What's Been Happening Lately.

Yay! A proper post, finally. The last month has been pretty busy at work, the usual excuse. Just when you thought that all the big jobs are finished and can finally enjoy the wind down to the Christmas holiday someone else comes up with a 'strategic plan' or 'initiative' that really has no bearing on the quality of work that is produced but keeps us busy and looks very good on paper. Must shake off leftover jadedness and focus on the fun stuff.

So what's been happening in the last couple of months that I've neglected the blog?

1. I pulled off my Gingham Style birthday party.

A bit hard to tell but hubby is also wearing gingham. After weeks of praying for warm weather so I can have a pool party it turned out to be quite a cool day. Nobody braved the unheated pool. It was stinking hot on the day of my early family Christmas party and I never wished for a hot day ever again.

2. My brother got married!

The happy couple. It was a beautiful and emotional wedding. Hubby and I enjoyed it more than our own.

They entrusted me with this for the day. We're really not the best people to mind marriage certificates seeing as we lost ours on our wedding day.

I was in charge of the cake. There were many beautiful photos taken of the day. This was not one of them. I point and click.

This is the bride's bouquet. It consisted of lots and lots of mini pin wheels which the bride, groom and bride's daughter spent many months cutting and creating. They've been cutting since June! It turned out so well. This artistic shot was taken with my camera but obviously not by me.

Gorgeous details of the bridal gown. 

Something blue.

Pin wheel buttonierre.

3. I put on a lot of weight. 

I noticed on my birthday that my clothes have started to become a bit tight. In the leadup to my brother's wedding I had serious doubts if I was still going to be able to fit into the dress I bought in July which I blogged about here. On the day, I managed to just fit into it but it was poking me in several places and wished that I had just gone with option B which was the last photo I posted here.

4. I was going to change the blog's name.

I haven't had to do a 3 am feed for months so I thought it's time to embrace a new name. I've already even picked it and everything. Then I discovered that my 3 am feeding days are not over just yet.

5. I found out the reason for my weight gain (and incidentally my facial breakout I complained about here)

In case you haven't figured it out from the previous two points...

Coming to a hospital near me 30 June 2013. Bubby was born on the 1st of June. 

Surprised? Me too! When I discovered my pants and skirts were getting a bit tight I was reluctant but resigned to start exercising. If it wasn't for a bottle of wine that my brother gave me for my birthday I wouldn't have peed on a stick and wouldn't have found out I was pregnant, well at least not until morning sickness kicked in at around 6 weeks. My first thought when I saw the two lines was 'Dammit, I should have just drank that wine first.' Anyway it will be another two years before I could drink again probably. For the first 5 weeks of this pregnancy I have eaten sushi just about every single day. And not just any sushi but the kind that is sold cheap at the end of the day just before the shop closes. A big no no. I was also on antibiotics that you're supposed to avoid during pregnancy. All's well though.The reactions from our parents when we announced this pregnancy was very different from say my dad's jumping up and fist pumping the air exclaiming "YES!" when we announced my first pregnancy. This time around we were met with "Oh no" and "You haven't even recovered from this one yet." Yeah, pretty much the same reactions we had.

So there you have it. 2013 should be pretty exciting or madness, depends on whether you're a bystander or having a baby with a 2 year old in tow.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I have finally dug my way out of the pile of work I was buried under just in time for Christmas. I will be back with a proper post soon.

The Blog's First Birthday!!!

Happy birthday, 3 AM Feed! It's been several months since the last 3 AM feed but I do still get the occasional 3 AM wake up call as it would seem Bubby gets nightmares. Poor thing but the 3 AM cuddle is nice. I contemplated changing the blog's name seeing as Bubby has been weaned for a couple of months now but I think I'll hold on to it for a little while longer, after all you never know what might happen in 2013 or 2014 which is really not that far away.

I can't believe that I've been blogging for a year. I know I've been pretty slack with posting this last couple of months but work is ridiculously busy. We are one man down (immediate boss resigned unexpectedly, or perhaps not, when the going gets tough...) so all the work was delegated to everyone in the team on top of our normal (over)workload. I said it before and I'll say it again work is no Disneyland at the moment. Back to blogging, I've never been able to keep up with a diary in the past so I'm surprised I've been able to keep this up and actually enjoy it. I just wished I can be witty like my regular reads.

Today is not only the blog's birthday but it's also the 15th anniversary of when hubby and I started dating. We have been together for 15 years! That means we've been together almost half our lives! Which of course is not mathematically correct as I only just turned 26 last month. Ha ha! Maybe I'm the only one who still thinks that's funny.

There has been too many words on this post already so here are some pics.

Bubby loves group hugs and asks for it all the time and he actually hugs us really tight. The kid can be so sweet.

Moments before silly Bubby crashed into the cupboards.

Love.

FB.

I received this birthday greeting on FB from a cousin.

HBD. That's it. Oh and a smiley face. Is it really that difficult to say happy birthday. I don't need a long heartfelt message or anything. I thought my reply was appropriate.

There were some heartfelt messages and lots of birthday greetings that made me smile.

26th of October.

Twenty six is my favourite number, I like it so much I turn 26 on the 26th of October every year.

This photo was taken on my actual 26th birthday. So long ago.

This was my first birthday party as an adult and all my friends turned up. I didn't think they would travel all the way to woop woop where my parents live but they did. That was the trouble with uni friends, they come from all corners of Sydney.

This was my 26th in 2007. The theme was pink.

This was my 26th 2008.

This was 26th 2009. I was very tipsy here. I usually only drink one glass of wine but someone kept topping me up when I wasn't looking. I was too tipsy to realise anyway.

I can't believe there is no photo of my 26th 2010. I was pregnant with Bubby at the time. I must ask my parents if they have photos. I might have it on the old computer, must check.

26th 2011, the theme was Nautical. Everyone looked great.

I woke up today knowing it's going to be a super hectic day. The first thing I said this morning was "I can't wait for this day to be over". I can't believe I just wished my birthday away. I survived the day despite some semi-major mishaps. I arrived at work to see my desk like this

There were tens of little origami dresses stuck to my pinboard and hanging on my shelf, presents, flowers, cookies, chocolates, macarons and breakfast which I've already eaten by the time I took the photo. Gosh, my desk is a mess.

There was also a cake.

I came home to find one of my rose bushes has bloomed like crazy considering its neglect.

Bubby helped with the laundry. I passed the clothes to him and he put them in the washing machine. They were his clothes, after all.

He closed it without being told.

He even turned it on himself. He is the best birthday present.

Planning a Pool Party - Gingham Style.

It's that time of the year again when I celebrate my annual 26th birthday. I forecast that it will be a warm, sunny day and since the pool is freshly cleaned a pool party is in order. I always have a birthday party theme and force my family to humour me and dress up. This year will be Gingham Style - yes I have joined the latest pop dance craze, who hasn't? This is the photo on my facebook invite:

I sourced the photo by googling Gingham Style on google images. I can't be bothered to find the link and yet I typed all this up.

 I really like this two piece from ASOS but I think I left it too late for it to arrive by next Saturday. I might still order it if it's available in my size.

This should hide my stretch marks courtesy of Bubby.

I like this dress if it weren't for the little peep hole.

Loving these capri pants.

Cute!

 

This is probably what I'll end up wearing if it's available in my size. It's from Myer by Miss Shop. If this doesn't work I'll have to wear a table cloth as a sarong.

While I have been able to pass myself off as not a day older than 26 for years, I believe those days are over. I feel and look like I have aged 10 years since going back to work. Next year I might consider turning 30 or getting botox.

Kitchen (Mis)Adventure - Sunday Roast.

Inspired by Faux Fuchsia's post here, I decided to give roast chicken another go. The first and last time I roasted a chicken it took an hour of prep and 4 hours in the oven. I made the whole thing from scratch including stuffing and I did some fancy trussing too. It was THE best roast chicken I've had, pity we didn't get to eat until 10 PM. Today's roast chicken was a little bit quicker to cook.

It was delicious.

It was accompanied with crunchy roast potatoes, roast pumpkin, which was cooked to perfection by hubby, and some sad looking asparagus. Excuse the haphazard table setting, formal dining it wasn't.

Last Sunday we went to hubby's friend's place for roast lunch. We brought them macarons from Laduree, $76 for a box. Crazy! It was way too sweet for my liking but the kids, including Bubby, loved it.

Here's Bubby reading in the car on the way to lunch.

Another work week starts tomorrow. I really hope it will be better than last week. Work is no Disneyland at the moment, definitely not the happiest place on earth. Coming back to work from holidays to what can only be described as the proverbial shit hitting the fan was not good. Anyway, onwards and upwards. I usually truly enjoy coming to work but morale is low at the moment but we're a tight knit group and this too, shall pass.