My last days as a non-mum

As #babybuchanan2014's eviction date gets closer and closer, it has got me thinking about what life will be like once he arrives and completely takes over my world. Being a first time mum (FTM for those in mummyland) I am aware that I have no idea what it will be like and I only have the experiences of others and my own ideas to go off. Many mummy friends have told me that I will not get much sleep (yes, I expected that) but it is also the everyday routine and daily challenges that have me perplexed.

For example, I have been told that it will be hard to go to the toilet on my own. This I don't understand. If I put the baby down in his cot during the first few months he won't move, so why can't I duck to the bathroom for a couple of minutes? He'll just be there when I get back. Same with the shower - if he's changed and fed, isn't that the perfect time to have a quick rinse? I understand that this will change once the little grommit is on the move - now that will be chaos!

I must admit that I don't find newborns very cute - they often look like wrinkly old men (and not in a Hugh Hefner kind of way). They often smell funny too and the thought of not holding them properly scares the beejezus out of me! I have been told that all parents have a hormone in them which blinds them from the fact that their baby is ugly. This could be true - actually let's hope that it is. Look, in comparison I think that there are no dogs cuter than mine, yet I am sure a couple of people would disagree (yes, only a couple) so maybe this explains it.

Friend J told me to write a list of what I am enjoying doing right now, pre-baby, so that when I am wondering what my life used to be like I can look back on this post and reminisce (with a glass of Windows Estate 2013 Chenin Blanc in hand).

• Jumping in the car in 5 minutes and heading to my favourite shops with only a small handbag
• Sleeping
• Watching trashy TV
• Cuddling my dogs on my bed
• Wearing clothes without 'easy access' to my huge jugs
• Having an hour long bubble bath
• Going to the movies - ALL BY MYSELF
• More shopping (and nesting)

So as my little ninja spends his last few days in the cosiest hotel, I am going to try my best to cherish these final few moments as a non-mum.

Hx

The changing me

Unfortunately, like many women I have a fear of losing my pre-pregnancy body and as a result will never be able to delve into the ridiculous investment that is my wardrobe – ever, ever again. The thought of this just makes me shudder!

I must admit looking back to pre-pregnant me, I wasn’t even satisfied then, so maybe going through this life and body changing experience that is ‘growing a person’ is what I need to be grateful and not so self-obsessed.

Over the past 8 months I have had many emotional ups and downs. There have been moments when I have felt like a voluptuous glamazon and really embraced the new curves, and in contrast, too many moments (particularly in the early days) where I have had complete meltdowns and A has had to pick me up off the floor. In his words, “pregnant women are supposed to get fat” – um…….. ok at least he’s trying!

Many of my Mummy friends have told me not to worry, and that the weight will just ‘fall off’. Let’s just say I bloody hope so! Only time will tell - and hopefully my R-Judd endorsed spanky pants work their magic!

But I know that whatever comes, it will all be worth it when I get to see this little guy.

Hx

Not goodbye, just see you soon xx

 

Today is my very last day in my current job. I have worked at this organisation for just over 15 months and although I am more than ready to move on, there are many things that I will miss. Take this lovely lady above, and her beautiful pooch Ella.

 

M and I hit it off from day one. You know when you meet someone and they just 'get' you.

 

M and I have laughed and laughed (we both share a sick, witty, whacked out sense of humour); we have consoled each other when we have had many a meltdown (too frequent me thinks!); spent hours chatting away about completely irrelevant crap; and really forged a great bond.

 

Trust me, when you find a friend like her you never let go.

 

It's not goodbye for us, it's the start of a lifelong friendship.

 

I feel so lucky.

 

H x

Would you or wouldn't you?

 

Last week my work colleagues and I were chatting about various "Would you or wouldn't you?"scenarios, so I thought I would post some as food for thought.

 

• Would you buy a house that someone had been murdered in?
• What if it was a real bargain?
• Would you stop for a distressed person on the road if you were alone in your car at night?
• Would you keep a substantial amount of money if you found it?
• Would you hand in a wallet/phone if you found it in a taxi?
• Would you intervene if you saw someone being assaulted/abused?
• Would you buy pepper spray?
• Would you dob in a shoplifter if you saw them stealing?

I would like to think that I could do the right thing, but sometimes it isn't always black and white.

I am sure there are plenty more scenarios that you can think of, and it does make for a good conversation starter!

H x



The angry note...

Hmmm...

I am not happy.

It all started when I moved my car yesterday morning so that A could drive him Mum to the airport. I moved the car to our front verge, and upon getting out of said car I saw what looked like a note folded up. Of course being the spy demon I am, I grabbed the note in earnest, thinking I could be unravelling the start of something very sinister.

This is what I found.

Now there are a few possible scenarios.

1. This letter is not directed at me and Mr T, and simply happen to land on my verge by chance due to wind/cars/cyclists/runners/garbage truck etc.

2. This letter is not directed at me and Mr T, but rather a nearby hound which may have sounded like it was in our yard.

3. This letter IS directed at me and Mr T, but for a one off event where the author was particularly hungover and had a short fuse.

4. This letter IS directed at me and Mr T, and he is the serial barker on our street - you know, the dog that no one likes!

As I am not 100% on any of the above as the letter was not in my letterbox, I am not sure what to do, and am feeling a bit yuk. The last thing that I want is to piss off the neighbours and for T to receive the poison steak!

I think to be on the safe side I will leave T inside for a few days if A and I go out, and maybe install a baby gate so I don't end up with this situation again.

Any advice?

H x



UPDATE: Prior to publishing I found out that the note was not directed at T dog but another nearby pooch. I am still unimpressed - why can't people come and speak to you, face to face. Neighbours are supposed to have each other's backs...

Where do birds go?

Have you ever wondered where birds go when they die? Every day I see quite a few birds flying around but it would be a rare occasion if I happened to stumble across a bird once they had passed away (I am trying not to be too gorey here).

 

It seems I am not the only one who wanted to know! It comes up in fourth place on a Google search.

 

 

And then Derrick from Ottawa cleverly asked Yahoo and boom! Dr Fox to the rescue.

 

So there you have it folks. Problem solved.

 

H x

The Daily Friend

Do you have people in your life that you see nearly every day but have no idea who they are? They might be the lady you pass on your morning run, or the man who catches the same train as you, or the woman who takes your order at your favourite coffee shop – every single day. Does it ever make you think that there are so many people in this world that you will never ever know?

At what point do you say hello? Would you ever strike up a conversation? Or simply blank them – every single day?

On most mornings T and I walk or run around the East Perth/Burswood bridges (with friends or solo) and we always pass a lovely lady, who I now know as Margaret.

Long before T was even a blip on the radar I used to run this loop before work and I would smile as I passed Margaret. This slowly built up to a ‘Good morning!’ and this is how is stayed for a few years.

One day last week, when walking with friend J and pooches W and A, Margaret stopped to admire the hounds. She asked what their names were and we all ended up introducing ourselves. And that is how Margaret and I took our relationship to the next level.

I don’t think we will ever be best friends but at least it is a familiar face with a name that I get to say hello to every day. I will never know her life story, who her family are, or even where she lives. But I like that she is a part of my world and we look out for each other.

Do you have any daily friends?

H x

 

Image credit here.

Chinese New Year Resolution - Slow the f$%* down

Happy Chinese New Year!

Last night A and I were being particularly lazy (I blame the heat), so we ordered Chinese from our local. Being the best girlfriend in the world I offered to collect not knowing what I was about to step into.

As the trusty Mazda pulled into the car park I could see and hear a lot of commotion outside our trusty restaurant. A small crowd had gathered to watch the performance by two Chinese dragons that were dancing in aid of Chinese New Year celebrations!

As I waited and waited for the performance to end I could feel myself growing with impatience and even a bit of anger. How dare these dancers get in the way of me collecting my dinner! After about five minutes I was pretty pissed off - why should I have to wait?

Then it dawned on me. The crowd were all smiling and clapping - really getting involved and enjoying the celebration. I should look at this as an opportunity to be a part of something very special and exciting instead of an inconvenience. Why was I in such a rush to get home (watching a rerun of the Superbowl  was what lay ahead of me). So I decided to slow down, take a few snaps, and enjoy a new cultural experience.

I hope you enjoy the Year of the Snake and have a Happy Chinese New Year.

H x 

What a week...

Every time I open any form of social media at the moment there appears to be inspirational crap vomitted all over the screen. Look, I am all for a bit of positivity, half glass full blah, blah, blah, but come on people! 

 

But sometimes it's ok just to have a shit day that remains shit for the whole week and not even a Lorna Jane tee can fix it! Sorry for the sombre mood, it's just been one of those weeks that reminds me of why people drink. Blugh!

 

On the bright side (there's that inner sunshine breaking through the cracks), here's to a great weekend (Happy Hen's Day Miss L)!

 

H x

 

Image credit here.

Does fear come with age?

Last week A and I had dinner with his colleague P, his wife D, and two children 8 and 6. It was a lovely evening of good company, lots of laughs (and average food, but we won't go into that).

 

As the school term was fast approaching I asked the boys if they were excited about heading back to school, to which they both proclaimed, "No, school is so boring!". Child 8 went on to say, "I can't wait until I'm an adult, life will be so much better!"

 

This got me thinking. As a child, all you want to be is to be older (amongst many other things) so that you can have more control over your life. You want to be able to make decisions for yourself, buy what you choose and go wherever you like. But seeing it from the other side, it's really not all it's cracked up to be.

 

I thought as I got older I would fear less. Surely the monsters in the cupboard can't get you if you're all grown up?!? But I have actually found it to be the opposite. Here are two lists to compare.

 

8 year old H feared:

•  Monsters in the cupboard
• The dark
• Missing out on Home and Away

29 year old H fears:

• Real monsters on the street
• The dark
• Missing out on Keeping Up with the Kardashians
• Burglars
• The telephone (don't even ask)
• Doing something wrong
• Missing out (on anything that I deem worthy - concerts/events/catch ups/holidays)
• Having a child
• Not having a child
• Being a bad parent
• Losing A (note - this list is in no particular order)
• Having no money
• Having a car crash
• Getting mugged/robbed/assaulted etc
• My dog getting stolen out of my backyard
• My dog running away
• Family members or friends getting sick
• Getting fired
• Making poor choices
• Having regrets
• Many many more things....

Phew, quite a list really. Life was so much simpler.

H x

Where will the next step be?

A and I have been toying with the notion of investing in our dream home soon-ish with the idea of renting it out for the next 5 years before we move in. The thought of this kind of financial commitment is very scary but also liberating and exciting to look to the future.

We have always wanted to live closer to the beach and A loves Fremantle, so we have been looking around the Bicton, East Fremantle, Attadale area. There have been a few duds (why do homes always look so good on the net??), but this is one that we both really like.

 

It is so surreal to be looking at family homes (I still feel like I am 21!) and having to think about number of bedrooms, school locations and entertaining at home - as opposed to the cost of the taxi fare home from the pub.

We won't be buying anything just yet (at least until we do some serious number crunching) but we will keep searching until we find just the right place. I will keep you informed of our progress.

H x

The simple things that make you smile...



When you're having a crappy time at work, it's nice to have work colleagues who do little things to try and cheer you up.

 

H x

Letting go...

H x

Life is short...

 

H x

I choose to like my job...



So it's the start of the new working year and I am trying to look on the bright side. I always seem to get fairly depressed after a holiday but this time I am trying to look at the 'glass half full'. I often tend to wail and moan, procrastinate (who knew counting drawing pins could be so entertaining) and wallow in self pity. I think up excuses not to come to work and try to extend my summer holiday just that little bit longer. I need to snap out of it and be grateful for what I have.

 

I was talking to my sister K and she had a great philosophy (borrowed from a friend of a friend) - she said, "You just have to decide to like your job". I do like my job - but I don't love it. There are plenty of other things that I would rather be doing, and considering both of my parents are 60 plus and still working, it's a long road ahead. Talking to my friends and family, many of them love (or at least enjoy) their jobs and look forward to getting up each day, raring to go. I do not feel like this.

But maybe I am one of those people whose job funds their lifestyle, and it is outside of work where the enjoyment and fulfillment lies. There are many things that I would like to try (trendy cafe owner anyone?) but I don't know if fantasy is better than reality.

My summer is spent trawling through glossy mags, staring at pretty people having a great time. I know that this is not reality (they are more likely in fact starving models who work three jobs) but I sure as hell wish I could be a part of whatever they are all doing, instead of sitting at my computer wishing the time away.

So I think that it is all in my mindset. I am not forced to be here, but am rather choosing to be here.

I choose to like my job.

We shall see.

H x

 

 

Life

Just a little note to get you through your Thursday.

Hope you have a great day.

H x

Don't forget about spring.

As the temperature rises and the days get longer, it can be easy to forget the dreary winter rain and wish the time away until summer is upon us. I do love summer (in Perth how could you not!) but I think it's important to stop and smell the roses (literally) and relish in this wonderful time of year.

Here are my favourite things about spring...

Spring Racing Carnival

The flowers at my grandparents property in Dunsborough

SPRING IN THE VALLEY!

A cider in the sun

Picnics in the park

Taking the dogs to the beach (this is Tess my family dog)

Barefoot bowling!

It's a nice time of year to be outdoors without the risk of instant sunburn and dehydration. I am looking forward to balmy evenings, Sunday afternoon beers and spending endless hours at the beaches down south this summer, but right now I am happy enjoying this beautiful springtime.

When is your favourite time of year?

H x

Welcome to the world of a tall girl

Hello.

Writing a blog is always something that has intrigued me. I do not work in an uber cool job in which I am surrounded by amazing creative types for inspiration. I am not an amazing writer and hope that like fine wine, my skills will improve with age. This blog is just about me and things that happen in my everyday life.

I live in an inner suburb of Perth with my boyfriend A and my adorable dog T. We share a cute 1960's red brick house with a white picket fence, in which we have lived for just over a year and have plans to renovate to make our house more liveable.

I enjoy the outdoors and 'attempt' to lead a relatively healthy lifestyle, but am always keen for a catch up with my fantastic girlfriends over a glass (or five) of wine. I enjoy riding my bicycle, running and belting out power anthems in my car (with the windows up of course). I enjoy good food, great coffee and like to try my hand at decorating and gardening.

And I do not wear heels.

H x