Time is flying

It's been a while since I last posted, lots of things have been going on and it's all been quite overwhelming. Some things I have thought about blogging about but decided against doing so just for privacy reasons. I guess that's what password protected posts are for, it's a shame blogger doesn't give you the option to do that. Anyway, in the end I decided I want to keep my posts as positive as possible so I won't go into nitty gritty details, I mean you never know who is actually reading these posts after all!!!! But at the same time it would be nice to hear some opinions on different things too...

Let's just say there have been (and still are) many frustrating situations, mostly related to S's work conditions, and that being 28 weeks pregnant and looking after two small kids day in day out does not make for an easy ride. Especially when B has turned into an eater from hell, and A has hit the terrible twos. It makes for a frustrated and exhausted Mummy, and as much as I love them both sometimes I just need a break. This break of course never eventuates so you can see the endless cycle of things I'm sure...

Anyway, this pregnancy has just flown by, I can't believe I've hit the third trimester already. The morning sickness lasted for 20 weeks so I guess things just crept up on me, considering it's only been 8 weeks since it stopped. Last week we finally got a ultrasound pic that shows for sure what bubs is. Any guesses? Boy or girl? Weight gain (mine) has been minimal, things are going pretty well in that department so now we just have to get organised and get ready for the jump from 2 to 3 kids!!!

I know people say that going from 1 to 2 kids is a big change, then from 2 to 3 is also, but anything after 3 doesn't change much. Apparently having 3, 4 or even 5 kids is pretty much the same. Personally I didn't feel much change going from 1 to 2 kids, so I'm wondering just what people mean when they say the leap from 2 to 3 kids is big. It's kind of daunting, but at the same time I can't really see there being that much of a difference, well not for at least the first 6 months or so. I hope I'm right...Any thoughts on the matter?

We're back!

Hello there bloggy world!
Well as you would have guessed from the title we made it back in one piece, and I am SOOOOOOO exhausted that I don't even know why I'm trying to blog already.

So I think for now a rating post might be a good way to sum things up.

• Flight 1 8/10 (No major problems except for takeoff when I was trying to convince B he needed his seatbelt on for more than 10 seconds at a time.)
• Flight 2 5/10 (Night flight, both kids slept no more than an hour each, at different times of course, leaving poor Mummy with zero sleep. B got motion sickness, moaned for about 5 hours then proceeded to throw up non-stop for the last 3 and a half hours.)
• Being in Oz 10/10
• Constant help with the kids 10/10
• Flight 3 2/10 (Day flight but lights turned out nearly the whole way. Read: everyone else asleep except for the kids who think it is play time. Maybe one hour of sleep for B before throwing up again for the last hour and a half. Despite taking some kiddy meds. A had a total of 30 minutes sleep, every time she was about to go off something would disturb her and I'd be back to square one. 2 overtired kids refusing to sleep, a quiet and dark plane, and a stressed out Mummy)
• Stopover hotel 9/10
• Waiting at airport for flight home 1/10 (Both kids overtired and wanting Mummy to carry them. Even B, who is always fine with just holding my hand, was nutting out MAJORLY before immigration. He HAD to be picked up. Didn't matter that A was trying to run away every single time I put her down or let go of her hand for the split second I had to so I could pick him up. No matter how I tried I couldn't carry both of them. Ended up having a back pack, another bag, carrying A (who was refusing to walk) on my side and having B somehow attached to me like a koala on my front (on top of 24 week bump) hanging on for dear life as I walked through. Stayed like this for nearly 10 minutes. No better once inside because the playground we went to was under repair. I'd asked the lady at information where the closest one was so was so not impressed. Neither were the kids. Other things happened but I think I'll stop ranting here.lol
• Flight 4 9/10 (Both kids asleep after 10 minutes)

And I'll leave you with that for now til I can find some more energy!!!!!!!!

Trip

This time next week we will be home!
The 24 hour trip will be over!!!
Well I'll still have to manage the return leg somehow, but no point worrying about that yet, right!lol

The last time I was home for a fleeting visit I got a grand total of 2 things done.
The first was getting my Australian drivers licence renewed.
The second was going to an uncle's funeral.

Of course it wasn't planned that way, nothing like that ever is.
Unfortunately he passed away just hours before we were meant to visit.
So instead of showing A off to him in hospital, we were staying at his house trying to comfort my aunty who was being bombarded with endless phonecalls and funeral arrangement meetings.

I'm hoping we can get a bit more done this time, and in a lot brighter spirits.
Meeting up with friends, relatives, seeing some Australian animals, and going to the supermarket are all on my to-do list this time round.

In other news, bubs is going well, and, wait for it, I think morning sickness has finally stopped!!! At 20 weeks, no less. Same as what it was with A, but overall it wasn't as bad as it was with her, thank goodness. Still makes me wonder if we really should try for number 4 or not though...

Any guesses about whether bubs is a boy or girl? We pretty much know already but I'm not quite ready to spill the beans.lol Will keep you all in suspense for a bit longer. Ha!ha!

Not long to go

Only two and a half full days of single parenting to go.
S is still away, he won't get home til midnight Saturday.

Surprisingly there has been hardly any difference in looking after the kids by my lonesome than to when S is actually around.
It has been easier than normal to get them to sleep at night, the part I was not looking forward to handling by myself.

I guess it just goes to show how little he gets to see them even when we're living under the same roof, and also how much I am depended on for everything anyway. Seriously, my 'load' so to speak doesn't feel like it's gotten any heavier. I guess by being a SAHM in Japan I've somehow got used to doing it all by myself, without even realising. Sad but true.

But I sure will be glad when he gets home!!!!!!
And so will the kids!

Things I love Thursday

It's been a long while since I have done one of these. Oops!

Things I am loving this week:

• Tickets being confirmed and paid for
• 2 days in a row not throwing up (yesterday and today)
• Tuna and mayo jaffles (ran out of ham and cheese so made do with these)
• Chocolate (it seems my taste buds are returning to normal.lol)
• 冷やし中華

What are you loving this week?

Daddy come home!!

S is away on business.
First time ever for anything longer than a few days.
He only found out about this 出張 yesterday.
He left this morning, and won't be back til the 12th.

B has been whining all day long, and it's only Day 1.
A is yet to realise Daddy won't be coming home tonight, or tomorrow night, or the night after...
Bubs is requesting I lay down at regular intervals. Read: too much hardening of my tummy.
And to top it all off, the cat has been more vocal than usual, and is being a general nuiscance.

And I thought worrying about the 24 hour trip home in a few weeks time was doing my head in.
What was I thinking??
This has got to be an even tougher test!!!!!

Catch up

I have had so many blog posts written in my head the last few weeks, but that's as far as they got I'm afraid.

So something I'm sure you all want to hear about...
I finally got around to renewing my drivers licence yesterday.
What with going home next month and all I needed to get my act together.

The reception was from 1 til 2, so we got there at 12:20 so we would have time to have some lunch together in the cafeteria, then S was going to take the kids to the park/shops/for a drive and wherever else he deemed necessary for the 3 hours or so it was going to take for renewal.

Well it was a great plan until we walked inside the building to find at least 40 people already lined up 40 minutes before reception even opened, and plenty more people following in after, all standing in single file in about 5 different lines. What to do, what to do..

Only took 5 seconds or so to make the executive decision to ditch lunch and line up.
Said goodbye to S and the hungry but we want to go the park right now kids, handed him over a bag with drinks, bibs, nappies and bumwipes and waved them off with a big よろしく!

It was a weird experience, not having to hold onto my bag, the kids' bag and two small hands, surrounded only by adults, no noise, no whining, no I want to go to the toilet right nows, it was just pure bliss doing NOTHING while waiting in line. The whole 40 minutes of it!!

Of course I love my kids, and (most of the time) everything looking after them entails, but this kidless time was something I very rarely have, and it was lovely. All 3 and a half hours of it. lol

The renewal was pretty painless, except for the 2 hour lecture which didn't seem like it was ever going to end, but it was actually enjoyable! Not sure how many people walk away saying the lecture on traffic safety was enjoyable, but there you go.lol

Totally unrelated but my budget, cooking, grocery shopping, getting to the bank, general organising of things such as bill paying and other necessary housewifey skills have been shot out the window the last few months. Morning sickness really is more than just being sick. I have been feeling better the last few days, finally, but after nearly 19 weeks I've had enough!!!