Well, havn't we been busy the last few weeks! Rob's back from Europe (flew home on my birthday), Noah now has two teeth AND he can crawl! :) He is so much happier to play now because finally, after all these months of wishing he could, he can now move around under his own steam.. must be an amazing feeling for someone thats been stuck on their bottom for months on end!

He is growing up so much now.. only 6 weeks until his first birthday (a point which im still struggling to believe!). I went shopping after work yesterday for some summer clothes for Noah and as hes going into size 1's now, we can now shop in the 'Big boy' section, not just the babies section.. suddenly its all board shorts and PJ's with satin boxers instead of little jumpsuits and booties.. in some ways it feels like a lifetime ago that Noah could fit into those tiny outfits but in another way, i feel as if i just blinked and suddenly a year has passed... and whats even scarier is that if i dare to blink again, i know when i open my eyes again he'll be 2.. or off to preschool, or school.. or getting his drivers license :s ...i'd best go get some more baby cuddles from my little man while hes still too small to protest too much :P

A Blustery Day & Half Way!

With the gail force winds we have copped in the last few days I'm glad to say that luckily no one has blown away! The Highlands is quite a mess with tress and powerlines down all over the place. We were left without power for 2 days which also means no water as we rely on an electric pressure pump.. NOT FUN!

Rob's been in Europe for two and a half weeks and we have reached the half way point today! Noah and I are missing him lots and i cant wait until he gets home.

Its been SO cold here that Noah and I have been stuck inside for days. we went out so he could have some time on the swing yesterday and only lasted about 2 minutes because it was so freezing! he burst into tears when i took him inside because he wasnt finished swinging yet, poor bubba! Cabin fever was definately setting in big time! We went grocery shopping today and spent the arvo with Rebecca and Noah. It was 4.30pm by the time we got home and Noah was well and truely ready for bed.. so much so that we didnt even bother with his bath, just dressed him in his pj's, he had his bottle and straight to bed.. not a peep since :p

Well.. we are officially a single parent household - for the next month and a bit at least! Robin left for Europe this afternoon and I have to say, I miss him already. Though I'm used to him being away alot, and he's had a lot of shows lately too, but I think it's more knowing that he'll be gone so long this time thats making it hard already. During his previous overseas tours I always found the evenings the hardest because it was always time we usually spent together and I expect this time will be much the same (though with a teething baby, I'm not imagining the nightly wake up calls will be much fun on my own either!). I'm sure Noah will keep me busy throughout the days and fingers crossed the time goes quickly. Just 35 days to go! Until then it's just me and Noah.. and Billy of course, but he's hardly much of a conversationalist!

8 Months and Counting

Noah is now 8 months old and this past week has all of a sudden decided that day time sleeps are the bomb! .. to say that mummy is very excited about this lasted development would be a grave understatement! After 5 months of fighting him every nap time before he would finally give in and drift off, he now refuses to be rocked at all, I just pop him in the cot, tuck him in with his dummy and his blue 'puppy' blanket, and walk out and he doesnt make a peep until its time to get up.. usually 45min-1.5hrs.. suddenly I have time to get things done, it's great :) He has also decided to go back to having his 6/7am breakfast bottle and then going back to sleep for a couple of hours.. which means I can too :) This morning he didn't wake again until 10am, and it was perfect timing too since I was run off my feet at work yesterday and I really needed that sleep in!

Rob bought home a cold from the Melbourne show with The Amenta the weekend before last (though he insisted it was only 'a dry throat from the air con in the hotel'.. hmm first time I've ever heard of a dry throat being contageous BOB??) I ended up catching it and so did Noah.. Somehow Noah managed to escape with only a runny nose for a day or two but I was struck down with it for a week. Im pretty impressed with Noah's immune system actually.. hes been around quite a few sick people/children lately and never seems to catch what they've got.. if only I wasn't so run down I might be able to fight them off better too.

The weather here has been rediculously cold over the last week.. the only saving grace is that its been sunny and so doesnt make me feel so miserable because I can't be out very long in it with Noah. We can only go out for him to have a swing for a few minutes before he gets too cold so we've both been suffering a little cabin fever I think. I rugged him up like a little eskimo the other day and we went for a walk just to get out of the house for a bit.. Usually he gets figety and fusses after about 10 mins in the pram but I think he was so pleased at a change of scenery he happily sat in there for nearly an hour, the whole way around the 'big' block.

Noah has become a pro at getting onto his tummy from a seated position.. problem is once he's there he can't get anywhere else. He just lays like a beached whale on his tummy slapping the floor with one of his hands and crying to be helped up. It's definately cute..but also tiring for both of us! I've tried so hard to help him learn to crawl but he just can't get those limbs to move in the right way.. my poor little man, he's so frustrated. He'd do anything to be on the move but he just cant yet. And so all day we go through the cycle of - sit him on his bottom, he flops onto his tummy, then cant move anywhere and starts crying, I help him try to crawl, he doesnt get it, so i sit him back on his bottom and then the cycle repeats over and over and over. He loves walking and will call out to be helped onto his feet and he'll then cruise around holding onto your hands, taking these giant over exaggerated monster steps. He's begining to try to cruise along the furniture (with support) but the balance just isnt quite there yet, he's learning fast though and just in the last few days I can notice a big difference in his ability to judge distance and decide whether to risk the stretch from toy box to coffee table or not.. usually he goes for it anyway, but I'm pretty sure it's because he knows I'll catch him before he falls. I've taken to letting him fall (but cushioning the fall so it doesnt hurt) and it's helped his balance a lot.. But because he can't do any of these things solo yet, it means most of my day is spent keeping him happy and/or mobile so he can do the things his brain wants to do, but his body wont let him.. and as a result the washing is piling up around me and if it wasnt for his lovely naps I wouldnt get anything done!



Only a week and a half until Rob flys out to Europe for 5 weeks.. Still dreading it but I'm sure I can find ways to keep busy. I'm planning to go visit mum and laura a few times for a couple of days as she's has holidays over that period. I'll take Noah up to visit dad and Mick too, I dont think they have seen him since Easter. How is it that time just dissapears out from under you? before you know it, months have passed and you're sure it can't possibly have been so long, but it has. I remember the day Noah was born like it was yesterday, but in reality theres only a few months until his first birthday and I know that in no time at all that too will have come and gone. As exciting as it is to witness all these moments and milestones, it's also a little sad that they will only happen once and then in the blink of an eye they will be just memories in the past. Time seems to drag on forever when you are a kid, but it seems like you hit a certain age and all of a sudden someone hits the fast-forward button on your life and you spend the rest of it trying to keep up whilst cherrishing every moment and trying to lock it in your memory before it passes out of sight. I suppose thats why I'm writing these down, in the hope that reading these little notes will trigger the little things I wont remember years from now. But mostly it's for Noah, so he can read about his brand new life before he starts to remember it for himself.

First Frost of the Season

Well, evidently no one told winter it wasn't expected until June. Last night it got down to just 1 lonely degree here in the Southern Highlands and we had the first frost so far this season. Yesterday the maximum temp was 4°C but with windchill it was more like -1.7°C ... After spending last winter fairly pregnant (and thus with almost double the volume of blood in my body to keep me toasty warm) I am finding this cold snap even harder to take and my toes are already threatening frost bite!


Noah is also having a difficult time in the cold weather. I have taken to layering his clothes to the point of rediculousness. The poor little guy can hardly move but at least I know hes warm :p. I used to tease mum over my baby photos because she used to dress me in more layers than an eskimo, but now I see there was probably good reason (though we did live in a much milder climate when I was small than I do now).

Saturday Noah and I were invited to a Learning Ladder party with Bec and Noah. They had some great stuff and though I didnt intend to buy anything, I couldnt resist and ended up ordering some really cute books for Noah, I cant wait till they arrive... I also bought him a huge bucket of ball pit balls off ebay :) The portacot will do for now as a perfect pit for them but I havn't decided who's getting more enjoyment out of all these toys yet, me or Noah! :)

This Sunday we celebrated our first Mothers Day with Noah. Mum and Laura came to visit and Mum bought Noah some beanies made by the old lady down her street. They are so cute on him! one is a brown one with a pom-pom, Noah looks like a truffle in it, especially with the matching vest on too. We had a lovely afternoon together and Noah enjoyed hanging out with his Nanna and Aunty Laura so much that he was utterly exhausted come bed time.

Tuesday Noah had his 6-8 month clinic appointment. Hes 8.6kg and 78cm long.. still bang on the 50th percentile.. so even though he isnt keen on expanding his repetoire of soilds, he's still doing perfectly well growth wise. I often give him some chopped up chunks of fruit or a rice biscuit rusk to have a chew on, but he just looks as me as if to say "yes? and what am I suppose to do with this?" he will then bang it on the table and then get bored with it and drop it on the floor.. He wont even eat chunky purees.. if he encounters a lump he will suck off the smooth stuff and promptly spit out the cleaned lump.. So I guess Baby Lead Weaning will have to hold off a few more months and we'll go with the traditional method of making everything into mush.


All in all, the nurse was very impressed with Noahs gross and fine motor skills. He apparently has amazing muscle tone and core body strength, especially for a baby who refuses to spend anytime whatsoever on his tummy. He is just on 7 months and has been supporting his full body weight since about 4 months and this week has begun to pull himself up to stand all by himself. It was good to hear her say such things as I sometimes feel as though he's behind because he's not showing any interest in crawling, hardly ever bothers rolling (unless its to get off his tummy) and is happy to play with whatever toy IS in reach, rather than go for those that aren't.. but as the nurse said, that probably just shows more of an easy-going personality rather than a developmental concern. It's so hard not to compare your baby to everyone elses, mostly because you are constantly handed charts and graphs and told where your baby 'should' be on them and even though it can be perfectly normal for them not to reach such goals until months later, there is still that unwritten concern when your baby is on the later end of the scale for something. But regardless of all the charts and doctors opinions in the world, I am so proud of my carefree, chilled out baby boy and I am so much enjoying watching him grow and change. I cant wait to see the little person that is slowly emerging bit by bit each day and whatever path he chooses in life, as long as he is happy I will be so proud of him.

Noah's First Easter

Noah had his first visit from the Easter Bunny this past weekend... and while mummy and daddy got our first parental Easter chocolate over-load, Noah was wrapped in the other parts of his Easter bunny goodies... Peter rabbit books, dinner sets and bunnies... but more so the packaging they all came in! :p

Last Monday Noah and I went to visit our friends Bec and Noah again. We havnt made it to mothers group much lately so it was great to see them again. 'The Noah's' had a great time showing off their sitting (and hitting) skills to each other and Bec and I were amazed to find we'd both bought the boys EXACTLY the same items for Easter :p ... but I suppose out of all the names in the world we did name our children the same one, so theres a good chance we have the same tastes in other areas of life also!

Rob didnt have any gigs this weekend for the first time in over a month. So its been great to have him around for more than 2 days in a row! He's off to Newcastle and Sydney this weekend, after that we get a couple of weeks break before the dreaded European tour kicks off.

I've been getting stuck back into the house painting this week. When Noah was a newborn I was able to get half the outside of the house done while he slept.. but all that changed when the colic and relfux set in, and once they subsided he wasnt a sleepy newborn anymore. Instead he was an alert, ready to be entertained baby.. and as a result we've had a two-toned house ever since :p. So since Rob has been leaving for work quite early in the morning and getting home in the early arvo, I have had time this week to keep chipping away at the green walls.. and replace it with (a slightly brighter than anticipated) purpley-grey! .. The doors and trim are also not the tone I was after.. I wanted a deep, burnt purple/brown  but what I ended up with was more of a Cadbury chocolate factory purple.. oh well, bright is good for the soul isnt it? hehe.. it is now!

I must remember to book Noah in for his 6 month vaccinations this week. He's a week away from being 7 months, but his teeth (or more accurately, lack of) have been giving him such trouble I didnt want to add anymore to his plate so he's now a little behind schedule. He's slept so well today, almost 3 hours all up already and its not even 3pm yet. I think he must be going through a growth spurt. It would expain why he all of a sudden inhales his solids twice everyday now.. and will easily down 1/2 cup of them and still have room for 210ml bottle of milk directly afterwards!



Speaking of which, I should get back to painting before he's awake again!

 

Happy 1/2 Birthday Baby Boy!

This week Noah hit 6 months old!!! I'm at a complete loss to figure out where the last 6 months have gone.. it honestly feels like only a few weeks ago that we bought him home, all tiny and new.

Rob left on Thursday for the first leg of the Australian tour with The Amenta. They were playing Melbourne, two shows in Hobart, and another in Frankston (Vic) on the way home. So nearly 5 days away - which meant nearly 5 days for me being a single parent.. Good practice for June when Rob leaves for 5 WEEKS on the European tour.. A daunting prospect, and something I prefer not to think about right now!

Brydie came to hang out with us Friday night/Saturday. Was great to catch up as we dont get to see much of each other these days. Noah's a big fan of Aunty Brydz and was on his best behaviour during her visit.
..That was, until Sunday night when everything turned upside down :( A teething baby + only 1 mummy = a very long and screamy night for both of us! I think we totalled about 2 hours sleep all night, and somehow come morning Noah was bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take on the day (or at least the 2 hours until nap time).. whereas me... well, I was far less presentable :P

Noah is working on crawling at the moment. But he can't seem to get both the front and back ends up at the same time.. and most of the time ends up face planting the floor because his head is so much heavier than the rest of him - poor little guy! i might have to add some counter weight to his nappy to give him half a chance :P
I give him an A for effort though! The will is there, and I'm sure before long he will find a way! I'd better start baby proofing the house now.

The weather is getting cold now, today is raining and misty. Noah is all rugged up on the swing on the veranda while Rob plays him some guitar. I'm glad he's home again, even if its only for a few days before the next leg of the tour :)

What It's All About

Well.. to continue on from the last post, the Teething Fairy is still with us :( And still no toothy-pegs to show for all those tears. This week our household has been a sleepless one by night and a zombie-stricken one by day. But when your house contains a baby, isn't that usually the case?

Overnight Noah decided to do a little language study. When I went in this morning to get him out of his cot, he greeted me with a whole heap of sounds I've never hear him say before. C's and U's, W's and B's... up until now its all been ooo's and arr's with a few goo's thrown in for good measure.

Last week Noah took his first (supported) steps. This week, hes off and racing! Yesterday, he took 31 steps in a row across the lounge room while holding onto my hands. Last week he just watched in amazement as his feet moved one step after the other, now he just looks at where he wants to go and refuses to go in any other direction. I've been trying to encourage him to crawl, but as it involves starting out on his tummy, hes not having a bar of it..

Oh well, I've come to realise Noah is very stubborn! (can't imagine where he gets THAT from :P ) He is capable of doing certain things, i've seen him do them when he doesnt think anyones watching, but you can't force, encourage or even losely hint or suggest it to him.. He will do it only if he vaguely feels like it and is quite happy to remind you of that with a good old fashioned tanty if you even try. A trait which I'm sure will serve him well later in life, but Lord help us through the toddler (and teen) years!!

More developments of this week:
- squealing (and i mean ear drum bursting, glass shattering squealing),
- the beginings of the 'turn yourself into jelly and wriggle and slip your way to feedom' when being held,
- blowing raspberries when he gets bored with a bottle, covering everyone/thing in the vecinity with milk.
- Travels like a big boy - since he's now reached the magical 8kg mark, his carseat can be turned around so he travels facing forward, a big step in a little guys life! and one that he's very happy about.. if a little confused at first.
- cuddles :) . So very sweet! He has for a few weeks now snuggled into your neck when hes still sleepy after waking up.. but now he wraps his arms around your neck for a cuddle.. pure love. so thats why i got myself into all of this!

The Teething Fairy

This week we have played host to The Teething Fairy... not the most welcome of guests, but one that seems to have settled in for the long haul none the less. My poor little bub has been a gnawing, drooling machine full of grumps. So out came the Bonjela, and the Panadol, the Camomilla drops, the teething toys, the strange (but very effective) feeding net filled with frozen peas.. the gum massages and just about every other remedy or soothing technique both in the book and out of it! but - for now at least, theres still no sign of those pesky pearly whites.

The black bundle of fun that joined the family a few weeks back has since had a name change. No longer is he Moses. He is now Macchiato, or Macc for short (Macchiato being a type of expresso coffee with just a 'stain' of milk.) Since Macc has just the slightest hint of chocolate in his coat in the right light, it seems a good fit for him. Moses 'Moe' was dropped because it soon became apparent that Moe is just a little too similar to 'No' ..which for a small puppy who's learning the ropes is a tricky thing to understand! One thing Macc does understand, is the tasty treats to be found in the vegetable garden. He likes to mimic a hog, snuffling for truffles (or in Macc's case - ripe cherry tomatoes). He knows the greens ones aren't ripe, and so searches out the ripe (and far tastier) yellow and red ones, scoffing them as he goes! clever pup!.. the raspberries have the same appeal to him it seems, but heres a few we managed to beat him to - i think i'll turn them into Chocolate & Raspberry Self Saucing Pudding.. YUM!

Summer is officially gone and I have a feeling that its going to be a wet winter. The fog was think this morning when we woke, and it didn't lift all day. I was planning to take Noah for a walk in the mist but our day turned out to be a little more hectic than expected.. not a day filled with anything in particular, more a case of the daily routine falling apart and nothing getting done at all :p (Thanks again Teething Fairy).

Noah's working hard and is oh so close to sitting alone comfortably. Those few moments before he topples sideways are stretching longer and longer.. a couple more weeks and he'll have it in the bag! .. And for his next trick - stepping. Hes been happily standing tall (when held) for awhile now, but though we encouraged him a lot, he was never game to take a step. Well, times have changed and he is now taking tentative steps foward (though often he ends up stepping one foot on top of the other and not understanding why he cant take the next one :P) But just the same he is SO proud of his new trick and his little face says it all! looking up at you with this big surprised smile as if to say "did you see that!". I'm so proud of you bubba, my clever, clever boy! x

5 Months Old Today

Today is Noah's 5 month 'Birthday'. I was having a look back through all the photos of him and its just amazing how much he has grown and changed in just five short months. He has gone from a sleepy newborn ball of squish to a giggling, rolling, grabbing bundle of fun (and sometimes grump :p). This month has seen Noah really inprove his head strength when on his tummy.. he's still not too much of a fan of tummy time but he can actually prop himself up on his elbows a bit now and it seems to be making all the difference for him. He has found his toes, learnt to roll both ways, squeals when tickled and also during his new favourite game - being tossed in the air. He 'gets' peek-a-boo now and finds it quite funny! and he is almost able to sit by himself.. though only for a second before he topples sideways. He has also figured out how to suck his thumb occassioanlly and is getting very good at putting his dummy back in his mouth himself.

I put him in his first size 0 outfit today and was amazed that it actually wasnt swimming on him. I thought back to the 00000's that were a bit big on him when he was new and am already shocked he was that tiny! I have packed most of this 000's away now (would have done then all if he'd give me a chance to get anything done :p) As clich'e as it is, time really does go much too fast when you have a little one.

Today was the first day in a long time that Noah has had a decent day time sleep. He slept for 2 hours today and is so happy this afternoon.. Finally I have my happy boy back instead of the grumpy one thats been hanging around for the last little while. I tried to tell him he'd feel better if he slept, but i suppose this is just the first in a long line of 'I told you so's' that i should never say :p

Rob and I are going out for dinner tonight once Noah's asleep. A month or so ago we decided we should go out once a week, just to two of us and have some 'us' time.. as anyone with a baby knows, the minute they arrive every second of the day is devoted to them (and rightly so) but we owe it to Noah to take sometime out for us and recharge the batteries for the next round.. so please go to sleep quickly tonight Noah <3

New Kid On The Block

This week has gone by so fast its scary! Its Saturday again already and for the first time all week I have a chance to sit down and have a cup of tea while Noah has a nap.

Rob was playing a gig with Norse in Newcastle last night and stayed at Treelo's place. He was meant to be grocery shopping this morning on his way home.. but I can hear him pulling up in the driveway now :( Which means we will probably have to spend tomorrow doing it.

Thursday was Robs birthday and to celebrate the occasion (since he already got his present weeks ago because 'he needed them for gigs') Noah painted his first picture for him. He had so much fun and his concentration face was priceless. I managed to get a photo of the finished product, but not the process unfortunately - It was either keep Noah from eating the paint, or take a photo... Noah won :p

 Last year I made Rob a drumkit cake for his birthday, this year it was Toadie (from Super Mario Bros).

Noah and I met up with Brydie yesterday for a picnic at Corbett Gardens in Bowral. The weather was perfect, I love this time of year! We had a great time, it was so good to see Brydz again. Its so difficult to find a time for us both to catch up... even more so now with Noah as he doesn't always cooperate :p. I was so shocked that he actually went to sleep yesterday while we were in the gardens. He hasn't slept when we've been out for over a month which has made for some interesting (and very loud) outings.

As the title of this post suggests, we have a new addition to the household. A black Labrador puppy named Moses. He actually belongs to Robs parents but since they live next door he's been adopted as Noah's new best friend (hence the name). Moe and Noah met for the first time yesterday and while Moe was suitably excited, Noah wasn't too sure about this new baby come to steal some of his limelight. He doesn't quite know what to make of a black excitable puppy just yet, but give them time and I'm sure the two of them will be inseparable.

so.. meet Moses -

Perfectly In Proportion

Noah had his 4 month clinic check today. He is actually almost 5 months old now, but due to the clinic being closed over the Christmas/New Year period this was the earliest I could get him in. He weighs 7.2kg and is 65cm long. He has followed the 50th percentile since birth and is still spot on the 50th in all areas now.. 'Perfectly in proportion' as the clinic nurse said. :) She was also very impressed by his head control and overall strength considering how much he still hates 'tummy time'. Even though he can lift his head while lying on his stomach, he still hates it. I'm lucky to get 2 minutes out of him before he is screaming to get up... but as it doesn’t seem to be impeding his development, I don’t think I’ll worry too much about forcing him to do it.

This afternoon Noah and I went to mothers group. Today it was at Briars in Bowral. The weather was lovely (autumn is really starting to kick in and so the cool breeze is taking the dry heat out of the air) but unfortunately we didn’t stay long. Noah had refused to have his nap and so had been up for 3 hrs already by the time we arrived. He was beautifully behaved for the first hour or so before loosing it at around 2pm. I have a suspicion that he may be allergic to Wisteria. Shortly before we left he began to sneeze and splutter, his eyes went pink and he couldn’t stop rubbing them. Poor little man :( The outdoor dining area of Briars has Wisteria growing all over the pergola and was the only thing around I could see that could cause such a reaction. We do have a Wisteria plant growing over the carport at home, but its not very big yet and its not in flower at the moment.. I really hope it was something else that caused his reaction because I love wisteria and was just about to plant a few more to grow over the back veranda. I will try and search out another wisteria and test him out to prove this possible allergy.

The wool roving I ordered the other week from the UK arrived on Monday. I have been wanting to teach myself how to needle felt ever since I found an absolutely gorgeous book of life-like felted animals last year while we were in Melbourne for Val's 90th Birthday celebrations.
So last night I sat down with 1kg of wool in 36 different colours and taught myself the art of needle felting. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to do. Here are a few pics of the little owl and a few gnomes I wiped up in just a couple of hours. Considering it was my first try I'm quite happy with how they turned out!

The main reason I bought so much wool was because I want to make Noah a little felted Ark with loads of animals to go with it (though how many really depends on just how addictive I end up finding felting).
When we decided to name him Noah I was totally against anything 'Ark' related. I wanted him to see Noah as his name, not someone else’s who happened to have a big boat and tonnes of animals.. BUT, I have since decided to ease up the no Ark rule.. mainly because it makes such a cute toy and it seems silly to deny him it just because he happens to share the same name as the guy who built the original. If his name was Thomas I wouldn’t deny him anything to do with Thomas the Tank Engine… And so the Ark's invade :P

A day of 'Firsts''

 The weather here has been crazy this week. So much rain in so little time. We actually ended up with rivers flowing through the yard (and washing away all the new seed we had put over the 'lawn' we are trying to get to grow. As anoying as the rain might be, it has made for some spectacular views. This is a picture of a storm rolling up the gully behind the house right on dusk last night.

Yesterday Noah and I went to visit our friends Bec and (her) Noah for lunch. We met when the boys were just a few weeks old at a mothers group run by the Child Health Nurses. Noah is only 3 weeks older than Bec's Noah and its funny to watch them together now as they are begining to take a bit of interest in each other. We had a lovely time and Noah was even kind enough to lend my Noah his cot for a nap.

Last night Noah slept in his cot over night for the first time. Hes been happily taking his day time naps in the cot for about a month now and even though I wasnt ready for him to go into his own room at night yet.. he was :(  He has quite clearly outgrown the bassinet in our room, so as much as I wanted him to stay in with us until he was 6 months.. it wasnt to be. It took about 1/2 hr for him to fall asleep which is much more than the 5-10mins he's usually asleep in. But he slept through without a peep until 5am this morning... so it was a success! And I didnt even get up 12 times to check on him, though that may have been because of the Sound & Movement baby monitor literally picking up on his every move :p .. well worth the small fortune I paid for it.

It seems like in just this past week, all of a sudden Noah has started growing and changing far more rapidly than before. Everyday theres something new he can do that he couldn't the day before. Where as up until now, weeks would pass without hitting a new milestone.

Speaking of Milestones, today Noah started on solids. I decided to skip over the rice cereal for now, in favour of something a little more natural and with a bit more flavour than Clagg Glue. To me there just seems something odd about offering highly processed white rice to a baby as their first introduction into the wonderful world of food. Besides the horrible taste, its got next to no nutritional value in it and its packed full of so much added iron (which cant be absorbed anyway) that all it does is constipate their tummy.
So out with the Farax and in with the sweet potato! He wasnt too sure about it at first, but his tounge thrust reflex has relaxed enough so that at least most of what went in stayed in! We will try again tomorrow :)

The new pram I odered 6 WEEKS AGO finally arrived yesterday. I bought it online and apparently the store had a computer inventory glitch and messed up the amount of stock they thought they had in the warehouse.. So thinking they had plently, they sold my pram to someone else in the store. They didnt want to, but eventually they finally admitted it was their mistake and agreed to order me another. This new one was meant to arrive early the next week. It didnt, but yesterday (more than 6 weeks after i bought it) it finally came :) Its the same model as the one I currently have, but a newer version in which they fixed the silly design flaws of the other one. Noah hated the other one so much that I have hardly used it, but he quite liked his test drive in the new one so I think we are onto a winner!

Vaccinate Smaccinate

Noah was booked in for his 4 month vaccinations today. I wasn't looking forward to it and felt so guilty when I went to take him out of his carseat at the surgery. He looked up at me with those big blue trusting eyes and gave me a beautiful smile, as though he thought I was taking him somewhere fun and exciting.. But instead i took him somewhere to get jabbed left, right and center with painful needles :(
I always find that tiny moment between the needle going in and the pain hitting him the hardest to cope with.. It's the equivilent of watching a small child on a trike careering out of control and heading straight for a pole.. you know what's coming, but they dont.
Anyway he cried for a few minutes (and of course I forgot his dummy, today of all days!) but i managed to distract him from the pain with a knitted teddybear they keep in the room made by volunteers of The Red Cross (thank you Red + volunteers!).
All things considered, he was very brave and recovered quickly from his trauma. Even enough to charm the admin ladies on the way out (he'd already buttered them up quite nicely while we were waiting to see the doctor).
Such terrible timing for vaccinations. He's just hit a growth spurt and has spent the last 3 days guzzling milk like its going out of date. so incase the growth spurt didnt make him grumpy enough, I decide to throw something else in for his overloaded system to cope with..
You really couldn't pay me enough to be a baby all over again! I definately feel for my poor little guy. But hes sleeping peacefully now - and since Rob's in Sydney for rehursals tonight, for my sake lets hope it stays that way!

A Rainy Valentines Day

Today just happens to be Valentines Day. Not a day Rob and I ever celebrate, so instead of highly overpriced bouquets of roses or cheap mass produced white teddy bears holding tacky red hearts filling the house, we had the usual 3 tons of washing hung over every surface in the house trying to dry..  still a decoration of sorts! :p

Day to day life has its own special kind of romance about it. I'd much prefer to sit on the veranda with Rob with a cup of Chai and watch the rain while Noah enjoys a swing, than to sit in an overcrowded resturant filled with people who are only there because someone has told them they HAVE to today.

We had a family dinner next door with Robs family tonight. Chris, Holly and Graeme have stopped in for a few days on their way through and Noah has fallen head over heels for Holly. Even though he's not been in a particulaly good mood today (teething) he has managed many a smile for his Aunty Holly.

We obviously forgot to mention to Noah that we dont celebrate Valentines Day, because not only has he developed his first crush, but he also celebrated the day with another milestone. - Rolling from his tummy to his back for the first time. He scared himself a little and layed there for a sec staring at me as he regained his bearings.. the promptly did it again. He's quite proud of his new trick! and so am I :)

Better late than never

The original plan was to start this off the day Noah was born (or at least as soon as we were home of hospital). however, as any parent will tell you, things dont always go to plan, especially with small children involved.

So here we are 4.5 months later, and only now have i finally got up and running (or more literally 'typing')... But it's better late than never!