Baby De Roach

Harper - 2 Months Old

2011-12-31T15:16:00.000+08:00

The day I broke my son's heart

2011-12-15T13:02:00.002+08:00

Every day in playgrounds across Australia and probably the world you can hear mothers telling their children not to play with sticks. Sticks are a boy's best friend and a mother's worst nightmare. All we can imagine is someone losing an eye as careless children wield them at each other with no regard for the danger but kids don't see a dangerous stick they see a sword to have a pirate battle, a magic wand or a beautiful flute.

Noah and I got into a battle royale today - I had relented and allowed him to play with a rather large stick in the park but when he insisted on bringing it in the car and home I was strident. He is usually fairly easily convinced to leave them behind but today he was adamant. Eventually after getting nowhere with reasoning and then a time out I took that blasted stick and snapped it over my knee. Noah burst into tears and was wailing 'my beautiful flute, my beautiful flute' 'I need glue to get it back how it was'. He was repeating it over and over and crying so hard it was the ugly snotty cry. Even when I tried to apologise and explain my actions he wouldn't look me in the eye. My words can't do his level of emotion justice - he was genuinely heartbroken and he looked at me with such hurt my heart broke too.

I was with a friend who also has small children and we were both struck by the moment (and to be honest a little bit teary). We realised that sometimes rules need to be broken. That sometimes we need to let our kids have a win. Would it really have killed me to let him bring the stick home. These are not little people to be controlled by our never ending rules. Our children are full of potential - they need our guidance and some of our rules need to be steadfast but some can be bent to allow their creativity and imagination and independence to blossom.

As I type this Noah has helped himself to a jar of screws and has glued them to a collage he's working on. I have had to remove them from his picture (They are part of an IKEA project I'm building so it's not negotiable) and he is upset (again) but the stick I could have given in on.

Amendment at 8pm

Just to document another major parenting failure - it appears I have also managed to get my beautiful 6 week old boy's face sunburned in the park today.

Both these event have caused me many tears this evening and I have realised I am at that point where no area of my life is being given the attention it needs or deserves. I am juggling too many balls and something has got to give. It might be time to cut the 3 hourly expressing sessions and give in to the failing battle to breastfeed. More on that front tomorrow.

Oh yeah and my cleaner of two years quit today too. Best. Day. Ever.

Wordless Wednesday - Harper 1 month.

2011-12-14T01:22:00.002+08:00

Better late than never he's actually 6 weeks and 2 days now

Things I know

2011-12-02T09:21:00.002+08:00

As a mother of two now there are some things I have learnt - I thought I'd share.

1. Having 2 children is the fail safe quickest way to cure a lifelong nail biting habit! My hands are never still.

2. You can (and will) blow dry your hair using the car air conditioning on the way to Kindy/Swimming etc

3. The sound of the breast pump will become the soundtrack for your life and you will grow to love it's funky German nightclub beats.

4. You and your husband will never again have a conversation that doesn't involve talk of poo, breast milk and who's turn it is to change the nappy.

5. Even though you wondered if you could ever love another child as much as your first - the love is instant and overwhelming and the pride of watching your older boy love his new brother is heartbreakingly special.

6. It's all worth it (and sleep is for the weak!)

Inside, Outside

2011-12-01T22:04:00.001+08:00

Remember This?

and then Voila!

Photos by Michelle at Dainty Stills

Family of Four

2011-11-24T20:56:00.006+08:00

I am a mother of two. It still hasn't completely sunk in. So many times we thought we would never have a child at all let alone two beautiful boys.

Harper is 3 weeks and 4 days old now and so far, although life is really hectic, we are settling in well to this new family arrangement.

Noah has taken to his big brother role better than we could ever have imagined. He is so patient and wonderful with me even though I am constantly unable to be there for him like I used to be. He is beyond smitten with Harper and is never far from him with oh so gentle kisses and cuddles. He wants to help in every aspect of Harper's care and is actually a very capable and useful extra set of hands.

As far as Harper goes we had a little hiccup when he was re-admitted to the hospital 4 days after coming home but now he is gaining weight beautifully and is a nice and healthy 3.5 kilos. Unfortunately breastfeeding is proving a challenge again and so I have had to concede to formula top-ups to keep this tiny boy of ours on the right track. Hopefully with the help of the lactation consultant we will get to 100% breastfeeding eventually.

Here are some more pictures of our beautiful boys

All photos by Michelle at Dainty Stills

A Brand New Baby De Roach - Harper Thomas

2011-11-02T06:40:00.006+08:00

Harper Thomas De Roach

Born 9.47am, 31st of October 2011

3.185 kg, 51 cm long

The Night Before

2011-10-30T22:19:00.000+08:00

The time has finally come. I'm heading off to bed soon and when I wake up it's off bright and early to the hospital. Our new baby boy will be making his grand entrance at around 9am. We are all very excited.

I'm not at all nervous about the C Section but I will be waiting with bated breath to see if our boy comes out healthy and ready to face the world without any medical intervention. After Noah and I being separated for the first days of his life (in two separate hospitals) I am very hopeful of a different outcome this time.

We have had a wonderful family weekend. The added bonus of a long weekend here in Perth has meant 3 days of action packed fun. Beach, Playgrounds, Fremantle, CHOGM, Lazy Breakfasts, Cafe Breakfasts, Tapas, Drinks in the sun - you name it we've squeezed it in. It has been special to enjoy this time just the 3 of us hanging out together like we love to do.

I can't wait to meet my boy in the morning but beyond myself I am bursting to see Noah meet his baby brother. I just know he will be in love at first sight and I look forward to watching all of their brotherly love and adventures ahead.

Rob or I will be back soon with lots of pictures and all the news. See you on the other side.

2011-10-22T19:00:00.000+08:00

Sometimes with toddlers you find yourself in a conversation so unexpected all you can do is dive right in and hope for the best.

A few nights ago we were reading bedtime stories and we read Moo-Cow Kung-Fu-Cow and in the story there is mention of tattoos which lead to a discussion about Mummy and Daddy's tattoos and in particular one on Daddy's arm that has the name of our first son who was stillborn - Banjo.

We have never really laboured this event with Noah and we certainly don't discuss it regularly and definitely not in a sad way. We have however been open with him. We have a big gum tree in our backyard with a plaque for Banjo and there is a teddy bear with his name and birth date printed on (Noah also has one of those for his birth). We do visit the cemetary a couple of times a year. We have kept the facts pretty light for him. 'Mummy had a baby boy in her tummy before you and he was sick so he went to Heaven to be an angel.'

This particular conversation started the same way but the questions just kept coming. They Why's were never ending and I patiently answered them all - keeping things simple and light. I guess he is getting to the age where the concept of death is solidifying for him. We recently saw the Lion King and of course the death of Mufasa was a major storyline and it may even have started this whole interest.

At one stage he asked for Banjo's bear in bed with him for a snuggle and I could see he was getting teary, I was not showing any sadness so it amazes me that his little mind is processing this concept and understanding the emotions that go with it. He's only just turned 3.

Eventually I managed to wind up the conversation and said goodnight but as I walked to the door to leave his room he started sobbing. There is only one other time I have seen Noah genuinely cry and that was when he saw me cry. We get the hurt cry and the 'sad that I got told off or can't get what I want' cry but this was different. My heart broke in two - he was wailing by now with cries of 'Mummy why did Banjo leave us' 'Why did he have to go'. ' I love Banjo the best'. He was inconsolable. All I could do was hold him.

He was very confused by his own emotions and even asked me at one stage why he felt so sad. I told him that's it's because he is a beautiful boy with a huge heart full of love and it's all true. His capacity for love, kindness and compassion amazes me every day.

Eventually he calmed down and went to sleep and since then he has asked more questions but thankfully no repeats of the emotions of that night.

Is 3 too young to know about death? How much information do you think is the right amount?

Pregnancy, Infertility and Loss

2011-10-02T16:50:00.002+08:00

I wrote a post last week about my pregnancy so far - it was very positive and upbeat but I never got around to publishing it. Then we had a very traumatic weekend where we felt very uncertain about the safety of our unborn baby and went through a lot of stress. It is never far from our minds that we lost our first son and it certainly adds an extra dimension of worry and stress to pregnancy. The fear that it could happen again is sometimes overwhelming. It's something that is part of my life, everyday during my pregnancy I wait for those little movements. I count them, I analyse them. They are the only element of control I feel like I have. My Obstetrician is amazing - she has 100% faith in me, if I'm worried she takes it seriously. So last weekend we had two visits to the hospital to undergo ultrasound and foetal monitoring - both times all was fine. Seeing that my stress levels are peaking my OB has now commenced twice weekly CTG (foetal heart rate monitoring) sessions as well as weekly visits. I have also undergone the steroid injections to help mature this little guys lungs just in case we decide to bring him into the wide world even earlier than already planned.

The idea of so much intervention would be abhorrent to many people I know. It is to me also, but in the end I will take a a baby in my arms over the grim alternative no matter what it takes. I am pregnant through the miracle of science and I will use that same science whenever it is required even if it is not my perfect dream scenario. In the end I will have my perfect dream baby.

Here's last weeks unpublished post too

When you're pregnant the first time around - being pregnant is pretty much the focus of your life. It's all about you and how precious and clever you are growing this new life inside you. The second time (or beyond) there is a child (or children) to care for and it's easy to forget the pregnancy completely. Much like the universal complaint that subsequent children are less photographed so too the pregnancy is far less documented. The first 2 times around I recorded every little detail, every appointment, every milestone.

So on that note I thought it only fair that this little boy who will join our family in only a few weeks get some attention. The first thing about this pregnancy is that I have been really well - I don't think I have had one single episode of true morning sickness. Sure I've had days where I've felt off or the thought of certain foods made my stomach churn but at least 95% of the time I've been fighting fit.

I have been injecting blood thinners daily this time as before but that's a very small price to pay. Let's be real - I've had about 10 rounds of IVF, an induced birth and a Caesar - not much could phase me anymore.

All of our tests have been really positive. Our first trimester screening gave us a 1 in 641 result so need for an amnio this time around - a stress I was glad to avoid.

This bub is a mover and a shaker - boy does he wriggle and we've all had great delight feeling him move and watching Mummy's tummy do some pretty cool alien tricks as hands and feet poke out to say hi.

All in all a great pregnancy. We all just can't wait to meet this new little boy and discover everything there is to know about him.

Family Photos

2011-09-21T18:57:00.000+08:00

A couple of weekends ago we had some family pictures taken. We had some around the same time last year and thought it would be nice to get some of the three of us before we become four and also document my pregnancy which sometimes gets a bit forgotten in the blur of everyday life with a toddler.

Our Crazy Kid

Mummy, Noah and Bump

The Boys

The Whole Gang

If you're in Perth and you want a fun relaxed photo session with a wonderful photographer - check Michelle out at Dainty Stills Photography

San Francisco

2011-09-21T18:05:00.000+08:00

From the start San Francisco was a much needed change of pace. We packed up and left the Disney Hotel nice and early on Monday morning (August 1st) and headed for the AMTRAK station. In my husband's infinite wisdom the decision had been made to travel from Anaheim to San Fran via train. It was something he really wanted to do and he assured me the scenery would be amazing. I was ambivalent to the idea of 12 hours on a train with a 3 year old but I was so wrong - it was a perfect day.

However before we got on the train things got way too hectic and stressful for my liking. After the short trip from Anaheim to Union Station in LA we realised we had about 2 hours to kill before the long train ride started. One flippant comment from Rob and we were in a cab whizzing around the sights of LA (not a planned part of this trip). We almost missed our train to San Francisco and it took about half an hour for my heart to stop racing.

Here's the evidence that we have been to LA!!

Once we were on the train the relaxation really began. Rob was right the scenery was beautiful - farmland, beaches, bird-filled wetlands, old mining towns and quaint stations. We were blown away by our day on the train. We had booked a sleeper cabin so we all napped and relaxed and we were also fed a really nice hot lunch and dinner - all included for only just over $200 for all of us. It was a great way to recharge plus see some sights we would never see had we flown up the coast.

Our hotel was situated right in Fisherman's wharf with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. All of these pictures were taken within a 10 minute walk of our hotel.

One of the highlights of San Francisco was time spent with our wonderful friends who had left Australia about two months earlier to start a new life living in Cupertino (about an hour from SF). These are friends who trusted me with their children for four years so they mean a lot to me and especially I love those kids like they were mine. Noah has very close bonds with the kids and especially with the Ivy who is only 9 days older. It was like a reunion from a teary rom-com and then they were inseparable for those couple of days.

We all cruised under the bridge together and visited the famous Pier 41 sea lions

Noah loved the public art - we had to take at photo at every one

Riding the famous Cable Cars

Views up and down Lombard Street - Famous for being a very long steep road that includes a section that is supposed to be the windiest in the world

Some of Noah's Photography

Noah having a nap on a bench in Muir Woods

Muir Woods and the famous California Redwood Trees

Next Stop Vegas and then New York City.

Disneyland

2011-09-06T10:44:00.002+08:00

I got in trouble yesterday from a friend eagerly awaiting the rest of my holiday posts - there are always excuses and apparently 'good bloggers' don't make them.

When we got back from our holiday things certainly didn't slow down we were immediately thrust into Daddy De Roach's birthday and of course Father's Day so we have spent our days in a flurry of planning, shopping, crafting, cake baking and hosting. Life is definitely never boring around this house.

It's only 8 weeks until this new baby boy will be joining us (possibly earlier if he follows in his big brother's footsteps!) and then before we know it Christmas will be here. Scary but true - Christmas is only 15 weeks away. On that note I have been trying to be Mrs Organised and getting my shopping done before baby arrives so I can just relax and enjoy those first weeks without any extra stress.

Anyway here it is - Disneyland in all it's colourful, magical glory.

Our very first visit on Day 1 - just hours after getting off a plane from Sydney

Main Street USA

If you were to ask Noah the best bit of his whole holiday he would say the Dumbo ride

Disney Castle during the nightly fireworks

The Rocket Ride

Alice in Wonderland Teacup Ride

The start of a new love affair

Chip or is it Dale?

Ta-Da

More sly photo ops instead of waiting in the HUGE lines

A picture from the famous dancing display

Noah's True Love

Oops watch out Mickey he looks cute but he's trying to steal your girlfriend!!

Getting ready to go on the Toy Story ride

The 'Real' Buzz Lightyear

I have been to Disneyland several times before (the first time I went for 5 days straight!). I loved it then and it was even more amazing to be there and share it with Noah. Words and pictures really can't do it justice. There's an indescribable atmosphere of joy and happiness in the air. It's immaculately clean. The staff are beyond friendly and every kid and adult is wide eyed. The kids rides are fun and there are some ridiculously cool grown up rides but the best part of Disney is the characters. Everyone loves Disney movies and as Noah kept saying Disneyland is 'The Real Movie'. We especially loved the rides that took you through those classic movies - Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White and the newer ones - Finding Nemo, Toy Story and Pirates of the Caribbean. The special effects are mind blowing. The Nemo ride was under water in a moving submarine and the scenes of the film were holographic and laser images viewed underwater. The Toy Story ride was like being inside a giant video game and we had laser guns to battle Zurg and play in Andy's Room.

We could easily have stayed in Disney a week or more but we only had 3 days which we definitely made the most of. I have a feeling we'll be heading back before too many more years pass.

Quick Getaway

2011-09-02T08:48:00.000+08:00

We're off to Bunker Bay Resort - be back after the weekend.

Sydney

2011-08-27T14:26:00.001+08:00

The first leg of the holiday for Noah and I was a trip to the beautiful city of Sydney. I hatched a plan for this stopover for a number of reasons. Firstly I wanted a chance to catch up with a good friend I hadn't seen for several years. Secondly I thought my parents could join us and get to spend some quality time with Noah. They seem him almost every day but it's not the same as 'living' with him for 4 days. They really loved it and they really got to see him in his every day 'real life'. My last reason was to break up the travel for both Noah and pregnant mama and to give Daddy a chance to wrap up work stuff without any distractions. Almost without fail when we head on holidays Rob spends the last week working long hours in a frantic attempt to finalise everything ready for when he's away. We usually don't see much of him at those times anyway so why not sneak in some extra holiday fun.

It was an excellent 4 days. Noah stayed in a lovely sleep routine, I got lots of extra rest and we did lots of lovely Sydney activities.

Noah and Nanna arriving at the Airport

The Gruffalo Trunki - best purchase ever

Oh Yeah Baby - In the cockpit

Noah with Nanny and Poppy at Darling Harbour

Ta-Da The Opera House

The Bridge (from the Ferry)

Noah and Mummy on the Taronga Zoo Sky Safari

Out on the town

Dinosaur Rocks

2011-08-23T17:51:00.002+08:00

I saw these around on a couple of websites and thought they looked like a great idea. Originally my idea was to bury all the pieces of a balsa wood T Rex ($10 from Cotton on Kids) and have the kids find the pieces and construct the dinosaur. Rob said it was too hard and the kids would get bored - don't tell him but I think he was right!!

In the end we made these and buried them in a sand pit with wrapped chocolates and some loose dinosaurs. Firstly the dinosaurs came in bags of about 10 for only a couple of dollars from Kmart and then the rock ingredients were already in the house so a pretty cheap activity and take home gift all in one. Don't tell the kids but the 'scoopers' were kitty litter sifters from the $2 shop!!

Recipe (Makes about 15)

2.5 cups Dirt (earth worms optional)
2.5 cups Flour
1.5 cups Salt
1 cup of Sand (we used some white sand pit sand but beach sand would be perfect too)
Water and Plastic Dinosaurs

Mix all the dry ingredients then add water until the mixture holds together (we may have added slightly too much but it still worked great so you don't need to be super cautious)

Mould dirt mix around the toys and then leave to dry in the sun for several days. As usual I planned to do this preparation many days in advance but ended up doing it the day before. We dried ours in a very low oven for most of the afternoon and then they continued to dry naturally the next day until party time at 3pm. They were still a bit moist in the centre but it didn't matter.

Some Mama help was required to finesse the shaping but it was still lots of messy fun for the Birthday Boy

I couldn't resist this photo of the ultimate pre birthday party joy - licking the beaters.

A dino-riffic birthday

2011-08-23T14:54:00.002+08:00

Before the onslaught of holiday related posts I wanted to share all the fun of Noah's party. I had originally planned a Pirates and Princesses party but decided some of the activities I wanted to do might be better for an older crowd - so I decided to opt for the 'simpler' idea of a dinosaur party. The first thing to note is no party is simple when I get involved - I can't help myself everything has to fit the theme. I kept it as simple as I know how because after all we were flying away on a big overseas holiday a mere 36 hours later!! This was such a fun party though and I'm really happy with how it went.

The Birthday Boy - I forgot to put this little gem on the table in all the rush but it looked nice on the cupboard upstairs with all the birthday cards.

The Dino Dig site

These party hats were so cute (made from a printable file I bought on Etsy)

The treat bags were very simple but how cute are the badges. Made using a printable cupcake topper and then asking very nicely at my local Marine Discovery Centre if they would let me use their badge maker.

The Cake (I find there is never time amongst all the other party stuff to make a 'shape' cake - but Noah loved this one and was especially thrilled with the mini bunting.

I had so much fun coming up with theme foods and silly little puns. Rob had no end of fun laughing at me when I put bottles of Jurassic Juice (green cordial) and Glacial water on the table.

There was a Sweetivore sign too but I must not have taken a picture of it. (Printables are from Celebration Shoppe)

Foam Dino masks from Oriental Trading were loads of fun for kids and adults!!

The Dino Dig was the only organised activity (besides Pass the Parcel) and it was more of a hit than I could have imagined. Noah and I made our own rocks with little plastic dinosaurs inside - the kids had to find them and then use tools to get them open and make a historic discovery. We also put some wrapped chocolates and some loose dinosaurs in for the smaller kids. I'll share the recipe and some pictures of the creation process for the rocks tomorrow.

As always the hard work was worth it and it was a really fun day. Thank you to everyone who came and for all the lovely presents you bought for Noah.

Home Again

2011-08-22T14:34:00.001+08:00

So good to be back in front of a 'real' computer. I love my iPad but all that two finger typing is so painfully slow. We had a wonderful, if not somewhat hectic, holiday. I can't wait to start looking through the 2000 plus photos and sharing some of them on here. I had planned to blog as we went along but good quality wireless access was, harder than we expected, to find.

Last week was all about settling back into the house and getting Noah back into a good sleep routine. It was great for him to be back to Kindy and Music and catching up with all of his little friends. We spent lots of time at our local playground and scooting around. You really can't underestimate how much the little ones enjoy the sanctity of their own home surrounded by their favourite toys.

Come back and visit often this week - I hope to blog every day.

Noah Hoe Down Dancing

2011-08-01T04:50:00.002+08:00

Some impromptu Noah hoe down dancing at Disney... completely unscripted (by anyone!!)

Disney or Bust

2011-07-31T18:53:00.002+08:00

A quick report from Disneyland. First of all we made it. After a harrowing wait on standby with about 15 other people we were called to be checked in almost 15 minutes after the flight should have departed!! On the plane we were all seated separately around the plane but after Noah's 'chit chat' through takeoff the friendly passengers seated around him were more than happy to give up their seats To Mummy and Daddy (hehe).

The jet lag has been pretty horrendous. Firstly Rob did the midnight horror from Perth so he was down one nights sleep before we even started the long haul sector. Noah slept a little bit on the plane but by the time we arrived at LAX it was midnight Sydney time and without a hotel room to check in to we all had to soldier on. If you're keeping count Rob was now into his second night with almost zero sleep and Noah and I were a night down too. We are all slowly catching up.

Disneyland has been beyond amazing. Even though I've been several times before seeing it through Noah's eyes it's like the first time all over again. Noah calls it 'the real movie' and is in a constant state of awe and excitement. He rode his first roller coaster today after barely making the height requirement (tippy toes) and loved it.

So many adventures to be reported and pictures to be shared soon.

Classic Quotes

2011-07-23T20:20:00.000+08:00

I don't always remember to keep a note of Noah's funny little comments - I couldn't possibly it would be a full-time job.

Tonight as we had our story time before bed there was some discussion about families and brothers and sisters. Noah says to Rob - 'you're a boy and I'm a boy - we're the same' So I said yes that's right what is mummy?
'Mummy you're a woman'.

Apparently now that he's three he knows about women!!

Happy Birthday Big Boy

2011-07-23T20:16:00.000+08:00

Dear Noah

It's 8pm and you are tucked up safe in bed (you sleep in the top bunk now) Your 3rd birthday is all over. You, me and Daddy have had an amazing day. We started slowly all in bed together opening presents. This year Mummy and Daddy thought you were a big enough boy to have a camera of your own. You were thrilled with it and I'm sure you will take lots of great photos on our big holiday to America. You were just as thrilled with the $2 packet of dinosaur stickers - it's all about dinosaurs this year.

After much silly discussion over the last few days about what it would mean to turn 3 you were convinced this morning that your feet had gotten bigger but assured me your hands were still small.

Over the last few days Mummy has been very busy with all the preparation for your party. You have been a great helper but you have also been very kind with words (and even a handmade card) of thanks and appreciation. Today as Daddy swept the backyard you said 'Thank you for getting my party ready Daddy'. That's the kind of boy you are kind and thoughtful.

Your party was a roaring success (no pun intended) and you were a gracious host. You thanked everyone for coming and bid each group farewell with shouts of 'I Love You'

You are surrounded by wonderful family and friends and everyone adores you. You are so generous with your hugs and kisses and always have a smile on your face.

Tonight after all the excitement of the party we have had some time to look through your presents and you and I had a lovely bath together - it really has been a fun and special day.

Happy Birthday my precious Noah-saurus, I love you.

Three

2011-07-21T07:15:00.002+08:00

In two days it will be Noah's third birthday. In that 3 years we have taken literally thousands of photos (on our recent 3 day camping trip alone we took over 300). Even though I failed miserably at my 365 photo project (This was my one and only entry) I still do try to capture something almost daily.

In this day of digital images the photo album is all but a relic of history. We had vowed to make a photobook each year for Noah but so far we have racked up an IOU of - ahem - three. Rob made me one as a wedding present documenting out life together up to that day and is such a treasure to me I do want Noah to have that too.

The one thing I have got of course is this blog which is a great way to share photos and document fleeting moments in our lives that may otherwise sit unlooked at and even forgotten. The other small thing I have done is these magnets below which I have sent to family and friends each year with the birthday thank you cards. I am not very tech savvy at all. All my photos come as is - I do not know how to use Photoshop and I have never really done much of anything with my pictures but I am glad I took the time to do these. I made them on Vistaprint using a template and once the pictures were chosen it was super easy.

I didn't plan on doing one this year I thought the first two were enough. I also had this crazy thought that the changes from 2 year old to 3 old would not be as pronounced as the previous 2 years - I was so wrong. I am glad I've done number three due to some friendly requests (I thought people might find it a bit over the top but apparently they love getting them).

Sitting and looking back at the year of photos yesterday in itself was such an enjoyable experience. Then seeing my little boy turn into a child (no longer even a toddler I don't think) through those pictures was such an excellent reminder to savour every moment, every stage of his precious life.

If it's even possible here are the 21 pictures that best represent the first 3 years of Noah's life.

Each one starts with the earliest picture top left then goes clockwise until the most recent picture in the centre.

I love the things you do

2011-07-12T09:07:00.000+08:00

Noah I haven't been the best with keeping up with the monthly letters but I wanted to share some stuff about you right in this moment.

I love the way you sing - all day long

I love how you love books - you are a worm just like mummy. You know several books by heart now and can 'read' them beautifully to anyone that will listen.

I love that you have your own style - whenever I put on your 'soccer' shoes (your words not mine they're just sneakers) you undo the two strips of velcro and cross them over - that's just how you roll.

I love how you love. You are abundant with kisses and cuddles and are sure to tell me many times a day 'Love you Mummy'.

You are a one of a kind and you're all mine

X Mummy

Baby Bump Love

2011-07-10T15:20:00.000+08:00

Back in the Saddle

2011-07-10T14:48:00.000+08:00

Every time I leave this poor blog of mine unloved for an extended period of time I promise never to do it again. I don't expect you to believe me anymore. I just haven't felt the blogging vibe lately but now that it's looking so fresh and adorable how will I be able to resist.

We have had a very emotional week. It started on a high last weekend. We had our anatomy scan and everything was PERFECT. I also had a night out with my sister seeing Wicked and had a win at the casino.

Then on Tuesday our precious dog went missing and for two days we were positive we were never going to see her again. Thursday afternoon some wonderful people called us and told us they knew where she was being kept. Noah and I together with the nice couple visited a house literally a couple of streets away and there she was. These (not so nice) people had been holding her for 2 days and had made no attempt to find out who owned her. They claim they were going to take her to the vet the next day to have her checked for a microchip but I am extremely dubious about that. Who holds a lost dog for that long? Turns out they had lost their own white fluffy dog the week before and I firmly believe they thought they had found a free replacement.

As they say all's well that ends well but it was very stressful and needless to say we will be keeping a much closer eye on Cleo's whereabouts from now on.

This weekend we're back on a high. Although yesterday was Banjo's 4th Birthday (and simultaneously the 4th anniversary of his death) - we don't get sad - we celebrate him. We wonder about him and we wish he was here but we know without Banjo there may not be Noah. Banjo will always be our angel baby but it is Noah every day that fills our hearts and brings us more happiness than we could ever have hoped for.

We are really looking forward to welcoming this new baby boy into our lives and filling our hearts once again with that crazy overflowing love that babies bring.

Camping 101

2011-06-19T14:44:00.000+08:00

Once you've got the basic camping gear all you really need is firewood, warm clothes and chocolate and you can survive. This past weekend though we gathered up some extra special ingredients that made this camping trip one that none of us are likely to forget - Grandparents and Great Grandparents. We camped on air mattresses in tents in the forest with four generations of my husband's family from Baby Beth 3 months old to Pa Pa 83 years old.

It was an idea that we weren't sure could be executed - in theory it sounded wonderful and Rob's Pa is still an adventurer - but this is freezing cold conditions in the middle of the forest with no facilities sleeping 15cms off the ground. There was concerns for the warmth and comfort of our youngest and oldest campers but both ends of the spectrum breezed through and loved every minute of it.

It really was a once in a lifetime camping trip and I am thrilled that Noah got to experience it.

(Almost) the whole group gathered around the fire

Youngest and oldest campers enjoying special cuddles

Noah, Pa and Beth

Many many cups of billy tea and coffee were enjoyed around the campfire

Time for fun

Time for relaxation

Plenty of time for oohing and ahhing at babies

Having a paddle

Campfire Cake just for fun

(idea stolen from Frog, Goose and Bear blog)

Camping food is simple but sooo yummy

The hammock is the place for lots of fun (not much relaxation)

I couldn't resist some little goodie bags to celebrate this extra special camping trip

Never underestimate the joy of the post-camping bath!!

Don't Worry Be Happy

2011-06-07T12:21:00.000+08:00

I've been absent. I don't know what to write. There has been an elephant in the room. I'm pregnant but I'm scared to write (talk) about it. I'm not superstitious just an old fashioned worrier. Being a worrier is in fact one of the many contradictions in my personality. I don't worry about hundreds of other things that lots of people do - BPA's, cancer from everything, numbers in my food, the latest scary research on X.Y & Z, kids falling, mysterious rashes, serious sounding coughs. I'm an 'it'll be alright kind of gal' in many many ways but when it comes to being pregnant I'm a nervous wreck.

I have every right to be - I have a very checkered history. My first son died in utero at 26 weeks and my beautiful boy Noah was born healthy but after a very tumultuous pregnancy with multiple scares along the way.

I know this pregnancy could be perfect - logic tells me this. My inner worrier lies awake at night thinking about what could happen. I have unexplained blood and autoimmune 'things' that nobody is really sure about. The Dr's are constantly guessing at what caused Banjo's death. In the end it could have been a one off freak of nature but they're not sure so we test everything and monitor everything just in case. It's a nightmare.

I wish for the innocence of those first 26 weeks of my first pregnancy. I was just swanning around without a care in the world. Ignorance really is bliss.

Today I had a scan. I have them scheduled every 2 weeks. My doctor is happy for me to go in earlier if I am feeling worried. This time I lasted 8 days.

Each time I see that little heart beating I am reassured - for a couple of days I am full of confidence then the niggling doubts creep in.

I wish I could enjoy the ride but I really just want a healthy baby in my arms to make our family complete.

It shouldn't be this hard.

2011-05-14T12:22:00.001+08:00

It's a bit of a moot point to say that I am having a blogging break - I think it's already been two weeks.

I didn't mean to - real life just got in the way.

After the Easter party extravaganza I was a bit burnt out then bam Mother's Day arrived before I could even catch my breath. We hosted another function all while I was nursing a very very sore back. Due to my stubborn determination to soldier on I ended up spending the following 3 days in bed in a lot of pain. I'm on the mend now and family life is slowly returning to normal. Which means I can no longer rely on Rob to do absolutely everything and I must say I was getting quite used to it.

Blogger (the site that hosts this blog of mine) was having a bit of a meltdown (well they called it an upgrade!!) as well but it seems to be back online now.

I will be back next week with lots of news. I have baby scans to discuss and photos to share.

Happy Weekend everyone

Wiggle Free Zone

2011-05-06T13:02:00.000+08:00

We live in a house devoid of The Wiggles. I'm proud of the fact that in Noah's almost 3 years we have managed to avoid the biggest marketing juggernaut in the under 8's crowd. He knows the Wiggles vaguely from other kids but he's never seen their show or a DVD - we are a strictly Play School only kinda house.

As a result we are generally very 'branding' free and have managed to avoid almost all merchandise (barring some Toy Story figurines and Mr Potato Head but that doesn't count because he is a real toy). I've become a bit of a tyrant about it. I don't know why but I just hate all that stuff - why must everything be so heavily branded for kids. Do you know how hard it was to find underpants for my newly toilet trained boy that didn't feature a TV or movie character on them?? It makes me cringe when I see kids dressed head to toe in Thomas/Ben10/Wiggles etc etc - sometimes a mash up of all of them - yikes. Not only is it unnecessary branding those clothes are uh-gly.

Every single one of the following items I have purchased for Noah came in various 'brandings' and I had to search to find generic versions.

Scooter
Bike
Fold out sofa
School bag
Musical instruments
Bedding
Train Set
Cricket Bat
Ball
Boogie Board
Every conceivable item of clothing - even shoes FFS.

Don't even get me started on the ice cream/milk/yoghurt/biscuits/cheese/snacks - all loaded with more sugar than the standard varieties.

Anyhow I digress - yesterday we went to see one of the children's concerts by The West Australia Symphony Orchestra (which by the way are fantastic if you haven't been).

It was all going nicely and we enjoyed some fun and dancing to 'Flight of the Bumblebee' and the 'William Tell Overture' when lo and behold The Wiggles. Every kid in that place and their parents knew those damn songs except me and Noah. He looked around as the packed house did every move and sang every word. My poor deprived 'Suzuki' music kid who knows every traditional children's song and nursery rhyme was the odd one out. I actually felt bad - am I doing him an injustice? Are the Wiggles an institution of childhood that no child should be deprived? Have they been added to UNICEF's 'The Convention on the Rights of the Child'?

What do you think? Are you pro Wiggles or anti Wiggles? Do you care one way or the other?

Easter Egg hunt

2011-04-29T12:44:00.000+08:00

We hosted an Easter Party for some of our closest friends and their kids on Sunday afternoon which was loads of fun. I had so much fun planning and preparing all the goodies - Easter is such a good excuse for way too many treats. I was too busy during the festivities to catch any pics but here are some of the table - which is the most important bit anyway!!

It's a Good Friday

2011-04-22T14:00:00.000+08:00

We have spent our first day of the Easter break at the beach. The weather in Perth is a little bit absurd and a whole lot awesome. It's hot here today - bloody hot - it's the end of April for goodness sake. The northern hemisphere is in a heatwave for the start of their summer and down here ours is still going with no end in sight.

Our boy is a water baby and looks like he's going to be a surfer too. After only a few tries on his belly he was absolutely adamant that he wanted to do it standing up and so he did (with a bit of help from Dad).

Friday Flashback

2011-04-22T08:18:00.000+08:00

This is a picture I took to make Easter cards for Noah's first Easter. How freakin' cute is that boy. I love that the bunny has recently become one of his must have bed companions too.

Happy Easter everyone I hope you have five fun-filled family days I know we will.

Cheep Cheep

2011-04-20T19:24:00.002+08:00

Day 1 with our chicks and already we are enjoying them so much. We started with two newborns plus a dozen eggs and we were lucky to watch the hatching of our first one over the course of today. In between we cuddled our fluffy babies and did some crafting ready for all the grandparents. The chick Noah is painting is from Bianca over at A Little Delightful and she also has some cute templates for a bunny and a sheep which you can paint or colour - we stuck cotton balls to ours.

An Actual Conversation with my Husband

2011-04-19T17:00:00.000+08:00

Husband ' So why did you make pigs?'

Me ' Why not?'

Husband ' Just something to do hey?'

Me ' Yes we had a quiet day at home so we painted and made pigs'

husband 'Oh it's just that you usually do things with a theme'

Me 'Yeah well we are going on that Farm Stay next weekend'

Huband - Hysterical laughter.

Apparently he knows me too well and it turns out finds my theming of activities hilarious and perhaps a little bit ridiculous.

Anyway here are our pigs from last week. Be warned this is an all day activity. (Paint plates, wait to dry, staple together and then glue into stacks and wait for glue to dry, add eyes, nose, legs etc.) It was fun though and it kept us very amused.

Farm Holiday

2011-04-19T14:38:00.001+08:00

We had no intention of making it a family tradition to go on a Farm Stay for mummy's birthday but somehow it has happened that we have done it two years in a row and we may just keep it up.

For me it is the perfect way to spend my birthday - away from the lure of household jobs and mundane daily chores I get to spend really relaxing quality time with my two boys.

We couldn't get a booking at the one from last year so we tried a new place Ferguson Farmstay in The Ferguson Valley (WA).

This time we had another family with us which really made it all the more fun for Noah at this age. The kids love the autonomy of being able to wander to each other's cabin in the morning and head off solo to the rabbits or the trampoline. Everything is so well suited to children and they get so much enjoyment from all the activities.

It's so nice for me to see Noah collecting eggs and then eating them for breakfast and understanding all the more clearly that they don't just come in a carton from the shop.

All last week we did craft activities relating to farm animals getting ready for our trip away and it's all culminating in the very exciting delivery tomorrow of our eggs which we will be watching hatch into chicks all over the easter weekend. More on that later.

There were 5 in the bed....

2011-04-13T13:34:00.003+08:00

This blog started as a way to record and remember precious memories and sometimes I need to take a moment to notice what is special about a certain stage of his life. This is Noah's current collection of bedtime toys. Goodness knows how many it will be by next week but as of today this is the favoured group. For nearly two years it has just been 'raffy' the blanket up front with a giraffe head then a few weeks ago monkey joined the group and slowly it has grown to this little menagerie. Hop (large bunny) Little Hop (small bunny), Monkey, Frog and 'Raffy' (we like to keep our names pretty simple around here.)

Even as I finally publish this a new bear has joined the gang - reminding me how quickly things change when you're two.

Bunny Cupcakes

2011-04-08T19:07:00.001+08:00

How cute are these little guys?? This morning I let Noah do almost all of the work in the kitchen. He's graduated from chief egg cracker to mixer, cake batter spooner and even iced these ones. (Just two because then he started eating more than he was spreading)

We downloaded the bunny ears from here and then just used whatever we could rustle up around the house. These ones had fluffy cotton ball tails but we didn't have any little ones for paws at the front (next time). I'd also rather pipe the icing nice and high to give the face a more 3D look and perhaps smaller cupcakes next time so the ears are more in proportion.

They are still pretty adorable and Noah was thrilled. Check him out - watch out Masterchef.

His apron and hat were Christmas presents and they were one of the gifts that did not get opened on the day because we had such an excess. How fun is random gift opening on a Friday morning though.

Reality Bites

2011-04-07T23:43:00.003+08:00

Image from We Heart It

I'm just gonna blurt it out - I am really sick to death of political correctness (is it even politically correct to say politically correct anymore??)

I mean for god's sake apparently we're not even allowed to say Baa Baa BLACK sheep anymore it's supposed to be 'coloured' sheep. Forgive me for saying so but that's just bullshit and also I'm pretty sure we went through a whole period of history where 'coloured' was an insulting term for black people so how flipping confusing is that. There really are black sheep people get over it - it's not racism.

There are so many more examples like this one but the one that's really got my blood boiling lately is the party circuit. There are so many rules it's out of control.

If your kid is school age and you want to hand out party invites at school you are 'advised' to invite the whole class. When I was at school people invited who they wanted to their birthday party and everyone else had to put their big kid panties on and get over it. In real life you can't be friends with everyone - not everyone will like you either and that's OK.

Once you've negotiated that minefield and you've got 40 kids at your house there's the party games. To be specific pass-the-parcel. Nowadays the host (ie a frantic mum half an hour before the party) is expected to wrap enough layers for everyone to get a chance to unwrap one. Then this farce is strictly controlled by some seriously excellent timing on the stereo by a very stressed out dad. Each layer must also have a prize in it. C'mon people life isn't fair, this is the time we are supposed to be teaching our kids about sportsmanship - It's not whether you win or lose it's how you play the game etc etc

It's everywhere I turn. At my nephew's junior footy - no score keeping in case someone gets upset at losing. Easter Bonnet parade no prize for best hat - just a pat on the back for participating.

I don't want any kids to feel left out or excluded or made to feel inferior - absolutely not. What I want is for them to be educated honestly. I want them to learn that in life there are winners and losers. I want them to understand you don't always get absolutely everything that everyone else does. When they succeed or do well I want them to be able to revel in that accomplishment. I want them to be practised in the art of being both a good winner and a good loser. I want them to lose or fail and feel disappointed and know how to pick themselves up and try again.

What do you think - am I being too tough? Should we continue to protect our children from reality? Do you do the 'everyone's a winner' version of pass the parcel or are you old school like me?

We're off to see the Wizard......

2011-04-07T22:58:00.000+08:00

The wonderful Wizard of Oz...........

On the big screen under the stars, finally a cool enough Perth night for snuggly clothes and ugg boots (pj's for a certain small person). All three of us snuggled under the doona watching one of the best movies ever made - perfect.

Etiquette - FAIL

2011-04-05T10:18:00.000+08:00

There is a golden rule everyone should know - unless you see a baby coming out of a woman's vagina DO NOT ask if she is pregnant. I know this better than anyone - I have a tummy that could easily be taken for 5 months pregnant. (OK so I'm being a bit kind on myself but hey it's my blog and my fat!!).

On the weekend I was at a child's birthday party and there was a guest there that looked pregnant. I mean to me she looked absolutely undeniably, indisputably pregnant. It didn't even for a second occur to me that she wasn't. She didn't just have a wobbly belly like mine it was hard and round and perfectly placed and she was wearing one of those strapless maxi dresses - I mean c'mon. Still I should have remembered 'the rule'.

The whole situation was made worse by the fact that I overheard the following conversation.

Random Person 'How long now?'
Fat not pregnant person '5 weeks'

Seemed pretty self explanatory to me so later when we were having a friendly chat I blurt out ' Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl' ? She very politely told me she was not pregnant and then I died. I have never been so mortally embarrassed in my life. It's not like it was in the supermarket and I could just runaway, I was sitting right next to her. I think I turned bright red then apologised profusely - it's all a bit of a blur. I was desperately praying for a crater in the earth to open up and swallow me.

Turns out something else in happening to her in 5 weeks - I never did find out what!!

Alert - Calorie Overload Ahead

2011-04-04T14:08:00.000+08:00

When Baker's Delight contacted me about taste-testing their Hot Cross Buns one of their friendly suggestions was coming up with a recipe involving HXB's. I love to eat, I love to bake but a recipe creator I am not.

So naturally I did what anyone in my shoes would do and looked for someone to copy.

In my search I found the amazing Kitchen Wench who created this fab recipe last Easter. With full credit to her for all of the fabulous deliciousness of this creation as well as some really sexy photos I share it with you.

Chocolate-Stuffed Easter French toast

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 hot cross buns (preferably mocha-flavoured)
2 medium-sized eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (not Vanilla Essence)
Approx. 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup thickened or double cream, chilled
Approx. 4 tbsp shaved dark chocolate

1. Firstly, slice your buns horizontally into about 4-5 layers. The buns are easier to slice if you leave them to get a little stale first.

2. Press a few chocolate chips in between each layer (I went with 5), then when you’re finished layering it, use your hand to squish the bun together firmly.

3. Lightly beat together the egg, milk, sugar and vanilla, then dip each hot cross bin in the mixture. Remember to flip it at least once but not to let it soak – you want the egg to coat it, not turn it into a soggy mess. Once you’ve done that, heat up a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over a low flame, then fry the buns one at a time.

Leave each bun to cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, only flipping once so the side that has been cooking is crispy and the sugars have caramelized nicely.

4. Just before serving, whip the cream till it holds soft peaks, then use a metal spoon to gently fold in the chocolate flakes. Whack a dollop of this on top of each bun as it’s being served, and watch the cream and the chocolate melt together and drip everywhere into a gorgeously calorific MESS!

If you love this recipe you should absolutely hop on over to her Blog and check out so many more amazing recipes plus at the moment there is an opportunity to win a 2L Cuisinart Stainless Steel Ice cream Maker.

Now I know my ABC's next time won't you sing with me

2011-04-04T13:46:00.000+08:00

Noah is currently really fascinated by learning the ABC song and walks around the house singing it on and off for most of the day.

What he doesn't know about all those letters are that the most important ones are I, V and F. Those 3 letters represent everything to us right now. Without them we wouldn't have this precious boy that fills our heart daily with so much love and laughter. We never forget how lucky we are to have him. A generation ago we would never have had the opportunity to be parents - we would have been declared infertile and had to live with that.

It's not that we wouldn't have been fine just the husband and I but we are so much more as a family. Noah has given us more joy and happiness than we could ever have imagined.

Now IVF has again given us a chance. A chance to give Noah a sibling. We desperately want to be parents again but it's almost more important to us for Noah. As we watch him interact with his friends and love them deeply it mean so much to us that he has a brother or sister to share that special bond with. He is already so excited about the baby in mummies tummy. We are just hoping and praying that those other 3 letters HCG are on our side.

Saturdays blood results were inconclusive so we are still waiting waiting and hoping our scan on Friday will have some more definite answers.

Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns,

2011-04-03T10:03:00.000+08:00

One half penny

Two half pennies

Hot cross buns.

If you have no daughters

give them to your sons

One half penny

Two half pennies

Hot cross buns

This is the one and only song I ever learnt to play on the recorder and I think it is the same tune as Three Blind Mice so technically I know 2 songs. Is the recorder even a real instrument?? I've never heard of a person who 'plays' the recorder. I'm sure it is just an instrument of torture created by school teachers to punish parents.

I can never think about HXB and not remember this song and that damn recorder.

I have drawn the winners of the $5 Bakers Delight Vouchers - there were 20 lovely commenters over the week so all their names went in a hat (we do it the old fashioned way around here no random number generators). Noah drew them out amidst cries of "What we do now mummy?'

The winners are - Chantelle from Fat Mum Slim

Kellie from Three Li'l Princesses

Tara from Our Whirlwind Adventures

Sandra and Willo

I'll be in touch to get mailing addresses and get your vouchers to you asap.

Thanks everyone and keep an eye out tomorrow for a decadent recipe to use up left over HXB's ( not that there would ever be any left over surely!!)

A Little Bit of Easter

2011-04-01T16:34:00.000+08:00

We have finally made a very small start on our Easter activities. Noah is so excited this year because he knows we're having an Easter Party. I want to make it really fun for him so we have lots of things planned including hatching chicks in our home. I'm rolling Easter and a few farm activities all in together to try and give Easter some meaning for him besides chocolate (more on that another day). We are even going on a farm stay the weekend before Easter.

Today we started preparing some of our decorations and look at our beautiful Easter 'tree'.

We also made this really easy paper chain which you can buy from Target - all the strips already have a sticky end so it is a super easy no mess (no stapler) craft. It was only $2 for a pack with enough for a 40 link chain too so you gotta love that.

Four

2011-04-01T16:13:00.003+08:00

A quartet, a foursome...

The word four has four letters. In the English language there is no other number whose number of letters is equal to its value.

The number four on a calculator is made up of four light bars.

Many things are arranged in fours. There are four suits in a deck of cards, four points of the compass, and four phases of the moon. There are four wings on a bee and four leaves on a clover, if you are lucky.

The four seasons are spring, summer, autumn and winter.

A tetrahedron is a kind of pyramid with four triangular faces. It also has four corners. *

Best of all 4 years is how long I have been married.

Today is my wedding anniversary (and my husband's too - fancy that!) Yes I know it is April Fools Day - we thought it was fitting after our false start the previous year when we had to cancel 5 weeks out from the big day.

We have been together for 9 years all up and it has been a wonderful adventure. We have had many ups and definitely our fair share of downs too but we have stuck it out and we're still very much in love. He makes me laugh every day (sometimes with and sometimes at) and that is really all I need.

* This information shamelessly stolen from HERE.
** The idea for this post even more shamelessly stolen from the amazing and clever Mrs Woog

HCG Update

2011-03-31T18:48:00.002+08:00

All the twin speculation is over - we had a scan today and can categorically tell you there is not two babies in there.

Unfortunately that is about all we know for sure right now. After such wonderful HCG levels so far, yesterday's blood test caused some concern with only a very small rise in the 4 days since our last test. The clinic was understandably concerned and thus the ultrasound this morning.

The scan showed a bleed in my uterus which also happened with our pregnancy which gave us Noah so in itself may not be too terrible. The scan also showed one good size egg sack albeit sitting lower than is optimum. It's too early for a foetal heartbeat so it's impossible for them to determine if the sac they can see is still a viable pregnancy. Blood tests will provide better information so we have another one on Saturday morning and then another scan in a week.

All we can do now is hope and pray and take it one day at a time. It has always been the limbo that is the hardest part of IVF. We are back in a holding pattern - the initial excitement replaced with worry and fear but we will certainly be trying to be optimistic.

P.S. Sorry for the lack of light and fluffy Easter posts promised but I'm sure you understand. I will still be drawing the winners of the hot cross buns from all the peeps who commented over the week. Last comments that can be included will be Saturday April 2nd at midnight (WST)

Where do you draw the line??

2011-03-30T19:30:00.001+08:00

I am not a budget food shopper. I didn't grow up in a budget home. We always had lots of nice food and nothing was really out of bounds.

I am not a loyal shopper - I flirt with them all making no commitments to one favourite supermarket. I shop at IGA sometimes even though I know it is more expensive but hey it is open 7 days 12 hours a day and it's convenient.

If I'm shopping and an item we need is on special I may buy extra and 'stock up' but that's about as far as it goes.

When I was in primary school I had a friend whose mum would read all the catalogues and make shopping lists for every store based on what was on special in each one. I admired her dedication but even back then at the ripe old age of 12 it seemed to me to be a false economy. All that time and effort to save a few dollars overall.

I knew another woman who would take a small paring knife shopping with her and actually cut the ends off the beans so she didn't pay for any weight she didn't need.

I remember my mum telling me stories about my Nanna coveting stone fruit but not buying it because it was too expensive. It's a scenario I simply cannot imagine but today when I went to buy 2 largish bananas and it was going to cost $6 - I had to draw the line. I'm sure I've paid as much before - probably the last time there was a banana shortage - but it would have been hidden in a larger grocery bill. Seeing it broken down like that was just too confronting. On an average day Noah eats 2 bananas sometimes 3 - that's a minimum $42 a week banana habit.

Are you a budget shopper? Are you a disciple of the catalogues and specials? Have you bought any bananas lately??

A Camping Weekend

2011-03-29T16:40:00.001+08:00

HCG Update

2011-03-29T12:06:00.000+08:00

As of Saturday my HCG level is 3960.

These were the stats my husband had compiled previously -
Day 21 = Sat

Single = 1929

Twins = 2896

Kirsty = ???

I think we can all see where this seems to be heading. Some people are even starting to utter the word Triplets - god help me.

Tune in tomorrow for more frightening HCG numbers.

Twins??

2011-03-25T16:00:00.000+08:00

The twin speculation around these parts has hit a fever pitch. We eagerly await the results of each blood test for Hcg levels to try and see if they can shed any light. We will know for sure one way or another in only a few weeks when we have our first scan but still we care very impatient.

My husband has done literally hours of research on the Internet (google can be such a dangerous tool in the wrong hands!!) and being the super nerd that he is has created a graph.

Yes - a graph. He has mapped known Hcg levels according to a couple of research studies he found and has added my results to the graph.

As you can see from the graph my levels are tracking high.

Here is the exact email my gorgeous crazy husband sent me Wednesday

Day 12 (Thurs)

Kirsty = 100

Day 14 (Sat)

Single = 142

Twins = 212

Kirsty = 400

Day 16 = Mon

Single = 321

Twins = 481

Day 18 = Wed

Kirsty = 1600

Day 21 = Sat

Single = 1929

Twins = 2896

Kirsty = ???

I’ve plotted this up below. Call me a scientist, but I reckon we’re headed for twins!!

Blood results on Saturday would be very interesting/informative – maybe I should take Monday off work, so we can head down south after bloods on Saturday and stay Sat/Sun night instead of Fri/Sat??

Just in case there is any confusion yes he is suggesting we change the dates of our planned camping weekend just so we can have a blood test exactly at Day 21 for the purposes of 'the graph' and yes I agreed to it.

Ah bless him and his nerdy ways. In the end what will be will be but we are very excited for the prospect of twins as this will almost definitely be our last pregnancy. Either way we are feeling very lucky just to be pregnant after such a long challenging journey this time around.

I'll keep you posted

As I was typing this my husband called to tell me he is leaving work early to go and line up to buy an iPad 2 when they are released at 5pm - does the nerdiness know no bounds??

A Delivery

2011-03-24T22:18:00.000+08:00

Look what the courier brought us today...................

The very kind and generous people at Bakers Delight sent 3 bags of warm hot cross buns for us to taste test. I have to say I was a little bit concerned that I was going to have to eat them all myself which of course I could certainly do (I'm eating for 2 or 3 now you know). Luckily today happened to be a day where there were lots of visitors popping by. (Hmmn now that I think about maybe they all knew about my stash of hot cross buns)

So anyhoo throughout the afternoon everyone enjoyed a cuppa and a ridiculously soft and delicious hot cross bun.

The traditional ones were a hit and being that Noah is currently having a bit of a serious romance with sultanas he was over the moon excited with them. I can't go past the mocha ones - need I say more - and chocolate chip is Easter all over.

We still have plenty left and as we are heading off camping over the weekend I'm looking forward to toasting them over the campfire.

Have you had any Hot Cross Buns yet this season?? Are you a traditionalist or do you love the new flavours??

The lovely people at Bakers Delight have also sent me 5 vouchers to share with you all - each one is for a bag of hot cross deliciousness of your own.

Over the next week I am going to post various Easter related posts so pop on back and leave a comment on any of those posts (or this one) and you will be in the running to win one of the vouchers. (Entries close midnight WST Saturday April 2nd and I'll email the winners directly)

Happy Weekend

Can you hear the sound of bunnies hopping??

2011-03-24T10:06:00.000+08:00

Unless you walk around all day with your eyes closed or you haven't been near a shop since the whole Christmas shopping debacle it can't have escaped your notice that Easter is coming. Not as soon as the shops would have you think though. Despite the fact that it's a late Easter this year, there were Easter eggs and all the paraphernalia in the shops the first day of trade following Christmas. Am I the only one that thinks that's crazy?? I like at least a few weeks break between my holiday hype.

I've managed to ignore it for the past 3 months but now I'm ready. I'm ready to buy eggs and eat hot cross buns and enjoy all the fun of Easter. I'm particularly excited this year as we are going to host our first ever Egg Hunt for all our friends and their kids. We are also hatching chicks at our house over the Easter period to really get in the spirit. I've got lots of fun craft activities planned too.

Do you have any Easter traditions?? What are your plans for this year??

40 Bags Update

2011-03-21T14:48:00.000+08:00

I am motoring along with my Lent mission - today is the 11th day (Sundays don't count for Lent) and I'm almost on track. I've disposed of 3 bags from the linen cupboard, 3 bags from the study, 1 bag from the bathroom cabinet and 1 bag from the filing cabinet. I still have 3 bags to go to be up to date which will be caught up easily when I continue on with the study this week.

The most interesting thing about this project is the decisions about what to keep and what to let go of. I am somewhat of a hoarder particularly when it comes to memorabilia. I have already accumulated a large collection for Noah and he's not even 3. I think it stems from the fact that my parents seemed to be the opposite and I was always envious of people whose parents had kept every drawing, every home-made card, school projects, toys, books and even baby clothes. I have spent a great deal of time as an adult searching for books that I loved as a child and restocking my bookshelves with them.

Wanting to eliminate 'stuff' from our lives means I am having to challenge my ideas of what is important. I have boxes filled with diaries, photos and old letters from boyfriends and high school friends (before everyone just face booked and emailed). My husband and I have been together for 9 years and I'm sure my kids will never be interested in my life before Daddy so I guess it's time to throw them away. Or is it?? They are a part of my history, a part of what makes me who I am. I never look at them except when the annual spring clean comes around and then I have a flick through and they take me back to different times and different life experiences which I really enjoy.

I'm stuck on this one, I think I'll have to give it more thought. I'd hate to regret my decision and one day wish I had kept it all. This my friends is the catch cry for every hoarder 'What if I need/want it one day'??!!!!!

What do you think??

Sculpture by the Sea

2011-03-21T14:21:00.000+08:00

The results are in

2011-03-17T13:03:00.002+08:00

I haven't slept well at all this week so I finally caved and called the fertility clinic begging them to do my pregnancy test a day early. I didn't even tell Rob I had arranged it - I wanted to save him from the agonising clock watching between taking the test and getting the result.

After 18 months and 7 attempts we are finally pregnant. We are so thrilled there are no words satisfactory to express it. It means so much more to us after having fought so bloody hard to get here. I'm only 4 weeks so we are still going to be on tenterhooks for a while but right now it's all positive. Our first scan will be in about 4 weeks and then we will find out if there is one heartbeat or two!!

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone - thank god for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

2011-03-16T06:39:00.001+08:00

We are almost there. Friday is the day we find out if our latest round of IVF has worked. The 2 week wait for the pregnancy test is torture. Every minute goes by so slowly and where normally the weeks fly by they are dragging on. On Friday my blood test is at 7.30am then I have to wait until 2.30pm to get the results - I will be watching the clock closely that day.

I don't know how I feel this time - I'm quietly confident but you just never know.

See you on Friday.

Lent

2011-03-09T14:09:00.002+08:00

Today is Ash Wednesday which is the start of Lent. I have often toyed with the concept of Lent but not taken it very seriously. When I was in my early 20's a girlfriend and I would nominate something to give up that we never really had anyway - a cheats way to make a sacrifice for Jesus. Today when I told my husband and Father-in-law that it was Lent my FIL joked that he's going to 'give up giving up things'.

This year I am taking a challenge inspired by Memories on Clover Lane a gorgeous blog you should definitely check out. This house proud mum is purging 40 bags in 40 days.

When I told a friend that today she was a bit taken aback - 40 bags is a lot. I still think I can do it.

I'm going to use plastic shopping bags which are smaller than say a regular garbage bag. I have recently done a great deal of spring cleaning but I am convinced there is still 40 bags of excess stuff in our lives. I haven't planned it out exactly but I do plan on targeting every room and I also plan to discard some 'cyber' rubbish'. Let's just say my computer filing system is not pretty and my desktop is a disaster.

As I've been sick over the last week today Noah and I are going to start with a bit of a cheats bag and rake up all the bougainvillea debris in the yard. Easy on the brain and I think I can convince Noah to do most of the work.

Why don't you join me it'll be fun and imagine how organised your house will be come that lovely 5 day Easter break. One bag a day is pretty manageable.

Housekeeping

2011-03-09T13:54:00.000+08:00

Just a little housekeeping note that the commenting system has changed. I have been getting some abusive comments from some people that I thought my little blog could do without so from now on all comments will come to me first for moderation before they appear on the comment page. Please still leave comments because I love them and after all that is part of the fun of blogging.

Siblings

2011-03-05T13:11:00.000+08:00

Daddy hasn't posted in eons, but I'm just feeling so positive about our IVF transfer this morning that I'm declaring that these are Noah's new siblings. Go little guys, keep dividing, stay strong, and transform into beautiful little babies... you couldn't wish for a better mummy XXX

Cuteness

2011-02-25T14:57:00.002+08:00

Toilet training is still very much the hot topic around these parts. Mostly it is still going really well - almost too well. Me thinks the boy has almost become too confident and is waiting too long and then oops - we have had a couple of puddles. All part of the journey I guess and how can I be mad when this is how my washing line looks.

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

2011-02-24T15:55:00.002+08:00

The heat in Perth at the moment is oppressive. I can't remember the last time it wasn't hot and the humidity is killing me. I think everyone has had enough - kids and adults alike seem grumpy. It's hard to get out and do much because it is too damn hot all the time . Today I'm having one of those days when you just feel depressed for no decent reason then Noah woke up in a mood and I was at breaking point.

Then I had a brainwave - ICE CREAM. We jumped in the car headed to the nearest drive through bought two 50cent cones and life is looking a lot sweeter.

The World According to Noah

2011-02-23T22:03:00.001+08:00

Noah: Mummy I have a baby in my tummy
Me: really is it a boy or a girl baby
Noah: a boy
Me: what's his name?
Noah: I already told you (uh no you didn't I think I would remember having had this conversation before)
Me: Can you please tell me again
Noah: Buster

Noah: Mummy you have a baby girl in your tummy and her name is Suzie
Me: (speechless)

The things I've learnt about travelling with kids

2011-02-14T20:12:00.005+08:00

This post is being used as part of a travelling with kids feature on Anytrip for more tips check out what other parent bloggers had to say.

picture from here

There's a reason they publish specific books about travelling with kids - it's different.

So my first and most important tip to anyone travelling with kids is forget everything you know. Forget the holidays you had before. Forget the expression 'carry on only'. Travelling with children is wonderful and fulfilling and can be every bit as enjoyable - it's just different and you need to be prepared for that.

I am no expert but I have learnt some things along the way and I've been asked to share them so here goes.

Accommodation

If it's feasible and affordable get 2 adjoining rooms or a room with 2 bedrooms. The first time we stayed in a hotel with Noah it was a self contained 1 bedroom apartment. We had thought a lot about wanting a fridge and cooking facilities and a washing machine. What we didn't think about was that at 6.30 every night when Noah (11 months) went to bed we would essentially have to sit in near silence and darkness while he slept. The only thing that saved our sanity was a laptop and Season 2 of Underbelly!

Our second foray into hotel accommodation we remembered what we had learnt and booked a much more spacious 2 bedroom 2 storey apartment. We live in a two storey house and Noah (18 months) was fine with stairs so we thought we had hit the jackpot. We didn't ask about what kind of staircase it was and when we got there we discovered it was a very stylish polished wood floating staircase with void spaces between each step and no way to attach the safety rail we had smartly brought along.

Ask questions when booking accommodation. Ask if balconies are child friendly. Ask if they have any safety equipment they can offer you.

When you get there do a reconnaissance of the room. Move things out of drawers and cupboards and put them in safe places. Don't be afraid to re-arrange the room to suit your family's needs and your children's safety. Blu Tack can be your best friend. It can be used to subdue sharp corners on furniture, cover power outlets and also to assist to keep drawers and cupboards shut.

Getting There

We have travelled with Noah by plane, boat, bus, train and car with varying degrees of success. It all depends on the ages of the children and the times and distances being travelled.

I have always found that if kids are tired the fact of being restrained in a car means they relax and go to sleep so I think for car travel it's all about personal preference. It certainly pays to be prepared - bring snacks, favourite toys, cd's, books, spare dummies - whatever you need.

We have one of those portable DVD players that straps onto the back of the headrest but so far even though we have done some pretty substantial driving holidays we've barely used it. Engage your child - talk about the scenery, spot cows, sing songs, count, dance in your seat. Take the opportunity to talk, discuss, teach. Enjoy - isn't that why you're all on holidays together anyway?

We tried to stick to some routine's while driving so we gave Noah his bedtime 'snuggly' and his milk when it was time to nap and for the most part it has been successful.

Travelling by plane for us though has been a whole different beast. For us we have learnt that it does not pay to fly with a tired child. If it is at all possible fly at a time they should normally be awake and entertain them with books/movies/drawing. We were under the mistaken assumption that if we jumped on a plane at bedtime he would go off to sleep and everyone would travel happy. WRONG - the atmosphere going through airports and boarding planes is all very disruptive and overstimulating so what happens is you have an overtired child way past the point of sleep in a locked capsule with hundreds of people and fluorescent lighting - disaster.

There are a million more things I could tell you about travelling with kids but the most important thing of all is to just go out and do it. It will not be like any holiday you have ever had before. You will more than likely not sip any cocktails by the pool - or if you do it won't be in peace. You will do things you may never have done before. (like be in your hotel room safe and sound by 6.30 every night) You will see things through fresh eyes and best of all no matter whether it's a road trip and sleeping in a tent or you're travelling overseas in fancy hotels you will be giving your child an invaluable education.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T19:18:00.002+08:00

Yummy Treats

2011-02-12T23:21:00.000+08:00

I want to share with you the easiest yummiest most foolproof scone recipe ever. I love that this recipe was used by my Nanna. I have such fond recipes of all of Nan's amazing cooking - the lightest fluffiest sponge cakes, homemade jams and sauces - she was the epitome of the country housewife - she could cook or bake anything. My mum is also an amazing cook and she is pretty famous for these scones.

I find that people have a fear of cooking scones - they are under the mistaken belief that to make a good scone is very difficult. Anyway I whipped these up in 5 minutes this morning and they cook in 10-12 minutes - perfect for unexpected guests.

4 Cups Self Raising Flour
1 small can lemonade (250-300ml)
1 small carton cream (300ml)

Mix 3 of the cups of flour with the cream and lemonade - stir gently until the mixture comes together. It will be too sticky so keep adding the last cup of flour until it looks ready to be handled. You will have anywhere from a third to a half of that last cup of flour left - use it to dust your bench top. Knead the dough very lightly and then pat it out to about 2cm thick and cut your scones. You can use a round cookie cutter (or another shape) or just use the top edge of a round drinking glass.

Cook on a baking tray at 200 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes until golden but not too dark.

Serve with huge amounts of cream and strawberry jam (preferably home-made by my mum - delish)

A Funny Thing Happened

2011-02-10T15:02:00.000+08:00

Somewhere between his cousin's birthday party last Saturday morning and his nap on Saturday afternoon - Noah was toilet trained. I am not joking that's how fast it happened.

WE have not tried to toilet train him at all. I mean we have kept it all very open in conversation and let him know that when he's ready he could start using the toilet and wearing big boy pants but he had never actually done anything. Until he came upstairs in the middle of his movie last Saturday and told me he needed to go the toilet to do a wee. I had a couple of pairs of cute undies stashed in a drawer so I asked him if he would like to wear them and that was that he's been using the toilet ever since.

I know a lot of mums have to stay at home for a week or two to get the kids in the rythym but we've been very lucky how well he's taken to it. We were out and about all weekend at parties and concerts and this week has been busy too and it's all been without a hitch.

I am so thrilled and proud - he has done an amazing job almost completely under his own steam. I know there will probably be accidents and there is still a long road ahead but for now we are nappy free.

Project Life

2011-02-10T14:44:00.000+08:00

There is a trend in blogging and photography and scrap booking - everyone is doing it. Some cal it 365 day project some call it POTD (Photo of the Day) and of course project life.

The idea is to take a photo every day. Photos of ordinary happenings and exciting ones too and record them all together giving you a complete photographic record of any given year.

I thought about it last year but the year was half gone before I got interested so I thought I'd start at the beginning of a fresh year. I ordered the scrap booking style kit and it has been waiting patiently on the shelf. It sits there waiting with note books full of ideas for albums of Noah's 1st, 2nd and now almost 3rd year. With hundreds of hours of home video waiting to be edited into something fun to watch and reminisce over. Thank God I have my blog to keep some sort of record otherwise our whole lives would be 'waiting' in boxes.

I did start the year with every intention to at least take the photos - I was under no illusions of doing anything with them but the photo part I thought would be easy. I mean you guys know I take hundreds of photos. I lug my huge camera everywhere. It's so not as easy as you would think. I guess my life is just not as interesting as I thought!!

Anyway here are the photos for January - for as many days as I can rustle up. I'll try harder in February - I promise.

January 1st - C'mon who doesn't love a bit of nude cycling

January 2nd

January 4th

January 6th - Mandurah Foreshore

January 7th - Whiteman Park

January 9th

January 11th - yes he has his hair tied up on top of his head!

January 13th - channeling Angelina Ballerina as we wave goodbye to Daddy one morning

January 12th - This photo might not look like much but this kitty could jump about a metre off the ground so Noah had hours of fun playing (teasing) with it

January 17th - Noah and Skip (our beach house dog)

January 18th - Mama at the beach solo - bliss

January 20th - perfecting the art of cracking eggs - 3 eggs and no shell - success.

January 21st - everyone likes to see their name up in lights. Our first ever bowling outing.

January 22nd - Cleo is not too thrilled about having to ride in the bike chariot.

January 23rd - Hey the invitation was for a dress up princess party - what's a boy to do??!!

January 26th - a boy and his biscuit

January 31st - Totem tennis before bedtime.

17 photos out of 31 days - I promise to try harder.

Welcome February

2011-02-08T11:37:00.001+08:00

My poor little blog has been very neglected lately. I am finding life so busy at the moment. February has sprung on us so quickly and it really is life back to normal now. January has been all about holidays and fun activities but all of the normal routines return this month.

I'm still weight watching which takes a surprisingly large amount of energy and focus. Meal planning, point counting, counselling and exercise. Even though the last couple of days I've struggled a bit, on the whole I am feeling really confident and managing to stick to the regime without feeling deprived. Weigh in tonight so I'll be back with some news on that later.

Noah started his 3 year old Kindy yesterday!! He was fantastic - kids all around him were crying and some were screaming but he took it all in his stride kissed Rob and I goodbye and didn't flinch. I was fine and didn't even shed a tear I was just so proud of him. Rob on the other hand felt a bit unsettled by leaving him. When I picked him up he was happy as can be and the teacher said he was great. He told me that some kids were playing on the slide 'and I told them be careful'. So looks like he's settled straight into his role as safety officer!!

Fun is cheap

2011-01-27T16:43:00.000+08:00

You know how at Christmas the kids get a hundred toys worth god knows how many dollars and then one little stocking filler worth about $10 is the biggest hit of the day? Well this is ours. Honestly I could have bought Noah just this pair of binoculars and he would have been the happiest kid on earth. No other toy has commanded as much love and attention as these little beauties.

Watch out David Attenborough you have been replaced.

Watching Weight

2011-01-27T16:17:00.000+08:00

I am very happy to report that I have had two weigh ins and lost 1.2kgs each time. At first I was disappointed with that number as the changes I had made to my food intake were pretty dramatic in both quantity and quality. Then I had a good think about it and I realised that it is actually really good because if I was to go on a 'normal' diet as I have done many times in the past I would have banned all 'enjoyable' foods in lieu of 'Rabbit Food' and by Day 3 I would have felt deprived and pissed off and like life was no longer worth living. Sure I would have lost 3 kilos in a week but by week 2 I would have been lunging for the nearest packet of tim tams and I would have seriously crashed off the wagon. Such is the cycle of dieting.

Weight Watchers allows me to 'spend' my daily points on any foods I choose so I have had that little chocolatey treat after dinner and I've had breakfast out and gone to BBQ's and still stayed on track without feeling deprived.

I can't say what the future holds but at the moment I am feeling super motivated and like I could really stay on track and lose a good amount of weight and keep it off.

Fingers crossed.

New Years Resolutions

2011-01-18T16:03:00.000+08:00

I am so horribly bad at keeping New Years resolutions that I couldn't even keep my resolution to write a blog post about New Year resolutions. (Ha try saying that 5 times fast)

What I do love though is the bright shiny prospects the start of a new year brings. It's like a clean slate, a fresh start. It helps that for us southern hemisphere dwellers it is in summer which I think is a time when people feel more positive and more alive anyway.

Last year I blogged about my plans for 2010 with the beat of intentions and I did make some great inroads towards a more balanced life. I achieved a lot of things around my home that I wanted to but there is still plenty to do this year. I definitely feel proud of the job I am doing of mothering Noah and I will aim to find even more new ways to keep his life fun and fulfilled. Rob and I have worked hard together to keep our relationship on track through IVF and finances and parenting and working.

The only thing that I failed miserably at was ME. I did not take time for myself, I didn't look after myself and I did not lose weight. So even though it is such a cliche - that is where I will be focusing the majority of my attention this year.

I have joined Weight Watchers and so far so good. I have found an amazing counsellor through a blog friend to help get my head in the right place for my weight loss journey. (Apparently my subconscious might be sabotaging my excellent intentions!!!) I'm exercising - a little bit - more. I'm taking time out to relax.

It's only the beginning of a VERY long road and I'm expecting hard times but right now I'm feeling great.

Happy New Year to Me

I'm baaaaaack

2011-01-18T15:45:00.001+08:00

I have a very legitimate excuse for my prolonged absence however in order to explain I have to make a potentially embarrassing confession. Actually perhaps not nearly as embarrassing for me as my husband.

Over the holidays Rob and I became addicted to Glee!! We bought Season 1 Part 1 a while back thinking it was something we would like to watch so every day when Noah napped we snuck an episode in and then a couple more each night. We finished those discs in no time and needed more. So we raced out one day to JB Hi Fi to buy Part 2 Season 1 (we may have travelled to a specific shopping centre after failing to find it in 3 others!!) See what I mean embarrassing.

Anyway it's out there now so the deal is we knocked off the whole of Season 1 in about a week (12 discs - god knows how many episodes). As season 2 has not yet even screened on TV in Australia we were in a bit of a bind so Rob downloaded it off the Internet used all our download allowance and voila no more Internet usage for the last 2 weeks of the month.

We are now house sitting at a house with a healthy Internet connection and I am back in touch with the cyber world. Thank god for my iPad and iPhone or I would have been completely lost - shame they are no good for blogging.

So now you know - We are loud and proud Glee lovers. What slightly embarrassing TV addictions do you have??

The Christmas Wrap Part 2

2011-01-03T17:49:00.002+08:00

This year to try and make the most of Christmas I really wanted to enjoy the whole month of December doing Christmas activities with Noah. I wanted him to learn the real story of Christmas. I wanted us to fully embrace the fun family times. I enjoyed all of these activities far more than any of the presents but we did also have lovely family times on Christmas Day itself.

Our Nativity Puzzle which got many hours of play

We put together Gift Bags for our music class

We baked gingerbread

We took a night trip into the city to look at the Christmas decorations

We took a day trip into the city with our friends

We did lots of Christmas craft

We dressed Noah as an elf just for laughs

Here's some of the stash from the big day

Noah's big present was this beautiful doll house and it was a huge hit

Mummy and Noah - Christmas breakfast at our place

We also went to the Christmas Pageant, Spent an evening at Carols by Candlelight and attended a special children's mass on Christmas Eve. All these activities made the month of December so much fun and gave Noah a chance to enjoy the whole Christmas build up. We will definitely keep up all these aspects of Christmas and cut down on the presents.

I'll let Noah have the final word

I hope your Christmas and the whole holiday season were merry and bright. Happy New Year.

The Christmas Wrap Part 1

2011-01-03T12:16:00.002+08:00

Hard to believe that already Christmas is nothing but a distant memory. All the talk of Christmas seems to start so early - I did some of my shopping in the July sales. Then December arrives and it hits a fever pitch then in a flash it's all over. Almost every year I feel a real sense of being ripped off - I feel like I work hard baking, making cards and craft, shopping, wrapping and planning for this one ultimately disappointing day. I find the main event such a let down. All my carefully thought out gifts are lost in a blaze of torn wrapping paper and stuff - lots of stuff. It's hard enough for the adults to take time to appreciate things let alone the kids who are so overwhelmed that they can barely remember what they received never mind who gave it to them. Noah still has a few presents unopened such is the bounty that came his way.

It seems like I'm a bit of a Christmas Grinch but not at all - I truly love Christmas (my next post will be all about our fun month of Christmas). I'm sure I wrote about it last year but I just don't like the commercial side of it all. I can't really get up on my high horse too much though because I got caught up in the hype and bought Noah way too much stuff - Christmas Eve I found myself packing half of it away in our present cupboard for birthdays throughout the year. We are simple people - we love the beach, camping, playing in the backyard and reading books - none of which require a lot of stuff. We also love nice things - coffee machines, flat screen TVs, iPhones, iPods and iPads - you name it we've got it all. It can be hard to resist, hard to find a balance.

2011 we will try harder to stick to our guns - birthdays and Christmas will be much less about stuff and more about fun and family. I won't compromise on my parties though I just love them too much!!

Infinite

2010-12-18T09:09:00.002+08:00

Vodafone contacted me about 2 weeks ago and asked me to be part of a blog challenge. They are launching amazing new phone plans called Infinite - so the challenge is to post a blog answering the question 'What would you like to have infinite of?' It seemed like such an easy question - we were driving along so Rob and I discussed it and tried to come up with just the right angle. The first thing that I thought was time - I want infinite time - who doesn't want infinite time?? I kept trying to think of something quirkier, funnier, edgier. Then this week the posts started popping up on other blogs and they were great - I read each of them thinking I wish I wrote that (maybe what I should be saying is infinite blog post inspiration!!)

But after all that wishing and thinking and pondering it's still time I want in infinite quantity. Not in the way that I want to live forever - that's just weird and a bit self important. I want infinite time in each day. Can you imagine? All the other things I considered when the question was posed would become possible.

With infinite time would come patience - If there is no hurry what is there to be impatient about. As I stood in that maddeningly long and slow post office queue instead of looking at my watch and tapping my feet while muttering 'I don't have all day'. I could enjoy the moment to myself, I could people watch to my heart's content. I literally would have all day.

With infinite time in each day I could take better care of myself - there would always be time left for that much needed exercise or meditation.

With infinite time I would never feel guilt at a day passed without finishing my to do list because tomorrow would be full of more endless hours of time. I could take a whole day to myself and know that the growing list of jobs could easily be finished tomorrow.

Infinite time would surely mean an end to money worries - much easier to fit a part time job into a day with infinite hours.

I'd never run out of time to put a gourmet dinner on the table, Noah and I could do arts and craft every day, Christmas shopping would be a breeze.

What do you think? Do we need infinite time or do we just need to enjoy the time we have better? Make time for ourselves, not worry about money, put our kids first over the growing pile of laundry? I've written about it before but it never hurts to have a reminder that we only have the time we have and we sure as hell better make the most of it - because it flies by.

Dining Table Display and FREE Subway Art Printable

2010-12-17T13:09:00.001+08:00

Have you noticed that around the web Subway Art type signs have become the 'art de jour'. I couldn't resist getting involved but I noticed that it was mostly clever mummy bloggers from the northern hemisphere that were creating them so the wording did not suit a summer Christmas.

In came the gorgeous Jessica at Craftily Ever After. I contacted her and explained my situation - ie hot beach days not snowflakes and wood fires and for $5 she re-jigged (I'm positive that's not a word but hey) it for us folks down under. She was also very generous and said I could share it with you all with no strings attached. I do think it would be nice to follow her blog (and mine) though just to spread the love. Anyhow if you would like a copy of this print for yourself just leave a comment with your email and I'll forward you the file. I've displayed mine in a $15 frame from IKEA and it looks pretty awesome even if I do say so myself.

Just so you know (not to make you jealous you understand but just for information purposes!!!) I am off to Bali for the weekend with my sister sans husband and child. The point being that I will send the file when I return after the weekend. A bit last minute for this Christmas but you'll be all ready for next year.

Party Planning

2010-12-15T15:43:00.000+08:00

About 6 weeks ago I got this idea in my head that I wanted to host a kids Christmas party and I wanted it to be over the top. I knew I couldn't afford to host it because by the time I invited all my closest peeps it would be a guest list of 20 mums and their kids. So I sent an email and asked if anyone was into the idea and would they be prepared to put money towards funding it. I was surprised and excited that everyone came back with a resounding yes.

So yesterday 16 mums, 19 toddlers and 6 babies came along and it was wonderful. As with any party planning not everything happened exactly as planned but everyone seemed to have a wonderful time and despite the numbers it was actually quite relaxing. Santa came and gave all the kids a pressie and we ate yummy treats till some of the kids nearly burst.

Christmas Cards

2010-12-12T08:45:00.000+08:00

The cards are done. The last stragglers are going in the post today. The final total was 64 - is that ridiculous?

I love sending Christmas cards - we hardly receive any these days but I still love to make the time for them. Sometimes it's the only contact we have throughout the year with more distant family and friends. I even do the much ridiculed 'family letter' but I know my older relatives love getting that little insight into our year - let's face it they're not really the blog reading types.

In saying that I must say each year I forget what a mammoth effort it is - it takes so much longer than I think it will.

The last 2 years I've done my own photos of Noah for the front but this year I thought we'd send a picture of all 3 of us and I'm really happy with how it worked out. I just sent the photos off to this little Etsy shop and voila 24 hours later I had a card all ready to print at Big W at only 10cents each. (Having the card designed cost $15) I have been doing that for all our invitations lately and would definitely do it for a baby announcement if we are lucky enough in the new year :) So easy and really cost effective plus beautiful.

P.S. The free Christmas printable is coming - I promise.

Little Hands

2010-12-09T14:06:00.001+08:00

I hate messy windows and mirrors. I usually walk around every day with those windex wipes attacking any fingerprints I see but how can I be mad at this adorable little hand?? It does beg the question 'what was he doing on the bathroom counter' though.

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-09T13:58:00.000+08:00

Going to the farm and choosing our tree is becoming such a fun family tradition and I definitely look forward to doing it every year from now on. The smell of a real tree is hard to beat and it looks great too.

18 sleeps to go

2010-12-07T23:23:00.001+08:00

Geez it's really hard to find time to blog amongst all the Christmas preparations. This time of year is soooo busy no matter how organised you think you are. Most of my shopping and wrapping is done but there are always last minute bits and pieces. It's not just that side of things though - there are so many social outings. We have something on in the evening every day this week.

I have just had a lovely meal with my playgroup mums - it is so nice to have a chance to catch up without toddlers interrupting constantly. I definitely think us mums need to make sure we do things for ourselves no matter how big or small. I have a friend with a boy the same age as Noah but we have been tending to catch up a bit lately on our 'kid free' days and it is a pleasure to rediscover your friendship outside of being mums.

My spring cleaning spree is not moving along as well as I had hoped. The garage door has been installed but as yet there is no shelving (hint to husband) so everything is just in there in a big messy pile. I'm really hoping to get all the main things done before my Kids Christmas Party which I am hosting on Monday. My goal is to have those last 2 weeks leading up to Christmas for relaxation and hopefully some extra sleep. I used to nap a couple of times a week while Noah had his day sleep but nowadays I'm using every spare minute he's asleep to get things done.

On that note my December vow is so far being perfectly executed. I have been doing lots of playing, painting, crafting with Noah and I have not been 'too busy' for him even one time.

How are your plans for Christmas coming along??? Do you ever think it's all a waste of time and money for just 1 day or do you love it???

The things you say

2010-12-02T11:39:00.002+08:00

Hi Noah

You are 2 years old and 4 months now and your language is astounding. You will try and say everything and anything and for the most part you have great success. You are definitely speaking better than other kids your age and we love nurturing and encouraging your growing vocabulary. The most fun thing that comes with this new stage though are some of the absolutely absurd and adorable things that you say. I don't want to forget any of them so I thought I would record them here for you and I to enjoy in the future.

Noah - Daddy what's that?
Daddy - A lamp
Noah - Oh it's so pretty

Noah - Mummy what's this?
Mummy - an egg cup to make egg and soldiers. Why don't you go play with it in your kitchen and make some for Mummy.
Noah - OK (returns after a minute or so) Mummy where are the soldiers?
Mummy - oh soldiers are made out of cutting toast into strips you just have to go and pretend.
Noah - where is the pretend?

After a longish sleep in the car on our weekend camping trip you woke up and said 'Mummy my bum is so squooshy'

Last week you were eating boiled eggs and watching TV - on the program there were birds hatching from eggs - You said 'Mum I'm eating birdies'

When you return home and see Cleo you now say 'Hello darlin'

Reading a book together this week you saw a picture of a goose but called it a duck so I corrected you - we went back and forth a couple of times then you said 'sorry mummy I think it's a duck' How can I argue with that??

You are such a bright gorgeous wonderful boy and I love you so much.

Love Mummy xxxxx

Not now Mummy's busy...

2010-12-02T10:11:00.001+08:00

I have set myself a goal for December to never be too busy for Noah. This morning I whisked him off to the park at the ungodly hour of 7.30 and we played - really played. I didn't sit on the sidelines checking email or reading blogs!!! I swung and climbed and slid (well sort of because those slides are pretty skinny and my hips kind of get wedged in)

Over the last month we have been having some work done around the house which has sparked a major spring clean. I have been sorting and decluttering like an absolute legend but it has been occupying every spare moment. As a result Noah has been spending a lot of time entertaining himself and watching way too much TV. Coinciding with this period has been a noticeable decline in his behaviour (and sleep). this got me wondering whether it is an unavoidable stage he is going through or as a direct result of being bored and kind of neglected.

We have planned activities/classes four mornings a week but those only last an hour then we spend the rest of the day at home.

I have heard these phrases coming out of my mouth too often "In a minute when Mummy finishes this job' (but the minute is 10, 20, 30 minutes), We'll paint/draw/play later' Tomorrow we'll do .....(but tomorrow never comes)

So from now on I'm only going to do jobs or personal things while Noah is sleeping. We have hundreds of great craft supplies, books and puzzles to keep us entertained. There are also great Christmas activities going on around the city so I doubt we'll be short of ideas.

We will start today (as soon as Noah has a nap) - we're off on the train into the city to look at all the Christmas decorations and for a visit to the art gallery.

P.S. I wrote this post then accidentally deleted it. I remembered most of it but the second attempt never seems quite as good - don't you think??

Tales from the campsite

2010-12-01T23:22:00.001+08:00

Our weekend away was divine in it’s simplicity. we swam, ate and sat around relaxing. To be perfectly honest this was a bit of a ritzy camping trip for us – we are normally bush campers (you know with a hole for a loo and no bathing for days). This trip was to a caravan park – we still had our tent but each site had a little ensuite with shower and power – you could say it was 5 star camping.

We were so busy just hanging out doing nothing I almost forgot to take photos – here are a couple I snapped on the last day.

Linky Link

2010-11-29T10:14:00.002+08:00

Today I am joining in a blog hop of Christmas craft. If you want to get inspired and find some projects pop over to thegirlcreative and see all the ideas her readers have shared.

This is one of my favourites

Little Christmas notes for lunch boxes or maybe even home-made crackers (there are a set of more romantic ones too if you want to get into the Christmas spirit!!!)

I'm also playing over at Skip to my Lou's Made by You Mondays so pop over for a look.

Happy Monday

It's the Final Countdown

2010-11-26T10:58:00.000+08:00

Did you used to get those Advent Calendars with the chocolate behind every door when you were a kid?? I sure did and it was so much fun. My sisters and I would hang out to open that little door and prise the choccy out - usually before breakfast.

Being that Noah is only 2 and also that we try to keep chocolate and sweets limited to parties and special occasions I wanted an Advent Calendar that I could fill with different non food related goodies. There are so many great ideas to make your own.

How cute is this one

If you're really keen - check this one out - good if you've got a woodworker in the family

There also seems to be a trend in the shops for ones that you can fill yourself. I saw some cute ones in Spotlight and Myer.

Last year in the post Christmas sales I bought one that is a felt Nativity scene and each day you receive another piece to make the scene until Christmas Eve you have the whole picture. Although I love it and we have been trying to teach Noah about the real story of Christmas I think he'll do better with that one next year.

So eventually I put together ideas from a couple of places to come up with my 2010 Advent Calendar.

Do you like it??

It was ridiculously easy to make and relatively cheap. I ordered some circles/cupcake toppers from Etsy and asked for them to be sized up - Cost $6. I already had a lot of these IKEA magnetic spice jars so I only had to add a 'few' extra to complete my project. The tins are about 3.5 inches which is a good size for a variety of treats - downside is it takes up half of the fridge! The IKEA jars are not particularly cheap but they are easy to locate. If I had of got more organised I may have sourced some smaller and cheaper ones. The bonus is after Christmas you just peel off the circles and the jars can be used for something else the rest of the year. You can also use different graphics each year for only a few dollars and you get a new look every time. Big kids could even draw and number a set of circles themselves.

As far as filling the jars goes I've mostly found bits and pieces from around the house. I've got some party blowers, balloons, stickers, bubbles and bouncy balls that were left over when I made the loot bags for Noah's birthday. I will put in a couple of food items and I think some inexpensive toy cars and trinkets will finish it off.

When he's older I like the idea of filling it with activity coupons instead of things. Something like - today we will go to the park, do some finger painting, visit Santa, tour the Christmas lights, stay up late and watch a movie.

I'm getting so excited about Christmas and absolutely loving that Noah is at the right age to join in the fun. Can't wait to start the countdown on Wednesday!!

So Pretty

2010-11-24T22:38:00.001+08:00

Ta-Da

2010-11-24T16:29:00.001+08:00

That's what Noah says when he's done something he considers amazing or clever. I've finished the first of my home-made garden lights and I'm a little bit happy with myself.

I first saw these lights in a home magazine a few years ago and thought they were a really simple wonderful idea. I promptly went on to have a baby and simply not have time to think about such creative endeavours.

Over the weekend my Mum and I went to an open garden in my street (A lady in my street opens her beautiful garden twice a year and charges entry plus sells morning/afternoon tea to raise money for Battens disease which 2 of her granddaughters have. She is an amazing lady. Unfortunately one of the girls recently passed away.)

She had several of these in her garden and I got re-inspired. The I opened the Christmas issue of Better Homes and Garden and there they were again – I couldn’t ignore them this time so I set off to Bunnings on Monday morning and purchased all my supplies.

This is what I started with (works out to about $30 for 1 complete light but it would be less if you had some old hanging baskets laying around you could just spray them silver). Can't wait to see how it looks all lit up tonight.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to share my Advent calendar I've made for Noah - just got to finish it!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-24T16:20:00.002+08:00

Hello

2010-11-23T20:51:00.000+08:00

Sorry about the garden lights I promised - the day got away from me. Tomorrow for sure.

I joined Weight Watchers tonight and went to my first meeting (I've done it once before years ago). I'm feeling inspired and motivated. I won't make any grand statements about my goals yet - I think I'll just give it a go and try my hardest and see what happens. I'll be sure to share with you along the way.

At My House: Christmas Craft

2010-11-22T14:46:00.000+08:00

As usual I have a hundred ideas of things to do for Christmas (crafting, baking, home decorating) and the time is flying by too fast. I usually start planing and thinking about Christmas really early and then I'm in this oblivion that I still have plenty of time then all of a sudden it's here and I've run out of time.

This year I am trying to break that cycle so today I have 'made' some of my table decorations and they are ready to go.

Aren't they fun?? It's a bit tricky to see but there is a little glass tea light holder in the top. I'm doing our whole table in a red and lime green theme and our tree will be the same. This idea is from Better Homes and Gardens magazine and took me about 20 minutes this afternoon while Noah was sleeping. (Of course I had already purchased my bits and pieces from Spotlight and Bunnings).

Tomorrow I'm working on some beautiful outdoor fairy light balls - pop back if you're interested.

Moving on

2010-11-18T15:22:00.000+08:00

There have been so many events and stages in Noah's life where I've had a realisation that he is actually growing up. Each time I love the new adventures but shed a tear for the months flying by so fast.

Yesterday his bunks arrived and last night he jumped into his 'big boy bed' without a second thought. His cot days are over I can't believe it.

Today after his nap he just got himself up and trotted upstairs for a cuddle :(

In the Backyard

2010-11-18T15:01:00.001+08:00

You've heard of the Naked Chef now meet the Naked Gardener.

Nothing like a cute baby bum to make you smile.

Wiggly Woo

2010-11-16T21:18:00.000+08:00

Noah and I have a new love - Wiggly Woo dance class. This is one of those wonderful finds that you just have to share. We had an absolute blast today dancing in this big hall to all our favourite Play School songs with, at a guess, about 30-40 kids plus mums.

It is a very informal music and movement class for 1-5 year olds run by the Mount Hawthorn Community Church. It costs $4 or $5 if you have more than one child. Morning tea is provided after class too.

There are several thing that set this program aside from others
- it's cheap (most classes/lessons seem to be around the $15 range per child)
- it's casual so no need to commit to a full term just come when it suits you.
- it is run by volunteers and all profit goes to charity - need I say more.

If you are in Perth and are interested here is a link to their website. Classes are Tuesday and Friday 9.30 or 10.30. The hall is situated in the middle of a lovely shady park so we also played in the playground before and after.

What fun activities do you do with your kids?

Silly Upside Down Photos

2010-11-15T18:41:00.000+08:00

Lego

2010-11-15T16:09:00.000+08:00

Look what we scored on the weekend. Noah's cousins have outgrown this fantastic Lego table and it's come to our place for Noah to discover the love of Lego. Let's be perfectly honest and say that it is Daddy who is way more excited than Noah at this stage - ready to reclaim his childhood through hundred of little coloured bricks. When I say hundreds I really mean it - well over one thousand pieces of Lego came with this gift. Rob and I spent 3 hours sorting through it all and separating all the tiny pieces from the bigger 2 year old useable pieces. At the moment we're still only using the Duplo but I'm sure the transition is not too far away.

It has a lot of sentimental value to receive toys that have been loved and used by cousins. In fact Rob spent hours putting this together several years ago * so Jake and Abbey would find it delivered from Santa in the morning so it's extra special.

Do your kids love Lego? Do you?? How about your little boy in a man's body?

*My sister is a single mum.

Favourite Things

2010-11-12T09:02:00.000+08:00

So I didn't get Oprah tickets and I'm a little bit devastated. I've always loved Miss O but I also really wanted to be at the Sydney shows because I suspect there might be some great giveaways and lots of screaming housewives.

So in the spirit of Oprah I though I would share with you some of my favourite things for kids at the moment.

Baby's Got Style - I absolutely love this website for great kids toys and clothes. They ship your order super super fast too so great for last minute shopping.

One of my recent finds is this adorable Rock your Baby dress for a friend's little girl for Christmas (spoiler alert Julia)

Noah is also currently sporting this Electric Boy t-shirt and it has got loads of comments (it's a darker green than this - bad picture) I love finding clothes that are a little bit different. We have a no 'merchandise' rule in this house so you'll never see Noah in a Wiggles Shirt (thank god he doesn't even know who they are), Thomas (aaargghh don't even get me started on Thomas) or any other kids movies/TV shows.

Another store I get loads of stuff from is Bambini Pronto. At the moment if you spend over $100 you get $10 back use the code 10BACK at checkout. Valid until December 17th

Check out this Wooden Fire Station what little boy wouldn't want to see this waiting for him on Christmas morning. I really would love to buy it for Noah but we have already bought his 'big' present.

Another cute shirt that Noah is currently wearing from Bambini Pronto. It's by Three Little Trees and each shirt comes with seeds to plant. A lady stopped us at the zoo this week to ask where to buy this shirt.

Who wouldn't love this Sophie the Giraffe toy storage in their nursery or playroom - ADORABLE

Lastly I am totally loving right now writing letters to Santa with Noah and my work kids. We have posted ours and are eagerly waiting a reply. Noah asked for ham and olives even though that's what he eats for lunch every day!! With a little bit more prying I managed to get him to cough up that he would like a gruffalo toy so that has been ordered and is winging it's way to us this week.

If you want to write a letter with your child you can send it to Santa, North Pole 9999 (In Australia only) and it needs to be sent by December 17th to receive a reply. Make sure to include a return address. This is through Australia Post but I know there are many companies you can do it through if you have a look - they usually charge about $10.

We are going to do it every year and keep them in his memory box. It should be fun to look back at what he asked for over the years.

Did you get Oprah tickets? Share with me some of your favourite things if you like. Have you started your Christmas shopping? Are you almost finished like me??

Project Spring Clean

2010-11-11T17:44:00.000+08:00

I've started on my mission to clean, tidy and organise every corner of my house.

Today's tasks were the First Aid kit and the pantry.

Here is a before picture of all the medicine and first aid stuff gathered from different places around the house.

Now here it is all sorted and in pretty containers

We have a lot of medicines in our house but we really do need them all. The white box front right is Noah's - it has his spacer and ventolin (asthma), nail clippers, thermometer, ear drops plus band aids and any bits needed for cleaning up cuts and scrapes (antiseptic cream, steri strips, bandages) One of the red ones is all of our 'kid' medicines - panadol, cough medicine etc. The second red one is extra bandages, band aids etc. the white box back left is adult medicine - panadol, antihistamine, gastro medicine, cold and flu etc. The red tub is our vitamins and medicines which we take every morning - I'm gonna keep this one on the bench.

It's all stored together now on the top shelf of the pantry which means that we have an extra shelf free in the bathroom for when I get in there and re-organise. Also it's all out of Noah's reach as he gets to that age where he might explore and think he's found a yummy treat (why do they make medicine look so similar to lollies??)

Our pantry is always full to the brim. We only have small kitchen so the pantry doubles as general storage. The entire bottom shelf is tupperware type stuff. The middle 2 shelves are where the food is. Top shelf is now holding all the first aid (right hand side) and the left is all my cake decorating/baking supplies.

I'm pretty confident that these new systems are going to last and help keep things more organised.

How is your pantry looking? When was the last time you checked expiry dates on all the medication you're storing??

By the way - if you've spotted the very el cheapo cask wine and the bottle of sherry - they're for cooking - I swear!!

Oops

2010-11-11T17:10:00.001+08:00

And the award for worst mother goes to........Me.

Guess who left a Stanley knife on the kitchen table?? Guess which two year old found it and cut his finger playing with it??

In my defence they are usually stored in a high cupboard but I was still using it so it had not been put away yet. Secondly the blade was down and I had used the lock. Thirdly I only left it unattended for 5 minutes and it was in a pile of junk right in the middle of the table.

The kid is just too smart and adventurous what can I say. Luckily it only resulted in a small(ish) cut. I'm so lucky - it could have been way way worse. I don't even like to think about the possibilities. Lesson learned.

Have your toddlers had any near misses??