my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

High Ground… January 12, 2011

Filed under: Parenting — rakster @ 7:00 pm

Hello!

Little O you are oblivious to the floods and the weird situation in Brisbane at the moment. We arrived back from Vancouver this afternoon and with the assistance of your uncles J & J and Grandad (due to the volume of luggage we had in total), you, me, your dad, your Canadian grandpa and grandma trained from the airport to a local station and then did multiple car trips to make it home as it was unclear if we would make it by car.

Our home is all fine – we are very close to the Brisbane River (about 150m) but up a steep hill. I.e. High Ground.  Your Grandad’s house is fine too, as is your Aunt G, who live in the next suburb, West End, but as a large part of that suburb is flooded, the power is off at their houses. And will be for the next 3 days at least. Floodwater is expected in the peak of 4am tomorrow at your Uncle D & Aunt R’s house (more…)

 

Into a disaster zone January 11, 2011

Filed under: Parenting — rakster @ 4:57 pm
Tags:

So here we are at Vancouver airport, about to board a flight to Australia but not sure if we’ll make it home to our house in Brisbane as the worst floods since 1884 or some such time are expected tomorrow and the following day..

You are oblivious.

 

Poo poo poo January 9, 2011

Filed under: Communication,development stages,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 1:34 am
Tags: ,

Cause for celebration!

You just told us ‘Poo, poo, hand, hand’ as you dragged your Dad into the bathroom in our hotel room.

And then proceeded to do a large poo in the toilet and say, ‘all done’ when you were finished.

Yay! No messy stuff to clean up! First time you’ve given us enough warning to get to the bathroom, actually led the way to the bathroom, and patiently waited until it was all out (yes, potty training has literally been a bit more hit and miss than that until now)…

You are growing up!

Love you mum

 

Howdy from Big White, Canada January 5, 2011

Filed under: activities for kids,family,Parenting,playing,Raising a Child — rakster @ 7:48 am
Tags: , , ,

Hello!

So this is our third day up at Big White ski resort here in Canada.  And you still seem to love the snow.  Mostly eating it!

eating the snow. At least this shot you’re not eating it off the soles of your boots. Which you keep doing when we get on the bus as you can reach your feet. I offer you milk/water as an alternative, but you’re just not interested…

And riding the “gonda”.  I.e. the gondala.  There is in fact somewhat of an obsession with the gondola. (more…)

 

A New Year! January 1, 2011

Filed under: Parenting — rakster @ 9:09 am

Hello!

It’s the afternoon of New Year’s Eve and I’ve been reading other blog posts reflecting on the year past and talking about aims for the future.

I try to recall all that has happened in the past year and I’m stumped.  Baby brain has extended into toddler brain.  Or maybe I’m just getting older. Rephrase.  Maybe my age and former life and brain degradation due to former life is finally catching up with me :).   All good though – I’m generally happy with where I’m at, where we are at as a family, and with life in general.

So my summary of the year is that it was very busy:

  • you my little darling got bigger and bigger and louder and louder and are now able to express most of what you want through simple sentences, words and gestures, and a bit of whining sometimes, but mostly with smiles and laughter;

You at the beginning of 2010 with Aunty Reeg

You at Christmas 2010

  • your Dad and I had a busy and up and down year – having a new business, a new baby, adjusting to life with a baby, back in Brisbane, with family and friends and did I mention a new baby?  All is well, we’ve learned to communicate better about some things most of the time, we’ve had a few blowouts, but all in all I think if anything we are closer and happier than ever (thank-you C, I love you!).   The date-a-month by ourselves concept hasn’t quite worked  out – perhaps we can aim for that in the new year with renewed vigour (sisters and grandparents we’re looking at you here – thx in advance!).
  • work. work.  Your dad worked hard.  I worked hard two days a week from April.  You went to daycare and settled right in.  Enough said.
  • I finally got it together and got a new kitchen organised and in.  Just in time to get the worst case of tonsilitus ever (was out in bed for a week and they thought I had glandular, thankfully I didn’t) and thus not be able to use it before our Christmas holiday.  2011 to be the year of new kitchen breaking-in then.

So.  Next year?

Bring it on, we’re ready!

 

‘NoMan’ – a little worse for wear December 25, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,Parenting,Raising a Child — rakster @ 4:28 am
Tags: , , ,

We made a snowman family (or ‘NoMan’ as you refer to it as in your toddler vocabulary) two days ago.

Little Poogie with Snowman Poogie and Snowman Daddy

So, it’s Christmas eve, it stopped snowing yesterday and the temperature has climbed to a balmy 5 degrees celcius.

Our poor little snowman family is looking a little worse for wear… (more…)

 

Learning to shovel the snow: Movie Monday December 21, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,development stages,Parenting,playing — rakster @ 1:30 pm
Tags: , ,

Hello!

Today’s adventure – shovelling snow in the driveway with Daddy.

Such a good little helper.  And very cute when you fall over (if I do say so myself). (more…)

 

Canada, Oh Canada December 19, 2010

Filed under: Parenting — rakster @ 3:24 pm
Tags: ,

Hello!

So many firsts in the past few days!!

We are safely in Canada after a very long and tiring flight (where you were very good in general).

Today it snowed and we took you outside to play in the snow this evening. We think you liked it! But you can’t quite seem to understand the concept that it is cold outside yet: you keep wanting to go out to see the ‘kismas tee’ without a coat or shoes… And get frustrated at the amount of time it takes to get rugged up!

I tried to teach you to throw snowballs at your grandmother. You tried. And I think you like the deer too: we have had to look for them multiple times…

snow play

first play in the snow..

Love you
Mum

 

Acrobatics at 17 months: Movie Monday December 6, 2010

Filed under: activities for kids,baby stuff,development stages,Movie,Parenting,playing,video — rakster @ 1:07 pm
Tags: , , ,

A little light entertainment from last week after yesterday’s serious hospital post.

I should note that this is a video of you and me.  But you have been doing acrobatics at home with your Aunt R, who is a qualified children’s acrobatics coach, since you were old enough to do bends…  Unfortunately she got into uni in Melbourne next year (good for her, bad for you and us) so I’m not sure how we’ll keep your flexibility and strength up….

Enjoy..

(more…)

 

First visit to the emergency department of the hospital… December 5, 2010

Filed under: exhaustion,family,healthcare,Parenting — rakster @ 8:06 pm
Tags: , , , ,

So I was in the middle of writing a rather staid blog post last night about the state of the kitchen and other of life’s happenings, when we heard you wake up and start coughing.  Which then very quickly progressed to a rasping, choking, vomiting-but-can’t sound.

Rushed in, ripped open your clothes and had a look at you in the light and you were most definitely very upset and struggling to get breath in.  Getting some in, but labouring and not happy.

So, we made sure you were breathing enough, then tried to calm you down as we threw some clothes on and jumped in the car.  By this stage your coughing/difficulty breathing fit was over, so we drove the 4 minutes to the emergency department at the hospital and (more…)