Summer Holidays

Rich and I purposefully don't take a lot of leave through the year.  We might have the odd day off here and there and relish those public holidays, but we save it all up and take a good amount of time off at Xmas.

A week before Xmas I feel like the both of us are going to keel over from stress as the last minute rush of work deadlines, Xmas shopping, Xmas parties and catching up with people threatens to overwhelm us.  This year was no different.  I had three work deadlines due on the same day and so many things to do.

Last Thursday it was my final day at work and Rich finished on the Friday.  The Friday was day of running around, getting organsied for Xmas and Liam started to get sick.  Manage best we could, I tried to find around my day of chores making sure he was ok.

We had a wonderful, relaxing Xmas with our family and on Xmas night I said to Richard that I was relieved it was all over.  It was a fantastic build up, but there is something nice about the food and presents being over and done with it and getting on with the job of plain, old chilling out.

The three of us have been doing that.  Going to bed late, waking late, eating, going to the beach first thing in the morning with bed hair and clean teeth and splashing away in the ocean.  Quality time all together which in the rush of life, we sometimes lack.  Its been beautiful and we have so many more days to look forward to before 2012 kicks in.

In amongst all this relaxing, a fourth little person is making its presence felt and my tummy is starting to somersault and kick all the time.  This time next year we will have a four year old and 8 month old, and life will be totally different again. 

I am so proud of my little family.  They mean the absolute world to me and without them, I'd be lost.  The last couple of weeks have shown me how lucky I am - beautiful husband, a healthy and adorable sun, a lovely home, good job and wonderful extended family and friends.

I'm really going to make the most of this time off and reflect on lots of things that life has taught me this year.

I hope you all had a wonderful Xmas and are looking forward to 2012.  I know I am!

x

Dear Liam

Dear Liam

Yesterday you turned 3 and I can't believe where that time went!

You are such a grown up little boy now and when I look back over the year, I shake my head in disbelief of all the milestones you have reached. You are talking so well and will strike up a conversation with anyone. You talk really well for a 3 year old and dad and I understand all your little words that you make up. 'Hammerdon' 'Mr Lin' and 'Plintoon' are some of your favourite little words.

This year you have mastered toilet training (finally!), drinking from a cup, turning on the dvd player to watch Toy Story over and over, running, jumping, bouncing, dancing, shouting and sleeping in your own big boy bed. You love your room, the garden, your red car, the broom, the letterbox and my mobile phone. In fact you know how to work that phone better than I do. You Tube anyone?

You have learnt so much at Tiny Beez which is your childcare provider and you love going. You sing all your songs you have learnt and are starting to remember the words to books we read you. Your favourite carer is Abbey and the bond you both share is beautiful.

Yesterday we had a big party for you and your dad and I were so proud of you. You were spoilt with love and attention and you deserve it so much.

Next year you will have a new baby brother or sister. You are so excited about having a playmate and I know we made the right decision to have another baby. You are very interested in the pregnancy and love to kiss my bump.

Liam, we love you so much and teach us many wonderful lessons every day. It’s a pleasure to your mum and dad and we count our blessings every day we have you in our lives. Life doesn't get any better really. We are very very lucky.

We love you so, so much…

Mum and Dad xxx

Baby names

I found a great website last week with baby names which breaks them down into categories.  So if you are after a 'vintage' or 'cool celeb' or 'royal theme boy/girl' name then you can search away.

We are not finding out the sex, like we did for Liam.  I always had a feeling I was having a boy and that was confirmed when the midwife who looked after me during the pregnancy was there for the c section.  'Oh my god Jo its a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!'.  It was a beautiful moment, I'll never forget it.  We've debated quite a bit as to whether to find out the sex, but we keep coming back to the thrill of not knowing and having the surprise at the end.  What this little baby is meant to be, will be. 

I'll be honest, my heart says girl and I would be so so happy.  I think it comes from being the only girl of four and desperately wanting a sister.  But I do love being a mum to Liam, little boys are just gorgeous and I love the rough and tumble of  them.  I probably wouldn't know what to do with a girl at first!

With Liam, we decided it would be Liam for a boy or Lucy for a girl.  I still like Lucy, but there are some other names I absolutely love.  Liam wants Molly for a girl or Thomas for a boy.  Richard and I really have NOT HAD THE TIME to talk about it at all, so being that I am nearly halfway there, we might want to talk about it.

So here is my shortlist, am pretty sure my husband will vetoe pretty much all of them:

Girl
Sadie
Mabel
Lottie
Lola
Clara
Clancy
Polly
Patsy
Sophie
Florence
Martha
Harriet
Olive
Esther
Elsie

Boy
Finlay
Hugh
George
Ned
Owen
Quinn
Ronan
Rohan
Rory

I guess when I look back over my list they mostly have an English/Irish flavour.  I quite like classic names.

Oh decisions! 

Fairy Light Love

This morning I was talking to my boss about our mutual love of fairy lights.  Bunnings has them, as does Ikea and I just think they are gorgeous and really give your house that Christmas feeling when all your decorations are up.

I get so jealous of Nigella Lawson when I watch her shows, she always has fairy lights on in her house, draped through her bookshelves, kitchen and pantry!  Add to that her spotless kitchen, pastel coloured kitchen utensils and penchant for late suppers, I really want her life. 

I am googling as fast as I can to get fairy light inspiration in the lead up to Christmas.  Pity the power bill won't share my fairy light love.

Happy Monday x

Respect

A couple of Saturday's ago while Liam was having his mid afternoon snooze and Richard was doing the gardening, I took myself out to the local shopping centre to run a few errands.  I do this quite often, but its also a good opportunity to have some me time and indulge in some people watching.  My favourite thing :)

I was walking through Best and Less, when I heard the conversation. 

'Mum, when are we going home?' said the young girl, probably who I guessed was about 6 or so.

'Soon' said a tired and stressed mum.

'Can we please go home soon?  I want to go home' she said again.

'Oh jesus.  Seriously, stop being a dickhead, go on, move.  F*** me.' said the mum.

I turned around and looked at them.  The mum was a bit older than me, very well dressed and presented and her daughter looked so sad.  The woman caught my eye and shrugged her shoulders.

I shot her quite a dirty look.  Tell me, what did you achieve by speaking to your daugther like that? 

In another shop I saw an elderly lady with her daughter, who would have been my mum's age. 

'Mum, seriously, stop friggen dawdling.  You are being such a pain in the arse today' said the daughter.

Again, another crestfallen look from an elderly mum.

I got home and told Richard about my shopping trip.  It really angers me that people speak to their family members like this.  Where is the respect gone?  I understand I have only caught a snippet of conversation and there are probably one million and three things going on in their lives that I don't know about, but I would never speak to my mother, friend, child or husband like that.  Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

I took Liam through Ikea yesterday and as a near three year old, Liam will ask a million questions.  Sometimes its the same question, 50 times over.  But I try my very best to answer it.  I get a lot of funny looks from people with the conversations we have, but I have been stopped before by a random shopper to tell me my son is funny, or they have overheard our conversation and are impressed by how patient I am.  Some days I am not, but I try.

My point is?  Let's try to respect each other a bit more, for all our faults.  And take a deep breath when it all feels like its going to topple over.

x

Spring time...

We have been blessed with some beautiful weather in the last few days here in Perth.  Summer is on its way after a long, cold winter.  Winter must of been very cold as I know a lot of pregnant people due in March/April next year! 

Our garden is blooming, the grass is a luscious shade of green after being tended to by my patient husband and the sunsets from our house on the hill are breathtaking.  I've even had a few dips in the ocean!

It feels wonderful to be pregnant in spring, a new little life kicking away in my tummy (still can't feel it yet but the scans show a fiesty little babe) and a soon to be three year old in December reminding me that he needs a 'big party'!

x

Maternity clothes

Maternity Clothing Departments....words fail me.

Sorry, but I don't wear floral prints, empire waists, shirts that tie into a bow in the back, pastels, bedazzled goofy sayings across my chest (i.e. Rub My Belly for Good Luck), tents, tie-dye, head to toe corduroy, denim or velour.  I never wore them before so why would I wear them now?

I'm going to be very pregnant during a Perth summer, which is notoriously hot.  Think blowdryer on high blowing in your face every day.  I'm stuck quite frankly.  I am thinking maxi dresses, perhaps sarongs with a cool tank and funky accessories...??

I've had a look online, and found a few things here and there.  It seems that online is always cheaper and there is more of a range than what you get in Australia.