Three Birthdays and an Anniversary!!!

I'm very excited as when I looked at my Calendar today I realised that:

1. It's my Birthday soon (bleaughhhhh!)
2. But before that - its my BLOGIVERSARY!!!! My blog is turning 1!!!

Who'd of thought it??? Apart from my short intro post, DISCO FEVER was my first proper post and is still one of my favourites. Grotbag has got his school disco coming up again in a couple of weeks and it was really great to read back about the night! One of the reasons I love blogging!

Anyhoo...I realised that I took my blogiday (or blogcation for those over the pond) just after I had written my four part IVF story, just before Bugalugs had his first birthday.

SO YOU NEVER SAW HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE!

So I am showing it off now. Oh and those who read, who actually know me, stifle a yawn (as you already saw it on Facebook) and instead gape in awe at my awesomeness...or the cake!


Yes I did the Hungry Caterpillar. I was pretty impressed with it myself and it literally went like hot cakes or cupcakes . Would love to say that it was my wonderful imagination that produced it but I was inspired by one of my favourite blogs Coco Cake Cupcakes. Her version is HERE and a million times better....but she is a professional after all!! And seriously you should take a look at her cakes OMG!!! If I only lived in Vancouver!!!

But also while you were missing me, Grotbag turned the big 5! He wanted an Omnitrix cake! As in Ben 10 Omnitrix watch thingy that turns him into an alien! WHAT? Who did he think I was?

He also only wanted a boys only party where they all had to dress in their favourite costumes and I had a face painter come too! And this is what the cake turned out like...

I had no cake to copy for this one, I tried looking for something but they all looked like they had been made by master craftsmen so I winged it and just used one of Grotbags Omnitrix watches to go off. Yes the black is all licorice as I couldn't find black icing but I think it does the trick. All the kids loved it and it went VERY quickly! I'm awesome (according to Grotbag and really that's all that matters!!!)

So, wonder what cake Hubby will make for me.....HA! No seriously........

So for my Blogiversary I thought I would do a post on YOUR favourite posts that I have written. Let me know in the comments or on my Facebook page! I have my favourites but it's YOUR favourites that you have loved reading of mine that I want to hear about so please let me know! I will compile them in my Blogiversary post and if your a blog writer yourself give you a free plug too! So what you waiting for - get reading!!!!

My IVF Story - Part Four

You can read:

Part One Here
Part Two Here
Part Three Here

I just sat staring a the blood. I nearly fainted and just burst into tears. I couldn't believe that this could be happening to me again after all we had been through. I quickly went back to my desk and called Dr N and she told me to come straight in for a scan. I called my Mum as Hubby was working away and she met me at the hospital. Mum held my hand anxiously with reassuring words and I felt like I couldn't breathe.

The lady doing my scan turned on all the equipment and started the scan. And there was a little heartbeat pounding away everything was fine.

The bleeding was being cause by a small hemorrhage that would heal itself as I got bigger and further into my pregnancy. However I was unable to do anything that raised my heartbeat as this would cause it to start bleeding. This meant that I could not walk to work from the train station as I had been doing. So I needed to drive to work. Only trouble was that I worked in the City where parking was at a premium. We had spaces under our building but they were all occupied.

I called my Boss and told him the situation. That because I couldn’t park near work that I would have to quit as I wasn’t going to risk this pregnancy. He spoke to the Managing Director who didn’t want me to just quit and he offered me his space! I couldn’t believe it. It was so kind and I realized how lucky I was.

Because only my team knew that I was pregnant I was getting funny looks parking in the MD’s spot. People wanted to ask me but didn’t dare which was really funny and I quite liked the gossip. Of course when they found out I was pregnant it all clicked into place!

After that my pregnancy continued as normal. I still bleed from time to time and I had quite a lot of morning sickness and of course I tired easier having a 3 year old to run around after as well. But all in all it was fine. I was having a planned C Section this time on the advice of Dr N which was scheduled for the beginning of March. We needed to have some work done in the house so we booked for all our floors to be relaid, new blinds and other bits and pieces to be done. Nesting at it's worst!

I went for my glucose test at week 24 and that is when I found out I had gestational diabetes. This was just before Christmas 2008. I was devastated. Not just because of the food but because it was another hurdle. I managed to control my GD with diet and didn’t have to take any drugs or inject insulin and amazingly I actually lost weight. Who loses weight when they are pregnant??

Bling’s pregnancy wasn’t as smooth. She suffered terribly with Migraines and sickness. I felt really sorry for her. But she put a brave face on and closer to the end of our pregnancies we decided we would throw ourselves a Baby Shower. We were both having boys and so we scheduled it for the 8th February 2009.

One day a week before the Baby Shower while Hubby was home I called Hubby to the bathroom to fetch me some toilet roll. At the last minute I shouted that my waters had broke as a joke. You should have seen his face it was a classic! He berated me and said I shouldn’t joke about such things and then hid the toilet roll! He also kept telling me to pack my bag “just in case” but I had yet to get round to it.

The Baby Shower rolled around and it was such a great day. We swam in the pool, all our girlfriends were there and we chilled out surrounded by people we loved. When I got home I couldn’t sleep and sat looking at all the beautiful gifts my baby had been given. I was on the way to the nursery to hang up some clothes when I felt a little trickle down my leg.

I thought I had inadvertently wet myself so ran to the toilet. Well the trickle didn’t stop and I suddenly realized that this was it. My waters had broken. 3 weeks before my scheduled C section and 5 weeks before my due date. I sat there dazed. What do I do now? I called Hubby.

He thought I was joking.

I told him I wasn’t.

He swore.

Then he laughed because I hadn’t packed my bag and said “I told you so”

Then he swore again because it was a Sunday night and no planes flew on a weekend on his site. He wouldn’t be making it to the birth. We were both silent.

“Well not many blokes can say that they weren’t there for the conception or the birth but their Mother In Law was” and we both laughed. It was always a risk that he couldn’t make it but again the company he worked for were brilliant and pulled all his planned holidays forward and got him out on the first plane on the Monday.

I then had to call mum and tell her to get here quick smart. Only trouble was she had had a few wines at the Shower and didn’t feel she could drive so I rang Bling and so her and Pirate came over too.

It was like a Benny Hill sketch watching Mum and Bling run around packing my bag trying to find things. My Step-Dad and Pirate just sat on the couch watching sport. My waters were still flowing and so there wasn’t much I could do. Plus I didn’t want to get any ‘water’ on my new floors.

Bling drove me and Mum to the Hospital and My SD and Pirate stayed and looked after Grotbag. I got to the Hospital around midnight and they called Dr N to come in. At 1.59am on Monday 9th February my little baby boy was born by C section. He was 6lb 15oz and he was beautiful.

My little miracle.

Hubby didn’t get to the hospital till 9pm that night but was thrilled to see his new little man. We laughed and cried and hugged and cooed. Even though he was classed as premature he didn’t look prem at all and has been a growing bundle ever since!

And now he is turning 1 and I can’t believe that it was a year ago that it all happened.

I feel eternally blessed that we were so lucky that our very first try with IVF was a success. I could be writing a very different story now if that wasn’t the case.

I must admit I was apprehensive about writing this story. I know people who have been through much more than I have and I carry a lot of guilt over the success of our IVF if that makes any sense. Especially because it worked first time. But I figure everyone has a different story but that sharing our stories, good and bad we can help each other through unbelievable hardships and successes. They can give us hope and even a kin ship that maybe sorely needed at the time.

So that’s my story.

Happy Birthday Little Man you will always be the best birthday present I ever had!

I DO LOVE A MAN IN A DRIVING SUIT...

At the beginning of January my Hubby turned 40!

It was just another day for him.

I am getting palpitations already and I have another 3 1/2 years to go!

He LOVES the V8 Supercars and so for his birthday I bought him a morning at a local track which is on the national tour. Basically he had 8 laps driving a V8 around the track with a coach and then as a bonus he had a couple of "Hot Laps" where he is a passenger and the drivers show him how its really done!

He was like a pig in poo!! He loved it!

I also loved him in a driving suit! Looks like he was born to be a Racing Car Driver!!

On another note, we are having a small belated birthday party for him tomorrow night! I was going to wear a strapless top after weeks of agonising over what to wear. But today I went and got myself a little suntan (read "sunburn" even though I applied sunscreen) while watching him do his boy thing in a fast car so now I have to re-evaluate what I am wearing.

Still I have a ton of food to make including his cake so I think if I actually have time to get dressed it will be a miracle!! So better go start that cake.....

Birthday's & Miracles

Well today is my birthday. I turned 36. Sigh! Where have all the years gone! I was 15 when my own mum was 36 and then I thought she was ancient. Do 15 year old's now think I am ancient? Today I am also closer to being 40 than I am to being 30. Yikes!

A month before I turned 30 I started getting heart palpitations. I was also planning our wedding and looking for a new house, which I had completely under control. I went to the doctors as I would wake in the middle of the night my heart pounding in my chest. He has been my family doctor since I was 12 so knew me quite well. He asked if I was suffering any stress and I told him about the wedding and the house hunting. He looked at my birth date and said "see you have a birthday coming up, and you are going to be 30". I must have gone white because he just smiled and said, "come back after your birthday, if you are still having them we will do some tests...I just think your worried about turning 30." And indeed I was and funnily enough, after my birthday they disappeared. Imagine how I am going to be a month before I am 40!!!

It's funny when you have little kids and it's your birthday. Master 4 was so excited and helped me open all my presents (read HE opened them all while I ooh and ahh'd over their contents). I baked my own 97% fat free chocolate birthday cake of which Master 4 blew out the candle first, helped me cut the first piece of which he also had. And not want attention to deviate too far from him was pretty much centre of attention most of the day. Being an only child, you would think that this is hard for me but actually, I think it is kinda cute and love 'sharing' my special day with my special boy.

Today was spent how birthday's should be spent...with friends and family. Had a beautiful breakfast with some girlfriends where we gossiped and laughed and lamented how it was all very SATC. In the afternoon I went to my mums with the family where she made enough food to feed a third world country. We all went home comfortably full and all with doggy bags!! I looked around the room at one point while having my baby boy in my arms and saw Master 4 playing junior scrabble with his Great Grandparents, my cousin's hubby was watching the footy, other family members were milling around the kitchen snacking on yummy food, while mum busied herself with making sure everyone had enough to eat, my younger cousin Miss 14 was texting on her mobile & my other cousin, who is like a sister, had her baby boy, only 5 weeks younger than mine, in her arms chatting away. It was a beautiful scene and I feel incredibly lucky to have the wonderful family that I have. It was the perfect birthday present. The only thing that could have made it completely perfect would have been my hubby who, because of his job, misses a lot of these occasions which is sad, but a consequence of the life we have chosen!

And finally, today is not just my birthday. On this very day last year, on the 21st June 2008, my gorgeous little 4 month old baby boy, who at the time was just a small fertilised egg, was, by the wonder that is IVF placed back from where he was taken. Inside my womb. To miraculously grow into the beautiful little 4 month old I held in my arms today. He is and forever will be, the BEST birthday present I have ever received and I am truly honoured to share this special day every year with him. Thank you for being so strong, holding on and bringing me and your daddy so much joy. I love you little guy!!

He Don't Bring Me Flowers.....

Flowers. This is going to be controversial in my opinion here but I have always been a bit funny/weird/bewildered by them. Don't get me wrong, I have had plenty of flowers sent to me for different reasons over the years and I truly believe the sentiment from the people sending them has always been heartfelt and I have appreciated every single bunch...but I just don't get it!!.



When I met my husband I told him straight away that I don't "do" flowers. He of course thought I was sending some strange female reverse psychology message and proceeded to buy me them and usually for no reason at all. And not just you run of the mill "picked up on my way home from the local BP" jobby's, these were beautiful bouquets from florists that cost him a fortune. And I think there in lies the problem. And please do not hate me for saying this but, I think they are a bit of waste of money. There I said it. Please keep reading....



Birthday flowers. I received flowers today for my birthday (which is tomorrow...more on that later) from my Uncle in the UK. They are absolutely beautiful, and a lovely thought. And it is the thought I am appreciative of because it means I have had someone think about me and remember me. However, as I do not receive flowers very often I didn't have a big enough vase for them and proceeded to hack at them, pulled a few bits out and arrange them in the shorter vase that I did have available. And arrange them very badly indeed. All I could think of was that my friend who is a florist would be horrified. So now I have this weird looking vase of flowers. They smell divine but I fear I may get a slight headache from the perfume. And I know that in a weeks time they would have all died (reminding me in the meantime that I am getting older) cause I wouldn't have changed the water. They would have dropped leaves and pollen which is impossible to remove from anything let alone the new top I got for my birthday which would have got a smear of the pollen on it from brushing past. And there will still be a smell coming from them, but it will be the smell of the rotting water. So then I will finally throw them out (after complaining about the pollen & smell everyday till they are thrown out) put the vase next to the sink to be bleached cause of the smell and the brown ring that has occurred and then that's it.



I feel the same about bereavement flowers, for most of the reasons above. But also, just them hanging around reminds you everyday of the awful thing you have just experienced. And then they too die. Flowers for babies...again no use, just have to try and find room in the car to get them home and its just more work for the new mum after the whole pollen falling etc has happened. New mums can barely throw away the pile of nappy bags piling up at the back door for the "big" bin outside let alone 6 bunches of dead flowers now smelling worse than the nappies!



But by far are the worst flowers are the "I'm Sorry" flowers! I told my husband in the beginning that if he really wanted to buy me flowers after I explained all my reasons above as to why it would be a waste, he should NEVER under any circumstances buy me flowers as an apology. The Sorry Flowers are usually sent, lets be honest, when something pretty big has gone down. And most women want to TALK about it not get flowers. A man who gave me sorry flowers would be chucked quicker than the flowers would be!



I know, I have read this back and admit that I do sound extremely ungrateful. I am really not. Honest. I just think at the end of the day they are expensive and something more original would be more exciting and memorable and preferably something that doesn't die. Maybe that's it...maybe I don't like gifts that die! Please if you are reading this and have ever sent me flowers don't think I have not gladly received them, I have and love you for sending them...even if the above was floating around in my subconscious.



Before my hubby and I were married we lived in a townhouse. And one day I came home and he had put m&m's all the way up the stairs in a little trail for me to follow to where he just hugged me and told me he loved me. Now ask me if I remember any of the flowers he bought me.....