The Monday Snapshot...

It's getting cooler here as we approach winter. So it's lucky Nanna and Poppy brought some nice winter PJs for Patch. Sorry for the blurry photos, Patchy doesn't stop these days!

Easter 2014

Every Easter we head to my parents beach house for the weekend. It's not the flashiest house but it does have a toilet, shower and hot running water. There aren't any bedrooms so we convert the lounge room, dining room and any other patch of floor as a place to sleep. We do have a bunk bed the older kids sleep in, a roll out mattress my sister, brother in law and three month old baby sleep in, a futon BJ and I sleep in, my parents sleep in the only permanent bed and two portacots the babies sleep in. No wonder there isn't much room left!

We didn't go at Easter time last year because Patch was only six weeks old but we did go down in June last year, so it wasn't the first time both boys had been but it was the first time they were both walking and talking. It was great, especially watching James. He wanted to participant in everything that was going on! He's still a bit small to ride in the boat yet but he did go for a couple of tractor rides with Poppy and his seven year old cousin. And both boys loved just sitting in the tractor and pretending to drive it!

We had the whole family together (the first time since my Nanna's funeral in January) including my nieces who are seven and one and my three month old nephew.  That means in the house we had five kids and six adults, while my brother and his girlfriend camped outside. So you can imagine how difficult it was during the night, once one baby woke up their cry would wake one of the other babies up. But we only had one rough night and the days were great.

I can't wait until next year when all the kids are just that bit older and we can go in the boat and go fishing off the beach!

The Wordless Wednesday - Mummy's little helper version...

Wordless Wednesday - Corn Edition...

Update...

It's been a little while since my last monthly update on Patrick, so I thought an update was in order:

Work

Well I meant to put an update about going back to work ages a go but time has been going so fast! Work is good, in the eleven months I had off on maternity leave, a lot has changed. More work, new people and my hours changed to 7:30am to 3:30pm. Which works great with afternoons/evenings with the kids, but is an early morning for everyone.

I'm still tracking towards working full time until the end of 2016 and then cutting back in 2017, when James starts school! I want to work more school hours (hopefully), so I can pick the boys up from school and take them to sports, music lessons, or be here for homework whatever really. Well that's the plan for now. It makes working full time now a bit easier knowing I will be able to cut back later. 

It's taken six weeks but I finally had an attack of the mummy guilts the other night after speaking with a stay at home Mum, who just "couldn't bear to leave her kids, five days a week". Well if it was keeping a roof over your head and food on the table, I'm sure you'd adjust! I'm just a little jealous I guess, and I know she didn't mean to make me feel like the worst mother in the world but when you don't have much of a choice there's no need to dwell on it!

But apart from missing the boys, I'm enjoying the work and I'm trying to be organised so I have dinner on the table by 5:30pm every afternoon!

New Years Resolutions

I had done a post on my goals for 2014 and I'm actually sticking to some! Go me! Spend time enjoying our family was my first goal and we are doing our best every chance we get to hang out and spend time as a family unit. Teaching James to catch a ball and to start playing cricket in the backyard, has been a real highlight this summer.  We've renewed our membership at the local aquarium and we go at least once a month, I'm dying to see the turtle hospital and take James, so that's next on the agenda!

Revamp the house. Well this has slowed down after our awesome start over the Christmas break. The lounge room is done and the kitchen is pretty much done. We still have to finish the bathroom and toilet and I would like to hang some new art or photos up in the hallway and our bedroom. On the plus side, I did just get some new beautiful sheets on sale but I'm still on the look out for a new bedroom doona set, something that is just right I can add cushions to so it looks just like something out of a catalogue!

Revamp myself. I've spent my gift voucher and got some nice clothes that I've been wearing a lot. I forgot how nice it is to wear summer dresses and shorts that don't have holes in them or keep falling down because they've stretched! It's Autumn here, so the cooler months are approaching, I'll have to get out my jeans and long sleeves and make sure everything fits! BJ and I have started regular excerise around our days. And one month in, we have both stuck to it. We've decided to walk after putting the kids to bed, each night taking turns so we can both get some cardio. On the nights BJ is walking I've started using my excerise ball to strengthen my soft belly. My eating has improved but it still needs to get a lot better. I didn't realise how much temptation there would at work. There is always someone selling chocolates to send their kids to soccer camp or baking something. So I've started taking in healthily snacks I can leave in my desk and drinking heaps of water!

Get organised. I'm trying to fulfill this one. It's really hit and miss for me to get organised and stay organised! One week I'm great and the next I have no idea what I'm cooking for dinner until the last minute. It doesn't help with BJ working away a lot since I've gone back to work, so I don't have any backup for help in the kitchen. I'm washing nearly every night after dinner to keep on top of our dirty clothes, sheets, towels etc. so it's not so crazy on the weekend. I have hired a cleaner to come every two weeks on a Friday and that has helped. With two kids in the house I'm still sweeping and mopping every couple of days, if not every day but at least I know everything gets a good clean and I'm not having to take time away from the kids to do it. 

Kids

They are both doing so great. Both love going to daycare which makes it a little easier leaving them there each day. Patrick isn't walking yet but has so much determination and courage, he just needs to work on his balance. You can see him watching other kids run around and he just wishes he could join in! He crawls so fast, I call him a little robotbaby! He still loves food but after seeing the peadatriction at his twelvth month check up, we have cut back his bottles to help with his throwing up. So far he still is having a little chuck but nothing like it was before, so hopefully that will work for the little guy! He loves to put things into containers and pull them out again or bang on things to make noise. Seeing and learning about consequences and using his coordination! 

James is full of energy and totally a two year old. He can be so kind one minute and having a tantrum the next. All because Patrick looked at a toy or he wants to go outside and than back inside and then outside again. All very reasonable things to a two year old but a bit frustrating for the rest of us. We have started toilet training him, letting daycare take the lead on when we should start. Before, he would go on the potty before bath time but would also be happy to walk around in his own filth. He wasn't interested in going to the toilet during the day or wearing jocks so we just waited. And then last week he wants to wear jocks all the time. So luckily I had brought some a couple of weeks ago "just in case" and he has started wearing jocks! We've had a few misses but we've also had a few hits too. He seems to need a lot of prompting at this stage, but we are only a week into training and he does seem to be slowly getting better every day. 

James loves to dance and sing, and talk about everything with a very serous face one minute and with a very silly face the next. He is also very sweet and caring with his brother, Dad and I. One night Patrick was having a little cry because he had thrown up in bed. While we were changing Patrick's sheets and clothes, James comes out of the hallway and asked, " Mumma, is Patrick all right". He just melts my heart. 

So that is some of what has been happening around here. And here are a few photos of my boys. 

The Monday Snapshot...

One year old tantrums, aren't they adorable! Just love him to bits!

Twelve months...

My dear Patchy

It is such surreal feeling that you are twelve months. You have come from this tiny infant into a larger than life, robust, busy one year old. Unreal! 

While I was getting the decorations ready for your party, I had all your monthly photos printed and hung as a poster. Some months your have really put on the weight and others your have got longer. It's such a great way to see your twelve months. 

In the past month you have continued to get faster and faster with your crawling. You are crawling full time now on hands and knees. You are still cursing around on the furniture and every now and again will only hang on with one hand and spin out so you can look at things around you or drop to your hands and knees to crawl away. A couple of times you have completely let go and stood on your own, usually when you are going for a drink or any type of food. Once you realise you are standing you get so excited you sit down. Once or twice you have even tried to take a step away from the furniture only to drop again. You get so excited about standing and even trying to walk! And to see you pushing the walker, you are usually in a fit of laughter. 

Your favourite thing for the past couple of months would have to be crawling under the dining room table or James' small table and chairs and just sitting there. It's pretty cute to see you sitting under there with a big grin on your face. You also love to stand and push all the chairs around which is very noisy!

You continue to be a good eater and will devour anything put in front of you. The past two months you have become very independant and won't let anyone spoon feed you, so BLW it was. I was doing this for lunches anyway so now you started eating what we were for dinner as well. It makes my life a little easier since I don't have to make your dinners separately but I do have to watch what we give you in case it is a little spicy. You love any protein, especially steak or chicken, and have started to eat more veggies. 

Now that you are twelve months I wanted to reflect over your different health issues since birth. I haven't written much about these but for my own memory I wanted a bit of a record. Since birth you have been a bit of a chucker. I always thought it may have been something to do with wind, as you seem to have a problem with bringing it up as an infant. As soon as you would lay down you would throw up or cry. I spoke to your Peadatriction at six months, who said it was normal for some children and you would grow out of it.  As you got older, you would throw up when you started to roll and move around and by six months you would throw up in bed at least three or four times a week. Sometimes a couple of times a day. At six months, when you were having solids more frequently the throwing up didn't stop and become more smelly. I was worried it was hurting you, so again I took you to the doctor. When you threw up, you would keep right on playing or doing whatever you were doing and wouldn't whinge or cry, so the doctor again told me you would grow out of it and it was just an inconvenience. It certainly was! If I forgot to put a bib on you, you would go through a few outfits a day because they would be soaked. And we would always need a rag handy to keep spew off ourselves or to clean it up. Over the six months since, you have a few good days in a row when you keep everything down and then a couple of days when you bring it up. Since moving to formula at ten months, I thought it would help but nothing changed. Now at twelve months the bad days seem to be a bit further apart every week so I'm hoping you will turn the corner soon. 

The other health concern you had was a blocked tear duct. At two weeks, when you came out of hospital, we noticed your left eye was crusting over and weeping. We continued to clean it with warm salted water but the eye continue like this for a few weeks. At your six week check-up, I spoke with the nurse who told us it was a blocked tear duct. We were to continue to clean it and over time it would heal itself. And then one day at around five months it just stopped. Your little body just corrected and healed itself!

While I am a little sad at your first year finishing, I can't wait to see what else you have in store for us!

From the moment you came into this world and everyday since then, you have surprised us. You made our family complete and we love you so much! To our dear Patch, Happy Birthday. Hope you had a terrific day sweet boy. 

Love always Mama and Dada. 

The Monday Snapshot...

Over the weekend we celebrated Australia Day! A day to enjoy all the things we love about being Australian and living in Australia. One of those things are the wonderful beaches we have in our backyards. 

This year we went down to one of the more remote beaches, away from the crowds. We had a BBQ lunch with lamb sausages, koala cupcakes and I made a Mi.lo cheesecake! Yum yum!

After lunch the bigger kids (and adults) went down to the beach and played some cricket, while the babies had a bit of a sleep. 

Hope you all had a great weekend! This is part of PAILs Monday Snapshot. If you would like to learn more about PAIL, click on the PAIL button on my sidebar. 

Eleven months...

Dear Patchy

ELEVEN MONTHS!!! Holy guacamoley!!! How are you eleven months already?!?!?! Plans for your first birthday have been in the works for ages and the invites went out a couple of weeks ago. It's a Very Hung.ry Cater.pillar theme and I'm really excited about the whole day. All our families should be coming into town and we are going to have an afternoon tea at our favourite park. 

This month we had your first Christmas, which was a lovely day. We had breakfast at our place and all of your Dad's family came over to open presents and have breakfast. Your Dad and I were up early to get everything ready but you and James slept until 6:30am! Santa brought you a couple of little presents and a new cubby house! You love to stand at the kitchen and play with hot plates and look out the windows. We spent the majority of the day at home just the four of us. We went over to your Uncle's house for an early dinner before heading home again. It was a lovely casual day in the heat!

This month you have started to crawl on your hands and knees, which makes you a lot quicker. You are continuing to get into everything including drawers, cupboards and anything else that is the right height. 

On Christmas we noticed your two front teeth have come through, again without much fuss. Your second bottom tooth is kind of half out, half still in for now. You love using your teeth to pull apart fruit or bread but watch out if you have your fingers anywhere near your mouth because you're likely to get bitten!

You have started daycare this week and like most things in your life, you are handling it so well. We are so lucky. You love playing with all the new toys and other babies. On your second day the carers had a photo of you and James talking to each other through the back glass door of the babies room. It was so sweet to see you interacting with one enother, outside of our home. 

Trying to get your monthly photos has become quite a challenge, you never sit (or lay) still!

Happy eleven months little man! Only one more month until we can celebrate your first birthday!!!

Love Mumma 

xxxooo 

Who needs it?...

One of my first areas of the Who needs it challenge was to clean out our dining room cupboard. We live in a small house and don't have a study, basement, attic or any real place to store anything. So this cupboard is the one place where we can store things inside the house.

Before:

After:

I can't believe how many boxes for old phones and even our W.ii was saved in this cupboard. What was left over was all our board games, appliances that don't fit in our kitchen, car DVD, BBQ tray, first-aid kits, electrical cords and a box I've filled with the boys birthday cards and drawings. 

Even though I kept most of the things in the cupboard (I still filled a rubbish bag full of crap), I feel so much better for cleaning it out and finishing the task. I had been putting it off for so long because I didn't know what I wanted to do with the things stored in there. I even managed to clean out one of my kitchen cupboards that I had been meaning to so I could keep my recipe books somewhere! Sorry I didn't take a before photo, just imagine a cupboard filled with stubby coolers. 

After:

 

If you want to get involved with the Who Needs It, visit Veggie Sausages!

The Monday Snapshot...

Today was the first day of full-time daycare for the boys. I go back to work next week. I totally forgot to get a photo of them before I dropped them off, so I tried to get one after we got home. As you can see, I wasn't very successful!

Wordless Wednesday - Jumping Castle Edition...

Who needs it...?

Part of my plans for 2014, were to spruce up our house and get organised (and stay organised). Since posting my commitments, SRB from Veggie Sausages has started an awesome incentive for us all to start de-cluttering our lives, and start getting our space back. Who needs it? We probably all have an area (or several) in our lives that needs a clean out and reorganise. This is the place to start. 

My list of areas to clean out are as follows:

Dining room cupboard

Linen cupboard

Kitchen cupboards

Bathroom cupboard

Under the bed

Kids cupboards

 

To start off I want to get the dining room cupboard and kids cupboards cleaned out before I head back to work (28 January). This is the dining room cupboard as it stands today:

There is a heap of old applicances, board games and boxes sitting in there waiting for me to clean them out. Hopefully I'll be able to reclaim some of this space back.

It's hard to work out where to start since a lot of the rooms need to be done at the same time. Like, some of the appliances from this cupboard, could go into the kitchen cupboards once they are cleaned out but I need to clean the kitchen cupboards out first. Oh well, if at least we can start then I can work out those minor details later. The key step is to start with an area and finish it. One bite of the elephant at a time!

If you would like to join the crusade to clean out, please following this link to head over to Veggie Sausages! 

http://veggiesausages.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/who-needs-it-challenge-1/#comments

Mum's say the darndest things...

Usually it's the funny things that kids say that makes us laugh. But I've found myself saying stupid things to my kids lately to either explain something (I can't be the only one who forgets word she wants while talking) or just trying to stop the madness sometimes. 

"James stop being so entertaining, I'm trying to change your brother" 

Babies rolling on change mats just get worse when you add an entertaining toddler. 

Or I make up songs about how cute they are. I sing this to the tune of Copacabana by Barry Manilow. 

Patchy

You are a small guy

But you so cute and so soft

Oh the Patch

He is cutest

Cute as a button 

And just so delicious

He's the cutest 

Little guy around

So soft and cute

Does anyone else do this to keep themselves entertained or is it just me?

Ten months...

Dear Patchy

We finally have a tooth and it looks like the second one is just under your gums ready to push through too. You handled the teething business pretty well and I'm not sure if we've just been blessed with good tethers or there is something to the Amber braclets you and James wear.

In a few days you will have your first Christmas. We've had the tree and other Christmas decorations up now since the beginning of the month and you (and James) love to watch the lights and dance along to the singing Christmas dog your Grandparents brought. I love this time of the year and now with you and James sharing in our traditions, it just makes it all that much sweeter. 

Patrick, you continue to commando crawl and pull yourself up on things. We've even had to lower your cot to the lowest setting since you had started standing up and playing with the window blinds!

You continue to be a terrific eater and will give anything a go. It's great to be able to try new foods with you as you get older. At the moment you love banana, apple, weet-bix, Vegemite toast, most mashed up veggies, yogurt, and even stone fruit! You also love to munch on chicken drumsticks and lamb cutlets! 

We were having trouble with your daytime sleeps last month. You would go down okay but would only sleep for half an hour. By the end of the day you were so tired and really cranky. So I looked at your daytime routine and tinkered a bit with your nap times in the hope this would lengthen the amount of time you were sleeping for. After a couple of weeks it seems like we have figured it out, at least for the time being! You usually wake up around 6am (or a bit later, if I'm lucky), your first nap is around 9:30 (after a book and bottle) and you are  pretty tired by this stage. You sleep until 10:30. Then your second nap is after lunch, more books and another bottle and then sleep at 1pm. For this nap you are usually not really that tired but you will just talk to yourself for around ten-fifteen minutes before failing asleep until 3pm. During this nap, James also has his sleep, which means Mumma gets a whole hour to herself (if she's lucky) to have lunch, start dinner, clean up and sometimes even do a bit of reading. You have dinner by 5:15pm (any later and you are getting too tired to sit for dinner) and you and your brother are in bed by 7pm. 

Keep going strong little man, looking forward to your first Christmas!

Love always

Your Mumma xxxooo