Our Twelve Days of Ivy

On the first day of Ivy my true love gave to me....One little Ivy,  to complete our family.

On the second day of Ivy my true love gave to me........... 2 proud parents, one little Ivy, who is sister to  Oskar who's 3.

On the fourth day of Ivy my true love gave to me......... 4 doting grandparents, 3 hourly feeding, 2 proud parents,  to one little Ivy, who looks like Cameron and a little bit of me.

On the sixth day of ivy my true love gave to me.......An early Christmas party, under a nearly decorated tree.

On the Seventh day of Ivy my true love gave to me............a 7 lb 8 oz baby, 6 am starts, 5 loads of washing, 4 doting grandparents, 3 hourly feeding, 2 proud parents,  to one little Ivy, who is making life easy for me.

On the Tenth Day of Ivy my true love gave to me.....10 perfect fingers, 10...... cuuuuuute...... tooooooes!!!!!

On the Twelfth day of Ivy our true love gave to us.......... 12 days of this!!!!!!!!....

....and some crying, lots of pooing and sleep deprivation....but mostly this.

Nuna nuna nuna nuna...Batman!

So just as we were hoping, Ladybug held on so Oskar could attend his first birthday party last weekend with his mates from daycare! It was superhero themed and Oskar wanted to go as Batman!

So we got crafty on a rainy Saturday and made a special mask to go with his 'Supercake'....which is what Oskar calls his cape!

Oskar was scared of the face painter, so was the only child without face paint. I must admit she frightened me too. All week though he has now been asking for his face to be painted.

So with the party out of the way and my to do list complete ..I am not sure what she is is waiting for now!

Come on Ladybug....come and join the party!

Look Away Now Mum!

Seriously mum...if you really want some surprise when you get here..... do not read on or look any further.

I have finally finished the nursery!....well nearly.

I certainly feel like I have left work mode behind now and am feeling much more relaxed now for ladybug to arrive.

This is what I have been having fun with for the last 2 weeks.

It began with this........not so much fun...

Then started to feel like I was getting somewhere......

and now it's my favourite room in the house which I just love to sit in....and ponder. 

I think I need to steal some more swatches to finish the rainbow wall , sew some cushions, cover a foot stool and then we are done.....all that is missing is our little ladybug!

I felt bad that I had put so much time in to this room while Oskar's room had been neglected for so long, so I decided to redo is room while I was at it. I forgot to take a before shot, but it certainly looks a whole lot better. I also thought it would help any jealousy that may arise with him getting some makeover attention too! He was sooo excited when he saw it and dragged Cam into the room as soon as he got home too to show off his new room, so I think it worked. 

For Oskar's room I got out my trusty green machine....

and firstly updated his bed canopy from this....

to this...

..and with a few extra moves and updates, it now feels less like a baby's room and Oskar loves it, which is the main thing.  

38 Weeks & Sick of Stripes!

Let me just clarify that comment......it's certainly not me that is sick of stripes ( i can't get enough), but I have a sneaky suspicion that if Cam never sees this skirt again ...it will be too soon! OK, so I have worn it a lot over the last 8 months I admit, but being fashion conscious hasn't really been on the top of my list lately .....or ever really.

Anyway, it's countdown time now and we have 2-3 weeks before our ladybug will join is in our stripey world. A fellow stripe lover even bought ladybug her own white and black striped jumpsuit to wear when she arrives!!! Thank you C! Cam loves it. Ha!

So 38 weeks hey...... I am feeling good, apart from my puffy feet and sore back at the end of the day, but walking around the shops yesterday I had to slow right down as a lot of tightness and downward pressure had me wondering if she was gong to come this weekend. False alarm.

So business as usual, we took Oskar for a haircut and made some scones for Nana and Pa who came to visit.

Oh and I just have to mention the biggest Special K flake that appeared in my bowl this morning! Yes, I am easily impressed.

......and I got a lot further with the nursery and feeling much more prepared....here is a sneak peak. Mum if you want a surprise when you get here...look away now.

Still Working Through the List

I have finally started maternity leave with 3 weeks til my due date and the first week has zoomed by so quickly...too quickly! I thought I would have achieved a bit more, but am not going to fret about it. If I don't get through the list....it's ok....however I'd really like to.

This has been my mission this week. To turn a cluttered, dumping ground of an office space into a clean and calm nursery for ladybug.

I managed to get some painting done and clear the clutter,  and now I think I am ready to start arranging the furniture and decorating. Now the fun begins!....just hold on a little longer ladybug as I finally feel like I am winding down from work mode and really enjoying this time with just the two of us....... Me decorating while you kick me in the ribs.

                                                                    Getting there.......watch this space.

35 Weeks & Cankles!

Well,  with 5 weeks to go and the temperature rising..... my cankles have returned! I've reached that stage when my feet just swell up if I am sitting for too long or I don't lie horizontal enough throughout the day. I could get organised, go to the chemist and get some compression socks....or I could just ignore it and take photos of my bloated feet....like this............. and then complain about how much my feet ache. 

We have finally agreed on a name ......we think...sorry Oskar it wont be Sharon! and we now need to start to get things organised. I have a big list,  so Ladybug....you'd better just sit tight til I get through it, because at the moment you have nowhere to sleep and nothing to wear if you want to come early! 

                                                               
                                                                Ladybug- 35 Weeks

         

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Our Very First Wedding Anniversary!

We really cant believe it has already been a year since we did this...............

                                                                                                                                                                              

For our wedding 'Wishing Well' we asked for contributions to our 'Future Family Camping Advenures!'.....and guess what? It has only taken a year to get the gear and get around to heading out on our first camping adventure! What a better way to celebrate our 1st Wedding Anniversay!? We couldn't have done it without all of our family's and friend's contributions, so we send our warmest thanks to you all....well anyone who reads this anyway. 

We headed down to Broken Head, just south of Byron and spent the weekend under the sun and stars. It was just a perfect weekend and someone was certainly looking down on us to ensure our Anniversary was perfect! Thank you 'higher force'!

Cam setting up the tent with Oskar sitting assessing his skills. ....

                                                               

"hmm not sure I would have started with the grey poles"....

"Ok Ok so you were right to start with the grey poles ! i take it back, I take it back!!!!!"

A late afternoon surf with Stringles and a sunset.

Even in a tent , a boy needs his stories read before bed time...........Oskar slept like a dream and now after his tonsil surgery is silent when he sleeps. No more snoring from this little man!

Coffee and chocolate croissants for breakfast in the morning! Ok, ok... so it was kinda pretend camping with a few luxuries still. 

Another gorgeous day saw us hit the beach again . 

The only downside was that the weekend just went too quickly. We cant wait to do it all again when ladybug has joined us.

Little Man and a Big Word........Adenotonsillectomy

On Wednesday we took Oskar to Pindara Hospital to have his tonsils and adenoids removed as well as having grommets inserted into his eardrums. We discovered he needed this after concerns about his snoring and further investigation also found he had mild hearing loss due to glue ear. It was a relatively quick surgery procedure but it was certainly a long and emotional day for all of us. ......but we are so thankful and appreciative that it was only that....... Just a day.

We needed to fast him in the morning leading up to the surgery and if anyone knows Oskar they will know this boy loves to eat, we locked the cupboards and raised all the food on the fridge out of reach and tried to distract him as much as possible. We got through it without too much fuss. 

Then off to hospital at 12 and by 2.30pm we were preparing for theatre where I had to robe up to go in there with him while he went under the general anesthetic. This was the hardest part of the day for me and don' t need to go into the details of what I had to do make him have the gas, but let's just say it was distressing for me emotionally and left me feeling like I had just betrayed his trust. They assured me though that he would not remember it as I left crying my eyes out.  

There were more emotional stages for us all as he came to and then woke again from his sleep, and all we could do was comfort him as much as possible.But by this stage the worst was over and he was now on his road to recovery. I stayed with him overnight in the room and given his positive results and ability to eat something in the morning  we were allowed to go home the next morning. He was a very sad little boy, and obviously sore, but it was nice to be able to go home so he could be more comfortable. 

It's day 5 of recovery now and he is feeling much better and so much closer to his normal self. He is still talking with a tender throat and we have noticed his voice has changed,  but am not sure if that's due to it still being tender or if he now actually has a higher pitched voice. The doctor did say his voice could change after this surgery now that the airways are now unobstructed. 

He is also just a little bit sad and cuddly but with enough distraction his mood quickly improves. So thanks to an impromptu Grand Final footy lunch on Saturday, where friends came round for a BBQ, Oskar's mood soon improved and he seemed much happier and active. It also could have been something to do with the 3 ice creams he had throughout the day, but it was so nice to see him happier. Exhausted by the end....but happier. Both Cam and Oskar were asleep on the couch by 7 that night. 

After all this, it certainly makes us appreciate our health and how lucky we are to have a healthy son. Being in the pediatric ward and walking around a hospital for a day certainly made us realise that what we were in there for was so minor compared to what some families are going through, and can only imagine how hard it must be for families dealing with more serious illness. 

Our full respect and thanks goes to the doctors and nurses that assisted with Oskar's surgery and recovery and to all our friends and family for their thoughts and well wishes.