drinking whilst pregnant

full story in Herald Sun

So I made it onto page 5 of The Herald Sun today (our Melbourne newspaper for those reading this over the waters). It's a story about the risks of drinking whilst pregnant or breastfeeding. 
Personally I believe there's not enough research or proof surrounding alcohol consumption when pregnant so my view is not to risk it. Simple as that. I could never forgive myself if my baby was born with health issues. I would be left wondering whether it was that glass or two of alcohol I drunk those few times. It's really not worth the stress.

The topic, along with gay marriage and abortion gets people very emotional and heated so although I encourage comments on this post (and any others), please keep any comments friendly.  If you want to get heated on this particular topic, feel free to comment on the online story in The Herald Sun.

Also, for those who may be interested, the dress worn in the photo is a Miss Scarlet dress by Melbourne label Rummage Style and the brooch is by Little Shop of Handmade both available at Betty's Place!

a new life in 2012

So I've been keeping a secret. One which has had me itching to share for the past few weeks. I'm actually quite proud of myself for how long I've managed to keep my lips sealed despite wanting to burst at the seams.

I have no doubt that more than one of you reading this will already suspect that you know what I'm about to say. Or maybe you too have been itching to find out what I was rambling on about back in December. Read on.

The universe has a very sneaky way of throwing you little curve balls. Just when you think you're on track to getting things the way you've dreamed, something comes along which stops you in your tracks.  Now there are one of two ways you can choose to deal with unplanned situations.

Option 1. Kick, scream, wail, go on a rant and rave about how unfair your life is, post a very sourpuss update on Facebook about woe is me, get upset and act like you belong on an episode of tantrums and tiaras

OR

Option 2. Embrace change, see the glass as half-full, work through the options, believe that everything happens for a reason, take it in your stride, make the most of it and appreciate the opportunity to be challenged

So after option one, I of course move swiftly onto option two. Shock and surprise can often make you think irrationally so another good one is to sleep on it.  Things are always clearer after a good sleep (and some long thinking time in the shower).

So by now you're probably thinking to yourself, has this lady lost her marbles? Is she on some new self-help regime with the commencement of a new year? For goodness sake, what is she talking about!?

It could be the hormones or my new outlook on life, but I can assure you I am not crazy. Not just yet. At least not until the Alzheimers kicks in (prediction alert).

Now that I've used up all my words, I'm just going to leave you with a visual aid.

taken 5 Jan (bump) and 11 Jan (baby)

holiday shenanigans

Since my last post back in December, I've been thoroughly enjoying some time off from the day job.  This is the last of three weeks of my annual leave and I'll be honest if I say that I'm not really looking forward to going back next week. It's always so difficult to go back to reality after such a long period of lazing and free time.

Nonetheless, bills need paying, so I will go back to work.

This week I'm reminiscing about the fun things we've been doing the past couple of weeks while the kiddo is on school holidays...  There's been:

• picnics
• swimming
• making creatures out of play dough
• duck (and pigeon) feeding
• movies (Puss in Boots and The Adventures of Tintin)
• parks
• making peg people
• spring cleaning the kiddo's room
• baking
• colouring in and baking shrinky dinks 

We've had some fun together, but sadly it all ends next week. I'm back to work and the kiddo is off to school holiday program for two weeks. Until school's back the first week of Feb.

Did you enjoy a little break over the Christmas/New Year holiday? Bet you got up to some fun things?

snapshot in time

via Pinterest

I'm outta steam today. Day 1 of a 3-day sales conference at the day job. And as I otherwise work part time it makes it all the more challenging to stay organised on the home front because the conference is for 3 FULL days.  


Generally, after school on Monday afternoons we have a scheduled play-date.  Another mum from school and I alternate taking turns looking after the boys, both of who are an only child in the family. It gives them some time to pretend for an afternoon that they have a sibling and for us, some time out (on alternate Monday's of course). 


So screaming round to their house I went straight after the 2-hours-later-than-scheduled-finish-time at work.  Then straight home to find that the husband had arrived home from work before me (that's a first) and already had dinner sorted (I didn't even care that it was just a frozen pizza in the convection oven). Phew.


After dinner, it's a quick shower, the usual reading of the assigned readers for that evening, brushing of the teeth, some monkey shenanigans, then 1/2 hour of "I don't wanna go to bed" before finally convincing him to go to bed.


Tonight when I took my boy-child to bed I offered to read him a bedtime story. As we flicked through the vast selection of accumulated books in his bookcase, we came across his Wiggles photo album filled with photos of him when he was an ankle biter.  He chose this over a storybook.  And I'm so glad that he did.


As we flipped through the pages filled with colourful memories, my heart filled with nostalgia. This little face that I know but somehow looked like a very distant memory.  When was he ever that little? Look at those pudgy cheeks! I want another baby. No I don't. Eew, nappies. Awh, warm unconditional cuddles.  I remember that cute outfit. I wish it still fit him.


All kinds of emotions came flooding in. I think he felt it too.  He asked me where the photo of mum looking angry was. Just when I was about to say "what are you talking about, there's no such photo" he found the photo.  He was right.  I looked angry in this one photo.  Why was I angry?  Wait. I'm still angry. Some of the time I don't realise that I'm angry. But I am.  My husband has recently been telling me that I need to loosen up. Relax. Not take things so seriously.


I get upset when he tells me that.  Why?  Because I don't know how to "relax".  Because I wish I were carefree, loose and fun. Those words seem to have disappeared from my vocabulary. Sometimes I am more serious-mummy, preoccupied-mummy, cleaner-mummy, got-63-things-on-my-to-do-list-mummy and that leaves little time for fun and carefree mummy.


Being the pedantic person that I am (blame that one on the astrological sign of Virgo), I find it hard to just let things go which in turn means that I'm really hard on myself when I don't completely have things under control. And let's be real. Unless you have a nanny, cleaner and a clone, how can things ever be picture-perfect in all aspects of life?  It's all good to give others advice, but I just find it hard to accept or take my own.


As almost six years have gone by since I became a mum, I'm still struggling to come to terms with losing control of what seems like my entire life.  Trying to have a career, be a mum, an entertainer, cleaner, cook, a loving wife, friend, daughter and a home-maker whilst still trying to be me somewhere in between.  It's a lot of shoes to fill and I'm not sure I can nor should I want to fill all of them perfectly. 


Should I feel bad that I can't achieve everything I want? Definitely not. But do I? Absolutely.


Maybe one day I will read this and finally take my own advice.  But for now, I will continue wishing that time would just stand still long enough for me to catch up.