Monkey and a Scooter!

Since the winter weather has been just stunning lately we spent the weekend outdoors. We started with a trip to Currumbin Markets on Saturday morning, where we also ran into Kelly Slater at the bakery stall!  I wont go on and on and on about how fit he looked!

We thought we should walk off the delicious croissants we ate there by a walk along the beach and so Monkey Face could also practise his moves on his new birthday scooter!

It went a little like this.

                                         
 Then he dropped his scooter to climb a tree!

Then we did it all again on Monday before Stroller Group to practise some more with his best mate Asha!....and he had improved already....perhaps in an attempt to keep up with zoom zoomy Asha! I am amazed still at how fast kids learn new things!

....and then they climbed a tree again!

Room Envy

During my lunch beak today I caught up on some blogs I like to read and I am loving 'The Rookies Nest'  One  post of hers that I just keep going back to, is of this room. I just love the light in it, the finishes and everything in it.

                                                 
                                                              Can I live here please?!

Oh yeah, by the way...... we're Pregnant!

So a friend reminded me the other day that I haven't actually publicly announced our pregnancy yet but have had enough time to talk about laying turf! You know who you are! So it made me think actually...why haven't I? 

I don't exactly know, but I do know it certainly is a different experience the second time around and I do need to make more of an effort to note those differences, otherwise I will no doubt forget about them in years to come.
                                   
We are now 17.5 weeks along and to be honest I haven't even looked at my 'What to Expect when Expecting' book once yet! This time last pregnancy I was checking in every week seeing how much the baby had grown and what developments and changes had taken place. It certainly is not due to me not caring as much about this little bubba growing inside me as much as Oskar, but I just think it is due to the fact that I know what is happening now and know what to expect when expecting. 

I did go see the movie the other week...does that count?

To be honest I dont actually feel pregnant at the moment now that the nausea and tiredness has passed. What I do notice is that I can't comfortably sit down in my skinny jeans with the top button done up and my boobs hurt when I run!...oh yeah and I have a dangerously sweet tooth,  when I used to be all about the savoury!

                                {14 weeks}

I am also certainly far more relaxed this time around knowing what is to come and how my body is changing and I think that is contributing to my.... 'oh yeah, by the way... we are pregnant' attitude. 

I am actually more excited about the prospect of Oskar getting a little brother or sister and how will react and adapt to the change. He tells me every night when I read to him .."Mummy you have a baby in your tummy....and will get bigger and bigger and bigger and then it come out!!" He also says he has a sister in his tummy. I think he will be a gentle and caring brother from what I have seen with his interaction with other babies. How long that will last though.....well, we will see. 

Another nice difference will be to share this experience of raising a baby with nearby friends, as I must say,  it was hard with no friends with babies last time. Em was my saviour last time and I cant stress enough how important it is to have friends to support you and understand what you are going through. To listen to what they did, how they coped, get advice or just have a shoulder to cry on who understands. Thanks Em. 

Mothers group was also so very helpful and I recommend it to all new mums,  but it was hard to be as open with them at the start. It certainly reassures you that you are not alone adjusting to motherhood and really helped me through the hard times and very simply got me out of the house...which was sometimes hard to motivate myself to do! I also met some gorgeous people and babies and both Oskar and I have developed a really nice friendship out of it. 

                         

So I will try to keep a journal on this pregnancy as my attitude and feelings may very well change, and it may be very boring for all you readers out there,  so feel free just to look at the pictures.  

Now I'm off to eat a doughnut....because sometimes you should just give in to temptation and feel good about it!

Sea of Green!

Over the last week or so, we have been busy bees at home working to redesign our messy,  muddy back yard which was becoming a bit of an eye-saw really and an unusable space....into a lush grassed area for parking, play and something nicer to look at...Our new 'infinity lawn'

So we began by getting a very helpful contractor in to help reclaim some of our sloping land back by building a retaining wall. Seriously, if anyone on the Gold Coast wants any work done in landscaping, excavations or walls....John is your man. He went over and above and even came back on a public holiday to do some extra work for us for free and was the cheapest by far and oh so helpful with loads of advice.

Mum and Dad were also a big help during the process and were out there digging, levelling and carting soil and rocks in the cold. Thank you to you both for your help.

Cam worked like a trojan shovelling tons of stones and dirt, and I did what a Project Manager does best and made lots of phone calls, coordinated with contractors, crunched quotes and oversaw the project, helping out with what I could....given my condition.....oh yes, that's right we're pregnant! but that's a whole other Blog post to come!

                                                                The Transformation.

                                                                             Before

   

                            

The boys hard at work

Oskar moving some earth!

                                            Dad with his 'McGyver' style creation leveling the soil.

                         

                                                ................................After

                        Quickly trimming some edges in my lunch break so it felt like I was helping!!

  Laying the turf!

From this.........

                             
                                                                           ...  to this!!!!

                                                                 

                                                               From this eeeuuuurrrgghhhhh!!!!.........

                                                           ...... To this!!! Ahhhhhhh!

                                                                 Our new Infinity Lawn!                                                 

Has it really been ten years?!

In a word....yes!

Cam and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary last weekend, even though our actual anniversary is this weekend.

Ten years since we met in Paris and then began courting in San Sebastian. June 10th 2002. Does anyone use that term any more?...courting. No, probably not...I don't even use it, however it's better than saying.....Ten years since we hooked up!

Well a big anniversary weekend, calls for a bloody big diary entry, so I'd better get to it!

3 days of no schedules, no tantrums, no toilet training mishaps, or disturbed sleep! Absolutely none of that whatsoever! It has been a very long time since I have felt oh so relaxed.

                                                                         The Pass. 

 3 days away in Byron sent me in to a meditative state. I could actually concentrate on just cam and me....

and it was heaven. 

It rained...and showered for the first 2 days, but it was still lovely and warm and our apartment was across the road from a stunning little protected beach called 'The Pass'.....so, that was our first stop.

Sitting on the beach was not dampened by the light rain and it felt very tropical as Cam surfed and I sketched under a canopy of trees. I really miss drawing,  and spending time this weekend with my pad and pencils reminded me what I need to do more of and I think it had the same affect on Cam...the surfing that is....not the drawing!

We had a weekend of amazing food that kicked off at the 'Owl and the Pussycat'.

Tapas of buffalo wings, garlic prawns and warm olives. 

No Tapas

Sunday we met Court & String at the Byron Markets and wandered and chatted in the light rain, walked through town seeing what new shops had popped up before meeting up again to visit their new abode. We headed to Bangalow before lunch where I found a great old, blue weathered cupboard door. Yes a door! I think I will turn it into an art piece for the wall .....somehow.

With the door in the boot we headed quickly back to Byron for a lovely lunch at Rae's at Wategos. We were the only couple there until half way through our meal when we were joined by another couple...seriously...4 for lunch!? How do they do it? last time we went there for my Hen's day it was just as empty. 

The rain and clouds were kind enough to disappear for the afternoon to be able to enjoy the spectacular surrounds and beach outlook. 

                                                           mmmmmmmmm.........

The afternoon was relaxed and I treated myself to a massage before an even more relaxed evening of dessert for dinner of cheesecake and chocolate slice in bed while watching a movie! Bliss!.....and then we woke up to this!...

A bright sunny rainless day for our last day away! yey!

So what better way to enjoy it than by starting the day with a walk!.....

.....which worked up our appetites for a yummy breakfast at Clarke's Beach.

My favourite breakfast!

Happy Anniversary Cam ..x .. I wouldn't mind if you want to celebrate every one to come,  like this!