Thanks Mum / Nanna

After thinking we were on the mend last weekend, our health took another downturn and I ended up in bed all day Sunday and the next couple of days. Matt called Mum Sunday morning to come up with a plan and before we knew it, Mum was on the next flight down to look after us. What a Godsend!

She was able to look after a still recovering little boy and feed me and allow me to rest as the nasty flu turned into a sinus and ear infection! All compounded by the fact that I can't take any cold & flu drugs because of mini Tinks #2! Poor Matty has so far successfully fought off the flu, but has also had the busiest week possible catching up from the time he took off last week to look after us. Fingers crossed he stays healthy for his footy Grand Final against Berrigan next week...

James has had a ball all week, having stories in bed each morning with his "Nan-na", and talking all day long about whatever it is he talks about. He's also turned into a real parrot with plenty of new words including "thankyou, cat, there's Jacqui, duck" and "Grandpa", as well as singing the end to Open wide, come inside, it's "Playschool". His favourite story by far is The Very Hungry Caterpillar... I'll capture it on film and put it up... Words wouldn't do his story telling justice!

We said goodbye to Mum / Nanna today, intially intending to just drop and run at the airport given it was pouring rain. But no... James cried as Nanna said goodbye, reaching his arms out and stretching for her as she shut the door. So we parked the car, braved the rain and cold and followed Nanna inside for a last cuddle. Saying goodbye the second time went a little better, with James just saying "Nan-na, Nan-na, Nan-na" the whole way home...

Thanks again Mum. We couldn't have done it without you!

A week we were glad to farewell, with a nice finish...

I think it's safe to say we've had a week from hell. And I hope, so very hope, that we never cop another week like this one. First of all, James came down unexpectedly and quite suddenly with a nasty case of the flu mid-way through the footy on Saturday. One minute up and running about (although in hindsight he wasn't 100% then either) to the next, miserable and lethargic in my arms. After a dose of medicine he sparked up enough to eat dinner and have a bath and we hoped it was going to be a short term illness. It wasn't.

After tag-teaming all Saturday night (including Matt's parents!), and a combined total of about 2 hours sleep for Matt and I, we decided that I should leave the boys at the farm and head off to the Sunday netball semi on my own. I did, we won, and then we met up again on the way home (a lazy 3 hour trip for me - really nice to sit still for 3 hours after a very physical match!).

After arriving home with all hopes that James was on the improve, we had our hopes dashed again by him being just as flat as he was 24hours earlier. As I type now, a week later, he's still not 100%. Nasty damned flu...

Then, as welcome as pimples on your wedding day, I copped the flu Monday and ended up in bed til Thursday. Poor Matty has worked like a slave between meeting necessary work committments and doing absolutely everything he could for James and I in between. Matt's mum, Denise, came over to baby/mummy sit on Monday and Tuesday, and my Mum was on the verge of flying down to look after us.

Fortunately, we're well enough now to survive on our own while Matt went off to Wunghnu to play footy today (which I can add now they won by 2 goals booking a spot in the grannie and a week off to rest up!)

But on a positive note, we got a sneak peak at Bubba Tinks #2 on Friday. All is going well, there's the right number of fingers and toes and everything else is developing and in the right place. I'm somewhere between 14 and 16 weeks????? or maybe it's a big baby... Has to be a tough bugger to have survived so far!

It's a 'front on' of sorts. Lying facing the photo on it's side, head on left, then little hands, then huge abdomen... As the sonographer said "Cute, if you like aliens..."

Colours...

Okay... Use your imagination...
Bricks... Roof (& gutter)... Fascia (& Garage Door)

Laundry Cabinets... and Benchtop...

Kitchen cabinets... and benchtop... and same top with this colour cabinets in bathrooms

Brushed metal kickboard throughout...

Tiles and floorboards have been selected but I don't have pics of these... Will take a photo asap.

We've got to finalise our carpet choice and also get thinking about paint colours...

Now that we've chosen the big things (bricks, roof colour, cabinetry colours) the rest is coming along nicely... So much so in fact, I'm starting to enjoy myself...

Brick shopping

Bricks have become the bain of our existence. It feels like every waking moment for the past 2 weeks has been spent looking at brick samples and driving past houses built with the bricks we've shortlisted...

Finally, yesterday, we arrived at a decision (well, almost...). We're keen on Mocha as our brick... Now our job is to decide between 2 manufacturers of mocha... They're slightly different but one seems to have a little more oomph to it... (if that makes sense). Anyway, we're a lot closer to a decision right now than we were 24 hours ago. Now for the roof and fascia/guttering colours...

James rates brick shopping highly however... Unlike those tiles shops and lighting shops (where the Mumma nags - "Don't touch... don't touch...") James was allowed to go CRAZY at the brick place. And so did his Dad with an exciting game of hide and seek...

"Where is he?"

"Ah ha ha ha ha, I found you Daddy!"

And here's a pic of PGH's Mocha.

It's being pitted against Boral's Mocha as shown in the house below...

Hmmmmmm.......

Next mission, as stated before, roof/fascia/guttering colours, lights, tiles, carpet...

Little kids are so much fun, we thought we'd have another one!

Due February 18th 2010...