Hiya Mel Sorry I've been caught up reading some other threads (one about Bee vomit LOL) and watching 1 vs 100 on TV. Nah, DH and I didn't get to have a meal by ourselves... but we did have wonderful room service and (Rory, as you have stayed here you might be interested):

* We had one of the largest suites... the size of an apartment... including two TVs (we only have one tv at home so that alone was a real treat).... it over looked the Yarra Valley and was on the top floor (The Holly Suite). Oh and it was at the Sebel, not the Sofitel.

* I took V & W to the indoor pool which we had to ourselves... there were heaps of pooly things for kids, floaties, kickboards and diving toys etc. I put wing floaties on W and took him up and down the pool - he'd never done that before but dealt with it really well.

* The buffet breakfast was incredible... almost every imaginable breakfast food was on offer, hot and cold. Wade loved the smoked salmon and sauteed mushrooms. Niall had a taste of basically everything I had. I lost count of how many new foods he had... probably a bit negligent of me... but he coped with everything and his poos were normal throughout our stay LOL

* It was wonderful only having to take our pram... portacot and highchairs were provided... it was more child-friendly than i had imagined.

*Went to Healesville Santuary: had a wonderful time... Birds of Prey show was amazing and Wade, who has a minor obsession with birds, was enthralled.
Dingo's started howling when we rolled up at their enclosure which was erie... it was like they could smell 'baby' LOL

* Had a wonderful lunch at The Yarra Valley Dairy. We are going to return there again real soon.

Anyhow... our trip has really inspired us to get away more often... short stays away from a Thursday to Sunday at least every 2 months.... next trip will be up to Castlemaine. We've learned of some great cabins and a resurrected railway line which has a Thomas steamtrain... that'll be in July.

I'm glad you and Nic had a lovely morning together Mel Oh and Nic: I recall clearly your "leaking" episode too but IK summed it all up so well... don't dismiss your emotional state at the moment as just being a result of your pregnancy hormones... you have valid feelings that anyone who had experienced trauma would still have. I can see that you are beginning to turn negatives into postives so keep moving in that direction. Almost everything has a positive slant, it just depends on the way you choose to look at it. I believe very strongly in the old adage: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Your experience last Easter can make you stronger if you let it... but you are also allowed to feel scared... I guess most people kinda oscillate between feeling strong and weak in the face of extreme challege, no one expects you to be strong all the time... anyhow, through thick and thin we'll be here again to help you get to the other side chicky

Rory: I just need to let you know that I PML at your post about the 1000 count sheets! LOL you know me so well! hehe. The bed was fantastic BTW... gotta get us a King size!

Julie: Oh and I understand about stealing the kids' chocolate LOL Have done that in the past when they have received obsene ammounts of chocolate from relatives.... but I must be worse than you 'cos i didn't replace it! hehe