So how did we end up here? Canberra was never a destination for our family so it may seem a surprise that we’re here now. The original plan (which kept reshaping itself) was to return to eNZed in time to escape UK winter and enjoy a summer filled with family, pohutukawa flowers, bush, beach and Tuis. After over five years in the UK we were ready to be home to share Faeryn with our family and friends, so we bought our tickets in May and started thinking about working out the shipping details for all the gear we’ve accumulated over the years.

Ezra and Kim paved the way for us- their final days in the UK were in early July, before they set off for nearly four months adventuring in South America. They arrived home in time to watch the final RWC game and also to welcome a new nephew, Michelle and Reuben’s son Nathan.

We were lucky to enjoy the Fiery’s company during their last days in the Northern Hemisphere and we shared a final trip together to Edinburgh and the Cairngorms. This was Faeryn’s first vacation- we took the train from King’s Cross in London to Edinburgh which was a great way to make the trip. Edinburgh is definitely one of our most favourite cities in Europe. So full of character, with all the modern features like excellent vegetarian food! We had a good wander around the city, hunting for a particular whiskey for Ezra’s brother. We scored a wee kilt for Faeryn too.

I had really wanted to return to Scotland mostly to experience the Go Ape course in Stirling, which has the longest zip line out of all the courses in Britain. Unfortunately it’s not the sort of thing you can do with a baby, so Ezra, Kim and Bodra enjoyed the course whilst Faeryn and I wandered around the forest. This didn’t bother me as I love being outdoors with Faeryn- her temperament is much calmer outdoors than in, and I had read that there was a waterfall for us to discover. However, the forest was completely infested with midges, which led to a mini disaster for us. Whilst wandering along the forest path, I discovered Faeryn had a somewhat explosive nappy. I was prepared to deal with this, but laying her down on the side of the path we were suddenly surrounded by a cloud of biting midges. So with one hand I dealt with the nappy and the other had to keep waving all around her fending them off her body. She still came away with very blotchy skin so I felt pretty awful to have subjected her to that. The midges also attacked Ezra, Kim and Bodra despite being up in the treetops. I was pretty thankful they got the full forest experience too.

From Stirling we drove to the Cairngorms. This is an area in the Highlands, so quite picturesque. We went up to a lookout point where we took a furnicular to the observatory. There were still patches of snow there and it was rather brisk standing outside taking in the view.

When Bo returned to work after his time off, his manager asked him if he’d checked his email. There was a position for a dedicated BCE for a client in Canberra, DHS (Department of Human Services). Bodra’s manager had said he’d support his application. So we thought, why not apply? See what comes of it. After a number of phone interviews and a video conference, they offered him the job with some assistance for the relocation.

We were pretty excited at the chance to be closer to home but also for our adventures to be given a little more time. Neither of us knew anything about Canberra, (it’s the capital of Australia don’t you know!) but we felt pretty optimistic. We’ve both enjoyed our previous times in Australia, and if it doesn’t pan out well, it’s just a year, with the added bonus of Auckland only being a couple short flights away. Unfortunately the International Airport in Canberra won’t be up and running until next year some time, so we have to fly to Sydney or Melbourne to get home.

So, decision made, we had eight weeks before Bo would be starting his new job. Things became rather mad, but we did amazingly well, given all the stress we were under. I even managed to get a wisdom tooth removed! Faeryn kept up with her Baby Splash classes, and we started to see a Homeopath, Rachel McCallum, for her skin issues. Rachel was incredibly supportive over the last few months in the UK, and although we didn’t manage to resolve the skin problems, I know she did a lot to alleviate the stress of it. I also did some baby massage classes with Rachel.

We figured out what to do with Faeryn’s placenta. I had planned on eating it in a vegetable smoothie after the birth, as it is meant to have great medicinal properties for restoring energy and combating post-natal depression. However, as Bodra had left it out on the kitchen bench for two nights, I thought it best not to ingest it, so we left it in the freezer. The next plan was to bury it, but we hadn’t decided where would be the best spot. One rainy afternoon, when Bodra had left work early for a doctor’s appointment, I spontaneously decided we should use the cover of the rain to bury the placenta in the meadows where we often went for walks with Faeryn. So we all trundled down in our rainjackets, carrying a big spade, bucket and a lavender bush. We thought it would be a good idea to plant the lavender on top, as a marker. We also left our garden Faeries to keep watch over the area.

Those last two months in the UK was quite a special time really, as lots of friends made the extra effort to come out and see us. We enjoyed visits with Luke and Lou (thank you for the yummy dinners!), Paul, Rachael and Ryan, Alanna and Russell, Lauren and Adam, and lots of time with Maria and Dewi. Our friends from our yoga class organised a gathering for us at Liz’s home, and shared lots of delicious treats with us. Nik and Dawn also came out to Reading, just before they went off for their South American adventures. I had a visit with Sally in her new home in Calcot with her twins Oscar and Ella. I also met a couple new friends in that time- Dewi took me to Bicester to meet her friend Dina and her children Lexie and Matthew. I met a lovely near-by neighbour, Anna and her daughter Emma. We met at the local Children’s Centre and saw each other several times afterwards. It really was a huge shame we hadn’t met sooner!

We only made a couple trips into London after that, to visit Tony and Liz and enjoy some vegan food with Lauren and Adam. Bo went into London to catch up with his friends for birthday dinner and drinks. That same weekend, Lauren visited for the last time (boohoo!!! We miss you!) and Jo made the journey from Doncaster with her youngest son Jacob.

The second to last weekend in the UK was a bank weekend. Bo finished up work on the 26th of August and we managed to squeeze in a couple trips that weekend. Firstly we went for a barge trip from Sonning Common to Henley on Thames with Paul, Rachael and Ryan and Rachael’s parents. It was a fantastic day with all those beautiful English countryside sights. There really is so much more to England than just London!

On the Sunday we went to the Chiltern’s Craft Fair with Nadine and Rick. I’d met Nadine a couple weeks earlier when I was out walking with Faeryn. Nadine had a couple Pit Bull Terrier dogs with her, so that is always a conversation starter for me, and she very kindly offered to take us all to this craft fair. It was a bit stressful for Faeryn as there were loads of people at the fair and the crafts were all displayed in marquees which became quite stuffy. As it was held on an estate, we had lots of outdoor space to get respite. I saw some fantastic photographs of nature and we found ourselves a neat teapot with a squishy-nosed face!

We found time to buy a new bed and couch to take with us, but sadly we’ve had to wait until December before we can enjoy those things and the rest of our house-hold effects (the delivery is booked for next Thursday). It was quite a scary task deciding what we needed to take with us, given we only had our flight luggage and one box to fill. I didn’t know what to expect of the weather in Canberra, and was surprised to find it was so cold, and I needed greater warmth from which my t-shirt and hoodie could provide. Faeryn was fine though as we got some great use out of an all-in-one suit Tony and Liz had given her.

Our last couple of days in Reading were spent cleaning and packing. On the Monday we had two men come in to do most of the packing for us which was quite stressful. Things were packed which I wanted to take with me, and I didn’t feel too comfortable about the way things were being packed. Dewi made herself available to us so she took Faeryn for a wander around the neighbourhood. Good friends are very hard to come by!

On the Tuesday we had our final check out in the afternoon, so we finished off the cleaning. Bodra has hired some ladies to help with that and they did such a spectacular job, the clerk signed us off in a couple minutes. Rachael and Ryan also paid us another visit, as well as Dewi, so it was lovely to have their help and support.

As we were leaving the following morning, we stayed the night with Dewi and her brother Martin. It was very hard to relax as the last hours slipped away from us, and Dewi gave me a shoulder massage and all her loving energy to release the stress. It will be such a delightful moment in my life when I know I will be seeing Dewi again!

The flights to Canberra went much better than we imagined, certainly our flight to Singapore was pretty fantastic. Faeryn wasn’t overly stressed by the journey and even managed to sleep for a bit without being in our arms or on my boob. The flight staff were very attentive and sweet-natured towards our family.

We only had a short stop-over in Singapore- enough time to wander through the bright and spacious airport, grab a drink, use the facilities, then make our way to gate with all our gear. Then our next flight to Sydney was quite awful. There didn’t seem to be any air-conditioning, the air vents weren’t working and so the air was very stuffy. The flight staff this time around seemed kind of cranky too, and Faeryn was showing the strain and becoming somewhat inconsolable. But at least I have boobs!

We had just a short flight to Canberra next, on Virgin Airlines. Basically we went up, the flight staff came around with drink, crackers and cheese, they soon collected our rubbish (before we’d finished eating!) and then we were coming down. Best kind of flights really! We stayed the night at the Heritage Hotel in Narabundah- the shower and proper beds were very welcome by all of us.

The next day we moved into our temporary accommodation in Kingston, a really lovely, modern apartment. We stayed there for four weeks. I wanted to live there- the furnishings and layout of the apartment was so comfortable and clean, but of course that comes at a high price. We were one of the few people living in the apartment block as it is a very new development, and across the road we could see all the final construction going on at the block opposite the court yard. Gazing out our floor to ceiling windows, I kind of felt like a Fraggle watching the Doozers go about their day, so it made me feel a little hungry for candy.

Kingston is a fairly nice area. In walking distance we had two basic shopping areas (Manuka and Kingston) with some designer stores and all the usual ammenities. Canberra city centre is only a fifteen minute bus ride away, so in our first days we had a good wander around the city.

I would take Faeryn for a couple walks each day, either to pick up some supplies from the supermarket or for a spot of bird-watching at Telopea Park or Bowen Park and Lake Burley Griffin. Cockatoos and Galahs were an exciting sight initially, but they are so common here. When I saw them sitting on grassy islands on the highway, I soon got over them! Cockatoos are especially noisy too!

Bo managed to organise a car, a Ford Mondeo, in our first few weeks of being in Canberra. We haven’t had a car since NZ and I haven’t driven it yet, but it’s great knowing that we have the freedom to travel where we wish now. We still order our groceries online and get them delivered. I’m missing the variety of food we had available in the UK- most of the yoghurt here has gelatine as an ingredient- and I don’t care if it’s Halal! It’s still required the slaying of our moo friends! Gah!

Working for DHS has been somewhat tedious for Bo. He started off going into the Symantec office in nearby Barton, so he could walk there from our place in Kingston. Then he moved to the DHS office in Tuggeranong, and we looked for our rental close to there with the idea Bodra may be able to cycle to work. Bo found a lovely space for us in Kambah, only a few minutes drive away from his workplace. We moved in during the first week of October, and it was great as Bo could come home at lunchtime and have a bit of family time and a decent lunch (me too!). But it was only a couple days later that he was moved to the DHS office in Symonston, about a twenty minute drive from home. Hopefully he’ll be moving back to the Tuggeranong office early next year.

I joined a Freecycle group in Canberra as soon as we arrived, so despite moving into an unfurnished rental we have acquired a queen bed and mattress, desk, a couple bookcases, change table, bar stools, a poang chair, two small chests of drawers, a couple side tables, four lovely dining chairs, lawnmower (not working) and lots of kitchen goodies. Woop! The only piece of furniture we’ve bought has been a monstrous TV unit, and a fridge and washing machine. Last Thursday, all our gear arrived from the UK, so our new home feels a lot more like home!

So we’ve been in Kambah over two months now, and in that time, Faeryn has gained two teeth on her lower jaw (with two more piercing through the upper jaw), she has learnt to sit on her own, crawl and clap, she now takes her bath with splashing and kicking glee and her skin is mostly free of the eczema. She also sleeps from 7pm until around 5am, and takes two naps during the day, and can wave hi and bye! We’ve begun to feel much more settled as we get to know our neighbourhood, we have lovely walks around Lake Tuggeranong and through Urambi Nature Reserve. My sister Michelle stayed with us for one week in November and Bodra’s Mum Carolyn has been staying with us for the past two weeks. We all journey to NZ today, so it will be very exciting to share Faeryn with the rest of our families!

Bo and I have the utmost respect for single parents.  Nearly four months into it and still parenthood feels like the greatest challenge life has to offer- we only have one baby too!  I have no idea how my sister Michelle managed to raise her young boys, pretty much on her own, with family support too far away to be of any real help.  Michelle- you have our deepest admiration!

At this point we both can agree that Faeryn could not exactly be described as an easy-going baby.  Sometimes it feels like it is just getting harder and harder, you overcome one obstacle and another flairs up.  Firstly it was trying to get Faeryn to nurse from me, then stressing about her weight gain, then trying to get her to sleep better.  Right now it is colic and I’m sure once that is sussed it will be teething! Faeryn is not much of a burper, and we celebrate her burps and farts with much excitement.  We had her on Infacol, and now Gripe Water (thanks Olga!) which helps her to fart and burp I think (or they’re just way more audible now). It would be wonderful if babies were built with a wind release button!

On Thursday we saw a Craniosacral Therapist who specialises in treating babies with colic.  We really hoped it would be the solution, but the session left us feeling heavy and doubtful.  Faeryn gave a pretty good performance with her wailing and demonstrating her frustration (possibly because she had a wet nappy and was hungry).  The therapist picked up on some of her body language.  Faeryn forcefully strikes her belly with her left hand, possibly in the area where she is feeling the trapped gas, and when she started doing this in the session, the therapist pressed down on that area, and suggested we do the same.  Faeryn also demonstrated her foot-swiping.  I thought she was doing this because her skin is quite irritated there- she also rubs behind her knees where the skin is particularly raw.  The therapist offered a pretty fluffy explanation for this foot-swiping, saying that when I was pregnant, I went through something traumatic (the pathetic resolution to ‘Lost’?).  A Foetus will repel emotional upsets by pushing it back down into the umbilical cord, and Faeryn is still doing this with her foot-swiping… so what we can do is give her some resistance by pressing back into her feet.

The main thing we took from the session is that when Faeryn goes into her distressed mode, we need to give her space to expel it (let her cry it out?) whilst working with giving her the resistance.  The therapist also indicated that she is carrying a lot of distress, so who knows how long this would go on for.  As Bo and I walked away from the session, I felt quite burdened and Bo felt disappointed.  Now we just think “Poppycock!”  He didn’t address the colic in any way so we’ll just keep going with the Gripe Water.  We will of course implement the resistance thing and see how she responds.

It’s very heart-wrenching seeing Fae in so much pain with the trapped wind, and your mind races with all the things you’ve read, trying all the different techniques to move the wind for her. Bo has been absolutely brilliant with his research and willingness to try anything, he massages her and gives her leg exercises every evening, pushing her legs into her belly.  Maybe the Gripe Water will prove to be all we need.

But enough about me and my self-development.  A week or so ago Faeryn started holding her fist in the air like Superman, and now it is both fists so she looks like she wants to drive.  It is wonderful watching the changes happen.  Faeryn shows she has developed a lot of strength in her neck as she holds her head beautifully.  We give her as much tummy-time as she can handle and she has gone from completely opposing tummy-time to looking quite comfortable with it, lifting her head and looking from side to side.  She seems to be making connections with how she can move her body depending on where her hands are placed, so I’m sure it won’t be long before she is ready to roll over.

Last Sunday Faeryn had her very first swim lesson.  She seemed to be curious about the environment and activity, taking it all in with a relatively willing attitude.  Bodra did a great job with her in the pool as she remained quite calm until the end, where she may have been feeling the cold.  The water wasn’t particularly warm but the room was heated up.  Faeryn appeared to have no real issue with lying on her chest in the water, but she was a bit uptight with lying on her back.  Faeryn will have nine more sessions and then we will see how things go.  You can watch her Baby Splash action via the movies and the pics.

So, I finished the last blog entry the day before Carolyn left.  Faeryn has since had many visitors!  Maria visited again and Nik, Dawn, Kim and Ezra visited us the weekend after Carolyn left.  (Bo watched the Crusaders vs Sharks game at Twickenham stadium on March 27th, with proceeds from the tickets going towards Red Cross fundraising for the Christchurch earthquake appeal.)  Our friends Dan and Liz gave birth to their son Hunter Joseph Kerr on my birthday and a couple days later, Mum and Dad arrived.  We were only expecting my Mum so it was a wonderful surprise when I answered the door to find my Daddy there!  Mum and Dad’s friends, Pat and Mary Taylor, gifted Dad his airfare, as well as some spending money and even put Jimi (Mum and Dad’s dog) in a farm stay near Bethells Beach.

We really enjoyed their visit, it was so lovely sharing Faeryn with them and having all their support.  They both gave us a big hand all over the house and with our garden- we’ve gotten rid of our vegie patch as I just don’t see how we will have time to care for vegies this year.  And to be honest, after our attempt last year was mostly thwarted by nature, Bo and I just don’t fancy investing any time there.

So whilst Mum and Dad visited we mostly stayed at home- I was still very much in the mode of recovery and regaining strength, and they do say you should treat the first three months with you baby like it is the fourth trimester- keep them cuddled up close to you and don’t do too much!  We ventured out to the pub a couple times, going for a walk along the river to the nearby Cunning Man in Burghfield and The Griffin in Caversham.  At the end of Mum and Dad’s first week here, our friend Jo gave birth to her second son, Jacob John Bostandji, on Jo’s birthday- April 15th.  Lauren also came for a visit.

Bo went to Madrid for work in their second week, and Dewi took us to Hungerford for a browse around the antique stores.  Mum and I went to Oxford one evening to catch Derren Brown’s latest performance, Svengali, which was quite impressive!

During their last week, Suzanne and Stephen visited from March, as well as Jenny and her daughter-in-law from Guildford.  We also managed a small trip down to Hailsham to visit family friends May and Arthur, stopping at Beachy Head for a quick peek in the blustery wind!  On their last day Mum and Dad went into London to see the “We Will Rock You” show, which they highly recommended.

Mum and Dad began their journey home the day before the Royal Wedding of Kate and Will.  Faeryn and I joined Dewi at her home for a special lunch to watch the wedding.  Faeryn spent all the time nursing and sleeping and didn’t give a hoot for Kate’s dress.

Paul visited us on the first Sunday of May and took us out to Swallowfield to the George and the Dragon pub for lunch which was a lovely treat.  It seems like Paul has such a natural ability with babies- Faeryn showed she is very comfortable when receiving his attention.

In early May Faeryn had her first lot of immunisations which she took pretty well with no real after effects.  We then joined the Little Ducklings group at the Katesgrove Children’s Centre, where parents and their wee tots sing songs and learn baby signs.  Sadly the funding for the baby signs aspect ran out and now it’s just singing, but it will still be worthwhile attending so Faeryn can interact with other bubbies.  I managed to strike up a friendship with one of the other mothers (Anna) who lives very close to us, and we’ve been over to each others house for tea, chat and a chance for our girls to interact.  Emma is a couple months older than Faeryn so I’m quite fascinated by her, seeing how she is developing as a guide to what Faeryn will be like with time.  Emma has really warm smiles and super sparkly eyes which convey so much emotion.  They visited yesterday and as they lay on the play mat together it seemed like Emma reached out her hand to Faeryn, but Faeryn was more focused on her mobiles (like in this video).  I hope to see more of both Anna and Emma.

Last Monday I had my final session in the New Parent Group, where I have learnt about play and development, baby massage, sleep routines and approaches to weaning.  I might join the group again so I can repeat the baby massage part- Faeryn responded so well to it but unfortunately my memory can not recall the positions we used.

In the second week of May Bo journeyed to Abu Dhabi for work- ”It was hot.”  He didn’t get much chance to experience the place due to being so busy with the clients (like usual).

We had our first adventure as a family on the third weekend of May.  Of course, we went out for food, a delicious lunch at Bill’s, our new favourite cafe.  Afterwards we wandered along the River Thames where we were blown about and spotted Spring creatures.

We had a few more visits from friends in May.  Kim and Ezra visited on the first weekend of May, and Dewi also popped by.  We made a special delicious chocolate cake for the visit, in the shape of a butterfly!  Ez and Kim had gifted me some fantastic baking tools for my birthday- a butterfly shaped cake mould and animal shaped cookie cutters- and it was great having an excuse to use them.  Lauren and Adam stopped by when Bo got back from his work trip to Abu Dhabi, and at the end of May, Russell and Alanna came out to Reading to visit Faeryn.  We hadn’t seen them since the Baby Shower so it was great being able to catch up.  Rachael, Paul and Bump visited on the Spring Bank Holiday where it rained and for some odd reason (empty cupboards) we decided to walk down to the supermarket to pick up lunch items.  I think Rachael had about nine weeks to go at that point, and I enjoyed walking with her, feeling super protective of her and Bump.

On the 31st of May our friend Sally gave birth to her twins Ella and Oscar, both just under 6lbs and all healthy.  I haven’t met them yet but they certainly take gorgeous photos!

Faeryn had her second lot of immunisations at the beginning of June.  This time things were a little different- Faeryn had a longer than usual nap that afternoon and when she woke she felt warmer.  I checked her temperature which appeared to be normal, so perhaps it was just a case of New Mum Paranoia.  It will be interesting to see how she fares from her last lot of immunisations in July.

Bo, Faeryn and I ventured to Windsor for the first weekend of June.  I had a hankering for fudge from the Fudge Kitchen, and we also wanted to test Faeryn on the train.  It was a super hot day and the train did not have air conditioning, so both Bo and I sweated whilst Faeryn slept.

We got out to Windsor and enjoyed lunch at GBK, then went for a walk along the Long Walk.  I guess it was a bit too much for Faeryn as she was quite up and down emotionally.  She didn’t like being in the pram either so Bo carried her some of the time… she really does have us wrapped around her itty bitty fingers!

The following weekend we all went to London for Rachael’s baby shower and Paul’s wetting the babies head.  This was the first time I’d been into London since last year.  Both Bo and I were in an awesome state of delirium- Bo had just returned from Jubail that morning and I hadn’t had much sleep whilst he’d been away, but we were both pleased we made the effort- bus, train, tubes, bus and walk (repeat).  The area Paul, Rachael and Bump live in, Crouch Hill, is pretty special.  We stepped off the bus and both remarked on how the air smelt- really fresh and enlivening!  The homes we walked past are full of character with sprawling front gardens and tall trees.

It was great seeing all the ladies at Rach’s, and I was able to witness Rach’s belly cast being created- Kim and Kaaren did a great job covering Bump in the plaster bandages, I look forward to seeing the finished work.  I couldn’t help out as Faeryn kept me pretty tied-up- nursing, soothing, trying to put to sleep, re-soothing, soothing again… gah!!  As Rach’s profession is being a Nanny, a couple of the ladies there are also Nannies, and they all recommended we give Infacol a try, so on our way home when Bo and I reached Paddington we picked some up from Boots.  Anna had also recommended it, and Mum said she had shares in the Infacol company when I was a baby.

In the middle of June Dewi took Faeryn and I out to Grey’s Court, a National Trust estate near Henley.  We started off with a lovely lunch- I had a smoked salmon tart (yes, I’m totally eating fish again- damn you Bill’s and your delicious fish finger sandwich!) and then went for a walk around the grounds.  Sadly our afternoon amble was cut short as I stumbled into a hole in the ground and sprained my ankle.  I had been carrying Faeryn on my front so I got quite a fright at the thought that I could’ve hurt her in my carelessness.  Luckily the sprain healed up nicely- it’s still a little tender, but with a bit of rest I’m right as rain… (what is so right about rain??)  Olga visited the following day and gifted us with the Gripe Water.  She’s due with her second girl at the end of this month, so we’re eagerly awaiting news!

So that’s pretty much all of us caught up now.  Bo is on paid time off now for the next two weeks.  On Monday we’ll be driving to Manchester and staying in a hotel for the night, all so that I can see Bjork.  She is doing a show called Biophilia at the Manchester International Festival and lucky me I will be seeing the very first performance in the world!!!  I’m going on my own which is something I’ve never done before and I’m ever so thrilled.  On Tuesday morning we’ll drive to Stockport to check out the cemetery again and try to find Jessica Lowe’s headstone for Mum.  We’ll be back in Reading on Tuesday evening, and then on Thursday we’ll be adventuring with Kim and Ezra to Scotland, returning the following Monday.  We have two nights in Edinburgh and two nights in Newtonmore, in the Cairngorms.  Whilst in Scotland we’ll be going to the Go Ape centre in Aberfoyle where Kim, Ezra and Bodra will enjoy two over 400m long zip wires.  I’ll be carrying Faeryn along a trail through Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, sharing nature with her.  Not quite as adrenaline pumping as flying through the forest, but it will be great to have some time surrounded by trees.

Well, I hope this entry was worth reading!  It certainly was fun adding all the pics of Faeryn- isn’t she a cutie-pie and hasn’t she grown so much already!  I hope all is wonderful, wherever you are!  May you always be well, may you be filled with peace and may you feel loved!

The delay was good though as it allowed us to get a few things sorted.  I guess I did a little bit of nesting earlier on, the extractor fan above the stove was dusted, degreased and made to gleam.  Some of the floors were scrubbed, me on my hands and knees.  By Monday night I had even found the motivation to finish my first assignment for my Psychotherapy course.  This kept me up past 1am, but I was so pleased to finally have it sealed in a stamped envelope, ready to be posted the next day.

A few hours later I was awake, some time after 4am.  I was quite uncomfortable lying in bed, I seemed to be experiencing cramping, so I got up with bleary eyes and wandered into Bodra’s room to tell him I thought today would be the day, but he could stay in bed if he wanted.  My waters hadn’t broken yet so I wasn’t sure if this was the start of labour.

I went downstairs to watch a movie and Bodra was right behind me.  My choice for the occasion- a pretty bland Jessica Alba movie called “The Sleeping Dictionary”.  I didn’t really take in much of the movie as the sensations I was experiencing kept building and I had to keep going upstairs into the bathroom to empty myself.  I tried to sit on the birth ball but I felt too much pressure below, so I tried a few different positions, mostly up on my knees curling over something else- the birth ball or the back of the couch.

My memory is a bit hazy so I’m not sure of the timing of everything.  We started using the TENS machine (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator) which was absolutely brilliant.  I had the controls so every time a surge came I could put it on boost which definitely took care of any building tension.  I then had a hot bath part way through the movie, soaking in synergy bath oil, a combination of Lavender, Marjoram and Geranium oils. While there I had a scary thought that I wasn’t going to cope as a mother, that I wouldn’t be able to be a mother.  (It’s still a thought I hold, and I guess every new mum must feel this thought, but every day it diminishes ever so slightly as I gain confidence with handling Faeryn.)  I shared this thought with Bodra, along with a torrent of tears, but Bodra reassured me and allowed me to let it go a little by taking responsibility for our well-being.  He’s pretty awesome.

I hobbled back downstairs, now wearing Bodra’s Hong Kong Phooey shirt- I needed some super powers to get me through what was to come I guess.  The surges started to come so thick and fast, it was all very strange as it just felt like suddenly it was all on.  I managed to get a text out to friends and whanau at about 8:30am and Bodra made a call to the Midwifery Unit to alert them to my state.  By 9:30am the first midwife arrived, a second wasn’t too far behind her along with another medical carer- not too sure what her role was but she basically sat in the background not saying very much.  I think things slowed down a bit when they arrived- by this stage I was on my knees on the couch, my face buried in the back of the couch, one hand clutching the TENS machine the other holding onto the couch, riding through the surges, but then they seemed to dissipate somewhat.  I stood up and wandered around the room a bit, leaning up against the cool wall as a surge went through me which was quite soothing.  Sometimes through the surge I would go to Bodra for a cuddle which was really lovely.  I had a good vomit at one point bringing up the protein shake I had managed to get down an hour or so earlier.

The midwife wanted to examine me and to do so she needed me lying down which horrified me as I didn’t think I could keep still given the sensations I was experiencing.  I had a sense that the midwives didn’t think I was very far along and were thinking of leaving us, which I knew I didn’t want.  It was more that I didn’t want to go through the palaver of having strangers come back a few hours later and interrupting our space again.  I was really happy with just Bodra being there and being left to follow my body where it went.  It was scary but at the same time I trusted what was going on for me.  So I managed to lie down for the midwife and the examination was very quick.  I didn’t hear what her findings were until Bodra asked me if I knew what had been discovered- it turned out I was fully dilated and Faeryn would be here very soon.

Every so often one of the midwives would decide they wanted to check Faeryn’s heart beat, which was always a scary moment, but I just focused on breathing calmly and sending her soothing energy.  Any sign of her being under distress would mean we’d be transferred to the hospital.  Thankfully each time Faeryn showed an expected heart beat and we could carry on.  We could also see how she was moving inside me as each time the monitor was positioned somewhere new.

The birth pool was still being filled with warm water- Bodra had gone into the background somewhat once the midwives arrived, busying himself with the birth pool.  This must have frustrated him a bit as I’m sure he wanted to stay by my side throughout.  I stayed up on the couch and my lower half began to make this sort of hard bucking motion, like I was retching from below.  The noises I was making also changed into a deeper pushing sound.  I tried to keep my jaw relaxed and my mouth open wide without tension in my face.  The main midwife reminded me to relax my shoulders which was a great cue.

Soon the birth pool was ready.  We took the TENS machine off me and I quickly got into the pool with Bodra.   The warm water provided instant relief and I remember giving a huge sigh as the water rose around my lower half.  I held onto the sides or around Bodra’s shoulders as the surges came and the pushing grew stronger.  At one moment I managed to attend to Bodra’s face and felt a huge wave of love as his support and nurture flowed back into me, making me feel strong and amazing.  I kissed him and became softer for the kisses.

I could feel Faeryn moving down but at the end of the surge there was the sense she was being pulled back up a bit too.   I knew I didn’t want it to be a drawn-out process for her, I didn’t want her to be under any more stress than necessary, so I made up my mind to really use the surges to bring her out.  As the next surge came I focused on opening myself wide and bringing her down.  I kept thinking about the ring of fire and how as soon as I felt that, it would mean the labour would be nearly over.  Soon I was able to reach down and feel her head- it was quite soft and kind of covered in jelly.  I could feel excitement building in the room.  The next surge came and at 11:34am Faeryn was out, being propelled into the water, floating into our hands.

Bodra says I made the O face then, I remember kind of gasping back tears and laughter… complete disbelief that we had created a real live human being, someone so perfect.  We held her in the water to keep her body a comfortable temperature.  I wanted to check to be certain she was a girl but I really had no idea what I was looking at.  I was afraid to touch her but at the same time wanted her right with me.

Eventually we came out of the pool which was now more of a blood bath- really glad we got into the pool as opposed to delivering on the couch!  We kept the cord attached and waited for the placenta to be birthed.  Unfortunately it seemed all my pushing urges had disappeared.  The midwives gave us forty minutes with the cord attached to Faeryn before suggesting we clamp and cut the cord.  Bodra did the honours and then held Faeryn while I concentrated on the placenta.  I tried coughing to release the placenta- no luck.  I then went upstairs with the midwife and sat on the toilet trying to push out the placenta- still no luck.  So the next step was to take the syntometrine injection.  Back down on the couch the midwife dosed me in the thigh.  We waited ten minutes or so and she gave a gentle tug on the cord.  It didn’t come immediately, it was still attached to the uterus wall, but eventually it was birthed.  I feel like this separation from Faeryn and the fuss with the placenta has had an impact on how we bonded and our lack of success in breast-feeding, but I guess there wasn’t any other path available to us at the time.

Next the midwives wanted to check me over.  They then discovered that I had a potentially third degree tear which required a hospital opinion.  So I quickly showered, dressed, packed a bag for Faeryn and I and then the ambulance turned up.  Dewi also arrived at this time which was perfectly timed- we had just been trying to work out the logistics of getting Bodra over to the hospital as there wasn’t enough room in the ambulance for him.  Faeryn was put into a sleepsuit and wrapped up in the receiving blanket mum had knitted for her.  I held her to my body and got into the ambulance, lying on the stretcher.

At Royal Berkshire Hospital I was wheeled into the maternity ward.  I had a room as well as a midwife to myself which was great.  Bodra wasn’t too far behind us.  The surgeon checked me over and it was decided I did have a third degree tear.  Next the anaesthetist came in and explained what was required and the risks involved.  I was wheeled into the surgery and all sorts of things were attached to me.  The anaesthetist tried three times to put the IV drip into me, trying twice in my left hand and then finally getting it in my right hand.  I still had bruises two weeks after that adventure.  I was given an injection of diamorphine into my spine, which blocked my pain-sensing nerves from the lower half of my body.  During the procedure the anaesthetist checked the drug was working by spraying parts of my body with icy cold water.  I could feel the water but I couldn’t sense that it was icy.  They adjusted the position of my legs so the drug washed further down to my feet and soon everything from the waist down felt heavy and immoveable.  My legs were completely tuned out from my mind, I had no power over them and the surgeons flopped them into the stirrups.  The stitches were soon in place and then I was being lifted into another stretcher and taken back into my room where Bodra was waiting anxiously with a sleeping Faeryn.

Next was a waiting game, waiting for the diamorphine to wear off so that we could go home, which is the impression the anaesthetist had left us with.  I kept thinking, “Wiggle your big toe!” to no avail.  The mid-wife sorted out a sandwich and banana for my dinner (nothing for Bodra) and shortly after I had wolfed that down (my first meal that day) I was being told I would be staying the night.  They wheeled me into a different ward- goodbye room to myself.  I found myself in a large room with four beds curtained off from one another.  In our space there was only a chair for Bodra, nowhere for him to stay the night and we were told he’d have to leave at 9pm which made me feel incredibly distraught.  Faeryn was kept just beside me in a clear plastic container thingo (not really a cot, not really a moses basket, more like the fruit and veg drawer in the fridge) all wrapped up in the receiving blanket.

By this point I hadn’t really established breast feeding with Faeryn and no one had been in to talk to me about this.  I was really tired from all the action of the day and feeling odd as the diamorphine wore off.  I just lay, gazing at Faeryn or cuddling her.  I felt quite conscious of my long nails and not wanting to scratch her.  (One of the first things I did once I got home was to clip my nails.)

It was very difficult to get any rest throughout the night.  Besides being hyper-alert towards Faeryn (is she breathing?  What’s that sound?  Is she warm enough?), through the paper-thin walls I could hear women delivering their babies with very stressful cries.  The other women in the room with me had their newborns so baby cries were added to the mix, along with bright white lights being switched on and off.  Part way through the night a midwife came in to empty my bladder which is when I discovered I had a catheter.  I had no idea that had been inserted during the surgery.

Early in the morning a lady with an odd accent came up to my bed very brusquely, wanting to give me pain relief.  I guess I was still feeling the effects from the surgery so I declined, but later on in the day I started taking paracetamol and ibuprofen.  I still take it at the moment but not as much as I started with.

Breakfast was served around 8am (mueslie, cold burnt toast, juice and a cup of tea) and soon Bodra returned, joy!  He told me Kim and Ezra had cleaned out our birth pool and left all sorts of treats for us- chockies, fruit, crystal friends and made a chick-pea casserole.  Very spoilt!  They were waiting to visit us in hospital so we invited them in, but sadly it turned out there were strict visiting hours for friends from 3pm - 9pm.  I got to hear their voices before they were being warded off by a midwife- drat!

The catheter and drip were taken out before lunch which made me feel more able to hold Faeryn.  There was still no mention of when I’d be able to go home, and as it turned out the midwives wanted to see me breastfeed successfully before releasing me.  I felt really stressed out from the exhaustion of being there so it was a real struggle to feed Faeryn.  We ended up staying a second night and the midwives were on hand to help with the feeding.  They were very forceful in trying to get Faeryn to latch, really working at her for a long time despite her explicit distress.  Eventually the midwives saw what they wanted and we were able to go home on Thursday afternoon.  Dewi picked us up and we sorted Faeryn into her carseat, demonstrating to the midwives that we had the skills.

Thursday evening and night was incredibly hard on us as we couldn’t get Faeryn to feed.  We were all so depleted energy-wise and the situation felt incredibly desperate.  Luckily Bodra has awesome problem solving skills and on Friday morning he went out to town and picked up nipple shields and a breast pump.  Shortly after he returned a midwife turned up and assisted with feeding, but it was still very much a struggle to get Faeryn to latch on naturally.  Faeryn was weighed then and it showed she had lost over 12% of her birth weight.  It is a standard procedure to be taken to hospital with that result, but as the midwife incorrectly estimated the percentage we were able to skip that requirement.

The following day another midwife visited and Faeryn showed a gain of 40gms.  We also had a visit from Kim and Dewi that afternoon.  Kim travelled all the way from Bow, London to Reading just to deliver us her delicious lasagne and cuddles- THANKS KIM!!!  And Dewi brought more muslin cloths and new nipple shields- ones which had a cut out so Faeryn could still smell my skin as she suckled.  Faeryn initially wasn’t into these shields but now she goes for gold on them- hurrah!

On Sunday Faeryn showed a gain of 100gms, however, the visiting midwife told us Faeryn had oral thrush, so Bodra had to go out and pick up the medicine.  This may have been an explanation for why she wasn’t into my nipple, but later on in the week the retired midwife at the breast-feeding network clinic advised us it wasn’t oral thrush- Faeryn just has a white discolouration on the roof of her mouth.  We saw our GP on Friday who confirmed this assessment so Faeryn and I have been off the medication.

As the days have gone on we are yet to achieve any real success with direct breast feeding, but the nipple shields have been so fantastic.  Faeryn has changed so much over the past two weeks, she is vital and filling out.  We had her weighed again for her 10 day check and she proved to be just 90gm shy of her original birth weight.  We are certain she is well over her birth weight now, especially as some days Faeryn can be feeding nearly constantly for multiple hours!  We’ve had lots of support throughout, the midwives visited nearly everyday until day 10, we’ve also made use of the local breast feeding network clinics.  Last Monday we had a Health Visitor who gave us loads of time, and encouraged us just to continue as we are, and yesterday we talked to a lady from the La Leche League.  Our latest concern has been the amount of spillage Faeryn makes- there’s been a few occasions recently where it’s come out like a geyser!

So the mode is to take it easy and not stress too much about using the shield- if she is getting her milk, that is all that matters.  I’ll keep trying to get her on naturally, but I don’t need to be concerned as it isn’t harming her in any way.  Yesterday Faeryn did actually latch on to my left nipple, of her own accord after I had given her a feed- I guess she was just doing it for comfort as I’m not sure if she actually got any milk, but it was a most joyous moment!

Carolyn arrived the Monday before last and has been keeping our house in better condition than before I was pregnant.  We are also super well-fed and nurtured.  Carolyn managed to bring the best weather we have had in months, blue skies, sunshine, perfect for doing the laundry which she has taken on with great gusto!  Last Tuesday we came back from the breast feeding network clinic to find fresh bed sheets!

Last weekend we had a visit from Tony, Liz and Roger on Saturday and Paul, Rachael and baby boy bump on Sunday, and yesterday Noa, David, Olga and baby girl bump also came by.  It was delightful sharing Faeryn with everyone and hearing how beautiful everyone thinks she is!  :-)

For more photos of Faeryn… please visit Faeryn’s flickr set!

And here are some videos of Faeryn!

On January 22nd, I enjoyed one of the best days of my life.  After breakfast and a luxurious bath, Lauren arrived at our home bright and early- her company is always a fabulous start to the day!  I had a few moments catching up with her before Dewi picked me up.  She took me to hers for a lovely relaxing massage.  I’ve been having a bit of swelling in my ankles so Dewi treated my feet and calves and massaged my back.  Then we were back home- I walked in to find all the lovely ladies had arrived- Kim, Rachael, Alanna, Dawn, Olga and Maria.  The lounge was decorated with balloons, flowers, a banner which Dawn had created with the letters of Faeryn’s name sewn on multi-coloured felt triangles, the dining table loaded with tasty treats and a stack of presi’s!

The chair and stool was set-up like a throne, covered with Batik sarongs and rose petals.  I sat and was served for the next few hours- Kim bringing me plates of food and Rachael brewing succulent tropical mocktails complete with bendy straws and little umbrellas skewering slices of lime.  I only needed to get up to use the bathroom, everything else was brought to me.

We played a game of pass-the-parcel where each layer of wrapping contained a question about childhood… ‘Who was your first movie star crush?’  (Lauren answered without any hesitation “Bill Murray from Ghostbusters!”) and ‘What was your first word?’  (Kim answered “Trousers” remembering when her Dad used to say “Off with your trousers!”).  It was fun sharing memories with each other.

Then I received the dozens of gifts.  Beautiful clothes for Faeryn and I from the White Company, lots of decadent bathroom treats for us both, nappies, a Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance bouncy chair, a sleep bag and swaddling blanket covered in faeries, muslin cloths, a book to record Faeryn’s first memories.  Well and truly thoroughly spoilt beyond belief!  Dawn also gave me a lovely book with a purple felt covering, which I hopefully will use to create sketches of Faeryn, and Maria gave me a perfect pink Hyacinth which has just flowered.

My belly was then painted with Henna- each of the ladies had a turn at creating a doodle.  Dewi painted a fish over my belly button, Maria added a pattern of dots and hearts, Kim, Olga and Dawn painted flowers, Alanna added a foot, Rachael a Kiwi and Lauren a cupcake.

The best was yet to come though!  After the Henna, the foot-stool was pushed aside and Dewi brought a big bowl of milky warm water with floating rose petals to rest at my booted feet.  Slippers and socks were removed and my feet were soon sent to the most soothing state of bliss there is!  Each of my lovely lady friends knelt down by my feet and washed them, pouring the warm water over them with a coconut shell and giving Faeryn and I blessings…  Faeryn certainly has a bright future with all the love showered on us both!

This last weekend Bodra created a Belly Cast for me.  I was quite surprised at how massive it came out.  Once it has dried properly Bodra and I will paint it with a vital tree of life.

I’ve been waking up around 4am most mornings- we go to bed pretty early so it’s not too terrible, but I find I am so uncomfortable in bed now so the sleep is mostly restless. I guess it’s all in preparation for those night feeds. 32 weeks and 6 days today, and I really feel like I have no more room for Faeryn to grow- surely my insides will start to ooze out of my belly button? It certainly feels like things are backing up in my body, there is a constant presence of bile in the back of my throat (hope that’s not TMI?). I guess it’s time to take another look at the Ayurvedic diet in pregnancy and eliminate more food. I haven’t had a banana in a long time and rarely eat capsicum now. I think I need to stop drinking fruit juice, but at the moment I feel like I get a lot of energy from that kind of syrup.

Anyway- the catch-up. After Ozora and Hungary, Bo and I had a short and sweet trip to Croatia. Our friends, Danijel and Inas, were visiting Danijel’s relatives with their daughter Violetta, so we arranged to meet up with them for a few days. Russell and Alanna were also there. Bo and I had probably the earliest flight out which I’d ever been on (check-in opening at 4am), and once arriving in Split we then had a long bus journey to Zadar and Vir. We all stayed together at a family friend of Danijel’s so it was a fairly stress-less trip. Each day we went down to the ocean for a swim and spent most of the day sitting in the shade, eating, chatting, relaxing and enjoying interacting with Violetta. I had an essay due the following Monday so I got in some study time too.

In early September I had my last assignment with Guardian Angels. I forgot to mention this experience- at the end of July I signed up to look after dogs in our home whilst their owners were on holidays. A far from lucrative employment at £7 per day, but everyone knows how much I love being around dogs. We looked after two very cute Terriers first of all, Betty and Ronnie, two dogs who had no idea how to walk on the lead. As they are quite small it didn’t take much effort to keep then under control, and thus I’m now a fan of the wee breeds!

When we came back from Ozora we looked after Nutley, the dopey Chocolate Labrador who had a fetish for humping his bed. As long as it wasn’t our leg, we didn’t find this troubling at all.

Our third assignment was with a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel named Cheerful. She is a pretty dippy dog, only really interested in affection and dozing, rather skittish on the lead. I would never own this breed as she proved to be a horrendous snorer- despite being upstairs and leaving Cheerful downstairs, we could still hear her. She was with us for nearly an entire week and we were quite pleased to hand her back to her owner.

Lastly, on Bodra’s birthday I was gifted Tuckers, a German Short Hair Pointer. The most intelligent dog I have ever had the pleasure of walking. I had him off the leash pretty quickly and he didn’t stray from me, bringing the stick back instantly. Quite a slinky breed- despite his size he would curl up so small on the couch (yes, it didn’t take long for him to crush my pack-leader mode with his gooey eyes and earnestness). I was quite amused when he surprised me by nonchalantly getting up onto my lap when I was sitting at the dining table studying (no food involved). Just why he thought there was enough room for him there, I’ll never know! I was a little bit disconcerted as there’s a baby in my belly, but there didn’t appear to be any problem. I’d be very keen to get a dog of his breed one day- it’s so fulfilling when you can really develop a dog to flawlessly interact with you.

For Bodra’s 31st birthday Paul took him to a Football game at Wembley- England v Bulgaria. They had quite poor luck as they missed the first goal whilst sorting out their tickets, and then when the end of the game drew near they decided to leave- just as their backs were turned they missed the second goal.

Bodra: Missing the first goal was the most disappointing as it was right in front of where our seats were. Actually we saw the second goal, but it was in the second half and right down the other end of the field. With about 5 minutes left we decided to get a head start on the crowd and leave for the station. In the time it took us to get outside England scored twice more to win 4-0. It was still fun though and neat to soak up the atmosphere at Webley.

The following night we went into London to experience the unique restaurant Inamo. It was quite a cool, interactive environment as you could order your meal independently using a digital display on your table surface.  Service was relatively quick.  I was keen to try out some of the fish dishes- being pregnant I thought it would be worthwhile to see how that sat with me.  Unfortunately it seemed like their fish wasn’t fresh, so instead I tried an eel dish.  I’ve never had eel before and although it wasn’t memorably tasty, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying it again.  I picked a few other tastes off our friends’ plates- pork spare rib, duck, scallop and calamari.  Everything sat relatively well but I am not inclined to make a meal out of any of them.  Sweetcorn cakes with sweet chilli sauce all the way!

The following morning we went to an interactive sculptural exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre- the Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto’s installation called “The Edges of the World”. Neto uses stretchy, transparent fabric, laser-cut wood and corten steel. The installations covered the whole floor and the three outdoor terraces. We walked through tunnels, climbed platforms to see other views, and took our shoes off to experience the texture of his world. It was a refreshing experience in art, as we could participate with the tactile work and feel truly immersed in this artist’s creation.

In early autumn, Dewi took me out to Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, which is a posh outlet shopping village. Our first stop was in Petit Bateau where I bought our first clothes for Faeryn.  Dewi also picked up a present for her friend.  We discovered some stunning scents- Ellenisia and Malabah- in Penhaligon’s Perfumerie, which has been around since 1870.

Bodra travelled to Springfield in Oregon, USA and Copenhagen in September.  I kept myself busy with study and preparing for Faeryn’s arrival.  We bought a travel system early on, then a cot and mattress.  I’ve been able to pick up loads of clothes and a few other pieces from the Reading Freegle website, a community specific mail-list which you join through Yahoo Groups.  You get emails describing different things people are offering for collection or things people want.  Some people have been so generous as to drop the items off to our home, we’ve been quite spoilt!

When Bodra returned from his business trip to Springfield, he and Paul went on a Spy experience in Milton Keynes. They learnt how to fight using everyday items as well as weapons like sniper rifles, and had a go at throwing an axe.

Bodra: The Spy Academy experience was Paul’s birthday present. It was an enjoyable day without ever being truly exciting. We spent a few hours working our way through a number of circuits. First up was gun drawing. We ran through quick draw techniques and stances, then finished with a quick draw competition which I won! We then worked our way through some unarmed combat and gadgets display. Then we got on the (air)gun firing. We quickly worked out where our strengths lay. Paul proved to be a pretty good sniper, while I don’t think I hit the target once. Close quarters combat seems to be where I excelled, although in the game of laser tag I was one of only 2 players to actually get eliminated (to be fair though I was responsible for eliminating the other).

I submitted my final assignment for my Open University course in early October and a few weeks ago received the result- hooray I passed! I’ve signed up to do two more courses, through a different facility though. Now I’m doing distance learning through the British School of Yoga, but they aren’t yoga courses! Instead I’ll be learning about Psychotherapy and Creative Writing. I can go at my own pace which I thought would be good except I’ve had the course materials since the end of October and haven’t started yet! But admittedly there’s been a lot going on here with the pregnancy and then the festive season.

I went for my last Ultrasound in early October, Bodra was able to go with me and it was quite an emotional experience.  Hearing Faeryn’s heart beat and seeing that she was growing as expected, we felt huge relief.  Faeryn had her legs crossed for a lot of the scan, but we were content to just watch her moving her arms and trying to puzzle out the various organs the sonographer showed us.  We had a trainee sonographer who was quite chatty and enthusiastic.  After a while her supervisor entered the room and asked us if we wanted to know the gender- Bodra was quick off the mark to confirm that we did and the trainee responded without any hesitation that we were having a girl.  The supervisor said she was 98% sure.  So, yay for pretty things and knowing her name already!

Bodra and I headed into London after the scan, sharing the sensation of having our feet nibbled upon with Kim and Ez, at Aqua Sheko- a fish spa.  The teeny Garra Rufa fish actually just suck on your skin which acts to buff away all the dead skin cells, so we had lovely soft feet after the treatment… which we then ruined by tramping around London trying to find dinner.  The Zilli Green and Korean we were after proved to be very popular that night, so we relented for our old faithful Hare Krsna fare at Govinda’s in Soho.

1. Mullumbimby, Australia
2. Shenandoah National Park, VA, USA
3. Queenstown, New Zealand
4. Glendalough Village, Ireland
5. Dublin, Ireland
6. Capri, Italy
7. Sirince, Turkey
8. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9. Peak District National Park, UK

• View my profile
• Create your own travel map or travel blog
• Holiday rentals at TripAdvisor

So, what have we been up to? Spring and summer saw us spending a bit of time in the garden- there were a few warm sunny days in the UK this year. We had a go at growing veggies from seed, which wasn’t much of an encouraging experience. We had rows of lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, some tomatoes and capsicum, spring onion, pak choy, rainbow chard, beans and silverbeet. The romaine lettuce was pretty prolific and tasty; beans, spring onion and silverbeet gave us a few good meals but the rest didn’t grow so well, or at all. Parsley and nasturtiums are fairly reliable plants, and the morning glory showed its weedy-ness by wrapping itself around a few trees.

I joined a talking therapies group in April and May facilitated by Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners. Previously to the group, I’d been experiencing a period of depression with some anxiety, so this was a potential remedy which I took on the advice of my GP- definitely beats the meds she first suggested! We learnt a lot about managing the messages we tell ourselves and the patterns we get into, using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. I feel a lot more able to recognise when I am about to go into those modes, and feel confident I can get myself out of that frame of mind before things become disastrous.

I had a go at oil painting in April. I was really lucky as I was the only student in the class so I got a lot out of it. I have a massive canvas waiting downstairs which I hope to do something interesting with- maybe a Pohutukawa tree, ala Tony Ogle. Not that I have his skills… yet!

Another new thing I had a go at was Hot Yoga. I really enjoyed this style- the room is heated to 42degrees so you get a good sweat on as well as are more able to get into the positions. I’ll definitely get back into it at a later date.

Lastly, I did a bit of study with the Open University. Just one course called “Counselling- Exploring Fear and Sadness”. It’s a module in their Foundation Degree in Counselling, so hopefully I will have accrued 30 credits towards the degree, which is made up of 240 credits. Most of the study for the degree is facilitated through further education colleges, but the ones near me don’t seem to offer all the required courses, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do the degree if I decide that would be desired. I really enjoyed this course- we learnt six different approaches to counselling- psychoanalytic, person-centred therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, existential, mindfulness and systemic. The existential approach resonates the most with my understanding of life so I’d like to explore that further. I completed four essays for the course and I know I’ve passed three of those assessments. I won’t find out about the last one until late December.

Bodra and I have done a bit of travel together, but he’s done a lot on his own for work. Since May, Bodra has been to Munich, Barcelona, Berlin, Stuttgart, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Oregon (USA), Knutsford… he has been really busy!

We visited Madrid in early May, quite a pretty city. Bodra had work there so we left on the weekend and had a couple days together exploring the city- gardens, plazas, cathedrals, museums, staying in a hostel for the first night and then at the Westin Palace. We saw the famous painting called ‘Guernica’ at the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia, and at the Prado Museum I saw a really beautiful painting of the holy trinity by Jose de Ribera.

We also took the train out to Toledo and had a good wander around that city, and finished our Madrid experience by tasting a cultural mid-meal- Chocolate and Churros at the historic Maestro Churrero. This is a full mug of not particularly sweet thick chocolate and an underwhelming pastry/biscuit thing. I’d rather go for Milo and Tim Tams.

Towards the end of May we saw Flight of the Concords at the Wembley Arena. I couldn’t believe how many people were there to see Brett and Jermaine- it was a sharp contrast to when we saw them at the St James many years ago, but the capacity isn’t quite on the same level. We also saw Shapeshifter at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, and the Hang Drummer, Manu Delago in a band called Taalis Timeline at a venue inside a cinema complex in Brixton. Paul accompanied me to see the Deftones at the Brixton Academy whilst Bodra was in stinky Helsinki, and Bodra went to a warehouse dance party to see Prometheus with Kim and Ezra.

A friend from my days in Christchurch, Jolene Hutchings, came to Europe in May. We visited her in London and she stayed with us a couple times in Reading. She’s back in NZ now after a short but full-on jaunt around Europe. Now we have Lauren’s younger brother Luke, and his girlfriend Lou staying with us until the middle of December.

Kim and I went to the Eden Project in Cornwall in early June. We had a lovely time wandering around the gardens (Lost Gardens of Heligan as well as Eden Project) and at night we lay outside for a bit watching bats flying above us. I tried scallops for the first time in ages when we had dinner in a nearby fishing village called Charlestown. Can’t say I’ll be going back for more.

Carolyn came to visit for two weeks in June. We got out of Reading a couple times together- first up to Great Yarmouth to escape the beautiful sunny weather we’d been enjoying to take in the wind, rain and grey skies of the Norfolk Wetlands. With the added bonus of discovering delicious honey fudge, it wasn’t so terrible. We also went into London to visit Tony and Liz to see their new home which they’d just moved into. Hopefully Bodra and I will visit them again shortly- they have a pretty fabulous bath which I’d love to try out! Afterwards we went back into London to the Southerner in Temple and met up with Paul and our friends for a celebration of his 30^th. We also had some news to share as just that week I had just discovered my pregnancy! (Woohoo!!!) Lastly, we took Carolyn to the Cotswolds (I drove!) where Bodra went on his Falconry experience and we wandered around Batsford Park Arboretum.

I had my first scan at the end of June- I was a bit worried as I’d been having some scary cramps. Dewi went with me to the hospital as Bodra was away at Stuttgart again for work, so it was lovely having her support. Thankfully there was a heartbeat, so we were able to feel relaxed about the situation. We celebrated by going out to the Herb Farm near Sonning Common, quite an idyllic spot with loads of different plants I hadn’t seen before, including a fantastic, twisty hazel tree.

At the beginning of July we went into London to visit Kim and Ez and help them move into their new apartment- no more Diamond House! Instead they are just a short walk from there in Kira Building. They have a really lovely apartment with a fantastic balcony brimming with Kim’s plants. The following day we met Nik and Dawn and went to a theatre in the South Bank Centre to watch Bionic Concepts- an unusual display of a man-made floating Seal and Octopus. They were controlled by remote but it was quite amazing how quickly we started to relate to them as if they were real, especially the Seal with its curious head peering at each spectator. You kind of felt submerged in a space-like world where such creatures may exist.

In preparation for the Ozora festival in August, we took our new tent for a test drive down to Dorset in July with Kim and Ezra. We all wanted to see Badgers so I managed to figure out a place where we could do that in Dorset. We spent some of the afternoon at a beach in Studland- not much to rave about there, loads of dogs (we love Border Terriers!), a few divers, dozens of little boats anchored in the water and loads of families enjoying the sun. I wasn’t tempted to get in the water- all those boats just made me think the water wouldn’t be all that clean, but Bodra braved it and lives to tell the tale. In the evening we settled into a Badger Hide and waited for the furry creatures to make an appearance. It wasn’t long before we noticed a rustle in the long grass and a little black and white head peered out, gauging the security of the area before launching into a fervent nuzzle in the grass to seek the peanuts lying in wait. The Badgers didn’t do much else besides eat peanuts so we soon had our fill of badger action and made our way to the local pub for some dessert and a game or two of grass. The following morning we took Kim and Ez out to see the Cerne Abbas chalk drawing- a hillside with a white outline in the grass of a naked man with a club. It is meant to be a fertility symbol so I was hoping it would deliver some majick on Kim and Ez, but I guess I’ll just have to be patient.

Bodra’s family in Canada had a lot to celebrate in July and August- his cousin Jamie and Cynthia were married on July 9^th and two of his cousins Bevan and Blair both had children. Tara gave birth to Graydon Kyle Howell on August 5^th at 5am, and Laura gave birth to Avery London later that month.

We visited Budapest, Hungary (I always thought Budapest was in India- silly me!) in August for the Ozora festival. Bodra and I arrived the night before our friends and enjoyed a massive down pour whilst waiting for Shpongle. We were mostly sheltered, huddling under bivouacs around a chai stall amongst other festive people. It was quite atmospheric, like we were battling a storm at sea with one of the vendors shouting out to grab the sails. Eventually the rain let up a bit but the entire festival grounds were now a soggy, muddy mess. Lots of hay was laid down in the market areas and by the stages. Shpongle soon came on so Bodra and I enjoyed a dance whilst dodging the rain.

Over the next couple days we were joined by Kim, Ezra, Dan, Liz, Russell and few of his friends. The weather was generally very warm, with patches of rain and lots of lightning in the evening. A neat feature of the festival was that there were loads of people there accompanied by their very well-behaved dogs, even though the majority of them were off-leash. A fair number of kids as well- nice to see they were wearing hearing protection as the music was very thuddy.

Bodra and I had quite a disaster trying to get back to Budapest at the end of the festival, as the bus we were booked on didn’t turn up. We’d left ourselves a small margin of time for which to make our flight that evening, which resulted in a very expensive holiday with new transport, accommodation, meals and new flights. Lesson learned. Luckily Bodra had accrued enough points so our stay in a very flash hotel was free. We felt quite manky turning up to the swish hotel in our mud encrusted shoes and grimy skin, but it was a very luxurious end to our trip.

I had a day in London in mid January learning about Art Therapy, and I’d love to be able to become an Art Therapist.  Just perhaps not in the UK as the fees are well beyond our capacity.  We joined Kim and Ez that evening and went out to the Inspiral Cafe in Camden for a feral meal.  Isn’t it funny how you get to a certain age (adulthood?) and all your social gatherings go from revolving around partying to eating?  Or is it just me?

Waimarama turned 9 (almost double digits oh my goodness!) on January 17th.  I created a birthday snow caterpillar for him…

Ez, Kim, Bodra and I went to the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009 exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London.  We loved this photograph of the golden King Penguin chick staring at the photographers footprints on the black sand.

I started volunteering at the Reading Association for the Blind.  I had spotted a sign in the store, Hobby Craft, asking if I’d like to learn how to basket weave and also do some volunteer work, which sounded agreeable to me.  So I went down to the centre at Walford Hall and met the Manager, Dawn Singleton.  The RAB is like a social gathering for people with varying degrees of visual impairment, functioning around art activities.  Some members are able to weave so make willow trays or cane baskets.  Others have limited dexterity so make greeting cards.  There is also a space for music appreciation, and sometimes they take on other art projects.  I volunteered over half a dozen times before we went to NZ and also did a little fund-raising at our local Tesco supermarket.   Whilst at the centre I would spend my time talking with different members and helping with the cards.  I’ve been instructed on how to guide a visually-impaired person; it’s best to have them hold onto your elbow.  One of the facilitators, Catherine, showed me a beautiful wool mural, where all the participants had knitted various parts to create a countryside farm scene, complete with animals, a tractor, pub and the RAB mini-bus.  It’s been quite a positive experience being involved with the RAB as it’s gotten me out of shell a little bit more.

Bodra went into London on the last weekend of January for Paul’s London stag do.  His mates dressed him up in an aussie shirt, put a hat with corks on his head and tied an inflatable kangaroo to him.  Then they proceeded to get him really drunk at various places.  Apparently Paul was wrapped up in bubbly packaging for his NZ party as Rachael wanted to ensure he was kept safe.

Rachael’s UK Hen was a bit more sedate comparably, but lots of fun.  On the evening of Waitangi Day, I joined Rachael, Kim, Alanna and a couple of Rachael’s friends whom I had never met before at a lovely cafe called “The Haberdashery” in a part of London I hadn’t visited before- Crouch End.  We enjoyed all sorts of goodies in a tapas style and many flutes of champagne, glasses of wine and cocktails were elegantly sipped.  I didn’t participate in the drinking however as that morning I had happily discovered that I was pregnant!  I had woken from a lovely dream where I was standing in ‘the kitchen’ (not our present kitchen) holding our baby girl (toddler size) and giving her lots of belly kisses and cuddles, and keeping her at bay from a prowling cat.  I felt like the dream was a visitation, so decided to do a test which had very pleasing results!  & how wonderful to be able to soon share the news face-to-face with our family.

The following day we joined Noa in her 3rd Birthday celebrations at the Zilberberg residence.  Delicious cake David!

The day of our flight to NZ we tried our best to tire ourselves out.  Kim and Ezra were staying with us so we went out for a walk along the Thames, from Maidenhead to Bourne End.  Then homeward bound that evening!  We flew out on Saturday night, having a fuel stop in Bangkok which caused us a lot of stress.  We got off the plane with our bottles of water, immediately went through security despite being transit and had the water taken off us.  So we bought more water at the airport, only to find we had to go back through security to get to our gate, which resulted in having the water confiscated again.  I hadn’t even opened my bottle, and then we had to wait around for a fair while in the nearly sweltering departure area- HARRUUMMPPHH!!!  We arrived in Sydney early Monday morning and as we had over five hours before we needed to fly out, we escaped the airport and went to Newtown to visit my Aunty Jo.

We met Aunty Jo at her new apartment on King’s Road and drank some tea while Aunty Jo collected herself- it was a pretty rude awakening really having visitors arrive after 7am.  But you can’t say no to family!  Heh!  We went for a walk along the main street and stopped at an arty cafe for breakfast.  Then we wandered around Newtown some more, going through Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.

Back on the plane, the time couldn’t go fast enough for our weary bodies.  We didn’t manage to get much rest throughout the flights, but at least we knew we didn’t have a demanding schedule upon arrival.  Mum and Dad were waiting for us and also Waimarama which was a big surprise.  He has grown so much, nearly as tall as me, but I can still pick him up.  Just.

Driving through West Auckland was quite eery.  The pace of New Zealand life is so much different from the UK, due to the population difference of course, as I was thinking “Where is everybody?”  We got home to Mum and Dad’s abode in Henderson Heights and my brother Shannon was there, so I was well on the way to feeling maximum levels of family adoration!  I had a good explore of our parents’ garden which has grown so much over the years and is something to be proud of.  Michelle soon joined us for dinner so once everyone was settled at the dining table we shared our good news which was well received.

Our first full day in NZ we took it fairly easy.  Our body clocks were a bit haywire so we were up before the sun rose and joined Mum, Dad and Jimi for the morning walk around the Vintage Park.  Cicadas buzzing and the air already warm… gotta love Summer time in NZ!  We headed into Henderson for lunch and a spot of shopping, and dropped in at Sarah’s home.  She had both her girls home for the day so we were well entertained by Sophie’s ballerina antics.

The following day, after a trip to the dentist, Bodra, Dad and I made our way up North to the Tutukaka Coast, where we met up with Michael in his RV.  We had a good chat and wander around the area and then enjoyed dinner in the RV with our personal chef.  We shared our news with Michael and he was really overjoyed.

On Thursday we woke early for breakfast and then made our way to the Dive Tutukaka centre.  We met up with Russell and soon we were on a boat heading out for the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.  Michael didn’t join us as he had been out on the water the previous day was still suffering from the motion and experience of diving.  I was quite nervous as the water was very rough heading out, so I remained in the cabin of the boat, trying to watch the walls and not get too nauseous.

We arrived at the Island at Jan’s Tunnel.  Dad and I went snorkelling as Bo and Russell went diving.  As the water was fairly stirred up there wasn’t too much to see- nudibranch, blue maomao, trigger-fish, demoiselle, snapper and trevally.  The snapper became quite prevalent when Dad exited the water and immediately hurled.  We then went around to the Rikoriko Cave (which means waning light or twilight) which is on record as being the biggest sea cave in the world.  The acoustics were pretty fantastic.  Apparently Pitch Black did a concert inside the cave which would’ve been awesome to behold.

Our next dive/snorkel spot was at Blue Maomao Arch.  As you swam through the archway you saw massive schools of (surprise surprise) Blue Maomao all hovering on the sides of the archway.  There was a neat rock formation on the sea bed where the fish kept swimming over it, rubbing their bodies against the rock as it helped them to dislodge the bits and pieces caught in their scales.  On our way back to the boat I noticed these small jellyfish (possibly called Salps?) gathering in the water near me.  They had these lovely edges to their bodies which had a kind of light running down through them.  Quite mesmerizing, but then I started noticing how MANY of them there were in the water with me, so I promptly got out.

The journey back to Tutukaka was pretty good, nowhere near as choppy as before.  As we left Poor Knights Island we watched rain clouds become darker, larger and closer, soon we had to leave the top of the boat which was uncovered and find shelter below.  I don’t think any of us were particularly impressed by what we saw at the Poor Knights Islands.  It may have just been the weather but perhaps the marine reserve is in serious decline?  This article seems to think so.

Back in Tutukaka, we met up with Michael again and then dad and I went to grab some dinner from the local takeaway store.  Finally I was able to indulge in my Potato Fritter craving.  Sadly the ones on offer were battered using animal fat, but I disregarded this, a poor decision on my behalf as they were far from tasty and became seagull feed.  Dad and I sat by the estuary and enjoyed our meal together with the birds.

On Friday, Bodra, Dad and I made our way to Whananaki North one of my favourite spots on the East Coast.  we had a wander over to Otamure Bay and then a swim and snorkel.  Then we missioned back to Snorkland.

I got to see the twins on Friday afternoon and stayed the night with Michelle and the boys.  On Saturday morning we left the twins to go on their Kiwi Conservation trip to Lake Wainamu.  I caught up with Kowhai as well.  Man, he’s massive.  Those boys have obviously got excellent genes for absorbing nutrition from their meals.

In the afternoon I joined Bodra at Cassels for Paul and Rachael’s wedding, the instigation for our presence in NZ.  I believe this is the first wedding where all the trimmings were accounted for, even including instructions to spontaneously sing lyrics containing the word ‘love’ to enforce Paul and Rachael to kiss, but if you were shy you could bang your wine glasses with cutlery.  Paul and Rachael of course did the first dance, which they had practised for and chose the tune ‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters.  A fantastic occasion and I’m really pleased we were able to join them for it!

On Sunday we got out to the Titirangi Markets before joining Paul and Rachael at Paul’s Fathers’ home out in the Waitakeres.  We sat on his deck looking out to native bush and sun that was at times too hot!  Yay for NZ Summer!  Have I already said that?

In the afternoon we joined Bodra’s friends at Bevan and Sarahs’ home in Henderson Heights, for a BBQ and to watch cricket.  We got to meet their daughter Rachel, Danijel & Inas’s daughter Violetta, Angela & Gareth’s daughter Maya, Radmilla’s daughter whose name escapes me now (ooopppsss!!).  Loads of toddlers to watch- far more interesting than cricket!  Gareth’s parents Debbie and Mike also came over so I got to meet them for the first time too.

Over the next few days we got in some Waitakere action; a bush walk to Fairy Falls with Michael and Jimi, O’Neill’s beach, Arataki Reserve Pararaha Valley.  We also met up with Inas and Violetta for lunch at a restaurant in West Gate.  Inas shared her powerful tale of giving birth to Violetta and she really inspired me.

On Friday I went to Dilworth with Michelle to watch Hemi and Te Aue perform in their school swimming sports.  Hemi and Te Aue’s arms really whirled during the backstroke, but I think they were both too interested in keeping an eye on their competitors to really focus.  Hemi did a beautiful dive for his 25m breaststroke and started off fairly even with the other swimmers, but someone else must of had more steam.  From where I was sitting I think Te Aue came in first for this event (woohoo!).

Hemi’s 50m breaststroke was pretty stellar and it looked like he came in first (woop-woop!).  Te Aue made it to fourth place for this event.  All the boys really charged for the 25m & 50m freestyle, arms were crashing into the water and feet were frantically kicking with such fury!  Poor water.

2010.03.05 Swimming Sports at Dilworth (movie playlist)

I hung out with the boys on Friday night and stayed over.  The following day Laurence had the boys so Michelle and I went to a cafe in Waiatarua called Elevation and enjoyed a tasty meal and beautiful view!

On Sunday we met up with Kenny, Danijel, Inas and Violetta at Jafa, a cafe in Grey Lynn.  I had some pretty nasty cramps during the night and a scary dream, so I wasn’t feeling too full of beans.  The atmosphere at Jafa and with our friends was very healing however.  I had a tasty Indonesian rice pudding and Bodra feasted on feta and cumin potato cakes.  It was awesome seeing Kenny again and he told us about his new son Henrik.  We had hoped to go meet him and Kenny’s new partner but unfortunately we ran out of time.

On Monday the boys were on school holidays and we got Waimarama to wag as well, so we took them all out to Goat Island, with Shannon and Michael too.  The water was really rough, most of us managed to score a couple scrapes here and there.  Bodra managed to get sunburn all over his entire back- he has a really nice tan line even now- a month later!  There wasn’t too much to be seen given the condition of the water but I spotted a couple Goat-fish and of course Trevally.  I had the most delicious Potato Fritters that night as Mum had decided it’d be best to get some fish ‘n’ chips.  I think they were deep fried with rice bran oil?  Yummy anyway.

On Tuesday morning Bodra and I took Jimi and the three eldest boys to Kitekite Falls in Piha.  We had a great walk around the lower track and up to the falls, and I enjoyed watching all the boys swim around the lower pool.  I was quite surprised to find Jimi has a penchant for branches, and Kowhai indulged Jimi’s desire to fetch into the water.  We found half a dozen eels swimming around nearby the waterfall, so obviously this part of NZ is kept pure.  Bodra got some much-needed cooling off time for his sunburn.

In the evening I went to Kura Toa Warrior School to watch Waimarama get up to mischief in his Warrior Kids class.  The children learn self-defense skills and provides experience for personal development.  I watched them learn how to turn away from someone striking at them which was quite an effective technique.

The following day Bodra was really feeling the pain from his sunburn, so he stayed at home while Mum, Dad, Michael, Shannon and I went out to Tirtiri Matangi Reserve.  We had a fabulous day walking around the island spotting various birds and I was really pleased to see the Kokako and Takahe.  We had time for a swim as well which was lovely.

You can see movies of some the birds we saw via this link.

Sarah picked me up that evening and took me out to Bethells Beach for a sit in the sand as we watched the last light of the sun disappear.  We had a good catch up and I hoped to see her again.

On Thursday Bodra and I went to visit Michelle at her Doctor’s Surgery.  She organised for me to have a blood test done to check my hormone levels to ensure the pregnancy was progressing as it should.  I’d already had a test like this five weeks previously, which had given positive results, so I wasn’t too worried about it, and it turned out to be fine also.

We then got out to Auckland City and visited Karangahape Road and Victoria Park Market in search of a Pounamu necklace for Bodra.  He now has a very beautiful treasure around his neck which he acquired from Kiwi Art.  We met up with Nathan in Ponsonby and had lunch with him at Bliss Cafe, and we returned that night to meet up with Chantal at GPK.  It was wonderful to see both Nathan and Chantal and hear about their lives.

I started coming down with the flu on Friday so I missed out on going on the RV trip with Bodra and Michael.  They visited Miranda, Kawakawa Bay, Matingarahi, Waiau Falls, Tairua and Hunua Falls.  While Bodra was away he thought he was experiencing pregnancy food cravings as he got himself an Avocado from the Wilderlands shop and he really desired a cheese and tomato sandwich.  Not his usual kind of appetite as he only likes tomatoes when they are cooked in things and avocado when it is guacamole.  I was very pleased to hear this as I love avocados.

On Friday afternoon Waimarama managed to have an accident whilst running across the monkey bars and tripping over a friends hand, which resulted in him falling and smacking his tooth into the bar, thus cracking said tooth.  So Mum was busy with him at the A&E.  I don’t think he has learnt his lesson here, and is still content to err on the side of recklessness.

On Saturday Shane took me out to Lake Wainamu- Bethells Lake on the West Coast.  We trekked across the black sand dunes and sat by the lake enjoying the sun and company.  I’m really glad I had the chance to get out there with Shane as it’s quite a special spot for both of us.

On Sunday morning Mum took me out to Michelle’s to see Kowhai for the last time.  He had Kapahaka practice that morning so Mum was taking him back to school on her way to work.  It was quite tough saying goodbye to him, as I didn’t feel like I had had enough time.  But when you’ve been away for four years and leaving again, I don’t think it’s possible to get enough time with your family to make up for the time spent a part.  I just hope by the time I do get back to NZ, Kowhai will still want to hang out with me.

Michelle, Waimarama and I spent the morning together and visited Crystal Mountain to peruse the crystals and enjoy some lunch.  Waimarama brought his lunch from home as he is on a diet of soft foods.  In the afternoon I walked Jimi with Dad around the Lower and Upper Opanuku Walkway, which was great to have time all to myself with my Dad.

On Monday Mum and I got some together time and went to Newmarket to have a fossick about for baby stuff and check out the fashion.  We found a really neat shop called The Poi Room which sells NZ art and design.  I was really taken by a print by Peter Latham called Piha Aroha, shot in the early hours of the morning with a full moon in the sky and the soft rays of dawn highlighting the foliage around Lion rock.  We met up with Lauren and her brother Luke whom I haven’t seen since early 2002 I believe.  So, eight years later!  Lovely to see his eyes are just as bright and shiny as they always were.  & isn’t his sister a foxy lady?!

On Tuesday morning Bodra and I made a quick dash out to Mokoroa Falls, one of ‘our spots’.  They’ve modified the track a bit, adding in a barrier and platform at the top and stairs all the way to the bottom.  Nice to see the Auckland Regional Council looking after these beautiful bush walks.

Carolyn arrived on Tuesday afternoon so we really had a full house and were maximising family time, with Michael outside on the road in his RV.  We met Carolyn at the airport and as soon as she was settled in the car, Bodra busted out the news which had Carolyn beaming as she does!  It was definitely the best idea to wait to share this news with everyone once we could see each other.  Lots of cuddles all around!

On Wednesday we had organised to go for an Ultrasound Scan so that our family could come and see our creation.  Bodra and I went in first to see how things were, and tragically the news was not the best.  The embryo only showed nine weeks of growth as opposed to the eleven, and there was no heart beat.  It appeared that I presented with a missed-miscarriage.  So there was nothing for our family to see and it was clear that we had a tough decision to make now.  Do I wait for the miscarriage to happen naturally?  Or take another route?

We shared the news with our family, which was devastating for all of us.  But there are positives that can be taken from this- I CAN get pregnant, and also the sonographer said my ovaries appear to be fine.   Bodra and I took some time out for ourselves to contemplate and went on the Walker Kauri Track on Mountain Road in Henderson Valley; yet another special spot for me with it’s massive Kauri Trees.  Afterwards we went back to Ponsonby for a feed at Fatimas, as we really missed their potato koftas.

In the early evening Michelle took me to see her GP to organise for me to go to the North Shore Hospital to have a Dilatation and Curretage operation.  Bodra and I then went out to the hospital with the referral.  They took more blood and then sent us home after getting me on the list for the following morning.  Lauren’s mother who works in the hospital came by to visit me and give me some support which was so kind of her.  The surgery went fine and all the staff in the hospital were so considerate.  Even the anaesthetist came by to check on me afterwards.  The nurse attending to us happened to be the Bar Manager from Bodra’s University days (such a small world) so she really looked after me.  By the afternoon I was free to eat and free to go home.  We stopped off at Jesters Pies in West Gate and Bodra grabbed a Popeye and William Tell for me.  I could really go for one of each right now… mmmm and two minute noodles (my latest odd craving).

So I took it fairly easy for what was left of our time in EnZed.  Less than 48 hours (gulp!).  On Friday morning Lauren came by to visit which gave her an opportunity to catch up with my family.  Shannon was visiting as well, so I was quite content with all the family support I was being given.  We went out to a Thai restaurant that evening and beforehand Sarah dropped by to offer some more cuddles and love.

Saturday arrived far too quickly.  We woke early in the morning and joined Mum, Dad and Jimi for a walk around the park.  Mum and I then dashed over to Michelle’s for a final farewell with Te Aue, Hemi and my sister.  Then off to the airport!  Mum, Dad, Shannon and I in one car, Bodra, Carolyn and Michael in another.  It was a hugely emotional parting and I hope to never experience that again.  Not to forget the fact that customs confiscated our massive jar of Marmite off us (destined for Ezra’s belly).

We had a stop-over in Melbourne for nearly nine hours so we met up with Mike and his girlfriend and later on with Ben.  Mike took us back to his flat and then we wandered through Flagstaff Gardens over to a pub, meeting Ben along the way.  We had a great chat together and then wandered around West Melbourne trying to find a place for dinner.  We settled on the Warung Agus, a Balinese restaurant.  I had the Apokat Mebasa Santen Misi Oong for an entree- avocado with mushroom and coconut cream sauce, and Toge for my main- traditional Balinese gado gado - steamed veges and beancurd with peanut sauce and casava crackers.

I started feeling pretty off towards the end of my meal, nauseous and faint.  We started to make our way back to Mike’s to collect our gear and head out to the airport, but by the time we’d reached his apartment (which is very cool by the way with an elevator opening straight out to his open-plan kitchen and lounge area, kind of secret agent styles) I was feeling progressively worse and incredibly anxious.  I didn’t know why I was feeling as I was, my body had begun to spasm and motion was really hard to bear.  Bodra had eaten the same meal as I and he was fine, so we could only hope that what I was experiencing would pass as quickly as it came on.  Luckily it did; once we were waiting at our gate things began to settle down and calmness came.  I can only explain it as perhaps a rush of adrenaline or some residual after-effect from the general anaesthetic I had been given on Thursday.

We sat in a row with an elderly lady named Grace seated by the window.  She had a bag so she kept giving us regular breaks and chances to get circulation happening again as she got up to empty it.  We watched loads of movies and read a fair bit.  There was one stop in Hong Kong and by Sunday afternoon we were touching down in Heathrow.  Bodra had organised a taxi for us, so we were very quickly homeward bound in our zombie-like state.

Bodra has a lovely manager who allowed him to work from home for the first week back, which made it easier getting over our loss and shifting back to the British clock.  I’ve started seeing an acupuncturist and joined a Well Being course which involves learning Cognitive Behaviour Therapy techniques to deal with anxiety and depression.  Additionally, I’ve registered with the Open University to study a module called “Exploring Fear and Sadness” which should be good for my learning.  It is a paper in the Foundation Degree in Counselling, so if I think it is worthwhile I may look into that as a possible new career.  I also had a go at doing Hot Yoga at Studio 42 degrees.  Very challenging and sweaty!  especially the ballerina inspired poses.  I aim to go back once I’ve recovered from my latest…

We went into London to Shoreditch to see Younger Brother at Cargo with Kim and Ezra.  As the sound was a bit of an assault on Ezra’s ears and they had played my favourite track “Ribbon on a Branch” early on, we left the gig well before it finished.  It’s always tricky trying to get back to Reading at a decent hour and avoiding the train which makes a dozen stops before getting to our station.  This usually means leaving things earlier than you’d like.  Unfortunately we still got caught by the slow train…

I was in hospital again our second week back for surgery- nothing serious, just wanted to be quick to get it over with as it involved being under a general anaesthetic again, which you can’t do when you’re pregnant.  Can’t say the Royal Berkshire Hospital was even on the same level as the North Shore Hospital.  They had us waiting for a number of hours for my medicine, and eventually we decided to leave as I was so hungry and tired.  I ended up picking my medicine up the following morning.

& I was back in hospital again on Good Friday.  I brought up what appeared to be a blood clot which was quite alarming, and the doctor at the out-of-hours clinic referred me to the Clinical Diagnostics Unit.  I was X-Rayed, ECG’ed, listened to and tested.  They didn’t give us any results for a number of hours and it wasn’t until I tried to discharge myself that we finally had some response.  None of the tests showed anything, but they were concerned and wanted to watch me, therefore I needed to stay the night.  Well, I wasn’t having any of that.  I was looking around and seeing the other people in my ward, who all appeared to be in varying degrees of helplessness and misery.  I didn’t belong there, so I decided to leave.  As far as I was concerned, the clot was just from having the tube down my throat which had caused some kind of irritation.  My throat was feeling rough so this seemed to be the case.  I’m going back for more tests to check my chest and respiratory in a few weeks time, but she’ll be right mate!  ;-)

So we had a chilled, chocolate fuelled, cosy Easter break watching movies and blobbing out.  The following week (last week) I started an oil painting class where I am the only student!  Brilliant!  The artist teaching me is Martin Close.  He showed me some of his current commissions, a portrait of the Mayor from London, Boris Johnson, and a couple canvases depicting softly folded fabric.  He broke down the techniques of painting with oils into easy-to-understand-and-apply steps, so I’m looking forward to continuing with him.

I turned 31 last Wednesday and Bodra gifted me with a new digital SLR camera, Panasonic Lumix G1 if that means anything to anyone.  So I should have some stunning pics coming your way soon!  Especially once we get this Raynox lens thingo which lets you take macro pics.  Dewi gifted me with some lovely tea light hanging holders which are very romantic and bright.

Last Friday night we went to see Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland in 3D after getting favourable recommendations from Kim and Ezra.  The Cheshire Cat, voiced by Stephen Fry, is really gorgeous with his turquoise striped fur.

Oh, and we’ve been making use of our yard recently- we’ve started a vege plot which has teeny seedlings now showing from the lettuce seeds we planted a couple weeks ago.  Very exciting!

We don’t have too many other trips planned for this year, especially as Bodra has used up most of his holiday time with our NZ trip.  We’re hoping to go to the Ozora festival in early August and join Danijel, Inas and Violetta in Croatia in the third weekend of August (busy month), and maybe go to the Caribbean for New Years.  For work Bodra has journeyed to Tel Aviv, Helsingborg in Sweden (taking a train from Copenhagen), Dublin, Knutsford and Bonn (in Germany for work).  He’ll be going to Barcelona next month for a few days.

We’re nicely settled in our new place and can only complain about the dribbly shower. Bodra went to Helsinki for work during the first week and I kept myself busy unpacking and cleaning. Paul and Rachael came to stay on our first weekend and taught us the art of the gas stove. There are no markings on the stove so I didn’t really know what to look for to get the oven going. Once it was going (thanks Rachael!) the next question was, how do I know what temperature it will reach? We ended up getting a maintenance guy to check it out, and he’s kindly drawn some markings on the stove face.

On that Saturday, Paul and Rachael took us to Leicestershire where Rachael and I watched Bodra drive a TVR and Paul drive a Porsche. Exciting stuff for the boys, but freezing stuff for us! We joined them in a jeep going over a landscape designed to show just what those vehicles can handle- steep inclines, stairways, slushy pools of mud. Our drive back to Reading was far more stimulating, especially when we hit traffic along the M4 motorway so endured the queue by playing Eye-Spy. It’s amazing how much stuff you start to see when you are looking for a clue.

Drivers Dream Experience

Lauren came to stay the following week, whilst Bodra was away on business in Turin. He had an extra long trip to get there as the airport employees in Turin were striking, so he had to fly to Milan and then train to Turin from there. I had a great time in Laurens company, as always. We discovered the Chinese supermarket nearby, where you can buy industrial sized blocks of tofu and all sorts of strange vegetables. Lauren made some delicious peanut butter cookies, among other yummy vegan treats.

Kim and Ezra were our next visitors, and we shared our local Indian takeout with them- Chenai Dosa. Paul and Rachael also suffered the spiciness of Chenai Dosa when they visited, and additionally, Bodra and I had it the first weekend when we moved in. Three times in one month- yes, it is that good!

Bodra and I were in Prague during the middle of November. We stayed at the Sheraton at Charles Square and arrived on a National holiday to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the fall of communism, and the beginning of the Velvet Revolution.

As we had arrived early, our room wasn’t ready, so we went for a walk around the block. Prague is a really beautiful city. The architecture shows a vast array of styles- Art Nouveau to baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern. The buildings are so well maintained, the streets are clean, people and traffic move around with hardly any stress. I believe Czech people must have a lot of pride for their city.

A crowd had formed along one of the main roads. It seemed like a race was going to happen as we could see the start and finish markers, and also a few strange forms of transport- a giant banana on wheels? A couple stages were also set up, perhaps in preparation for a concert or speeches. We didn’t stick around for the action, as Bodra had to catch up on some work and I wanted a nap.

We walked along the Vltava River, where we saw a man shed most of his clothes and dive in for a swim. It wasn’t exactly a hot day as Bodra and I were both in our jackets, jumpers and beanies. Further along the river we came upon an intriguing building- the Dancing House (Tan?ící d?m) by Vlado Miluni? and Frank Gehry, an example of deconstructivist architecture. It is said to look like a couple dancing, two towers with an unusual, curving shape.

In the evening I was still feeling very snoozy and hardly enthused to get out and explore, but we went for a small walk in the evening, in search of dinner which we found at a local Tesco’s supermarket. The streets were far more packed with people, but we still had no clue as to what was going on. So we grabbed our groceries and returned to the hotel. The cold weather really zaps my levels of curiosity.

The weather did little to inspire me on Wednesday, so while Bodra went to work, I treated myself to a luxurious day of staying in our room, bathing and reading. Sometimes it is just really nice and comforting to devour a book in one sitting. I’ve begun reading Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series, an urban fantasy involving supernatural themes. The main character is a witch who is a Private Investigator, and uses charms to catch villains. She has a Pixie for a side kick and a Vampire for a room-mate. Light stuff, but action-packed, humorous- very entertaining to read.

For dinner we went out to Lehka hlava - Clear Head vegetarian restaurant. We had a table in a warm orange room with a fish tank. The meal was very satisfying- grilled goat cheese with cranberries and walnuts, served over a mixed green salad, hummus, cheddar quesadilla with jalapenos, guacamole, tomato salsa, sour cream and bulgur risotto with stir-fried tempeh, spring vegetables and sun-dried tomato and peanut pesto. Our bellies were full for nearly £20 together- wholesome, fresh tastiness at a bargain price!

On Thursday I decided I had better do a little bit of adventuring. I don’t like exploring new places on my own, especially after my ridiculous attempts at orienteering in Amsterdam where I basically kept going in the opposite direction to where I wanted, but I had to make the most of being in this historical city. Our room had a lovely big bath so I thought I should find some scented fizzy-bombs to make the most of it. Sure enough Prague has a Lush, so I made my way over to the Palladium- two kilometres from our hotel so an easy stroll. The Palladium is just your usual shopping mall, nothing noteworthy or unique as far as I could see, although I was only focussed on getting the bath bomb. Even with a map and clearly marked streets, I still managed to unknowingly deviate from my planned route, taking in a sweet woodcraft store and ‘Luxor Book Palace’ on Wenceslas Square, the largest bookstore in the Czech Republic. Post-cards, stamps and a couple Christmas gifts achieved!

After Lush I headed over to Old Town Square, once the central marketplace in the 12^th century. I sat down by the Jan Hus statue and wrote a few postcards, then carried on to the Metro Station. Jan Hus was an influential Priest and philosopher who became a martyr. He tried to reform the church, and as a result he was burned at the stake.

One of my friends from Christchurch days, Jan Honza Tilinger lives in Prague, so I had arranged to meet him at the Czech Technical University. Honza had organised a screening of a movie about a solar school which he helped to set up in Kargyak, a village at 4200m altitude in the Indian Himalayas. I was able to meet a couple of his friends and his sister and watch the movie. Most of it was in Czech and it showed the construction of the school. It would be amazing to go there one day but the village is very isolated. Flying into Delhi, you would spend 5-10 days just getting to the village, depending on your route, and involving 4-5 days walk. I really admire Honza and his friends; they are very courageous and strong Beings!

After the movie I helped Honza prepare DVD covers for copies of the movie, and then he took me back to his mum’s apartment where we sat chatting with two of his friends, one an architect and the other an engineer. They had some great stories to share with me, as they had both been involved in Surya School. One of them was off to Madagascar the following day to work on an energy project.

I returned to Bodra later that night and after discovering our chosen vegetarian restaurant didn’t have a non-smoking area we relented and had room service. Yay for vegetarian pasta! (I’m kidding.)

Friday was my last chance to explore so I started off by heading towards Vyšehrad Castle, a little over two kilometres from the hotel. I found the cemetery and the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, but having followed the walls all around, I became quite exasperated as the castle was nowhere to be found! I have since discovered that just because a place is called a castle this doesn’t necessitate the presence of a palace. Castle just means a fortified defensive structure. Yay for learning new things, but boo for no castle…

From the non-castle containing castle, I wandered down to Vltava River and crossed a bridge, heading for Pet?ínské (Pet?ín Hill). I had hoped to take the funicular up to the top where an observation tower with the likeness of the Eiffel Tower stands. Unfortunately I had spent all my money on the Metro yesterday and couldn’t find an ATM, so I trudged up the steep hill. Thankfully this led me to discovering the Magic Cavern of Reon Argondian, a place Kim had recommended. I didn’t have any money for admission but the attendant said he would pretend he hadn’t seen me, and let me in. I gave him some Geisha chocolate (my lunch) which pleased him.

Three floors filled with fantasy art! Every wall space held bright paintings showing majickal forests and lakes, unicorns, lizards, Elves, Faerys, crystals… I was virtually alone in the gallery, and able to sit and take in the artwork while listening to relaxing music. Relaxing, that is, until they played the Titanic Theme Song. Urck!

I thought I would head out towards the Charles Bridge (Karl?v most) which crosses the Vltava river and takes you back over to Old Town. Lucky for me I didn’t have to do this alone as Bodra had just finished work so could meet me there. I wandered down Pet?ín Hill and passed a bunch of souvenir shops and boutiques. Charles Bridge was the first bridge to have been constructed in Prague and is over five hundred years old. Quite a number of statues lined the bridge, along with all sorts of different traders and their kiosks, selling jewellery, caricatures, magnets and water colour landscapes.

From Charles Bridge we stopped for afternoon tea then trudged up a hill towards Prague Castle, mostly to take in the views of the city, stopping in a couple of Art Galleries along the way. We were able to enter the castle grounds so we walked around St. Vitus Cathedral and exited out the opposite end of the grounds. Back down to Old Town, we stopped for a souvenir print of the seasons by Mucha. Bodra found some Mulled Wine for us and then we began thinking about dinner. Honza had recommended the Indian Jewel so we went there, finding ourselves the only customers (it was very early evening), which was fine as we wanted to be served quickly. A fair meal, but Bodra can cook better. One last stop before heading back to the hotel- we picked up two small bottles of Absinthe. Foul stuff- I couldn’t drink it all as the spirit is a pure gag-fest. Completely non-Faery like!

Prague pics

After Prague I had the pleasure of catching up with a few friends. The following Monday I met Petra, Ian and their brand new bubby (born at the end of September), Daisy Anastasia Young. I’ll be looking forward to a time when I can visit them in Portishead, in the New Year. I also recently caught up with a friend I made whilst working at Thames Water, Tibor, and his wife Lavinia. We met them for dinner at Wagamamas, and hopefully I’ll be seeing more of them soon.

Last Monday Fat Freddy’s Drop gave a concert at the Hammersmith Apollo in London so Bodra and I made the mission out there. It is always so much more difficult to push ourselves out the door during the week but we figured we deserved some NZ Summer music! We arrived near the end of the last few songs from the opening act, The Electric featuring DJ Vadim- thank goodness for that as they weren’t our cup of tea, just some random teenagers jumping up and down pumping themselves up and basically sounding cliché. I’m sure there is a more accurate way to describe their music, but I’m not that well educated in their style.

Once Freddy’s came on we had a pretty awesome evening with their fantastic music. We were really pleased to see the guitaring of Jetlag Johnson aka Tehimana Kerr become more of a feature in this gig. Ho Pepa aka Joe Lindsay was great to watch as he danced around with his trombone. The only turn-off was the lighting- we were seated in the circle and from there it was like driving into oncoming traffic with their brights on for the first couple of songs. We caught up with Jono before we left as well; he was seated near us and spotted us as we were leaving. Jono should be joining us for dinner in the New Year so we can find out what he has been up to and meet his girlfriend Jenna.

Bodra and I thought it would be a good idea to get our Dry Suit diving license as we can expect the ocean to be cold in NZ, and hypothermia isn’t much fun. So we had a pool session with the guys from Hydrodive and on Sunday we went out to Wraysbury Lake to do the Open Water aspect of the license. The suit is very well insulated, although Bodra managed to get water in his boots. You still wear a BCD vest, but you mostly rely on the Dry Suit for buoyancy control. We wore hoods and gloves, but getting into the water proved the gloves to be far from insulating. Not sure how cold the water was, but it certainly felt icy around my face and fingers.

I was a bit panicked initially, just some funny things floating around in my head, but I managed to calm myself and descend. Things were going okay for me, we went down to 8 metres and I felt the suit pinching a bit but you just add in some air to release that sensation. We demonstrated fin pivots on a platform near the bottom of the lake and then followed our guide further along. There wasn’t much to see in the lake, just weeds and maybe a cement mixer, some old vehicle carcasses. I forced myself not to hold Bodra’s hand- I didn’t want him compensating my buoyancy again. We began to go up an incline and when we reached the top I thought I was ok, until I felt myself continue to ascend. This is a scary feeling as you kind of get it drummed into your head that you need to be able to control how fast you ascend. At that time I couldn’t, all I could feel was my body rising, even though I was leaking air out of the valve in my left wrist and could feel the suit pinching. I’m guessing it was just the air inside my body that had expanded and caused me to float up? Anyway, the experience had me pretty shaken so I decided to forgo the second dive. Bodra managed to pass his license and hopefully I will too with a little more time.

It seems like last week was the week of awards! Bodra was awarded a trip to Cannock (just kidding- that was for work). We found out that our friend Paul won an award for the Most Effective Operations Management Initiative which sounds very mighty and impressive. Our nephews at Dilworth also had their school achievements acknowledged- Hemi and Te Aue were both made monitors for next year, Hemi won an award for Technology I believe, and Kowhai won a $500 music award which he has spent on a new white guitar. I can’t wait to meet these bright, young beings soon!

Next week Bodra will be going to Tel Aviv for work. We haven’t got too much planned between now and our trip to NZ, just saving our pennies so we can do lots of neat things back home. Christmas will be a fairly easy one, having dinner with David and Olga at a nearby restaurant. Paul will be joining us for New Years and I guess our celebrations will be focussed around the new 47inch LCD TV dominating our lounge. Finally I understand why Russell has been praising HD so much!