Fantastic Relief Society Fireside!

On Sunday night I went to our Stake's Relief Society Anniversary Fireside, which was probably one of the best firesides I've ever been to. I got a lot out of it. It was about finding 'Joy in the Journey'.

First a member of our Stake Relief Society Presidency spoke about how sometimes our life's journey takes unexpected turns. She has a son who has special needs, and she quoted another sister who has children with special needs who described what it was like. She said that it was like you've planned a trip to Italy your entire life, and you're very excited. You plan tours, you learn some Italian, you go to the Travel Agent and discuss plans, you save, you book your flights, and finally you're on the plane. When you land, the air hostess says "Welcome to Holland!" - there was a change in the flight plan and they didn't let you know.

So you have to holiday in Holland, and although it's not what you expected, it's beautiful. It's not as exciting, but there are beautiful tulips, and there are windmills, and the people are lovely. So although your trip is totally different to what you expected, Holland isn't a bad place, but it can take some getting used to. You have to learn a different language, read different travel books, book different tours.

There were 7 sisters who are in different life situations who spoke: A YSA, a young mother, a single mother, a single adult, a mother of teens, a carer, and a widow. Each sister spoke about the challenges she faces, but talked about the blessings that have come to her, specific to the situation she was in.

I loved the young mother's talk, because she spoke about how crazy it is every day with her 3 girls under the age of 2 (twins!), but she spoke about how each day is full of moments of pure joy amidst the chaos :)

I liked in the single mother's talk (B!) how she said how much closer she is to each member of the Godhead, because she feels as if they are there helping her teach and raise her sons, every day, because she can't do it alone.

I liked all of the talks. Some of the sisters spoke about how they never imagined themselves in the situation they're in, but they were all uplifting and positive and understanding :) It was a wonderful fireside and I was grateful to be there.

Remember When?

Remember when I posted that nursery 'before' picture? Well, it's finally done, and here's the 'after'!

I hope it looks like a panoramic view sweeping the room, left to right!







These are the pictures I stressed over painting lol. I think the ribbons are cute - thanks for the idea, Mama!

Maggie

I did it!!! I had a baby!!! As I've mentioned labour's terrified me my whole entire life, so I feel like I've conquered Everest!! :) Maggie is sooooo beautiful, I can't believe she's ours and we get to keep her and raise her! I had a long labour, but one of the first feelings I remember having after she was finally born was that I would do it all again - they're right about that euphoric feeling you get :)

It is pretty exhausting keeping up with our tiny newborn, we have had a wonderful week! My milk came in (much to my surprise - I was scared I wouldn't be able to feed), and she was back at birthweight within 4 days and is growing every day, very healthy and strong!!! It hurt a lot to feed her especially at first, but it's getting easier!

Last night I was feeding and I looked down at my ankles and realised they are ankles again, not kankles!!! They are fabulous - they are so skinny (compared to the times by ten size they were before) I feel like I need to be careful or I'll snap them lol. I am surprised how quick my recovery's been - I guess it's the first baby thing.

James has been wonderful getting up and helping with putting Maggie back to sleep after feeds, and she adores him.

I've started a private blog so I can put pictures and details up about Maggie and not worry, so if you're interested and not a random, let me know your email address and I can invite you to read about her.

It's the most wonderful feeling in the world, we feel so blessed!!! :)

The Glad Game - Maggie

I'm now 38 weeks pregnant, which is a little bit exciting! I have enjoyed being at home now that Christmas is over and James is back at work, cooking dinners and cleaning and washing and ironing (baby clothes, yay!) and just doing normal day-to-day things! I also sleep, a lot.

The Glad Game:

I am glad to be having our baby now, instead of when we first got married over 2 years ago when we wanted so much to have a baby, for the following 'Glad' reasons.

James and me reasons:

1. A phone conversation James and I had when we'd been married a couple of months:

Abby calling James...
Abby: James, I'm about 5 minutes down the road from your work, and I have a flat tire!
James: Oh ok - there's a spare in the boot.
Abby: Excuse me?
James: What's wrong?
Abby: Um, I have a flat tire... I'm near your work....
(pause - confusion on both ends)
Abby: ...and it's hot.
James: Yeah... hey look I'm really busy, but there's a spare in the boot, okay? I'll see you here soon!
Abby: Um.. sure.

2 minutes later, James calling Abby...
James: Hey, are you okay? You sounded kind of upset before.
Abby: Not really - I'm on the side of the road, 5 minutes away from your work, and I have a flat tire.... and I'm hot.
James: Yeah but I'm at work - and there's a spare in the boot!
Abby: I can't possibly change a tire!
James: But I showed you how!
Abby: But you have to be strong! And I wasn't watching! Why would I need to know how to change a tire??
James: Um...
Abby: I'm just down the road - can't you borrow a car and come and rescue me?
James: But I'm at work!
Abby: But I'm on my way to pick you up! You finish in 2 minutes!!!
James: Um.. I'll see what I can do. You really can't just change it yourself?!
Abby: (Silence)
James: Okay. I'll try and come.

After a few minutes James came and changed the tire. Both of us were a little shocked with each other lol. Now we know waaaaaaay better :) And now we have RACQ.

2. When we first got married, James couldn't believe how emotional and 'girly' I was. It drove him crazy if I ever cried, (maybe once in a blue moon) and couldn't understand it at all. In the last nine months I have cried every other day or so - not for any hideous reason, just the hormones going crazy. It took a couple of months but now James knows better than to ask me 'why' I'm crying, and especially to try to push the point! - He generally checks if there's a reason or if I just want a hug, and gives me a hug lol. He doesn't try to understand it anymore, and he's better at picking the times when he can laugh at it, and when laughing at it will result in bigger floods of tears. If I had actually been emotional at the beginning of our marriage, we would have gone crazy, and he may have left me (I'm sure he wouldn't have, but he may have been tempted..).

3. Basically James grew up around guys and is not used to anything or anyone being a 'girl'. He couldn't believe how much of a 'princess' I was (I kept telling him he was lucky he didn't marry someone who actually was really girly!) and I couldn't believe how 'mean' he was sometimes. We had a lot of learning to do lol. Now we're having a baby girl - hahaha :)

It feels it's just gotten better and better between us though, and now it feels perfect, but I'm sure it'll just get better. James is so understanding and kind and nice to me, and he's all squishy when it comes to Maggie lol - I predict some serious finger wrapping.


Financial reasons:
I was going to drop out of my final year of uni and have our baby. But I finished, then worked for a year, and now I unexpectedly qualify for maternity leave. As my Dad said upon hearing that news: "You can't say you don't get blessings for paying your tithing". James is not a citizen, and studying full time he's not making a heap of money, so this is huge for us. We didn't really know what we'd do financially, but Heavenly Father sorted it out.


Spiritual:
Maybe I needed to learn patience. Or have it be reinforced that the Lord works in His own ways in His time, and that he knows what's best. Maybe we also needed to pray really hard for something for a really long time and to finally have that prayer answered, and know that it's an answer to prayer.


Education:
I got my degree!! And maybe at times while I'm 'Mum' over the next few years I can study by correspondence and get some post-grad qualifications. Now that I'm qualified, and especially since I've worked a whole year, I can always go back if I need to.


There are other reasons to be glad that I won't go into now, but I'm sure there are kazillions.

Oh one more shot at being glad.

I am glad to be an obese whale who can't touch her toes or barely roll over, because it is a good contraception for obesity. I will never get unecessarily fat, and will even try not to get as fat next pregnancy.

Oh, I'm also glad because it means we get to have a baby.

xo

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!

There is a dead end street about 15 minutes away from where we live, that James and I stumbled across about this time last year. Each of the 6 or 7 houses is decorated in the most spectacular fashion you can imagine, and not just with lights - their garages are full of interactive displays, there are giant Santas kids can get photos with, reindeer who totally 'graze' by themselves, etc., etc., it's HUGE!!! Christmas carols play from the houses. You can't get a park cause there are a million families walking around taking photos, and the street itself is blocked off so people can walk around and through all the displays. James and I went as part of Family Home Evening this week, and it was gorgeous! There are actually little booths at a couple of the houses, raising money for the RSPCA I think it was. James thinks they should turn off all the lights and donate the money they'd save on electricity, but that wouldn't be very festive or exciting or fun for families. I can't wait till next year when Maggie's almost 1 and will be old enough to enjoy this street when we take her back - she seemed less than impressed as a fetus. We took a kazillion photos but they are all terrible and none of them allow you to on any scale see how pretty it is, so I'm not going to try too hard..

The only sad thing was that only one of the houses had anything to do with the nativity - a tiny little three wise men lights display on a roof. But the feelings of happiness and sharing, and community (Tammy!) were there, and it was really nice. I love those feelings every year at Christmas!

It's funny how the world doesn't connect the fact that it is the most wonderful time of the year, and that it promotes family, and love, and warm fuzzy feelings, and sharing and giving and happiness, with the fact that it's the celebration of the Saviour's birth. Of course it's the most wonderful time of the year. But we can feel these wonderful feelings at any time, if we focus on Jesus Christ.

Mum, Dad and the twins have been away for 4 weeks, and I miss them, and I'm glad they're about to board a flight to come home to us before Christmas!!! I think they have had a wonderful trip though, and I'm so glad they got to go!

Just in case I don't post again before Christmas, I hope everyone has a wonderful day and season and holiday!!!!! :)

xo

Bump

Here's me side-on at 32 weeks. Now I am 33, only 7 to go, yay!! :) Today we are going to a class where they teach me how to breathe as I experience hell, and they teach James how to hold my hand and remind me to breathe as I experience hell. It should be helpful, and they serve lunch :)

Only 1 more week of school left, and I'm getting to the stage where I'd do anything to not miss a day, because I'll miss my kids!!! THey get more fun the more I realise I'm leaving them!! I am a bit exhausted though, so I will be grateful when it's over! Lots of Christmas activities mixed with maths and english, it'll be fun :) And on Friday the kids are encouraged not to come, and if they do only to come till 11am so the staff can have a big lunch in the hall!

We decorated for Christmas the other night, it's so fun! Can't wait!! 3 weeks until Christmas!! :)

I'd better go so I can make this class, it's a 9-5 day, I hope I don't fall asleep!! :)

xo

Baby Shower!

Last Saturday (14th Nov) Mama put on a fabulous Afternoon Tea baby shower for me and nearly baby Maggie :) We started at 1pm, and went outside where a mass of scrapbooking stuff awaited us, to make cards for little baby Maggie's 1st - 21st birthdays. When the task was accomplished, we went inside and played a made by Mum and I think Tammy version of baby Mad Gab (a game Tammy brought back from America), and everyone guessed how fat I am with string, and I opened some gorgeous presents, and then we sat up for our afternoon tea, which was amazing! Mum had set a beautiful table, with bunches of flowers and savouries, sweets, punch, etc. I was hungry by then (I usually am..) so it was delightful to sit and eat with lovely family and friends! About half of my guests were family, and the rest were friends, most of whom don't know each other because they're from different random walks of life but it was really nice, and now they do :) Here are a couple of pictures of the fabulous table: (see Mum's blog for more)

Mum made me a fabulous nappy cake (below), and little Maggie will be decked out in many gorgeous outfits! She's got some new toys, and a fun bathtime kit (yay!), and nappies and creams and a car seat and all sorts of things! I was so excited when I got home, to unpack everything into the nursery! One of the presents I really love a LOT and I was sort of honoured to get, was a painting by my lovely friend who is an artist, Kaili! You can check out Kaili Art. As you can see from my picture, she's very talented, and we love the painting a lot (thankyou Kaili!!). James and my dad sat looking at it for ages afterwards, commenting on the details and how good Kaili is these days lol.

We hung out at Mum and Dad's for a bit afterwards, then got home late, but I was too excited to go straight to sleep - I played in the nursery unpacking for a little bit. Here are a couple of little corners. The sad thing about our nursery is that it won't be done until just barely before Maggie gets here (hopefully right on time!) because apparently our cot and change table are literally on a slow boat from China. But we are getting other things ready and it's still fun :) I don't have any photos of it yet but we put up the cute little wooden-framed canopy bassinet on Thursday night, and yay!!! :)

So only 3 more weeks of school to survive (I'm dying - it's been 35 degrees celcius this week and it was soooo not a good idea to get fat at this time of year!! Why do Oz schools not have air con?!!), then 2 weeks until Christmas, then 4 weeks until we get to meet the girl (it will be beyond hilarious if she is in fact, a boy lol :)). I have taken up swimming each morning before school, and often after, because the amount of relief from the heat and from not being able to move very well outweighs my shame in looking like a whale :) On Monday it's James and my 2 year wedding anniversary and next weekend we're going up the Sunshine Coast for the weekend, yay! :) So all good things to look forward to.

Thankyou Mama for the wonderful baby shower, it was gorgeous and fun and I think everybody loved it. You are the best. And you and Maggie can have afternoon tea dates when she's a few years on, like in that book ;) xo