang in the middle of Ireland. We did.
Then - moving house. We applied for our current house and I thought that it was too perfect for us and that we'd never get it. Here we are living in it, and loving it!

Me, being a tiddlee-dee idiot in Dublin

Our amazing front verandah

Now, I can't see past my pregnancy. I am aware that there is a baby in there, that eventually needs to NOT be in there.
I am aware of what happens when one is pregnant... it inevitably leads to an infant...
However, I am having my typical foresight problem of not really, truly being able to imagine myself anywhere past the present. It's odd but I guess it's my 'norm' for big, life events.

Either way, this Saturday is my baby shower.
I'm very excited to have a lovely afternoon with most of the important ladies in my life (and soon to be in my baby's).
I hope it's a nice day and that everyone has a good time!

Then on Sunday, I will be packing my hospital bag.
Just in case.
Oh my god.


Calm thoughts...

Excited To Start!

My best friend in this entire universe (and, I would hazard a guess that we'd be besties in all the other universes too), the one and only Miss Kiera, of Almost A Melody, has very kindly allowed me to copy her project of taking and publishing one photo every day for a year.
Kiera has done amazingly at the challenge so far and it's so lovely to see a little piece of her world every single day!

One of Kiera's photos - That's me and Awesome Dude Gus

I will be starting my project on January 1, 2012 - and I cannot WAIT for it!
I think it will be a fabulous thing to look back on in years to come.
x

33!

A big fat 33 weeks today!
Getting bigger by the minute!
Not to mention more excited, terrified and tired by the minute...

The past few weeks it's been getting harder to do things;
shaving my legs, putting pants on, you know - all the stuff you take for granted when you can bend at the waist.

We recently went on our Babymoon. It was such a nice weekend away together.
We walked on the beach, walked out to a sandbar at low tide, relaxed by the water, swam, ate ice cream, ribs, pancakes and fish 'n chips.

There are so many baby-related things constantly on my mind.
Things we need, things that I don't realise that we need but am worried about not having, whether I will be a good mum, whether we will be okay... all the general stuff.
But then I realise that this is our journey and our little girl.
We've been, and will be fine. We'll be great parents.
I'm sure of it.

A catch up! Ketchup. Baby - hooray!

Today I feel inspired.
I feel inspired to write on my blog in the hopes that it sparks something and I continue to feel inspired to write on my blog....

So, a catch up for the blog world!
I am currently 25 weeks pregnant with my little missy.
She is growing quite quickly now and it spins me out every time I see myself in a mirror. It's like when you get a new piercing or tattoo and you can't stop looking at it.
Except in my case, it's an ever-growing gut! Albeit with some precious cargo inside hehe.

I can't stop thinking about her. About all the fun we're going to have together. About all the precious cuddles. About all the crying, the pooing and the spewing. About all the STUFF she'll have and need. About the beautiful room we want to give her. About how much love and affection she will receive from so many important people in our lives. About who she will be when she grows up. About the way we will teach her things. About the fact that she will be mine and her daddy's little girl.

Days 7-30! One Post - Can I Do It??

Apparently I'm no good at 'one a day' type things here on my beloved blog...
My bad...


Day 7: Something you plan to do this month that you've never done before:
I made (it's May so it's past tense now hehe) Easter chocolates for my family! 
I also made my first ever softie. He is a giraffe and I made him for a very special and very loved little boy, Gus.
Here's the finished product when his mumma Lynne opened him at her baby shower over the weekend.

Day 8: Describe your perfect weekend:
My perfect weekend could be one of many weekends.
I love going away camping with my best friends. I also secretly love when it's raining on a Sunday so I have no choice but to sit in the front room and read most of a book with numerous cups of tea.
As long as I am with people I love, I'm happy.


Day 9: A picture (and accompanying story) of you, when you were little:
This is me when I was little, sitting on my Nan's back step with my dogs Beau and Chewy.
I spent a lot of time at my Nan's house when I was young and I have so many good memories of hangin out with Nan and my cousin's. The step still looks the same. The dogs are gone and Nan has a new one. I still like lolliepops.

Day 10: A recipe:
All my recipes are in my head so the measurements are not accurate.
Satay Chicken (school Food Tech recipe)
Ingredients:
-Crunchy peanut butter
-Honey
-Soy sauce
-Curry powder
-Sweet chilli sauce
-coconut milk or cream, you choose
-chicken tenderloins
Method:
Mix all of the ingredients together till it tastes yummy and you have a thick marinade.
Let the chicken sit in the sauce for as long as you like.
Take off the excess sauce and grill the chicken.
Then you can add the leftover sauce to a pot and add more coconut milk and let it cook away till its saucy again and pour over the chicken. I add green beans sometimes and it adds a good bit of crunch and yum-ness.
Jasmine rice and viola! Yum dinner in about half an hour! 

Day 11: Write a letter to anyone you like
Dear Ocean (by John Butler),
You are a song. But not just a song. You are a wordless conversation.
Your music is inspiring, sad, joyous and beautiful.
You take your time. You have highs and lows. 
You remind me of life. 
How can some music be so powerful? I don't know and I don't mind. 
You are my favourite.
Lovingly yours, Elise.

Day 12: What era do you belong in?
60's. No doubt about it.
The part where people fell in love with music that was different, a lifestyle that was different and started to do their own thing.


Day 13: A picture of what you wore today:
This was not taken on Day 13. I'm a cheater.
This is actually today hehe

Day 14: The best picture of you and your friends
Love this. At Peats Ridge Festival - NYE 09/10.

Day 15: Favourite place:
-in your house: my front room
-in your suburb: so far, my house! But I haven't been on the waterfall bush walk yet!
-in your state: probably Byron Bay
-in your country: Melbourne or Brisbane... Or the Great Barrier Reef...
-in your world: tough one. Either Shane's aunty Celine's house in Tullamore, Ireland or Paris. Anywhere in Paris. Or Amsterdam....or my house hehe

Day 16: The last picture you sent as a text message & accompanying story:

To Lynne. This is Gusraffe with his heart, looking more like Loch Ness in this one hehe.


Day 17: The best things about your life right now:
My wonderful boyfriend who I love so very, very much.
My home.
My amazing friends.
Optimism.

Day 18: Write a poem:
When you trry to not think about something,
It invades your entire existence.
As hard as you try to not,
Obviously there's no resistance.


You think about it everywhere,
You think in bed, at work, on the train,
You think in the shower, at the shops,
In the hail, the sunshine and the rain.


There could be more to think but I have to get back to work hehe



Day 19: A video you enjoy:
Love it!











Day 20: What did you eat today?
So far a turkey, cream cheese and cranberry bagel.
Chicken and veg pasta bake for dinner. Yum.

Day 21: A picture of what you wore today, take 2
No photo.

Day 22: Something you know to be true:
I know that a lot of things are true. 
The ones that I enjoy knowing the most are:
-My friends and family love me.
-Dreams come true if you work at them.
-There are good people in the world.

Day 23: Places you went today:
-To work.
-To home.
-To bed.

Day 24: When you step outside the front door of your house, what do you see?
This:

Day 25: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Because there was a footpath on the other side and she felt that it would be safer to walk on it.

Day 26: Your favorite quote:
There are too many to pick just one. 
But I love this, it's from the Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, on Children:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

Day 27: Something that inspires you:
Nature.
Music.


Day 28: Write a letter to an inanimate object:
Dear Tim Tams in my cupboard at home,
Please never end. 
Yours, Elise. xxx


Dear Bed,
It would make my working life easier if you weren't so warm and comfy.
Thanks, Elise.

Day 29: What colour are you today? 
Today I am yellow.
Happy, hopeful and pretty cheery in general.

Day 30: Create a collage of the pictures you take in 1 day:
I'm just going to post them all, rather than a collage.
This was one day at the beginning of Autumn, when I had all the time in the world so I went for a lovely walk around my new suburb to explore and fall even more in love...

DONE!

Day 6: A Picture That Makes You Happy

There are so many!
I've decided to bend the rules. I can't stop at one.
Here are some:

Me and my love

Me and Sarah Lily xx