#2429 On the last day of Winter

This morning for brunch, I had a delicious vegan crumpet stack with chia raspberry jam, coconut ice cream and biscuit cream.

The air was cold, but the sun was shining bright on this last day of Winter. 🌞

Hubbie and I also had lunch in the sun, out on the balcony. It feels like the longest time since we’ve done anything like that, it’s really been so cold and miserable out. But I had a summer hat on in the bright midday sun, and we munched away under the rays. 😎

I am so emotional at the moment. I cry at the drop of a hat, for sad, for happy. Feeling my eyes well up with tears is a common occurrence.

My bump is showing more. 😁😁

And on this last day of Winter, I have one thing to say to it…

Bye bye. 👋😁😂👋

Bring on the light!

#2428 So tiny and cute

Currently this is what is draped along baby girl’s old cot.

Her old cot, and soon-to-be our future baby’s new one. 😉

I spent the first few months being super cautious, so now I’m making up for lost time. I’ve been first buying little baby outfits, bit by bit… and then in bunches. 😂

The volume is being purchased in exponential amounts… 1, then 1, then 3, then 6. 🤦‍♀️

Seriously, I love it.

Today a parcel came. I had come across a sale last week, and finally the beautiful bunch of cuteness arrived at my doorstep.

I was working and trying to ignore the unopened parcel lying on the ground near me. Maybe 10 minutes passed and I went ‘stuff it, I can’t take it anymore.’

I opened the parcel and explored all the cute things.

So tiny! And so cute! Seriously, how tiny?! 😂😁🥰💖

I love them all. I need to go through baby girl’s old newborn stuff, seeing what is neutral enough to reuse, because let’s face it, all that newborn stuff gets a whole lot of spit and poo on it, so you need a bit extra… but also, second-hand, especially from a sibling, is perfectly acceptable.

Still, there’s something about those new clothing feels… those new feels…

Feeling things anew, all over again. 🥰🤰

#2427 Up to K7

I had a feeling this afternoon when the floating swimming teacher (the one doing walkabouts) came to baby girl’s swim class.

I knew she didn’t need much to move up a level. I had been told as much last time she had been tested. I watched as she was sent up and down the pool, her head moving up to take a breath, down again, arms stroking through the water.

This happened 6 times! I wasn’t sure if the feedback was good or not… was she simply telling baby girl how to improve, or giving her some other news?

All of a sudden, baby girl squealed, loud. She was jumping up and down in the water, and it made enough commotion to make me look up, even above the very busy Monday afternoon full house at the swim centre.

I could read it all over her face.

I was overjoyed. In fact I was so happy, that I nearly got weepy. I thought contain yourself SmikG, the teacher will come over soon to tell you the good news, you can’t well cry… ‘do I tell her I’m pregnant? Overemotional due to raging hormones?’

I contained myself, did a few strong gulps, and controlled the tears.

But gee, I was happy.

I am crying so much easier lately. And what better thing to cry at happiness at, than at your child’s very happiness. 😁🥲🥰💖

Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com

#2426 Waiting for the sun

Today was one of those days that we had been looking forward to for so long.

And it wasn’t just about the company, the family, or the friends. Though they were GOLD.

It was the sunshine. 🌞

It’s been a long Winter. And when say Winter, I don’t mean it purely in a seasonal sense. Yes this season of Winter has brought with it many hiccups and hard moments, but just as much as it’s brought difficulty, it’s brought unbelievable highs and happinesses and things we never could’ve dreamed of.

The Winter I’m speaking of, is the Winter season of our life. I don’t think many people really even understand how long of a metaphorical Winter we’ve been dragged through. Not just days, weeks or months.

YEARS.

One of my friends once divulged to me that she too had gone through a difficult period years ago, and it too had lasted years… no one knew at the time, and when you’re going through it, all you can do is put one foot in front of the other.

Her words, though sombre, had given me hope, that our Winter was yes indeed, A LONG ONE, but that like all lows, it would end too, and the sun would come out.

And the sun has come out.

We spent the day celebrating my brother-in-law for his birthday. After many weeks of high-voltage, maximum people parties, it was super amazing to spend it with just a few others, catching up and chatting and having some good quality conversation.

And of course, it was t-shirt weather. 😁 Well, I did wear a jean jacket on top, but the t-shirt was there. 😂

The sunshine part of our life has arrived. I sometimes doubted whether it ever would. And there are so many parties and get-togethers coming up, it seriously makes my heart sing.

So many things to celebrate, so many things to be grateful for.

The sunshine has arrived. 🙏🙌

#2425 Sunset musings

The sky looked pretty and bright this evening.

I reflected a lot during the day and then at night.

I spoke out loud, my hopes, my fears. Sometimes I can’t believe where I’m at. It hit me today, a few times.

“If I am sleeping let me never wake up.”

For the most part I am one with reality, it has sunk in. But then I buy another baby outfit with baby girl, some maternity wear… she laughs at me when I look at yet another onesie, but then she too coos over a cute neutral number that boy or girl can wear.

So we buy it.

We aren’t finding out the gender. I love people guessing. I love guessing. We can make a game of it. People get awfully heated too about their opinions of how you carry, while I just laugh and laugh.

I love it.

When I was pregnant with baby girl I had one friend tell me there was no doubt I was carrying a boy – everything about my tummy pointed to that. And yet when baby girl came out, they put their hands up in defense – “you’re proof the old wives tale is wrong!”

At this rate I’m collecting more clothes than baby will wear. I’m excited. I’ve earnt the right to feel this way too.

I am still craving juice. Juice juice juice. Boost juices have replaced my coffees, and I honestly don’t even miss that caffeine.

I’m not looking just bloated anymore. There is a definite bump. My tummy is stretching constantly, moving and shifting and giving me feels I have never felt before. It makes me feel like this is the first time, though my precious baby girl who kisses my belly nearly every day is proof that it isn’t.

I look out at the waters before me. They sparkle. Spring is coming. Will baby get to step into those waters next Summer, or will they be just a tad too small?

Maybe we can hope for an Indian Summer.

It makes sense. I’m having one in my own life right now. 😉🙏🏖️🩴

#2424 22

So I got cranky at Hubbie tonight.

It was a fairly minor thing.

But still, I was cranky.

And I was walking around the house all cranky-pants, when he piped up “Hey, I forgot to tell you. Yesterday was our anniversary! I remembered but then forgot to say it yesterday.”

OH MY GOD.

I had forgotten our original anniversary date of when we first got together. 🤦‍♀️

I had forgotten yesterday, on the actual day.

I had forgotten this whole week.

I had forgotten this whole month!

Everything in my brain has been baby baby baby. Pregnancy, baby, and then birthdays too.

But no anniversary. 😬

As soon as he said the words, the crankiness started to fade away.

I mean, of course. Why I was cranky felt important to me, but really, it was not.

And my pregnancy hormones were fuelling all kinds of shit up.

Then I cried a bit, so I felt better.

All was good again.

(Typical. 🙄🤦‍♀️)

But really, the important thing again… 22 years. 22 years ago we became boyfriend and girlfriend, and of course having a baby on the brain is the only thing allowed to deter me from this special fact.

I loved baby girl’s response… so 9-year-old-ish.

“Hmmm, cool… I don’t really care.”

😂😂😂😂

Typical. 🙄😂

#2423 2-in-1

I get lucky when I go to visit my parents.

I see my sister too.

When I go to visit my sister and her fam?

I see my parents.

They are both there.

It is the great perks of having one live right next door to the other. It’s a 2-in-1 deal. You really do get 2 for the price of 1 visit, and I couldn’t think of anything greater. 💖💖

I headed over to my parents place this morning to visit them and assist Mum in some jobs, and then sis came over for a bite to eat…

And then an hour later I was across the yard over at her place, sipping on a chai latte. 🍵🍵

It was bliss, it was beautiful. My mum used to say to me growing up, “you can’t sit on two chairs at once…”

But Mum, I think in this case, I have found I can. 😂😂💖💖

#2422 Baby stuff

Today was Wednesday, so Hubbie and I did our brunch thing.

Not only did we share a chocolate-style French toast and scoff it down before I realised I hadn’t taken a photo (🤦‍♀️) but I had a juice (craving again) and he had a coffee… and then he had another, because we had gotten comfortable and were getting into an interesting conversation.

Baby names. 👶🐥

It was a real honest, intuitive, I’d even say thorough discussion. We said things out loud, typed them into our phone, and at the end Hubbie said “if you are happy with (insert boy’s name) then I am happy with (insert girl’s name).”

It felt like a really nice compromise, not even that, a happy agreement.

We are totally open to other names, and will continue to be until the day baby arrives, but it’s lovely to know that we have something already in the piece, brewing.

When he said “Baby girl and (insert girls name) or Baby girl and (insert boys name)” to hear how it sounded, I swear they both sounded so good I welled up with tears.

That was the first baby moment of the day. 💖💖

The second two moments came at the end of the night. I saw a social media ad about a sale on some baby clothes (who says ads don’t work? 🤣) and went online and bought a bunch of really cute baby clothes, ranging from 0000 to 00. There are many months still ahead of me, so I should really control myself… but it’s never too early to start, right?

I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL THEY ARRIVE!

And the trifecta was the Palmer’s cocoa butter. I used this religiously in my pregnancy with baby girl, along with another belly oil I alternated with. I’m already getting a noticeable belly, and today I went and bought the Palmer’s so I could begin my nightly tradition with my belly massage.

We always find ourselves on the couch at the end of the day, even if it’s for a bit. Like I did 9 years ago, I rub the lotion into my belly, thinking happy thoughts for baby and the pregnancy. I did it last time, and I will do it again. Whether the cream helps me as it did last time, time can only tell, but at the very least I am having the most relaxing, beautiful bonding time with baby, and I think that means more and is worth more than anything else. 💖💖🤰🤰

(How many times can I use the pregnancy emoji in the next 6-ish months?🤔😂)

#2421 A full rainbow

I’ve been seeing so many rainbows lately.

Today baby girl noticed it and called me from the other side of the house to witness it. When I saw it, I knew I had to take a photo.

It was a full rainbow.

You don’t see these often. I don’t see these often. I even went outside in the falling rain to catch this shot.

I know, I know. Of course there are rainbows about, look at all the rain we’ve been having.

But that fave quote of mine goes…

“No rain, no rainbows.”

More good things are coming. 💖🌈

#2420 Sunshine-y days ahead

Today we all went back to routine.

Work, and school.

But it was good. Looking ahead, we have nothing huge to organise or plan, nothing pressing. Sure, there were phone calls I had put off, bills and jobs and to-dos as well.

But then I looked at the weather forecast, and saw two perfectly sunny days looming in the distance.

When?

Saturday and Sunday. 😎😎

Oh the possibilities are endless on a sunny day! I don’t even need to have anything on, just knowing we can do anything, and the sun is shining in the background, is reason for endless happiness enough. 🌞🌞