Does Life Begin?

Today, I am 40. Does life begin at 40? I don't know, but certainly this past year has been full of highs and lows, and I look forward to the coming year with much anticipation. My birthday present to myself was to resign my job. I handed in my notice today, readying myself for a big challenge this year, heading to WINTEC and the Building Trades certificate.My other big challenge this year will of course be Emily. She is nine weeks old now, starting to take a real interest in the world, and developing her personality. I am excited that for most of this year when I am not at course I will be there for her, not stuck working unsociable hours in a dead end job.

Emily Marie Mines

Born 4:04am 18th October 2011. Nicki complained of mild contractions at 8pm, went into labour at 12:00am and 4 hours later, Emily Marie came into this world.

It never ceases to amaze me that two people can produce something so small and precious and full of hope. She weighed only 2570g, or 6lb 10oz for the imperialists, which makes her very small, and requires constant feeding

Me vs The Nursery

That's right, Nicky and I are prepping the spare room for the arrival of Emily sometime in the middle of next month

When Ronan and Laura came to visit last month, Laura and I got out the scrap booking bag and came up with these letters. The fairy decals we added later

And I finally finished the latest project. After much mucking about and a couple of redesigns, including a fairly brutal pruning of the original 5 columns to the new 3, here are the shelves I built for the baby's room

Restless

Things are irritating at home. I feel restless, want to up and leave, move into Hamilton, closer to work, closer to Nicky. We are moving in together in June, when her current lease runs out, but I don't know if I can hold out that long. I'm sick of these kids, the constant bickering, the disrespect they show their mother, the fact that the boundaries are becoming blurred. I return home, find one in my room, using my computer. It's 10pm on a school night and the five year old is coming into my room to see what I am doing. Shouldn't he be in bed? Not my call to make. But irritating to me none the less. Hopefully things will pan out over the next couple of weeks, get some positive movement for me, make some changes that I want to make, rather than ones that are forced upon me.

Long Time

Its been a long time since I felt like writing. Things have been ... hectic at work ... fun with Nicky ... irritating at home.
The current job sucks. I work long hours, like 12 hour 7:30pm to 7:30am shifts. My roster is constantly changed so I find it hard to make plans more than a couple of days in advance. The pay is barely above minimum wage and the store/staff morale is at an all time low. In all the most depressing and demoralizing place I've worked for a long time. There have been a couple of occasions when I've nearly chucked it in. I even wrote a letter of resignation and carried it around in my pocket waiting for an excuse to use it. Fortunately it didn't come. And fortunately also there is light on the horizon. A job interview for a much better (I hope) job coming up.

It Feels Right

For the past two weeks I have been house sitting with Nicky,looking after her next door neighbours place while they are way. It has been so nice to have some one to kiss goodbye on the way out the door to work,and to come home too and gripe and groan and have them hug you and say that everything is okay. For that matter it has been nice to hold ad be held. To have a friend and confidant and all the other wonderful things. It has been a little shy of three months now, and I feel more comfortable with her every day. The past two weeks have show that we are compatible, but like all good things, it is coming to an end. Still we have a mutual goal now, to save for a flat of our own.