Her favourites!

It's been so long since I did one of these posts! So much has changed and I wish I had kept up to date with them, but what can you do with no home internet I suppose?  Anyway, these are some of her favourites at the moment. 

Playing with her babies and feeding them and putting them to sleep.  She lies them down and says 'noy noyt, baby' and then straight away says 'det up, baby' and picks them up.  She also makes them jump and dance. Here she is feeding baby monkey a sultana. 

Playing with the blocks at the library.  She brings them to me one at a time and tells me what colour they are then piles them up.  This is her saying 'Big tower'.

Playing with playdough. I've never really liked playdough much myself, but I'm so glad I got over it and gave her some to play with.  She LOVES it! In this picture she has made a snake, which I taught her to do, but she has also made something on her own.  Daddy pointed to the little V shaped thing in front of her and asked her what it was.  She said 'bu-fy' (butterfly).  No-one has ever made her a butterfly before so it was purely imagination and made me so excited, proud and emotional all at once.  (Crazy pregnant lady hormones probably!)

Wearing 'do air dye' (two hair ties).  She asks me for 2 hair ties and a 'pitty air cip' (pretty hair clip) when I do her hair every morning.  I also love her hair this way.  It makes her so grown up and extra cute!

This is bad photo, but she is lining rocks up on the doorstep.  She loves telling me if it is a big rock or little rock ( I don't think she really knows what it means though) and lining them up and counting them.  Then she gets a stick and flicks them all off.

Playing in the dirt. This photo was taken before 8 in the morning and she was filthy! It was the morning the tank got delivered and I just let her run wild in the dirt.  Needless to say, both her and the sleep suit have since been bathed!

A few of her other favourites that I don't have photos of include: jumping, watching the wiggles and doing some of the dance moves, counting, saying hello and goodbye to people, using a watering can to water plants, 'helping' me cook, putting money in a money box, putting her gum boots on and off, copying everything anyone says, talking to 'Ganma' on the phone and a million other things.  She is forever growing and changing and I love her to bits.  

Our favourites!

I'll get mine out of the way first...........

Watching my lady play with playdough.  She is completely engrossed and learning so much through play.

My makeshift garden.  I'm still waiting for the dirt to go in my real garden so I've been improvising.  Although it looks pretty skimpy, it's providing me with free lettuce, basil, rosemary and hopefully soon some strawberries.

This kit to make little lady some owl puppet gloves bought for me by my mummy when she went overseas last year.  Looking forward to making these sometime through the week!

Baking, baking and more baking.  This is a sultana slice with melted chocolate on top.

Having such a HUGE window that opens out so I can do things in the kitchen while little lady occupies herself outside.  We can still see each other and chat to each other, but it's great for her to play on her own every now and then.

This is daddy's current favourite and our latest addition to the 'shouse'.  It's a concrete water tank delivered this morning and is going to be fitted out and used as a studio for daddy's drums.  As a professional working musician he has really suffered not having anywhere to have his kit set up and even though it's not my fault, I've felt terribly guilty that he is missing out on practicing as it is what he has put his life into.  I'm so glad this is coming together finally and hopefully it won't be long before he can start practicing again.  (I also plan to use it as an escape to get some sleep every now and then!!!)

Thanks for reading!!! I'm about to do a post on the little lady's favourites too.  I thought she deserved a post of her own. 

Crafting and storage!

Ok, this is not the promised Milly update, but I wanted to share some crafting, as it's been about 6 months since I did any other than crocheting.  So, here it is!

When you live in a 6m x 9m shed with your partner, a toddler and a baby on the way you have to get clever with storage.  I am always thinking of new ways to store things so that it doesn't look too messy and disorganised.  I've found that loose things on a shelf make the place feel cluttered so I've been buying baskets to put on the shelves.  This is working, but I thought I could do it in a more budget friendly way and decided to have a go at covering some of the many nappy boxes (I haven't got back into the cloth ones since we moved up here) I have waiting to be burnt with fabric and use them instead.
This is where our appliance cables/leads/junk is currently stored (still hasn't been unpacked since we moved as we had nowhere to put it anyway.

This is what I did with the nappy box.
First I cut the flaps off the box using Daddy's leatherman. (Swollen hands due to being 38 weeks pregnant)

Then I put the fabric wrong side up on a flat surface and measured out a cross shape, leaving about an extra 2-3cm to go over the top of the box.

Next, I centred the box on the piece of fabric. I did this outside on the grubby concrete so I didn't use a drop cloth or anything, but it's probably a good idea if using spray adhesive). I sprayed the two long sides of the box AND the fabric (because this is what the can of glue said to do) and waited about a minute before sticking the fabric to the box.

Then I did the same with the short sides and just folded the excess to make a flap and glued it down.

The finished box.

Overall, I think it looks great. From a distance! I have no patience and like to get things done in a hurry so it's certainly not perfect.  All I can say is, it's a good thing I used a dark fabric that hides wrinkles and silly mistakes and I learnt a few things for next time. From start to finish it took me about 15 minutes (plus another 15 to untangle all the leads and put them in their new home!  Our cables are still in a mess, but at least they're in a pretty box now!

What we've been up to!

Well, I have been enjoying myself immensely since I finished work.  I have been doing all of those things I mentioned I wanted to do in my last post and more! This is what we've been up to:

Lots of baking:

Pikelets

Do I have anything on my face mummy?

Choc chip biscuits

Berry yoghurt muffins

Pizza scrolls

Little Miss Fractured her arm by falling of a dining chair while she was helping me cook dinner one night. She was VERY brave and did a good job of wearing a sling for 2 weeks.  Not bad for an 18month old.  Hopefully my next night trip to the hospital will be to have a baby and not to get this one fixed!

We've been enjoying painting onto old nappy boxes.  She is still in her pyjamas in the first photo and if you look closely you can see the paint all around her mouth, all over her hands and all over her clothes.  She was under Daddy's watch at the time and he left for 2 seconds to go to the toilet and when he got back this is what she looked like.  

She's such a big girl now that she likes to think she can carry her new backpack.  She wobbles from side to side and falls over about every 3 steps, but she is so determined to do it on her own that I just stand back, watch and giggle. 

We've also been doing some gardening.  My veggie garden is still waiting for it's top soil and I've gotten impatient and started planting things in pots instead.  This is Little Miss with own shovel, bucket and lettuce seedling.  She loves to dig and water with the watering can.

I've been enjoying night times on the couch watching Frasier episodes (I almost wasn't going to admit to this, but in a few years time when I look back on this I'll want to remember that I was completely addicted to Frasier during my whole second pregnancy.  While I'm watching TV I've been crocheting a throw for the couch and thinking about crocheting a blankie for the baby.  I'm 37 weeks exactly here.  I've also been eating plenty of things that aren't good for you while watch TV and crochet and this particular nights delicacy was some of the above mentioned choc chip biscuits.  When I made that batch I froze some of the dough and sliced and baked it after dinner last night.

I realised today when I was making icing for a chocolate cake that I don't ever remember my mum licking the beaters.  It occurred to me that this is because she gave them to me and my sister.  I'm thinking now that with a second daughter on the way MY days of licking the beaters are nearly over.  I've already had to cut down to one so my little lady gets one.  This was her first time and she thought it was amazing.

Licking the beaters

I know this is a terrible photo and it's really hard to see, but this is me at 37 weeks the second time around.  The sun comes through those french doors onto the mirror at any time of day and I don't like asking daddy to take my photo, because I hate trying to pose, so this will have to do for now.  I'm almost past the same time that Little Miss was born and heading into unknown territory.  I'm very uncomfortable and ready to have my baby girl out in the world.  Mostly I'm sick of having to ask for help to do so many things.  My baby belly is smaller this time around, but I'm in so much more pain and I've been sooooooooo much busier this time around.

37 weeks

So there you go. I've been baking (a lot and loving it!), crocheting, gardening and playing with my lady. I plan to do a post on some of her current favourites and really regret not having kept up with those posts as there have been so many changes and developments over the past few months.  Hopefully now that the internet has finally been connected at the 'Shouse' I can do these more often.  

As well as simple activities that have been bringing me endless joy (because they are not 'work') I have been sorting through Little Miss's newborn clothes and washed them all in LUX soap flakes and put them in the drawers ready for the new baby to wear.  The cupboard smells FANTASTIC! We have borrowed a bassinet this time around as our place is much smaller than last time and a cot won't fit in our room.  We don't even have a possible list of names and I'm hoping something amazing jumps out at me soon.  If you're reading and you have a suggestion, go for it! 

That's more than enough from me for now, but I'll be back in the next few days (provided I'm not off having a baby) with an update on the Little Lady.  

I've just previewed this post and need to apologise for the photos in a line, but I don't know how to fix this.  Also, since taking these photos I have figured out how to turn the flash off the camera on my iphone, so hopefully they'll be better from now on.  

I can't wait!!!

Well, no photos again, because I still haven't had time to hook up internet at the shouse, so I'm on someone else's computer again (thanks Nan), but I wanted to share the excitement of my life right now. Due to everything getting completely on top of me (you don't need a list, everyone is busy) I am finishing work 2 weeks earlier than planned (at my boss's suggestion, so guilt free) and using up my 2 weeks worth of sick leave as 'stress' leave.  This is great, because I didn't have to start my maternity leave early and my doctor was completely willing to come to the party with a medical certificate, but I don't feel quite right using the term 'stress' leave, it seems a bit dramatic for my situation.  It's more like 'drowing in life and need some air' leave.  I'm completely fine and not breaking out in rashes or coming down with everything under sun or anything like that, I just need less to do right now.

So anyway, I have 1.5 days to go and I am so excited.  If only report cards weren't due at the end of that 1.5 days.  I'm so excited to be able to stay home with my lady again.  I've missed her so much, but I know she has a great time with Daddy through the day when I'm gone.  I often come home to a drawing, random towers of blocks throughout the shouse, a bucket full of dirt and rocks in the yard, a VERY grubby face and can't find any of my shoes.  Even though daddy isn't very good at cleaning up her messes, I'm glad, because it's like a series of clues on what they did that day and I spend the first hour at home discovering things and asking about their day and, to be completely honest, my mind frame on cleaning lately has been very much along the lines of 'I'm the only person who cares about the mess and I'm at work all day and don't have to see it anyway, so why waste the 2 precious hours I get to spend with them cleaning the place'.  Daddy's views on housework are things like dishes every 2nd day, washing once a week, what's a mop?, the dust will blow away on it's own and I'd rather be outside.  I'll be home for good in 1.5days anyway and I'll take back the house cleaning reigns.

I'm also looking forward to finally unpacking the rest of the boxes and setting the shouse up how I want it.  Not sure if this is frustration from living in a shambles of boxes for so long, or the nesting that comes with being 29 weeks pregnant.  Oh, and crafting, which I haven't even thought about since January when I started making the bunting.  I still have the bunting and I WILL finish it! I also want to crochet my little family some socks and make something for my growing baby.  Oooooh, and baking!!!! I forgot about baking.  I made  a chocolate cake a few weekends ago actually and it was one of the most enjoyable things of done lately.

Anyway, that's enough for now.  It's probably hard to keep you engaged without photos! We're off to Gladstone for a cousin's wedding this weekend and then the lady and I are going to spend a week with my parents so daddy can do some more work on the outside of the shouse and I can spend a week relaxing with the help of my mummy.  

A quick photoless update.

Hello!!! Well, we moved into the shed about 5 weeks ago now and, although it is an absolute mess with boxes and lots of work still to be done, we do love it! I know 5 weeks is plenty of time to unpack boxes, but we were given a wall and have decided to use it inside, so until that goes up I can't unpack into the furniture around it.  We have been showering down the road at a relatives place the last few weeks as we had no hot water, but that's all sorted now, which makes life easier.  Although, this week the toilet broke and I much prefered having a toilet and no shower, instead of the other way around.   

On the pregnancy front, I'm now 26 weeks and starting to panic about how quickly this pregnancy is going.  We're going to have a baby in no time! Had a checkup at the hospital this week and all is going well so far. The pregnancy insomnia has definitely set in as it is 4 in the morning at the moment and I'm wide awake. 

Our little lady is as cute as ever and I've been lucky enough to get some snuggles in bed since we moved into the shed, as she gets quite cold in the night.  She's never been a cuddly girl so I'm loving this at the moment and I think daddy is too! 

Well, we are actually having a sleep over at daddy's parents place tonight as daddy had a gig in town and I went to watch, so I'm not on my own computer and this one seems to be a bit faulty (randomnly jumps lines and keys don't work), so I'm off.  When we have our internet set up, I will put new photos of the shouse up. 

What we've been up to!

Wowee, it's been a long time.  I think my last post was the announcement of my pregnancy and I'm now 20 weeks along.  I'm having a scan on Tuesday and it's the one where I find out the sex.  I cannot wait to know!!! My head is forever saying 'oooh, maybe it's another girl, or maybe it's a boy, or maybe it's a girl, or maybe it's boy' and I can't wait to put this circular thought pattern to rest with an answer.

Onto other news..........
Even though we didn't plan on it taking anywhere near this long to move into the shed, I'm glad we have taken the time to do things properly, because the inside looks so much more like a house than I ever thought was possible.  I would really love to be able to share this in photo format, but I can't get my memory card reader to work at the moment and so the photos are unavailable. I can tell you that it has walls, actually, painted walls, lights, ceiling fans, power points, a kitchen sink, a working toilet and other less interesting, but highly important things.  We will be putting the last coat of sealant stuff on the floor tomorrow and then we will start moving in.  Yipee!!!!!! Even I can't fathom how excited I am about this.  We have been living with Daddy's parents for 4 months now, and although they are lovely, I can't wait to get into my own space and I'm sure they can't wait to have their own space back to themselves.

With walls, but no paint and a big mess of stuff inside. 

Ok, now for some little girl news.  Oh how she's grown.  She has so many words now I can't even count them on 2 hands anymore.  She has gotten incredibly good at 'telling' me things and 'asking' me for things.  I'm amazed that we can actually communicate and understand each other successfully about 90% of the time now.  She copies everything I do and wants to 'help' with everything.  She loves closing doors, drawers and anything else that is closable.  She 'dances' which involves lots of arm waving, bopping and spinning.  She kisses, cuddles, pats and tickles.

Collecting things (sand, sticks and leaves)  from under daddy's old cubby house. 

Listening to Steve Wonder

Making a birthday card for my friend.

Joining in on family yoga time. 

At the moment she is staying with my parents for 4 days in a town 2 hours away from me.  I took her yesterday and spent the night and left her this afternoon.  It was one of the hardest things I've ever done and I cried for a fairly decent portion of the drive home.  I felt sick to my stomach worrying about her, as she's spent the last week sick and has struggled to be anywhere other than right by mummy or daddy's side.  However, my mum really wanted to have her and because they live a few hours drive away, they don't get to see her as often as they would like and asked if she could come and stay for a few days.  I'll be at work during the day and am going to go out to the shed and decorate her bedroom walls with the new decals I bought her today in the afternoons after work.  Although daddy will miss her just as much as me, I think he is looking forward to being able to work on the shed without his little helper for a week.