Tired Eyes, Real Estate Agents and Sick Little Boys...

God, my eyes are hanging out of my head this morning...tiredness and hay fever and having half a yard full of rye grass doesn't help either. Well how did last night go...I picked Ryan up from Child Care and he was pretty good, although the rash, OMG...had completely covered his little body, poor thing, he even had welt marks on his face. The R/E agent was suppose to get there are 6:00pm, rang to say he would be about 20 mins late. I held of feeding Ryan until he had gone, he got a little grizzly but fell asleep in Michael's arms, which was good.

Basically it comes down the fact that Michael and I are never going to get the price that we need to be able to afford to purchase anything half decent. With our extremely $hit wages we are only ever going to be able to afford a mortgage of $164k. Most houses market for around $230k+.

We need to be able to get at least $220 - 230k (if not more to be able to cover fees and costs) for ours, and after two appraisals from different agents, it seems highly unlikely that will happen. First appraisals came in at $219 as an investor buyer, and $229 as a home buyer, although this agent thought we would be lucky to get that. Last nights agent came back with conservative high $100k's to low $200k's. We were welcome to put an offer in on the house that we were interested in, but the agent sort of hinted (although he wasn't suppose to) that it would be too low, I figured property would sell for at least $230k. He did say he would let us know, if we had the slightest chance, but I told him I would rather not put an offer in than a ridiculous offer.

At one stage I thought we may even be able to afford to move north or south (which neither of us really want), but until wage conditions improve even that is unachievable. Anyway agent left around 7:30pm. So I woke Ryan up to feed him, and then piled him in the car to go to the doctors. God, I hate drop in centre's...We got there at 7:50pm and we had to wait 1 1/2 hours before we saw someone. Ryan was such a good boy, considering he should have been in bed 2 hours earlier, thank god there was a little boy that was entertaining him. The doctor we saw last night gave Ryan a very quick examination, and said it may well have been just a viral rash, but will put it down the penicillin, and we can get him tested when he is older. Basically we just have to keep plying him with dymadon/panadiene and keep his fluids up.

By the time we got home I was so tired that my gorgeous, considerate man, offered to iron my shirt for work, put Ryan's dirty clothes from child care in the wash and also wash and sterilise Ryan's bottle and bits, so that I could just feed Ryan and put him to bed aswell as myself. We both slept like babies....

This morning Ryan woke up for his feed, and then went back to sleep, which he needed as he lost 3 hours sleep last night. The rash has all but gone, but he still has a cough. Although the doc we saw on Sunday wanted to see us tonight to see how Ryan was going and to check his throat. So guess what I am doing again tonight. Oh yeah, there is another tooth just itching to break the gums too. So that would be adding to his discomfort.

Tiny Tots, Tupperware & New Homes

What a mixed bag weekend it was. For me weekends start on Thursdays when I finish work. I am lucky enough to have Friday's off.

Every Thursday Ryan spends the day with his Nan & Pop, so to give me break from domestics, they also cook me tea/dinner (of some description). I never know what we are having but I never leave hungry. It is great, they love having him for a day, and they also knows that it helps us out with one days less child care fees. God bless my parents.

Friday was quite an unusual day for me, with Ryan only wanting to eat and sleep. I wasn't going to argue as somedays I struggle to get him to have naps. Not this time. Ryan was sleeping 2 1/2 hours at a time and only waking for a bit of a play, a bum change and another feed. I though this a little odd. As the day progressed, Ryan's temp kept going up aswell. Considering it wasn't a warm day, I thought this strange, and put it down to teething.

Friday night I went to my first ever (oh, I heard you gasp...don't sound so shocked) Tupperware Party. It was a lot of fun, hosted by a newish friend Sharon, whom I met through my girlfriend Allie. A girly evening was just what I needed. 3 of us chickens left from here, myself, Allie and Beck and along the way we picked up Leeanne. A car full of girls on the way to an girly evening.

Wow, Tupperware has become so modern from the stuff our Mothers have/had in their cupboards. It was all so new and so funky...and so expensive (sobs). I really would have loved to have purchased some new items, but with the budget being so tight at the moment.

I just had to be a watcher not a participater. But I still had a great night, enjoyed the company of some great girls, offered to road test Beck's T/W purchases for her and drooled over the views (or what we could see at night anyway) from Sharon's house...Sweetie, you know I am so jealous, nothing like stepping outside or onto the deck and being able to smell the sea air and salt bush. Funny part of the evening was trying to decided which recipes we each wanted to take home with us. Peter had like a file a fax recipe book being handed around for us to take one recipe each from. The girls thought it would be a great idea if we all got a different one, and then had a dinner party with them one night. YYUUMM.

Saturday was a pretty quiet day for us. I had my usual nail appt in the moring, with my dog, Dee, getting her hair(fur)cut in the afternoon. Still had a sick little boy that only wanted to sleep and eat. His temparature had seemed to have stayed stabled. Saturday night was a cosy night on the couch in front of the tellie.

Ryan had woken us twice during the night Saturday night/Sunday morning, and he is such a good sleeper normally, that I was starting to get concerned. His little body felt like it was on fire. His temp had gone through the roof. Made an appt at the local drop in/queue up doctors clinic round the corner. The wait wasn't too bad, only 20 mins. Turns out my precious little man was/is suffering from a bacterial infection in his throat. God I felt so bad, thinking I should have gotten him checked out sooner...blah, blah, blah, the usual beat up mothers give themselves (well I do anyway) when they feel like they have been a bad mother. Anyway we started on the antibiotics yesterday. A known side effect, diarrohea, poor little man.

Michael and I came to the realisation not long after Ryan was born, although I think we knew in our hearts and heads when we bought our home, that one day we would outgrow it. It has been great for the 3 of us, but will be quite cosy for 4, not to mention no back yard for our childrens to grow up and play in. We have been looking for real estate that has 3 b/rooms and study/family room or 4 bedrooms, and a good size block for Ryan and any brothers or sisters that may come his way.

I stumbled across a home while driving to Mum and Dad's Thursday night,so Sunday afternoon Michael and I attended an open inspection. We all fell in love with it, Mum and Dad too. It had that feeling about it, like 'I WAS HOME'...which is the same feeling I had when I first walked into the home I am currently living in. Although I only found it Thursday, it has been on the market 3 weeks,and offers have to be submitted by Wednesday night. Not really enough time to organise anything (or so I thought)

We can only pick 3 faults with this house and they are all reasonably minor, a) no linen press, b) the garage (not the carport, which is the first part of the garage) has no doors on it, they have set it up for entertaining, which is perfect in it's own way too, c) electric hws (in the roof) and electric stove/oven. It is a great size block, the family room although tiny is very cosy, and I felt real comfy sitting in it yesterday. Bedrooms are good sizes and the little sunroom/family room is adorable. Perfect size for a t.v, sewing machine and computer, which is what we wanted. 3 bedrooms and somewhere for the previous mentioned items.

We are having the agent come out and do a quick appraisal on ours tomorrow night,and I have spoken to my mortgage broker and he has told me things can be done in a week. It is scary and exciting. I can't go any further without getting what I need for this place first, but also having the vendor of the property we are interested in accept our offer, they sort of go hand in glove.

Little Boys and Belated Birthdays...

Little Boys...

Well I am wearing my SAHM cap today. Ryan is asleep at the moment having had a belly full of milk and apple/pear puree.

We went for a visit to CYH this morning, it was actually that review appt that was made weeks ago when CC where giving me grief about his development and lack of eating and weight loss. All is good and Ryan would be about a 99% perfect Angel. We just have to get him working on his balance and sitting up more, but apart from that everything seems fine.

Ryan's weight has plateaud slightly, but this happens as solids are introduced and he is expending more energy during the day. I only had him weighed about 2 weeks ago, isn't really a true indication, I will get him weighed again in a month.

Now that he has gotten the hang of eating we can start moving up to big dude food. Within reason (not being too spicy or sugary) there is no reason why Ryan can't be eating pureed what ever we are eating....chicken, fish, steak, mornay's....YAY. Might get me a bit more motivated to cook of an evening again. We can try egg, but only a 1/4 of a teaspoon of egg yolk, in case he reacts to it. Quick handy tip for fish - Grilled fish fingers and then peel crumbing off, instant fish for babies....Mummies love fish fingers too.

Although the afternoons can get a bit testy at times (due to Ryan not sleeping), I am really beginning to enjoy being a one day a week SAHM again. I know there were times where I wished I was back at work. Our little man is growing up into a right little man about town. This first year is going by so quickly I guess because Ryan is changing and developing so much.

Belated Birthdays...

Guess who celebrated their birthday again last night too. Michael didn't get home til late last night, around 9'ish, I had fed Ryan and put him to bed, there was nothing on TV so I cooked up some rice to have with tea and then went and laid down for while. Michael got home and fussed in the kitchen for a little while before coming into to see me.

He came in singing happy birthday with a little bag in his hand. Inside (and this may not sound very exciting) was a packet of photo paper and a repo bottle of perfume, my equal fave scent to Cool Water, Issey Miyake. I love my perfumes, but with money always being an issue we tried and have found the Refan Perfumes to be great. I can't really pick the difference so that is good enough for me.

I had been complaining for a while that ever since we had the digi camera I don't have any pics to show people, cos they are all uploaded onto the computer, where as with the polaroids we would always get the film developed as soon as it was full. What a lovely gesture, he said that he knows I need a lot more paper and will get me more....YAY.

When I got up to go out to the kitchen he had all the lights off and a Mud Cake from Michel's with candles on it too...funnily enough they were trick candles. You would blow them out and they would light again, even Michael didn't realise straight away, but it was so funny and made me smile. So I feel lucky having celebrated my birthday 3 times.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Well I still can't get my head around it. Saturday morning I was given the news that very good friends of ours have come to a point in their lives that they are going through a trial separation.

They have been married 14 years, although things have been a little rocky for the last 3 years, and have two beautiful girls. I know they had been having problems, and the thought had always been there that this day may become reality, but it is such a shock when it does.

I know some of the reasonings behind the break up from both sides of the fence, and this doesn't make it any easier. Especially when one side is slagging off the other. How am I suppose to be supportive of them 'BOTH' when I don't agree with the way he is talking about her 'behind her back' now. I don't know what she is saying to others, only what she has said to me, and it certainly isn't as derogatory as he has been.

I feel sorry for their gorgeous little girls, it has also been affecting them, as it would when children see their parent arguing all the time. Their attitudes and behaviour have changed to so much, I only hope over time they come to understand what is happening, or more to the point why.

I want to be there to support them both, but I just don't know how. They were both there for me in my times of need and loneliness, I just wish I could be there for them, but it is always hard when you are friends with both and don't want to take sides, or worse still be drawn into a situation of taking sides....

Wild Wild Saturday Night Bash

Well today was the day that saw me turn 35! ...How do I feel? I feel great. I have acheived almost everything I have wanted to by the age of 35. One more little acheivement and I will feel complete. I would have met the man of my dreams and purchased a house with him. Gotten engaged and married and together are raising our darling little son, but there is one more thing I yearn for, another child, a brother or sister for Ryan.

Last night (Saturday night) I celebrated my birthday with a Wild Wild West themed costume party and some of my bestest ( I don't care if the word 'bestest' isn't in the dictionary, and that is coming from a straight 'A' English student) closest friends....YEEHAW!!!

We had spent most of the afternoon at Mum and Dad's where we were hosting the evening, due to the room they have and the fact that they are away anyway. Blowing up balloons and cutting crepe paper, Michael and I breezed through the deco's in not time, watched on by our little son Ryan, sitting in his rocker beside us. He even had his own little balloon to play with.

The backyard had been decorated with hay bails (thanks Rach), banners, cut outs of horseshoes, cactus and cowboy boots (I had been making over the preceeding few weeks), balloons, blue check gingham tablecloths and there was even a sleepy mexican in the corner. We had also set up a card table to look like a poker table. And down under the pergola was to hang my pinata, in the shape of a cactus.

The evening (for me) got off to a rather stressful start, thanks to my DS Ryan not wanting to go to sleep (he is only 8 months old) and my guests having to help me out in the kitchen. I felt like I should have had it all under control, but I didn't. I guess that is one of the joys of parenthood, things don't always go according to plan. I had my DH Michael stressing out at me because I was supppose to be outside entertaining and enjoying myself. Bit hard when you can hear your precious little person from the other end of the house screaming like someone was taking his life. I gave in and went and took my son from his father and manage to settle him within about 10 mins...ah peace at last for us and sleep for him.

Let the celebrations begin, I could now enjoy my guests and my evening. I felt so bad for not being out there with them to begin with, but having such a fantastic group of people with us, they all understood.

Like I said, it was a Wild Wild West themed evening and all my guests looked fantastic. An Indian Chief, A Confederate Soldier, a Cowboy, a Sheriff, two cute Cowgirls and three sassy Saloon Chicks. A small gathering you maybe thinking and you'd be right, but what we lacked in quantity we certainly well and truly made up for in quality and laughter. Everyone went to to much trouble with their costumes, it certainly made my night and raised my spirits, as they had been a little low.

I had been spoilt with very much unexpected gifts too...A 3 pack of Aussie CD's, an Audrey Hepburn Calendar (I absolutely adore Hepburn, I think she is most gorgeous woman ever, so much so if we are blessed with a daughter she will be Audrey-Olivia), a photo of myself and closest girlfriend, and Ryan's godmother, Allie, taken at her Hen's night, A Cowboy Shooter pack (including shot glasses), Shari knows the way to my heart and from Leeanne, a yummy smelling bath pack from the Bodyshop...dont we all just love Bodyshop products. Like Leeanne I also love to indulge in long relaxing baths. So I could quite easily hang Hepburn in the bathroom, while soaking in a lovely bubble bath downing cowboy shots.

I think when you are given gifts that you really love and reflect you it means your friends now you, I mean really know you....if you know what I mean.

God we have so much food and drink, that we will be eating left overs for days. Yuuum....party food left overs. But there was one thing missing, a birthday cake. I didn't mind this though although it was bought to attention later in the evening.

I think the highlight for the evening was when we hoisted the pinata up the evening. I had filled this with a mix of chocolates, as I thought these would be appreciated more the toy fillers. We played the proper way with someone pulling on the rope to get it moving up and done and swinging around making it a moving target and harder to hit. It was fantastic. Being blindfolded and spun around a few times and then let loose at it certainly made for some huge laughs and near missed (other peoples heads)

A balmy 31 degree evening made this outdoor celebration just perfect, couldn't complain at all. Great munchies, great music and absolutely FABBO FRIENDS made my birthday one I wont forget.

I feel truly blessed to have such a great bunch of friends in my life, that I know I can always count on to be there, as they can me. Thank you for sharing a Wild Wild evening with me/us. Love you all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...hehehe

As for how I spent today. Very relaxing, once we had gotten back home. Michael and I stayed at Mum and Dad's last night. Thought this would be easier and make it a lot easier when it came to cleaning up.

Craig stayed down as well, saving himself a rather drunken drive back to Morphett Vale. He was such a doll and helped us clean up after everyone had left last night, that we only had a little to do this morning. Craig wondered off about 9:00am. The house was quiet again, which was nice. I fed Ryan and put him down for a sleep. While I jumped in the shower Michael went outside and finished cleaning up. You almost wouldn't know we had been there.

I think we got home around 12:30pm. God we were feeling so lazy. Thank god the washing machine does all the work and all I had to do was fill it. That was the extent of my energy expenditure. It wasn't until about 4:00pm this afternoon that we realised we hadn't done any groceries, so Michael made a quick dash down to the local shops to pick up a few things to get us through the week.

Michael cooked tea for me, one of my faves, Create a Meal Sweet n Sour Chicken, and he had even bought my fave dessert, Sara Lee Chocolate Pudding. Sadly we were both too full to want dessert. Although the table was set for dinner, I was more than happy to relax on the couch and play catch up with tv we had taped during the week. A nice relaxing night to top of a great weekend.

We've Turned The Corner....YAY!

Well over the last two months we have been struggling to get my gorgeous little man to take solids and to aslo sleep during the day. I have been trying since Ryan was 6 months old to introduce solids and get him to have am/pm naps...but to no avail. In realisation his lack of sleeping during the day could be put down to hunger, although he wasn't crying as if hungry.

I was feeling like a failure as a mother and I was also placing a lot more pressure on myself due to Ryan's carer at Child Care, telling me he should be doing this and he should be doing that....I have battled these thoughts and feeling for two months. It doesn't help when you are constantly being told that his carer is worried that he isn't developing as fast as he should be. Although not all babies are the same I told her, but what would I know, I am a new mum and she has had 20 years child care experience and is an ex nurse.

I had made an appointment with our local CYH just for a health check and a bit of chat about getting my little man interested in solids and inturn hopefully help his developement. I was starting to get a little more paranoid than I already was.

Fast forward to Ryan's 8 month birthday.

This was the day that he successfully starting taking solids at child care. I was so happy, yet a little reserved at the same time, as prior he had been having solids only every other day, and it was affecting his weight. Nope from the 26th October he has been having 3 feeds a day, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, with his usual boob or bottle inbetween.

I am so excited, Ryan's little mouth opens up as soon as he sees the spoon coming, just like a baby birds at the thought of it's mother feeding it. For the first few days we had to use a second spoon as a distraction, something he could play with and get the feel off while playing with it in his mouth. But the last few meals have been an absolute delight...Ryan makes me feel so proud when he sits there and looks at me as if to say 'more'....

Inturn, now that he is taking solids his naps/sleep during the day are also starting to improve. We were lucky if we could get 20 - 30 mins out of him and no afternoon sleep. We are now up to 1 - 1 1/2 hours in the morning, and on good days about the same in the arvo, although some days will see him go without his afternoon nap. I am still working on this.

Nothing has made me feel so good as to see Ryan sitting in his little rocker with his mouth open in anticipation. My little man is growing up...