Run for the Kids

Yes, it has come around again...Run for the Kids 2009 to raise money for The Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

As you know the RCH holds a special place in our hearts and we are forever thankfully to the staff at RCH for looking after Rani.

For the 3rd year my brother Steven is running the 14.1km in honour of Rani.

If you would like to sponser him follow this link - Hero's Page

Thank you to those that have already sponsored him :)

My Baby Boy is 1

On Saturday Kai turned 1...I still can't beleive that he is a year old it has flown so quickly.

We had a little party for him as John was away - so just my family and friends...

Kai really didn't understand what was going on. I think Josh and Teagan were more excited, Teagan even woke me at 8 to tell me Kai wanted to open his presents...lol He opened one and then got bored with it all and walked off.

He was well and truly spoilt and my lounge room ended up looking like a toy shop - now to find space for these new toys...I think I really need to do my trip to Ikea and get some more furniture :)

I scrapped!!!

It has been a while - the lat thing I did was a 6 x 12 album for Kai before I had Lainey...i really should scan it one day.

So while it rained this weekend I took advantage of some home time and scrapped.

Almost there....

Well our little man has decided that he has had enough of walking using the furniture or holding our hands and decided to take his first steps alone. It started with one or two and now it is around 10 steps, it is so exciting to see...so we are positive that he will be walking by the time he is one - which really isn't that far off :(

So here is our excited man walking.

and a family photo of the kiddies

Introducing....

Lainey Grace Joi...

We headed into the Hospital at 6.30am to prepare for the C-section and at 8am were ready to go. This C-section was definately different to Kai's...everything side effect that they said could happen I had. My chest was heavy and my nose blocked making it difficult to breathe, I felt sick the whole operations, but everything disappeared when we saw our little girl..and she is little - well to us - the smallest of all 5 of our kiddies.

Recovery was pretty quick and the nice thing was that they bought Lainey to me in recovery this time...with Kai I didn't see him for nearly an hour.

Back to the room and the side effects hit again, throwing up, itchy skin from the morphine (I actually needed drugs to stop the itching) back thankfully after 12 hours or so most of the effects had worn off and I could enjoy some one on one time with my little lady.

I am home now and in a lot more pain than I was last time, hoping all this will disappear soon, but all worth it to have a beautiful healthy little princess.

Here are some piccies...

First cuddle

Kai with his little sister - he looks so big now - he is not really interested in his sister at all!!

Josh - the proud big brother

Teagan wrapped to have another girl in the house...lol

and the little princess

Its a GIRL

Introducing Lainey Grace Joi Millar born 23rd February 2009 at 8.15am weighing 3.32 KGs and 48 cm long.

Mum and bub are healthy and happy.

Mel will post lots of photos when she gets home this weekend :)

Its Nearly Over!!!

the dramas with our builder (not the pregnancy - well I guess that is nearly over as well...lol)

As most of you know we have had ongoing dramas with our builders since we moved in back in May last year. We had one last thing that needed fixing and that was our timber floors between the kitchen and meals area as they were buckling.

Of course the builders said it wasn't their fault, the installers said it wasn't their fault...it went back and forth (this started in October) and then the Company that installed the floors got bought out, so someone else had to come out, then of course no one works over Christmas...blah, blah, blah...meanwhile our floors are getting worse.

Well on the Australia Day long weekend I woke to find puddles on the floor. I thought the kiddies had spilt a drink but when I went to wipe it up more water came out of the joins of the floor. What we suspected all along - we had a leak somewhere under the floor boards. We checked under the sink but there was no water coming out or on the shelves.

Well of course being a long weekend we had to wait until Tuesday to get in contact with the builders - Wednesday they were out. In the meantime we had finally found the leak...there was a to big hole cut in the bottom shelf of the cupboard under the sink for the dishwasher connection...well the dripping pipe was dripping directly into this hole onto the floor and of course wrecking my kitchen cabinets as well.

I put a container underneath and it worked out to a litre an hour that was dripping the day the Plumber came to fix it.

So if the builders had pulled their fingers out months ago they would have had a small amount to fix....now they have to replace most of my kitchen and the whole house worth of timber flooring as it is pretty much all wrecked now.

Really an inconvience I don't need when I am 8 month pregnant, so thankfully we have worked it out for the removalist, flooring guys, cleaners, plasters, painters etc all to come in the week that I am in Hospital having bub (the joys of having a date for the C-section) and only John will have to deal with it as the kiddies will stay with Mum and Dad.

So my kitchen is being replaced on Thursday and then fingers crossed when I come home from the Hospital I will have a perfect house and never have to deal with the builders again!.

Belly Shot

Back to School

Well we are pretty much back into School routine again.

Josh and Teagan both started school on the same day. But as Josh was starting High School and Teagan in her final year of Primary School it was kind of impossible to be in 2 places at once as Josh starts 10 minutes before Teagan. Thankfully John was home and able to drop Josh off at School before heading to the Airport and I took Teagan.

Josh had a great first day at High School and I think he has realised that we weren't joking about the big difference between Primary School and High School, but he is loving being at his new school. I still can't believe that my little man is in High School...where did the time go. He is still so little, as you can see Teagan is taller than him...he is one of the shortest in Year 7, which upsets him a little...I'm sure he will do a big growth spurt soon!!!

Teagan is wrapped to be the head of the school and loves her teacher and is just wrapped to be seeing all her friends again.

Well me - I am 36 weeks pregnant and over the whole thing...lol...I think the heat is making it really hard. I went and saw the Ob last week and was telling him about the pains in my scar, so I was sent off to the City for a Specialist U/S...of course it had to be the day it was 45 degrees in the shade...lol... well my scar doesn't seem to be holding up as well as would be liked, so my C-section date has been moved forward, so we get to meet this bub sooner. The hard part is I have been told to rest up and not lift to much...tell that to a 10 month old that is in to everything and loves Mummy cuddles...and of course I love my baby boy cuddles to...so I am trying to rest up, make sure I have everything ready for this bub and excitedly await the arrival of our final addition to our family.

WHOOPS!!!

Didn't realise my last post was back in November...lol

So now that it is 2009 I will try and update more often...or when I get those pesky emails from people wanting an update...lol

So lets back track...what has happened.

Well Josh graduated Grade 6 and heads off for High School this year...I still can't beleive that my little man will be in High School. He is very excited about starting High School actually counting down the days until he starts!!

Teagan will be the head of the Primary School a big Grade 6er and next year she will also be heading off to High School - they have to stop growing up so fast.

We went out and had a lovely kid free weekend for Mum's 60th Birthday in the City. All of my family stayed in the City and one of my closest friends stayed at our house and looked after the kiddies. We headed into the City early and hit the Casino - went back to the Hotel and got ready for the dinner with Mum's family and friends at the Langham and then for something different we went back to the Casino again. My sister and I left Mum, Dad and our Aunt and Uncle at the Casino at 2am...we can't keep up with the oldies....lol

Then of course Christmas Eve my little man turned 12 and this year we headed out for lunch with my family to Coach and Horses instead of our usual trek to McDonalds because Josh thought he was to old to be having a Macca's dinner for his birthday.

Then the next day Christmas - the kiddies we good - as I am an evil Mum and told them they had to sleep in until 8am before opening their Santa sacks (mainly because we had a big day ahead) well 8.01 they were in bedroom...so presents from Santa, presents under the tree and then we headed to my sisters to meet the rest of my family and even more presents and then to my Aunts for the full roast lunch and by the time we got home we were all exhausted.

Well Kai is now 9 months old and a ball of energy but such a good little man. He is pulling himself up on everything...he loves to walk all around our lounge starting on one of the couches, scooting along to the next and then on the entertainment unit...

He is also fascinated by my belly, contantly pulling my shirt up to see my ever expanding belly...but doesn't do it to anyone else - make you wonder if he knows whats in there. Speaking of in my belly - on;y about 8 weeks to go and we get to meet our final addition to our family.

and finally Frank - our little puppy is still not walking, but everyday he seems to make a little more progress and moves his legs a little more so fingers crossed that he will be walking again.

Been Scrapping!!!

Firstly for those who have asked an update on Frank.

We took him to the Vet on Saturday for a check up and to get the staples out of his back and he has got some sensation in his back legs, he is still not using them, but a good sign that he has feeling...so fingers crossed he will walk again. He is staying at our Vet for the week as I am finding it hard to look after him, the kiddies and keep a healthy dog active and not jump all our her brother when he comes out the back. So the Vet can do the physio take him outside etc better than I can, so it will be good for him.

OK so I thought I would share some recent scrapping as it has been a while.

These are for Stuck?! sketches
This is using last months boy kit from Bons

This is using September Wicked Princess Kit

Our Poor Puppy!!!

Well our little Frank is sick, sick, sick...much worse than we thought possible.

On Melbourne Cup Day he just wasn't himself, mopping about just sitting against the fence, even not taking the opportunity to come inside when offered. He was doing funny things with his mouth so we thought that perhaps he had a bone stuck in his throat, but on Johns inspection he couldn't see or feel anything. Well as the day went on he got more lethargic and not really moving so at about 7pm John decided to take him to the Animal Emergency Centre...he rang first to make an appointment but at that time of night it was worst served first and as we thought there was really nothing major wrong with him he was told he would probably have a 2 hour wait...so off Frank and John went - John taking a book to read...lol

Well when they got to the vet Frank was quite wobbly on his feet and he was rushed into Emergency - his temp was 40 degrees and he wasn't really using his back left leg at all. They thought it could be poison or a snake bite, but all these test came back negative....all John could do was leave him there the night while they did tests and they would call us in the morning.

Well at 2.45am ( I hate calls at that hour!!!) the Vet called to say that his temp had come down but he was paralysed in both back legs and if it was OK with us they wanted to send him over to the Surgery Dept for a surgery consult and MRI later in the morning.

Wednesday Frank had an MRI of his spine, some dye testing of the spinal cord and lots of other tests. The Surgeon said that there is a Spinal Disease that British Bulldogs can get where fluid compresses against the spinal cord and causes paralysis - but it usually occurs in older dogs he had never seen a case in a 7 month old puppy.

So Thursday night he had an operation to remove the excess fluid from his spine and Friday he stayed the night in the Hospital under observation.

Finally today we were able to pick our little puppy up - sadly he still has no use of his back legs and 'if' the operation has been a success (we only were given a 50/50 chance) it takes 4-6 weeks to see the results. So we are keeping our fingers and toes crossed.

So Georgie was over the moon to have her brother home but the poor thing doesn't understand why he is penned off inside and she is outside and not allowed to play with him. So we have to help him with everything but towel lifting his abdomen and allowing him to walk on his front legs for toilet time ect, give him massages of his back legs and keep him medicated...but he is home.

So here is our poor little Frank penned up in the rumpus room. With the staples in his back which we have to get removed next week.

The Unco-operative Bub!!!!

So I went for my 20 week ultrasound a couple of weeks ago with John. We were both so excited to see the bub, we always get such a thrill seeing the bub kicking about in my belly, it makes it all so real.

Well this little one had plans of its own...it was lying right down the bottom of my pelvis on its belly and wasn't moving at all, no matter how much the lady pushed on my stomach to try and get it to co-operate. So not the clearest ultrasound that we have had...but after a trip to the toilet bub did move onto its back (briefly) and we were able to check the heart, see the gall bladder (silly things - but peace of mind for us as Rani didn't have one) so the liver looked ok and then bub moved back to the original position.

We were wrapped with the lady doing the ultrasound as she spent over an hour with us trying to get all the measurements and check everything, so we were very happy to leave knowing that we are having a healthy bub.

Before you ask...NO we didn't find out what it is - even if we wanted to I don't think this little one was going to give away his/her secret...lol...so you will just have to wait like the rest of us...lol

Here are the best of the ultrasound pics.

Not going to share the 4d shots as they are just plain scary....lol

Update Time!!!!

Where has the time gone.... I can't believe tomorrow will be October, this year has disappeared so quickly, slow down!!!

* Fathers Day - John had a lovely Fathers Day and got spoilt, even with a lovely sleep in, well all of us had a sleep in...lol. Then we had Mum, Dad, my sister and her boyfriend and my brother over for a BBQ lunch, it was really a nice day.

* The following weekend we had Karen, Ellie and Maureen come and visit from QLD...it was great to catch up again as we hadn't seen them since last Christmas. Also Karen and I got to compare bellies as she is due just after me...lol

* Then it was John's Birthday a couple of days later, we just had a cake that night - as John and I were going out for a kiddie free weekend while the kiddies stayed at Mum and Dad's. We went into the City, did a bit of shopping at DFO and then went and had a beautiful dinner at the Casino.

* Then before you know it the kiddies are on School Holidays again...so we have had a pretty quiet time (they go back on Monday) but they have been to the Show, Mum took them to the Movies, had some friends over for a BBQ...we are all enjoying the sleep ins...even Kai who ususally gives us at minimum 12 hours - so he sleeps in until around 9.30-10am

* John also got a big suprise on Thursday, with a phone call from his best friend Dave (married to Karen who came down earlier..lol) well he drives a truck and was in Melbourne and came and stayed with us the night...lots of drinking and laughs that night, it was like they had seen each other just last week not months ago!

* and Congrats to John's sister who is also having a 'suprise' bub in April...lol

* and in between that I have done a little scrapping.

This one is for Stuck?!


and this one was just because...


I think that is everything...I will try to stay more up to date :P

Suprise!!!!!!!!

Well what a roller coaster of emotions we have been on in the last couple of weeks...dealing with Rani's birthday and then Anniversary and filled with emotions of suprise, shock, guilt and finally delight.

What am I talking about you may well ask...

Well to your suprise and ours (believe me) let me introduce the latest addition to our family...lol




Yes this little unplanned suprise makes baby no. 5

After the initial shock John and I are now quite excited over this new and definately last addition to our family. I have had an overwhelming feeling of guilt since I found out I was pregnant. I guess finding out close to Rani's birthday and anniversary and then seeing her knowing again that I am pregnant for the second time in as many years makes me feel bad. Kai was certainly not bought into the world as a replacement for Rani and neither is this one, I just feel bad that she isn't here to enjoy our expanding family.

As some of you already know I have PCOS - which was discovered after it took 5 years to get Rani...so when we made the decision to go for baby no.4 I needed help, monitoring, months of disappointment of not being pregnant, etc.... so to fall in naturally and so quickly after Kai was certainly a suprise ...as my body is not meant to work...lol.

So this little one is due March 7...yes there will only be 11 months between Kai and this one - but there is 15 months between Josh and Teagan and I didn't find that hard so I am hoping this will be easy as well.


So I guess one advantage Kai will have a little playmate amd hopefully they will be as close as Josh and Teagan are.

2 Years

Today it has been 2 years since we had to say good bye to our beautiful baby girl and 2 years of complete heart break...we miss Rani every day. Thank you my baby girl for holding on as long as you did and for being so strong and always so happy - you touched everyones lives that met or knew about you.

Today is another day that is sad but also with some happy memories - it is today that again we think about the nurses and staff that helped Rani and made our Hospital stay somewhat enjoyable for the 5+ months that Rani was at RCH...as I have said before they will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Thank you all the Nurses that looked after Rani, your care and love helped her fight as long as she did.

Happy Happy Birthday

my beautiful Buddha Baby.

Today Rani turns 3 and I am full of emotions.

I have been out to see her this morning, so wishing instead I was seeing delight in her face as she opens her birthday presents.

I am so grateful that she held on for her first birthday but her birthday also brings tears. Remembering how miserable she was, so bloated and uncomfortable, spiking temps and just not enjoying the day and then of course the following day she was in ICU..... but also happy memories of all the nurses and staff and friends and family that came in to see her on her birthday...the signed frame that the Nurses gave Rani takes pride of place in my lounge with a picture of all of you on her special day - i still can't thank enough the Nurses on 5W for their support while Rani was in Hospital.

but it also means that in one week it will be her 2nd anniversary and that sucks!

So birthday kisses up to heaven my baby girl...mwah XXXX

Alright, alright an update...lol

Well there is not really a lot to update.

I decided that I was spending way to much time on the computer so decided to step away. I haven't been on any forums, etc for months and have been enjoying my time catching up with friends and family and spending time with my growing way to fast little one Kai.

Can you believe that he is already 4 months old - it has just flown - way to quickly for my liking. So I had his 4 month check up a couple of weeks ago and he is a hefty 7.7kg - I love it when people tell me he is a big boy....it is such a complete contrast to Rani, she was only 5.5kg at 8 months old. So I am loving watching my healthy and happy boy and trying to enjoy every stage of his development as we missed so much with Rani being sick. He is a bit miserable at the moment as he is teething but doing what Josh did, the tooth pushes and pushes and gives him grief for a couple of days and then it goes back down again...but I think sometime soon it will push through so we are going through a lot of bonjella at the moment.

I have photos of him on my camera, but I am charging the battery so will upload later.

Josh and Teagan are also doing well, enjoying school..lol...we had 3 way conference this week for the parent teacher interviews, it was a bit different...basically the kiddies sat with their teacher and went through different work in their portfolios and had to tell me what they need to work on etc. and then they left and we got to talk one on one with the teacher. It was interesting and I guess it helped Josh and Teagan to see what they need work on. Both of them struggle in Maths - so we are looking at getting them a tutor to help with that - but we were pleased with their reports as they have both improved from last year. They have been doing lots of practising for the school production of High School Musical that is at the end of the month - it is mainly the Grade 6's - Josh is a bit disappointed that he didn't get a talking part but he will be on stage lots so we will be able to see him. As it is a Grade 6 production the other years just come on and do a song and leave so this year it will be great to see josh pretty much the whole time rather that for 5 minutes each.

What else...I got to catch up with my cousin and her little man - so cute and so little and light compared to my big boff...lol...although he was only 2 months old.

John went and got another tattoo...another one for Rani this time a portrait - I must admit that when he first got it done I didn't like it as I felt it didn't look like her - just little things were wrong - but as it has settled I am liking it more.

So I can't believe that it is August already - I really hate August now and September even more. How can it be in one month the 2 nd Anniversary of Rani's passing. Plus my little Angel will be turning 3 in August - how I wish she was here everyday. So I guess I will be quiet again. Whoever said 'the pain heals with time" is a liar - I feel the same pain I did 2 years ago and just hate the anniversary as it make you replay those last weeks - again asking those 'what if' questions that I have asked a million time and will never get an answer to.

Also sending the biggest hugs to Connie...

It's Finished (almost)

Well yesterday was a huge day for our front and backyard (well the last week) but yesterday was the day we got plants...YAY!!!

The landscaping is almost done, there are a few little things that need to be done, but by the end of the week everything will be finished front and back yard.

So here is the front yard with plants. We are going to have seed in the front path area.










and the biggest change the backyard....the fences are finished, we have turf, garden beds, plants and our pergola...just have to paint the pergola and it is done.












and this is our water feature - a buddha for our little girl. :)


of course the puppies are loving having a big backyard to play in which isn't mud anymore.










just had to share...when I came in from taking the photos, Teagan had Kai and this is how I found him. He wouldn't even take his eyes of the computer screen to look at me...lol

The Boy! and some scrapping

Well I am finding it hard to believe that Kai is already 12 weeks old, it has gone so fast and he is growing up way to quickly for my liking :(

My poor little man is teething and they are really giving him grief. He has never been a sickie kid, but he is throwing up lots of his milk and that to the drooling and I am having to change clothes often. He is not being to whingy about the teeth thankfully the bonjella seems to be giving him some relief and his dummy. He is still sleeping all night, just waking up for his dummy at about 5.30am and then going straight back to sleep.

So here are some piccies...

My cutie

a rare pic with me in it

laughing at the ceiling duct

with Grandad (on their recent visit)

with Grandma

also now that I have finally got my scrap room (almost) sorted I have been scrapping...YAY!!!

Here is a challenge for Scrapbook Dreamer - Manufacturer Challenge - everything on the page had to be by one manufacturer - I went Cosmo Cricket

A sketch challenge for The Scrapbook Establishment

and another sketch challenge for 123 Scrapbook

and finally just one for me