Tag Archives: scary

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Daredevil in the making

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Saturday, 17 August 2014: One Year, One Hundred and Thirty Nine Days Old.

Ayla’s a little daredevil in the making!

We went to a sports club for tea with friends tonight where there was an outdoor playground for the kids.

All the other kids were bigger (of course) and older than Baby Ayla, and because they were hyped up on kids meals and ice cream the playground was chaotic and overwhelming.

It didn’t take long for Ayla to find the slide though, and while she was trying to climb up other kids were sliding down.

After a while Ayla worked out how the other kids were doing it, and decided to copy…

Ayla climbed up eight steps, then up another step to a platform about 1.6m high.

Ayla then toddled to the top of the slide, carefully held on to the sides and sat down, then pushed off and “wheeeee!” down the double-hump slide she went.

Ayla was SO happy with herself, screeching and dancing on the spot when she reached the bottom, then off she ran back to the steps for round two.

Over and over again Ayla went down the slide, unassisted. While there were two year olds who were scared to slide without their parents holding them, but not our Ayla…. !

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Do the five

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Friday, 11 April 2014: One Year, One Week and Three Days Old.

Ayla took her first steps today!

Don’t get too excited though… Ayla’s first steps were in the pool!

We have a huge pool at our place and at one end there’s an inbuilt spa with a big seat capable of fitting five or six adults, so that’s where Ayla learned how to put one foot in front of the other.

For weeks now Ayla has been practicing how to stand by using Hubby or I as balance posts for pulling herself up to standing on the couch while we sit, but I thought she was still a long way off walking.

Until today when Ayla somehow put two and two together and let go of the side of the pool, then took two steps toward me.

I was stoked, surprised and so proud, but it didn’t last long.

Ayla was so pleased with herself that she transformed in to a crazed, one year old female version of Evil Kneivel and began launching herself into the depths of the pool.

Ayla must have swallowed a litre of water in her “look-I-think-I-can-swim-but-I-can’t” stunts, but still it didn’t deter her.

After Ayla got bored of freaking mummy out by trying to run and jump off the step, she decided to up the ante by getting out of the pool so she could crawl and fall off the edge instead.

In short, my nerves are shot.

It was bloody hard work keeping track of Ayla, even when I held her she was still squirming to dive under, and I can totally see how tragic pool-side accidents happen.

I think it’s a timely reminder to do the five and keep this kid alive! :

Fence the pool,
Shut the gate,
Teach your kids to swim – it’s great!
Supervise,
Watch your mate,
And learn how to resuscitate!

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Hospital

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Thursday, 27 March 2014: Three Hundred and Sixty Days Old.

I am writing this from Ayla’s bedside, in hospital.

Last night as we flew out of Singapore, I fed Ayla on take off as usual.

Ayla was very limp and lethargic and fell asleep in my arms almost as soon as I laid down in Hubby’s lap, ready for the four hour flight ahead. But an hour into the journey Ayla vomited, a lot, and her temperature shot back up to 39 degrees despite having only taken panadol a little over an hour earlier.

The air hostesses on the flight were lovely but advised that Australian Quarantine officers needed to be informed if a passenger returning from overseas presented with a fever and vomiting on the plane.

When we arrived in Australia all the passengers on the plane were told to stay in their seats until the Quarantine Officer had boarded and spoken to us. Fortunately the conversation was very brief and we were told to go to straight to the hospital when we cleared immigration.

So that’s what we did and Ayla’s been in the hospital ever since.

The current diagnosis is viral gastroenteritis, but given Ayla hasn’t eaten solids for six days, has been off her milk for two and has had a fever, diarrhoea and vomiting on an off nearly a week no ones taking any chances.

For the past nine hours, after a smorgasbord of pain killers this morning that finally calmed her cramping stomach and helped her settle, Ayla has done nothing by sleep in a scary coma-like haze that’s making it hard for us to get her to drink the fluids she needs.

So Ayla has been put on a drip and just recently was given some more panadol when she suddenly woke with a 40 degree temperature and red (probably fever related) blotches on her belly.

Ayla’s back sleeping now and we’re waiting for the paediatrician to come and check her.

I’m sure she’s going to be ok, and she’s in the best place possible for getting better, but we’re all keeping our fingers crossed Ayla will be back to her happy, healthy little self in no time.

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The babysitter

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Thursday, 13 March 2014: Three Hundred and Forty Six Days Old.

We met and decided on Ayla’s “official” baby sitter today.

Until now Ayla’s only ever been babysat three times, by friends and never at our house.

But this Saturday night Hubby is competing in a charity boxing event that Ayla can’t attend so it’ll be our first time leaving her at home with a near-stranger!

I spent the last couple of weeks talking to and researching all kids of sitters, from clubs to students, and had settled on a girl who was recommended by a friend of a friend who works in child protection.

But the day before yesterday our sitter cancelled and suggested I try a girl she knows in Year 12, but it just didn’t feel right and I wasn’t sure.

Then in a stroke of good luck my neighbour text me a photo of a flyer she’d found at the local shops for a nanny/babysitter with a long list of qualifications.

I called her up – Lori’s her name – and I explained we were first-timers and a little nervous.

Lori seemed lovely and she seemed to understand our concerns, so offered to come over to introduce herself and put our minds at ease.

So that’s what happened this afternoon and at ease we are.

Ayla and Lori got along great and Hubby and I clicked with her straight away.

It’s exciting to know that I’m now set for a fun night out on Saturday and hopefully I won’t worry too much about my baby girl… Goodness knows I’ll be worried enough about Hubby!

PS – if you think Ayla’s adorable please vote for her in the Bonds Babies Search, Australia’s biggest baby photo comp!

C’mon, who wouldn’t wanna see that face on a billboard! Click here to vote

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Swimming lesson

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Monday, 14 October 2013; Twenty Eight Weeks Old.

Ayla had her first swimming lesson today!

I was so excited, but I don’t know what I expected… It was actually scary and a little overwhelming!

There was only four babies in the class and we mums got in the pool with our little ones.

It was basically a few technique-based drills done to nursery rhymes (that we have to sing), which was cute and fun but felt a little bit strange at first.

What I wasn’t prepared for though was putting Ayla under the water – for some reason I just hadn’t even considered it – so when the time came I was a bit shocked.

I guess I thought we would be coached through it a bit more, but all we got was a quick how-to then “go”!

Ayla came up coughing and spluttering, but she wasn’t upset. Me though… My heart was racing!

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Growing up

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Wednesday, 9 October 2013One Hundred and Ninety One Days Old.

When I think about Ayla growing up, I feel my heart split in two!

One half of me is so excited to watch her grow into her own person and discover the world one new experience at a time.
But the other half of me is freaking out because I’m scared that one day I’ll blink and Ayla will be all grown up and I’ll be wondering where all the time went.
I know it’s silly. I know I can’t keep my Baby Ayla small forever and that every stage of her life will be just as exciting and wonderful as the last, but I already feel like its happening too fast!
I think it’s all come about because Ayla’s on the brink of getting her first tooth.
I’m super excited about it but I know that means she’s not a newborn anymore.
Before long Ayla will have all her teeth, she’ll be eating big kid food and she’ll be sitting on the bench chatting away to me as I cook tea.
I’ve just loved these early baby days, more than I ever expected. They’ve been the start of a new life – for all three of us – and they’ve been the most precious, special and fragile moments of my life.