Happy New year

Happy New Year to everyone in j'land.

This year I, like most of you have had some ups & downs. Most notably the best part of my year was finding out I am going to be a daddy, I can't believe its now less than 2 months to the due date ( feb 22nd ). I know I have said it before but I still cannot believe I have gone from being not bothered about having kids to being completely over the moon about L'il Vamp. This feels like the greatest thing to ever happen to me, mind you I might feel differently in 6 months time when I haven't had any sleep for months! Nic is finding it quite difficult at the moment as she is very uncomfortable with this little wriggly, kicking thing inside her. I'm sure she'll feel its all been worthwhile once she gets to hold our son. So this is the last new year when we get to go out without having to sort out babysitters, saying that L'il Vamp will give us the perfect excuse to stay at home when we can't be bothered going out.

Other good news this year was finally getting to have my day in court over the car accident I had in  june 2003, I find it hard to understand how it took over 3 years to be resolved but at least it is now resolved & I can now afford to insure a car again as the accident was found to be caused 100% by the other driver. His insurance company has also made me an offer now but I am waiting for my barristers advice before I accept it. Hopefully the cheque will be sent quite quickly if I accept the offer, it would be nice to have the extra cash when the baby arrives.

The year has not all been happy though, we have had some bad times but in an effort not to dwell on anything bad I will not go into the details here. Since I found out that I am going to be a dad the bad things don't get me down like they used to, okay so I still get frustrated & like to get things off my chest when things annoy or upset me but I have suffered with depression in the past & I know how different my life could be if I let everything get on top of me.

Globally there has been  a lot going on this year & unfortunately not all good. As mentioned in other journals in the last couple of days I too feel that we are not as safe as we used to be, we are still hearing about our soldiers dying in foreign countries that they really shouldn't be in but instead of making this country more secure I hate to admit it feels like its had the opposite effect. I don't want to be too much of a pessimist but I feel we are further from world peace now than we have been since the last world war. Economically I worry about the future of our country as well, we are about to have 2 more countries join the EU at a time when this country really cannot sustain the high levels of immigration we have had over the last few years. I am all for integration & multiculturalism but not when it destroys a way of life for the people born & raised in this country.

Knowing I am about to be responsible for another life does make me more concerned about the world around me but I refuse to let it stress me out too much. 2007 is going to be a fantastic year, if for nothing else then at least for the fact that I will finally be able to hold my son in my arms. As i type this the wind is howling outside & it has been pouring with rain all day, so if you are going out tonight please take care. One of the best things about the last year is discovering j'land, I started my journal because I wanted a record of my thoughts & feelings about becoming a parent but along the way I have made some great new friends ( okay so we may never meet face to face but that doesn't matter ). I always make fun of Nic being addicted to soaps on tv but I guess I am just as addicted to the new soap opera - blogging! Everyday I can't wait to read about what you have all been up to - let me know what you all think, are blogs  the new soap opera's/reality shows?

Happy New Year to you all....love VampJack x