October

October has been such a crazy, busy month for us, which has definitely had it's ups and downs. The month started off at a down, with me having a car accident. We were luck in that it could have been a lot worse. Julianna and I were both in the car and someone came straight into the side of us. They went straight in through the back.....right were Julianna was sitting in her seat. The whole thing happened so fast and all I could remember was hearing Julianna screaming hysterically. I jumped out of the car to get her out but I couldn't open the door. Her seat had also been knocked pretty badly so I couldn't see her. I started bawling my eyes out and some people came over to help me. Together we were able to pull her out through the front and miraculously there was not a scratch on her, in fact as soon as she found out she had an audience, she immediately stopped crying and started putting on a show for them. Unfortunately though the same couldn't be said for the car, it was completely totaled. On the upside though we got quite a nice insurance payout (more than we paid for the car) and we were able to buy a new one. Ironically Jonathan and I had been pricing up SUV's for a while but couldn't afford one without going into debt, but thanks to our insurance payout and a great deal we were able to find, we now have our SUV, so everything worked out fantastically.

So after all the drama with the accident and getting a new car, we finished the month with Julianna's first birthday. Her birthday was on the Friday and she had her party with all her friends on the Saturday.    

Friday

Saturday

That night we also had our Boot n Loot

I just can't believe how quickly the last year has flown by, but at the same time it feels like Julianna has been with us forever. She has changed so much over this past year and is now walking, talking and LOTS of singing. She has so much personality and is quite the comedian. 

Where Has the Time Gone?

Today is Julianna's last day before she is a big one year old. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown. I was just a couple of short years ago that I was shopping at Louis Vuitton on the Champs-Elysees in Paris for a designer handbag I had been obsessing over forever and today I was shopping at the dollar store for one year old birthday party decorations, with my once coveted handbag gathering dust at home because it is too small to carry snacks, wetwipes and diapers.

I'm not sure exactly what happened to my life, but I think I kind of prefer it this way (although I wouldn't say no to a couple of weeks in Europe).  

What a Mess!!

How can someone so pretty make such a huge mess???

Tag

My sister-in-law Sarah tagged me today in a game of blog tag. The game is to get tagged, answer that person's questions and then pass the tag on.


1. What specifically has made you feel happy today?
Jonathan came home from a 3 day scout camp today and we missed him sooo much. Even better than having him home was watching Julianna's reaction to seeing him after 3 days.

2. Are you a morning person or a night owl? 
As much as I love mornings and feeling so good about getting up early to get things done, I love sleeping in even more. So I would have to say I'm a night owl. In fact I can't remember the last time I went to bed before midnight.

3. If you had/have free time, what would you/do you spend that time doing? 
Call me crazy, but I would probably clean.

4. What is your favorite breakfast?
I LOVE pancakes, but even more, I love having someone else make me pancakes.

5. You are alone in the house. No one is watching. You are listening to your favorite music. What kind of music is it? Are you singing along? Are you dancing? Remember, no one is watching. =)
Something completely sinfully trashy.......Brittney!! And of course I would have to sing and bust out some moves.

6. What have you never tried but really want to?
I think it would be a career aspiration that I have never fulfilled. I have always wanted to be a nurse.

7. Do you have a favorite holiday? If so, what is it and why?
I just realised that in Australia, what we call a holiday is what American's call a vacation, so Im a little confused about whether the question is for my favourite "holiday" or "vacation", so I'll answer both.


In American terms my favourite holiday is Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. I love the decoration, the spirit of it all, the food, the smells and of course the very reason for the holiday.


In Australian terms my favourite holiday was about  5 years ago when I went away for 8 weeks. In that time I visited Singapore, London, Paris, Manchester, Los Vegas and then Idaho.

8. What is the most recent thing that someone has done for you that made a difference in your day?
I did the most ridiculously stupid, mindless thing today. When I got Julianna dressed this morning I forgot to put her nappy on. Needless to say my floor needs mopping......Jonathan came home just in time (I may have played the pregnancy card with that one).  


Im afraid my tags and questions will have to wait until after I have washed Julianna's pants.

Daddy's Girl

Jonathan has been away all weekend on Scout camp. He gets home tomorrow and I'm counting down the hours. Last night, at about midnight, I heard a very soft, "Dadda? Dadda?" through the baby monitor.

I think I'm not the only one counting down the hours.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

We have all been so sick lately. Jonathan just came down with a head cold yesterday, I slipped 3 discs in my back and ended up at the hospital and Julianna has been teething like crazy. I took a few minutes to myself this morning (I figured I deserved it) and was looking through You Tube. I came across my favourite commercials from when I was a kid. I can't believe how dated they are but they still made me laugh.

Look at Me Grandma!!

Im in the big bath now,

I can crawl now,

I really know how to get around,

and I sure know how to have fun!

Taxpayer - 1, Dreggs of Society - 0

Today I had to endure *gulp* the Centrelink office. Centrelink is the government department that hands out money (unemployment benefits etc). There is an argument (from most upstanding members of society) that Centrelink has a habit of handing out money to just about anyone who needs assistance to sit at home drinking, smoking and watching tv. As a taxpayer, I have a problem with my tax dollars being spent to enable people to are in a rut, stay in a rut. Don't get me wrong.....I know there are people out there who genuinely need some assistance, such as the disabled, single parent, students, etc, but I am also fully aware that for every one person who really needs assistance, there are at least two people who are taking advantage of the system.

Like I said.....today I had to endure Centrelink. Since we claim our Family Tax Benefit once per year, I had to go in and submit Julianna's birth certificate. Whilst I was standing in line, there was a guy standing in front of me. I don't usually like to judge people from their appearances, but when someone has in their hand a plastic bag full of various items with the words, "WA Police Department - Prisoner Possessions", printed on the outside, it gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of person you might be dealing with.

I was standing close enough to him (and he was talking loud enough) that I (and most other people in there) could hear what his complaint was. He had just been released from prison and made his way straight over to the Centrelink office for some money. It turns out that before he went into prison he was receiving unemployment benefits (even though his time was obviously not spent looking for a job) and he had still continued to receive unemployment benefits whilst he was in prison (not really sure why!!!!!). The lady at the front counter very calmly explained to him that whilst he was in prison his benefits should have been reduced (in my opinion STOPPED) and that instead of receiving any more money he now actually OWED Centrelink money.

I couldn't help smile to myself as I felt I had witnessed a small victory for all taxpayers today. The cynic inside me knows we will get ripped off again tomorrow.

Nine Months Old

A lot can happen in nine months.

In nine months I went from this

to this.

And Julianna went from this

to this.

Growing Up

Julianna's new trick is walking around the house hanging onto anything she can get hold of (including the dog). Usually though she only does it when I stand her up and prop her against something. The other day she was playing quite happily on her blanket, when I just went into the other room for a second.

When I come back, I saw this

now she has discovered she can do this there is no stopping her.

Hmm

Apparently today is the 30th birthday of the gym that I go to. After doing 30mins on the cross trainer, they gave me cake.

Something to Smile About

Yesterday was not a fantastic day in our house. It wasn't absolutely terrible but it wasn't great either.

Since we have returned from our trip Julianna hasn't been in the greatest sleeping pattern. I think she is still trying to adjust. Yesterday she also had her Swine Flu immunistation, so she was a bit out of sorts yesterday.

Also, a couple of days ago I found that we have had a mouse in our food storage. I found mouse poo and saw that it had eaten through a bag of rice. I put some poison down and it has all been eaten and since I have not found any more poo I think I have gotten rid of them.

So yesterday I spent the day washing every single dish, plate, bowl, glass.....anything that belongs in the kitchen that we own, just in case a mouse had ran over it, and cleaned out every cupboard. When Jonathan got home from work I had not yet finished, but I wanted to spend some time with him so I left the kitchen. By the time we finished dinner, got Julianna in bed and watched a movie together it was about 10.00pm. Jonathan when to bed but I have this Thing (aka OCD) where I can not go to bed with a dirty kitchen. If I do it just plays on my mind all night and I don't get any sleep so its just easier if I stay up and clean it. By the time I got it all done it was past midnight. I had a shower and got into bed and it took me a while to fall asleep. By the time I finally did it was about 1.00am.

At 3.00am Julianna woke up and was crying unconsolably. She didn't want her dummy, she didn't want her bottle, she didn't want her blankie, she just wanted to be cuddled. For some reason last night this just really annoyed me, usually I don't care, I'll just lay on the couch and cuddle her while we both fall asleep, but last night I was not in the mood. I reluctantly took her to the couch and laid with her...... and I was glad I did. She soon fell asleep and after sleeping for a few minutes a huge smile crept across her face. She was obviously dreaming about something. It struck me that although I hadn't had a great day, the day wasn't too great for her either. But even after having her routine disrupted, having her injection and having a grumpy Mum for the day she still found something to smile about. She taught me a pretty good lesson at 3.00 this morning.

Holiday Highlights

The big trip

Bear World

Shooting

The wedding

The reception

All Good Things Come to an End

Well I can't believe that by this time tomorrow we will be on our way back home. It has just gone too fast. I know I promised to keep everyone regularly updated with everything we were doing....but we have been too busy doing it.

Some of our highlights have been;

• The wedding
• Catching up with friends and family
• Julianna getting lots of cuddles with Grandma
• Peanut butter pie
• Late night trips to Walmart
• Our weekend in Vegas
• My friend Teresa having her baby and giving me lots of cuddles
• Going shooting
• Bear World

I promise there will be pictures soon.

The Main Event

Saturday was the wedding. Congratulations Jason and Sunshine!!!

We Made It!!

Well after a long flight we finally made it here. Julianna was fantastic on the flight, but unfortunately the same can't be said about the little girl seated next to us (but thats a whole other story!). It was so good to finally get here and catch up with family and friends.

We haven't done a whole lot since we arrived as we have been mostly catching up with people. Julianna has been very co-operative and social and rather likes all the attention. I'm dreading that this might make her impossible to live with when we get home!

The Phenergan Fiasco

fi·as·co

 [fee-as-koh or, especially for 2, -ah-skoh]

–noun,plural-cos, -coes.

a complete failure

Well it is no secret that in less than 12 hours we will be leaving for America.......a VERY long flight. One that is going to be VERY interesting. We have been seeking some advice on what to do to help Julianna on the flight. The child health nurse suggested that I use some Phenergan to help her sleep as it is an antihistamine.

I went to the chemist to get some but was told that without a prescription it was not available over the counter for children under the age of 2. Immediately I thought "Ha, Ill go to another chemist." Apparently the chemist is also a mind reader, as she told me, "If you just go to another chemist you can buy it but they will not tell you the dosage for a 7 month old". Bummer

Luckily my friend Bronya happens to work in a pharmacy and pulled a few strings. I picked it up on Friday and tried it out on Friday night. As I am giving Julianna the medication, my mind is fast-forwarding to the fantastic sleep-in I am going to have on Saturday morning. Little did I know...........

On some children Phenergan actually has the opposite effect and can hype them up - Julianna is one of those children. She had a great time singing and playing and laughing as my hopes of a lazy morning were fading away.

So it looks like it is on to Plan B......unfortunately I don't have one.

Seven Months Tomorrow

Today was Julianna's last day of being six months old. Tomorrow she will be a whole seven months. I know it doesn't seem like a huge milestone but she is just growing up so fast that I have to savour every moment. She has now graduated from being an infant, to being a baby. Soon she will be a toddler and then a child. She is growing up too quickly.

One Down

I'm finally starting to make some packing headway. Yesterday I was able to finish packing Jonathan's suitcase. Now there is just mine and Julianna's left.

Unfortunately though today the Travel Gods have not been kind to us. Julianna woke up with a terrible cold. Her nose is running and she is constantly coughing. I also still need to let United Airlines know that we have an infant traveling with us and I can not get through. I have today's "to do" list but every time I cross one thing off I add two more things. I think I may need another holiday to recover from the stress of this one.

Just a Random Thought

I can see the purpose in most things but there is still something I'm not sure about.......I will never understand why dust exists. Was it just to be a tell tale sign that my house need cleaning??

Julianna Gets Strapped.......Not the Bad Kind

Julianna is just growing up so quickly. She is already sitting by herself and whenever we go out she is hanging out of her pram smiling at strangers and just taking in the world. Since she has started to get a little more mobile I have decided that it is probably time she started to get strapped into her pram. I never bothered too much before because it was always such a pain and the odds of her going anywhere were minimal anyway. But with her new found fascination with the world I decided it was probably time.

So tonight as we got out of the car in the shopping centre carpark I put her in her pram and strapped in. Jonathan asked me what I was doing and the conversation went like this;

Jonathan: "Why are you strapping her in?"

Me: "Well since she is starting to hang over the edge I thought it was probably time she was strapped in. Besides, al the lady at the gym creche always straps her in and there was that lady on the news who strapped her baby in and it was lucky she did because her pram rolled off the train station platform and was hit by a train. If she hadn't strapped her baby in the baby would have come out of the pram and would be hit by the train. It saved the baby's life being strapped into the pram. Sometimes I feel like I'm being a bit lazy and neglectful by not strapping her in."

Jonathan: "Well, have you let her roll in front of any trains lately?"

Me: "No."

Jonathan: "Then I think you're doing just fine."

I love that I have such a practical husband to keep me balanced.

All the Thanks I Need

I had a bit of a moment today. I love being a stay-at-home Mum, but sometimes I just get so lonely. Sometimes I feel that I still work as hard as I did when I was working full-time (probably even harder) but the difference is that now there is no recognition, no acknowledgement, no pat on the back for a job well done. I know that this recognition isn't necessary but lets face it, sometimes its just nice to get it.

Anyway, tonight after everything was done, Julianna was in bed and I was getting ready for bed, Julianna suddenly woke up. She started to cry and it wasn't just one of those "I'm hungry" or "I'm cold" cries, it was an "I'm scared" cry. I guess she woke up and realised that she wasn't being cuddled to sleep anymore. She was all alone in her bed in the dark. Since I was busy getting ready for bed Jonathan went into her and picked her up. She had big tears rolling down her face and her little bottom lip was stuck out. She was still crying big tears when Jonathan took her into the lounge room and sat on the couch with her. I came in and sat next to him and she lunged towards me with her arms held out. I took her and she nuzzled her face into my neck. When she did she finally settled down and fell back to sleep. I laid back on Jonathan and as we were laying there, Jonathan holding me and me holding Julianna sleeping soundly on my chest, I thought to myself, "I guess this is the thanks I asked for..... and its all the thanks I need."

Today was a good day to be a Mum.

Friends

Yum

Today was chocolate custard for breakfast

A Post for Sarah

5 reasons to love Tuesdays:

1. If you live to see Tuesday it means you survived Monday

2. Movies always come onto DVD on Tuesday

3. Its a notoriously slow day for restaurants so you are always guaranteed to get seated quickly on a Tuesday

4. (This probably only applies to me - sorry) Jonathan gets paid on Tuesdays

5. Its always cheaper to fly on a Tuesday

Hope this helps you find some happiness in Tuesday. xx

Fremantle

This past weekend it had finally cooled down enough so that we could go out for the day and not die of heat exhaustion. We had a great day. We decided that we would spend the day in Fremantle. Although Fremantle is not very far from where we live we don't get down there as much as we would like and we always have fun when we finally do.

We got down there at lunch time (we slept in). For lunch we went one of our favourite Italian restaurants and got pizza to take away and ate it on the beach. We then spent the afternoon walking around the markets and watching the street performers.

It was a great day out.

Time Wasters and Money Savers

This past couple of months have been pretty busy for us. We have had lots of birthdays and friends having babies, the last couple of months have also had the potential to become expensive for us as well. So I decided to get creative.