Category Archives: The Rodrigues Family

Blog Birthday

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Last year on the 6th of January, Blairadise came alive.

My friend Graylyn over at The Rodrigues Family gave me the idea. Her beautiful blog captures all the wonderful moments of her family’s journey through life. The ups and the downs. Watching sweet James grow from afar has been such a wonderful treat and I love looking back at her posts to see where James was and where Ava is now. Not to compare, just to relate. So, I would just like to say thank you to Graylyn, for your inspiration.

In the beginning, the blog was just for fun as I only told my sister Amanda and Johan about it. Then one day in March, I got brave and posted a link to Facebook. Since then I get surprised every time someone likes a link or posts a comment. I appreciate everyone of you who are following along on our little journey. Watching me figuring out life in a different county, while learning to be a wife and mother.

Blairadise is a place where I come and share all my thoughts and our photos with friends and family all around the world. Tell a bigger story than what I can offer in weekly emails or Facebook posts.

Again, thanks for following along with us and we hope there are lots of exciting things happening in 2012… Like Ava’s first birthday!

Here is a look back at the few of the first posts of Blairadise. Most importantly, the Foreword…

Foreword

As a fore warning to anyone who will read or follow this blog, I would like to inform you that I am not a writer. Therefore, you may encounter poor grammar every now and again. With lot’s of misplaced commas and run on sentences. Although, I am not too worried about it. This is my space to share my thoughts with whomever cares enough to read them… Hence the title, Blairadise.

Over the past few months I have become absolutely obsessed with reading blogs. If I had to pin point the exact date I would say it was the 3rd of June. The day after I found out I was pregnant. Since that date I have been scouring the internet looking for pregnancy and parenting advice. Seeking out what is the best stroller, car seat, birthing method, sleep routine, etc. that is best for my new arrival. Upon doing this, I have stumbled across many mommy blogs. Mommy’s that have inspired me to start my very own blog.

So I have created this blog as a journal for my daughter to have when she gets older. It is for our family and friends around the world that may not get to experience all her 1st’s with us. Or maybe even her 2nd’s and 3rd’s. Plus, keep them up to date with all the other crazy things happening in our lives.

This blog is told looking through rose colored glasses out onto the world that is know as Blairadise.

Nommer Een

Skip and I are about to start 2011 off with a huge BANG! Like a really HUGE BANG! Any day now our first baby will take Blairadise by storm. These past 8 months have flown by so quickly, if only the last 4 weeks would hurry up and also pass by. We can’t wait to meet our Little Miss Ava.

It’s summer here in South Africa and getting hotter every day. As am I. Larger and hotter, everyday. And I am so over being pregnant. Some women bask in the glow that is pregnancy. I’ve never had that “glow”. At first my face broke out like a 15 year old boy. Oh and the things I would do for a nice cold lemonade. One that I didn’t have to squeeze the lemons myself and add sugar, water and ice to. A nice super sized Lemonade from Chic-fil-a. On the other hand I am quite glad I am not back in the US of A. At this moment there is no way I could pull up to that window and just order a large Lemonade. With that would come a #5 super sized, please. And this tiny little, excuse me, this once tiny little behind, would be 10x larger instead of the 8x larger it is right now. I am not doing fat well.

So please Miss Ava, please grace us with your presence soon. We really can’t wait to meet you.

Here is a photo of Miss Ava on Monday, 3rd Jan.
Unfortunately she was misbehaving the two times we went for her 4D photo shoot. So this will just have to do.

Yay! My first post on my blog!

-Happy Birthday Blairadise!

Blair

Hello, My name is Blair and I am a internetaholic…

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It all began back in the late 80’s when my parents brought home our first computer. I would spend hours on that thing. From Where in the World is Carmen Sandeigo and Hero’s Quest, to Oregon Trail and Reader Rabbit, then on to Prodigy and AOL in the early 90’s. Before chat rooms were filled with freaks and serial killers, my friends and I would write, “two 13/f wanna chat?” The requests would pour in. Little did we know the dangers of giving your information out over the internet to strangers. Thankfully, nothing serious happened to us and the chat room craze faded, and I began surfing the internet. Still to this day, I could spend hours on end surfing the net, I am what you could call a internetaholic. I Googled it.
  
Most days I waste time with Stumbleupon. You fill out a questionnaire with your interests, then click Stumble! in the tool bar and poof, a random site is pulled up. My favorite Stumbleupon site I found, still to this day is OneSentence.org. Brillant. 

Have you seen Post Secret? New posts every Sunday. Love it and the community service he is doing.

I’m a huge fan of reading blogs. There are 11 I read daily, 5 of which are good friends. The thing I love most about blogs is that it’s real people, living real lives. Sometimes I am jealous of the fabulous lives these single girls are living, in awesome cities like Cape Town. Then I remember how awesome my little life is, married in Pretoria and I smile. Some are also 1st time moms, like myself. For example, The Rodrigues Family, sometimes I refer back to what little James was doing at say 5 months, just to give me an insight as to what I can look forward to with Ava. I just found Being Brazen today via i heart your outfit. Loving everything about it, the fashion and books, completely delightful.

Online giveaways and contests have easily gotten all my contact details, filling up my inbox with spam for years. Rarely, have I won but I keep on trying. Once I won a rainbow pack of Bic pens. They were pretty awesome and gave me hope for future contests. Recently, I registered Johan for a giveaway and can you believe, he won! Two pair of Paul Smith designer boxers, R350 ($50) a piece! He is so lucky, I swear. I hope one day my blog is cool enough that someone approaches me to do a giveaway or contest for them. One day…
Have you checked out Etsy yet? If not, you are really missing out. It’s the best place to find unique items and gifts. I just bought bibs with ties, a onesie (baby grow) with Mohammad Ali on it and monthly onesie stickers for my brother’s baby shower. Super cool. Love Ava’s monthly onesie stickers I bought on Etsy. My friend Jacy just opened a shop, lucylucybangbang. Super cute dish towels, bought some today. Also check out, My Child’s Hand, my friend’s 7 year old son’s shop. Buy a painting now, before he becomes famous! The good news about Etsy is that most shops will ship worldwide! For a price, of course.

lucylucybangbang

babyfables

My Child’s Hand

RetroBabyWear

Billeevers Boutique


Skype is pretty much a life saver. Don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t chat to my friends and family back home. Even my grandmother knows how to use instant messaging. Spoke to the BFF for about an hour tonight. Such a nice way to end the weekend.

Can you imagine how scared I was the day I reached the end of the internet, here? It says:

Attention:

You have reached the very last page of the Internet.

We hope you have enjoyed your browsing.

Now turn off your computer and go outside.

I honestly thought I had reached the end of the internet… My heart, was broken. I got up and went outside. Then it dawned on me, there was no way I could have reached the end of the internet, I hadn’t even been to sites in languages other than English! So, I went back inside, and began surfing some more. Jokes on you Mr. End of the Internet. Jokes on you.

The 4th of July party on the 9th turned out great. The weather was perfect for outdoor grilling, braai as they say here. I was even able to find red, white and blue striped napkins! We played some country tunes. Drank a few beers. Made a pound cake, with caramel icing and fresh strawberries. Over indulged myself like a true American. It was great.

We (I mean, Johan) finally installed Ava’s doorway jumper thing and she loves it! Honestly, the normal swing has nothing on this thing. Once we got it the right height, and she wasn’t leaning to one side about to be dumped onto the floor, she had a blast and mom could finally relax.

The picture says it all, sassy!

Gotta love the mismatched outfit kids wear at home when no one is looking.
Hopefully, this week she will sit up by herself long enough that we can snap a photo. I didn’t think she could get any cuter and she surprises me everyday. I freaking love this kid.

Friday night we are headed out to Joburg to watch the Parlotones concert with my work colleagues. I am so excited, I cannot wait!! I’ll be singing Remember When all week! Check them out.


Watch out week, here we come!
Blair