Thursday

                        
We had a lovely day celebrating Maggie's birthday yesterday. After taking Nicholas and Audrey to school David and I went to the Chocolate Olive for brunch. We had gone there previously when Maggie was only a few weeks old. After brunch we went to a nearby children's store. Maggie loved looking at everything all around her. I bought her a book I had seen- The Cinnamon Baby' there is o gorgeous picture of the baby sleeping with the mother and father. That is us. The inside cover talks of the intimate bond between a mother and child and I knew that was the first birthday gift I wanted to get for her.
When Nicholas and Audrey came home from school they helped me make a cinnamon bun, in honour of the book and that became Maggie's first birthday present.
We intend to have a family morning train a couple of weeks. Life is so busy right now.

Friday

Where things are at. 
I think of so many things I'd like to blog about, but life seems so busy theses days.  Time is moving ahead quickly.  In a matter of days Maggie will be one!  Her birthday falls on a Wednesday, so Dave and I will be home.  We will have a nice little lunch out with her, before having a family celebration on 30 August.

This week is world breastfeeding week.  A couple of weeks ago I told David I should just stop feeding Maggie.  My body will continue to produce milk for as long as I nurse.  It is David that has encouraged me not to rush.  She is my last baby he says.  I fed Nicholas and Audrey until they were 7 months old and then they went to a bottle.  It has been nice to skip the whole bottle thing for Maggie, although it does mean we are in a routine where I nurse her to sleep.   When I think about it, it is the last thing that only I can do for her.  When I come home she immediately wants me to hold her.  While the constant waking at night leaves me tired, during the day there are moments where I miss feeling her in my arms.

 

 Maggie @ 4 months

 

She sleeps in our bed.  It is part of the cycle.  She began sleeping in our bed at around 4 months old, while we finished her nursery.  It was there she has become used to my being able to feed her through the night.  I tried to put her to bed in her cot.  Still, she stays in there from around 7pm until midnight or soon after when she wakes.  Just when we are going to bed.  It becomes easier for her to sleep between us.  Now she is mobile though, and I want to get her sleeping in her cot for that reason.

A trip down memory lane.  To the park near our house today for doughnuts and hot chocolate.  While the kids played I was reminded of a time not long ago.  Five years does fly.

 

 

 

Wednesday

One Hundred days of kindergarten!  So much fun.  :)

Tuesday

I loved Jess Brown's ragdolls from the minute I saw them.  I love items with a vintage feel about them. Audrey was a baby and I even tried to make a similar one myself.  I'm not sure what I ended up doing with it... I bought the book Coco and Kiki in Paris for Audrey (me) a couple of years ago.

I was excited to see that she has a book coming out about the production of her dolls.  It includes doll and clothes patterns. Unfortunately it has been delayed so I won't be able to make one for Maggie's first birthday. Maybe I'll attempt one each for Audrey and Maggie for Christmas instead.

First birthday.... I can't believe I am saying that!!

Sunday

I love this boy to bits.....  so very much.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday

Almost a month since I have posted?? 

Life has been busy, and yet I don't have a whole lot to say.  We seem to spend each week ticking the days off, with David busy with his studies, me back at work, and trying to juggle the kids activities in between, it is easy to see the pages of the calendar flipping over. 

I was looking forward to going back to work - being among more adult conversations.  But at the same time, I am aware it is the beginning of days away from the kids.  Especially Maggie.  But she seems happy to see me when I get home from work, and is full of smiles and cuddles.  David is doing a great job as stay at home dad.

This month we finally had Maggie dedicated at church.  At 10 months old.  I was mindful of the statement we were making in doing so, and in my ever present mother guilt I also thought about the same commitment I made for Nicholas and Audrey.

Maggie had a gorgeous Collette Dinnegan dress to wear, and Audrey wore Leona Edmiston.  :)  very fashionable pair!

I have decided I want to spend the year reading novels by Australian authors.  Well, what remains of the year!

I have just started Alex Miller's Prochownik's Dream. I am also reading Fictional Woman by Tara Moss.

Also on the list is Journey to the Stone Country, also by Alex Miller, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (shamefully, this has been on my list for a number of years).  Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, Death of a River Guide by Richard Flannagan. and Eyrie by Tim Winton..

So many books to read.  Never the time!  We'll see where I get to.

Monday

I am making time amongst the chaos of home life to read.  I have started two novels this year and not managed the enthusiasm to fight tiredness and actually get them read.  I was very impressed with Tara Moss on Q&A the other night so bought her book and immediately jumped in.  While I am still only managing to grab a page here or a paragraph there, I am enjoying it very much.  Particularly, I think, as I prepare to, once again, turn our shifting rhythm of life and return to work.  I remind myself as the familiar gnawing begins, I have done this before.  Walking the tight rope of looking forward to getting my head into another space, and feeling sick in the stomach at the thought of being away from my baby for hours on end.

 

I am still breastfeeding Maggie and she still sleeps beside me at night, although last night only from 2am, so is getting better at staying in her cot (I missed her little body beside me).  The thought of someone else doing what until now only I have done could upset me if I let it, but the fact that the next few months will be special time for her with David eases the anxiety.  I look forward to seeing them develop their own routines and the way of doing things. 

How time marches on at its own pace.  Nicholas is growing up- nearly 9.  So true that you blink and they are big.  He scored his first goal and point at AusKick last week (I know nothing about AFL!) and we are so proud of him, but more importantly, for my painfully shy (hard to imagine, but true) boy, it is a delight to see him enjoying the things he does, including piano.

 

And Audrey, who I missed and wanted to hold and hug this morning, when I returned from the school drop off to find she had made her bed, folded her pyjamas and placed her teddy carefully on her bed - all without being asked.  She is growing up and I am sad when I think how much of her toddler years seem a blur as the focus was on her big brother while he started preschool and we had so many "first time" experiences.  But love having our "grownup" girl time together. Always a coffee/hot chocolate and a magazine :)