I know it should not bug me, but it does.

I usually don't about where Tara fits in the world of averages or peers. She's her own little person with her own schedule. I understand that, but I am getting antsy... anxious even, that Tara is not talking.

I wish I did not compare, but when you have kids around you all the time talking, then it happens I am afraid. And it's getting to me more and more.

Her Carer and TinySteps says she says "Hello Daddy". I am yet to hear it... I don't deny it, but I feel she is probably just making her noises and people are assigning words. That happens A LOT.

She says ME a lot. But I think that is just HER sound. A noise. Not a word. She uses it in context, but the intent is not there.

She follows instruction like no tomorrow. She understands LOTS.

When talking to someone about this yesterday they said "Oh, but she can say 'Water' and 'more' and 'up' and things, right?" and I just shook my head. Nope. She does not say any of those. She understands the word, but does not say it.

She does not mimic any sounds/words from books - like animal noises.

I thought she was perhaps saying Puppy occasionally, but I think that was my wishful thinking and projection.

She whinges and whines and grunts with pointing for asking for things and getting her point across.

She only says mummy if waking from a deep sleep and being upset.

She said Hi. That's about the most consistant and clear thing that she says.

So my question is. At what point do I get worried?

A final Goodbye

To my dearest Ladies

Oh to be young again! How wonderful it is be be to frolic through the meadows. To stop and smell the flowers, and to actually see them again! I have dreamt of it, longed for it, and prayed for it and tonight my wish was granted!

My frail body was failing me – I could no longer see, shivered as winter crept through my bones, and I was cranky with how horribly stiff I was. My legs could barely stretch in the morning and I cursed having to move. Curled up on my woolen blankie, snuggled to Miss Mika and that dreaded cat Monte, I willed the heat towards me.

Winter was a curse! Why could it not be summer all year ‘round? Summer on the farm! What a blessed time it was! How I loved that final trip! Galavanting down the main strip as Miss Mika and Master Apollo showed the way. Chasing cows, pottering in the garden – it was a magical time for me! I am glad I had that final trip. It was wonderful!

My last few years have been wonderful. It was so dreary when Jacq found me, but being the little bugger of a chap that I am – I wagged a tail, winked an eye and was saved. She saw something in me. Then she suckered that family into having me “for a little while”. Well, that Little while lasted a few years! I got a good deal, I reckon. Been a little lucky this old codger has. I got to cuddle up to a young lass every night, and got a mountain of treats! I even learnt how to sit!.

This old dog learnt a few good tricks. Best of all, I learnt about a lot of love.

So my legion of fans. I bid you all adieu from the other side. I have hung up my lead, crossed the bridge and am basking in the sun of my youth. Not a pain in my body, not a cloud in my eye. And with that, I say, Goodnight.

Mr Gilbert

Bottom's Up!

Today I got to meet Nicholas. He was born a couple of weeks ago. With a tussel of hair and a quiet disposition, he slept as his mamma, R* told me how he came into this world.

He came fast. After waters breaking, R* was pushing within 30 mins. That's when the midwife said "It's not often I can do this, but - you're having a boy! He's coming out bottom first!"

This midwife is apparently known for her breech delieveries. The universe was smiling on this labouring mamma - as he was head down at last appointment. Yet when she turned up to the Birthing Centre, the midwife who can do Breech Births is on staff, just as her baby had turned.

R* tells me how her body moved her baby into place, and worked with the contractions the way Nicholas needed them. He was out under 2 hours. R* glows telling me her story. Although it was not planned as such, her little boy Thomas was in the room as Nicholas came into the world. Thomas is a couple of weeks younger than Tara, and such a beautiful little boy.

I was with R* today to show her how to use the ring sling with a newborn. SHe was a natural! Nicholas curled up in the foetal position, chest to chest with his head listening to his mamma's heart. It was beautiful, peaceful, natural, calming. He feeds wonderfully, and now his mamma can feed in the sling (hopefully!) and have hands free to help Thomas when needed.

R* looks amazing! And says she feels so great.

R* you beautiful birthing goddess, you!

The joys of retail therapy.

Today I went to a big ol' shopping centre for some retail therapy after my weekend on the couch. I took a risk hoping I was still not contageous with my non-disclosed bug.

Anyways, I have been searching everywhere for a pair of gumboots for Tara, and a raincoat. One, for going to the farm, but two, for going to TinySteps.

I have been to probably 50 plus stores in the last week (not to mention braving the markets on a saturday!) to find a child's raincoat that is under $30 - not pink - and in her size....

Apparently every Mary, Sue and Jane decided their Tom Dick and Harry kids needed raincoats in the last shower because NO WHERE has had them!!

Well today I got one! Granted, I had to crawl over the dark side and get a disney licensed merchandise, but I got a winnie raincoat for $20!

And gumboots that are purple funky ones for $17.

Then an pair of jeans for $28!! FOR ME!! Little Miss did not get them! whoot!!

Retail therapy is the best.

Now I need to lie down

Blegh

Gastro/tummy bugs are horrible



'nuff said

Just desserts

At what age would you expect your child to be offered cake at a wedding? Or would icecream and such be sufficient for dessert instead?

Is it rude to suggest kids have fruit salad instead? Provided they are still rocking at the party...?

7 kids invited. 1 has a non-dairy diet. Two are over two (plus the nodairy - so three), and the others are under two.

Thoughts?

Done!

The invitations are done - and ready to be stuffed into an envelope! THere are the info cards to go in yet, and I have to do them yet, but that is ok - I can do that while mum writes all the addresses on.

I have a couple of invites I need to redo, and I don't think I bought enough card - but who knows. I might have enough.

Whoot!

I have to finish getting ready for the trip home to mum's. Lots to do and plan.

We need to Get Tara some gumboots! ANd a rain coat.

I need to finish a fantastic website today ;) It is almost done _ just have to finalise the images. They are talking longer than expected. I cannot wait to launch this site though!!

Brrrrr.. it is soooooo cold! Like really really.

Questions:

If I keep my surname, can I still call myself Mrs Tatton? Even if Ally's surname is different?

If I change my name to be Kristie Kate Tatton Newsurname, would it be odd for Tara to stay as she is (Tara Kate Luke Tatton) if I then get called Mrs Newsurname?

Is it cheap to expect my guests to use their own envelope and stamp for RSVP cards?

And then there were two!

OK, so I just got word my Danish Bridesmaid will not be able to make our wedding. It is a real shame, but I understand it is a long way to come, and with a little boy and a new job I knew it would be tough. THe fact she wanted to come speaks volumes of our friendship that has spanned the years. 10 years in fact.

And I know she will understand when I say that at least now it is going to be cheaper ;). It means that the budget I had for my accessories for my girls is now only spread by two rather than three - so I can now get some things I had wanted, but could not afford when it was three of them.

It makes life a bit easier with seating arrangements and stuff too...

But I will miss having her there. It would have been so awesome if she could have stood by me.

Hand-me-downs

Can I just say how flipping cool it is to have proper decent hand me downs for tara?

We got some lovely ones from the lovely harriet/casso today. Beautiful clothes that I just love. Tara has never really had "great" hand me downs before - not like this. I feel honoured because I have a really really big thing for hand me downs. Especially funky handmedowns.




ARGH. tara has done something to my browser/computer and my text is not keeping up with my typing speed - it is lagging behind!! I use FF, does anyone know how I can fix this or where I should go to look? I don't want to show Ally just how ditzy or clutzy I really am with a computer!!

Oohhhh.. a resolution!

She obviously did not like the official complaint through PayPal (it must hurt to have somone complaining about your service - and probably risking your rating through PayPal!!)


Apparently she is sending me a new veil in the right colour!!

I just hope it arrives in the next 2 weeks. Am going to put a redirect on our mailbox I think so that anything gets sent to mum while I am down there....

BOUNCE!

excited now. I hope it bloody well matches my dress after this debarkle!

Info/RSVP cards

Ok... some wedding stuff for those of you who care :)

In the invitations will be mini cards for the guests.

Each will have this on them



Then there is the RSVP card



The Map Card



and the General Information Card



They will be bound together with a black ribbon.

Purdy huh?

All desgined by moi

Map Shmap!

Yesterday I spent the day trying to finalise miniature maps of the town we are having our wedding in. I thought it would be handy for guests since so many of them are from out of town and it is easier to have a palm sized map in one's hand, rather than trying to wrestle with the directory in the car. Besides, being a graphic designer/OCD/Control Freak, it was something quirky to do.

So after doing them all up, amd making them look purdy, I print out my trial and whammo! The "map pins" are in the wrong spot. GAWD I am an idiot. Sure, the guests will not realise that the yellow pin (featuring at 3 mm in height) is 5mm in the wrong spot. Or that the Red pin is on the roundabout instead of in the gardens... BUT I KNOW!

And when you are OCD - it matters. It *really* matters.

At least I can just shift the layers in photoshop, redo the tif file, update the indesign file and press save.

Cheers for technology!

Bye Bye dream....

Due to a change in "stuff" the dream of buying a house - even just a cheap investment house in Macarthur - next year has basically gone away.

The way house prices are going now we will never afford to own, and I'll be in damn limbo forever.

It was basically next year or that's it. Well, it seems That's It.

Unless some very kind person at the wedding decides to gift us 20k or so (I know, you are rolling on the ground laughing too!) it is not going to happen.

Damn Hormones.

I am ovulating. Feeling very hormonal.

I just burst into tears because of the mention of baby #2's name on another board. I am not stupid enough to think we have a monopoly on that name - especially most don't even know what it is! LOL... but to hear other people want to use it for a now-already-in-the-tummy-baby made me just cry because it's not my in-the-tummy-baby's name... ('cause there is no baby in the tummy LOL).

How stupid can I be?!

We've had that name since before Tara - it was what she was supposed to be called. Our baby was always to be that, and then I had one of my dreams...



Meh. I obviously need more sleep!

Dreaming!

I had a VERY vivid dream last night. Very. Very very.

I was pregnant and I was out. I believe Ally had to have had Tara with him. I was with friends. General women friends. We were at a restaurant and I was mulling around in all my full-term-glory.

After what I felt as "pressure" in the dream... I had a baby. A tiny newborn, naked against my chest. Whispy strawberry blond thick hair. I knew I had just given birth. It was a girl. She was brought to my chest and I just smelled her. Nestled her. A no fuss, easy going labour.

In the restaurant people were offended by the babe's nakedness. We were wrapped in a hospital blanket. The white waffle weave ones. It was toasty warm from the heaters.

People kept asking me about the birth. "It was fine. It was easy. It must have been so, I have forgotten it already. It was beautiful" These were responses. But the main one I kept repeating was that it was so good, it's a blur, it's forgotten.

I walked outside onto the front porch, and I was back home in the house I grew up in. Across the road at the shop (though perspective is off in the dream and I would have had to have been on the outside path of the pub!), a lady was across the street - someone from Ally's work who is newly pregnant).... she called out... "What did you have!" "A girl!" "wonderful!" as she jumped into the car.

Everyone kept asking what we called her. She was called the name we have picked. Very vividly I kept repeating her name. Over and over. We had our little girl.

Ally came up with Tara, and they both wrapped arms around me and the new baby.

Bring on the Bridezilla!

OK. I knew it was a bit of a risk buying from this seller, but I figured that if was curtious through all of my MANY emails, then she would have less reason to stuff me around.

Well, I went ahead and bought a veil on ebay from a US seller. I corresponded 4 or 5 times to her email with no reply. She then lodged a non-payment thing with ebay. This was AFTER I had asked ebay way can I do to get her to email me. ugh!!

Anyways, finally get an email, not what I needed, but it would do, so I sorted out payment through a friend's paypal. We wrote ALL the special details in the details box - the colour, the address, the works. I also emailed all the details (AGAIN!) so there was no confusion.

So what does this stupid idiotic seller do?????

SENDS THE WRONG COLOUR!!!!

but, it gets worse....

SHE SENT THE PACKAGE TO THE WRONG ADDRESS!!! She sent it to the pay pal account address, not to my shipping address through ebay!!!!!!!!!

Now I have to pay to have it shipped to me, again! but even still, she sent the wrong frikken colour!!!!

I SOOOOOO did not want to leave neg feedback, because she is one of those tit for tat sellers.... so I'll now get neg feedback on my perfect record! *!#@(*$#* stupid cow.....!!!

But my beautiful, perfect veil in IVORY arrived in white!


*screams*

Anyone want to buy a white cathedral length veil?!