Wow… week 6, what the heck? How did we get here? To be honest as I sit down to type this I can’t remember what we did this week… maybe we can work it out together.
This week was also filled with friends, we had lunch with my work bestie and her partner and super cute little girl, we caught up with some of my high school besties and we caught up with my mum and avoided the heat with a day at the shops. We walked a lot, including a return to parkrun yesterday… which felt much earlier than I remembered, but it was good to be back nevertheless. and we had a lot of appointments.
On Monday night I went back to choir… which in the craziness of 2017 never got mentioned. It’s a choir that was formed out of a one off performance I was part of to celebrate a teacher at my high school. Since then it has become a legit thing and I was attending weekly until I ended up in hospital before Isaac was born. So going back this week feels pretty great. Plus it fills me with all the school nerd feels! At choir I also received a copy of some family photos we had taken by the lovely Georgia from Allegro Photography. Which means no. 6 can now be officially crossed off the list. The photos turned out so beautifully… thanks Georgia.
This week Isaac also got good reports from the physio, dietitian and the respiratory team… so good in fact we are off day time oxygen! AMAZING!!! It is so strange not to have him attached to the tank and I think it is going to take some adjusting on my part to trust him without it. Dave and I have done a few little outings to help me get used to the idea… but it has been 6 months of life with oxygen… it will take time. It is so fun though being able to walk away from the pram, the bassinet, the car… everything without having to worry about where the cord is. He is free… well at least during the day. Seriously… yesterday we left the pram in the car while we attended a first birthday party… we just had us, Isaac and the nappy bag… so so so strange.
We also re-attempted story time, although we went to a different library and with some buddies and it was so much better… library story time is back on the list of things we like to do… as long as we have a buddy and a coffee date booked for after.
Turns out week 6 was quite eventful… bring on week 7.
Far out week 5, you have been busy… seriously busy! This week has been full of people… which if you ask me is a great way to spend any week. We started with the Thrive BBQ on Sunday, where we survived the crazy hot weather with 30ish other Thrivers swimming, eating and watching the tennis and we finished the week celebrating a beautiful bride to be. During week 5 we brunched and lunched with Mum, Lorraine, Clare, Jess, Dave and some of my work mates on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday… I love brunchy lunches the most, if my waist line and my hip pocket would allow all of my weeks would look like this. Oh and all that brunching meant no. 94 is off the list because I also love an iced coffee.
This week also brought some new ‘mum’ things for us… I went to my first mothers group (no.45), which I actually loved. I had been so nervous about attending, because despite being fairly out going, I find new situations, especially new social situations quite unnerving. I had also pinned a few local community hopes on having a good mum’s group. When Dave and I moved house we moved to a suburb where we didn’t know that many people, and despite some intentional effort we have found that most of our life still exists back in blackburn… we have made some more local friends through Dave’s work, but this was my chance to find some more local community, which meant that mother’s group had a lot of pressure on it. It had always been something coming… and now that it was here, I was really feeling it… it also didn’t help that they had given me the wrong date so I was joining on week 2… but now that it is done I am hopeful, it was good… and I think it will just get better. My fellow mums were super lovely, and very understanding. They were interested in how Isaac and I were going and hearing about his journey without making me feel different. It was just really nice.
We also tried story time at the library this week, which after my mothers group experience was the total opposite… we didn’t love it, which was super disappointing because I had really been looking forward to it. I think that there were a couple of reasons we were disappointed…
1. Our expectations were really high… probably too high, it was probably unfair to expect them to be met.
2. I don’t think I had really thought about what would happen at story time and the fact that I wouldn’t be able to explain the fact that Isaac is well and actually really good… instead people would just see me and a baby with oxygen prongs and a tank… People meant well, but there were lots of looks of pity, which we don’t need… we are smashing this…
3. I didn’t have a buddy… I should not have gone alone… also something that I didn’t think about… but at the end when all the other mums found their friends and went and got coffee… the fact that we weren’t the same was really just confirmed… we were outsiders… sure I was probably being a little sensitive, but it was pretty lonely… next week we will story time with some buddies
4. It was also the first time we went into a group where people hadn’t journeyed with us, they didn’t know our story, where we had come from, what had happened… they just saw Isaac’s bonus attachments and filled in the blanks. We have been so blessed to have so so many wonderful people surround us over the past 2 years, who have just taken us as we are, loved us through the good, the bad and the really hard and who haven’t pitied us, or made comments or made us feel different… so I guess I just assumed story time would be the same… especially after being so pleasantly surprised by mothers group… but I guess the saying is true… you should never assume.
So… we are not riding story time off just yet… but we will make some adjustments and try again… hopefully we will have weaned down the oxygen enough that we can leave it behind… we will find some story time buddies… and really even though it wasn’t quite what we had hoped it still crossed no. 12 off Isaac’s list and no. 18 and I think no. 26 off my list, as we did all of our outings this week with a tank attached (and we got an early delivery of tanks so I had to swap the regulator over before we left the house)… but I only have two pictures to show.. because Isaac and I have the same photo for no. 12 and no. 18.
In happier week 5 news… we survived a whole week with Dave at work and we started a new month which means January is over, here is what it looked like in pictures:
And… Isaac is now 6moths old… check him out… At 6 months he loves to smile and kick his legs. He loves bath time and splashing with Daddy and he is slowly weaning down off his Oxygen and tolerating his hip brace like a superstar! What a champion!
Ok… so I am slowly getting the hang of this weekly blogging thing… I am still a little behind in terms of publishing, but so far I am really enjoying it. So how did week four pan out… well let me tell you.
Week four started with some goodbyes… our NZ fam headed back across the ditch. It has been so nice being able to catch up with them over the last couple of weeks. They remind me why family is family, we can go years without seeing each other, with just phone calls, emails and of course good old facebook, but when we do catch up it is easy and lovely… it’s the way it should be. It’s been really nice to watch them with Isaac… the beginning of the next generation of George… and it has shown me that there is a heck of a lot of George in him…seriously… just check out these four…
On Tuesday Dave went back to work and I got to re-try being at home with out him… and I am pretty proud of how we managed… yep it has only been three days because Friday was a public holiday… but it feels very different from the end of term four last year. There have been no phone calls in tears wanting him to come home, Isaac has been feed and changed and I have pumped, showered and eaten successfully all three days which feels like a win to me. Of course it also helps that he is a little more interactive this time, and I had 6 weeks over summer with an extra pair of hands to help me get used to it and build up some confidence. But I am not as terrified about this coming week as I was this time last week.
We got spoilt on Thursday with the worlds cutest vans, delicious bakery treats, flowers and cuddles and good chats with our friend Pheebs… she is a winner and a half.
And on Friday I didn’t struggle with Australia day as much as I usually do… I still feel the same about it and we should definitely change the date… but I think the fact that I didn’t have the day ‘off” as a holiday, it didn’t feel any different from other days, so I could let my self relax as I wasn’t ‘celebrating’. We did use the day to swim in the pool at dad’s again… and this time I remembered to take a photo, so I was able to officially cross it off the list!
Oh and this week I also added Isaac’s hand and foot prints to my necklace… no. 72 on the list.
This third week of 2018 has continued to be filled with friends, family and the good things about summer… and just like last week it has also been another good week for the list. This week also brought the return of appointments for Isaac and one last effort to get things done before Dave goes back to work.
I am still getting the hang of how to write these blogs without them sounding like a lame diary entry… so this time I think we will start with the list items that were achieved… This week we managed to cross another 3 things off… but only one of them has photos ready to go… We had some family photos taken (no. 6) which I actually wore non-maternity jeans for, which is technically crossing no. 20 off as well, but they were only on for the photos and I am definitely not committed to making it a regular thing… maybe in winter, so we will leave it on there for now. I wore something other than a black t-shirt for the whole week… yep… I did (no. 98). And most excitingly, this week we finished Isaac’s room (no. 63) and I am really happy with how it turned out.
When Isaac was born, Dave and I were very unprepared… because Joshua was only 24 weeks old when he was born we were desperate to make it to 26 weeks with Isaac. At 24 weeks mums and dads have to make lots of really hard decisions, decisions about treatments, resuscitation, viability and quality of life… things that no one ever really thinks about when starting a family, and decisions that they are not really emotionally prepared to handle when they are asked at such an awful time… when you realise things are not going as you planned… At 26 weeks, the babies are what the doctors term viable… that means they are more likely to live than die… it still doesn’t factor in quality of life… but because they can live, the choices are usually made by the doctors, rather than the panicked mum and dad… So 26 weeks became our goal… but given our recent experiences, I was not willing to plan for him or make room for him in our house until after the 26week mark because I didn’t want to have to pack it away if we also lost him. So… when Isaac decided 26weeks exactly was his cue… we had nothing… well not nothing, nothing, we had some clothes and nappies that we had been given or brought in preparation for Josh… but we had limited ‘big ticket items’, and the ones we had purchased were still in boxes in the garage. We had a flat packed chest of draws and a chair… we had no cot, no change table, no car seat, no pram… nothing we actually needed when coming home from the hospital… Isaac’s room was still full of stuff… the overflow of our house… and I had not yet removed the old wall decal from the previous home owners or painted over the green and purple walls… we were not ready, because we thought we would either have no time… or lots more time.
So between hospital visits we brought the items we needed, cleared out the room, painted and then started putting it together… and then he came home from hospital… and it still wasn’t quite done… He has now been home for 66 days… and we have finally added the finishing touches, his shelves and the wall decal… and it is now my favourite room in the house. I often just wonder in and look at it… It makes the whole house feel more complete and in a small way, having this finished, feels like the proper end to waiting to bring home our baby chapter… that we can now really embrace life with him… because he is here and he isn’t going anywhere.
My favourite bit of the room is his bookshelf… I don’t know why I love it so much… but I really really do…
This week we also had to say goodbye to K as she headed back to London… we always hate doing this. But we did get to spend some more time with our NZ fam before they head back this week… so this weeks been bitter sweet.
Oh and in Isaac news, this week we continued slowly weaning his oxygen yay!… but had to go and buy some bigger clothes, because he has a new accessory for a little while… a hip harness… but to make him (and by him I mean mummy) feel better, we extended our Disney book library…
Yesterday we finished our week with a garden engagement party for my little brother Jake and his fiancé Amy-Ruth… which is a pretty nice way to end a week. They had the garden looking magical… and what is not to love about love?
Week 2 has been a week of friends, family and the good things about summer… It has also been another good week for the list. In fact, even Isaac was able to cross something his first list.
We started this week with great food, beautiful sunshine and good friends as we learnt how to barefoot bowl at my sister in law’s Hen’s… and despite having a few family members that are quite good at bowling… my skills left a lot to be desired. We then continued to celebrate Ness and our new skills (even if they remained poor) at a roof top bar with delicious tapas. And… seeing as Dave was a Bridesman, our whole family was able to spend the afternoon together… it was a pretty great way to start a week. Learning a new game also meant that we crossed no. 39. Play a Game of some kind, off the list.
I fully embraced the fact that my bestie has been home for Christmas, so we made the most of her presence with walks, dinners and a delicious brunch at our favourite local Half Half. At brunch Isaac got to cross his first thing off the list as he hung out with his ladies and loved every minute. He also got to wear his new jeans which match his Aunty K’s. (I also got to brunch with my besties and given that one of them is hard to brunch with living in London… we both got to cross this off on the same day, so Isaac’s picture is with K).
We won a donut wall to use to celebrate Isaac’s birthday later in the year… so keep an eye out for that…
We hung out with family for take out, afternoon tea and post holiday catch ups, making the most of the pre-wedding celebrations and hanging out with family that have flown across the ditch from NZ.
We finished the week off with Ness’ wedding. The wedding was the perfect nod to her and her partner… now husband, relaxed, fun and a little bit surprising. There is no one else I know that could have embraced a torrential downpour through your whole wedding as well as these guys did. Not only did they just go with it, but the enjoyed it and helped us to enjoy it to… because who would have a thought that a wedding in the middle of January could be quite that wet.
We also made he most of the glorious… although occasionally way to hot weather, with lots of family walks… the fit pig is back… but I think I need to do a few more walks before I can actually cross it off the list. So there you go week 2… a little bit like a primary school diary entry… but I will get better at it.
Ok… a new year means a fresh start and a good opportunity to try something new… so this year on the blog I thought I would try a new method of weekly blogging, one that I saw on one of favourite bloggers, Shutterbean, and it seems super simple… although that’s usually a cue for me to totally over complicate it.
Anyway, it’s just a recap of sorts of the week that’s been… somewhere I could write about our listing adventures, share some pictures, and quickly recap. I am a little worried mine will start to read a little like a grade 5 diary entry… but hey, when it really all comes down to it, this is here for me… and if you love it too, excellent.
So the plan is at the end of each week… probably Sunday (which is technically the start of the next week) I will write this… which will help my regular blogging, help me to record some fun things… and maybe the not fun things, and give me a little “me goal”… which I already have way to many of… but maybe a “me goal” that I might actually achieve.
So here we go:
January is a funny time… a new year brings lots of potential… a little associated pressure and some really really big plans. It fills me with hope, but also stress that this is the year that I have to fix/complete/try/achieve x y & z… some of which I bring on myself with a little thing I like to call the list but also for those things that don’t make it on to the official list. The lists in my head, the lists on our bench, and the lists I didn’t even know I was keeping.
But so far so good… it’s summer and lets face it everything feels better in summer. So this week, I was glad I posted the new list… but a little disappointed that I never quite managed to finish my recap of last years list, blog thanks to my computer breaking down… I will finish it, but it turns out there is even less time to blog now that Isaac is at home. But we did manage to cross a few things off the new list…
97. Fix my computer – completed: 02/01/2018
My computer had a moment on new years eve… and after a few hours on the phone to apple support it seems to be back… although it’s probably time I really start saving for a new one… I think it could be on borrowed time.
89. Update some photo wall photos – completed: 03/01/2018
There are still a couple more that need updating, and it is unlikely that this is the only time I change some of the pictures, but we have updated 3, and I figure that’s enough to cross this off.
92. See coco – completed: 06/01/2018
Yep, but I didn’t take the baby… I finally have a valid reason to indulge my love of Disney… but I left him at home with his Dad and went with some of my besties instead. And unsurprisingly I cried like a little baby.
We started the new year at the beach, and I got my first real dose of fomo… (fear of missing out, for all of those who are playing at home, who unlike me have embraced their age and don’t try to keep up with the cool kids). It turns out, that even though I knew life would be different with a baby, I hadn’t really thought about what that looked like on holidays. It turns out going to the beach and spending hours in the ocean without a care in the world will probably never happen again… we may be able to spend hours in the ocean… but we need a few years and a few hundred swimming lessons… and I will probably always be worried about Isaac. So this summer we just walked near the beach… because our pram does not like sand and neither does oxygen tanks or tiny nose prongs.
When went for a few late night family walks…
Swam in the pool at my Dad’s place for the first time in year… why I have I not been doing this more often?
And Isaac turned 5months old… far out… how did that happen? So we celebrated with two little photoshoots. One on the actual day, and one a few days later, because I forgot to take the milestone card to the beach with me. But at 5months, he is super smiley, starting to coo and getting bigger everyday… right on track for being 8weeks corrected.
Today is the day we had planned to meet you… well on paper anyway. It was the day we were hoping for, the day that would have meant we had made it to full term this time round… but today you are 98 days old… 14 weeks… or 40 weeks corrected.
There are so many things that I want you to know, but the most important is that I love you and I am so super proud of you. Even though this isn’t the path we would have chosen, I wouldn’t give any of my 14 bonus weeks back. You are strong, brave and very clever and there is nothing that you can not overcome. You are a little warrior.
It has been hard to watch you fight these battles, but I have done it with confidence knowing how determined and stubborn you are and that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by someone who loves you even more than I do. I have also not done it alone… your dad is pretty amazing… and more tolerant than I ever gave him credit for. You have held us together when we thought our world was falling apart again.
Watching you grow has blown my mind… you are so great… I have never been more excited about someone gaining weight or pooping… but I guess that’s an unspoken joy of parenthood. I love watching you learn, get stronger and develop knew skills… I also really like the in built stuff… like hand holding and the best burps I have ever heard.
I love holding you, chatting to you and singing to you… and even though I though I had quite the repertoire, I have learnt that humming works just as well when the lyrics slip from your brain.
I love your little personality, your dramatic throat clearing, your extreme strain face, your skeptical looks, your sneaky peeks, your super wide eyes and your excellent wind smiles… I love it all.
Actually it turns out I am so glad that I didn’t have to wait until today, I am glad we have already spent three months together! I can’t wait to take you home, show you off and just be able to hang out with you all the time… I can’t not wait until I don’t have to leave you behind each night… but I know it will be soon enough, because you are such a mini champion that you will be out of there in no time.
Happy due date buddy! You are a superstar! Thanks for my bonus three months!
So tomorrow I turn 30… and just like every other birthday for at least the last 10 years I am not excited about getting another year over… but this year I feel a little more ready for it. 30 has been something that has been looming for a while… 30 years in fact, but more so in the past 12 months. Something that I have spent a lot of time thinking about and something that I have finally decided won’t be as bad as I think it will be. So I thought I would continue my new tradition (from last year) to take a moment before it happens to reflect on the year that was 29 before it is gone altogether. But before I can reflect on the last 12 months… because 30 is also the end of a decade… it only seems right to look at the last 10 years as well…
20-30 is a big time of change… a lot of growing up… and while I don’t think I have being an adult down pat yet, I certainly feel more like an adult than a young adult. I am not sure if it’s my new found love of a quiet night in? Or my change in thinking around having to stand up and make a change if I don’t like something… but I feel like where I am at now, even though it may not be where I am forever, is an achievement…
20-30 has also been home to some of my happiest times as well as my most challenging… I have changed and grown, physically, mentally and spiritually. And while I wish I hadn’t grown quite as much physically… unless I could have gained some extra height… I am thankful for the lessons I have learned and the paths I have taken that have made my faith and mind stronger.
I have done so much in my 20s that I am not sure how my 30s will catch up, but I hope that they do… although, I am hoping our hardest path has already be walked… and the rocky patches ahead will not be quite as devastating.
Since I turned 20 I have…
Completed… well attempted to complete my very first list (2007) and since attempted 8 more… I am currently on my 9th
Returned to China to hang out with Dad and cross ‘Hong Kong Disney Land’ off my life long Disney visit bucket list (2007)
Had my life outlook changed by a uni placement to Bourke (2008)
Had 2 massive 21st parties
Finished my Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (2008)
Started running the Kids Church at Church and had the most epic YP Anniversary of all time with ‘Talkin’ about my generation’ (2009)
Visited NZ and my NZ family a couple of times (2012 & 2014/2015)
Watched one of my little brothers get married (2012)
Said goodbye to my second job as a Dietitian and moved to my current workplace at Link, where I have been able to expand my dietetics skills in to Marketing and IT (2013)
Graduated from uni twice… one for dietetics and then again for my teaching degree (2014)
Watched both of my parents get remarried (2014, 2015)
Worked out how to long distance best friend (2015)
Recorded my first CD… well sung vocals on a Big Band CD (2017)
Became a mum and had to say goodbye to my little man (2016)
Got back up (2017)
A big 10 years… but I think the past 12 months have challenged who I am at my core more than any year before and I think lots of the things that I have done over the past decade have somehow prepared me for what happened… But there has also been lots to be thankful for and I have learnt a lot… so in my new tradition… here are 29 things I have learned, loved and lived in the past year that have helped me prepare for 30…
Birthdays are excellent… No matter how much I have been nervous about embracing them… they are always fun… especially when Dave helps to plan them… tomorrow will be good.
Epic milkshakes are indeed epic… and often overwhelming, they should be consumed with caution… and preferably with no other sources of lactose.
Having a celebrity like a post… even if they are a fake one… is more exciting than it should be… they are just people…but it was Russell Coight
Dave makes driving a bus look grand
Trimester 1 of pregnancy is the worst… it is hard keeping a secret, especially a when you feel like poop and you have to convince everyone else you are fine… lets hope that the next one is somehow easier.
Jells Park is way more beautiful than I ever gave it credit for growing up… I am really glad that it is my local Parkrun venue.
Dex looks great in a bow tie
Family is messy and hard to fit on a wall, but I wouldn’t change any of it
Pregnancy cravings are weird… but turkish delight milkshakes are the bomb
Having Josh was the best thing I have ever done, but it was also the hardest knowing he wouldn’t stay. Even if I knew what would happen I wouldn’t have swapped those 24weeks for anything.
Colouring really is as good a distraction as they say it is…
I still love my list, and I am really enjoying the simplicity of it this year, lots of local fun.
29 has been a year of home, embracing family, learning to breathe and dreaming for the future.
This time last year I wrote ‘I am stronger and more capable then I think… I should remember this more often’, this is more true now then ever before.
Whatsapp is great, but seeing your bestie face to face is greater, especially when you have time off to be able spend with them.
I like being in the IT and Marketing teams… I also really like teaching. I am pretty blessed to work for such great places that encourage me to grow and learn new skills.
Dancing in a strawberry suit isn’t as embarrassing as you think it will be, you should just embrace it.
Dave is still the best person to have ever entered my life. He is strong, wise and loyal and I love him more than ever… plus he gets even better looking with age… who would have thought that was possible.
I am getting better at throwing things out… lots of times you have to get rid of something old to make way for the new. I don’t need to be a hoarder to keep the memories.
I have good people around me, my community if vast and wide and I often take it for granted, but Dave and I could not have gotten through the last 6 months without them.
I love the country
I love the AFLW and I am glad I was part of the first season.
I love singing in a recording studio… it makes me feel like a superstar.
New cameras are the bomb… but I desperately need to improve my photography skills.
Practicing gratitude is important… my new daily habit of writing down 3 things is helpful… it’s making me see the good… I should keep this going because I still can’t make happiness, or just choose to be happy, but I can choose to fill my life with people, things and places that make me happy, I can choose to see the good and I can choose to seek better.
I still love blogging… and I think I am getting better at it… I suppose that’s the plus side of honesty.
I love to worship… I love learning about worship and I love Jesus… He is the only one worthy of my worship.
My plans for my life might be good, but as hard as it is to accept sometimes, His ways are better. Life often seems unfair sometimes and we can’t always see the bigger picture… but we have to trust.
I am still getting better at looking after myself, but just like last year I still have a long way to go… but this remains a top priority. I can’t do what I am called to do, if I can’t function.
29 you have been a challenge, you have been hard, but you have been worth it all… in fact 20s you have been great… better than I had ever hoped and totally different from what I expected.
I am holding on to the promise that my 30s will bring better things… I hope that I continue to learn more, love more and live more… 30 I am now ready for you.
Ok… my super on time Feb reflection seems to be an anomaly, but 2 days late isn’t too bad, especially when you consider that I have been pretty slack with my blogging the last couple of weeks… sorry. So far this year I am still remembering to blog more regularly than previous years, but just as I feared, as life has gotten busier… the blogs have slowed down… but that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to make sure I did these reflections at the end of each month. To help me live in the moment a little more and be thankful as things happen, rather than trying to do a big reflect later on… although there will be a little of that coming up in the next week or so. Anyway, in a another blur of weeks, March is gone and it’s time to give you all an update of the list adventures that it brought with it. Keeping myself accountable to the list each month has really helped me to seek list opportunities when they present… not just to save them up for later… because sometimes later doesn’t happen… this month we crossed another 9 things off the list, which means this year we have already crossed 22 things off the list… that’s a pretty solid start… 8 in Jan, 5 in Feb and 9 in March… maybe this will be the year I finish it all? Maybe…
Here is March’s list contribution.
37. Participate in a Scavenger Hunt – completed: 03/03/2017
I wasn’t really sure if this would happen or not, but when I saw that scavenger hunt was listed as a youth group activity this term, I decided it was now or never. I had no idea how I would get myself involved, or even if I would be allowed to. I just wanted to be there. I offered to anything, collect money, give out clues, serve super… all I needed to do was be there… but I got to be an honorary youth member for the night and went out in a team… and while I may have made them come second because I could not run home… it was still a cracker night. Plus my team was pretty amazing… what a flipping incredible bunch of kids we have at church! Thanks for letting me tag along, get covered in off magnum and keep you humble in second place… Hopefully next time I will be allowed to run and we will take our rightful place in first!
78. Check out Hungarofest – completed: 04/03/2017
Late last year Dave and I started seeing advertising for Hungarofest… a biannual Hungarian festival held at the Hungarian cultural club which happens to be around the corner from where we live. So given that we LOVED our time in Hungary last year, we decided that I should put it on the list and check it out… and… well it was pretty fun. They knew we were not Hungarian straight off the bat, but they still feed us a ham hock and we got to see the start of their 2hour musical theatre spectacular… Not bad for a whim on a banner we saw in December.
2. Learn to make a paper crane – completed: 11/03/2017
I have always loved origami… but I am terrible at it, I can never hold the instructions in my brain to repeat my creations without the guide and even with the instructions I often find myself getting in a quite a muddle… But while we were down at Inverloch for the long weekend I purchase a new colouring book… a colouring book that was also an origami book. So after choosing some paper and colouring it in… I attempted to create my very first paper crane… and I think it turned out pretty well. It’s pretty sweet… I am not sure I could repeat it over and over again without the instructions yet, but I have learnt how to make one paper crane… and that my friends, was all the list required.
96. Improve my 5km time – completed: 11/02/2017
So one month after the 11/02/2017 I had another very slow morning at parkrun… after weeks of getting quicker I have started going backwards again. So just in case… I am crossing this off the list now… because it may never get better, particularly if my injuries don’t improve. I am not giving up… this is not a pity party… this is just a realistic chance to cross something off the list when it happened, rather than waiting to see if it gets better and still having to go back to Feb to cross it off anyway…
38. Do some trivia – completed: 12/03/2017
Long weekends are also good for digging out your old PlayStation and crossing things off the list. After a weekend of Jazz with the Salvo Big Band, Dave and I had our friends Annie and Ben over for tea and we played some buzz. Annie and I had had a few practice rounds while the boys were at a big band planning meeting, but buzz is always better with a full four people. I had forgotten how much I loved buzz, and just trivia really. I like knowing things no matter how trivial or silly they may be… plus I am also pretty competitive.
18. Play a video game… not on my phone – completed: 13/03/2017
Once the PlayStation was out for Buzz, it seemed silly to put it away without playing some Crash Bandicoot. Growing up I only ever played Crash when we visited my Auntie Lyndel and Uncle Brad, because they had a PlayStation. Our house was a Nintendo house, where Mario and his friends reigned supreme… but way back then I developed a love for Crash. So when I was a teenager and SingStar and Buzz came out on PlayStation, I had to have them… but I also purchased Crash… because what is a PlayStation without him? Little did I know, that Dave had grown up with Crash and was a boss on the PlayStation. He quickly put me to shame as we played life for life that Monday Morning.
82. Remember Joshua – completed: 15/03/2017
This one had it’s own Wordless Wednesday but I thought I would still take a little moment to tell you how much I love this little pendant. One side has Josh’s name and handprint and the other has his birth date and his footprint. It is something that I can wear without any fuss, but have him close to me all of the time. I know that I won’t forget him, ever, but it’s nice to have these little reminders of the massive impact this little tiny man has had. To be able to take him with me physically in a way. Getting this pendant is only one way we will remember him this year, but it was the first one I could take a picture of… so here it is.
14. Build something – completed: 25/03/2017
It is no secret that I love Ikea… I love everything about it, even the maze they make you take through the store… So when we found an Ikea voucher at home it did not take me long to pick my next little project. This totally sweet bedside table to match the bed I built (with Dave) last year. It is super cute and even though it belongs to Dave’s side of the bed, I still love it. It looks even better now that it has books on the little shelf, some things in the draw and a single book on the top. Plus I think Dave is enjoying having his own little table.
67. Read the book of Joshua – completed: 29/03/2017
At the beginning of the year, our Pastor Phil encouraged us to join him reading the whole bible through the year. I decided that I would start with them and see how long I could keep up, but I didn’t really commit to the idea, just in case I fell behind. I didn’t want to get overwhelmed by trying to catch up, I just wanted to see how far I could get with out the pressure of having to do it… Anyway, here we are in March and so far I am still on the wagon and up to date, which meant that I got to read through the book of Joshua. Between all the land allocations, there are lots of gems in Joshua, more verses and reminders of God’s faithfulness for us to hold on to… but I think that Joshua 1:9 will always be my favourite.
So there you go… 8 more things off the list… But not only have I been good with the list, I have also been remembering my daily photos and videos… so here is March in photos…
And one second video snippets:
Thanks for being another winner March… and hello April!
Um… I know I was late to the party with my January post, but I can’t believe that I am already sitting here typing up a reflection for February… how does this keep happening? Time running away… faster and faster… It does seem fitting that I should be typing this so late tonight though… Right now it is 11:07pm and I have just got home from a wonderful evening with my friend Lisa. An evening that we have used to soak up the last of the summer warmth as we sat outside and enjoyed delicious food and honest and refreshing conversation… the world needs more people like Lis. After missing the heat of the day today being in an office for almost all of it, it was really nice to spend these last moments of summer outside and warm. I am hoping that the end of summer doesn’t mean a quick end to the heat… and looking at the forecast, there seems to be some more ‘summer’ days to come… but hey! This is Melbourne… consistent, appropriate weather is not our strong suit.
The end of summer also means the end of a month… so in my attempt to keep my list posts up to date, to reflect on things in the moment and to celebrate the little things it’s time to say thanks to February and give you all an update of the list adventures that it brought with it. February has brought some super fun events:
My Gran’s 80th Birthday, she is an absolute champion and getting a chance to celebrate her was just so good.
And… My list game has stayed strong this month too… maybe not as strong as January… but not too bad considering it’s almost half a week shorter… and well… life… But I have managed to cross another 5 things off the list and here they are:
30. Get a Haircut – completed: 03/02/2017
I know this doesn’t sound like a big achievement, but it was… even though I have previously confessed my love for my time at the hairdresser (in fact I have written about the hairdresser 3 times… that’s a lot for a topic that I don’t think about anywhere near as often)… my apparent blog love for the hairdresser has not equated to any kind of consistency over the past 12months… in fact, I did not do anything to my hair for almost all of 2016… in March last year I got a haircut… there was some rescheduling issues… I decided to be a little tight and now… fast forward to Feb 2017… my hair is crazy long and I am so ready for a life changing haircut (and by life changing I mean a small change that I can handle… and not much more). So here we are… the first free appointment for my hairdresser in 2017 and I am back to me… regular standard long hair Emma… Rapunzel length no more… it was really really long… there is a picture hiding here if you want to check….
26. Have a spa of some sort – completed: 12/02/2017
You can’t really go to Daylesford and not visit the springs… well you can, and I did a number of times while living in Castlemaine, but when you are there for a romantic weekend away, you should enjoy it all I say… so we did, Dave and I visited the Hepburn Bathhouse and while it wasn’t quite a spa… it was kind of… it is beautiful, relaxing and the water is apparently magical… what more could you want for a spa. Plus it was a good reason to cross something off the list… and I am unlikely to convince Dave to just go on a whim…
12. Go back to school – completed: 17/02/2017
My first call in this year and it feels good to be back. I had been feeling a little nervous going back to school, there are lots of children… and sometimes just the presence of lots of children sends me to a sad place where I think about all that we should have had with Josh… going back to school was also the last ‘normal’ part of my life that I needed to go back to, so I felt like jumping this hurdle was kind of a big deal… but now it is done, I not only survived the day, but I also survived 2 hours of MacBeth and I think I may have finally worked out the story… so that is 2 wins.
44. Use my new outdoor reading chair – completed: 25/02/2017
For a little while now I have wanted a ‘relaxing chair’ for the backyard, somewhere I could just read or watch the world go by and for Christmas, my brother Dustin and his wife Jess fulfilled my wish. They gave me a super cool, yellow outdoor chair. Since Christmas I have sat in my chair, I have looked at my chair, but until now… the last week of summer, I had not stopped to read in it… but that is also now rectified… I have sat in the chair and read and loved life… stopped for a little ‘me’ moment… I need to do this more… especially while the weather is still warm.
18. Go on a Picnic – completed: 26/02/2017
On Sunday, I not only had a picnic, but I picnic’d in style at the ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ at Rippon lea Estate and it was wonderful… There was not a cloud in the sky, and because I am a lazy picnicer I had a food truck lunch on a picnic rug supplied by my lovely friend Annie and just enjoyed the day. I also got to sing some Jazz standards with the Salvo Big Band for the first time in a number of years and I loved it. I just loved the whole day… I loved singing, I loved eating, I loved seeing all the teddy bears, I loved the weather, I loved hanging out with Annie and the band… it was just a great day… Probably not the picnic I had imagined when I added it to the list, but a great picnic all the same.
So that’s the 5… I am really enjoying the simplicity of the list this year… just some good old fashioned fun… Oh and just like in January I have been really good at taking my photos and doing my one second video… so here is February in photos….
And one second video snippets:
February, I am sad that reflecting on you means that Summer is officially over, but I have really like you… thanks!
This week also brought some new ‘mum’ things for us… I went to my first mothers group 
very different from the end of term four last year. There have been no phone calls in tears wanting him to come home, Isaac has been feed and changed and I have pumped, showered and eaten successfully all three days which feels like a win to me. Of course it also helps that he is a little more interactive this time, and I had 6 weeks over summer with an extra pair of hands to help me get used to it and build up some confidence. But I am not as terrified about this coming week as I was this time last week.
96. 
14. 
26. 
44. 
18. 
The Most Curious George 