March 31, 2009
chuck
seems oscar is becoming a bit of a 'possetter'. he'll have a chuck after and/or during most feeds. as well as a couple of hours after. he doesn't much enjoy the ones a couple of hours later. often he wakes up crying, has a chuck and sometimes goes back to sleep.
he went through a lot of clothing today. his and mine. so i think that i will start him wearing bibs most of the time in an effort to reduce the amount of washing i'll need to be doing.
but i am glad that for the most part he is a happy chucker. usually it doesn't seem to bother him much.
which is very much the opposite to me.
March 29, 2009
mr and mrs carlton
well as you would know, cathy and grant were married yesterday. it was a superb day! they were both so excited and happy, and it was just a lovely day.
the bride and groom, now husband and wife, posing in all their excitement
that's better
one of the highlights of the days was hooning around pennant hills golf club in golf carts
and i decided in wedding reception tradition to be a bit arty
as much as i would love to blog at least 20 photos, i can't be bothered (nor have the time) to resize, rotate and upload all of them. instead, since i decided to start using Facebook for iPhoto, which makes things a lot faster, you can go here to see more.
the sadness of the day was that howie was sick :( oscar and i had headed off to the brides house to start the beautifying process at about 6am. at about 9am i found i had a number of missed calls from howie, and after speaking to him found out he was quite ill from both ends. so there was a bit of juggling to do as he wouldn't be at the wedding. although his table mates ensured his presence was felt (as they wanted to eat his meals, so he was perennially "in the bathroom")
thank goodness for my wonderful parents who took oscar all day, besides feeding times. saviours! and it was kind of nice to be out and about without him for a little while - oscar that is.
but anyway. hoorah for mr and mrs carlton! they head off today on their one month honeymoon - lucky them!
March 28, 2009
how things are
cathy and grant are married. hooray! there'll be a few photos posted tomorrow me thinks.
i am tired, and still have a while til i can go to bed - a shower is in order to rid me of makeup and hairspray.
oscar was great today, thankyou jesus.
howie was ill today and missed out on the wedding. that is sad making.
tomorrow morning i have to make scones for our afternoon tea. i hope they are yummy.
March 27, 2009
no longer a bell
tomorrow cathy and grant get married. very exciting! i'm sure it's going to be a beautiful day. we just had the rehearsal. i think i know what i'm meant to be doing. walking in. standing. taking flowers. putting flowers on table. more standing. sitting. standing. signing. standing. walking. i should be ok. the speech part later on in the evening isn't much exciting me. i hate public speaking so much. so so much. and photos. i'm not very excited about them either. nor having my hair done. the things we do for friends.
i also hope it's a calm day for the howie family. and a good night tonight too!
March 25, 2009
massage
there are often times when i think "i would really love a really good massage right now" - particularly when my neck and shoulders play up. but the problem always remains that i don't actually like massages! they don't soothe me. even though i really want them to. they either hurt or tickle.
maybe i've just never had a proper good one.
March 24, 2009
cheap as chips - ish
was looking at the v australia website today. the three of us could fly return to LA in june for under $2400 including taxes. and it's probably even cheaper is we looked into it more. it's tempting because it would be wonderful to celebrate with jo and victor. but i just don't think we can do it with a five/six month old. poop.
March 23, 2009
offensive stereotyping? or a little bit of insightful truth?
Why did the American cross the road?
Because he thought he owned it.
Why did the Australian cross the road?
Because an American told him not to.
Why did the Canadian cross the road?
He saw some American do it on TV.
Why did the Englishman cross the road?
Because he saw the American coming towards him.
Why did the Chinese cross the road?
Because he saw the American was selling it.
Why did the Mexican cross the road?
For the jobs the American didn't want.
Why did the Israeli cross the road?
To talk to the American.
Why did the Palestinian cross the road?
To ask the Israeli to leave.
Why did the African cross the road?
To buy a coca cola.
Why did the New Zealander cross the road?
Because he didn't want to be left out.
March 22, 2009
church
at the moment going to church is hard. it feels a bit pointless. either one of us, or both of us, is rarely in the service to hear the sermon, if even in the building. and it all feels like a lot of effort with no real outcome. it's nice to be able to see our buddies, who we might not be able to see otherwise but on a sunday night. it's nice to go and sing some songs and be able to take that time to praise God. it's nice to be able to say we're going to church. but we don't really participate or contribute at the moment. oscar doesn't easily fall asleep outside of his bedroom (if in there! although he is improving greatly), and it seems every sunday night is a big upset to his routine.
tonight one of our friends passed us outside during the sermon, as we were preparing to walk the streets with oscar in the pram. he had been at a camp or something and had arrived at church late after driving six hours to get there. he decided that he wasn't concentrating, so he was going home. i think some times we'll have to get to a point where we are comfortable to say we aren't going to church that night because neither of us will actually be in the service, and that it's ok not to go. it won't last forever. and we can always alternate as well, where one of us goes to church while the other stays home with oscar.
but it's something to think through in the coming weeks while we wait for him to get a bit older and not need to nap after every feed.
there isn't any point just going to church for the sake of obligation. but that doesn't take the guilt away! it's silly isn't it.
cathy's hens
yesterday was cathy's hens. we went barefoot bowling at north sydney and then had dinner at the kirribilli club.
at bowling they randomly handed our four different coloured wristbands for us to form teams. bizarrely all the bridesmaids, the bride and the brides mother ended up in the same team. so cathy swapped bands with someone else to mix things up a bit.
the bride-to-be and her mum kicked us off
me and my fellow bridesmaid and bowling teammate
what we were playing for. the cup for the winners. the horses arse for the losers
the bride and i
debs, kirri and cath
it was good fun. probably my first and last attempt at lawn bowls. i know not to take it up when i'm old, because i'm no good at it!
with everything going on i wasn't a very good photographer. so you'll just have to believe me that we then went out to dinner. i'm not much of an entree AND mains girl. i didn't eat much of my pasta main. and i bailed at 9:30pm. but it was good to catch up with some people. and it was lovely to celebrate with cathy.
and i was very proud of oscar and howie. oscar was pretty happy to see me at 6:30pm. and then he was pretty happy to start heading home.
furthermore i was thankful that after his 6:30pm feed and train trip home, he went straight to sleep, and didn't wake up for another feed til midnight. the beauty was no 3:30am wake up! he slept til 6:30am. although howie and i both woke at 5:30am to howie sneezing. nice one.
March 20, 2009
March 19, 2009
arvo tea
outings and errands require much more planning and thought these days.
i have to go to blacktown tomorrow. need to pick up my bridesmaid dress for cathy's wedding.
the next two weekends are pretty full on. this weekend is cathy's hens on saturday, then lunch at my aunt's on sunday. the following is cathy's wedding (oh, and grant's) on saturday, then our afternoon tea on the sunday.
by the way, if you live in the area you are more than welcome to come along to our afternoon tea. it's an opportunity to hear more about TEAR and what we do with them. as well as hang out with us, and eat some fairy bread. if you don't like fairy bread there are other nibbles as well. including old people things like sandwiches, fruit cake and date scones. if you're interested, leave a comment and i'll let you know the details.
March 17, 2009
tummy time
it sure isn't his favourite thing, but he's pretty cute. what a good boy lifting his head. a new thing after weeks of just lying it down on the side. lazy thing.
March 16, 2009
cha-ching
i found today that KRudd is giving us $900 on Wednesday. and since both howie and i are both expecting to get $900 in april, we decided it was only fair that this $900 is oscar's. but we're not sure that oscar will do much to stimulate the economy with it. he has given a bit of it away, and the rest will go into his savings. gosh oscar, letting the country down!
March 14, 2009
8 minutes on high
rain may be soothing for some of us, but seems it isn't for oscar. that is a poop. normally he goes straight to sleep at night, but not so far this evening. gosh. the thunder probably doesn't help.
we survived (so far) our first full no daddy day. maybe i shouldn't write that as the day isn't over. and he isn't asleep yet. i don't know what i will do if he stays up all night. probably go insane.
i'm finding the unfortunate thing is that microwave meals seem to be the easiest thing for dinner if i'm by myself. generally there is no chance for me to cook and eat a "proper" meal before this last feed of the day. and i don't want to be doing it after the last feed, as i'm wanting to go to bed as quickly as possible. so microwave it is. last night was beef hot pot. and tonight is honey soy chicken. and they've both been quite tasty.
March 13, 2009
a weekend for two
howie left this morning for a camp thing and won't be back til sunday night. which isn't heaps a big deal in and of itself, but there's no phone reception, and it's the first apartness since oscar was born.
i miss howie when he goes away. he's my buddy. i like hanging out with him.
March 11, 2009
noise
when we came home from hospital i thought i'd like to continue with the noisy sleeping times. the nursery in the hospital is incredibly loud and lit with fluros. but i'm finding as the weeks go by that oscar is more likely to go to sleep in his room if it's a bit less light. i try to keep the noise down a bit, particularly as he attempts to move between sleep cycles (the things you learn when you have a baby - they sleep in 40 minute blocks, and don't always transition well between them).
and that means i'm much more aware of noise. and of all the different sources of it. this morning was a doozy. sure, we live near a train line, so fair enough for trains all day and cargo trains at night. but...
i've realised we live under a flightpath.
i've realised that living near a block of townhouses means weekly garden maintenance involving leaf blowers, whipper snippers and mowers.
i've realised that having a few blocks around us being built on means ginormous trucks with very loud engines going up and down hills.
i've realised there are a lot of car alarmed cars in our street. and that they tend to go off.
i've realised neighbours cats in cages will fight at all hours.
i've realised neighbours pebbled front lawns are crunchy under foot.
i've realised builders down the way play loud music whilst using loud tools.
i've realised we have a neighbour in the townhouses that sneezes very loudly.
i've realised helicopters often fly over our head - where from and to and why i have no idea.
but hey, at least i can control the light. the magic of curtains!
March 10, 2009
verse of the day
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”- 1 Peter 3:15
March 09, 2009
goodbye to the white house
remember how i said i could get addicted to the west wing?
well i did.
and now it is over. and there is a big hole in my life. a hole that can't be filled.
what do you think i should start watching now? i have a good three forty-minute slots most days. so 1/2 or 1 hour shows on DVD will work easily. suggestions?
March 08, 2009
March 07, 2009
mesh and pie
here we are. home for another saturday night. howie and i just spent some time with our marine strength mesh screen door staring at the mesh to see if it made funny patterns in our peripherals. oh yeh, it's all happening here.
today's lunch was pie in the sky. it's been a few months since we've been there, but there's now sky burger there as well. we stuck with the pies. vegetable for me. chicken for howie. oscar didn't have any pie. which saved us $4.70. i wonder when he can eat pie how much they will cost then.
anyway, back to sky burger. i wonder if they are actually part of pie in the sky, or just renting the space. i'm sure we'll try them out one day. but it does seem a bit weird that pie in the sky isn't just pie in the sky anymore.
March 06, 2009
11 barrys
howie just went and bought 11 new barrys from reef aquariums. as i type he is attempting to move them from bucket to tank via plastic cup. it's a slow process. barry #1 is still alive and kicking. barry #2 went from bucket to cup to tank to pineapples gut. i couldn't watch.
howie's just given up. my turn to try get barrys #3-#11 from bucket to cup to tank.
update: we don't think these barrys will last long. fish count. 9.
shopping ethics
howie and i have a few copies of the 'The Guide To Ethical Supermarket Shopping'.
it's a handy little resource for reducing our impact by providing info on the environmental and social record of companies behind the brands for common supermarket products. so we can be deliberate in what we buy. or don't buy.
it's not perfect, and doesn't factor in fair trade as much as we might like, but it's still helpful.
let us know if you want a copy.
March 05, 2009
unpredictability
having no idea what each day will look like is starting to 'something' me. i'm not sure what the 'something' is that i quite mean - it's not quite frustrate or annoy, but it's 'something'.
not knowing when i go to bed if i will be awake half the night just because my head is stupid, or if i will have to get up at 2am, or 5am, or 2am and 5am to feed oscar. not knowing if he will sleep during the day. or how long he will sleep for.
for example. he has just spent 40 mins trying to get to sleep. no real big crying, just fussing and squirming. and technically i should leave now for mothers group. but i don't think i will go, because he is finally asleep. problem is he will probably wake up in 20-40 minutes anyway. so it's lose-lose.
argh! vent vent vent.
i'm just grumpy coz i only got 4 broken hours sleep last night. things could be much worse.
March 04, 2009
fish count
0
both the remaining fish have disappeared this afternoon. seems barry and barry were eaten. they were huge as well! i don't think feeder fish would normally last four months.
time for another visit to the aquarium.
cat fight
i've discovered next door doesn't have just one cat, but at least three. so at night when they decide to come outside in their cage, they have huge screaming fights, with no means of escape. awesome.
