I feel good (da-ner-nah-ner-nah-ner-nah)

October 10, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

Well, how would you have written it?

It’s Saturday night, we’ve just had a lovely afternoon/evening at our neighbour’s place, Hubs is back there tinkering in the workshop with the man of the house, I’ve just had a wee tipple of wine, and I’ve been wondering what to blog about tonight.

Oh, and I just remembered I need to book some accommodation for Hubs’ upcoming trip to the UK. Must do that next.

So I thought I’d tell you that I feel good. Like, the best I’ve felt for a long time. Not just emotionally, but physically. And it’s all thanks to Fit Mums.

I have been attending this class religiously since May, and I could count on one hand the number of classes I’ve had to miss in that time. It has been my saviour this year and I friggin’ love it. Even though most of the hard work is around what I shove in my gob every day, this little group of mums, Ben the trainer, and Ash the child-minder, have all combined to help me feel goooooooooood.

I even bought new exercise clothes! So now I’m not working out in my maternity wear. Instead, I’m looking totally buff in this getup 🙂

Look at those clowns in the background. I’m a regular now, and the kids are just a part of the furniture. Or pilates equipment…

I know, right? I still have a long way to go, but I’m closer than I ever ever have been.

Want some comparisons? Well, this was me 6 months after Quinn’s birth (so just over two years ago), after completing my first 5km “run” with the fabulous Beth. Remember that post?

That’s a maternity top I’m wearing btw. I’m pretty much the same “size” (a.k.a. weight) that I was then, but am leaps and bounds ahead in physical strength and fitness. When I did the Couch 2 5k that time, that’s all that I was focused on, and although I’m really proud of what I achieved then, I have so much more understanding of my own body and health now than I ever have before.

Speaking of before, this was taken in April this year.

And I share this photo not to berate myself or feel bad about my appearance then. I feel no shame when I look at this photo. I’m happy. You can tell by the big smile planted on my face. I’m surrounded by my beautiful family, and I’m holding a glass of bubbly in celebration of my friend giving birth the day before, and life was good.

I’ll say it again: I feel no shame. Not then, and not now. I didn’t hate my body or how I looked. I was confident in my own skin and could find nice things to wear that made me feel good.

But I knew that my mental health and physical health would benefit from more nutritious food, and more physical activity. And that has led me to where I am now.

I just feel good. And on this Saturday night, I just wanted to share that with you all.

Oh, and I need to book that stuff for Hubs… 🙂

Darby’s Baptism

September 21, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

Yes! It’s finally here! The blog post that is. The Baptism was in June. Am I forgiven? Good. It really was a lovely and special weekend. Darby’s Godfather flew in from Mount Isa, and his Godmother, along with family and close friends, all traveled up from Brisbane to stay for a night or two. Hubs cooked up a storm on Friday night on the BBQ, while we did a bit of prep work for the next two days.

It meant so much to us to have “our people” with us for the weekend. There was so much just sitting around, shooting the breeze, and enjoying the company. As usual, the photos tell the story best!

Darby-doo with his Godfather, Felix

And Godmum Sonia

The kids absolutely loved all the attention! As well as the hammock that Uncle Felix bought us. Winner!

Hubs with his 2 BFFs

This scene spells out pure joy for me. Wonderful friends and family, fantastic food, and not a care in the world.

This was the order of service the church put together for us. It was so gorgeous!

Darby looked grand in the family Baptism gown that his older brother and sister wore before him.

And the service was really lovely.

A few nice family photos before Chanbe and Quindy went too feral.

And then back home for more good times and good food.

And of course, there had to be “foot” cakes, just like Chanbe and Quindy’s big days.

We made a little toast to a wonderful weekend.

Thanks again everyone for coming and sharing Darby-doo’s special day with us, and for being some of the first people to see our first house. It was such a great weekend, and we look forward to more in the future! (Great weekends, not more kids to baptise… 🙂 )

The fog is lifting somewhat

September 10, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

Today is the first day in a few weeks that I’ve felt more like myself. I’ve had a few days where I’ve had a sleep while the kids are sleeping (1-2 hours) and a few nights with only three wake-ups between the three kids. Actually, last night it was just Chanbe (once) and Darby-doo (twice). Quindy is sleeping through like a champ. Two weeks and three nights ago, we started gently encouraging the kids to sleep in their own beds “all night long”. Somehow, about 5 months ago, they both got into the habit of coming into our bed during the night and sleeping there for the remainder of the night. I’m not going to lie. Hubs and I were quite enjoying all the snuggle-time with the four of us in our big, warm, king-size bed. But about a month ago, it was just becoming ridiculous.

Chanbe would lie across the bed and kick Hubs half the night; Quindy would wake up at 3am and want to look at the photos on my phone; and Darby-doo was getting woken up with all the hullabaloo, and wanting to be boobed back to sleep. Of course.

So I sat them down on the Monday morning, after a particularly ridiculous night’s “sleep” and gently explained to them that it was time they started sleeping in their own beds “all night long.” I told them that if they wake up and would like a cuddle, to call out to me and I would come in to them. We talked about it a fair bit that day, and I set up some incentive milestones – for one night, they got a little surprise (I can’t even remember what it was now – maybe a piece of chocolate with morning tea???); for one week, they got a toy (Chanbe got Dusty Crophopper, fire and rescue plane and Quindy got a Peppa Pig phone) and for one month, they will get a bigger surprise (yet to be determined. Most likely Lego of some sort.)

And it has worked. The first week was really hard going, with wake ups/cuddle requests/feeding 1-2 hourly; the second week brought some good nights and some really ridiculous nights (hourly wake-ups between the three of them!!) and the last few nights or so, have definitely been better. I knew it would take a little while, but I also knew it would totally pay off for everyone. The kids are getting better sleep, Hubs is getting much better sleep, and I know there will be a time in the near future that I will get to sleep “all night long” as well.

I’m feeling a real sense of achievement around it to be honest. I didn’t want the kids to feel unwelcome in our bed, and I didn’t want them to feel abandoned. But I also knew that we couldn’t keep going the way we were going, and function properly during the day. So much of parenting is about encouraging kids to be more independent, but also letting them know that you’ve got their back.

I started weaning myself off my meds around the same time as we started this exercise, and I realised that it was a really bad time to do so. I’m just not ready yet, and that’s okay. There’s no hurry. Good sleep, clear thoughts, and joyful moments are much more important at this time.

Sweet dreams everyone.

My little back seat rebels

August 26, 2015 / Renae / 2 Comments

“Oh I could never do that”

August 24, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

I’ve had this phrase muttered to me on more than one occasion in my adult life.

Like when I tell people we have moved 8 times in 7 years.

Or when I tell people we have three children and no family around.

And more recently, when I joined an indoor netball team with a bunch of other mums (we’re called “Mad Mamas”) whom I had never met before. I literally showed up one Monday night, and looked out for a group of ladies wearing black shirts and black pants. And two months later, I find myself at high tea with a few of them.

Life is funny like that.

And most recently, when I befriended a kiwi doctor’s wife who would only be here a couple of weeks and we’ve hung out almost every day with her and her 2 kids since. And I’m really bummed that she’s leaving on Wednesday because we absolutely just clicked. And it was no drama for us to invite them to a dinner party last night with 9 adults and 8 kids. One of my friends nearly had a heart attack when I told her how many people were coming. Yeah it took some preparation, but we had the best afternoon/evening!

Hubs and I really instill in our kids to at lease try things. This goes for food, activities… anything! And Chanbe gets so proud of himself when he says to us “I tried it Mama and I liked it!”

2 weeks ago, I tried playing GA in netball instead of GS. GA requires a lot more running, and I thought to myself “I’m too unfit for this position” but I gave it a go, and it turns out 4 months of exercising is starting to pay off!

So go on. What could you just try this week? Give something a go that you are convinced you couldn’t do and feel free to let me know how you go!

A leisurely lady-like high tea

August 16, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

It’s fun playing ladies for an afternoon. No kids; getting frocked up, and sharing delicious food and drink with a bunch of gals. Six months ago, I didn’t know any of these ladies. Two months ago I only knew three of them, and now, thanks to joining an indoor netball team through a new friend, I know them all. So when I was invited to a high tea fund raiser with them, how could I say no?

Here’s the frock of choice for the afternoon:

It’s nice to be able to wear a dress that a) I haven’t fit into for over three years (woot!) b) doesn’t need to be “breastfeeding friendly” and c) that I can accessorize with dangly earrings instead of boobie beads.

Here is the setting:

There were close to 200 tickets sold to the event this year, and they really put on a great afternoon. And here are the ladies who made it extra fun for me:

What a good looking table we were. Lots of laughs and fun stories were shared, as well as a few glasses of bubbly. It really energised me to be honest. If you know me, or if you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I’m very much an extrovert, and really need these social outings to keep me going. It makes me a better mum, a better Wifey and just a happier gal all-round.

And if you’re new here to the blog, welcome! I’ve had a few people recently tell me that they’ve just started reading which is always exciting. Stick around and enjoy the show! 🙂

On arriving home after the high tea, it was back to life as I know it. There was washing to be hung, kids and adults to be fed, dishwashers that, no matter how hard I wish, won’t unload and then re-pack themselves. I flitted about these activities with a sense of calm. Yes, it was back to it, but just with a slight spring in my step.

Oh, and because I spent the afternoon eating, I skipped dinner and went straight for the wine. And instead of doing the mountain of cleaning up in the kitchen first, I decided to say hello to you all.

Because sometimes the dishes can wait.

How are you spending your Saturday?

August 15, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

My mother in law is visiting this weekend and we’re cooking a Potjie.

Our little neighbour is also visiting for a play.

Happiness in a pot…

If you want something done…

July 29, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

…ask a busy person to do it.

Too true, too true. I often describe parenthood as a state of being constantly busy, but in a completely different way than I was before.

Pre-marriage and pre-kids, I was always busy. A week night to myself was pretty rare, and a weekend without plans was unheard of. When we moved to Melbourne, there was a void in my life that I struggled to fill; I had so much time to myself that I had to learn to enjoy my own company a bit more.

And now that we have children, I don’t stop very often for very long during my days, except for my 11am coffee of course, but some days I don’t feel like I’ve gotten anything done. When in actual fact I’ve fed and nourished 3 children with 3 main meals and endless snacks, I’ve sent a husband off to work with a full tummy, a coffee and a delicious lunch, most likely done some washing and cleaning and tidying up, have taken the kids out somewhere, maybe done some shopping… well you get the idea.

Some days feel incredibly unproductive; I feel like I’ve just been chasing my tail around all day, ignoring the kids and hoping they can entertain themselves, yet not actually getting anything useful done. And then there’s days like last Wednesday and today where I’ve been on the go all day and can sit down now with my cup of tea and feel like I’ve accomplished something.

So here’s cheers to Wednesdays. They seem to be the day that sh*t gets down around here!

And now for some more Falling Skies 🙂

Did you know?

July 26, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

Did you know that in the last 2 weeks, I’ve written a blog post almost every day? No? Well that’s because those posts haven’t made it from my head to my keyboard in that time. But I tell you what, there have been some crackers in there! For instance, I finally told you guys all about Darby-doo’s baptism; I shared some baking that I’ve been doing; and I shared with you that we are completely hooked on the TV series Falling Skies. I’m totally crushing on Dr John Carter (fine. Noah Wyle) right now. Can you blame me? (Holy moly look at that baby face!!??? Has it really be that long since ER was on TV??)

Did you know I had a big cleaning frenzy on Wednesday and have vowed to keep the place in a respectable fashion from now on, and so far I have!? Our dining area went from this:

to this:

and the kids toyroom went from this:

to this:

I completed my to do list that day and feel great for it. I’ve also been putting in more effort day-to-day to keep it in a nice state so that each morning we’re not waking up to a mess. I think it’s helping with our morning routine as well.

Did you know that I like my bananas to be really ripe? Like really ripe. Like this:

Did you know that I don’t actually know how to turn on our new laptop/tablet? I just press all the buttons on all the sides until something happens.

Did you know that Darby has started pulling himself up to a standing position? He’s not even 8 months old yet, nor is he crawling – just scooting around on his tummy commando-style.

Did you know that he smiles whenever I pull my phone out to take a photo? As per above.

Did you know that I’m a Marriage Celebrant? I did my professional development last weekend and it was so great to meet other celebrants in the area and it got me all geared up again to DO MORE WEDDINGS! Know anyone who needs a celebrant? 😉

Did you know, that for the first time in my life I’m actually losing weight and it’s not as hard as any other time I’ve tried? I’ve just finally (FINALLY!!!!) found my sweet spot. I’m still enjoying life, but I’m just not feeling the need to shove crap in my cake-hole every single day. I haven’t felt this good in a looooong time, nor have I ever believed that a) I can reach a healthy weight and b) that I can keep this up long-term. I’ll update you as I go!

Did you know I’ve been meaning to share an hilarious youtube video of the kids singing Let it go. Which I will do…. now! Enjoy Quinny’s finale 🙂

Did you know that Darby-doo is now big enough to sit in the trolley seat? So this is my view when I’m feeling daring enough to take the three of them for a (very) quick shop:

Did you know that I’ve been blogging for 7 years now and I still love it!? Like, seriously love it. I should do it more often 😉

Cream and sugar

July 20, 2015 / Renae / Leave a comment

I could hear scratching coming from the next room; rummaging, fossicking, and then silence.

I had two choices. Do I go and investigate, or do I drink my hot cup of coffee and enjoy my cuddles on the couch with Chanbe for just a few more minutes.

I knew it might be to my detriment, but I opted to stay in the couch on this cold and windy day. I take my 11am coffee very seriously and it would take a lot to get in the way of it.

I then went to take a look, and this is the sight that greeted me:

She was supposed to be having her daytime sleep.

But, obviously, smearing zinc cream all over her arms and legs seemed like a much better use of her time.

I have started planning some baby-proofing measures for Darby, but it seems I need to Quinn-proof a few of my drawers first.