A Work In Progress

2014 has been such a year of change. I end the year with more than I dreamed I could have. Don't get me wrong, life is not a fairy tale, but it is an adventure that I'm loving.  I have learnt so much this year, but I still haven't learnt to have a quiet mind and as a result my brain is always planning and always stressing! So what do I hope for 2015?  I hope I'm a good Mum. I hope I'm a loving and supportive partner. I hope I do well in my new job and balance those demands with the needs of my family. I hope for good health and happiness for all who I love. Most of all, I hope for a quiet mind that can be grateful for small things and have moments of stillness. Happy New Year everyone.

Today we said goodbye to our cat George. George was a Lilac Tiffanie breed. He was born on 25th November 2001 but didn't come into our lives until 2002 when his original owners decided to give him up. I remember meeting this fluffy cat with pistachio coloured eyes one evening and laughing at his comical expression.  George continued to make us laugh over the years and endeared himself to everyone who met him. George suffered from a cat version of Parkinsons but don't think for a second that slowed him down!! Our wobbly boy still managed to climb things and catch birds and rabbits (although there was some debate about whether the prey he caught was already dead when he found it...) George even has his own gang! He partnered up with the neighbour's cat "Mr T" and together they roamed the neighbourhood getting up to mischief. I loved visiting my parents and seeing George, Mr T and Zoe (Mum and Dad's other cat) all hanging out together in the conservatory. Speakin...

Grace can wave and say "bye" and it is gorgeous!!!

Nothing says "Auckland Summer" like a walk and an ice cream in Cornwall Park. I love getting out and about with my two favourite people. Grace had her first taste of ice cream and was impressed! A good day.

This is the face she has done since birth and I adore it. Wide eyed, deep thinking and slightly concerned.

Gracie has mastered the art of rolling and scooting backwards. It gets her where she needs to go...most of the time. It does cause her some frustration when a toy is in front of her and she can't figure out to get to it quickly. She ends up rolling in a big circle and eventually gets to where she wants to be. So it's a bit of an inefficient way to get around compared to the more traditional  crawling but she gets there in the end. And God bless her, it's adorable to watch.

So Gracie had her first Christmas today, and I reckon she had a pretty good day. Time spent with family and of course, presents!! There was a slight rookie parent error when Chad and I realised we had not checked if batteries came with the pirate ship we got her....it didn't. Sigh. We finally found some after searching the house. Grace was relieved. Gracie was a bit of a fashion plate today, she wore three different dresses and looked adorable in each, but I am biased I know. She has now crashed in bed, exhausted after all the excitement. Merry Christmas Gracie Girl.

Ah bless...when you try to take a sweet picture and your daughter ends up looking a bit tipsy....

So last night I went to the Katy Perry concert. And it was amazing....amazingly awkward. It felt like you were watching a school variety show, kinda endearing but moments of cringe. For the amount of money spent putting on the show I guess I expected more polish. Anyway, the best part of the show was the person to my left...the coolest chick in the world, Susan. Fresh off the plane from this year's African adventure and as wonderful as ever. She is adored by every member of our household, so you can imagine how much she was missed while she was away!! We had a brilliant time last night, even though, as you can see from the photos, we were pretty befuddled by the performance.

So we are all sick today. Cough, temperature and general misery. To date we have managed to get sick one at a time, which is good because we are terrible patients. I can't speak for Grace or Chad but I know I like everyone to know just how sick I feel as  I'm pretty sure it helps with the healing process. So today in our house, with everyone feeling yuck, we are all trying to out do each other with just how near death we are. Not sure who is winning. Postscript: Grace wants everyone to know that she is really sick but she feels she has to smile when she sees a camera.

Hi It's Grace here. I need to talk. Today Mama and Dadda took me to a Christmas party. I was really looking forward to it as it meant I'd get to hang out with my peeps. But there was something that I wasn't told. Oh I've heard rumours from the other kids. Whispers  of "watch out for the guy in red" but I didn't know what to expect. When he arrived I was cautious but Dadda was holding me so all was good. Then he called my name. Before I knew it Dad gave me to this guy!!! Just handed me over!!! I was in shock but recovered when a present was given to me and the red man and I opened it together. (It was an adorable outfit that I'm going to look soooo cute in...thank you to Ben for the present!!). But then Dadda still didn't come get me. And bloody Mum was snapping pictures. It was NOT acceptable. And I let everybody know. It's amazing how when you express yourself loudly how quickly your parents run. So final verdict on the red guy?  Well he gave ...

Strictly speaking we don't really need the baby monitor anymore but I love watching her sleep. It's all I can do not to run in there and cuddle her! In the mornings I watch her chatting to her bunny until she decides she better call on us for breakfast. I love how she knows where the camera is and looks right at it to get our attention. My clever funny girl. I know I'll have to turn off the monitor one day, but not yet. Not yet.

On Monday we headed out to try get through as much Christmas shopping as we could. We got home, with heaps of bags and I began wrapping the presents. When I finished wrapping, I realised that I could not find the book we had bought for Grace. I searched all the bags again and Chad searched the car. I was so annoyed when I realised that I must have dropped it at some point in our shopping trip. I kept hoping I'd find it and I searched the car again yesterday, along with under the bed (no idea why...) and the rubbish. This morning I sat next to the tree, nursing  my coffee...still annoyed at myself. I looked to my right and spied a present that was square. I picked it up and then it hit me. The book was the first present I had wrapped.....

My baby girl turns one next month and all I can think about is how much weight I've gained and need to lose. I know that I need to work on it (and I am trying) but more importantly  I need to focus  on the miracle that the last 20 months have been. I nurtured a wee life in me. I gave birth. I fall more in love everyday with my girl and her Dad. I experienced amazing support from friends and family. I was able to take a full year off work with my girl to bond with her. I now return to a great job and know my girl is having fun with her Dadda. My girl is happy and healthy. My partner makes me feel like the most beautiful  woman in the world. I will get healthy, it is important.  But I also need to focus on the wonderful family I have and the happiness in my world. Weight is just a number and a number shouldn't control your happiness.

Let me start by saying we ALL know Grace is freaking adorable. Right? So why the hell did she not win the photo competition we entered?!@? $@!? And don't get me started on the babies that did win.... Sigh. Yes I have turned into one of those types of mothers. I guess we all knew it would happen given how competitive I am. I know it's not an attractive characteristic and I'll try not let it get worse. Step one is admitting you have a problem right? But Grace should have won....just saying.....

Today we headed out  for a walk in the beautiful botanical gardens. The weather was glorious, as were the gardens themselves. Auckland is beautiful in summer.

I've finished day two of my new job. Brain being stretched in a new way and I love it, but I'm just a bit knackered!! I'm easing into it slowly though. Tomorrow  off, work on Thursday, then Friday off. All of next week off and start full time on 15th Dec. Then of course have a break for Christmas  and New Year!! What a great way to start a new job!! My girl is having fun with her Dad and that has made my first two days so much easier. It can be stressful dealing with change and I know there will be teething problems as we work out our new routines. I also know that we'll get through them as a family and find what works for us. So tomorrow we'll have some family time, and I think I'll appreciate that time with my two favourite  blue eyed people more then ever.