Before kids and when I lived in the hometown, I used to get urges to go out and take photos around town of whatever caught my eye, I used to love taking photos of randomness, I can't remember if I have mentioned it before but I have a fabulous photo of a pelican gliding across the water in Boston Bay with the most delicious hues of blue/purple/pink reflecting in the water at sunset... 

Anyway, we moved here and to be honest, I did not find anything remotely interesting about our surroundings.. I just didn't find the desert attractive at all. I am drawn to tropical/forresty places so I guess it makes sense. 

But I had an urge today to go out and take photos of Lexi amongst the Sturt Desert Peas of which there are many around at the moment, and they are inspiring. Along with a cute little girl and some inspiration from a recent visit from Danielle Quarmby to our little ol town, I went out today just before I picked Mia up from school.

A few of my faves... I have played with them lots, but hope to get back out with both the girls just before sunset, so the light is more magical... It was harsh this afternoon...

 TFL!

Mia is 6!!

We celebrated Mia's 6th Birthday on Saturday. I spent a fair bit of time reminiscing about her birth and the days leading up to it. A quick run-down. She must have been very happy in her little warm place as she had to be induced as she was becoming quite over-due, despite the fact that I had eaten curries, gone for numerous walks around the block, had drunk raspberry leaf tea, rocked back and forth on my haunches, and other old wives tales which I needn't mention here! lol! So into the hospital to be induced on Wednesday night, except for a lady that was labouring had to give birth by 10pm otherwise they wouldn't induce me... no baby for her by 10 and no inducement that night. Back to the hospital on Thursday morning, to be induced.. nothing really happened, walked around the Hospital, had the mildest of contractions, pretty much like slight period pains.. Back home again that night. Back to the hospital on Friday, for more gels, they couldn't or wouldn't give me a drip to bring labour on, as apparently it is no good if your waters were still intact which mine were. And they couldn't be broken.  Another day of walking and more gels... nothing. nada. zip. A long day with only the mildest of contractions. Back home again!!

I woke on the Sunday morning and poked and prodded Mia in my tummy and wasn't getting any movement back so straight to the hospital at 6am, for her to be monitored, she was fine, she obviously didn't want to play my game when I first woke up. It was the first time that a midwife suggested to me had I thought of a cesar?? No, I hadn't but not much was happening otherwise.. Not long later my Dr came in and said, I have spoken to the WCH about you and we can't give you any more gels, and because she was now 10 days over due, she was to be born and by cesar... See you in theater he said! I can vividly remember not being at all worried or concerned about having her this way. I also had to reassure Brenton that all would be well and we would meet our baby soon... It was all a bit surreal really...

So anyway, at 11:45am Mia was born a healthy 7lb 15oz, screaming all the way. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. All we wanted was a healthy baby born in a healthy environment for her and so it was. I have honestly never never felt ripped off about not having a natural birth, it isn't in my nature to torment myself in that way.... I had my baby, and that was what mattered. 

My favourite photo of Mia as a brand new little thing, I was still in recovery when this was taken, so think she was being weighed and measured... Such a peaceful little face... 

Our girl with her cake, I'm not much of a decorator so please don't take too much notice. 

Mia is a beautiful little person.

Very sensitive at times.

Has many friends at school. And a couple of *special* ones, who I guess she would call her best friends. 

Is very creative, loves to make things ALL THE TIME. She has lots of *stuff* around our house with which to make things. Her latest thing is for me to save boxes from food, which I have ignored... She made a jungle with a Huggies box, which she painted the inside of, and the next afternoon her friend Bella and her decorated with a bridge, a vine for monkeys to climb on and all sorts of other little things. Must take a pic.

She eats lots of fruit and salad type food, but not much else good for her. She loves Easy Mac, Hotdogs from a can, chips, icypole and most of all POPCORN. Last week she took sprinkle sandwiches to school, which I let her do, i knew it wouldn't be for long, and sure enough after 4 days, it was back to vegemite and cheese. I try to keep these not so good foods limited, but on the while she is a good eater.  

She is a very loving big sister and has taken to the role of big sister very very well, she had us to herself for over 4 years, but has never really acted jealous at all. She puts up with Lexi biting and pinching her, and luckily for Lexi she doesn't bite or pinch her back. They play really well together now. Mia can't wait for Lexi to be big enough to sleep in her room with her, one night a couple of weeks ago, Lexi was in her bed for snuggles at bed time and Mia badly badly wanted her to sleep in there with her. Very very cute. 

Mia (and Lexi) adore their Dad, which I love. Mia is a bit rough with him, which she doesn't do to me, as she knows I don't stand for it, but Dad lets her get away with more than I do!! I try to encourage her and her Dad to do her reader at night together, I think it is good for them. Daddy is certainly very very important to Mia and he is greeted with squeeling and a couple of happy girls each afternoon when he comes home from work.

I am very proud of the little person Mia is becoming, on the whole she is a fabulous little kid, very loving and really not too over the top, although right at the moment, I wish she would listen to me when I say the furniture isn't for jumping on!! She has lots of friends, and loves playdates. I just adore the blossoming relationship between her and Lexi, it is fun to watch!!

Love you Mia Moo!!

xxx

 

Rainy Sunday here, seems like very uncharacteristic weather for here.. Loving it regardless. Have condensed milk bubbling away on the stove for caramel pie, and have ingredients at hand ready for a zucchini slice, Lexi seems to really love it at the moment, so making some for the freezer for easy lunches for her and a big fat chook in the fridge for a Sunday Weber... Yum!! 

Lexi is in bed, and Mia's little friends Mum picked her up on the way home from work for a play date, when she left it was so quiet, Brenton and I took up a waltzing pose and danced around the kitchen laughing!!! Are we mean?? LOL!! 

Have had a fantastic weekend so far. Friday night I went out with some ladies for dinner at our local Club, drinkies and to watch a Bluesy type band play. I desperately didn't want to be hungover on Saturday so carefully watched what I drank, but had the best time regardless... It was fabulous to not worry about sick kids, or what to eat for tea, and to have fun laughing, talking, dancing, and posing for silly photos... I can't wait to see those! I got home at midnight before I turned into a pumpkin and thought I would be so tired yesterday but I woke up feeling so good and refreshed and feeling re-invigorated. Turns out that was just what the Dr ordered!! Back feeling the love in a big way! Yay!

 

And have been scrapping a little bit, these are all a bit simple, I just don't have confidence in my scrapping. I look at it all so critically. I have watched certain people over the years start scrapping and then morph into such fantastic and innovative scrappers over time. I still feel like I always have, that mine is ho-hum. I struggle to 'place' things and it just doesn't seem to pour out of me like I wish it would!! I still love my LO's really but just have no confidence... blah blah blah!! Enough rambling!! 

A

A LO about Mia having a picnic for her teddy bears in her room. She has so many, they were everywhere!! As well as every piece of Ikea kids plates, bowls and cups we own! As long as she is happy!

 

 

This LO is for Fran Tynan's sketch challenge over at E2C this month I love this series of pics I took of Lexi toward the end of last Summer in a laundry bucket out the back, she has always loved the water. Strategic placement of the word baby to hide her bits... Dear little possum she is!

Any suggestions as what to add to this one? I like it the way it is, but also think it could do with a bit more! I also have loved this photo, and just wanted it scrapped. Also in Summer last year, after swimming in the pool, baths were had and they are sweet and clean, ready for snuggles with Mum! My favourite thing!

And now for some random photos...

This morning Lexi wanted to draw, so I gave her pencils and crayons ONLY, but while I was out of sight, Mia gave her textas, she tried to deny it, but c'mon Mia, Mummy knows!!

 New mug with a new mag to go with it. I have signed up for Home Ec classes at Freckled Nest, and bought Homesewn Magazine for some extra eye candy!! It is a very very nice publication! *yum yum*

Destruction in my kitchen on Thursday. It was a forced Tupperware tidy up for me afterwards. And wouldn't you know it, things fitted in better when I tidied them up!

 Laying on the grass with Mia yesterday afty. Nice to lay in the sunshine!

Lexi and Mia were making stuff in the backyard with dirt, weeds, water and laughter.. Here is bubs in full concentration mode.... 

And here she is running toward me when she realised that I was laying on the ground taking photos... funny bubba!!

Hope you are having a great weekend!! xxx

I scrapped this last week, have always loved this photo of my Mum, and the girls all in my bed. No having to get up and running for school, cups of tea and coffee in bed were the norm. Mia was still at Kindy so life was a bit more relaxed in the mornings. The girls would be in bed with Mum and Dad for morning snuggles, or as the girls were in with me this particular morning, Mum came and hopped in with us! Lexi looks like she is thinking 'why all the fuss'

This LO is a lift from one in a mag I saw lately. Not a copy as such but the LO that I saw played a big part in this LO. Will find and come back and honour the original creator!

Just wanted to add here a photo of the mess I make when I scrap. I love my twiddleybitz chipboard mat that we received at E2C in March, I can pile what I'm working on when I pack up, and it goes on top of my Expedit away from little hands, then I can bring it back down again when I want to. I have photos on there that I want to get scrapped, as well as any LO's that I am working on. A very handy bit of chipboard for me is that mat!

There has been WAY too much illness in this household with this little girl over the last 3 weeks or so. She has had a double ear infection, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis and has been generally unwell. This is Saturday morning at about 9am. Asleep on the couch, so not her... 

So, Winter, you have it from me, you can piss off now, I have officially had enough.. Spring has been invited and it's just time to go, ok? Lexi has been having increasingly unsettled nights with her generally going to sleep ok, but waking up once in the evening for snuggles, then back to her bed, then into our bed to sleep at 1am, 2am, or 4am, because it's just easier. I don't mind her sleeping with us, but when she is really unsettled and doesn't sleep, that's where the fun begins. I hope she is over the worst of it, last night was a bad night, I had a fairly big Nanna nap while she was asleep today, which while I was laying on my bed, I was giving myself the guilts for being there when I could be doing other things. I mentally gave myself permission to be there. I don't have to feel guilty about it, I'm tired, and I can have a Nanna nap, so why not....

Here is little Miss at the WCH cafe just quickly before her appointment last Friday, she picked the lollies from her smiley face biscuit so I had the rest. Yum... She did so well we are so proud of her....

 Miss Creative Mia with her Garden that she made. Love this photo, she was so happy with it. She makes stuff every. single. day. Bless her creative little socks! 

 Yum yum yum, having tea last night. Lexi's appetite is lacking at the moment, she has not eaten too much at all since being sick. I tried to feed her up big time tonight in the hope that she sleeps better...

Let's hope she sleeps better tonight!!

Farmer wants a wife is about to start, better scoot!!

Fantastic news in this house!!! Yesterday we flew to Adelaide for the day with apprehension for Lexi's checkup. She hasn't a good history for laying quiet and still while having her echo, so it was thought that if she didn't co-operate while having her echo during clinic that they would sedate her and then do it. So we were a bit nervous about it, I really thought she wouldn't lay there.

We arrived to a frantic Friday clinic, lots of patients to be seen, and a bit of a wait time. Lexi was weighed (9.8kg) and had her oxygen levels taken (100%) no bood pressure taken though. Then back into the waiting room for the echo. I had taken her 'baby' and some UHT milk to pop into her bottle. Well bless her but she lay there drinking her milk, cuddling her baby, while her Daddy stroked her head and watch Playschool while the echo was performed. And then when she got a little restless after her milk was finished, it was nothing that a Starburst chewy lollie didn't fix. She was soooo good. So no sedation. Watching her lay there while it was happening, I had tears welling, I was THAT proud of her. She of course didn't know what was happening, but we were both so proud. 

And then to wait back in the waiting room to see her Dr. We were given a bit of a bad prognosis in Feb so waiting to see him, I wondered what news we would get, never thinking that it would be good.

 

We saw the Registrar and then had to wait for Terry, her Dr. He came in and said that it looked as though although she still had the obstruction it had gotten alot better, and maybe that the balloon procedure that she had had in November may have helped more than previously thought. He said she may never have to have more surgery as these things tend to get better with age rather than worse. WELL, it blew us out of the water. He said we don't need to go back for 12 months, which was very exciting! I guess I was expecting that we would have to monitor her every 6 months to see how she was coping with it, but it is not so much of a huge issue anymore. FANTASTIC!!! 

Am feeling a little flat today, Lexi has had another temp of nearly 39 this morning and a sleep on the lounge and is in bed again now, I think after yesterday, I am feeling relieved but tired. We hop on the plane, get to Adelaide, get in a cab, straight to the Hospital, straight to Appt. Yesterday we had time for a coffee before appointment so that was nice, we don't normally.

We are having family photos taken with Danielle Quarmby tommorow, what a treat. I had better slap some half decent clothes on hey?? I am looking forward to some magical shots of us all! And some of just me and my precious girls too.... We'll see how it goes! 

 

Thanks for calling in if you do.

xx

Well hasn't the last 6 months flown?

Maybe it has maybe it hasn't. It has been 6 months since Lexi's last appointment, which at the time when they said, 'come back in 6 months', 6 months seemed like such a long way away. 

And here it is her next appointment.

Tommorow.

I am thinking it will go either of two ways. Her Cardiologist may say she is coping well the way she is, see you in 6 months, or she isn't doing so well, we will talk to Melbourne about what to do next. Really for nothing more than selfish reasons, I feel like I want her to have her next surgery and get it over and done with. 

So it's over.

But another part of me doesn't want her to go through it again, although next time around, she isn't a brand new baby, she is stronger, older, not so absolutely fragile. But still fragile. Both of my children are, just because they are children. So many conflicting thoughts go round in my head. But at the end of the day, a take it as it comes attitude prevails. What else can you do? You can't change it, so embrace it. Well as much as you can.

Not much scrapping going on. Lexi was ill last week with double ear infections, and she was very much in need of TLC, which I was happy to give, snuggling on the lounge. You don't like them sick but to be honest snuggling her while she is sleeping is a beautiful thing. Then my In-laws arrived on Sunday for a couple of nights. Am I funny that I don't scrap when we have visitors in the house??? And then they left Tuesday but Tuesday night is a big tele night in our house. My favourite shows are on. So on the lounge with rugs and cups of tea I was.

And then last night we had a friend come home with Brenton from work, and he stayed for tea, and then by the time he left I was ready for bed!! LOL!

Maybe tonight??
Brenton has been praising my scrapping up to me. I love it that he loves that I do it. And it's important to get these memories down. I looked through an old scrapbook the other day and while the scrapping is pretty ho-hum, I did love reading the stories about Mia and her antics as a toddler!! I have pretty much always journalled on my pages, I couldn't see the point otherwise. It's nice to have a few that don't have writing but it is pretty rare for me not to say something about the photo and what was going on. I have also been going back through my blog looking at old posts and I like that I have written lots about our family, sort of like an online diary. I do have thoughts of getting it published into a book one day to keep, sort of like a coffee table book. I think it would be a great keepsake. I wonder who does it? Surely it can be done!

A couple of photos, I'm in a ramble of a mood... a bit of uneasy anticipation about tommorow. 

 

 

 Lexi's new favourite thing to do...

 

 

The two older girls love pushing Lexi around in a dolls pusher. They do it at Bella's house and they do it here! Lexi loves it!

Peering through the curtains over Mia's door. She's a ratbag.

Ok, well be back sometime over the weekend with an update on Lexi...  

 xx

One of the challenges on E2C for August was to be inspired by a magazine. Open it up to page 100 and get inspired. When we were in Thailand, I bought a magazine there called My Home. I can't read a word of it, don't even think I want to. I love looking at all the Thai style home 'things' in it. I probably wouldn't mind reading the recipes maybe, but it is eye candy to me!!!

The front cover! 

Page 100, it is about a recipe, the directions are on the next page. 

And my interpretation. I followed the page's layout and used a food photo or two. I really enjoyed this challenge although I didn't use too much imagination. I didn't want to, I loved what I saw and wanted to recreate what I saw for myself. And I got to explain bout my STEAMBOAT LOVE!! In the early days, the Steamboat used to be a girly affair, lots of food, lots to drink, stereo cranked up, lots of laughs and raunchy conversation!! (Imagine a heap of early 20 somethings) So much fun and lots of fabulous memories from that era!! The last time we had one was in Dec 09 with a few couples and it was a little quieter, but most of the others that came, infact ALL of them had never tried it. Some were dubious, but at the end of the night, they too were hooked!!! We don't have them often enough, but am thinking once the warmer weather hits, might be on the menu a little more. At the last one we had lanterns hanging from the clothes line, all my chinese crockery out along with the chopsticks... Such fun!! And I love getting people to try new things that they think that they would never like!! 

I snapped a photo of little Miss Sick while I was taking a shot of my LO, look at those eyes... Poor little thing. I hate it when my kids are ill, everyone does. She is coughing, snotting, her eyes are watering at any given moment, and lots of cuddles are in order... 

Better go, Lexi and I need a cuddle!

Oh, love Tuesday nights, have the Menz Choc Honeycomb and Pineapple Chunks ready for fabulous viewing tonight! xxx