Such a Perfect Day

Molly's first Christmas, how exciting! We really did have a perfect day. We missed the family, and distant friends - but we do that all the time anyway - and we didn't have our walk on the beach (typical Kiwi Christmas, more showers then sunshine), but apart from that it was wonderful.

As you can see from the pic, Molly was more then a little spoiled, there was a small mountain of gifts under the tree for her (and a fair few for us too, so it's all good!). I would list them all here but it would look like a shopping list from JK Kidsgear and Toyworld, so possibly not the most riveting read. Rest assured Thank You cards will be on there way shortly!

Molly obviously has no clue what was going on but really seemed to enjoy every minute of it. She loved unwrapping her presents - all that shiny, crinkly paper - and of course, playing with her new toys. But was so exhausted that by 9.30 she was back in bed snoozing. Which gave hubby and I time for a lovely fry up for breakfast, hmmmmm bacon....

We visited friends for dessert in the afternoon. The girls really do seem to like each other, lots of smiles and grabbing at each other - much like their Mums, ha ha! And in true Domestic Goddess style there were 4 desserts (yes, 4!) to choose from. Of course, I couldn't choose, so I had to have all 4 of them, twice! Fantastic! After a couple of hours Molly had exhausted everybody, and herself - with her best human dynamo impression - so we headed home.

All kinds of bathtime fun ensued, her new swimming fish and posh new ducks were great fun. Followed by a blissfully early night - woo hoo! It's about time Mummy put her feet up too!

I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all. She didn't know why, but she had a great time, and what more could we ask for? Nothing!

Seasons Greetings!

Feeling Festive

I finally started to get ‘that festive feeling’ for the strangest reason and at the strangest time – for me that is! – after an afternoon lazing in the summer sunshine with two good friends, and our two adorable wee babes, and my hubby (just briefly, on his lunch break – well someone’s got to earn some money!), in Hagley Park. A most un-Christmassy activity for a Brit, but I left feeling full of ‘joy to the world’ and lots of ‘goodwill to men’. I don’t know why, no gifts were exchanged, no reminiscences about Christmas past were had, in fact no real talk of ‘the season’ at all, but Molly and I were full of it! As well as being laden down with fresh veges from said friends very own garden – thanks sweets, very yummy and much, much appreciated. Molly wolfed down that broccoli like it was going out of fashion!

So, inspired by my seasonal good mood I took Molly to see Santa at the mall (not Ballantyne’s, the queue was too huge but not as huge as the price?!). She was a little star and giggled and grinned the entire time. We have to scan the pictures in, but as soon as we have I’ll post them here.

I have to admit to a bad Mummy moment on Monday – the day we were supposed to see Santa at PlayCentre, well, we overslept! Oh well, we certainly needed it and I felt marginally better for it. Molly is sleeping like a newborn baby again, and I’d forgotten how hard it is to be up, 2, 3 and 4 times a night. Sunday night we had a mammoth 3 hours awake between 12 and 3am. It’s fairly safe to say Mummy was more like the living dead then human on Monday. This week has been more of the same really… thank goodness for a 4 day weekend with Daddy home to take some of the strain.

We’re trying all sorts of different foods to keep her sleeping, but nothing's working, because I don’t think she’s really hungry. My brother-in-law suggested yoghurt, (his wee girl, Maisie – who’s only a couple of weeks older then Moomy – sleeps through on a pot of yoghurt, well, not on it, you know what I mean!…) which she loves, but it doesn’t make her sleep. But you know we shouldn’t be surprised, both me and her Daddy were hyperactive kids who didn’t sleep well, so we shouldn’t have expected anything other then the energizer bunny that we have!

How did I manage to get this sidetracked from my ‘festive thoughts’? It’s amazing how lack of sleep messes with your head!

Merry Christmas!

Look at the size of this!

While I'm here, just thought I'd show you another reason for Molly and I being out all week! We really didn't want to be home with this thing hanging just metres from the front door buzzing away.... yuck!!

It's finally gone now - a week is plenty long enough for a swarm of bees to visit in your garden - the bee keeper that came to collect them said there was probably around 20,000 bees there, can you believe it! Makes me feel a little more justified in my hurried and panicky sprints to the car with Molly tucked up my top for protection - you think I'm joking!!!

Social Whirl

I used to think that stay-at-home-mums/housewives/domestic technicians (or whatever the hell we're called now) were maybe exaggerating when they talked about their child's social engagements, but, my god! Molly is barely 6 months old and her calendar is crammed to capacity with Christmas parties, play dates and general baby fun! Admittedly, there are a few 'meetings' for Mummy (essential coffee and cake sessions with girlfriends and the like), but really, my week has been taken up with carting Molly from place to place in pretty dresses galore for festive get togethers. And, OK, I'll admit, I love it!

I'm beginning to see the truth. Christmas is not in fact for us adults - although of course it is the best excuse to over-indulge that I can think of, off the top of my head that is (give me a minute and I can always think of a reason) - it is all about the kids, even when those children have no idea what all the fuss is about, i.e., Moomer. Oh yes, she loves the twinkly lights, and all that crinkly wrapping paper, but is so far showing no real concern for the baby Jesus' birthday, ha ha!

Tomorrow night, we're taking her to a Carol Concert (don't panic, it's at the pub not the Church. Yes, hubby has changed, but not beyond all recognition!) and I know she's gonna go nuts! She loves singing and music of any kind - even Mummy's tone deaf efforts! So that should be fun!

And, on Monday we're going to see Santa at PlayCentre - woo hoo!! I'll post the photo as soon as I have one.
PS. Have already cleared this with hubby, if this Santa photo is no good we'll go to Bally's and get a posh one done - this will be our present to each other (too skint for real gifts!) all together now aaaaaah!

1, 2, 3

Aaaaah! Isn't she the cutest little button on the planet? don't you just want to squish her little fat cheeks! and lots of other overly soppy parental stuff that I know she's gonna hate when she grows up, but hey what a wonderful way to kick off her 18th birthday party eh?

I will try to restrain myself from dressing up and decorating my child anymore, but I really can't make any promises, plus she seems to really enjoy it... well, for a time... until she screams at me to put the camera down and leave her alone!

Learning Curve

Today I've been thinking and have realised that I have learned so much since Molly arrived. Every day is a challenge and she's doing something different and new all the time - even if it's just a little facial expression or a funny new noise. I'm sure I read somewhere that the first year is the most intense growing and learning time for children.

So, I've learned that a sleeping baby is the most peaceful and mesmerising thing on this earth. Having Molly fall asleep on me, or while she feeds is blissful. I can happily watch her sleep just as happily as I can watch her play. My Mum told me this would happen. Once again Mum, you're right.

I've learned that breasts are not just 'for fun'. I must admit to being a little bit in awe of my own body. I was once led to believe (by a caring aunt) that I would never cope with labour. But hey, what do you know, I did. Although breast feeding is by no means easy to get the hang of, it is now a joy. I am so pleased and proud of us both for getting it right. I've also learned that breast feeding is the most effective weight loss programme ever invented. I was actually struggling to maintain my weight whilst eating like a horse - how cool is that?!?

I've learned that I can survive (and yes, it is sometimes just survive) on 3 or 4 hours sleep a night. All those times during the pregnancy that I moaned about being tired, well, I was lying. Now I know what true exhaustion is. It's not all bad! No, really, it's do-able. And there is really nothing to compare with nursing your child at 3 in the morning under a fleecy rug. At no other time in your life will 3 in the morning be ok to be awake.

I've learned that there is nothing more terrifying and exciting and daunting and a million and one other emotions all at once than raising and being responsible for your own child. But mostly I've learned that no matter how many times I feel like I'm getting into my stride and really getting the hang of this motherhood lark another 'challenge' will arise and knock me flat on my ass and doubting my abilities again. I just have to keep remembering what a dear friend of mine told me when I was having a teensy panic attack about being able to cope (at about 8 months pregnant). He said that all parents are making it up as they go along, and that as long as we are 'winging it with love' then we can't go wrong. This should be our motto. We don't know what we're doing, but we're winging it with love.

Tis the Season...

So, we dragged out all the Christmas trimmings and shook the tree for about twenty minutes, just in case - you can never be too careful with sleeping spiders! but all I managed to actually decorate was Molly... she didn't like it, can you tell? and since Saturday the boxes have been sitting in the corner of the living room taunting me.

I know I should just get on and do it, I have a pile of Christmas presents on the coffee table (all for Molly, of course) and nowhere to put them, but it's the whole Southern hemisphere, summertime Christmas that's throwing me, again!

Today I'm doing fine and considering a mad dash to the mall to shop like crazy as soon as Molly wakes up, this is because it's raining and miserable, and I come from the land of damp, miserable and foggy Christmases (is that how you spell it? it is now) so this works for me and feels right! But come tomorrow, the sun will be shining again and I will feel like a complete loon for even considering putting the tree up! Now can you see why only Molly has been decorated so far....

The weirdest thing is that Molly will think that Christmas in the sun is the most normal thing in the world and she'll think we're strange because we reminisce about white Christmases, black outs, freezing pipes, colds, darkness, rain storms, I could go on, but I've just realised that we are strange and that I really don't want to go back to Christmas 'up North', bring on the sun! And let's go Christmas shopping!

A Common Cold

Common my arse! (pardon my french Mum)

Molly is slowly recovering from her first real cold, and there really has been nothing common about it! To be totally honest, it's been nothing short of a massive endurance test! The last four nights have been torturously long and kind of scary. Yes, yes, I know it's just a cold but when she's struggling to breathe through her nose and rasping away like a little old man 'cause her throat is so sore, and screaming at me like I should be able to fix it... well let's just say I'm surprised there's any of this rapidly greying hair left in my head!!

We'd almost established a one-feed-a-night routine, and even had the occasional sleep-through, which is great (I know for some at this age I should be refusing to even enter her room after bedtime, but, each to his own - wouldn't it be boring if we all thought/did the same?). But for the past week all she's wanted to do is cuddle - lovely - and feed - ouch! - it's a rude shock to the system and I feel like I did when she was newborn. My appetite has gone through the roof again, and I must admit to thinking how wonderful it was to be eating sooo much and knowing it was gone before it even had time to think about forming into fat and attaching anywhere unsightly! I wonder if I can book in another cold for just after Christmas time?

So, we had a quick visit to the Docs to check her wee ears, she seemed to be rubbing them and I was concerned she may have a little ear infection, she doesn't, but hey, better to be safe. Anyway, I learned that the average baby will have 6-8 colds in her first year, woo hoo! can't wait for the next one...

All I can say is it's a good job she's so damn cute in the morning!