MERRY CHRISTMAS WISHES TO ALL

Merry Christmas Wishes to our Dear Family & Friends.
We can't wait to see you all in 2009.

Hugs and Kisses

XX

Daz, Mel & Maisie

COME ON HOME MISS MAISIE

As wonderful as the staff were at CPMC, after 6 nights there we really just wanted to have our little Miss Maisie all to ourselves.

Today - Tuesday 23rd December we brought our little 5 day old bundle of joy home.... just in time for Christmas.



Carseat installed √ Check



Super cute baby loaded √√ Check



We were ready to ride.

Home Sweet Home

There's a new boss in town - don't we know it.

And we love it.

XX

Mel

Introducing Maisie Grace Wood

More Photos can be found at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/woodwoods/sets/72157611362316365/ (Click Here)

Will update the story within a couple of days, when I am not typing with my eyes closed.

XX
Mel, Daz and Maisie

ALL THINGS BABY WOODWOODS

With less than one week until Baby WoodWoods due date the countdown is definitely on.

The bag is packed, the camera is charged - we are all ready..... now it's just up to Baby WoodWoods to decide when she wants to make her grand appearance. Just the start to the control she will have over our lives from here on out.

Darren is fully prepared for his role in the labor and delivery room. Our McMoyler Method birthing classes have us feeling as prepared as we possibly could. I almost didn't need to be there, the classes heavily focused on the important role that the partner plays during and after the birth.

Here is Darren demonstrating different positions for birth....


And of course what better way to see the benefits of swaddling than to wrap up a full size Dazza. We have adopted this method at home whenever Darren pulls a tantrum. (This along with a pacifier usually does the trick).


We were both spoilt by our employer's who put on great Baby Shower's for us.

The fantastic girls at Video Egg threw my colleague Kate and I a fun filled night with the gals. Cocktails - the tipsy kind and not so tipsy version along with cupcakes, fun and giggles provided a base for a great night. We were so spoilt and Baby WoodWoods is going to look mighty cute is some of the gorgeous outfits.





Not to be left out Darren was also provided a baby shower by his colleagues. Some great gifts and vouchers have us fully stocked up with the necessities we require.

All that is left is to get our little American set up with Australian Citzenship and a Passport, we will then be ready to fly our baby girl home in early 2009.

It is yet to be seen if Baby WoodWoods will be sharing a birthday with her Grandpa Wood (8th), Granny Woods (12th) or maybe her Uncle Matty (21st)...Here's hoping she doesn't choose the last option.

Whatever date she chooses we are ready and could not be more excited....Whatever I scream to the contrary half way through labor is not to be held against me.

We can't wait to meet you our Baby WoodWoods.

XX

Mel (Mummy Mommy to be)

TWO YEAR HONEYMOON

Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary to Us!!!!

What a wonderful journey the last 2 years have been - It truly has been like one long continuous honeymoon.








We have had a spectacular 2 years of married life in America, along with the pending arrival of Baby WoodWoods we had lots to celebrate.


No late night dinner or cocktails at the bar - but a lovely breakfast in the elegant surrounds of the Palace Hotel Garden Court.



I could not think of a better way to start the day - not only a milestone for us but also a history making day in American Politics.

So what memento could we find to keep with traditional wedding anniversary gifts???

1st Year - Paper

Our "Paper" Caricature Drawing




2nd Year - Cotton

A Special Customized "Cotton" Cushion Cover




Thanks Mum for bringing my design and idea to life...

I will have to start giving some thought to our 3rd year gift idea - Leather.
Ummmmm thinking!!! thinking!!!

Hugs All Round

XX
Mel

BACK TO TAHOE

And the nesting continues as I travel back in time to update the blog in preparation for Baby WoodWoods.

Darren and I had a great time in Lake Tahoe in the winter but we had heard that it was quite the sight in the summertime as well. So when we were treated to a visit from my wonderful sis-in-law Donna and Rachel it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a weekend getaway. (Trip Photos)


Settling in to our awesome accommodation at The Village at Squaw Valley, surrounded by the majestic peaks that were previously covered in soft white snow - this time around they were now decorated with an assortment of wild flowers.






There is a lot to do in a weekend at Tahoe and since none of us suffered from altitude sickness our first adventure was a trip up the Squaw Valley Cable Car.


Climbing to 8200 vertical feet to reach the top where you will find a restaurant, pool and ice-skating rink.





We just enjoyed a wander about and posed for few photo opportunities - capturing the breathtaking scenery around us.

Admiring Mother Nature is all well and good but even a pregnant woman needs some adventure. However, for the safety of Baby WoodWoods the extreme level had to be pretty low.





We found our fun, care of the Truckee River Rafting Company…. A self guided raft trip floating down the beautiful Truckee River.




It took about 3 hours, once you stop for a bit along the way to enjoy a swim or just dry off after falling overboard. Yes it all looked tame enough but approaching a rather fast corner and with Donna casually perched high up at the back of the raft she wasn’t really ready to bang into the side of the river bank – and in she plonked.




I think the hardest thing was trying to refrain from the hysterical laughter and desire to capture the moment on camera whilst at the same time trying to slow down the raft and make sure Donna was okay.

It was a great weekend in Tahoe and fantastic to spend some quality time with Donna and Rachel.

After their week exploring San Francisco they were off to what they do best – Road Tripping.
They left to explore some of our favorite destinations including Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas before flying out to New York and the UK.

Darren and I also had a destination to get to……. HOME sweet home.

Out of all the destinations in the world that Darren’s San Francisco based company would have to send him for a customer visit who would have thought that his first overseas work trip would be to little old Adelaide.

I wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity to show off my baby bump to family and friends. So I took off for what no doubt was my last plane trip anywhere before Baby WoodWoods arrives into the world.

I have a feeling it's all Baby WoodWoods related from here on out..

XX

Mel

NESTING WITH THE WOODWOODS

So I think it's time the whole pregnancy 'nesting' instinct kicked in for me. I will start by tidying up my blog and catching up to real time – so we will be all ready for when Baby WoodWoods arrives.

My blog doesn’t even know if Baby WoodWoods will be a boy or a girl - so let's get that crossed off my catch up list.

I admit that for a bit of fun I participated in all the old wives’ tale methods to help me predict the sex of our unborn baby. I also asked my crystal - to include a method considered a bit more new age.

Now there were a number of points I agreed with on one list that was predicting a boy if:

• You didn't experience morning sickness in early pregnancy √
• You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles √
• Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you √√√√

(Now the list did really state that last point but I am only joking that it is relevant to you Dazza ☺)

You can see I was almost convinced it was a boy and my crystal reinforced my belief.

Did I listen to dear hubby? No Siree. Darren had been absolutely confident from the early days that Baby WoodWoods would be a little girl. So when the big ultrasound day arrived all would be revealed… we were hoping.

All the important and crucial factors were checked relating to the health of our baby and now on to the fun stuff.

To quote our ultrasound technician:

“I see labia……. It’s a Girl!”

Hey! that is what she said.

Proud daddy was beaming next to me…. Beaming because he was confident all along that Baby WoodWoods would be a girl – He has the Gift.

Reflecting back I may have put too much faith in my crystal's anticlockwise motion, telling me that lots of blue would be gracing the nursery.

I spread the news quickly and we could almost hear the sighs of relief across the Pacific. I don't think my boy name suggestions were very popular.

Well, I must go now and keep working on my girl name list…. My ideas are endless – it will be a hit!!!!!

1. Paris Galaxy Wood

2. Francisca San Wood

3. Holly Wood


Q. Have I maybe been in America too long????


XX

Mel


Oh Yeah - The baby belly is getting bigger by the day - and updated weekly in the Baby Belly set.

25 weeks

ANOTHER 1,200 MILES

With the concern about Hurricane Gustav creating havoc in New Orleans, pretty much three years to the day after Hurricane Katrina – It was a reminder about how behind I was with my blog entries.


View Larger Map


Our road trip in late June from Miami to New Orleans (Trip Photo Set) was at the start of the Hurricane Season and apart from some tense moments driving through treacherous thunder storms we avoided getting whipped up and blown away.

Well... when I say driving, I was in the passenger seat hiding my head behind a pillow, peeking out occasionally to take the odd happy scared snap.
After all I wanted to be able to remind Darren what a skilled and brave driver he is, for all 1,200 miles of our road trip.

Darren and I meet up in Miami after his brief trip to Panama with Todd. (Trip Photo's)




They saw the Panama Canal, caught up with an old work mate and experienced other stuff probably not listed in the standard visitors guide. I didn’t go because we were hesitant if it was a suitable destination for a pregnant chick. Due to my absence I won’t go into any detail - but do remember to ask Darren the story about the Dead Dog, the rubbish bin and the “Gas” station, it was pretty funny.

Boy trip aside..

We reunited in Miami. I wore my Pimping Bling Bling to fit in the my gangster/Rapster Peeps in Miami…… or maybe not! It could be that I opted for the tent dresses and the cotton/lycra waist maternity shorts – You decide!!

Itinerary: First two nights in Miami

Our first day we took a drive down the Florida Keys.



Sweeeeet houses, Retirees and shell shops but a cool drive along one ultimately long bridge surrounded by water, water and more water.

To reach the end of the keys to the point that you are 90 miles from Cuba would take over 3 hours – making it an 6 hour return drive so we opted for about the half way mark crossing the 7 mile bridge.

The expanse of the bridge running parallel to it is what remains of the Old Seven Mile Bridge, an engineering marvel in its day that's now on the National Register of Historic Places. It is on the old bridge that you can see the gap that was blown away for the making of the Arnie Movie – True Lies.




Dinner was out on the Miami Beach Strip; neon lights were glowing, pimpy cars were roaming and people were strutting – I just happily sat drinking my delish virgin Mojito taking in the glamour that is Miami Beach.

Itinerary: Hit the Road for Orlando, Florida

We took the coastal route to our next stop of Orlando via Palm Beach Florida. I cannot begin to describe the mansions of the rich and famous that you witness along the manicured streets of Palm Beach. That is…when you had an opportunity to glance through an open gate or over a luscious green hedge. A stop in the city center to stroll around the high scale retail outlets could have been the order of the day but witnessing it all from the comfort of an air-conditioned car was a lot more enjoyable.

An example of the mansions we couldn't see... :( Privacy is overrated!!!!

We arrived in Orlando for a 2-night stay at Todd’s Florida address. Darren can not visit Florida without venturing to two destinations, the first being a churrascaria restaurant (Brazilian Steakhouse) called ‘Texas De Brazil’ – a meat lovers delight.

Orlando is the home of pretty much every theme park you can imagine, even a religious theme park called Holy Land Experience. Any other time I would be bursting at the seams to be out and about exploring all of them, riding all the hair raising rides but given the circumstances I was a little subdued.

We decided that Universal Studios would offer more than just thrill seeking rides – that assumption was kind of wrong but we still had a pretty good time watching the animal show and people throwing up at the Fear Factor show. Once the spectacular afternoon thunderstorm came in I ready to get out of there - as my belly increases my tolerance level is decreasing.

Back on the road again and a last minute stop at Darren’s 2nd ‘must stop’ destination ‘Steak & Shake’ for the best Oreo milkshake in the country – Apparently!!!!!




Itinerary Update: Make way west for New Orleans

Stopping at America’s own Panama City was uneventful but the beach towns that followed were amazing. Discussing elaborate notions of spending 6 months renting a beach front unit in Pensacola or Navarre Beach (Florida’s Best Kept Secret).




It must have been amazing, one look at my freckled, pale complexion illustrates that I am no beach babe, far from it but it was a spectacular setting, pity about that whole hurricane predicament.

The beach affair was over – it was time to get to New Orleans. Of course we were Holiday Inning it all the way and we were a little concerned when we took a wrong turn into a dodgy neighborhood and saw this sign… Keeping it real!



Given that under the circumstances we could not experience the real culture of New Orleans – no late nights in smoky jazz clubs, bopping away and sipping cocktails.

I was pretty much ready for the turn down service at 7pm…. And no I don’t really go for that service hey! You would have to tip.

We did make the most of our two days walking through the historic city, enjoying the tourist trap of Bourbon Street and the surrounding French Quarter District. A bus tour of the city gave us an opportunity to witness the destruction that still existed from Hurricane Katrina, to the exquisite Garden district and the old slightly eerie cemeteries around the city (thankfully in the day time).


A diet of Southern Fried Chicken and Original style jambalaya was the order of the day. It was definitely a destination worth checking out.

Advice for others: preferably stay away late August/September and if you can avoid visiting during the nine months of carrying a baby – although I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

XX

Mel

THE ULTIMATE SOUVENIR

We have for a long time been wracking our brains trying to decide what would be the ultimate souvenir from our time in America.

• American 1969 Mercury Cougar Convertible X Good but not quite good enough

• 1st year Wedding Anniversary Caricature Drawing X Doesn’t quite cut it

• 1000’s of photos X Boring

All good ideas but they didn’t really capture the human spirit, the bond that we have formed with the USA.

There had to be a better memento – a souvenir money can’t buy.

After a quick brainstorming session – We were in agreement

• Our Own little American √ BINGO!!!!

All WoodWoods sarcasm aside - we are both very very excited about this news and wanted to share our happiness with our family and friends around the world.

Baby WoodWoods will be arriving into the world in early December.

Boy or Girl? – Well you will just have to check back in approximately 6 weeks.

Hugs all round

XX

The Wood Woods

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

I was never much of a 'long drive' girl growing up – squabbles with the Bro’ in the back sit and continuously whining “Are we there yet?”

Twenty or so years later – nothing has really changed.

Darren drives hours at a time and I fidget around and whine a bit – I am then challenged if I cannot say a word for an hour. Not really the kind of car games I am into – Eye Spy and a sing-a-long of ‘Who stole the cookies from the cookies jar’ works for me much better.

Still the build up before the road trip always excites me; our trip to Portland & Seattle was no different.

An early morning flight from San Francisco had us arrive in Portland, Oregon. Home of no Sales Tax = Shopping time!!!!

First Stop: A Trip to Multnomah Falls - the second tallest year round waterfall in the country. The water of the Falls drops 620 feet from its origin on Larch Mountain.


Since we only had one day in Portland I was keen to get shopping, or at least a stroll along NW 23rd Avenue with the cute shops and boutiques.


Next stop the Portland Saturday Markets and my purchases remained dismal, so let’s just concentrate on pretty Portland is -so lush and clean it really stood out as a great place to live. No offensive aromas like I find on the streets of San Francisco.

Next day we departed Portland for Seattle. I was so excited to be going to Seattle as it meant a catch up with a great friend who I had not seen in 5 years.

My old housemate from Perth had recently moved to Vancouver, Canada so we both had an approximate 3 hour drive to meet up in Seattle.

Benefit of living in Seattle is there is no Income tax – that beats no sales tax.

A great 360o view of Seattle from the Space Needle, bit of music and dance at the Memorial Day Weekend Folk Festival, fish throwing at the Fisherman’s Markets and lots of eating – but it really was all about a great catch up.


Monday already and it was time to farewell Tammy and Seattle – Home Sweet Home to San Francisco.

Another road trip complete.

Q. How many road trips left?

A. Definitely One

Come late June we will heat up on a road trip from Miami, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Q . Does it get anymore exciting?


A. Yes it does – But I will leave the more exciting news for next time.

XX

Mel

DO NOT WASH A CAMERA

After all the road trips and a fleeting trip home to visit family and friends in Australia. Darren and I decided it was time we tried out some new and old favorite extra curricula activities.

Activity ONE: Skiing
Location: Lake Tahoe (Trip Photos)

Lake Tahoe is three hours north of San Francisco - a pristine lake surrounded on all sides by the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.


For Darren it was like riding a bike – one of those things you just never forget. Within 5 minutes of jumping off the ski lift he was cruising like a pro.

Then there was me..... But hey!!! I was a first timer.
10:30am - I hit the Slopes
10:45am - I was pretty much over it.

However, I persevered and by 1pm I was pretty proud of my obvious natural talent on the slopes. Was I the slowest on the slopes? Hell Yeah!!!

Fast forward a few hours later – and my very sore little arms had never felt so much pain.

That was kinda weird, it wasn’t like I was using any different muscles than those I use for all my domestic duties: mopping, sweeping, ironing, carting laundry baskets – hahahahaha - Such a shock that the muscles weren't ready for an activity such as skiing. Or was it????

Exploring Lake Tahoe and crossing the border to the State of Nevada "mini Las Vegas" was a fun weekend spent with our Desolation Sound Companion – Ryan “Sleemo” and July.

** ** **

In between sporting activities we journeyed back to embrace the 80’s and Living on a Prayer at a Bon Jovi concert in San Jose…. And having fun a little closer to home at a Crowded House gig.


So after all the loud amplified music it was time for some peace and tranquility.

** ** **

Activity TWO: Kayaking
Location: Moss Landing

We had so much fun in the inflatable kayaks at Desolation Sound that we decided we needed our own. Bring on a birthday surprise. Darren bought spunky new kayaks for my birthday, it was finally time to try them out and fingers crossed there weren’t any holes.

My friend Margaret and our hubbies took a trip to Moss Landing – Elkhorn Slough.
Population – Large numbers of very cute Sea Otters and many enormous Sea Lions.



So I am able to provide these photos of the day because even though no one recommended I take my camera I knew I had the skills not to capsize my kayak.


Mental Note: After successfully surviving the kayak trip remember to take the camera out of the life jacket pocket before giving the jacket a wash and rinse…. “Oh Melly – You’re so Silly”

UPDATE: The camera survived
ADVICE FOR OTHERS: Just don't turn it on until DAYS later when the camera is completely dry.

** ** **

So with the “exercise” activities out the way it feels about time for another road trip. Tomorrow we leave on a Memorial Day Weekend from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington.

Speaking of taking a trip, Darren’s precious new “but old” car the Mercury Cougar is set to sail the big seas for Sydney. A friend Luke took some snazzy shots of the Cougar before it left. Sweet memories in case the cargo container tips into the ocean. (Photos Here)


Fingers Crossed it arrives home safely - and we will drive safely on our big road trip starting tomorrow.

XX

The WoodWoods

P.S. Congratulations to Rachel for passing all the exams - we hope that means we will see you and Donna over here soon.

HEAVEN TO HELL

Some might consider a road trip from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas to be comparable to a trip from Heaven to Hell.

Salt Lake City - Home to the Mormon headquarters of the World

Las Vegas - World Headquarters for drinking, gambling and debauchery.

Let the Good times begin.

After a brief overnight stay in Salt Lake an early departure was on the cards - After all we had a lot of ground to cover for our 3-day road trip.


STOP 1: PARK CITY, UTAH

Park City, Utah is home to Sundance Film Festival so if our trip was scheduled a couple of weeks earlier the town would have been flooded with movie stars and wannabees.

After a leisurely stroll along the quaint Main Street, it was time to hit the snow. This was really my first experience in real snow, so I admit I was a little obsessed at first - many happy snaps later and I was still obsessed.

With time restrictions in place this wasn't the occasion to schedule my first skiing attempt but it did call for a hoon on the snowmobiles - Much to Darren's delight.

Sometimes you forget how much fun you can have in a couple of hours - this was a great reminder. The scenery was absolutely spectacular and apart from the occasional jarring of the lower back it was a hell of a lot of fun. Unfortunately when Darren went really fast over large bumps - I, as the passenger felt the impact about 5 times as much and he interpreted my screams of pain as shrieks of excitement - so the more the merrier

Arrrrgghghhhhhh!!!!!!!

But the fun in the snow had to end - we had an itinerary to stick to and in 4 hours a completely different landscape to experience.


STOP 2: MOAB, UTAH

I personally had never heard of Moab, but Darren being the avid bike rider that he is had known that Moab is a must for any keen mountain bike rider.

As we arrived at our destination at night I wondered about the landscape that surrounded us, but it wasn’t until our early morning rise that we witnessed the beauty that was all around.

The landscapes of Moab have been the backdrop for many western movies and the odd Indiana Jones flick and it is pretty obvious why.

Arches National Park boasts the greatest concentration of sandstone arches in the world, I think we covered all the main features of the park – except for whatever lay on the other side of the flooded creek bed that I would not allow Darren to cross in our modest little sedan rental car.

Crossing flooded rivers was to wait for our next excursion – in a giant hummer and with an experienced driver.

In the words of our Moab Adventure Center brochure:

Access Moab’s spectacular backcountry in the style and comfort aboard the world’s most serious 4 x 4 – Hummer Vehicle. Climb to the top of seldom- seen, awe-inspiring overlooks. Discover one-of-a kind geologic wonders. Return with a new feeling of freedom and unforgettable memories.

Well the brochure is always going to put a spin on things…. But it was a fun 2 hours and there were a couple of dicey moments that I may have released a girly squeal. Hey! I knew the driver was hoping to get one and I didn’t want to disappoint him.


So safely back to normal terrain it was time to hit the road – we had a state border to cross


STOP 3: LAKE POWELL/ PAGE, ARIZONA

This was pretty much just an eat and sleep stop. But the view of Lake Powell was quite beautiful and we did receive 5 star service in our rewards point accommodation - so hey! there was nothing to complain about.




STOP 4: GRAND CANYON

After driving for approximately 41/2 hours we arrived at the south rim of the Grand Canyon – arguably one of America’s most famous natural attractions. Our walk along the south rim of the canyon may have taken a little longer than usual given the snowy/icy conditions of the walking trails – definitely spiced it up a little. Even on this fairly quiet morning the sound of so many different accents – people from all around the world converging to see this natural beauty. Unfortunately there were no Brady Bunch episode reenactments. A mule trip to the bottom of the canyon takes a whole day and they can be reserved up to 13 months in advance. Given that in true WoodWoods style this road trip was planned and booked one week in advance – Hey!!! It's how we roll.




Las Vegas was the final destination and since we were ahead of schedule it meant we could pass over Hover Dam in the daylight – Hoover Dam would also be the point where we crossed into our 3rd State in our long weekend road trip.

There are tight security measures in place to drive over Hoover Dam – All cars go through a security check in before crossing over the bridge. You can see in the pictures below that they are constructing a bridge that will bypass the dam crossing. This bridge is currently scheduled for completion in 2010.



STOP 5: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Our fifth and final resting stop was Las Vegas – resting stop you ask????? Hey it had been a long trip and I had to get up at 5:30am the next morning to fly straight into the office. So our second trip to Vegas did not include me being hypnotized and dancing like a pole dancer in front of a room full of strangers. A quick google of the top 5 buffets in Vegas was all we needed and there we settled at the Mirage resort and Casino with our never ending plate of food.

Because although this road trip was long - the next weekend was a flight to Australia - I had some ground to cover.

Link to all road trip photos here.

XX

Mel