Friday Funny

I couldn't resist posting this before I head off on holidays.

Just remember, you lovebirds, any hanky panky tonight could have consequences later in the year haha.

Happy Valentine's Day!

5 Things I Did During My Bloggy Break

I have to say that I enjoyed my break from blogging immensely.  As much I look forward to writing new posts, it was good to allow my brain to rest from thinking (or overthinking) a bit.  It was good to be free of the burden of worrying whether this blog is interesting to other people.


Here's what I got up to:


1.  I edited two more chapters of my book - that's 35 chapters down, 13 to go.  I've been putting Rory in daycare one day a week and I spend the day editing in the public library in town.  I can be much more productive in the library without the distractions of home.


2.  We went to Perth last weekend for our annual farm staff party.  Friday was spent at Adventure World (not my cup of tea) and we had lunch on Saturday at a tavern with a fantastic indoor kids' playground. 


3.  I went to Zumba twice.  I love it!


4.  We went to an Australia Day barbecue at church.


5.  I took Rory for a swim at our local pool to try out the new little floaty swimming thing my parents gave him for his birthday.


I've only just returned to blogging and now I'm off on another two week break.  Tomorrow night we head off to our church camp near Albany, and then Duncan has two weeks of annual leave.  Dunsborough, Denmark (the WA town, not the country), beach, coffee, wineries, reading, relaxing (as much as you can with a baby) here I come!


*happy dance*

I'm Back and My Back

My breastfeeding days are numbered.  Rory is down to one feed per day (just before bedtime).  But what I feared has become reality....my arthritis has returned.

Those who have been regular readers of this blog for quite some time will know that I have a type of arthritis called Ankylosing Spondyltitis in my lower back.  I was diagnosed after a year of thinking I had a back injury from sport or from sleeping on bad mattresses.  My local doctor picked it up straight away when I complained of back pain in the early hours of the morning which eased when I got up and moved around.  A blood test confirmed his suspicions as the test showed I have a genetic marker called HLA B27.  AS is an autoimmune condition where my white blood cells mistake my own cells for a bacteria called Klebsiella (so they basically attack my own body).  Most people manage the condition with anti-inflammatories and lots of exercise, but I decided I didn't want 20 years of Celebrex.  Two months after my diagnosis, Duncan's cousin's husband told me about how the pain can be managed by a low starch diet.  The Klebsiella bacteria feed off starch in the intestine and that sets off the autoimmune reaction.  If there's little or no starch in the body, the bacteria will effectively starve and therefore my back will not be so inflamed.

Here's a recap for those who are interested:
The Back Verdict
Life With AS
Six Months of Weird Diet Complete!
Diary of an Incubator: Pregnancy and AS

The thing I really enjoyed about being pregnant and breastfeeding is that the arthritis went into remission.  After a year of little or no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, bananas, corn, cakes, chips etc (basically everything I love), I was scoffing vast quantities of them again with no pain!  It was one of those mysteries.  Even Dr Google doesn't know what causes it.  Most articles I read said sometimes pregnancy makes AS better, sometimes worse, and sometimes no difference.  Now that I'm nearly done with breastfeeding, I have to go back on the low starch diet.  Booooo!

I've been back on it for nearly three weeks now.  Bye bye cereal and a banana for breakfast, hello fruit and yogurt and a fruit smoothie (and sometimes scrambled eggs).  Bye bye cookies with flour, and hello cookies with almond meal.  Bye bye looking at menus with glee at all the wonderful options, hello thinking what the heck am I going to eat at this cafe (a limp salad does not sound appealing).

Almond meal choc chip cookies

Low starch breakfast - fruit and yogurt and a mixed berry smoothie

I still often wake up in some discomfort in the mornings.  My left hip has been playing up recently.  I don't know if I'm not being strict enough with what I eat, or if the diet is not as effective this time around.

I'm going to try a Bioflow wristband next.  Everyone I've talked to who has one reckon they're great and, besides, what have I got to lose?

It's very tempting to have another child so I can go into remission again (Duncan says, "NO!")

Blog-Free Book Week

This is my last post before I take a bloggy break. 


Last week I felt like I was on a downward slide, but thanks to the grace of God I am feeling well again.  In fact, by last Saturday I was feeling much better and have felt well ever since.  Thank you to those people who prayed for me.


I haven't entirely lost my love for blogging; I have so much to say and a huge backlog of posts in my head ready to be typed here.  But I'm realising that not everyone finds it interesting, so I'm back at the crossroads of deciding what this blog is for.  Is it to entertain others, or is it merely a diary for myself, to record the thoughts and events I may well have forgotten otherwise?  Yesterday's quote seems very relevant to me at the moment.  The palest ink IS better than the best memory because even the best memories forget sometimes.  This blog is a great record of my life over the past seven and a half years.


While I was wondering what to do during my break, it hit me!  Smack!  Right in the face (metaphorically of course).  I should be editing my book!  It's one of my hopes for this year after all (it seems to be one of my hopes EVERY YEAR and I still never get the jolly thing done).  So, I've decided 2014 will be the year of Blog-Free Book Week.  Each month I will blog for three weeks out of four and use the fourth week to do some editing.  Except to start off I'm to be taking a TWO WEEK break from now and edit as much as I can.  Normally the only time I get for editing is when I put Rory in daycare, but I just haven't been doing that lately.  I've realised writing blog posts does take a fair bit of time I could use to be doing something that will make me feel better.


Adios for now!  Blog-Free Book Fortnight here I come!

Quote of the Day

The palest ink is better than the best memory.
- Chinese Proverb

One

My little boy turned one on Sunday.  It has been a surreal feeling as I reflected back on the past year...my first year of motherhood.  So much pain and sadness, yet I am so thankful for him and glad he is a part of our lives.  I think of all the spare time I had before he was born; what did I do with myself?!?  I didn't know what stress was before I became a mother.  I'm now more quicker and efficient than I've ever been, but I'm conscious that I need to step back and do less.  The house won't collapse if the floor isn't vacuumed.  It's ok to sit down and read.  Yes, we need to eat and wear clean clothes, but Rory's childhood won't be here to stay.

Since Rory's birthday was on a Sunday, Duncan and I decided that we would dedicate him on that day.  It was fitting that we celebrate with our church family who have helped us so much.  It was great that other family and friends could journey there to celebrate with us and pray for us and we publicly declared that we wish to raise Rory in a Christian home, knowing that any faith he possesses in the future is a work of God.

Thank you God for our little scallywag who is soon turning from bubba to toddler (he has just started 'cruising', his tottery little legs moving along as he clung to the coffee table and couch).

What a difference a year makes!

Those of you who read this blog regularly may remember this post I did just before Rory was born, declaring that I don't do cakes!  Well, I gave it a shot - not to compete with other mums, but just for fun (knowing I could always just make a round chocolate cake with smarties on it if it didn't work out).  I loved this book as a kid and spent many hours flicking through it.  My poor mum was probably quaking in her boots, wondering which cake she'd be asked to make!  Now the book has been passed down to me for the next generation.

Tada!  A joint effort from me and Duncan.  It says 'Leonard
the Lion' in the book, but we called him 'ROARY the Lion'.

Christmas 2013

We had two Christmases this year for Rory's first Christmas.  It was Duncan's family's turn to have us for Christmas Day, but before we headed to Dunsborough, we had an early Christmas celebration with my family in Albany.

Rory in the Christmas outfit my mum bought him.
Duncan was afraid she was going to dress him up
as an elf!

He doesn't like wearing hats.  Hats are for eating.

With Uncle Tim

Ooo presents!

On our way to Dunsborough.  We had to stop a few times because
Rory was peckish.....or bored.

First swim at the beach on Christmas Day.

He was more interested in tasting the salt water.

We had a family portrait done as a Christmas present for both sets of parents.  Our friend Asha, who is a professional photographer, took it.  Her website is here.