Family Photo - May 2012

The trials and tribulations of trying to get the 'posed' family photo!
Not too sure what happened, but the quality doesn't seem to be all that great??? But they take so bloody long to upload that I can't be bothered trying to fix it!

This is the one shot from ALL of them that I quite like and is the current wallpaper on my Mac

 And on another note... How bloody awesome is Abi's fur!!! It's from Seed. I bought it yonks ago! I can't believe it FINALLY fits!!!

things

It seems that it is now more fun to play in the wardrobe than out on the floor

Cute gifts for my baby cousin that's on the way! And how adorable to I look in my Bonds Zip suit!

Surprises being bought home for me by my husband! (This is what I found in the freezer!)

Cooking up a puree storm! 

Cooking. I have had this book since 2005 and it has some awesome (& healthy) recipes in it.

We went to the Flemington markets and I picked up some adorable cards! We have a few 1st birthdays coming up.

I have not found a sippy cup that I like or that seems to work so we are trying to drink with a straw. So far without much success. We will keep trying.

We haven't been up to much. It's been cold. We are trying to save money but this weekend we are heading away to my parents holiday house in Barwon Heads for a night. Looking forward to beach walks and yummy food and family time.

small stuff

As Abigail nears her first birthday, I have put my mind toward getting her a little table and chairs.
I really want something that kind of blends in a little with our own furniture and while searching the other day came across this!

Also comes in white LINK to site

It's just delightful! From Bambou Home & Baby. The little chairs are the same as our dining chairs! The table so cute! But at $329 eek! I don't think so! Well if we won lotto! 

Such a great little website with some stunning children's furniture and adult stuff too! 

So the search continues... We could just get the Ikea on? Or I could go searching eBay? or the streets? Who knows what I could find! 

IKEA Kids table and chairs - LINK

Just look at Abi and Lexi a few weeks ago sitting at Lexi's little table (street side find painted white) and cute little 'old fashioned school chairs' picked up for a few dollars each at the Rozelle Market! 

Just realised you can't see the chairs anyway!

The chairs look a bit like this:

Found the image via google via HERE

Got any suggestions of places to look for some adorable yet cool children's furniture?

Dear Abigail (NINE Months Old)

Dear Abigail,

You are 9 months old! I can't believe it! Outside as long (longer actually!) than you were in.
It's been a very busy few months and I never did get around to your eight month letter so this is for the past 2 months.
The day you turned 8 months old was the day we 'officially' moved to Melbourne and also the day that you started to crawl! After 8 and a bit hours in the car driving on the 23rd of April we got to nana and pops house after a big stretch, pop was mucking around and placed a $100 note just out of your reach and  off you went on all fours! For about 2 weeks you would only really crawl for $100 notes (seriously!) and the Easter eggs that were left over.
Now you get about and today crawled and crawled and crawled! I was in my bedroom and you kept calling out to me and then there you were!
You are a little chatter box too! And we are sue we have had a few 'hi's' and 'bye's' out of you! You will even wave! But not always on command.
You're reflection still cracks you up and we have a little ritual after your bath to take a look in the mirror and have a little giggle.
We are all slowly settling into Melbourne life and also the semi rural life. It's very different than being so close to all our friends, but it's nice to be near nana and pop and aunty Emma and all your uncles.
And FINALLY you got some little toofs! I always said at the first sign of teeth we would stop breastfeeding, but so far there hasn't been any nipple biting so we will continue for a little longer.

You are a little champ and still not sleeping through the night... Or are you??? Just last night (22nd May) you slept from 10pm to 6.30am !!! (10pm you stirred so I gave you a dream feed)

We just love the little character that you are growing into and loving the 'mum, mum, mums' that come out! So nearly a few 'dad, dads' but not just yet.

Bless your little soul. We loved you to bits.

Mummy.
x


Dear Abigail (SEVEN months old)

Bits Bobs & Baking

I'm a little slacker blogger lately. With crappy internet speeds, a nearly 9 month old!!! (tomorrow), trying to get homely and stuff I just haven't really gotten around to it.

Yesterday and today a little baking...

Pear and Raspberry bread - YUM!

Home made sausage rolls using the sausage mince from my dad's own grown beef

Trying abouve P & R bread with a coffee for morning tea while Abi has a sleep.

A little spot of shopping at the Target 40% off baby wear sale yesterday (One day sale)
Did anyone else pick up a bargain or two?

Onsie for sleeping, hoodie, leggings, top and PJ's

A sweet little white dress perfect for summer

We did quite well with our haul. $47 spent! Leggings in a size 1 don't fit quite yet, but perfect for hanging at home and crawling! A hoodie! Who doesn't love a hoodie! Summer PJ's (we already have these, but for $3.43 who could resist another pair!) Catrina Rowntree onsie with or without feet prefect sleep wear for winter! A sweet little top that matches the leggings! And a cute little white dress (only $8.43)

I have numerous photos of all the crazy and cute spots I have been finding Abi... Here are a few!

Under the table.. "eating" the legs of the chairs and table...

Under the jumperoo instead of in it

And finally I couldn't resist sharing the ultimate 5am fluffy blondie bed hair photo from the other morning.

My baby is 9 months old tomorrow. Where has the time gone!

milestones

Two big things have happened in the past few weeks...

Crawling! We really need to get a rug soon. This house has tiles and they are hard and cold... Being so used to having floorboards it's something new... Lucky we can have lots of practice on the carpeted bedrooms and hall.

And I still can't upload videos :-(

And! For some reason on Thursday the 10th of May I had a little feel around and spotted (well felt!) these! Two little bottom toofs! We are pretty impressed with the ease in which they came through! And they don't seem to have bothered her at all!

Crawling gets little babies into all sorts of mischief! 

Checking out dad's books...

Now, I just wanted to mention that we have seriously CRAP Internet service where we are. During the day it's not too bad, but at night it's pretty much non existent. So bad that the other night we had to go to my parents and use their computer so that Erin could bid at an online auction.
So if you aren't receiving comments from me on your blogs there is actually a reason for it :-( and we have been told there isn't a thing we can do about it. So it's save save save and get out of here and closer to the city and buy a new home!

cute stuff

For Easter I stumbled across these cute bunny ears for Abi. They were so super cute! And was so impressed with the seller that I have been checking out her stuff since!
This is the latest purchase! Little vintage fabric and felty boots! Great for keeping little feet toasty warm in winter! (Especially now that we are Melbourne'ites again - well me anyway)

And I am so so sick of dropping my iphone ALL THE TIME. It's only a few months old and already looking a little battered and bruised so I finally bought a cover(s)
I couldn't decide between two so I just bought them both!

Kate Spade red with white spots and a Cath Kidston colourful spots!

So much cute stuff! But I need to stop spending... I don't seem to have a job after all...

What cute stuff have you been unable to resist lately??? 

mummy love

Mothers day was spent with family at my nana's house. We had a lovely day. xxx

But first there were gifts at home!

My beautiful girl (so hardly a baby anymore)

With my mum too!

Drinking a lovely Rose

This Rose was given to me by a friend as a thank you for lending her our Jumparoo while we went away once. She has a daughter the same age as Abi called Madeleine! I didn't want to 'just open it' for the sake of it so I thought Mothers Day was the perfect day for it!

Cold. But excited for Costco!

My sister and I decided to go halves in a Costco membership...
We always take our mum out for lunch for Mothers Day and on Monday (day after Mothers Day) we headed out to lunch at Docklands and then Costco'ed it up! Wowzers! Everything is BIG. Some cheap stuff (nappies) and some not so... You do need to be careful to not get too carried away.

Hope you all had a lovely Mothers Day and were spoilt and/or spoilt your mum! (or someone close to you)

Happy Mothers Day

Wishing all the mums & mum's to be a very happy mothers day
Especially all the first mothers day mums!

Mum, Me, Abi and My sister (the mum to be!)

I'll be celebrating with my nana, mum, sister, Abi and our family!
And plan to get an updated shot of this one... (To include the bump!)

xoxo

Artwork LOVE - Rosetta Santucci

Some time ago I was discussing how much I loved the artwork above Nina's bed in Offspring (last season) and then a wonderful reader alerted me to the actual artist! HERE
I too'ed and fro'ed back and forth about spending some big bucks on the one and only artwork that I could find available through SOHO Galleries.
In the end I decided it was a bit much for me to spend at the time :-( and bought a great artwork through Jimmy Possum instead!

For anyone that's interested, SOHO Galleries is holding an exhibition for Rosetta! Open from the 12th of May!
If I were still in Sydney I would be there is an instant to check them out!

Back Where You belong	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	87x137cm	$7,400
Wandering Too Far	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	72x106cm	$4,750
Changing Day	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	92x92cm	$5,250
Falling Into the Light  ll	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	76x102cm	$4,800
Autumn Light	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	61x76cm	$2,990
The Day Is Unravelling	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	87x138cm	$7,500
*Feeling  Nostalgic   SOLD	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	120x168cm	$12,500
*Melt Into Dusk     SOLD	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	92x92cm	$5,250
Falling Dream	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	112x112cm	$7,750
Title  (still being painted)	Acrylic on Italian Canvas	85x195cm	$10,250

Happy and Sad

We are really struggling with mixed emotions at the moment.
Work is ok for Erin but not great. I don't seem to have a job to go back to now that we have moved so I don't know what I am going to do?

Happy to be so close to my family! Happy I have a little niece on the way! Happy that my baby is growing up and growing even more of her own little personality!
Love that my mum can call in for a cuppa so easily! Love that my sister is using me as a saviour to disappear from her MIL on the weekend!

Happy to receive invitations like this one!

We would not normally we able to attend things like this if we were in Sydney. My cousin (favorite cousins family!) is engaged! Very exciting! Can't wait!!!

But then sad to receive invites like this one...

Sad that we aren't just around the corner anymore and will miss things like this.

So missing lots. Loving lots. Great to be close. Sad to be so far away.

isn't she lovely

When I was pregnant and found out we were having a girl I couldn't get the Stevie Wonder song Isn't she lovely out of my head.
To this day whenever I hear the song I get all happy and teary and sing along. And especially when Abi is with me I sing to her (poor girl!)

This is how I found her sleeping yesterday afternoon - I can't help but check on her all the time!

Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderful
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love we'd be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn't she lovely made from love

Isn't she pretty
Truly the angel's best
Boy, I'm so happy
We have been heaven blessed
I can't believe what God has done
Through us he's given life to one
But isn't she lovely made from love

Family Photo - April 2012

April was spent mostly apart with the husband in Melbourne working and Abi and I in Sydney missing him and packing and preparing for our new adventure...
We did manage these:

So not great... I had in my mind that I wanted a photo of us with the 'Welcome to Balmain' bit in the back as a reminder of our first home as a family (and a couple!)
These shots were taken on Sunday the 22nd of April at the East Village Hotel in Balmain East at our farewell drinks.

We are off to Sydney this morning for the weekend for another farewell.
A very good friend is heading to Africa for 8 months to film Mad Max 4.
I'm planning a 're-shoot' of this shot! 

the MAC is back!

FINALLY! I got a chance to take my MacBook into the Apple store and get it fixed!!!

So it's back! I'm back and a blogging we will go!

So so much has been going on!

We said farewell Sydney and Balmain. We moved out, we moved in, we have unpacked and trying our best to not feel too Sydney homesick.

Trying to make the house (not our home) feel a little homely and keeping warm.

Abigail has been a little champ through it all and I'm oh so proud of her!

She is now crawling! Slowly, but getting there. At first she was crawling for $100 notes that her pop put out for her and for Easter eggs that were left over!

Here's a visual! (Taken Friday the 27th April - it was supposed to be a video but it wont upload)

One very exciting thing that has happened is that my littlest brother passed his final exams and flights and is now officially a qualified commercial pilot!

We are all so super proud of him and we had a family dinner at our house (the day after we moved in!) on Tuesday.

All of my parents children have our father sweet tooth and when asked what he wanted for dinner he chose the predictable chicken schnitzels and for dessert???

Raspberry brownie ice-cream cake!

1 litre of vanilla ice-cream, softened

200g frozen raspberries (recipe said 150g)

125g butter, chopped coarsely

200g dark chocolate chopped finely

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 (185g) plain flour

50g each of dark, milk & white chocolate (recipe said 150g milk chocolate) chopped coarsely

1 tablespoon icing sugar

1. line a deep 23cm round cake pan with plastic wrap, extending wrap so it will cover pan. Combine ice-cream and raspberries in a bowl. Spoon ice-cream into pan smooth the surface. Fold plastic wrap over to enclose. Freeze for 3 hours or until firm.

2. Pre-heat oven to 160C/140C fan-forced. Remove ice-cream from pan, still wrapped and place on tray and back in the freezer

3. grease same pan, line the base and sides with baking paper.

4. Combine butter, 200g dark chocolate and sugar in a medium saucepan, stir over low heat until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.

5. Stir in eggs, sifted flour and 150g of chocolate. Spread mixture into pan. Bake brownie for about 30 minutes. Cool in pan.

6. Halve brownie horizontally. Sandwich ice-cream cake between brownie slices. Serve immediately dusted with icing sugar. Serve with fresh raspberries if desired.

It was a huge hit and I think a pretty fail safe recipe as it is from The Women's Weekly!