Sunday 28 August 2011

Black wave

Round 31: November 2034 (Spring)
Narrated by Olivia Nihill

When Mum died, she left me some commercial property that she owned - a gym, to be exact. I have approximately zero interest in owning a gym but held onto it for a while anyway. I didn't want to make any decisions while I was still grieving.

It wasn't earlier this year that Steve and I finally talked about what we wanted to do with it. Once we did, it didn't take us long to decide we both wanted to sell it.

Steve and I have never been rich but since selling the gym, we have more money than we really know what to do with. We're used to being frugal and it feels strange but kind of wonderful to have all this extra cash.

Steve can be somewhat miserly (he would say "careful"), so he wanted to save it all and put it in the bank but I managed to convince him to spend some of it instead.

We never went on a real honeymoon, apart from our single night in a hotel in Exeter. We never had the money, so we were happy with that. Now that we do though, I would love to go away somewhere.

Steve was going to take a little convincing though. He was worried about taking time off work, spending on a "frivolity" like a vacation...you name it.

Once Ramona heard the word "holiday" though, her eyes lit up and she started talking about all the places we could go and the things we could do.

Jacinta thinks just about everything her big sister says is amazing and enthusiasm is contagious, so of course, she was soon on board with the idea as well.

They were both so excited and that completely wore down Steve's resistance and we were on our way.

The girls were thrilled even just with the suitcases we bought them. I couldn't wait to see how much they loved the beach.

It was a really great vacation. One of the beaches we visited had an old pirate ship for kids to play on.

Well, and grown-ups too!

What can I say? It was a good way to get out some frustrations!

Our hotel was right on the beach and by the time we left, the girls had elaborate sandcastles going all up and down the shoreline.

We have a pool at home and Ramona can swim quite well but she was still a little nervous about her first dip in the ocean.

She soon got over that and had so much fun in the water with her daddy and Jacinta.

Ramona watched Steve surfing and decided she wanted to learn. I think we'll be waiting a little while for that.

Steve fell off a lot and he's been surfing before, so I didn't fancy Ramona's chances.

I really enjoyed the chance to get away but I was getting tired pretty easily. Despite Steve's efforts to coax me into the water, by the afternoon, all I could do was laze around in a deck chair, just watching.

Luckily, there was plenty of stuff to do that didn't involve much moving at all.

I had the most amazing massage one night while Steve stayed at the hotel putting Ramona and Jacinta to sleep.

The hotel didn't have any rooms with enough beds for all four of us, so the girls got their own room right next to ours.

I could hear them giggling long after they were supposed to be asleep, so I guess they enjoyed themselves!

It was nice for Steve and I to be able to unwind by ourselves, while still knowing the kids were right there. As tired as I was, it was still a really wonderful trip.

Literally as soon as I got out of the shuttle when we arrived home, I felt sick. A wave of nausea hit me and I realised why I might have been so tired on our vacation.

I never really considered that I could get pregnant accidentally. It took us a couple of years before we conceived Jacinta and it's not like I've become any younger or more fertile since then.

Steve was definitely surprised when I told him my suspicions. He'd actually love a big family though, so I could tell he was getting excited too.

I didn't want him to get his hopes up, so I told him to just relax and wait and see what the doctor said.

But I went to see Dr. Clarke and she confirmed it - I am definitely pregnant!

I'm due in August next year, so it's still early days. We're going to keep it quiet for a while.

It's surprising but very happy news.

I wonder how the girls will take it, when we tell them. I do think they could be great big sisters to this new baby.

They're so close though, so I hope they'll be able to accept another sibling. It would be so sweet if they were as close to the new baby as they are to each other.

Spam:
Just a few pics of Ramona and Jacinta that didn't fit into the update!


Notes:
  • Title is from Black Wave by the Shins.
  • Olivia has had the want to go on vacation since she and Steve got married. Steve, the cheap bastard, never even rolled a vacation want, which is really rare for my newlyweds! It does fit though, because according to Apple Valley's money management styles, Steve is a hoarder.
  • My first time using the surfing mod! I'm glad someone finally did this, though I was a tiny bit bummed to learn that kids can't surf. I've known kids as young as 9 or 10 doing surfing lessons, so it would have been a fun little addition.
  • And yes, finally we get to the Oops Preggy! ROS. Olivia actually got pregnant last round but seeing I'd already rolled the ROS, I just froze her pregnancy until now. So the poor woman has been in the first trimester for two years now. She's been throwing up just about every time she's shown up as a visitor in anyone's house. She must hate me, lol!

17 comments:

  1. I never thought it was Olivia for the ROS, but I'm happy that they're having another baby. The vacation looked like so great.

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  2. Ha! I thought I was caught up. But another great update. I almost forgot about the pregnancy ROS again since we've been teased for so long with all the other pregnancies! I'm glad it was these 2, though. I really like Jacinta and Ramona and it'd be cool if they had another girl. Olivia's vacation dress was cute and that was a cute pic of the girls with the big smiles on their faces walking to the vacation shuttle. I really like the pic of Steve surfing. I really need to get on the ball with my vacation areas so I can test it out myself.

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  3. Yay, another baby. Let's hope for a boy!

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  4. Yay!!! Ramona and Jacinta are both extremely cute, so I definitely don't mind that Olivia and Steve will having another one! Are you hoping for a specific gender?

    The vacation looked like tons of fun! Bon Voyage is definitely one of my favorite expansions...I love taking my simmies on vacation!

    Oohh I really need to try out the surfing. I've always wanted to learn how, it looks like so much fun! Unfortunately I don't really live in the right place. :(

    Anyway, great update! :)

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  5. Even though they didn't plan for this little one, I'm glad they are having another baby, and as usual I'm looking forward to this little one!
    Ramona and Jacinta are so cute, and so sweet togheter, I hope they can get along as good with this new baby as well :)
    That vacation looks like so much fun! I hardly ever sent my families with kids on vacation, but I reall need to do that more :)

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  6. I'm so happy that they are having another baby! I was hoping they would get one more. They make beautiful kids! I didn't know kids couldn't surf. I still have yet to try the surfing mod, though it's in my game. Next sims I send to the beach I hope I remember to have them surf!

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  7. Oh I'm excited for them to have another! I was originally thinking, this family is so cute with their two girls (I'm hoping for just that with Grace), but I think a new baby will be ultra fun too! Especially if it's a little brother. Their girls are super adorable, and quite unique from one another, so I wonder who the next will take after.

    The vacation was fun, and the surfing photos great. Bummer on the kids not being able to use it. I'm excited about the pose box with the immediate facial overlays, it will really liven up some of the stoic actions. I haven't even been able to pull my head together to track down the box at this point though, stupid Vista not searching properly. Olivia's vacation dress is super adorable too, loved all the vacation shots.

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  8. I was betting on Olivia for that pregnancy ROS. Maybe the two girls will get a baby brother to spoil and torment. I'm sure whatever they get will be beautiful. I have to say, I love the pic of Romona with the crab on her finger; it is too cute! I haven't actually installed BV yet though I recently got it and AL in a swap. These pics make me want to take my Sims to the beach.

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  9. Apple Valley, glad it surprised you then! On my end though, when I rolled that ROS, I was fairly sure Olivia and Steve would get knocked up anyway. I just had a feeling. And I was right,lol!

    Thanks for reading!

    Danielle, well, you're definitely caught up now. ;) And I know, I never really plan my ROS so that they're spread out over the whole round, so I seem to always end up making you guys wait for them forever!

    I'm getting girl vibes from Olivia, for some reason. Thought I like the boy name I have picked out a lot better than the girl one, so I don't know if I want a girl yet!

    The vacation was a lot of fun. I keep forgetting you haven't used the vacation areas much yet!

    Thanks for reading!

    LaurelCrossing, heh, we'll see, I guess! I haven't decided which sex I want this time. :)

    Thanks for reading!

    coolkat2, hmmm, I haven't decided yet! I'm probably leaning towards wanting a boy but it would be nice for them to have three girls as well.

    I would never think to list BV as a favourite expansion but it's become pretty vital to my game play. I can't imagine not being able to take my Sims on vacation!

    Surfing is quite popular here but I hang around with very indoorsy type people, so I don't actually know many people who do it. I can't swim a stroke, so it's not an activity for me!

    Thanks for reading!

    Tanja, the baby is coming along at a good time, since Steve and Olivia can easily afford another mouth to feed these days. It will be interesting to see how the baby fits in with his/her big sisters.

    Yeah, I don't take kids on vacation often either. I think the last time I did was with Declan and Caitlin and Declan's not even a kid any more and Caitlin soon won't be either. That should tell you how long ago that was!

    Thanks for reading!

    Riverdale, were you? LOL, the ROS must have read your mind! They do make really cute kids, I admit. :)

    Yeah, no surfing for kids. :( A bit of a bummer but I think it was probably a fairly intensive hack to make in the first place, without adding kids into the mix. I can hardly blame the creator for leaving them out. But anyway, Ramona and Jacinta both have a surfboard in their inventory for whenever they next get to a beach!

    Thanks for reading!

    Maisie, I was thinking that too but at the same time, they're not allowed BC, so I thought it was unlikely they'd stay that way! As I'm replying to these comments, I'm leaning more and more towards wanting a boy. He could be a redhead!

    Oh, immediate overlays are so awesome! You'll love it! I did it to my parts posing boxes too and that's handy as well. If it helps at all, Decorgal's box starts with Decor, the two parts posing boxes start with LDL and Schizophrenic/Schizophrenia. Something like that!

    Thanks for reading!

    kalynn06, I was actually surprised more people hadn't assumed it was Olivia by now! It felt like it was really obvious to me, so I was glad to surprise at least a couple of people!

    Heh, I'd never seen a kid get their finger clamped by a crab but I had a giggle at poor Ramona. Very cute! BV is a great addition to the game, if only for the beach lots. They're annoying to build on but a nice beach lot is lots of fun.

    Thanks for reading!

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  10. Oh I just adore beach and swim pictures. So bummed that they can't swim in the sea in sims3.
    Yet for being pg, not yey for being pg for 2 years lol. I agree though, they make some really pretty sim babies:)

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  11. Speechless, I love the beaches too. My only quibble would be wishing the sea went out just a little further. ;) It's kind of sudden stop but I guess it has to stop somewhere!

    I'm being quite cruel to Olivia. I bumped her up to her third trimester last night, for a quick banner pic and then exited without saving. She probably thought her neverending pregnancy was finally resulting in a baby and then had it snatched away from her. ;) Come August, we'll all see the new little one though. :)

    Thanks for reading!

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  12. What a mice vacation. My favorite one is definitely the beach. Poor Olivia! She's been pregnant a whole round? The girls are too adorable. I might have to check out that money management post, since I have a few sims that are getting comfortable.

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  13. Fini, I have to stop myself from never taking my Sims anywhere else but the beach. If they don't roll up a specific destination want though, that's usually where they end up!

    Yeah, the poor woman has had morning sickness for about two years now. She should be thankful she has the kids she's got and not Asha or Cordy's children. ;) They would be far more taxing to deal with on top of nausea.

    The money management styles post is great - it's really a post to get you thinking about how your Sims might think and feel about money. Are they good with it or do they spend without thinking and worry about it later? I've got each Sim's money management style in my personal profiles in LSB, so I can refer to them as needed.

    Thanks for reading!

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  14. Yay for another baby! It's especially nice that she was able to go on vacation before it was too far along, and that she was afforded some relaxing activities.

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  15. Rachel, I decided to send her on vacation, seeing it will probably be a while before they can go again without hiring a nanny, now that #3 is on the way! I'm very curious to finally meet this new baby though. :)

    Thanks for reading!

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  16. Aw, it was so cute holidays! I love how the girls had fun just at the idea of holidays. This picture of them with their suitcase is sooo cute.
    And Sims can surf?! Darn, but what EA did with those dull adventures they gave us for Sims 3. I've almost never played with Bon Voyage, but it's always fun when I see it in your game!
    And a new baby on its way!!! Geez... I looked for the number of citizens you had, the other day, but didn't find. Do you know how many playable you have?

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  17. Sandy, Jacinta and Ramona had never been anywhere before, so I figured they'd be pretty excited.

    Sims can surf but only with a mod! It's a newish one that came out just a few months ago. It uses the animations from the BV log roll, as far as I can tell. That's why I was surprised kids couldn't surf because they can log roll.

    Another baby, I know! I see you found the answer to your last question elsewhere. ;)

    Thanks for reading!

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