TEAM ASTARA!!!

Well it has been a great week!!! I am so proud of myself! We have come so far, Murray and I are closer than ever and I have had support from everywhere! I just feel much better about everything and a little more in control - i still dont get through my "to do" list but I really dont care anymore! Team Astara rocked over the weekend and seriously kicked some Fat Ass!!
Astara Beauty and Beyond on facebook is our latest addition - but i'll just keep the ideas coming!!!!! so keep watching this space!!!! xxxxx

On a home note, my Murray is in aberdeen doing a course this week so i'm flying solo with a beautiful bambino, my princess bunny, 3 fish and i'm supposed to be working full time!! things should be FUN!! This course means a lot to him so i hope it all goes well, but to be honest i so wish it was on another week or not at all, as i've finally gotten used to having him around since May and now i'm missing him lots! :(

Joseph is just doing fabulous! He's trying to sit up, is giggling like mad, smiles lots and lots and is utterly charming! Mum and I did a mad dash round dundee retail park today to try and get him some new clothes - everyone gave him sooo much 0-3 month clothes when he was born and hardly any 3-6 months which is what he's in now!! He's 15 weeks old tomorrow and is massive! He is so long and fit looking - just like his dad! He's not fat, just completely solid! He's on 4 8oz bottles each day and the bloody milk truck keeps zooming into queens gardens and waking him up, so unfortunatel he's back to waking again at 5am but will usually have been sleeping since bout 9pm so thats not too bad!!
Anyway, we got him cool noisy toys today that he loves to shout and speak to and there is this poor rabbit that he punches in the head! Mur says he's "south paw" which i think means he's a left handed boxer?? but anyway my big strong handsome baby boy can pack a punch (just like daddy!)

He's getting weighed again on Thursday but i think im working so will miss it - but his granny hughes will be here, so he'll be in safe hands! I cant wait to see how much he has grown!

Must dash, I'm going to have to go now but i'll be back on and updating again soon!!

PS - i fitted into my size 8 jeans the other day (I just ignored the muffin top and breathed in like there was no tomorrow) - but i managed to get them up!!!! (i couldnt wear them but i still got them on!!!!) YAAAYYY!!!!!! :)

pps - blogger is being a pain and wont let me upload any pics - i will keep on trying tho!

The Only Way is UP!!!!

Just popped on to say hi to everyone and to say a huge big, sorry i've not been on for ages!
Things have been manic and its nothing to do with poor baby Joe who is a complete superstar! And somehow i've managed not to have a nearvous breakdown!!!

Things have been slightly stressful to say the least! So much for enjoying my maternity leave! in the last fortnight poor Dotty has had a cancerous tumour removed and was taking little fits and we have almost lost her - but today she seems so much better and happy with shiny fur! My poor beautiful bunny, i'm devestated at the thought of being without her, but the main thing is we need to give her an awesome summer full of fun and lazy days in the garden!

But my god, the bloody most stressful thing to me has ben The Salonm things there have been pretty crazy and have pretty muched caused complete chaos, as I'm now back in working full time to sort out a shambles, left by my therapist when she decided to quit, probably taking half of my clients, my receptionist has also left as she's friends with the therapist, and i to be honest for staff cover over the next few weeks i think we might just be up shit creek without a paddle, but my angels havnt let me down so far - so i'm sure things will sort out!

- but i will say one thing - Dawn has picked on the wrong girl and my god i'm gonna kick some ass!!!! Watch this space cos i've been brainstorming and I rock at that!! so keep on checking up on here for some excellent pictures and i'll tell you what we've all been up to ............. COME ON TEAM ASTARA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Days!

Well it's been a while since i've managed to get on here!

Things have been really crazy recently and i've been going mental - and I mean mental - losing my temper just hasnt been enough!!!!!!!!!!

I know they say in life that you only get so much to deal with, that you can actually cope with - well holy shit - i've had it piled onto me!! With Murray's bloody knee surgery being in Glasgow, then him not being able to drive, hold Joseph, climb the stairs etc for over a week - its been really tough on me!! Then the computer crashing in the salon for a whole week after burglars in Anstruther had been breaking into shops, i decided to empty mine for the bank holiday weekend! They never robbed us but it caused mayhem in the long run!!! lol , then Dawn being off sick meaning i had to go back into work earlier than i'd planned, and I somehow did something to the handbrake and my beautiful new car rolled down a hill and got bashed and is still away getting fixed! (meaning i'm driving a skoda courtesy car - nice!!!) Had so much salon paperwork and phonecalls its been horrific and I cant remember any more as i've tried to block it from my mind but unfortunately it was all capped off at the weekend on my first night out drinking in 11 months and the first time i'd been out and dressed up since the baby was born, when someone who will remain nameless upset me more than anyone would ever know and asked "how long do you have left to go? when are you due?" I was gob smacked - i'm not as small as before but i was wearing a size 8 dress!!!! So what I didnt say at the time as i was too shocked - but should have said was.......... FUCK OFF asshole!!!!!!

SLEEPY SUNDAY!

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well it was the football presentation dance last night and Murray arrived home at 2.30am - after standing outside the salon looking for burglars whilst phoning me to tell me he was down the street and "ready for them" (honestly i wanted to bash him myself at 1.50am) never mind!!! The front door then burst open, he crashed around downstairs for a bit, then ejected himself out of his suit in the livingroom (it looked like the hulk had been there!) woke up Joe who was sleeping in my arms in the nursery after his bottle and then crashed out accross the top of our bed - where he has remained comatosed since!!! Am i bothered??........ me???? naah of course not - i've loved having the baby for the last 21hours on my bloody own!!!!!!!!!!!

So it's now mid afternoon - i'm officially on strike and still in my pj's - i've done the bottles, the baby, the washing and tidy'd up and i'm determined that i'm doing no-more!! it'll be takeaway for tea a cosy bath then clean pj's all round and bed!!! (Tomorrow's Monday so we can start all afresh then!!!)

The lord and master has now risen - my god he stinks!! - the baby has been firmly placed in his arms and i've done a runner to the kitchen - now both my boys are on the couch and all i can hear is UFC blaring outta the telly!! (give me strength)(can't live with him, and can't live without him, comes to mind......!!! lol)

Well who knows what this week coming will bring, as our plans have gone all to pot - seeing as bridezilla has "relieved me of my duties" we've now got a free weekend!!

From this whole sorry situation, I've learned a good life lesson and found patience and reserve that i never knew i had. I've never had my professionalism questioned and dismissed before and it hurt me to the core, but from somewhere i found calmness, compassion and pitty for the girl, and have risen abouve it all. I am fiercly protective of both my beautiful baby and my salon and both have come under fire and been the subject of a nasty, cold and hurtful attack. But from somewhere i've managed to walk away from a situation where i would have normally completely lost it and seriously fought my corner, especially as all i was doing was being kind, doing a favour and trying to help. But the greater picture is my family happiness and I adore my family - Teesh and Graham mean the world to me and i will never ever do anything to upset what we all have - so if keeping quiet and walking away is needed to keep the peace, then so be it!

It's a big week for me anyway, full of more important things. It's officially 3 years on Saturday since the fire and hopefully we'll get the last installment of our insurance settlement! Yaaaay, woop woop woop!! thank goodness - it's been a tough patch for us but we're nearly there! I've got an excellent bunch of girls working for me now and hopefully this'll be a good year for Astara!! Thats if we dont get robbed this week! Buggers!! I've done everything i can to prevent it and short of putting Mur down there to sleep with a baseball bat at night - it's now left in the hands of the police to keep an eye out (now why dont i feel reassured????!!!) considering the same west coast scumbags that were casing out my salon, were the very ones questioned by CID about the other burglaries ................ i think it'll jst be a matter of time until they strike! Which is sad, scary and horrible!!!

On a more happy and cheerful note, Baby Joe is truly scrumptious and has been a darling this weekend, we've been to St Andrews, out visiting, and he went to see the Swallows play with his daddy yesterday, while i was getting my spray tan done!! - (bet it wont be long til he's running up and down the sideline with a ball and strip on, causing chaos!!!) - He's now up to 6oz per bottle!! (The boy is getting HUGE!!) He is sleeping longer and is cutting out a feed a night and he really is soo funny!! (ask "are you gorgeous?" and the smile you get would light the room!) i love being a mummy and Mur really is an excellent daddy - but you know things have shifted when the baby is screaming for scotland and you both find yourself "tag-teaming" him, trying to change his nappy as fast as you can, both singing incy wincy spider, trying to restore the calm!!! lol .......... whats happened to us?

............. Poor dot must be wondering what the hell happened to her quiet wee house??? (well she's not the only one!!!) xxxx (she's lying sprawled out under my chair as i am typing this getting some peace and quality time with her mum!!)

better go - Murray's just announced he's hungry, he's busy rading an empty fridge and i'm supposed to have been online for the last 20 minutes doing the Asda order!!! (OOPS!)

xxxx bye for now, much love xxxx

Count to 10 ...............

Aaaarrrrggghhhhhh!!!

This has been one week not to be repeated!

Take a deep breath!

I am blogging on the run, practically, tonight as it's pay day! (again, so soon, where does the time go????) I am swamped under with paperwork and have enough money sitting in bundles to go to the maldives (yes I was tempted to run....) envelopes, rent reviews, holiday pay accrual, P60's, P45's and tax returns and on, and on, and on ...... lying everywhere needing my attention even a large G&T just wont cut it tonight!!! God my heads hurting just writing this!

On top of all that, I've had a very hungry baby needing fed, (nailing 5oz every 3hrs) a mother in-law (bless her) frantically ironing, a husband with a seriously busted knee (and if he keeps up with the grumpiness a busted face to match it!!!)a flaming roasting heat wave, (with a baby who is beter suited to artic conditions) the biggest bloody bridezilla, (don't even go there!!) staff meetings, baby visitors, health visitors, a cat thats hell bent on stalking my beautiful dot spot! celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and to cap it all off we've just finished 4 nights in a row of visiting mums house to see the Ozzy's!!!! (we loooved them, they were all just fab people!)but i'm shattered!

Oh and who'd have believed it - surprise bloody surprise - i'm still doing the night feeds ("cos your just so good at it") as husband dear - is just no use and doesnt even hear him cry!!! How I ask, can he possibly sleep through the racket our darling can create, I dont know, but he's a master at it!!! Lord give me strength before i blow my stack! But never mind, lets look on the bright side ...... he might get a trip off after his knee surgery (OH F$@K!!!!!!!) 12 weeks at home, So hey God, just bring it on!!!! (what did i ever do to you?)

Ps, Baby Joe is seriously SMILING this week, (it would melt your heart!!) is weighing in at 10lbs 6oz, has slept amazingly in his wonderful auntie's HUGE silvercross pram 3 times and is now sleeping in his own room at night!!! YAAY!!! He's so funny and I would go to the end of the earth for this little lad, words just cant describe how loved and adored he is.

Hope you are all having a better week than me! (could it be worse than mine??)

With Much Love and Blue WKD's

xxxxxxxxxx

On the home stretch!!

"Daddy's coming home" Yaaay, I dont think in all the years that Murray has been offshore I've ever looked forward to his arrival as much as I am this trip! and I love him and miss him everytime he goes like you wouldnt believe, so thats really saying something!!!!

It's going to be so much fun! We're going to do so many things and go loads of places and really just enjoy being all together!!! and since i'm back in control again with the house and the fact it's even tidy again - I'm like a new woman, so I know the 3 of us will manage amazingly!!

It's so funny to think we're now a 3 or even a "family" as it's been just us 2 for so long! zooming around in fast cars buying stuff, doing what we wanted, spoiling ourselves and generally having a very indulgant selfishly bloody fantastic time!!! But I've been there, done it and bought the t-shirt (or the clothes shop in my case!!!!!) lol, and I'm so ready and excited for this new, special part of my life full of precious love and blessings, that money cant buy and is hard to imagine ever being without now!!!

I love my "House of Hughes" and all it's going to bring and I have never been happier in my life! And i'm coping with the groundhog day effect of washing, feeding etc but not with the just fell outta the tumble dryer look - man i look pretty rough right now and Jane Iredale is doing a sterling job but nothings that good! i'm almost a lost cause!!!

before i go - we went out for a walk yesterday that turned into the biggest trial ever - 4 flaming hours - as we did a quick pitstop at the Peat residence for a feed enroute and never made it outta leeanns livingroom again! complete, total nightmare! poor wee man threw up, heated up and played up!! lol - i was sweating, next time i go for a walk, i'm taking the car!!!! ;) and i'm not joking!
(but the half bottle of blossomhill i sank on my return home - soothed all frayed nerves!)

here's some bathtime pics of Master Joe, who is learning to smile this week, is trying to baby talk (almost as much as me!) and can hold his rattles!!!! It's been a great week with the greatest wee man!!

better skoot, granny mary's feeding the munchkin,
much love xxxx

Life Outside the Livingroom!

What a week I've had - Poor Joseph's been back to the doctors and is on stronger reflux medicine (jury is still out as to whether it's working yet or not!) I followed advice on getting rid of cradle cap by a stupid old nurse at the practice (wrong advice may I add!!) and have managed to rub off half his hair ........... not a good look - poor wee baby! But after a complete and total melt down that lasted over 8 hours I came to terms with it and the fact that it was me that did it - and I realised it was falling out anyway! God, who said that mummy guilt is easy to live with?!!!!!

And finally ............... We made it out of the livingroom the last 3 days and went to Kirkcaldy, to Leven and We went visiting both crazy granny's today! and minus the impossible amounts of sick, I'm managing mornings on my own! Yaaay!

So it's all good here in our house! and we're on the countdown until Freedom Friday!!! When Murray gets back! woop woop! It's gonna be a fun week! We are getting helped/visited by lots of lovely's to give poor granny Mary a rest from us to get organised at home before her Ozzy's arrive! Our rota is shaping up quite nicely, Annie, Lor, Christine and some reflux sympathising visitors too!!! I'm reallyquite excited!!

Ooh and i'm booked in for a complete overhaul over the course of the week at the salon!! I cant wait - there are bits of me that I daren't even type about ........... I just shut my eyes now and if I cant see it - it cant worry me!! lol

On a sad note - i missed the beauty show today! awwww, it's really made me sad - What's happening to me? but fingers crossed i'll be in a better more organised less sickly place next year and I can arrive in style, groomed perfectly with a list in my hand........... back to my old self again (where has she gone?? can anyone still see her?)

ps/ At the top there's a few cute pics - some of my fav's from the last 5 weeks!!!

much love xxxx