We're going PINK!

We had our ultra sound today, and its confirmed. We're having a little girl. Mack and I are both tickled pink.

Breakfast in Bed

I had a few concerned comments about my Rice Krispies eating habits while driving. Let me put everyones mind to rest. I only eat at stop signs and robots(traffic lights), which means the car is at a complete stop while I am shoveling the breakfast down my throat, and I'm completely done by the time I hit the freeway. So there!

This morning however, I had no need to shovel any sort of breakfast cereal down my throat, cause I was woken by my adorable husband bringing me breakfast in bed. Isn't that sweet. It totally made my morning.

3 cheers for Mack and his sexy sweetness!

Cat and Water

Phoebe has now settled into the family. She no longer runs and hides under the bed when we open the front door - instead, she either gives us a mouthful, or gives us her most disdainful looks.

So Mack and I took the next logical step with her - torture. Its true. We decided that she was comfortable enough for us to attempt to bath her. More fool us.

Her is a pictoral chronology of the process:

Step one: We lulled her into a sense of complete comfort and trust. Just look at that cute belly.


Step two: We lured her close to the bathroom by using her favourite toy. She absolutely adores that thing and carries it around in her mouth.


Step three: As a precautionary measure, I donned my wetsuit, or as I like to call it - my anti-claw-me-to-death-suit. This is where it got hectic (as you can see in the action shot of me grabbing her and putting her in the bath tub).


Step four: Hold her down and turn on the hand held shower. Douse her thoroughly, and wash her using baby shampoo. (Unfortunately we don't have a photo of this step, cause we were both using our hands and feet just keeping her in the bath and trying to get her as clean as possible, as fast as possible).

Step five: Towel dry a drowned rat looking Phoebe as she struggles to make a clean get away.


We thought that our poor cat might despise us after what we put her through, but on the contrary she became even more affectionate, and is now so soft and clean smelling that I want to just scratch her all over.

No News is Good News ...Right?

The reason I haven't written anything lately, is that there isn't much to write. My day pretty much goes like this:

1. I Wake up with the cat sitting on my chest, her nose touching my nose, and her diesel engine like purr resonating through my body. As soon as I crack an eye, she begins her plaintive mewing which sounds suspiciously like she's saying - me, me, me, me, me. Did I mention that this usually takes place anywhere between 3:30 and 5:30 AM!!!!!! Did I also mention that Mack can sleep through ANYTHING!

2. I Kick the cat out of the room and try to sleep for the last 1-3 hours of the morning, except that I'm a light sleeper and usually can't get back into the fabulous deep dreamy sleep I was in, so instead I silently curse the cat and any other living thing that has ever woken me before I should have been awakened in my whole entire life.

3. I Wake up again with Mack's alarm going off.

4. I Roll over and whine a little.

5. I Drag myself out of bed 10 to 30 minutes later than I should have gotten up, due to lack of REM sleep. I walk over to the bathroom and scream, then realize that I was just looking at myself in the mirror.

6. I ready myself for work while listening to Phoebe going "me, me, me, me", and trying not to stand on her as she weaves in and out of my legs.

7. I Brace myself for the ice and snow and try not to land up on my butt walking to the garage.

8. I Drive to work while eating my breakfast of Rice Krispies out of a tupperware bowl with a plastic spoon. I usually lower the bowl when I near a police car.

9. I Get to work (usually 15-30 min late).

10. I work for 5 min. Then wander around the office looking for a snack. I devour the snack. Then, begin looking for my next snack. Not satisfied after my snack, I walk (through the freezing cold, thats how desperate I am) to the local bagel shop and buy a bagel with strawberry schmear. Then, I watch the clock wondering why lunch time is so far away.

11. Around noonish I eat my lunch, then feel like a pig. I lean back in my chair and think I ought to undo a button or two on my jeans, then remember that I'm wearing preggie pants which expand with my waistline. I bless the preggie pants.

12. I Actually get some work done, then watch the clock wondering why 5 O'clock is so far away. I eat another snack.

13. I drive home while singing to the radio.

14. When I get home I head straight for the fridge. I Eat something, then I cook dinner and eat all over again. Excuse me, you would eat this much too if you were creating body parts in your belly.

15. After dinner I lie on the couch like a beached whale. I try to interact with the cat, but she finds Mack much more fascinating. Mack and I chat about our day. I sleep through the next few hours of TV only to awake to find Phoebe stretched out on top of me with her belly bared for all to scratch, purring. I scratch her belly. She bites my hand.

16. I play with Phoebe for a while, making her chase this ball and string thing. My goal is to tire her out so she'll sleep longer. I merely succeed in tiring myself out.

17. I stagger down the passage and flop into bed. I cuddle with Mack and fall into a deep sleep.

18. It starts all over again.

Sub Zero

For over a week now, the temperatures over here have not even peeked above zero. It has snowed, it has iced over, and it has snowed again. I am beginning to wonder if actual sunshine still exists.

I had to drive to work this morning in the most disgusting snow storm (and for a little girl from Africa, I don't think I did too badly), and naturally when the roads are all slushy and icy the worst drivers come out to play. I had one moron in a little sports car who would not get off my tail, and then suddenly sped up, overtook me and cut so tightly in front of me its a wonder I didn't slide. My vocabulary was reduced to a few very choice four letter word combinations.

AND... to add insult to injury, Mack has the day off today, and my Mom, Darren, Allyson and Ethan are sitting on a sunny beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Oh the injustice of it all.

Oh Happy Day!

Picture it. I woke up this morning. Rolled over in bed. Something was different. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. And then it hit me. I could actually roll over in bed without my head wanting to explode into ten thousand pieces. I didn't have to squeak a plaintive "babe", and have Mack jump out of bed to get me a couple of Excedrin and a glass of OJ. Oh no, this morning I actually had a smile on my face when I told him I loved him and kissed him good bye. What an amazing feeling. I didn't have to have a 44 ounce Mountain Dew for breakfast - no, instead I had Rice Krispies.

So when I say - Oh Happy Day, I say it with a full gospel choir and a couple of tambourines accompanying me.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!



**A special thanks goes out to Martin who informed me of the correct way of using the pressure points between my thumb and forefinger to overcome a headache**

What Will It Be?

So many people have asked us if we know what our baby is going to be - the answer is yes. It will be a human baby, either a girl one or a boy one.

Actually we find out the sex of the baby on the 29th of Jan. Mack wants a boy and I want a girl - well, I don't really mind, but we only have little boy cousins in the family so far and I think it would be fun to have the first sassy diva cousin.

And there you have it.

Wedding Reminisence

I am very lucky to have some amazingly talented friends. One such amazing talent is Manju, my fabulous friend that took my wedding photos. She came over the other night and wanted to take a look at our album, cause she hadn't actually seen any of the pictures she shot at our wedding (and she was shooting another wedding for a friend and wanted to get some ideas).

While perusing our wedding album, I realized that not many of my friends (especially those overseas) had actually seen the pictures, or any pictures from our wedding. So, even though it was over two years ago I decided to post a few of my favourites just for fun.

Hormones, Good vs. Bad

I have been suffering from pregnancy migraines. I found out that they're caused by hormones. My doctor told me yesterday that some women get the good estrogen hormone when they're pregnant and it gives them soft beautiful skin and that wonderful pregnancy aura. Me, I'm getting an extra dose of progesterone. Yip, thats the hormone that makes you go crazy through puberty. Its the BAD hormone. Trust me to get the hormone that makes my skin go nuts, my head hurt so much that I want to use a knitting needle and vacuum cleaner to do my own lobotomy just to make the pain stop, and my temperament match my hair colour.

Life is Good!

Filled the Space

For the longest time I have had a wall with nothing on it. It has really bugged me. I put up a few shelves, but thought they looked a bit heavy, so I pulled them down and filled in the holes. I had plans on doing a bit of my own art work, but that wasn't really happening either. And then, for Christmas I got a few gift cards to Pier 1 imports. I was taking a browse with my mother in law when she pointed out this mirror she thought would look good on my wall. I was across the store and turned around thinking it looked a bit "africany" for me. It started to grow on me as I got closer to it. And now....it hangs on my wall. What do you think?





The mirror is an embossed metal with a colour glaze over it - thanks Linda, without your nudging my wall would still be empty.

Pitter Patter

Meet Phoebe, the latest addition to the family. Mack is so excited to have a pet - he's worse than a little kid, and has started calling her "my love" - the cheek. Anyway, tonight is her first night in our home and so far so good. She's pretty skittish and a little shy, but very vocal and has started to relax a bit already and play with her toys. Ah cute!

4th Annual Hyldahl Beat the New Year 5K

For four years now, Mack has run with Allyson and Doug on New Years Eve. They start running their 5K 30 min before midnight and have to beat the new year in.

For four years now, I have waved them good bye and gone into the warmth of the house to have hot chocolate while they braved the cold.

For four years now, I have preferred my way of welcoming the new year - and I think I'm going to keep it that way.

Two Peas in a Pod

Mack loved Ethan's tie dyed pj's so much, he made me make him a pair of his own.

BIG NEWS!!!!!!

Its a baby. Its coming in June. We think we'll keep it, seen as I'm losing my figure for it.