A day at the park ....

Today we went to the park with Alice, Archie & Max, Tash & Hugh and Ronwyn & Benji!

We had a great time catching up with everyone and I can't wait until Lucas is moving around a little more so he can join in the fun with the other boys. Yes boys, pretty much all of my friends have boys!! What is in the water that we drink for us all to end up with boys?? :)

Here are some photos from today!

Lucas' 3rd tooth is cutting!

This afternoon I managed to get my finger into Lucas' mouth to see if there was any teeth on the way and wouldn't you know it, his 3rd tooth is cutting up the top! I knew his grizzly behaviour over the last week or so would be because of his teeth.

Oh here is something funny. I got some face washers sent out to me today and inside was a note that said:

"WARNING - THIS IS NOT A BATH SHEET!! We do not recommend trying to dry an entire adult body with this product!

Clever advertising though because it then goes on to say:

"However, if you'd like to wrap your naked self in a thick 'n' thirsty 550gsm Egyptian cotton then we have a deal for you ..."

Ha ha at least it makes people read it and then think about buying some towels! :)

This morning Michel's parents came over for a visit and Lucas was very excited to have his grandad (Michel's dad) over and playing with him on the floor. Of course Lucas loves it when people get down to his level and play with him, what child wouldn't right? :)

Today while he was playing with grandad they tried stacking some of the toys. Grandad would stack them and then Lucas would take one off the top of the pile and then try putting it back.

Oh and I cooked a yummy baked dinner for us tonight! I have to say I was pretty impressed hehe and everything was ready at the same time, woohoo!! :) Ronwyn, Lachlan and Benji came over for some dinner too.

Movie time!

This afternoon I went to the movies with Karen. It was the first time I have been to the movies without Lucas since we had him. The last time I went was when he was only a few months or so old and we went to a "babes in arms" movie session with Ronwyn and Jacqui. This is where everyone is able to take their baby to the movies, so obviously there is alot of understanding in there should babies cry etc.

Karen and I went and saw "The Good Shepherd" and of course we would have to pick a movie that is 3hrs long haha! :) It wasn't a bad movie but at times it was just hard to keep up as it kept swapping between the 1940's and the 1960's. It is about the untold story of the birth of the CIA viewed through the life of a man (Matt Damon) who believed in America - and would sacrifice everything he loved to protect it. It stars Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro and it is also directed by him. A very interesting movie.

The cheeky monkey was a little unsettled when I got home though. Poor thing is teething so his teeth are giving him hell and he has a cold with a nasty sounding cough at times. But he still continues to say "mum, mum" hehe :) and he is out for the night.

Woohoo new word!

FINALLY Lucas said MUM!!! YAY!!! :)

Yesterday when he woke up after a sleep I thought I could hear him saying it, but like most things I think he says I didn't think much of it.

Then all day today he kept saying "mum, mum, mum" ahhh music to my ears! :)

Although Michel isn't too impressed that he is saying mum instead of dad now, so he keeps whispering in his ear "dadda, dadda" hehe and Lucas keeps saying "mum, mum" That's my boy!

A great moment to cherish!

What a show ...

Saving babies - what an amazing show!

It really makes you think about how lucky you are compared to what other families have to go through. It is a bit of a hard show to watch and each week I think how am I going to sit and watch it, but each week I still do. I suppose I like to see the babies get better and be able to go home! Although I do admit I have a few tears in my eyes while I am watching the show but then again who wouldn't?

http://www.savingbabies.com.au

Time to visit Daddy's work!

Today we went to Michel's work to visit him and have some lunch because he wanted to show Lucas off to the people he works with! :) Lucas was well behaved although a little unsure about all the new faces, but they all seemed to to really like him.

Took some photos of Lucas eating watermelon and cheese today. It is funny to watch him with finger food. He picks different pieces of food up and tries to push them ALL in his mouth! Hmm of course that doesn't work because he ends up trying to figure out what he is suppose to do with it all in there and how is he going to chew it ALL!! haha Oh well we will get there. Here are some photo's of Lucas having a great time with his finger food! :)

"Hmm how much can I fit in my mouth at once"

"Mmm yummo!!"

No Lucas you don't eat the skin on the watermelon!! :)

Lucas is 9mths old today!!

Oh my goodness Lucas is 9mths today!!

Boy how time flies! I can't believe our little boy is growing up so fast!!!

He has changed so much and is well on the way to developing his own little personality.

We love him to bits! :)

Lucas can ....

Thought I might steal Belinda's idea and do a list of all the things Lucas is doing at the moment. It's funny but when I actually sat down and tried to think about what he is doing, I got a mental block. This is the list so far and if I remember anything else I will add it later on -

Lucas can

* crawl backwards like a little frog

* roll and crawl to get to his toys

* get excited about his food and bath time with dad

* say bubba, dadda, hewwo

* sit in the bath in his bath seat

* laugh and giggle all the time

* keep himself occupied while playing with his toys

* hi five and give kisses depending on his mood hehe :)

* throw toys around & get mum or dad to give them back to him, thinking it's a great game

* throw some great little tantrums ALREADY!!!

* roll over when it is nappy change time

* kick his feet and wave his arms when he gets excited

* wipe your face after you have feed him

Today while Lucas was playing on the floor with his toys he pulled a big picture book off the shelf and was trying to turn the pages.

An interest in books is a great start as I have a million and one books on the bookshelf so Michel will be very pleased!! :)

I always told him that it didn't matter how many books I had because I could always use them for work and when our children came along they would have loads of books to choose from and read.

We haven't really done much over this weekend, just went to mums for lunch today. Lucas has been a little unsettled over the last few days, with a bit of a snuffly nose and slight cough. I also think he might be getting some more teeth but the little monkey wont let me have a look in his mouth. Oh well I guess we will see what happens in the next week!

Oh before I forget, Lucas has actually started to enjoy having a shower with either Michel or I.

That's all for now! :)

Fish and chips down near the beach

We have not long been home after having fish and chips down near the beach. We had a really nice time - Lucas just played with his toys while we ate. He is such a good boy when he has had enough sleep and has been feed. We really should do that more often, I just hope the next time there aren't so many ANTS!! Little buggers they are!

Ahh Valentines Day ....

So it is Valentines Day! I hope everyone has had a good day and has been spoilt! :) I got a lovely bunch of flowers, THANK YOU MICHEL!! :P

Nothing much to report today. Lucas is still insisting on crawling backwards and continues to end up somewhere where he needs help to get back out! hehe The poor little thing is getting pretty cranky with it all I think because he seems to face the way he wants to go and then ends up moving further and further away from there! It's just a matter of time everyone says before he will be off and crawling forwards .... well we are still waiting!! :)

Here are some photo's of where we ended up today!














What a cheeky boy!! I can only imagine what he will get up to when he does start going forwards!!

It's raining, it's pouring!!!

How about this rain!?! Hopefully the rain is reaching the areas that most need it and particularly in the catchment areas! Fingers crossed! :)

So a bit of a busy weekend! A bit of shopping, a bit of visiting people, some scrapbooking and yesterday we had lunch at Dad's house. And then as quickly as the weekend starts it seems to finish, Monday rolls around way too fast and then back to work Michel goes!

Oh I almost forgot - men should NEVER AGAIN complain about women knowing nothing about cars!!!! Curious? Ask Michel!! hehe :)

As promised Karen, here is my

finished double page layout! The photos aren't very good - I haven't worked out the best way to take the photo when I try to display it!

Ten things we can do to help stop global warming!

Copied this from Karen's blog as I thought it was a good message for everyone! :)

We are killing our planet..
Want to do something to help stop global warming?
Here are 10 simple things you can do and how much carbon dioxide you'll save by doing them.

1. Change a light. Replacing six regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs will save 400kg of carbon dioxide a year.

2. Drive less. Walk, bike, carpool or take public transport more often. You'll save 1.5kg of carbon dioxide for every 5km you don't drive!

3. Recycle more. You can save 1000kg of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.

4. Check your tyres. Keeping your tyres inflated properly can improve your car's fuel efficiency. Every litre of petrol saved keeps 2.5kg of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere!

5. Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water — use less hot water by installing an energy efficient triple A rated shower head (3 tonnes of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (225kg saved per year).

6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging. You can save 545kg of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.

7. Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer.You could save about 900kg of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

8. Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one tonne of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

9. Turn off electrical devices. Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo and computer when you're not using them will save you thousands of kilograms of carbon dioxide a year.

10. Be part of the solution

Learn more and get active at http://www.climatecrisis.net/

Rory slept the night!

Yesterday we picked up Rory after school and then he slept the night at our place! He looked so cute in his school uniform and looked like such a big school boy!

I certainly realised what it is like to come home with 2 children though! haha You would think having a room of about 15 children I should be able to cope with 2!!! :) Of course I coped but it was just from the moment we came home till about 9pm it was go, go, go!! At least it opened my eyes to what it will be like when we think about having another child. And yes Michel, you did help too!! :P

We always love having Rory over to sleep the night! Here are a few photos, Rory has a great smile for the camera, it's just a shame that my monkey wouldn't smile.

Congratulations!!!

Woohoo congratulations Kate, Greg and Jaz on the birth of Zachary Angus born this morning at 11.04am weighing 6lb 2oz.

Kate & Greg - we hope everything went well and we are sure you are all very excited and enjoying and cherishing every moment together! We knew the little cheeky monkey wanted to make an earlier entrance than Friday!! hehe :) xx

Jaz - Finally your little brother is here! We are sure you will take very good care of him and help mummy and daddy loads! :)

24 things to always remember, and one thing to never forget....

1. Your presence is a present to the world.
2. You're unique and one of a kind.
3. Your life can be what you want it to be.
4. Take the days just one at a time.
5. Count your blessings, not your troubles.
6. You'll make it through whatever comes along.
7. Within you are so many answers.
8. Understand, have courage, be strong.
9. Don't put limits on yourself.
10. So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
11. Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
12. Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.
13. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
14. The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
15. Don't take things too seriously.
16. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.
17. Remember that a little love goes a long way.
18. Remember that a lot . . . goes forever.
19. Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
20. Life's treasures are people . . . together.
21. Realize that it's never too late.
22. Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
23. Have health and hope and happiness.
24. Take the time to wish upon a star.

And don't ever forget . . . For even a day . . . How very special you are.

Was it his first kiss??

I think Lucas has given me his first kiss!!!

I am not 100% sure if it was actually kissing but I am taking it as a first kiss! :) I sit there saying "give mummy a kiss ... come on, kiss, kiss" (yeah I know it sounds silly, but when it is just me and him it doesn't matter!! lol) And then he leans in close with his mouth open and aims straight for my mouth. Tonight he did it 4 times!!! Woohoo!! What a cutie!! :)

What kind of a face is this!!! lol

Tracey's farewell

Today we went and had some lunch for Tracey's farewell as she leaves for Perth next Sunday. We will miss her and it won't be the same if I end up going back to Paddo without her being there. Everyone seems to be leaving Paddo, so by the time I get back there, there will be no one I know left. :(

Tracey and Caleb will probably have a great time over there and it will give her a chance to get out on her own and experience life a little bit more. Sure there will be added responsibilities but it will be good for both of them! It's just a shame that they are moving to the other side of Australia!!! lol Oh well at least everyone has somewhere they can go for holidays if they want!! :)

They will be missed but it will be a great experience for them! :) xx

And back to the UK he goes ...

Well we have not long been home from dropping Christopher off at the airport. :(

At the moment I am feeling a little down because this time around he has really grown up and I could see how much he had started to bond with Lucas. And now I feel like I have no idea when he will get that chance again or when he will come home. I do remember at the beginning when he first arrived and people where asking when he will be coming home, he said he had no idea. Now as we were dropping him off at the airport he was telling us that he would be home soon. What soon means remains to be seen, but I really do hope he comes back in time for Lucas to remember him so that they can again share that great bond that they had.

Oh and btw the 5 course dinner he cooked for us last night was FANTASTIC!!!! :)

This is for you Karen! :P

1st course - Rockmelon and avocado soup with vodka(!!!), parsley and salt and pepper - no one really ate this lol I think because there was a touch too much vodka but otherwise it would have been nice although you wouldn't think it would.

2nd course - Scallops on pureed cauliflower with green chilli's - yum

3rd course - Baby john dory with a butter/lemon sauce on a bed of spring onions and asparagus - MY FAVOURITE!! :)

4th course - Veal with red and green sauteed capsicum - mmm

5th course - Ricotta cheesecake with cherries - very light to finish off

(And I hope I got all that right, otherwise the chef will probably shoot me!!)

We will miss you Uncle Christopher but will keep in touch by sending you photos and when we get that web cam we will just put Lucas in front of it and you can look at him and hopefully he will have some new tricks for you! lol :)

Christopher's last night ... :(

The cutest thing happened while Lucas was having his lunch. He was having toast and as I was sitting in front of his highchair I lent closer and I was asking for some toast. I didn't think anything was going to happen until he also lent forward and pushed the toast towards my mouth. Thinking it was a fluke the first time, I then did it again a few more times just to make sure! lol Shame he wont just eat the toast though instead of playing with it!!!

He has also started to reach out to us ... I love that stage when they want to be picked up and have their hands up ready and waiting for you to get them! :) Ah so cute!

Going to mum's tonight because Christopher is cooking us all dinner! Mmm I can't wait to see what the chef can cook. It's funny growing up he never really had an interest in cooking but now he has been a chef for a while and can cook up a storm. It's his last night here and tomorrow afternoon at 4.55pm he flies back to the UK! :(