Now, she really is a big girl.

So, at age three years and a fortnight short of six months, Miss Lily gave up the dummy.  It was quite unexpected, truth be told.  We've been mocking her since she turned three about how she still had a dummy and she took it all in her stride.  

People had suggested that we should leave her dummies out for Santa to take.  Umm, no.  I don't want Santa getting a bad rap taking away something she 'loves'.  

I hadn't purchased any dummies in like a year but we had sooo many which were lost and found, lost and found.  Every time a dummy got a hole Lily would pop it in the bin.

We were down to our last two last week.  Saturday we had two floating around and by bed time only one remained, as one was misplaced.  But Lily pointed out at bed time that the one she had, had a big torn hole.  Uh oh.  Bed time, no dummy.  

As per night time routine, I read her a book, turned out the light and lay next to her until she fell asleep.  Usually this might take a good ten minutes but on Saturday night it took over an hour.  With tears.  

No mention of a dummy at all on Sunday.  Bed time, took about twenty minutes to fall asleep.

Monday, Lily announced she found the one lonely lost, final dummy.  

"What are you going to do with that?" I asked her.  

"Put it in the bin!" she announced.

And so she did...  

We're all so proud of her and she's going to sleep very quickly.  She's only mentioned once or twice this week how she misses her dummy but now that is a chapter on her life that has closed.  I never thought I would see the day.

Get Going...

It has been a while hasn't it?

I've been busy organising our impending trip back to Australia, something we find we are needing.  The girls and I leave and arrive two weeks before Lyndon can join us, which people look at me horrified that I am flying alone with a newbie.  Monet is an old hand at flying so she'll (hopefully) won't be a problem and I'm sure Lily will be fine.  We've had 'dramas' with getting Lily an Exit Visa but that is now all sorted and we're now set to go.  My dad emailed to say there is excitement growing at the prospect of us returning for a holiday and I'm very much looking forward to it. 

As much as I do enjoy living here, I feel it is time to have a visit back in Australia.  I'm finding that I need a break from this country as I find I am getting more and more annoyed with certain things, like driving for example and the way certain things are done is honestly shitting me.  Lyndon feels the same, especially now as he has been socondered(?) to a company in Dubai and has been doing stupid hours up there, a 150kms away from us at Abu Dhabi.  

We enjoy being ex-pats but we are now wondering where our next step is leading us.  Monet is a happy kid in school and at home (most of the time) so I'm sure we'll see out the schooling year (till June) and then reevaluate our situation and take it from there.  Who knows, maybe after this UAE-break, we'll see everything in a new light again.  Maybe I just need an Oz-dose.

Lily is now a thriving 11-week old who is a joy to be with.  I'm sure she's not far off her first giggle (yay!) and is happy most of the time lying in her rocker or on her play gym but I think her favourite place to be is to hang in the Baby Bjorn and nap near my chest.  She's not silly!  I'm looking forward to the family to meet her for the first time and I'm sure my dad won't recognise her as the newborn we brought home close to 11 weeks ago.

The lovely and talented (& now famous!) Tracey has made a cute as a button Christmas dress for Miss Lily to wear so I am looking forward to seeing our baby in it (& I will be sure to post a photo of her in it when the time arrives!) 

  

Lyndon and I (even some of the neighbours have commented) have noticed that Monet must have had a growth spurt.  She has such long lovely legs and her face has got bigger and prettier.  She brought home her first school report card last week and we're very proud of her.  For that, we gave her a ticket back to Australia for a holiday.  *heehee*  (gee, I used to get 5 bucks for a good report! How times have changed! *smirk*)

(This photo was taken by a friend who was a parent on a recent school excursion to 'Children's World' in Dubai.)

Not sure when I'll be back posting, hopefully not too far down the track.  And from a place that isn't the UAE.  (Thanks to those of you who have been back checking this blog - hopefully I get my blog-groove back some time in the near future!)

Fitting Into The Family Unit

Our Lily will be three weeks old this Sunday.  Hard to believe.  It feels like she has always been here.  She is slotting into our family unit quite well.

We're going along okay.  Besides me having mastitis this week, I'm doing fine.  On Wednesday night I felt like I was dying, I was shivering beyond control, rugged up in bed.  My bones ached, I had a headache from hell.  I knew I had the symptoms of mastitis and saw a Doctor yesterday afternoon who confirmed this.  I'm now on a course of antibiotics and am still feeding the little one well.  

Grandad and I took Lily on her first shopping expedition to Marina Mall during the week and she quite liked being pushed around in her pram, all bright eyed and looking cute.  She fell asleep and I forgot what it was like to 'browse' without a child who likes to look at everything and states what she likes, dropping hints on telling me she'd 'like' this, that etc.,  Give Lily a few years and she'll be just like Monet I presume.  

Today Lily experienced her first luncheon outing, at the German Restaurant at the Beach Rotana Hotel.  She slept for a while until she decided it was time for a wail but we coped.  

So we are trying to carry on with family life as if Lily was always here, and we're all doing a mighty fine job if you ask me.  

Just don't come knocking on our front door anytime soon, our villa looks like a bomb has hit it, but we'll get around to cleaning it up one day...  

We Can't Believe She's Finally Here...

Welcome to the world (and many blog posts about) Lily Venice...

Born Sunday September 6th, 17:09, 3.98 kilos, 55cm long.  And absolutely beautiful.

Spitting image of her big sister when she was born, practically 5 years to the day.  Scary stuff.

Not Long Now

Still here folks.  Baby not due for a couple of days yet so we are sitting pretty and we're all feeling a little anxious, a little scared, a little excited.  The Neighbours are all in preparation too...

I had my Doctor appointment today - all is well and now we sit and wait.  Woot!

My dad arrives from Melbourne, early tomorrow morning, in time to see Monet before she goes to school and lands in time for Father's Day.  Planned that well didn't he?  I'm actually sitting on a dark coloured leather chair that arrived today which I told Lyndon is his Father's Day present.  Funny that I bought two so it is a present we can share.  You have no idea how comfortable they are and how perfect they are for sitting with a laptop on your lap!

Lyndon spent early yesterday afternoon putting some bamboo sheeting up against our back picket fence to offer a little more privacy for us.  Monet spent a bit of time outdoors late yesterday enjoying the sprinkler...

Monet turns 5 on Monday.  FIVE!  Can you believe it?  Makes you wonder what happened to those years in between her birth and her 5th birthday, but then I look at her and talk to her and notice that she's turned into an intelligent, well-travelled, little school girl.  Unreal.   

We've discussed with her the possibility that she may gain a sibling on her birthday; she wasn't too keen at first but she's okay with the fact now.  She told me she actually would like to have a new brother or sister born on her birthday...well, she says that now...  

Hope all is well with you.

38

I was 38 weeks pregnant yesterday.  I don't think there could possibly be any more room for my body to expand...

...My tummy is as hard as a rock.  At times the shape of it is quite lopsided and I can sit there at night and watch it change shape.  Pretty freaky stuff really.  Monet gets quite a thrill when she sees it move and none of us can wait to meet this newbie.

I'm having a funny week.  I know all about hormones and what they do to you when pregnant, but I have also been thinking a lot about my previous pregnancy and this was the week last year, which is etched terribly into my mind.  Probably the worst week of my life to be honest.  

Even though I never try and dwell on the past, I did want to share my story with you of what happened....

When given our options last year, the Cairns Base Hospital were truly wonderful.  As much bagging that hospital does get at times (you have to be a FNQ-er to understand) they were terrific.  As I opted for a CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling), the hospital flew me down to Brisbane for the day as that procedure is not done at Cairns.   The risk of doing the CVS was something we had considered.  Statistics show that there is a small percentage of miscarriage in doing the procedure (waters could break) but Lyndon and I felt that we 'had' to know how our baby was.  The next possible test could only be done a few weeks later and we felt we didn't have time.  We would not have been able to relax...

I went alone, even though Lyndon was keen to go, I knew this was something I had to do by myself.  I like to 'stress' alone and I knew I would be stressed and anything I was feeling, poor innocent Lyndon would get the brunt of it.  

I had the procedure done and I can honestly say it was the most painful procedure I had ever endured.  Worst than childbirth!  People told me, oh no, it isn't painful, but let me tell you - I thought it was!   I left the hospital and headed back to the airport feeling confident.  I was so glad the procedure was done and dusted and actually felt calm and happy.  (Probably more relieved than anything).  I was back on the plane before I knew it and back to my little family.

I was told to take it easy, which I was, when the following lunch time I felt big pains.  Big pains.  I was told this could happen.  I went and laid down but the pain wouldn't stop.  Lyndon forced me to ring up the hospital who told me to come in.  We drove in and went to Emergency.  I was seen quickly (got obs done) then waited again in the waiting room.  Lyndon had taken Monet out for a walk and run around on the Esplanade, I went to the toilet.  I discovered I was bleeding and then I was taken immediately into the Emergency ward, once I called Lyndon to return.  

I can remember the pain - oh the pain - and was given doses of morphine (hello!) to stop it, which it did.  My Obstetrician came and they could still find a heartbeat on the fetus, much to my relief.  But being a late Saturday they could not get a sonographer in to take a proper look.  I was seen by numerous doctors, nurses who were all great and it was decided that I should stay in hospital for observation.  I was given a drip and was wheeled away into a ward to spend the night.  And the next day.  

I was the first patient the sonographer saw on the Monday morning and I will never forget being wheeled down and being told that no heartbeat could be found.  I had known inside that the baby had died, but to have it confirmed was dreadful.  So dreadful.  I remember sitting back in the wheelchair and waiting for someone to take me back up into my ward, crying my eyes out.  One nurse walked by and gave me some comfort - though she had no idea why I was blubbering away, I was so grateful for her shoulder.  And the box of tissues she offered.

To cut a long story short, the following day I was induced (after some counselling) and ended up having to have a curet at around midnight.  

I had spent 5 days, 4 nights in hospital and was relieved to be able to go home, back to my daughter and husband and my waiting mother.  

The weeks that followed I was given much support and sympathy (many of you included, especially Trish & Lani), but I also felt guilt about having the CVS, which deep down I knew caused me to miscarriage at 14 weeks. 

At least the organising of moving to Abu Dhabi kept my mind occupied.  I did receive a phone call from the hospital telling me my results were in.  I wasn't ready (as such) to be told about the fetus, I opted my results be sent to my parent's address in Victoria, where I would be in a week or so.  I knew then, I could open the envelope in private and deal with what was on the paper as best as I could.  

When I did open that envelope in the weeks that followed, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  Physically.  And mentally.   My results showed that the fetus had Trisomy 18.  Just one of those things that happen at conception and not hereditary.  Just. One. Of. Those. Things. 

In a way I am glad that I had to go through what I did.  Made me appreciate this pregnancy more and it made me so much more aware how precious actually having a baby/child actually is.  As much as I might whinge about this big lump of a body with this big bubba inside, I could not be more pleased.  Or happier.

Change

You may have noticed a change to the blog.  I like change - rearranging of furniture, sorting, throwing, piffing, organising, moving.  

We have some big changes happening soon with the arrival of #2.  There is light at the end of the tunnel as I am due 6 weeks today.  Shite.  I am excited and scared.  Monet was a baby five years ago - will I remember what to do?  

Not only will we have to be focusing on a newbie but also on getting Monet to school on time (she starts KG2 at the end of August) and picking her up (her school hours are 8 till 1.)  Luckily for us we have some terrific neighbours who have said that they will help out with Monet and school where and when they can.  Lucky too is that Lyndon is working very close to where she is going to attend and he can work around with the dropping off/picking up.  

We live in a two-bedroom villa, which may be huge, but at the end of the day, it is a two-bedroom villa.  We will survive living here but we do want somewhere with three bedrooms, and if you knew just how much we pay to rent this place year, you'd seriously fall over on the spot and say we were crazy.  Lyndon's work give him a rental allowance which covers it all but a possible move is not out of the question.  And as I said before, we like change.

Having no family around, we have no one to rely on except ourselves, but we're tough.  I'll have no family support or visitors when baby arrives, but we do have our neighbours.  I think we all consider ourselves family as we are all in the same boat.  It is nice to know that we have some volunteers to be here to look after Monet, when #2 decides to make an appearance, and people Monet is comfortable with.  

There is nothing in the world like meeting a newbie, like holding a newborn and saying "G'day, welcome to the world baby" and knowing that they will be all ours, when our family of three becomes a family of four.  A family who are not scared to face new challenges alone and who like change.

Roll on early September, roll on!!

Oh, and by the way, Happy 'big-number' Birthday to Big Sister yesterday, who bopped away to U2 in Ireland to celebrate last night.

Rolling With It...

...I (literally) feel like a ball these days.

Even though I am close to being 32 weeks pregnant, the baby I am carrying is the size of one who might be 35 weeks.  No wonder I feel exhausted.  I have been having good days and some pretty shitty ones too, where I have major cases of the can't-be's, but I get on with it.  I have no choice.  I try not to complain.  I roll with it.

My body aches something terrible during the night, even though I am sleeping with a gazillion pillows around my body.  I don't feel 'normal' (as one can in this situation) until my morning shower.  I am 10 kilos heavier than usual and my body knows it.  

Lyndon and Monet are trying their best to help out which I thank them for.  

We've slowly been purchasing things needed when #2 makes an appearance (hopefully sooner, rather than later) such as a change table, nappies, clothes etc., but finding a cot we like is proving to be a little more difficult than what we thought.  I'm telling you, there are some rather horrible cots out there in the stores of Abu Dhabi.  *shudder*  (And I am sure half of them would not pass Australian safety standards.)  The one we did have our eye on in a particular store, we were told they don't have a supplier for it.  Figure that one out.  (And we're not fans of buying demo stock due to a few bad experiences in the past.)  But we will find one.  We've still got a bit of time up our sleeves.  

In the meantime, I have to roll with it, Little By Little. (With thanks to Oasis.) 

Enjoy the video - I love this song - starring the talented actor Robert Carlyle...

This Ain't An April Fool's Joke...

On January 1st this year I gave up two of my favourite beverages; alcohol and Red Bull.  Not a drop has past these lips since.  Pretty good hey?  As much as I would love to have a sip of an icy cold Red Bull on a warm morning or a 'drink' at 5 o'clock, I haven't.

Not really by choice I admit.

I went cold turkey, because I found out that I was pregnant.

I am now over 17 weeks pregnant and all is going very well.  I am seeing the Head Obstetrician at a hospital in the city every four weeks, who knows my history and monitoring me well.  My 12 weeks scan went fine (a big hurdle for me) and my bloods are normal, so everything is heading in the right direction.  

We have seen our little baby on the ultrasound screen many times now and so far, so good.  It is going to be (another) big baby, as Monet was.   

My last appointment was on Saturday just past, so I don't see my Doctor again for another four weeks.  

I have already felt a bit of movement 'from within', which is always a relief.  We were told that the baby has long legs (via Saturday's ultrasound), but I don't need an ultrasound to tell me that, I have already got a little poking in the tummy region!  

We are all pretty happy around here and the friends from our street are too.  Monet has been asking many questions in regards to having a baby (literally) and having a new little person in the house.  She was awfully worried at one stage on where the baby will sleep, as we don't have a cot.  She was relieved when we said that we will go and buy a new cot.  Bless her.  I think she'll be a great helping hand for me when the time comes.  

I am hoping I survive the heat of a Middle Eastern Summer.  I was worried enough about it, not being pregnant!  Thank goodness our air conditioning is ducted into every room and works wonderfully.  

So, that my friends, is my news I have been aching to tell you all but I just wanted to make sure everything was pointing in the right direction before sharing.  

It might also explain why I haven't posted any 'beer' shots lately.  *heehee*  As no beer photos, here is a fairy photo instead...

A Dental Relief

We had Monet's big Dentist appointment today. The one I had been counting down towards, one that I have been worried about for weeks. I was unsure how she would react to anesthetic, the Dentist etc.,... I was thankful Lyndon took some time off work to come with us...

I didn't think I would cry (I know, anyone would think it was me getting a dental procedure done!) but I did. I had too. It had been bubbling underneath the surface for weeks and when the anesthetist did his job and I saw my baby lying on the dental chair surrounded by dental nurses, the dentist and the anesthetist I couldn't help it... I felt better for it.

The procedure (fillings) took, what seemed to me, forever. I'm not sure how long. I couldn't tell you. But I knew Monet had started to come out of the anesthetic as I could here her screaming, which is apparently a good sign. The screaming lasted for a good 20 minutes or so. Her throat must be killing her.

A disoriented and very (very) upset Monet was waiting for us in the recovery room. It took her quite a while to come around but I was rapt to see her open those beautiful blue eyes of hers and look right at me. *relief*

The Dentist came in and told us that all was okay. And she will be fine. Besides the back two teeth, the rest are great. I gave the Dentist a bit of a hug (I couldn't help myself, mainly out of relief!) and thanked him.

Our drive home was eventful. Don't ask. Okay, I'll tell you. My poor little baby was sick and spewed, mainly over me! Mmm. But I think it made her feel better. That and having a wee nap in the car.

We're back home now and Monet is happy. She's got on her favourite Dora Terry Toweling dresses (sooo trendy and oh-so 1980's!), she's eaten a sausage roll, drinking water, she's had her medicine and she's now watching Hi-5 on DVD. And she's smiling. And she looks happy.

Seems as if I have my old Monet back. *fingers crossed*

We're off to collect Monet's Nanna (Lyndon's mum) from the airport in half an hour or so which is a nice treat for Monet (and Lyndon and I). She's staying for a week so it will be nice to have Marianne here and my happy daughter! *relief*

Goodnight, Sleep Tight

My baby isn't much of a baby any more. Boo hoo. Yippee! Yes, I can't make up my mind if that's a good or a bad thing...

Last night, under her Fairy Doona cover, Monet slept in her own big bed. The whole night through. I generally don't post photos of Monet as you know, but I think I had to here. She's a lovely looking sleeper, even when she's pretending, don't you think?

So it took Monet ages to go to sleep. She was terribly excited about the 'Fairies' that would be watching over her as she slept. She has had the bed with that doona cover, in her room for a good 8 or so months and has never given a second glance at the $10 doona cover I had on her bed. But last night was really something else.

I've been building up all week the fact she was moving in to a 'big bed' from her cot this weekend. (We had decided that when we move we didn't want to set the cot up again.) She was very excited yesterday when I changed her room around (for one more time - I packed up a lot of her toys at the same time!) so I could easily get her into bed and also see her from the bedroom door if I needed to check on her. As soon as Lyndon walked in the door after work last night, she excitedly got him to look in her room and tell him that she was sleeping "under the fairies tonight!" It was good she was so enthusiastic about it all...

She slept from 10pm till 6:30am in her bed, without waking, without creeping out into our bed, without falling out of the bed! I was and still am thrilled. I had visions of her waking up at 2 am and sneaking into our room and cuddling up to me, but that didn't happen, until 6:30 but I don't mind that when it is that time.

My baby isn't much of a baby any more...

Monet in her Giant Strawberry...

...Here is Monet as a baby in her Giant Strawberry.

I used to get lots of comments when I was out walking with her in her 'berry which was in the pram. Of course Monet grew at an amazing rate so she didn't get to cosy on in there for long. The giant Strawberry turned into a nappy holder which hangs off her changetable.

This was probably one of a handful of gifts we recieved for Monet's birth that we actually still use to this day, two and a half years later. Good hey?

Because I Can...

Can you believe this is my Monet Lulu on her actual birth day? Her dark hair has turned into blonde locks and she now struts around in a good Size 3, rather than a Triple 0.

My baby is growing...

Because I Can...

Wasn't she a chubby little cutie, at four months old?