Another baby boy

December 11, 2014 / Renae / 2 Comments

Already having a boy and a girl is an interesting position to be in when pregnant with your third child. Everyone asked if I knew what we were having this time around and I’d always have the same response:

“No we’ve never found out. We like the surprise. But if I already had 2 boys I think I’d want to know!” Obligatory laughs all round.

And that was the truth. I’m not saying that I would have found out, but I know that I would want to have a girl if we had 2 boys already. Of course I would love my baby no matter what, and to be honest I don’t know if I’d have the courage to say “I’m really hoping for a girl.” (Or a boy if I already had 2 girls.)

I really thought this one was going to be a girl and I was really excited about the name we had picked out for “her”. Hubs always insisted it was a boy, so when he was born and Hubs said “I told you so” all I could feel was pure joy. We didn’t even have his name finalised (that’s a story for another day) but possibly because our first born was a boy, it was like I was reliving that moment, and what a moment it was. Both times, just as special.

I guess I’ll never know how I would really feel/react in the case of already having 2 babies of the same sex. I do know that I love babies and I want to have more children, and in the meantime, this is the darling face I get to stare at any time I like 🙂

Welcome to the world

December 7, 2014 / Renae / 7 Comments

Please meet our son, Darby Jacob. He finally decided to grace us with his presence at 12.45am, today the 7th of December. He was born a very healthy weight – 4.32kg (9 pound 8 oz) and is already feeding nicely.

I know I’m completely biased but he is just so beautiful. I’m catching up on sleep today and will go home to start our life as a family of 5 tomorrow. Hubs has time off until Christmas day so we get to hang out a lot over the next few weeks.

Chanbe and Quindy met him this morning. Chance is quite besotted, asking for lots of cuddles and wanting to know when the baby can come home. Quinn was a little unsure about the whole thing but is already walking around saying his name.

For the last couple of weeks, Chanbe has been asking on a daily basis “is it the baby’s birthday today Mama?” It’s so nice to be able to answer him “yes”.

Happy 4th Birthday Chanbe

November 30, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

4 years (and 3 days) ago, Chanbe came into our lives and changed our world. There have been sleepless nights; tears of joy and triumph, as well as frustration; many a milestone; countless kisses and cuddles; and everything else in between you can possibly imagine.

We had a little BBQ dinner for our big 4 year old on his actual birthday (Thursday) and were so pleased that everyone we invited was able to come. Quite impressive for a Thursday afternoon/evening party. He and his little friends ran amok while us adults chatted and drank and ate around them. As happened last year, a thunderstorm rolled in and the 10 minute downpour cooled things off for the evening which was delightful. Hubs cooked delicious lamb to have of souvas, and as per Chanbe’s request, I made a train cake.

My biggest goal for the day was not to give birth, so after achieving that, I felt like it had been an absolute success! I was on my feet all day, so I crashed a bit on Friday and have been pretty exhausted since, but it was such a wonderful afternoon that it was totally worth it.

Well my not-so-little guy, you continue to delight and entertain us with your smile, cheekiness, and energy. You are inquisitive and ask very interesting questions – you get that from your Dadda – and that will take you far in life. Although a bit overly enthusiastic at times, you are fiercely protective of your little sister, and you can’t wait to be a big brother again soon.

We love you and can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

One of those shopping trips

August 26, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

You know the one. The 3-going-on-4-year-old wanting everything he sees and throwing a massive tantrum in the middle of the 5pm rush; the 18-month-old voicing her displeasure over the load in her nappy the size of Texas; the looks of pity and acknowledgment and “ah yes I’ve been there” from fellow parents and onlookers.

Yesterday I did not have that shopping trip. Yesterday I was grateful, for so many things.

It was just after 4pm when I put Quindy into the pram and set off to pick Chanbe up from kindy. I planned to pop to the dodgy Woolies which is just around the corner from where we live after picking Chanbe up, to get a few necessities, depending on how long the kids remained happy once we arrived. It was a lovely walk to the shop – about 1km – and the kids were happily chatting away.

We went through the shopping rules again, as we always do, and as I heard Chanbe say “no asking for food, no asking for drinks, no asking for toys” I praised him, only to be told “no Mama, I’m telling Quinny.” More praise.

We arrived and Chanbe immediately wanted to get out of the pram and help me shop. I took a breath and decided that this could work. He put his shoes on (no kid of mine is going to be walking around the Bronx Woolies barefoot) and we put the basket in his seat. The next 20 or so minutes were bliss. I would point to the item on the shelf, he would pick it up, give it to Quindy, and instruct her to put it in the basket. I ended up doing a slightly bigger shop than I had planned, simply because it went so well.

When we went to the checkouts, Chanbe wanted to show me the toy section. Here we go, I thought. But I said to him that it would be lovely for him to show me and then we would have to go and pay for our shopping. He pointed out a few things and that was it. Another sigh of relief and more praise for good choices.

I pushed our ginormous pram through the checkouts, paid for the shopping, gave the kids an apple each, and we were on our way.

This is how $60 of shopping fits nicely in the pram:

On the walk home, I thought about how grateful I was to have had such a positive experience. Parenting is hard work sometimes, and I know that I can get overwhelmed and bogged down by the monotony and challenges that this job brings. But yesterday, I chose to be grateful.

I’m grateful that I have 2 wonderful, healthy children who make me smile and make me proud.

I’m grateful for our awesome pram that I was a bit hesitant about buying initially, but that I haven’t regretted once. We get comments on it every time we go out which makes me love it more.

I’m grateful for this beautiful weather we are having. I struggled a lot with the summer months up here, but the last couple of weeks we’ve had lovely cool nights and beautiful days. The sun isn’t too hot, and there has been a nice stiff breeze to keep the flies away.

I’m grateful that I never have to worry about money to buy food and to pay for living costs.

I’m grateful for my fully-functioning, albeit slightly slow and sluggish body.

I’m grateful that even though I’m experiencing some not so fun ligament pain, I can get out and exercise which is so good for me at the moment.

I’m grateful that I have a loving husband who has a good job that enables me to be at home with the kids.

I could go on, but you get the idea. How can I not be grateful when I have all of this;

… and more:

Wifey: 26 weeks with #3

I have been waiting a long time for this

August 20, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

It started not long after Quindy was born. Chanbe was quite put out but the new human being taking so much of his Mama and Dadda’s time, and he let those feelings be known. Frequently. I shed tears over his behaviour towards his little sister. I wondered where my gentle little boy had gone. I couldn’t leave them in the same room together, and whenever he was around her, I was on edge.

I would be so jealous when other mums gushed over how their older child was so kind and gentle with their new baby. I wondered why he was acting this way and how I could possibly make it stop.

The answer? Understanding. Patience. Gentle teaching. Time.

The combination of these things has resulted in Chanbe growing into a very loving and caring big brother. Oh how I have waited for this moment.

They play together so beautifully now. Most of the time. They still have their disagreements, but it’s more that Quindy is sticking up for herself and Chanbe will come and tell me if she’s doing something to him he doesn’t like. It takes a lot of self control for me not to say something along the lines of “buddy, you had it coming”, instead I take the approach of “if Quindy is doing something you don’t like, you need to ask her to stop” just as I have been teaching Quindy that for months. She can now say “No” to Chanbe if he starts getting a bit over enthusiastic.

A few times, the kids have wondered upstairs together, and after a little while and a lot of silence, I’ll go and check on them. I’ve found them a couple of times like this:

Chance reading Quindy some stories

This “milestone” for want of a better word is all the more sweet, having had to work very hard and wait a long time for it. It has certainly made life easier and more harmonious around here.

Happy Ruby

August 3, 2014 / Renae / 1 Comment

My parents celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary this year. The actual date is still 2 weeks away, but we were almost all in town (poor Hubs had to work 🙁 ) so we went out for a fancy-pants lunch yesterday at the Ocean View Estates Winery. It’s also the same place where one of my cousins is getting married next April, and where my dear friend got married back in 2007. The weather was absolutely stunning.

I didn’t realise Mum was mid-blink for this photo! But it’s still cute 🙂

This was taken during dessert – I ordered the chocolate fondant with Guinness ice cream and salted caramel. Oh boy. It was ridiculously decadent. I had ordered the crusted prawns for entree which were delicious and the crispy lamb ribs for main which was probably the best lamb I’ve ever had in my life. Oh man I want to try making that at home.

After dinner and a few beverages, Aunty Kate decided to join Chanbe on his rolls down the hill. It was rather gorgeous.

And although Uncle Kris didn’t partake in the rolly-poly, he was happy to do some spin-arounds.

And Grumpy was happy for a footrace down the hill, and a slow trek back to the top.

We decided to hire a mini van so we could all travel together. That is, so everyone who could drink, did drink, and I drove the booze bus home 🙂

It was such a wonderful day. The kids were absolute angels in the restaurant and made me very proud. The food was delicious and the ambiance and view were delightful.

Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad. Here’s to the next 40! 🙂

Happy Birthday Ma

July 27, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

The main purpose of our visit this time around was Hubs’ Mum’s 60th birthday. Hubs and I took it upon ourselves to organise the “do” and it was so lovely to be planning such a lovely occasion and being surrounded by family is always wonderful.

We stayed at the family house in Wooloowin which was vacant at the time, so it was a bit of a “camp out” which was fun! And a bit chilly in the mornings!

We came across my old violin that I had in primary school. (Did you know I played violin for 3 years? I then saw the light and switched to double bass. I never looked back, and I think everyone was grateful!) Hubs decided to pick it up and give it a crack, and I asked if he’d like me to teach him to play Happy Birthday for his Mum. He did as much practice as time permitted (not much) and Chanbe was happy to help him out with a few pointers too.

Saturday, the day of the party rolled around, and there was lots of preparation to be done for the 4 potjies we put on. Okay okay, Hubs put on! I was his Sous-Chef for the day and just did what I was told (within reason…) He was the master of ceremonies though, and did an amazing job keeping everything bubbling away.

He did 4 pots in total; 1 lamb, 1 beef cheek and ox tail, 1 beef brisket and 1 goat. I was rather skeptical about the goat but it was incredibly tasty!

This was the final product: 4 amazingly tasty dishes, each with its own flavours, served over polenta. Everyone raved about the meal and I was very proud of Hubs’ efforts – feeding 30 or so people is not easy!

We then took our places around the fires and kept toasty warm. It was a rather chilly evening, so I was so glad we had these. It also created a wonderful party ambiance.

Ma made a lovely speech and Hubs said a few words too. It was so special for Ma to have her 4 kids and partners and all of her grandkids together.

Everyone had a lovely afternoon and evening and it certainly kicked off a great holiday for us!

Happy Birthday Ma! And here’s to the next 60! 🙂

Happy Birthday Hubs

July 8, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

On Hubs’ birthday last year, we found ourselves at a cocktail party, drinking far too much and finding out our friend Sonia had decided to apply to go to Mount Isa in 2014, mainly because of all the extra financial incentives. Hubs and I told her she was crazy and that was that. Or so I thought. We then started joking about how funny it would be if we considered Mount Isa. Then we looked into it. Then Hubs applied. And the rest, as they say, was a disaster… ha ha. I mean history… We still joke about that night with Sonia and now that we have made it halfway through, we are feeling like we have achieved something that we found quite challenging at the beginning.

So what does this all have to do with Hubs’ birthday? Well, since his birthday falls in the middle of the year, and since we move every year, we have usually established some new friends who make up the guests at Hubs’ birthday gathering. And as I looked around at the 10 adults and 5 kids that made up our little group, I couldn’t help but feel very blessed that even though we haven’t had the best of years, we have still managed to befriend some wonderful people who were excited to be a part of the celebrations.

Although Hubs had to work the night shift that night, he still had a lovely time and I know he appreciated our new friends making the effort on a Monday night. Chanbe had already told me that we had to make a green dinosaur cake for Dadda, so I had to oblige. Certainly not one of my most skillful efforts, but with Chanbe decorating with the smarties, it turned out pretty cute. And it was this recipe which is my current chocolate cake go-to. So delicious!

Just happy.

Happy birthday Hubs. It’s been an interesting year, that’s for sure. I love how you still say and do things that surprise me and keep me guessing. You are such a good egg and I love that so many people get to find that out for themselves. You show them the real you and that’s who they get to know and love, just as I have and continue to do.

The three of them

May 13, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

Right now, this is what makes me happy. Seeing these three people. Knowing they love me and trust me and believe in me. Being able to hold them and nuzzle into their hair; to kiss them whenever I want. I tell them I love them, often. I want them to know every single day how much they mean to me, and how they keep me going when all I want to do is hide away. They make me want to tell anyone who will listen, all about them.

So, here they are.

The Lego

May 12, 2014 / Renae / Leave a comment

We are a Lego family. Hubs grew up loving Lego, and that love has never wavered. His Mum tells me about the hours and hours he would spend on the Lego mat, surrounded by the stuff, building all manner of things. When we had Chanbe, people would always ask what they could buy for him for Christmas and birthdays, and although in the beginning I would ask Hubs for gift ideas, I soon realised that this was a pointless exercise as his response was always the same.

“Lego.”

Funnily enough, it was always the same when I asked for gift ideas for him too… and Quinndy…

Thankfully up until now, for Chanbe and Quinndy at least, it has all been about the duplo. Duplo I can see before I stand on; Duplo doesn’t get sucked up the vacuum cleaner; Duplo can’t be swallowed by a 1-year-old baby sister (though she will try!); Duplo is simple and easy – even I can make a plane out of Duplo. But Lego is another story all together. I wasn’t ready for Lego, but Hubs was, so it has been introduced into the family home.

And once we arrived at Hubs’ sister’s house, the childhood collection didn’t take long to re-surface. The problem is, it’s been years since anyone has really played with the family Lego, and all sorts of bits and pieces have been thrown in with it.

Enter Hubs; Lego organiser extraordinaire:

You can’t actually tell by the look on his face, but he’s having a great time here, sifting and sorting through decades of collected Lego. The stuff on the left of the photo (on the coffee table) is the broken bits and fake Lego that are to be repurposed/discarded. The stuff in the box is yet to be rifled through, and the big pile in front of him is what he’s been swishing around for the last 2 hours, ever since the kids went to bed. I think the sound of Lego being “sorted” may do my head in if he keeps it up all week!

One thing he has found somewhat concerning, is all the bits and pieces of Lego people, and the severe shortage of hands. He is afraid something like this may have taken place over the years:

Anyway, he’s having a lovely time playing “big boy Lego” as it is currently called in our house, with Chanbe, and looks forward to even more Lego building with Quinndy once she’s old enough. In the mean time, I’m happy to stick with the Duplo.