10 Reasons Why Dogs are Better than Kids

Posted on June 3, 2011 by heatherss
Me and my two dogs

(This is a tongue in cheek post: of course children top dogs any day, and I deeply and completely look forward to that day that I have them; but I have to pay tribute to my two “fur babies”. For all intents and purposes, they are my kids)

1. You can leave them at home all day while you go to work. (Although I am mighty curious as to what they get up to all day…)

2. You can pretty much do anything to them and they will still wag the tail and love you.

3. You don’t have to give them toilet paper or nappies. (diapers). They just do it on the lawn.

4. Little love dog will keep you warm at night without crying or asking for anything.

5. You don’t have to pay for their education. They will learn how to bark, catch food and sleep all by themselves.

6. They are the welcoming committee when you get home. Tails are wagging and they are jumping up and down. Try and get that much reaction from a sullen teenager.

7. They are grateful for any food that they get. No fussy eaters here.

8. They follow you around with the utmost loyalty.

9. They are the built in door bell and will always let you know if someone is even in the vicinity of your home.

10. And when you are not there, the ears are lifted in high alert for when you return. You come home to a faithful friend who is waiting for you.

Dedicated to Coffee and Milo: I couldn’t possibly ask for anybody better!

(Oops, I already did…)

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Happiness

Posted on May 29, 2011 by heatherss

Hello Bleeps!

How are you all doing?

I have been having a busy time as usual. Also wrestling with some decisions.

The more I think about it, I would rather be doing IVF than IUI in August. Purely because there would be a better chance of success. However two obstacles stand in my way:

1)      Where are we going to get the money

2)      How am I going to convince my DH.

He is tending towards adoption again. And I am stuck in fertility land. This process is so hard but I know that we will find a solution somehow. I feel so frustrated because time is passing, and I don’t know what to do.

So, on that note I’m going to share a song. I’ve changed some of the words. Alexis Jordan:  Happiness.

Mmm mmm mmm mmm (4x)
I gotta do something now
My fertility is decreasing
Boy this failure is making me sick
Baby I can’t wait to have you near

I gotta hurry hurry hurry
Now quick quick quick
Just step on the gas cause I don’t wanna miss this
This opportunity will only come once in my life, my life

I gotta hurry hurry hurry
Now quick quick quick
Just step on the gas cause I don’t wanna miss this
See what you’re bringing me baby is priceless
I gotta be out of my mind not to try this

Through strength I found love
In time I found myself in happiness with you (x2)

Mmm mmm mmm mmm (4x)
Boy I need to say what’s in my heart
I was scared but I’ll do my part
I came back to tell you face to face
So what we have won’t go to waste

I gotta hurry hurry hurry
Now quick quick quick
Just step on the gas cause I don’t wanna miss this
This opportunity will only come once in my life, my life Yeah

Sorry sorry sorry I’m coming down to fix this
You should know how I feel I know I got you twisted
See what you bringing me boy is priceless
I gotta be out of my mind not to try this

Through strength I found love (2x)
In time I found myself in happiness with you (2x)

I don’t know how we gonna solve this problem
It fades when you’re holding me close
You’re like one of the world wonders
I know I’m going under
Come see that I’m ready for this
And you’re so good for me
You’re my true joy
You make me wanna say

Mmm mmm mmm mmm (4x)
Through strength I found love(2x)
In time I found myself in happiness with you (2x)

Watch the video here on You Tube:

Alexis Jordan – Happiness

Posted in poems | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 12, 2011 by heatherss
 

I know that Mother’s Day totally sucks for all us infertiles. It’s a pretty painful reminder of our “motherless” state. But I’d like to turn it around and pay tribute to my dearest mother.

A Tribute to My Mother on Mother’s Day:

-She carried me for nine months in the womb

-She delivered me at the hospital where she worked with all her colleagues looking on – couldn’t have been easy.

-She kept me a year back when I cried my eyes out not wanting to go to pre-school – an excellent decision which has helped me have an academic advantage.

-She taught me not to feel sorry for myself and get on with it – I had to catch buses home from school. Not much secondary gain when sick – to this day I soldier on even when I feel awful.

-She would sometimes drive to pick me up from varsity (two hours away).

-She was excited for me when I fell in love.

-She put up with my dearest Leopold the cat even though she was allergic to him.

-She sewed my matric dance dress and finished my wedding dress when my aunt passed away and couldn’t finish it.

-She introduced me to EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques).

-She is a huge supporter and gave me money towards last year’s IUI. Thank you, Mommy!

-It’s nice having a doctor only an sms away for any and all medical things that are bothering me.

-She also worries about me a lot.

There are so many wonderful things about my mom, things I admire and am proud of. Congratulations on reaching your 40th wedding anniversary and hope you have a super party.

I hope one day I can give you some grandkids but until then, I’d like to also give thanks for my two fur babies:

Coffee. And Milo.

 

I also want to say a big thank you to waiting4miracle for the versatile blogger nomination. And I’d like to pay tribute to some super bloggers out there who also deserve this award.

This is what you have to do:

1.) Winners- Put the above image in your blog.
2.) Include a link back to the person who gave it to you.
3.) Tell 10 things about yourself
4.) Award 15 other bloggers
5.)Contact the bloggers you awarded and let them know they won.

Well, I already said more than 10 things about myself in a way (with my mom and all) so I’ll skip that step! What? Is that not good enough? Ok….

  1. I love potatoes
  2. I have done a lot of travelling – went to summer camp in America in 1998, and taught in Taiwan for a year and a half (2001).
  3. I have done so many different jobs in my life – waitressing, working at a video shop, hotel receptionist, au pair, herbalife distributor, I am still surprised sometimes I have actually been in this job for so long.
  4. I met my husband on the internet when I was teaching in Taiwan – although he was already friends with my brother in law and the lodger staying in my parent’s house. He was invited to my sister’s wedding – just imagine if he had come!
  5. I had already arranged to move furniture to his place before I had even met him in person. My parents thought I was crazy. But I knew he was the one.
  6. I love my dogs like children.
  7. I love reading fertility blogs and commenting on them. I love blogging too.
  8. My favourite colour is purple.
  9. I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, the biggest city here – but I was born in Port Elizabeth, at the coast.
  10. I am addicted to my blackberry.

My awards go to:

Waiting4miracle (thanks for the nomination! Right back at ya!) Here’s hoping that all the adoption plans go smoothly!

Busted Plumbing: Kate: I started following you a year ago, and you are hilarious. Even though you are now “with child” you haven’t lost your respect and appreciation for us.

Yolk, a blog about eggs and sperm: Elphaba: you are so funny and also precious. Some of your posts have got me through a hard day. I esp. liked your series: Things Infertiles Love to Hear. You are versatile because you balance your personal story with very good articles on infertility. So glad you are pregnant now and almost closing in on that first trimester.

Mommy In Waiting: Finally pregnant after all those IVFs! And famous through Carte Blanche! Your story is touching. And I admire some of your posts about faith even before your BFP happened: you are an inspiration.

Whitney and Erick: I have recently been following you: you also inspire me to “let go”. And I am so impressed that you went to your congressman to campaign for infertility. 

Ladies In Waiting Book club: Seriously, I wish I had more time to read. But it is a fantastic idea. And a real community. I think there is variety because not only is it about books, but also a big participant in things link National Infertility Week where we all contributed myths.

Nikus’ Road: This lady is juggling starting IVF while waiting for her exam results for CFP. (Update: she passed: whoo – hoo!) She really puts her heart out there – and I have gotten some good ideas from her.  Nikus: I just know this IVF is going to be successful for you too.

SIF: Single Infertile Female: you are a good writer and it is entertaining to read about your single life. I hope this new guy is The One; you deserve some happiness after all you have been through.

The Infertility Therapist: As someone who has been through this but also has very well written articles, you are an excellent read.

Liberal Granola Girl: I kind of lost a few months there when you switched to blogger, but you have my utmost admiration for adopting those kids.

Well that’s all from me for now.

Posted in blogs, family, fertility | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Two hard phone calls…

Posted on April 27, 2011 by heatherss

Communication. We all need it. We need to connect.

But it seems that lately, I’ve had problems with it.

Our landline has not been working for about four months now. Oh, they come around and fix it and it works briefly, and then it goes again. Also the past few days we have been having problems with the internet. You get a few seconds of connectivity and then it goes again. I just need to look at my Skype button to know if I am online or not. And mostly: it’s not.

Fortunately my cell phone is working, although there are limits to what you can do with a blackberry (anybody know how to activate JavaScript on a blackberry so I can comment on people’s blogs?!)

In any case, last Monday, the last day of my holiday, I sat there next to my phone and a list of fertility clinics, trying to get up the guts to make that call. My gynae has been great but now we have to bring in some more resources. This has been top of my list to do for the holidays, but the resistance to actually do it is there. I think it is a general nervousness about how much money is going to be involved.  In the end I decided on three: to make 3 appointments and decide later. I have heard good things about all. One of them, which is closer to my work, did not pan out – I have heard the receptionists are rude, but when I asked prices, the girl in the accounts they transferred me to someone who did not even know what an IUI was. Oh well.  So I now have two appointments on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Before you suggest I go to both – at over R1000 an appointment, I am just not going to do that. I already have to pay over R3000 to get a crown done on my tooth next week (to get to dollars divide by seven). So I still need to decide between two.

My other news has to do with an old issue that has come up again. For those of you that have been following my blog since last year, you’ll remember when my maid (V) offered me her grandchild. You can read that post here, and how I handled it here. The bottom line was; the 14 year old wasn’t sure if she really wanted to give the kid away in the end, and I wasn’t sure if I was prepared to take it. But it was really tough.

Anyway, last week Monday, this baby (must be about 8 months by now), falls and hurts himself. The mother, a child herself, would rather be playing in the streets than taking care of the kid. V came in on Tuesday and told me about it. By Thursday, when she came again, the kid had still not been seen to.

I had some stuff to do and came back at about lunch time. She actually suggested that I phone her daughter. With considerable bravery, I picked up my phone. I told her that unless she takes that kid to a hospital immediately, we will send social workers in to take the kid away, and is that what she wants? Even after I put the phone down, I wasn’t sure if she was listening or not. But I had done what I could.

This week V tells me that her daughter actually listened to me! The kid had a dislocated wrist! He has a bandage/ caste now, so should be ok. However, they have decided that enough is enough and she is being packed off to V’s husband’s family in Mozambique for the next two months. Maybe to knock some sense into her, I hope.

Despite everything that’s happened, I am still following what happens with this kid with a great deal of interest and concern.  I think I will always feel connected to it, because it once almost was mine. Well, will see what happens in June when she comes back.

Oh well enough about all that serious stuff. Hope you all are enjoying your Easter. Yesterday we went to see Water for Elephants which I really enjoyed. I also saw this most perfect purple dress which I want to wear for the wedding we are going down for next weekend (B’s niece). Last year this time we went for her 21st, now she is getting married. She will undoubtedly have babies before we do! But in any event I plan on having a great time.

Oh and I have to share this funny moment. I’m not sure when I will be able to post this because my internet keeps drifting in and out. But when I cooked supper I put chilies in my chicken noodle soup (Cindy Bailey’s recipe) because Dr P says that I need to be “warmed up” so that the “oven” is at the “right temperature”. Not only do I manage to get chilies in my eye (very painful!) but it is so hot in my mouth I run to the fridge to put cold dairy milk (a fertility no-no) down my throat! Oh the things we do. I think I have had it with chilies.

Till next time!

Posted in adoption, fertility | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Infertility Myths

Posted on April 13, 2011 by heatherss

The problem with busting myths is that there is often some relevant story, somewhere, that supports them.

I’ve just finished reading “Trying to Conceive” (edited by Michaela Ryan) and without exception, every one of the 15 couples had to “relax” and “let go” – both supposed fertility myths.

My own mother maintains that if and when I “give up”, it will happen. She also frequently says we should “take a vacation”. She says that in our family women either conceives immediately, like she did: immediately after going off the pill, or wait, like her younger sister – who married early and had children later in her life. My cousins are younger than me (and incidentally having many offspring). So that continues the myth of “Patience, you must wait.”

Let me say, at the outset: I love my mother. She is an expert in breastfeeding and nobody has my interests at heart more than her. She really wants me to be a mother. But because she comes from a place of fertility, she lacks understanding of where I am. So she vacillates between these myths and comforting sayings of how I will still have a full life if I am childless, that at least I will get my sleep etc… The point is she is trying, in her own misguided way, like many of the fertiles out there, to help.

The problem I have with sitting there, waiting, trying to relax, is that with every passing fertile year, opportunities are missed for a healthier child with more healthy eggs. If I can give Mother Nature a hand here, I’m absolutely going to do that. After all, this is my life. I need some control in a situation which is seemingly beyond control.

I have to say that everything I have learnt about fertility has helped me to make better decisions along the way. I mean, just imagine, if I turned my back on all this information, kept drinking coffee and guzzling sweets, made no attempt to change my diet, did not seek any professional help etc.. how would that get me pregnant?

To be honest, five years on, I have officially given up on natural conception. We have tried it – with the diet, with the homeopathic stuff. Now I’m in a more realistic place of what we can and cannot achieve. We are going to need some artificial help, along with natural assistance. I have just learnt a whole whack of stuff about where my body is at from my homeopath /acupuncturist, and I know for sure that if I hadn’t made the effort to go there, I wouldn’t have known it, and would have no chance of improving the situation.

To really achieve some kind of victory over the monster of infertility, one needs to have even one little bit of control. If I can choose to cut out caffeine and sugar, and get needles stuck in me, take loads of vitamins and potions – I will do it. I will not let go. I will not leave my family to chance. There may come a point when we are advanced in age and we have to give up for real. I promise you I very much doubt there will be a pregnancy then. We will have to turn to adoption. That is the reality. And all these romantic notions of letting go and taking vacations are just that – romantic stories. They happen to other people. Not to us.

Oh and here is proof of the “just relax” myth:  In a review of data covering more than 3,500 women undergoing in vitro fertilization or other fertility treatments, British researchers found no difference in pregnancy success rates of women who were stressed and those who were not. One of my very close friends told me she fell pregnant when they were moving house, a time of great stress.

So how do we cope with these myths and well-meaning advice from others?

With humour. And stoicism.

If you subscribe to my blog (or look for it at here on the side bar) I’ll give you a bunch of funny answers I collected about answering that irritationg question: “So, when are you going to have kids?” They range from the environmental “I’m part of The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement” to the humorous: “Why, are you selling some?

But it is the cold hard steely determination that will win you over in the end. Your ability to hang in there for as long as it takes (and knowing when to give up) is what will help the most in these trying times. To hear “just relax” and “take a vacation” for the thousandth time and crack a knowing smile is priceless, after all you have spent on fertility.

Because you are the one who really knows the truth.

Posted in fertility, Tips for Survival | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Fertility Telesummit 2011

Posted on March 7, 2011 by heatherss

 



I am super excited!!

Last year the Fertility Focus Summit was a huge help to me. I bought all the recordings and listened to them one by one. I savoured the information and learned from it. I also landed up getting some really cool bonus gifts (I remember one was a fertility yoga leaflet, which I have subjected my kids to during gross motor – evil grin) and another was a consultation with a lady which was very encouraging. It was also full of the usual tips you’d expect to hear about infertility, but also some new learnings e.g. don’t take your iron tablets with the other vitamins (it absorbs them), rather take it with Vitamin C (for absorption). This was from Marilyn Glenville, whose book on “Getting Pregnant Faster” is in my fertility book collection.

Well, Marilyn is back this year in an all new Fertility Focus Telesummit 2011.

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4021972

And the really exciting news is that I am going to be participating, as a blogger! Woo-hoo! Fame at last! Lol!

Also back are Gabriella Rosa and Sue Dumaris, to whose newsletters I subscribe and absorb.

Cindy Bailey is there! My fertile cookbook friend. (Read all about me cooking her recipes here: http://surviveandthrive.co.za/books/book-review-the-fertile-kitchen-cookbook.html)

And of course, Sarah Holland herself, the creator of the summit and EFT Fertility Tapping expert.

I am also super excited that blogger Yolk / Elphaba will also be there. I was secretly hoping she would be. She really is brilliant. She has become my guilty little pleasure. She posts every day. You have to admire that.

The others look very interesting and I just cannot wait.

The Fertility Focus Telesummit 2011 is an amazing “virtual event” that you can attend for f’ree.  You can listen in to all the information-packed presentations either online or over the phone every day of the telesummit, starting on March 21st.

Grab your f’ree place now to attend this exciting event, and get fully informed about what you can do to improve your chances of having a baby. 

Click here http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4021972 to read all about the Fertility Focus Telesummit 2011, including details of all the expert presentations, each covering a different aspect of infertility and all offering great advice, ideas and solutions to help you move further towards becoming a parent.

I hope to ‘see’ you there!

Posted in EFT, fertility, Fertility Telesummit | Tagged | Leave a comment

You know you’ve been infertile for too long when..

Posted on February 26, 2011 by heatherss

Splurging on books at a sale

Hello bleeps!

I’m still here! Working hard, but still functioning! I am so happy to be on a long weekend midterm break. Today we went to a book sale where they sold books by the kilogram. A nice one I am reading right now is all about stories of different women and how they conceived (“Trying to Conceive”). I even got one on adoption (well, how to explain to your child that he/she is adopted). In any case, I was just grabbing anything, even one on IVF, because you never know… I might need it…

Well, all of this made me realise…

You know you’ve been infertile for too long when…

- Your books represent a library of infertility, and you now have enough knowledge on the subject to write a book.

- Your medical aid funds are depleted by April (well that’s what happened last year, between the homeopath and the acupuncturist).

- Your dogs become your children. You start talking about them as if they are people. You start calling them “baby”.

- All your friends have children/ are pregnant except you.

- And every time you open a magazine there’s a new celebrity showing off her “baby bump” as if it were the latest handbag.

- People have stopped asking you when you are going to have children.

- You start looking at kids on the street and wonder idly if you can grab one and make a quick getaway.

- You think you will physically hurl if another person tells you to “just relax” or take a vacation.

Well that’s all from me for today! Enjoy your weekend.

Posted in humour | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: The Fertile Kitchen Cookbook

Posted on January 15, 2011 by heatherss

It was about six months ago, in the depths of depression after a failed IUI, that I received the news that I had won Cindy Bailey’s fertility cookbook. It became a ray of hope in an otherwise dark situation. I had something to plan for.

I’m embarrassed to say that the CD sat there on my desk for all that time until now. New Year brings with it an extra ounce of motivation to do better, and try something new. This time last year I was starting a diabetic cookbook, which I used last year, and actually they are not that terribly different. We can still have our favourites foods like onion and mushrooms.

I was reading a blog recently (the Infertility Therapist) about how infertility is a mountain that you have to climb. On the back of this book is a pertinent quote by Julia Indichovea (author of “The Fertile Female” and “Inconceivable”) about how infertility is a “baby trail,” and armed with this book, “you might hike up that trail with more ease and an extra bounce in your step.”

Well, while I was sitting in East London on holiday with my sore ankle (haha), I had brought this book with, and I started making lists of recipes that I liked and grocery lists.

I also read the dietary guidelines. I have to say that these really impressed me, mostly because there were detailed comments as to why you should and should not eat certain foods. One thing stood out for me: I remember my acupuncturist had given me a list of what to eat and not, and peas were on the list. But he never explained why. I carried on eating them (Monday’s meal of a fish pie with potato, fish and peas). I find out in this cookbook that peas actually act as a contraceptive! Yikes! No more peas for me!

As a South African, I also had the task of translating all the measurements (pounds, ounces etc.) into metric (kilograms and grams). If anyone of you gets this book and are not from the US, let me know and I will forward them to you! Oh yes, and I found out that a quart is four cups. I don’t know how I ever lived without Google.

Without any further ado, here are my experiences based on some of the recipes I cooked:

-Oatmeal: I liked their idea of adding raisins and walnuts. I have been eating oatmeal for a while, so it was a nice variation.

Chicken meals:

-Chicken in Tomato sauce – loved this! Nice and tasty with the basil.

-Chicken en Papillotes – it was a really nice change to bake the chicken in tin foil in the oven. The veggies were nice and roasted too.

-Chicken and bell peppers and mushrooms – my hubby loves mushrooms so of course we had this dish.

-Chicken with Portobello mushrooms – this was really tasty. Almost nice and saucy with the rice.

Ok now I want to tell you about last weekend’s ups and downs with this cookbook:

I started with breakfast (eggs in different styles) where I basically did my own thing cooking eggs with veggies. No problem here – we are on familiar ground.

Brett loves prawns. When we go out he likes to order them. So it was with trepidation that I offered to cook some. After surveying both recipes in the book (you can have them “hot and spicy” or “garlic” he decided to be more adventurous with the spicy one. That dish actually went very well. But to be honest, I hate prawns. I decided to make the Spicy Garbanzo Beans using baked beans in a tin, but rinsing them through the colander to get rid of the sauce. It was good and I still had lunch leftovers for Monday.

Ok. I was very excited to try the Pizza a la Polenta. Pizza is a fertility no-no (wheat and dairy) so I was looking forward to this alternative. Unfortunately my cooking skills have a way to go.

fertile pizza

Pizza a la Polenta

I added the semolina to the four cups of water on the stove. Although the directions say you should stir every five minutes or so, I noticed lumps appearing immediately (I was silly enough to use the wet cup from the water so it really came out into a wet lump). So now I am desperately rubbing two forks together over all these lumps, and the mixture is getting so thick I add an extra cup of water. Mistake. However I carry on rubbing out the lumps and stirring wildly, hoping the water will evaporate. When I thought it was ready I laid it out in two pizza pans, but maybe I didn’t follow directions very precisely on thickness. I popped it in the oven after adding various toppings (I forgot to buy enough chicken so I landed up using sausage pieces – I see you can also use anchovies, olives and capers).

I don’t remember exactly how long I cooked that poor pizza. It was meant to be 30min but after an hour the base was still raw, uncooked and pasty. It looks good in the pictures, but underneath – yuk.

I am ashamed to say I had to make a trip to KFC.

I made up for this failure next morning.

fertile pancakes

Blueberry pancakes

Blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Yum. Real blueberries added to a pancake mix (Organ) that promises “Gluten free, Wheat free, Dairy free, Egg free, Yeast free, Soy free, Nut free, Vegan, No added cane sugar.” I heard a joke that one day you will get an empty packet that says “food free” – you will eat it and feel full. Lol. You do add eggs and water to this mixture.

For lunch we had the very delicious lamb roast.

fertile lamb

Roast lamb

 I love the baby potatoes and the veggies absorbing the meat flavour. Also got a kick out of using rosemary from my garden.

fertile tomato soup

Tomato soup

And supper was tomato soup. My hubby also liked this. And it is so nice to make your own with a bag of tomatoes using real tomatoes instead of getting it out a packet.

Well, I’m off to make prawns! And tomorrow instead of the tomato soup I’m going to try the Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup. Although I’m swopping the thin rice noodles for egg ones (tastier) and since Brett hates broccoli I’ll just put mushrooms in instead.

After all, your fertility journey is your own one. Do what works for you.

Get the book here:

http://goo.gl/pHV1F

Posted in Books, food | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 2, 2011 by heatherss

Hello bleeps

I hope your Christmas and New Year was super duper. Mine certainly was. There is something wonderful about just going away and getting away from it all. So good just to vegetate and read books (the fiction kind, not the non-fiction where you have to concentrate) and spend time with family and friends.

We started off in Port Elizabeth with my parents. We had a lovely dinner for our anniversary at the same area where Brett originally proposed. So it was very romantic.

Two EFT'ers and a Tappy Teddy

Heather, Caren and Tappy Teddy

I was also super lucky to visit Caren Bestbier, the Tappy Teddy lady. We had a really good time together, tapping and chatting. I think one of the most profound things she said to me that I have taken with me into the New Year, is that I need to give, in order to receive. So it has really inspired me to make my EFT Fertility product and help others, even though I haven’t received my miracle, yet. Yet. 

Also spent some time with a dear friend and her kids which keep growing.

My mom is on a mission to save the world. I think if she could live “off the grid” she would. They now have solar power on the roof and a water tank. As much as I admire her tenacity, it gets embarrassing when she insists on flushing the toilets with buckets. This is because the region is having a drought, but still, it is so incredibly gross. One thing I do admire though is her herb garden. I’d like to see if I could grow herbs too, although my track record is bad for even managing to keep pot plants away. Of the two recent pot plants I received I’ve already killed one. Sigh.

We then loaded up the caravan with gifts and luggage and off we drove to East London. Four hours later we arrived at the caravan park. We then went off to Brett’s sister, where we stayed for the rest of the time. I must say that this family sure can cook. We sat down to a sumptuous meal that evening.

People have pretty much not questioned us about our childless state, which I really appreciate, so it was kind of a surprise as we sat down to eat to be given the third degree by her husband.

“So what is happening with your adoption?”

Awkward silence. Eventually: Me: “The whole thing didn’t work out..” Brett: “We’ve put it on the backburner for now…” and then Me: “I haven’t yet given up on having a baby biologically yet; don’t want to give it up yet…”

“Have you been anointed by a minister?”

Gulp. Didn’t see that one coming. Although, the family is pretty religious and he does preach every now and then. So actually, I should have seen it coming.

There wasn’t much else to do than say.. “No, we haven’t. Although we certainly have done a lot of praying…” With this I helped myself to some of the food. Sigh. One of my new year’s resolutions is to get to church more often.

Well, the rest of the holiday was basically filled with food and family. We spent time with the various relatives in various activities. And their kids. My hubby is the youngest of four kids and all his siblings have kids. Here’s a pic – you can see me with my foot on the one side.

the family

Step family

Oh, and if you’re wondering how it went with the “merging of the families” it went pretty well. Although some of the family were still arguing like it was going out of fashion, they confined these activities to when my parents were safely separate in their caravan park. Whew. My mom also made them all gifts of the various herbs from her garden, which was nice.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Well… a new year stretches before us, just like a new seeding needing growth and nourishment. (Like my picture?)

Here are some resolutions. I saw a good status on Facebook the other day which says: “We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.” Ellen Goodman

So here are my areas of potential:

  1. Finding Fertility:

Last year I learnt a lot of lessons. So everything I’ve learnt will only help me step forth into a better place. I’m off to learn new things and try some new stuff too. I’ve put together a meal plan from Cindy Bailey’s fertile kitchen and have already cooked one meal (the lamb roast – nice for Sundays – delicious). I’m also going to see a homeopath I’ve been recommended. My goal at the moment is to fatten myself up before April (because of last year losing so much weight when I tried to eat fertility friendly) so that by the time I cut out sugar and caffeine by then, I’ll be ready. Line this up with vitamins and acupuncture, so that, money willing, I’ll do another IUI in August. Well, that’s the plan. We’ll see what happens.

2. Be a better teacher. I am going to draw up a “first day blast” with offences and consequences for my kids so that they know I’m serious and I hope to God that I can really be better at disciplining them. I also need to keep triple checking everything I send out so that I don’t make the stuff ups I did last year.

3. Try and relax. This I will do while listening to circle and bloom, tapping up a storm with this new program I’m creating. If I am in a better place emotionally, I know I will be able to give more, to everyone around me, especially my dearest hubby. I know this whole thing about “just relax” is pretty irritating to all of us, but if I get back into going to gym, pray and do all this stuff … hang on… I’m starting to listen to myself and this doesn’t sound very relaxing… maybe the irony is, if I’m “letting off steam” in these various activities, I can create a space for relaxation? Well, here’s hoping…

Oh well that’s all from me for now.

Posted in EFT, fertility, quotes, Tips for Survival | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Hobbling on Holiday..

Posted on December 15, 2010 by heatherss
My foot in a brace

My foot!

Hello bleeps!

I have been on holiday for more than two weeks now. I really am enjoying being at home with my dogs, and now my hubby is on holiday too.

He gets very excited about gadgets and technology and has been getting PlayStation games and stuff for a while now. This week we also changed our internet from a landline ADSL to a wireless Cell C which looks like it will be faster and cheaper. He also just got an I Pad. He has been having lots of fun setting everything up. The challenge has been to get all our gadgets linked to the internet in the house (our two computers, his PlayStation and now the I Pad.) Oh well it keeps him busy.

I have been busy on my computer. I am making a fertility EFT product. I will let you guys know when it is finished. It will take a while as it is in the beginning stages.

The only yucky thing to spoil my holiday joy is that (silly me!) yesterday I was walking out of the house carrying the vacuum cleaner (to get the maid to vacuum our car) and I wasn’t looking properly at the steps below and when I put the weight down on my left foot it went sideways, as there was no step there where I thought it was.

I lay on the couch in agony with a packet of peas on my foot. Ouch.

This morning I decided to do the sensible thing and go to the doctor as I was still hopping around. He told me I had torn ligaments in the foot and put me in a brace for six weeks! After getting over the shock that it is going to take so long to heal, I realise that it is for the best as this brace really gives my foot a lot of support and I can actually walk around a lot better than I did before.

It sucks that I will be hobbling around on holiday. And that I spent that money on pedicure etc. on Monday and will probably need to wear supportive shoes for this lot. Oh well..

Brett put this on his Facebook status: “My wife pulled ligaments by kicking my butt, now her foot is in a brace and I am her slave for 6 weeks. Eish!” This is really funny because A) I don’t kick his butt on any level B) He is unable to be my slave. Last night he did a few fetching jobs and even tried to set up my laptop (unsuccessfully). He took the dogs out for their nightly pee and again this morning. So he is able to do the basics (like order food, not cook it!) but now that I have this brace and am more mobile again, not a chance! Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Oh well I hope you all have a great holiday. Next week I will be spending a few days in Port Elizabeth (my home town) and then, together with my parents and their caravan, we will be going on to East London (3 hour drive on Christmas Eve) and then will be merging the families for Christmas. Should be really interesting since my parents are the quiet, polite type, whereas Brett’s family is a lot more loud and volatile! Should be an interesting Christmas…

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