I was lucky to get both today, when my parents and sister came by for a visit. The days are unpredictable and lonely, not to mention the long, hard, difficult nights…
But to have them visit was the special sunshine in what was already a warm summer’s day. 🌞
And the icing on the cake? They brought so much food! Soup, sarma, meatballs, pasta, cheese pastries, rum balls and doughnuts! We have food to last days and days.
A very fresh newborn, sleepless nights, cluster feeding, and living and breathing within the same walls is making me go a bit nuts.
With such a beautiful sunny day, all four of us (👨👩👧👦) went for a walk.
Baby boy got to test out the pram for the first time, while Hubbie stayed close to baby girl who was on her bike.
At first baby boy was fussing, and I did turn around and start heading home. But then, whether he got used to the rhythmic movement of the pram on the footpath, or something else entirely, he settled and fell asleep! And I was able to follow my family around several blocks, using the pram baby girl had used, pushing a baby that I had dreamed of.
Since I came home with baby boy 4 days ago, I’ve been outside once to throw out the rubbish.
Today was a nicer reason. I’ve been a slave to my little one’s milk demands all night and day, and so when they fell asleep for a little longer, after trying to do some things I’ve been trying to do all day, I went out.
Everything looks different after you’ve gone through something as significant as birthing a baby. I walked our front path, the one I had gone down days ago when I was bringing a new baby home in my arms. I looked at our plants. The new buds on the rosebush. The sun shone on my face and I squinted into the horizon and the glistening waters that lay there.
10 minutes. I had so many other things I could’ve been doing, but I needed time out. I needed to breathe the outside air and remind myself of that quote:
“The nights are long but the years are short.”
Well, we’re not up to years with baby boy yet, but we are with baby girl. With him, the days are short. Day 5 today will be a month tomorrow. It feels so long right now, but all I need to do is look at baby girl to know that all challenges pass.
10 minutes of me time therefore, is not much in comparison. But the act of stopping, means the world. 🙏
I love going to my favourite place with my favourite people.
And so was the case today when my sister met up with baby girl and me at our local beach.
We spent 4 blissful hours there… 4 hours! Because we are so close, we generally don’t spend that much time at the beach – we don’t have to. But to be honest, I think a part of it is Mum guilt… feeling like we shouldn’t spend that much time there, because there is always something TO DO.
As I was saying to sis today, we need to forget about all of that! Replenish our mental and emotional stores. There will ALWAYS be some job to do, so if we wait until we have none, the time for ourselves will never come.
So, just have the fun, do the ‘me time,’ NOW.
The entire day was beautiful, mainly locals about, the sun not too hot but hot enough, the water clear and rippling and mild in parts… but I do have a favourite part of the day. I was sitting in my sister’s beach tent, as she and baby girl beckoned for me to follow them from where they were in the water.
So I did. I got up, and started walking over. And as I got closer and closer, all I could hear was…
GIGGLES. They were mucking about and playing games, trying not to laugh, but then they would crack themselves up and be laughing silly at nothing in particular. Laughing, just because.
And then I was laughing, just because too.
And that is a beautiful place to be. Laughing in the water with loved ones. Just because. 🥰🌅
It’s of arriving back at my family’s house after my chiro appointment today.
Endless green grass, sun shining from above.
My sister and baby girl chatting and laughing in the yard…
And dozens upon dozens of bubbles in the air.
My sister was keeping her occupied (and happy) by bringing many different bubble wands and sticks out to play, and there were long bubbles, clusters of bubbles, little bubbles, all shining and glinting, transparent and iridescent in the sun.
It was a poignant reminder as I am heavily preoccupied with the beauty growing inside of me, that the beauty still well and truly exists in the people I love around me. 🥰🥰
Last week, heater. Even, colds, or something was lingering in our household.
Today, HEAT. It was glorious, but it’s come on quickly so there has been some very sudden adjustments.
But there was a moment of symmetry today, that really made me think…
Because it was sunny, ALL DAY. I do a little walk near the school before pick-up, so as I approached the lolly-pop man crossing, a strong clap of thunder threatened from above.
What? Thunder? Sure there were clouds up there, ominous too, but it was sooo warm!
Surely there wouldn’t be any rain on such a gorgeous day. Not here anyway.
We got to the car and all was good. Mondays we go straight to swimming from school, because baby girl has a class at 4pm.
We were in the car and suddenly, I could hear spots on the car. Some massive drops appeared near the open window, and we quickly closed it.
OK, sure. There was some light rain passing. That’s all it was.
But these drops, they were BIG! They were thick, they made an impact when they crashed down.
Within minutes, the sky was dark and it was pouring. We were driving and marvelling how we had been so hot and bothered only minutes earlier, and now we were driving to swimming and we were literally swimming in it ourselves! We had to do a dash inside, getting splattered with heavy raindrops all over, and we just kept shaking our head at the craziness of Melbourne weather.
But… later, it made me think.
Earlier today, I had sent my manuscript off to someone… and this manuscript that I have slaved and stressed over for weeks now, well it has a scene in it where the rain comes down hard and heavy out of nowhere…
And I went huh? What are the odds?
I don’t know, but it felt awfully coincidental, symmetrical, super weird, that we were kinda acting out a scene from my book, on the day it went out to… someone.
What are the odds?
Rain is release. Letting go. Things getting unveiled, brought to the surface.
Today was one of those great Saturdays where I got a lot done at home, but then a lot done while also out, too.
I had a good sleep in, the sun was shining, and though things weren’t ‘perfect’ (baby girl and Hubbie both a bit under the weather) we all made do, and got on with it.
For me and baby girl, in between all the home stuff and out stuff, I took her to the Main Street for a coffee date.
We actually haven’t done it for a while, just me and her, and so it was really beautiful to head out for a quick 20 or so minutes in between the busy day that was.
It was a bit breezy at times, so she wrapped herself in a throw the cafe provided on their chairs!
Just a little mummy and daughter time to punctuate the day. 🥰😍☕
I stopped all workout activities as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I know some people keep doing it, whether it’s low-intensity workouts, or running… but I just didn’t feel comfortable. Considering me, and my journey, I could give a rats arse about workouts.
I’ll workout later.
But I still need to do something, and for many reasons. The weather is getting warmer now, and walking is such an easy thing to do. Plus, the days are longer… yippee!
We did our first family walk this evening after dinner. It was about 20 minutes, and it’s especially rewarding getting snippets of water as you get out and about.
Then at home… more.
I plan to do a bit more than just walking, but all in due course. For now, I am enjoying moving my body, moving baby, and enjoying the feel of Spring air and sunshine on my face. 😁😁🌞🌞
carcrashgratitude 