Merry belated Christmas!

It has been a while since I last blogged - life has been very dramatic, and hence very draining.

Christmas came and went. My husband and I decided against present buying for each other this year, which seems very odd for someone as mad about Christmas as me! However, budget restraints required it, and I survived - but I'm hoping that our anniversary will bring something pretty at least.

Cale was utterly spoilt - and as was expected, he was all about the paper and only mildly interested in the contents of each package. It required both my husband and I to be very quick on our toes as he tore pieces of paper off with his recently acquired teeth! (number 5 is on the way even as we speak)

The best wee present - at least for us, is that Cale has started moving about. Might I add that his method of moving is not the conventional way. We shuffle around on our bottom, and we go backwards on our tummy. Cale desperately wants to be crawling but hasn't been able to co-ordinate his hands and legs to go in the same direction as of yet. This may be a New Year present for us!

I have done a lot of sewing as of late - secret santa presents, birthday presents, santa sacks - my machine has definitely earned its keep. I went a little nuts at the spotlight sale today - so my next project will be pyjamas for my nephew for his birthday, and some for my wee man - just because I can.

I hope Santa was kind to you and your's and a restful holiday period was delivered to each of your perspective trees!

xoxox

Everything was going so well...

Lets just say that the sh*t hit the proverbial fan! My husband's uncle passed away, then I ended up in hospital with my son with a rather nasty dose of rotavirus (him not me), then the one night I had away from the hospital with my husband stepping in I got rudely awoken by an early morning phone call informing me that he had come down with the bug too and had to get off the ward ASAP!!! Faaaarrrrkkk!! I was coping with all of that, when my Dad decided to add his two cents to the equation, and fireworks resulted. Much crying and feeling fragile, when my sisters decided to jump on board. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to Christmas NOT!!

But all is not lost - I have been sewing up a storm and getting some well earned therapy through creative means. That has helped a lot. Ahhh sewing, how I have missed you!

Gosh its been a while!

How time disappears! When did it get to be the end of November? And for that fact, nearly the end of the year? Life has been extraordinarily busy around these parts. Mostly because of so very ill family members too far away for us to see, but whom we think about all the time. My father in law is returning from representing us all in far away South Africa, so my little family is heading up to his home to be the supportive net we hope we will be.

But in the last week and a bit, well, this is the run down:
1. Cale got his first tooth
2. He sat completely unaided
3. My family from Australia visited
4. I had a very productive meeting with mental health
5. We caught up with lots of friends
6. I made my boy a duvet cover - very cool!

7. My husband had a gaming tournament

8. My boy had a virus

9. And looks like he is getting ready to start crawling, mega excitement!

It's been a GREAT day!!

Hmmm nothing like sunshine to make you want to get out amongst it! I am totally a summer girl, I am never more at my best than when the sun is shining and I am able to get out and enjoy it. Today was one of those days.

I had my nurse come this morning and tell me how fantastic I am (hehe) and how much progress she had seen. A great way to start the day. After she left I packed my son and I up, and we loaded ourselves into the car leaving my lovely other half to job search to his hearts content. So off we went to the lake for an afternoon of frolicking in the sunshine. Was fantastic!!

Coming home, I got all inspired and stopped off at Bunnings and loaded up on tomatoes, strawberries and a whole pile of seeds to start transforming my vegetable garden tomorrow. Oh and I bought a shade tent so my little boy can be out in the garden with his Mama!.

I'm a little sunburnt, but right now, I really don't care, because I really feel like I'm smiling inside out!

Finally some quiet time to reflect...

It has been one of those days, one of those weeks, and one of those months, where everything happens in a whirlwind and you just NEED to stop for a breath. This is my breath.....

I am sleep deprived, I have a clingy, teething monster of a child and a husband who is sleeping all day....I have a family who desire contact, probably more often than I feel able to give it, I have sick relatives, friends who I miss. I have a multitude of health professionals all requiring my time, family events I simply cannot attend, I feel stretched and pulled in so many directions. I want to live and take my life at my pace, is that so much to ask?

I have been amazed at how much I can accomplish with a child firmly attached to one hip - I can do washing, hang it out, clean the bathroom, wash the outside of the house, cook and eat dinner, make bottles and prepare medications. Once upon a time I would have thought that none of these things were possible.

I am learning...

I am learning that I am much more capable than I give myself credit for.
I am learning that I am as important as anyone else.
I am learning that it is okay to express my opinions, and in fact I SHOULD express my opinions.
I am learning to be an observer rather than an enabler.
I am learning to trust my instincts and not doubt myself.

Actually I am learning quite a lot!

I am reading a book, a book that my Dad lent to me - its actually  a prison book lol. Its about becoming a peaceful warrior and living each day to its fullest. It has been very inspirational to me, and I'm only about half way through it!

There is a little boy, sleeping in his bed, that I have been to the ends of the Earth and back again for, and who I would do it all again for, each and everyday of my life. I guess that's called being a Mum. He is the light of my life and the centre of my universe, and here is the latest picture of my very special little man.

Toof - are you here to stay finally?

Teething, it must be the bane of every parent known to man. My wee monkey's teeth have been moving around for nearly 6 months now, and we have felt every one. We have had a rubbish few days, and upon closer inspection this morning, there is a little toof peeking through the gum. I really hope it is here to stay this time. I think my sanity depends upon it to be honest.

Thank goodness for such wonders as amber teething beads, baby nurofen, and baby pamol!

It has been dramarama round here lately. Someone very wise once said that it never rains but it pours, I think I'd like to meet that person. If only to say thanks for stating the obvious! Haha.

The scary thing (thinking back to teeth) is that this is only toof number 1, I'm really hoping that the rest aren't going to be so fraught.

To laugh or cry

All is finally quiet on the western front and I have a couple of moments to myself - woohoo! Now if I knew little boy would continue to sleep I would start work on some of the many projects I have started, and become friends with my sewing machine which is looking lonely on the other side of the room.

I love my wee man, I love him more than words can express, but Mama needs a break. This is the first sleep of the day where he has actually gone to sleep by himself in his own bed. Kinda makes for a very long day, when its like riding a very dodgy rollercoaster when he is awake. Laugh, cry, giggle, grizzle, eat, don't eat, swallow, blow raspberries with a mouth full of milk.....Sleep, sleep is bliss. I'm fairly certain that his teeth are once again rearing their ugly head. I just wish they would actually come through this time instead of relentlessly teasing me.

Laugh. A magical sound, makes you feel good inside. Laughing with my little man is the very best way to spend the day. Laughing maniacally is just plan scary though.

Cry. Waterfalls of pain and sorrow exiting your body. Sometimes a good cry is all one really needs.

But today I am both happy and sad. Happy because my little boy is growing and interacting with the world more and more each day, and sad because he's nearly not a baby anymore. Such weird juxtapositions. I have never really understood how you can be both happy and sad at the same time. But in this new phase of my life it seems almost commonplace.

I meet with my mental health team tomorrow. It makes me very reflective. They are wonderful people, but they do ask a lot of probing questions that make me very anxious. I am learning not to dwell on things that are beyond my control - a difficult task for a born worrier.

Now because this has been somewhat a dim post I'll add some of my favourite photos my MIL took over the weekend. I love them!