Unwinding: with a little help from his girl

Who knew that 9kgs on your shoulders could feel so good?

Quick Escape

AJ has been feeling stressed of late, so I hatched a plan and we made a quick escape to Venus Bay for a few days of quiet family time. We slept, ate, walked, soaked up the sunshine, breathed in some fresh sea air, sat and observed nature and enjoyed watching Sienna explore her new surroundings. It was much needed bliss.

When I say we "observed nature" it is more that nature brought itself to our back door where we flipped out in excitement and trepidation to see kangaroos so up close. The pics tell the story.

She Walks!

Our little girl took her first steps today...and never looked back. She has walked all day. Aunty Alisa stayed the night last night to help me prepare for a family lunch we hosted today. While we were lazily eating breakfast and chatting on the lounge room floor Little Miss began to walk between us. Then passed us. Then around us. And into the next room. And so it was for the rest of the day.

While I am so happy for Sienna that she has achieved this little milestone...I am also very excited by the longer sleeps she's had due to all the new physical activity!

(photo taken a couple of weeks after her walking debut)

Feeling creative

I probably shouldn't say this for fear of jinxing myself...but I think I'm getting my creative mojo back. This is something I did for our bathroom wall. I felt it needed something colourful in an otherwise beige and white room.

Romantic getaway...

AJ and I enjoyed our first night away together since having Sienna. I was in major control freak mode ensuring that I'd anticipated Sienna's every need over the next 24 hours and provided for them. Her dinner was prepared, her breakfast was ready, snacks organised, general daily menu summarised for my mum's ease, post it notes on Tupperware containers in the fridge with what meal it is and how long it needs to be microwaved. Quite appalling how controlling it all was...but handing my baby girl over to someone else to care for her in my absence (even my own mother) was a bit of a wrench.

Fast forward to our arrival at Chateau Yering and all was nearly forgotten. The best suite in the place, Shiraz and aperitifs on arrival, the best table at Eleanore's restaurant, an extra entree to enjoy courtesy of the chef (his current favourite dish), dessert brought to our room after dinner. Biggest balcony and best view of the place (so we were told...and we believed them!). All this because AJ knew one of the families that owns the Chateau and I knew the Head Chef at Eleanore's restaurant - Mathew Macartney. Yay for us!!!

In short: we came, we ate, we drank, we made eye contact during conversations...we actually had conversations, we cuddled, we left. We loved it. Highly recommend the venue for anyone looking for a romantic getaway.

The Play centre

Today we ventured out to our first ever play centre. Hmmmm. Not sure about these places. Being a first time mum I naively thought it's a fun place where parents and kids play. You know at the "Play Centre". No. It's where children play and parents sit back on their butts drinking latte's and hot chips while I pull unsupervised 2 and 3 year olds off my child.

It took about 4 repeats of this sentence "I know you like her, but please don't drag her along by her arm. She can't walk yet" (picture Sienna lying on the floor with her arm up in the air...attached to a 2-ish year old) before a mother appeared - seemingly out of nowhere. Once we established that she doesn't mind me telling her child off when I become uncomfortable with what she's doing to mine ("She thinks your baby is her doll" - Aargh!), the mother left again, swallowed up by the sea of other mothers sitting at tables chatting animatedly.

Sienna had a ball. We both left the place a bit sweaty from all of the activity. I was less impressed.

Things that go bump in the night

I am getting weird looks at the supermarket at the moment...because Sienna has a black eye. Although I feel sorry for her, I refuse to feel bad about it because it happened so freakishly that I couldn't have anticipated it occuring.

Last night at around 6.30pm - Sienna's tired clumsy time - I was watching her crawl around the kitchen floor, as she does, and before my very eyes her arms buckled under her and she tipped forward and landed eye first into the pointed corner of our skirting boards. If I hadn't seen it myself I wouldn't have believed it. It is actually difficult to do. And my Sienna managed it perfectly. Black eye and all!

Australia Day - Mum finally becomes an Aussie!

Congratulations Mum on biting the bullet and becoming an Australian citizen today. Despite appearances, this olive skinned, brown eyed, dark haired beauty was 100% English...until today. Welcome to our shores Mum! Well, it was 57 years ago that you landed on our shores (and that's still not giving her age away!)...but welcome all the same. From one Aussie to another.

Sitting Pretty

This is a hurried pic of Sienna all ready to go out. Outfit on, hair brushed and clip momentarily in place, biscuit to keep her occupied while I plan to (within the next 5 minutes before we leave)...dress, do hair, apply make-up, remember to put shoes on, pack nappy bag and hand bag, throw together Sienna's lunch and snacks that she may desire while we're out, put BBQ chickens on a platter and glad wrap it...and leave the house looking serene. As luck would have it I got there. Serenity perhaps was non existant - but it appeared so by the time we got to our destination.

The Party

We celebrated Sienna's first birthday yesterday and there was much fun to be had. Blowing bubbles was a big hit with the kids of all ages and Sienna looked adorable in her pretty party dress.

I am so enjoying having a little girl. It's like reliving my childhood with girly toys, coordinating outfits for her to wear, clips in her hair (if she'll keep them in), and then there's organising the birthday party. Deciding on a colour theme, picking out balloons, streamers, table decorations and making the party food. Now THAT was fun!

Evidence of the party food are in the pics below. Thanks to mum for the cookie faces and honey joys. Oh the joys of Honey Joys - I was transported back to the childhood bliss of these confectionary delights each time I indulged in one...or five. Yum!

Happy 1st Birthday!

One year ago today I held a baby girl in my tired, shaking arms for the very first time…and fell in love.

Since then I have never been more exhausted, frustrated, emotional, elated, awestruck, playful or happy in my life. It’s been a real rollercoaster for me but the thing that stands out the most over the past year is all the smiles and laughter Sienna has shared with us and the pure joy we’ve felt watching our little girl experience lots of firsts and the joy she got from them.

Happy Birthday Sienna. You are a vibrant, cheeky, happy little girl with a great sense of humour and a deep love for your mum and dad. You are an observer, an explorer and if we can grab you for long enough…a good cuddler too. Continue to thrive. We are enjoying every minute with you and love you more than we ever knew we could.

A new year

Happy new year.

A whole new year.

I'm not really one for resolutions. I usually hope to look back on the year that's passed and feel proud of at least one thing. It's going to be hard to top last year's achievement - bringing new life into the world.

Perhaps this year I'll scale it down to the little things. How about:

Living simply.

Learning to say no.

Making time for things that make me smile.

Figuring out exactly what those things are.

Caring for myself before others (!) so I am better equipped to care for them.

Getting comfortable in my own skin.

Revealing a little more of myself to those that matter to me.

This list is getting long. And I'm starting to scare myself with what my fingers are typing. I'll start at the top of the list and see where it leads. Hopefully to a place I love a little bit more than where I started.

Happy Days

Christmas day was enjoyed with AJ's family. We played, talked, ate, drank and enjoyed each others company. It's what it's all about.

I hope you enjoyed your day remembering what it's all about. Family. Love. Hope.

Carols without candlelight

This evening we met friends at a local venue and sat down with our picnic blankets to enjoy some festive carols by candlelight. A first for our family. We arrived, we sat, we chased Sienna in a vain attempt to stop her from crawling into the neighbouring carolers picnics, we got the kids faces painted, we ate, we lip synched to one unfamiliar song (I am not blessed with a pleasant voice)...and we left. Whew.

It was still daylight, they had not even started on a carol I was familiar with (they must save those til last) and our spot was taken by seagull patrons looking for a better spot within seconds of us folding up our blanket. Fun for all of the family! Actually, it was.

Season of change

I have a complicated past with Christmas and as a result have mixed feelings about it. I enjoy the idea of a holiday where families pause to spend time together and show each other how much they are loved and appreciated. I like that Jesus is celebrated for having been on this earth and sharing his example for us to follow. I like that kids get excited about this magical time. My secret is that I’m not keen on Santa and all the excessive gift giving.

Buying gifts gets my knickers in a knot at the best of times (secret number two shared today) so to do so for many family members is enough to make me want to hibernate until it all goes away.

AJ’s family is in Melbourne for Christmas this year and we plan to spend it with them. I am thinking a lot about what I want Christmas to mean to Sienna. I’m thinking more along the lines of the family time and celebrating a life worth knowing and less about a fat man in a red suit that I have to make up stories about to answer all of Sienna’s future questions such as “how does he get around the whole world in one night?”.

So wish me luck as I endeavor to enjoy and create some special traditions that will be unique to our little family at this time. A definite change to enduring “the season to be jolly” as I have in previous years.

Stolen Kisses

I looked after my nephew & neice - Dylan and Mia - today while my sister-in-law Sue had an appointment. Sienna loves seeing her cousins and gets lots of cuddles and kisses from Dylan whenever she sees him. However today there was a different sight to enjoy. Dylan was running around doing what boys do while Sienna was crawling madly after him trying to keep up. Mia (bless her heart) was crawling after Sienna with the sole intention of grabbing her, bringing her to the floor and planting kisses on her face. She kept doing it over and over again. It was beautiful.

She stands

Sienna is standing up on everything now. Everything and anything whether it’s stable or unstable, she’ll give it a red hot go. She has the biggest smile of achievement on her face with each successful stand. I love her enthusiasm…however there have been tears of late – such as when the rocking horse, well, rocks.

Beach love

Day 2 of our weekend in Lorne began quite indulgently for AJ and I as we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in a nearby café. While Mum and Alisa looked after Sienna on the beach, we were sitting at a table enjoying a meal I didn’t have to prepare, eating it uninterrupted, having a conversation, looking into each other’s eyes whilst listening to one another…and relaxing. As a couple. For a change. It was lovely.

After breakfast we spotted our baby girl being pushed in her pram by her proud Aunty on their way to the beach. We thought about having a window shop but after an hour away we decided we’d prefer to be playing on the beach with everyone. So that’s what we did.

Alisa took some family pics of us mucking around on the beach which I’ve attached for you to enjoy. What a beautiful day.

Every girl needs a good lippy to match her outfit

Alisa is going overseas for 9 weeks in mid December so we took it upon ourselves to enjoy a family weekend away with her in Lorne. Mum also came with us so there has been lots of fun and frivolity that AJ has had to endure/enjoy.

Sienna has so far thought it is the coolest thing to have Nonna and Aunty Lise around 24/7 as she has been kissed, cuddled, played with, laughed at and attention overloaded since we arrived.

Highlights of today include:
- Sienna's first introduction to lipstick by Aunty Lise. She was so good and stayed very still while lashings of dusty pink were being applied to her baby lips.

- Soaking up the sea air and feeling myself take a breath and relax my shoulders for the first time in a while...

- Dinner at The Cumberland to celebrate Mum's retirement next Thursday (Sienna slept peacefully in her pram soon after we got there!)

- After dinner drinks in our apartment reminiscing about childhood antics while sharing a cock-sucking cowboy with my mum. The cocktail.

Simple pleasures

A basil plant is growing happily in the garden bay window I am lucky enough to have in my kitchen. I walk passed it every day and today I stopped and enjoyed the pretty flower it was adorned with. Simple. Beautiful. Worth taking a moment to appreciate.