Thursday, May 29, 2008
I am back....31 and tired
My broadband connection is restored and i am online, in touch with my world again. I nearly wept with joy when I was connected last night.
So I had a birthday and moved house. Its all too much for a grounded taurus like me and i have cried many a tear in the last 2 weeks. I promise all my news will follow when I have looked through my hunderds of emails.
suffice to say I am alive and well and so looking forward to catching up on everyones news
xx
Thursday, May 15, 2008
a tearful goodbye
Lily goes into her own new room soon after we have assembled her bed (gulp) and we will get our own room where I can lie in bed and read at night. Its the thing I am looking forward to most.
Today saw a hilarious visit to Ikea to get some of our furniture. We ended up with 5 large flat trolley things packed with flat packed stuff that we had to locate and put on the trolley ourselves. Cue a rolled over toe , irritable Kristian , near hernias and a manic dash to get the one section of Lily's wardrobe that I did not pick up.
All in all I nearly wet myself several times and all my muscles ache and we have not even started moving.
that's tomorrow. We have a van and hundreds and thousands of boxes (not really only about 25)
and goodbye to all of you for a week or so until my broadband connection is restored. Yes , i may sound flippant but actually inside I am traumatised by the thought of over a week without the internet. I have plenty to do though so it will fly and then I will have lots of pictures and news to share with you. Its my birthday on Monday as well so I have to fit some frivolity in there too
So its goodbye from me... I will miss you all so....
Monday, May 12, 2008
a recipe
I make it every week in different forms and freeze little portions up.
I call it rice rice its so original !!
take 3 handfuls of basmati rice and set aside
chop 1 red onion finely and fry in a little butter
take 3 veggies of your choice and fry alongside the onion
this week we had butternut ,spinach and peas
add a can of tinned ,chopped tomatoes
add rice
add some boiling water from the kettle just so it can all simmer away
add a pinch of sugar to cut through the tomato
if you have parsley you can put some through
let everything simmer until rice is cooked
top tip: if you are cooking pumpkin or butternut steam it a bit first to help it along its way
when its done you can stir some nice Cheddar through a bowl so it melts and its yummy.
sometimes I add little bits of chicken or fish
and sometimes (not often) I add vienna sausage. its processed you know and we are all trying to be healthy but oh those are yummy!!!
Its a great recipe for any veggies you have and its so healthy
other veggies I use
sweetcorn , red pepper , pumpkin ,
Lily's been having this since 9ish months as I found rice a great way to introduce texture. it sort of all sticks together which is easier than pasta.
lets all share our recipes that are good for toddlers and mummies who like to eat the leftovers
xxx
Thursday, May 08, 2008
stuff about babies and toddlers part 1
I do think that motherhood is a rite of passage though and no one baby is the same so what works for your baby may not work on another. Its all about getting to know you baby or child and trial and error.
I am at the moment in a bit of a tizz about potty training. I don't really like potties and I want lily to have one of those little toilet seats and go on there. Also when is she ready? do I just take a nappy off one day and say right , tell me when you need a wee?
You see one thing I have learned from becoming a mum is that it will all become clear and Lily will tell me in her own time when she is ready. It still does not help that bit of self doubt that creeps in.
I did not take well to new motherhood and I am not ashamed to say it. I had a traumatic birth and my inability to breastfeed left me feeling low and ashamed. lily had colic and there were many , many days in her first 3 months that I wished I had never had her. Its terrible to admit but its the truth. I was pushed to the limit by it all and just wanted to run away. I felt very lonely and had no one to support me or pop in for tea. I was alone 8 hours a day with a crying baby.
hence my first bit of advice is to not read every book going and worry over your baby's differences to the norm. There is no norm. I learnt this the hard way but the minute I relaxed and was led by Lily , she relaxed and we created a little routine all of our own. Now I only do what feels right to me. I never force things.
Colic: If you are unlucky enough to have a colic baby try and remember that it will pass after 3 to 4 months. this feel s like a lifetime. Colic is not a crying baby as all babies cry. Its a baby that cries for 3 hours or more without stopping except for milk. they tend to go all the colours of the rainbow and headbutt you whilst bringing their knees up all the time. We thought Lily hated us. This is not an indication of your babies personality its a colic thing! Things that help and here's my number one tip... the hairdryer works like a dream. I know one other person that swore by it too. Its the only way I could calm Lily and eventually get her to go to sleep. i had the thing on the cool setting for hours
I also started using a drop in her formula called colief which was magic. I only found it at 10 weeks though but its very good.
I used my pouch sling constantly as did Kristian as it was the only way Lily would sleep. as soon as we put her down the screaming would continue. The movement and the closeness to us was very soothing. also I think her tummy being on mine and the soft swaying eased the colic.
It will pass.
Breast vs bottle...the endless debate
So here's what I think. breastfeeding is very good for your baby. If you are happy to breastfeed and it works for you then go for it. I will certainly try again with a new baby. I only breastfed for 4 days but it was a constant battle. my milk just never came in until day 6 I think and I was a wreck. Lily fought me tooth and nail and by the end I sat sobbing on the bed , breast exposed. This is not good for mum or baby. If its not working don't feel ashamed like I did. all that matters is that you share a bond with your baby and he / she is loved, warm and fed. I always held Lily close to me when feeding. I used SMA gold formula and tommee tippee closer to nature bottles. I am at peace with my decision now and don't feel bad as I have a healthy little girl.
I tell you what I do know though. drink lots of water , persevere with latching and get some help and support (crucial), know that there will be growth spurts so dot think your milk is running out , it just has to re adjust.
sleeping: sleep becomes a major commodity with a baby and toddler I may add. You will do anything to get some. sleeping through the night is such an overused phrase. Lily does not have any night feeds but she still wakes me in the night for her muzzie (blankie) or teething or a snotty nose or a bad dream. she goes through phases. I guess what I am saying is get used to it. your baby will cut out feed as it goes on . I really don't think dreamfeeding works. If you have a good feeding routine going and your baby is getting enough nutrition through the day she should start cutting out feeds and sleep though eventually and then she will start to teethe....
products I love:
fischer price kick and play bouncy chair. great product I could not live without. somewhere for baby to sit anywhere. at friends, in the garden , in the lounge , in the bathroom while you bath. and they can sleep in it. my best buy
bumbo chair: Lily still sits in her bumbo. some babies hate them she loved hers and sits on the kitchen counter in it.
stackable cups, fischer price rolling balls with animals in them, touch and feel books , teaset ,little push along wooden toys, baby pram, crayons and massive drawing pad all these were and are great toys that keep Lily entertained. the crayons are great she just loves drawing
simple baby body and hair wash, only in the UK but a great hypoallergenic fragrance free wash that makes the hair soft and lovely and caused no rashes and things
johnsons body cream in the tube I like this plain cream not lotion. its lovely and thick and keeps the skin looking and smelling lovely
sudocrem its a bum cream/ barrier cream but can be used for rashes and marks. i use it on myself too. it a fantastic product
pampers nappies , sainsburys wipes sorry Uk again for the wipes but I use pampers just because they fit Lily well. Its trial and error with that though I used cotton wool and water for wiping when lily was tiny though. In fact when they are tiny cotton wool and water and nappies and a bit of plain wash for the bath is all you need. some bum cream occasionally and you are good to go
ashton and parsons teething powders get them they work
tiny love symphony in motion mobile Nicola (cheeky monkeys) recommended this and since i see loads of people do. I got it and it was great Lily loved it and the music is classical and soothing. its brightly coloured so keeps their attention. she would lie in her cot for ages looking at it. we used it right up to 6 months
sheepskin for your pram this might not fly with you if you are veggie but its very warm and snugly for baby. I know its colder here but if you have a tiny baby in the cape town winter it may be a good thing. I got the treated one from the chemist and cut it to size. worked brilliantly
baby bjorn sling I loved mine and its currently in Sarah's pile of stuff for her mummy and daddy to use
weaning
quite a tricky time I thought. From 4 to 6 months we must magically know when our babies are ready for solids. cue ..panic
but you do..
I was still feeling very bad about the breastfeeding thing so I decided to go all out with weaning. haha well actually it holds a bit of truth but I really wanted to make all of Lily's food. the thought of jars makes me feel sick. saying that they are fine and very convenient its just my gag factor that comes into play. I wanted Lily to have real flavours . I wanted to know what she was eating and give her a large variety of food. Its quite easy. get yourself a little hand blender and one of those ice cube weaning trays. use your steamer in your pot or an actual steamer if you have one. then choose lots of veggies and fruit that look nice. peel , chop and steam and puree with a little of the cooking water to water it down if too thick. start with plain flavours like carrot , butternut ,sweet potato , pear , apple and when that has been accepted with no reaction you can mix flavours up a bit.
here's my favorites
pear and strawberry
butternut and pear
apple and blueberry
sweet potato and broccoli
carrot and butternut
then as 9ish months comes along start adding proteins like fish or chicken and try out cheese
I think the most important thing is to give finger foods from early on. little bits of soft fruit, toast , grated carrot or apple, peas etc
so that's my baby bit. My older baby and toddler up till 2 will come later. but as you can gather I can carry on adding every week because that's how often I learn something new.
Its a steep learning curve but its the best thing ever. Try and enjoy every minute and not worry if you have enough baby wash. you can always go out and buy. that's advice I should have taken.
all the mums that read this blog have made their own way with a little help from their friends and family and all the future mums will do the same. In the end I can give you all the advice in the world but you will probably just appreciate me making you a cup of tea and laughing and crying along with you.
Here's to the mums.....
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
this week its ....sunny!
Oh and here's the outside of our house we are moving into next week. note to fellow bloggers who are moving house. post picture.
Its the grey looking one with the blue door in the middle. Victorian I am told.
So now all I need is all the furniture and a vacuum cleaner, ironing board and the likes and we are good to go. As I type this I am supposed to be looking for vacuum cleaners online that will not cost me a fortune , but I wont and then lily will wake from her nap and another day will go by vacuumless.
one last thing. I have this light lilac bag closed by a lovely looking sticker. Inside is an item wrapped in black tissue paper and secured by another lovely sticker. Inside this tissue paper lies a fabulous faux fur wrap for my wedding day... did I mention I was getting married...
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Fridays photo bright colours
Thursday, April 24, 2008
chronicals of an IKEA mad woman



Lily sitting on a bench at the pond. hows that coat!!! Lily running with the imposing church in the background
We must stop to smell the flowers
Mummy and lily in the tree
Daddy contemplating life with lily
So you are up to speed with my life. lovely chatting ;)
xxxxxxxx
Saturday, April 19, 2008
My week
I could go on but really it just makes me feel tired.
But yesterday was good. We got our loan approved from our bank and booked our flights to Cape Town. So now we will be going to our own wedding.
I arrive on 8 July my little Cape Town people!!!
Cant wait!!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Fridays photo... branches
Monday, April 14, 2008
oops I did it again
Friday, April 11, 2008
fridays photo.... shoes
Sunday, April 06, 2008
20 things about me
1. I am a true Taurean. both sun and moon sign.I like my roots to go deep and change makes me feel very unsettled. I am stubborn ,loyal , affectionate and love beautiful things. oh , and I think I am right all the time.
2. I have a toothbrushing phobia. I cant bear seeing others brush their teeth even on tv or in a cartoon and I don't like my toothbrush to touch other things. I only use mentadant p toothpaste and will not use another kind. My brother has the same thing so we were obviously both affected by some toothbrush trauma as children.
3. Having a child has fulfilled me more than I could ever have imagined. Before Lily I was always searching for something, now I feel I have it.
4.I love tradition and old treasures. Following tradition is very important to me as is creating new ones. I would much rather have a lovely antique bowl than a brand new one.
5. I hate the actual process of travelling especially by car. I get so motion sick and hope one day in my lifetime some sort of time travel is invented where i can just transport from one place to another in seconds.
6. I am not a religious person but I am a spiritual person. I have explored everything from pendulums to past life regression in some little way. I believe in spirits and angels.
7. I am terrible to get into a heated discussion or argument with. when i feel strongly enough about something I am like a dog with a bone and cant let go. close friends of mine know to move away when I start.
8. I am an ultra sensitive person and cannot watch or hear anything that upsets me as it lives with me. I much prefer to be an ostrich much to the annoyance of several people who have to pass a film with me before we can watch it.
9. I love old music like Billy holiday and Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney. I also love George Micheal . Nothing puts me in a better mood than a bit of Wham.
10. I am naturally curvy and have accepted that I will have a lifelong battle keeping my weight down. Its in my genes you see.
11. I look to my mum and dad for everything from advice to comfort. They are my role models and they have always given me love , acceptance and unconditional love. I know they are proud of me and there is nothing as important than knowing that.
12. I love travelling. We had many great holidays as children that were so important to my childhood memories. Nothing educates you like travelling does. I would love to see India , Thailand , Mexico, Japan , America (north and South) , Canada to name a few . Europe is a fascinating continent which I love seeing and exploring as is my home continent , Africa.
13. I love Cape Town, my heart lies there an always will. I feel different when i am there. I am comfortable in my skin
14. I love parties and dressing up. I like things to have a sense of occasion.
15. I am straight laced , law abiding and sometimes prudish. I cant bear to break the law or jump a queue. Sad I know but I cant help it.
16. I feel lucky that I found Kristian when I was so young and we have been able to build a life and family together. We have our ups and downs but we are perfectly matched as we just get each other.
17. my friends are very important to me. My close friends feel like family to me. In fact they are family to me. When they are in crisis so am I. if they are happy I feel happy. I am lucky to have them.
18.I love shoes. I really really love them. all types. I wish I had money to buy hundreds of pairs
19. I am a tv addict. I would love to tell you I am not bothered and read books all night , but no... I cant get enough of my favorite programmes. Lately we have taken to watching those bid tv channels selling awful , cheap products. We roar with laughter. Its very funny... honest.
20. All I really want from life is to be happy and fulfilled and for my daughter to be happy and healthy.
xxxxx
W
the north wind doth blow...
Lily's new word for the day is snow. We have just returned from Greenwich park where we had so much fun playing and making a snow man. Everyone was out and about sledding down the hills on trays , boogie boards and proper sledges. there is a real excitement in the air when it snows here because contrary to what a lot of people think it hardly ever snows. here's some photos of our day
walking towards the observatory and view point the kiosk is "the honest sausage" that makes me laugh and laugh
Saturday, April 05, 2008
fridays photo.. on a saturday sigh!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Fridays photo...on Monday... faces
Sunday, March 30, 2008
In memory of Joan Hartley

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
two weeks of bliss
Grandad and Lily on the beach Suzaan , Caroline and Susie at Geisha
Wendy and a very "eina" Anchen
Caroline doing what sh does best, taking millions of photos of anything that moves or in this case not
Lily with her bucket and spade
Little girl after her mummys heart
I am waiting for photos of madame zingara from V so will post those soon. Not many picturs of Ron actually (how cunning) or Stevie. I will get you next time guys
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Why?
Then I started thinking ...ok I would like her to have a little brother or sister maybe when she is 4. Now I think no ..I want one NOW!!!!
So perhaps my original dream of having 3 children will happen . hee hee (not)
I mean I don't even have a bedroom for the one I have now
Tips on how to squash broodiness will be much appreciated
xxx
Sunday, February 24, 2008
If you are having a blue monday

Mr Patrick Dempsey in Versace. Can you ask for better?


