Stomach of iron

As I say to people who bring on the "morning sickness" type questions - I should have been a brood mare because me and this pregnancy thing get on just fine.

In fact, it is a good thing me and Mr Right weren't childhood sweethearts, because this blog would be about the 16 children sending a mother mad, rather than the more constrained version of events I offer.

Only 6 things make me chunder.

1. Seeing another person throwing up. Doesn't always guarantee results, but will create dry retches at the very least. Another good reason I am not a nurse.
2. Food poisoning - although it has to be pretty poisonous food to get me right to the porcelain recepticles door.
3. Gastro - and we aren't talking about that at the moment, because it is visiting the house and I don't want it to think it is welcome to stay.
4. Fried spinach - yes, who would dry fry spinach and then give his pregnant girlfriend not only the visual option but also the full olfactory impact of the dish? That would be P., 'Salina's father.
5. Ulcers - I have only had this phenomenon once, but it was a long six months (but a welcome relief from the extra 15 kilos I lost during the journey - the last 5 after the extras not so much) of extreme hunger and tossing up the decision to eat knowing it was likely going to end in the can, or not to eat for the same calorific ending.
6. Migraines - and the funny thing is, since stopping taking the pill I have not had ONE of these suckers. Coincidence, anyone?

Its funny - everyone is MOST concerned about the chucking aspect of early pregnancy - which I don't get - but they are rather averse to descriptions of any other side-effects.

Someone asked the question the other day and I advised no to the barfing but was as windy as a boatrace - apparently that fell in to the TMI category.

I swear, this is NOT going to turn into a pregnancy blog (well, as much as my brain will alow) but I am hoping to goodness that the headache I awoke with this morning and the reveille I was playing was more to do with not drinking enough water and the cabbage in the salad last night than anything to do with numbers 3 or 6 - because then we will ALL be praying that we were talking about aching breasts and the dearth of maternity clothing options!

Oh what a beautiful morning...

If I was in any way concerned about how V and I would react to having a newborn in the house as an early morning alarm system, Eddie is putting my mind at rest.

For a start, if the squarking begins before sunrise I throw mean looks his way and try to get back to sleep. We all know how well THAT works for me.

V rolls over.

If Eddie's whines and insistences get overpowering, I will try to entice him within arms length to wring his neck pat him into submission.

V rolls over.

If the sun rises OR Eddie starts making threats (i.e. starts laying on the "do you really want me to go and wake up 'Salina because I can, you know" sort of miaows) I will get out of bed, generally muttering about cat stew or orange slippers, and take it to the kitchen with him.

V rolls over.

So I have no illusions. I am going to be a total cow come calving time and will have to perfect my dig in the ribs technique - either that, or get over my "protect my eldest" instinct (heck, she won't be an only then) and let the cat go wake her.

Hmmm, I think I have just found the perfect solution to the whole "where the heck will be put the bassinette" conundrum. Thanks for helping me sort that one.

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In other news, our good friend Gastro has been for a visit.

We thought "psychosomatic" at first when 'Salina complained of a sore tummy (heck, day off mid-week, just finished a playdate, we are boring - all good reasons) however we figured it had to be a fairly deep-rooted aversion to school on Friday when she started - well, I will let you use your imagination on what she started, but it set a few "gee whizz, she might be sick" bells in our heads.

Two days later and she is still off her tucker with above unmentioned side effects - and it is now Saturday, so the whole skiving off school reasoning is out the window.

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Anyway, off to the shops - alone. V gets to be chief nurse for a few hours - he got plenty of practice at that during the last round of lurgy so I know he can handle without too many meltdowns.

I don't think it wise, however, to go and spend time with my friends and their newborn in the hospital today.

The great unwashed - well, I am willing to take their chances that I won't be Gastro Mary for them.

That gorgeous little sweetheart I won't take such chances on.

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Thank you all for the excitement and congratulations. We have a long way to go yet, and as my family will possibly mention, I tend to play the excitement cards pretty close to my chest - but beneath the poker-face, there is indeed joy (mingled with a great deal of "possible use of profanity it has taken me 10 years to get to what I have now and I am starting over again?" and an underlying fiscal quiver) - lots of awe and joy.

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Oh - and Trace wondered why the tag was "parasitic alien life-forms"?

Well, I would show you, but Firefox is having a problem with pop-ups (which is really annoying) so I can't upload an image. And I could go use my arch-nemesis IE except then it would mean I would have to log in, and I can never remember my password so I have to generate another one and - well, the number of steps I would have to go through makes it unviable for this beautiful morning.

Sharing the Secret

I am very good at keeping secrets.

It appears that 'Salina is also very good at keeping secrets because she has known one for 5 weeks and not said anything.

V has been excellent at keeping the secret although he was fairly busting with the news.

Which I will do in December...

Thursday Tidings

Do you know its a public holiday here today?

Apparently the logic is, if you give your local show a "People's Day" public holiday, you have to make sure it is in the middle of the week and not anywhere that could cause the public to think they have a long weekend.

This way, you are meant to be more inclined to go to the show.

'Salina is inclined to go to the show, but there are many wonderfully good reasons not to go. Risk of disease, risk of spreading disease and risk of not having a shirt on our back before we are even half-way through the experience.

The other bit problem I have with "People's Day" at the show is all the darned masses that go there. Not good with crowds AT ALL, and definitely not going to pay for the pleasure.

Bah, humbug.

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Do you know its a public holiday here today?

This is a sort of crimp in my work life, as my clients don't have a public holiday today. Childcare options are available - for school holidays but NOT public holidays - and therefore 'Salina has the joy of spending "quality" time with me while V studies, and spending "quality" time with V while I work.

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The good news is she gets to spend quality time with BOTH of us while we visit a local government office (who are working a half-day today, but still want all sorts of forms TODAY so more time with the great unwashed) - but the BONUS is we get to see my friend's new baby for a quick visit as a reward. 'Salina will be 10 feet away and instructed not to breathe.

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Sounds like I am a grump today, doesn't it? But I am not. Not really.

The sun is shining, my immediate family is fairly healthy and we have many cinnamon rolls in the fridge and freezer.

I think I have it figured - I must like a grumble!!!

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Finally, I pose a question for my next post (yes, I am even anticipating a next post - possibly tomorrow, definitely by the weekend)

"How good are YOU at keeping secrets?"

"On your report card I would give you an F"

out of the mouth of 'Salina.

Here is the back story.

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I try to bake something every weekend for lunchboxes - it means I know the true calibre of the crap my family eats and receive the trade-off of absolute devotion - it works for me.

Anyhow, the true measure of my success is the longevity - or lack - of the snacks during the week.

Due to years of scientific research, I have learned to double my quantities.

I did try making smaller everything, but it didn't really work - my lab rats caught on to me!!

I tend to rotate the favourites, occasionally throw a new recipe into the mix...

Last Friday, we taped 'Salina's second favourite show for her -
Better Homes and Gardens".

(1st favourite is "Merlin", 3rd favourite is "The Zoo" and we are pleased to say that after an abstinence of 2 years, finally "The Simpsons" is out of medal contention!!)

During the replay on Saturday, they showed everything from Chelsea, including making Chelsea Buns.

If I have a bone to pick with BHG is they didn't have the recipe on their website, darn it, and our appetite had been whet.

And then I remembered...

Some of you who visit here also know a relative of mine who posted a cooking experiment we did together recently - so I dutifully went to Pioneer Woman's site, grabbed the Cinnamon Rolls recipe and started concocting.

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We hit our first hurdle early.

Due to my beautiful part-time temp job being cut short (darned woman I was filling in for felt better enough to not want to sit on half-pay any more) I had done the sort of grocery grab that shouts "necessities only" rather than the more indulgent "restock the pantry" variety, and therefore the 92c I had saved on homebrand plain flower came to haunt me. And the recipe calls for flour. Lots of it - I had about 1/2 of the lots available.

If that was the worst the cooking gods could send me, I decided to snicker at the gods - because I knew just how darned many cinnamon rolls the recipe made, and our family could get by on 1/2 this week, surely?

The add a heap of sultanas to the sprinkle level was inspired (I thank the gods for that one - it was my nod to fruit in your diet when trying to appease the inner health nut).

The results - well, except for the "I must save on washing up" therefore use only one - very tightly packed - tray was not a good call when combined with our crappy better-than-completely-non-working hot-at-the-back, no-choice-but-fan-forced guess-your-best temperature oven - they worked fairly well (and a 15 minute rebake of the uncooked centre ones worked).

They worked so well, in fact, that yesterday was Tuesday, and the last of the rolls was sitting rather lonely in the cake tin - its not there any more.

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My parents are going to be in town today, and may drop by for some afternoon tea.

A lobby group has been set up.

"I am sure Nana and Grandpa would LOVE some cinnamon rolls, Mum"

"You know, you do make the BEST ONES and they should try it"

"Most of your meals are CAPITAL C choice. Dinner was CAPITAL C H choice. Your cinnamon rolls are CAPITAL C H O."

"Mum, if I was giving you a report card on your cinnamon rolls, I would give you an F - for FAN-TASTIC".

No photos - use your imagination (and then scrunch the kitchen into a space slightly smaller than cat-swinging dimensions, day-glo yellow your imaginary theme).

Guess what I am doing today?