Goodbye 2015

Well where do I begin...

This has been one crazy year. One year ago today I found out that I was pregnant after having some tests done a few days earlier as things just didn't seem right and the results were pregnancy and PCOS.

I announced the news to BJ while he was at work and that night we celebrated we brought in the new year, smiling about our little secret.

I then had two lovely weeks before the morning sickness started... and didn't stop for 8 whole months. My hyperemesis included the struggle to get out of bed or eat food, inability to stand in the shower, an overnight stay in the emergency room, Zofran wafers twice a day at $100 for 12 days worth and several trips to the doctors for Maxalon injections and repeat scripts.

By the end of my first trimester i had lost 10kg and got into a routine with my medication so that I was semi functional. I could get myself to work most days by 10.30am and could only stay on my feet for short periods of time. I could handle small meals and the only way to stomach water was for it to be ice cold and flavoured with cola cordial. Enormous amounts of ice was consumed throughout my pregnancy.

The announcement of our pregnancy happened at the end of February and Facebook went mental.

Before I had fallen pregnant (and knew I was going to be sick as anything for the entire thing) we bought tickets to go see Conor Oberst play a twilight show at the Melbourne Zoo and it took everything I had to get myself there only to have them cancel it 3 songs in due to a storm that was about to hit.

My year continued with lot's of medication, very little sleep, constant hips/back pain and then we found out the sex. A girl! A reminder about why i'm going through all this. Once again Facebook goes mental after a subtle gender reveal.

Amongst all this we sold our house and spent every free moment going to open homes to get a new place to live. Our sale was fantastic, finding a new place to live however was very time consuming and we had a lot of disappointment. Missing out on 3 properties and getting to the point that we almost had to rent as we were running out of time to find a place. Luckily we secured our new home and then the packing began. 

Appointment after appointment. Doctors, midwives, ultrasounds, osteo's... And then it was time to have my glucose tolerance test... and *Dramatic pause* I had gestational diabetes... Of course! 4 times a day I was having to test my blood sugar levels by pricking my finger and keep track of it all.

A couple of weeks after trying to manage my GD and being unsuccessful had me started on insulin. So on top of my 4 finger pricks a day I now had 3 needles in my tummy and EVEN more appointments. More doctors, more ultrasounds, more scripts and regular endo visits.

Our houses settle and we move into our new home while I was 8 months pregnant. Once we move in we find out that the previous owners didn't clean at all, the heater and evaporative cooling were not connected properly, no safety switch and there was a gas leak. So now I add even more appointments. Electrician, plumber, handyman. 

The last month of my pregnancy was weekly ultrasounds, monitoring and doctors/endo appointments and I get booked in to be induced. 

After a long and frustrating 24 hours in the hospital I was induced and Audrey J was brought into the world on the 5th September.. Within 4 hours! Crazy!! BJ and I were officially parents!

The moment Audrey was born I stopped feeling sick. It has been almost 4 months now and I am the lightest I've weighed in the last 8 years. It has been one hell of a roller coaster trying to find a balance between looking after Audrey and work. I barely took 6 days off when Audrey was born (still taking calls and answering emails in hospital) before I started working again (from home mostly). There have been a lot moments where I've just wanted to scream and cry when it comes to work let me tell you.

From 4 weeks Audrey was sleeping through the night. We had some hiccups with feeding and her first cold. She is now over 6kgs of pure cheekiness, giggling, grasping, rolling onto her back and the smile she gives me every time she see's me after her nap is just the best thing ever.

I also celebrated my 29th birthday and we had Audrey's first Christmas. It was soo fun to include her in our family christmas photo. I don't know how we are going to top it next year.

So although most of my year was a struggle to get through it is definitely ending on a high note. This year has taught me that I can do ANYTHING. That I am strong and determined and that nothing can stop me. 

And even though I will be reminding Audrey throughout her entire life about all the pain and suffering she put me through in those 9 months, I am so thankful for her and all that she has taught me already. 

Here's to a happy and healthy 2016.

xx

Smorgy

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Reality Check

While I sit here on hold with my insurance company organising changes and cancellations of policies on both new and old homes reality is hitting me that after tomorrow I will no longer being living in this house.

We brought this home 3 1/2 years ago and it was the first time either of us moved out of home and the first time living together. It's been an amazing few years and I'm sad to say goodbye to our first home, Tom Selleck.

I'm excited about having more room, a bigger kitchen and TWO TOILETS! But I am really going to miss this place.

As I drove into the driveway this afternoon... The last time I would be coming home to this house. I got a little emotional about it all.

So many great things have happened in this house but it is time to say goodbye. Tomorrow the truck with arrive all all of our belongs will be packed up and shipped off down the road to make new memories.

This year has been HUGE so far and after this move we STILL have the little one on the way.
2015... where have you gone?!

xx
Smorgy

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A Full Plate

So far in 2015 I have found out I was pregnant, suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness), struggled with every day things like work and doing dishes, eating proper meals, prepared our house to go on the market and sold it. 

It has really been a crazy, busy year so far and we still have so much more on our list before this baby arrives in September. The most important thing is finding a new home and moving in the next couple of months.

I have been pretty upfront and honest about my struggles through this pregnancy. When people ask me how I am I generally sugar coat it but if they ask more in depth questions I answer them truthfully. I have had many a day lately where I have thoughts about our decision to try and get pregnant and wonder if we made the right one. And I can honestly say that I do not enjoy being pregnant at all. It has not been an experience I will look back on and cherish.

I know it's going to be a distant memory once the baby comes but right now it's full on.

I'm 24 weeks along and am starting to look pregnant. The belly no longer stays hidden. I'm really self conscious about it and I am not looking forward to people grabbing at it. 

I do however I really like the look on BJ's face when he see's it. He has a look of happiness and excitement, which is nice to see.

I am TRYING to focus on the positives of this pregnancy. The main obviously being a happy, healthy baby girl at the end of it all. Our eyes were a bit bigger then our stomach when we filled our plates this year.

xx
Smorgy

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Goodbye 2012...

Well here we are again... Another year about to come to an end.

2012 has been a HUGE year for me and even though there have been some down moments mostly it's been a great year.

The year started off perfectly with BJ and I moving into our house. We've spent the year doing little home improvements and really making it our own.

And we ended this year getting engaged. After 7 wonderful years together we are both very excited to be getting married... in 2013!!!

I've finally let go off stressing about my work as our office is doing the best it's ever done and that is all thanks to our amazing team. I don't mind that i've had to go in and do what a few times over my Christmas holidays as it just means that things aren't going to slow down for us - Which is great news.

I havent blogged as much as i'd hoped to, or stuck to a lot of my goals this year but i am going to make up for all that in 2013. I'm motivated more then every to get healthy, get crafty and get bloggin'.

And now in no particular order here are some awesome things that i've seen and hear this year...


Awesome movies I've seen this year:
The Avengers
Take Shelter
The Muppets
Moonrise Kingdom
The Perks of Being a Wallflower


Awesome albums I've heard this year:
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
The Black Keys - El Camino
Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeroes - Here
Bon Iver - Bon Iver


Awesome TV I've watched:
Breaking Bad
AMC's The Walking Dead
Game Of Thrones
Mad Men
Treme
(And honorable mention to Boardwalk Empire... I could keep listing because there has been some AWESOME TV this year)


Favourite Fork This episode for 2012:

2013 is going to be a great year for us and I cant wait to share it all on here. 

xx

Smorgy

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Fork This 82 - Snakes In The Chimney

This week BJ and I made an Ikea gingerbread house. We named the house 'Snakes in the chimney'.

We are both pretty happy with it an look forward to watch people enjoy it on Christmas day.

What do you think?

xx
Smorgy

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Two Months

This week marks two months that BJ and I have been in our house. I think we've surprised a lot of people (especially our families) with how easily we've dealt with this huge change.

We both love it! It feels like we've been living like this for ages. Feels like home.

I think people expect us to have struggled with it. Had days where we've been homesick or mopey. But that hasn't been the case at all.

We've just been happy!

Happy to come home every night and cook dinner together while Cooper watches. Happy to snuggle up on our couch and watch TV. Happy to clean dishes, do gardening and wash clothes.

I wouldn't change my life right now, for anything in the world.

xx
Smorgy

Here are some pics for our last two months

Click to enlarge

 Left to Right: First photo at our house, Packing the essentials, First piece of mail, BJ answers our home phone for the first time, BJ vs the wasps nest, Cooper sun baking, Ice cream adventure, Cooper meets Gnome Swanson, Our couch finally arrived, BJ made me valentines cookies, Our second Third fridge, our fourth fridge (yes we went through 3 fridges in less then a month-That story will be told one day), Cooper sleeping (again), Chilling out watching Wipeout, BJ tends to his chilli's, Our housewarming brochures, Us.


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Fork This 40 - Taco Night with Tom Selleck

On this weeks episode of Fork This I made tacos for the first time since we've been in our new house. Taco's are a fav in our house and we all like to eating them... Even Cooper.

Fork This 40 - It's Taco Night In Melbourne! from BJ Carter on Vimeo.



xx
Smorgy Pin It

Fuck Valentines Day

I don't understand why anyone who is in a loving relationship cares about Valentines Day.
You should be feeling the love every day and shouldn't need a specific day just to show how much someone means to you. Each day that ends in Y should remind you of the love you have for each other.

In the 6 1/2 years BJ and I have been together we've not once celebrated Valentines Day... To us, it's just another day. Last night, however, BJ decided to surprise me by making me cookies with little pink hearts on them. It was super sweet of him. It was special because I wasn't expecting it.

But today is just another day... I don't want or expect flowers, chocolates or any sort of valentine surprise. I want to go home and make Taco's for dinner, do the dishes together and then cuddle up on the couch and watch House Of Lies.

Conversation between BJ and I today via text message which amused me:
Me: Someone at work just had a massive thing of flowers delivered.
BJ: Oh yeah? That's nice.
Me: Yeah.. She was pretty excited about it.
BJ: I'm not sending you flowers... Just so you know.
Me: I didn't think you would.

I am soo happy right now. I have the man, I have the house, I have the best puppy in the world.
Nothing can bring me down for this cloud I'm not right now.

I Love This Guy

My world is finally as it should be. I am the happiest I've been in a long time and I mostly have myself to thank for that. I know that sounds silly but if it wasn't for my drive to safe well and budget, I wouldn't be where i am today.

Plus once I started to realise all the things that were continuing to bring me down and make me feel like shit. I was able to remove all that negativity from my life. I'm working hard to focus on all the positive things.

I am in love with my best friend BJ and thinking about that always brings a smile to my face. We've now lived in our house together for a whole month and it's been the greatest month of my life. I've gotten to wake up every morning next to him. I enjoy coming home and cooking our dinner before he gets home from work and I love when all three of us cuddle up on the couch and watch TV at night.

I Love This Guy Too

Next week is our Housewarming and I'm looking forward to having all our friends over to warm up Tom Selleck (Our house) and celebrate this new chapter in our lives. I plan to keep only moving forward from here on. I'm not going back... Ever!

2011 was a roller coaster of a year but 2012 is coming up Milhouse!

xx
Smorgy

P.S: I successfully made my first homemade ice cream cake. Ice cream made from scratch and everything. I'm soo happy that i achieved this without too much stress (BJ might say otherwise) and cannot wait to attempt more masterpieces.

 (Fork This episode coming soon)  

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