3….How can that be???

This week my youngest baby turned 3…THREE…how can that be???

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I will forever remember the drama that surrounded Mia’s birth. Being diagnosed with a dilated aorta and tricuspid aortic valve at 37 weeks pregnant was enough to take my pregnancy to a whole new level, as we entered into a scary world of the unknown. Would I survive? Was it safe to deliver? Cesarean? ICU? Risk after? Open heart surgery?…it’s safe to say I was completely frightened out of my wits!!!! But when she finally came out, 2 weeks early, it was such a relief to hold my precious baby girl and know that I’d made it through the hardest part and so did she!

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Now 3 years on, my baby has gone so far past a baby it makes me really sad that I’ll never have ‘baby’ moments again!

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Mia – aka cookie, pumpkin, poocoo, darling, chick…pretty much anything other than Mia lol, is growing into a funny, intelligent little lady. When I looked back at photos from her second birthday, it really hit home how much she’s grown. In a year her language development has been amazing and she has been completely toilet trained since before Christmas. She LOVES reading books and her favourite shows are Playschool and the Wiggles. She knows her colours, most of her shapes, counts to 20 and spells her own name.

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Mia loves to help and she is a really good helper (most of the time lol). She is such a busy little bee now. Her week consists of hanging out with nanny while I work, play group, swimming lessons and helping me out with the house work and groceries. I really love hanging out with my mini me…she is so funny and makes me laugh a lot!! Mia was my most challenging baby and such a busy toddler, it’s so nice she’s reached an age where she’s great to take anywhere and unless she’s super tired, she really is a good girl!

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To celebrate Mia’s birthday this year which was on a Monday and my work day, we decided to have a family day on Sunday down at Wynnum. The weather was absolutely amazing and everyone had an awesome time, particularly the birthday girl. We spent the day swimming and had fish and chips for lunch.

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17th of February at 7.30pm Mia was exactly 3 years old! To celebrate the day, she spent it with nanny while I worked. They went to Maccas for morning tea and then did their usual – read books, sing songs, cuddle teddies and watch Playschool. I came straight home from work to cook dinner and ice her cake. This year’s theme was teddy bears. Mia loves teddies. She has so many of them and carries one around all the time. She was super excited it was her birthday, she didn’t even have her day nap so was pretty exhausted by the end of the day, but never stopped smiling:)

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Mia turning 3 really hits home that my baby days are over. When I walk past the nappies in the supermarket, it reminds me I’ll never have a little babies bottom to kiss again. When I looked at the Best and Less catalogue this week and saw all the gorgeous new bonds all-in-ones , I think I actually had a tear in my eye. The only bit of baby I still hold onto is the fact that Mia is still in a cot…and she loves it so much I can’t see her vacating it anytime soon lol. But that day will come…later in the year the girls are going in together and that will be the day I’ll never have a nursery again…booohoooo;(

But for now I’m not going to dwell on that fact that my baby days are over, cause my mothering days will never be over. As the kids get older and they become more involved in sport and extra curricular activities, let alone everything that comes with going to school, they’ll need me more than ever!! This is Mia’s last year before she starts preschool next year and then she’ll be off to prep! I love my work days off with her, she is my little shadow and I will enjoy every moment I have with her before she starts school!

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Me and my mini me…my very own baby angel … Happy 3rd birthday princess xoxoxo!

USA USA USA!!!!

This year marks 5 years since we took a big plunge and went on our first overseas trip to the States with two kids under 4….call us crazy but we’ve decided it’s time to do it all over again but this time we’re a party of 5!

I still remember our trip like it was yesterday. Every stop, every purchase bought, every monument found…all precious memories. The kids (who were 3 and a half and 18 months old) were amazing, way better than we ever imagined they’d be. Of course there were some hurdles and we learnt many what not to dos along the way, but all in all we had the best holiday and it certainly didn’t put us off travelling overseas with the kids again.

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Memories from our trip 5 years ago…LA, Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Pittsburgh, Washington, New York!

I expect that it may be a bit more challenging with 3 kids in toe, but the advantage this time is that Bailey and Sienna are a lot older and Mia will be the same age Bailey was on our first trip (she does worry me the most though:/). Like us, the kids are super excited. Bailey has the best understanding of what’s happening and where we are going. He still remembers our last trip quite vividly. Sienna only can relate to going to Disneyland so that’s what excites her and Mia…I know she will ask us every 10 minutes are we there yet!!!

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There was one thing missing when we travelled last time though and that was having someone to experience it with. When we returned, we spent many a time reminiscing with family about things we did and saw and wished they had been there with us. Well this time that wish will be granted. We’d hoped our next trip to the States would include all my family, but due to work commitments, only my sister and her family will be joining us and we are so thrilled for that! The kids can’t wait to share this experience with their cousins!

Our biggest challenge so far has been our itinerary. We know that this will be our last trip to the States for a very long time, we want to get it right! After weeks of discussions and tossing around many ideas, this is what we’ve decided:

* a week in LA (3 day pass to Disneyland, Universal studios, day trip to San Diego)

* road trip to Vegas for 2 nights

* 5 nights in New York

* 2 nights in San Fransisco

*4 nights in Lake Tahoe (we’ll be there for a white Christmas)

*2 nights in Santa Monica

Originally we were going to spend a few nights in Hawaii on the way home, but we’ve decided to plan a separate trip there in the near future!

Our official departure date is December 6th and we arrive home just in time to celebrate the new year!
There is no turning back now. Flights and accommodation are booked and most importantly my long service leave has been approved – yay!!!

The count down is on….8 months to go!!!!! There is still a lot to organise and think about. I haven’t done my to do list yet. I’ll do that with 6 months to go and then plod through it one job at a time. Last time we we booked and planned our trip in 4 months. I figure if I was ready for that and this time round we are ‘experienced travellers’ I have nothing to stress about….I’ll leave that up to my mother lol!

I shall keep you posted with several updates on the planning and organising of our trip!!

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My favourite photo with Mickey Mouse…so exciting to be going back again!!!!!

“Nanny and Poppy’s” Coast!

We are so very lucky to be able to have a couple of good summer holidays each year. As you would have seen, we spent a relaxing two weeks at Burleigh over the school holidays at our favourite getaway…Key Largo Family Holiday Resort. The kids call it ‘our coast’. Every year in February, mum and dad have their annual beach holiday at Palm Beach. They stay at Princess Palm Resort…the kids call it ‘Nanny and Poppy’s’ coast!

When we go on our annual Burleigh holiday, mum and dad always come and stay for a couple of night with us, so we do the same when they go away. We’ve been staying with them at Princess Palm for the past 6 summers now and we can never get enough! It’s a beautiful place to stay. It’s right on the beach and there is so much for the kids to do you never have to drive at all!!! Between the beach, pool, tennis court, mini putt putt, Currumbin Creek and playgrounds, the kids have an absolute ball!

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First year we stayed…Bailey was almost 3 and Sienna was 7 months old!

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2nd year….

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I was heavily pregnant with Mia on the 3rd year and couldn’t find a photo of the 5 of us…I know can you believe it lol!

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Our 4th year and Mia’s first holiday at Palm Beach:)

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Our 5th year….

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This year marked our 6th summer:)

Over the past 6 summers we’ve watched our babies grow and evolve…and these photos clearly indicate a change in EVERYONE lol! We’ve had a blast and we all look forward to February each year so we can go to ‘Nanny and Poppy’s’ coast lol!

These are the memories we created at ‘Nanny and Poppy’s’ coast this year…

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I highly recommend Princess Palm for anyone who wants to be metres away from several activities and have so many things at close proximity. We are already counting down the sleeps until we return!

Thank you mum and dad for always making us feel so welcome…love you guys to bits!!! Xoxoxox!!!

Another Year Older!

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Another school year has started. The routine of being out of the house by 8am has stumbled upon us once again. School lunches are always needing to be sorted, as well as making sure uniforms are washed and ready and bags are packed! And of course the afternoons are now spent doing homework!!!

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It’s been quite a smooth transition back to school and work this year. Bay started grade 3, loves his teacher and has a few of his old-time friends in his class. He is mister cool this year and kisses me goodbye at the car and I don’t see him again until the bell goes at 2.30 when he walks down to Sienna’s classroom. Then there is my little (but big) grade one girl, who if you’re a regular follower of my blog would remember how she had separation anxiety at the beginning of prep. She had been super excited all holidays to be going into grade one, especially as she has Bailey’s year 1 teacher. The tears started the night before school started back…it’s never because she doesn’t want to go, it’s always because she’s going to miss us!

After lots of positive encouraging and keeping the morning quiet and calm, I’m so proud to say my baby girl started grade 1 with NO tears…they came the next day and the next…but no where near as bad as last year! They are very minimal and stop very quickly. I’m so grateful that Sienna has the most beautiful natured teacher who is very understanding and has taken her under her wing and nurtures her like her own. I really can’t wait for the day though when she happily skips off without needing 5 minutes of reassurance;(

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Sienna has come such a long way from the little girl who started school 12 months ago though. Already her teacher has noticed the confidence in her, that even her brother didn’t have in year 1. It’s just that pit in the bottom of her belly (you know that home sick feeling) she gets and when she doesn’t have that, she oozes confidence and spark!

Each morning always brings a new start to the day and I wait with positive encouragement and distraction when I can see my baby girl let her emotions take over….separation anxiety sucks – for everyone involved! But my tough love approach is the only way to kick it to the kurb….this parenting gig was never meant to be easy! We are almost at the end of week two and there are still a few tears, but they are decreasing and I know she is so happy as she is making so many new friends…and OMG girls at that…and always comes out of class each afternoon with a smile from ear to ear:)

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It’s comforting knowing that Sienna has her big brother and cousin there. The other day Bailey was walking past Sienna’s classroom when she had a few tears…quick thinking from her teacher promoted her to call Bay in to comfort her and that helped heaps! She sure pulls at the heart-strings this girl. I asked her yesterday who she played with at lunch. Her response…”no one today, just myself!” I asked Why? Her response…”I just couldn’t stop thinking about you mum!” “I was picturing you where you stand and wait for me!” God bless her…it’s so nice to be loved!

My response to her innocence was “I love that you love me and want to see me, but I don’t want you to let your thinking of me spoil your fun at school!” “You know I will always be back to pick you up when the bell goes…school time is your time to learn and have fun!” I know exactly how she is feeling as I did the exact same thing to my mum…karma really is a b;$@ch Lol! I know she’ll get there…time is the essence to this issue!

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It’s hard to believe that my babies will be turning another year older – 8, 6 and 3…where has that time gone?? As I watch them grow and develop, it makes me proud to be their mum. I’ve certainly been dealt some rough times with my trio, especially when it has come to their health, but apart from the usual ups and downs of children, we are in a good place at the moment!

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Now that things are in full swing and we are back to routine, life ain’t that bad. Yeah things are busy again (especially on my two work days) but they are going to get a whole lot busier next week when all the after school sport starts again. But like usual you manage and when the chips are down and the exhaustion sets in, I will be making sure I still stop and smell the roses….and look at all the wonderful memories we created on our summer holiday lol!

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