Antibiotics

So since I have been back from Hawaii I haven't been feeling 100%. My poor mum ended up getting sick the last 2 days we were in Hawaii. We weren't sure what it was...maybe heatstroke, maybe heat exhaustion, maybe motion sickness (from the seaplane ride) but we didn't know. When she got home she got even more sick and had to go to the doctor. After a few tests it turned out she had a bacteria infection (something called Yersinia something or other!!) and she had to be put on strong antibiotics. I had been having some of the same symptoms as her so finally I went to the doc and had to do a "sample" (if you know what I mean!!). Well the "sample" came back negative but I still felt really yuck so the doctor said to go on the antibiotics anyways and see what happens. We I am feeling SO much better now!! Thank goodness!!!!

Now onto Mia. She is growing like a weed, talking ALL the time and in general keeping on my toes but she makes me laugh all day long!! She has such a wild personality - I love it!! Since the weather has been warmer we have spent many an afternoon at the pool...









and playing in the backyard...






She LOVES being outside!!

She is still beautiful as ever - but of course I am her mother so I am going to say that!!






I have finished our Christmas cards. I designed them and put them together myself. I still have to write the letter to go with them but that won't take too long. Here is the front cover and the inside...



Other than that things have been a bit dull since I haven't been feeling well. I am looking forward to David having school holidays in 1 1/2 weeks. He will be home for about 6-7 weeks so we can really get a lot done in that time!

I will leave this post with a pic of me and my girl...it is one of my favs!!

Hawaii - The Rest of It!!!

I was going to do a separate post for each day we were in Hawaii. But that is going to take me way too long at this rate and I have non-Hawaii things that I want to blog about so I am going to do a condensed version of the rest of our trip here and now. I am not going to put any photos here either as it takes too darn long! If you want to see photos take a look at the albums on my Facebook page.

During day 3 we again just had a nice quiet day during the day. We went for a swim in the apartment complex pool. Mia had some yummy food and then mum and I got all dolled up for our evening out at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for a traditional luau. The luau was great!! Great food, great entertainment, great alcoholic beverages...

Day 4 I didn't take A SINGLE photo!! Hard to believe I know. But we just hung around. Went for a few walks, did a bit of shopping and just relaxed.

Day 5 was a big day!! It was zoo trip day!!! Mia's first trip to the zoo. My mum was so excited to be able to take Mia for her first trip to the zoo. Mia was amazing! So well behaved and she walked, and she walked, and she walked around the zoo for over 2 hours!!! It was a great day!!

Day 6 we took a walk down to the beach. We didn't plan on going swimming so we didn't wear our swimsuits. HOWEVER, when we got there we walked along the beach and felt the water and it was SO beautiful so we HAD to go in!! So we did, clothes and all! We had a blast!!!

Then it was just some reading back at the apartment and Mia and Gran shared some nice cuddles.

Day 7 was another big day - sea plane trip day!! We were picked up from our apartment and taken to the sea plane "airport". Mia chilled out in the car on the way there. The sea plane ride was FANTASTIC!! It was incredible to see the views from up in the sky. Mia again was a trooper - the first half of the ride she just cuddled into my chest and looked out the window and then she fell asleep for the second half!!

In the evening mum and I went to see some fireworks on the beach. They were great!

Day 8 was quiet again. Just hanging around the apartment, going swimming etc. Mia tried on some goggles, and posed for the camera...as usual!!

Day 9, the day before we flew home. It was a really nice day. We walked to the beach, went swimming in the ocean (this time in our swimsuits!!), and then Mia dressed up in her very first Halloween costume - Snow White. There was no place for her to go trick-or-treating but it was exciting nonetheless!

Day 10 - leaving day. Leaving days are always so hard. Saying goodbye is always so hard. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. The plane ride home was long. Mia though did SO well!! She sat in her seat the ENTIRE time and read books, did some colouring, talked to the people in the seats behind us, watched some tv, and slept (only for 35 minutes though!!). We had a nice view of the clouds out Mia's window. It is always so beautiful in the air!!

Well that was our trip in a nutshell. It was so much fun. It was such a special time for my parents to spend time with Mia and I and for Mia and I to spend time with my parents. I will always remember it, cherish it, think about it.

Hawaii - Day 2

Day 2 in Hawaii brought with it a nice and relaxing time. We didn't really "do" anything. Mia and Pepere coloured till their hearts were content...


Then they read some books...


Then they chilled out on the deck of the apartment and did some bird watching...



shared a laugh...


and just chilled out...


For lunch it was good ol' McDonalds - which Mia LOVED!! She was an eating machine and really enjoyed dipping her french fries in the ketchup!




Then Gran, Mia (dressed to impress in her best Hawaiian dress!!) and I went for a walk down the main "drag" for some girl time.





By day 2 Mia was back in her routine sleeping about 1 1/2 hours during the day and of course sleeping through the night. I couldn't believe how well she adjusted to everything when we arrived!!

Hawaii - Day 1

I don't even know where to begin. What a GREAT trip Mia and I just had with my parents in Hawaii. This might be a bit of a long post so you might want to grab a cup of tea/coffee and a sweet treat and sit back and relax!!

Mia and I flew out of Brisbane on 23rd October at 12:15pm. I have to admit, I was nervous. I have never been nervous before a flight before (and I have taken a lot of them!!). But having Mia there and not knowing how she was going to react to being in a plane made me really nervous. We sit down in the plane and wait for take-off. Luckily the guy and his son across the aisle from us is loving entertaining Mia so that was much appreciated! Time for take-off. Mia started to cry a few minutes in for about 15 seconds but then was fine. And that is all the noise she really made during the flight. It was only SUPPOSED to be a 1hour 15minute flight but when we arrived over Sydney they advised us that due to weather all flights were put in a holding pattern. Over an hour and a half later we finally landed. Now is when the craziness began...

I had to pick up the stroller from the baggage area because they only checked it through to Sydney and not Honolulu. By the time I got the stroller I had to fast track it over to international transfer and hop on the shuttle bus to get from the domestic terminal to the international terminal. What an ordeal!!! People were packed on the bus shoulder to shoulder and here I am with Mia in her stroller and all our carry-on bags trying to get on the bus. Luckily a very nice couple helped me lift the stroller onto the bus and people squished together and cleared us some space. We arrive at the international terminal and have to go and check in...AGAIN because they wouldn't give us our boarding passes for the international flight over in Brisbane. 45 MINUTES of standing in the check-in line and we finally have our passes. It just gave me enough time to go to McDonald's, get Mia some dinner and basically run to the gate. We arrived at the gate and we were put on the plane straight away. Total craziness!! Our flight from Sydney to Honolulu left around 6pm. Another take-off and 20minutes later Mia is sleeping on my lap, exhausted from the day we already had!! She woke up an hour later and was awake for another 2 hours just playing, reading etc before I finally got her to sleep again. We were so lucky. The flight was quite empty and we had 4 seats between the 2 of us so I laid her down across 2 seats, head on a pillow and sang to her softly to get her to sleep. Finally, some peace for me!! She slept the rest of the 6 hours or so for the flight. I actually had to wake her up for our landing in Honolulu!! Everybody that sat around us commented on how well behaved she was. There was another child a little older than her that cried almost the entire flight!!

So we have arrived. It was so great to see mum and dad waiting for us outside the terminal. It had been about 1 1/2 years since we had seen them so it was so great. We hopped in the taxi and went straight to the apartment. Dad had colouring stuff (paper and markers) all ready in the apartment just waiting for Mia's arrival. Within 10 minutes of settling into the apartment dad and Mia were colouring together as if they had know each other for years. It was so nice to see. We didn't do much that first day. Just chilled out in the apartment, went for a swim in the complex pool and went for a walk along the canal down the road from our apartment. Oh and dad fed Mia some peaches...which became quite a regular occurrence our entire time there!






I might leave it there for today. I will have to do these posts about Hawaii in parts or else they will be a novel!!