Welcome to the World: Hazel Kathleen Wolf

Our not so little bundle of joy finally arrived on Jan 5th, 2013 at 5:12 am weighing 8lbs, 14oz and 19.29 inches long. She was fifteen days late, but right on schedule I'm sure if you ask her. Unfortunately she hasn't learned to talk yet and chooses to communicate through leaking water from her eyes while at the same time projecting a loud noise from her mouth. Apparently my womb is a pretty sweet place to hangout, but thank goodness she finally decided to join us on the outside. We love her oh so much!

I'll save all the details of my labor and delivery for my tell all book, but the highlights include being in a shared assessment room for two days prior to giving birth and at one point having the woman next to me go into actual labor. Uh hello can't you see that I'm trying to watch an entire season of Revenge on my computer while I wait to have my own baby? She never got the memo but my time finally came and it all ended successfully. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how I managed to push an almost 9lb baby out of me epidural free but it was something I wanted to do for a variety of reasons and well, now I know. Man and I thought giving up bread for that one month back in 2009 was hard.

One of the pluses of Hazel being so late is that my Mom got to be here for the birth. It was wonderful to have her in NZ for two weeks.

Although I've never had a baby anywhere else, I can say that New Zealand is an amazing place to bring a new life into the world. Just a couple hours after having Hazel, I was out of the hospital and on my way to the Wakworth Birthing Centre. In the words of Borat, "Wow wow wee waa." This place was incredible. I wanted to minimize my time in the hospital for reasons like - they smell weird, have crappy sheets, and people die there. So a Birthing Centre in the country seemed like a much better option as a place to recover. And boy was it ever.

Imagine a little bed and breakfast in a beautiful setting that was tailored for new mums and babies. I was aptly assigned the Kiwi room. This place had round the clock midwives, provided everything you need from nappies to wipes, all of your meals, and even baby clothes and blankets that they washed for you. I spent 4 nights there and got so much support and help that was priceless. They don't want to send you home until your feel comfortable when it comes to feeding and all the other baby basics. I can only imagine how much more confident and prepared new parents would feel if this kind of support was offered in every country. Oh and did I mention it was all free?!

But alas we couldn't stay forever so home we are. Despite making noises that sound like a baby Gremlin being hatched, she is pretty cute and looks good in a variety of colors so we've decided to keep her. Midwives here make home visits for 6 weeks after your baby is born. That's been wonderful and at times humorous, like when it was time to weigh Hazel and my midwife says, "I do things kinda old school," then this happens:

Weighed in a bag. Absolutely brilliant.

What can I say about being a new mother? It is like new love except you skip the stage where the other person doesn't want to pass gas in front of you. I find Hazel to be mesmerizing, magical, and the whole thing miraculous. However, the day to day can be monotonous and make you understand why sleep deprivation is used as a torture technique. The whole making babies cute was a brilliant idea because somehow it makes the sleepless nights and high pitched screams seem laughable. I mean if babies were ugly, forget it. Thankfully that's not the world we live in.

Parenthood is a funny thing. No more not washing a shirt because it passes my stringent BO test. I can be sure it will be a one time only wear, as I can guarantee I will have a stain of some sort on me by the end of the day. And I'm pretty sure my cool factor dropped dramatically as soon as she was born, evidenced by a comment I recently made. We were watching the X games and they flashed to the crowd. Everyone were jammed together, listening to the DJ spinning, and looked to be be having a great time. All I could say was, "I hope there's not a natural disaster or an emergency because there would be a stampede if there was, mmm mmm not safe at all."

Adam just looked at me like who are you. I swear a month ago I would have seen the same scene and said that looks fun and think nothing of it. Everything now is a potential danger, a potential inappropriate clothing choice, a potential street leading my baby girl to tattoo city and tour buses. I've not even a worrier by nature but the shifts my brain made almost instantly upon becoming a mother are incredible.

It's an exciting journey we've started and I really do feel so blessed that we have a beautiful, healthy baby girl to share our lives with. The past month has been some of the longest days and fastest weeks of my life. Here's a few more shots of Hazel during her first six weeks of life, including a great visit with my Dad who also came from the US to visit:

 

 

As I start this new chapter I'm reminded of Tina Fey's, A Mother's Prayer for Her Child:

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a B*tch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Sh*t. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Source: Bossypants

365 Days in New Zealand: A Retrospective

 To commemorate my one year anniversary in Auckland, I have created a mock interview as my own Year in Review. PJ, Pretend Journalist, will be interviewing me for the occasion. Any resemblance to an actual interview, with persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

PJ: Thanks for meeting me here today. First off, you look fabulous who are you wearing?

KW: Sure my pleasure.  It's funny how when you don't work your schedule opens right up. As for my look, I'm wearing Champion. It's Adam's old baseball t-shirt, size XL, circa 1996. I find it really compliments my body right now, and by compliments I mean doesn't touch any part of me and gives me the shapeless, casual look that I'm going for these days.

PJ: What currently inspires you?

KW: Women who can walk without waddling, anyone that's given birth and lived to tell about it, Michael Jackson. I mean have you see Spike Lee's new documentary Bad 25?! Creative. Genius.

PJ: Do you remember where you were when you found out Michael had died?

KW: Of course I do. I was at TJ Maxx in Knoxville with my mom. I had just left San Francisco and was spending some time at home before moving to Atlanta to be with my now husband, Adam.

PJ: Adam, isn't he the reason you ended up moving to a country that has more sheep then people?

KW: Yes, yes he is. A move to New Zealand wasn't something we were looking for but he got recruited by a retailer here and well it's not every day an opportunity like that presents itself to you. Those close to us know what a tough decision it was for us to make, but I can honestly say we haven't regretted it once since taking the plunge.

PJ: What are some of your favorite things about living in New Zealand?

KW: The first thing that comes to mind is the physical beauty and being so close to the water. We were lucky enough to find a place where we can see the ocean from our house and be at the beach in a matter of minutes. It's not just where we live though, there is stunning scenery everywhere you turn. And the great things is, it truly is an underpopulated country so you go to these awesome places and you can actually enjoy them because they aren't crowded with people.

I also love the attitude of Kiwis. It really is a work to live vs. a live to work mentality. From  the automatic 4 weeks of vacation plus 11 National holidays to the emphasis on family, Kiwis have this part of life right. It's extremely refreshing coming from the US. There is also a laid back attitude that permeates the culture. Imagine a place where kids don't where shoes to school and you can't sue someone for causing you injury, well that's New Zealand.

Also, the travel opportunities we have being on this side of the world are amazing. It's extremely easy to travel domestically here plus there are so many places I consider exotic that are New Zealand's closest neighbors.

PJ: What has been most surprising about life in NZ?

KW: The number of stray cats, how many people have personalized license plates,

the lack of central heating, how loud the birds are, how amazing the coffee is, how people don't have screens on windows or doors, how expensive some things are, how antiquated things feel at times from the fashion to business practices, the lack of censorship on tv and radio, how tough Kiwis are weather wise. I'll be in jeans and a sweater and there will be people swimming in the ocean and jogging in a tank top. It happens all the time. Not to mention the weather in general, you truly get 4 seasons in one day. I have never seen anything like it. And the number of rainbows we've seen since moving here is insane - even Double Rainbows!! Also, I'm use to it now but the no shoes thing really blew me away at first.

PJ: How has your day to day life changed since moving?

KW: I drive on the opposite side of the road. My oven is in Celsius, my food labels are in kilojoules. I dry my clothes on a line now.

I don't make coffee at home anymore, I always go the cafe for my trim flat white. I eat a lot more muffins. My Skype rings a lot more than my actual phone. I go to the video store to rent movies. I watch less tv and eat out less.

PJ: What's been hardest about your move?

KW: Not working has definitely been difficult for me at times. There have been days where I thought my brain might atrophy or my heart might break because I was so far removed from the work I love. I left my job in Atlanta prematurely and the clients I was seeing. Doing therapy with people is amazing and creates a special relationship unlike any other. I have really had to look at the big picture and remind myself that just because I'm not practicing now doesn't mean I don't have the rest of my life to do what I love, professionally speaking.

The reality is my current life allows allows me to do a lot of what I love, just not in the professional realm. More in the read 25 books in one year kind of stuff, cook elaborate meals from scratch, take long walks on the beach with my dog, yoga in the middle of the day, and be ready and available to travel at a moment's notice. I don't expect anyone to feel too sorry for me.

However the other really hard part is being away from family and friends. It's hard to miss our niece and nephews growing up and just seeing people that we love on a regular basis. I have met so many nice people here and have felt so incredibly welcomed which has really helped. However at this stage in life it's hard to make and maintain new friendships. I think having a child here will open up a whole new group to us which I'm looking forward to. I appreciate the friends back home that have really made an effort to keep in touch despite the distance. Skype has been a real life saver.

PJ: So sounds like your social life isn't going to make it onto page 6 anytime soon. You must spend a lot of time with Adam, do you still like each other?

KW: Yes thank goodness, most days we still do. Living on the other side of the world has its advantages too. It's actually been nice to start a marriage this way. Because we are so far away we don't have the expectations and obligations of family in the same way you would if you were in the same place. Being just the two of us we really get to do things our way and depend strictly on each other, it can build you or break you and fortunately for us it's been strengthening.

PJ: Whoah I didn't know this interview was going to be so Oprah magazine-ish. Do you have any naked pictures of yourself to lighten things up?

KW: No, I burned all those so that my unborn daughter can never find them and use them in a future fight. So I kept only the pictures of me at church, in organized sports, and in my debutante dress.

PJ: You are going to be a great mother if I do say so myself. So when you think back on the past year what are some of the highlights?

KW: Taking an improv class, volunteering with Refugee Services, starting a blog, finding the best chocolate cake recipe, getting over my fear of bread making, finding a church I get something out of, exploring new places with Adam, and getting my very own bun in the oven. Growing another human is pretty cool stuff.

On the travel front definitely Fiji, Melbourne, Queenstown and the Milford Track on the South Island. And of course going home to the US to visit. As far as more local stuff -  Pohutakawa Coast, Puheke Hill, the Tutukaka Coast and Bay of Islands, Cape Reigna, hiking along the Mangawhai Cliffs and in the Waitakare Ranges, the view from top of Mt. Manganoui, and wine tasting in Hawkes Bay.

 

 

 

 

PJ: I bet you say some pretty wacky things now that you've lived here for a year. What are some things you find yourself saying that you didn't say before?

KW:  Oh you know stuff like sweet as, she'll be right, good on ya, full on. Pretty soon it's going to be all about bubs, nappies, and prams. It's a funny mix of of very British words plus all the kiwi-isms unique to New Zealand. You mix that with my Southern roots, my time in California, including 3 years at a public high school in Oakland and you get well let's just say that pretty much makes me quadrilingual. Boo-yah.

PJ: And how about food - things you miss or really love that NZ has to offer?

KW: Oh my gosh there are so many food things I miss. I literally have to get family back home to send me half of my baking supplies - semi-sweet chocolate chips, toffee pieces, canned pumpkin, graham crackers. And then in general I really miss good pizza, authentic mexican, bbq, and milkshakes. A milkshake here is literally like a glass of milk - no thank you. I have had Dairy Queen fantasies on more than one occasion. What New Zealand does really well is seafood and ethnic food - lots of great Indian, Thai, Malaysian. In general I find food here to be less processed and more seasonally based, both of which I think are great norms to have. There is also a wonderful cafe culture here so great coffee and fresh, delicious pastries are not hard to find.

PJ: Good stuff. Anything else you want to add about life in New Zealand or your experience here the past year?

KW: It's been quite the ride and so much to look forward to in the year ahead. For those of you that I actually know and would want to stay in our home, please come visit us in 2013!

The Final Countdown

4 weeks to go .....

I'm to the point now where I see a woman jogging on the road and am filled with envy. Look at you bouncing freely, you're probably going to go home and have a big glass of wine and then sleep on your stomach - you b*tch! I don't know who started the whole 9 months myth about pregnancy but it's 10 in case anyone was wondering. Whoever it was is a big fat liar and their pants should be on fire.

However, the only thing on fire around here is my dreams. Seriously if Hollywood could see into them, trust me they would be buying the rights. And it's been like this from the beginning. I'm talking sex, murder, and intrigue people. Trust me they are a very interesting place to be. I'd been doubtful before that I could kill mobsters in China Town, but now that I've done it in my dreams I feel confident that 1. I can and 2. I'm ready to be a mother.

One of the funniest dreams I had was shortly after we got cable (Sky TV as it's called here), which was last month by the way. Yes it's true, we did manage to go almost an entire year without it. The lure of college football is what really sent us running into the arms of a satellite dish, ESPN, and me into Kardashian marathons. Which brings me to my dream. I am watching E, which is one of our new stations and see an ad where Kourtney Kardashian says, "It's a girl." That's all it took. Fast forward to that night, and I have a dream (nightmare!) all about how Kourtney has stolen a baby name we are considering and it was on the cover of US Weekly. Of course I now can't use that name because everyone will think we named our baby after a Kardashian. In the dream I was seriously tortured over this. I was relieved to discover after a google search the next morning that my fear was unfounded. Whew!

Weird dreams aside, there are many parts of pregnancy I have really enjoyed. One such thing being baby showers. My friend Adrienne recently threw me a fabulous high tea themed shower where everyone was encouraged to bring a gift to spoil the the mother to be, i.e. ME!

And wear a hat or fascinator:

I didn't even know what a fascinator was before I was having a shower where I needed to wear one, but I gotta say everyone looked fabulous and had a really good time. It's so English over here that it was fun to embrace that part of the culture. Unfortunately, Kate couldn't make it but I know she sends her best and was playing her own version of the clothespin game somewhere that day. It was a lovely occasion and I was so touched by all the people that came to help me celebrate.

Thank goodness for people I actually have the ability to talk to because when it comes to socializing these days I'm usually batting zero. I can't tell you how many times over the past few months I've been in a situation and been like a deer in headlights. Basically, feeling like this:

It's as though my pregnancy came with a personality switch and every time I need to rise to the occasion in a new social situation the switch gets flipped off. I mean usually I can talk to a brick wall, but lately I got nothing. All I can think is dear lord, is this what it's like to be shy?! This is awful. I know I should be saying something, that I should be making conversation, but nothing is coming out.

That's why I'm taking time to savour the quiet, sweet moments. Table for 1 please:

Life can't be all coffee and doughnuts though, there is a lot of prepping and getting ready for baby girl. We started our antenatal classes where we learn all about labor, delivery, and practical parenting stuff. Men even have the opportunity to wear an "empathy suit":

No Adam has not worn it and is focused more on whether he can get laughing gas during delivery. We have met some nice people and since I hadn't really read very much of the what to expect stuff, I'm actually learning a lot.

Besides trying to maintain my sanity as the due date approaches we've gotten to do some much needed non baby related things in the past month too. One of the highlights include a visit from an old colleague of mine from Atlanta, Kathie, and her husband Paul. They stayed with us for a few days and it was so great to have them here. It's almost surreal to see someone from home in this setting because we go for so long without seeing familiar faces. It was a welcome treat and so fun to hear all about the trip around the world they are on.

We recently attended our first NZ Breakers basketball game:

 

I loved it! They played (and beat) the Townsville Crocs, an Australian team. It's the closest thing New Zealand has to the NBA and in the land of cricket and rugby, it was so awesome to see a real, live, basketball game.  

 

Another day we hit up NZ Sculpture on the Shore:

 

 

I'm also still involved in my volunteer work with the Burmese refugee family. Now that they are more settled we can focus on doing fun stuff together. I took two of the boys to the MOTAT, the Museum of Transport and Technology which I think they enjoyed. Along with the other volunteers on my team, one day we took the family on a picnic and to the park. Adam came along and it was nice that he got to meet them and witness an unfortunate but comical scene.  

 

So one of the volunteers was travelling with two of the Burmese boys and three of her grandchildren in her car. It had started raining and we were trying to find a covered playgroud so I am following this woman. She pulls up to a school and gets out, I park behind her. She comes to my window, mentioning nothing out of the ordinary, saying she will go in and check it out. Then one by one, all five of the the kids start piling out of her car, each throwing up or bent over coughing. Then we see one of the Burmese boys get out just covered in throw up. Obviously he had gotten sick en route and as is often the case, made others sick around him. 

 

His mother was in my car and she jumps out ready to wipe him down and then gets out the extra change of clothes she has brought along, ready for such an occasion. I know he is prone to car sickness because he tossed his cookies in my car one of the first days I met him (see July post What Goes Down Must Come Up). The good news is, shortly after everyone was fine and no one seemed to have trouble getting down the brownies I made.

 

 

My commitment ends next month and overall it's been a great experience. The family is doing well and I'm impressed at how they've adjusted. The language barrier has been tough, as I would really like to be able to get to know them more. You know as in communicating in the same language kind of way, but I knew that was part of the deal when I signed up. Despite this obstacle, it's been neat to see the rapport established, the warmth conveyed, and discover other ways to connect with people besides verbal language.

 

Hard to believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. We will be celebrating Turkey Day on Saturday with some other Americans. Our friends and family back home will certainly be in our thoughts. Ya'll have a safe and happy holiday. Gobble Gobble!

 

Bula Vinaka: Five Fabulous Days in Fiji

Fiji is truly a tropical paradise. Exhibit A:

It's so much more then a water bottle, you know? It was surreal being there. I don't know how many times I must have said, "We're in Fiji!" as if Adam didn't know. It' s been on my dream travel list for a while but moved to the top as soon as I realized we were moving to this part of the world and was actually in the realm of possibility. In case you're a little rusty on your South Pacific Island geography here's a refresher:

I think I sleep better at night knowing my closest neighbors include Tonga and Tahiti. As you can see Fiji is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Fiji is not just one island, it's actually made up of over 300 islands. I've always thought of it as a land full of happy people and fantasy suites, and while that certainly exists the reality is it's a 3rd world country and a place that many wish to leave in hopes of a better life.  

Adam met a Fijian guy before we left for our trip and was excited to get travel tips and the inside scoop, i.e. is the guava juice safe to drink there? But the guy shut down that conversation quickly and was basically like, "I hope I never have to go back to that Godforsaken place." We did get glimpses on the mainland of why he might feel that way, but overall as tourists that was not our experience. However I want to make sure you are not only entertained but learn at least a few facts, kind of like your Fox News of the blogosphere. We were happy to get off the main island and found that the Fiji magic began when we set sail for one of the smaller islands.

Our little slice of heaven, Tokoriki Island, was located an hour by boat from Port Denarau. We took a big boat to meet a very small boat and were rowed safely to the shores of our island escape. I was so excited to get there that I cried upon arrival. It was incredibly beautiful, the water a perfect blue, and the air so warm that I was beside myself. There were lots of lovely things about where we stayed but the best thing hands down was the pool:

It was amazing! You want to see what joy is for a 7 and 1/2 month pregnant woman, here you go:

I pretty much spent my days on this ledge sunning myself and staring out at the ocean, so happy to be in the pool and feel temporarily weightless.

Adam was pretty relaxed too and enjoyed soaking up the views:

Yes, this Italian woman was at the pool every day

As if this wasn't enough, Adam treated me to the unlimited spa package. I can't believe I'm admitting this but I did in fact manage to squeeze in a full body massage every day as well as a facial and a pedicure in the short time that we were there. It was decadent and felt so freaking good as everything is tending to swell and ache at this point. I managed to tear myself away from the spa and the pool to go snorkeling two of the days. A five minute boat ride from Tokoriki is an amazing reef full of all sorts of beautiful fish and marine life. We even saw a starfish that looked just like this:

It was lots of sun and lots of fun. Beachfront bure with hamock- check:

 

 

Gorgeous sunsets - check:

Fresh seafood:

Local specialty - kokoda

Spectacular flowers:

Adam rubbing hand sanitizer all over himself thinking it was aloe - check:

We, meaning I,  had a good laugh when I put that little tidbit of information together. It really was a great trip and such a special way to do it up before baby comes. I was the only pregnant woman in a sea of honeymooners, but we were ok with that because honestly felt like a 2nd honeymoon for us.

Happy Happy Birthday this week to my dear husband. My partner in crime, the yin to my yang, the Stedman to my Oprah. Here's looking at the next year and what's to be our biggest adventure yet - parenthood.

Thanks for making my Fiji dreams come true!

Mamma Mia

How is  it already almost October? I tell you the whole seasons being flip flopped really messes with this North American brain. So does the whole driving thing after a month back home. I was surprised I could so easily transition when I came back from the States, but then reality hit day two when I was cruising along and noticed someone in the "wrong" lane coming at me head on. I waited for them to go back to their lane but it wasn't until we came close to colliding that I realized I was on the wrong side of the road. Oops. I love that it took me so long to realize it was my fault not someone else's.

So yes roads and seasons are all different here. We have come out of our Winter and are enjoying our first New Zealand Spring. September brought us our first official visitors. Adam's dad and step mom came over from Atlanta to spend a couple weeks with us and one of the highlights was our trip to the far North. Probably because it looked like this:

It is so raw and rugged up there. We went all the way to Cape Reigna, which is the northernmost part of New Zealand. It was beautiful. The first night we stayed at The Old Oak in Mangonui. It was a great little place. Sometimes I wish I was one of those people who had the mentality of, "it doesn't matter where you stay because it's just a place to put your head." But I'm SO not. I am such a sucker for the adorable B&B or the room that makes you not want to get out of bed because the sheets are so freaking awesome. Yes, thank you, I do want a miniature sized bottle of bergamont scented body wash. Will I ever need to use the phone while I am on the toilet? I hope not but I can still get excited that I have the option.

One of the greatest finds up that way was Puheke Hill on the Karikari Peninsula. Hill is an understatement, try extinct volcano. The views you get are amazing. This picture doesn't really do it justice but trust me it is spectacular:

 

The white sand beaches were as good as it gets:



 

After a night in Mongonui and a stop at the incredible Te Paki Sand Dunes:

We made our way down the west coast, staying on 90 Mile Beach in Ahipara the next night. On our way home we hit up the largest living Kauri tree in the world, Tane Mahuta, "Lord of the Forest." This tree was massive (trunk girth - 13.77m or 45.2 ft!) and magical.

It was a great trip even though the road on the way back made me want to throw up. I didn't though so another small victory for mankind, but mostly just for the other car passengers.

On the pregnancy front everything was going well until a couple weeks ago when they turned on me. Everyone said they would. It was all fine until all that extra estrogen and progesterone couldn't help themselves and turned me into a blubbering fool for about two weeks. My hormones went wiggity wiggity wack. So much so that I called a hospital two hours away, hysterical after reading an article and tried to visit someone I had never met. The nurse clearly thought I was crazy and I'm pretty sure wanted to redirect my call to the mental health unit. 

This is same the reaction my midwife gave me when I said I still have the occasional glass of wine with dinner, and she then explained to me that normally given that information she would make a "referral." As in Betty Ford type of referral. Well I had to clear that one up real quick and explain I that I had gotten my continents mixed up and of course those people in Europe were crazy and that Kiwis knew better. Whew. Close call. The good news is your midwife can't dump you so she's stuck with her heathen American client. Thank goodness my hormones have balanced back out and I am back to my normal self , i.e only crying at appropriate things like this:

How beautiful is that pie? This is the best pizza we've had since coming to this country, probably because it's made by an American, sorry Kiwis. Locals check out Epolitos' Pizza in One Tree Hill. Yum!

I'm in my 3rd trimester now and glad to be in the final stretch, despite still having 3 months to go. I'm enjoying the antenatal swimming class I joined, although the first couple sessions I couldn't stop laughing. I was so amused by our instructor in tiny spandex yelling instructions at us from the sidelines, with Abba blaring in the background as we kicked and stretched with our big bellies. It's a nice group of ladies and after class we all go to the cafe and have coffee and muffins together. It's a pretty sweet deal.

I'm almost at my cut off for not being able to fly so we are squeezing two trips in before I'm housebound and have to actually prepare for the child I'm bringing into the world. Next weekend we head to Wellington, the "coolest little capital in the world," according to the Internet so it must be true. Then my real travel dreams come true and we head to FIJI! Yes Fiji, I still kinda can't believe we are going there. I am beside myself with excitement. And to think it is only three hours away, seriously closer then Australia. Here is a sneak peak at what we have to look forward to:

 

As if Fiji wasn't enough, Ellen is finally back on the air after what has felt like the longest summer break ever. Yay Ellen and to making me laugh every single day.