Tag Archives: grandma

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Real Grandma

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Thursday, 24 April 2014: One Year, Three Weeks and Two Days Old.

When I got home from work this afternoon my mum met me at the door with a big grin and said “today I got to feel like a real grandma!”

Mum has been visiting for a week and while I’ve been at work she’s looked after Ayla in conjunction with Hubby who’s been on his rostered week off.

But today Ayla and her Grandma were on their own for the whole day – from 7.30am til 5.30pm.

My mum hasn’t had anything to do with babies for 26 years, but over the past week she’s been able to recall her undying parenting skills and has aptly put Ayla to bed, fed her, changed her and played with her like she’s been doing it all along.

But I think what had really resonated with Mum on this visit was that she’s been able to get to know Ayla in her own environment, and share in every day activities that she would normally miss out on due to distance.

I’ve loved seeing Ayla and her Grandma spend quality time together , and my Mum’s great day with Ayla culminated this evening when Ayla took her first official steps!

Ayla took just a couple of tentative wobbly ones but they were toward her Grandma and that put the icing on the cake for my Mum.

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Holiday mode over

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Tuesday, 22 April 2014; One Year and Three Weeks Old.

Holiday mode was over for me today as I returned to work after the Easter break, and it was supposed to be over for Ayla too.

But, Hubby is on his week off and Ayla’s grandma is visiting for a few days so there was bucklies chance of that happening!

Even though I explained to them that it would be good for Ayla to get back into her day care routine as soon as possible, I could tell they had other ideas.

And I was right!

Can’t say I blame them though, time with Ayla feels like the most precious commodity in existence and I know I wouldn’t take her if I didn’t have to.

So while I sat at work writing PowerPoint presentations and fending off meeting requests, my little family swam in the pool at home.

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Teamwork

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Thursday, 6 February 2014: Three Hundred and Eleven Days Old.

I think I’d better start today’s blog at the beginning… 12am.

After going down to bed at 9pm, by 12am Ayla had already woken once for a feed.

By 6am, the time Ayla decided to get up for the day, she’d been awake nearly every hour.

Needless to say when I emerged from the bedroom and met Ayla’s Great Grandma in the kitchen my eyes were hanging out of my head and my skin was pale.

Ayla on the other hand kick started the day with even more than her usual gusto; squealing, crawling, climbing and playing like she’d been sleeping soundly on a bed of clouds to the sounds of angels singing.

Ayla’s overwhelming excitement meant that breakfast became some sort of ordeal and she refused to eat any of the fresh fruits and toast that she’s always looked forward to.

Great Grandma got on the tin pot lids and made up a distraction so that I could at least get some mashed banana into Ayla via a spoon, because given the hourly feeds all night I was completely drained.

At 9am Ayla was ready to return to bed and I welcomed the opportunity to catch up on some sleep! The long night meant I was now fighting off some kind of flu and without sleep I felt like I was going to implode.

But alas…. Precisely 37 minutes after going to bed Ayla was up again.

Thankfully Great Grandma came to the rescue and took Ayla out for a walk in her pram around the retirement village.

Their adventures gave me a good hour of shut eye and when I awoke I found my baby and my grandma playing happily in the lounge.

The smile on Great Grandma’s face was priceless – she and Ayla had seen ducks, and fish, and met a man with a puppy dog, and Ayla had been introduced to a few of Great Grandma’s neighbours.

The two girls had had a lovely morning of quality time, catching up on lost time, and I know it’ll leave lasting memories for all three of us.

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In the flesh

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Wednesday, 5 February 2014: Three Hundred and Ten Days Old.

Ayla and I made the trek to spend a couple of days with her Great Grandma today and we were welcomed with so much love it made my heart brim with pride.

My Grandma, Ayla’s Great Grandma, is 86 years old but the way she bounded out to the car and swept Ayla into her arms reminded me of a teenager.

Unlike some other family members, Great Grandma hasn’t been able to stay in touch with Ayla via Skype or FaceTime so seeing her today was extra special.

Although this blog helps to keep people up to date with the day to day happenings in Ayla’s life, nothing compares to seeing Ayla’s funny antics, her bright mind and her cheeky personality in the flesh, and I was so glad to have the opportunity to share my beautiful baby daughter with my Grandma.

So the three of us spent the day doing nothing more than talking and playing, and Great Grandma never missed a beat; one minute she’d be down on the floor with Ayla showing her how to beat a wooden spoon on a pot lid and the next minute she’d be up holding Ayla’s hands and helping her walk around the house.

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Live wire

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Monday, 30 September 2013: Twenty Six Weeks Old.

My Grandma said she thinks Ayla is going to be “a real live wire”, and I reckon she’s right on the money.

Ayla is into EVERYTHING. Any thing she can grab, kick, lick, lean into or reach for is in danger.

If Ayla’s not part of a conversation, she gets herself into it quick smart by squealing, screeching or “talking” her way to the centre of attention.

If Ayla’s been in the one spot, one room or on the one activity for too long she starts grizzling and squirming and complaining until I move her somewhere new (preferably outside).

Ayla doesn’t like lying down or being on the floor because she can see so much more from up high.

And Ayla doesn’t like going to bed if she thinks she’s missing out on any form of excitement.

We’re going to have our work cut out for us, Hubby and I, but I guess with us as her parents we couldn’t expect anything less!

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Circle of Life

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Thursday, 4 July 2013: Ninety-Four Days Old.

I got to watch a tiny moment in the circle of life today, when Baby Ayla was playing with her Great Grandma.

It seems that Great Grandparents are few and far between these days, whether it be because we’re waiting longer to have kids or because families are so spread out our babies never get to meet them.

Ayla is lucky enough to have not one, but two Great Grandparents (a Great Grandma on my side and a Great Grandad on Hubby’s) and today she got to share some special moments with my mum’s mum.

Although Ayla won’t remember, thanks to technology the moment when Great Grandma saw Ayla’s first proper “goo gaa” is captured on film forever.

And for Great Grandma, I could see how much the time meant to her but I don’t think I’ll fully understand until I’m a Great Grandma… If I’m lucky enough.

I guess that in the scale of life today was fleeting, but in a scale of love, family and preciousness it was grand (pardon the pun).