Eight Weeks Into My Motherhood Journey

It has now been just over 8 weeks since Kingsley arrived in our lives and while the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy dragged these past weeks have flown by.  There has been a lot going on though not just with adapting to motherhood and parenting but as we are living out of  suitcases with family we are adjusting to that new dynamic and there is a lot going on in relation to our move to New Zealand including trying to see everyone before we move.

Mum, Hubby, Kingsley and I (Jessie in the background)

Hubby's parents, his brother, my sister in law and their son and Hubby and I

Midway through packing by the movers

Here are a few of the things I have ticked off the list in the last few weeks.

Had my mum here from New Zealand for the first week after Kingsley was born
Supervised the international movers packing all of our belongings
Cleaned and moved out of our rental
Relocated to live with family out of suitcases
I had to get Kingsley a passport, do you know how hard it is to get a passport style photo of a 3 week old baby (looking straight at the camera, head straight, awake not crying or frowning) it took 12 shots before we got one that was usable.
Hubby and I both had to renew our passports
Kingsley had to be added to our flight
Travel insurance purchased (couldn't do it till he was born)
Advertised my car for sale
Ordered new bank and credit cards to extend their expiry dates (it costs a bit to have them sent overseas)
Kingsley's 6 week vaccinations and my check up
Accommodation booked for my brothers wedding in February
Organising Jessie's vet checks before she moves with us
Planning for Christmas
Sending Christmas cards
Trying to see everyone before we leave
Meeting with a couple of ladies from work who also have babies in an impromptu mothers group. Because we are leaving I have not joined one of my own (I need every minute with existing friends)
Getting Kingsley's hearing check done (all good)
Working on our new house build

I also took the little guy on his first road trip from Brisbane up to Tin Can Bay ( 2.5 hrs north) and then to Maaroom (a further 45 mins north of Tin Can Bay),  We had 4 nights away and thankfully I was staying with good friends so I was not under too much self imposed pressure to keep him quiet and not disturb the rest of the house.

Kingsley with good friends of ours who we used to live near when we had our farm 

This is Kingsley's surrogate Nanna (my best friend who passed away's Mum)

Love this photo

With Kingsleys surrogate Nanna  and Grandad (my best friend who passed away's Mum and Dad and Max the dog)

Kingsley and his cousin in matching outfits (not arranged)

Kingsley and Grandma (Hubby's mum)

Kingsley's cousin reading him a story

It has been a busy few weeks during which time we have relocated all our remaining belongings 3 times (from our rental to Hubbys parents then to Hubby's brothers house, then back to his parents. Next move will be to New Zealand on Jan 12, the count down is on.

Using Up Food Before We Move

With our impending move to live with family we are doing our best to use up as much food from our pantry, fridge and freezer as we can.  This is very difficult for people who are used to having a large stockpile of food and we are eating things more often than we normally would (polenta a few times a week)
We will be able to take food with us to keep using over the next 3 months but here are some of the things we have used up and how we used them.

Pastry and feta used up in Spinach and Feta Triangles.

Coconut used in Louise Cake a classic New Zealand sweet slice and on breakfast cereal in the mornings.

I used up the last of my pepitas, sunflower seeds, linseed's and most of my bread flour by making a few loaves of Busy Peoples Bread.  I also included poppy seeds, sesame seeds and chia seeds but I still have some of these left and will keep adding these to breakfast cereals and mixed in yogurt till they are gone.
I also made bread crackers from part loaves of bread that I had in the freezer.  All I do is cut it thinly brush with olive oil and when just out of the oven a given them a sprinkle of salt.

I used up the last of the dates in a couple of date loaves and I used up all my sushi wrappers and sushi rice making sushi for our baby shower.

Hubby has taken the last of my Homemade Baked Beans to work for lunch, all the chickpeas have been turned in to hummus, the last of the yellow spit peas are now dahl and portioned out in the freezer, and we have been using up frozen meals that I have in the freezer. There are still plenty in there for after peanut arrives but now that he is overdue I have been less inclined to cook and they have come in very handy.

I still have a bit of Quince Paste (about 2 cups) left and am looking for a way to use it up so if you have any ideas let me know.

Vehicle Maintenece And Prep For New Zealand

We are taking our ute to NZ so in preparation Hubby did some basic cosmetic maintenance/repair work.  The ute has a steel tray that is powder coated for rust proofing however over the time we have had it the powder coating has come off in places through wear and tear leading to patches of surface rust.
If we were staying here in Australia we would probably not have worried too much as we would have likely changed the vehicle before it became a problem.  But with taking the vehicle to New Zealand which is a much wetter climate the rust would increase more rapidly and  we will not do such high kilometers so we will therefore keep the car longer.

It was only surface rust and there were no holes or anything like that so it was just a matter of Hubby grinding back the rust, applying rust converter and repainting.

This is after the rust has been ground off and scrubbed back and rust converter has been applied and left to dry.

Hubby then repainted the entire tray with undercoat/primer.

Then finally the entire tray was repainted.

The rest of the vehicle had no issues so we just need to worry about cleaning it before we move so this investment of our  Hubby's time and effort is worth it . Because the ute will be packed inside the same shipping container as all of our other belongings it only works out at about $3000 dollars to ship it which is much less than it's value.

Changes To Our Plan

Back at the start of June I posted our plan for the next 12 months but a few things have changed since then.  Some of these changes put a bit of pressure on us especially as we transition to parent hood so I am trying to be as prepared as I can.

I have put the original plan in italics so you can see what has changed.

August - We will be heading home on our road trip and Hubby will be heading back to work.  I will be working with our builders and planning for our new house.  There will be a few Peanut related related baby appointments to catch up on and I have plans to do a further cull of excess belongings that will not go to NZ with us.  I also plan to do some craft, catch up with friends we don't see very often and have a rest before the Peanut arrives.

This all went to plan but other than finishing up my crochet blanket not much else happened on the craft front. I am not really surprised.

We have been having a big clean up on return from our trip as we do not want to have to just leave behind or sell all of our camping gear.  But as you can imagine it is exactly the sort of thing that customs will be worried about bringing dirt and bugs into the country.  So everything has been cleaned.  Tents were vacuumed then mopped out on the inside, hosed down and scrubbed on the outside, left to dry then flipped over for the bottom to be scrubbed clean. Camping chairs, our gazebo and tarpaulins all got the same treatment to make sure no dirt was left on them.  Thankfully I am have had an easy pregnancy and am not very big so spending a few hours on my hands and knees scrubbing was not too much as long as I took breaks.

Hubby doing the mopping after I vacuumed

The garage got a big sort out with lots of cardboard and polystyrene boxes that used
to house home brew getting the heave ho.

The last of the garden pots set aside for recycling and the back shed got cleaned out too.

Everything that is going to to be moved to New Zealand needs to be sorted through to make sure we are not taking with us anything that will cause us issues with customs and so that we can get rid of all the bits and pieces that are not going with us.  We have cleaned all of our furniture that is going and been through all our cupboards. we have also moved our futon couch and second chest freezer to Hubby's brothers house as we need something to sleep on when we stay with them and we still have meat to get through between now and when we leave.  So we will transport all the meat to their house when we move out so we can clean out and dry our other chest freezer that is going to New Zealand with us.  

September - Much like last month but I am guessing I will be slowing down a bit more and finalising baby prep.  We will also have a baby shower of sorts that will include all friends and family both male and female.  And of course there is a chance the little guy could turn up early.

This is all still happening. 

October - Peanut is due on the 5th so nothing big planned this month.  Mum is coming over from NZ for a week from the 9th for a week and it will be great to have her here in the early days (or for the birth if he is late).

Well this is going to be the month where things change the most.  We had originally been told by our agent that extending our lease for a month would not be an issue but it turns out the owner had not been consulted and was not agreeable to this.  So now we have no choice but to be out by the 20th.  Yes with a baby due things are getting tight this month and we have had to make some significant preparations to accommodate the change.
The month will start the same with the arrival of Peanut and then mum will be here.  But the day mum leaves on the 16th will also be the day we move to Hubby's parents house to live until for a few weeks.  
The international movers turn up on the 17th and start packing all of our things to be shipped to New Zealand and will finish the packing on the 18th then collect everything to go into storage on the 19th.  We then have the afternoon of the 19th to clean the house ready for the carpet cleaners to arrive on the morning of the 20th after which we will have to finish any cleaning and hand the keys back that afternoon.
So this means that anything we want to have with us between the October 16 2016 and February 14th 2017 (approx) has to be packed before October 16.  It also has to be within our luggage allowance to take to New Zealand when we fly in January.  Since we have to live out of suitcases for so long and we will have a bit of baby gear to cart around we have paid in advance for 2 additional bags (it is much cheaper to do this even if you do not use the full weight allowed, than pay for excess baggage if you go over). So we will have 4 x 23 kg bags, 2 pieces of hand luggage, a laptop bag, a nappy bag and a pram for the flight, plus a few odds and ends that we will leave behind when we go.

We have also arranged with the moved that we can keep a few things aside to be dropped of with the ute at the last minute.  Most of this will be food containers from the pantry as we will keeping and eating what ever we have left until the last minute then clean all the containers and pack then to be added to our shipping container.
We will also keep our 60 litre car fridge out so that we can use that in addition to Hubby's parents fridge which is generally full all the time before we try and add anything extra.

November - Will be the beginning of the end as we introduce Peanut to friends and family here in Australia and start to say our goodbyes.  It will take time to make sure we see everyone and we will try and have a farewell party at some stage during the month.  At the end of the month the international removalists will come and pack all our stuff and store it for a few weeks before it gets shipped to NZ.  We will move out of our rental and stay with family over the Christmas period.

This month we will relocate to my brother and sister in laws until just before Christmas to give Hubby's parents a break from having us and a new born in the house.  I will also be taking Peanut on an introduction trip up to Tin Can Bay for a week to see two different lots of friends and say goodbye to them.

December - We will hand over our 4wd to the removalists and sell my car. More of the same from November but we will be living out of suitcases and making the most of time with family.

Just before Christmas we will go back to Hubby's parents for our last 3 weeks in Australia.  We will get rid of the futon and the freezer from my brother and sister in laws.  We will also be hanging on to the ute and dropping it off just a few days before we leave.

January - Jessie will be having all of her final vet visits before the move and will be dropped off with the pet movers the day before we fly.  Jan 12 is Moving Day.  We will say good buy to Australia and set off to start a new life in NZ.  I am sure this will be a busy month as we start off staying with my parents, find a house to rent, get building underway on our new house and show off Peanut to our NZ friends and family.

Other than now dropping off the ute this month everything else stays the same.

The rest of next years plans may change but at this stage it is a little far off and we do not know of any changes yet.

Planning Our Move To New Zealand - Household Goods

The third part of the moving story is about our household goods.

As I mentioned yesterday we made contact with 4 different companies who we could potentially use to move our things and then continued to ask questions of the 2 companies who provided the best service as at first glance most of the prices seemed to be similar.  We then organised for both of the companies to come and give us a full quote by actually looking at our possessions to make sure what we were planning on taking was going to fit along with our car.

We have been culling our possessions for the past 12+ months and even now there are more things that could probably go and still might.

Both companies that came and looked at all of our things were happy that everything would fit along with the car so that was a relief.  They provided us with all the information about storing our gear prior to moving, insurance costs and the process of packing, shipping and delivery.  In the end the company that we chose (Conroy Movers) was the the company that most convenient in terms of vehicle movements and pre-travel storage.  The other company (Kent) provided service that was just as good and their price was comparable too.  But with everything we have going on convenience wins out.  Now we will see if they live up to our expectations.

The basic process will be us packing what we need while our goods are in transit, the movers come in and pack all of our other things over 1-2 days taking a full inventory and then they come and collect it all on day 3.  It all gets stored at their yard until being delivered to the wharf where it gets loaded on a ship and sent to New Zealand.  The inventory gets sent to New Zealand customs who advise what items they want to inspect on arrival.  On arrival it all gets unloaded from the items that customs want to inspect get set aside and the rest is left packed. Customs do their inspection and will fumigate/treat/clean (at our cost) anything they feel warrants it.  Everything then gets repacked onto a truck and delivered to our address.

We have been assigned a personal liaison who will oversee everything for us and be our point of contact which is great.  There are still quite a few logistics for us to sort out as we have been thrown a bit of a curve ball in terms of living arrangements but that will be a topic for another post.  For now we are moving forward and have a few adventures ahead of us before moving including a trip away and baby due in a few months.

Planning Our Move To New Zealand - The Car

The second part of the moving story is about one of our cars.

The first thing we did was make contact with 4 different companies who we could potentially use to move our things.  To start with all we asked was for a price on a 40 ft shipping container going to Wellington New Zealand.  We then continued to ask questions of the 2 companies who provided the best service as at first glance most of the prices seemed to be similar.  We then organised for both of the companies to come and give us a full quote by actually looking at our possessions to make sure what we were planning on taking was going to fit along with our car.

When it comes to the car it actually only works out at about $2000 - $3000 extra to take the car as well as our gear however even with our car (2008 Toyota Hilux Twin Cab 4WD diesel) there are a few things we had to consider and investigate before booking.

First we had to make sure we were allowed to import it as you cannot just import any old car.  We then had to contact the New Zealand vehicle compliance department who requested the VIN number from the compliance plate of the vehicle.  They then checked if it meet the emissions standards and frontal impact standards.  Even though our car is less than 10 years old it does not meet the emissions standards.  However we can get an exemption for this aspect as we have owned the car since new and we are not allowed to sell it within the first 2 years of importation.
Other things we had to consider is if we would have to pay GST (15% in New Zealand) on the market value of the vehicle plus the import duties.  As I am a kiwi and Hubby as an Australian who is therefore eligible to reside in New Zealand as a resident, we will be able to get an exemption.
On arrival the vehicle will be off loaded and undergo an under-body structural and cleanliness inspection (we will have the car steam cleaned underneath before it is packed) at the removal companies depot which was a deciding factor when we chose a removal company as the other company had to have it transported to another location which adds additional costs.  Then it will be transported to a compliance center for a further inspection and any mechanical repairs to obtain a road worthy certificate (known as a warrant of fitness in New Zealand).  Once this is done we are all done and can drive it home.

We did weigh up selling the car and buying again once in New Zealand but since we have had it from new, own it out right, have looked after it and had it regularly serviced we could not see the benefit. Plus we could end up buying someone else's lemon of a car which might cost more in the long run.

Planning Our Move To New Zealand - Us And the Dog

For the past month we have been making some big decisions about our move to NZ.  While January seems a long way away it really isn't especially with a baby on the way as well.

One of the biggest things we have had to sort out is the actual moving of us, our belongings, car and dog.
We knew it would not be cheap to move so we have been careful to downsize over the past 12 months and to do our research with different moving companies.

Today's post is all about moving us, Peanut (our yet to be born baby) and Jessie aka Number One Helper.

Moving us is the simplest part.  We booked our tickets when they were on special and when peanut is born we call and add him to the ticket as no seat is required.  We have also booked and paid for 2 additional bags as we will be living out of suitcases for 3 months before we move (more about that in another post) and for a month after we arrive so we need a few more bits and pieces and one of the extra bags will have all out baby things and cloth nappies.  The nappy bag and stroller are free and it is cheaper to buy additional bags before you leave than pay for excess baggage because you have gone over your allowance.  

Moving Jessie is not cheap and after 4 quotes prices ranged from $2000 - $5000 plus vet fees and pest treatments (which we normally do at that time of the year anyway).  This is a lot of money for a pet but she is part of the family and at 6 years old has plenty of years left we hope, so we are prepared to spend the money.  

We are flying from Brisbane to Wellington but for Jessie some of the options included her flying from Brisbane to Sydney to Auckland to Wellington, and one of the options even had her doing a stop over in Sydney.  Then there was an option where we had to pay an agent to handle her in Auckland (at a cost).  We wanted her to have a little stress as possible which meant not transferring to many times and spending as little time in a travel crate as possible.

In the end we have gone with the option that has us dropping her off the day before at the the pet transport companies preferred vet in Brisbane for her final inspection, the pet company pick her up there in the afternoon and she spends the night with them before they take her to the airport in the morning in her travel crate.  Although we are flying out the same day we are not on the same flight. We fly direct to Wellington while she goes via Auckland where she clears NZ quarantine then she transits to Wellington where we will collect her.  It ended up being one of the cheapest prices and the service so far has been brilliant.  It is quite early to be booking Jessie in and the airline will not confirm it all until about a month before we fly.  But all pets go on a waiting list and only a couple of pets can go on each flight so we have been told that by booking this early we can almost guarantee getting the date we want.

We arrive at 3.30 pm (without delays) and by the time we clear customs and collect our luggage it will be at least 4.15 pm.  Jessie is due to arrive at 6.00 pm so we will have a few hours to kill but this will give us time to attend to Peanut (Baby) duty and have something to eat.  My dad is picking us up as he has a twin cab ute with a canopy and this will allow us to get 2 adults (plus Dad) a baby in a baby seat, a dog in a dog crate, a pram, 4 suitcases, 2 hand luggage bags, a laptop and a nappy bag all to mum and dads 3 hours north of Wellington in one go.

It will be a long day starting at 5.00am AUS time and finishing at 6.30 pm AUS time but the flight is one we have done a lot so we know where we are going, the layout of the airports and the flight is not that long at only 3 hours.  We are also not having to do the driving on arrival so hopefully between the flight and the drive I will find some time to have a sleep as well.

Overall that is the grand plan for that day and we are hoping all goes to plan.  

Do you have any tips for moving with pets?

The End Is In Sight - The Timeline For The Next 12 Months

The end is in sight for some many things we have been working towards for the last few years and there are some big changes on the horizon for us over the next 12 months.  Lots of our plans are coming to fruition and are no longer just things that we talk about doing in the future.  In so many ways I am an over achiever and I normally have a lot of stuff going on at one time.  I often have people make comments about all the things I take on and wonder how I manage to get  it all done. The short answer is organisation, forward planning and good time management.  There are times when it all gets to much but I am not that good at admitting it but thankfully I have a wonderful Hubby who can read me and knows when this is happening.  He is always there to remind me of what I can leave till later and to help out where he can to take the pressure off me.

So far this year we have been through our second round of IVF which was successful and I am now 23 weeks pregnant with a baby boy who we are referring to as Peanut (putting off thinking of names for as long as possible). After 6 years of trying this is something we had almost given up on.
I have been studying at university for the last 12 months and semester 1 (the first half of this year) I took on 3 subjects (4 is a full time student) on top of working 30 hours a week and being pregnant.  In hindsight 2 might have been better but here we are and I managed.  We have also been planning our move to NZ, finalising plans for our house in NZ and starting a bit of baby preparation.  
To give you an idea of where we are going and what we hope to achieve over the next 12 months I have put together a bit of a timeline.

A photo pf Jessie just because.

June - It is time for the final countdown for my university semester.  I have completed 2 of my 3 subjects and just have one exam to go Thursday next week.  This is also my last full month at work and every weekend except this one coming which I have set aside for study, we have events planned with family and friends.
July - Both Hubby and I have birthdays this month so we will be celebrating with family and friends. I will be finishing up at work as I am taking some much needed long service leave up until when my maternity leave starts in October.  We will be heading off on a 4 week road trip camping (yes in winter) but more about that in another post.
August - We will be heading home on our road trip and Hubby will be heading back to work.  I will be working with our builders and planning for our new house.  There will be a few Peanut related related baby appointments to catch up on and I have plans to do a further cull of excess belongings that will not go to NZ with us.  I also plan to do some craft, catch up with friends we don't see very often and have a rest before the Peanut arrives.
September - Much like last month but I am guessing I will be slowing down a bit more and finalising baby prep.  We will also have a baby shower of sorts that will include all friends and family both male and female.  And of course there is a chance the little guy could turn up early.
October - Peanut is due on the 5th so nothing big planned this month.  Mum is coming over from NZ for a week from the 9th for a week and it will be great to have her here in the early days (or for the birth if he is late).
November - Will be the beginning of the end as we introduce Peanut to friends and family here in Australia and start to say our goodbyes.  It will take time to make sure we see everyone and we will try and have a farewell party at some stage during the month.  At the end of the month the international removalists will come and pack all our stuff and store it for a few weeks before it gets shipped to NZ.  We will move out of our rental and stay with family over the Christmas period.
December - We will hand over our 4wd to the removalists and sell my car.  More of the same from November but we will be living out of suitcases and making the most of time with family.
January - Jessie will be having all of her final vet visits before the move and will be dropped off with the pet movers the day before we fly.  Jan 12 is Moving Day.  We will say good buy to Australia and set off to start a new life in NZ.  I am sure this will be a busy month as we start off staying with my parents, find a house to rent, get building underway on our new house and show off Peanut to our NZ friends and family.
February - Sees my youngest brother get married and our furniture and car from Australia should have arrived.  Hubby will be starting a new job (not sure what yet). Building should be underway and I will be looking at going back to university all going well.
March - June - Hopefully I will be studying and the house will be finished before winter arrives. More than that we can't really say at this stage.

NZ here we come

Sorry for the long wordy post.  I am sure this will all shift and change a bit over time but this is the big picture plan.