firecracker

It’s an exciting old world out there. So many things to do. So many places to go.

We’re sitting in a holding pen right now my family and I. Staring out at the world from the safety of this place we think, dream and imagine about the places we’ll go. 

Oh the places we will go! 

We’d like to travel the world going to new churches, seeing what they do. 

We’d like to meet people, become their best friends and tell the whole city about Jesus. We’d love to work in a church that does stuff. A church that moves, a church that is great at everything. A rocking band, brilliant preaching, hospitality like no other.

I think about these things and I want them now. I’m a little firecracker ready to burst. Ready to step out in faith and do things for the Lord. “Use me!” I say. I’m ready to pop and when I do I’ll make a big old pretty colour just for you!

But we’re sitting in this holding pen and in here I try things and a lot of the time they fail. I decide one morning to be bold and talk to that person only to say the wrong thing and feel stupid. 

I get all ready to open my etsy store and help make money and be industrious for my family and then the support dries up and it seems like not such a good idea. 

I decide to be a parent who thinks of God and not of what I “should” be doing and then I have a week of terrible naptimes and think I’m doing it all wrong. 

I decide to use this blog for good and write meaningful posts only to barely write any all year. 

For the first time in my life I have been reading the word, getting into it and loving it and all of a sudden the things I try to do keep failing. 

For the first time in my life I was angry at God.  “I’m doing this for you! Why do the things I try to do keep failing?”

But then I read psalm 46. “Be still and know that I am God” it says.

Who is the one that acts?

Who is the one with the plan?

Who is the one who knows what is right?

I’m this tiny firecracker wanting to burst and make a pretty colour. But the thing about firecrackers is that they only last a minute or so. After the colour fades and the smoke clears there is nothing left but an empty shell. I’ve got to wait, I’ve got to learn, I’ve got to grow. I’ve got to be still and know that He is God.

All I want to do is go out and be amazing but there’s a long road of making mistakes from here to there. I wish I could skip the mess and go straight to the amazing but that’s never the way it works. It’s hard to watch people who are out of the holding pen or standing at the gate and feel like I should be where they are. 

But I am sure that to be still and listen to God when he has things to say is something that brings great joy.

a very lucy christmas

Christmas is so much more fun when there is a baby around!

We spent Christmas this year with Myls family.

Cute owl Christmas outfit courtesy of my mama.

baby's first (captured on camera) stand courtesy of L.Bob.

Lucy and Uncle Brendan doing what they do best on the way home from Church.

Off to Nana's house

 

Source: notsohumblepie.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

There's this story in our family about how my older sister tasted her first solids.
A sweet little babe of a few weeks old was given rum and rasin ice cream by her adoring Nana as a disapproving daughter-in law looked on.

So, when visiting my nana with my own sweet babe and hearing her almost five month self offered cake, I was more than a little concerned.

A pinky finger of sweetened, whipped cream was offered and then thrust into her untainted mouth. She licked her lips, smiled and tasted with joy.

Another pinky was offered but a disapproving granddaughter was at the ready to block all sweet substance to mouth contact.

A whimper and a cry was heard from both Nana and the babe.

staycation + 2.5 years

Last weekend we had a staycation.
Myl had the weekend off work and it was our 2.5 year wedding anniversary.
Any excuse will do.

It was cold and rainy on the Friday so we went to DFO after a lovely long sleep in.
We walked around and got some sweet cheap clothes.
We had dumplings at our favourite little spot in Ashfield.

On Saturday we hit the city.
I showed Myl the ridiculous new Westfield at Centrepoint.
We changed Lucy in the fantastically snazzy parents room complete with L'Occtaine hand lotion.
(I know, ridiculous)
We walked through the city chatting and holding hands.
We saw about 100 screaming teenagers watching k-pop.
Then we went to the rocks. We had planned to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art but it is being renovated and is completely closed. :(
But that did not rain on our parade. We wandered about the cobble stone lanes of the rocks. My imagination ran away with me a few times as I had visions of unearthing a plague rat and our little family becoming infected. (A little plaque told me however, that there were only three plague victims in the rocks... in the early 1900's....aaaand they pulled down and burnt their houses. It set my imaginations at ease*)
We went to a sweet little cafe, looked at the markets and ate tasty pancakes at one of our favourite restaurants.
We watched the sunset from a little lookout. It was very sweet.
We meant to catch the bus from the rocks but ended up walking all the way to Vic Park. Lucy fell asleep.

When we got home we had a lovely surprise from my siblings and co. We missed out on dinner with them but we had a nice little chat and some gelato.

More pictures (and what we did on Sunday) to come next week!

*Yes, I have been reading Anne of Green Gables if you were wondering. Her thoughts are becoming my life.

our holiday

three bags
driving
pop goes the weasel
maccas mates meal
relatives
presents
5kg of rice
cuddles
smiles
friends
pecan pie
iphone photos
bean bag
meetups
tv

tennis
lazy day
cafe
old school
chinese
cuddles
leather lounges

long drive
wind storm
blackouts
hurt trains
radio
chilly cold
open fire
spotlight
siblings
parents
crochet
sleepins
music
icy wind
walks
puffed corn
church
scarves
chats
cradle
music
driving
hair dye
chai tea
food court
bubble tea
bus ride
short drive
goodbyes
soviet comrade
no cooking
zumba
camp fire
boat ride
nap times
catapult
craft
waterslides

teenagers
cuddles
crazy freaks
galatians
turduckenencock
luggage
car trip
home.

loungeroom makeover

I'm redecorating the loungeroom on a strict budget.
As low as possible. I'm using fabrics and things I've already got to refresh the room,make it feel more open and friendly and hopefully make it easier to keep clean.

I've just discovered pinterest and am loving getting inspiration from there. Here is what I've got.

Source: designspongeonline.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: designsponge.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: lottaagaton.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

the rest of them here

dada date

Myl and Luce had their first outing together last week.

They went to the shops.
Lucy fell asleep in the sling.
It was sweet.

I stayed home and cut out hexagons.

ten weeks old

my little girl is ten weeks old

Lucy has a toy called Crunchie. It crunches and Lucy loves it. She grabs it and eats it and stares at it. She is becoming more and more alert every day. She winks and smiles and raises her eyebrows.

She does a cute opened eye thing if you take a photo of her with the flash.

She has started to laugh. It's only happened a few times. She mostly just gurgles but a few times she has been really laughing. It's the best.

She has a bit of a sniffly nose again. It was really sniffly on Saturday night. I put her down to sleep and she sounded like a little baby pig. So I called my mum and she said to drop some saline up her nose. It worked really well and she slept for a good long while.

She is becoming much more vocal. She sings along with me and chatters away. She likes words that start with G (gee, gah etc). Her cries are getting louder. She cries when she is overstimulated and sometimes it is tricky to get her to calm down. Myl is a superman at getting her to be happy. He sings to her with his big deep voice and she is in heaven.

She is getting better at feeding (or am I getting better?) Sometimes she is very picky about the side she wants. She will make hunger signs and then wail if I give her one side so I think she isn't hungry till I try the other. It's never the same side though. She is a kook!

We went out for dumplings with my siblings on the weekend. Lucy loves her aunts and uncles. She put on a very good show of smiles and cuddles. Sometimes I think she is better behaved for other people than for me.

I love her oh so much. Looking at her makes my heart ache. Holding her makes me feel so happy. I'm loving being a mama. It is so wonderful.

to market to market

Last Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day. The kind of day that makes you forget that it is supposed to be almost winter. We had a lovely little family outing to the markets. We have been wanting to go for such a long time and this weekend the Finders Keepers Markets were in town.

We had  a lovely time looking at pretty, crafty, trendy things. I got some lovely ideas for some things to make. I'm pretty cheap and there were lots of lovely things with lovely handmade pricetags. It's nice to get inspiration but I didn't buy anything. :(
It was so so crowded at the markets. The last FKM we went to was much quieter. It made it harder to stroll through the stalls and really appreciate the craftiness but it's great that independent designers are getting so popular.

We also went to the Everleigh Farmers markets which are just next to where the FKM is held.  They were really crowded too. So crowded that they ran out of bacon and egg rolls just as we got to the front of the line. We had a lovely time looking at all the tasty fresh produce and Lucy slept the whole time in her sling.

Then as if two markets were not enough, we went to the Glebe markets as well. We spent most of the time eating kebabs and milk (Lucy) but it was nice to sit in the sun and take photos. We looked at a few stalls and I bought a shirt that I am going to turn into a dress.

I love market days with my family.

easter weekend

We went to Canberra for the National Folk Festival for the Easter weekend.
It's a festival of folk music, dancing, tasty food and rockin' hippy clothing.

Lucy was pretty good for the most part. It was really strange being back at the festival with a baby. I got really good at the public feed. Lucy was fed in concerts, in front of fireplaces, in corridors and in the car. I think she really likes Folk music. She mostly slept in concerts. We went to a Joni Mitchell covers concert and she just lay back and swayed to the music. Or was that me swaying?

There were definitely moments of overtiredness and overfolkmusicness. On one of the nights our little girl had just had enough. Yes, there is such a thing as too much folk music. She also had a rather precious moment after church at the Pancake Factory on the Sunday. It was one of those days that looks cold outside but then turns hot. I had rugged Lucy up for a cold day and she got hot, hungry and had a messy nappy. She was pretty inconsolable. (Not really what you want in a restaurant) Thank God for my lovely Myl. He walked round and round with her till she calmed down enough for a feed. It was such a scary sounding cry. It made me feel really out of control and embarrassed to have the whole family witnessing what I felt was my inability to effectively mother. EUuuugh!
I think having a generally happy baby makes me really freak out when she does cry like that. It's hard not to feel like I have done something horribly wrong when Lucy cries.

Oh my. This outfit does not match at all. Sorry little girl your mama is not so great at fashion.

All in all we had a lovely weekend. It was nice to have so many family members only too happy to have a cuddle or walk around with our little girl. Mum (above) especially liked it when people asked her about "her" baby.

It was a nice weekend for baby's first holiday but I was pretty glad to get home. There is only so much out and about an almost 4 week old and her post c-section mama can do.

three weeks old

Our little girl is much more alert this week.

She loves face time. She smiles sometimes when we smile at her. She likes dancing with her dada.
She loves her dada. She is captivated by him. She just stares into his eyes. If she were a little older and not our precious daughter I'm sure I would be jealous.
She likes rough terrain and driving in the car. She cries when we stop at traffic lights.
She likes to move. She likes her bouncer and likes to bounce hard. 
She likes it when we sing to her. "Come thou Fount", "Jesus Paid it All", "Amazing Grace", "If I had Words." Works every time.
She likes feeding time. She gets all excited and starts to hyperventilate. Sometimes she gets confused and sucks her hand instead. She gets all confused when no milk comes out.
She likes being on her tummy when she is sad.

She gets sad a little more often these days but is usually soothed by a cuddle or a feed or a good bounce. Usually a feed. She is a hungry little goose.

She is still sleeping really well. We get a good long six hour stretch at night.

She has been out for coffee, to night church, to tenpin bowling, shopping at birkenhead point and to a cafe for lunch. After all these excursions she (and I) needed a nice nap.
We have had a lot of visitors this past week. Myls Mum and brother came to stay and lovely friends have come for meals, chats and cuddles.

She is such a blessing. I love her.

the mamas mama

This is my mama. Isn't she beautiful? She is going to be a grandmama soon. I've got a sneaking suspicion she is a little excited. Correct me if I'm wrong.

My mama is pretty wonderful. I wrote about her here for her birthday.

My mama is a super midwife. She has been my pregnancy hotline for the past 9 or so months. She was the third person to know about our little one. (Me, Myl, Mum.)

My mama is going to be there when the little one comes into the world unless she is delivering other babies or the little one comes in less than 3 hours. (The time it takes my mama to drive to Sydney.)

I've done loads of things with my mama over the years but I think this one will be the best.

and this?

My mum saw this mornings post and decided that one cute baby photo was not enough for one day.

Love you mum.

Here is the girl version. A little me.

It's pretty much impossible to tell what our little girl is going to look like from the ultrasound but I guess she will be a mashup of her mama and dada. Big eyes I think are a winner and I think she might have my little button nose.

Whatever she looks like I'm sure she will be wonderful because she will be ours!

take a dive in the sky

When we were away on holidays my two little brothers in law went sky diving.

Myl and I went along for moral support.

I'm pretty sure I was more nervous than they were.

 

the twenty-fifth

I had a lovely Christmas day.

It started at church at 11pm for the midnight Christmas service. I was reminded that our saviour came as a little baby just like the one in my belly.

The next morning we had church again. We're keen.

We had nine people for Christmas in our little apartment. 

After that it was lunch and presents time. I'm not really sure why we give presents at christmas but it sure is nice. I got some really lovely things.

My favourite part of Christmas is cooking. I thought the camera had run out of battery so I only have one photo of the cooking and none of the rest of the day.

I made a roast chicken, cauliflower cheese and sweet potato. My mum made a roast pork, roast vegis and apple sauce. Dessert was cassata ball, trifle, choc-peppermint mousse and mum's famous fruit cake.

I was pretty full by the end. Sooo tasty!

We ate under some shade in our backyard. We had afternoon naps. We went for a walk round Glebe point. It was a really warm day but not so warm that it was unpleasant.

I <3 Christmas.

wedding bells

 

My brother got married on the weekend. It was really lovely.

The wedding was in a church down the road from where they first met and the reception was on Sydney harbour on a cruise boat. 

It's so nice to see my brother in love and declaring his love to his beautiful new wife. It makes me happy to see him so happy. 

It's fantastic to have a new sister. I'm looking forward to them coming back from their honeymoon.

.

What's up Doc?

I went to the doctor last Thursday to get my thyroid results and have a checkup.
My TSH is a little low still but within the normal range which is awesome!
Seems like that little pill I take each morning is working and I don't need to change my dosage.

Our little girl is having a lovely time inside.
My blood pressure was 114/67 which the doctor said was perfect.
My belly is as big as it should be at 25cm.
Baby's heart is beating at 150bpm and she is head down.
She is likely to stay head down till March. I hope she doesn't get bored.
She has been kicking up a storm especially when I sing or play music or when we are at church.

Our little girl is really starting to become part of the family. She has kicked her aunt and uncle and even been given a name. (Still undecided on whether it's going to be announced to the world.)

ALSO

I had such a lovely weekend with family. My brother Ben is getting married on Saturday and on the weekend was his bucks day and his fiancee Evies hens weekend.

My sister and I went along to the hens on the central coast. It was so lovely.
It's very exciting to be getting a new sister and through the weekend I got to spend so much time with the one I already have.

I wish I had taken some photos. It was really quite lovely.

it's a...

two of us

the early days...


Happy 4 Year "going out" anniversary my love.

the day we first "met"

My year 12 formal.

The day we told each other we "liked" each other

Awesome date to Luna Park

Sitting on a pier on Sydney harbour

I like having my head patted

Riding on a train

The Folk Festival in the cold

The Folk Festival in the Sun