I work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so it’s Hubbie that picks up baby girl from school.
But what I love as I sit at my desk working, is turning around to see my beautiful girl’s face as she comes home… always cheerful, happy to see me and with a big hug as she fills me in on her day.
💖🙏
In life, most things can be fixed with –
Sleep
Food
Coffee
A change of scenery
A hug
A good talk
Shower/Bath
Ahh, speaking of water…
I was feeling crappy this morning… but look, if this view here can’t make you feel better, you’re in trouble.
I stood in front of this view this morning, breathing in and out, and I gotta tell you, I was feeling a whole lotta good. 🙏😍
The sweetest thing, after a long day?
Coming into bed thinking your husband is sleeping, but he turns over to give you a big hug and whisper sweet words.
(I was going to call them ‘sweet nothings,’ but they’re far from nothing).🥰❤
(CUE BLUEY THEME MUSIC!)
If you know, you know.
Baby boy has been enjoying the intro to one of the best and most recent Australian kids shows, Bluey, for a while now. I say the ‘intro,’ because although the show will be on, he kinda gets distracted with toys, touching stuff he’s not supposed to and being cheeky, you know, baby life. 🤦♀️🤣
The ep itself doesn’t phase him, although he does love seeing the characters on screen. And the theme song, well it IS catchy.
All it is, is the sing-songy shouting of the 4 main character names, and they all do a dance…
“Mum!
Dad!
Bingo!
BLUEY!”
It is awfully cute. 🥰
Anyway, I had learnt of several Bunnings stores transforming into a Bluey type of paradise for the month of February, what with Bluey themed activities, but then there was one store, per state, that was actually having a meet and greet with the real-life characters!
For real life! 🤣
And that store was only a mere 25 minutes away from our house.
We drove today to the Bunnings store in question. We couldn’t actually believe the level of Bluey excitement and hysteria around… there were long lines for face painting, fairy floss (the popcorn line was relatively low) there were drawing, painting and modelling stations, as well as a dance floor with an actual DJ!
For real life! (I can’t 🤣)
Anyway, despite baby boy skipping a morning nap due to a sleep in because he kept waking all night (another story 😫) he was a tad cranky, but when he saw Bluey and Bingo from afar, he was pointing and smiling and doing all the right kid things. 😁
We got our meet and greet, our photos, and I have to say despite the queues and madness, it WAS pretty exciting, even for us as parents, and baby girl got extra Bluey love when she hugged both life-sized characters and got a cuddly hug back! Awwww!
The things you do for your kids. 💖
Baby girl has so much spunk.
She has real character. I won’t forget her grade 1 teacher telling me how funny she was, and one of her teachers in grade 4 (two teachers shared the role last year) said she was quite the character and had real spunk.
She is in this phase where everything is “bruh” or “oof.” Especially if you try to give her a compliment. You can be trying to say the most sincerest thing, and she will interject quietly with “oof” “oof” “bruh” in her coping mechanism, trying to accept these compliments but finding it awkwardly hard.
She is 10, but she loves us so much, she needs us still, needs me still, so much. She tells off her Dad when he doesn’t follow baby boy’s routine to plan – he has taken to listening to her, true story – and regularly argues with us over everything… dinner, news, the day-to-day, EVERYTHING.
She is always correct, until proven otherwise. 🤣
But she is so sweet. She has apparently organised some little Valentine’s Day surprise for me tomorrow, something completely unexpected for me, and she regularly gives out hugs and kisses throughout the day.
She is happy to go off to bed on her own, but at the same time I still come in before I go to bed to sit by her bed for a few minutes… I must do this, even if she is sleeping.
She still has this beautiful naivety about her, something I hope to nurture and treasure as long as possible.
And she is growing in independence and maturity, making small meals for herself and following a self-prescribed daily routine.
I realise there are lots of changes happening with baby boy in such a short amount of time, but I don’t forget to look at my baby girl, and all the beautiful things that have changed, and stayed the same with her.
My sweetheart. 💖🙏
Baby boy is officially 1. 💙🥰🙏🥳
I was holding him and reminiscing as the time ticked by in the early afternoon to the time he was born, and I remember giving that final push, and then the obstetrician, who had told me all along “you’re gonna tell us what the baby is” (because we were keeping the gender a surprise) asked me “SmikG, SmikG, what is it? What is it?”
And he had to repeat himself because I was over it! I wanted baby to come out, and I was tired, so tired from everything, and I was almost squinting as he was asking me…
I looked down, and I stared, a little in disbelief (there’s that term again) and I said “boy?”
With a question mark, because, was I really seeing what I was seeing? 🤣
And the obstet went “Yes!”
And I was reliving all of this in my mind today, smiling and holding baby boy, breaking out into tears from time to time, hugging and kissing him every chance I got, just so grateful to have reached the 1 year mark.
1 year! I can hardly believe it. With the constant challenges we’ve faced the last year, it felt like the longest time, every time I imagined him turning 1…
And yet here we are. I’ve made it, we’ve made it, and I know that this doesn’t mean the journey is over… why, it’s only just begun! But the hardest year, in many ways, has passed us by. 🙏
We celebrated simply at home. Hugs, walks around the house. A rose has recently sprung up in the front yard, and it’s timely to have done so at this point in time… so beautiful and sweet, a signifier of the most beautiful things in our life.
And then in the evening we went out for dinner. It was quick, it was yum, and we had a beautiful view to match.
Our outlook is bright, and I am so very grateful. 🙏💖
May our baby boy be forever happy and healthy. Thank you for choosing us sweetheart, and in your Dad’s words…
“What took you so long?” 🤣
It’s this time of year, and it will be this time of year, every year now, that has me in a state of utter disbelief and happiness.
Photo memories on my phone remind me that I was so close to meeting this new little angel this time last year.
I remember things from the big day, the pain, the anticipation, the sheer joy.
I look at him now, today. Watch him charging across the room, fall to his knees to crawl, and then get up again to try walking.
He does not give up. Just like me for all of those years.
Tonight was the first night I didn’t carry him into the bathroom for his bath… I led him with his hands, as he walked.
He is growing, and getting more curious and independent and confident, so confident! With every day, every moment.
I complain that I can’t hold him anymore because of how heavy he is – it hurts my stomach, my back.
But a few hours pass and I can’t handle it. I want to hold him. Cuddle him, nuzzle against his neck. Breathe in his sweet baby scent, his hair.
He drives us crazy so many times a day, and yet I can’t imagine him in any other way.
I rocked him to sleep tonight. I’m breaking all the rules.
I kinda don’t care.
I am still in happy disbelief at this beautiful boy that is in our lives. 🥰🙏💖💙
Getting to hug baby girl when she comes home from school, and cuddle baby boy when Hubbie has a bathroom break. 💖💙
I found out some very sad news late last night.
My first acupuncturist, who I saw for a long time and only started seeing someone else when my first one moved to a different day availability, well she gave birth to a baby girl earlier this week. Sadly, stillborn.
I can’t tell you the shock and sadness that rippled through my body. Out of all people, this happened to her? Someone who has helped so many on their own journey to conceiving a child, someone who I know would have done, eaten, practised, envisioned and prepared all the right things for her pregnancy and childbirth journey… and then this.
This unimaginable sadness.
I felt physically sick. I saw via social media that a friend of hers had set up a go fund me to help them raise funds for a funeral. So many people have donated already, and it’s a bittersweet thing to realise that such deep anguish can inspire so much support and generosity.
If you’re interested in donating to a worthy cause the link is below:
In complete contrast to yesterday’s speed, today I went slow.
I fed baby boy in bed. I took my time. I held him longer.
When it was time for a nap, I didn’t rush him. Again, I held him longer, let him sleep on me.
I climbed into bed with baby girl, shared hugs and kisses.
I sang to baby boy. I stood above him on the change table, talking and laughing to get a reaction. He scrunched up his face and smiled back so sweetly.
I had an opportunity to have a coffee/babycino date with baby girl. I hugged her around her shoulders, brought her in close, nuzzled her neck.
We took a family selfie tonight.
I read book after book to baby boy.
I pressed my face into his head as I rocked him to sleep. My nose and lips nuzzled in, feeling his warm skin, smelling his clean baby scent. I do this often, but tonight I was so much more present.
I know I complain about this newborn stage… it’s hard. I don’t say that lightly.
But also, I know I’m blessed. Especially after thinking through the following today:
Bad things happen to good people.
BUT, I know that bad things happen to bad people as well.
The bad people are taught a lesson.
The good people learn something that they can then share, grow and inspire others with.
Because bad things can happen to anyone, it gives even more reason to be grateful. Be present, and appreciate what you have, because your life might be someone else’s dream.
Take it slow. Live in the present. Soak yourself in the beautiful moments. ❤🙏
Today’s Good Friday was actually a ‘great’ Friday.
All little, simple things. Which as you know I consider the most important.
Coffee time at a nearby cafe.
Watching the latest binge-worthy Netflix show with Hubbie (a post about this show will follow in due course).
Holding our children on the couch. ❤❤
Good, great things. 🙏🥰
carcrashgratitude 