Monday in Pics

Instead of the usual verbal diarrhoea, I'm going to show you our day in pictures instead;

As you can see, it was a pretty productive day around here! I think I'm combatting this awful cold, we managed to finally get our photo boards up (months later), I beat jimmy at ten pin!!!!!, we soaked up some rays at the skate park, snuck in some late afternoon yoga whilst listening to lordes new album (10/10), and we fired up the BBQ for a delicious dinner- yay for summer! It's crazy what some sunshine can do for our moods, I felt like we were all beaming from the inside out all day. Hope everyone else enjoyed their Monday!

P.s how smug is Olis strike face?

P.p.s I'm four months pregnant today- whaaaaat?!

Thought of the day "life is good"

Gemma

Pre natal Yoga

Heya, how is everyone's weekend going?

Ours is wet again which is a pain but at least it's a long one here in WA, yes! Always stoked when we get an extra day with the handsome man of the house.

So when I was pregnant with Blake, I signed up for weekly yoga classes. These quickly became a highlight for my week, 1.5 hours of pure bliss...The classes consisted mainly of breathing techniques & poses, aswel as a variety of pelvic floor exercises and some resistance poses such as the warrior pose. But it wasn't just the incredible benefits to my ever-expanding body, mind and soul that I loved about it. It was the people. I met so many amazing women at those classes, some that I am still very good friends with today. 

When it came to D day, I definitely think the techniques I learnt within those four walls each week helped me stay (semi) calm, and I was able to focus on my breathing and go into my "yoga" mind in some of the more intense moments. I also think my speedy recovery could be put down to some of those pelvic floor exercises too. Can't complain there!

 Now I'm not a huge yoga fan in general, as in I hadn't done any since Blake was born. But now that I'm up the duff again I have been practising those techniques regularly and I'm feeling wonderful for it already. It really is incredibly refreshing to just take a moment to yourself each day to calm your mind and practise some poses, pregnant or not. 

I've signed up for a weekly class which I start in 4 weeks, and I am SO excited to get into it again & meet some lovely ladies on this side of the ditch. So I'll let you all know how I get on there:

Meanwhile, these are some of the poses I have been practising daily and I absolutely love! I don't know all the fancy names for them either so I'll just let the pictures do the talking. I also found it hilarious using a timer on my phone to take pics of myself in these poses so excuse the "do I smile or not smile" awkwardness.. 

Thought of the day "just breathe" 

What do you guys think of yoga? Has anyone else done pre natal yoga? Thoughts on it?

Have a lovely Sunday

Gemma xx

Teething

Incase you aren't a "babies" person, you may not be aware that all babies are born without their teeth. They are big squishy gummy bears. Which is incredibly cute in those first few months when they start to smile with those wide, empty mouths- looking like big black joyful holes on their wee faces. It is delightful! 

What's not so delightful is when their teeth decide to sprout through those squishy little gums. The first tooth B got was a long and drawn out process involving sleepless nights & days, a lot of whinging, and enough dribble to drown a   small colony of pygmies. It was torture, not only for her but for Oli and I too. The poor thing was in agony & there really isn't a lot you can do about it but ride it out and hope the little white sucker pops through ASAP. 

I had high hopes that maybe the first tooth would be the worst and she would get used to them coming through......No such luck. Infact- the top two teeth which came through two months back were even worse. Urghhhhhhh. Somebody throw me a bone!!! Is what I was continuously thinking throughout that incredibly drawn out 6 weeks that it took for them to finally break the surface. I know I sound selfish, after all it's her that's going through the pain and simultaneously over tiring herself by not being able to sleep, but man it has really tested my patience. 

So now, another 2 little f*%kers have decided to make their grand entrance as of a few days ago. And so the cycle continues.... It is a bit harder for me now that I'm pregnant aswel. I'm finding the lack of sleep is hitting me big time and there are days like today where I feel like I could seriously fall asleep before my head hits the pillow and not wake up for a good 15 hours. At least. 

Hey- dreams are free....Just 8 will do me though, yeah, I'll be good with 8. Please. 

Meanwhile- I'm relying on pamol & bonjella to see us through tonight, bless those pharmaceuticals sometimes. 

I must admit though, when they do make it through they look pretty cute ;

There's always an upside! 

Does anyone have any hot tips for teething? I'd love to hear them! I'm willing to give anything a try (bar hard spirits) once! 

Thought of the day "pleeeeeaaasssseee go to sleep"

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend with plenty of sleep!

Gemma 

Stay at home Mum status

Today I'm going to touch on a somewhat controversial topic... I'm going to chat about the benefits of being a stay at home Mum.

Firstly- we're totally riding old school on this parenting journey. Both Oli and I grew up with our mums always there for us, all day every day for the first few years and then once daycare and school started, they would be waiting at the gates when we were ready to come home. We both found this to be incredibly comforting as young children and I feel so grateful that I am able to give Blake (and no.2) a similar start to life. 

Now I know every single family has completely different situations. Obviously there are plenty of women who have jobs they must return to, aswel as plenty who have study to complete. I take my hat off to these women, I really do- because I barely find time in the day to brush my hair as it is let alone juggle work or study on top of looking after a baby / household.  

For me personally, I think bringing up a child is the most important job in the world. After all you are shaping a human being into a (hopefully) wonderful person who will contribute positively to society and live a long and prosperous life... That entire sentence almost gave me a headache. But it is really important to be there for them I think, to love them unconditionally and watch them grow whilst offering a helping hand along the way. I still can't even think about putting my daughter into daycare, as tough as it is some days (I'm talking block myself off in my room and literally scream into a pillow), I just couldn't imagine not spending every day with her. And the most important part is my partner totally agrees. Some days we do think two incomes would be soooo nice, but most days we just think, money is money, and this is our child's life. That's not to say I won't ever be working again, infact- I am really looking forward to getting back into the daily grind and earning a pretty pay check again in a few years. I think it'll be easy peasy compared to child rearing! (Too controversial? Meh..)

I have a really close male friend who is so judgemental about stay at home mums, and what they do (or don't do) everyday. He seriously thinks it is a joke- they do nothing, and the men have it hard. I laughed it off before I became a mum, but now....Not so funny. Most days, I do not stop. Whether it be the endless cleaning/ cooking/ washing, running errands (groceries, paying bills etc..), trying to feed and entertain the baby takes up an enormous amount of time, and then squeezing in some exercise if I can. Before I know it, the day is done and I'm exhausted. I truly think you can't generalise a stay at home mum, I'm sure there are some out there that don't do a lot with their day, but I sure as hell am not one of them and I'm not afraid to say it either. I know most of my friends with babies are the same- it is hectic, and it is 24/7. But as I said, I'm so grateful that we are in a stable financial situation that allows us to have me stay at home with my darling. I think the benefits are endless, and I think my daughters pure and utter joy that's constantly plastered all over her face on a daily basis, is a reminder that we are definitely doing the right thing here. 

So for all of you fellow stay at home mums, or any mum for that matter- you're bloody awesome. 

(I can't believe I actually sound like an activist for stay at home mums, I feel like we should all congregate and take down all of those that look down on us one by one.... Too far? Haha, probably) 

Anyway, that's it folks!! 

Throw me your thoughts, what do you think of stay at home mums?

Thought of the day "I can't wait until bedtime and it is only 2pm"

15 Weeks

Whats been happening: Mini me is in its 15^th week. He/ she is about the size of an orange. It will now frequently be getting the hiccups, but babies don’t make any sounds because their trachea is filled with fluid rather than air. The legs are now growing longer than the arms and all the joints and limbs can move. For me this week- I still haven’t been too flash. The headaches are really severe and I have had a fair bit of vomiting, not to mention an extreme case of anxiety as described in my previous post.

Weight gained: Lets just say upper thighs are the devil.

Workouts: This week my goal was to do something every day. So I have done one really intense at home workout, two big walks, and I finally made it to the gym this morning! Hallelujah. It was good to get back there, I ended up doing 20 mins of high intensity cardio and 30 mins of legs with box jumps/ squats/ lunges etc... Hopefully I can walk tomorrow.

Movement: Well after being sure I couldn’t feel a thing all week, I woke up to some serious wriggling today in the early hours. My uterus was in the strangest position all pushed out to one side so I could feel the baby doing 360’s which was cool.

Food Aversions: Still mince, and porridge now? Which sucks as it is always my breakfast go-to. The last two mornings have resulted in a rush to the sink after eating porridge.

Food cravings: Anything cheesy or full of carbs

Sleep: Blake is teething at the moment so we’ve had a bit of drama trying to get her down lately but last night she did the full 12 hours thankfully so today I am feeling refreshed!

Miss anything: Sushi!!! And anything alocoholic.
 
Fun/ interesting things for the week: Oli and I are having a bit of a debate about finding out the gender at the moment. I thought we had agreed to not find out but turns out Oli can’t wait that long and he wants to know at our next scan. I really wanted it to be a surprise this time but he is adamant finding out will be best. Arghhhh what to do!! Who will prevail?? Watch this space. 

Happy or moody: Anxious! But much happier now that I know all is ok.


Looking forward to: Rounding out and meeting the midwife in a couple of days!

Bump update:  Here it is from this morning, I chopped my head out as it looked so weird- alien like? Shes growing!!

One Year

Blake,

Happy Birthday,

The day you arrived into the world was the first day of the rest of our lives. You have changed everything. When I pulled you up and looked at your face for the first time I thought I was in some surreal dream, you were beautiful. Your tiny features took my breath away, from your plump little lips to your dainty little nose, all the way down to your teeny hands which (with surprising force) gripped my thumb tightly from your very first breath and simultaneously gripped my heart.

You were perfect and we loved you intensely.

How has it already been one year since that first day? I remember every detail as if it were yesterday, and yet I have completely forgotten what life was like before you arrived.

You were so quiet in those first weeks. Barely making a sound let alone a cry, your innocence was so beautiful and terrifying at the same time. We felt overwhelmingly protective over you, we still do. As you grew, we started to see snippets of the real you. A little human being! And let me say- you are hilarious. You must get that from your Dad, along with majority of your features I think. The amount of times I have heard “Oh my gosh you look like your Daddy” over the past year is ridiculous. You have his big blue peepers and they are stunning, you mesmerize complete strangers with them on a regular basis and you don’t even know it yet.

Since that very first day we have only grown to love you more. The first time you smiled was the first time I felt pure, raw joy. There have been so many firsts since then, and there will only be more. We are so excited to watch you blossom into the beautiful young girl you are destined to be.

We just want you to know that you deserve nothing but happiness. You are allowed to be who you want to be, and chase whatever dream your heart desires. We will support you and love you no matter what, never forget we are here for you. I want you to be able to come to me with anything that is on your mind or troubling you, and I promise to be supportive and rational. Never be afraid to come to me or your Dad for help- that is what we are here for and even if you think we wouldn’t understand, we can try. Surround yourself with positive people who make your life better every day, and be passionate, kind, honest and generous. Love, and be loved and you will lead a wonderful life. You have so many people who love you already, and that is all you need for now, you are lucky. But we are luckier.

Thank you for the best year of our lives thus far darling girl,
So much love from your Dad and I,
xxx

Pinspiration

Oh Pinterest.... the ultimate procrastinator. 

Here are a few pics I've been collecting  for our impending nuptials;

*(confession, I found most of these before we got engaged)

(Ahhhhh maze ing!!)

I'm not really sure if any of this will be applicable to our big day but they are stunning regardless,

Gemma 

Worry Wart

Afternoon everyone,

Some days, pregnancy sucks.

For the past few days I've been having completely irrational fears about the safety of my unborn child. I can't pin point where it began but thankfully it ended today with a midwife appointment. For god knows what reasons, I thought my baby had died. I seriously, could not sleep, have barely eaten, and have just been generally anxious. I have spent hours on my back, poking and prodding my uterus to see if I could get the baby moving, and just had nothing. My boobs were suddenly not so tender and I just didn't 'feel pregnant' anymore. It was terrifying. With B, I never had this sudden overwhelming fear, so over a few days my anxiety just grew by the minute. I'd like to take this opportunity to point out how fucking shit google is also, forums can piss right off. Never, ever, search on google if you think something is wrong during pregnancy, I have well and truly learnt my lesson there.
Today, after numerous phone calls to many doctors in the area who all refuse to do fetal heartrate tests (say wahhh?), I rang my midwife. I actually have no idea why she wasn't my first point of contact (this would be the most logical thing to do and I will definitely take note for future dilemmas). I think I was afraid of her thinking I was a hypochondriac nutter before she had even met me. Anyway, she told me the clinic in Fremantle was open today and to pop in to get a fetal heartrate test. Maia, the midwife in the clinic today, found the heartbeat within 5 seconds. It literally felt like a tonne of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders, absolute blissful music to my ears, and I shed a few tears. Hormones.
Looking back, I wish I had more confidence in myself and in my body to grow this beautiful being. I should have had more confidence, and now I do. Woman are made for this, and moreover- I have done this before. Whatever came over me, I am just so stoked to be rid of it. And in a couple more weeks I daresay I will be laughing at my irrational self when I am getting kung fu kicked 24/7.

Drama over... Thank goodness!

Meanwhile, it is another shitty day in good old sunny Western Australia, and I am struggling to get my washing done!! Watching that mountain grow by the machine is starting to stress me out, and leaving us with limited clothing options. Sunshine, where art thou??

In other news, I just made the most delicious omelette for lunch. I've always found omelettes so hard to master but I think I finally have it! The trick is to add a splash of water to the eggs rather than milk, and to leave the egg in the pan after the first pour for much longer than you think could possibly be legit without burning. Trust me, your eggs will be fine!


Feta & Tomato Omelette

2 eggs and 1 egg white + a splash of water
Toppings:
crumbled feta
spinach
tomato
(with a side of avocado for good measure)

Leave the egg in the frypan for at least 3 minutes or until it starts bubbling. Lift the sides with a fish slice to be sure of non sticking. Then add whatever toppings you like, and flip one side over onto the toppings. Leave for 1 min and then flip the entire omelette. Leave again for another 30 sec- 1 minute and voila!! Your gourmet omelette is ready to be inhaled!

 This- plus a hot lemon water, totally hit the spot for lunch today

 

(I also grabbed dessert for later.....whittakers I love you.)

Thought of the day "Fuck you google"

Has anyone else been through a similar pregnancy "freak out"? If so, how did you cope with it?

G x

Weekend Antics

Hi all! How was everyone's weekend? Anyone do anything exciting??

We sure as hell didn't. I'm fairly sure we actually physically morphed into sloths for the entire 2 days.

Oli went out with his mates on Fri and I had a girlfriend over for pizza and movies (which was fabulous), aaaaand then we both pretty much didn't move off the couch for the remainder of our weekend.

Perth has been having some pretty shocking weather lately, storms and heavy rain and gale force winds, which isn't exactly enticing us to get out and about. I am so grateful I got out for a few walks last week though, it really does make the world of difference just getting some fresh air in your lungs. But the weather isn't really an excuse to eat absolute crap and do nothing. I did actually have big plans for the gym and some spring cleaning, but ahh yeah. Na.

I did fulfill one thing I had on my to-do list for quite some time though, I got Mcdonalds hotcakes for breakfast on Sunday. Delish!! Been craving those bad boys since before I got pregnant and just never can be bothered getting them. They hit the spot. By Sunday night though, I felt so lethargic and heavy it was horrible. My bod seems to just reject the crap it used to love!! Which is probably a good thing. So today has been nothing but oats, fruits and vegetables and I feel fantastic already. I also re did the at home workout from my previous post too so this week has started off with a bang! Even better was when the doorbell rang a couple of hours ago and the postman kindly delivered my parcel all the way from USA, thanks Eastbay (www.eastbay.com) !! I have been wanting new Nikes for so long, and these babies are perfect! Can't wait to try them both out!

The rest of today has been spent researching Bali accommodation and nannies. We're planning a family holiday to this beautiful island over Christmas and I am beyond excited! Oli and I have holidayed here before and we loved it- the people, culture, food, everything was bang on. There's been some really good feedback on Trip Advisor about nannies over there too so I'm definitely going to be locking in a lovely lady for a few days, I fear this will be our last relaxing time together for at LEAST 2 years so we better make the most of it!

This was our last holiday there; paradise.

Thought of the day  " Holiday dreamin' "

Has anyone been to Bali with young ones and used nannies? If so, any recommendations?

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday :)

Gemma

Current Reads/ Watches & Tunes

Hi all!

Today I thought I would post about all the current pictures, words and tunes that are occupying my brain.

Reads:

I just started one called "The Luminaries" by Eleanor Catton. This chick is a kiwi author who has just been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for this novel. She is only 28 and this book is over 800 pages long! That was enough to sell me on this bad boy. She must have started penning it when she was 12??
It is about a young Englishman who has come to NZ  to make his fortune in gold mining, upon arriving he stumbles across a group of 12 men who have all met up to investigate 3 crimes that have occured in a single day. It is about lives being interconnected, and is part mystery part fantastical love story.
So far so good. Its actually really intriguing to read a novel about your home country and neighbouring countries. Often I feel like I am always reading fiction novels in American or English settings, so this one is a refreshing and welcome change.  I will let you know what I think of the novel as a whole once I'm done..

I am also currently reading a non fiction novel called "Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition" by T. Colin Campbell. I downloaded this on my kindle around 4 weeks ago and have only managed to get through around 50 pages. The reason I downloaded it was because I recently came to the realisation that I read a LOT of fiction novels. Like, a lot. So, I figured maybe I should spend some of the time and energy from these fantasy worlds that I delve into, into something a bit more informative and useful. But, so far not so great. For one, I feel like the book isn't telling me anything new. Yes I know whole foods are more nourishing and better all round for the body and the mind. Yes I know we all eat way too much processed and refined foods. Blah blah blah. I would prefer my fantasy lands any day to be honest, I love living vicariously through characters in my books. It is such an escape for me. I am going to finish this book though, I'm not the type to not finish a book so wish me luck!! (I'll need it)

Watching:

Lately, every single week night, my partner and I have been watching every episode of big brother australia. Yup, there, I admit it. I don't know how it hooked us, but it got us good. I think the idea of seeing real life humans at their most vulnerable is so entertaining for us viewers. There is so much drama and so much cattiness it is ridiculous, but- I will be there til the end my friends.
(Go Tim)

Girls: OMG Lena Dunham, you are magic. I have just finished season 2 and cannot wait to get my hands on the third season when it is out. Girls follows a twenty something aspiring writer trying to cut her break in New York City. Sounds plain? Its not. It is absolutely, ab- hurtingly, open-mouthed-cackling hilarious. The main star, Lena Dunham or Hannah on the show- writes the series based on her real life experiences. It is crude, slightly pornagraphic, awkward and so so witty. If you haven't watched it, go forth and buy it/hire it/ download it, whatever you need to do.

The Way Way Back: When we were back in NZ, Oli and I went to watch this movie starring Toni Collette and Steve Carrell. It was fantastic! I love Toni Collette, and she delivered- like always. Steve Carrell played the biggest douchebag but it suited him somehow and was a nice change from his usual awkward older male role. But the stand out stars were the main man (boy) Duncan (Liam James) and Owen (Sam Rockwell). It is about Duncan going on a family holiday with his mum (Collette) and his mums new bf (Carrell), there he meets up with Owen and forms an unlikely friendship. Duncan is so teen-awkward it is cringe worthy but he plays it so well, and Owen has some absolutely hilarious one-liners. If you're keen for a comedy, I strongly recommend!

Listening to:

I am always listening to a mix of Incubus, Supertramp & Nine Inch Nails. No matter what mood I am in, one of their songs will always hit the spot for me. B also loves having a boogy to Supertramp each day. "Take the long way home" - Supertramp is one of my favourite songs ever & after seeing them live earlier this year I appreciate every lyric and instrumental more than ever.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfApBz4_XQk - watch it, its so groovy.

Thought of the day: "I hope we win lotto tomorrow"

Thats all I've got for today folks, hope you are having a wonderful friday :)

Gemma

14 weeks

I'm going to kick off my weekly pregnancy updates from here on out, I know I always loved reading about other women's different experiences throughout pregnancy so hopefully you enjoy mine!

Whats been happening: Mini me is just over 14 weeks 3 days today and he/ she is about the size of a lemon (70gms). He/ she has been hard at work this week growing up a storm. The eyebrows/ hair on top of the head are beginning to grow through now and the fetus can also now make facial expressions like squinting, frowning and grimacing.  For me this week, I have been experiencing pretty severe cramps due to ligaments stretching, and also I have had the pleasure of consistent heartburn & headaches... Not cool. I didn't get either of those with my first pregnancy so they're not exactly a welcome symptom.

Weight gained: I'm not actually going off scales this time around so I wouldn't know how much I have gained thus far. Not a lot I wouldn't think though, all my clothes still fit nicely and the bump is still minimal.

Workouts: So far this week I've only managed one big walk, and one at home workout. However, I do plan on walking again today if this rain ever settles and possibly even getting to the gym tomorrow (don't hold me to that I'm still in holiday mode)

Movement: When I go to bed and lay really still I can definitely feel the little tyke wriggling, only briefly though. I think the real movement will begin in a couple more weeks.

Food Aversions: Mince (much  to Oli's dismay)

Food cravings: Cheesymite scrolls, licorice

Sleep: This depends on B at the moment, she's still a bit out of whack from the trip so we've been having some early mornings lately which leave me pretty exhausted come the afternoon, but nothing to complain about really..

Miss anything: A glass of red would be nice

Fun/ interesting things for the week: Nothing really since the scan, although we were accepted into the homebirth program we recently learnt (woohoo) and we meet our new midwife on Oct 1st, which I'm hanging out for.

Happy or moody: Happy this week, happy but tired.

New baby items: Not a thing since we found out. I think with number two its a bit different, we feel like we have everything good to go already (minus clothes), but we won't be finding out the sex this time either so we probably won't be buying a lot of anything until the week it arrives! Luckily this one is coming in one of the hottest Perth months of the year (March) so it will be a nudist for the first month of its life anyway.

Looking forward to: Movement! The anatomy scan, having a real bump and meeting the midwife!

Bump update: Here is the first "bump" pic. As you can see I'm still in the awkward, "I look like I ate too much" phase. Its not really anything significant yet but it is definitely starting to protrude more by the week.
**Excuse the awkward pic with Oli lazing in the background amongst piles of clothes... holiday mode.

Until next week!

At home workout

Since getting back from NZ, I cannot get myself to the gym. I'm just not feeling it at the moment so I've been mixing it up with walking and some at home workouts. Keeping fit during pregnancy is a huge priority for me, with my first pregnancy I found it to be detrimental in weight gain and beneficial in getting off the extra kilos post birth. I didn't gain a lot of weight the first time around (10kilos), and I had lost it all within 4 weeks post birth. This isn't all from exercise though, I firmly believe its part genetics aswel as breastfeeding too. My mother was similar to me, never gained a lot of weight and lost it all fairly quickly.I tried to eat as healthily as possible, but that certainly doesn't mean I was calorie counting or carb cutting. No. Way. Jose. I was digging those carbs, still am... (cheesymite scrolls from bakers delight have been devoured each day this week, so so good)

Yesterday, I did a legs workout which has left me seriously burning this morning. It feels amazing to wake up and have sore legs, I actually love the feeling. I incorporated some instagram yoga inspiration aswel, just to mix it up as I never really do yoga at home.

Here it is:

Using 7kgs weights;

10 x lunges each leg
12 standing squats
30 sec rest
repeat x 4

2 x 45 sec wall squats with weights (I was shaking so incredibly hard by 30 seconds on each of these my legs almost gave way)

15 scissor kicks on each leg x 2
14 pilates circles each leg back and forth  x 1

10 full press ups x 2

I also threw in 3 sets of overhead dumbbell tri presses for good measure

Topped off with:

warriors pose 30 seconds each side
dancers pose 30 seconds each leg
tree pose 1 min each leg
downward facing dog
cobra pose
cat pose

I laid out a mat outside to do the last yoga poses, it was incredibly revitalising and refreshing to do the poses in the fresh air. I must do it more often,

This all took a total of 40 mins and as I said, legs are burrrrrrning today. Try it out!

Gemma

Hectic Hiatus

Hi everyone!

Yes I am still alive. Apologies for my lack of posts lately, we have been away on holiday back in NZ. I had initially planned to try and blog from home but as you all know, I'm new to this world and (to put it bluntly) I forgot. There was so much going on, I barely know where to begin...

Firstly- I will touch base on my sugar case. I lasted the week, which even I was surprised about. There was no binge at the end of it and to be honest- I haven't felt like sugar as much since. My bod seemed to appreciate the effort and it repaid me with an abundance of energy and clear (er) skin. So, I couldn't really complain. Thing is, you always know that erasing sugar from your diet will do wonders to your bod- this is not some incredible new piece of information that has just been released. The problem is, the white stuff mentally grips you- I'm talking serious addiction. That shit is smart! Or we are just dumb, and easy. I tend to agree with the latter. Humans are so caught up with addictions these days, it is ridiculous. Smoking, eating, drinking, drugs... We tend to forget that it is infact ourselves who are in charge of what we put in our bodies. Now do not get me wrong- I know there are many people who seriously cannot help their addictions, I'm not putting these people down or getting on my moral high horse. At all. All I'm saying is, these addictions stem from us. We put the crap in our body- we deal with the consequences. So from now on, I am taking charge. If I want sugar, I will make sure it is me who wants it and not some screaming desperate beast in the back of my brain, and I will have it. Simple.

Now, there are a few things to report. On September 3rd, my daughter turned one. Holy shit. She is no longer considered a baby. I still can't quite wrap my head around that- or where the entire year went for that matter. Although its funny, this year was definitely the longest and shortest 12 months of my life. If that makes any sense? Probably not, but if you've had kids I am sure you will understand. I will touch more on her first year with us in a later post. So back to her bday- it was a pretty big one. We kicked it off with our 12 week scan to check out the new cherub blossoming inside. He/ she was having a party in there too- waving its wee arms round like crazy. I was so nervous before we went in, sweaty palms and my heart beating so fast I thought it would break through my chest. You hear of so many people who go into these scans only to come out with a wet face and a broken heart, so to come out with some gorgeous pics of our energetic baby was such a miracle. Next up was a chilled family lunch with B at the head of the table, soaking up all the attention like a sponge. At the end of the day, we had planned to climb to the top of my favourite place in the world. Mount Maunganui (see post one for pics) - we had wanted to watch the sunset and show B the best view in the world for her bday. My sister, Kate, tagged along at the last minute which I wasn't worried about but later learned this was a significant advantage for Oli and I. After reaching the top, B strapped to Olis back, we laid out a blanket and took in the breathtaking views but then I abruptly decided I wanted to head down as sunset was still a while away and I was getting rather chilly. Midway down, in the most perfect spot overlooking the water, Oli got down on one knee and proposed.

Shock.

Still in shock to this day 2 weeks later...

It was the most memorable, magical, romantic, and beautiful moment of my entire life. Naturally I said yes, and he slipped on an exquisite diamond ring that he designed and got made himself in Perth. (I did think- "who is this guy?" more than once)

It was a day I will never forget and I will forever cherish. And as previously mentioned- it was a blessing my sister jumped onboard at the last minute as she managed to snap a pic of the moment Oli shook up my world. (she has her iphone 5 permanently strapped to her hand luckily)

This sums it all up. I am the luckiest girl in the world...

Being a blog rookie, I wasn't sure whether to split this post into two or not, I had so much to share so there's a bit of rambling but congrats to you all who made it to the end!  I have a fair few posts I want to put up in the next few days so keep your eyes peeled,

Today's thought, "take me back!"

Questions:

Opinions on addiction?

And also, anyone who has been married/ is planning a wedding, where do you start? I literally am baffled by it all. It is far too overwhelming..

Gemma