2007.... A Year in Review

Ok so I did this last year and thought I would carry on the tradition

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Flew to South Africa....
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
i dont make them
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I became a great aunt to Paige Maree
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
South Africa
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
cant think of anything
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 11......my wedding day
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting married...can that be an achievement????
9. What was your biggest failure?
I dont think i had one this year...
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nah not really
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My wedding dress and passport
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one really
14. Where did most of your money go?
Our trip to South Africa and wedding...though the exchange rate helped
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Marrying the love of my life and my honeymoon to Shamwari....game drive
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Making a memory - Bon Jovi
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier...and in love
b) thinner or fatter? The same.....
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Nothing really I am pretty happy with what has been this year..
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
wasting time
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with my Fam.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
every morning when I wake up next to my hubby
22. How many one-night stands?
NONE
23. What was your favorite TV program?
CSI Miami
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't think I actually Hate anyone ... dislike what some people do .. yes ... but don't hate anyone
25. What was the best book you read?
OHhh my sister introduced me to a great series...Laurell K Hamilton....Anita Blake(Vampire Exicutioner) BLOODY FANTASTIC
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing off the top of my head...
27. What did you want and get?
My happy ever after
28. What did you want and not get?
not bringing my wedding dress home
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
dont know
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I cant remember LOL.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
nope cant think of anything...
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
EKKKK horrible....
33. What kept you sane?
coffee....lots of coffee
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
cant think of any.....
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Nothing really don't pay any attention to all that stuff
36. Who did you miss?
My new family in South Africa....they are so far away
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Darains best friend Wayne and Wife Miriam in SA
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Good things DO happen
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
umm cant think of any at the moment...will work on it though

Christmas 2007

Christmas day this year Talia and Eloise spent Christmas eve with their dad so we only had Matthew and Megan Christmas morning. My mum and her husband George came and stayed with us over the holiday period which was really nice.

The two older girls were dropped off at 1pm and we were then able to open up all our presents. I received some beautiful gold ear rings and a gold bracelet from Darian and we gave each of the girls a scooter each. The kids had so many presents.

Matthew had the hang of opening presents this year and it was so nice to see him getting into it. We ended up having lunch at 4.30 ish and had a nice quiet Christmas night.

21 Weeks

At 21 weeks the baby is 25 cm long and weighs about 1/2 a kilo.

The baby's skin is being increasingly covered by vernix. This is a thick, white, greasy cream that protects their skin in their watery environment. Vernix disappears by about 40 weeks, but if the baby is born at 39 weeks or less, you would notice it is still on their skin. The baby's eyelids are still fused shut but the retinas of their eyes are fully developed and they now have distinct eyelashes and eyebrows. The baby's hair follicles are now pigmenting to give them hair colour, looking dark, fair or red!
The baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.

The baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and the baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After the baby swallows the amniotic fluid, he is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. The baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itself for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. The baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on your baby's tongue this week also.

Yes its been a long time and I am slack!

I have been neglecting my blog lately, does anybody read it anyway????

So I am 19 weeks and 3 days pregnant. All is going well and my belly has seemed to stop growing a bit so I don't feel HUGE for my dates anymore. Darian and I went and had the anatomy scan on Monday and everything is looking good and bubs is healthy.

The big news is that it is a BOY.....

We were not bothered what sex the baby was as long as it was healthy but knowing makes it easier to but for and the kids can now talk to their brother....all the girls wanted a brother so they are happy. Matthew is in his own little world so I guess he doesn't really care.

I finally went and had my hair cut and coloured on Wed, its only been about 9 months since I had a hair cut. It turned out ok. Darian and I went to his work Christmas function that night at the Left Bank Fremantle so getting out and about without the kids was nice. Mum came up for a few days and baby sat for us.

Other than that the kids have finished school for the year, their last day was yesterday and I have enroll led them into the local school next year which is walking distance. Eloise was a bit sad about leaving her old school so I am hoping she will be happy next year.

So that's been the last few weeks in a nut shell I will try and keep up with the weekly baby updates too :)

19 Weeks.....

The baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.2 to 6 inches this week. The baby weighs approximately 7 ounces and will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and birth!

One of the most amazing aspects of your the baby's growth and development is that of the fetal brain. The baby's brain is one of the first organs to appear. The baby's oversized head shows the brain's importance in his development. Because the nerves that connect the muscles to the brain have grown into place, baby's movements are consciously directed. The baby's ears stand out from the sides of the head and the buds for your baby's permanent teeth appear. The baby's arms and legs have reached their relative proportions and his feet are approximately one inch long.

18 Weeks......

By week 18 of the pregnancy, the baby's crown-to-rump length is 5 to 5.5 inches long. The baby continues to develop fat layers and weighs about 5.25 ounces. The baby will continue to grow and develop, but the rapid growth will slow down for a little while.
There is still space available in the uterus and the baby will be active for periods at a time. The baby may sit cross legged or turn somersaults.

Around this time, the baby becomes more sensitive to the outside world and shows her presence through powerful kicks and prods. The bones through which sound is passed to the inner ear have hardened and the part of the brain that receives and processes nerve signals from the ears are developing. This means that the baby can hear now. The baby will get used to familiar sounds, such as the mothers heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds. The baby will become startled if he hears a loud sound.

17 Weeks......

The baby's weight has doubled in two weeks and now weighs about 3.5 ounces! The crown-to-rump length of the growing baby is 4.4 to 4.8 inches.
The uterus is moving up and is now approximately 1.5 to 2 inches below the navel.

Huge changes continue to take place within the developing baby. This week fat begins to form and will continue to do so until he is born. Fat is important to the body's heat production and metabolism. Right now, at 17 weeks, water makes up about 3 ounces and fat 0.018 ounces of the baby's body. In a baby at term, fat makes up about 5.25 pounds of the total average weight of 7.7 pounds. The placenta is continuing to grow at an amazing rate. The placenta will continue to develop in tandem with the fetus and it will weigh more than a pound at birth! By this week, the placenta is large and well established with a network of blood vessels that exchange nutrients and waste.

The eyes are facing more forward. The ears are now close to their final position.

The baby is more flexible with ability to move head, mouth, lips, arms, wrists, hands, legs, feet, and toes.

Fingerprints are forming now.

16 weeks 2 days

Yay today a electrician came to fix the oven. It stopped while I was cooking a roast Sun night and its fixed now. I hadn't realized how much I used it until I couldn't.

I got Talia to take a photo of me this morning before time got away again and the pregnancy was over and no pregnancy shots. So here I am 16 weeks and 2 days.

I have felt the baby move for about a week now and cant wait till its strong enough for Darian and the kids to feel it. We went and bought a change table on sat and I managed to pick up a bassinet on eBay. I like to get things early as I know when you get big and heavy the last thing you feel like doing is shopping....
So we are basically ready for the baby, just a few things like a rocker and clothes...they can wait...May baby....warm going into cold....tough one. I will have to get a bit of everything.

All the girls are so excited, every day Eloise asks if the baby has grown and she has even started to talk to my tummy.

week 16.....

At this point of the pregnancy, the baby is approximately 17cm long and weighs 200grams. Not only is the baby growing, the uterus and placenta continue to grow to accommodate the growing baby! The amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby is increasing and there is about 7.5 ounces of fluid.

The child can grasp with his hands, kick, or even somersault.

At this time, the baby is holding her head erect. Because her muscles are developing, she can make some faces now. The baby is able to squint, frown and open its mouth. There is enough calcium in the bones that they will show up on an x-ray. The baby's fingernails are well formed now and the legs are longer than the arms.

Week 15......

The baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 4 inches and it now weighs approximately 1.75 ounces. The baby is close to the size of a softball

The baby is growing at an amazing rate and looking more like a human every day. Because the baby's skin is so thin, you are able to see blood vessels through the skin. Lanugo hair covers the baby's body, but it will be gone when baby is born.

The hair on the eyebrows and head continues to grow. Some babies are born with little or no hair and others have a head full of hair! If I were have an ultrasound at this point, I might be able to see the baby sucking its thumb. Even though the eyes continue to move to the front of the face, they are still widely separated. The baby's ears look like normal ears and continue to develop externally.
The bones that have already formed continue to get harder and retain calcium. The baby is very mobile and flexible at this point. It can bend her arms at the elbows and wrists and she can also make a fist with her hands.

lazy day sunday

Yesterday was going to be warm so we decided to fill up the small pool for the kids to swim and play around in. The kids had a great time and I managed to get some photos I have been a bit slack of late.

14 weeks pregnant....

The baby's crown to rump length is 12 cm (3.2 to 4.5 inches) long and he weighs approximately 1 ounce now. The baby is about the size of the average fist.
At this time, the baby's face is becoming more developed. The cheeks and bridge of his nose appear and the ears move from the sides of his neck to much higher on his head. The eyes continue to come closer together.
A big development from this week onward is the development of lanugo. Lanugo are the fine hairs that grow over almost all of your baby. The hairs grow in whirled patterns that follow the grain of his skin. These patterns later give way to the baby's fingerprints. The lanugo will be shed before birth and replaced by thicker, coarser hairs.
The baby's thyroid gland has matured and starts to produce hormones.The embryo`s soft cartilage is now being replaced with ` real` chalk bones.
The baby has eyebrows, but no eyelashes. Fine, light hair also begins to grow.

A slow week.

Well it hasn't exactly been slow as lots always happens when you have kids. I was suffering from a head cold for a few days and because I couldn't take anything I felt like I was dying. Because of this Matthew missed out on Play group and gymbaroo this last week. He also had his physio review, she had received the report back from the pead and checked him over. He is still not running or jumping (he does a cross between a fast walk and trot)
He is still walking by rolling his hips, which turn his knees in and thus causing the over balancing and pigeon toes. She thinks its from all the "W" sitting (not that he does that much anymore) so we are to get him to sit crossed legged to stretch the opposite tendon. Hope fully this will loosen and he will walk better. He is to see her in a month and if she doesn't see an improvement she wants him to see a orthopedic surgeon . Have no idea what they would do...I guess its a wait and see thing.

The girls are good, they spent the weekend with their dad. Eloise is very excited about the baby asking every day if the baby has grown and how big is it now. She was too young to remember Matthews pregnancy so this one is really real to her. I cant wait for the baby to start kicking so she can feel it.

Other than that nothing much is happening. I have applied to a near by school to see if I cant get the girls in there next year but because they are out of area we have to wait until final figures for next year are know and then we are considered. So we wont know until the end of the school year if the girls are going to a closer school.

13 weeks, whats happening.....

The baby now weighs 14 to 20 grams. The crown-to-rump length of the growing baby is 2.6 to 3.1 inches.
The baby is now about the size of a peach.There is a milky membrane that surrounds the baby. It is pierced by the umbilical cord and is made up of two layers, which are fused together. The placenta provides most of the nutrients and oxygen that the baby needs.
By this week, the placenta is well formed and ready to take over hormone manufacture from the ovaries. The placenta will produce progesterone and estriol. These hormones will be crucial in the maintenance of the pregnancy. Tissue that will form the baby's bones is being laid down, especially around the head and limbs. The nose and chin are becoming more prominent. The baby's eyelids meet and fuse together and they will not open again for nearly four months. The eyes started out on the side of the baby's head and they are now moving closer together on the face. The ears come to lie in their normal position on the sides of the head. If examined outside of the womb, you would be able to distinguish male from female at this time.

The sockets for all twenty teeth are formed in the gums, and vocal cords are beginning to form.

12 week scan

today we went for our 12 week scan.....very exciting...
Even though this is number 4 for me there is nothing like seeing that little jelly bean up on that monitor. The little heart was going ten to the dozen and it was jumping up and down...all healthy and good
the heart beat is sitting at a very good 161 beats a min.
We will know the results of the test in about a week.

Catch up with an old friend

Today I went and had coffee with an old school friend of mine. I haven't seen her since about Feb 1997. She has just returned home from living over seas and she is going back to live in South Africa for a year as her partner is from there and he is unable to immigrate here as yet.

It was great catching up.

Now that I am home I am very tired.....cant wait until I get my energy back....at least the morning sickness has gone

Tomorrow we are off for our 12 week ultrasound to check for Downs syndrome and just to make sure everything is OK....

12 Weeks....whats happening

The baby's crown-to-rump length is almost 2.5 inches and it now weighs between 8 and 14 grams! In just three weeks, the baby's size has more than doubled and begins to look alot more human. Even though I won't be able to feel the baby moving at this time, I would be able to stimulate him and he will squint, open his mouth and move his fingers or toes.

Because most of the structures are already formed at this point, few will be formed after this time. The structures will continue to grow and develop throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. The baby's skeletal system now has centers if bone formation in most of the bones. The digestive system is capable of making contractions that push food through the bowels and it is also able to absorb sugar. The pituitary gland beginning to make hormones.

The baby develops reflexes and the skin is very sensitive.
The brain is fully formed, and the child can feel pain. the baby may even suck his thumb. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers.

My girls are back home !!!!

Yesterday we drove to the airport and picked up the girls. They have both grown taller over the month and look so happy. Well not as happy as their mum :)

We came home and the girls unpacked and showed me all their new clothes that they were given. Darian then went and picked up Meg for the night and the kids spent the rest of the afternoon playing...

Will have to take some photos of them....

Pig hunting in the Northern Territory!

Great photo, thought I would share it....

Week 11...whats happening now.

The baby measures about 5 cm from crown to rump and weighs about 8 grams (0.28 ounces), nearly doubling in size during the last week!
Baby now has a limited ability to suck and swallow, although this action is not fully mature until 24 to 28 weeks.
Their taste buds have developed enough to taste the amniotic fluid that surrounds them and their kidneys are now functioning and secreting fluid into their bladder. The baby will soon pass a type of clean urine into the amniotic fluid, in a continuous cycle of swallowing and urinating this fluid to keep their kidneys functioning until birth. The baby also breathes amniotic fluid into their lungs to strengthen the muscle under them and to regularly practice rhythmic expansion of their lungs.
Their stomach now produces gastric juices and they have about 20 baby teeth in their gums! The baby's sex organs are still developing and their typical male or female characteristics are not obvious yet.
Baby's movements are now more coordinated and purposeful. Regular movement is now important for your baby's growth and development. Without it their muscles would waste, their joints would seize and their bones would become brittle. Movement of some description is now a daily part of the unborn baby's life (when they are awake!)

Matthews Paediatrician Review

Yesterday Matthew had his 6 month review with the Paediatrician. He had received the OT's report and was pleased with his progress. He then played a whole heap of games with Matthew, puzzles, building blocks and recognizing common objects.

He is pleased with the progress of Matthews speech and fine motor skills however he is still concerned about Matthew's balance and that is pigeon toeness is getting worse.

Matthew sees the physio for a review on the 30th of this month, so we will see what comes of that.

The Paediatrician will review the test and send out the results in about a week. One thing he did say is that he wouldn't mind Matthew being seen by a Neurologist a PMH, just to check his muscle tone, we have done a muscle enzyme test and that came back normal but the paediatrician is still concerned about the weakness and floppyness of Matthews muscles. So I guess we wait until we see them and see what they say.

Matthews OT Review

Yesterday Matthew had his 6 month OT review. We had a new OT but that was OK. His name was Matthew as well and he was nice.
Well after 1 1/2 hours of playing games there is some great news and not so great news...
In lots of areas including, puzzles, block building , threading, joining and fun things like that Matthew has caught up. he is doing the same things that a normal 3 - 4 year old would do...
However because his fingers are so flexible his drawing and cutting skills are still well below his age range...but we can still work on it.

This is all good news as 6 months ago he was in the 12 - 18 month range for his skills, so all our hard work is paying off.

He has been put down for another block of treatment in the new year...

10 weeks...whats happening.

The baby measures around 3.5 cm from crown to rump and weighs about 5 grams (or 0.18 of an ounce). By now, the baby's complete body plan is laid down. The baby will continue to develop and grow for the remainder of the pregnancy.This week is somewhat of a landmark for the developing baby.By the end of this week all of the baby's major organs will be in place!
Bubs legs are now longer than their arms and large muscles have developed, forming thick bands of padding between their skin and underlying bones. The fingers and toes have separated and the tail has disappeared now
The baby's brain and nervous system are maturing and their muscles and nerves now work together to facilitate their first movements. The baby has taste and tooth buds at this point, which will continue to develop. The brain will continue to grow at an amazing rate and nearly a quarter of a million new neurons are produced every minute!
The baby has primitive reflexes and can respond to touch if stroked on the palm of their hands or the soles of their feet. At the moment the baby's movements are small, jerky and uncoordinated and far too small for me to feel them just yet.
The baby can open their jaw and stretch. Their body is now straighter and small ribs can be seen through their chest.
Their digestive system is developing rapidly.
The embryonic heart is completely developed. External genitalia are not apparent until next week, but a male's testes will already be producing testosterone.

Do we really have to eat ????

Woke up this morning feeling OK, a bit queezy but I think its getting better....yay.
Matthew was still asleep at 7 am so I managed to duck off for a quick shower. Little man didn't wake until 7.30 and I was greeted with a big smile and "hallo mummeee" lets hope he is feeling better. He didn't eat breakfast so I guess his tummy is still feeling a bit off...

Unfortunately we have to go out today, we have become house bound, between me feeling like death and Matthew being ill we have stayed at home .... we need food. We have to leave the house...I cant put off for another day.....

a small catch up.

Well this weekend was quiet and normal. I am still feeling yuk and whats worse is the emotional roller coaster I am currently on.
Matthew is sick at the moment, he has gastro ....poor little soul. It also looks like he has conjunctivitis to add to his misery.

See my life is boring....nothing happening..

What happened this week...

A very quiet week, we had Megan stay with us this week. It made the house less quiet and Matthew enjoyed having someone to play with. Mum came up on Wednesday as they had a hospital appoint to go to so they stayed Wed night. They went to the Perth Royal Show on Thursday and went home yesterday.

I have been feeling a little better, Wednesday I didn't feel sick at all but it came back on Thursday. However there is light at the end of the tunnel...

My tummy is growing already, I am having to dig out the maternity clothes already...I guess it is to be expected with number 4...

The tiredness is easing, though come night time I am stuffed and am in bed asleep by 8.30ish.

Last night Darian, Matthew and myself went to the local pub Whale+ale for dinner. I couldn't be stuffed cooking and didn't want take away. It was very nice....very busy.

This morning Darian had to work 9-12....now that it is summer its getting busy so everyone in the office takes turns for Sat morns...means extra money too....not complaining

So that's it...

The girls rang the other day, they are having a great time, though Eloise is a little home sick. 2 weeks today and they are home....

9 Weeks....what is happening

The baby now measures around 2.5 cm from crown to rump and the webbing between it's fingers and toes has disappeared, creating separate digits. The baby's nail beds are starting to form, but actual nails are not present until they are about 20 weeks gestation.

The baby's heart has developed valves within their aorta and pulmonary blood vessels. These direct blood flow to and from their body and lungs, via their umbilical cord to my body. It's liver is now producing blood cells. This task will eventually be taken over by the baby's bone marrow, once their bones fully mature.

The baby's lungs are growing bronchi tunnels, which will eventually transport air after they are born. The baby's elbows, knees, wrists and ankles are developing. Their bones are initially soft and flexible (made of cartilage) and muscle tissue has begun forming between their skin and bones.
Their neck is more developed, allowing them to slightly lift and turn their head! They may even be able to touch their own face with their hands - the beginnings of thumb sucking!
The baby's ovaries or testes are now well developed. However, both sexes look the same at this early stage because their external sex organs are just beginning to form.

Only 10 more weeks to wait until we can see if baby is a boy or girl....yes we are going to find out.

Something to Share

Well as some of you know Darian and I are expecting baby number 5......well my 4th and his 2nd...doesn't make it any less daunting.

It was planned but we didn't think it would happen this quick.

I am 9 weeks today and the baby is due on the 6th May 2008

We told all the kids together before the girls flew to Kununurra and all seem to be pleased.

I forgot how tiring the first trimester is, I am having to have a rest in the afternoon and am in bed a t 7.30 pm....It doesn't help that I have been having really bad morning sickness. I am talking morning, noon and night...I cant wait for it to go away.

We had out first scan a few weeks ago to make sure I had my dates right....I was spot on and the heart beat was strong and there was only one in there.....

My next scan is at 12 weeks to check for the chance of Downes.....

I better do a catch up.

Well the weeks have flown since we arrived home.

The two girls flew out on Saturday to spend a month in the N.T with their grandparents and Aunty. They were very excited but nervous as it was their first time unaccompanied. Eloise cried before getting led away, she didn't want to go. But she did and watching them walk across the tar mack was hard. I only had a few tears, I would have been fine if Eloise wasn't upset.
They rang from Kununurra when they landed and they were both very happy. They got totally spoilt on the flight.

Sunday I had booked 2 tickets to Cirque du Solei Varekai for Darian and myself. Mum drove up from down south to look after Matthew for us.
The show was awesome, we loved every minute of it. We definatly want to go to the next one.

The last 2 weeks or so...

Well since getting home from South Africa we have settled into the ho hum of every day life again.

The girls were dropped off on the Saturday after we arrived, they were very happy to be home. I think Matthew was happy to have his sisters back too. No sign of Darian's suitcase so he rang the airport and they said it wasn't on that days plane and please be patient they nearly always turn up.

Sunday we spent showing the kids and mum and George photos and the wedding DVD. There was a knock on the door Sunday night and there was Darian's suitcase, intact and safe and sound.

Monday mum and George went home and My life went back to normal.

Wednesday Took Matthew to the doctor as he had developed a sore on his lip...turned out to be school sore, so antibiotics and quarantine...

Thursday I went into the city to Births, Deaths and Marriages to get a change of name certificate.
Our marriage is recognised by Australian law however our South African wedding certificate is not a legal document so I cant use it to change my name. So $150 later my name has legally changed

Just the fun of changing it everywhere now.

So there, I am up to date....

Welcome home to Australia

Our plane arrived half hour early, and gee it was good to be back on Aussie soil.

We went on to passport control where again Darian and I were separated and I got to the front of the line first. The guy behind the desk asked if I was traveling alone and I said no I was with my husband but he is in the other line as he is South African. The guy said call him over, his your family. So I called Darian out from the middle of the line and we went through passport control quick.

We then went to baggage claim to collect our bags before going through customs. My bag come through quick and going past us were bags with 30kg weight stickers on, what the????
So we waited for Darians suitcase...and waited and waited. it was a no show.

We went to baggage claim and made a report. They said it would probably be on the next flight and they would courier it out to us when it turned up... So Darian had no clothes...

So onto customs, at least with the bag being lost and all the customs line was short. We only had a few things to declare and Darian went off with the suitcase to be xrayed. We were then asked to open the suitcase ( lucky us) and when the lady opened it she was surprised to see it empty...the lid even sagged. we explained the whole story and even she was amazed...so everything was OK and we cleared customs.

Out we go into the airport and waited for mum and Mattew....

Yes I cried when I saw him

We went home and Darian had to go pick up Megan.

Time to say goodbye...

Our plane was to leave PE at 6.15pm and we had to be at the airport 1.5 hours before hand. Thankfully we were as we had major problems when we got there. The lady who checked us in first of all could not find our return flights home from Jo'burg to Perth and then when she weighed our suitcases she said they were 14 kg over weight and we had to take the extra weight out....Now we bought 25 kg each over with us and now we were only allowed to take 20kg each home....what the?

So we had the hard time of trying to get rid of the excess 14 kg...this woman was not going to budge on a kilo. I had to leave my wedding dress behind and some beer glasses but the rest we managed to shove into our hand luggage...including our toiletry bag....

So we were now checked in (the surely cow found our flights) and we then had to say a very quick, teary and stressful goodbye.

Our Flight from PE to Jo'burg was non eventful and we were hoping that our bags were check straight through to Perth like they were meant to.

At Jo'burg we were stopped at security just after our hand luggage went through, a aerosol can showed up on the xray (oh no the toiletries) here is me thinking razor, tweezers etc...anything over 100ml can't go through and all make up needs to be bagged....we were in trouble. The girl was nice though and asked why we had not checked it in, we explained that our luggage was going straight through.

The poor girl felt so bad for us as everything over 100ml had to be thrown (including my expensive body lotion from Shamwari) she did however snuck my perfume back in for me and said quick go!

We then went and waited at the departure lounge, we bought the kids a few things at the souvenir shops.

We boarded the plane late and I got a window seat so I was able to see the lights of Jo'burg as we took off....that is one big city and we were heading home...

The rest of the week

We spent a lot of time with the family or shopping. We also spent time with Wayne and Miriam.

I am going to miss Port Elizabeth, its a very friendly town which is very similar to Perth (just a lot smaller). I am going to miss Darians family and the friends that are here.

My first Potjie

Tonight we went to Darians best friend Wayne's house to watch the springboks beat Scotland int the rugby and to have my first Potjie. (to us Aussies its a camp oven) and instead of cooking in the coals underground, the SA's cook it on a braai.

Wayne had cooked a lamb roast and veggies.

We didn't end up eating until midnight but it was yummy

Home to Port Elizabeth

Said a very sad goodbye to Craig as we don't think we will be able to see him again before going back to Perth. Packed the car and trailer and headed back to Port Elizabeth.

We stopped at Port Alfred for lunch.

Every now again as you are driving you see monkeys on the side of the road, or they run on the road as your driving.

Its going to be very nice sleeping in a real bed again.

The Lion Park

Woke up early this morning, not used to sleeping on the floor (I'm getting OLD). Walked down to the beach front to a local flea market. I bought a little wire and bead lizard for R10 or $1.60 and then I bartered a local for a soap stone statue of a family of Giraffes. He wanted R150 but I managed to get him down to R120....we also bought 2 small canvas paintings....I fell in love with a big one but are not sure if they would go through customs...we bought the 2 small ones for R70. If we get these cleared next time we will get the bigger one to match.

Craig and Ingrid then took us the The Lion Park. They not only had Lion cubs that you could get in and play with but they also have a cheetah cub.

They also have a number of grown cheetahs, white lion and lionesses, tigers, African hunting dogs and a giraffe that you can pat.

We stayed for feeding and then left.

Married 1 Week

This morning we packed up the cars and left for East London where we will be staying at Craig and Ingrid's for the weekend.

We left Kai Sands at 10am and were back in East London at 11am ish.

Spent a lazy day at Craig's...thought Ingrid and I went down to the SPAR (like an I.G.A) and stocked up on Biltong....I'm addicted :)

Last day at Kai Sands

Today is our last full day at Kai Sands. Very relaxing day. Went down and watched Craig fish (didn't catch anything) and I took some photos.
Had a braai for dinner...the meat over here is the best...

Thursday

Woke up this morn and the weather had cleared so we decided to go for a nice walk along the beach before the tide came in...

A lazy few days

The weather has been a bit miserable the last few days, so we havent been doing much.
We did get to see some dolphins playing in the waves and a whale out in the bay today...

The tides here are pretty varied, when the tide is out you can see all the rocks exposed however when its in, it crashed against the retaining wall at the base of the grassed area...

Very Relaxing...

Had a very relaxing day, was going to go for a walk on the beach but the weather came in so then had a small braai on the Weber this evening..

Thought I would show some more photos

Kai Sands

We left Shamwari and headed off to East London where Darians parents would be waiting for us at Craig's flat. On the way we passed so many game reserves, with lots of buck and even some more springbok.

we arrived a East London about 1 ish. Packed some more stuff in the car and headed north towards Kai Mouth were we would be staying until Friday.

East London is a pretty little town which seems more tropical than P.E...

We got there about 4, showed our villa and unpacked the car. the view from our villa is spectacular.
It will be nice to sit and relax for a while after the busy week we have had

The morning game drive....

Woke up early, even before our 6.30 wake up call from Headman. went out side to find a small bush buck feeding right next to our tent. Went and had a light breakfast before heading out for our morning game drive.

we were expecting it to be cold but instead it was beautiful, the sir was fresh and the sun was warm.
The first thing headman took us to see were Buffalo, they are much bigger than the Australian buffalo and I now understand why they are part of the big 5.

We drove for a bit longer when I got to see my first Springbok...I was very excited..

Headman then said he would go find some lion for us.....He had just heard that a lioness and her 2 cubs were near by. we were slowly driving when out from the bush spung two 8 month old cubs (size of a med dog) they then went running up the road...our immediate thought was :wheres mum?) She was up ahead and was turning every now and then just to make sure here babies were following and that we weren't getting to close...I couldn't get the smile off my face, to actually see lion in the wild was amazing.

We left them be and went off in search of Hippo....we found about 8 wallowing in a water hole. We were lucky as some were in the water and some out...Headman said it was OK to get out of the truck to take photos...

We then got back in the Jeep and not even 100m up the road was walking another lioness. She was the daughter of the one we saw earlier.

We then took a leisurely drive back to the lodge where we were greeted again with fresh juice. Once we had freshed up we could go have brunch and our bags would be bought up for us.

Small bunch turned out to be a full English brekkie for Darian and pancakes for me :)

Craig and Ingrid turned up to pick us up and after buying a T-shirt and a few candles we headed off to East London.