UR Beautiful LO

Would you believe I've managed to create a layout?!? It's taken me about two weeks to do, but I've finally finished (and at the last minute as usual!). This layout is for the Once Upon a Sketch August 15th challenge, but it's also one that I've been meaning to do for a while. I really love the lyrics to the Mercy Me song that I used, Beautiful and so the challenge was the perfect nudge for me to get the layout idea out of my head! Hope you like it! :D

Credits: Ten Reasons kit by TReed; Krafty Journal Spots by KPertiet; Words of Beauty by AEdwards;
White Frames by SSchmutz; Fonts - Pristina, Bradley Hand

*hugs*

Today...

Today is just another ordinary day.

Or is it?

Today...Falcon is 3 years 9 months and 0 days.

Today...Pepper is 4 years 4 months and 25 days.

Today...Jasmine is 0 years 1 month and 25 days.

Today...Gus is 40 years 0 months and 11 days.

And today...I am 37 years 0 months and 0 days.

Happy Birthday to me. Yay!

Yes, this was my (or "our" as it was a cake for Gus' birthday too) birthday cake that
my family generously supplied on Saturday. And boy was it delicious!! :D

*hugs*

Monday Giggles

Hello, hello! A late Monday Giggles today - I've been out all day and only just realised I didn't have any post planned for today.

Anyway, hope you enjoy today's pic. Thank goodness my furkids aren't so destructive!!

*hugs*

Thankful Thursdays

Just sneaking this weeks' Thankful Thursday post at the last minute (it's 5 mins to midnight right now). I know I missed last week's Thankful Thursday - last week was a bit of a difficult week and I must admit that was hard come up with anything I was thankful for. In hindsight though, there was lots of things I could have been thankful for, but there you have it.

Anyway, back to what I'm thankful for today:

Jasmine had her first immunisation shots this week. Unfortunately I couldn't get any photos as I was holding Jasmine at the time and Gus had gone back to the house to get something and missed the whole event! Nevertheless, I still have the memory. :D

Jasmine had one oral injection and two needles, one in each thigh. I was so proud of her as she was soooo good with all three injections. The oral one she took without any issue, and apart from a short scream from the initial pain of the needles, she settled really quickly and forgot all about it within minutes!

We were given both a pep talk and a handout about the possible reactions she could develop from the injections, so we braced ourselves for what was to come. It was a big relief to find that today, two days later, the only reaction she really had was just being sleepy for the 24 hours following the injections. She had a very slight swelling on one thigh, but it didn't seem to bother her.

So I'm thankful that we've passed this hurdle without any hassle at all!

Is there something that you're thankful for today? Let me know!

*hugs*

Monday Giggles

Well, we've made it through another week and it's Monday again. Hope you had a great weekend and hope you find much joy in the coming week too.

I haven't actually played Angry Birds, but have seen it in action. If you are an Angry Birds fan, I think you'll like today's Monday Giggles. Even if you're not an Angry Birds fan, you'll still like today's graphic!

Enjoy!!

I'm not actually sure where the original graphic came from, but my source is from {life behind the purple door}.
If you know the original source, please let me know!

*hugs*

Jasmine @ 6 weeks

Can you believe Jasmine is already 6 weeks today?!? Where has all the time gone?!? Where has my tiny little newborn gone?!?!?

Certainly I've been asking this as she goes through her 6 week growth spurt. The good, placid baby is still there (somewhere), but for the past few days, she's been very unsettled. Her feeding routine has also gone out the window and is now feeding somewhere between 2.5-4.5hrs.

I had the worst day with her yesterday - just couldn't settle her and therefore I got no rest. Gus is away at a training course all this week and so far he hasn't been getting home until almost 8pm, so I've got to battle this all day all by myself. Very stressful, but today was HEAPS better. Instead of putting her down in the bassinet to sleep (and have her not go to sleep at all or wake up about 2 minutes later), I employed different tactics to get her to sleep. After her morning feed, I went out for a walk up to the shops and she slept quite well the whole way and a bit after we got home. Then after her early afternoon feed, I decided that enough was enough and I needed some sleep too, so I plopped her on my chest and both of us went to sleep for a while. I know, I know, I can hear the protests already, but hey, anything goes to get her to rest and give me some rest time too!!

I've been trying to come up with some positives for this post-natal time, but when Jasmine won't settle because she's screaming the house down, and I feel worse than a zombie, then it's hard to focus on anything but the negatives! It does take a huge shift in thinking, doesn't it? What I did come up with was the fact that I seem to have more patience despite being tired (which should lead to MORE stress, right?!?). I thought I'd react differently to her crying her little head off, so all this patience and calmness is certainly leaving me a bit perplexed! Of course when she does flash me a smile, or she looks as though she does recognise me, my heart melts and all the negatives fly out the window! Definitely one of the joys of motherhood. :D

So before I head to bed because she's blissfully asleep at the moment (and it's 11.30pm anyway), please tell me, have you got any settling tips you can pass on?

*hugs*

Monday Giggles

Hello, and welcome to another Monday Giggles. I hope you had a great weekend!

I'm always on the lookout for a great bargain. Evidently, this is not one of them.

Enjoy!

*hugs*

Thankful Thursdays

Just a quick one today. I'm thankful for the lovely flowers that I managed to buy today. I haven't had any flowers in the house for a while now. We had some when Jasmine was born but not for a long time before that. I love having fresh flowers in the house as they always make me smile. I hope they make you smile too. :D

What are you thankful for today?

*hugs*

10 Things

I used to watch a lot of TV. Nowadays, not so much. Our {almost} state-of-the-art 46" Full HighDef LCD TV sits idle - just a big black object in the Media Room.

I can't pinpoint the exact date when I gave up watching TV (although it has been several years now). Maybe when we ditched cable TV (because it was getting boring and expensive when we weren't watching it). Or maybe it was when I found other things more exciting to do, like scrapbooking and chatting on online forums! Or maybe I just got really sick of all the DIY and Reality TV shows that dominated Prime Time TV. Whatever the reason and whenever it was, at some point in time I turned off the TV permanently.

I definitely feel better for it.

But enough about that. I thought I'd share with you today 10 TV shows that I USED to watch. Religiously. They're not in any order, nor are they all from one period in time. They span at least a decade or two from my childhood through to early adulthood. They're not all the same genre either, although I did have a huge preference for any Japanese anime or other cartoon, animal documentaries and crime/detective documentaries. So here goes:

• The X-Files
  
• Magnum PI
  
• Nickelodeon's Rocko's Modern Life (cartoon)
  
• Dukes of Hazard
  
• Cold Case
  
• Better Homes and Gardens
  
• Astro Boy/G-Force (or any other Japanese Anime)
  
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
  
• Knight Rider
  
• MacGuyver
  

Of course there were others, but these are the first ten that come to mind. And boy, what a trip down memory lane!! Did you used to watch any of these shows?!? Or what do you watch religiously now? Were there any other 80s or 90s TV shows that you used to watch? Let me know in the comments and we can reminisce together!! LOL

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Today's post has been brought to you by Shimelle's 10 Things on the 10th regular feature. Why don't you join in as well? Click here to link up and see what everyone else has to offer today. :D

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*hugs*

Monday Giggles

Good morning and welcome to another Monday Giggles.

We live in such a complicated world, don't we? When things go wrong or don't go as we expect them to, it can cause so much grief. Can you sympathise (or shake your head in disbelief!) with some of these modern day "annoyances"?

Enjoy!

• 10 minutes into the Harry Potter midnight premier, my contact ripped.
  
  
• The free Wi-Fi on my bus is not working today, so I’m having to check emails using 3G.
  
  
• The coffee table in my lounge blocks the signal between the TV and the remote. I have to lift my arm to change channels.
  
  
• My mom stole my Facebook status, so I had to delete mine. She got more likes than I did.
  
  
• My dishwasher is too loud. I can’t hear my soap opera.
  
  
• I asked my mum to buy me the SCENTED moisturiser, but she got the ‘fragrance free’ one, so now I have to smell normal.
  
  
• I burnt my finger on my Foreman grill while cooking a thick ribeye, and now it hurts to use my iPad.
  
  
• The cafeteria at my work stopped using bendy straws, so now I have to drink my soda through a boring old regular straw.
  
  
• I hate it when I’m putting port wine cheese on my cracker and the cracker breaks.
  
  
• I bought the cheapest toaster I could find. Now I have to tear the crusts off of the bread so the bread will fit in the toaster.
  

Source: My Rough Life

*hugs*

It was Air Supply!

There were four people in the dimly lit room that night. It was very late. Despite the spaciousness of the room, the three women and one man were crowded together in one corner. There was an air of waiting, an air of expectancy.

Music played softly in the background. One song faded out and after a very short interval, the opening bars of another song started.

As the lyrics of the song began, one of the women sat back on her stool and said quietly, “The music has been good tonight. Lots of good songs.”

“Yes, the music has been great! I’ve really enjoyed it.” One of the other women replied.

The first woman spoke up again. “This isn’t the original version of this song, is it?”

“No, it’s not.” answered the man. “I think this version is by Human Nature.”

“Oh. Do you know who sang the original version then?” asked the woman.

The man thought for a moment before replying, “Um, no. I can’t remember. It is an old song though.”

A moment of silence passed.

“I can’t seem to recall who sang the original either.” said a second woman. “It’s going to bug me now. No doubt I’ll remember later!”

Another brief moment of silence passed.

Then, with a bit of effort, the third woman spoke from the bed she was lying on. “It was Air Supply.”

“Oh yes, that’s right! Air Supply!” exclaimed the first midwife.

“Well now, you can’t be in that much pain if you can remember such details.” The second midwife said, teasing the woman on the bed.

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And that, my dear friends, is one of the more humorous memories I have of the labour suite, in one of the more lucid moments between contractions.

Oh, and if you were wondering, the song being referred to was “I’m All Out of Love”. ;)

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This story is my first attempt at Sian’s Storytelling Sunday (yes, I know it's now Monday here, but it's still Sunday somewhere else in the world! LOL). I hope you enjoyed it and you can find more stories here.

Come back shortly for today's Monday Giggles (after I can get some sleep!).

*hugs*

Jasmine - Aged 1 Month

Jeepers, I can't believe that Jasmine is one month old already. The past four weeks have positively flown by and unfortunately all in a blur! If it wasn't for these monthly posts, I don't think I'd remember a thing. I'm sure some daily journalling wouldn't go astray either.

Anyhoo, this is Jasmine at 1 month of age:

• Weighs 4.42kg (9.7 lbs). It's only this last week and a half that she's started to put on weight again and finally regained her birth weight (and more!).
  
  
• Her scream seems to be getting louder, which we didn't think was possible, but our ears do tell us otherwise. At times she'll surprise us with a really fierce cry, but thankfully she's easily settled, especially when presented with a boob. LOL
  
  

• Is starting to smile more and almost starting to laugh. She will flash us a smile at the strangest times (such as in her sleep), so we do wonder what it is that is amusing her.
  
  
• Her hair is growing fast, like mummy's. How do you give newborns a haircut?!? LOL
  
  

• Now feeds every four hours on demand. She's like clockwork! The longer time between feeds is a huge blessing as it does mean we have an extra hour to sleep/rest and we are less stressed and tired and Jasmine seems to be just as content with less feeds.
  
  
• Still wears newborn size 0000 clothing. Some items are getting a little bit tight, but are still wearable. Snug is good in this cold weather (especially as the forecast is for snow next week! :O ). LOL
  
  

• Still likes to sleep with her hands up out of the blanket. Sooo cute!
  
  
• Has incredible neck control for a four week old baby. In fact, she's had pretty good neck control from birth, but obviously she's improving as she gets older. When we give her tummy time, she can lift her head all by herself and keep it up for quite a while (about 30 seconds to a minute), as she looks around and takes more interest in her surroundings. Amazing!
  
  

These are definitely moments to cherish, especially when she's being such a good baby. Hope it doesn't end!

*hugs*

Thankful Thursdays

Today I'm thankful for the opportunities that we've had to take all three babies (two-legged and four-legged!) for walks this week. The weather has been beautiful, sunny and strangely warm for this time of year, so we've taken advantage of this and we've managed to take them out three times this week. That's three times more than the poor dogs have been out for at least a month!! We've all enjoyed the walks, although the two-legged baby hasn't noticed much as she was fast asleep for all three walks! LOL

Please excuse the poor quality of the above photo. I forgot to take the camera and the photo was taken on Gus' mobile, which isn't that crash hot. I can fix it, but right now I'm too tired, brain dead and generally can't be bothered and you get the idea of what story the photo is conveying anyway, I hope! Oh, and if you're wondering where the two-legged baby is, wonder no more (LOL):

Other things I've been thankful for this week:

• a delightful pizza lunch and catch up with friends at work, and a chance to show off Jasmine.
  
  
• successfully managing to take Jasmine out for one full day, which included ensuring that we were in the vicinity of a Shopping Centre Parents Room or other appropriate place for feed times!
  
  
• glorious Spring-type weather in the middle of Winter - go figure.
  
  
• decreased frequency of feeds, which has resulted in at least half-an-hour or so more of rest/sleep between feeds, yay! Some semblance of sanity has been returned to both Gus and myself. LOL
  
  
• increased acceptance of the fact that Jasmine isn't going to grow an extra head or have all her limbs drop off just because I've had to feed her on the bottle. (Only kidding - I'm hugely exaggerating my distrust of formula feeds. I do realise that formula isn't that bad. I myself was a formula fed baby and I turned out okay...I think! LOL)
  

So tell me what have you to be thankful for today. I'd love to know!

*hugs*

Monday Giggles

Another Monday morning, and a pinch-and-a-punch-for-the-first-of-the-month too! Hope you have a fantastic week! Enjoy!

Apparently these are all real and binding laws in Florida, USA. Better be careful if you're in Florida! LOL

• Penalty for horse theft is death by hanging.
• It is considered an offense to shower naked.
• You are not allowed to break more than three dishes per day, or chip the edges of more than four cups and/or saucers.
• Women may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer, as can the salon owner.
• If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.
• It is illegal to sing in a public place while attired in a swimsuit.
• You may not fart in a public place after 6 P.M. on Thursdays.
• Men may not be seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown.
• It is illegal to skateboard without a license.
• A special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing.
• Having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal.

*hugs*