This post is 11 weeks over due but here is our new addition! He is our love, life and truly a blessing.
Welcome to the family our blue eyed Bear xx
His big brother is so in love with him, he wants to spend every waking moment with him!
He makes us smile and laugh every day!
I couldn’t imagine life without you and your chubby legs xx
Lilla xx
This post is mostly for my own benefits. I’m in the last few days before I give birth to my second child. The days are cold and rainy and my 2 year old and I are stuck in the house. It is probably a blessing in disguise as it has forced me to slow down. I found this list on a blog I love to read called Foxs Lane and it motivated me to do write a list as a memory of these days. So here it goes!
Knowing- this pregnancy won’t last forever although sometimes it feels like it!
Wearing- my pyjamas…a lot…
Needing- a good full body massage!
Questioning- if I can put my mind and body through another labour and birth…
Liking- waking up in the morning and looking out the window at the beautiful gumtrees and the mist in the hills and sometimes Marvin, our resident kangaroo.
Disliking- not being able to drive because of the dizzy spells and fainting I had a couple of weeks ago. It has made me feel quite isolated and guilty for having to rely on family and friends.
Opening- up the fire place door every couple of hours to put more wood in.
Giggling- at my 2 year old. A never-ending source of entertainment!
Feeling- uncomfortable, excited, nervous, constant false contractions, tired, love, happy, emotional.
Making- lists of everything! Hospital bag list, grocery list, cleaning list, short term to-do list, long term to-do list, list for the lists….
Cooking- lots of soups, freezer meals and toast.
Drinking- hot milo, tea, juice and soda water and not enough water.
Reading- blogs about babies and birth and living in the country.
Marvelling- at the miracle of childbirth… Or more the miracle of how something so big comes out of something so small…
Wanting- more chocolate.
Looking- at my 2 year old a lot and trying to remember these moments where it’s just you and me, kid.
Playing- a constant stream of Monsters Inc., The Wiggles and the clip from Frozen where Elsa sings Let it Go. It entertains my 2 year old, gives me a rest and I don’t feel a hint of guilt for using the TV as a babysitter!
Wishing- for a quick and uncomplicated birth and a healthy baby!
Enjoying- the naps I get in the middle of the day with a particular little snuggle-bug.
Wondering- if we will still get to have our naps together when our new addition arrives.
Waiting- for my husband to get home from work…
Loving- my family. They’re all so awesomely wonderful in their own unique ways.
Watching- Lots of Netflix, in particular trying to get in a few episodes of Call the Midwife. I think I’m a bit obsessed with birth and babies at the moment…
Pondering- life as a mother of two…
Considering- a job change or a change in career? Maybe along the same lines but out of the hospital. Maybe I could do a few courses once the baby is born…
Deciding- is a hard thing for me at the moment. My brain is too full of other thoughts to have to decide things so nick has taken over decision-making duties. Although I’m very good at deciding what I want to eat. That is rarely a problem for me.
Buying- little onesies (you can never have too many, the zip ones are the best), children’s rugs from Ikea and milk and bread for hot chocolates and vegemite toast.
Hoping- Nick is at home or close by when I go into labour so I don’t have to call an ambulance!
Thinking- about the near future, where it isn’t just us 3 anymore but us 4. Will I mourn the loss of having one-on-one time with my first born or will I be too sleep deprived and busy to notice? Will it feel significantly different or just a natural shift in life? I guess only time will tell…
Smelling- freshly laundered newborn baby clothes.
Following- clothing pages on Facebook when I know I can’t afford it. It’s just torturing myself really…
Noticing how cold it is getting. I love winter but I also love to be cozy and warm. It is the perfect excuse to snuggle in bed for a nap or watch a movie with my very cuddly first born.
Admiring- my husband. He has been working so hard lately, then coming home and doing all the jobs I couldn’t do throughout the day, feeding, bathing and putting our 2 year old to bed and only sitting down for the first time at 8pm but not before making me a cuppa with some chocolate. And he never once complains.
Sorting- through bags of old baby clothes and putting them in drawers. Also sorting through the hospital bag, rearranging things, putting things in and taking things out. I hope I don’t forget something important like nappies! Did I put in the nappies…?
Getting- so ready for this baby to come! Every moment I am ready for this baby to come!
Snacking on Granny Smith apples and dried apricots this week. Last week it was vita wheat biscuits with butter, cheese and tomato. And always chocolate at night…
Closing- or trying to close my mind to unhelpful thoughts.
Dreaming- of my waters breaking and going into labour. I dreamt of the full birth a few nights ago and my mum was there to help instead of Nick. It was a nice dream, I felt very calm and loved up when I awoke.
Hearing- the rain falling on the tin roof and hoping it fills up our water tanks incase I need a deep bath or long shower when I’m labouring at home!
Soon you will be here little one and I will look back at this list and… probably roll my eyes and laugh.
Lilla xx
It’s winter in Australia which means plenty of yukky virus’s hanging around. I’m the only one in our family who isn’t sick or dying of man-flu at the moment and I intend to keep it that way!
Here are 5 tips on boosting your immune system or shortening the life span of the lurgy you already have:
1. Drink plenty of fluids. If you’re like me and find it hard to chug down litres of water, try this tea instead. It’s full of vitamin C, natural antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and anything else that bugs hate.
-1 teaspoon raw honey (try and use raw honey because once it’s pasteurised, the good antibiotics are killed off and it’s useless, besides tasting nice)
-1 small nob of fresh ginger, sliced
-The juice of half a lemon
-Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder
-2-4 dried cloves (depending on how strong you like the flavour)
-Boiled water
2. Make chicken stock. You know when you were young and had a cold and your mum made chicken soup? There’s a reason for it besides just tasting great. The bones of chicken have natural antibiotics in them so when you cook them down in a stock, they are a great way to fight away nasties in the body. I have a pot on the stove right now and I will be adding it to anything and everything for the next week! and it keeps for months in the freezer too. Here is how I made mine;
-2 carrots, roughly chopped (don’t bother peeling or cutting the ends off)
-1 turnip, roughly cubed
-2 leeks, chopped and washed well
-a bunch of spring onions, just the green bits chopped
-4-5 garlic cloves, bruised and chuck in whole,
-a small bunch each of sage, thyme and basil
-1 chicken carcass (you can use a leftover roast chicken carcass like I did)
-salt and pepper
Fill pot with water, chuck everything in. Bring to the boil and then stick the lid on and simmer on the lowest heat for 4+ hours. The longer the better as more flavours infuse. Then strain well and fill glass jars/plastic containers, really anything you can find!
3. Eucalyptus oil. Dab it on a tissue and put under your pillow case. Put some in a humidifier or vaporiser. It’s good for opening up those stuffy sinuses. Also when you have lots of sick people in your house it can start to get that smell, you know the smell… its gross. Eucalyptus can freshen up the air and make your home feel alive again.
4. Rest. Make sure you get plenty of it! Sleep gives your body the chance to rejuvenate and heal itself, an important step to recovering from a virus. It also gives you a good excuse to lie on the couch and catch up on episodes of Game of Thrones.
5. Rug up. Make sure you keep warm. Put on that extra pair of socks, chuck your dressing gown on and crank up the heater. If you have to go out, wear a scarf and beanie. You lose most of your heat out the top of your head so keep it toasty!
And one last thing, this post is just a guide. If you have severe symptoms, go to a doctor!
I hope you don’t have to take my advice though and the dreaded lurgy stays away from you.
Lilla xx
Do you remember in high school how all you wanted to do was fit in? How you just HAD to have the latest craze (two words: snap pants!) because if you didn’t you would die of embarrassment. Being true to yourself was not an option because “omg that is like, soooo uncool, you have to, like, be someone, like on tv or something. Like.”
Well, I for one am so glad those days are over and I can breathe, relax and be…me. I definitely still have days where I think, “oh I should wear this outfit today because I’m meeting with this person and they might not approve if I’m wearing my scruffy jeans, boots and $3 op-shop jumper” but most days I don’t care. Especially now I have a child.
I don’t care if you see me without makeup, my hair is messy and my T-shirt has banana or vegemite stains on them.. You’re lucky I had a shower today!
I couldn’t care less if the house isn’t spick and spanned when guests pop over, it’s pretty impossible these days anyway with the kid venturing into every cupboard in reach.
I also don’t mind if I am not up to date with the latest fashion. I totally missed the peplum faze and guess what? I didn’t die!
It’s quite liberating being yourself, you should try it!
Lilla xx
This is the last picture I took of Master Cheeks breast feeding, about 2 weeks ago. He has now officially finished! And to be honest, I feel a little empty.
It wasn’t easy and carefree all the time, ohhh no! We went through refusal, biting (the memories bring tears to my eyes), and cluster feeding issues just to name a few. But I was determined to stick it out for 12 months.
In the end it was once a day in the mornings. I would bring him into bed with me and we would have a sleepy snuggle and he would feed. It was so nice. I could have kept it going forever!
Now my baby has gone and left a toddler in his place. And I have mourned the end of an era. What’s that quote all the old folks say?
Make the most of your baby because they grow up so fast.
So true!
The next challenge now is dealing with food refusal, tantrums and my heartbreak in sending him to childcare. Gulp! Wish me luck!
What are the challenges you’re facing in parenthood at the moment? Do you have any advice for other parents going through transitions?
Lilla xx
Hey blog lovers,
If you’ve got Bloglovin’, look me up!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
See you there real soon,
Lilla xx
This little gem of a cafe is every mums best friend- Three Little Seeds on High st in Northcote. It is a cafe specifically for children and mums who need a break from constantly trying to tame their untameable toddlers whilst their coffees go cold.
Some of my favourite things about three little seeds, other than the food and coffee, is the ‘pram-park’, the vast range of toys and activity stations for kids of all ages, and the space. You can let you kids play and make as much noise as they like while you relax and sip on a latte or chai and finish it while it’s still warm!
The food is all healthy, organic and home-made and no guilt trips when you forget to pack lunch for the little ones because they have a fabulous kids menu! My little man especially loved the veggie and toast fingers with home-made hummus and beetroot dip. But most importantly, the coffee is delicious. A top priority for most parents!
So, Melbourne mums, I recommend you give this cafe a try. As you can see, the babes approve! These two munchkins have been buds since they were in utero (Jas and I met at birthing class!) and they just adore each other, talking their crazy baby babble. It’s pretty damn cute!
Lilla xx
Today my sisters and I took Master Cheeks to the park to make the most of the last of the Autumn weather. It has been lovely in Melbourne the last few weeks. Not too hot and not too cold. Just right.
Bella is going overseas for a couple of months and we are going to miss her! She has been a fabulous help for us over the past year and it will be strange not seeing her every week! Lots of Skype dates to come!
And this post was all about sharing these precious photos…So here are some more!
Hope you guys enjoy the rest of your week.
Lilla xx
I’m going to let you in on one of life’s worst kept secrets. It’s very unpredictable! Ok, it’s not so much a secret as just a blatant fact. But that is my reason and excuse for letting my blog fall to the way side in the past few months. Life can get full on man! But even though I haven’t been writing, I’ve been doing a heck of a lot of reading. Lots of blogs. I’m soooo addicted! It’s like burying yourself in a good book, but instead it’s my iPad. I’ve been researching! Getting ideas, reading about people and just loving their zest for life! It’s made me motivated to change the way I was blogging.
When I first decided to start a blog I did my research and thought I should only blog about specific subjects because they are the ones that make it! But then I kinda got writers block because I wasn’t ‘allowed’ to write about the things I wanted to as they didn’t fit in the category I’d chosen. But since becoming an avid Bloglovin reader and getting a fine collection of favourite blogs to read, I’ve realised, there are no real ‘rules’ to blogging. You can pretty much write what you want! (Well, within reason obviously, I mean, I’m not going to start writing about how to kill the prime minister, although I’m sure a few people would be interested…) (NOTE:- I’m not going to kill the prime minister!)
Some of my favourite bloggers just write about what they’ve done/seen that day/week or what’s on their mind. For example, Hey Natalie Jean, The Life of Bon, A Cup of Jo, Melbourne mum, just to name a few. (I’m still working out how to link them so just google or type them into your Bloglovin search bar.) So if you’re into blogs with variety, check them out.
I’ve also been busy being a mum. One day I woke up and my little baby wasn’t a baby anymore. He was a toddler with personality! And cheek! He definitely keeps me on my toes. Oh and we’ve also start little house renovation projects but that’s another blog post altogether…
Ok so see you all soon and here are some pics of people doing stuff and other things.
Lilla xx
Ten little toes
Someone had a birthday. It was his first and he slept through most of it.
Wholesome food for my wholesome little man.
We scrub up alright yeh?
The wine I’ve chosen this week is a sparkling from the Tamar Valley in North Eastern Tasmania called Jansz Vintage Cuvée. I first had this 2008 bubbles in Adelaide and it made me very warm and happy! It might have also been the fact it was a rare child-free day out with friends and I was a little excited so the bubbles went straight to my head!
Getting back to the snobbery now, this sparkling has minuscule little bubbles that felt like velvet as they tickled my tongue and throat as it went down. (A man at brown brothers estate in Milawa once told me the smaller the bubbles, the better the sparkling!)
The smell was quite citrusy and fresh but not overpowering, almost more like lemon zest than the juice. And the taste was also faintly of lemon zest but slightly florally too. A very pleasant drop to drink!
Overall Jansz Vintage Cuvée, 2008, is a great bottle of bubbles to give as a gift or for celebrating an occasion with family or friends.
Cheers!
Real Life Lilla 