Excerpts from a Letter

I wrote a very long letter to my brother Jeremy yesterday, and then realized that I didn't want to have to rewrite all the news, so here are a few excerpts from that letter:

..., my belly is getting big and I'm starting to look pregnant rather than just fat. On Thursday I will be six months along - can you believe it. As far as I know Tamsin is a strong healthy baby. She is already a daddy's girl though. I put my hand on my stomach and she just does exactly as she pleases. Mack puts his hand on my stomach and she moves to his hand. He can move it around and she follows his hand. If he wants to feel her kick, all he has to do is ask and she kicks on demand - do you think she'll do that for me - not a chance. Oh, and the doctor told me I would feel her doing somersaults and stuff, but I swear Mack taught her how to round house kick in the middle of the night, cause she puts Chuck Norris to shame with her movements. Luckily she knows when to go to sleep cause she leaves me alone at night.

I wish Phoebe would take a cue from little Taz. I never considered cats clever. Even Smooch (our childhood kitty)in all her glory was a cool cat and would converse with us and stuff, but she never did things that made me think her especially talented. Phoebe takes catdom to new heights. This cat has a brain (small as it is) and she uses it. I'm just grateful that my brain is bigger and I can use it better. So, we bought spray bottles to spray her cause she was waking us up at night. One spray from Mack and she never ventured to his side of the bed again. However, she has figured out that I am not exactly the crack shot that Mack is, so she comes and sits meerkat style next to my side of the bed and meows just loud enough to wake me. Then when I reach over for my bottle to spray her, she moves just out of my reach and sits and watches me as I try to hit her. If I get close to her she side steps the spray. Then when I get tired of trying to scare her away, I roll over and she comes back. If I by chance manage to wet her a little, she rubs her wet side on any exposed body part of mine. Last night though, she figured out where on my bedside table I keep the spray bottle, and before she woke me up, she knocked the bottle off the table and pulled it slightly under the bed, knowing that in my sleepiness I wouldn't be able to find it. Then she sat and I swear she laughed at me. Eventually I groped far enough under the bed and sprayed her (she was laughing too hard to move fast enough) and she ran out of the room. I had barely fallen asleep again when I heard her hide the bottle again. So, I had to move the bottle to a place she couldn't reach. Now I ask you, seriously, when did she develop the ability to reason and hide my spray bottle - the little bugger. She was still laughing at me when I got up this morning. I could see the sneaky smile in her eyes.

Pancakes - SA Style

Hmmmm, Yummy. I told Mack I would make him pancakes. I think he was expecting the large, fluffy, American kind that you rub with butter and then douse in maple syrup.

Well, he was wrong. I made deliciously thin, cinnamon sugar, South African style pancakes. I was in heaven - and so was he mind you.

This is how they work. You have to get the pan at just the right temperature, pour just the right amount of batter into the pan, and then swirl the batter around till it coats the bottom of the pan. Once the pancake looks cooked through, flip it so that both sides are browned slightly. Then, put it on a plate and lightly sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. Repeat till you have a nice stack of thin pancakes. The reason for this, is that the heat from the top pancake melts the sugar on the bottom pancake, coating both sides of the pancake with the right amount of cinnamon, sugary sweetness.



Then, you want to stick just one prong of a fork into the side of one of the pancakes and roll it. Like so:



Then you pull your pancake onto a plate. Pull a few more pancakes onto the same place so the first doesn't feel alone, and then sprinkle lightly with lemon juice (for a sweet and sour deliciousness), top with whipped cream and voila, pancake perfection.



Mack prefers his with ice cream inside and no lemon juice - they're good that way too.

*disclaimer: I only have a point and shoot camera. Don't judge the photography.*

Snot and Wheezing!

Sorry for the long hiatus, but Mack and I have both been so sick. There has been a truly horrendous bug doing the rounds here. I got it first, and due to my current situation am not allowed to take any sort of medication. On top of that, we are at critical mass at work with the project we're on, so I couldn't even take sick leave. The day I tried I got so many phone calls, it wasn't even worth being at home. This weekend Mack and I both spent in bed with the humidifier on, and the cat trying to coax us into some semblance of life. On Saturday, we went to bed at 10pm, and I woke up at 2pm on Sunday, then thought I wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Well I went to be at 10pm again, and slept like a log. I could barely pull myself out of bed the next morning to go to work. Mack, the poor darling was just hitting the worst of his sickness, so spent the day in bed again. By the time I got home he was so bored he begged me to allow him to go and buy toilet paper with me.

On a happier note though, I am very pleased to report that both Mack and I are on the mend and very excited to be so. Our home is looking less like a rubbish dump and a little more like a home again and Phoebe is very please to no longer be living with zombies.

!@#&*SNOW!@#$&*

Yesterday at about 3:30pm Mack called and told me that he was being sent home from work early due to a blizzard and that I too should hit the road. I was grateful for this piece of advice and let my bosses know I had to leave early due to severe weather conditions at my house. I hoped in the car and drove for about 20 min with nary a sight of snow. Then, about 1 mile from my exit my poor car was hit by a gust of wind and a swirl of snow that completely blocked my vision. Shock, horror. I slowed to a near stop and finally found my exit. I breathed a sigh of relief thinking I would be home soon. Well I was sorely mistaken. Over 3hrs, snow drifts, emergency vehicles, sliding, panic, and a few well chosen words later, I slid into my driveway and parked my car. A drive that usually takes me under 10min took over 3hrs.

Then, to add insult to injury our lectricity (power) had been out since 3 that afternoon. Now picture it: blizzard conditions, below zero temperatures and no lectricity to warm oneself or even make a nice cup of tea. I walked into the house to find Mack on the couch, wrapped in a huge green fluffy blanket, surrounded by every candle we own, listening to music on his cell phone. Even the poor cat was sitting underneath the blanket.

Mack had raided our emergency kit and pulled out a few MREs (army ration Meals Ready to Eat). Oh Yummy! Well at least they have a little heating device in them so we had warm, if not totally nutritious food. It felt like Armageddon had come.

Anyway, we ended up going to bed at 8pm cause there was nothing else to do. The power finally came back on a little past midnight, so we finally had some heat, and we were up and about at 5am this morning. Phoebe was really glad cause she had wanted to start playing about the time we decided to go to bed, and by 5 was bored out of her little feline mind.

Apparently we had it pretty easy. According to the news this morning, the freeway was a complete standstill, loads of people slid off the road or got their cars buried in snow drifts, a couple of schools wouldn't let their kids go home cause it was too dangerous so they kept them overnight, and about 1400 homes in our area were still without lectricity when I left for work this morning.

This is supposed to be the last snowstorm in our area for a while - I really hope so cause its doing my head in!!!!!

Update

Well what is there to tell? Not much. Life is pretty much in a very ho hum sort of place at the moment. Nothing spectacular happening. We're all feeling rather glum and moody due to the immense amount of snow, ice and cold thats been inhabiting these parts. Yesterday at work we were all saying how much we missed the sun. And believe me, for a little girl from Africa who is used to sun at this time of year, life is more than just a little bleak at the moment.

I've been growing steadily bigger - my belly as well as my newly enlarged behind. I'll post a belly picture soon so all can see.

Oh, I got mack to cut my hair. He was really nervous, but I bullied him into it. It was at the longest I've ever had it, and was getting really tatty and disgusting. This is the day before I cut about 10 inches off.


It really feels so much better, and my curl is coming back.

What else - oh yes, we have decided that the cat needs to go through a stringent training process. Even Mack got tired of being woken up at 2am everyday so the cat could beg for food. I did a bit of internet reading (bless the internet) and realized that our little kitty had become one of the obnoxious kind and needed intervention. So off Mack and I went to the shops and purchased two squirt bottles. We filled them up, put one on each bedside table and went to bed. At this point I got cold feet. I couldn't torture my poor kitty by spraying water in her face. That just seemed really cruel to me. So, I told Mack that he would have to do the first squirt. Luckily she jumped on the bed right by his face and he delighted in flourishing his bottle and shot her on the nose. Phoebe was quite shocked, but it did the trick. After I realized how effective this training method was, I didn't feel quite so torturous after she jumped on me. I squirted away. 3am came around and all I had to do was reach for the bottle and she bolted. She has been the most well behaved cat this morning. Oh Joy! Now if this method works on the baby I figure we'll be fantastic parents.

E-mail Forward

This was forwarded to me today, and I thought it was too classic not to post. Enjoy!

Do you feel lucky?

You are a South African bush pilot

working for Blue Sky Aviation.

You fly in some critical medical supplies,

enjoy a quick lunch at the hospital.

It's a stifling 100 degrees in the shade and

you're eager to get back up to the cool, high blue yonder.

On the way back to your plane,

you discover that the only bit of shade within 1 mile

has become very popular. .

You start calculating the distance to the plane door and wonder . .. ..

"Do I feel lucky today?"

What's in a Name?

So now that we know our little bundle of joy is a girl, Mack and I have been thinking of names. Only one girls name has stuck with me. I've tried to think of others, but just keep coming back to this one. Mack didn't like it at first, but I persisted and now that its grown on him, he has agreed. And so it is that our firstborn will be named - Tamzin.

Tamsin/Tamzin/Tamsine/Tamsyn is a Cornish name (English), and is a form of the name Thomasina. It means twin.

I didn't realize that here in the US people would think it such an unusual name. I've had a couple of comments like, "Well THATS different, you do know that she's going to have to go to school with such an unusual name?" to which I reply "With a name like Leith, you don't think I know what I'm doing to her." This statement is usually met with silence. And I just smile.

Now we come to the dilemma of people calling her Tam or Tammy. I hate the name Tammy. Mack insists that we need to come up with a nickname. So I have decided that if people feel the need to shorten her name, they'll have to call her Taz.

So Tamzin, or Taz it is. What do you think?

Blessings

This month has been a particularly hard one financially for Mack and I. We were just hit with a bunch of expenses that just completely depleted us. One particular expense was getting one of our cars fixed ( I must add that this car has never had to have any work done on it since I bought it about 6 years ago so it was due, and its an old car).

Well yesterday as I was calculating how we could wangle and pay off all this unexpected debt, Mack hands me the mail. On top of the pile was a letter from our mortgage company saying we had payed too much this last year and they were sending us a refund.

The enclosed cheque was for the exact amount of one of our bills. How cool is that!

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.