June 30, 2010

snug as a bug in a rug

With the onset of winter we bought Oliver his very first duvet and pillow.  I've been looking forward to giving him some nice bedding as he's been sleeping in his sleep cocoon since he was a few months old and he's now in a room with no heating which means it can get very cold in his room at night.  And, speaking from experience, it's also really nice to snuggle into a big comfy pillow and duvet in the winter.

I couldn't find any sheet sets that I liked so I bought a double bed flannel sheet set and cut it up to sew two little duvet covers and adjusted the pillow cases to fit his new little pillow.  Super soft flannel sheets are hard to resist.

He's ever so cute snuggling into his pillow and it's lovely to tuck him in at night (when he's in the mood).  I actually think his new bedding has made bed time a bit smoother, at least while the novelty is still there.  Who can resist a lovely soft wool duvet and a pillow to sink into?  Not me.

I know it's not much of a milestone but it's one of those things that makes me feel that Ollie is growing up so I thought it was worth a mention, especially since it also resulted in a rare sewing moment.

June 24, 2010

anniversary

















(Our wedding day, 24 June 2006 at Tamborine Mountain)

Will and I celebrated four years of marriage today.  We all went out for breakfast, came home for lunchtime naps, packed a picnic and went to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for the afternoon.  Ollie seemed to have a great day, meeting animals, patting kangaroos, bird spotting and generally enjoying himself.  After Max and Ollie were safely tucked into bed, we ended the the day with a big plate of carbonara, a glass of red wine, tea and chocolate.

I like being married.  I like feeling like I'm part of something, a partnership, a future.  Being a parent makes that bond, the decision to spend the rest of your life with someone, even stronger so I'm glad we spent the day as a family.

June 14, 2010

tears and tantrums


























Some days, looking after Ollie is a breeze.  And I'm not talking about the days that he's at daycare!  He's a sweet little guy, eats his meals, naps well and toddles around the house, picking up this and that, playing with his toys and books.  Other days, he's short tempered, difficult to understand, won't eat his meals and can't entertain himself or be entertained.  Days like this usually end up in the park and thankfully, being outdoors tends to calm our spirited and often unpredictable little son.  

This evening, after a really good day of interactive play, sweet kisses for his brother, a visit from his grandmother and his usual bed time routine of bath, milk and stories, Ollie has ended the day with a screaming tantrum and has cried himself to sleep.  I tucked him in with his beloved Tigger and toy train and he seemed happy enough, despite a short protest that story time was over.  And then it started.  It could have been Australia's 4-0 defeat against the Germans that finally got to him, but his bawling has left me feeling inadequate for not being able to placate him, and anxious about my lack of patience and short temper for his frustration.  I love him.  I just wish I could understand him better.  

June 13, 2010

finding time

There's a rule in our house, that for any occasion warranting a present, the gift should be a book.  We have what we need and though we covet plenty, we both love books and we want to read, even if I don't necessarily have time.  There's also something rather modest and heartfelt about giving a book, and I like that with so many to choose from, giving a book still requires some imagination and effort.

My collection of unread books has been growing since becoming a mother.  I blame the sleep deprivation and the fact that some days, I'm still in my pyjamas at lunch time, so escaping into a good book isn't exactly a priority.  I didn't think it would be possible but I've managed somehow to finish a novel, and in a reasonable amount of time, too.  A Barbara Kingsolver novel of course (The Bean Trees), and I'm already reading the sequel!  The irony is that it's because I'm a mother that I am now managing to read, thanks to my sleepy little feeder Max, who lets me kick back with a book while he has his fuzzy evening breast feed.  Perhaps I need to stop worrying about the seemingly endless tasks and projects I'd like to accomplish and be happy that at the very least, I get to sit down every day, read a book and then write about it.

June 9, 2010

thank you

















It took until Max was 9 weeks old but with the help and patience of my dear husband, who nearly had a meltdown trying to use our printer, I finally got round to making and sending thank you notes to friends and family that were so kind to us when Max arrived.  I love to make cards; it's so personal and I know that if I were to buy them, there'd be something or another that I wouldn't like about them so I'd rather spend the time doing it myself.  (I'd like to think I save a few pennies too.)

Anyway, it may have taken a while but the main thing is that we've now sent out our heartfelt love and thanks and in doing so, I took a moment to think about each and every friend that our sons are lucky to have in their lives.

June 7, 2010

autumnal inspiration

I've always thought living in Brisbane meant missing the changing of seasons.  The arrival of spring and the promise of summer doesn't have quite the same appeal as it did when I was living in England, but lately I've been struck by how lovely Brisbane is in the autumn.  Trees do shed their leaves, the air does become crisp and while it's still sunny and warm, it's a bearable heat that reminds me of late summer days from home, with the sun low in the sky and and a freshness that turns to cold by the the time it's dark.



I've been looking for inspiration for the quilt I plan to make for our son Max's first birthday.  31 March 2011 is a long way off yet but Ollie's quilt took me four months to complete, back in the day when I had more time (and probably spent less time blogging), so the pressure is on.  Anyway, the long and short of it is that I've been thinking of making an autumn inspired quilt top, greens, yellows, browns, oranges - a big tree quilt.  I mentioned this to Will, when he was walking home from the park the other evening, he picked up these beautiful leaves, the colours of which I think will make a gorgeous quilt.  The shades are quite amazing but I might experiment a bit to give the quilt a more contemporary palette.  Nothing like the onset of winter for sitting under a quilt in progress.

sundays rule

































Sunshine, play dough, pyjamas.  I love Sundays.

June 1, 2010

fuzzy and blue...

Lately, I haven't been feeling so good.  I've been tired ever since Max was born and while he's a good little boy and I have the unending support of my husband (I can't imagine doing any of this without him), I am finding breastfeeding, looking after Ollie and dealing with sleep deprivation exhausting.  After dealing with the first of the winter's colds (which had me sleeping during the day, something I rarely do) and trying to recover my sleep deficit, I now have an unsettling bug that's left me nauseous and without appetite.  And at the end of last week, I heard some particularly sad news about a good friend of a good friend who took his own life.  I can't stop thinking about him, his loved ones, the beautiful wife he left behind and the talent that he was.

I know I have a lot to be thankful for, and there are those that deal with so much more with little support but for now, I'm a bit glum and hope the next few days bring the energy and good health to help me make the most of this precious time with my boys.

(Update:  I've got giardia!  A little confusing as we can't work out how I could have got it but that's what it is.  Good news is that it's been diagnosed.  The bad news is I've had to stop breastfeeding Max for four days while I am treated.  There's enough breastmilk in our freezer for a couple of days so we are having to supplement his feeds with formula.  It's with some reluctance as he's so young, but it's important that I'm better again and can carry on breastfeeding him as soon as possible.  What a relief to know I've not been imagining my ailments!)
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