he is here!

Just dropping in to say that our little man has arrived... and his name is Miles!

He was born via a beautiful water birth at the local Birth Centre yesterday, Monday 21st January at 7.38am. 

Miles is gorgeous, healthy and already completed adored by the whole family. We are pretty much all completely besotted... the kids can't stay away  from him!

Birth story and so on to come - including many photos of course - but for right now we are just settling in at home and getting to know each other. Right now he is just a very chilled out and sleepy little bear! 

Welcome, sweet baby boy!

3/52 - t-shirts + bassinettes

Eli 

I watch him struggle, fail, try again... succeed. The struggle is part of life, the watching is part of parenting... 

Yes, you did it, darling boy!

Lily

She waits so eagerly for her baby sibling to arrive... in the mean time, practising with Baby Doll Susan.

Oh, this baby will be loved! 

Project 52: A photo of my children each week, every week, for 2013

in her element

The boys go out as part of their Saturday morning routine of visiting the fruit and veggie grocer for our weekly haul. The Chicken Man (the gregarious owner who always wears a 'rooster crest' hat) is guaranteed to load Eli up with so many fruit samples he will without doubt come home absolutely covered in fruit juice stains. Totally worth it for a boy's morning out and a girl's quiet morning at home! 

Lily and I usually take this time to chill out and do something crafty/girly and today it was making 'butterfly prints'. She always gets super excited at time 'just for the girls'. I love how she savours and joyfully looks forward to these 'Mummy and Daughter' opportunities - she needs that one-on-one time, and so do I! As the new arrival's time inches closer, it is sweet to take time for quiet moments like these with my little lady. She is in her element  and I enjoy just soaking up her joy and creativity. 

Er  - don't mind her crazy 'scraped back, home-day' hair!!

It was her idea to do these prints and she had a very specific method in mind.
I just let her go for it!

Tonight I went out for a little bit of a 'last hurrah' dinner with a bunch of my dearest friends before I delve back into the consuming world of newborn life (night feeds and nappies)! I had been sooo looking forward to catching up with everyone and planning it was a good distraction from focusing too much on when baby was coming. It was the most enriching and delightful evening, full of good chats and laughs, sharing, stories and way too much food. Introducing various dear friends to each other, which always makes me happy. I came away feeling filled up in every way, and utterly grateful for such lovely, supportive friends - amazing women I am so blessed and honoured to know. Let's hear it for the girls!

39+1 weeks... dressing for comfort and now officially calling it - I am ready!

the struggle

Oh, little man. 

Determined to 'do it myself'. 

I guess it's a lesson in parenting overall, to sit back and watch you learn, struggle, make mistakes, start over again, learn through your errors and finally burst through in triumphant, self-satisfied glory.

I offer a little gentle encouragement but try to just let you go for it on your own - you are working it through though it's soooo uncomfortable for me to watch. My itchy fingers take photos in order to stop myself from helping with just one arm-hole....

You get yourself there in the end and the beaming pride on your face for going it alone is a million times brighter than it would have been had I assisted you through the tough (head in sleeve) patches. 

A lesson for us both I think. A mother always itches to help her beloveds out of those tricky spots in life. Something tells me this won't be the biggest mountain you have to climb.... and something also tells me the toughest mountains for me as a mother will be letting you climb, fall (!) and conquer without me. 

But supporting you, training you and cheering you on? Well, that I can do!

Well done, little man! xx

nest + rest

We are in the zone and starting to bunker down into our little nest. We reside in that funny little space in time when you know life is about to radically change in wonderful, crazy, expected yet unexpected ways - at any unknown and uncontrolled moment!

Preparing our hearts and home for a new family member.... it's always a surreal time, whether it's your first or your fifth (or so I imagine and don't ever plan to know for sure, haha).

How am I? Exhausted. Excited. Achy. Happy. Hormonal (ohhhh, the hormones!). Spaced-out. Grateful. Content. Sometimes vomiting, usually at least slightly nauseous. Did I mention tired?? Wavering between wanting to savour these moments of life 'as we know it' and eagerly anticipating the new stage to come. Bring it on....

The kids ask every day if today is the day 'the new baby' will be born. They are sooooo excited and so ready to welcome this little one into their lives. They have so much love in their hearts (and so many eager little hands!). I cannot wait to see them experience life with their new baby sibling. After witnessing Lily with Eli's arrival, I now know to eagerly anticipate the incredible joy and blessing it is to see your children love and care for each other. Sibling love is the sweetest. This baby has so many snuggles coming!!

Getting the bassinette warmed up with some practise with Baby Susan

Dolls are good but these two are ready for the real thing.... though not sure if
the real baby will be quite ready to be smothered with their love!!

I am pottering through my days. Trying to slow down. Often failing, but trying! I'm putting together a photo book online of my 366 Project (so I can order a hard copy - I need evidence, haha!). It brings back memories of when I was pregnant with Lily. The year before, Mark and I had taken an incredible whirlwind trip around the world (South Africa, Argentina, Brasil and Malaysia - yes, a deliciously random mix!). In those weeks before and after Lily's arrival, I finally put together a scrap book of our 'Trip of a Lifetime'... this was back in the day when I actually did the old 'print photos, stick them in a book with collected memorabilia' thing - not all online like I am now!

Oh, those quiet days sifting through international memories, putting together that book... it was so soothing! Anticipating the life change of our first precious child. It was delicious, being ready as we could be, and waiting to meet her. In those heavenly weeks after she arrived, with her quickly settling into a newborn routine of eating and sleeping (yes, she was an angel baby), and with all the 'back to ground zero' space that a new child brings to your life, I would spend nap times and evenings quietly working on the book while Mark worked through an impressive to-do list during his paternity leave.

Now here I am, working on a similar project but this time with two busy little people already in my life, so of course just a bit less time to create at leisure!! And certainly even less time after baby's arrival too, with two littlies to also keep occupied - hence why I am trying to get this book done now. And yet this project is filled with 366 good reasons why a very different 'adventure of a lifetime' - experiencing life with two young hearts - is such a worthy (if somewhat exhausting) filler of our time!

'Awww, Lily, it's my turn to hold baby!!'Yeah, something tells me I will be hearing a lot more of this!

I am feeling ready to welcome this new baby... well, as ready as one can be with such a precious yet unknown little quantity! Looking forward to taking on the incredible and beautiful challenge of birth, whatever it may be. Trying to make it to the birth centre this time but not feeling anxious about it. Birth is so unpredictable but I go into it with positivity and excitement. I think birth is such an amazing privilege and process for women to go through, a rite of passage through which we become mothers. Hard, yes, but oh, so worth it.

Most of all, I am thinking of this little one almost just within reach and pray fervently that he is healthy and strong and will come into this world safely where we can love and cherish him. I would truly appreciate prayers for these things from anyone so inclined!


You are already so loved, little one. I pray you are soon safely in my arms!

our family, our year // 366 slideshow

Ever wondered what a year looks like at a glance?

Well, this is our year....

And  here, at last (for me, after all the kerfuffle in getting the video to work!!) is a slideshow video of the year that was.... 366 days of documenting delight in 2012. 

Although my photography is amateur at best (especially at the start of the year and through the months of sickness), I have to admit my heart catches in my throat when I watch it. A year captured in a way I never imagined - so many beautiful memories, milestones and even just mundane moments - but all precious because they are ours. 

Our little family, just living life and loving each other. 

(This video is loading pretty small, so you may want to go directly to the YouTube link to watch it... on the big screen if you so desire!)

Thanks everyone for sharing in our year...

Ahhhhh..... so satisfying to have this project completed.... and right on time with a new family member due to arrive any moment now!

xx

2/52 // their quirky ways

Eli at the Farm:

He slays me. The way he tilts his head, raises an eyebrow and scrunches his nose when asking a question.

'You like 'dis stick, dog??'

Lily:

This is her 'I'm being silly' face (combined with dance). She has perfected the art of goof. I love her for it!