What have I learnt so far?

Well, it's 5 days into my 3 plus years of uni and WOW what an eye-opening adventurer.
The work load is MASSIVE, and I'm really not sure there are going to be enough hours in the day to fit it all in. I'll try, very hard, but I'm going to have to let a few things slip. First to go is the housework, my house is already starting to resemble a disaster zone and it's only been 5 days. Lucky I have a wonderful husband who is doing his utmost best to do as much as he can when he gets home from work.

Anyway, what have I learnt so far?

1. That parking sucks, especially in the rain and when there is work around the campus. My first day I left home an hour before I had to be there and only just made it with minutes to spare. The traffic is shocking, I had to park a 20 minute walk away and it was pouring with rain. I sloshed my way from the car to the campus, mud flicking up my back from my very un-wise choice of footwear - thongs.


2. Carrying my books to and from the car (remembering it's a 20 minute walk each way) is about the same weight as carrying a 20kg toddler, except you can't put the books down and bribe them to walk the rest of the way. I'm considering taking the pram from now on, but not sure if that will make me too obvious to the "head flushing" gang? I carried back yesterday 3 books, trying to balance them on my hip whilst keeping the umbrella in the right position to hold back the torrential rain and not wet the books I'd just loaned from the library. I hobbled back the the car, dying to put something down for a break, but couldn't as the ground was a muddy, sloppy mess. I finally got back to the car then had to struggle into my bag to get the keys, finally getting them and unlocking the car, only to drop the library books in a heap onto the ground. Great.


3. The school leavers are in a total world of there own. I've can't help but roll my eyes as I overhear them talking about having to be "up so early", like 10am - to get to a 11am lecture. Hard to feel any sympathy for them, especially since a) I'd been up with the kids since 5 am and b) in the next breathe they are talking about having a big night in Surfers. Also listening to them giggle and chat ALL THROUGH the lectures is very annoying, but the lecturers don't take any crap and have already started putting them in their place. It's funny in the lecture theatres, the ages of the students gets progressively older the further away from the front. All the mature ager's are nice and keen up the front (or, just need to be close for eyes/ears!) and the younger ones are up the back socialising.


4. That Anatomy and Physiology are the subjects to be feared, all the 2nd and 3rd year students are still petrified by the classes, even though they never get examined on it again. It's just such a large course, with so much to learn. It's basically trying to learn another language in 4 months!
   
5. That my camera/sewing machine/embroidery machine are pretty much just going to be lovely ornaments over the semester. I'm barely going to have time to brush my hair, let alone spending luxury time getting the perfect picture or whipping up something on the machines. I have got a few little craft jobs on the go though, they should satisfy my need for creativity.
   
6. I obviously excrete some pheromone that attracts Canadian exchange students. Nicole and I met Heather from British Colombia, Canada in year 11 and then spent the next few years saving frantically to go visit. Which we did, twice. Anyway, I was waiting in line to get my student Id and got talking to the girl behind me. Canadian and over here to do the 3 years Bach of Nursing. We ran into each other a few other times, and get along really well so have decided to buddy up as study partners. She isn't in any of my tutorials, just the lectures, but it's really nice to have someone to talk to and get ideas from. She's younger than me, I'm guessing about 22, but a lovely girl who really wants to do well! Yay for a familiar face in a sea of 300!!
   
7. That is is very interesting, and I am actually excited about using my brain for something mentally challenging.
   

Weekend wrap

It's been a wet and drizzly weekend, the weather has been nice and cool - perfect for some crafts and snuggly family time before my busy upcoming week.

Saturday Wendy and I went up to Silkwood to do a craft workshop. We weren't going to, but after seeing the finished demo piece at our weekly Monday craft - I was inspired! I've wanted to learn how to wet-felt for a while now, so this opportunity was too good to pass.

The workshop is to make a fully handmade sewing case, big enough to hold all of our sewing tools. I rummaged through my sewing bags, and dragged out everything that I like handy when I'm getting crafty. I've worked out that I can fit way more than I thought in, so it's going to be exciting having a customised place for everything. I'm cramming in my dressmaking scissors, embroidery scissors, paper scissors, felting needle and spares, little note-pad, pencil roll, eraser, quick unpick, needle book, chopsticks (for stuffing things) and a few random pockets for extras. It's HUGE, but so awesome.

First up we cut out all the patterns of things we wanted to fit in, and working out what size felt we would have to make. Next was on to the felting. WOW, this is so much fun, but so much work. I've really developed an appreciation for pieces I have seen at craft markets now, realising just how much effort goes into each piece. You start with a blank piece of white batting, and then delicately layer it up with wispy bits of coloured fleece. I didn't realise the work involved, so of course jumped right in the deep end and envisaging mine to end up as a garden scene. Most of the others where smart, sticking to simple colours and random patterns. You keep layering up the fleece, which by now is getting quite high and I was starting to wonder how the heck it was going to squash down and look like felt. After the 2 layers of fleece, it was time to work on the detail. I made mine into a meadow scene, with a tree in the centre and a rainbow off to the side. I was a little rushed in the end, and would of preferred to put more detail into the flowers etc, but had to get on to the next step. Wetting down the fleece and rolling it all out. I really thought this step wouldn't take too long. WRONG. We were there for the next 3 hours, pain stakingly rolling and rubbing, trying desperately to get the fleece to felt onto itself. After, what felt like forever, it finally started to come together. To finish off the process we were told to throw it in the washing machine when we got home. Now, that was stressful. Lucky I had Wendy's piece as a practice piece and after that coming out fine, put mine in. It was exhausting and hard work, but I'm so pleased with how it's worked out.

I've heard that making felt involves breaking down mental and physical barriers, which I believe now. This might sound bizarre, but the process seems to take on a life of it's own. As each piece opens up, it evolves, develops and transforms. What I started with, was completely different to the end piece. Apparently that's the journey of felt. Amazing.

The workshop is on again next Saturday, where we will start sewing on the pockets for all the tools.

Saturday night I headed by myself to a screening of a birth movie at the Uni. It was a documentary on a woman that was wanting to deliver her baby vaginally, even though he was presenting breech. It showed her journey with trying to find her peace with the decision to vaginally birth, rather than opting for a c/s & her fight for this to happen. It was interesting to watch and then to see the birth of a baby coming feet first was awesome. Although the movie was great, it was the panel and all the other women speakers that inspired me the most. All the local and Brisbane women that are active in the birthing community were there. Fabulous midwives, those working politically for birth choices and many, many women that are passionate about preserving birth. It was inspiring and wonderful to be in a room full of so many like minded women (and a few men!) who all trust birth and have so much faith in our bodies to do what we were made to do. The wonderful Sarah J Buckley, was supposed to attend, but had to cancel. Instead she pre-recorded a talk for us all, telling us all about her breech birth and explaining why Breech vaginal birth is mostly un-heard of any more. She herself had an undiagnosed breech birth, at home!

Apart from breech birth talk, there was also a discussion on the ramifications of traumatic births, and the devastating effects that a dis-empowering birth can have. How the ripples of that flow further out and through society than we could ever imagine. And to realise that an empowering birth doesn't necessarily mean a text-book perfect vaginal birth, that also has the ability to be dis-empowering if there is a power in balance. It's mostly about giving women clear information and then supporting them in making an informed decision, and of course the long standing need for good midwife-led continuity care programs -not just for those deemed "low risk", but those that really require the extra care ie, vbacs.

There were a bunch of very passionate and motivated woman who are doing their absolute best to keep making people are that birth matters and there needs to be change in the system, and I'm hopeful that these changes can happen, soon.

Grace at 4 years 3 months

My beautiful Grace is 4 years 3 months and just the loveliest little girl. She is sweet, caring and just an absolute delight to be around. I'm not sure what they put in her Iv in hospital, but from the day she came out, she has been obsessed with learning how to write, I've got a few books that have been stashed away, ones that use a white board marker and she can just rub off and use again - they are a HUGE hit! She loves them, the only problem is, she never wants to do anything else. From the time she wakes up of a morning, until it's time for bed, she just wants to practice her writing. She is improving so much too and can write all her letter, most of them quite neatly too. She can copy words, and I'm constantly being asked to write a list of words for her to practice. I am so pleased that she is starting to really enjoy learning, prior to this she just wasn't interested in anything, just wanting to play and even then she would flitter between things. It's wonderful to see her so engrossed and the leaps and bounds she is taking - all on her own steam!

She is also loving drawing and doing the most amazing and imaginative pictures. She loves drawing garden scenes, complete with flowers, fairies and rainbows. She also has perfected her helicopter drawing, which always have to have a pilot - usually her with long, flowing hair!

She is loving her 2 days a week at pre-school. Next Tuesday Wendy will be taking her, as I start uni too early to stay for the goodbye song. She's not really keen on just being left, without me staying until 9.30am, so I'm sending the Mil in my place. I'll still be able to stay with her on a Wednesday, so hopefully she'll be fine with that.

A funny thing happened this week. Normally Duane picks her up from pre-school, but I did on Tuesday as a rare event. I was so excited to do it and bounded in expecting a big cheerful reunion. Imagine my plunging heart, when Grace saw me and her little face dropped as she asked Where is Daddy? I'd planned a big shopping trip with her, and promised a special juice at the end. She just kept asking for Daddy and then asked if we'd still be able to go for ice-cream. Hmmmm, What do you mean Ice-cream Grace? She then answered so coyly that Daddy ALWAYS takes her for ice-cream after he picks her up from school, one in a cone. After a little more drilling, it was ascertained that this has been there little thing for quite a long time. Sweet and naughty all rolled into one! I love it though, love that they have a special ritual together even if it does involve crap food just before dinner. I didn't take her, they can keep that as their bonding thing. She did insist as I left her on Wednesday that I was not to pick her up, Daddy would thank you very much. And he did and they had ice-cream.

She is such an independent little girl and so willing to help me around the house. She has her jobs to do each day. Making her bed, feeding the dogs, helping unpack the dishwasher and setting the table each night for dinner. She also loves doing her own washing, and can do it all by herself from start to finish. It's so sweet watching her stuff it all in, put the machine on the right settings, put in the powder and then keep checking for it to finish. She then hangs it on the clothes horse, and brings it all in when it's dry.

I love spending time with her, as she is just so easy to be around. She is an enchanting little girl, with such a beautiful nature.

Over the last few months she has taken on an edge of maturity, and now I can see her thirst for learning developing. I had doubts at the end of last year if she would be ready for school in 2011, but now I know that she is most definitely ready and is going to thrive!

False start

Yesterday was the day I was booked in to start my root canal. I got to the dentist, they did an x-ray and had a poke around and realised that they needed a specific solvent to make it easier for the cap to come off. So I was rescheduled to come in today.

So, today I work up the courage again, and head in for my 10.30am appointment. I was put straight in, x-rayed again and then numbed up with that damn long needle. This needle felt HUGE and I swear it took about 2 minutes from first jab until she took it back out again. I hate that feeling of having the needle being swivelled around, as the dentist pushed it deeper, avoiding bone on the way. Yuck. She was lovely though, talking to me the whole time, reminding me to breathe and relax - it was strangely soothing!

It numbed up after a few more minutes and then the drilling started. I was coping fine, the anaesthetic has worked wonderfully and I wasn't feeling a thing. I was even starting to completely relax and just layed back, enjoying the rest time. After about 20 minutes of drilling, picking and poking, the dentist told me that she has gotten to a bit in the tooth that she was unsure of, so she wanted to do another x-ray. I had a root canal on this tooth when I was about 10, and the dentist was hoping that the "canal" they had created then, would be all the way to the cavity entrance point. However, it wasn't, it was only half way through the tooth and the rest of the way to the canal was full of something not too much different for cement. That meant that she had to navigate through that rather blindly, in the hope that she'd hit a space which would indicate that she was at the beginning of the canal. It's normally not that hard, because on an original root canal, the nerve is there to show the way - but as I'd had the nerve out there was nothing. She x-rayed again and could see that she was on the way, but was worried about continuing to drill and accidental heading in the wrong direction. She got her Superior in to have a go, and after drilling for a bit, she wasn't confident in going any further either. The problem is if the root canal gets stuffed up and isn't successful, it will mean that I'll need a post and screw-on fake tooth, which is not covered by the public dentist and it is very, very expensive. Like in the vicinity of $5000. So they are trying very hard to save my tooth.

Anyway, after 3 of the dentists chatted, they decided that the best thing to do would be close up the tooth and have me come back to see the head dentist, who is apparently fantastic at root canal work. Having it open for too much longer was exposing it to too much bacteria, which was too risky. So after getting the horrific needle and all the drilling (2 hours all up!) I was patched back up and don't go back until next Friday. The anaesthetic was starting to wear off as she was putting in the filling, which she explained was because of the infection.

On a positive note, if the root canal is successful, I may be getting a new false front on my tooth too! One of the 5th year students needs to do do some crowns in her last year, and I'm apparently a perfect candidate! I'll just have to pay the lab cost of about $300, but way better than a few thousand! Finally I'll have a normal looking tooth, not a discoloured ragged looking one - like it is now! It's currently got a very bad veneer on it, which doesn't go right to the top, so you can see part of the black tooth underneath. I've become quite attached to my dodgy, discoloured tooth though, but I'm sure I'll get over that once I'm all crowned up.

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I've got orientation for Uni tomorrow. I was going to spend this week getting all the study organised and all the information about each subject printed off - but so many other things seemed to have come up. I'll find out more tomorrow about what I need to do before next week, then it'll be a busy weekend getting organised and no doubt nervous....

Score!!!

I haven't been op-shopping for a while, but the last few times, I've managed to score some fantastic bargains!!!

When Mum was up I scored a set of camping bunks for the kids, a gorgeous wicker chair and a new bed for Xav. Then last week, as I was heading to the dentist, I pulled into an op-shop in the suburb over and couldn't believe my eyes when I stumbled upon these:

I couldn't grab them quick enough, desperate to get them off the shelf before the other (non-existant!) customers snavelled them up. I didn't care how much they were, they were coming home with me regardless. It wasn't until I got to the lovely old man at the counter that I realised they each had stickers on the front with price tags ranging from 40 cents to 50 cents - Can anyone say BARGAIN!!!!! So I paid all up $4.00 for the above books.

They have taken pride of place on my bookshelf, waiting the perfect time to introduce them to the children. Grace has already chosen The Book of Fairies as the first one to read and I am just as eager to introduce her to Ms Blyton.

Busy weekend

We have had a great weekend, well except for the INTENSE pain I have been in since last night.

Friday afternoon we had a family photo shoot with the lovely Caroline from Mihaja Photography. The afternoon wasn't the best, we were hoping for some beautiful sunset shots, but the photos I have seen so far are just beautiful - I love them all! The kids loved it, Xav was hard to capture, but my little aspiring model was perfect. She loves the camera, loves being in front of it and poses perfectly. She's actually doing another photo shoot for Caroline next month, it'll involve lots of afternoon light, a white horse and a field up on Mt Tamborine. She can't wait, especially since finding out that a horse will be involved! She's announced to me last week that when she gets older and has a job, she wants to be a yoga teacher AND a midwife. Well, since the photo shoot, she has decided to add model to her career aspirations too.

After the shoot, I headed up to one of our favourite fish and chip shops in Palm Beach to get dinner and then we sat by the beach eating and swatting pesky mosquito's.

Saturday started bright and early, we headed up to Brisbane to visit the Mathilda markets and also to go to a 2nd Birthday Party. I've been wanting to visit these markets for ages, I love looking at all the beautiful one-off designs. This market was going to be extra special though, because I was going to meet one of my favourite Bloggers - the lovely Penny!

The markets are brilliant, and if I hadn't of left my damn wallet at home I would of spent lots of dollars. I did have free range on Duane's card though, so managed to pick up a few presents. One was from Frankie Rose, Penny's gorgeous clothing line. It was fantastic to meet her after following her blog for the last 2 years or so. I stumbled upon it through another blog I love (Hi Ave!) and once I realised that her oldest boy's name is Xavier Thomas too - I have been hooked! I love reading about her life with 3 gorgeous children, which although at times looks hard - still hasn't turned me off a 3rd! Penny is just gorgeous in real life, it's a shame we only got to have a quick chat as I could have easily spent the afternoon with her talking over a few glasses of wine. Next time!

After the markets we headed over to Hazel's 2nd birthday party. Hazel is one of the most beautiful little girls that I have even seen. She is so cherubic, with big brown eyes surrounded by the most stunning eyelashes, all topped of with a mop of curly brown hair. She is divine. Anyway, we were there to celebrate her 2nd birthday and also to meet her brand new little brother Felix! Renae and Anton certainly have the making cute babies thing down pat, Felix is just as adorable as his big sister.

It was a great morning of catching up, eating yummy food and cuddling a very sleepy newborn.

We headed home about 1.30pm and all crashed for a well deserved afternoon sleep. I made yummy san boy choi for dinner and we ate it outside, grateful for the cool breeze to break up the muggy afternoon. Just after I'd taken my last mouthful, my front tooth started spasming in excruciating pain. It was instantly unbearable, the pain was shooting and constant all at the same time. I was petrified that it was going to get worse, as it seemed to be more painful when I moved. I went straight to bed and sobbed to Duane to get me whatever painkillers we had, which turned out to be 2 panadeines. They made me spacey and gave me that crazy feeling of being outside my body, a normal reaction for me to codeine, but only dulled the pain - it was still there and throbbing. I went to bed, hoping that if I slept I wouldn't feel it, but every time I woke it was still sore and then I'd struggle to get back to sleep.

When I woke in the morning, my mouth felt tight and swollen and I was still in pain. I checked in the mirror and realised what all the pain had been last night, there was an abscess the size of a pea on my front gum - just above the tooth. I'm still not sure what happened, but I can only assume that the abscess has worked it's way out. It was huge, hot and painful and I was tempted to lance it myself to get some relief. I was nervous that it would hurt more though, so just kept my self drugged up for the day and if it wasn't better by Monday I'd head to the dentist. Well it burst last night, and I can't even begin to describe the revolting taste that was in my mouth when I woke. On a positive note, the pain was now more manageable.

As much as I am not looking forward to starting the root canal, surely the pain of that can't be any worse than the pain of an abscess? And then hopefully there will be NO more abscesses EVER.

Yesterday afternoon we went along to the Nursing students and families information session. I could barely talk or wanted to, considering I had a fat lip and a mouth issue that made me lisp and talk weird, but it was great to meet the lecturers and get a bit of a feel for the campus. We got to visit the lecture theatre, the tutorial rooms and the clinical rooms. Wow, the clinical rooms look like lots of fun! They are set up like a mini hospital, with plastic working dummies on each bed. Grace cracked up laughing each time she saw one, poking and prodding them at every opportunity. It was reassuring to realise that most people are in the same boat as me, not having studied for a long time, and were all just as anxious. We got to meet some 2nd year nursing students who did their best to make us realise that they too were once nervous and scared 1st year students, but managed to make it into 2nd year. I'm sure I'll fumble through, it just won't be without many stress outs. I'm also not sure how I'm supposed to fit the recommended 38 hours of study in each week, but apparently it's doable.

This is my last week before I'm a full-time student. I'm nervous, excited and anxious. I can't believe that after all this time out of school, I'm about to thrust myself back into rough drafts, all night exam revision and nervously waiting for results. Still doesn't feel real, so although I want this week to last forever, I'm looking forward to getting my first school week over with - preferably with me still relatively sane at the end!

Teeth and Tickers

Both kids are fully recovered from their sicknesses of last week. Thank Goodness....

Xav is no longer choking on his own cough and Grace is back to constantly eating, trying to regain the 2 kgs that she lost. She has not stopped eating since she rediscovered her appetite, filling up on 2-3 breakfasts and 2 servings of lunch and still wanting more! She's back to about 20kgs, so all that food is building back up her stores and filling her out nicely.

I took both kids along to the Dr yesterday, the hospital had requested that I take Grace as a follow-up and I wanted to re-confirm what to do when Xav gets asthma again. The lovely Dr Drew read over Grace's discharge notes and gave her a thorough check over. All was good, and the heart murmur that the paediatrician had detected had disappeared - where too I wondered?? Seems it was just stressed induced and not something that we need to worry about.

Next on to Mr Xav. He sat on the bed, following the lead of his big sister and raising his top for the chest checks, then taking big deep exaggerated breathes - very cute! Dr Drew asked how long Xav had his heart murmur for, to which Duane and I looked at each other surprised and answered in unison "Never!!"

Are heart murmurs contagious? How the hell does one of my children have one last week and then the other this week? They have both had their hearts checked before, so you'd think it would have been picked up before now. Anyway, Xav's is apparently quite loud and something that we should be following up. She's suggested we make an appointment for him in a month, then if it's still there she'll refer us on for ultrasounds and cardiograms. Let's hope his magically disappears within the month like Grace's did.

After the Dr's I then headed over to the Dentists. Yes, apparently we are destined to see the whole scope of medical professionals over this month. I've had some pain in my front tooth, mainly in the gum. It's not been unbearable like the last tooth pain I had - but enough to cause annoyance and the need for more creative ways to eat. It's tricky trying to bite into things without use of your front teeth, so it's been pre-cut food only for the last few weeks! I'd kinda written it off as just a gum problem, you see I've had a root canal on this tooth so figured that nothing else could be too wrong with it. Seems I know nothing at all about dentistry. After x-rays and a consultation, it appears that the pain I've been feeling is actually another bloody abscess and I'll be requiring another bloody root canal. Fun. What a fantastic way to spend my ever-increasingly precious time. I've been feeling pretty crappy lately, so no doubt it's the horrible infection running through my system.

Starting next Wednesday, after a course of antibiotics to rid the infection, I'll be fronting up for stage one of the root canal. It's done over 3-5 stages, over a few weeks. What a crappy clash of times, considering I am starting Uni in a little over a week.

The only bright side to all of this, is that once again I am taking full advantage of our wonderful public health system. Thanks to Duane's crappy Greenkeeper wage, we are lucky enough to have a health care card which gives free public dental. Normally there are long waiting lists but after going on a waiting list I was lucky enough to get a cancellation spot.

So, once my tooth is fixed up, that'll be our last medical visit for A LONG TIME 'ok?