Strap in, and hold on tight!

Here's the latest and greatest from our side of the globe:

M- is officially one year old today. 8 teeth, four on the way, loves to eat, and is quite a happy little baby. Has started tentatively cruising, though seems to be a bit wobbly on her feet. Seems to prefer crawling. Has inherited the family skin affliction, which at the moment is aggravated by teething.

P - experiencing a regression in the toilet training department. Not fun. I don't think it's a physical problem, so I'm at a bit of a loss. All I know is, it stinks. Pun fully intended, I can assure you. She'll grow out of it, but I don't know if I'm supposed to just put her back into nappies, or if I should start the whole training process over again. Suggestions?

C- Where to start. We had her hearing tested, and apparently she's almost completely deaf in the right ear. Hearing in the left ear is barely acceptable. Diagnosis? Glue Ear. Frankly, I'm amazed that she's been able to compensate so well, and hide it. I mean, it's not like she's had loads of ear infections, or complained about her ears hurting, or even had trouble with speech. I'm so thankful that the preschool suggested having her hearing checked, even if it did take us ages to get in to get it done. She goes in for grommet surgery in a few weeks, and they're going to the right ear, and possibly the left ear as well. It's a scary thing, but the timing feels perfect. She starts kindergarten next year, and we don't want her to have that kind of challenge straight off the starting block. All the same, the preschool teacher said that she'd contact the school and let them know about it, so that they can be aware of and work with it. Like make sure she's seated at the front of the class, rather than at the back.

Me. 31 weeks pregnant this week, and a litany of related physical challenges. Like driving. I don't fit behind the wheel anymore, which means that my driving has ceased until the new car arrives. Housework has become infinitely more challenging, and a lot of things have slipped by the wayside. Like vacuuming the mattresses - may sound excessive, but when you've got a family of people who suffer in varying degrees from dust mite allergies, it's necessary. But because I'm the only one who can be bothered to do it, and in my current form it's just too hard, you'd better believe it's not been done in about two weeks. I struggle to vacuum the floor, and with a crawler who eats everything she finds, that's more of a priority. Washing up is a thing of the past - if I stand at the kitchen sink for more than 15 minutes, my back aches and my feet start to tingle and swell. Don't get me wrong - I'm so thankful to be pregnant, and I am fully aware of how blessed I am. Physically though, this pregnancy has been so much harder on my body. I'm probably the healthiest I've been for any pregnancy, but it's really taken a toll on me. And the mood swings? Let's just not go there. It's not a pretty place, my friends. I struggle with feelings of inadequacy and guilt on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. And then I remember that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. And I don't feel so badly.

L - working hard, studying hard. He just put in a load of research and work to find the right car for us, which will accomodate our (slightly larger than average) family, with room to spare. I like to call it the Tardis, because it's bigger on the inside than it would appear from the outside. He's happy to have his garden back as well, now that the dog has gone to a better home. Slowly, he's been replanting, planning, and pruning, as well as preparing several veggie patches. Pumpkin seeds and capsicum seeds (red or green bell peppers) went in the ground today, and we've got sweet peas and spring onions, a handful of strawberry plants, and masses of cherry tomatoes. He's quite the green thumb, and I'm very thankful to have a husband who is such a keen gardener and hard worker.

Well, it's just past 9pm, and while that might not sound like a late night for most of you, it is for me. So I'll go resettle the baby, and then brush my teeth and head for bed.

XO,
Sarah