Bedtime? What's that?

Well, not only have we hit the terrible twos with vengeance, we continue on the road of ridiculous bedtimes. We've never really been strict on a bedtime for Molly, mainly because she's always been pretty good, and we only need to be up super early two days a week. In recent times however, this has gotten out of control. We find ourselves in a self made predicament, so what do we do?!

Tonight I have spent the best part of 2 hours trying to get my dear child to relax and sleep. To my dismay, she had other ideas. She has just come in to the lounge room demanding "milky". So, after cuddling, soft lullaby music, stories, more cuddles and now milk, she is wide awake and I am at my wits end.

We gave in and let her come and sit on the lounge and watch TV with us, I am waiting with baited breath for her eyes to become heavy and to finally hear the soft lull of her snoring. 

I know that we are a bit soft at times, and I'm sure it will be our undoing, but wowee we love this child. So much so that she is watching TV with my husband as I write this. It's what I like to call the Puss In Boots effect. Much like the character in the Shrek films, when he does his big eyed sad face and melts your heart, so does our daughter with her massive blue eyes and golden angel hair. Add some tears to those big eyes and it would make the coldest of cold hearts melt. She truly is a master of manipulation, and at the age of 2!

For now, we are doing what ever we need to do in order to get through our days with a very temperamental 2 year old, and if that means she's not in bed by 7:30pm so be it. I need some peace at the end of my day, and a good cup of tea.

Dragons, Magic, Mountains and FAMILY!

Wowser, it's been another long pause between posts. For that I am sorry, but life sometimes just takes over and I have all the best intentions of sitting down and writing, but my ever forgetful brain steps in and I get sidetracked.

So...after almost 9 years, Jonathan and I are heading back to the UK to see his family....with Molly in tow! She is finally going to meet her other Grandparents, auntie and uncle....and cousins. It's so overwhelming, but also so unbelievably exciting.

The travel preparations have already begun, with me purchasing coloured pencils and cheap toys to give to Molly throughout the flights. It's now that I am thankful that she still has a dummy as this will allow her to equalize her ears.

I won't lie, the prospect of travelling with a 2 year old is TERRIFYING, but what's waiting at the other end is just so awesome that I am finding it hard to contain myself. I randomly smile and burst into tears. I honestly never thought that we would be able to get back there. After all this time, my husband will get to see his parents again and my baby will be able to kiss and cuddle her Nain and Granddad. My heart is so full of joy it could burst into a million little fireworks which could explode into a billion stars.

We will be heading to Wales, the home of Arthur and his knights, dragons, magic and our family. We will be there for Jonathan's birthday, which will be phenomenal and we will also be there for Guy Fawkes Day, otherwise known as Bonfire Night....I cannot wait!

Bring on the pints, the Dr Who Experience, and the good old chinwags with the in-laws. November can't come quick enough. Cymru am byth!

Here come those terrible two's...

Today marked Molly's second birthday. For me, I think back to two years ago and remember being in such amazingly horrible pain. How every time I had a contraction I thought my back was going to break because she was posterior. I remember forging through the minefield of labour and giving birth to the most amazing little human being I have ever known.

It seems like a lifetime ago that she was in those onesie suits, all snugly and tiny. Today she's a walking, talking, tantrum throwing, cuddling and kissing beast. The terrible two's set in a while ago, today it just became official. I have to say though, Molly has a wonderful temperament. She is relatively easy going and usually just wants to kiss and cuddle you. I consider myself extremely lucky to have such a loving child. She certainly makes loving her an easy task for me, but I guess that's the case for most mothers haha!

I worked tirelessly this year to make sure Molly had a brilliant party. I decided on a circus theme and went from there. I of course had to try and out do last years cake and boy did I set my sights high! I did a circus tent cake. It wasn't perfect, but I was extremely proud of my effort. I made cupcakes that looked like buckets of popcorn for the party bags and I put up her circus tent that she got for Christmas and then blew up her pool and filled it with balls, which was a smash hit.

She had a wonderful day with her friends running around squealing. It rained for most of the day but thankfully my parents have cover at their place. I couldn't have asked for a better day for my little monkey. She was surrounded by love and laughter, two of the most essential ingredients to have in ones life.

On days like Molly's birthday, my thoughts often drift the 12,000 miles across the pond to our family in Wales and Molly's Nanny and Granddad there. I wish that they could be here to celebrate with us, or vice versa. They are never far from my thoughts, and we miss them every day. I guess that's why I go crazy on photos and uploading them on Facebook. I don't want them to miss anything.

Today was so much fun, but boy was it tiring. As I write this, Molly is sound asleep in her new glow in the dark skeleton pajamas, and has been for since 7pm! My husband and I are sat on the lounge in our PJ's with our feet up relaxing. I'm looking over the mountain of gifts she has received and my goodness has she been spoiled! What a lucky little bear to have such kind and loving family and friends. I have to say that one of my particular favourites is a fancy dress dragon suit that Molly's friend Stella gave to her...it certainly plucks at the heart strings for our Welsh family, and it's uber cute!

Molly was the greatest gift we have ever received and every day we thank our lucky stars that we have such a wonderful little human in our lives. She's the sunshine of our world. And on days like this, as a mother, it makes me really appreciate the family that I have and how wonderful each of them are. Particularly my parents and grandparents. I am so grateful to have such a loving and caring family around me, but even more so that Molly also has them in her life.

Molly, happy birthday my love, you are the most fun loving and gorgeous child and I hope that you continue to enjoy life with such wonder and delight. I love you munchkin, may the birthday fairy sprinkle magic on you every year xoxox

Photographs...

I grew up in front of the lens of a camera. My uncle, who is a fabulously talented photographer, would use my sister and I as test subjects when he began all those years ago. He always said I was his cheapest model, I charged a meagre piece of bubblegum for my talents hahaha! My parents are so lucky, because they have hundreds of photos of my sister and I as children. A catalogue of our youth, so to speak.

My uncle has over 30 years of experience. He has an eye that sees something magical in every shot he takes. He has worked tirelessly to carve a name for himself, in what is an extremely competitive industry. I like to think that some of his genius has been passed down into my DNA. Which brings me to my point. I love to take photographs and I appear to have inherited a keen eye, however I am an amateur. I am not nearly qualified to call myself a photographer, and yet I see so many people doing just that.

We live in a digital age, yes, but owning a digital SLR camera does not make one a professional photographer. It takes years of experience, studying and self education to get to the level that my uncle is at. It concerns me that some people are advertising themselves as "photographers" and charging consumers for what can only be described as appalling photos. 

I love my camera and I use it for personal use. I love that I have all my photos in a digital format, however I truly love and miss flicking through physical photographs. My uncle and aunt gave me the most gorgeous photo albums when Molly was born and ever since I have been compiling a folder of photos to have printed and fill the albums with. As my uncle catalogued my youth on film, I have done so for Molly in digital. I am grateful for my wonderful genes and inheriting the photo bug, but I would never presume to be the photographer my uncle is. He's photographed some amazing faces, including the Dalai Lama, but the photos I love most are the black and whites of me and my sister in the park when I was about 5 and the one of my aunt Mikki (his baby sister) in my grandmothers jacket. 

I just wish these faux-tographers would leave the photography to the professionals like my uncle. People like him are few and far between. He truly is an artist.

I can't wait to fill my albums :)

Wiggle-mania

On Friday the 20th of April 2012 at 10am, I took Molly to her first gig at the Enmore Theatre.....The Wiggles! We went with three other mummies and munchkins from mothers group, and to make it more exciting we all took the bus.

I have to say that I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The four men in coloured skivvies rocked out to their tiny audience but added some funny quips for us adults. Molly and her friend Georgia held hands whilst jumping up and down on their seats with delight.

It wasn't until after the show that my precious little child decided to have a world class meltdown. I didn't have a stroller, jut a harness. She was absolutely vile, and I soon became 'that' mum with the screaming child. In amongst all the madness we had stopped off to get gelato for the girls. So on the bus ride home, my sobbing chocolate covered daughter continued her lovely tantrum. By the time we got back to the car and on our way home, Molly had passed out in her car seat. 

So our first Wiggles experience was a roller coaster of emotions, but ultimately one of pure fun and joy. Molly had a wild time with her friends. Now we have PlaySchool live to look forward to...and I can't wait.

22 months and counting...

It has been a long time between blogs...again. Life really does get the better of me sometimes and by the time I have a free moment to write, I'm just way to knackered to even lift a finger and my brain crashes haha!

This month marked Molly as a 22month old. Her second birthday is just around the corner and don't I know it! Those terrible two's entered our house some time ago. When my little monkey has a meltdown, I think she can be heard on the international space station. Generally, she is pretty amazing and I am totally loving this age, but sometimes she shows that crazy streak that makes my ovaries shrivel up.

As Molly's second birthday approaches, I find myself in the middle of birthday party frenzy. I have decided to go with a circus theme this year and have already started collecting items for the party bags. My birthday cake plans are coming together and I have designed an invitation that looks like a vintage ticket stub. Yes I have gone all out...yet again. I seem to really enjoy this organising of birthday parties.

My dear daughter has also begun developing her language skills. Today, as I stood in the kitchen making my first attempt at cake pops in the shape of miniature ice creams (practice run before her birthday), my husband was outside tinkering away on his motorbike. Molly stood at our screen door and shouted out "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!....Give me cuddles!!", at which point Daddy promptly came in and gave her a big cuddle. She is stringing so many words together. Yesterday I sneezed and she said "bless you, mummy"! I'm also very pleased to report that Molly has wonderful manners and always says please and thank you, which although small means incredibly a lot to me.

We have also had some rather ridiculous incidents in the past month or so. In fact, I can't even use the bathroom without being hassled by my little munchkin. On one particular day, she had a complete meltdown whilst I was using the bathroom. She climbed onto my lap sobbing her heart out and then promptly fell asleep, leaving me stranded on the loo with my daughter asleep in my arms. What should have taken me one minute took a lot longer hahahaha! I have to say though, it's moments like that, that you realise that you're a mummy and that sometimes things happen out of your control and you just have to go with the flow and do what works for you.

So the countdown begins. In two months I will officially be the mother of a 2 year old. Let the good times roll!

The time of my life...

Again, it has been a long time since my last post. Life just gets the better of you sometimes, that and Molly seems to be preparing for her future within the SAS torture team. Her sleep deprivation tactics are amongst the best in the world ha-ha! In all seriousness, we have had an up and down couple of months with health and sleeping.

We are co-sleepers at the best of times. Yes, Molly is in her big bed now, which means she is able to get out of bed and come into ours. Most nights she lasts until anywhere from 2am to 4am, but in recent weeks she has managed to sleep the whole night through in her own big bed quite a few times. However, we have both been quite sick and she has been all over the place, literally! She is like a raver on acid at some wild dance party, that's how much she moves. 

The other night she decided that 4:20am was a good time to start the day with intense screaming. I got up and tried to soothe her, but she wasn't having a bar of it. So we got up and caught up on my TV shows. She fell asleep on me for a short period of time and I tried to go back to bed with her at 6am, but as soon as we touched down in the bed she lost her mind. So up we got and made lunch for daddy and pancakes for breakfast. I was exhausted I thought I was going to pass out. However, as I write this I must point out that Molly is currently asleep in her own bed and has been for about 2 hours. Fingers crossed she manages to do the whole night.

I have to say that I love being a mother, and right now I am really enjoying Molly and all the crazy that comes with her. I am feeling a touch of pressure at the moment as so many women around me are popping out a second baby, but for me I just can't even entertain the thought right now. I love Molly being the centre of attention and I love watching her grow and take on the world around her. I'm not ready to give up my time with Molly and introduce another child into the mix. I'm just having so much fun with her at the moment. I would also like her to be more independent and definitely out of nappies before considering another baby. Basically, I don't want to procreate just for the sake of procreation. I want to enjoy my motherhood while I have it and while Molly will still kiss me and cuddle me. But that's just me, is that selfish? I don't know, all I know is my baby brings me so much joy and happiness, even when she's being horrid, and I just want to enjoy her in all her glory. I'm having the time of my life.

Christmas and one giant leap...

Greetings and salutations! I hope all have have had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year is treating you well. Our Christmas was a lovely one as always and Molly was completely spoiled rotten. Her wardrobe is full to bursting point and the Mount Everest of toys continues to grow.

My mother always has a beautifully laid table and her Christmas tree is one in a million. Everything matches in green, gold and red. Our Christmas in Sydney is a warm one, so we do our cooking the day before and have a cold lunch, which also allows us to relax a bit instead of standing in a steaming kitchen or by the piping hot BBQ as we always cook our turkey in the Weber. This year  instead of muggy humid and rainy, we got a glorious day of blue skies and sunshine. The kids had a ball in the back yard and I even had  wee rest on the grass and a cuddle with Gypsy, my sisters labradoodle, whom I completely love and adore. My grandmother made it and was able to stay for the whole day. I know that she was in pain and suffers in silence, but it was so nice to have her there with us.

As always, during Christmas my thoughts drift to those who are missing from our tables. My aunt Mikki, my friend and second mum Krysia, My brother in-laws sister Mandy and my gorgeous friend Vicky. All so young, stolen from our lives way too early. I think of their smiles and how they laughed. I remember them all in their beauty and I raise a glass for them. I miss all of them.

Christmas has no religious or commercial meaning to me. For me at least, it is a time for family and friends, when differences are laid aside and we re-connect with our loved ones. It is a time for opening your heart and showing your loved ones just how much you do love them, not with gifts, but with shared laughs and joy and taking time out to spend with one another. And we had a wonderful one this year.

Our latest milestone is my miniature Harry Houdini managed to make her escape from her cot. On Monday night she put on quite a show at bed time and we had a nightmare of a time trying to get her into bed. My husband being the technology geek that he is, set up a infrared video camera in Molly's room when she was born. It's been a really handy tool, as it allows us to see that she is OK and if she is really awake or just moving and crying in her sleep, so we don't go in and disturb her unless we really have to. So she was having a tantrum and screaming so loud it put Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween to shame. As Jon and I sat and watched our little girl scream the roof of our place on camera, she started trying to get her leg over the side of the cot. I said to Jon, "she's going to get out!" and his response was "Nah...she won't" and then I ran, but I heard the thud before I got to her bedroom door. The little monkey had finally gotten free.

After all the commotion and tears, she finally settled down in her big bed. We have a side rail fitted for her and I also lay big fluffy cushions on the floor just in case. It's a real slap in the face wake up call. She's growing up at a monumental pace and I feel like I am left behind eating her dust. Nevertheless, bedtime is still a bit of a nightmare, but she loves her big bed. So now she's a real little girl and the time has come to dismantle her cot and re-arrange her bedroom.

Children really do grow quickly. Today it's all cuddles and kisses and leaping out of cots. Tomorrow it's "get away from me mum, you're so embarrassing!" ha ha. I am looking forward to all the ups and downs with Molly, but right now I'm trying to cherish every moment of her being so small and enjoying the simplest of things, because those awful angst riddled teenage years are definitely going to sting.