New York, New York

I can hardly contain my excitement! This morning, out of nowhere, my wonderful and amazing husband surprised me with an early birthday card he and Avalon made that included inside a flight itinerary to... 

NEW YORK CITY!

That is right, we are off to the 'Big Apple' this weekend! All three of us are going to take in the sights of Manhattan and surrounds. I have always wanted to travel to NYC and am absolutely floored that Grant has managed to organise this as a surprise present for my 30th birthday, with the inclusion of our families. Considering I was hoping for a pair of wellies, My Lovely has certainly surpassed any expectations I had for birthday gifts.

Top marks, Dear husband and family.

Feeling very thankful... very blessed... and extremely spoiled.

Pearl Jam Twenty

Last Tuesday night the hubby and I went to see the Cameron Crowe documentary 'Pearl Jam 20' which chronicled the career thus far of the band since their inception in 1991.

As I have mentioned many a time before, we are huge PJ fans and as the documentary was only showing in cinemas on this one night, we took the opportunity to have a date night. Many thanks to Granny for looking after Avalon for a couple of hours.

The film was brilliant, definitely a must see for any PJ or rock music fan. Crowe used hours of rare and unseen footage and I particular loved that the film focused so much on the early and mid 1990's.

It was also nice to have a night out with hubby at the cinema, snuggling together in the couples seats like we used to do.

Love. You.

Last Saturday, the 17th of September, I got my first 'love you' from my girl.

That is all.

There are no words...

I would kill for this.

I. Love. Sushi. I could eat it every day without fail. I crave it and along with family, friends, beach, coffee dates, sunshine and Byron Bay... I miss sushi the most.

Avalon Update

So, what has been happening in our world that is all things Avalon?

She has started to put together two or three words at a time. Usually questions. I have mentioned before how amazed I am at how quickly her vocabulary is growing, this age (16, 17 months) is such a time of growth it seems.

She loves to play with her books and when she is talking whilst reading, she is recites the story from memory. I can hear key words from the book as she flips through the pages- something my husband used to do as a child I believe. Right now she loves Naughty Parents, Where is the Green Sheep? and Each Peach Pear Plum.

She loves to point out objects, animals, people- 'Shoes!' 'Up Stairs!' 'Izzy!' 'Sheep!' 'Apple!' 'Horsey!' (yes the exclamation marks are necessary.

We were nursing the other morning and in the dawn light she pulled away from me and said, 'Ducks!' I hadn't even noticed the twittering of the birds outside our bedroom window. We also have a painting above our bed that she did of a crocodile stencil... 'Cocadile!' She exclaims when entering the room.

She is a very confident little girl. I watch her playing in groups of other children, sitting back and observing before jumping into the play with a friendly smile. She is an avid sharer which makes me very proud, as it is something she has seen mirrored as opposed to being told to do. She loves being around people, especially children and loves spending time with 'babies' and her friend, Izzy.

I love her little cotton socks x

On this day...

On September 11th 2001, I was living on the Gold Coast in Australia in a house share with 2 others.

I was 19.

I was in my second year of university and was home alone that night. I went to bed early(ish) when I was awoken about 11pm by a phone call from my then boyfriend telling me to 'just turn on the TV.'

I walked downstairs in the dark and flicked on the small TV in the living room. Every channel was covering a terrible accident in New York City. A plane had flown into one of the towers of the World Trade Centre. The newscasters were speculating if  this was a terrible accident or was this an act of terror. Within one minute of me turning on my television and sitting on the carpet in front of the screen in the dark, I watched as a second plane flew into the second tower. I cannot describe the shock I felt, followed by the enormity and realisation that this was no accident. I called my boyfriend and we talked about what was unfolding. I will never forget him saying, 'This is war.'

That day and the next I don't think I left the living room. hearing further reports of what had happened in Washington and Pennsylvania. I was glued to the news coverage from the US, I spoke to my family on the phone. Australia was so far away from what was happening and yet, everywhere we went for weeks, the devastation of what had happened could be felt.

I cannot believe that 10 years have passed since that day and I remember it like yesterday.

I have never been to New York, but it is a city I would love to see. The resilience of her people is inspiring.

It's my party and i'll covet if I want to.

It is exactly 6 weeks until my birthday.

For those that may be wondering what I would like as a gift (tongue firmly in cheek) and may be viewing this blog, I have showcased a few things* below that would make me a very happy woman to recieve during the month of October.

A day in Camden Market- For the lady who prefers to shop... alone

Perfume- For the lady who likes others to choose it for her

 

Hunter Wellies- For the lady that rambles

Dr Hauschka skin care- For the lady increasingly concerned about premature aging

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey- For the lady who has heard good things

A shellac mani/pedi voucher from the ladies at Polished in Godalming

*more items may be added at a later date.

You are...

Envy

I dream to one day have a living room that resembles something a little like this...

Books upon books, upon books.

August Book Club

Ina May Gaskin is one of the Founders and the current president of the Midwives' Alliance of North America. She is a powerful advocate for a woman's right to give birth without excessive and unnecessary medical intervention.

Her clinical midwifery skills have been developed entirely through independent study and apprenticeship with other midwives around the world. Ina May and fellow Farm midwives were instrumental in the development of the rigorous Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) certification process.

This book is a MUST READ for any woman who is wants to empower herself and her birthing experience.

I look forward to reading Gaskin's other works on natural childbirth. Filled with numerous birth stories from women under Ina May's care care at The Farm and in some case, on the road. It was uplifting, positive and affirmed my feelings of what childbirth is.THIS book should be a mandatory read for expectant Mothers- this is what birth can (and should) be.

~*~

'Brilliant, beautiful, shockingly lucid and real, this is a novel as big as life built from small, secret, closely observed beats of the human heart. A cool, calm, irresistible masterpiece.' --Chris Cleave

Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize 2009, The Slap is an international bestseller.

At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own...The reverberations call into question the relationships between all those who witness it. 

It is a single act of violence, but this one slap reverberates through the lives of everyone who witnesses it happen. In his controversial, award-winning novel, Christos Tsiolkas presents an apparently harmless domestic incident as seen from eight very different perspectives. The result is an unflinching interrogation of our lives today; of the modern family and domestic life in the twenty-first century, a deeply thought-provoking novel about boundaries and their limits...

I loved this book. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it at first as I thought it would centre around the idea of corporal punishment but in actuality I found it to be so much more than that; an insight into cultural differences and the complexities of relationships.

I found many of the characters despicable but still 'human'- Tsiolkas' style of writing is captivating.

NEVERMIND- 20th Anniversay

On. This. Day

W.W

wordless wednesday.

Art with heart by Kitt Kat

Sucky Sunday

We spent 3 hours today with Avie in A&E.

I hate that place. In less than 2 years, we have found ourselves there 3 separate times and each time it is nerve-racking, scary and frustrating.

This morning we went to the Farmers Market at Milford. We were having a great time, checking out the local produce and the petting farm when Avalon started running on the gravel road and fell over, straight onto her face. I froze, it took her a few seconds to cry from the shock and I picked her up and hugged her to me. Ironically this happened directly in front of the St. John's Ambulance crew. I walked with her over to a grassy hill to sit down and nurse her when I looked at her head and realised a rock had actually embedded in her forehead! I couldn't believe it! I felt sick for my poor baby and had to hold back the tears as I took her to the ladies at St. John's. Avalon had already stopped crying at this point but all they could do was clean it a little (she cried again as anyone came near her head) put a plaster over it and sent us on our way to A & E.

After a 3 hour wait at Royal Surrey with thankfully, Avalon in relatively good spirits despite a rock protruding from her head, a nurse decided to see if she could remove the rock with an instrument (we had been told to wait for a Doctor) and as I fed Avalon, the nurse worked the rock out. Avalon screamed and thrashed about but as soon as it was out she was fine again. She has a butterfly stitch plaster over it to close the wound. I am so thankful that is all it took.

She slept well in the car and has been great this afternoon, colouring, watching the Wiggles and playing with her watering can in the garden.

I am reminded how precious she is, how life can change in an instant and how grateful I am for her health. It could have been worse and I hope to not visit the A&E again- that place seriously gives me the heebie jeebies.

G I R L . . . .

I love going about my day and hearing a great song from the past playing in a cafe, store etc... I heath this yesterday whilst having lunch in EAT at festival place.

S O U T H B A N K

Today was one of those days. The ones where you take note and smile; This is your life and it is fab.

The morning started like any other, except for the wonderful promise that a Saturday morning always brings. By 8.30am, G had suggested we head to London to the aquarium at South Bank. It seemed like a bit of a trek to London (well, to me anyway) ridiculous I know as the drive is no more than an hour, but we (I) threw caution to the wind and soon we were setting off in the trusty polo with Avie nestled in her seat in the back, toy kitty in hand.

I lived in London from 2005-2007. More specifically, I lived rather close to South Bank and count it as one of my top 3 favourite spots in London, surprising then that I had never ventured to the London Aquarium, or  not so surprising given how incredibly BROKE I was during those years, my student years, even though I hadn't seen the inside of a university lecture hall since 2003.

It was an easy drive (says I, the passenger) and I LOVE seeing central London by car. It is a whole different perspective after years of public transport and pavement pounding. Driving over the Westminster Bridge, past Big Ben, hanging half out the window to take photos felt exciting. Every visit to the city is a reminder again how much I love London and consider it my (one of many) home(s).

Avalon loved the aquarium, getting up close with the fish, sharks, turtles and penguins. We played in the park on the south bank, ate lunch in EAT and I fantasized over the lovelies of Foyles.

We timed our trip perfectly as we were met with a heavy storm on the drive home (Avalon slept in the car there and back) but by the time we reached home the sky had turned a bright blue, white clouds and jet streams- Avalon had woken with a smile (always a good sign) so we decided to take a walk through a nature reserve about 5 minutes from home. A fitting end to a great day.

It is so important to take note of these moments, to feel grateful and blessed by our lives. I am a self confessed 'glass half full' kind of gal so I need a reminder to stop and smell the wonderful roses that are around me from time to time. Life is pretty great.

Evolve

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."

I have had a sense of melancholy of late watching Avalon go from baby to toddler. Time is rushing forward and although I am excited and marvelled by every new development I am also saddened that she is no longer a little babe. Her personality is strong, she is extremely impressionable and she is nothing short of a delight. Looking at her, I have my moments of broodiness, I feel an ache for another baby and then as quickly as the feeling overcame me, it dissipates. For now.

Until I was a mother I never truly understood how a person's life would change.

More importantly, how I would change. I couldn't fathom how mummyhood would grip me, consume me and alter my being.

At 28 years old, I became a mum earlier than I thought I ever would. I viewed parenthood as the hardest role one could undertake, and I knew I wanted to 'do it right' when the time was right.  I likewise swore up and down that I wouldn't become one of 'those' women who only spoke about her children, who started the day with baby sick on their shoulder without a second thought, who disregarded so much of her former self to be Mum. 'Those' people who stopped being fun, stopped having a voice of interest. I would go so far as to say I looked at those that did with a perceived air of disdain. Silly rabbit.

I challenge anyone that makes a child their number one priority to NOT be consumed.You live, eat, breath and sleep (somewhat) for your child. You (may) stay at home with them, be with them 24 hours a day, you create distance from those that do not understand the momentous shift in your life. I realise now how NATURAL this is, how normal this is, and I how I wouldn't want to be any other way.

I could never have imagined I would be so passionate about natural parenting. That I'd be breastfeeding her at 16 months old (and counting). That she would frequently share our bed and  I would not pursue strict routines for her life.

I imagine friends and family look upon my journey with bemusement. But that is life. I am learning. It is OK.

I am a mother.
I am a partner.
I have hopes and dreams that are totally my own.
I am changed through my life experience and I wouldn't want it any other way.

The 'old' me, who was not a mother is still very much present, she is not lost.

 

As I am passionate about natural parenting, I am still so about social justice... art... music.

This was my journey to me. I am still me, the me I was always supposed to be.

New.

We've had a few new words from the past 2 days... This child is growing too fast for my liking! I cannot keep up and need more time to capture. every. moment...

Yellow
Purple
Monkey
Ball
Balloon
Bear
Yuck
Mouse
Good
Girl

Oh and when she wants milk, she says 'MILK' loud and clear! For the longest time she said what sounded like 'Book' (a combination of boobs and milk is my assumption) but now there is no mistaking... including the grandiose pulling down of my shirt in public. Welcome to toddlerhood.

A toast to you my love...

So my wonderful husband has scored himself a new job. I am so proud of him as he has been working hard over the last few months with recruiters and interviewing with a number of companies, looking for the next step in his career, and a new move for our family.

He is leaving the army after 8 1/2 years. It was time for him to move on and was certainly time for our family to take the next step to 'Civi Street.' We have been married 4 years and in that time we have moved to Germany and then to the UK. We would have been moving again last March if he hadn't signed off as the Signals regiment moves every 3 years.

There is absolutely no love lost between the 'army' and I. 'They' have robbed us, cheated us, had a total disregard for our family and others and have caused a huge amount of stress to Grant and I and regrettably between Grant and I. So, suffice to say, I am looking forward to saying farewell... and FUCK YOU.

Grant is thrilled with the job offer. He had 2 interviews with this particular software company and said he felt like a good fit within the team and the work was an exciting advancement to what he has been doing. The company is global and have offices in Australia. *happy dance*

So, if all goes to plan, G should start in November, which will also mean we are moving house (bluergh... I hate moving) but we are excited to start the next chapter of our lives outside the army 'bubble.'

Give us a kiss, Love!

So Grant was up in London town yesterday, thankfully the rioting had stopped (or not started for the day) and I was working... boo hoo... Avalon spent the day with her Granny as she does eevry Tuesday and I tell you what, I just burst to get home to my girl at 5pm.

Last night we hung out, reading stories and colouring which is her absolute favourite thing! She could literally colour for 30 minutes or more (an eternity in baby years) nothing enthralls her that long except maybe The Wiggles. Ironically, she has a Wiggles colouring book and of course, every picture is 'Daddy.'

While we were colouring I snapped a few piccies and caught a few kisses. I could die from the sweetness, I tell you.

I showed her the photographs on the digital display of my camera and twice she said 'Avalon.' I could hardly believe it! My heart bursts with pride thanks to this girl... so sappy to anyone but her Mama but really, I could watch and marvel her all day long.

She says so many words now I can hardly remember them all. I am astonished at how well we can verbally communicate at 16 months old. Maybe this shouldn't be a revelation to me but she is such a vocally confident little girl. 'Again' 'More' 'Round & Round the Garden' 'Birdies' 'Flower' 'Frog'-- there are new developments every day.

Speaking of kisses, she loves to push G and my head together to kiss, all the while having kisses bestowed on her too... please tell me this will always be the way. My heart is so full from her love.