Monthly Archives: July 2013

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Baby on the hip

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Wednesday, 31 July; One Hundred and Twenty Days Old .

Ayla’s strong enough to be carried as a “baby on the hip” now, and I love it!

She’s like a little koala, clinging to her mummy as we walk around the house our wander around outside.

Ayla loves being on my hip too, I think. She seems to get the best of both worlds; the closeness of a mummy cuddle, and the independence of height and visibility!

Most times, Ayla’s little hand wraps itself in my clothes and she hangs on tight while her knees dig in to my sides like a jockey.

I think it’s just the cutest thing and it makes me so proud 🙂

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Watermelon

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Tuesday, 30 July; One Hundred and Nineteen Days Old.

Over the past few weeks Ayla’s briefly tried a salt-free pretzel, a bit of banana and a pizza shape with the seasoning licked off, but today she had some watermelon!

It was so cute; we have a Tommee Tippee food net thing and we used it for the first time today.

She sucked away at the juicy watermelon inside the net for ages, and she wasn’t discreet about it either… Her sucking nearly echoed under the patio!

At one stage, Ayla dropped the net beside her and when I held it up in front if her Ayla reached out and grabbed it with both hands before jamming it back in her mouth.

It was so adorable, watching her taste and lick and suck and enjoy something as simple as watermelon.

I can’t wait to try her on other foods, but at the same time I’m sad she’s growing up so quickly 😦

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My heart would burst

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Monday, 29 July, 2013: Seventeen Weeks Old.

Before Ayla, I thought my heart would burst with all the love I have for my Hubby and I was worried about how the love for a baby could possibly fit!

But love really does expand – it’s not at all like a bucket that fills with water and spills out, wasting what’s precious.

My heart still wants to burst, but even more than before!

Even though I love my baby girl with everything I am – I just can’t get enough of her – I still love my Hubby like a flower loves its soil or a snail loves its shell.

My Hubby is my other half and Ayla is my light. I am so, so, so lucky to have them in my life.

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Words of mummy wisdom

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Sunday, 28 July 2013: One Hundred and Sixteen Days Old

I found myself giving words of mummy wisdom today!

And, for the first time, I finally found myself feeling like a mum… An actual MUM.

Hubby and I have some friends staying with us for a couple of weeks and they’re set to become parents for the very first time!

So while the boys were out fishing today we girls had a chance to catch up.

Of course the conversation eventually turned to babies (but not before property, family and fashion) and I was able to impart my knowledge on all things newborn – from poo, to clothes, to sleeping.

It was a conversation I never imagined myself being able to have but it was one I’d glady embark on again… I’m so excited to share motherhood with my bestie, who would have thought?!

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Aussie baby

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Saturday, 27 July 2013: One Hundred and Sixteen Days Old.

I forgot to make note of Ayla’s first mozzie bites!

As an Aussie baby born into an outdoorsy family I knew it wouldn’t be long before the mosquitos got wind of her delicious baby blood and silky soft skin, but already that time has come.

Ayla got her first mozzie bite last week – right on the side of her head at the hairline – but now she has one on her eyelid and another on her forearm!

I’ve done everything I can to keep the little flying vamps away; usually opting for neck-to-ankle clothes or enclosing her pram with a cotton wrap if I think they might be lurking, but the system has failed me!

Then again, I suppose for an Aussie kid mozzies are part of life, just like sand in your togs, or sunscreen in your eyes.

And for that reason, as I sit here with my sausage sizzle lunch in the Bunnings car park, I’ve decided Ayla’s bites are a milestone not a massacre.

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Lots of little things

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Friday, 26 July 2013: One Hundred and Fifteen Days Old.

It was a public holiday today and although it was rather uneventful it was fulfilling and wholesome and gave me the opportunity to appreciate the little things.

And there are LOTS of little things!

The three of us have our health, we have goals and dreams, we have wonderful friends and loving families, we share adventures, we learn, we love.

It always seems to be that epiphany’s like this hit at the strangest times…

We’d been at the Show (it was the local Show Holiday) and we were making our way to the car, Ayla in the pram with me pushing.

There was an acrobatic show on and a huge crowd had gathered, but we stopped a fair distance away and watched for a moment.

It was like the performance was only for us. There was no one around and we were alone as a family, happy and smiling as the acrobat cracked corny jokes from atop a 50 foot pole.

Then it struck; we are so lucky, to be who we are, where we are, what we are. In that moment, and the next.

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Ladies who lunch

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Thursday, 25 July 2013: One Hundred and Fourteen Days Old.

One if the things I’m enjoying most about maternity leave is the socialising; Ayla and I are now pretty much “ladies who lunch”.

Now that I’m not working I feel like I can be a better friend and listener too and I guess thats because I’m not trying to squeeze in catch ups between meetings or pour recent news into an email.

I reckon Ayla likes it too, the socialising. She loves meeting new people and going new places and I guess for a baby a trip to the coffee shop must be like a three week European vacation!

Ahh the life 🙂

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Unspoken rules

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Wednesday, 24 July 2013: One Hundred and Fourteen Days Old.

I had a bunch of errands to run today, and of course Baby Ayla came too!

I felt awful for her though as I had to hustle her in and out of the car over and over again, sometimes for a stop that took just a few minutes.

A couple of times I found myself torn between which “don’t” to abide by;

1) Don’t wake a sleeping baby
2) Don’t leave your baby in the car

Don’t worry – of course I took her with me – but it got me thinking about parenting’s unspoken rules.

As a parent I feel my actions are continuously on show, open for judgement by everyone and anyone who feels the need.

And that’s where the rules come in; everybody operates according to the set of rules that suit them best.

I know that every baby and every family is different, but it means there’s a massive void between what’s considered right, what’s wrong and what’s borderline.

I know I shouldn’t let myself buy in to other people’s judgement, but it’s hard! I only want the best for Ayla and this realm of motherhood is completely new to me.

So who am I to know what’s best? What gives me the right to ignore the advice and experience of others?

It’s certainly food for thought.