Christmas 2017

Last year Christmas was loud and boisterous. This year it was quiet and sleepy.

Last year a tiny boy (not that we knew he was a boy) was snuggled up inside me. This year a very active little boy was on the move and into mischief.

We have made the decision to do one year there one year here when it comes to family Christmases. We are too far apart to do both. I know though that I will always wish I was there but what I have here is nice too.

This was our little Possum's first Christmas and at nearly 9 months old, things are fun to look at and get into but the unknown is also a little scary, or should I say Santa was a bit scary.

 We went to the Community Health Christmas party in the park and to Daddy's work Christmas Party too. Our little man even gate crashed the spread at Mummy's work just before Christmas.

 

 We did the Santa photo thing and I thought is might be a screaming mess, like the first Santa experience, but it wasn't. The mechanised display was way more interesting than Santa himself, although he wasn't too bad, from a distance.

 There were decorations hung and more photos of our little elf. Hard to think that the tree I posed him with (mind you who poses a 8.5mth old on the move, hilarious) was the same one I took a photo with a pair of booties in front of, that wouldn't even fit him now. There was a Christmas tree erected on the coffee table, out of reach of little fingers, and last minute Christmas shopping.

Mr Sparky insisted on some photos mucking around with a Santa hat. We never got as far as photos with me, or a family photo, pretty usual around here. Might have to just do the tripod thing and take my own.

Christmas day saw paper torn (mostly by our little Possum and mostly after the present was open) and new toys played with. It left our bellies full of roast meat and salad along with generous amounts of nibbles and it shared naps all around for the afternoon.

And oh, look, I did find some Christmas day photos of the little possum and me, selfies of cause.

The day ended beautifully and lazily, with a gorgeous sky and not too much effort put into dinner.

And then it was done, Christmas 2017. We laid our still weary heads down to sleep and dream of actually getting to sleep through the night (fat chance).

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas this year.

It's a Waiting Game

Waiting ...

Yep, that is what I've been doing ... waiting.

Waiting for a baby to arrive.

Waiting for a cyclone that headed south.

Still waiting for a baby.

Waiting for a house to settle.

And STILL waiting for a baby.

Waiting for my Grandfather's funeral date.

 

and STILL WAITING for a baby.

Waiting for the seemingly never ending things to finish being found and moved.

and STILL waiting on that baby.

Waiting for doctors and monitoring.

and we are STILL WAITING BABY!

Okay, so I should give this baby some leeway, it was only due today after all. It seems that our little April Fool might not end up being born on April Fools day after all, but then there is still time yet.

In follow up from our other exciting house buying news, it settled on Tuesday and we pretty much entirely moved on Wednesday. We even somehow ended up with beds set up and made to sleep in at the new place. It is soooo nice and soooo much more space. Not to mention that at least now the boxes of stuff are spread out and slowly reducing rather than feeling like they were a fortress being built around us. Now to finish up and to clean our little rental for whoever makes it home next, it was a good home too. I am still holding out hope that by some miracle that they cleaning fairies will come and finish the job for us. Now you would think if anything could bring on a baby it would be moving house and plenty of cleaning but not this baby.

 

We watched and waited as Tropical Cyclone Debbie headed for the coast. Firstly they thought she would come somewhere up here and then they thought she would head to Townsville, where my sister lives, but TC Debbie had other ideas and ended up playing dot to dot with locations around the Whitsundays and further inland. I am so glad that in the end, despite the damage done, everyone fared okay. It is also good to hear of places getting rain that needed it. Now the wet weather created by her has been playing havoc as the rain heads south. Stay safe people. stay safe.

In sad news, we've been waiting for my Grandfather to die. It doesn't sound very nice put that way but he had gotten very ill a few weeks ago and we knew it was coming, it was just when. Nobody wanted him to go but reality bites sometimes. Unfortunately the world lost another wonderful, kind, thoughtful gentleman this week. It was sad to loose him but we are glad he isn't suffering and that he seemed to go on his own terms. What a life he has lived and what a lot he has seen in his 92 years.

I had a doctors appointment, obstetrician, at the hospital on Thursday this week. We had been hoping that I wouldn't have to attend. Anyway it was thrill waiting on the horrid chairs and a totally uninformative appointment other than that they are happy for me to wait for bub to arrive when it is ready (hang on, I don't want to wait). The best part was that bub thought it would up the ante and put on a show. When the doctor was listening in for its heart beat, the rhythm was a lot too fast for their liking so I got some quality heart beat listening time while they monitored bub. Turns out it was just being active, sneaky little thing. It was a good thing I had company this week, Mum is up waiting with me. I have another appointment on this coming Tuesday, lets cross our fingers I don't need it.

So now I am going back to waiting ... and unpacking.

What are you up to?

Photos thanks to a beach walk at Yorkeys Knob with Mum, on the 28th, the same day that Cyclone Debbie crossed the coast.

Bats, Fish and more big announcements

Lots has been happening in these parts, yet nothing much has been happening as well.

I've finished up at work with my night work finishing a couple of weeks ago, a month before bub's due date. Who'd have thought I would be able to go back to normal sleep patterns so quickly and it is amazing how good it is to not feel like I am dragging my body around every day. 

Crazy me also managed to fit in one last shift at daycare, meaning I officially worked up until 38weeks! Who does that to themselves? I was so glad to go to work that Friday. It is amazing how much of the social part of my life comes from work. Okay, so maybe it really isn't that amazing considering how often I was at work. I'll have to look into other ways of getting my social butterfly on.

I do have big news though ... sorry to those on baby watch, I am still in one piece.

Although, I would be quite happy for bub so come any time now.

We bought a house! It settles the beginning of next week so after then we will be firing on all cylinders to move in. Another of those 'who does that to themselves?' moments, I am sure. Who chooses to pack and move house in their 39th + week of pregnancy? Well we do, apparently. We seem to like to do everything at once. It is a bit of a race to see what happens first, baby or house. So this means you will be seeing tropical goodness from these parts for a while yet, because we are staying in the area for a bit longer.

Mum has come to visit and help with all the craziness happening around here. It is certainly appreciated, and so is the company. Hopefully this bub arrives sooner rather than later so she doesn't have to wait around too long and gets plenty of Granny time Come to think of it, I'm not too sure how well I am going to do this waiting thing. Patience is a virtue, isn't that what they say. No one tells you though, how hard it can be to switch off 'work' mode, no matter how ready you are not to be going. In saying that I still have a pram and car seat to find and hospital bag to pack, not to mention the crafty baby stuff that there are plans for so that should keep me going for a bit. Nothing like procrastinating though, I am world class at it I can tell you, ask my mother. Speaking of which, Mum is probably going to be so sick of my chatterbox ways soon, I am obviously not used to having others in the house.

So as I said, in some ways lots has been happening and in some way nothing much at all. Now to just keep myself occupied but not overly busy until bub decides to come. That won't be hard really with the packing and crafting. I just need to give myself permission to settle into things rather than flitting around the house and not settling on any one thing. I need to enjoy this time, I will enjoy this time ... okay, so not so much the packing part.

 

I have managed to get out and about for some sunrise and sunset a little bit over the last few weeks. I hopefully get to do a bit more of that now. Not having to get ready for work has given me that time. Although this morning when I was up anyway, I just didn't go. Ahh, maybe tomorrow, maybe not ... no pressure.

 These photos are from sunset down at the Lagoon and marina last week. I crossed everything that the sky would be pretty, and it was. It has been pretty much clear for the last few weeks, very un wet season like weather. There has been plenty of uncomfortable humidity but not so much in the way of rain. They are talking about the slight possibility of a cyclone at the end of this month but no one is pinning any hopes on it happening. We've had a surprising lack of them this year.

I also thought, when out enjoying the sunset, it would be cool to try for the bats flying over the fish again, as both are such an icon.

I'll have to be more organised or find some new sunrise and sunset spots once we move. But then I guess my ability to get out and about might depend a fair bit on how baby is as well.

I can't wait until bub is born and I know whether it is a he or she so I can call it by name or he or she rather than 'it, bub, the baby, etc'.  Being an 'it' doesn't seem very nice and then brings to mind Cousin It and that really is a bit too much hair for a baby to handle. But then again, what is that old wives tale about heart burn/ indigestion and babies having lots of hair. If my reliance on quick ease is anything to go by then this bub could have a very full head of hair.

I dare say life is about to change in so many ways, for the better I am sure. I'm trying not to have any expectations about how anything will go and to go with the flow. I figure I will deal better with what I can't control that way, or that is the idea.

So now for waiting, waiting, waiting and hopefully while I do that some more photo taking and plain old relaxing. 

Anything happening in your neck of the woods?

Any big announcements?

And along came 2017

Another year has ended and a new one begun.

New adventures to have.

New memories to make.

I watched the sun set on 2016 and thought of how much has happened over the last 12 months.

The ups and downs and the memories made.

I have thought many times 'it was a good year'.

So as a new year starts, here is to another 'good' year!

One filled with ups and downs.

One with many sunrises and sunsets.

A year filled with family and friends.

Days and weeks full of precious moments.

A year that challenges and pushes, making comfort zones bigger.

A year that brings laughter and joy.

One that helps dreams come true no matter how big or small.

 I hope your new year brings you this and so much more.

I'm not that into the whole 'a new year is a new beginning'.

It just isn't. 

There is a story that comes before that is needed to make this one what it is.

It is more a writing new chapters, or maybe picking one up half way through. 

It is adding to that book of your life.

So I am off to add to my book, and hopefully live it well.

Enjoy living your story, it is yours after all.

May this year bring you all that you need.

Happy New Year!

I spent my New Year's Eve playing Uno with family, having fun with sparklers and, because we managed to stay awake that long (just), watching the Sydney fireworks on t.v. We were making memories.

How did you spend your New Years?