Hello, I have just gotten back home from my fourth round of root canal. I feel like I have been punched in the jaw, not to mention the back pocket. Why oh why is root canal so expensive? But wait - lets also talk about the pain factor. I honestly think the pain is worse than having a Cesarean.
Back in June this year my tooth was really hurting. I had a previous filling a few years ago on the same tooth and after the twins were born it really starting to ache. It got to the point where I couldn't eat or even talk, so I made an appointment for the next available time 7 days later. For the next 7 days I lived on a diet of Nurofen and Panadol. I am sure my liver wasn't very thankful but I had no choice. Then my appointment came and it was awful. They had to drill in and I was in agony, but once they killed the nerve then it was just plain uncomfortable. I went back for 4 more sessions over the course of 5 months and now I am $2780 out of pocket. Nope, nothing covered on private health insurance, Nada. Why on earth do we have it!!!!!
I have now rearranged our private health insurance to be covered for major dental so after the 12 month waiting period I can go back and get a crown on the tooth. It is $1950 for a crown and you get back $600. How generous.
One of my school friends told me a story about how her dentist was a really good looking guy, only slightly older than herself. While he was working on her tooth she accidentally licked his finger! Awkward.
My dentist is a girl younger than me. She is very good, but you think for that price I could get a good looking guy too.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Someone famous in the family?
My dad is a character. A ladies man if ever I saw one. He is currently single and very charming. On a recent trip to Mexico to visit my brother (which is another long story) he sat next to a lady who was also Australian. He was his usual charming self and they got talking. He explained that he was coming back from visiting his son in Mexico. The lady said what a coincedence, I am just coming back from visiting my son in LA. Dad asked what her son was doing in LA, and she explained that he lived and worked there and he was a musician. She said he was a singer/songwriter. Dad asked his name, the lady explained my son's name is Ben Lee. They swapped photos' - she showed pictures of her little granddaughter Goldie. Dad showed her the twins. The swapped cards and Dad said he would be in touch.
Now, to put this into perspective I have been a fan of Ben Lee since I was 14. I used to go to his shows at the Metro when he was a member of Noise Addict, and my best friend and I were addicted. We tried to stalk him back stage. Later on I then pretended to be Claire Danes.
Last night I had a dream that Dad and Ben Lee's mum got married. I flew my family over to LA to have Christmas with them. We were laughing, sharing stories, my husband and Ben wrote songs together, the girls played together while we all sat around listening to music. Then I woke up.
This morning I found out Ben Lee's mum is in her 60's - 70's. And probably married. Good golly miss molly - there goes that dream!
Do you have someone famous in your family? What is it like?
Now, to put this into perspective I have been a fan of Ben Lee since I was 14. I used to go to his shows at the Metro when he was a member of Noise Addict, and my best friend and I were addicted. We tried to stalk him back stage. Later on I then pretended to be Claire Danes.
Last night I had a dream that Dad and Ben Lee's mum got married. I flew my family over to LA to have Christmas with them. We were laughing, sharing stories, my husband and Ben wrote songs together, the girls played together while we all sat around listening to music. Then I woke up.
This morning I found out Ben Lee's mum is in her 60's - 70's. And probably married. Good golly miss molly - there goes that dream!
Do you have someone famous in your family? What is it like?
Thursday, 27 October 2011
On my wish list
Loving this Pixel ring from www.hardtofind.com.au
This online store has fabulous one of a kind gifts for everyone in the family.
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Monday, 24 October 2011
10 Things they don't tell you about having Twins
When I was pregnant with the twins I found it really hard to get information about having twins. Not just the birthing process, there was plenty of info on that but on tips about how to get by day-to-day with twins and another toddler running around. So here you go - these are my top 10 tips on what to expect with new-born twins.
1. Nothing will prepare you for the moment that you hold both babies in your arms for the first time. Seeing those 2 sets of eyes staring at you for the first time will floor you. You wont know where to look, who to look at first. They will both be looking at you and you can literally feel the love pouring out of you for two babies at once.
2. Telling them apart will be difficult. Even with fraternal twins, they can look so damn similar! The only way I knew who was who in the first month was by keeping the foot tag on one baby and checking constantly. There was many a time that we put the wrong baby in the wrong cot!
3. Breastfeeding will be hard. I breastfed my first daughter till she was over 13 months old. It was hard to establish of course but once we did it was fantastic. It was easy. I took that same attitude along with me when I was pregnant with the twins and knew that I could do it again with them. I started feeding them tandemly straight away and one baby could do it and suck easily but the other needed help. Once you help one baby the other comes off. You need to reattach both and then of course they need to burp, each at different times. I always needed someone to help as I needed another pair of hands. The whole process took a long time and I had to top them up with a bottle each and every time as I didn't have enough milk for both. I still kept at it for 2 months. Then I got an infection and the migraines started from being so dehydrated. It killed me to stop but I had to admit that I couldn't carry on. I felt like a failure and I STILL feel guilty about it. But I want to stress that I have friends with twins who are still breastfeeding them both happily so you can do it. The point is to try.
4. Being 38 weeks pregnant with twins in the middle of summer without air conditioning is torture. I had to lie on my side (as you cannot lie on your back) under the fan and suck ice cubes. You had to swap sides as you can feel them moving all the time and it is very uncomfortable. You also cant believe just how far your stomach can stretch. Which leads me to my next point:
5. Your stomach will never be the same again. For those of us who cant afford a tummy tuck after birth the sad reality is that your skin has been stretched soooo far (especially if you went full term like I did) and it will not return to how it used to. My personal trainer at the gym even admitted that all the sit ups in the world wont return it to its former glory. Her advice was to work out and sweat, work out and sweat and gradually over time it will improve. Until then I have to live with looking like I am still 4-5 months pregnant. Nice.
6. The exersaucer will be your best friend. Every twin mum needs at least one of these little beauties. Or should I say big beauties as they are quite bulky. They are a godsend from 6 months onwards as you can sit them in there and they are safe and love to play with it. I bought one on ebay for $50 but you can also get them brand new for $200.
7. Twins are definately twice the fun but you WILL get half the sleep. On a good night I get up twice (at 11pm, 3am and then they wake at 6.30am for the day). On a bad night they will wake up twice each, so I am up at least 4 times a night. They have NEVER both slept through the night. The truth is they are in the same room and the do wake each other up. Its a fact. It can also be hard to settle them as one will almost be asleep and then the other will cry. It feels like you are trapped in a viscious circle of settling and re-settling sometimes. Thankfully my 3 year old is an excellent sleeper who goes to bed at 8pm and I don't see her till 7am.
8. When you go out with twins you feel like a celebrity. You will get stopped constantly. Elderly men are the worst! My dad proposed that I make a sign to attach to the stroller:
YES THEY ARE TWINS.
YES WE ARE BUSY.
NO WE ARE NOT GETTING MUCH SLEEP.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST.
Of course I didnt do it. Sometimes it is nice being stopped by strangers to show them off :)
9. As a twin mum with other children you will become the multi-tasker of the year. I can feed the babies bottles at the same time, as well as play with my 3 year old and read a magazine all at once. I have 3 hooks in the laundry with 3 packed bags ready to go at all times. I do 3-4 loads of washing a day and the number one rule is to clean as you go otherwise your house will be messy in no time.
10. The twins will be such a fabulous addition to your family that you will count your blessings every single day at how lucky you are to have been chosen for this amazing role. The relationship they will have with each other and their other siblings is so special. Children are such a blessing and to have two at once is amazing. I have started to see them less as twins and more like I have 3 children but two of them just happen to be the same age.
11. I had to edit this to create another point. You will forever be in debt to your mum/mother-in-law/ relatives for all the help they can provide. I am lucky in the fact that I have a wonderful mum and parents in law who help me so very much and give me a much needed break. It is also fantastic to see the girls grow up and the special relationship they have with their grandparents.
xx Hayley
1. Nothing will prepare you for the moment that you hold both babies in your arms for the first time. Seeing those 2 sets of eyes staring at you for the first time will floor you. You wont know where to look, who to look at first. They will both be looking at you and you can literally feel the love pouring out of you for two babies at once.
2. Telling them apart will be difficult. Even with fraternal twins, they can look so damn similar! The only way I knew who was who in the first month was by keeping the foot tag on one baby and checking constantly. There was many a time that we put the wrong baby in the wrong cot!
3. Breastfeeding will be hard. I breastfed my first daughter till she was over 13 months old. It was hard to establish of course but once we did it was fantastic. It was easy. I took that same attitude along with me when I was pregnant with the twins and knew that I could do it again with them. I started feeding them tandemly straight away and one baby could do it and suck easily but the other needed help. Once you help one baby the other comes off. You need to reattach both and then of course they need to burp, each at different times. I always needed someone to help as I needed another pair of hands. The whole process took a long time and I had to top them up with a bottle each and every time as I didn't have enough milk for both. I still kept at it for 2 months. Then I got an infection and the migraines started from being so dehydrated. It killed me to stop but I had to admit that I couldn't carry on. I felt like a failure and I STILL feel guilty about it. But I want to stress that I have friends with twins who are still breastfeeding them both happily so you can do it. The point is to try.
4. Being 38 weeks pregnant with twins in the middle of summer without air conditioning is torture. I had to lie on my side (as you cannot lie on your back) under the fan and suck ice cubes. You had to swap sides as you can feel them moving all the time and it is very uncomfortable. You also cant believe just how far your stomach can stretch. Which leads me to my next point:
5. Your stomach will never be the same again. For those of us who cant afford a tummy tuck after birth the sad reality is that your skin has been stretched soooo far (especially if you went full term like I did) and it will not return to how it used to. My personal trainer at the gym even admitted that all the sit ups in the world wont return it to its former glory. Her advice was to work out and sweat, work out and sweat and gradually over time it will improve. Until then I have to live with looking like I am still 4-5 months pregnant. Nice.
6. The exersaucer will be your best friend. Every twin mum needs at least one of these little beauties. Or should I say big beauties as they are quite bulky. They are a godsend from 6 months onwards as you can sit them in there and they are safe and love to play with it. I bought one on ebay for $50 but you can also get them brand new for $200.
7. Twins are definately twice the fun but you WILL get half the sleep. On a good night I get up twice (at 11pm, 3am and then they wake at 6.30am for the day). On a bad night they will wake up twice each, so I am up at least 4 times a night. They have NEVER both slept through the night. The truth is they are in the same room and the do wake each other up. Its a fact. It can also be hard to settle them as one will almost be asleep and then the other will cry. It feels like you are trapped in a viscious circle of settling and re-settling sometimes. Thankfully my 3 year old is an excellent sleeper who goes to bed at 8pm and I don't see her till 7am.
8. When you go out with twins you feel like a celebrity. You will get stopped constantly. Elderly men are the worst! My dad proposed that I make a sign to attach to the stroller:
YES THEY ARE TWINS.
YES WE ARE BUSY.
NO WE ARE NOT GETTING MUCH SLEEP.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST.
Of course I didnt do it. Sometimes it is nice being stopped by strangers to show them off :)
9. As a twin mum with other children you will become the multi-tasker of the year. I can feed the babies bottles at the same time, as well as play with my 3 year old and read a magazine all at once. I have 3 hooks in the laundry with 3 packed bags ready to go at all times. I do 3-4 loads of washing a day and the number one rule is to clean as you go otherwise your house will be messy in no time.
10. The twins will be such a fabulous addition to your family that you will count your blessings every single day at how lucky you are to have been chosen for this amazing role. The relationship they will have with each other and their other siblings is so special. Children are such a blessing and to have two at once is amazing. I have started to see them less as twins and more like I have 3 children but two of them just happen to be the same age.
11. I had to edit this to create another point. You will forever be in debt to your mum/mother-in-law/ relatives for all the help they can provide. I am lucky in the fact that I have a wonderful mum and parents in law who help me so very much and give me a much needed break. It is also fantastic to see the girls grow up and the special relationship they have with their grandparents.
xx Hayley
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
How do people do it all?
I got this print from Donna Hay and framed it in a white Ribba frame from Ikea. It hangs in my kitchen and makes me smile on days like today when I feel exhausted. It's not even 11.30am and I have been up since 5am (thanks girls). I've done 2 loads of washing and hung it out on the line, got 3 kids breakfast, dressed etc, searched high and low for the appropriate show and tell item, loaded all in car and out the door by 8am, dropped 3 year old out day care, went shopping for some pressies for birthday parties coming up, came back home and fed twins, cleaned up house, vacuumed, settled babies to sleep and made lunch. All I can think of is what I havent done yet, like my gym class and the mound of damn ironing sitting in the corner giving me a death stare. Ironing kills me, it is SO BORING. If I am not organised and I let one task slip them we are that little bit more behind tomorrow. I am supposed to go back to work in 3 months (which I am looking very forward to) but how will everything get done then?? I think I need a PA.
How do you get it all done? What are your secrets? Gin and tonic anyone?
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