Thursday, November 27, 2014

conversations

he
(Note: Photos do not relate to the following conversation!)

He: I put it in my nostril.
Me: What did you put in your nostril?
He: A pepita.
Me: A pepita. Hmmm... A real one, or pretend?
He: A real one.
Me: Is it still in there or is it already out?
He: It's still in there.

Sometimes he seems so clever. And then he pushes a pumpkin seed so far up his nose that I can't see it. This little tale did, eventually, end well, but I still didn't have the presence of mind to snap a photo for the blog (so I've included some cute pictures of him with a good pal, happily grubby at the park recently).

she
She met one of our neighbourhood friends for the first time and had the most wonderful, animated chat! These photos capture just the end of their conversation, but it lasted for ages!

me
One of my very favourite things is taking a neighbourhood stroll, hand in hand, and having a chat. Lately it is often one-sided, with him delivering a monologue (completely in character for whichever identity he has assumed that day - Wally, Dorothy, Lisa Loeb, Cat in the Hat, clownfish, Lady Doctor, cheeky monkey) or me singing whatever he's requested.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

getting active

he
He's loving the late afternoons in the back yard with his Dad, playing and gardening.

she
She's such a wrigglepot!

me
My first jog/walk post-she! 
Fitness was VERY low, enjoyment was moderate, location was gorgeous, temperature was already too hot as I returned home around 6am...

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

postnatal checkup

he
His daycare teacher sends an email each day with photos and a summary, which is awesome! This is how I know that, while I was at my appointment, he was busy demonstrating his keen scissor skills!

she
She received a gift from the obstetrician!

me
I also received a bag of goodies, as well as a positive assessment from the doctor and the 'go ahead' to get back into whatever exercise/activities I want!

Monday, November 24, 2014

weekend

he

Cafe morning
Auntie visit
Splashing with buddies
Homemade banana icecream

she

Cafe cuddles with Dad
A crooked smile caught by Auntie
Hanging with the little pals while the big brothers swam

me
Poking around at Gabba Antique Centre
Sprinkling chocolate on top makes anything taste better!

It was a nice, quiet weekend spent hanging with Kazbar, breakfasting at the Brown Dog, attending a 1st birthday party, ordering curry, sweating at the Sunday markets, gardening, cooking...

Saturday, November 22, 2014

sleep

he
He stopped his reliable napping almost immediately when he moved into his big room and big bed in the middle of this year. But I'm okay with this, as he still has a 2-hour 'rest time' in his room, listening to audio books, reading a few books to himself and playing with his lego. We love seeing how his creations (currently a hospital) grow/change/evolve from day to day, when we open the door to say that rest time is finished.

she
SHE SLEPT FOR 9.5 HOURS STRAIGHT LAST NIGHT!
Yes - I didn't see these big blue eyes between 8.15pm yesterday and daylight this morning! She had been averaging 6-ish hours for a few weeks, but last night was a new record. Maybe this means she'll be awake more during daytime now?

me
Obviously I wake up numerous times through the nights, expecting her to do the same, but I do achieve a good duration of restfulness, even if it's not sleepfulness! I've got a lot of reading done as a result.

Monday, November 17, 2014

g20 week

he 
He and his Dad rode into the city one evening to soak up the G20 'cultural' fun and lights. 
He had such good fun swimming at South Bank on our bonus public holiday. Saw police boats, police cars, police helicopters, police horses, undercover (but not very) police...
And he watched more TV than he ever has - The ABC coverage was playing in our lounge room most of the long weekend and he repeated names of countries when he recognised them. He now realises that one of our chickens (Bwwwaaak Obama) was named after a world leader. This, apparently, was quite a revelation!

she
She cuddled her brave friend at the hospital, played with friends at the park, experienced her first 39 degree day, smiled, slept soundly (probably due to the endless 'white noise' of helicopters overhead), grew, remained completely adorable...

me

We had friends visit from the Barossa, Canada and Broome. And skype visits from Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast and Whyalla. Practically our own G20 right there! 
Also found some moments for napping...

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

auntie

he
 He, as usual, assumed that Auntie J was here solely for his own entertainment. 

she
She and Auntie spent many hours reading Pride and Prejudice together. 

me
I am incredibly grateful that my sis came for the two weeks after B returned to work! She was chauffeur and chef, and her willingness to snuggle a baby or build lego with a toddler meant that, on occasion, I was able to get other things done. Like harvesting this huge pile of tomatoes!

Monday, November 10, 2014

dazza gig

he
 He wore his dinosaur gear. He watched, unblinking, for the entire show, sometimes tapping his feet. Watching live music is serious stuff. In preparation for the show, we told him the story of his first Darren Hanlon gig, when he was nearly 1 year old, and he now frequently requests its retelling, or repeats it, himself, in detail (although he's added one extra 'detail' - claiming that he requested that Dazza perform "Jack and Jill"). It's particularly cute when he calls, with a broad grin, "Security!"

she
Her first festival, she hung out with friends and partied pretty hard.

me
Seriously. Could anything be more perfect than a music/food festival in our very own neighbourhood, with our beloved Darren Hanlon playing, for free? Only when all this happens AND Dazza is playing at the most respectable time of 5.30pm! Wonderful, wonderful.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

fat

he
Clearly, reading is a dangerous sport in our house - safety clothing required. He's been enthusiastic about reading again for the last few months. He knows a number of 'sight words' that he's memorised and can 'read' when he sees them in different contexts. But he's now also begun sounding out new words. It catches me by surprise every time. This week, as he was drinking his juice box, he read the name of the juice: V8. Which is pretty straightforward if you know your letters and numbers. But then he looked more closely and said, "That says 'fat', Mummy!" My unbelieving self replied, "Does it? Show me." So he did, on the nutritional information panel.
Update: Today he saw this sign-converted-into-a-cute-seat at the cafe and sounded it out correctly!

she
She's growing! The midwife visited yesterday, and our little girl weighed almost 4.5 kg. Her cheeks and thighs are her most pinchably chubby features. Gorgeous.

me

When I was finally finished with food restrictions due to pregnancy, and then due to gestational diabetes, eating was such a pleasure again! It was just so liberating to devour a fatty dessert, white tim tam, soft cheese, icecream or bowl of pasta. BUT now She has a relentless yeast infection on her tongue, so I'm currently cutting out that good stuff from my diet again...! Luckily, my low yeast/sugar breakfasts are pretty delicious: natural yogurt, LSA, almonds, walnuts and blueberries.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

out and about

he
He thought it was pretty special to share the seat with his little sis.

she
She went out for her first cafe lunch, with her Mummy and Auntie.

me
I'm getting used to carrying one while holding the other one's hand. It's quite a lovely way to travel.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

granny came back!

he
Reading funny stories together.

she
Cuddles at the markets.

me
She spent the month in the USA and flew to Brisneyland on her way home. She brought treasures and treats from her trip, including real American candy corn for Halloween, and a small pile of diaries and memorabilia (as I've recently decided to collect these family stories).

Monday, November 3, 2014

hello-ween!

he

His dinosaur costume came together at the last minute - finished off satisfyingly when we stuck sharp teeth to a frog beanie. I refused to get it organised ahead of time as he kept changing his mind about what he wanted to be! 

she
She slept the entire time. Of course. Party animal.

me
I was keen to do something a little less chaotic this year, even though I have - in recent years - embraced and thoroughly enjoyed the community/fun aspects of Halloween. We made a plan with a small group of neighbourhood families who have very little kiddies. We met at a friend's place on top of our hill, ate, drank, chatted, relaxed and played, then set off for a very short neighbourhood walk. We knocked on 8 doors, collected treats, and were all done by about 7pm! My kind of party. I had such a nice time, wandering around with friends and family, watching the lovely interactions between the tiny gang and the friendly folk who had prepared treats.