For those of you who've been around my blog for awhile you may remember me posting about this resort near my home (a distant dot in this picture). Anyway, I mentioned it before because I thought about hosting a scrapbooking retreat - which I'm still really keen to do, but of course it will only be able to be early next year. I was quite pleased today, because I did a quote for a client - for a one night stay of similar length and number of people - and the rates were really very reasonable - including all meals & accommodation. So there's a project for me to organise for my creative memories people and a thought to keep me going through all the long nights of being awake both before and after bubkins arrives.

I also had another Doc appointment yesterday, and got to see the bubkins again on the scan - the doc is really pleased with his growth and says that all is going well - he's a good size (thank god I'm having a caesarian) and she says that everything looks 100%. Plus there is no trace of any sugar problems anymore (go me!) because I've been so good with my diet since my 'scare'. There are several reasons to feel good today. I'm going to put all our financial stresses aside today, and just hug myself and say, "all is well with my world today". 

He seems to be on the mend...he's still very unenthusiastic about his food though. It turns out he has some wierd parasite which is a type of biliary, but can be easily cured with a shot (which he had as soon as we found out yesterday) and a course of tablets - which we are dutifully getting down his throat on schedule.

It just breaks my heart to see him feeling so yucky...thankfully he's getting plenty of rest and fluids. I just hope that we don't have a repeat of what happened to my poor Digby - who was on the mend and then took a turn for the worse. Anyway, I'm not going to allow myself to think negatively, not when he's looking a bit better already. I can't wait to get home at 14h00 and give him a good cuddle. 

Get well soon boy.

My beautiful Navarre had to go to the vet this morning. He's been lethargic all weekend - and wouldn't even eat his favourite marmite covered provita biscuits. They've ruled out billiary (THANK GOD), but can't find anything else wrong with him - they check everything obvious, i.e. heart, lungs - and even his prostate (poor boy!!) and the only thing they could find was a slightly raised temperature. They've taken a blood sample and we'll have the results later today. I'm praying that it's not serious, I don't think that I could handle losing another pet, hell, pet, I mean CHILD. Honestly, I don't think that it's anything more than a nasty tummy bug which has left him feeling nauseous, which would explain why he's not eating, but drinking a lot of water instead. The funny thing was that as soon as we were home he wolfed down a whole bowl of food and stood there like some goofy idiot wagging his tail and looking very pleased with himself. The bizarre thing with thim as well - is that when he's not feeling well, it's like he has 'bed head' all over his body - it's like even his fur doesn't lie properly. I just hope that some simple pills or a quick jab will take care of this that I can have my beauooo wooo tiful boy back to normal.

Counting the minutes...

Everytime I get kicked, I must confess to feeling thoroughly excited. But in a strange way, I can't yet make a connection that this thing kicking inside me is my son! It's like my brain can't fathom what that means - like I'm going to hospital to 'fetch' the baby, as opposed to letting him out! Almost every evening, the hubby and I are sitting on the couch, and he can see my stomach moving - he's just as blown away by the unbelieveable feeling. He'll reach out and put his hand palm down on my belly, and just go "wow" or "that's my son in there...wow..." in a very awe-filled way. I just can't imagine have that caesarian, and having them hand me the baby - and seeing him for the first time. I know it's going to happen, for sure...but I still somehow can't believe it's real....sigh...

How unbelieveably amazing is this picture? When in the proverbial jaws of danger, my advice is to....CAMOUFLAGE. One has to wonder if this poor Tiger mom was wringing her paws in despair at her seemingly ugly children? Or was she fully aware that they weren't hers and she was feeling kinda motherly anyway?

Well it looks like the hubby might have 2 good job prospects in the pipeline, please cross all flexible body parts on this one...we'll know more about one of them today...it would mean a bit of a career shift for the hubby (the one prospect) but I think that may be exactly what his agile mind needs right now. 

Too Cute

I found this picture via a picture on Mary Lou's blog, and the kitty pictured looks SO much like my Tigger that I just had to post it. Those of you who've been around my blog for awhile will know that Tigger is the cat who I coaxed in when she was abandoned by our former neighbors who moved away without her (actually they were languishing in jail for growing weed...but I digress). Anyway, the way I felt about it if they were cruel enought to not at least organise someone to look after the poor thing i.e fetch her and re-home her, then they can rot in jail with her welfare on their conscience. Basically I think Tigger saw the hubby and I moving in, and thought, " Hah! Suckers!! Let me go and look all pathetic and skinny and maybe I can move in with them." To date, Tigger has become the MOST attention seeking, ass-kissing (hers - not ours) cat who ever lived. She converts dog lovers far and wide with her feline wiles and charms - and has even been known to show her extreme love and posession of my hubby by peeing on his leg when he's had the worst day of his past year! It was just hilarious, there we were sitting out in the garden having thrown down an old picnic blanket, playing with the dogs, having a glass of chilled white wine (before I was pregnant) when she sashays over rubs her cheek against my hubby's shin, turns around, and HEY PRESTO! Gives him a little squirt of her 'love' juice and I spend the next 5 solid minutes rolling on the grass laughing my ass off - while my husband wonders why his leg is wet.

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Some times when life gets too much, we need to take it lying down.

Like Monday mornings for example...really, why the hell do any of us bother to get out of bed?

With the weather cooling down nicely on our side of the planet, I'm really starting to enjoy the snoozy, warm, duvet over my head -no cares in the world feeling that I get about 10 minutes before my alarm goes off. Considering that I'm getting the crap kicked out of me, by what I'm starting to think is the son of David Beckham in my belly - and have spent the last 4 hours awake anyway. My poor hubby is taking strain because I'm so restless. The other night he tried to go and sleep in the spare (baby's) room to get some peace - and I gave him hell saying that the room was ready for the baby, and that him going in there to snore would only upset the 'chi' in the room. He just loves the double bed in there saying that it's much better for his back...Whenever I do relent and let him go there (so I get to stretch out on our queen size bed) I always find him the next morning, and like every dog and cat in the neighborhood lying on the bed with him. It's quite hilarious to see him curled up in a little ball, with a 70kg Alaskan Malamute, a fast growing golden labrador and 3 cats all stretched out having the time of their lives sleeping on the bed. For some reason the dogs seem to think that when 'daddy' goes to the spare room, it's ok to get on the bed and sleep with him - they normally stay in their baskets in the lounge for the duration of the night...I'm starting to think that perhaps 'daddy' is encouraging them? 

What's better than a scantily clad Russell Crowe in Gladiator? The answer of course is A suavely clad RC in 'The Far Side of the World' being all Masterful and Commandeering.

I saw this movie for the second time on dvd last night - and well, hey, **RAWR**.

I don't know what it is about these Aussie (yes I know he's officially a kiwi) guys - but shortly after watching M&C, I also watched 'Troy' again, and got to lay eyes on Eric Bana (who plays 'Hector') and there is another great example of prime Australian beef...er man.

Whatever is in the air, water, or agriculture down there - that is creating these men - they should do their utmost to preserve it!

Have a good weekend folks - I'll see y'all on Monday. 

Big changes

Big Changes... There is so much going on in my life at the moment that it's all quite daunting...

1. The obvious one is that I'm 9 weeks away (today!) from having a baby, a son, a new member of the family...oh my god, my mind just zonks out when I think about it. (in a good mind boggling way).
2. The hubby is finally (after months of nagging from me - and not listening) selling the family business. It has been a drain on us emotionally and financially for so long! Emotionally, because his family are very manipulative and he always has to play the 'problem solver' and 'hero', and of course the 'maid' to clean up everyone else's screw ups etc. Anyway, basically the hubby left a very well-paying corporate IT job in order to step in and help out the family biz about 2.5 yrs ago. Now he's so damn bored - and trying very hard to get back into the IT market, but it's proving harder than we thought. Anyway, I have all the faith in the world in him and I know he'll make it back. We really need this at the moment, with me going on maternity leave etc. However, this financial drain on us has meant that we now have to...
3. We are selling our house. I know it's crazy, 9 weeks before giving birth, but yes we are selling our house. Thankfully we've put enough into our bond (mortgage) and our house has dramatically increased in value, so we'll get enough capital out to pay off the company debt (it's not much, but it's enough to be annoying that we're paying for it and the MIL and SIL are not - because they 'can't' -gaaah!!!!) and we'll have enough to live on for at least a year -should the job hunt prove really difficult.

There is light at the end of the tunnel however, because the business is very marketable - as it has huge potential, but we've not had the capital to market it, and thankfully there are 2 interested parties - so if it's sold - we won't have to part with any of our capital. Plus once the hubby gets his career on track again - we'll be laughing...and I'll get to be a stay at home mom (YEAH!!). But it just seems like we have these 2 or 3 insurmountable obstacles to get through in order to get on with our lives....sigh.... At first I was really heart broken that we were selling our house, now I'm just plain pissed off with the MIL and SIL for not being able to part with their fare share for the company (after having taken more than their fare share from the company). Anyway, my heart lifted, once I started exploring the rental market in our area. The hubby and I discovered that for less than our monthly bond repayments currently, we can get the most amazing houses in our area. The picture you see above, is of the private estate (Michele you'll know this one well) where we can get the most awesome 3 bedroom home, with stunning open plan lounge, kitchen, dining room, with ample yard space for our doggies and kitty's. The complex is very secure with 24 hr security - it's own lake, boat house & pub, and it is just filled to the brim with young couples with little kiddies!! So needless to say, I'm seeing the lighter side of things - and now can't wait to wrap up the sale of our house so that I can move into this beauty! If all goes according to plan it will still be available once our sale is 'through', and we'll be able to move shortly after babykins joins us (a feat in itself I know but I'll manage somehow!). So please folks keep your fingers, toes and other bendable body parts crossed for us, that we a) sell the biz b) get our asking price for the house (we have 2 just off asking price offers) and c)the hubby gets his plum career back on track - because we could really use a change in luck right about now!! Of course d) my dream house stays available!!

Sigh...it's been nearly a year since the hubby and I were on our honeymoon on the gorgeous tropical isle of Mauritius...man I could SO use a holiday right now. Not that I'm particularly stressed or anything, just 30 weeks pregnant, in the process of selling my house and other general life stuff...I can remember vividly floating idly along on my back in this pool baking in the sunshine...then moseying down to the beach for a dip in the crystal blue water....sigh.... 

I gotta get me one of these!! Way cool. Or way warm I suppose depending on the patient...it's quite shocking how much one can actually buy for a baby. I have really been quite frugal, but still -there is just so much to consider. Espcially since I don't intend to be the milk factory, but will rather bottle feed....ok, bring on the rage of comments about THAT choice why don't ya. ;) 

Yesterday, I had not 1 but 2 Dr's appointments one after the other. The first was with my 'diabetic specialist' and the second was my regular obgyn check up to have a scan and say hi to my unborn baby.

At the first appointment, I nearly threw a huge tantrum. The Dr was late, then didnt' recognise me, and introduced himself again as if I was a new patient...then got really embarrassed when he realised that he saw me like, last week...then had a look at my blood sugar chart (which I"ve been plotting before and after every meal) - for less than a minute, and said "well that all looks absolutely fine, but I'll need you to chart again for another week and come and see me again". The entire appointment from start to finish must have lasted less than 3 minutes. R300. I wanted to vomit all over his reception desk when I had to pay it is JUST RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!

Anyway, my regular check up with my obgyn, was awesome, she is such a lovely Dr - and we had a good ogle at unborn Robert, he looked like he was picking his nose from one angle it was so cute. Plus I got to spend quality time asking her questions about stuff I've read and whether or not it's true...i.e. "Can one colour your hair during pregnancy?" (I have major roots and am dying to go all blonde again) and of course you can, and anyone who says otherwise is just talking bollocks really.

Her appointment came to R290.00 and I would have paid it three times over GLADLY.

By the way, that awesome picture was taken near Plettenberg Bay, a little coastal town I wouldn't mind retiring to... 

Man I just love this creative memories way of scrapbooking. Even if I just have a quick hour to sit down and work on my albums, I know I can get at least 1 or two pages done!

With all their photo organising tools and things, if you follow the plan and organise your photo's your albums end up being far more logical, and easier to complete. Plus you don't find photo's 3 days later that should have gone into the album.

I was off sick from work yesterday, fearing a head cold, but it seems as though today, the head cold bit is gone, and I'm just left with a sore throat and headachy feeling. Thank god! Since I can't take medication at the moment the last thing I need is to be off ill...it did mean that I had to spend a whole day convincing myself NOT to go and eat all those Reeces Peanut Butter cups that are waiting for me.