Category: Spawn

There’s so much more to it than I ever thought possible.

Thanks Andrea!

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Still haven’t sorted out the camera thing. Mark has hidden the little point and shoot camera, my good camera is still AWOL, and my old camera uses a card that I don’t have a card reader for (well, I can’t find the damn thing since the move). So please forgive the dodgy webcam shots.

Picture #1 is of the organic merino soaker kit I ordered from ecoyarns thanks to a generous gift voucher from Andrea, and picture #2 is the adorable bunny hat she knitted for Inigo/Ampersand/The Passenger. Who I was convinced had turned in the night, until I got kicks and punches on both sides of my belly about half an hour ago. Life remains interesting.

The supervising midwife made a comment that she didn’t think that having a totally passive baby would agree with me. I was thinking that a totally passive baby would be a godsend, but now that Alex is getting more and more charming by the day, I am starting to see her point. I have amended my order for a passive baby to a healthy and happy baby that sleeps enough to prevent insanity in the maternal unit.

I have always said that the secret to happiness is low expectations…

A Wonderful Start to the Election Campaign

Thank goodness for the federal election campaign – always something new to keep me entertained in the lead up to labour day (if I get that far, the recalcitrant one is still refusing to perform to other peoples expectations).

Thanks to The Other Andrew for this link to an article about the member of a prospective member for Reid (our new electorate).

Which reminds me – I must update my resume to add EX UNION BOSS to my list of job experiences. I was the shop delegate for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Union (the SDA) when I was 17 and in high school. But Ex Union Boss sounds so much more impressive.

In Inigo news, we’re scheduled for another ultrasound tomorrow week, and then for a “chat” with the hospital obstetrician afterwards. If the passenger still hasn’t “assumed the position”, I get to find out what my options are. Apparently he is currently a “footling transverse oblique” lie. I am still relatively comfortable, and am taking advantage by throwing a dinner party tonight for the parents and parents in law. It’s quite likely to be my last dinner party for quite some time, so I am planning a 3-4 course extravaganza. And tomorrow, the built in wardrobe should be installed!

All in all, preparations for the big arrival are on schedule – and once the wardrobe is done, all I have to do is pack a hospital bag. Perhaps I should do that sooner rather than later – if I go into labour now, I have to race to the nearest hospital (because of Inigo’s position). So having my bag packed is probably a good idea!

Stay tuned for the continued adventures of Daisy, the long suffering feline…

Inigo the Recalcitrant

At my last ante natal appointment, they got out the little ultrasound machine to confirm his position – he’s lying back directly across my front, like he’s lying in a little hammock. He’s apparently very long, and because I am so tall, he has lots of room – which he isn’t using to turn around ready for exit.

This morning I woke up with a feeling that he had moved, and had kicks in different places – I think he had moved to be head down. But it didn’t last – as of about lunchtime, he was back in the hammock, and kicking in unmentionable places.

So now I’m on weekly appointments, and next week if he still hasn’t turned – we have to talk about him coming out the sunroof.

Josephine has gone home, and we’re putting the finishing touches on the nursery – apart from the changing table mat and the nappy service, we have pretty much everything ready for our new family member. So I’m going to try to get out and do a few things that I won’t be able to do when he arrives – like spinning class, movies, and visiting friends.

So if you’ve got some time to hang out during the next few weeks, give me a call!

Party Wrap Up

Thank you to everyone who came to the party. I had an absolute ball – even though we didn’t have a chance to talk to anyone all day! Mark and I were so busy being social butterflies, there wasn’t a moment to just sit and enjoy the love. And there was a lot of love. So many people turned up that we ran out of chairs in the first hour, and we probably ran out of food too (not that I was capable of noticing!).

Apparently, we do have more than nine friends 🙂

There were knitters, and non-knitters. And they even talked to each other.

And since I completely forgot to take pictures, check out Donna’s post for some great pictures of the beasties, and Kate’s extensive coverage.

Once again, thanks to everyone who made it such a special day.

How to rescue a crap day?

So, Monday is court day, and I spent today finding a lawyer.  Looks like I’ll probably lose my licence for 12 months.  There is a chance I can escape a conviction – but I can’t afford to bank on it.  It’s been an emotional roller coaster, and I left the last solicitors office in tears today. 

As well as the isolation of being without a car (and with a small child – the concept of which is completely doing my head in), there is also the risk that a criminal conviction could jeopardise my accreditation as a celebrant. 

I also managed to lose my phone (and assume it was stolen), which added a certain something to the day.

So a big thank you to Justine, who  timed the arrival of her gorgeous gift perfectly.

I will take pics soon, and also of the beautiful gifts from Emma, when I find the card reader for my old camera.  My beautiful new camera has been misplaced in the move, and I am trying desperately not to get hysterical about it.

So the big news (we’ve been pretty short on news here at Merrylands Manor), is that we have come pretty close to deciding on a name.

I    N    I    G    O

Of course, we may still get a better idea – or we might meet him and decide that he is definitely an Ernest, not an Inigo.  But I have done a subversive cross stitch of the name, and it’s looking good.

And in PARTY news.  We only have nine RSVP’s so far.  Surely I have more than 9 friends?

Party!

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Party invites are out!  If you haven’t got yours yet, email me (everyone is invited) and I’ll resend.

P.S. I sent the email from Andrew’s account – but since he is moving and his internet account is being shut down, any replies will bounce. Please RSVP to ME, or to Andrew’s new address – thing AT duttcom DOT com

Sorry!

Another version of the house hippo

Here.

Not much to blog about at Merrylands Manor. Housewarming invitations should be out this week, and I am still struggling with trying to get the last of the house unpacked. Two things are impeding me, 1) we’ve run out of storage. Mark has just bought some new bookshelves, so I can finally unpack my books, many of which were put into boxes more than a decade ago. And I have to talk to builders about getting a built in wardrobe put in the bedroom, so we can put away the rest of the linen and clothes.

And 2) my complete lack of any drive whatsoever.

Ampersands blankie is nearly done, I am on the last row of plain before the cast off, but have run out of yarn. I think I can drag myself off to Spotlight this morning, and pick up a final ball.

Not quite a perfect day…

First, Bronwyn Bishop hands down a report recommending that children of drug addicted parents should be adopted out.

No counselling, harm minimisation, or even foster care. No. ADOPTION.

Moron.

And of course, this doesn’t cover alcoholics, because even though many more children are affected by alcohol, alcohol is LEGAL.

And that is pretty bad, because our current government is likely to follow the recommendations of the report. IF we re-elect the bastards, and don’t take control of the senate away from them.

But even worse.

Morris Iemma wants to kick you out of public housing if you break the law.

Great – imagine you don’t open your mail, don’t pay a parking fine, have your licence suspended, and get caught driving without a licence. Not only do you have to go to court, YOU LOSE YOUR HOME.

And let’s face it – a lot of people in public housing aren’t there because they like the luxury – more likely they aren’t living a life of luxury, privilege, and high end coping skills.

Chances are, if you don’t cope well with life, you might end up needing public housing. You might even try an illicit substance. And if you’ve got kids, you’ll be out of a house and out of a family – all because you’re the sort of person that Bronwyn Bishop doesn’t want to sit next to on the bus.

I suppose I should be glad I am breeding, so there is one more sane person to fight the good fight.

WA Birth Statistics

Read the blog entry here.

more than THREE IN EVERY FOUR births was profoundly interfered with

I’m becoming a bit opinionated about birth. I’ve read two books, I’m clearly an expert.

What I seem to be reading is that medical intervention will likely lead to more intervention, and a possible cascade effect. So while I’m a big believer in drugs (don’t complain about having a headache, take a bloody pill), I can see that there are valid arguments for avoiding intervention in childbirth.

And click here for an eye opening article about uterine parasites.