Joy in the simple things

Our little girl seems even more grown up now that she has a little brother.
She has been sick but seems to be feeling better and more like herself again. Vocabulary increasing every day. Recent words have been chocolate, bucket, blanket, milk, milo, dinner, toast.
This dress is a bit big for Jordan but its been such a hot day - she loves dressing up as a girl.




Jacob is such a settled baby a lot of the time - unfortunately his long sleeps are mainly during the day - him and Jordan cry at the same time - he gets upset (hungry, wet, starving for attention) and then she gets all sad and cries. But they are awesome and love having them in my life. Jordan loves being outside - here she is sitting out with her grandparents (not in photos) drinking their drinks saying "nice" - Jacob is 2 weeks and 2 days now - time goes really fast.

Another Precious gift from God

He arrived at 515pm October 2008.Worth the wait.Went into labour Friday 10 about 0530am. Had forgotten what that was all like! Dropped Jordan off at mum and dads Saturday when Bronwyn them midwife said to meet her in at the hospital about 1030 am.
I didn't see Jordan again until the Sunday morning. Really missed her while I was in the hospital - the special times we share together in the mornings and evenings.

Jacob in the car seat on the way home - the same one Jordan used. He was 8 pounds when he was born and 50 cm in length - Jordan was 8 lbs 4 oz and was 54cm. First pic of Jacob in theatre - mum and Marena watched from the window. I could feel the stitching and everything this time around.

Well he came a week earlier than expected into our lives - he was nameless from the time he was born on Saturday 11 October 2008 until on the ride home at the roundabout around the corner on Wednesday 15 October when we agreed upon Jacob Samuel - he is well behaved and sleeps fairly well around the clock - just hope it continues along those lines and even improves - feel so blessed to have blocks of sleep overnight - wheras Jordan would wake every 1 - 1 1/2 hours. She loves having a baby in the house/family. She is not jealous at all but full of love - so grateful for that.

There's no one like you - 7 October 2008

This LO was for the sketchbook competition - we had to use a minimum of 3 different sized circles to represent a target (the theme was archery) - as well as include an arrow - pretty basic but harder to put into practice - I wasn't very original and I did it the day it was due on the Monday - sadly I only entered 4/6 LOs but it was good because there wasn't the pressure. I really want to add some more journalling though to make it more personal.

Its 425 am and seems to be the only time I get to sit down and focus and I am up because I can't sleep. I can hear the nice pitter/patter of the rain but it doesn't seem to have helped. Strange, when Jordan has been in the bed I can't sleep - tonight she really didn't want to settle so I told her if she turned the light on one more time I would put her in the cot so emptied the cot and she went in and didn't make a fuss and flicked through some books and eventually fell asleep - this is amazing considering the fact that she would cry when she went in - am I too soft when it comes to her? Perhaps. Yesterday (6th) we had my second obstitrician appointment just to see that things were still in a positive sense and that it appeared safe that I try and have a normal birth and not book in for a c-section and he feels that the benefits at this stage outweigh the c-section. Jordan came with us this time. She has developed this habit of shaking her head no and then grinning when she knows she shouldn't touch something - and then picks it up. Very endearing. She has such a great understanding of things too - little things but she follows what we mean. She'll go and sit at her little table when I say its time for food and she just seems to understand what we are saying even when we try and say things cryptically. I am counting down - 10 days til I am due. It is hard not knowing when it could happen. Bronwyn my midwife is working night shifts that weekend so hopefully she will be around as I really value her experience. Here are some cute pics of Jordan that I took while dad was visiting the other day when he started off watering our herbs and then Jordan wanted to water them and kept saying more and after using the tap outside she was relentless and could have gone on all day - she got completely wet but had the best time.

25 September 2008 -

What a beautiful day it is here today. Here is my latest Lo for sketchbook olympics - track and field event - we had to deisgn a LO with an outdoor adventure/outing. It is week 5 and I have only submitted 3 and now up to the last one - archery -has to include a target/bulls eye with at least 3 different sized circles and at least one arrow - the arrow parts easy not so sure on the rest - this was of our girl on her swing outside - she loves being in it - used to only last in it about 10 minutes now it's more like 30. She is such a happy kid. Loves life. She is always on the go and I feel so tired - I am 36 weeks tomorrow. TFL

18 September 2008 also

This was my other LO for sketchbook comp - had to use flourishes and/or swirls as well as ribbons. Tracy kindly sent me some things I used - check out her blog www.redheadtracy.blogspot.com - very inspiring

18 September 2008

Just thought I should update this - I have been terribly slack - she has turned 18 months old - seems like such a big gap between when she was born and now. I am also a month away as of yesterday to having our second child. Feeling really tired. Have entered the sketchbook olympics - so far out of 4 challenges I have only completed 1 or is it 2? I have been leaving it til the Monday its due and this week when she was sleeping and wanted me beside her and then woke up crying and my 2 Aunts were arriving and we were having dinner I thought I would still get it completed but was so tired it just didn't happen so it is still in pieces. Here is my one that we had to do using no more or less than 10 elements - I can do simple but am trying to expand on that and try other things. The photo is taken 10 April 2007 so she was almost a month old - I used the quote SHE just has this way of brightening the day - celebrate her radiance was the rest of the quote by Kobi Yamada that I didn't use.

29 August 2008 Moving in a sense

Today my parents and brother moved house. This is the house I had lived in since I was 3 months old. I feel really sad and find it hard for it to seem real yet - I can't imagine someone else living in it that isn't our family - our daughter loved it - loved the garden, loved the neighbourhood. Hard to let go - but sometimes you just don't have a choice. I think part of it is that we don't have our own home and the entire time we have been married we have moved about 10 times so this was one stability in life - this was where our girl spent her first month or so and this was theoretically her first home. She seems unfazed by thing at the moment - I am worried if I go tomorrow to the house that I will get too upset. So many memories - nothing feels like home like that place did but I am hoping one day that it will. Here are some shots of her taken on Wednesday - 27 August. We went with mum and dad out to lunch and she fell asleep on the way home. The first photo is her dancing to the music in her car seat. The next photo is when she got into the milk powder and shook it around and got it on her face.