28 week update

Well, today we’ve reached 28 weeks, this means we’re officially in the last trimester and we have 12 weeks left until our baby arrives.

To update on what’s happening, I’m BIG!!! That’s all I can say. Honestly, we both stare of my tummy in amazement, we cannot believe that this is finally happening! Baby is very active as well so much so that my whole tummy jerks and jumps around with every turn. Last night we took a pic of my belly because it was all lopsided, the right side of my tummy was a just a big bump. The pic also gives you all a view from my point of view, LOL! This is all I see when I look down!!!

I’m assuming that the head is on that side as this is what the midwife thinks and from our last scan this is where it was positioned. Baby is laying horizontally and hasn’t turned yet which I am hoping will happen in the next few weeks. Cameron keeps trying to rub my tummy so that the position will change, but to no avail, next minute it’s right back to where it was. I’m also starting to get really uncomfortable and the leg cramps are getting too much to handle. This is going to be a big baby I know, otherwise all this discomfort means something else! Sleeping is becoming mission impossible because getting into a comfy position is something I vaguely remember. Thankfully the sleep police ensures that I never turn onto my back and lay on my side all night!!!

This week we go for the next round of blood tests where I will also do a sugar test which will test my body’s reaction to a sugar overload, which I am not looking forward to. The whole test takes about an hour and involves me drinking a very sweet, sugary drink and then waiting to see how I react! Hopefully this one doesn’t go into a sugar-overdrive! And it’s at least another 4 weeks til our next scan where we will finally get to see how big baby is. Right now, baby is averaging on a weight of 1kg and a height of 38cm, but these are merely calculated guesses and not confirmed!

We’ve also started preparing for baby and have finally bought the pram (THANKS BRAD & SHAM) and will hopefully go this week and get the Cot (a gift from Grandpa and Granny Pillay – THANK YOU)!!!

This is the latest belly pic taken this morning.

So we're officially 7 months pregnant and have just 12 more weeks to go. The time is coming where we will finally meet this little ray of sunshine and we are so excited and nervous all at the same time.

When someone asks you, "what's the one thing you want to do with your life", or " if you could do something you love whether you get paid for it or not, what would it be", or even "what's the one thing you want to do with your life", what would be your answer be?

Well, for me, it's writing. I've always loved writing and have always been the girl in the corner doodling on a piece of paper, writing little bit of poetry, short stories or really just any nonsense that pops into my head. I've always been a diary keeper and when I was younger loved letter writing. I would leave little notes around the house for my parents and honestly, can't remember a time when I wasn't writing something or the other. Well, for the past few years I have let that fizzle out and don't do that anymore, not at all and I don't really know why. Recently it's been the only thing on my mind, thankfully there's been a little bit of an avenue with this blog and well, the long, verbose emails I send to my friends every now & then. But Cameron's really been encouraging me to get it started again and finally get my dream of writing a book on the go. I don't have any excuse anymore, I know I just have to go ahead and do it. As usual the biggest thing for me is to get this started. There is a storyline I have in my mind but actually getting this down on paper is something totally different.

I guess I just merely have to get all those thoughts onto paper. So 2012 is the year, I WILL GET MY BOOK GOING THIS YEAR! And, now that I am putting this out there I guess I'm bound to it now!

Here goes...

Babymoon 2012

When Bradley & Shamini found out they weren't able to extend their tickets in Auckland, Cameron & I decided it would be a good idea to go away for a few days. So we booked a two night stay at a little Motel in Tauranga for our babymoon, the last time we can get away, just the two of us.

Wednesday afternoon, just after lunch, we packed the car and headed down south to the beautiful Bay of Plenty. The weather in Auckland was miserable so we were really hoping to get some sun and summer weather down in Tauranga. But all 2 hours & 45 mins in the car the clouds kept rolling in and the rain kept pelting down. We weren't very impressed when we got to Tauranga and the rain didn't let up. Once we checked into our room we thought we'd take a drive into the city just to get a feel for it, so we drove in Tuaranga city centre but the streets were almost deserted. A far cry from busy Auckland! Along Tauranga's waterfront we did see a bit more hustle & bustle in and around the many pubs & restaurants. We then headed back to the motel and relaxed in our room for a bit before heading out to dinner.

We ended the night early due to the rain that would not let up and thought we could get an early start the next day and go exploring. The next day wasn't too bad, it didn't rain but was still overcast. Cameron woke up with horrible flu symptoms and wasn't in the mood to do anything except sleep but because it was our holiday tried his best to get out and have some fun. We drove down to Mount Maunganui, the best beach holiday destination in NZ. The place was buzzing with surfers, swimmers and shoppers. I wanted to go up the Mount but Cameron was rather worried that I wouldn't be able to make the trek up the 200 odd meters of extinct volcano. He was right so I reluncantly gave in. We then headed to Bayfair Shopping mall for some lunch and some retail therapy. After that we just explored the area and took in some sights, we then headed back to Tauranga and went to play some mini golf (I won't brag about how I beat Cameron by 12 points, 3 over par, not bad for a pregnant lady!) before heading back to the motel. We thought we'd get into the pool and just relax but when we got back to the motel the pool was packed with all the guests so we just relaxed in the room before getting ready to go ut for dinner. We were both exhausted and Cameron was still not feeling great but we headed out nonetheless but got back to the hotel straight after dinner and had an early night.

The next morning we checked out early, stopped for some breakfast and headed back to Auckland. And you know what, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER'S DAY!!! And when we got back to Auckland it did nothing but rain!!! I guess we can't escape from it.

Again, I'm sorry, no pictures. We were both pretty miserable and weren't in the mood to take pics of each other and because it rained most of the time if we weren't indoors we were in the car... no KODAK moments for us for the past few days I'm afraid.

We ended our leave by just relaxing at home, watching movies and enjoying each other's company. Sunday we headed to church (decided to go back to Life Central instead of Life West cos we just feel so much more at home there). The pastor from Life South spoke on God's Favour for 2012, I am so glad we went because I know that God's favour is upon us for 2012 and it's going to be an awesome year for us!!!

Happy New Year

Well 2011 has come and gone. It's unbelievable how fast the time has gone and when we look back at everything over the past year, we can only stand amazed at God's hand over our lives. Well in 2011 we purchased our first home in NZ, got pregnant, Cameron's been promoted at work and God's blessings just keep rolling in.

The night before New Years we headed out to Karaoke. It was a fun night with all the crazy shenanigans of my family & friends, the pictures speak a thousand words so I won't compete.

For New Years, we were invited to Premika's Dad's 50th birthday celebration at their place. It felt like home really cos there were a whole lot of people, and all South African! We really had a good time though with everyone.

Here's a pic of Premika's family:

The night ended with a whole lot of eating and dancing and was a great night out. Once again, I had to end the night early because I was too exhausted and as I was the only person not drinking had to be the sober driver. We eventually left around 2.30am, guess that's just a taste of things to come, no more late nights for us!

New Years Day we decided to go out for lunch and went to Lone Star resturant in Newmarket, after searching for what seemed like forever for an open restaurant all over Auckland's waterfront. The weather was miserable as well, rain, rain and more rain. Seems like Summer forgot to call Auckland this year.

Monday the second we decided to give to the brothers to have some alone time together, while Sham & I stayed home and watched movies. We then cooked and had supper together one last time before they headed back to Australia on Tuesday morning. The holiday was really great but it amazes me how it never seems to get easier saying goodbye! But we have only a few more months til we see each other again, as everyone will be coming through in May after baby's born and for my darling mother--in-law's 60th. Plus my mum will be here in March so we will have a house full of people this year, CAN'T WAIT!

Here's to 2012!

Christmas 2011

Well, I've been preparing for this Christmas since December 1st. Christmas CD's have been playing in the car and while I'm at work and the Christmas tree has been up since then as well. I've been desperate to get myself into the Christmas spirit because this is our last Christmas before baby arrives and well, it's only going to get better with each Christmas in the future. So I have to remind myself how to get into the spirit of things and go back to that "Child-like" innocence to get the excitement that comes along with Christmas.

To start our Christmas celebrations we FINALLY got to go pick up Bradley & Shamini from the airport and get our holiday off to a good start. They arrived on Thursday (22nd) evening. Their flight was delayed by an hour and because I couldn't get off work early it worked out quite fine for us. Their flight got in after 6pm so I managed to leave the office come home for Cam as he had the day off and go straight to the airport. We stood around waiting for what seemed like forever and the airport was really packed. We love the arrivals lounge at the airport, especially around Christmas, it's always so exciting and happy and I love watching people's reactions when they see their loved ones. Because I get really stiff and sore if I stand on my feet for too long, as soon as there was a chair available we sat down, so when they finally came through the doors they couldn't see my pregnant belly. But when I stood up, their reactions were priceless... Shamini's jaw dropped to the floor and well, in between Brad's excitement to see his brother his eyes kep diverting to my tummy as if it was a mirage... PRICELESS!!! Shamini reached out to touch it to see if it was real and couldn't pick her jaw froom the ground til at least the next day!

Friday the 23rd was meant to be my first day of leave but because we've been caught up in the recent MV Rena grounding down in the Bay of Plenty I had to wrap up a few things before I officially began my leave. So was back in the office on Friday, thankfully these 3 were still asleep so I didn't miss out on anything!!! We had a quiet Friday as they were up til ungodly hours on their first night (that seemed to be the theme of the entire holiday). Come Christmas Eve we went to Westgate Mall for Brunch and then did last minute shopping for Christmas lunch. Once we were home we got into the kitchen to get our prep done for our big Christmas lunch.

Christmas morning was an early one for me. First things first was to get the ham into the pot to boil and prep the Chicken for roasting. Thankfully Shamini had helped me get the pie filling and the stuffing done the night before so it was just the roasts and sides to be done. While cooking my mum skyped me from SA. It was good talking to her, especially since she hasn't seen the pregnant belly either so she got to see how big I am. Honestly, I don't know if she wanted to cry or laugh when she saw my belly but I know she was happy to see her baby in full pregnancy glow! After chatting to her and after everything was done I quickly got ready for all the guests to arrive. We had invited Premika, Lenny & Kajal as well as our friend Romarlon for lunch so we had a pretty full house. We had to bring two tables together to fit everyone around the table for Christmas lunch and well as our dining room isn't big enough for that we rearranged the whole house to fit the two tables into the lounge. Okay, I have to apologise, I didn't take any pictures on Christmas day. I was exhausted and well, that was the furthest thing from my mind! I know Premika did take a few so will have to try to get some from her. We had an amazing lunch together though, this was our menu:

Roast Chicken with Pork & Sage stuffing
Gravy
Christmas Ham with a apricot and honey glaze
Steak & Mince pie
Salad
Sauteed Asparagus and Green Beans with chive butter
Steamed Carrots
Herb Roasted baby potatoes

The weather held up and we had a good time just sitting outside under the gazebo and enjoying each other's company. We then had Evelyn & Api, Jared and two of their friends join us that evening to continue the Christmas Celebrations. I was the stick in the mud though, by 11pm I called it a night.

On Boxing Day we had a lazy morning and headed off to Lenny & Premika's place for the afternoon. We took all the food over as well because there was still so much left over and had that for dinner that night. The guys enjoyed an evening of playing playstation (FIFA 11 I think it was), while us girls chatted about everything babies! We're all at different stages so it was good to share our stories.

We had planned to go to Hobbiton on the 27th but after the rush of the last few days we decided to just relax on the 27th and plan a full day for the 28th. We headed off early that morning, straight after breakfast and drove the 2 hours to Matamata to see Hobbiton. Anyone who has watched or even heard of the Lord of the Rings movies will understand why we HAD to go see this place. And with the new "The Hobbit" movie coming out we really had to take the opportunity to go. Only thing though, we all signed a confidentiality agreement which prohibits us from sharing any pictures of the actual set (the exciting part really) on any social website or for any personal use, so sorry people I can't share these until the release of "The Hobbit" movie in December 2012... which really sucks... But here are a few of the ones we can actually share...

It was a really long day and was even longer considering we had to drive back to Auckland the same day. So when we got home although we had planned to go out that night we were all really exhausted from the full day and just called it a night and decided we'd go out for supper the following night. The 28th brought the rain and well, it hasn't let up. We went out to Wildfire for dinner and ate til we were almost sick! We haven't been there since my 27th birthday so it was nice to go back and have some really great Brazilian Churrascaria!!!

The last few days have been really full on and I cannot believe we have one more day for 2011.

23 Weeks - 6 months

This week starts the last month of the second trimester, I cannot believe how fast time has flown. There's not much to report on the pregnancy at this stage, besides the fact that baby is always on the move. Loves the sound of music, will start moving the moment the music goes on, which makes me wonder... do we have a musician in the making? Cameron has finally started to feel all babies movements which are becoming incredibly stronger as the days go by.
This is the last belly pic we took this week, officially 6 months.

First birthdays

Well, although we've barely gotten to our own baby we're surrounding by loving little girls who both have turned one over the past 2 weeks.

First up we had Kajal's (our friends Lenny & Premika's daughter)first birthday party on the 26th of November which just happened to fall on her actual birthday. Last year we were getting ready to go to Taupo for my 42km Cycle Challenge the day she was born so this year, besides the fact that I am pregnant and unable to ride, we had to pull out of the race to celebrate our little munchkin's birthday. The Friday I baked 2 cakes for the party, a carrot cake and a red velvet chocolate cake and the Saturday morning we were off to their place, well when I could finally drag myself out of bed. I've been really exhausted over the past few weeks and early mornings just aren't my thing. The party was a great success, our little girl looked so gorgeous in her white dress and little ballet pumps. Here's just some pics of the birthday party.

Lenny, Premika & Kajal

Kajal with her grandparents

We then had baby Zivah's birthday on November 30th. As it was during the week Evelyn & Api decided they would have a BBQ on Friday night and then have a little party for her on Saturday with their family. Evelyn asked me to bake a red velvet cake as well so I did that on Thursday night and then iced the cake on Friday night. I normally make a white meringue type frosting but for Zivah I added some pink coluring and made a yummy pink frosting for her. (Sorry was such a rush so I didn't get to take pics.)
It wasn't a very formal do so we didn't get to take pics with the birthday girl but here's some pics of the two of them from Kajal's party.