14.01.09
Posted in Baby, Journal at 9:07 pm by Sarah
This is it. Our final few days in the house we were newly-weds in. I didn’t think I’d be sad, because – seriously – there are so many things wrong with this house. But the memories are still here.. and we were happy.
We went to do our final inspection of the new house this morning. It didn’t feel like ours. It smelled wrong, and it was empty and lifeless. Hopefully a bit of a scrub and some furniture will solve that problem… but it made our current house seem much more friendly and homey.
There are some redeeming qualities which may help with my separation anxiety. Like that glorious dishwasher. And the back verandah on which I plan to sit and read and think.
A day later… after wandering away from the computer and not finding my way back…
It’s funny how a day of scrubbing makes a house your own. We spent today at our house cleaning the heck out of it. Apparently the old owners thought we could cope with greasy windows, grime-covered blinds and grotty skirting boards. Thankfully we had H’s family to help or the task would have been pretty impossible.
I spent the day alternating between finding things at eye-level to clean (bending over while pregnant is NOT a good idea) and collapsing in a camp chair willing my ankles to stop swelling.
Haoran’s Dad and uncle spent the day finding things that were wrong – leaky sinks, broken kitchen cupboards – and trying to make them temporarily better. Or… better still, H’s uncle would recommend someone to fix it for mates rates.
Tomorrow is Mega-Pack-Day. Mainly because the movers arrive at 8am on Friday so we REALLY need to pack everything now. Again, an angel in disguise has offered to pack our kitchen… so all power to him… I wish him the best. 
The bub is coping reasonably well with all the commotion. Mainly by digging a foot into my bladder at well-timed intervals. I’m starting to feel alot heavier now, but not unbearably uncomfortable (apart from the aforementioned bladder poking which is really not cool).
At our parenting class we got to put a nappy on, dress and wrap a plastic baby. Haoran amused himself by picking it up by it’s foot or head, I spent most of the time contemplating the size of the head. Please let it be not to scale!
What else is there to say? See you on the other side….
31 weeks
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06.01.09
Posted in Baby, Journal at 10:29 pm by Sarah
30 weeks sounds like a long time…. 10 weeks sounds short… soon. In fact, the likelihood of those 10 weeks turning out to be 9 or 8 are quite high. So… shorter. I wish there was a smiley face icon that could express the feelings that causes… Read the rest of this entry »
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02.01.09
Posted in Journal at 9:49 am by Sarah
Un’s Christmas
We left for the Un’s the Saturday before Christmas.. thinking of lovely relaxing days by the sea. Of course, various appointments and dramas quashed that dream for the first few days. Oh yeah… and one day rated the lowest (and the grossest) day of pregnancy ever for me. I’ll spare you the details…
So the relaxation part didn’t really happen until Christmas Eve. Wii and Tivo played a large part, along with quiet walks, listening to the ocean and loads of sleep.
We had our extended family bash (see Haoran’s blog for our impression) Christmas Eve night… and an less formal Christmas day with immediate family. Church was nice, we visited Wild St for the second time that week. It’s almost like a home church, considering how many people we know there.
I enjoyed time spent with Haoran’s grandmother, who happens to be staying with his parents at the moment. I never knew her without dementia, so it was awkward at first to understand how she operates, and how the family cope with her condition. Let alone her broken English. I can imagine it being difficult to deal with her 24/7. She asks the same questions over and over, never realising that she’s doing it. Sometimes she doesn’t remember people, or events. Sometimes she makes other people’s memories her own.
Yet, I rejoiced in the small things. That she remembered my name, that I’m carrying her great-grandchild… And those moments where she seemed clear as day.
We left on Boxing Day for the trip west..
Bird’s Christmas
We walked into instant Christmas when we arrived armed with the traditional cherries and plums bought along the way. My sisters and my future brother-in-law sat waiting, and Grandad was called immediately to come and join us. Present opening is a little more formal here. We open one at a time, everyone enjoying watching the gifts being revealed. Although the amount of gifts this year made the process a little long.
We did get a baby gift, but I couldn’t complain when my Mum indulged in little wooden toys and a new-born sized cotton teddy. I also got the baby books I requested.. and spent the next few days trying not to overload on information about breast feeding and nappy changing (not as simple as it sounds apparently!!). Haoran got a very masculine drill which will be useful in the new house.
We got to stay in the new B&B my parents built for a few nights. It was lovely and indulgent to be able to slob around in jammies and have some space in the morning before heading up to the main house. We didn’t get to use the spa (well – I shouldn’t anyway) but it was still very awesome.
Again, I spent alot of time sleeping. I was amazed at how much I actually needed it once I let myself give in to it. I think my poor mother thought I was sick! We also managed to watch a fair bit of the first season of ‘Heroes’ – borrowed from my sister. Perfect holiday watching, since most episodes end at the height of suspense.
We left New Years Eve Eve. And wondered what it will be like next time, accompanied by our son/daughter who will only be a few weeks old.
NYE
Haoran called about 5 places before he found one that still had Wii’s in stock. He finally found a preowned one at a good price.. and went out immediately to get our early anniversary present. Guess what we did for a large part of the day….
We did make it out to use our movie vouchers (expiring Dec 08) to watch ‘Twilight’. It actually wasn’t a half-bad adaptation. Some characters were cast extremely well, like Alice. She looked exactly right. Edward wasn’t pretty enough… and mostly just looked sickly. Bella was… annoying. But she was like that in the book too, so maybe she was perfect?? The story line was fairly accurate… and there were some awesome moments – like the baseball game.
We went home, the plan being that we nap before going out for NYE celebrations. I slept too long as per usual.. and we didn’t make it out the door till 9.
We arrived at the end of the formal part, which was fine with me because I just wanted to catch up with people and chat. I ended up quizzing a few ladies about birthing options – completely freaking out the single girls at the table. It was good to get some perspective from people who had already had that experience.
We played a distracted game of Zooloretto and abandoned our scoring to see the new year in. Then a few more games of Ticket to Ride into the wee hours. Much fun.
What next?
Probably alot of packing planning (procrastination). A fly-by visit from my sister and FBIL. And lots and lots of Wii.
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