All is well / come on over

Baby arrived, safe and sound - so of course I've started a new blog.

Send me an email if you'd like to come along (warning: baby-centric) - EnnyPen at gmail dot com!

Sunday night

Just popping in to say 'hullo' because it's Sunday night and I will go to bed soon, but ran out of things to read in my reader so thought I'd add in my own.

So far, everything is going well in our continually expanding family!

We went in for a 20 week scan last week and found out our little baby is a little girl - which is just crazy to me but also completely awesome and also a little scary. You see - I'm not a girly-girl (duh) and I never had a younger sister (tho I pretty much treated youngest bro like my own little sister) so I've always thought I'd have two boys. I've always found boys clothes to be cuter (I guess because they look more like adult clothes?) and I think my insecurities make me freak that I'll be a total stranger to a girl but could be a good parent to a boy... or that she'll be a total b!tch or one of those skanky kids you see hanging around an interchange or whoring all over a bunch of gross teen boys. But then, I was about 70% sure it would be a girl, and we only had a girls name picked, and I bet she's adorbs and I totally turned out fine so I must get some of that hereditary parenting skill handed down. Right? Plus it's scary in that The Hun has only ever wanted two kids and the thought of having two girls and no boys really freaks me out.

So yeah, we're working on all that.

I've been quite lucky in that hormones has only brought on two freakouts - one at 10 weeks when I had to start giving myself blood thinning needles (thanks hereditary clotting disorder that was only discovered when I bashed my leg in half!) and had people coming for dinner and a messy house and no food and was shaky from not eating enough because I wasn't hungry and I realised I hadn't given in to a sulk and had a good cry and that I was about overdue for one about 15 minutes before said dinner guests arrived.... the other at 20 weeks when I was driving home from another freakin' hectic day at work and I was listening to Bon Iver (if you haven't heard the album stop reading this drivel and get. It. NOW) and the scan was the next day and I hadn't felt any movement yet and am I even ready to be a mum or did I ever really want kids and oh-my-gawd I'm home already and I haven't finished crying, I better pull up out the front to finish this off good and proper where the dogs can't see me.

Dogs? That's right! We're very lucky to have rescued a long haired chihuahua (who is THE most adorable baby boy hands done) in August last year, and a miniature pinscher x spaniel that we rescued last month to keep him company once babby-pen arrives later this year. She is also adorable and nuggety - we wanted to get a boy looking dog because our baby-chihuahua is probably the girliest little thing you have ever seen - he rocks in at less than 2.5kg fully grown and suffers from IBS.... long hair + weekly stomach upsets = developing quease-battle skills of steel.

Man, this is so scrambled.

How funny that something that I used to do so often is now so totally blurgh to me!

So yeah, hormones = good. I've been told that the only real hormonal difference that was noticeable was that I was tireder and a bit apathetic. Heh. Keep in mind I lost like 3kg in those first 12 weeks because I just wasn't hungry and couldn't get rid of this crazy 'I feel like I've eaten too many lollies' taste and brushing my teeth was a twice-daily battle against the dry-retch and I just couldn't work out what I wanted to eat. Well. That's TOTALLY under control now, though unfortunately the thing I want to eat now is pretty much whatever I can get my paws on , the more chip-like or pure-carb-esque, the better. But still, only 2.5 kg heaver than my pre-preg weight, so I guess that counts for something?

We've only bought a baby monitor and two outfits. No cot, no pram, and no practical baby stuff. No rearranging of furniture done yet, 90% set on a name, and maybe starting to deal with the dawning realisation that I'll only be at work for like another four months and then won't be back until like August 2012. Do you know how far away that is?! Will I still be relevant then?! Will I be keen to go back to work or will I personality-transplant in to one of those mommy's that only lives though their children and bugs the heck out of me?

The Hun and I are also doing very well. We've just passed the seven-years-together mark and are probably in the best place we've ever been. I don't want to go through my archives, I KNOW I was painful (sorry dudes). But maybe it's the hormones that's making me generally happier? Maybe I'm getting wiser? Maybe the fact that I've got everything I could possibly want (except for maybe an iPad)? Not sure. But things are good, things are solid, things are happy and funny and easy and natural.

Anyways, best go get ready for bed.

I hope everyone is doing well - I'm still stalking y'all, so make sure you're giving me things to read!

One year and three days after the last post...

I was going to keep with tradition and put a yellow smiley face on, but I think it's a little cuter this way... Happy 2011!

(Btw - if we're on fb, it's not yet fb public!)

Happy New Year!

Still alive, still kicking around the traps.

2009 was a pretty interesting year for me...

- I got to do some exciting stuff at work that I loved, then I was moved to another interesting (but different) space.

- My fractured leg turned in to a broken leg, I pulled muscles in my thigh and chest (subsequently making me think I was having a panic attack). wore a full length cast for a month and then a half length cast for a month and then had a purple swollen leg for a month before my doctor realised something was up. In October I was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis - an 'old' blood clot running from my knee to my groin, with two 'new' clots growing on that and a new clot growing behind my knee. Where did the old one come from? How old was it? They don't know. But they took me off the pill (51 days wtf) and ran a stack of blood tests, a couple of xrays, a bone density test and an ultrasound (I bet they're cuter when it's a baby on the screen). I've got another xray and ultrasound on Monday because my leg is still discoloured, and perhaps I'll get to stop taking blood thinners soon (side note: I lost weight while in plaster as I was a little down in the dumps, but have put a few kg back on - leafy greens interact with blood thinners, leaving not a lot of options for a vegan who isn't allowed to exercise for fear of a blood clot breaking off and heading north...!).

- I got married and it was hands down the best day of my life! So great to have so many of the people we love there to celebrate with us, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

- I honeymooned and snorkelled and drank and aaaaaaaaaaaate.

- We still have the birds and they're still a squawky and pooey delight.

- Eldest bro got engaged, middle bro met his delightful young lady, youngest bro continued his relationship with his lovely girlfriend (and keeps me hoping for wedding bells!), dadsy took some leave and decided that he could retire one day and enjoy it, and mumsy was diagnosed with a barrage of tumours/cysts/blood issues that are all seemingly 'okay' at this point in time and we're doing quite well for pretending it's not anything serious.

So. What does 2010 hold?

- I'm giving up movie popcorn for a year. This is a Very Big Deal.

- I'm going to try to get swimming lessons (this is mos likely to fall down the list a little).

- I'm going to start writing a book. And I know that sounds wanky and a little bit self congratulatory, but I never said anything about it progressing further than the start or even out of my computer!

I just wanted to drop by to let you know that I am still here, I am still reading all your updates and I am still wishing you all the best!

Progress +2, Setback +1

Hear me out:

Thu 2nd July:

• Trim and colour - hair is looking awesome.
• Fly to Queensland.
• QANTAS serves non vegan margarine with vegan meal, joke about composing narky weather.
• Upgrade rental car to awesome Corolla for free - nice one.
• Warm weather, crazy traffic, awesome apartments.
• Sleep at 1am.

Fri 3rd July:

• Up before 6am for all day martial arts camp commencing at 7am.
• 7:20am - step off the floor for water (damn nervous upset stomach, not enough sleep and not enough food in the past 24 hours).
• Graciously accept compliments on having lost some weight (booyah!).
• Feeling pretty confident on scoring and judging skills for tournament the next day.
• Social mixer goes well - eat half weight in rice paper rolls, have first McDonals in almost two months, loving new top and heels.

Sat 4th July;

• Nervous stomach continues.
• Yell at students who forgot to bring my weapon for the weapons round.
• Judge with pink and purple striped socks on as it is FREEZING in the hall.
• Place 3rd in both form rounds (both by 0.1), place 2nd in weapons between two of my students (by 0.1) - can't really begrudge them.
• Get primed for sparring, continue to battle nervous stomach, freak at having not sparred in at least 12 months, but doing my best breathing to psyche myself up.
• Kick to the midsection - one point to me.
• Punch to the head (no contact) - one point to me.
• Kick pull back as she was kicking at the same time.
• Hold kick in chamber position.
• Kick - in to her knee.
• Praise the lawd for awesome hardcore shinguards.
• Fall down like a moaning sack of sh*t as soon my leg touches the ground, images flash through head of shattered leg and foot facing the wrong way...
• Helped to back of the hall ('Do I have to move?'), icepack delivered, keep listening to everyone saying it's just a bruise, they always knew I had dainty turn of foot etc.
• Get a little teary upon realising that I would have placed 1st or 2nd had I been able to continue.
• Ask student to get me some crutches.
• Back to hotel, all of students spend night with me on floor of lounge rather than attend social mixer.
• Call my mum to ask if I should go to Doctor, want to take her advice as mums are always right.
• Don't get taken to Doctor as students continue to tell me it's just a bruise as I'd 'be crying if it were broken' and as soon as they saw me 'breathing really heavy, they knew it was worse than it looked'.

Sun 5th July

• After taking 45 minutes to go to the bathroom and back to bed, get up for day and nestle on couch.
• Visit doctor who charges $60 to tell me they think it's bruising and to come back for an xray tomorrow.
• Run into Adam and his little red rockstar in the doctors office - COMPLETELY RANDOM!!!
• Go to Sizzler with upbeat students, cringe as waitress walks in to foot.
• Go to martial arts event - mopey, headachey, not hungry, continuing to put up with upset stomach and hating having to move.

Mon 6th July

• Xray - Doctor says 'nothing obvious, but see a Doctor next door'.
• Assisting student tells me he's relieved it's not broken as that's bad, I tell him I'm angry it's not because the pain is unbearable for it to be just a bruise.
• See Doctor 'it's a fracture, 2/3 way through, see?'.
• Assisting student starts to look worried as he hears what's happened.
• Taken to nurses room out the back, tears ensue after they put a prop under my shin right where the fracture is to plaster it, THEN knock the prop out so my shin bangs on to the bed.
• Rattled, go back to hotel. Continue to 'manage' upset stomach, watch videos with two students (16 and 20) who stayed back with me so we could have a relaxing warm day of fun holiday. FAIL.

Tue 7th July

• Take 45 minutes to get out of bed to keep carrying on with upset stomach
• Call QANTAS to ask about getting space to put my leg up, told I can pay $600 to get an upgraded ticket. 'Um, that's completely ridiculous, forget it' 'The flight isn't fully booked, so maybe you can put it up on an empty seat' 'Right. Thanks'.
• Call AVIS to work out what we can do about returning hire car to Brisbane (over an hour drive away). 'You can't add another driver over the phone, you need to do it in person' 'How will that happen, I'm the only driver and physically can't drive' 'Well, someone else can drive but you'll be liable for the full price of the car' 'Can we drive to the AVIS in our town and do that?' 'Sure, as long as the driver is over 21' 'No, she's 20' 'No, she can't drive at all then' 'How will I get the car returned?!' 'You can pay extra to keep it longer' 'That won't help!!' 'You'll need to call some friends then'. RIGHT.
• Call my uncle who lives nearby for assistance - his wife has the car all day and is out. No help.
• Finally get in touch with one of the Qld martial arts students who lets me know about a minibus that can take us to the airport, she returns the car to the local AVIS.
• Trip in minibus is terrible, holding leg up in air for over an hour.
• Airport wait is a bit tedious, get wheelchaired into a chair and into one of my students. Have bag pulled out from underneath sore leg. Upset stomach continues, made worse by the fact one of the students needs to wheel me there and wait outside. Ugh.
• No spare seat on flight for my leg - swells up, throbs, then gets pins and needles. Ask the hostess for a spare seat PLEASE after an hour, she directs one of my students to first class, lady comes out of bathroom and yells at my student sitting in her seat, student gets moved across aisle from me courtesy of lovely lady in next class up with an empty seat between her and another gentlement..

So you can guess how the last few days has gone.

I'm headachey and sedentry, stressed about putting on the weight I lost, clumsy and sick of crutches and just all round useless. I hate being a burden on others, but I also hate falling backwards up my parents deck when I try to be independent and helpful.

I've got next week of work, but not really sure how I am going to manage getting around the office - reckon a wheelchair is out of the question? Though they are setting up a network connection so I can work from home when required...

Should be getting full length fibreglass cast tomorrow, it will be on for 6 - 8 weeks. Wedding is roughly 15 weeks away, so plenty of time.

Reckon they'll let me get my cast in purple?

Hope all is well!

Progress +1

Ladies! Fellas! Hullo! How's things?

Things are going well with me. Work is good. Martial arts is going quite okay, with a tournament looming in Queensland (eep!). Home is really good. Birdie boys are just lovely. The Hun says hi.

I've been watching my fair share of tv (yay MasterChef - who'd have picked that?!), twittering and facebooking, playing with the birds every day, and continuing to obsessively stalk your blogs. And of course, wedding planning.

Where are we at?

• Dress is bought - lovely.
• Veil is ordered - cathedral!!
• Shoes are bough and propping up the tv antenna - I love them.
• Bridesmaids dresses have been ordered - very pretty.
• Photographer booked - friend at mates rates.
• Celebrant booked in - extended family member, good good good.
• Table deco's sorted - three cheers for IKEA!
• Hairclip received - you guys HAVE to check out Lulusplendor, she is just fantastic.
• Hair appointments booked - v exciting.
• Meeting with florist on Friday - can't wait.
• Paper flower folding is progressing - oh man.

That's where I'm at! Just wanted to check in and see if this thing was still on, and share the love a little.

TTFN!

Progress

So, it's been over a month now.

I just wanted to say that I haven't actually missed it. Yet?

But I am doing a lot of Twittering. If you're interested, send me an email and we'll see what we can work out (with the RL name et al). If not? I might come back yet.

And yeah - I found my wedding dress.

SQUEE!!