Brighton and my birthday

My wonderful fiance treated me to a trip to Brighton for a few days for my birthday. (I know, he's a keeper!).

We had a wonderful time and it was so nice to relax and be by the sea. As I grew up by the sea, I do miss it in London and the concrete jungle. (Mind you, Hertfordshire is rather green and surburbian..).

We stayed in a really nice hotel in Worthing, right by the seafront. It was only about a 20 minute drive into Brighton and we managed to do a lot of shopping and sightseeing. We've been to Brighton before many times, as Brooks and I love it so much, and it was nice for Jackson to come back too. (We went last year in the spring).

We went down the Pier, down The Lanes and the Sea Life centre. We also ate a lot of nice food. I must have put on half a stone!
The boys in particular loved the Sea Life centre. It was so cool! I loved seeing the turtles being fed and there was this tunnel where you could see the sharks, sting rays and turtles swim around and over! It was so amazing!

I do think it's important to get away sometimes. It's like taking a nice, big breath in before continuing you life, isn't it?

Aaaaaaaand exhale.

Cater or not to cater?

I sort of see the advantages with having less time to organise a wedding. What I mean is, when you have over a year to think about things, one tends to change ones mind. A lot.

We have been looking at other venue options, trying to figure out what we really want. We're keen to find something that really represents us, (within our price budget), and we're finding it difficult. I'm not worried though, I know we'll find something fantastic! We could either stick with the Sarratt Hall, (which is a great venue), but that does require us to find/hire caterers, linens, napkins and chair covers etc, or we go for something completely different that already have everything included in the price. A tricky one!

We have been meeting with caterers though and have found one that is fantastic! Very accommodating and he seemed very passionate about food and providing a great service. He's been a chef himself for many years and had some great ideas when it came to bring some "Swedish style" food to the menu.

As we're off to Sweden soon I'm also planning to go and search for my dress next week. So far I have seen a lot that I like, but not yet "The One". To be honest, I'm quite enjoying the search in itself!

New Year, Lots of New Changes.

Every year, I make New Year Resolutions. Well, there tend to be a few, and they tend to be the same. Generally they go, in no particular order:

Loose a couple of stones.
Make/Win/Steal lots of money - pay off mortgage.
Get+Stay Healhty.

This year, however, I didn't have to. (well, on the first one anyway).

B and I met ten years ago, at drama school, and have been great friends ever since. We fell in love during some mad Midsummer Night Rehearsal, during our last year at Drama School six years ago and moved in together shorthly after.
In 2009 our beautiful baby boy was born and now, in July next year, we're getting married!

To say that I was happy at the proposal is an understatement.
To say that I was darn pleased to see the amazing ring is also an understatement.

I always thought, in a sort of movie romantic kind-of-way, that I would be a sobbing wreck as my man got down on one knee to propose. That I would quietly whisper a yes to him and then sob some more. That didn't happen.

I did cry, but much later when my friends joined us and I could tell (scream in their faces) the happy news!

It was a perfect moment, of course. It's New Years Eve and fireworks are going off everwhere, we're standing next to each other on the balcony, looking at the sky when he gets down on one knee. He didn't even have time to finish his speech before I yell YES! YES! YES! and start jumping up and down. I did a lot of screaming. A lot.

It was definitely one of the highlights of my life so far.

So now: dress shopping, cake picking, mood boards, flower arrangements, card designs and lots and lots of glorius spreadsheets!

In February they finally removed my sodding gallbladder. It's been a long process but it's over now and I feel so much better.
Removing my gallbladder meant changing my diet which then also resulted in me loosing a stone half! (See - still going back to the NYE resolution?)

I can't stress this enough - if you keep having stomach pains/feeling bloated and they tell you that it's IBS and you still feel something isn't right - Please, please have it checked out. Demand to have an ultrasound right then and there!

2011 is definintely a good year.

Health

So it turns out I have a stone in my tummy.

I mean, I can't actually feel it moving about as such, but I know it's there. I've seen it. Live on TV!

Lying there on the familiar ultrasound chair, almost expecting the ultrasound-man to say "and there's the baby!" - I was really nervous as he was moving the stick-thingy around over my tummy.
The doctors had been running test all day, ranging from x-rays, EKG-ing and now this so I was knackered and worried.

The man grunts and nods slowly.
I almost panic. This is is. I have some weird, really unusal disease and I only have five hours to live...

The man looks at me blankly and goes:

"Yup. It's a stone alright."

I gasp and look at the black mass on the blurry screen.
In comparison to the gallbladder itself it's massive! I'm strangly impressed and repulsed at the same time.

"Do you think I need an operation?" I ask tentatively.

I didn't heal so well last time I was cut open and so I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect.
He looks at the stone on the screen again.

"Yes. It's just going to get worse from now." he says plainly. "Alright, better get going now. Busy day today!"

I'm rushed out from the room and back to my ward for more testing. Nurses and doctors all come up to ask how I'm feeling and if I need more painkillers etc. Thruthfully, (part from feeling starving from the nil-by-mouth malarkey!), I felt fine. Just like normal even.

The difference, I suppose, was that I know knew that something is wrong. I had just seen it with my own eyes.

And that was a good feeling.

A few years ago I went to our family doctor back home complaning about stomach pains and bloating. I knew that something was wrong and I was desperate for someone to help me.
That particular doctor thought it may be gallstones, but he was also quick to add that "I'm too young for such illnesses." (Oh great. So glad to be the exception!)

I went to my GP and she was adamant that I had IBS. There was NO waaaaay I could have gallstones!
Now, I know people with IBS and I've read lots about it and some of them suffer so badly, they can't leave the house. My pains would come and and go, and completely random.
It didn't feel right somehow. I knew something was wrong!
So I asked again if she could send me for a scan. She almost laughed in my face and said, in a round-about way, that it would be a waste of everyone's time.

I soon after fell pregnant and my priorities changed. I would still have pains but was busy listening out for my baby.

My point of all that is - stick to your guns.

I mean it.

I should have done. I knew something was wrong. I wish I had followed my gut feeling (no pun intended!) and forced them to give me an ultrasound.

"If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want." ~Elbert Hubbard

Playground Ethics

There are some unwritten rules when it comes to the playground.

Basically - keep an eye on your offspring and make sure he/she doesn't wack/bite/push any other kids. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Sadly, it doesn't always work like that.

I don't know how many times other children have pushed past my little angel in the queue up the climbing frame, making him fall over and bump his head.
I try and not make too much of a fuss - though I feel like shouting: "Oi! Don't push in you little brat!! Can't you see that there is a queue?! You need to learn to wait your turn! Do that again and I'll throw you in the duckpond!!.
Then I remember that the child is five and shouldn't be responsible for his/her actions really. Morever, I would only make him/her cry and that's awkward. Also, had had one too many coffees that morning so was sort of wired.

At the end of the day, it's up to their mum to control their little angel. However, ormally she'll be standing somewhere over by the gates gossiping with the other mums, completely oblivious to the drama her child is causing.

So through gritted teeth I ask (nicely mind!) the other child to mind Jackson as he's only little, etc, etc.
The monster in question then turns to me and says with pursed lips:
"Whatever. You're not my mum!"
Monster then turns around, pushes Jackson over again and runs over to the slide.

Aaaaand the new Olympic sport iiiiis: "Throw in-duck-pond with little four year oooold!"

If only.

The other rules, which includes queuing again, (Brits love a good queue, don't they?), regards the swings. Kids love them. Parents love them. So if your little darling is on one chances are there will be a long queue of other kids waiting to get on them.
But there are the are hoggers... There's not much we can do about them. This breed of parents seem absolutely oblivious to the long queue of children crying, "I waaant to goo on the swiiiiiiing!!".
Asides from actually pushing their child off the swings there is not much you can do part from asking them to hurry the hell on.

PLaygrounds are great for making your child run off all that energy and that - but it's mighty tireing for mum...

Mind you... It is a very good oppertunity to catch up on the gossip!

Photos

As a follow on from my earlier post - here are some wonderful photos all created with a handy little app...

Enjoy!

Work and play

We've been pretty busy lately trying to sort out our working sitation and I finally feel like where getting somewhere...

I love the feeling when the pieces of the puzzle comes together! It's been a struggle, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - at last. If things go as planned next week, then we both could end working with jobs that we actually want to do...

Beacuse that is surely what life is about? Well, an aspect of at least. I'd like to think that work should reflect you and your character. That it should make you happy and proud.
I want to be able to say to my son that I'm doing something that I love and that I'm passionate about.

For me, it can't just be a job, it's who I am. It may sound like a cliche, but it's the truth.
I would not feel fulfilled and happy unless I was doing something I truly loved.

On another note, I've a relationship with my phone.

I know. It's ridiculous.

Apart from all the fun apps, the thing I love the most is that I can stay in touch with work all the time.
That is, however, also where the relationship borders on unhealthy.
There is a reason why people say you should be able to unwind and detach yourself but having an Iphone makes it impossible.

I'm sure, like with any new relationship this will eventually dwindle and the fire will sooner or later stop raging, but for now - it's definintely a passionate relationship.

Besides, if I do get this job then my iPhone is going to be my trusty ally so better keep feeding that fire...