Category Archives: Our Curious Life

Our Curious Life: Week 20

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Week 20 has been intense… not a constant, full on intense… just an undercurrent of lots happening. It started with Mother’s Day… this Mother’s day wasn’t my first mother’s day but in many ways it felt like it. This time last year we had one angle in heaven and baby Isaac secretly growing. Last year we spent the day telling our mum’s about our new little one on the way, and to be honest it was a nice distraction from the reality of the day. I found it hard to feel like a mum when Josh wasn’t there… I received lots of well wishes but for most of the day I just wanted to pretend that I wasn’t a mum, because it was easier and I didn’t feel like I was. I know that having a baby earth side doesn’t make me any more of a mum now, but last year I just felt like a bit of a fraud… like I was celebrating a day that wasn’t really for me. This year it felt a whole lot more real… being able to carry Isaac around, almost like a badge of honour on the day.  It was such a different experience from before. We had brunch together, I got thrown up on a few times, and we had dinner with my mum.  Isaac also made some Keepsake for His Grandma, Nanna and Nanna Naz.

Monday was Dave and I’s 7th wedding anniversary… 7 years… and so much adventure. It’s crazy to think that we are still only really at the beginning and there will be hopefully many more lots of 7years to come. I have told you all many times how wonderful Dave is and it is still true. Marrying him is still the best decision I have ever made and the last 2 years have just proved this over and over again. On Monday we received some pretty scary news that my Grandmother was very very unwell and that she needed a miracle, so instead of meeting him for lunch at school, he came home in his lunch break and played with Isaac so that I could have moment to myself, shower and work out what to do next. Over the last 7 years I have truely learnt the meaning of many of the vows that we made 7 years ago… in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad… he is my go to, my best friend, my greatest supporter and the love of my life.

So all that happened in the first 2 days of week 20… the rest of the week remained busy… with a undercurrent of anxiety and fear that I couldn’t quite shake… but we did make time for some fun things, like ramping up our efforts on getting Isaac to try solids… I still haven’t mastered my home cooking yet and everything that I do make for Isaac is usually rejected in a generous display of fake gaging… so I am thanking Jesus for pre-made baby food at the moment because he loves it… well most of it… we will work on the home made stuff once he progresses past the puree stage. We also took a trip to costco which is always fun. We had a couple of appointments for Isaac and the biggest small thing we did this week was get the light fixed in our bedroom. We broke the light fitting when we tried to upgrade it… and while Dave was in Mt Gambier I broke the blockout blind and it has been stuck fully down… so our room has been very dark for what feels like forever… but has really only been a week and a bit… but now the light is fixed and it is magical… such a simple thing… so much joy… now we just have to get the blind fixed.

We finished the week with a 6km walk which was a fundraiser for World Vision held at Dave’s School. Why 6km… because that’s the average distance people in the developing world walk for water that is usually contaminated… While we weren’t so great with the fundraising ourselves the school did a great job and our registration fees provided clean water for one person each which is pretty great. We walked 6km so they wouldn’t have to anymore. It’s only a small thing, but again it brings a heck of a lot of joy to me… and the person with clean water.

Oh and Isaac graduated from the capsule to a real car seat… which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it means my tiny baby isn’t so tiny anymore.

So we made it through week 20… let’s hope week 21 is a little lighter on the soul.

Our Curious Life: Week 19

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Hello week 19…. and welcome home Davo. Over the weekend Dave was away with school, but on Sunday he returned and both Isaac and I were alive, fed and clean… which for my first weekend solo parenting is a pretty great achievement. We finished our solo parenting weekend today with a catch up with Auntie Ness and dropping almost everything we had brought with us to church on to the floor at some stage during the service.

Week 19 felt busy, with a mixture of appointments and catch ups… I was beginning to forget what it was like to fit all these medical appointments into one week, in fact, it feels like a long time since we have had a week quite like this one. Isaac and I spent the night at the hospital on Monday with a surprise sleep study opportunity, and I was reminded that you should always take your own pillow to a hospital… hospital pillows are so crunchy especially when you are trying to stay quite so the baby gets a good night sleep so he can show everyone how great he is doing. Isaac had his eyes tested and they are perfect which is great news for a baby that has spent his whole life on Oxygen.. (fun fact: Stevie Wonder has Retinopathy of Prematurity… which means he is blind because the oxygen he was exposed to as a premature baby). We made use of some beautiful weather to do some family walks and we also had our latest Maternal Child Health Appointment.  Amazingly Isaac is now on the charts for his actual age and not just his corrected age! What a champion.

We brunched with my friends from Uni, Claire and Flic and we also got to meet Baby Jaylen when we caught up with Julia. He is super super cute and Julia is a super mum!

This week I also got my haircut… which might not seem like a big deal but this will be the third time since Josh passed away… so basically every 6months, and just like my last haircut, it was a gift from my mum. I love getting my hair cut and coloured but I find it hard to justify spending money on myself on things that are such a luxury when we are down to one income and there are some many other things we should be spending our money on. Thankfully it’s a pretty great practical gift and my mum is super generous. So thanks to her I feel like a new woman again.

We finished this week with a celebratory lunch for Ness’ birthday and early Mother’s day celebration with Dave’s Mum… it was delicious and Dave and Isaac wore matching outfits… because why the heck not.

 

Our Curious Life: Week 15

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It’s my birthday week! Woo Hoo! There has been a whole heap of listing, my actual birthday, some brace free time, family catch ups and an Ikea building day… what more could a girl want?

You know its going to be a good birthday week when it starts with an alpaca themed gift… including a matching alpaca wool alpacas with your alpaca loving sister. This was apparently meant to appease our desire for real alpacas at my dad’s place, but I think it has probably just fanned the flame.

On Monday we celebrated my actual birthday with brunch at the Hatter and the Hare, which is brunch winner and a half and then spent the afternoon enjoying my gifts… making way for the new cabinets because we are renovating the laundry and building my new compost bin. Dave thinks these might actually be the worst presents he has ever brought me, but I am very excited about both. We also learnt that Isaac really likes fire.

I have always really liked the idea of composting, but had never really done anything about it until now, so we will see how it goes. The laundry reno is also something that I have been wanting to do for a very very very long time. Our current laundry set up is just not very practical, there is limited storage, we can’t fit both the dryer and the washing machine in there… which really just seems silly. The reason we have decided that it’s time now now though, is not just because I would like a prettier and more practical one. It is also going to give us a lot more space to store all the things we don’t want Isaac to be pulling out of the kitchen, laundry and bathroom cupboards, like our cleaning products and medications. Last week we ordered all of the cabinets which meant that this week we could pick up them up and start assembling. We managed to get all the cupboards in and attached to walls and floor and now we just need to finish the bench and splash back and get some plumbing assistance… which is actually a lot, but I feel like we’ve made quite a bit of progress pulling the old laundry out and making the cabinets.

Birthdays are also a good reason to catch up with people, and this birthday was no different, After Sunday nights birthday dinner we also went out for dinner with Mum and Andy and spent the day at the park with my Brother, Sister in law, Nephew and Brother in law, thanks to the school holidays and some annual leave. It’s going to be a lot of fun having park dates with those guys as the boys get older.

Isaac and I also got to cross some pretty big things off our lists this week too. On Sunday, I didn’t express any breastmilk for the first time since Isaac was born… I have officially hung up the pump and crossed no. 88 off my list. Now that it is finished I am both a little bit sad that it is over, but also totally relieved that is done and that I never have to look at the pump again… well at least for a while. I am also really proud of how long I was able to stick it out for. As a mum of a preemie, there isn’t actually too much you can do for your bub while they are in NICU and but expressing is one… so while it’s probably not the way I would have imagined feeding my baby… it worked and I am very thankful that I was able to do it for as long as I did.

On Tuesday the three of us went back to the hospital with Isaac for some appointments, but also took the opportunity to take a gift up to NICU, to thank the staff for all that they did to help all three of us survive the first three months of Isaac’s life. The team up there on level 5 at the Monash Children’s Hospital are incredible, they are not only excellent at their jobs, but they are also kind & compassionate and they take you and your baby in your most vulnerable space and make you feel like things are going to be ok and that you are safe. I am convinced that they are actually angels living on earth

Our Curious Life: Week 14

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Oh Man I love Easter… for so many reasons… including the family time and holidays that come with it. We spent the long weekend down at Inverloch which is always a great way to spend a long weekend… seriously how can you go wrong? We did lots of nothing and just got to hang out together, which is it’s own kind of magic.

This week we have also quickly embraced life with Daddy home. I used to hate the school holidays, mostly because I was jealous that I still had to work… but now they are the best, Dave is home… which means there is company and help, a pretty neat combo.

We ordered all of the things that we need for our laundry reno from Ikea… its so close now I can almost taste it and I am so excited.

On Friday we got to hang out with Auntie Ness, she is the best!  And yesterday… I crossed something off my list and I am still not quite sure how I feel about it… but yesterday I crossed no. 64 off the list… I wore a real bra… as in not a maternity bra… it even had underwire… I know, outrageous.

So there you go… week 14…

Oh and I almost forgot… Sunday was the 1st of April which means Isaac is 8months old… he is tough, funny and super stubborn and these new little giggles are just the greatest!

Our Curious Life: Week 13

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You know a week is going to be good when it starts with Brady Bunch Dinner and ends with a public holiday and a trip to the beach! That, my friends, is how to week!

This week we have spent a lot of time with family… Starting with Dinner at Dad and Naz’s with all the siblings, partners and bonus siblings… just like the Brady Bunch… hence Brady Bunch Dinner. We had a visit from Nanna to deliver the cutest mustard cardigan you have ever seen and ended with Good Friday Lunch with Dave’s Dad, Sister and Brother-in-law.

We also got the best milestone every… our first giggles… and I tell you there is not much I wouldn’t do to hear more of Isaac’s little chuckle.

This week also sees the end of March… but not quite the beginning of April… so you just the month worth of pictures… but you’ll have to wait until next week to see Isaac tick over another month milestone…

On Thursday I also ordered my first box of ‘Who gives a crap’ toilet paper… This year I have been thinking a little more about the things that I buy and the waste they make… so in addition to my Thankyou nappies and wipes which we love and which help mothers in less fortunate countries… I have decided that it’s time to give some recycled toilet paper that helps build toilets a go… so hopefully they will arrive next week… I’ll let you know how we go!

Oh and seeing as it’s today… Happy Easter… at the George’s we are very glad that Jesus is risen…

Our Curious Life: Week 12

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Week 12 has been very similar to all the other weeks we have had recently… appointments, big band gigs and coffee dates… so rather than bore you with all the details I will just give you a couple of highlights.

On Sunday Isaac got to wear some clothes that once belonged to Dave… and he looked more like Dave than he ever had before…

On Wednesday we celebrated Nanna’s birthday…

And yesterday Isaac got all dressed up in his hawthorn gear and I couldn’t have been prouder…

Oh and scarily… we did a tour of a kinda… he is way to little to be thinking about kinda… but that’s the kind of world we live in folks!

Our Curious Life: Week 11

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Long weekends are great! I am pretty sure that everyone already knows that… but I think it is worth repeating. This week started they way the last one ended… down at Inverloch for the long weekend… It was a pretty quite week as far as the George household goes but there were a couple of highlights worth mentioning… but I thought for something different I would just use some pictures…

Here is our last two days in Inverloch…

The middle of our week…

And the most beautiful part of our week, Claire and Dan’s wedding…

Good job week 11

Our Curious Life: Week 10

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Week 10 has been MASSIVE… listing, family fun, MASSIVE…

On Sunday Dave, Isaac and I participated in our first fun run for the year (no. 38 on the list), the Monash Children’s Hospital walk at Jells Park and for some unknown reason I decided we should sign up for the 10km… which is much further than I have walked for over a year and a bit… I think I when we were signing up, I had had grand plans of a glorious Parkrun return that would have been in full swing weeks before and that if we were going to do a fun run we should push ourselves… so 10km it had to be.  We made it, just… I might have been a bit slow for the rest of the week, but we made it… and Isaac was pretty proud of himself.  It was also nice to give back to the hospital that has given us so much.

We also finished the week with more things being crossed of the list, we are currently down at Inverloch for the long weekend with the Salvo Big Band for the Inverloch Jazz Festival and being in Inverloch is no. 9 on the list and I touched the ocean (no. 95) when we took Isaac down to the beach for the first time.  In fact I even went for a swim.  I am not sure Isaac loved it, but he didn’t hate it… which I think for a babies first trip to the beach is a win.  It also crossed no. 19 of Isaac’s List.

Between our listing expeditions on the weekends we spent a lot of time back the hospital for follow up appointments, physios, respitatory teams, and neonatologists.  We also went back to the Maternal Child Health Nurse.  We also had lunch with Grandma Meg which is also fun.

Oh and last week we reached the magic time in parenthood when Isaac started sleeping through the night (no. 15 on his list)… but in fear of jinxing it I kept it to this week to tell you all… it’s magic.

Our Curious Life: Week 9

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Let me tell you about week 9… just like all of the other weeks this year week 9 was a busy one. We started with a Teddy Bear’s picnic at Rippon Lea estate, where I got to sing a couple of numbers with the Salvo Big Band and Isaac and I got to brunch with Annie and then hang out with Auntie Ness and Grandad while Daddy played the rest of the charts. I also got to dress Isaac up in all his teddy bear themed clothes and he looked super cute.

This week actually had a lot of catch ups over food… we had dinner with Anna and Jed, Morning Tea with Hollie and Smith, and lunch with Nana and Great Auntie Lorraine.

We also did some boring tasks for future fun things… we applied for a passport for Isaac and I got my renewed… now were are all set to go on an adventure… hopefully soon…

Incredibly week 9 also brings us to the end of Feb… which seems ridiculous, but it is true… but just in case you missed a bit, here is what our month of Feb looked like in photos…

Finishing Feb also meant I was able to cross no. 21 off the list ‘Go without games on my phone for at least 2 months’ which was much harder than I care to admit… but has been good for my brain, and an important reminder that my time is precious and that I get to choose how I use it… but that if I am really honest with myself, as much as I love a good game on my phone, there are lots of better things I can do with my time.

Oh and… Isaac is now 7 moths old… and a total spunk! At 7 months he still loves to smile and is quite the crowd pleaser when we go out. He has also discovered that his hands are delicious. He loves a compliment and still thinks that splashing Daddy during bath time is the best thing ever. We are still slowly weaning down off his Oxygen and he is mastering his hip brace, in fact he has the best cowboy stance I have ever seen!  Isaac you are a superstar!

 

Our Curious Life: Week 8

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And just like that these blogs have gotten left behind, but not so far that I can’t catch up… not yet anyway. I should have know this would happen when I was so smug about getting week 7’s blog out on time… pride will always make you fall…

Week 8 was a mixture of the mundane and exciting… although that’s probably a silly thing to say because most weeks are I guess… anyway… I had a cold for the first few days of this week which really sucks when you have to try not give it to your occasionally respiratory challenged son, plus you know regular mum things like still having to feed, change and entertain the baby when all you really want to do is curl up in bed and watch Netflix… apparently that part of my life is over. Which is a bit of a rude shock given that I got most acclimatised to it while I was pregnant… Anyway it ended with us both at the doctors… me hoping it was something that wasn’t contagious and could be treated and Isaac because he was overdue for his 6month immunizations. Which he took like a flipping champion at the time and then allowed me to learn the benefits of baby Panadol later.

On Tuesday we learned the fate of the blue car… unfortunately it cannot be repaired (which was number 34 on the list)… well it could but according to the insurance company it isn’t worth it… it is what they call a total loss cosmetic damage thanks to the hail storm we got stuck in, in December. But all was not lost… instead of having to get a new car now, which we can’t really afford, we were able to keep the car and insure it… we just have to drive around with it a little… well actually a lot dented. So even though it isn’t getting repaired I am still crossing no. 34 off the list as this chapter in the tale of the blue kia is now finished.

I embraced my inner home cook and puree’d up a storm ready for some more solids… well puree fun with Isaac (no. 80).

Isaac and I also got to hang out with my grandparents, his great grandparents, which was so lovely. It is something that I know I need to do more, because I am so blessed to have them in my life… plus they are pretty great examples of how to get through adult life well.

And we finished the week well again with a winner Saturday… we started with Parkrun at Westerfold’s celebrating our friend Bram’s 200th run… Dave ran with Bram, while Isaac and I walked with Rachel and Grandma Meg… who is a super grandma for pushing the pram complete with oxygen canister up the hill… what a huge effort. And then Isaac and I brunched with Rachel and heard all about her new house, we liked her country house, but we like having her closer to us even more because we like her a lot!

So there you go… week 8 better late then never.