Kate and Michael + 3

WARNING: Gratuitous Butt Shot!

2012-02-13T11:24:00.001+10:00

Now that you've scrolled down to see the above mentioned butt shot I'll start. Its ok I probably would have done it as well.

For the last three days I've been trying to write a post about being to busy to post. Ironic yes?

I give up, instead here is our weekend.

Saturday our local Porters had there grand opening which included a jumping castle and Handy Manny included. Darren Lockyer was there signing his hand off and a lovely lady was painting faces, or legs as it turned out.

We came home looking like this. Jack always aiming to please his Dad,was not only dressed like a Roosters fanatic but got his leg painted just like Dads.

Daddy and Jack~Matching.

James~Vampire.

James who will never be a kiss arse wanted to be a vampire so he could suck Jack's blood. Love how his brain works.

Saturday night we had a 'special dinner' 3 courses of it in fact. Jack and I have been watching My Kitchen Rules and he wanted to make us a dinner with full table decorations so I let him go for it. I'm not sure if a pink table cloth really goes with santa napkins but he was happy.

Someone is getting sick and was in such a bad mood all weekend. Talk about mummies boy.

Sunday we went to a sports sign on/info day where the boys got to meet Shane Webcke. It was our weekend for footy really.

Now the boys just have to decide what they are going to choose out of the 50+ sports that were there. My rule is no more than 2 after school activities at this age, I chose swimming lessons so they can chose the other thing, as long as it isn't motorcycles I'll be ok. I think.

Zonked out on the way home. This is what happens by 11am when you get up at 5am.

This is what happens by 11am when your woken up at 5am.

James lunch request. No idea where he saw this idea but it was easy to make and pretty cute.

Not toilet training but refuses to keep a nappy on. We must be headed in the right direction right?

We finished off Sunday afternoon with a home made bike ramp and my children giving me more grey hairs by riding fast at bits of wood resting on bricks. Talk about heart in your throat!

How to save ten dollars on Pavlova.

2012-02-03T17:49:00.004+10:00

Go shopping when your in a bad mood.

Today wasn't a good day in our house, William didn't really want to sleep last night or today for that matter, it's been a yucky raining humid week and to top it off when I picked up the boys from school James teacher wanted to talk to me.

I was crabby when we ducked into Woolies on the way home to get a few things and thought maybe a cake or something for afternoon tea would put us all in a better mood. I grabbed a pavlova.

$4.98 not bad for afternoon tea. When we got to the checkout the pavlova scanned at $15.98. Now usually I am extra nice to people in customer service after doing my time in customer service but today I'd just had enough. I may or may not have had a few choice words to say and when the bakery man returned with the correct price I wasn't so nice to him either. Well because someone had put the pavlovas in the wrong place I walked out with a pavlova and I only paid $4.98, and you know what I felt better.

The first week

2012-01-28T21:43:00.000+10:00

William's birth was amazing and so much more than I was expecting, Michael and I were grinning from ear to ear and calling all the important people, (well Michael was calling people I was just staring at William),

when my midwife came in to check his weight and give him his shots she asked if any of the other boys had to have their blood sugar levels checked. I'd never heard of it before, apparently all babies born over 4.5kgs need to have it checked. So she put him on the scales and after she had a little chuckle she said 'hold on I'll just do it again to check that's right' we knew he was a big boy you could tell from looking at him but we weren't expecting her to say 11lbs 10ozs!

So a little prick in his foot would tell us if his sugar levels were ok or not. Normal is over 2.6 Williams level was 1.4. Not a terrible thing but it needed to be fixed, so after he was dressed he headed off to the special care nursery with Michael while I showered. When I got there they told me he'd just been tube fed 40mls of formula. We had to wait half an hour then check his levels again.

Still no good. Another 20mls of formula and his levels came up enough for us both to head off to my room for some much needed sleep.

Bruised face baby, that's what happens when your hand comes out with your face.

I had to feed him on demand and come back half an hour after his next feed to have another heel prick. At midnight I headed back in with him and he was down to 1.8.

So I sat in special care nursery and fed the boy for an hour or so, another heel prick-still no good, another dose of formula in the tube.

William we discovered, is not to keen on hospital formula, as it was going in his belly he was puking it straight back up. By this time it was almost 3am, a call to the paediatric doctor and he was straight down to put a drip full of dextrose (sugar) in his arm. Then I was told he couldn't leave the nursery and I'd have to go in to feed him.

In special care with his drip.

Well special care nursery is not somewhere I ever expected to end up on his first night, especially not with such a big baby. I always thought of special care for tiny babies or babies with something wrong with them. I quickly found out special care nursery is actually quite fun, the mums who are in there with tiny sick babies know exactly whats going on and are doing everything they can to make their babies stay as comfortable as possible. William's neighbour was 1.1kgs she was so tiny but her mum was so upbeat she knew she was going to be there for a while.

The aim of the game for us was to feed him on demand (which was constantly) until my milk was in enough for his levels to come up on there own. He had to have a heel prick and check his levels every 6 hours which meant I spent 99% of my time in the nursery with him either feeding or checking his levels and settling him afterward he'd had yet another prick in his foot.
The second night his levels were doing really well and his drip was turned down from 27mls of dextrose an hour to just 4.4mls. I was hopeful that we might be able to go home that day. At 7am when the doctors did their rounds it was time for another heel prick. Bad news. His sugar levels dropped way to much and his drip had to go way back up to 17mls an hour. I was starting to feel like we were never going to leave.

By Friday morning I was so over the four walls of the hospital and over only seeing my big boys for a few hours a day. Thankfully the doctor I saw that morning agreed to take the drip out and keep an eye on him during the day, if his levels could stay up for the next few hours we could go home.

Sumo baby

I fed the boy like a maniac hoping to keep his levels up high enough. At 1pm his levels were 2.6 literally just high enough. He had to have one more check at 4pm if that was high enough we got to go home. I was hopeful but skeptical all at the same time. So when he wanted to sleep from 12-3 I was worried. I woke him up, stuck a boob in his mouth and hoped for the best. 4pm rolled around and we headed back to the nursery. The nurse on duty was so lovely she wrapped up his foot in a hot towel (helps bring your sugar levels up) and we crossed our fingers. When that little machine beeped I didn't want to look.

'Get out of my nursery' the nurse was grinning as she said this his level was 3.1. That means we were discharged, thank god!

Home time!

Two weeks later his birth announcement!

2012-01-27T12:57:00.001+10:00

The morning of his birthday all ready to go to the hospital.

None of my boys have ever wanted to come early, or on time.
They have all been late bloomers and have needed some help getting their little bums moving. I really wanted to experience a natural labour no oxytocin drip, no being strapped to the bed, but I wasn't holding out much hope it would happen. So having my induction date set was a little disappointing but not a huge shock.
The day came, we got ready, kissed the boys, I had a little cry I knew that would be the last time I'd see them before I bombarded them with yet another brother, then we headed off to the hospital at 7am with a maccas iced coffee, we were ready for action.
After a quick listen to his heart beat and a check over I got a dose of prostaglandin gel, we were told to walk the corridors to get things moving and come back at 2pm to see how things were going. Well that's not what I was expecting to hear. I felt like it was a huge waste of time. At 2pm I was getting pretty painful contractions but they weren't regular and my midwife told me all they were going to do was give me another shot of gel and check me out again at 9pm, and probably leave me over night and break my waters the next day. I was not a happy camper at this point. If you've never had gel on your cervix it feels like awful period pain. Not a fun way to spend an entire day.
Michael and I headed back to my room to wait it out, we decided Michael may as well go home and bath the kids and help mum with dinner and come back afterwards.
I was getting lots of really painful contractions that were lasting for around 10 seconds but they were really irregular so I just waited it out. at 5pm my dinner turned up (gotta love hospitals!) I tried to sit up and eat but I was in way to much pain. I headed back to the labour ward to see what could be done, we decided a hot bath would be a good, and it really was. Around this time the midwives changed shifts and my new midwife came in to check on me, after we'd had a chat and she watched me have a few contractions she asked if I'd like the gas, oh hell yes!
A few contractions later she suggested we call Michael and get him back to the hospital, we do live a good half an hours drive away so I said sure thing. Then time seemed to stand still.
I got sick of the hot water and the hard bath so we moved to the bed, my contractions were getting pretty full on and I was glad to have the gas to keep my mind on something else.
A quick internal between contractions and I was 7cms, so much for come back at 9pm!
I had my eyes squeezed shut and my toes curled over when Michael turned up and held my hand, It felt like hours since we'd called him when in actual fact it had only been 40 minutes.

It was 6.55pm when Michael got there and the next half an hour was pretty hectic. A few more contractions and I knew what was coming, I told my midwife the next contraction I was going to push. She was all alone with a student doctor, this is when they started running around making sure they had everything ready to go. Next contraction Williams head was out along with his arm, two more pushes and the rest of him was out and he was on my chest. I had never been so relieved in my whole life. I remember thinking that is the last time I will ever experience childbirth and thank goodness!

William Robert was born born at 7.21pm, 55.5cms long, weighing a whopping 11lbs 10ozs.

William and I a few minutes old.

I'm still here!!

2012-01-26T13:28:00.000+10:00

Helllloooo!!!!!

So life has been a little busier than I was expecting with a hungry newborn and three other kids to look after. So unfortunatly my blog was completly ignored for the whole month of January basically. It was a very busy month so I won't try to chuck it all into one blog post, but it started off with the birth of our beautiful little William, my birthday, and then my two big boys going off to school. That's a lot in one month!

So here are a few pictures for now, I will be back tomorrow (hopefully!) with William's birth story.

William Robert 2 days old. 11lbs 10ozs. I think half his weight was in those cheeks.

Charlie pretty happy with his new brother.

My beautiful James. He demands cuddles with William several times a day.

For a kid who didn't want to have another brother he is pretty impressed with William.

I know he will hate me for posting this on the internet when he's older, but how freaking funny is that face!

Sleeping like a baby. Literally.

The Waiting Game

2012-01-05T10:31:00.001+10:00

This is where we went yesterday.

A 1.5km round trip to a beautiful (very cold) waterfall.

We thought maybe that would scare this baby out of me. A big walk and being an hour or so from the hospital that's when it would happen if I was in a bad midday movie. No such luck in the real world, but we did have a really nice time, today my swollen feet are testimony to that.

I thought my feet were going to snap off after I put them in the water, Michael took the boys in, they didn't last very long. I could hear Charlie from up here telling Daddy 'COLD!'

After we got them dressed we head off to another pretty spot to show Nanny. Mister Cute sitting still for one second, while we got lunch ready.

Nanny, she's nothing if not sun smart.

If you think after a huge walk and lunch you could lay on the grass peacefully you were dreaming Dad. If your on the ground your fair game.

I'd love to have their energy.

I love this picture of Nanny and Jack, he is Nanny's boy. through and through.

Tomorrow were off to show Nan the hospital for my last appointment with my midwife. I'm getting bored of the waiting game!

It's a new day and I'm feeling...good

2012-01-01T08:44:00.002+10:00

2011 what a year you were. I can quite happily say you are gone. Although there were a lot of ups there were some crazy downs like how 2010 ended and how we spent New Years Day.

Then there was how we spent Easter Sunday, and the life changing news we found out a few days later.

Then we spent a few weeks in limbo until we found out what was going on.

I could keep going, no wonder I'm so grey this year, far out what a year!

So this year I am looking forward to a boring quiet event-less kind of year.

So my list for this year is much different to last years. 12 months can sure change a person.

1. Get through every day with four kids without ripping all my hair out and/or killing someone.

2. Find time in the week for me.

3. Go to the beauticians/hairdressers more regularly.

4. Take the boys to their first football game.

5. Go for walks with my two smallest people.

6. Visit some family off both sides.

7. Spend Christmas with those that we love, somewhere pretty.

8. Laugh more.

9. Stop and take time to play silly buggers with my boys

10. Go on dates with my hubby.

11. Say yes to things without worrying or stressing.

12. Stop second guessing myself, and just do it.

13. Go away for a kick ass family holiday.

Ok so I didn't make it to 20 but you know what I don't really care, 2012 is going to be a good year and I'm not stressed.

Whats on your list?

image

Baby Daze

2011-12-30T17:24:00.004+10:00

Week 40!

This is my last pregnancy update (hopefully). My mumma flew up this afternoon and after my midwife checked me out this morning she told me I am already 2cms and my cervix is 'paper thin' sounds nasty but it's a really good thing. I'm hoping that this means #4 will be my chance of having a baby without the drip and the gel. I don't know how likely it is it'll happen but I can only hope!

I've started sleeping really badly, my hips hurt and I can't lay on them without them hurting but can't really lay any other way. My hormones and moods have been crazy, I think because of the lack of sleep.

It's defiantly time for him to evacuate, I can feel he is right down in my pelvis which is uncomfortable but it's a promising sign.

Apart from sleep I feel pretty good, my belly hasn't gotten any more stretch marks thank heavens, I don't think it could stretch any more than it already had.

So now we just have to wait and hang out with my mum and hope that the next ost I have is introducing our new little man.

Ah Kismas!

2011-12-26T15:24:00.000+10:00

We've had a cracker of a Christmas.

Lots of people good weather, great food, too many presents and early to bed on Christmas night. Perfect.

Here's a few million photos.

Christmas toilet paper.

Baked ham

Mediterranean salad before it was roasted and covered in olives and feta.

Tree with the presents, all ready to go!

Ho Ho Ho!

James with his new bike

Nice scooter Jacky boy!

Pop up tent a little bigger than I expected, maybe for outside instead?

I see you Charlie!

The boys new Uncle Fluffy spinning Charlie around, these boys are going to miss him when he's goes back to work!

Lets go!

He likes to move it, move it.

Cute shirt bud!

Uncle Fluffy playing sandcastles with the boys

Mrs Claus buys some good pressies!

Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Now if you excuse me I'm off for a nap.

Baby Daze

2011-12-24T20:57:00.000+10:00

39 Weeks

The finish line is within sight!

I have two more midwife appointments. Both of them will include a stretch and sweep, which for those of you who haven't had it done, is as awful as it sounds but is meant to help get things going.

I got very excited when I jumped on the scales yesterday and my midwife exclaimed you've only put on 4 kilos! I was boasting and gloating all afternoon until I remembered I only started going there after my 20 weeks scan so the 10 kilos I put on before 20 weeks as well as the 4 I've put on since then, oops.

Everything is going pretty well, I'm awake at 3.30am every day without fail and only go back to sleep 5 minutes before someone climbs into bed with me but I don't feel like I'm struggling to stay awake during the day, an afternoon nap is always appreciated but I'm surviving ok without it.

I think this boy is going to be bigger than his brothers I can feel him turning in my pelvis and when he moves around there's a lot of movement in funny places, it's that or he's stretching much further than his brothers did.

I got all the linen out of layby this week so once the Christmas presents are all out of his room I'll be able to finish off his room, I'm pretty excited about doing it really, it's basically the last thing I need to do, apart from pack my hospital bag, which I had sort of forgotten about, I don't really want to spend a huge amount of time in hospital so not planning on packing too much, although the thought of people bringing you food in bed for a few days while I lay around and nap and feed is tempting, I won't get another chance to do it!

I've got an induction date booked if the boy doesn't turn up on his own and so now were just playing the waiting game.

I'm getting quite impatient to meet him, not so much to get it over and done with but once he's here our family will be done and we can move on to bigger and better things as a family of 6, me and my 5 boys!

Happy Anniversary

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000+10:00

On this day five years ago I was pregnant and cooking for 12 people for Christmas day. Today is strangely no different, except last time it was my wedding day. We got married on Christmas eve and our movie is Love Actually.

I never thought about it but we really are Christmas tragic's.

A lot has happened in the last five years, our big boy has gone from a toddler wearing nappies to a big school kid ready for grade 2, our middle boy was born and has showed us what our combined stubborn streak can produce, our Charlie surprised us and now he's 2 and were getting ready for #4 to arrive. We've moved more times than I care to remember and I know we've spent far to much money in the process. It sure hasn't been an easy five years, but this last year has been one of the best, were in the same place and we know each other so well after 7 years together, were in a good happy place.

When we got married I was 22, seems so crazy to me now that we got married 2 years after we'd got together, but we had Jack already and James was baking in my belly, it didn't seem rushing at the time, it just seemed good timing.

Our wedding day

Us five years later.

Happy Anniversary my love heart.

Food!

2011-12-21T10:03:00.002+10:00

This is the last Christmas were going to spend as a family of five, only three small people. Next year we'll have an almost one year old seems so bizarre considering he still isn't here yet.

A few of Michael's mates from work couldn't get home to their families for Christmas as their roster basically only leaves Christmas day and boxing day to travel there and back again, so were having them instead of them staying in their rooms at work, I couldn't think of anything more depressing on Christmas day than being stuck in your tiny room with nothing to do and no where to go. So far I'm catering for 11 including us. Thank heavens were off to the beach for most of the day, lots of swimming, drinking (by the big boys, not so much by me!) and eating. After reading Beth's Christmas menu this morning I thought I might share ours as well. We live in the same country but you'd never know it, Beth is cooking hot food in the cold weather, I'm trying to figure out how to keep everything cold while we swelter in the sunshine.

Breakfast

Were having a smallish breakfast of bacon and eggs on the BBQ and loads of fresh fruit, watermelon, strawberries, grapes, cherries and mango. Lots of mango.

Snacks

Cheese, biscuits, dips, deli meat, nuts and rum balls, have to have loads of rum balls.

Lunch

Honey and mustard baked ham, cold prawns with a mango and chili sauce, prawn and avocado rolls, cold roast chicken, tomato and bocchini salad, roasted Mediterranean vegetable salad, garlic potato salad.

Dessert

Pavlova with lashings of cream, passionfruit and strawberries, and a mars bar cheesecake.

So if you don't see me around for the next few days I'll be in the kitchen, that's a lot of food to get ready when you look at it like that!

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Christmas Wish List

2011-12-19T08:26:00.001+10:00

So apart from not giving birth on Christmas day what I would really like would be much easier to arrange.
I know my lovely hubby has bought me some new jewels although not the 3K ring he wanted to buy me (thank heavens!) in a magical world where money grew on trees and I could justify spending stacks on me this is what I would ask for.

I'm sure the belt ring is out of fashion or daggy because I freaking love it and I'm usually months behind the trend. I'm putting this on my baby gift list (hint hint Hubby!)

A Raspberry coloured cast iron dish love from Jamie Oliver. Beautiful.

A fabulous lounge from King Furniture. Really do I need to say anything else?

What's on your Christmas list? Do you think you'll get what you asked for? Or are you living in a dream world like me??

ring
Cast Iron pot
Lounge

Baby Daze

2011-12-17T12:30:00.000+10:00

Week 38!

I am officially gong to start counting down in days not weeks!

I feel huge, and my right rib is defiantly bruised from a small bum resting under it, my hips hurt, my pelvis hurts. If I stand for too long it hurts, if I sit for too long it hurts. Yep it's defiantly time for it to be over.

I have been sleeping through the night though which is a big change, I had terrible pregnancy insomnia with the other boys so this is very nice.

This week I bought a few small things for the boy, a bath seat, more towels, and bibs. Still no pram though, I will get there eventually, it my not be til after he is here but hey!

I'm defiantly more calm this time around, I needed everything to be done and ready with the other boys this time I'm ok with things not being perfect. Its not going to be, why stress about it?

Next week I'll be getting ready for Christmas, mum gets here on the 29th so then he can come out, fine with me!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2011-12-14T10:00:00.003+10:00

It really is summer time here, and my boys are definatly feeling it.

I am forever wiping sweaty hair off faces so yesterday when Michael suggested he cut the boys hair I said sure, it's got to be cooler for them, and they were all starting to look a little bit like beatle extras.

What happened next is not what I was expecting from a 'haircut'

Before~They were all too excited to stand still or look at me, but I knew I wanted a photo of them with hair.

Jack

James

Charlie watching what Daddy was doing to his brothers.

After~My children now look like extras from Romper Stomper. I was expecting short but not to the scalp short! I said once before I was never letting Michael cut the kids hair again, now I remember why! Sorry hun it's back to the hairdressers for a cut from now on!

My baby is no longer a baby that's for sure!

Thankfully it's still a while before school starts so no creepy first day of school photos for us, the boys love it and have been feeling their own heds and rubbing each others heads, but mummy is not loving it.

The week that was

2011-12-11T08:51:00.001+10:00

It's been a big week in our household, thankfully Michael come home tonight, so while I try to make the house look like someone loves it here are few (ok a lot!) of my favorite pics for the week.

Charlie J waiting up for Daddy to get home from work, he was awake until 10.30pm. Gotta love his stamina!

Putting up the tree, Jack getting 'tickled' (beaten) by Charlie with the tree

Tree!

Missing my hunny heaps this week

Truck drivers parked three deep along the road across from my driveway, making it impossible to get out and for anyone who lives past us to get to there house, yep so over the sound of building!

James calls this Santa dinner, anything with no hot veggies is Santa dinner because you have that sort of food at Santa time, makes sense yes?

Michael is a silly billy and let the boys play angry birds on his phone, they now have the bug and hassle me daily, I think this would satisfy them for a little while surely?

My sparkly flashing Christmas bauble, isn't she pretty!

Morning tea outside before they boil.

Major blowout, Michael suggested we put him on the shelf with wheezy, poor Woody.

The first present for baby #4 is of course from my amazing sister. You know its an awesome present as well, best sister in the world x

Presents to be posted off to the family, why do we all live so far away from each other?

Our duck population has grown, the first week it was a few ducks, yesterday there were 20 ducks waiting on our front lawn for bread. Can I class them as dependants now?

Crazy storm last night, I'm surprised we had power all the way through it. This was taken last night, by the light of lightening, it was so bright!

Even after a late night my small people were all up and in my bed by 6am, vat-o iced coffee for mummy this morning!

Happy Sunday!

Baby Daze

2011-12-10T09:49:00.000+10:00

Week 37

I am officially classed as full term! I'm not due for another 3 weeks so even if I go 1 week over there's only 4 weeks left to go, I'm so ok with that! I was looking at bump pics of Charlie and found the same dress in my cupboard so thought I'd do a comparison, whataya reckon any difference?

Same dress, same weeks pregnant with Charlie.

This time around, I don't think I look much different?

James and Charlie were almost identical when they were born, height, head circumference, the only difference was James was 30gms heavier, I'm guessing this boy will be around about the same.

I went to the doctors yesterday, only problem was I read the appointment date wrong and my appointment isn't actually until Monday. Oops. Talk about baby brain!

It's been a really hot busy week and I've fallen off the housework band wagon big time, my pelvis hurts when I bend or lean more on one leg so vacuuming hurts, mopping hurts which means my floors are driving me nuts, if I stack the dishwasher I need to have a sit down because my feet hurt, seriously I'm not moving very quickly these days! Hopefully I'll get the nesting bug soon and go crazy!

I spent a small fortune at Toys'R'Us this week, all baby stuff (sorry big boys) so if this boy is anything like his brothers, here is where you will find him at nap time for the first few months

It swings by itself, has 18 different songs, and 6 swing speeds. A mobile with a mirror and toys on it, and the best bit? I put it together all by myself. Usually I would leave it to Michael but with him being away so much I figure I better learn to do this stuff by myself!

A cute new play mat with loads of fun things to do on it.

And this came with the swing, its a tummy time toy, I would probably never have bought one but hey it was free so I'll try it out!

Jack's on school holidays now, so I plan to take it easy and get things done at my slow poke rate, I've bought all the Christmas presents, now I just need to wrap them and post the ones going far away then bring on Christmas, and before you know it, it'll be baby time!

Lolly Wreath Tutorial

2011-12-09T08:35:00.000+10:00

I made these last year for Jack's teachers after a lovely lady gave me one, I knew I wanted to give it a go.

So this year were at a different school and I knew I'd get away with doing it again, so I did.

I'm not a crafty person, I don't sew or knit, I just don't have the patience to do it properly. I make small people and food but not much else, so this is my first ever tutorial, and really it's basic but I'm still sharing with you in case you haven't organised presents for those who look after your children/pets/clean your house. Whatever really.

What you will need:

A wire coat hanger

Lollies with a wrapper

Scissors

Tinsel I cut my 4 meters of tinsel so you probably need 2-3 meters.

String (or rope, whatever you can find in the shops)

About an hour of your time (or less if your not eating a fantale every time I tied one to the string)

What you need to do:

Bend your coat hanger so it resembles a round shape, don't stress too much about it, it gets covered up.

Cut off a huge piece of string and starting at one end tie the lollies to it, wrap the string around your coat hanger so it resembles the picture below.

Then it's as simple as wrapping your tinsel around the coat hanger as well, try to avoid the lollies so you can see them sticking out.

Ta-Da! And your done, the tinsel could have been less furry, would have made the lollies stick out a little more, but this is what I had. Jack's teacher was very happy with it and that's what matters in the end isn't it?

Finally the man has done it!

2011-12-06T09:08:00.000+10:00

In September Michael bought a boat, a big shiny toy to take up his time on his days at home, and unfortunately take up space on my front lawn.

The first day he had it he took the boys out and these were the photos he sent me.

Charlie looking so impressed with being on the boat.

Don't be fooled by the size of the fish, James is a small 4 year old, that fish had to go back in the water.

So here we are in December and even though Michael has been fishing every chance he gets for the last three months he has brought home a total of......... zero fish.

Yep $11,000 worth of boat and nothing to show for it, except a very good tan and a bad mood.

Well yesterday all that changed. He caught a fish, it's not huge but it's a fish and by golly we are going to have it for dinner tonight even if I am going to get something else to go with it, it's not enough for 5 people.

Hopefully this has broken his bad luck cycle and now he'll now be a first class fisherman, bringing me home more fish than we can possibly eat or freeze! It might be a Christmas miracle!

Or I might just be going to the fish market for a little bit longer.

Baby Daze

2011-12-03T07:30:00.000+10:00

Week 36

36 weeks and I'm out of the bathroom!
(Taking photo's in the babies room instead)

I can't believe I'm down to the last month! I am officially due this month. My mumma will be here in 27 days to hang out with the kids while Michael and I are at the hospital, and look after all of us when we come home with our newest smallest person.

Although it seems like I've been pregnant forever, it sort of seems like it was only yesterday we found out!

The boy has a name. Finally.

Everything is falling into place.

We've put Charlie's new car seat in so the baby can have Charlie's, I still haven't washed all the clothes but apart from that were so ready.

I've been trying to do lots of leaning forward and not putting my feet up to turn this boy around but my pelvis is strongly disagreeing with that idea. Hopefully a couple of trips to the pool and some swimming will help get him around the right way.

I've been feeling pretty good, it's gotten really hot so the air con has been my friend, its defiantly helped me sleep much better. Gotta be happy with that!

I am over people asking me if I'll make Christmas or asking me is Santa bringing me a special present. Seriously we've had three late babies, I have no hopes of a 2011 baby, it's going to be January for sure. I am ok with that, I'm prepared for that.

So for now I'm off to put my feet up and wait for Christmas to come!

20 in 2011~revisited

2011-12-02T09:00:00.000+10:00

I knew a big chunk of our 20 to do in 2011 would be un-doable when we fund out about #4 but I have tried to keep to a few and with the end of the year approaching at a rapid rate I thought it was time to check through the list.

1. Lose 20kgs (Melissa we have to help each other!)
2. ~~Take the boys fishing/camping at least once a month. (Hubby's suggestion)~~
3. Go to Tasmania.
4. Save enough to buy a house.
5. ~~Stop watching movies that we've seen before.~~
6. ~~Start watching movies we haven't seen.~~
7. ~~Be more relaxed with the boys. They are little boys it's OK for them to be little boys.~~
8. Stop stressing about everything.
9. ~~Do more craft activities with the kids~~.
10. Buy and READ more magazines that are for me.
11. Get more ink.
12. ~~Be more organised, know where~~ everything is.
13. ~~Help Michael quit smoking (I better not be putting this on my list for 2012~~)
14. ~~Teach the boys how to play age appropriate board games.~~
15. ~~Make Saturday's new recipe day.~~
16. Finally finish reading Anna Karenina (or get the audio tape)
17. Have more friends around for dinner.
18. Have more 'Mummy and Daddy' time
19. ~~Do some more decorating in the house.~~
20. ~~Go away and experience stuff together more often.~~

So I failed miserably at quite a few things obviously, I defiantly didn't lose any weight, although I haven't put on that much so I count that as a win.

Michael quit smoking twice that should defiantly count right?

With our health issues of our littlest one up in the air I stressed enough for the entire year. I still stress out far to much about everything.

So what's left on my list is a good head start for next years list!

Do you make new years resolutions? Will you be making a list for 2012?

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Lazy or Clever?

2011-12-01T09:15:00.000+10:00

I've been asking myself a lot lately is this lazy or clever parenting?

I know I'm not in the best condition to be doing everything I want/need to with the boys, but I keep coming up with ways of cheating and I don't know if I want to go back to the way it was before. Does this make me lazy or am I using my time and energy much smarter than before?

For example: Watering the grass, getting the kids to play outside and making them happy by letting them play in the water, while I rest with my feet up. Lazy or great idea?

James and Charlie are our early risers, they tend to wake each other up and whilst Jack and I are quite happy to sleep they are ready to start the day at 5am. Yesterday I had enough, so last night I made cheese and vegemite sandwiches, filled up the boys drink bottles showed James where they were in the fridge and told him when they wake up instead of hassling me in my room they can watch cartoon and have their breakfast in front of the TV. Now I know this is bad lazy parenting and I should get up with them, but you know what in a month I'll probably be up at 5am with the new baby and I'll be happy for them to get in bed with me, for now I'd like to sleep for few extra hours.

So apart from thinking I'm a terrible parent, what do you think? Is taking short cuts cheating or is it just the way it needs to be with four kids under six?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T13:57:00.000+10:00

My very good friend for today.

Playing along (for the first time) with Trish from My Little Drummer Boys

Cheap Fun

2011-11-28T14:30:00.000+10:00

Yesterday we had a huge day. A huge FREE day.

Apart from the cost of fuel to drive to the places we went, but hey we won't count that ok?

When our junk mail turned up this week there was a flyer for an open day at a local display home in an estate, on the flyer I saw the word 'free' and instantly I was interested.

Kids are expensive, we all know that, everyone talks about it, it's even on the news, they are expensive. Doing anything as a family is usually pretty costly for us so when something is free I jump at the chance.

Snow cones = free

Charlie opted for a leg paint instead of a face paint = free.

James wanted to be the sun = free.

Jack looking like a creepy spiderman with his balloon flower, you guessed it the balloons were free.

The little boys both decided on dinosaur balloon animals = free.

There was also a sausage sizzle and soft drinks and a jumping castle. They really had gone above and beyond for opening their display homes. While we were there we thought we better at least have a look in the display homes. It was then that something dawned on me. We were so out of place, not that we had planned to ever buy in an estate but going to an open day really makes it obvious we would be so un-wanted, the neighbours would say, you know the ones with all those noisy boys and the fisherman's wife.

I don't think people that live in an estate have more than two kids, or drive a car more than 5 years old, or buy their kids clothes from best and less. Everyone was dressed beautifully with swish looking prams, driving sedans. We were defiantly the only ones with three kids, and we were the only tarago parked out of the front. We need space, and as nice and pretty a new house like that would be we need more space than they can offer us, even after a representative showed us the 'big' blocks of land, I still chuckled, the yard was tiny. When and if were ready to buy our own house it will be an old house, pre damaged walls, huge backyard, space for a pony kind of backyard.

In case you can't read that it says The Bluewater Lagoon is funded by Mackay Regional Council.

Your donation is appreciated.

You know what that means, yep its free. A water slide, a kids water park, a kids pool, and two bigger pools. It is one of my favourite places to be at the moment, being in water sure makes my pelvis feel better, and the kids love it. And you know it's free!

Jack disappears as soon as we get there to go and play on the kids playground, little slides covered in water and a huge bucket that tips out once its full drowning anyone close to it. James and Charlie are still happy to hang out with their daggy parents in the big pool.

So there you go morning fun, lunch, and an afternoon swim proudly bought to you by the cheapest family I know, that would be us.

I'm in the money

2011-11-27T08:49:00.000+10:00

Its official. As of today my little blog has it's very first advertisement.

I am officially making money from blabbing away on here about things that can only be interesting to me and those who are related to me. (I'm looking at you Dad)

I love that now I have a valid reason and excuse to take a little longer when I'm getting ready. Hold on honey I need to blog first. Michael can't say anything about that now can he? Now that I'm bringing in income!

I'm not completely crazy I realise I will probably make 5 cents this month, but you know what I still feel like doing a Dr Evil laugh.

Now I also know that if people didn't read my blog no one would want to advertise on here, so for that I completely love you, all of you. Is that weird? Well you'll just have to deal with it, because I love you. So there!

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