Winter Agility

Now, what do you do on a grey, grizzly Sunday when everyone's bored, including the dogs?

You set up a agility course in the garden, well maybe not a whole course, one jump!

We armed ourselves with bits of cheese and off we went.

Dak went first

He raced towards the jump and Whooooosh, he cleared it in one!

Well done!

One piece of cheese to you!









Indy went second



Steve showed him how to jump,
but Indy decided he didn't want to go over.

His big, fat bottom slammed into the jump.

Crash.

No cheese for you...







Dak's second attempt


Ah, Steve swoshes over, but what...?

Dak goes round it...why bother with all this jumping?















Indy's second attempt



Oh yes!!!

He's over!

But nooo, the jump crashes but not to worry.

Cheese all round!





That's better!

Well done to you!














And here's the winner!

Dakota Newman, from Halesowen!

Christmas & New Year update

Phew.

A moment to update you all on my Christmas goings-on this year. My sister was supposed to come over on the 21st, but due to her little doggie breaking its leg the week before, she couldn't come over as she had to look after the poor little mite. My mum however touched down at Heathrow, about 8 hours too late, due to the fog that covered most of the UK that day. Her original flight got cancelled and I thought, here we go, no sister - no mum. But luckily she made it and on the day after (dan fore dan) we started the cooking of our Swedish Christmas dishes. Without my mum I think it would have been an absolute disaster. I could just about have managed the Christmas Ham that I had bought from IKEA (ready-made, ready to eat)

Sooo, Christmas eve arrived, and so did our guests. The table was beautifully set (see previous pictures) and everyone got Glogg and gingerbread biscuits as they arrived.
Peter & Jill, Ross & Lorraine + Lola, Pierce & Louise, Barbac & Clare, Sarah & Barney - it really was a nice mix of people and dinner was a success (well in my eyes anyway).
Sloe Gin all round and lots of pressies afterwards.
Some of my weirdest presents this year must have been the washing-up brush from my mum (don't get me wrong, very useful, but just very...hmm) and the book about Serial Killers from Sarah! Haha, excellent. It really does fascinate me and I started reading the book last night... although I had to put it down after I had read the chapters about animal mutilation and keeping crocodiles as a means for getting rid of body parts...and got on to the chapter called Bath tubs...no I left it at that...I will have to carry on reading in the mornings now. When its nice and light outside...

The rest of the days with my mum were spent either shopping, eating good food, cleaning and fixing things around the house and the last day she was here she was so keen on having a bonfire, so we lit one in the garden and burnt everything we could find that cluttered the place.

So today is New Year's Eve. For once I actually feel incredibly positive about the new year shift. I feel so many changes has taken place in my life the last year and I feel things are on the right track. Have met so many lovely people this year and feel really happy with where I am etc.

We're going to a houseparty, no I guess its more of a flat-party, if that makes a difference.
Sarah & Barney are throwing a party at theirs and about 12 people are going to join them. Should be a good mix of people again. Ellen is coming with us so she can snooze in the spare room. I went shopping yesterday without Ellen, which was a strange experience (nowhere to hang my bags, could go into any shop I felt like without worrying about the pram being too bulky, noone grotting in the changing rooms etc) The sales were on and funnily enough there weren't that many people. So I was zooming round Debenhams having a great time. Found myself a new years dress - with leopard print... Holy moses... but it sound worse than it is. Its a strapless number with a tie-thing under the bust and then it just floats out below the knee. So nooo, its not a footballers wife tight slut-dress. Looking forward to dressing up and will bring my little digital camera to document the evening.

Sooo. That's it for now. Need to get some brekkie down me now as its 10 o'clock and I've been up since 7.

Good day to you!

Christmas Photos

Christmas around the corner

How cute am I today?!

Oh, about 10 out of 10 I reckon!

Ellen's first Christmas and she is sooo excited that she decided to sleep for an extra hour today, still asleep so that gives me a chance to update this little blog.

Bathroom is looking better now, just a toilet and sink to go in and then its done. The tiles are gorgeous and the room looks 10 times bigger. Will post some pix when its done.

Was supposed to do the quiz as the Yummy Mummys again tonight, but Lisa's got super-flu so me and Steve are going to head over there instead, as the Yummy Parents...?! Hmmm.
Got babysitter anyway so we need to make the most of it. Can't wait to have a pint with Steve again!

The house has been decorated with a lovely tree, star-lamps in the windows and some little lanterns hanging here and there. Outside Steve has managed to get some great blue icicle lights up, well done to him. Looks great.

Christmas eve we're having loads of peeps round - my mum, Steves mum & dad, Pierce & Louise, Ross & Laine, Sarah & Barney and Barbac & Clare (possibly?!) Can't wait.
Me and my mum are making a Swedish "julbord" with ham, meatballs, sausages, beetroot salad, "ris a'la Malta" and of course gingerbread and lussekatter. I am gutted my sister couldn't make it over this Christmas as that would have made it the ultimate happy Christmas. Instead me and my mum will have to make it as special as we can.

Gotta go.

The world's cutest baby!

Is meeee!!!

Hubba Hubba

And this is Ellen's absolute favourite by the way: Hubba Hubba, from Hoobland...

The very first taster

So here we are, our "little one" is trying food for the first time. Well...food...I don't know if we can call it food...it looks more like wallpaper glue.
Last night she got to try a teaspoon of baby rice. First she looked suspicious, then she spat it out, then grabbed hold of the spoon and shoved the whole thing in her mouth and it was gone!

Today she had creamed porridge for breakfast, about 2 teaspoons! Whoohooo!
And for lunch she tried a bit of banana and rice pure, which was scary to start with, but then she liked it! So much that she wanted it as a leave-in hair treatment and I am still picking out little bits of banana-slime now...











The bathroom is taking shape. Tiles are soon going up on the walls and its going to look stunning. The bath is plumbed in and if it wasn't for the builder's tools being piled high in there, I would jump in for a first bubblebath.

My sister's dog has broken her front leg, the poor little mite. Me and my doggies are thinking of little Disney. Especially Dakster-Wakster with his metal leg...

Off to play with Ellen in her playgym. Well...I am not going in it...she's there and I just wiggle things in front of her. Or I guess I could squeeze in there...!!!

Yummy mummys

Sad quizteam name, eh!? Haha, but not so sad "mummys" as we are going out tonight! Sooo lovely to have an evening or two to look forward to, without baby drewl or gurgling. A few glasses of vino and off we go with the quiz.
Last time I brought the quiz sheet home to Steve to ask him the questions afterwards...I read out the question, "what was the name of the race horse that died last week". He knew the answer (desert orchid) straight away, and I said "by this stage I was too drunk to actually remember the bloody horses name"...Steve pointed out that was question number 1 ...oh dear...
So maybe less drinking and more concentrating tonight would be my advise to myself.

What else. Little Ellen had her 2nd injection on Monday. She smiled her way through it...until we got home. Then she became evil-baby! Veeery unhappy and very noisy pretty much all day. But I'll give her a break as she's been so lovely today. Although now when she's discovered she has a voice she keeps babbling all sorts of gobbledy-gook and today she's been trying out her "ultrasound" register. Imagine the highest pitched sound you possibly can, then imagine that on helium - That's her! Peeeeeeepppp, Ppeeeeeeppp. Screeeetch

Time to make some dinner as Steve has just appeared. Then off to the shower and slap the make-up on. We don't wanna look like the Scummy Mummys now, do we?!

Ta'ta!

Love the Christmas shopping!

Oooooooh! It's the 1st of December! Christmas is coming!
Outside there's 1m of fresh, glistening snow - the trees makes the garden look like Narnia and sleighbells are ringing at the end of the road... or maybe not...its about 16 degrees warm, raining, nooo, actually throwing it down. Not a snowflake in sight apart from on my shoulders...dandruff I am guessing.

BUT! There's always JULKLAPPAR - Christmas-Claps!!! Hehe
Love to get the little pressies all wrapped up and put in a big pile on the floor somewhere. Even better when the tree's in and all the lovely presents are under the tree looking soooo homely and inviting. Some people are simply impossible to find things for, others...read my sister...is the easiest person in the world to buy for. I think its because whatever she wants, I want and vice versa. So oh yes, found some more little bits and bobs for her today. You are soo lucky!

Drinking Raspberry and Caramel tea. Haven't quite made up my mind about that one yet...
Do I like it? Not sure. It's one of those where its so horrible its nice or the otherway round.

Ellen is being a little Angel at the moment (probably cursing it now) but she was smiling all of yesterday, and fell asleep in her room at 8pm after her bath. Then slept aaaall evening and all night (apart from eating at 3am as usual) and woke up at 6am. Not bad. I am quite enjoying being up before the sun rises, just because of that - you get to see the sun rise! Its gorgeous, and always different.

Me and Ellen have a new favourite tv-programme. "The Hoobs".
They come from Hoobland (of course!) and everything is Hoobylicious and Hoobtastic where they are. Worth checking out their little place on the web HOOBS
I think I am a bit like "Groove" to be honest. He's got it sorted. Loooove the Hoobmobile.
So me and my "Squigglytiddlepeep" are now watching every episode.
Its quite funny how "into" a children's programme you can get. Me and Steve sat mesmerised this morning watching Roma explain to Tula what a trampolin was...and the Motorettes going "how how how how how" etc.
Then you suddenly snap out of it and realise you're back in the world of adults...

The weekend

Monday finally. Weekend was great, although suffered from hangover Sunday. Not used to alcohol anymore and certainly feel it the day after.
Ellen was being super difficult thoughout the whole Saturday and because it was raining outside I couldn't even take her in the pram to calm her down.

Steve suffered from a major sore throat and so was let off work from being on call. He sounded like a robot stuck in a metal can. So I rang Sarah to see if they still fancied a few drinks which they did. We dropped dogs and Ellen off at Steves parents and picked up Bob on the way to Sarah & Barneys. Sarah's friend Clare was there for the weekend and she was really nice. Had her 3 year old daughter with her, stunning little girl.
Steve was not drinking as he was not feeling great at all, and I said I would only have a few...
Few bottles....nah, not that bad. Had such a laugh anyway, usually gets so much better when things are not planned and just done spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. Clare was really into spirits and ghosts and told us about her experiences which was so interesting. Then we played a bit of pop-quiz (which kept crashing the DVD everytime Steve and Bob were in the lead...funny that!)
Steve then went to pick up Ellen and the dogs from his parents and brought them round to the flat. Barney had them trained in no time with treats from the snack-table. You could tell he was used to giving out orders and I think the dogs felt he had authority...haha, bless Mindy's little cottonsocks, he was there to attention obeying his every command. Sit! Sir, yes Sir!!!!

Anyway, left about 2.30am and didn't get to bed til about 3.30am and then it was time to feed Ellen anyway...so god was I tired.

Felt like death warmed up all Sunday and we kept having power-naps everytime Ellen slept. Still not enough sleep. Thank god she went through the night last night though.

Today our guestbathroom is being ripped out. A nice new one fitted and should hopefully be done within 2 weeks. Gotta order some tiles tomorrow and get some powershowers. Ahhhh, I cannnnnoooooooottttt waaaaait! Imagine a nice clean new bathroom with a shower that you actually get wet in! Get in.

Things stirring in the moses basket, so off I go.

Friday thoughts

Ah, quiet and a cup of coffee. This is heaven!
Ellen's asleep and all my "duties" are done. Feels good.

Just checked the scales again and there it was, another kilo gone. Got 2 left til I am back to my normal weight, already less than I was before I was pregnant. Feels like an achievment. Although I haven't been to the gym. Got some free tickets if anyone fancy joining me. Could go for a steamroom at least. That should clear my nose.

Got my Christmas list ready now, all I need to do is hunt it all down. Easier said than done maybe. But I love Christmas shopping and I think me and Jill are heading out next week. Don't forget the funky wrapping paper, that's the best part, when they're all wrapped lying there in a big pile! You sort of forget what you've wrapped and they all look sooo tempting and inviting!

Ordering tiles for the bathroom today. Can't wait to get them both done and great to have them done for Christmas. Only thing is, Ellen's going to have to take showers with me for a while, til the bathroom's done.

Watched Lost finally last night. Christ, we keep recording these things and then the evenings just get interrupted by either babystuff or we're out somewhere. I do love that series, but will we get all the answers to all the weird stuff that's going on. I do hope so.
The black smoke...the bears...the visions etc.

So glad I went to the first playgroup meeting a few weeks back. Without my new friends I reckon I would be pretty upset right now, but I always say things happen for a reason...so I guess that's what's happened.

There's scraping in the babymonitor so better go.

Another day - another dollar

Slightly hungover after a night out, can you believe it! I actually left the house, went out the door and went out to the pub. Christ, what is the world coming to!
Great laugh and did the quiz. Staggered back happy to have a life again, even just for a moment.
Stink of smoke now though. Gotta do some washing. And with that, Ellen's just woken up.
Over and out for now.

Very tired eyes

Good evening,
Finally a quiet moment to myself to reflect over the last few weeks. Its hard not having almost any time to myself for even a moment, only when the little one is asleep, which is usually for about 1 hour, and then I am usually doing hoovering, dishes, cleaning, washing, dog walking, anything but chillin basically...

So phew... a moment

Finding having a daughter incredibly wonderful, but of course its also a total change. Especially in having time for ME and what I want... but I guess what I want doesn't really happen very often anymore. Even Friday nights, which used to be such a nice relaxing time having a friend over has now gone to ratshit. Ellen took to screaming her head off during those evenings, so I guess I scared my friends away. At least I feel like I don't want to put "my burden" on to them, so I guess if they wanna see me they know where me and "miss louder than life" is.

Turned 30, kind of missed that...it happened and here I am. A few more wrinkles maybe. Was supposed to go for drink-up this weekend, but Steve is on call so that means he has to stay sober and might have to go out driving a bus or two, which also means that if I got sloshed out of my head it would not be much fun for little Ellen. Plus I seem to have caught cold #2 and my throat is like sandpaper... So again... babywipes and formula anyone?

Haven't even managed to get to the gym for weeks. Been to knackered in the evenings I think, as we tried changing Ellens food to the one for hungrier babies...made her shit green poo...and it was like shitting big rocks I think as she was screaming her head off for days. Poor little thing, we quickly changed back but I think she is still suffering. Apparently the brand we are using is the worst one for getting constipated. BAAAAD mum...

So had to cut the Wednesday bundles & tumbles short as Ellen was howling the place down. Good thing it was "Singing Day" so all the other mums were busy doing Itsy Bitsy Spider or something.

And so Christmas is around the corner...haven't even had a chance to think about what we're doing, where or how. Got my mum & sis over so at least that's decided. And yesterday I managed to get a few pressies. Unorganised and confused is the word for the moment.

What else...had a lovely time with my dad and his wife when they were over. Great to see "granddad" playing and holding his granddaughter. Will go over there in February to see mum, dad, grandma and the rest of the gang. Going to go home at least 3-4 times a year, making an effort for my family to be able to see Ellen grow up as well. Not fair otherwise. So hello SAS here I come.

Going to the gym tonight has gone out the window I think...I am feeling so rotten with my throat and nose running. They rang from David Lloyds today haha and asked how my membership was going etc...I think they can see on their little machines that I haven't been for a while...but fear not I will go back for sure. Lisa keeps asking if I am going and I am tryyyying...

Really feel like I haven't got time for anything at the moment. I hope this will pass and that poor little Ellen will become a bit more harmonious in the evenings. Saying that though, it sounds like she's a monster...she's not. She just seems to pick her moments, like evenings I am going out...and then I feel to much like a "bad mum" if I go, so I usually end up staying in.

Blllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh, I think its been one of those days today. She hasn't really stopped crying, and I am going to hang myself off the chandelier. Tomorrow I will be bright eyed Helena again...I wish!

Holy moses

Didn't think it would be that easy. 2,5 kg lost in about 10 days. Like it!
Enjoying all the wonderful new dishes that I get to eat, instead of stuffing my face with sweets and burgers. Had lovely fruitsallad for desert last night and just scoffed the leftovers now, yummy.

Been out picking sloes. Going to make a few more bottles of Sloe Gin. Perfect Christmas drink. Warms you up and spits you out!

Drinking Green Tea and Jasmine Tea. Very nice. Detoxing apparently, so bring it on.
Having Cottage Cheese with Apple and Cinnamon for desert tonight. Sounds interesting.

Have got a terrible cold and is sniffling around the house, hoping Ellen won't catch it.
That would be awful.

Its Bonfire Night here tonight and I went and got a pack called "Massive Assault" and some sparklers called Mammuth Sparklers! Hopefully they will be as big and brash as the brand makes out! The dogs hate fireworks, so they're probably thinking: "Yeah, thanks guys, thaaanks, you two have fun...don't mind us..."
But I looove setting off rockets and spinning sparklers round to make letters and circles and crap. And its Ellens first Bonfire Night so she can have a sparkler as well, I guess...if I hold it for her. She might just be able to see it...?!

Really feeling spurred on by seeing the scales tell me I am "slim" again. I was 78kg before I got pregnant, which is about 4 kg more than I usually weigh, so being back to that is a victory in itself. Just wanna get back to 74kgs and that will be that. Simple!
Let's see how it goes eh.

Ellen's eyes have just popped open, so gotta go!

BANG!

Absolut Vodka - Vanilla

Good morning,
The little one is asleep, and I am grateful for that! Last night was a bit of a crying-marathon and after 2 hours of high-pitched screaching I'd had enough. I went to our bar and pulled out one of Steve's small vodka bottles (samples of different flavours of Absolut Vodka) from its packaging. I chose Vanilla apparently, couldn't have cared less at the time, I just needed to numb my brain so that the screams would get muted or something.
Ahhhh, so much better. Don't think that did my GI diet any good though. Not sure I am supposed to neck small shots of alcolhol in the evening. Oh well, if it keeps me sane it can only be a good thing.

The cold has finally arrived here as well. Sweden's been bragging with its snow for weeks whereas we've had about 17-18 degrees. Til last night...brrr...its now 7 degrees and the dogs aren't impressed. They jumped into bed with us this morning and burrowed in under the duvet. Only two tails were sticking out.

Had a lovely autumn walk yesterday though: pram, my new grey loooovely long cardigan, my green loooong scarf and my brown hat. Lovely lovely. Walked for about 1 hour just breathing in the cool fresh air.

Today we're off to Bundles & Tumbles, a "mother&baby" meeting in Wickford. Its really good to meet other mums in the area, but I think some of them are from space.
Some women go ever so slightly mad when they have babies and turn into gibbering weirdos who somehow talks through their baby.
One mum held her young baby forwards and said in a baby-voice as if her baby was talking:
- Heelllooooo, I my name is Molly...what's yours?
- Ehmmm, I said, my name is Helena and my daughter here is Ellen.
- *again in the baby voice* Hiiiiii Ellen, wanna play?!
- Ehmmmmmmmmmmmm...
My god, what a freak.
Met some nice women there though, not like freak-woman wearing her jeans up under her armpits. I am sooo glad we didn't call our daughter Molly now like we planned to. Can't stand the name! Had coffee with one of the girlies on Monday, which was great. Just nice to talk to someone who shares the "joys" of motherhood!
So Bundles & Tumbles is my plan for today. Might sneak to the park afterwards and take photos of the colourful trees.

Ah, I can hear scratching in the baby-monitor. Gotta go!

And here she is

Half a packet of butter and 6 toilet rolls...

...is what my two Ridgebacks managed to gobble down while I was out for 2 hours.
Its been one of those mornings, days, nightmares - whatever you wanna call it...

Oh yes! Because Ellen had been playing up all morning with constant crying due to tummy aches (I suspect), and I had ignored my two doggies or shouted at them: "Out of the way!", "Dak, shut up!", "Indy, don't lie in the baby-gym!", "Dak, moooove!" and because it was throwing down with rain, they didn't want to go out for a wee either...

So when I had to leave the house to go meet some other mums and surround myself with even more screaming kids (!!!??? Why???) they thought of the most appropriate ways of punishing me:
1. Going through the bin and pulling out EVERYTHING
2. Spreading lettuce over the kitchen floor
3. Eating the old butter I'd thrown away and shredding the tub
4. Unwrapping the spicy chicken leftovers and of course eating both the chicken and the box!
(which probably means lovely farts for this evening!)
5. Opening the pack of 12 toiletr rolls freshly arrived from Tesco Online and eating (or shredding, I couldn't quite tell...) 6 of them. Left were 6 rolls with teeth marks in them, so I guess next time any guests use the bathroom, they'll think I've been so hungry I've been having a nibble at the toilet tissue. Bah.

So with a very unhappy baby on my arm I was trying to make her 4 o'clock feed, with the newly purchased Gripe Water (which is supposed to help wind and tummy aches) while trying not to slip on the iceberg lettuce. The two dogs were grinning at me by my feet...
Then the gardener knocked on the door and asked for a cup of tea. Yes (my smiley face!) of course, noooo proooblems! Back to the kitchen, boiled the kettle, tea bag in, sugar in, gripe water in...noooooo....what the heck, that was for the formula bottle.
Start again. No sugar in the formula...that was for the tea. Concentrate...
With a migrane from hell, I finally manage to get it right. By this time both the baby and the gardener are crying for their drinks!

I then manage to give Ellen her bottle and she ends up thanking me with throwing up over my new white shirt. "Thaaaanks Mum, Looooove youuuu, Huuuuaaaaaarschhhhh, there you go!!!"

Ahhh, finally she's asleep. Having a good old puke obviously did the trick!
Made myself some food and actually followed a reciepe and everything, blimey! What's the world coming to? And just as the 17 minutes in the over was over and my lovely "Feta cheese Chicken thing" was ready to eat...Oooooaaaaaahhhhhh, Ellen cries from the other room...
*Sigh* Hey ho.....there goes my dinner!!!

Talking about crying babies!...gotta go!!!

Too much energy?

Well I guess I took about 10 months off writing in this blog... Is that what pregnancy does to ya?
Ellen is now 8 weeks and I was expecting to be more tired that this as a parent.
I am bouncing out of bed ready to tackle the days. Going to the gym 3 times a week and spending the rest of my time with family and friends. I can't believe I actually have my own little family now!

Labour was not much fun and I had to have a blood transfusion due to some complications I won't go into detail about. I am sure though, that through that transfusion I got blood from a woman who is obsessive about cleaning. I haven't stopped folding towels or picking up crumbs since that day.
And lining things up...gotta be in a straight line. I am almost scaring myself!

Tomorrow my sister and her boyfriend arrives at Stansted airport at 07:55 and me and Ellen are picking them up. Can't wait. We're off to London for some sightseeing...or maybe I will put them on the top deck of a bus and head off to Top Shop myself! Get in there. Haven't been to London is yonks. I tend to spend my money on Ebay instead of shops. Can't wait.

Sooo, what else? We've bought about 20 acres of field behind our house, and we're expanding our garden quite a bit. Our pond will be dug out this week and bushes and trees will be removed to make a huge, lovely garden. Guess if the dogs will like it!

I guess I just posted this to let you all know I am still alive and kickin' chicken.
Will be back more frequently from now on I hope. In between making formula and washing baby pyjamas.

Over and out.

A new chapter in my life...

On the 6th of December I found out I was pregnant.
Had felt a bit weird for a while, and decided to do a test. Stood there waiting for it...two lines for pregnant, one for not pregnant.
One line appeared right at the end of the test-stick and I thought, oh well that was as expected, i'm not pregnant and put it to one side...
Brushed my hair and then glanced back at the stick...this time there was a small second line on the test, and it got clearer and clearer, and there....TWO LINES. As clear as a day.
I started shaking.
I just stood there, staring at the test...shaking and my heart was beating super-fast.
I rang my sister, just to make sure I wasn't imagining. She said, well if there are two lines, then yes, you are...Have you spoken to Steve yet?
No.
Oh my god, I needed to ring him! So I rang him on his mobile. Answer phone.
Rang again, he said 5 words: Can I call you back? He was in a meeting.
Blooody helll.....

Didn't get hold of him for another hour. He said he wasn't surprised! As he said, it would happen on the first go and that he was the Sperminator...
Ehm...

We are so excited and I am now in the 12th week and got my first scan next Wednesday.
Excited and nervous, all wrapped up in one.
But mainly excited, as for some reason I have a good feeling about the whole thing.
Fingers crossed.

Christmas and New Year was spent feeling rotten. Felt incredibly sick and tired and could hardly move without being sick. Four tough weeks, but I am finally through it now and can function normally again, thank you Jesus.

Enjoying work at the mo. Lots to do and after having been off sick so much before and after Xmas its nice to be back in the swing of things. Roll on the Spring. Can't wait for the sun to start shining.

That's all for now I guess.
Will pop back very soon