Just another day....

And I'm packing for Dom's big trip tomorrow to see the paediatric surgeon. Hopefully he'll agree to circumcise for his phimosis and we can stop worrying about UTI's!!! Our appointment is at 9.30am so we'll be staying at mums over night and leaving at 5am *yawn* I just pray it's going to be worth the trip - I've started to doubt myself a little again with crappy doctors etc - It's strange, I know in my head what is going on, what should be done etc etc etc - but the minute we come against any for of resistance such as a dodgy doctor who is patronising my resolve crumbles. At times it's as though I have no backbone - which I know is incorrect.

It makes me wonder, and I tired do I really have such little self confidence that someone's not thought out comments are enough to erode my own beliefs?? And for that matter am I depressed again but just putting on a good front - so good that I've been fooling myself again??

To be honest some things at the moment I could just sit and cry over - but I wont let myself cry - it's a sign of weakness - stiff upper lip and all that.... I just feel so close to the edge at the moment, edgy, jumpy, nervous, almost teary... if one more thing goes wrong I feel it could tip me over - but does that mean that there is something wrong or am I normal??? I'm certainly not ready to return to work and deal with other peoples problems at the moment!!


Anyways I'd better get back to packing and working out what we need to take before I get too introspective and blue ;)


BTW Discovered I am responsible for 'pest control' at this place so need to get the house fumigated myself *sob* quotes so far around the $200 - $250 mark!!!! Then I have to fumigate again when I move in 7 or so weeks!! Not sure if I can afford that so might have to put up With the bloody ants :(

Something to smile at ...

~ Domenik 22-02-09 ~

Augh Ants!!!!

I'm soo over them!! The damn creepy things don't usually bother me, but inside this house they're in plague numbers and I'm just over it!!

We've tried bombs, and sand, ant rid, ant traps, powder, bleaching, eucalyptus oil - everything possible except a professional fumigator (as we're not here for much longer and the house needs to be fumigated before we leave due to pets so why pay twice in 8 weeks) and they're still getting in!!!

I'm not exaggerating when i say they're climbing over each other to get in, they've cracked through paint in between the internal weatherboards to get in, they come in behind the aluminium splash-back in the kitchen, they come through the door, through cracks in window and under the carpet!!! The bombs, sand etc don't work as they come up from under the house!!! I just don't know what to do anymore.

They've only become a problem since the owner of the house did a core soil sample thingy right near the house - it's stirred up a nest :( The dashed things are meat eaters - any scrap of anything protein left around they're into it - especially if it happens to be a bone!!! I've never seen anything like it!!! They came after me, I would wake with ants on me trying to get to any leaking milk!!!

But the straw that broke this camels back, wasn't them crawling over me and being woken to have little black things crawling on my face, it was having to kill over a dozen that decided Dom was an easy target last night!!! My poor baby is now a target for them!!! They're in his bed, crawling over him etc - what makes it even worse is the bloody things are biters - I can kinda handle them at me - but when they start on my kids - especially my poor little baby that's another thing - especially since I have 2 kids with allergies, the last thing I need is for them to be bitten during the night an have a bad reaction!!!

So tomorrow I HAVE to ring the real estate - something needs to be done. We've found a great house close by that would be perfect for us but the owner of this house doesn't want me to end my lease 5 weeks early - so instead he will need to make this place habitable. The water pipes need fixing - at the moment they are rusting and the rust flakes are in the water - so bad that the water filter I'm renting needs to be changed weekly - instead of bi-monthly!!! The water pressure is crap - It takes an hour to run a bath, I can't run the washing machine and shower at the same time - I can't run the tap and the washing machine at the same time!!! The hot water cylinder keeps tripping the fuse and it's leaking a little into the water catching thingy underneath of it umm what else, there's something else but my brain is addled - just so over it all *sigh* This is a GORGEOUS house and the real estate are great, but I can't do this any more, especially with the owner not giving me any grace in looking for another property for my and the tribe... I don't want to be asking or this stuff to be done out of spite, it's just I can't look past the ants and water situation in particular any longer. Just to prove what they're like I've taken pics - because I know if I think back in a few years time I don't want to think that I'm exaggerating... They really ARE this bad!!!!



The above photo's were taken in the morning of Feb 14, 2009, this is the site we awoke to. The even before the sink and walls were all bleach cleaned. The ants were trying to get to the water splashes in the sink - the whole sink was black!!!

I'm paying top dollar in this area for this house and we can't even drink the water from the tap - this is meant to be a civilised society we live in and drinking water should be available if someone is renting out their property!!!

Okies, enough of a rant from me right now.. I need sleep, and to try and relax My back has been playing up today (probably not helping me with patience in the area of the ants etc) and I'm tired from not being able to get too comfortable last night... I did do some positive things though today, made some lactation cookies for Lee and took William and the crew to the cinema to see Bolt for his birthday treat - I've changed the usual "birthday tea" treat to a family treat where they can choose from birthday tea, trip to the movies or trip bowling.... Wil chose the movies :) I think he enjoyed himself - everyone loved the movie - even Dom sat up and watched it :)

Okies, sleep beckons....

Niiight!!!

I'm Scared...

OK, I admit it, I'm scared, no make that terrified to start Dom on solids. He's starting to show signs he's ready and wanting, but he's recently had a borderline anaphylactic reaction (facial swelling, welts, diarrhoea and minor closing of airways - enough to cause cough) to peanuts via breastmilk and I'm terrified of starting the allergy journey again.

I've done the whole elimination thingy to death and was just breathing a sigh of relief after William started being able to eat more "normally" and it terrifies me that Dom is going to be as bad as his brother (who had multiple food protein intolerances as well as multiple allergies and anaphylaxis)

Dom is no where near as bad as his brother with intolerances etc, but *sigh* I'm just so scared of what is ahead... I'm waiting to have allergy testing done for Dom. waiting, waiting, waiting...... But then I'm afraid of the results on that too - I sound like a huge whimp!! LOL

Just beating myself up after going 4 months with no sign of an allergy, not even a rash then one drumstick with a couple of peanut granules on top and he ended up in hospital with his poor face all swollen :( Wil never reacted that quickly - I guess that is where my fear comes from....

I know I've done this weaning thing before, but with Dom it just seems different, we knew we had issues with Wil from day one with his constant rashes etc, but the severity of his reaction via breastmilk was a fraction of Dom's - I guess it's the severity of his reaction that has scared me....

I know what foods to start, to hold off and get a close to 6 months as possible I know all that in my head, but my heart is screaming that it's not fair and that my baby shouldn't have to go through this. Knowing what we went through before and how hard the struggle was..

It really sucks that our kids have such a wonderful world to live in but their lives will be restricted for such a long time whist their allergies are being investigated and discovered... We couldn't leave the house it seemed with William due to his airborne anaphylaxis - I hope and pray things don't get that bad with Dom - life cant be that cruel can it?!??!

Oficially totally slack!!!

And still no time for a decent post, Had a horror day with Dom, he wouldn't settle and screamed and screamed this morning, only slept for 15 min intervals again - poor guy I couldn't settle or calm him :( I made a Dr appointment for him which was a waste of time - apparently children who are 4 months and over need to be supplemented with formula (wtf!!!) and I'm not experienced enough a mum with 4 kids, I was questioned about whether he is getting enough food (well he not dehydrated, is growing and has wet and dirty nappies - one even at the drs!!) whether I was burping him after feeding, was I doing this doing that - oh and how did I think of doing a urine sample (read his notes dr!!! Grrrrrr) oh so patronising!! Augh I could just scream!!! He had some nurofen about 3 hours before the Dr visit and his temp was still 37.5*C!!! apparently it's not considered a temp with this Dr until it hits 38*C!!!

Anyways he's sleeping soundly now, took a few times to get him settled, he'd fall asleep then wake as though in pain. His urine sample was clear at the moment however as the Dr did say (one bit of intelligence I guess) something could be brewing and not yet showing... so he's under monitoring, temps 3 times a day and symptoms monitored *sigh* what fun!!! Thank goodness he's seeing the surgeon this Tuesday, then we can rule out UTI's for the future!!!

Wil had a run in with Dr's today too - he fell from the flying fox in the playground and we thought he had broken his arm just above the elbow!! X-Rays show it's a sprain, but he's in considerable pain the poor mite... Nurofen and cold packs for him!!

Anyways better run, I need sleep - have been feeling quite tired of late, think everything has been building up and I need to slow it down and start taking things a bit easier - bit more realistic with the kids back at school *yay*

Not totally slack...

Well, maybe just a little.

had a few days with no computer, then Dom's been rather demanding, kids started back to school, rental inspection, william's 8th birthday and now covering school books - all that added together equals a very busy me!!!

will try to get some time tomorrow to put a decent post in - however word of warning will be visiting Lee and looking at a possible new rental tomorrow so time could be at a premium then too... we'll see what happens ;)

cont....

Well the power went off halfway through tying this, back on now so can publish :D


Hmm now Dom's settled I should finish my previous entry....

Just have to remember what I was going to write LOL

Oh photo shoot - I had Jess bring her boys over and took some piccies - they turned out really good if I do say so myself!! They were very photogenic boys which helped ;) I rushed to spotlight to get some black fleecy material for a backdrop - would you believe the only black fleece they had was a burnt out polar fleece with spiderwebs burnt into the fabric!!! I made it work by doubling it over but not impressed with them grrr Will need to get some more at a later date. I also need to get some white at some stage as well - preferably some stage soon ;)

~ Jackson ~

~ Charlie ~

Some piccies from the shoot ;)

Photo opportunities - Well I put a comment on my facebook page saying I need to find me some new models etc, and I had people contacting me to photograph them and their kids!! I'm blown away!! I've even got the opportunity to photograph a wedding!!!! Augh it's all happening that's for sure!! Just hope I can do a good job and hopefully start getting the confidence in myself to maybe ask for sitting fees etc... At the moment that's just a pipe dream - one day soon though it will be nice :)

Well dinner tonight is just savs in bread I think - I had the suspected skin cancer thingy cut out of my hand yesterday and cooking is left up to Nathan as I can't do much at all with my right hand (of all the hands to have minor surgery on!!) so trying to get things that are relatively cheep, cheerful and fuss free so he can cope. My hand isn't too sore usually, however it has given me grief from time to time, especially when feeding Dom, he wants to push against my hand which really does hurt :( I've ended up with a couple of stitches and several steri-strips and more than likely a decent scar, nothing I didn't really expect so all's good :) I have to get it dressed by the nurses every second day and stitches out in 10 days.

Well today I've been re-arranging things in the bedroom here. I've moved Dom's change table and preparing to re-assemble his cot. He's gradually growing out of his cradle :( It's only going to be for a few weeks as our lease is about 6-8 weeks away from expiring. We have to be out by April 12 at the very latest. I'll be asking the real estate this Friday when they come for the regulatory inspection what will the process be - the main reason I'm asking is that there are a couple of houses for rent on their website that would suit us down to the ground and I would dearly love to move ASAP to get the kids settled into school and the new house in one fell swoop - I also need to know if I need to save for another lot of bond or if they will transfer it from one property to the next - hoping the latter!!

Anyways must get the brats some dinner, they've meant to have been cleaning their bedrooms all day, needless to say not all that much has been done *sigh* my kids and work just don;t seem to mix!!!

3 Days and still counting....

I'm still dazed by the tragedy that is still unfolding in Victoria. This morning the death tally is at 173 with it expected to go even higher!! Some of the stories coming out of there - simply heartbreaking. It's so hard sitting here seeing it happen and reading about it, let alone for those who are actually experiencing it!!! I can't even bring myself to type some of the things that have been reported - I don't know how I could cope, how I would go on in this situation, so many parents have lost children, children have lost parents, friends and families have been torn apart or taken together - the terror must be... well it's indescribable!! As they say Hell on Earth - the aftermath is sure showing that to be the way. I am every EVER so thankful that none of my family or friends have experienced this first hand, to date I believe we have come through unscathed - most of us live in Tassie after all.... Again I just can't get over how lucky we are.. soooo lucky and blessed!!!


Well besides the bushfire's life has been moving on down here for us. The children are now enrolled to attend Montello Primary School. We went with Aleks and Kahli in Friday to meet the principal . Unfortunately they were really busy so we haven't found out their new teachers or classrooms yet. They go back on Thursday as the teachers have moderation or something today and tomorrow. It gives me a bit longer to get their things together hehehe, we're almost organised but this weekend threw me for a sixer.

Oh yes the list from the other day - car problems. We were driving to Ulverstone to take some candid shots of Jess and her boys when changing gear in front of the Ulverstone football ground we heard a loud "pop". Our dashed clutch cable snapped!!! And of course it was at 7pm so no auto shops were open Augh!!! We've got her fixed now, but OMG what a pain in the butt - especially as we had the kids with us!! Luckily it happened not far from where we were going (dinosaur park) so I could walk there with the brats whilst Nathan wait with the car for dad to come see what could be done.

can't finish this now, Dom's wanting a sleep and only mum will do ;)