MA's Blog

2011-12-15T01:34:00.000-08:00

Exhausted tonight! After two weeks of almost total bed rest, today I travelled in a friends car for almost an hour to go the physiotherapists!

At the Physio she:

1. Got me to TRY and engage my VMO!

2. Assisted me to get to an approx 70 degree bend in my knee

3. Helped with ankle pumping exercises to help with swelling

4. Worked on the patellar movement

5. Massaged my hamstring!

I have to wear my brace for another 4 weeks at least and stay on the crutches with limited weight bearing for another 2 weeks minimum!

Next appointment is on Saturday :-)

2 weeks post op

2011-12-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

Today the light at the end of the tunnel got a little bit brighter!!!!!

I had my stitches out today, I managed to travel with a friend to take Master 7 to school for the last day of term, I managed to go to the local coffee shop for a quick coffee with some mums from school, and tonight after all that I needed only Panadeine forte instead of tramadol to manage the pain!

I'm saying my prayers that I don't wake up with today's pain, tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the start of the long journey called 'rehab' with the physiotherapist!!!!

I'll keep you all updated! Thank you for the messages of support x

Tibial Tubercle Transfer, Lateral Release and Chondroplasty

2011-12-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I know it has been a VERY long time between posts!

It's a busy time if year for everyone and I've had a few challenges along the way that makes it all a little more difficult!

I flew to Perth on the 29th November and went it to hospital and had the three procedures listed above on my left knee! It's basically a patellar reconstruction ( released a tendon on the outside of my kneecap, cleaned off the back of my kneecap, and then broke the top of my tibia and moved it sideways and forward and reattached with 2 screws!

I'm in a straight leg splint, on crutches with very little weight bearing and I'm in the worst pain you could ever imagine - makes a c section and Brest augmentation seem like a total breeze!

I think what makes it a little harder is that I can't sleep and I am pretty much bound to bed all the time! Rather frustrating for someone who is used to running around rather than staying very still!!!

Our weekend in EXMOUTH!

2011-11-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

This is the resort where we are staying - it is BEAUTIFUL...... here is the link if you want to check it out! This was an approx. 6 hour drive from where we live!

The hotel is partially built of rammed earth - very effective in this location! We are ideally located right opposite the pool, so the boys and I have spent lots of time swimming!

The food is delicious............ (Seafood risotto with local seafood)

....... and I have enjoyed many short blacks!

I even managed to ride one of these for 10 mins!!!!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend like us!

Favourites

2011-10-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Following on from Shar's lead I am going to tell you about some of my favourites

Favourite Workout - Outdoor running

Favourite Food - Roast chicken and lollies

Favourite Clothing - European Fashion, closely followed by lululemon gym gear, + gym shoes!

Favourite Day - like Shar - Saturdays and Sunday because we are all together

Favourite Month - this was a hard one for me - I need to pick December too because it is also the month of my wedding anniversary! I also love January, JUly, August and October because that is where our birthdays fall!

Favourite Place - Tasmania - its where I was born, its where my parents are buried and I am proud to say its a beautiful state!

Favourite Colour - Pink!!!

PS............ My current knee situation is not allowing me to add ay more miles to my dailymile widget on the side - am finding this VERY frustrating! To Perth on MOnday for the tell all scan!

How lucky I am

2011-10-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

I am currently watching Four Corners on ABC.

It is on babies born at 23 weeks!

I feel very blessed to have had one full term baby and one born at 36 weeks, but reasonably healthy!

My weekend!

2011-10-17T03:58:00.001-07:00

I posted earlier today about how I had an awesome weekend and that I would be back to tell you more about it later..... well here I am!

Why was it good........

1. I had my husband home - he had been away for the past two weekends overseas with work
2. I only did two workouts - two walks at the beach with my three boys (not that I don't like training, but it was nice taking a step back)
3. Our pool water is now a nice enough temperature so we were in and out of the pool approx 3 times each day
4. I cooked with my eldest son - he quite enjoys time in the kitchen with me
5. I spent time on the couch working on my cross stitch - this is what I am stitching and she is 80% finished

6. We watched a couple of movies - including one from the 1950's 'The old man and his boat'
7. We didn't drive to karratha (a 100km round trip) - a trip we make nearly every weekend and during the week as well
8. We helped our very excited nearly Master 7 deliver his party invites
9. And i am sure there are many other things that don't spring to mind right now.

You may see that there is a pattern amongst all of these items and they revolved around FAMILY! I think far too often we forget to appreciate those simple things in life. I appreciated all the simple things in life on my weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it!

On another note...... tonight my knee is VERY unhappy! As you might see at the side this morning it felt good so I took a run, and tonight I am paying the price! It's REALLY sore. I visited my physio today who taped my knee and it doesnt look dissimilar to this (just heavier taping)....

My knee feels very supported in this state, and feels like it is functioning as a 'knee' should - this thought scares me slightly (wish it was the insides providing this support and not sports tape on the outside). On a lighter note though I need to be grateful that i still have a leg and that I can still function as an able bodied person - Im sue there would be some one somewhere MUCH worse off than me!

Have a great night! xx

Running.....

2011-10-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well.......

I still have a sore knee but I woke up feeling good so I took the chance and hit the pavement for a run! It was a good thing to do something I love! Not that my training lately has not been fun - I am LOVING it all and the VARIETY!

As an update on the knee I am having a CT arthrogam on friday - this should provide us with some answers to what is going on in there! Today I am visiting my trusted physio to be guided on how I can tape my knee to provide some support while we wait to see what is happening.

I will be back later with a weekend update - Had such a good weekend, its worth sharing!

xx

Dodgy knees

2011-10-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

The brakes have been applied!!!!

I went to a physio appointment yesterday afternoon, expecting a quick solution, but also half expecting what I did hear!

I have ANOTHER suspected medial meniscus tear! This is my third one and all the symptoms are the same as the last two! DAMN IT!!!!

I am off to a doctors appointment in an hour to get a referral to a surgeon, but i am HOPING like mad that the symptoms might just vanish!

I am feeling a little disappointed - but what do you do - its there, so i just need to fix it!!!!

11.09.40 - 11.10.09

2011-10-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe that it has been two years since we said goodbye to my beautiful Dad!

Love you Dad xxx

Relaxation time

2011-10-08T20:53:00.001-07:00

its time for me to go and have some 'chill' time on the pool chair (as pictured above) in my pool - good book, some water and my big hat! Nothing like a relaxing hour after running around all morning.

Oats!

2011-10-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

Really glad top be back on track! Yummy oats and protein powder for breakfast!

The boys woke early so we went for a walk with the dogs to start the day, have done some weeding in the garden, made beds, put washing away and cleaned our table ........ its only 9.05am - what a great start to the day!

Enjoy your sunday everyone!

Time with friends

2011-10-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

Today I invited friends over for a swim! They arrived late afternoon with a bottle of champagne - normally I would not have had a drink because I was prepping for a competition and before that I had little babies to get up to in the night and the combo didn't work!

Well I had none of those factors to worry about so I enjoyed a glass with my friends. The afternoon swim dragged on and they ended up staying for dinner - we made home made pizza's on wraps and I ate those too and thoroughly enjoyed them, I even indulged in some cake for dessert!

Why am I blogging about this you may ask - it all sounds pretty normal?

This was initially tricky for me - the wine, the pizza and dessert (when I had already had some cake at the coffee shop with my boys earlier today) - I would normally have watched everyone else have this and eat my pre prepared meal! Today I did what most people would do when friends come over - I enjoyed myself. In fact I realise now I was very anti social in comp prep because I found it all too hard, but I recognise now that I missed those social occasions like I had today! No, I would not want to indulge or eat like this every day but today I did enjoy myself and I am not giving myself a huge punishing talk about 'bad choices'

Yes I will have a run on the treadmill tomorrow because I will feel better of I do, but its not a guilt workout like it might have been in the past!

I see that what I did tonight is normal' life' behaviour and that what I am enjoying about this journey I am now on!

WINNING!!!!

2011-10-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

....... in more ways than one! I used to have a big HATE relationship with the scales, however with a new trainer has come some new approaches and i now LOVE the scales. Yes my love affair may be supported by all the nice drops I have had over the past 10 days, but I also associate it with a whole new 'training' and 'fitness' mindset!!! I am going to keep doing as prescribed, because I am winning with the results! The results are more than just in the number - I have more energy, feel healthier and am FITTER!

I had a winning run on the treadmill this morning - it was a pyramid run and there was the option to walk between some of the speeds. Today I was able to run the whole way with no walk breaks! I suspect this means when this is prescribed next as a workout that the speeds might be a little quicker!!!!!

Another new benefit is that I am training LESS than I was before eating MORE than I did before and LOSING more than I did before = winning formula. I am enjoying doing some other things during my day other than prepare lots of food and train. Today I spent time floating on the lilo in our pool, having lunch with friends and shopping with my children (the shopping bit was not so great because they were both way too tired - silly idea)

I am off to bed to start to read one of my two new books!

Night xx

Sports Shoes

2011-10-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

I have just admitted and come out of the closet about my love of sports shoes over at Last Chance Training!!!!!!!

I currently rotate through approx 8, yes i said 8 pairs of shoes. Each pair has a 'specific' purpose, and I wear some shoes for some workout and a different pair for another session. I generally always wear Nike Free when I am on a cross trainer - I like the movement I have through my feet and toes when I am on that machine. In comparison I wear w=either Brooks Trance or Asics Kayano for a wights workout!

If I am running it is generally the Brooks Trance!

I also wear orthotics and these are put in all my different shoes. My knees tell me in no uncertain terms if I have trained without my orthotics!

there is currently a ban on me bringing any more sports shoes into this house!!!!

xx

BOX BIKE RUN

2011-10-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

...... this was the name of the class I did at the gym today. 20 mins of boxing, 20 mins on the bike (4 tracks) and then a run to finish.

I did this class two weeks ago - I had to have a couple of catch my breath moments during the boxing, I got cramp and barely sweated in the cycle component and only managed to run 25% of the running leg.

Today....... i didn't pause once in the boxing, I added lots more dial and that = lots more sweat and hard work in the cycle leg and I ran the WHOLE way. I was so chuffed! What an awesome fitness improvement! That was even following 2 exercises supersetted for 3 sets and then a different two exercises supersetted for 3 sets in the gym!

It is hard to put exactly into words right now - but i am in LOVE! In LOVE with how this is all coming together after only 1 WEEK!!!!

Today........

2011-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

LIFE must have started for me today..........

I pushed really hard in RPM this morning and had an awesome class! The music was great the atmosphere was great and i rode HARD!!!! I then followed it up with a short circuit in the gym! I am LOVING gym time again!

It was a great feeling collecting my two beautiful boys from the creche at 11.30 knowing i was going to have the rest of the day with them. Our supermarket shop was relaxing and then we had an easy drive home from town!

Calmness is caching you know!

xx

Nature right on our door step

2011-10-01T04:33:00.000-07:00

Approx. a week ago my nearly Mr 7 came running inside to tell me he had found 2 birds eggs on top of our clothes line. I went back out with and explained that we needed to not touch them(he hadn't touched but you never know what they might be thinking) and then said we will watch the eggs each day and see what happens.

He has watched these eggs for 5 days straight and then forgot yesterday when he got home from school. Tp his delight when he went outside this afternoon to have a look he found no other than two baby birds in the nest! he was VERY excited! We then had to have a new 'chat' about leaving the birds just where they were and we can 'watch' and see what happens!

This is nature right before our very eyes! I just hope we don't have to explain the whole life cycle if something happens (mind you he has had a few experiences with a whole life cycle with the death of my two parents in the last two years - I can't say he fully understands but he has the basics)

Tomorrow we are going to do have a trip to the skate park, take rubbish to the tip and go to the Community Street Party in Karratha (i think Thirsty Merc are playing)

:-)

2011-09-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Well here I am - a new looking blog and new update!

It has been a LONG time since i was here, but now that I have my mojo back I decided it was time to start blogging again!

I have had an 'interesting 4 months since I was on here last......

I had a lovely family holiday in New Zealand

I have had two trips to the Gold Coast

My little man turned 2 - he is my last baby and is growing up way too fast!

I competed in the ANB Newcastle classic and placed 4th

I lost and have since refound my fitness mojo!

I am loving training again (I thought I was loving training before but realised that that was not the case in this past week)

I am loving a variety of foods and a different menu EVERY day of the week

I am loving family time and cherish the time I have with my sons and husband!

I am in a good place right now. I am loving feeling healthy and I even looked in the mirror when I was doing RPM this morning and thought 'I LOOK GOOD FOR 37 AND A MUM OF TWO' -

It is the weekend, the sun is shining, I am home with my two boys, and it is the start of the school holidays. Unlike lots of mums I love the extra time I get to have my with beautiful boy in the holidays.

I promise now it will not be so long between posts!!!!

Studio and the bike finally arrives!

2011-06-02T01:37:00.000-07:00

After waiting for 6 weeks my spin bike finally arrived this week! I was really starting to get pretty wild about all the drama in getting it here! I know i live in a remote place but its not the end of the earth! Its called a 'body bike' and I love it!

The other picture I have added is of my home studio - including treadmill and cross trainer. This is where I do all my morning cardio, music on, TV on mute and in my own little world.

Things are going great here - people who I see randomly are starting to ask questions about what I am up to because they can see noticeable differences in terms of leanness! YAY!

Today (thursday) is my home day - I've done washing, cooked biscuits for the boys, cooked some of my meals and general other house duties! I must say I am VERY lucky and have an ironing lady and a house cleaner. While I am not in paid employment, I keep everything organised for my husband and our two children and those are two less things I need to be concerned with.

I dont have a cook and its time for me to start preparing dinner - roasted salmon with sea salt and spices with mash

xxx

ANOTHER super day

2011-05-26T05:19:00.000-07:00

I have had another great day.......

Great time with both my children
A great chat to my hubby on the phone - he is away :(
A good diet day (one little slip but thats not going to sink the boat)
A great cardio session this morning and a great back calves and cardio workout tonight
A productive day around the house

Who else had a great day?????

As you can see lots of 'great' things happening here. I even took the time tonight and had a soak in an epsom salt bath. I have weekly massage and bi weekly dry needling appointments. Well this week my massage therapist is away on holiday (why do supportive therapies people need to take holidays.... LOL) and I had to promise to her that I would take at least 1 epsom salt bath this week as a replacement to her work.

Yesterday I had my dry needling appointment. At the same time my therapist gave me an upper body assessment and identified strong and weak points. I made a few hand position changes in my workout tonight following her recommendation and it made a HUGE difference.

Its 8.30 and I am going to enjoy reading my book in bed and have a bit extra zzzzz's

2011-05-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

well I am going to try really hard to try and post at least a couple of times a week from now on!

I've got an exciting 16 weeks ahead of me - I am going to give it my best shot to get back on stage again!!! YES I am very excited and YES I will come in, in the best shape of my life!

I'm training SMART not hard! So far so good I am coping just fine with comp prep combined with:

Living in a remote location
Having two small children (1 child under 2), and
A husband who travels lots for work

I do all my morning cardio at home - I have a studio in our yard and I have converted this into a 'home' gym with a treadmill, cross trainer and an exercise bike. I then train weights at the local gym here in town 5 afternoons a week.

My boys WILL not suffer or miss out because of my comp prep - I make sure that my two little boys and my very special man always come first, and I manage this by 'organisation' in the household!

Stay with me blog gang and enjoyt the journey - the focus is still on fit for life, but with a goal of a competition thrown in there as well!

xxx

New X Trainer arrives

2011-04-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

Well today I received my new x trainer - to go with my treadmill! Pictures above.

I was determined to assemble the whole thing myself and i did! I actually enjoyed the whole process.

Heading out to do morning cardio is not always possible with Mikes work schedule so we decided upon adding to the existing treadmill by purchasing the x trainer. We are thinking we might even add a third item - a spin bike. I have ridden the "body bike" many times before and love the feel and stability of these bikes.

Both pieces are made by Life Fitness - I have the T7 treadmill and the X7 x trainer. Both models are semi commercial and are a breeze to use - well as much as cardio gear can be a breeze - easy controls, and very user friendly.

You know where you will find me tomorrow morning - on my x-trainer, overlooking the pool with palms and frangipani tree in the background - sounds like a good view in paradise for me! Team it with my Bose sound dock for good tunes and early morning cardio will be GREAT!

The number 100!

2011-04-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little sore tomorrow and dread what tomorrow might bring. You may ask why?

For the first time EVER I did 100kg for dead lifts last night! My back is a strong body part and i use this to my advantage!

My training is still going GREAT and more importantly so is my diet!

I am heading back to Qld soon to do another 10 days of training with my AMAZING trainer - Kristy

Just a quick post - I am looking forward to a quick cat nap while my little man is asleep - we have had unsettled nights. He has a viral infection.

xx

What a SUPERB week

2011-03-13T04:44:00.000-07:00

I have just had what I would cll a SUPERB week

Every meal was to plan......
I gave every workout 150%............
I took all my vitamins and supplements..........
I took time for rest and relaxation (a challenge for me).............
I had LOTS of quality time with my loved ones.........
We put a painting from my mum and dads house on the wall...........
I helped out some special people and contributed towards them reaching their goals...........
I have had a big cooking session today and have a fridge shelf full of meals ready for the week..........

what more can I say!

Congratulations to all those people who competed on the weekend!!!

I am planning on an encore of last week.

xxx

The ABC's and an update

2011-02-27T19:08:00.001-08:00

I'm sitting here at the hairdressers getting hair extensions today so I thought what better time to sit here and use my time wisely and update my blog.

Last week I had to take a week off training! I was sick - hack hack cough, cold sores on my lip and just felt YUCK! Well after almost a week away from the gym I feel so much better and ready again to hit my training hard. My diet was pretty good - a few little slips but I am not giving myself a hard time!

I went and did cardio this morning and it felt great to get the exercise high happening again!

A few other bloggers have been doing the ABC game so im going to join in.........

Age: 37

Bed: queen - would rather king. MY husband is 6'4 and it is a bit of a squash

Chores you hate: washing the floors (have a big house with lots of tiles and I feel like I never get to the end)

Dogs: two Siberian Husky's Kista (nearly 11yrs old ) and Magga (9 1/2 yrs old) (named after antarctic ships)

Essential start to your day: cardio!!!! Its how I wake up!

Favourite Colour: Pink!

Gold or silver: Gold but I do have Tiffany's silver

Height: 175cm

Instrument you play: Piano (but not for a long time)

Job title: mum, student, PT, wife, sister....... get the picture?

Kids: 2 boys 6 and 1

Live: Wickham in WA

Mums name: Margaret (she passed away last year in May)

Nicknames: MA, my dad used to call me Lucy Lou

Overnight hospital stays: too many to count

Pet Peeve: people who stare, frown or scowl at me when I train! Government regulations in relation to the protection of children, slow drivers on the road, children in cars not wearing seat belts....... i could go on but better stop!

Quote from a movie: run forrest run - thats what springs to mind!

Righty or Lefty: righty

Siblings: two brothers 43 and 40

Time you wake up: 5.15am get out of bed at 5.20

Underwear: always a G

Vegetables you dislike: brussel sprouts

what makes you run late: been disorganised (HATE running late so it doesn't happen too often)

x-rays you have had: quite a few - knees, toes, wrists......

Yummy food I make: vanilla cupcakes, baked salmon,

Zoo animal favourites: I actually find it hard to see animals trapped in a zoo, but if I had to say a favourite I would say a Tassie Devil (because they are breading them in captivity so they can eradicate the facial tumors).

xxx

STOP the scowls and frowns

2011-02-10T04:37:00.000-08:00

Today I've had a great day and achieved lots:

cleaned out two kitchen drawers and consolidated it down to 1 drawer

washed, hung to dry, folded, ironed and put away lots of clothes

put out two bags of old clothes for the mission

baked vanilla cupcakes

went grocery shopping

tidied the spare bedroom

........ it feels good to achieve so many things around the house.

Now onto the post 'title'

I go to the gym to TRAIN - should not come as a surprise. I have friends outside of the gym so it does not need to be a social event for me. This seems very different for some!!!! This is not the real issue - I will be honest and say I am pretty strong and this seems to give reason to other females and males in the gym to scowl and frown at me while i train and i am going to bereally honest and say I AM OVER IT BIG TIME!

Yes i ignore them and just get on with it but i know its happening and i find it quite FRUSTRATING!

Anyway now I've got that off my chest, we are off to Perth tomorrow afternoon for 2 nights. We are going to the opening night of the Perth International Arts Festival.

Have a super weekend and love life! xxx

Holiday snaps and massage

2011-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Tucker and I with a python at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 26th January 2011

Lunch at Riverside Restaurant Ballina

Moi!

Coke Zero - no calories, no hangover!

Essie and I at Dreamworld

As i promised here are some more holiday photos from our trip in January.

On monday I found out that a new massage therapist had arrived in Karratha (50km drive away from me), with lots of experience. I decided with the amount of training that I am doing that frequent visits might all assist in the process. I went for my first session yesterday and she was AWESOME! She did full body yesterday and around 10 mins into the 1 hr session when I realised how talented she was I made arrangements to have a weekly appointment with her. Now you may find this a little over the top but I am giving this 100% and nothing less and if it all helps I say why not!!!! Each week she will either focus on lower body or upper body and covering which ever area she doesn't focus on for 10 mins of the time so it does not miss out all together.

I felt a bit sluggish in training yesterday and even sent my trainer a text asking for a foot up the bum - she must have been busy because i didnt hear from her - at that point I had two choices - continue to grizzle and tell myself I needed a lift or turn the music up, harden up and just get on with it - I took option two and had a super workout.

I think some other people at the gym where I train struggle with my training style and weight selection! I get so many scowls, frowns and shakes of the head at me while I am training, combine that with guys asking dumb questions - I suspect trying to pick up (sorry buddy i'm taken lol) - and my fuse is starting to run a little short with patience!!!!!

I need to remember to turn the music up on my ipod, tilt the hat down and just show them why i look like I do!!!!!

Have a super day - a friend is about to arrive for a coffee - me long black!!!

XXX

I'm back!

2011-02-06T17:33:00.001-08:00

Well hi!!! You must have thought I had disappeared into thin air! The last time I posted on here was when I was in Tasmania. Well, that was a very busy and emotional time. packing up your mum and dads house is not an easy task, but we made it in the end and have also just had news that the house has sold.

I want to get onto some good things so lets go:

1. I went to Queensland after Tasmania and I had the best time. I had the opportunity to do 10 face to face sessions with my online trainer. She taught me so much in such a short period of time, and pushed me to my limits and further! I never realised how strong I really was and how determined I am for great things in 2011. We had a super family holiday as well with LOTS of quality time together spent doing lots of fun and exciting things!

2. I have come home and training hard has taken on a whole new meaning! I thought i used to train hard but it is nothing on what I can do now! I have never felt muscle soreness like I have felt over the last couple of weeks - and as sad as it might sound I love every minute of the pain!

3. I had started studying at the end of last year because I thought it would be a breeze and that I would enjoy it! WellI have found that its not a breeze, and I didn't enjoy it - in fact I found it very frustrating and I would constantly put off needing to sit down and do what I needed to do. I was studying for purely pleasure and as it was not pleasurable I have given it away. Day one study free today feels AWESOME!

4. I loved the time I had with Tucker over the school holidays. By the time it was time to go back to school he was ready to be with his friends again and I think he actually enjoys the routine of been at school. WE have had a couple of mornings where he has been a little sad saying goodbye to me but it has not been too bad.

5. I celebrated a birthday while we were on holiday. I am proud to say that I am now 37 - and I have never looked as good or felt as good as I feel now!

6. Essie is now walking! He is so proud of himself and laughs when he walks across the room. I am sure he will be running soon!

7. I am so fortunate to be blessed with so many wonderful opportunities, experiences, people, things, and good health in my life!

The photo above is taken by my husband with a Leica M9 on Main Beach on the Gold Coast 2 weeks ago. Back soon with some more photos from my holiday. xxx

In a cooler state!

2010-12-30T01:27:00.000-08:00

.Location wise I mean - I am in Tasmania. I flew most of the day yesterday with my two little boys. I am so lucky that they are such good travellers! The biggest challenge now is the time difference of 3 hrs which is making things really tricky - they are both so tired from struggling to fall asleep at normal time - 1, because it feels much earlier and 2, because it is so light - used to it been dark at bed time in WA!

Today I joined an awesome gym called Pycsam here in Launceston for the two weeks that I am here. it has a great range of hammer strength and life fitness equipment. I am going to do cardio in the mornings, and my usual weight program in the afternoon.

My brothers and I have made good progress today in packing up my mum and dads house - so much to do though. It is also a really strange feeling.

Better go - I am multitasking. I am studying through OUA and am in a chat session at the same time as writing this - need to concentrate now!

xxx

Oops forgot to Blog!!!

2010-12-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Merry Christmas and I am also going to say happy new year because I am not sure if I will get back on here in the next couple of days.
I seem to work well with dot points so here goes.......

1. Enjoyed the Christmas parties at school and day care with my two beautiful boys!

2. Loved it when school finished because it meant extra time with Tucker (my 6yr old)

3. had lots of fun wrapping all the gifts for the boys and loading their stockings!

4. Felt so proud of the way Tucker waited until 7 am for his brother to wake on Christmas morning so they could do gifts and santa sacks together!

5. Had a lovely Christmas Day - all day at home. A bit of a bitter sweet day - last Christmas was the first without my dad and this one first without mum and dad!

6. Have had every day at home (apart from training) since the 24th December - this does not happen very often for me!

7. have loved the day with my husband and boys today - our 14th Wedding anniversary!

8. Bags are packed ready for Tasmania tomorrow - its time to pack up mum and dads house :-(

9. Training and food intake (dislike the word diet) is going GREAT!

10. Better go - its time to go and train shoulders!!! Trying to build boulders!!!

xxx

Is it thursday already.....

2010-12-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

Reality really hit when I saw at school this morning that there are only 16 days until Christmas! WOW! Its a good thing I started my Christmas shopping on Tuesday and I think I nearly finished it yesterday online!

I've decided I'm going to have a big cook up once a week now - spending WAY too much time preparing each meal when I need it! Am sure I could be doing something more worthwhile with my time each day! As i don't work I have the luxury to cook as I go however this takes a whole lot more time than if I did it in bulk!

Yesterday I was approached to see if I would be interested to become an AUST SWIM instructor! I love the water, children and exercise so i said I would love to! More details to follow!

I received an email a few days ago asking for donations for the remote communities in my area. I've had a good look around and found quite a few things that I no longer need that can go to someone much more needy than our family! Its a great feeling when you can help someone who is struggling at this time of year!

This morning I had a strange "moment". I have always carried my phone very close to me, because when mum and dad were alive I never knew when the phone might ring as neither kept that greater health! I've now realised that I no longer need to be so paranoid (which I think it had become) about having my phone close by. I walked Tucker to school today and left the phone at home! I felt naked!

Essie is sitting up next to me eating his breakfast - but he is finished and wants to get out of his high chair and get moving!

Have a happy day everyone. xxx

What a great weekend!

2010-12-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

We had a GREAT weekend!

We enjoyed a quiet Friday night at home - always a nice way to end a busy week! Mike had had something on every night of the week last week so a night at home with him and our 2 boys was just what we needed!

On Saturday we had FOXTEL people here installing cables etc - nice to have a few more options on the TV (not that I watch too much TV).

Saturday night was the Rio Tinto children's Christmas party here in Wickham! There was tea cup rides, merry mix rides, jumping castles, super slides, ice creams, drinks, sausages etc!!!! The highlight for the children was Santa arriving by helicopter!!!!! Always very exciting to then have a sit on his knee and get a lolly! Tucker loved that aspect - Essie was not so keen on the big man in the red suit!

AS the night progressed a band played and entertained the children - Tucker had had a BIG stick of Fairy Floss so he had plenty of dancing energy!!!! He had the best time at the party this year - he was that bit older and loved been able to go and do his own thing (it was in an enclosed area) and then come back and see us before heading off again. We sat with good friends and enjoyed each others company while the boys played.

Essie loved the music and had the head rocking and the body moving to the beat! He has music in his bones I think - always jiving or dancing to music when he hears it.

After a fairly quiet sunday at home(quiet with two boys......) with a roast for lunch, Mike and I left the boys with our SUPER babysitter / nanny and we drove to our friends in Dampier and had a BBQ dinner before then heading to Karratha to see Arj Barker - quite a talented comedian from the states. Another great night!

Included amongst all of that were a few training sessions, cooking, swimming in the pool, washing, ironing etc!

A great weekend and so far a cool Monday at home - Essie has been asleep since 10am and it is now nearly 1pm!!!!! I have got quite a bit of my study done - YAY!

Tonight we have Tucker's school christmas concert - Tucker is performing a christmas song with his class. This is not something Tucker really enjoys but lets see how he goes!!!

Until my next update remember to enjoy your life - you never know when the next "BIG" hurdle may come your way. xxx

My week in review

2010-12-03T04:40:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

well i thought I would make it back here a little sooner than this - but I have added some more things to my weekly schedule so here i am now instead! Better late then never - any way who is it that is assessing me on how often I blog - exactly - JUST ME!!!

This week saw me commence a Bachelor of Arts degree. I am studying through Open Universities because I thought it the best option for possible moves in the future. I have just started with one unit so far and might add to this in the next study period. So far so good! I am enjoying the work, nothing seems too daunting right now, and I am meeting a whole new group of people. Essie still has BIG day sleeps so I either study during the day or I study at night.

Training is SUPERB!!!! I consistently do cardio 6 mornings a week - a mix between the cross trainer and the recumbent bike. I then weight train 5 afternoons a week and one cardio session on a wednesday! The results are super - fat loss, muscle gain and a hot bod to match if I do say so myself. The clothes I wore at the time of my last comp are now too big on me!!!!! What an awesome position I am in if I decided to hit the stage again sometime!!!! Eating is super - love watching the body change as the day progresses as the muscles fill with good nutrients (I used to always feel so bloated at the end of each day - obviously a sign of too many inappropriate foods).

Tucker graduated from Pre Primary today - he is going to be a big grade 1 boy next year! Cant believe my baby boy is going into grade 1!!! :-(

At times we watch nature shows on TV and think that is so far away - did anyone see the show on the logahead turtles on ABC? well on wednesday night we drove 10 mins from our house, walked 10 minutes with a guide and we were right in the middle of a Turtle rookery! We were fortunate enough to spend time watching turtles body pitting and then heading back to the water, then we had a jackpot - one of the turtles dug her nest and then filled it with turtle eggs. We watched from a distance so as to not disturb her - it was amazing to see theses beautiful creatures in the wild!!!! I will post some photos of this soon!

Tomorrow afternoon we have the Rio Tinto children's Christmas Party here in Wickham - Santa usually arrives in a helicopter! Tucker and Essie got presents from the company today - my beautiful 6 u=year old put it under the tree because he said its not christmas yet!!!!!!

Maybe if I get in the habit of posting more frequently I wont have to type so much at once!

Maryanne xxx

Well here I am.......

2010-11-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

Just before i started to write this post i had a look to see when I posted last - it was way back in JULY!!!! Lots has happened since then - i think I might just try and dot point as much as I can remember as a starting point for today and go from there. I am now hoping to blog more regularly!

1. In the middle of August I did what i had wanted to do for a LONG time - I had breast reconstruction surgery! I had to have a MASSIVE lift, with LOTS of skin cut away and implants put in. Due to the complexity of the operation in my case i suffered from LOTS of pain and was 2 weeks I was a zombie on many strong pain killers. I basically laid in bed for nearly 2 weeks!!!! Mike was awesome and looked after the boys for me. As an end result now 3 months later they feel awesome look awesome and I am VERY happy with the end result!

2. Essington turned one at the end of August - how could that year have passed so quickly! I know exactly how, but want to try and keep this as a post on a positive note! As he was a month early we decided for his 1st birthday to celebrate on his actual due date - this was quite fun. We had a smallish party in one of that parks near our house. Essie is a VERY busy baby and into everything. He is an amazing climber (luckily not climbing out of his cot yet) and he can crawl VERY fast - he is not walking yet but let me tell you this does not seem to make any difference in his mobility stakes.

3. On the 11th September my Dad would have turned 70 - yes he passed away and quite a young age of 69. Not only was he turning 70, but it was his first birthday without him. i decided that I wanted to do something special. Michael Tucker, Essington and I went to a beautiful beach and released 7 helium balloons. When Tucker could not see them any more he stated that Pa must have caught them. There were many tears shed but I loved what we did.

4. In the middle of september i jetted off to Sydney for the weekend with Essington and saw my two brothers, their wives, my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. I had a real blast and enjoyed that fact that we were all together as a family in a happy arrangement. The last two times I had seen my brothers was when Dad had passed away and then 7 months later when mum passed away. My cousin wrote and performed in a play that was part of the Sydney Fringe festival. While I was there I visited the Opera House, saw the winners cross the finish line in the Sydney Marathon, went to Darling Harbour, went shopping, ate at lots of nice places and overall had a good time.

5. At the end of september we moved house. Mike got the Operations Managers role at a port called Cape Lambert (Rio Tinto). Cape Lambert is soon to become the biggest port in Australia - so exciting times lay ahead for Mike in his position. He has worked in the rail industry for over 20 years now so he is loving the change and learning lots of new things. With the new job came a new house! It is located in a small town called Wickham with a population of 1800 people. You may ask in such a small town do i have a gym - well i had a choice of TWO! I go to Wickham Gym Club. It is open 24/7 and I have my own key and let myself in and out as i please. The equipment is fantastic and the most number of people there at any one time is 10!!!!!!

Tucker got a place at the school - which is at the end of our street, and Essington goes to day care 2 days a week. Everything here s very close. I ride my bike to go to the gym, we walk to school every day, I walk to take Essington to day care, and unless i have to do a big shop i walk to the supermarket. The car has never sat so still in all its life.

Karratha where we used to live is 50 km away on a highway so we can be there in half an hour! I usually only head there once a week because we have everything we need here. We have a great house with over an acre of beautiful established gardens (that are maintained by gardeners once a week), a huge pool in the backyard (very nice now the temps. are climbing up in the vicinity of 40), and a house with plenty of room and great decor.

6. and theres more......

7. My training has taken off in leaps and bounds and once again have dropped some more body fat and gained a bit of muscle! I have gone back to lower intensity cardio and nice solid weight sessions - and my body seems to be loving it. I am eating some really great clean foods and this is giving me good rewards.

I am sure there are many more things that I will cover that I have forgotten, but for now I am going to leave it there and go and get organised to do parent help for the afternoon at Tuckers school.

Hope you enjoy reading my blog! x

PS - I will try and post some pics soon.

Coming out of my hiding hole!

2010-11-14T23:11:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

Yes VERY long time and no post! I'm still here and reading everyones blogs - I had planned to post lots in November - well november is still here so I'm going to make a start. I'm about to eat ready to go and train legs - in my new 2XU compression tights!

I'll be back later to give you a proper update. X

Long time no post........

2010-07-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Yes I am still alive ........ and well!

I cant believe it has been so long since my last post! I have lots to report on so maybe head to the kitchen grab a coffee and come back!!! hehehe

As you will see from the pics I have attached I have been out and about having a wow of a time. It has been race season here in Karratha. Horse racing that is. Let me paint a picture for you.......

Red dirt and lots of it - including the race track, rocks, little shade, tiny bit of grass, BIG bar, lots and lots of people, and women dressed to the nines - including heels, flash dresses and in some cases hats - and apparently horse running down the track - not that I saw too much of that!

This is a picture of my bestie and I at the races! We had such a GREAT day! Not only did we have so much fun there we also had lots of fun getting ready - spray tans, swapping dresses, painting nails... the list goes on!

The track is a 45 minute drive from where we live (short distance really considering Perth is 16hrs in the car away!), so we went to the track on a bus! Arrived around 1pm and left again at 8pm! Drank bubbles, ate Thai, socialised lots, danced to the band at the end of the night! Brings back great memories just typing this!

Below is a picture of me earlier in the day...... need I say anymore! Not that I want you to get the wrong idea at all!
Training has been great - mixing it up with classes, running and a few weights sessions. The mix must be right combined with diet right now because the bod is telling me only good things.

I had so much fun teaching again - i felt so confident up there on the group fitness stage, more so than ever before. I think life experiences has a fair bit to play in that department. At the moment I don't have any more classes on the horizon - but I am sure there will be more opportunities.

Not a day goes by where I don't think about my beautiful mum and dad. I have had some counselling and this has really helped. I miss them so so much but at the same time sitting around and not doing anything is not going to make them come back.

Mike is busy at work, but loving it! Tucker has started his third term of pre primary and is learning to write words and read - he is doing so well and loves to find paper at home and try and write out lots of different things! Essington is going to be one in 1 months time! That is still a shock to me. He is a VERY busy baby and seems to get up to lots more mischief than Tucker ever did! For those of you who know Tucker you will find this hard to believe!!!

We are loving the weather right now and sometimes wish it was like this all year! Day time temperatures are anywhere between 24 and 31! Overnight sometimes as low as 14, at which point we are FREEZING! It is a very pleasant change from 45 during the day and 28 overnight - summer will be here again very soon!!!

You must have almost made it to the bottom of your cup by now, so I am going to leave it at that and I will be aiming to not make it so long between posts.

Maryanne x

ps ....... Mr Mischief is trying to climb out of his high chair so got to run!!!

Gracing the stage

2010-07-08T23:31:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday night it was time for me to shine once again - no not on the competition stage (well not yet anyway!!!!) - but on the group fitness stage teaching the one and only.....

...... BODY ATTACK!

I had so much fun and worked the class REALLY hard! I realised how much I miss sharing my energy and love of fitness with others. For 55 minutes I had the opportunity to inspire, challenge and motivate 15 people! They all sucked up my enthusiasm and gave that enthusiasm back to me through their energy and determination to succeed in class! I had a combination of brand new attackers as well as the seasoned regulars.

Previously when I have taught classes i have found myself to be exceptionally nervous prior to the start of the class and even in the first couple of tracks - on wednesday this was not the case. I believed in myself and knew I knew the choreography, felt attack fit and had my coaching skills ready to roll. It was such a different feeling and one that was so much more enjoyable.

I cant wait to teach again on Monday night and might even take it to another level again - really hoping that the stitch does not kick in again like it did on track 9 the other night!

Good luck to all the girls competing at the all female classic in Melbourne this weekend. Maybe one day it will be me in Melbourne getting all ready for that big day!

Did I just say that!!!!!

:-) xxx

Life seems to be coming together

2010-06-19T03:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Well tonight I feel like I am in a pretty good place! The last couple of days I have had some really good cries and I think this has helped!

Just a quick post - I have a girls night planned! A friend is coming over and we are going to share dinner, have some drinks and dance to channel V on Foxtel! Can't wait!!!!

My gym manager approached me the other day and asked if I would teach some attack classes in July - at first i was a little reserved and said I would think about it. Well I came home started listening to the music and decided I would go in and have a practice on my own! WELL..... I fell in love with the feeling of centre stage and I have decided I will recommence teaching! It has been a long time - in fact I have not taught a class since approx. April 2008!!!!!!

Better go, time to sort out the boys, have a shower and chill the wine. xxx

Taking every day as it comes

2010-06-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

Well I have been taking each day as it comes - however i did not expect to be sleeping in an arm chair in the hospital tonight next to my beautiful 5 year old. He has been admitted to hospital with bad abdominal pain. They have ruled out all things serious - they are thinking some sort of virus. Did I really need to have any more challenges right now.

Tonight my emotional state is feeling too challenged. They say challenging things are sent to the strong people who can handle them but my strength is at it's limit now.

I have been trying hard to focus on my training - it something I really enjoy doing so am trying to focus some of my energy in that direction - as hard as it might be. I know it also assists in my mental health.

Congratulations to all those who have just competed and good luck to those who are competing this weekend.

My beautiful mum

2010-05-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Some of you may or may not be aware but I have just returned back home to Western Australia after nearly 5 weeks in Tasmania. I was called for along with my two brothers on the 20th April because my mum was very unwell.

I arrived there on Thursday the 22nd April. She was very unwell (in hospital reliant on a cpap machine for 95% of the time to be able to breathe) and things were very grim. She improved slightly, however she was too unwell to return home. We were very fortunate to be offered a place in a very nice nursing home. We moved her there on the 3rd May. Every day was different - some days she was well (as well as she could be) and other days not too good.

On the 7th May she celebrated her 72nd birthday. A very difficult day for all - she knew and we knew it would be her last birthday. 2 days later it was Mothers day. A day with even more challenges - health wise and emotionally!

On the 10th May when I went in to visit her she was very bright, sitting in a chair, dressed (a rarity on both accounts in the past few weeks). It was so nice to see her appear so well. It did cross my mind is it the rise before the fall!

On the morning of the 11th May I visited her in the morning at around 11am. She was quite confused and seemed quite muddled, however I believe she still knew who I was (had not seen any signs of this prior to then). I stayed with her around 45 minutes. We talked about her beautiful grandsons, and then when it was time to say good bye I did what I always did - gave her a kiss and a hug and told her how much I loved her. She repeated it all back to me.

Sadly 2 hours later I received a call to say she had passed away! A HUGE shock and not expected so soon.

I miss her each and every day! I do not wish for her to be still suffering and I know that mum and dad are reunited (they were only apart for 7 months to the day) but it does not make it any easier.

Life is hard right now. Life was even harder for my mum though.

What more can I say except tell loved ones how much you love them every day. I will be back to blog some more soon. xxx

Mum and Dad, I love you all the way to the moon and back. xxx

PS ...... this picture was taken when we spent 3 weeks together in January 2009. x

A quick update.........

2010-02-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from a lovely night we had at our next door neighbours on saturday night for dinner. I had my first glass of wine in a very very long time! We all had a great time. The boys were both great - Essie slept in the porta cot and Tuck watched TV and then fell asleep on the couch!

My eating has been awesome - it is always an area I have struggled with previously. I felt like I had no self control. Now it seems the opposite - I have lots of self control and don't feel tempted to eat wrong foods. I have now lost a total of 20kg since Essie was born just under 6 months ago, and 6 of those Kg have been just recently. Without going shopping I have a whole new wardrobe - I am fitting in all of my smaller gear.

Training is great too - my fitness levels are increasing all the time. YAY!!! Essie loves to go to creche at the gym, so this makes leaving him for an hour or so, so much easier. I think training would be even harder if I knew he was not settled.

Tucker is at school today, Essie is sound asleep in bed, cardio done and dusted, resistance training finished for the day............ unfortunately that means it is time to hit my list of things I want to get done. #1 on the list is clean out the fridge.........

I am thinking of Nicole and her husband today as they welcome their little bundle into the world. xxx

I'm on Fire!

2010-02-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

sorry for the absence in posting but I have been busy......

Training

Prepping meals

Looking after Essington

Getting Tucker to and from orientation period at school

Going to the beach

etc etc

I am so proud to say that I have lost 4kg in 3 weeks! How have I done it you may ask! Well I have done a moderate amount of exercise but most importantly my nutrition has been so clean! I have had so much self control and have dropped bad habits! I have implemented the new habits now for approx 3 weeks without failure and it feels awesome! I am loving just looking after me at the gym rather than looking after everyone else and then not having anything in the tank for when it came time for my workout. I am doing exercise every day - some days more intense than others. In a couple of weeks I am going to take some measurements and photos!

Tucker is enjoying Pre Primary - it is a huge adjustment and I think there are some nerves hanging around as well. He loves to ride his scooter - so we have been walking to school every morning this week - he scooters along, I push Essie in the pram and we chat about anything and everything along the way - it makes for a very relaxing start to his day. Essie and I love it too. Once we have walked home Essie usually has a little sleep in his cot and then we head out and about. It means I actually have some more time at home too - which I love!

Essie is now 5 months old and doing pretty well - we have had a few problems with his bowel but we are hoping it will sort it self out soon - we are off to the specialist for a check at the end of the month. He loves to roll, babbles a lot to his brother and smiles at everyone he meets!

On sunday after an early lunch we loaded up the sun tent, towels, buckets, spades etc and headed out to a beautiful spot called Honeymoon Cove at Point Samson. Tucker had a ball on his wiggles boogie board, Essie floated around in his swim seat and Mike and I enjoyed the company of great friends. I will load some pics soon.

Essie is asleep, the cleaners have just left and its lunch time so I am about to cook myself some lunch before it is time for school pick up in an hour and a half.

Hope everyone is doing great.

xxx

Clean eating and a new training program

2010-01-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I am just 4 days into a new training program and eating plan and I am shocked at the amount of self control I am showing. I have not had the amount of self control I have right now in a long time and I am enjoying the benefits already.

I am happy to admit that when things get what my mind considers tough the first thing I turn to is sugar and diet soft drinks! I know you may well say it could be a lot worse but to me this was also not so great. After the challenges of last year my mind was seeing lots of challenges that resulted in the over consumption of sugar! I decided that it was becoming a habit and that habit HAD to stop!

After celebrating my birthday on Monday I have taken a new lease on life and decided that if I want to be here for the long run that things needed to change and change they would! I took a drastic approach and went cold turkey on the sugar and increased the amount of healthy fruit and vegetables, lean proteins and sensible carbs.

Yesterday I had a niggling headache off and on all day - I suspect this was from my body wanting the sugar! Today it is fine.

I know there will be times where I will have sugar again but for now I am going to enjoy the benefits of no sugar and a clean eating plan. I am actually really excited.

I have not made the change for weight loss but with the clean eating and a good training program my weight will reduce which is an added benefit. After only one day my weight had already dropped by half a kilo! YAY!!!!!

In conjunction with the new eating I have also started a new training program. Today was a spin class for 45 mins! I challenged myself and came out feeling exhausted!

I will keep you updated with my progress! xxx

Happy New Year!

2010-01-11T22:47:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone. Yes I know it has been a long time between posts!!!!

The last time i posted something here on my blog was before Christmas.

Christmas 2009 for me was a difficult time for me - half of me was excited and thankful for everything that I am blessed with, and the other half was of very mixed emotions - sadness, anger etc in relation to the first christmas without my dad.

Not a day goes by where I do not think of him - sometimes to the point where I can not clear some of those last few hours with him from my mind! I feel so much for my dear Mum - she has lost her sole mate! I worry about her and find it hard not to take on her emotions when we talk on the phone. I love her so so much! I am so grateful to my dear husband, and thank god for my health and my two beautiful children every day.

Since 1st January 2009 I have now been at home for the longest time - last year I was travelling approx every 4 weeks! Combine this with a challenging pregnancy and the loss of dad it made for an interesting time. It has been so nice to not have to step on a plane!

I am loving the school holidays with Tucker - we have been doing painting and craft at home, going to the shops, having lunch and snacks at the coffee shops, lots of swimming and lots of reading!

Essie is growing up so much - he is still quite petite so we have nicknamed him Mr Small! he shares lots of beautiful smiles, rolls over and loves tummy time. He is also loving the fact that he can reach out and grab hold of things and give them a shake - with often a noise of some sort coming from one toy or another. He is actually a little sick at the moment - he is having tests on his bowel - we are hoping it is nothing too major!

I have returned to my training at the gym this week. The creche just reopened for the year on Monday and I have had two good workouts.

I have included a couple of photos of the boys from Christmas Eve. xxx

After Christmas I will.......

2009-12-23T23:16:00.000-08:00

After Christmas I will ............. be making this quilt (from The Janelle Wind Collection)while I enjoy some quality time at home in the school holidays with my two beautiful boys. I am going to make the most of lots of home time with Tuck before he starts full time school next year. So far we have had a week of mostly been at home and he is loving it! We do things together and then he will be happy to go off and play with his lego, read a book, paint, ride his bike..... the list is endless while I do something for myself - like sew!

Hand made presents.......

2009-12-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Some more of my Christmas present creations!

Christmas time 2009!

2009-12-21T23:33:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

let me take this opportunity to wish each and everyone who reads this blog a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2009 has been a very interesting year for me - plenty of joy and success, but also a great deal of sadness with the death of my very dear dad. I have to be very honest right now - I am finding this time very very challenging - my mind is constantly running overtime and I am struggling with many thoughts and images which a very hard to clear from my mind.

Christmas day is going to be a nice quiet family day spent with my dear husband and two beautiful sons, with my beautiful dad not too far from my mind. I will talk to all my family at least once on Christmas Day. We are going to join some dear friends for some celebrations on Boxing Day.

I thought I would share with you some things I have been making for Christmas presents.......

........ a shirt for Essington - I sewed the name and the car on!
....... a top for friend of Tucker's (this one was actually a birthday present for a party we went to last weekend......
....... and another Christmas present. I have had a little help and got the idea from my friend Jo. She is amazing with fabric and card making, plus many other super skills too. You can check out her blog here.

In between typing this post I have just had a call from a very special friend who moved from Karratha to Broome in August. She called to say that on the 28th December she is going to come down and stay with us for a few days. We are very excited to see them. Their son and Tucker are very good friends, and they have not had the chance to meet Essington yet!

I had better go and get some more organising done. x

Leg Training Today

2009-12-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

WOW! I have a really sore set of legs! As i said in my post yesterday i wanted to ramp my training up a notch - well it went up about 5 notches. Legs day was a good day to start on - it's my favourite body part to train! I love the feeling I get when I work really hard and have pain when I leave the gym! Sad I know!

Today I did:

Lateral squats on duro discs

Pop Squats and reverse lunges (set)

Jump lunges and walking lunges (set)

Front to back toe jumps and wide squats (set)

Straight leg dead lifts and single leg hamstring stretches (set)

I think tomorrow I am going to a little sore - think an epsom salt bath may be required. Tomorrow I am going to follow this workout with a RPM class! Thats if I can walk.

Yesterday I used a Fire wire cable and transferred all my photos from my old Mac across to my new lap top. I am now in the process of making sure they are in the right folders and labelling any pictures that were not already labelled - I have nearly 5000 pictures to check through!

Today is one of Tucker's non school days - I love having him around. We have so much fun together - I am really going to miss him when he starts full time school next year! I am one of the mums who will love school holidays so we can have extra time together.

Essington has just had a feed and gone to bed - he will more than likely sleep now for about 3 - 4 hours! I am so lucky to have a good baby - I put lots of hard work in, in the early days and now I reap the reward!

Time to go - a friend is coming over shortly - have few things to pick up and put away. xxx

Hi all!

2009-12-06T04:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

how has your past week been? and what do you have planned for the week ahead?

We have had a great week - we started last week down in Perth - Tucker, Essington and I all went and saw the Wiggles in concert at the Burswood Dome - we had an awesome time. They are such great entertainers - Tucker is very proud to tell EVERYONE that he shook hands with Murray!!!

We enjoyed our time in the cooler weather and made the most of doing a bit of shopping. I got a few small things for the boys, but this tiume it was really a trip for me. I got some new linen pants - these are ideal for where we live because they are so cool. It was also time to update my phone - i went for an iPhone and I love it! Last but not least we got a new computer - a 17" Mac Book Pro! We have gone from a desk top to a laptop - I am loving sitting here on the couch in front of the TV typing this through my wireless connection with our new Time Capsule !

The first pic above - was my first attempt at photo booth - an application that takes pics on the computer! I could not resist to include the other 2 of the boys!

You might see that In the first pic that I have had all my hair cut off! I have gone for a shorter style because I found I was alwys tying my hair up when it was long. I am loving the new style and the new lighter colour - nice and fresh for summer.

Tonight once I finish on here I am going to write my weights program to do at the gym tomorrow. Since Essie was born I have been just training weights on a spontaneous basis with no particular program - but now I am ready to step it up a notch and really get in there and make a difference. I have downloaded music onto my new phone to listen to at the gym - I work best when there are no distractions! I will let you know after my workout tomorrow how it goes.

If I am going to get that program written, download some more music and still make it to bed on time I had better get moving! Until next time - keep smiling, eat clean and train hard, and tell the special people in your life tat you love them.

PS - this week I am going to attempt to write an article for a breast feeding magazine - will keep you posted! xxx

An exciting day!

2009-11-25T03:33:00.000-08:00

Today has been an awesome day! Since Essington was born and had numerous feeding issues, I have been expressing all my milk with an electric breast pump and then feeding it to him with a bottle! I was determined for him to have my milk. At odd occasions I have attempted to put Essington back on the breast but without success. i thought expressing and then bottle feeding him was going to be our pattern until I decided he could go onto formula. This was a very time consuming process and was also at times quite challenging, however not too hard to require me to give up.

I was speaking with a friend on the weekend and she had similar issues and then she finally got her son back onto the breast at 14 weeks. This gave me great hope! Essington was 12 weeks old on Sunday. This morning I thought I would offer him the breast in preparation for trying to switch him over gradually!

We did not need to take the gradual approach - he too his whole feed this morning and every feed thereafter today from the breast. I am so excited! We had the most beautiful time today! I felt very blessed to be able to have such a close relationship with him. Through all the challenges I have faced this year, I feel like it is some ones way of saying hey its your time to have some really great things happen.

Today I did my training at home - I have a commercial grade treadmill in a big open plan room just off my kitchen. Tucker was happily playing with cars and trucks on the mat next to me, Essington was in his rocker watching me and I was running at 9.5km/h x 3mins then 6.0km/h x 2 mins and I repeated this 6 times! Fun!

Its 7.45pm here in WA - both boys are bathed and sound asleep, dinner is eaten, kitchen is tidy, washing is done - it must be time for me to go a

nd relax on the couch!

xxx

I'm back.......

2009-11-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Yes it has been a really long time since my last post - unfortunately that was a sad post - my dad sadly passed away. he had previously been sick but the last bit was very sudden! Something quite unexpected. he was always such a fighter and I thought this time he was winning the fight too, but unfortunately the fence was too high for him to climb. He is at rest now and free of pain. I feel like he is watching over us all. I love you dad, and miss you every day. One of the most special aspects of a sad situation is that he was fortunate enough to meet his new grandson and what's more on that same day he was able to have a brief assisted hold of Essington - luckily I had the camera with me and I got a picture which I treasure.

Onto a brighter note, little Essington is developing in leaps and bounds. He has gained plenty of weight now and is a very strong and healthy baby - a big contrast to the early and sick little man we had when he arrived.

He is a very placid baby and has the most beautiful personality. He is now 12 weeks old - full of smiles, babbles away and is trying very hard to laugh. He does not just smile with his mouth - his whole face lights up! I am very blessed with his sleeping - he sleeps anywhere between 4 and 6 hours during the day and sleeps for 10 + hours at night. It must be all that good breast milk he is receiving. Unfortunately he does not feed off the breast - I express all my milk and feed it to him through a bottle. Initially i was a little disappointed that I could not feed him - now I focus on the positive that he is still having my milk - it does not matter how he receives it.

Tucker is the most beautiful big brother - he could not be anymore affectionate to his little brother if he tried. He is nearing the end of his first year at school - Kindy, and is quite excited about pre-primary next year. He is now writing his name very clearly and especially loves to be able to write his own name in cards. He is doing very very well with his swimming lessons. He was very reluctant to start with but now I struggle to get him out. All my hard work of visits to the pool every day has paid off. he is very excited about our trip to Perth this weekend - we are off to see the Wiggles live in concert!

Mike is the most amazing husband and dad. He is so helpful with both of the boys and loves coming home to smiles from Essie and stories from Tucker. His PhD study is going quite well and broadly on target. Work is keeping him busy with frequent trips to Perth.

I have returned to training at the gym - which I am loving. My weight is falling off at quite a good rate..... always helped by a good clean and natural food diet. I have been doing step, attack and rpm classes as well as treadmill running, and weights. All the pelvis problems I had in the pregnancy have disappeared - YAY!

I better stop there otherwise you will be there reading my post for half the night. I am now aiming to post more frequently. I hope you like the pictures of two of the three beautiful boys in my life. xxx

RIP DAD

2009-10-14T20:24:00.001-07:00

On Sunday 11th October I lost a very special friend - my Dad.

I love you so much Dad. I will always be your little girl and I will forever be your Lucy Lou and your Mary Mary.

I will never forget the last "I love you" that you said to me.

Essington Louis - the little champ!

2009-09-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

Where do I start with the journey surrounding the arrival of our little 4 week early champion?

On Tuesday 25th August I went for my last check up with my GP - there were a few issues and she sent me for some testing at the hospital here in Karratha. When they hooked me up to the machine it was identified that i was having contractions!!!!! I was only 35 weeks and 3 days at this point so i was given medication to stop the labour progressing. The tablets sort of worked. I still had the odd contraction but not at regular intervals. I stayed on the medication and flew to Perth on the 28th August as planned.

Once I landed it was planned that I call my specialist. I then visited him that afternoon and he said to stay on the tablets for another 24 hours and then we would see what would happen. I stopped taking the tablets on saturday night.

Sunday morning I did not feel very well and spent alot of time sleeping. Sunday afternoon we went to Hillarys Boat Harbour for a walk. By the time we got home I was not feeling well so called the hospital expecting them to say all is okay and to just take it easy.......... but oh no they said to come in and they would see what was happening!

We arrived at Glengarry Private Hospital at around 5 pm. I was then monitored and yes I was having more contractions. At this point i am 36 weeks pregnant! The obstetrician arrives and it is confirmed I am in labour! As I had a booked c-section planned I sent everyone running to get organised and at 6.46pm our gorgeous son was born 4 weeks early.

When Essington was born I was able to have a very quick hug - he had some breathing difficulties so had to be rushed to the special car nursery.
Essington in his incubator. He needed some help with his breathing. He also has a drip in his arm for fluids.

Tucker meeting his little brother for the first time. This was not how we had really expected them to meet. Tucker coped very very well with seeing his brother this way. Tucker also came and saw me in my room. I am so proud of the way he handled seeing two very precious people.
Approx 12 hours after he was born I was able to go by wheel chair to meet my little boy. I had cuddles and then Tucker had a cuddle too. He was so excited. It was all quite quick because he needed to go back in the incubator.

Out of the incubator at approx 2 days old. he still has his drip in his arm. He was too weak to suck for milk so he was fed through the nasal gastric tube. He loved to hold the tube and I really thought at times that he was going to pull it out.

We initially spent 6 nights in hospital and then we were allowed home to our house in Perth. Unfortunately we had many trips back to hospital - for many feeding issues and for photo therapy for Jaundice.

Tomorrow the 26th September is Essington's due date and on Sunday he will be 4 weeks old. We are still having feeding issues that we hope will be sorted very soon. He is still quite small and only at 4 weeks just over his birth weight. We are getting lots of wear out of 0000 and 00000 clothes. Thank you all for your support during my challenging pregnancy and we hope our new challenges resolve themselves soon.

ESSINGTON LOUIS BAILEY

2009-09-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

ESSINGTON LOUIS BAILEY

BORN 30TH AUGUST AT 6.46PM

(4 WEEKS PREMATURE)

7LB 4OZ 49 CM LONG

I will post some more pics and more details soon. There are many challenges we are facing right now and time is difficult to come by. xxx

Not long to go!

2009-08-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

It has been ages since I posted last but have simply lost track of time - getting organised for a baby to arrive can take up a considerable amount of time!

I leave for Perth in less than 40 hours! I can not believe we are at this point already. Mind you with the headaches I have had throughout this journey, no wonder the time has gone quick.

Shortly after my last post my pelvis stared to play games again so had to stop exercise and go back to a very quiet lifestyle. The pain has not been as bad as last time but enough to restrict me in what I want to do!

Yesterday I had what I presumed would be a straightforward appointment with my GP which ended in me staying in hospital overnight!!!! I had headaches, swollen feet and hands and protein in my urine - all signs of Pre Eclampsia - so I was sent straight to the hospital for monitoring. The Pre Ecalmpsia was not an issue, however the mild contractions I started to have at regular intervals while I was there were an issue. The end result - I am now on medication to make sure between now and Friday I do not go into labour! I have my legs crossed - everyone else keep your fingers crossed! I am really hoping this little baby plays by my rules and stays where he is at least until after 12 noon on Friday when I will safely be in Perth!!!!

I will try and post as often as I can while I am away to keep you updated but incase I can not get to an internet cafe or on my husbands lap top, I will post pics and details as soon as I get home.

Until next time, fingers crossed please and happy blogging!!!! xxx

Another great day!

2009-07-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Have had a great day again today. Tucker goes to occasional care on a Monday morning and it is right near the gym so I made sure i was organised and headed straight there after dropping him off.

I rode the bike at level 3 ( seems so low but better than in bed in pain!) for 20 minutes and then walked for 20 minutes at 5.6 km/h (a little different to my normal 7.0 km/h) again for 20 minutes. I have not even needed an afternoon sleep today, but am about to go to bed soon as have just about hit the wall for today.

This afternoon Tucker and I were sitting together on the couch and little junior was been quite violent with his kicks. I took Tuckers hand and placed it on my belly and put my hand over the top. Junior kicked again - Tucker turned around and looked up to me with the most amazing expression on his face - that I will never forget and was so excited that junior had kicked him!

The things kids come out with. The other priceless moment was when we were about to wash his hair ( which he hates) in the bath tonight and he piped up with ........... "if i let you wash my hair you can give me a treat" - I DON'T THINK SO! But worth a try I suppose.

xxx

An expanded update....

2009-07-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

1. Mike Tucker and I all flew over to Brisbane for the July school holidays. It did cross my mind many times to cancel the trip with all the pregnancy challenges I have been facing, however decided we would go and deal with the effects while we were there. Although the flight over was a little uncomfortable, we made it safely and it was all positive from there. I had a few nasty episodes of the pain but nothing drugs and laying down could not fix.

We saw my mum and dad (one of the main reasons why we went - my mum relies on oxygen 24 hours a day and will not be able to fly to see the new baby), Mikes mum, my two brothers, my two sisters in law and a dear family friend Carole.

We had lots of quality family time together and enjoyed every minute of our time together. Most mornings were sleep in's and then headed out from our hotel / apartment by around 10 or 11 o'clock.

I would have loved to catch up with the Queensland crew but it was a holiday were I did not want to be tied down to time and where we just needed family time together.

We took Tucker to Australia Zoo - he loved it all, Science works, a Ferry ride on the river, a drive down to the Gold Coast for a walk on the beach, shopping and lots of relaxing!

2. Since I have come home from holidays the pain in my hips and pelvis has almost reduced to zilch! YAY!!! It is so much easier to be mobile. I was really struggling with the isolation of been at home all the time on my own, but now am feeling so alive now that I can easily get out and about. I have had the odd twang of pain and there are still things I find hard to do but am 95% better than what I was.

3. With the reduction in pain, I returned to the gym last week. I am doing some very gentle cycling and walking on the treadmill. Initially I was very nervous and wondered if the nasty pain may return but so far so good. I am not there to break any records ( considering I only have 7 weeks to go) but I am been active and that's what is most important. On my gym days I generally need a sleep in the afternoon but that is a good side effect of what I am doing

4. I LOVE the new car - it is so easy to drive and park, and I do not need to climb in and out of it like I had to do with the 4WD. Fuel economy is amazing - one because it is smaller than the 4WD but also because it is a hybrid.

5. Good friends of ours, and Tuckers best friend at Kindy are leaving town to move to Broome in the next couple of weeks. Tucker, Mike and I are going to miss them a lot. Lucky it is only 800 km up the road so we will easily be able to visit.

6. I am now down to 7 weeks and 1 day until I have little Junior. The last part of the pregnancy seems to have gone very quickly. Junior is a very active boy, but love the feeling of all the kicks and punches. Tucker is so excited. I am going to make him a calendar so he can mark the days off until his little brother is here. He is helping me get things ready........ and loving it.

Wow - glad I got all that down. Hopefully not too much reading for you....... lol. xxx

Quick update......

2009-07-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

Went to Queensland for school holidays and had a very relaxing time
Almost all the pain in my hips and pelvis has gone
I have returned to the gym for very gentle exercise
The new car is fantastic and very easy to drive
We are really sad about our good friends moving to Broome
I only have 7 weeks and 3 days and my little man will be here

It is my aim to expand on all these points over the weekend but thought I should let you all know I am okay and had not forgotten about blogging. xxx

Our new car!

2009-07-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

This is my new car. It is on it's way home with Mike. It's a Lexus GS450h (hybrid). Silver exterior with black leather interior. I can't wait to see it tomorrow night!

Nearly count down time.....

2009-07-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well I am nearly down to single figure weeks to count. On Tuesday the 7th July it will be exactly 10 weeks until I have my beautiful baby!

Things are really not going to plan. I have spent another day in hospital this week. I had gastro and could not keep even water in. So in to hospital, struggle to find a vein because I was so dehydrated and then finally it is in and they hooked me up to a drip. Once again a bit like the pelvic pain I have, little Junior is doing just fine and not at all concerned or showing any signs of distress from all the vomiting and diarrhoea. I am home again now, struggling with extreme fatigue (associated with the fact that I am finding it really hard to eat), and trying to resume a normal life! If laying on the couch and sleeping in bed which I have had to be doing for the last few weeks is normal!!!!!

Mike is been amazing - working really long hours in a busy job and then having to come home and pick up all the loose ends that I can not do right now. We are so fortunate to have so many great friends around us who are doing so much to help right now.

Tucker is showing some signs of a bit of a struggle with mum been sick. He has been having to go to school with other people because I find driving very difficult - but yesterday morning he flat out refused to get in the car with friends. We had a bit longer at home, I dosed myself up on pain killers and then I drove him. There are a few other little challenging moments that I am monitoring!

Better go. Tucker is off to family day care for a half day today and I need to make sure he is ready to get out the door.

Have a great weekend. xxx

The crutches are out!

2009-06-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

I had really hoped that I could manage for at least a while longer if not until junior arrives without the crutches. But after a bad night of pain, I have woken up this morning very uncomfortable with any movement so have dug out two extra legs to try and take some pain out of my pelvis.

Tucker has been having such a good time - friends after school yesterday and got home at 5.30 and today off to another friends at 2.30 for a play. That will be after a lunch time sleep for him ( and me) - all his socialising is making him very tired.

Have a great day everyone. xxx

Kind and supportive friends in my life!

2009-06-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post Tucker was going to a friends after care today and she was going to drop him home on her way to get her other daughter from school - she has just called and said that Tucker and Amber are playing so nicely she asked if he could stay a little longer....... how kind is that.

Tomorrow Mike is going to go to work and then come home and drive Tucker to school for me, then he is going home with a friend in his class for a play and then they will drop him home later!

Another friend is going to come and get him another day after school and take him for a play too. I am so happy that so many people are able to help so much. The last thing I wanted with all of this is for Tucker to miss out on doing things that he really loves.

I am going to go and spend some more time reading my book. xxx

Home Time.....

2009-06-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well today is my first home day - mind you I did dose up on pain killers and drive myself to physio - it almost seems silly - I take pain killers to get to an appointment to reduce the pain. I am going to have to think about what I do here!

This morning sitting on a seat I tidied the linen cupboard. For too long now things have just been dumped where they fitted. Now it is really organised. For Tuckers linen I have put each set inside the pillow case - for example his tractor quilt cover and the matching sheets are folded up inside the tractor pillow case - makes it much easier when changing linen sets!

Today is Tuckers occasional care today - a friend came and collected him at 8.15 and she is going to pick him up, take him to her place for a play and then bring him back at around 2.00. he enjoys playing with her daughter Amber so I am sure they will have lots of fun!

I am off to have a sleep now - will blog again soon Just really wish I could post that all is great and the pain has gone!

xxx

26 Weeks today

2009-06-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday was an interesting day....... thought I would drive to town and buy the couple of things we needed. The trip home generally takes 5 minutes - yesterday it took 15 minutes. I was in such bad pain I had to stop on the side of the road until it had eased before I could finish driving! So that means very little driving of the car for me for the next 12 or so weeks!!!!! Looks like I am going to grow to love lots and lots of home time!!!

My beautiful husband is going to drive me to town later so I can have coffee and catch up with a couple of friends. Looking forward to that. Tucker and daddy are going to go and do boy jobs together.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! xxx

Pain Diagnosis!!!

2009-06-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

we have arrived home from Perth today. I went down on Sunday night with my husband Mike and Tucker. On Monday I saw my Obstetrician - everything was really good concerning the baby - which was the best news. However the pain was still happening - he was pretty certain it was something to do with the ligaments in my Pelvis, but recommended I see a pregnancy specialised physiotherapist and see what she thought.

I visited this physiotherapist yesterday - and I have been diagnosed as having a condition called "Pubis Symphysis Dysfunction" (a huge thank you to Nicole Weir and Julie at Nicole Weir Physiotherapy in Sorrento). The two halves of the pelvis are held together by a joint called the "Pubis Symphysis" and a dense network of ligaments. In my case this joint is very inflamed and so are all the ligaments. The pain is possibly going to get worse before the pregnancy is over because as the baby gets heavier he will place more pressure on this joint! What do I do about it?

I wear a brace for 90% of the time. It wraps around from my back and does up just above my pubis bone - it basically does on the outside what is not happening on the inside (and is very unattractive)
I have to avoid too much movement - including walking
I have to take lots of rest periods
I do not carry any weight in my hands (no shopping bags, washing etc)
I sleep with a pillow between my legs to try and keep the pelvis aligned (harder than you think)
I must not do anything on one leg - both legs need to do everything together eg no stepping one foot in to the car and then getting body and other leg in, I have to sit on seat and then swivel around, also getting dressed - need to do it sitting down,
I will have regular physiotherapy appointments between now and when the little man arrives
No vacuuming, sweeping or mopping floors
where possible I need to cook, iron etc while sitting down
May need to use crutches towards the end to take some of the weight out of my pelvis and through my arms.
Maintain a very quiet lifestyle for the next 12 weeks

I am glad to now know what is happening and where all the pain is coming from, but very disappointed that I need to be so quiet. I have gone from been able to train hard and heavy and really love it, to the point where I struggle to walk for 200m!!! I am going to be even more passionate about maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle after this is all over.

I am focusing on my mental state as much as dealing with the pain of the condition. I feel very frustrated and disappointed - I know it could be a lot worse, but what I am dealing with is bad enough for me.

Apologies for a gloomy post, looks like I am going to have to get over my reluctance to ask people for help.

xxx

PS on a little brighter side Mike and I did go and have a look at a beautiful new car in Perth while we were there. Will keep you posted.

Thank you everyone.......

2009-06-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

Just 5 minutes ago, while laying on the bed feeling pretty awful I wondered what I was going to prepare for dinner......... There was a knock at the door and if it was not for a nosy 4 year old I might have ignored it (rude I know but when you feel sick a visitor is the last person you really want to see). When I opened the door it was a dear friend Jo - who was delivering lasagne and garlic bread for our dinner.

I am so grateful to everyone right now who is really lending a hand during this challenging time. People are helping with washing, cooking meals, picking Tucker up from school, taking Tucker for a play at the park so I can have a sleep, phone calls, text messages, and friends in Perth are going to have Tucker for me while I see the specialist on Monday morning. How am I ever going to say thank you! As I have said in an earlier post I would much rather be helping someone than having to be the one who needs help. I have always been such an independent person and unfortunately right now this is not entirely possible.

I called school around 2 hours after I left my distressed little man in the arms of the teacher - he was fine, playing with his friends and the crying had stopped. Tucker is going to now miss one or possibly two days of school next week, but when we get back we are going to try and do a very quick drop off and see if this helps.

I can not remember if I said the place where we were going to stay when we have the baby had been sold so was no longer available! I have now found a new place which is managed by the owners ( and will not be going on the market), is a little bigger with more room than the other place, has a back yard for Tucker to play in and is closer to the hospital - very happy that this is now sorted.

My time must be up for sitting in the chair - the pain is creeping back. xxx

My sad little man........

2009-06-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to handle a very emotional 4 year old due to Mummy been sick?

He normally loves school - did not want to go today. Cried and cried in the car. Had to almost pull him out!

Got him in there in the end. He settled until it was time for the class to go on a little excursion to see a school play, then the tears started again. I said bye and kept going - by that time I was also crying - not that I let him see me. School is going to call me if he does not settle.

Any suggestions or advice would be great! xxx

24 weeks and 4 days

2009-06-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well I thought I might be able to post that things were going well, but unfortunately I need to say that they are sliding back down the hill. So much so that on Sunday night I am flying to Perth to see my Obstetrician on Monday. The pain seems to have increased again and am needing to take Panadeine Forte every morning!

The best news is little Junior seems to be doing well - I must say he is very active - maybe he is feeling the effects of the drugs I am on!

My little man Tucker is struggling a little because there are so many things I can not do right now, and my big man Mike is been an awesome support and doing so many extra things to help out.

Will not prattle for too long -- do not want to bore you with a post written in pain about pain. xxx

An interesting 24 hours!

2009-06-04T03:47:00.000-07:00

Soon after I posted this post yesterday I heard an urgent call for mummy from a 4 year old - when I got there he had vomited everywhere! The vomiting lasted for approximately 4 hours - by which point he was exhausted and so was I! I think we were lucky it only went for this long! I was up and down to him all night - he kept asking for water - I was reluctant to give him too much at a time! By the time we reached morning he was starving hungry - we started very gradually with food. A very quiet morning was had by all - by lunch time he was back to about 90%. Tucker has never had gastro before - it can start and stop so quickly. I am just really glad he is okay now.

Now on to some good news!!!!

Today I saw the specialist and it was good news! I do not need an operation, and it is nothing major! He believes the pain is coming from all the tension been placed on my ligaments. It may disappear or this pain may stay with me for the rest of the pregnancy! I am going to need to take every day as it comes - some days will be great like yesterday and some days will be painful like today!

All the pieces are here now for our new study book shelves so Mike will be working on those on the weekend. This will free up the room for our new arrival. I am looking forward to getting this ready. I was going to leave all the washing until much later but as a just in case I am going to start to do it next week.

I have to find another place for us to stay when we are in Perth for the birth because the place where we were going to stay has been sold! DAMN!!! Never mind I am sure we will find another place just as nice!

Tucker is in bed already - asked to go to bed at 6.45 pm. I am heading to the couch to watch some TV and relax!

Looking forward to coffee with a friend tomorrow morning - am going to wear my new maternity jeans and shirt from "Soon Melbourne". xxx

23 weeks and 4 days

2009-06-03T00:51:00.000-07:00

Time really seems to be flying by with the Pregnancy now ....... I think so much has been happening I have not had time to think about where I was up to!

Am starting to feel a slight improvement with how I am feeling after my hospital visit. I had to give blood again today to see if they see anything noticeable. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a surgeon here in town - he is going to see me and discuss the symptoms I have been having and see if he can come up with a diagnosis. I and I hope he is too very reluctant to have surgery at this point - maybe it will just mean a very laid back time for the next 14 weeks before I have the baby. Today has been the first day since last Wednesday where I have not had to take Panadeine Forte to beat the pain. Energy levels are very low - but this is due to the fact of no appetite. Yesterday for the whole day I ate 2 slices of toast and a cup of tomato soup! And all these nutrients (what nutrients there are in soup and bread) went to the baby.

Tucker said to me on the weekend "this business of having a baby is not much fun mum!!!!!" - talk about old head on young shoulders! He is coping very well considering mummy's state.

I have had to do something I find very hard to do - and that is ask for help! I would much rather help someone else than have to ask someone to help me! When you live in remote places like I do friends become like family! One dear friend had Tucker after school last Thursday until Mike could pick him up, another great friend picked Tucker up after school yesterday for me and dropped him home after dinner last night, and another good friend is having Tucker tomorrow afternoon when I need to visit the surgeon.

On the baby side - he seems to be a very busy bouncing baby - feeling lots and lots of movement now, sometimes he even has the hiccups - now that is a strange feeling.

Better go - it seems when I sit upright for too long the pain returns. xxx

Home from hospital...........

2009-05-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well my week which was going reasonably well took a turn for the worst late on Wednesday. I started to get pain in my lower tummy around 4.00pm - I tried sitting up, laying down walking around - but it would not leave and was getting worse so I drove myself to the hospital and met Mike there. My initial concerns were the baby!!!

After we established that the baby had a strong heart beat it was a matter of trying to eliminate everything else - including pre term labour!!!!!! Scary thought when you are only 22 weeks and 4 days pregnant! They have taken blood, done ultrasounds, urine and bowel samples, and many more tests and investigations! What have they come back with - NOTHING!!!!! I am not sure what is worse finding out something is wrong or having unexplained pain. They are wondering now if I may have adhesions from an appendix operation I had when I was 12!!!!

To cut a long story short I stayed until Friday night - when I came home - lasted only 1 hour and had to rush back with more abdominal pain. Late on Saturday afternoon I came home, and have been home ever since.

The staff at the hospital have been fantastic - but you can really see that cost cutting measures in public health make it very difficult for the staff. A great friend of ours who is a Doctor at the hospital has been keeping a close eye on me, even though this is quite challenging for him been such a good friend. He is going to keep in touch with me and we will see what the next few days bring.

Not exactly the pregnancy I had expected, but am still trying really hard to keep smiling!

Hope everyone else is doing great. Will catch up with comments soon. Sitting upright in a chair right now is not the most comfortable of positions. xxx

My new Kitchen toys and my cook book successes!!!

2009-05-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

Dinner in the Bailey household previously revolved around what was healthy quick easy and did not take much time - the kitchen was not a place i really enjoyed spending too much time. .............. Well how things have changed!!!!!

I have always read Tosca Reno's articles in Oxygen and took quite an interest in her approach. I have been observing Tucker's behaviour quite closely and realised that anything with preservative, colouring or too much sugar caused numerous issues - he would not listen, couldn't follow a direction and got quite aggressive - not attributes I really enjoyed experiencing or seeing. Mike and I had a chat and decided we would purchase the cook book below and live according to the eat clean lifestyle.

What a difference it has made to our whole family now all those nasty additives have been removed. Tucker is so much calmer, and both Mike and I feel so much better!

With my new passion for spending time in the kitchen we decided some new cooking equipment would be great so we got:

2 scan pan frypans
A Mundial knife block set
A 28 cm Le Chasseur casserole

and our toaster we have had since we were married 12 1/2 years ago had died so we got a 4 slice kitchen aid toaster.
I will try and not dig into my meals so quickly and take some pictures of my kitchen art!

Have a great weekend everyone! xxx

Family holiday to Queensland

2009-05-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

We have just booked our trip to Queensland for Tucker's July school holidays. Mike was able to get leave so we are all going.

I have two older brothers - one who lives near Ipswich and the other who lives around 30 minutes south east of Brisbane. My mum and dad will be visiting them at that time so we will have chance to see everyone. Mike's mum also lives in Brisbane. I have said that we might need to organise central meeting laces because I REFUSE to spend the whole time driving from one side of Brisbane to the other........ especially considering at that point i will be 28 - 29 weeks pregnant. Am sure some may read this and think I am been cruel - but it is a holiday and not just a run around to keep all the mum's and dad's and siblings happy!!!!

Tucker is a huge fish and sea creature fan and LOVES the wiggles - so I am sure we will have a visit to Dream World or Sea World - or maybe even both.

So far have had the best week of the pregnancy. Am learning and applying self pace really well and it is helping heaps. I am not feeling nearly as sick, energy levels have increased slightly and I do not need to sleep as often during the day.

The weather at the moment is just delightful - makes you forget those 45 degree days from summer - we only have the odd day at 30 now - most days any where between 27-29 degrees and dropping to a beautiful 15-18 degrees overnight. I can actually sleep with covers on now and our air conditioner which runs non stop from late October until the end of April is turned off.

I will post again later and tell you all about some cooking adventures I have been having with my new scan pan gear, my Tosca Reno cookbook and a passion for producing beautiful meals.

Hope everyone is great. xxx

PS ....... who says you can not buy beautiful clothes for baby boys - my little man is going to look adorable in some of the things I have purchased for him!

PSS Tucker is still hugging kissing and rubbing my tummy every day and talking to his little brother - it is very sweet and think he is going to be a very special big brother. x

21 Weeks...... and meet our baby!

2009-05-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

again a long time between posts - where does the time go! Well I have included pictures of our very healthy baby boy! We are all so excited that we are having another little boy - Tucker is jumping for joy at the fact that he is going to have a little brother.

The scan I had in Perth was fantastic. The detail was amazing - including seeing the blood flow both ways through his heart, measuring limbs, checking for holes in his heart, cleft lip, kidney function and brain. All came back perfectly normal. I feel very blessed to be be fortunate enough to be carrying a healthy little baby.

As i said above Tucker is very very excited - he talks to his brother every day and tells him so many special things. He kisses my tummy lots and hugs me and the baby. He frequently asks what his brother is doing and reminds us to be quiet if I say he is sleeping.

I had wondered why I was not feeling a lot of movement. The reason is because I have a front lying placenta - so for me to feel him kicking it first has to be strong enough to pass through the placenta. I think I can feel him when he kicks towards my side or down towards my hip.

Tucker and and I had a great few days in Perth before Mike arrived on the Friday and then we had an even better time when we were altogether. We went scooter riding, visited the park every day, went shopping, went to the beach, fed the ducks, caught up with friends and the list goes on.

I got spoiled on mothers day - two new pairs of shoes and new shoes and lots of special cuddles from my beautiful boy Tucker Jackson, and my gorgeous husband Mike. I love you both so much. xxxxx

Mike had a very important day on Saturday - he presented his proposal for acceptance as candidature for a PhD at the University of Western Australia - and on Saturday night we got the fantastic news that he had been accepted - congratulations goes to my husband who I am so very proud of.

I think that will be enough for one post - otherwise you will need to bring a snack and drink to get to the bottom of it.

xxx

18 Weeks and 2 days

2009-04-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! I can not believe I am already at 18 weeks ...... and don't forget the 2 days. LOL. I am starting to get very excited because I am DESPERATE to know what I am having, and by this time next week all going to plan we are going to know if it is a little boy or a little girl!!! Some people say when they are pregnant that they know what they are having but i really have no idea. The only thing I do know is this has been a very different pregnancy to Tucker's - but this is not a sign that it is a girl. I just wish for a healthy happy and settled baby. I will keep you all posted.

I have been following pregnancy nutrition guidelines in association with Tosca Reno's Eat Clean approach. Exercise wise - I walk for between 30 - 60 minutes every day and then in addition to this I use one of my pump video's at home or do a full body workout at the gym or do cardio at the gym - yes I like to have variety. I have been swimming too - but now the weather is getting as low as 20 degrees overnight and max day temps. of 34 - it has become too cold. Oh how things change when you live in hot climates. This is heading towards winter for us and the ugg boots (HOME WEAR ONLY) have come out of the cupboard!!! I can see you all having a laugh!

I have lived here in Karratha for 4 years and 8 months now. Snakes are regularly sighted in this area - dogs frequently die from snake bites and the snake catchers live a busy life. Well we had first snake in our driveway on the weekend. I was around 1.8m long and called a Gwarda and is very venomous. We are all okay and none of us got bitten, but considering it was getting quite close to our backyard where Tucker plays all day, and where we have 2 dogs we feel very lucky.

Dad seems to be doing okay. I have spoken to mum a few times. He has been reading a lot, watching TV and generally relaxing. Will hopefully be able to speak to him this week when some of the bandages come off.

Mike has gone in to work this morning - with no phones ringing he finds it a very productive time. He will be home around lunch time when we are heading to look at a HD DVD player.

Hope everyone is having a great long weekend. My thoughts are with my dear friend Sara whose mum is really sick in ICU in Queensland. xxx

Update on Dad!

2009-04-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

Dad is home from hospital now and seems to be ding okay so far.

On Tuesday it was his 10th operation to remove cancer from his body. This operation was the 6th operation on his left ear. We hear the results as to whether further treatment is required on Tuesday night.

My dad had an orchard where they commercially grew apples for the Australian and International markets. We are talking a long time ago - and in those days when they sprayed pesticides etc. no protective gear was worn like it is today. We have never had it confirmed but wonder if this is the reason why he has suffered so much.

He seems to have his chin up now which is a good sign. I have not spoken to him because he is deaf on his right side and the left side is still all bandaged up.

Will keep you posted with any more updates. Thank you so much to all my beautiful friends for stopping by and leaving a message. xxx

Good luck for my dad

2009-04-20T01:44:00.000-07:00

I am posting this because I know I have some great friends out there who in their own way, may keep my family in their thoughts tomorrow.

My dad is heading back to the operating table for another operation to remove cancer tomorrow morning. Unfortunately I have lost count of the number of times this has happened now...... it must be his fighting spirit that keeps him going.

Normally dad is so strong leading up to his operations but i think this time it has got the better of him. He has been very emotional and is very very scarred. He visited the graves of his mum and dad, and his brother and sister on the weekend for fear that he would be joining them soon.

I am not asking for anything special, but because this is close to my heart, I thought I would be open, honest and up front about what is happening in my world. xxx

16 weeks and 3 days

2009-04-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

We have just returned last night from the most relaxing 6 days I can remember. We drove the 840 km to Broome for our Easter holiday and stayed just 5 minutes walk from Cable Beach (picture above). We all spent lots of time relaxing. Our accommodation was great - we were right next to the pool, which was fantastic for our water boy who swam at last twice every day. I spent time in the pool, going for walks and I read two 500 page books!!! Mike also had a fantastic time. Some nights we ate out but our accommodation was apartment style so some nights we just stayed in.

We caught up with some friends one night at Matso's brewery and enjoyed a great meal together.

We took our ocean kayak with us and used this a couple of times - once on the far end of cable beach and the other time we drove approximately 50 km North to Quondong Point. Tucker even came out on it once with me - something we have been trying to do for a little while now. He loved it - but was holding on very tight just in case!

I was very spoilt for Easter and received the most beautiful pair of Paspaley stud pearl earrings. They are just beautiful and I feel very lucky to own such a beautiful piece of jewellery. Thank you so much to my beautiful husband Mike. xxx

Easter Bunny visited on Saturday night - he had no trouble finding us and came with lots of chocolate for Mike, Tucker and I. As we all enjoy chocolate none of it got wasted and it was enjoyed very much. Easter bunny also seemed to know that Tucker loves Lego so Easter bunny also delivered Two Lego packs - Mike and Tucker spent some of the morning building and creating.

There were a few other children staying at the same resort, and one of these children had a mask very similar to the one above. Tucker took quite a liking to it so we headed to the outdoor equipment store and found one very similar for Tuck. Since it was purchased it has barely left his face and his swimming is coming ahead in leaps and bounds. he calls himself a deep sea diver! For the first time he is now swimming along with his face in the water.

As in the title I am now 16 weeks and 3 days into my pregnancy. My last check up showed my blood pressure as still been very low, and my fatigue seems to be about the same. There is no hiding the fact any more - there is certainly a defined bump now! On the way home in the car yesterday I could feel a few kicks and punches - I am starting to think I have another kick boxer the same as Tucker in my belly. In just under three weeks now I am going to know what I am having - I can not wait to find out - then the shopping can commence.

Better go - still seems to be so much unpacking to do, and the washing line is full of dry clothes. Hope everyone had a great Easter. xxx

14 weeks and 2 Days

2009-03-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

I am now 14 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The baby is approximately 9 cm long and weighs around 375 grams. Fingerprints and toe prints have developed, the baby can suck his or her thumb, and the placenta is fully functional. Arm and leg bones are getting harder and hey are moving - soon you may even be able to feel this.

Wow ..... so much is happening in my belly. When you read all of this, it seems quite amazing that our bodies can create such a gift.

Unfortunately I am not really having the dream pregnancy I had hoped for, but it could be much worse. I have had mild asthma for around 18 years now. Normally I do not need medication, however I am now taking a preventer in the mornings and Ventolin as required. Now I am on regular doses of medication i am not nearly as short of breath, but still am very aware that it is there - especially when I have a long conversation with someone.

The other thing that is happening is low blood pressure. Quite often in pregnancy people suffer from high blood pressure, but instead mine is really low. I can not make any sudden movements, and have to be really careful going from laying down to sitting up. As a result of this I have stopped work. I decided it was in the best interest of the baby and me to take some time out and not rush around. The low blood pressure is making me fatigue very quickly, so I have short bursts of doing something and then I take a rest. Apart from all of that everything is really good.

We are driving the 800 kilometres to Broome for Easter and staying just a 5 minute walk from the magnificent Cable Beach. We have had many trips to this spectacular place while we have lived here - great restaurants, beautiful beaches, a selection of nice shops, and a fantastic place to relax.

I think I have rambled enough now. xxx

12 Weeks and 4 days + New clothes

2009-03-18T00:30:00.000-07:00

Well I have not felt too bad the last couple of days. I think the morning sickness is really starting to go now. I still have to make sure I pace myself - and if I don't the consequences are not so good.

Even though Junior is going to be born in Perth, I still have to go to the hospital here for ante-natal appointments in case something happened before hand. Yesterday was my first appointment. All routine things covered so not that exciting, but the most exciting bit was I got to hear Juniors heart beat for the first time. It was at 164 beats a minute - I know when mine is at this sort of pace I am working pretty hard, but it is normal for a baby to have a much faster heart beat. Junior also had the hiccups when she was taking the heart rate - quite funny to think a little one just 6-8 cm long can have hiccups.

I have to be a little careful - i have really low blood pressure. It is normally on the low side but due to the pregnancy it is even lower. No quick change of direction or getting up out of a chair too quickly.

The pictures above are of some of the maternity clothing I have purchased already. Yes I have had to start in maternity clothes already - I am already showing - I don't remember this happening so early with Tucker. At least now people do not just think I have put weight on for no reason.

Tucker and I have just had library time so I am going to head off now and read him his new library books.

xxx

12 Weeks and 2 Days

2009-03-16T00:32:00.000-07:00

Today I had my 12 week scan and here are some pics of our bundle of joy. Everything looks really good, 2 arms, 2 legs, and a string heartbeat. Little junior was having a fair kick and wriggle about while he was trying to take all the necessary measurements.

It might sound really funny, but there have been a couple of moments in the past week where I would almost be certain that I could feel Junior moving. They say for the second one that you feel it at around 16 weeks, but I am wondering if you are in tune with your own body whether it is possible to feel it sooner.

Tucker came with me - he was so excited. Straight away he said "look mummy I can see the baby!" I think it is really starting to sink in now - and I am feeling really excited about the coming months and the arrival of junior in September. Mike and I have been trying to think of names we both like. We have come up with a couple but nothing too set just yet. We still have many weeks to decide so plenty of time.

Tucker goes to an occasional care centre on Monday mornings. Normally I work while he is there but this morning I did not have any clients. I decided to not go near and went to the pool for a swim instead. I ended up swimming 26 laps of the 50 metre pool. I am going to try and do this twice a week now as it was really enjoyable.

Better go dinner needs to be prepared. I have been trying out a few new recipes so we are not having the same thing all the time, and this means a little longer in the kitchen.

xxx

How Exciting!!!

2009-03-10T21:34:00.001-07:00

It is now less than 200 days until I have the baby. One milestone passed!!!

Worked until 8 last night - boy oh boy was I beat by the time I got home. It was straight to get my pillow off the bed and hit the couch straight away.

Tucker is having a good quiet time today - some days he seems to want to tell me so much at that time, and its not like I do not want to hear, but i do like to have an hour of total peace.

Just jumped on here quickly so see you all again soon. xxx

11 Weeks and 2 Days

2009-03-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

Wow.... where has the last week and a bit gone. I can't believe it has been a week and 4 days since I posted last. Mind you, I have been spending a fair bit of down time on the couch trying to rest, instead of on the computer.

I am feeling a lot better than I was but this whole pregnancy pacing myself business is really tricky. I seem to try and do a few things and then fall in a huge heap because I am exhausted. The nausea seems to have almost disappeared now, thank goodness.

I have returned to work - I really missed my clients so much while I was away. They have enjoyed having me back as well. I work no longer than 2 hours at a time, and this seems to be working really well.

Well we are up to 11 weeks and 2 days. Today I had to give blood reading for Ultra sound to test for downs syndrome next week. I am not a big fan of having blood taken but it seems to be a bit less painful than I remember.

Training is happening again too now. I aim to do something every second day. When I train weights I train my full body, keeping weights light and reps high. I always wear my heart rate monitor to maintain heart rate at around 140 bpm.

Mike Tucker and I are off to Perth again onthe 20th March for the weekend. We were given tickets to go and see Dralion by Cirque Du Soleil. This will be the third time i have seen these amazing performers. I am also going to have another appointment with my Obstetrician.

I had better go, need to make a trip to the shops. We have purchased a Miele Dishwasher from Harvey Norman 3 weeks ago and it appears

to have disappeared into thin air. If you hear a big rumble in the sky this afternoon it might be me shouting at the shop assistant over incompetence!!!!

9 Weeks and 6 Days

2009-02-26T22:59:00.000-08:00

Well after 10 days off I returned to work yesterday. It was a bit of trial and error to see what happened, but all was cool and no further complications. What a relief!
The nausea seems to be disappearing, fatigue still plays a pretty major role and heart burn seems to have come to the party - thanks but no thanks - you are not really welcome guests and the sooner they disappear the better.
I have been increasing my walking at home on the treadmill by 5 minutes each day so am now up to a grand 20 minutes. It is really nice to be able to do something again.
As well as my exercise I am a huge scrap booking fan. I have purchased a new table and set my self up in the guest bedroom - it is amazing how much more you can get done when I am not having to pack things away all the time.
It looks like this weekend is going to be a house bound weekend. One of the joys of living in the North West is that we have cyclones. One will cross the coast quite close to us on Sunday morning.
I saw a podiatrist yesterday. I knew I had unusual feet but she was amazed. She has never seen feet like mine before - well thanks. I am going to need to make a trip to Perth to have Orthotics made for my shoes - she has also recommended that i wear runners and supportive footwear as often as possible. No more Havianas and flip flops for me. Oh well I am looking at it in the positive sense - if I keep doing what I am doing now I am going to have Osteo arthritis in my ankles before I am 40!!! No Thanks.
I Think that just about covers my past few days.
The picture above was from a photo shoot i had in Melbourne when I was 34 weeks Pregnant with Tucker.

xxx

9 Weeks and 4 Days

2009-02-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

I almost feel like a magic fairy came in the night and spread some magic fairy dust so I would not feel so sick and tired anymore. I have woken up feeling great. I do not feel tired I do not feel sick and I have some energy.

I even managed 15 minutes steady walk on my treadmill this morning.

I am going back to work tomorrow for a trial to see what happens. I have had a few bleeds and they seem to be happening when I lift something or do something like vacuuming (not that i vacuum when I am at work - but i think you know what I mean) . I have not had a bleed now for over a week, so tomorrow is a try and see day.

Better go - I have even managed a load of washing and it is ready to be pegged out.

Have a great day. xxx

Exciting News......

2009-02-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well I have some really exciting news to share with everyone.........

I am having another baby!!!

We are all very excited - including our beautiful 4 1/2 year old. As you can see from the counter on the side I have a while to go. here is a bit of my journey so far

We were on holidays with my mum and dad in Tasmania, when I was due for a period which had not arrived. I was very moody and feeling rather unusual but blamed unsettled hormones. I had already taken a test which showed a negative result so was convinced that this was not to be the month for success. I had to visit a chemist for an ear infection so picked up a pregnancy test thinking again it would be one blue line and be negative. IU took the test and much to my surprise and excitement there were two blue lines. I wanted to contain my excitement because until i had been to my GP to be double sure I was not sharing the news with anyone other than my beautiful husband. he promptly gave me the biggest smile and a gorgeous kiss.

6 Weeks and 2 Days

The day after we arrived home I had an appointment booked for a dating scan at the hospital. At this scan I saw my tiny baby - looked just like a peanut. I was 6 weeks and 2 days pregnant.

8 Weeks and 2 Days

Apart from feeling constantly exhausted I cruised along nicely until I hit the 8 week mark where in a matter of 5 days I had three bleeds. Very scary and I really wondered what I outcome was going to be. I went for a another scan - still what they call a viable pregnancy. Baby was exactly where it needed to be a I was now 8 weeks and 2 days. At this time I was advised by my GP to stop work and have complete rest. How hard is this for someone who is used to been so active. Well i wanted to do what was best so rest it was. I have really struggled to eat. Food is so not appealing. My Doctor has put my on anti nausea tablets so that i can try and consume some good nutrients for a growing baby.

9 Weeks and 1 Day

I fly to Perth today and ready to meet my Obstetrician for the first time tomorrow. I am really nervous as I have no idea what to expect. By the time 4pm comes around, Tucker and I head to our hotel room, order room service for dinner and stay put. I am absolutely exhausted.

9 Weeks and 2 Days

We sleep in which is not such a great start to the day - we rush through showers breakfast and still make it to our appointment in Duncraig on time.... phew!!!!

Immediately after I enter my Obstetricians clinic i feel at ease, the receptionist has a beautiful personality, his midwife is so caring and I immediately know i have made the right choice. There is SO much paper work to complete, but once that is done I am in with the man who will deliver our baby.

His name is Cliff Neppe and I am so happy that he is the person who will bring our little babe into this world. I had a very difficult birth with Tucker, so all of this detail was explained and much to my relief ( as i really did not want a repeat performance), he said there would be no way he would take the chance for a "normal" birth. There is no way of knowing whether the difficulties I had with Tucker would reappear with this birth. The baby will be born via c-section at Glengarry Hospital at 38 weeks. What a relief.

We flew home in the afternoon - never again while pregnant will I do an overnighter to Perth. By the time we got home I was so exhausted - i managed scrambled eggs on a slice of toast for dinner and then hit the couch with my pillow.

9 Weeks and 3 Days

Today for the first time in many many weeks I have felt quite normal. I even managed a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. I went to the hairdressers and had my hair done today - maybe that has helped because my hair looks respectable again. I am starting to feel a bit on the tired side right now but not as bad as it has been.

I had better go, Tucker is hungry after a busy day at school.

xxx

Help please

2009-02-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Can some one please guide me to a good spot to be able to download a cool date ticker for my blog.

I will be back real soon .......

2009-02-20T19:59:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to stop by and drop a quick message to say I have been really sick the past couple of weeks and have had no energy to sit and blog. I will be back really soon. Until then I hope every one is feeling great.

xxx

How special do I feel?

2009-02-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

This is a letter from one of my personal training clients:

I wanted to write to you personally to let you know I was nominated for the Shire of Roebourne Sports Person of the Year award. I was fortunate enough to take out the award which was handed out at the postponed Australia Day Awards on the 29th January.

Awards like this are individual but I wanted you to know that through your professionalism and the love of what you do you have inspired me and have certainly been great supporters in helping me achieve my goals. People don't achieve things by themselves and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your assistance in getting me where I need to be so that I can achieve. This award is also a representative of how you go about your business and I hope you know that even though your name is not on the award you are very integral in assisting me achieve it and I couldn't have done it without you.

Thank you for being a great inspirational person and I love you to bits. Thanks with all my heart and I am so glad I have met you.

I love my job and this really supports my passion for helping others achieve their goals. This letter almost bought a tear to my eye. Thank you from someone means so much to me, but this letter has really made me sit back and realise that I am a great Trainer and my clients appreciate my hard work.

xxx

What a great day!

2009-02-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

Today was Tuckers first full day at Kindy - he has had a great day and so have I.

After i dropped Tucker off i called to my friends and collected my ironing, and we sat and had a chat for half an hour - so nice to not have to rush in and rush out.

I then had work for the morning. I am training a group of 7 clients in a program called MNB (My New Body). I work the women as a group through weights and cardio, provide a recipe and a handout and have a chat about their food diaries. Today was session number one. Many have carried over from last year. They all had a good spring in their step today - mind you at the end of the hour session there were many red and sweaty faces.

I was finished by 11.45am so came home had some lunch and then had a hour sleep before it was time to collect Tucker at 2.30pm.

he came out of the classroom with a huge smile on his face - a good indication of a good day. He has nearly emptied the cupboard since we have got home. I am going to say bye now so we can have some time together.

xxx

Tucker starts Kindy....

2009-02-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

Here is my beautiful 4 year old Tucker who started Kindy last week. He had two half days last week and as of tomorrow will attend kindy all day Tuesday and all day Thursday. He is so excited that he is going to have his lunch at school!!!! He has a lovely teacher - Mrs Becker.

It only seemed like yesterday that he was just a new born baby.

Also see blog below re Tasmania holiday.

Our Tasmanian Holiday

2009-02-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well how time flies when you are having fun. We are home now from our holiday to Tasmania. This is where Mike and I both grew up and lived until 2001, however we had not spent very much time back there since then. We caught up with friends for some beautiful dinners and saw many relatives. some who had not seen Tucker since he was an 8 month old baby - they all got a real shock!!!

I caught up with a dear friend - she attended our wedding and was my boss in one of my child care positions. Since i had seen her last she has had a brain Tumor and her Thyroid removed - cancer. It was very special to see her, however I got a huge shock. Love you B.

My Mum and Dad both still live there, we stayed with them as well as travelled to the south and east coasts. The picture above is at Swim Cart beach near St Helens on the eats coast. I spent my childhood holidays here at this beach we we had a holiday home, just a 2 minute walk from this exact spot.

My Mum has not been so well of late, so it was good to be able to see her and provide some support while we were there. When we arrived she had only been out of hospital for 1 week, by the time we left i could see she had gained a bit more strength. Progress is going to be fairly slow but it is all heading in the right direction and that is what is most important.

We took a day trip one day to an rowing regatta - I actually met some of the children I looked after as 1, 2, 3 year olds - who are now 15, 16, and 17 year olds. I felt quite old!!!!

Tucker loved the three weeks he had with Mike and I - it was a great family time. We all loved it as much as each other.

Unfortunately all holidays have to come to an end, but i do have to say the three weeks was great and yes it went quickly but we all have many memorable moments.

xxx

Bike riding, Swimming, Balance and Holidays - what a combo!!!

2009-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

Even though I have not been working as many hours, my days have been filled with lots of fun activities.

Tucker is learning to ride his bike without his training wheels - we head to the park with his helmet and bike either in the mornings or the afternoons. He is doing really well - I think it is just a matter of building his confidence now. He is quite excited because once he masters it we are heading to the bike shop to buy a new bigger bike. He has requested blue!!!

The weather here in Karratha has really warmed up now - most days hitting the high 30's even into the 40's. We do not have a pool at home but have had many trips lately to the public swimming pool. I really notice a change in his skills when something is repeated every single day. This is really obvious with the swimming - taking feet off the bottom and kicking along - he wears a vest similar to the one pictured above.

Balance - often an area that I do not do so well at - and no not the sort of balance where you need to stand on one leg (not that I am so great at that either), but the balance of balancing everything in your day so that by the time the end of the day comes around you feel relaxed and at ease with everything you have done . Yesterday was one of those days for me. It was around 8.30 last night when I was relaxing on the couch when my mind felt quite relaxed and I realised that I had given time to Tucker, Mike, my extended family, my dogs, the house, my clients at the gym, and most importantly to ME!!! I am going to try and repeat more of these days because when you get it right it feels good.

On Monday Mike Tucker and I (unfortunately the four legged friends are staying home with a house sitter), we will start our 1600 km drive to Perth. On Wednesday we will fly to Tasmania. This is where I as born and lived until 2001, and where my parents still live. The timing is fantastic - my mum has been really sick and just been discharged after a 10 night stay in hospital. She has been diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease. She will now be on a constant supply of oxygen, and a range of medication to help fight off infections. It has been a real shock, but as the days pass I seem to be adjusting to the thought of my mums illness.

I will be able to be a huge support to her and my Dad while we are there as well as taking some time to travel around the state and show Tucker some of our favourite places.

I have still managed to get some good training sessions in - I have been training with a training partner. I have not trained with someone else for ages but I have really enjoyed the change.

Until next time. xxx

Happy New Year

2008-12-30T23:47:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone - hope 2009 is a fantastic year!

Spin following my run today......

2008-12-29T19:30:00.000-08:00

This morning following my run I had a leisurely breakfast at home with my two boys before heading to the gym for a spin class.

I really pushed myself hard today - average heart rate of 75 - 85%. I rode next to a good friend so we pushed each other throughout the class.

Knee was really good - started to hurt a little in the last working track but nothing too bad - no swelling now so that is a good sign.

I am really enjoying training again at a good intensity - the endorphin rush I get from exercising is awesome.

The freedom of running

2008-12-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

Prior to competition prep and before my knee started giving me trouble I really loved the freedom of hitting the pavement for a road run.

Well I had been thinking maybe i would get back out there and give it a go - I was feeling a little reluctant because i really wondered what the knee might do!!!

Last night I organised my gear so when i woke this morning all i would need to do was get dressed and go.........

I have just returned from a very successful 3 km run without any stops....... I am rather impressed with my self. My knee felt great on the run and still feels good now.

I will now aim to run the same distance in less time and then add distance as my fitness increases.

I am returning.....

2008-12-27T00:27:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

It feels like ages since I got on here to blog...... and when I look at the date of my last post it has been ages.

I will be back with pictures and a longer blog to tell you what I have been up to in the next day or so. I have just got on now and attempted to load pics but without success..... very frustrating but never mind - will have another go tomorrow when I have a little more time.

I hope everyone is really great and enjoying the festive season. xxx

Still #1......

2008-11-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

.... what an odd post name I can hear you saying, but if you read my last post you will understand and this is just more self praise for still been in this great position.

I am:

loving training - planned and spontaneous like walking while Tucker rides his bike, and regular swims at the pool.
lifting some great weights at the moment - strength as increased HEAPS
feeling much healthier on the outside and especially on the inside (head and body)
noticing the difference since I have started taking my new vitamins and minerals
proud of the fact that I have not missed a single dose of my supplements - remembering to take things was never really a strong point of mine
remembering things even without constantly writing notes to myself
loving the extra time Mike and I are having together, and the time we are having together as a family
feeling so much more relaxed....... no more running around like a lunatic
sleeping so much better and am actually waking up feeling like i have had a sleep rather than waking up feeling like I had run a marathon every night
enjoying been swelling and pain free in my knee
sticking to my eating plan,
loving work and the colleagues I work with are great!!!
excited to be going to visit my mum and dad in January
LOVING LIFE IN GENERAL

So as you can see all is great in my world at the moment. I will keep you posted as things continue to progress on the right road....... It might have taken me a while but I think I have finally got to the Y in the road and taken the right lane....... the lane of choice where I feel really good.

Until next time........ xxx

PS will aim to post some pics from my Dallas Olsen photo shoot real soon.

The best day......

2008-10-24T02:10:00.000-07:00

I am winning............ YEAH!!!!! You may ask what am I winning. Well I am winning the post comp head battles because today I took control instead of the never never in my head taking the lead. I had to run really fast to catch the never never but i saw a break or a lapse in concentration on her part and I got past - I even knocked her out on the way past. I really sent her flying so lets hope she lost her wings which means she will not be flying any time soon - or should I say ever!!!!!!

It all started this morning when I was working on the treadmill at home - my knee was killing me and I was really struggling. I had already done 45 minutes - however was supposed to go for an hour. I LISTENED TO MY BODY and more importantly LISTENED TO MY KNEE and hit the STOP button. I hooked up the dogs on their lead, Tucker got on his bike and we walked / rode to the park. It was so relaxing.

Tucker normally starts at Family Day Care on a Friday at 9 - well we had a go slow morning and I dropped him off at 10!!!! Really nice to not run around when you don't have to.

Earlier in the week I made arrangements to have lunch with a friend today. We met at 12 - talked for ages, had a champagne together, and caught up on so much lost time. She talked to me about how much of an inspiration I am - I had never thought of that for too long but wow after today i really realise what she meant.

After lunch I went to the gym - no not for a workout but to see Naomi Gillespie. She is visiting from the Gold Coast and she is one amazing lady - she is a Naturopath, Accupuncturist, a specialist massage therapist, ligament therapist, and remedial massage therapist. I had the lot and I feel fantastic. I feel calm, relaxed, my knee is not so sore, and I do not feel like i have a huge weight resting on my shoulders anymore.

For the first time since my competition I feel like I have goals to work towards, direction to follow and treatment for a few ongoing issues my body is giving me at the moment. She answered so many underlying questions I had. Hind sight is an amazing thing - imagine what might have happened had she been here 12 months ago. I am not looking back but simply forward because that's what i can alter.

Stay tuned for my journey to a healthy Maryanne on the inside and the outside. I'm excited.