Leaving time again...

In a couple of days time we will be saying farewell, and moving to a new home!!  Packing has been occurring with almost military precision and dedication....Just kidding!! I packed 4 boxes then i got bored and went shopping!!  Honestly, it'l be ok though, we're pretty good at doing the last minute thing....not that we've ever attempted it with a baby....mum will be here, that'l make everything go smoothly (thanx mum!).

It's amazing discovering how much stuff one can accumulate without even realizing it!!  And most of it is junk!  Honestly, i have as much use for 40 magazines as my husband does for all the little boxes hes kept from every little gadget he's ever bought!!  I s'pose i should feel blessed that we haven't turned out like those people on telly that have to move out of their homes 'cause they don't fit in there anymore with all their hoarded possessions!!

So anyway, as my mind frantically goes over everything that needs to be done and my 'to do' cleaning list gets longer, i'm calmly sitting on the couch with my feet up, bubby sleeping on my lap, writing on my blog!!  My priorities are amazing, interesting, a work in progress! Did i mention that i'm doing this with my left hand?? Its about as coordinated as a sloth climbing a lily pad, and is taking twice as long, but i feel so talented!! (And surely this has the added health benefits of making the other side of my brain work?!!)

But i digress...wait, no i don't, i wasn't really talking about anything really!  Just moving and stuff, and it would probably be more help if i actually got up and packed!  Sigh, i wish i could just magic everything to the new place and be done with it!  (I think i'm addicted to using exclamation marks!..See!!)  Ooooh, I just remembered that i got a magazine while i was out earlier today....i might just quickly skim through that and then look at the packing situation...i will!!

Mission Accomplished!!!

I did it!!! I actually did it!! I made my very own breastfeeding top!!! My first time using a pattern, and my first real go with my sewing machine (we have a love/hate relationship) and i'm so proud of myself!!!  While it's definitely an amateur job, and i'm not sure the stitch/tension thing was correct the whole way through, and i probably made it a size too big, i absolutely love it!!!  I cant wait to make the next one!!!  My hubby kindly photo journaled  the 2-day night event for me, so here is the photographic evidence that i can do it!!!

Weapons of destruction My Tools!!

Discovering what a pattern actually looks like!

Cutting out the pattern! ( It was very exciting i tell ya! )

I got to pin it too! (not as exciting)

Please excuse all the sarcastic, haggard expressions and facials, it was very late!!

Cutting out the fabric!!!! (and removing a few chunks from the table)

Pinning bits together!! Very tricky in some bits!!

Sewing it all together!!

I Fiiinnniiiished!!!

Yay!! Flashing Showing the easy booby juice access!!!

Aaand the back view!!

So, that's what my new top looks like!! I'l have to get back to you all on how durable it is!! I'm gunna go beg my hubby for some more fabric now so i can try another one in a slightly smaller size and a different color!!!
For anyone reading this, comments and constructive criticism are welcome!!!

The real deal!!

Hi. My names Renee.  I have a jiggly tummy, a wobbly bum and if i jog my thighs rub together and set my trackies on fire.  My house is 90%  mess, 10% organised chaos (the floor is a form of filing).  I try to have a cooked meal for my husband and myself every night of the week, but he usually ends up cooking it.  I sometimes put my baby in his bouncinett in front the telly so i can make my breakfast with 2 hands, and i let him fall asleep on me for his day naps.  Some days i don't get to do more than run a flannel over my face and i haven't cleaned the shower in over a month.  I'm slow to reply to emails and txts and fb messages, and sometimes i forget altogether.  I have lotsa big ideas but lack the motivation to do them lately.  Exhaustion is as much a part of me now as the spill stains on my clothes.  I binge on chocolate on a regular basis (of the king size variety, if you break the pieces up the calories leak out....yup), then complain about my weight.  The list goes on really!

Why am i saying all this?? Because it's part of who i am.  And its the part i usually put the most focus on.  I ignore the fact that this isn't the whole me, i forget the awsumness that is hiding inside of me !  What i want, is to be able to just accept the above as almost being like a type of artwork that i am constantly improving....colorful, weird, and difficult to understand, but constantly evolving.  Id like to accept that the above is normal for a lot of new mums and that i'm not an unusual species that's failing miserably because i'm sill in my PJ's at 4pm sometimes, or sitting on the couch watching Disney Jr even after my bubby boos gone to sleep....ok, so i may be alone in that one, but Timmy Times just so cute!!!

  Recently i'v been inspired, by a couple of lovely ladies, to let go and just be, so for the next couple of weeks, i'm taking the pressure off my self to be Martha Stewart (Trust me, even Martha Stewart has issues keeping up with Martha Stewart).  Don't get me wrong, i don't plan on letting the house go to custard (mmmm, custard), but i will refuse to be disappointed if i don't vacuum or turn the dishwasher on before 10am (if at all).  I'm not gunna feel bad if Lachy has to amuse himself for 5 mins so i can have breakfast/lunch/dinner in peace, and im going to try to spend a wee bit more time on me (somehow).  What i'm saying is this.... I refuse to feel like a failure because i'm not meeting a set of standards that no one but me thinks i should meet.  And whats even crazier is that i don't even know where these standards come from (although i secretly blame the Brady Bunch and Barbie)!!!  So if anyone see's any disgruntled (I love that word, makes me think of lil piggys) or self bashing posts in the next couple of weeks, feel free to send me a good boot up the bum via the comments section!!!

I hope everyone else has a fab couple of pressureless (is that actually a word? Lets pretend it is) weeks!!  Hopefully tomorrow you'l be seeing piccys of the early progress of my latest project (see the breastfeeding post), but if you don't, panic not, they will get there....no pressure :)

xox

Ps: Here's a couple more pix of my gorgeous 3 month old Bubba!!!!

Not even pretending to sleep!!

Getting so strong!!

Practicing his 'shocked' look

So scrummy!!!

The Paper Mama photo challenge - Eyes!

This is my next challenge foto for The Paper Mama photo challenge, of my wee man doing one of his most favorite expressions - shock!! (the other one is his scrummy stunned-mullet look!)
He's just so delicious!!!

Sigh, i'l have to share more piccys soon!!

Pretty things!!

Just wanted to share this little etsy shop Life Circle Necklaces i found today that sells necklaces for nursing moms (or otherwise!).  The necklaces are all natural and non-toxic, and are designed for baby to have something to play with/pull on whilst feeding!! Legend idea, cause having your hair ripped out is never fun!!!  So if you'l excuse me i'm going to go and beg my hubby for sum new baubles!!  (Given the very reasonable pricing i think i mite beg for a few....matching jewelry with outfits is important!!  :)     Below is my Favorite!!

The breast feeding issue!!!

 One of the things i love the most about being a mommy is the fact that i am able to sustain my child from my own body!! In spite of my body hang ups, and the bits that don't always work like they should (i'm sure dodgy hips and knees shouldn't be an issue till i'm 90ish??)  My body is keeping 2 humans functioning, and doing the most fantastic job!! My wee lads getting bigger and heavier (same here :( !) and is happy and healthy!!!

  So whats my issue??? Finding something to wear!!!  While maternity clothing is abundant and affordable, actual nursing tops and dresses etc aren't!! Don't get me wrong, their are some beautiful b/feeding tops out there, but without a spare 70 + dollars there's just no way any of these tops are going to be gracing my wardrobe!!  While ye ole faithful b/f singlets have been essential and wonderful, i'm hardly going to head out doors in the middle of winter in them!!  And so my search for affordable b/f tops begins!!

  So far i'v found 2, and i had to fight for them on Trade me, but it was worth it!  They were still well below retail price and in awsum condition!!  But now iv hit a wall!!  Google turns up a whole lot of amazing sites to search, but none that offer affordable nursing wear in my price range!!  It's like there's a huge gap in the market for those of us that are, for whatever reason, unable to spend a fortune on a new wardrobe, or even a single new item of clothing!! What to do??  I'm not looking for anything fancy or dressy, just something that doesn't expose my tummy/back/boobs when i'm feeding my lil one!!

  And so my overactive imagination has thought of a possible solution....I'm going to try to make my own!!  I'v seen a lot of basic wrap/crossover tops that are fabulous for nursing bubby, and the design looks fairly basic so i'm thinking this will be a good place to start.  A nice shaped top that hopefully wont be beyond my limited machine skills!  If i use a cheaper fabric to start with then any failures should still work out cheaper than buying a new top (hello Fabric Barn)!

  So my aim is to make this my project for the week and see how i go!! Keep an eye out for piccys of my progress....or lack of!! I'l be posting about any results be they successes or failures!!
  In the mean time if anyone knows of any websites with nursing clothes on the lower end of the price scale i'd be very keen to hear!!

The Paper Mama photo challenge -whatever!

This is my next pic for thepapermama photo challenge!! I must confess i'm having just as much fun learning about the photoshoping as i am learning bout my camera!!

I love having another excuse to take photos of my scrummy wee man!!  He's still not too sure about his bathtime so he always has such a serious look on his face!!

Team Edward!!

  I thought it was about time that i confessed my love of the Twilight saga!!! If i were younger i'd be a Tween, but i'm not....what do you even call a 30 yr old mum that has a fetish for Team Edward??  I'v been waiting so patiently for the next film to come out and tickets to go on sale! Imagine my joy to find last week (or the week before?...baby brain) that the tickets were on sale and a seat had already been booked for me!!!! Thanks you hugely Sally!!

  At the moment my thoughts are around whether to get a T shirt (team Edward of course, but only cause theirs no Team Charlie shirts!!) and whether or not to spend an epic day watching through the first 3 movies before the midnight screening of Breaking Dawn!!!  There's a couple of us with buba's so it mite be nice to have a play date before we leave the dads with the bubas!!??

  What is it about these movies (the books are even better) that makes us love them so??? (and others hate them with a vengeance)  Is it because it's one of those eternal love stories?? Is it because of the hotness of Rob Pattinson (with his shirt on)?? Or of Taylor Lautner (with his shirt off and a bit of digital enhancement)? I will point out now, though, that i think that Charlie is by far the best looking.

  I remember the first time i saw Twilight.  A good friend of mine went to see it and was dying to go again so i said i'd go along, having never even seen a preview of it, or knowing anything about it!!  I must confess when  Sarah tried to explain it to me i thought it sounded a bit squiffy.....little did i know, an obsession was about to start, and there was nothing i could do to halt it's progress!!

  The movie had me right from the start!! Although at first i thought Mike Newton was s'posed to be this hot vampire guy and i felt honest disappointment, i remained seated....and then i saw Him... Edward Cullen!!.  Sigh!! I wont mention how many times we went to the movies that season to feed our obsession, all i can say is that by the time New Moon was released we knew that we were team Edward, and that malteasers and boysenberry choc'tops were a must for movie viewing.  We had certain scenes in the movie that we included ourselves in (We were going to use my Galant to get away from James) And we could sing along to all the songs on the movie soundtrack!!) We got so excited with each new thing that we noticed, like Rob Pattinsons song in the background of the diner scene, or Victoria in the first scene at prom!!

  New Moon was going to be a let down...we knew this.  We'd read the books by this point and had already grown a dislike for The Quileute tribe (or maybe just Jacob i think)!!  We made our own t-shirts for the occasion, and i put aside my Bronchitits for the night!!!  Even though it remains our least favorite book/movie it was still a great night and it certainly has a place in the series!

  Eclipse was just amazing!! Another midnight screening, this time in Invercargill..... (I just realized we'v viewed every movie in a different city!! Rotorua, Hamilton and Invercargill!! Haha, neat!) Anyway, the movie was epic and left me even more an Edward fan!! (I cant believe Bella kissed Jacob!!)

  So now  we're waiting patiently for the first installment of Breaking Dawn!! The excitement and curiosity is huge!  Will Bella have the baby in this movie?? Will she be turned in this one??  Oh the suspense!!!  Sigh, it's so sad really when you stop to think about it, so we just don't stop to think about it!lol!

  I'm going to go now and continue to figure out what to do on the Day!!.....Maybe i could sprinkle Lachy with glitter to show my team support.....?

 

A different kind of weighty issue!

So i'm not sure what i'm hoping to achieve out of this post really. But i'l just ramble on and hope it makes sense and maybe an impression!

My husband showed me a link to an article about how the age of those presenting to hospital with eating disorders is dropping, with some patients as young as 10 years old (and i'm sure younger) being hospitalized with their bodies ravaged by a lack of food. (This is just admissions to public hospitals as private hospitals are not counted in the statistics)

So one of my questions is who or what is responsible?? Is it parents that aren't paying attention to their kids? The media? Peer pressure??

I guess when you look through mags, and see whats on the telly now, it shouldn't be a surprise that young people have an unrealistic idea about what they should look like! Team that with a real fear in society of rising childhood obesity rates, and the popularity game and you've got a base for eating disorders to start! Famous young women are slender and well made up, with perfect faces and beautiful figures, no signs of acne or cellulite, and certainly no rolls for miles! Young 'regular' kids don't see how much work goes into creating these images that they see on the big screen and in magazines. And what these kids definitely don't see is the crap and stress these famous 'beautiful' people go through on a regular basis just trying to maintain this often fake image!!

They don't see the photo shopping, the body doubles, the digital enhancements (is that what its called?) the insecurities, and distorted views start to grow! In fact even the above article says this "...what is regarded as "ideal" figures – difficult, if not impossible, for many ordinary people to achieve." Are they saying that famous people aren't ordinary, and are able to achieve these ideal figures without digital assistance??!!! (I do realize that there are some people out there that match societies views of beauty without help, but they are few and far between!!!)

I was so pleased to see this you tube vid from Dove about what goes into the creation of the beautiful people that we see on billboards and no doubt magazines!!

I wonder what would happen if young girls saw this?? Would it change their minds about that 'ideal' image?? Would it make a difference? Part of me thinks it wouldn't make a difference because there are always going to be other factors in this fight, but it would certainly help!

I also had an interesting thought... would we still buy beauty mags if the women in them were overweight and not wearing make up?? Would we still watch the likes of Cameron Diaz if she had a wobbly tummy and a size 16 bum?? I'm embarrassed and horrified to admit this, but i'm so tuned in to wanting to see these ideal images that we 'need to aspire to' that i'm not sure that i would! And even more embarrassed that i say 'wobbly tummy and size 16 bum' like these things might not be beautiful!! (I'd like to point out now that those 2 things are me!!) Does this mean i'm part of the problem?? Are we (grown ups and parents) really paying attention to what our kids are absorbing??

If a grown woman like myself, mature (haha) and aware of myself, can fall into this trap, imagine what its doing to the minds of our kids! They're so impressionable, and at ages where their bodies are changing and doing weird things without permission!!

I guess what i'm hoping to achieve here is just that everyone supports and puts out a message like the one that the Dove campaigns do. Everyone is beautiful!! We may not be traditionally beautiful (what does that even mean???), or reach the norms set by society, but we are beautiful!!! The images that kids see aren't real/realistic and kids need to be made aware of this!!! Being skinny doesn't solve problems, it doesn't make you popular, and it wont make you successful.

Being healthy is everything!!! Lets teach kids to be fit and healthy, and as much as we can, steer them away from these unhealthy images and point them towards healthy role models that eat healthy and exercise regularly and are still confidant and happy with themselves and their lives!! Lets teach the young girls and boys around us that they are exactly as they should be, and so beautiful in their own way!!!

This post isn't a dig at people attempting to lose weight, (i'm currently attempting that journey) or at people that are naturally, healthily slim people ( I know many beautiful tiny people! I'm also aware that some people have significant weight loss as a result of illness, this isn't what i'm aiming at) Its not a dig at anyone really, its just a random rant about a topic that i ponder on a regular basis!! I think when your in a position to see the results of some of these disorders it hits a bit harder and makes you really aware of the importance of having positive, real role models!! Id also like to add that this isn't a dig at any particular famous people either!!

Anywho, i hope this has made sense and hasn't offended anyone (baby brain makes writing sense difficult....does that even make sense??) It's just something close to my heart that i'd love to hear what others think about it, if they even think about it! So if you'v made it this far, thanks for sticking with it!! I promise my next post will be a positive one!!!

Toodles!!

Lazy Saturday

Today we made it to our first coffee group from our ante-natal class and it was so lovely to see a few of the other babies born around the same time as Lachy!! The coffee group was held at a cafe by the lake and i have to say i was really disappointed with what they were charging for their food! A bread roll was about $9!! I'm sure their absolutely delicious and a decent size, but really?? $9?! The pies were $5.40!! Its such an expense for families that want to enjoy the lake walk and playground and then maybe a wee snack for the kids!

Anyway, enough grumbling! The day was cold and grey, but still lovely and we went for a wee walk a little bit of the way around the lake after our coffee, and then came home to have a lazy family day!! I love days like these... The fires going, there's a roast in the oven, and after having playtime with me, Lachy's havin a snooze on his daddy's chest...It's awsum! And such a good way to recharge the batteries!!

Another bonus to the day was hearing someone say how much Lachy looked like me!! Most comments are usually about how much he looks like his dad (which is fine by me cause i think he's a bit of a looker), so its nice to hear that i'm still visible somewhere in that scrummy face!!

Oh, and did i mention Lachlan managed to have a 7 1/2 hour sleep stretch last night!!! It doesn't matter that i was awake and waiting to feed him, i was so excited and i'm hoping and praying that its the start of something new!! It would be such a nice difference to his usual 3-4 hour stretches (occasionally 2 hourly)!! So fingers crossed that he stays in this new rhythm!!

Anywho! Time to get his night time bath underway! Stay tuned for my next photo challenge pic in the next day or 2!!

Toodles! :)

My first photo challenge...Yellow!

I remembered something!

So i actually remembered how much i used to love painting! Not fancy paintings, i'm certainly no artist, but color-mixing stick-figure paintings!! It's so much fun, and i always enjoyed creating my lil scenes!! I love mixing the colors and making my own patterns from different shapes, and i totally love stick people! There's just something primitive about them that makes me feel....well, i don't know really! Maybe a bit like i could be a participant in another time for a moment, painting on a cave wall with different colored bits of earth and plant!!

My crafty hubby has managed to change the first stick-people paintings i did into Buttons for my blog, which i'm very excited about! I keep seeing everyone else's crafty buttons and being jealous, but now i have my own! Yay!!

I hope that soon i'l have enough time to make more stick-people paintings, and that in a couple of years i'l be able to

to have my son join me in the fun task of smearing paint over canvas in all different colors, and make stick figures to go on top!! I cant wait for that time!!!

I remember when i was younger, mum giving my sister and me permission to draw all over our bedroom walls (we were going to be painting them after), i don't recall what either of us drew on our walls, but i know that when i paint my pics it reminds me of this and makes me feel like one of those painters that you see making huge brush strokes and looking really happy!!

I guess for now i should start stocking up on canvases and paints, brushes and sponges for when me and Lachy start up this amazingly relaxing hobby! (And probably some plastic for the floor, i was never a tidy painter).

I should also mention that i found photo challenge on this lovely ladies blog that i'm going to be attempting once our camera arrives (Please be tomorrow, thank you Jesus!). So i'l be putting up my "L" plates and adding photos that i'v taken in my new venture into amateur photography!! Try to hang with me...i'm sure they'l improve! :)

We did it!!!

So today did something that i seriously doubted i could do.... I put Lachy into creche for an hour and a half, and left him there for the whole time!!! And i didn't cry (seriously wanted to) and he hardly did either!! In fact, he apparently slept for most of the time, waking up 15 mins before i came back! Im so proud of us!lol! My gorgeous boy is such a star!

I think the problem is more me than him, im so worried that he'l think iv abandoned him and it makes me feel guilty before i even attempt to leave him!! And of course he picks up on my panic and starts getting upset himself. It's just one big kerfuffle really! But he did it!! The ladies at the creche were so great, and he was just such good boy, he's refused to sleep for me all day then sleeps for them!lol.

And so moving on to the reason i put him into creche, I MADE IT TO THE GYM!! Im so pleased with myself! I did a complete workout (rowing machine included- my pet hate) and did it properly!! It felt so good to be moving about and not having to keep Lachy amused at the same time (although he finds my zumba attempts hilarious!). I did manage to get a couple of walks in during the week too which was great, but i also managed to chow down a couple of blocks of chocolate too, which wasn't so great, so i was well overdue to go and use my membership.

I'm really not sure why getting to the gym and eating healthy is so difficult to do, and i know im not the only one that has issues with this!! It's such a straight forward concept, put in everything your body needs, and nothing that it doesn't!! Get 30 minutes of exercise a day, 3 x days a week minimum!! Its not rocket science and yet it's so hard to maintain! How many of us start with the usual good intentions only to dwindle back into the old habits of chocolate and pasta sammys!!(that last one mite just be me!) And sometimes good intentions and reasons just aren't enough! I want to be a good healthy role model for my growing boy, to say nothing of wanting to be able to keep up with him when he starts running around. I want to look healthy for myself. I want to be a healthy and happy wife that prepares good nutritious meals for her family. In spite of all this to motivate me i still fall short of my ambitions! (I'd like to point out that my ambitions are completely realistic) Can anyone tell me why this is???

Anywho, enough of that ranting!! I'm going to be spending the next few weeks learning to use our new (2nd hand) SLR camera (my husbands explaining this SLR part to me as i type...i think i made an intelligent, appropriate agreement noise in response?!), and moving house (Yay Packing...not) and when i get some time to myself, trying to remember what sort of things used to interest me! I know i used to be fascinated with all things medieval, and American Indian culture, and reading, and sewing (much to the horror of mum and her bed sheets) and did i say reading? cause definitely reading.

But i cant remember what else i used to do for fun when i had spare time, and what sort if things i was always dying to do and learn, so i'm going to try and get my baby brain going and remember the things that used to make me tick! I hope this doesn't make me sound ungrateful for my life, I LOVE my life completely and utterly and wouldn't change anything in it for the world!! My husband and bubby are my life and make me the happiest person ever, i'd just like to be able to continue to hold a bit of the person i used to be, so that when my bubby doesn't need me quite as much i have something to ponder, and maybe even new things to teach him about as he grows! (and he's growing so FAST). I had to show off this photo, he looks like he's on the look out for blanky mites! (i'd also like to add that we don't actually have blanky mites!)

So that's my goal for the next few weeks (as well as post a bit more regularly)!! Hopefully il have some hobbies to yak about next post, as well as another creche/gym visit!!

Hope everyone else has a fun week!!