tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55232676043695652352024-03-13T12:25:27.563-07:00Us In AntarcticaThe Tale Of A Tree ChangeAlice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-22921100634339408922013-12-24T01:26:00.000-08:002013-12-24T01:26:18.186-08:00Summer Solstice and a chocolate Christmas Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">Christmas is upon us again! Angus has just dozed off on the armchair next to me, Hamish is boobing himself to sleep as I type and the big kids are out the back playing basketball. My father and his partner have flown down from Sydney to spend the silly season with us and meet the baby. All the food is prepped so there will only be very minimum cooking to do tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">There's a flourless chocolate fruit cake on the cooling rack, and I just tipped a hip flask of brandy over it. The salads are prepped but will need dressing. We were planning on cooking some chickens but the shop had run out of them so we ended up with turkey (you'd think it'd be the other way around but no) and the turkey is in the fridge all stuffed and dressed, ready to bake with some kumara and potatoes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I've been asked to share the recipe for our famous chocolate christmas tree so without further ado, here it is! </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">What you need:</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">A sheet of cardboard </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Strong tape</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Vast quantities of milk or dark chocolate, or you can use both. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">3 blocks of white chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Green food colouring (needs to be powdered not liquid or it will separate the chocolate)</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Vast quantities of dried fruit, nuts, and lollies</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Lollies to decorate the outside</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Shredded coconut</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Green liquid food colouring</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Here's what to do:</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Roll the cardboard into a cone shape. Roll a good sized sheet of baking paper into a cone and put it inside the cardboard. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Melt small quantities of dark / milk chocolate, mis with fruit and nut and lollies then our into the cone shapes. Keep doing that til you fill the cone up and run out of chocolate. Allow it to set over night. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Melt white chocolate and stain it green. Tip it gentle down the sides of the tree and stick lollies on to decorate it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Stain the shredded coconut green by putting it in a jar with the liquid colouring and shaking it. Put it on a plate and set the dried tree on top. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Yes it's really that easy! </span></div>
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Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-66132703788485181272013-11-29T01:26:00.001-08:002013-11-29T01:26:28.164-08:00The Grand Opening<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: purple;">Tonight we cooked on the new stove in the half new kitchen for the first time. It was a super delicious effort so I'm sharing the recipe for </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">mexican inspired beans with cauliflower rice, grilled peaches and chives in sour cream. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">1 tin organic kidney beans</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">1 tin organic butter beans</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">1/2 jar organic passata </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Green beans</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">2 carrots </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">4 cloves of garlic</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">1 fat brown onion</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">TMX veg stock</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Ground cumin</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Cauliflower</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Chives</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Grated cheese</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Add oil to a frypan and sauté spices, onion, and garlic. Add beans and carrot and cook for a couple of minutes. Add everything else and a cup of water. Cover and cook on low until everything is ready. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Grate cheese and set aside. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Grate 1 whole cauliflower. I do it in the TMX until the chunks are a similar size to rice grains. Steam in the varoma for 5 - 10mins until tender. Stir in coconut oil andvegetable stock (note this is for concentrated TMX veg stock only, you could use a powdered stock but not liquid stock).</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Chop chives finely and mix through sour cream. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Grill some peach slices on a griddle. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Serve cauliflower rice topped with bean mix, grated cheese, sour cream mix, and a slice of peach. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">New stove in action with TMX cauliflower on the go</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Bean mix putting the induction top to the test. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Finished product. We used orange cauliflower which is why it looks like couscous.</span></div>
Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-57774552950720842542013-11-29T00:48:00.001-08:002013-11-29T00:48:41.272-08:00Kitchen Renovations Take Shape!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: purple;">At long last, just over three years after we moved in we've begun the kitchen overhaul. First we bought a pantry. Then we bought a dishwasher. Then we got a stove top, oven, sink, and all the bench, cupboards and drawers for that side of the kitchen where we're starting the whole process. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: purple;">Pantry, complete with 3yr old. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: purple;">Sink and cupboards come out</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Everything in!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">A close up of the finishes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">We still need to get a splash back behind it and move the powerpoint away from the sink, but the electrician came and plugged the stove top and oven in today so we got to try it all out. It's made such an enormous difference! I can't wait to knock out the wall and do the other half.</span></div>
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Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-81437563126341903142013-10-24T17:17:00.003-07:002013-10-24T17:17:59.966-07:00Springing into Spring Like an Iceberg.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">Spring is upon us and as usual the weather here in Antarctica is unpredictable. One day will be glorious and the next icy, windy, and pouring rain. Today falls into the latter category, I can see sheets of rain coming down on the hill however the sun is shining brightly as if it's telling us not to give up, Summer will come eventually. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">We have a happy vegetable garden started with tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, radishes, peas, snow peas, asian greens, lettuce, corn, capsicum, cabbage and seeds as well. The herb garden is coming along nicely, regrowing after winter and we've added a curry plant and some coriander to it. We also have lots of flowers on the fruit trees, the apples are covered in pretty pink flowers. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The front garden is full of flowers, and we put a shelf in the alcove near the front door and have some flowers growing there too. Spike wanted his own garden so we created a shelf attached to the side fence and he has a number of pots with flowers growing there. He quite enjoys gardening. </span></div>
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Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-15449058516771400252013-05-16T21:07:00.002-07:002013-05-16T21:20:40.038-07:00Birth, as only I can do it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple;">Although this birth is an unassisted birth after two caesareans and a stillbirth and a homebirth and a vba2c, I've decided to drop all the </span><span style="color: purple;">acronyms. So this birth is NOT a ubahbavba2c .... it's just a birth. And I'm so glad I finally had one of those! He arrived on my birthday, which also happened to be Mother's day so it was a very auspicious date for a birth indeed. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I don't really know where to begin the telling of this story so perhaps right at the beginning and we can work our way through it and see where the story goes! I suspect that I will muddle it up a bit because the order of everything isn't clear in my mind at all so whilst I might have things a bit topsy turvy it is all true and correctish, and it is all in keeping with the type of labour that I excel at. It's completely bonkers!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">This last pregnancy was a surprise to us all. We weren't thinking we wanted more babies until we found out we were having one. It was a hard pregnancy with lots and lots of nausea until 6 months and no blood pressure and tiredness and children from previous pregnancies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I made it to 35w and had worked through the bulk of my fears of loss when out of the blue I started leaking hind water. I was concerned that it was a sign the baby was going to come early but given my history I should have known that was about as likely as a win in the lotto. We reassessed my due dates and determined that the first guess was possibly out by a couple of weeks so even if the baby came now they wouldn't be early so to speak.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I leaked for more than a month, taking high doses of vitamin c and colloidal silver to be sure there was no chance of infection. (I think I'll do a separate post on how we worked out that it was amniotic fluid and not any other bodily fluid.) So after leaking for all that time I did three stop / start labours the baby finally moved his head right into my pelvis and blocked the leak up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The day I had set as my original start to wait date (NOT a 40w mark, I was 41+3 by original guess) I started having contractions at about 7pm. I didn't pay much attention to them, I assumed they'd fizzle out and we had plans to collect our interstate doula from the airport the following morning so I ignored it. I decided to go to bed at about 9, assuming I'd wake up in the morning and go to the airport. It didn't happen quite like that though.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I was up and down like a yoyo, unable to lie down through them. I had a couple of showers thinking they would stop but all they did was take a longer break between. The irregular breaks made me assume it was more stop / start. By 2am I was tired and grumpy that they weren't stopping to let me sleep when we had an early start the next day. I decided to wake A up and work out whether or not to ring our local doula, Katy. I had another shower, they kept coming. I watched 1980s music on TV and drank tea, they didn't stop, I paced about leaning on stuff and rocking and they still kept coming so we rang Katy at about 3.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Katy arrived and A brought the pool inside and started filling it. I was worried it was too early and that getting in the water would stall things. I really didn't want this to stop because waiting and starting again seemed like my idea of hell. The previous stop / starts had made me woefully tired. I started feeling things were getting heavy but emotionally it felt like nothing was happening, like the stop / start labours I'd been having. I got in the pool and tried to rest but of course that didn't work. I didn't actually like being in the pool so I got out and kept pacing and trying to rest on the couch, all the while convinced this was going nowhere.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I kept doing this as the hours went by. I didn't notice as the irrational thoughts crept in and took over, and what I did notice I put down to needing to sleep when this darn stop / start labour stopped.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">By sunrise I was well and truly irrational beyond redemption. A friend had agreed to collect our out of state doula, Mem, from the airport. She arrived at our house around 10 and I gave her a guided tour of the house whilst telling her how pointless all this was coz it was all going to stop. Katy took the kids out for a while, I kept waiting for labour to stop so I could sleep. I remember thinking that no one who is in transition thinks they are in transition and since I thought I was in transition I was obviously only in early labour. My reasoning is exceptional ... when I am in transition.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I decided to go to bed to sleep. I felt a great sense of relief until the next contraction hit (weren't they meant to stop?!) and I had to leap up to manage it. A came and lay in bed with me for a while. Hugs were very nice in my exhausted and irrational state. Lying down was too much so I got up again. Had one contraction at the doorway and one in the hall. I left A in bed to rest. There was no point in him being tired .... I'd need him if REAL labour started.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I tried showers, I tried walking, lying on the couch. It wouldn't let me rest. By now I was totally off the air visiting the evil faeries in my mind. I sobbed my heart out about it. What if it stopped and I had to do it all again? What if it didn't stop and I was too tired? What if I couldn't cope in transition? (mmmmhmmm) At some point Katy came back and I sobbed on her about it all. My support team deserve an award.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">At this point I decided to phone a friend. A friend who happens to be the midwife I had with Angus, someone who knows just how much fun I am when I'm in transition. I told her all about it and she told me .... that I was in transition. She told me everything my doulas and A had been saying for hours. I had to give the phone to Mem when a contraction hit and I heard her knowingly agreeing with Sonja and saying "yep, tried that, tried that, tried it all". Why did all these people think I was in transition? Why were they getting my hopes up? Contractions were CLEARLY only early labour, I was clearly just over tired. (I later learnt that they were agreeing that contractions were not actually five - ten minutes apart as I kept insisting, they were actually one minute apart and not irregular, or pointless)</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I decided to try the pool to get things moving but once in I hated it. Soooo I got out and kept going with the walking and talking and begging for sleep so I could "manage transition when it arrived". I decided that since no one would believe me that I was NOT in transition, I needed to go to hospital for drugs. Once again they ignored me and told me they weren't prepared to face my fury after the birth if they took me for no reason. I tried the pool again. Hated it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">In order to demonstrate how clearly I was thinking and how certainly I was not in transition I heaved myself out of the pool and demanded a transfer and drugs. I demanded they call an ambulance so I could have happy gas on the way. (I can't even type that with a straight face now...) But once again. I got nowhere so I walked and talked myself up into a lather, and tried to sleep. I lay on the couch angrily, determined that it would now STOP and l would sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Had a shower (you guessed it, to make things stop) and my body pushed and grunted. Gee I thought to myself. Maybe I AM getting on! Walked and argued. Argued and walked. Focussed lots on relaxing. I noticed quite a few grunts and odd pushes at the height of contractions at this point, and I noticed that my body was shaking like crazy as well. I actually thought it might be transition when the crazy shaking happened and the hideous nausea set in. I also acknowledged that the contractions were mightily unpleasant, and maybe I wasn't being a giant baby about it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">At this point the team had had enough (although they are far too polite to tell me that even now) so they told me they were putting me in the pool and I was going to have the baby. I really didn't know what I wanted, I needed them to make decisions for me. I'd decided that I was actually in transition by this point. I was getting really angry at it because I wasn't moving through it. So I let them haul me into the pool and I practically collapsed onto all fours as a contraction hit. I decided by this point that I was SO infuriated by this whole process that I would have to force myself to over come it. Waiting for logic to embrace me as it did in my previous labour. I made an executive decision that I was going to push for all I was worth and that within three contractions the baby would be born.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Next contraction hit. I pushed. I pushed REALLY HARD. I remember the sound of anger that came out, it was quite amazing. I was really mad! Despite that I felt no movement. I was about to give up and announce that it was pointless again when I remembered the decision I'd made about THREE contractions. So I waited and I pushed again, and this time I felt movement but the head went back up again. Movement encouraged me so I gave my third push and this time I felt real movement and nothing went back. The three pushes had been a good idea, even if they weren't quite enough to get a baby out.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I kept pushing and roaring. I made lots of odd noises, I hissed and shouted and roared and grunted and pushed for all I was worth with every contraction and sometimes without one. I called the kids in when I felt certain movement. Very soon the team could see a head and I reached down to touch it. I felt really relieved but OUCH my pelvis hurt! I pushed soooo hard and so angrily, I could feel this amazing sense of RAGE propelling me to the end and strangely enough, with the rage I could feel an enormous sense of relief. Surprisingly soon everyone was telling me they could see the top of a head, then eye brows, then a nose, a mouth, a chin and then at last a whole head was out. It actually took a long time for his whole head to come out and at one point I wondered if it was stuck but I instantly banished that thought in order to keep forcing myself through it to the end. After his head I waited and I felt lots of strange wriggling, it felt like arms and hands all poking me. Very odd. Then out came his body. To those who were watching it appeared to slither out. To me it was more like a freight train. Mem passed the baby through my legs because A had stitches and a bandage on one hand and wasn't able to catch him.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I picked him up and I was INSTANTLY overwhelmed with the most amazing flow of love. I've never felt anything quite like it. It was the most intense high of my entire life. I was crying and laughing and relieved and elated all at once, and probably a whole lot more as well. He instantly made noise, not crying, just noise that reassured me he was breathing perfectly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The kids all had a job to do when he was born. It was Spike's job to announce if the baby was a boy or a girl. He announced that it was yet another boy. It was Angus' job to say "hello baby" (like the story we'd been reading him in preparation) and it was Stylish's job to choose some clothes for the baby.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I wanted to get out of the pool pretty quickly because I felt bruised and sore. The placenta came after I got out, I had the most awful after pain, pushed gently and it came easily. I climbed onto a towel on the couch, holding the baby. Oh the love! I giggled about Michel Odent saying "oxytocin, ze love 'ormone" in his French accent. I have a new understanding of the process now. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: purple;">After about 40mins he did the breast crawl. It caught me by surprise when he suddenly latched on. We didn't cut the cord, we kept it attached until it was really dried and hardened three days later when we became concerned about it ripping off with an active toddler leaping about.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">He is now 4 days old and we've named him Hamish. He was 4.2kg which is a good half kilo bigger than the last baby I was told was too big for me to push out. Amusingly enough I didn't tear, I didn't even bruise. He was pushed out much faster than my smaller baby with far less damage in the process. I'm walking around really easily, not hobbling. Although pushing Angus out was physically easier, it took a lot longer. I guess there's something to be said for angry pushing!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">So to sum it all up, it was one hell of a transformative birth! Kind of like mountain climbing. It hurt all the way, the bags were heavy, I was tired, my feet ached (or maybe it was my pelvis but that would ruin my mountain climbing analogy) but once I reached the top, the view was worth every moment of agony.</span><br />
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Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-72945675162778020132013-03-22T20:19:00.000-07:002013-03-22T20:19:13.971-07:00Extremely Slack Blogger Alert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Well I'm now 34w pregnant and rather round. I haven't updated because I'm extremely slack, there isn't any other excuse for it! I thought I probably should update though and include the recipe for my bliss balls because it's too good not to share! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>Very Hard To Make Bliss Balls</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #674ea7;">260g dried, pitted dates</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">30g cacao</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">15g coconut oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">shredded coconut for rolling.</span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #674ea7;">Mix all ingredients. Make into balls. Roll in shredded coconut and chill for an hour.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Pretty simple isn't it? I hear that a recent study showed that women who ate dates in the lead up to their birth "didn't need to be induced". In the absence of further information about why they'd need to be induced in the first place I'm assuming that what they really mean is that "women go into labour close to their estimated 40 week mark". I have absolutely no intention of ever being 44w again so I'm trying dates. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Watch this space!</span></div>
Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-80697211740184201232012-11-12T18:07:00.002-08:002012-11-12T18:07:25.836-08:00<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">We've planted a heap of seedlings in the side garden now. And A has set up lots of climbing frames for the beans that are made out of old chair legs and string. We still have to clear the pumpkin's bed and put them in. The tomatoes in the hothouse are flowering nicely and we're harvesting snow peas as well. There's nothing quite as delicious as a freshly picked snow pea that's been stir fried. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">The herb garden is growing back nicely after we re-transplanted it back into the small side garden under the kitchen window. We've got thyme, rosemary, thai and normal basil, yarrow, parsley, chives and probably a couple of other things that I can't remember. Having fresh herbs right outside the kitchen is the best! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">The flowers in the front garden are so pretty and the roses are all coming out now. We bought a heap of pine bark to put around the flowers and since doing that they look so much happier. Not having to compete with weeds probably helps them feel a lot more relaxed ... if flowers can relax!? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Yesterday we interviewed a midwife and we're hoping she'll take us on, we'd be happy with her if she does. She only works part time which I like, and all her kids were born at home without any scans or unnecessary testing. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">This weekend we're hosting Dad's 80th birthday party so we've been doing lots of gluten free preparations in anticipation. It'll be nice to see the family, it's been over a year. I'm doing as much cooking as I can now so there won't be too much to do when everyone is here but of course some stuff needs to be fresh rather than frozen so there'll still be plenty to do. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I have to bake a loaf of milk bread today because the kids are on a toast eating bonanza, I might make two and freeze some because they're hard to keep up with! In between vast quantities of washing and folding I might even have time to catch up on the B+B!</span></div>
Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-16118896089640364302012-10-30T01:43:00.002-07:002012-10-30T01:43:37.273-07:00Spring has Sprung in a Summery Way<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Today the mercury hit 28C. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. I achieved exactly nothing all day because of the horrible nausea but A got up on the roof to find where the water is getting into the rumpus room from. Turns out it's getting around the vent from the exhaust fan that's above the bath. It'll be easy enough to fix which is good.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">The flowers out the front are starting to bloom and we'll put a few more in over the next fortnight, and the big pink rosebush has its first flower, it'll be covered from top to bottom very soon. The apple trees are covered in blossoms too, and some of the fruit trees in the back yard have their first blossoms too. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">We've been spring cleaning like mad. It feels so good to be able to open all the windows and air the place out. We're getting rid of clothes we don't' wear, toys that don't get played with, sheets and towels and blankets that do nothing but sit in the cupboard. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">A put up a new shelf in the kitchen for sugar, coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc so that's freed up some cupboard space. The 1960s cupboards are a tad impractical for a 2012 lifestyle. I really can't wait to bulldoze the kitchen! </span></div>
Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-69277351128859038652012-10-21T23:21:00.001-07:002012-10-21T23:21:31.744-07:00Our News<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">It is with great surprise that I announce the impending arrival of a new family member! Yes, we are expecting a baby some time in Autumn. Which means we have a birth to plan! I'm told that another baby was born in this house so it's tried and tested. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I imagine we'll set up a birth pool near the fire. That sounds terribly clichéd doesn't it, but sometimes it's nice to live in a cliché. I'm hoping for a daytime birth with the curtains open wide and the sun streaming in, looking out at the rolling green hill. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I always said I'd go back for one more if I could guarantee either a girl or twins so I've put my order in and now I just have to wait and see what eventuates!</span></div>
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<br />Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-57242182382642351922012-09-23T04:02:00.001-07:002012-09-23T04:04:00.147-07:00Weeds to watch out for ....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Spike woke up the other morning with what looked like an allergy all down his face. Throughout the course of the day it spread and blisters formed and burst. I took him to the doctor and the doctor recommended that we go straight to emergency. He suspected that it was an infection that would need intravenous antibiotic treatment in a hurry.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">We waited in emergency for HOURS while the redness kept spreading and getting hotter. Eventually we were taken through to paediatric emergency and assigned to a bed. The first doctor who saw him had no idea what it was so she asked her superior to come and take a look. He didn't know either so he got a specialist epidemiologist to come down and see us and he was unsure what the problem was so he sent his superior down.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">The head epidemiologist was puzzled but he ruled out fatal skin eating disorders by virtue of the fact that Spike was still alive after waiting for so long in emergency (I got the impression he was REALLY unimpressed by it actually). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">After going through everything we could think of A remembered that he and Spike had been pulling up a strange weed in the garden the day before. Amazingly enough as we were leaving home, after going over everything, we thought to grab a sample of the weed. (we'd have raised it hours earlier except everyone was thinking it was something completely different so it didn't seem relevant to us). A ran up to the ar and grabbed our sample and the doctor took one look at it and announced that Spike had contact dermatitis burns from the weed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">We were sent home with burns cream and the burns were significantly better by the next day and are almost gone now (about a fortnight after it first happened)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;">the weed - later identified as a species of spurge</span></div>
<br />Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-45579155033418811062012-09-23T02:48:00.001-07:002012-09-23T02:48:22.293-07:00Farewell Winter!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">We've started planting and preparing our Spring garden. This year we're redesigning the planting system in the hothouse, and planting far more small variety tomatoes because they're the ones we use most of, they taste delicious, and they're also more expensive.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">We've planted pretty flowers out the front for the first time this year. I think some colour will look lovely out there and flowers are always cheerful. The apples in that section of the garden are now getting their leaves and one has quite a few buds on it! Unfortunately the pink lady that Vinnie chewed isn't looking quite as vigourous but it is getting leaves so there's hope for it yet. </span></div>
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Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-49412420741683563632012-06-05T00:36:00.001-07:002012-06-05T00:36:57.034-07:00Gardening in Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">After the disaster that became of our earlier broccoli, when it all went to seed after a couple of late summer stinkers (three days in a row of over 40C) we've just noticed that our next crop is doing beautifully. Winter is well and truly here and the days are quite cold, I suspect today didn't hit 10C, but the broccoli and the radicchio are loving life in the side garden. The hothouse is still churning out tomatoes despite the drop in temperature, but that won't be for much more than a week and we'll have to make green tomato chutney with the last of the unripe ones. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">The chickens are very slack this winter, despite collecting three eggs a day last winter we aren't getting even one this year despite having three more chickens (although they're not quite old enough to lay yet). I'm wondering what we can do to get their shed warm enough for their taste - despite the fact that it was fine last winter!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">We ate the rooster a fortnight ago, I was amazed by the intense flavour of non farmed chicken. It's a lot of work, all the plucking and gutting etc and it's not something I'd want to do routinely for poultry but the odd home brown rooster will definitely end up in the pot from now on.</span></span></div>
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<br />Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-37989190460440941452012-06-05T00:20:00.000-07:002012-06-05T00:20:05.763-07:00TMX settles in<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">The thermomix is getting plenty usage, I use it a minimum of once a day, I can't believe how much easier things are with it. The other day I made lasagna in about half an hour. I made the tomato sauce while I browned the mince, then added it to the frypan and reduced it. While it was reducing I made bechamel in the tmx at the same time as I boiled the pasta, I added baby spinach leaves to the bechamel and blended them in. Then I assembled it all and baked it, and there was hardly any washing up to do!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Last night I made shepherds pie and even though I only steamed the vegetables and whizzed the garlic and onion up for it, I used the vegetable stock and beetroot relish to flavour the mince, so it really is changing the way we cook in less than a fortnight.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I made marmalade in less than an hour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Walnut bread with cheese, garlic and herb dip and beetroot relish (my new favourite breakfast)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Concentrated vegetable stock, ingredients vegetables, herbs, salt</span></div>
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<br />Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-74392021353849777692012-05-26T04:40:00.001-07:002012-05-26T04:50:13.900-07:00A new toy has arrived!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Winter is nearly here and I'm really looking forward to our second Arctic winter<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. I thought I would hate it last year but I just loved it! All the mist, the snow, the crisp sunny days, the cold hard rain, it was all unlike anything I'd ever experienced so I loved it, and this year I can't wait to do it all over again</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Recently we purchased a new toy for the kitchen</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. We hosted a thermomix demo for a friend who was training to become a saleswoman, and ended up buying one</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. It arrived last week and since then I've done a lot of cooking and been totally amazed at just how versatile they are</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">So far we've made a few curries, lemon meringue pie, playdoh (which I dyed with beetroot and tumeric) walnut bread, dips, porridge, custard, soup, curry pastes, sorbet, and other miscellaneous things as well</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Today I made the lemon meringue pie and I was blown away at how easy it was, and how fast it was done, not to mention how perfectly it all turned out</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. I normally avoid making anything with pastry but having made this pastry today I can see I'll be making a lot more pies and pastries! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Here's the playdoh</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-15146878040817043452012-02-04T23:39:00.000-08:002012-02-04T23:39:03.212-08:00The Veggie Gardener Stirs!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Here's what's happening in the garden at the moment. We've got heaps of seedlings started, some have just been planted out and some will go out in the next few days. We've also got strawberries, zucchini, and tomatoes fruiting and lots of herbs, salad greens, snow peas, beans, cucumber, beetroot, leek, potatoes, and a surprise pumpkin that's sprung up in the wood pile! (probably started from what we feed the chooks)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">It's all been a lot to learn and manage but I really enjoy it and every crop which fails is just a lesson basically, although this year we're doing quite well (since my first seed planting which all failed!). This year the tomatoes aren't going as well as they did last year because we totally forgot to rotate them, but there's still 18 or more on the go and lots of flowers. The zucchinis aren't dong as well either and despite having been rotated I'm wondering if it's got to do with being near the tomatoes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Yesterday we ripped out a huge pile of mint because it was taking over the whole hot house. We initially planted it in there while we were painting the house and needed to transplant the herb garden. We also ripped up the broad beans which were more or less finished for the season (will plant more of them next year). We left the roots of the broad beans in the soil and just cut the tops off because their roots make fabulous fertiliser. There was a heap of chard that we ripped out too but because it self seeds we have quite a few left in that bed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The fruit trees are all looking healthy, even the apple tree that Vinnie destroyed has been going strongly and it's covered is lush green leaves. We bought two blueberry plants yesterday and we'll work out where to plant them some time in the week when we have a gardening day. I'm also looking into cross pollination to see if any of the fruit trees we have need friends in order to make fruit. I've ordered a passion fruit tree that's frost resistant and I'm debating where to put it so it won't steal the sun from the veggie garden.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Here's some pics!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--c5jJcKOsUQ/Ty4q5q6QZUI/AAAAAAAAAqU/We3JDAloph0/s1600/DSCF1190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--c5jJcKOsUQ/Ty4q5q6QZUI/AAAAAAAAAqU/We3JDAloph0/s400/DSCF1190.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Broccoli, leeks, spring onions (probably too small to see) and teeny beetroot. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oc7GBUXsLJg/Ty4ramlTc2I/AAAAAAAAAqc/zwOBO5pq5I4/s1600/DSCF1191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oc7GBUXsLJg/Ty4ramlTc2I/AAAAAAAAAqc/zwOBO5pq5I4/s400/DSCF1191.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> Potatoes, teeny beetroot, snow peas.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jH9tVSXH3o/Ty4ryML-kdI/AAAAAAAAAqk/kDBCUygKDr4/s1600/DSCF1197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jH9tVSXH3o/Ty4ryML-kdI/AAAAAAAAAqk/kDBCUygKDr4/s400/DSCF1197.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> Newly planted herb garden with parsley, thyme, rosemary and yarrow. Transplanted mint in hanging basket looking very sorry for itself.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqkgoMiXCf8/Ty4sdIH7wQI/AAAAAAAAAqs/ooW4wIPi57U/s1600/DSCF1196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqkgoMiXCf8/Ty4sdIH7wQI/AAAAAAAAAqs/ooW4wIPi57U/s400/DSCF1196.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Fruit trees in chook proof enclosure. Fig, pineapple guava, and red currant. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzrnA6Dk30Y/Ty4sy_QXNII/AAAAAAAAAq0/hwT0qdKNTms/s1600/DSCF1198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzrnA6Dk30Y/Ty4sy_QXNII/AAAAAAAAAq0/hwT0qdKNTms/s400/DSCF1198.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Chard, zucchini, and tomatoes at the back. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJGTP2U1Mf4/Ty4tJuDCmTI/AAAAAAAAAq8/Kc9ZZGZvWIA/s1600/DSCF1199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJGTP2U1Mf4/Ty4tJuDCmTI/AAAAAAAAAq8/Kc9ZZGZvWIA/s400/DSCF1199.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Cabbage, lettuce, oregano, sage, chives. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJg5mpQM1bo/Ty4teAMz7ZI/AAAAAAAAArE/59QqRVX2JSI/s1600/DSCF1195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJg5mpQM1bo/Ty4teAMz7ZI/AAAAAAAAArE/59QqRVX2JSI/s400/DSCF1195.JPG" width="300" /></a>Gardener's assistant</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-1400471818725968092012-02-04T21:59:00.000-08:002012-02-04T21:59:49.209-08:00Updated from the slackest blogger alive!<div style="text-align: justify;">I can't believe it's been over 4 months since I last blogged anything. it's not as if nothing is happening, it's just that I've been completely slack!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Recent news is:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went on a holiday to A's family shack. I was feeling really down because it was James' 4th birthday so we packed up and away for five days. It was just what I needed to gather my thoughts and find my groove again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CHSzOTmLfg/Ty4Uh5bWSGI/AAAAAAAAApU/iE0-z19S4Ek/s1600/DSCF1083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CHSzOTmLfg/Ty4Uh5bWSGI/AAAAAAAAApU/iE0-z19S4Ek/s320/DSCF1083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">the kids at the beach around the corner from the shack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJmyCGuc0d8/Ty4U7CdwCAI/AAAAAAAAApc/IWFWz5YLcBA/s1600/DSCF1085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJmyCGuc0d8/Ty4U7CdwCAI/AAAAAAAAApc/IWFWz5YLcBA/s320/DSCF1085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Crab that was at the beach. There were THOUSANDS of them, you could actually hear them scrabbling across the sand.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZz1VFmiGfI/Ty4VKMhy49I/AAAAAAAAApk/x9-sD9kKDRE/s1600/DSCF1128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZz1VFmiGfI/Ty4VKMhy49I/AAAAAAAAApk/x9-sD9kKDRE/s320/DSCF1128.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">A wave breaking on the rocks at the lookout near The Blowhole</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNMlA0RRcnE/Ty4Vv7LSVpI/AAAAAAAAAps/HN5XKKjPMYQ/s1600/DSCF1090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNMlA0RRcnE/Ty4Vv7LSVpI/AAAAAAAAAps/HN5XKKjPMYQ/s320/DSCF1090.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">View from the lookout about 100m above the Tessellated Pathway</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WdT3f8MCU9o/Ty4WNSaSz6I/AAAAAAAAAp0/hRWTP9ks6ag/s1600/DSCF1080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WdT3f8MCU9o/Ty4WNSaSz6I/AAAAAAAAAp0/hRWTP9ks6ag/s320/DSCF1080.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Angus enjoying the evening constitutional on crabby beach</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xcBqcx0-QMY/Ty4WsjfIEsI/AAAAAAAAAp8/Q_AeyIed_c0/s1600/DSCF1115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xcBqcx0-QMY/Ty4WsjfIEsI/AAAAAAAAAp8/Q_AeyIed_c0/s320/DSCF1115.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Waves crashing into the blowhole. We happened to go on a day when the weather was wild </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">so it put on a spectacular show for us.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n80ZaSpjl_Y/Ty4Ycjt7WhI/AAAAAAAAAqE/L3sEjdtLF88/s1600/DSCF1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n80ZaSpjl_Y/Ty4Ycjt7WhI/AAAAAAAAAqE/L3sEjdtLF88/s320/DSCF1137.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">echidna on the path near the blowhole look out. It was quite unphased by the tourists!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bdhUxqKCVTY/Ty4Y1HcT3oI/AAAAAAAAAqM/0uDNxibFyhM/s1600/DSCF1105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bdhUxqKCVTY/Ty4Y1HcT3oI/AAAAAAAAAqM/0uDNxibFyhM/s320/DSCF1105.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Devil's Kitchen</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">So it was a fabulous holiday. We went swimming on every day but the day the mercury hit 13 and we were all nearly blown away in a gale, but that was the day we went to the blowhole and the weather was perfect for that! The kids went canoeing, fishing (Spike caught a flathead and was very chuffed), swimming under the jetty (where we saw a stingray) in the warmest water I've ever swum in, bush walking, we played board games and card games and I read three books. Perfecto!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-57547507748032431322011-10-08T04:08:00.000-07:002011-10-08T04:20:45.219-07:00New, old birth photos.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I just went through all the photos on the computer and realised that there's a few birthy ones I'd like to add! Consider it a second, pictorial birth story. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><a href="http://usinantarctica.blogspot.com/2010/08/home-birth-story.html">Full birth story (with other pics) is but a click away!</a></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AhboW6qPpyw/TpAkGnKD9TI/AAAAAAAAAnU/a6ioYMpFeys/s1600/DSCF0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AhboW6qPpyw/TpAkGnKD9TI/AAAAAAAAAnU/a6ioYMpFeys/s640/DSCF0252.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">About an hour or so in, just settling into the pool.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIfTazyFlLA/TpAjfXN_TAI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/2qVO45Cmdyo/s1600/DSCF0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIfTazyFlLA/TpAjfXN_TAI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/2qVO45Cmdyo/s640/DSCF0258.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-small;">Getting heavy now.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKOv2euiwoo/TpAk1T7FPKI/AAAAAAAAAnY/klZdKWq78o8/s1600/DSCF0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKOv2euiwoo/TpAk1T7FPKI/AAAAAAAAAnY/klZdKWq78o8/s640/DSCF0302.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;">Midwife telling the kids all about it, baby is actually past crowning in this pic! Not that you can tell from this angle</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEMS4aJXwPM/TpAliLM2CiI/AAAAAAAAAnc/QVEuadxIjI0/s1600/DSCF0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEMS4aJXwPM/TpAliLM2CiI/AAAAAAAAAnc/QVEuadxIjI0/s640/DSCF0307.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">OMG it really IS a baby! Like OMG! Who knew!?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VFgMUzEUPvI/TpAqvmIzItI/AAAAAAAAAns/H9YQYTDffNg/s1600/DSCF0309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VFgMUzEUPvI/TpAqvmIzItI/AAAAAAAAAns/H9YQYTDffNg/s640/DSCF0309.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-small;">I waited four births for this photo. The photo where my face has every emotion under sun written there for everyone to read. Every woman should have a photo (or five) like this.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-urrtl7_YVTg/TpAoG2DtPdI/AAAAAAAAAnk/Mv4Y9avK87Y/s1600/DSCF0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-urrtl7_YVTg/TpAoG2DtPdI/AAAAAAAAAnk/Mv4Y9avK87Y/s640/DSCF0328.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: x-small;">Me, high on hormones, him high on new life</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_TckLWz2LKs/TpApX6UaS2I/AAAAAAAAAno/Vmaz_prND_w/s1600/DSCF0357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_TckLWz2LKs/TpApX6UaS2I/AAAAAAAAAno/Vmaz_prND_w/s640/DSCF0357.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Daddy's first cuddle<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0parvucshk/TpAt3qhISAI/AAAAAAAAAnw/dCRBQIurh9s/s1600/DSCF0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0parvucshk/TpAt3qhISAI/AAAAAAAAAnw/dCRBQIurh9s/s640/DSCF0380.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;">Big sister's first cuddle, she hates this photo, but I reckon at 4:30 in the morning, after you just saw your baby brother being born it's a pretty good one!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6qOVxDcEaiI/TpAvofbMYVI/AAAAAAAAAn0/SjClp7BkKjo/s1600/DSCF0399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6qOVxDcEaiI/TpAvofbMYVI/AAAAAAAAAn0/SjClp7BkKjo/s640/DSCF0399.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">First cuddle with big brother</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bFr8PMEEAjs/TpAweCDM3JI/AAAAAAAAAn4/TvI_KUO_qlE/s1600/DSCF0391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bFr8PMEEAjs/TpAweCDM3JI/AAAAAAAAAn4/TvI_KUO_qlE/s640/DSCF0391.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">And I'll leave you with a photo of the person whom all the fuss was about! This baby is a homebirth after two caesareans, yes two, and a previous stillbirth. When people ask me why I wanted a homebirth I answer </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">"because I've done it in hospital and it stank" </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"> If I can have a homebirth, you can too!</span><br />
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</div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-8108611046989185802011-09-25T04:39:00.000-07:002011-09-25T04:39:23.441-07:00Time for an update!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">It's been a while since I've updated the blog, but I'm finally getting around to it. Since last time we've done heaps to the house and garden. The inside of the house has gone GREEN! The lounge room, hallway, our bedroom and Stylish's room are done and now A is working on Spikee's room. Stylish did her room pretty much by herself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZquwUmuyXr8/Tn8SkGYVeiI/AAAAAAAAAnM/PW9XCh0gO0c/s1600/DSCN1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZquwUmuyXr8/Tn8SkGYVeiI/AAAAAAAAAnM/PW9XCh0gO0c/s320/DSCN1884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We've planted a lot of seeds in the side vegetable garden and in the hothouse. Lots of herbs, strawberries, leafy greens for salad and cooking, and other fruity veg too. I'm watching the seeds daily, desperate to see them coming up, they seem to be taking their time and it's really worrying me because I don't want to have to replant them all if an entire crop fails. I can't for the life of me imagine why they would ALL fail though!? Perhaps I'm just not being patient enough.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Our bare rooted apples, plum, nectarine and cherry are all going green, one of the apples has about four flowers on it, but the raspberries are also worrying me because they're not doing anything. Spring has sprung so I really would think they'd have atleast the a sign of green shoots by now. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Angus has had his first birthday. We had a quiet family gathering and ate pizza and cup cakes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ut_rQC9lYHg/Tn8R5lmDvtI/AAAAAAAAAnI/7JK1shfkG84/s1600/DSCN1855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ut_rQC9lYHg/Tn8R5lmDvtI/AAAAAAAAAnI/7JK1shfkG84/s320/DSCN1855.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-86959545914139007912011-08-05T04:24:00.000-07:002011-08-05T05:04:20.095-07:00Formula for Disaster<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Firstly --></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">Happy World Breast Feeding Week!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Now,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">In Australia where I live there are guidelines about how formula can be advertised, but we still catch artificial baby milk producers out. There are supposed to be no advertisements for baby formula, however toddler formula is frequently advertised across all mediums, and sometimes they sneakily slip in a picture of newborn ABM (Artificial Baby Milk). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Formula was first created in the 1920's, probably for the right reasons, however there was money to be made, and where there's money there's usually unscrupulous people not too far behind. At first formula must have been a wonderful convenience for women who genuinely couldn't breast feed. However those women were surrounded by women who could breast feed so they had a trouble shooting team in the house next door, if not in their own home. Formula wouldn't have been something they viewed as a choice, it would have been a last resort. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">ABM companies weren't stupid. They latched on (pardon the pun) to this niche market and when the money started coming in, they decided that expanding their business would be rather nice. So they began marketing formula more aggressively.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">I know a lot of women who breast feed, and many of them have struggled in the early days. The breast feeding advocates made a big error in their marketing by telling women that it is natural. Yes, it's very natural, but so is an earth quake, so are killer bees. Need I say more? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Formula companies wanted to get rich quickly. Their get rich quick scheme was to to sell even more formula than was necessary and their strategy was to undermine mothers who really weren't having any trouble at all. The messages they sold as FACT, were pure FICTION, but they permeated every single facet of our society. </span></div><br />
<ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Tell them their milk isn't good enough</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Tell them their milk is insufficient </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Tell them that bottle feeding is a sign of affluence</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Tell them bottle feeding is modest</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Tell them bottle feeding is convenient </span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">And hey presto! Billions of dollars for ABM companies! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">92% of women initiate breast feeding when they give birth in an Australian hospital. By three months a miniscule 56% are still feeding, and by six months only 14% of women in Australia are still breast feeding. By these statistics, we can assume one of two things. Either it is remarkable that we survived as a species given that we are so unable to feed our young, or that women have drastically lost confidence in their body's ability to grow, birth, and nourish a baby. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">In Australia this has huge ramifications for our health care system. However in countries where there is no access to clean water, high illiteracy rates, and extreme poverty, formula has been an absolute disaster. In countries where women know they can breast feed, formula companies have had to use a different marketing approach. They tell women formula is superior to breast milk, that it will make their baby stronger, smarter, and reduce the chances of diarrhea. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">In countries where babies die of diarrhea daily, this is a pretty nifty marketing ploy ... but it's an outright lie and it results in babies dying more frequently. Women don't have access to clean water, so there are diseases in the formula by the time it's given to their baby, and other women can't read the directions so they don't know how to mix it up correctly. Poor woman can't afford to buy enough formula (remember that billions of people survive on less than $1 a day) so they water the formula down to make it last. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Babies are dying. Formula companies don't care and no one holds them accountable. The World Health Organisation has a set of guidelines relating to the marketing of ABM, but ABM companies don't abide by guidelines. Why should they? Nothing negative happens to THEM when they don't! It's time the watch dog grew some teeth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Some bright spark got the idea to start a National Formula Feeding awareness week, because it is currently National Breast Feeding Awareness Week. Well I couldn't agree more! Let's raise awareness of the dangers of formula feeding! Let's raise awareness of the politics that drive formula producing companies. Let's raise awareness of the environmental impact of bottle feeding. Let's start milk banks to provide REAL baby milk to those women who genuinely can't breast feed. Let's stop allowing the promotion of bottle as a choice. Let's give our babies the best start in life that they can possibly get!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Let's raise awareness of how LESS THAN 1% OF WOMEN REALLY CAN'T BREAST FEED! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mVDZsPd0Y5I/TjvSk4dblfI/AAAAAAAAAmA/KdsRuT0Pwx8/s1600/DSCN0442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mVDZsPd0Y5I/TjvSk4dblfI/AAAAAAAAAmA/KdsRuT0Pwx8/s320/DSCN0442.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
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</div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-4604095329907504362011-08-01T00:14:00.000-07:002011-08-01T00:14:29.233-07:00The Wonders of Mother's Milk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87-j8N5JRvU/TgBds1dX-KI/AAAAAAAAAjw/Tgagb8aYVhM/s1600/DSCN0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87-j8N5JRvU/TgBds1dX-KI/AAAAAAAAAjw/Tgagb8aYVhM/s320/DSCN0449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Today Angus got a nasty scratch from the neighbour's dog's claw. Given the fact that they only time the dog is ever not walking around in its' own shit is when we walk it, I was rather concerned about it causing an infection, especially because the scratch begins quite literally a millimetre from his eye.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We didn't want to use tea tree oil on it because it's so close to his eye and would hang around for ages with the potential to be rubbed in his eye. We knew salt would sting. Garlic would also sting. I posted on facebook asking what other hippy mamas would suggest and they all suggested the same thing. The most obvious thing to a fellow hippy mama, but I'd over looked it completely!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">MAMA'S MILK! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">So I painstakingly expressed by hand. I probably only got about 5mls all up, but that's enough to wipe his scratch with, and I can give it another go later. This got me to thinking of all the magical uses for mama's milk, so I thought I'd make a list!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Mama's milk is full of amazing antibacterial properties</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><br />
<ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">cleaning a wound</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">treating a burn</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">conjunctivitis</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">cradle cap</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">one mama used it for an ear infection</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">to stop soap from stinging your child's eyes </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">eczema </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">acne</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">mozzie or other insect bites</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">cold sores</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">chapped or dry lips</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">facial cleanser - what could be gentler? </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">nappy rash</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">can aid the digestive system of cancer patients</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">cooking food!</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">boosting the immunity of the whole family from the baby up</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">warts </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">external or internal ulcers</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">And there are probably plenty more uses! Add your own in the comments or tell us your story about healing with booby juice.</span></div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-86014059942749337922011-07-31T05:29:00.000-07:002011-07-31T05:29:55.664-07:00Winter is sweet in Antarctica<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><a href="http://unlearntatlast.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-kids-could-have-been-at-school.html">Click here to read about snow hunting</a></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We're two thirds of the way through winter now, and by all accounts it was a pretty harsh winter in spots, but now it's turned quite warm. This evening it's hardly cold outside. We had a few weeks where it just rained non stop, the yard turned into a swamp, but it's dried out pretty well now.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Our side garden beds are nearly ready to have things planted in them, so over the next couple of days I plan on getting some seeds planted in seedling starter pots. We've planted a cherry tree, a plum tree, and a nectarine tree out the back and a sundowner apple out the front, and this coming week we're adding a pink lady apple to our orchard. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We're also in the process of choosing some paint to painting inside the house. We have a whole selection of greens to choose from, and our aim is to select one that matches the greenery outside the window so that we're really extending the out door space to inside. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The chooks had a few weeks off laying but are now laying up a storm! We gave 6 eggs away yesterday and still had enough for Spikee to eat four last night (yes you read that right, 2 were bantam eggs) and eggs benedict this morning. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">So in summary, all is well in Antarctica!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Blb7yw5hmiw/TjVJfpuubMI/AAAAAAAAAls/_wP0JrvMUmY/s1600/DSCN1546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Blb7yw5hmiw/TjVJfpuubMI/AAAAAAAAAls/_wP0JrvMUmY/s320/DSCN1546.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> The elected spokeswoman demanding food</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pyjrn2MgJ8c/TjVKAunCc5I/AAAAAAAAAlw/wfQuLP19yJE/s1600/DSCN1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pyjrn2MgJ8c/TjVKAunCc5I/AAAAAAAAAlw/wfQuLP19yJE/s320/DSCN1503.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> The fence A built</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QuByAC76kNM/TjVKWA3TmAI/AAAAAAAAAl0/fIS8KjPZzHU/s1600/DSCN1502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QuByAC76kNM/TjVKWA3TmAI/AAAAAAAAAl0/fIS8KjPZzHU/s320/DSCN1502.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Where the outdoor veggie garden will be</span></div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-21951342289984022032011-07-18T23:59:00.000-07:002011-07-23T02:06:55.114-07:00Reasonable Expectations<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BnkRAAWwIY8/TiUoiXYYJwI/AAAAAAAAAlI/irAshUe8DbM/s1600/DSCN0319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BnkRAAWwIY8/TiUoiXYYJwI/AAAAAAAAAlI/irAshUe8DbM/s320/DSCN0319.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">So many women think that they'll just go to hospital, have a baby, and all will be well. They think they will be respected, supported, and that the experience will be a happy one. Unfortunately that's not what's happening to many women. I'm one of the ones who didn't have that experience.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">When I go to the supermarket I don't expect the staff to treat me specially, I just expect them to be polite and helpful. When I imagined what my first birth would be like I had similar expectations but they went unmet. However, unlike a trip to the shops, the ramifications of my "birth" were lasting. They still impact on me thirteen years later.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Sometimes when women are critical of hospital staff or their birthing experiences, they are met with disbelief, criticism, and outright anger. I don't really understand why it's so hard for people to believe that a woman and her baby were treated badly in a hospital. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">People criticise hospitals all the time, there are frequently news stories which report dangerous, dissatisfactory patient care, but society won't accept that this reality extends to the maternity ward. We know that</span> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/21/us-safety-idUSTRE76K45R20110721"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">doctors often make errors</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> and do shonky work, but for some completely unfathomable reason it's almost impossible for some people to imagine an obstetric surgeon in the same light. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">It's nice to think that birthing women will only be surrounded by caring staff who work hard to ensure the safest, happiest birthing experience possible, but it's not reality. The same way that it's nice to expect your grocery shopping trip will be easy and you will encounter only friendly and helpful staff, but you know you may also encounter rude, bored, inexperienced, rushed, and overtired staff - you should expect nothing less in a hospital when you intend to give birth there. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">So if you are pregnant or planning a baby, what can you do to protect yourself against the possibility that you will encounter less than perfect hospital staff?</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><ol><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Give birth at home with an independent midwife and / or a doula. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Take a doula to hospital with you</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Be well informed about hospital protocol and typical interventions and their impact on birth</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Write a HARD ARSE BIRTH PLAN! Don't stuff about with "wish lists" and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">never ever ever</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> include the words "unless necessary". If it's necessary of course you'll consent to interventions - refer to point 3.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Ensure that your partner is well versed on your birth plan and hospital policies. He / she may become your best advocate or be used against you. (it happened to me twice) </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">When you're in labour it's not your job to please hospital staff or to be convenient, it's THEIR job to ensure that your needs are met, so be assertive!</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Last but not least ==> if a woman says she was treated badly and feels dissatisfied or worse, don't deny her that personal truth. Be part of the solution, don't add to the problem.</span></li>
</ol></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Remember that although you may want a natural birth very few staff in a hospital have ever actually seen birth without interventions, or unhindered birth <a href="https://www.birthinternational.com/articles/birth/18-fish-cant-see-water"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">(click here)</span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Watching </span><a href="http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">The Business of Being Born</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> is an eye opener when the young medical students are asked how many unhindered births they've seen and they all answer "ummmmm none". Statically speaking, if you're after an unhindered birth you have a far greater chance of getting it at home. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Finally, to those doctors, midwives and nurses who do work hard to protect women's bodily integrity, and offer genuine support to labouring women, THANK YOU! Please keep doing your job to the best of your ability, and when you hear women criticising hospital birth, don't take it personally. Work towards changing the system that you work in but don't attempt to silence a woman who has suffered birth rape, birth trauma, or dissatisfaction as a result of her own experience. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
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</div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-63812499665479659082011-07-10T00:19:00.000-07:002011-07-10T00:19:01.748-07:00What's white and fluffy?<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">SNOW!!! </span></span></span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmq_RKMxxTQ/ThlPeoPJ3VI/AAAAAAAAAkg/ojIvmGaHnqs/s1600/DSCN1624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmq_RKMxxTQ/ThlPeoPJ3VI/AAAAAAAAAkg/ojIvmGaHnqs/s320/DSCN1624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The hill with snow icing on top, taken from our front doorstep by Stylish</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87d9Tnunr7s/ThlQGoHghmI/AAAAAAAAAkk/kQ-gSl9fyC8/s1600/DSCN1655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87d9Tnunr7s/ThlQGoHghmI/AAAAAAAAAkk/kQ-gSl9fyC8/s320/DSCN1655.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Mount Wellington, taken from the Tasman bridge while we drove over it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The day before Spikee's birthday we went to get last minute party supplies and when we drove through Longley there was snow beside the road so we pulled over and threw it at each other. Stylish had decided to stay home that day so she missed out, but she noticed snow on the hill so she took pics of it for us. Spikee thought snow was excellent! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Today we're more or less stuck in the town because the rain has caused the Huon River to burst its' banks and the roads are flooded, and who wants to drive on the icy roads anyway! Luckily we're well supplied. The weather has been crazy, much more extreme that locals can remember it being for about 20 years. We had several black outs the other night, one on Spikee's birthday night when we were without power (thank heavens for the wood heater!) for a couple of hours. We played snakes and ladders by candle light. It was actually nice being all snug and warm and just being a family with no technology however we didn't complain when it all came back on. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-55789183808911861712011-06-21T02:01:00.000-07:002011-08-01T01:47:11.453-07:00The Quiet Breastfeeding Nazi<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I don't consider myself to be a breastfeeding nazi. I'm just pro breastfeeding and anti formula. I'm not anti women who formula feed though, just anti formula company. I don't have a single nice thing to say about companies who produce artificial baby milk. They seem to do nothing but undermine natural baby feeding, break WHO advertising codes, and make mega bucks. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mJ98fT9MxjA/TgBbrDvX8iI/AAAAAAAAAjk/ouAgSSPxAzU/s1600/DSCN0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mJ98fT9MxjA/TgBbrDvX8iI/AAAAAAAAAjk/ouAgSSPxAzU/s320/DSCN0335.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">As I was feeding my baby the other night I was reading something about how special breast feeding is, and I thought to myself "but I don't think it IS special". Sure I was sad when my older two weaned (one at 6 months, one at 4.5years) but I didn't feel really special when I was feeding them. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Not that it isn't special, but any time we spend with our babies is special. Any sweet little smile they give us, any time they sleep in our arms, the way they love us so unconditionally, it's all lovely. Breast feeding is just normal, like giving your baby a sandwich but easier.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I'm not lucky that I breast feed, my baby isn't lucky, we're just normal. It didn't come easily to me with any of the kids, I had to work really hard to get it right. I had a lot of pain in the early days with all of them. And with the first, it shot my confidence to bits and was the first of the steps that led to failure. And I don't think I I failed, coz I really wanted to breastfeed. I think that society failed me and my daughter by telling us that "breast is best, formula is good enough". The underlying message in that is that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>we can't always have what's best, but what's good enough is, well, it's good enough!</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ldl5XmvdlbQ/TgBcQZC_NDI/AAAAAAAAAjo/g9DSeGCwSEw/s1600/DSCF0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ldl5XmvdlbQ/TgBcQZC_NDI/AAAAAAAAAjo/g9DSeGCwSEw/s320/DSCF0161.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Breast is best, yes .... but it's just normal. Formula is not best, and it's only normal in cultures where breasts are sexualised and images of bottle feeding are plastered everywhere, from feeding rooms to children's books, soap operas, ads for formula but not breastfeeding etc. The symbol for baby is often a bottle! If that doesn't normalise it I don't know what does.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">There will always be women who are unable to breast feed, but these women should feel no guilt. I don't feel guilt for not successfully feeding my first child, and it wasn't a physical hinderance, it was a societal lack of support that broke the back of our feeding relationship. I don't feel guilty about it and I would never want another woman to feel guilty either. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87-j8N5JRvU/TgBds1dX-KI/AAAAAAAAAjw/Tgagb8aYVhM/s1600/DSCN0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87-j8N5JRvU/TgBds1dX-KI/AAAAAAAAAjw/Tgagb8aYVhM/s320/DSCN0449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I'm a bit tired of the whole "don't say this or that because it might make women feel guilty" stuff that permeates every discussion about breast vs artificial milk. If you genuinely can't breast feed why feel guilty? Do you feel guilty for not being able to run fast!? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">If you can breast feed but choose not to, and you feel guilt, then maybe you should take a closer look at why you would "choose" not to breast feed. Do better next time, but don't waste time with guilt once you have thought it all through. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xym0w4kuEXY/TgBcys5UX3I/AAAAAAAAAjs/TvMPxbWm-GE/s1600/DSCN0754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xym0w4kuEXY/TgBcys5UX3I/AAAAAAAAAjs/TvMPxbWm-GE/s320/DSCN0754.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I resent being called a nazi. I've never killed anyone, but artificial baby milk companies are responsible for deaths every day! I simply state the truth. That given support, the vast and overwhelming majority of women in the world can and do breastfeed perfectly well.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">So next time you see me posting on facebook, or on my blog, about how women can breastfeed don't label me a nazi, because that's just offensive. Have a look at your beliefs about baby feeding, about your own body and ability to do what you are biologically designed for. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Have a look at the way your culture has made breast feeding seem like some virtually unattainable goal. I'm not better because I breast feed, I'm just normal. You're not worse because you formula feed, but chances are that your view of baby feeding is somewhat different to reality if you think it's simply a "choice".</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRHDA7dyM4Y/TgBbRj845PI/AAAAAAAAAjg/akqtUr4QHkM/s1600/DSCF0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bRHDA7dyM4Y/TgBbRj845PI/AAAAAAAAAjg/akqtUr4QHkM/s320/DSCF0423.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5523267604369565235.post-75832217698371499912011-06-20T01:18:00.000-07:002011-06-20T01:18:01.121-07:00Winter is Upon Us in Antarctica!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">So Winter has arrived, and for all I was expecting it to be horrendous, I'm actually really enjoying it! Yes, it's cold, but we have heating here! We didn't have heating in Sydney because it was too expensive to run, so we really only used it when we absolutely had to. We used heating for two nights last Winter, one of those was when I was in labour with Angus. The wood fire heater here makes us toasty warm! Everywhere in the house is comfortable (except the rumpus room which isn't insulated)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Our firewood finally arrived! After four months of ringing them and telling them that they owed us three tonnes of firewood (we won it in a raffle for the QLD floods, way back in January). After four months of the most tireless excuse making I've ever encountered (protesters were inhibiting their ability to get it here, their machinery had broken down, they lost our phone number - countless times - they had our address wrong, they couldn't remember how much wood it was meant to be ... you get the drift?) So I rang them for the last time and, as usual, was polite but assertive, and the next day a huge truck appeared on the street with full logs! The wood was meant to be all cut up, ready to use, but what were we going to do, send them away? So they dumped it in the drive way and across the foot path and at long last we had a good top us to our supply! They were meant to being 3 tonnes, but in actual fact what they left was closer to 5 or 6. We had to buy a chain saw. A spent 3 whole days sawing, and then chopping with an axe, and Stylish and I took it in turns to help him hauling it up the driveway, across the yard to the wood pile. Back breaking work! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8DRgQjVOUg/Tf8Ae8W171I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/mCX05FbmbmA/s1600/DSCN1416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8DRgQjVOUg/Tf8Ae8W171I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/mCX05FbmbmA/s320/DSCN1416.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I plucked a good harvest of rose hips and made apple and rose hip jelly. It's delicious on sour dough toast, and I have about a litre of it so it won't run out any time soon. We've been doing lots of good cooking, my favourite thing we've discovered is a chicken baked risotto with marinated capsicum, and butter beans. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFqDx1zB0wk/Tf8A_n53jHI/AAAAAAAAAjU/ji2LZGbRWog/s1600/DSCN1481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFqDx1zB0wk/Tf8A_n53jHI/AAAAAAAAAjU/ji2LZGbRWog/s320/DSCN1481.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Yesterday was Stylish's birthday, she is now officially a teenager! We gave her a new bike and took her out for dinner to the Chinese restaurant in Huonville. We had a lovely day all round! And ate lots of disgustingly rich chocolate, mousse, and raspberry cake.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div>Alice and Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06342365954489802456noreply@blogger.com1