rebecca:vavic

His and Hers...

Nath and my daily prescriptives.We have to do everything together!!! SO codependent! LOL! 

So I got into see my doctor last week, he thought I was anemic (turns out, I am). We got a few blood tests done, as well as my irons (which were quite low) he checked my thyroid and we found I have hypothyroidism. Hmmmm. Immediately I go investigating on the net (as you do).

We know my blood tests came back good after Joshua's birth, so it is the little cutie pie Ben who has caused my thyroid to become pretty much inactive, basically I have Postpartum Thyroiditis.

Doc is now testing to see if I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I'll find out later this week.

Such a bugger to be told you need to be on daily drugs for the rest of your life.

So now Nath and I are both medicated daily, indefinitely at this stage. I made a joke with my Doc that I was a bit blaise when it happened to Nath (with his colitis) but now it was happening to me it really didnt feel very nice at all...

Having said that, it was only a temporary mood and I am so very grateful for such a great Doctor who picked this up so quickly. Especially after reading some stories on the net.

Hopefully we will be able to get this all sorted and it will only be a temporary measure that I am medicated. Same with Nath because his last tests were pretty much clear.

Another upside is that Doc says I should be feeling much better in a few weeks? I found that funny because... and here is the thing I find alarming... I felt fine! I mean yes I was tired, yes I felt tired... but how tired is very tired, or my usual tired?Thing is, I am 37 years old... I have three children, two under 3... I've been either pregnant or breast feeding for the past 3 years. I wake a couple of times every night. I have not slept for more than 4 hours straight in... I cant remember. And I am not complaining about any of that, because I know it passes. Mikaela is eight years old already and I know that the time goes by super quickly. I'm just saying, I kept doing what we all do... keep on keeping on. So I just thought that what I considered to be a "bit tired" (and that is how I felt/feel most days) was fine...

I am writing this post so that if you think you have some troubles, go check it out... thyroid issues are alarmingly common.

And also to thank all my dear friends who've been telling me how alarmingly tired I LOOK lately. Hahahahah LOL!

Love out

Bxo

Happy 5 months to you little guy...

 Hey there Ben...

Wowsers little guy, what can I say... you have really come into your own this past month and you have surely stolen my heart more than ever, each day... just a little more enters the palm of your hand.

I am totally besotted with you. It is quite something this giggly little thing we have going on.

Sadly for me, you are in love with lots of people... well I know this is a good thing for you... but hey, I KNOW how quickly you will grow into a toddler... I am savouring every morsel of your babyiness for me, and for as long as I can.

Okay, enough gushing... what have you been up to this past month??

> You were weighed the other day, 7.6 kg. 

> You are still sleeping with {in between} Mum and Dad and loving it.

> You can sit by yourself if propped up by cushions.

> You are starting to get mobile, you can roll over from front to back, and back again.

> You dig your feet in and push yourself about... I put you down in one place and come back to find you in another!

> You are super, too cute.

> You continue to stare intently at everything your brother does... only now he seems to be very aware of your attention and chats to you, or comes down and kisses you, lays beside you, "plays" with you by patting you or giving you toys.

> You have a tonne of expressions, mainly BIG cheesy grins and adorable eyes... but you have quite a range and you talk a lot too.

> Tomorrow we are going to start you on solids, you make a whole lotta noise and I am sure if you could you would jump onto our plates at times. You've made it pretty clear you are ready to get a spoon to your mouth. See how we go.

> At the moment you are on antibiotics as you've picked up a nasty from your Dad which is causing some irritation to your tonsils... should be gone soon.

> You are just the cutest little bear and we all adore you tremendously!!!

Love Mumma xox

Scored, big time...

This week my mission has been to scour all the local op shops and get curtains for our new place. As you can see by the pile almost as tall as Joshua, I did good!

  

I have curtains for almost the entire house: 4 bedrooms, lounge, family and dining areas... for just $188. SERIOUS Bargin!

I love a project... and for every project, one must have a folder:

 

Now for the slightly more expensive part... the rods and pelmets (where I plan to get lots of gorgeous fabrics from here and here). Alternatively I can just paint them a really wonderful shiny colour :) I cant wait to show you the finished results in the new year... only if they turn out in reality as good as they are in my imagination LOL!

Oh and I got this for my girls room, she is M.A.D for blue:

Me, I'm just M.A.D for chenille... been looking for some for ages, managed to get another two single bed sized white ones too. 

Recycling and op shopping rocks.... even with two littlen's in tow :)

It really was a team effort... Yah TEAM V !

Love out.
Bxo

Happy Birthday Auntie Lee-Lee...

My gorgeous sister is to be spoilt today!!!! We all wish we were there to do so.

 

 

Just before Mikaela ran out the door for school we recorded this for you :) BIG LOVE as I have not even had a shower!!! Joshua is still sleeping :(

We all love you so muchly!!!!

Hugs and Happy Day.

Bxo

Sail Away with Me...

The latest LMNOP online magazine is out now. Check it out. It's so full of lots of great gift ideas for the kidlets, or yourself. I want some of these to use as photography props... YUM! Oh and I DO think the boys would love love love them too!

Hugs
Bxo

Getting ready...

For our move...

Starting to pack/organise our stuff...

Looking forward to letting go of a whole lot of stuff we've accumulated here, which we really don't need...

Trying to maintain the simplicity of starting with a clean slate, a new canvas... adhere to my conviction that LESS is MORE!

Knowing that will be quite hard for me as I think colours and patterns for the childrens rooms... I just love so many colours and patterns that I tend to go off on a bit of a tangent! (and want them all... no, no no!)

Curtains and blinds too {tho I had promised myself I was not going to worry about it, I really would like new (recycled) window dressings, the current ones would have an energy efficiency rating of about -3}... I think the sewing machine and I are going to be getting reacquainted again.

I am thinking about fabric covered pelmets all through the house. A bright splash of colour.

We've got the removalists booked...

Evaporative cooling being installed...

Bedrooms being painted (the rest of the house can stay, or we can do ourselves bit by bit)...

I've been looking at a few materials:

 

First two will be for Mikaela's room, second two for the boys room. I think I'll do both rooms in a light aqua or baby blue?

I just tried to upload the colour palettes on ColourLovers, but there is something wrong with their site. Anyways basically it is a bit of blue, green and a splash of red in both rooms. Aqua, limish, turquoise, red and white/black accents.

I've ordered a few things over etsy for the children's room and picked up a couple of things at handmade too.

Argh, I best stop decorating in my mind and over the net (so easy to loose hours there) and get packing!

You know Nath and I are getting really excited about this move. As we walked around our home yesterday, measuring walls and windows, working out where our furniture would go... we realised that this home would do very nicely for us, very nicely indeed. And with some low cost ideas and a fair amount of work... we are going to have it looking like "us" in no time at all. Our Home. It doesnt get much better than that.

Oh, the backyard... is a disaster!!! Knee high (dead) grass all over! LOL

Love and hugs

Bxo

Family Portraiture sittings...

Last week I took LOADS of photos of five families, here is the first batch, my friend Martha and her boys, 3 under 2 not many can do... but Martha did/does so very well. She is such a constant inspiration to me:

 

 

 

 

 

I had such a blast taking photos of this family, they are seriously high energy boys... give me a taste of my life in a few years LOL!

There are another four families for me to process... and they are all so fabulous!

Hugs

Bxo

Atop a Sunset Hill...

recently, me and my girl...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am so lucky! I miss her on Sunday mornings.

Lots to do today as I spent most of the weekend at HandMade, and we have friends coming over for a a barbie!

Love & hugs

Bxo

Christmas Album, Days 14 - 25...

Here is the other half of the album...

Day 14, more bella chipboard with scalloped edges:

 

Day 15... It doesnt snow at Christmas time in Australia, but still I use the snowflakes page, go figure!

 

Day 16, simple pretty pink cardstock:

 

Day 17 another quarter piece of a 12x12 double sided cardstock...

 

Day 18 another bella page...

 

Day 19, a MLYB photo overlay...

 

Page 20 a light green cardstock...

 

Day 21, quarter page of a 12 x12 cardstock...

 

Day 22, bella chipboard and a transparent photo overlay by MLYB...

 

Day 23, plain water colour paper...

 

Day 24, small quarter of a 12 x12 cardstock...

 

Day 25, another overlay and the NOEL...

 

Lift the overlay to find the chipboard tree and gifts... cute cute!...

 

I also have a pile of supplies to include in the building of the album process. And, as with last year, some plastic footy card sleeves.

Ready to get started... Dear Days of December, please don't go to fast, let me keep up!

I find early preparation is an advantage, but not so much... I mean honestly I could get this album prepared on Boxing Day for the following year and still, nothing can quite prepare me for the onslaught of December each year. LOL!!

FOR FREE DIGITAL CHRISTMAS scrapbook kits, go here. I have downloaded these and may incorporate some into this album too. shrug. dunno. OR next year I may do an entire 25 days digi album? Choices, choices people.

Oh and I will TRY to do this too:

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By the way... tonight I am at HandMade Christmas Market at Yarralumla Woolshed - 5 to 9pm for a Twilight Market and again tomorrow, 10 to 4. I hope to see you there.

Bxo

25 days of Christmas Album prepared...

I've had this sitting about for a few weeks, thought I'd add some stitching to some of the pages, then thought better of it... can do so as I am building the album each day.

Here are pages 1 to 13:

I used a Teresa Collins album cover. 

 

Page one is water colour paper left over from some other project...

 

That's a Bella chipboard page there for day 2...

 

Day 3 is an acrylic page with scalloped edges, loving the scallops!

 

Day 4 is a quarter of a 12x12 page:

 

Another bella chipboard page for Day 5, I'll stitch the cardstock onto it...

 

An A5 chocolate brown envelope for Day 6...

 

Day 7 has a photo overlay, these are super cute, with glitter by My Little Yellow Bicycle...

 

Beneath the transparent overlay is watercolour paper again...

 

Day 8, simple green cardstock...

 

Day 9, another quarter of a 12x12 page:

 

Day 10 water colour paper with another transparent overlay by MLYB...

 

Day 11, some cardstock and a torn piece of sheet music...

 

Day 12, third quarter of a 12x12 page...

 

Day 13 is just the transparent photo overlay, no water colour paper backing...

 

I really enjoy the mix and match way of putting this album together. I store pieces for Christmas from the year before and through out the year if I find anything that catches my eye.

I guess now I have started this album, I really should finish last years one... I did really well until we got on the road at Day 22 to drive over to Adelaide, away from my printer I found it difficult to complete. Still 11 months later a few pages need finishing!!! Naughty me!

This year I will try very hard to keep up with it, upside is that we are not going on holidays until after Christmas Day, down side is that we are moving house half way through December.

See how I go. Tomorrow I'll post days 14-25. I love seeing all the before and after shots, so if you are doing this album too, I'd love to see your "naked" album.

Hugs

Bxo