3 years old!

As you can see, Zoe was very happy with her lolly cake - sour snakes and freckles were the order for the day. Coloured popcorn looks really cool, but is not as popular/yummy as anticipated.

Lots of photos

For those of you not on Facebook... have posted some photos of the kids to an online album. Just click on the title 'Lots of photos' above.

Happy Christmas Holidays

On the 5th day of Christmas

Have returned safely from Toronto, to find my family still in tact (well, relatively, but that's another story) and, most importantly, my baby willing to breastfeed. For her part, Zoe was more excited about the fact that my plane couldn't land at Coolangatta, and was diverted to Brisbane, delaying the family reunion by 5 hours, than actually seeing me. She talked about it all the way home. Bless her. George 'slept through' the night before I returned, but has not repeated that feat since. Nonetheless, it is lovely to be home and having all those night time cuddles with him. While Ewan and George bonded while I was away, and Zoe was apparently an angel, she has now completely rejected her Daddy and gone back to being Mummy's shadow.

Expressing milk on the plane and in airport toilets was one of the most unpleasant and embrassing things I've ever had to do. Not that many people knew, but I'm sure some wondered what that whirring sound was coming from behind the stall door! I was also chastised by a passenger for taking too long in the plane toilet, but I'm sure I'd only been in there for 5 minutes before he was banging on the door. I was angry then apologetic and then embarassed.

We're still madly trying to get the backyard ready for Santa's delivery on Christmas day, but are otherwise happy and healthy, if a little hot and bothered by the weather. This photo shows George being entertained by a load of coloured clothes in the front loading washing machine. Cheap baby entertainment!

Milk

I've been busy expressing and storing mik for George to drink while I'm away in Canada for five days next week. There should be enough there - I've allowed for 750ml per day, which is apparently what babies drink, according to kellymom.com, my breastfeeding bible. I'm part nervous and part excited about going, both about leaving my children and about making an appropriate contribution to the forum. I also intend on expressing milk every four hours while I'm away, so that I can continue breastfeeding when I return, assuming George will still have me!

Ewan has taken the week off to care for the kids, but George still refuses to sleep more than 2 hours at a time, and I've been doing all the night time parenting up until now, so things won't be easy. George also continues to be unsettled for several hours in the early evening, and again in the early pre-dawn morning. That said, my Dad and his wonderful partner Julie are coming for the week to help out, so at least I know there will be plenty of cuddles to go around, which along with some patience and kindness, is all that is really required.

the shed

Ewan has been toiling hard the last few weekends to dismantle and remove the huge, ugly shed from our backyard. More than 13 tonne of material was removed, with most of it recycled (shame on Ballina council tip for not crushing and reusing the concrete). We have asked santa to bring a swing set cum climbing gym, so needed the room. This has also freed up the view to the poinciana tree from the kitchen, which is currently in full and beautiful bloom. While there is still much work to do - a fence, some plants and trees, turf, paving and a smaller replacement shed - we now have a blank canvas (well, its a great big dirty hole) to work with.

We're back

Apologies for the lack of posts in the last few weeks. It got to the point where I was heeding my Mum's advice - 'if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all'. Good news is that all is now well. A dose of antibitoics sorted me out, Zoe continues to challenge us with her Jekyll and Hyde personality, and George, well, he's kind of cute, even if he still can't sleep for more than 90 minutes at a time (and that's a big sleep). He had his first immunisations a few weeks ago, that we postponed because he was sick. They're never fun, but it was a chance to have him checked and weighed. As you can probably see from the photos below, taken today, this confirmed that he is a healthy, bouncy and big boy.