A catch-up

There has been lots of action round here - and as a result, not all that much blogging. So here's a bit of a catch-up:

* I am now back at work. It's only two days a week and I am back the magazine I used to work for before I had Thea. Tis very satisfying indeed to get paid to go into the office and write, uninterrupted. Oh the luxury of it all! I love my work. What I don't love all that much is the double drop-off and pick-up. It is hard. But, hey, two days a week - it's not like I am doing it 5 days (that would be a killer, I take my hat off to all the parents who do that).



*This little lady? She has settled in to family day care so well. I was actually shocked at how well. Miss T is a very clingy baby who won't happily go to anyone other than her mum and dad. But she's done very well with our carer, she has not yet even cried before sleep at FDC. She just pops off to sleep. If only she would do that at home ... sigh.



The problem with T is she is soooooo tired when she gets home. So tired she has not yet been able to successfully eat a dinner after daycare. She's too wound-up. It is a battle from the minute we walk in the door until the minute she conks in her cot (as soon as I can get her in it). Then after a few hours she wakes up, furious. Worried we're not there? Not sure really. It may even just be an age thing but she wakes inconsolable and stiff with rage ... until I give her a breastfeed and off she goes to sleep again. Am currently doing this twice a night every night. Exhaustion, anyone?




* We had a Maserati convertible - Shaun was reviewing it last week. The neighbours came over to check it out. It was much admired. It also costs more than some apartments around here. You can't really see in this pic, but in a booster in the back is a 5yo boy with a grin from ear to ear.




* And here he is, the Roald Dahl-obsessed lad - sporting a long overdue haircut. The last time it was "cut" it was cut by me. Let's just say it's good that's it grown out. And also that I will not be doing that again...
!!

Happy FIRST, my second...

And so she is ONE.

It's Baby T's birthday today and while it's been lovely to see her delight in her presents (though mostly the stickytape!) I can't shake this slight feeling of melancholy - because that's my baby (my last baby) getting all big!

Sure, she's still teeny. She's only been crawling a couple of weeks, but I guess her mobility combined with her starting family day care is making me nostalgic for the bub that was.

And what a bub! She was a really delightful newborn (as they all are). Here she is, fresh and new. And with her very, very tired dad (a labour followed by a caesar followed by a baby coughing and spluttering up amniotic fluid all through her first night will do that to you).





Here are some more pictorial firsts: first bath in the hospital (still mad about baths) and first time she met her adoring brother.




This is the day she came home with us. Those first couple of weeks are a little hazy, I regret not taking a bit more video footage of her smallness so I can recall it more easily. Ah well. The cluster feeding of those early days still makes me shudder. So, so hard. But at 7 weeks she surprised us by sleeping a couple of 10pm to 5ams.



And yet more snuggles from her brother. Gosh, I can't believe how much those two love each other. Just the other day he asked me if he could learn to change her nappy - SURE! So he has mastered the wee-only ones. Suits me...



Early smiles - she's about 2 months here:



And this is her recently, on her first go down the slippery dip with her brother (is that fear or fun on her face?!!). And in the backyard with me. Out of about 10 shots this is the nearest she got to co-operating. Note to self: never work with children or animals!




This girl, she makes my heart burst every day.

Happy birthday, my funny, noisy, delightful little sweetie.

In the back seat

My poor blog. It has really taken a back seat in the past couple of weeks. That's because there's been plenty going on:

* I am headed back into the office - from next week. I seriously cannot wait. It's at my old place of employment, two days a week. It takes the pressure off me in terms of freelancing. It's nice to have a regular amount of income, even if it's not much!

* T has started family day care. I lucked out and got what was seemingly the only place in the entire inner-west. And it happens to be very close to our house and where E goes to preschool. Hooray!

* I have just handed in a whopping great load of freelance work - thank goodness I am through it all!

* The little lady turns ONE tomorrow. Am not ready for that! I've been feeling all nostalgic and wistful ...'but she's my BABY!'

* We had a prang last week - totally my fault. I didn't look left turning into a one-way lane. Our car was only a little dinged, the other was a bit of a mess. Eeek. Frankly I'm amazed it hasn't happened sooner given how little sleep I have been driving on of late. This year marks 20 years of driving for me and it's my first insurance claim. C'est la vie...

* Speaking of the car, as we pulled into our driveway yesterday I turned around to find my two holding hands in the back seat and I was quick enough to snap this pic with my phone. Fairly melted my heart, I tell you.