New Page for 5th year >>>>> HERE
March 3rd 2007...
Finally I have found some more time to come back and do a decent update here :) Time is so precious these days.
Caleb's broken arm is now fully healed and out of plaster at last! You can see a pic of his groovy purple cast before it was removed in his online photo album here. When they cut it in half to remove it they were actually kind enough to re-plaster it together again so we could take it home in one piece as it had once looked on his arm. A great keepsake for him! We have his last follow up appointment next week and I imagine we'll learn then if any physio etc is required. At first he could not touch the fingers or hand of his broken arm to it's shoulder tip but now can at least reach the fingers there. Not as far as he can on his other arm though so I don't know if that will improve in time or always be limited in this way?
He had the plaster on his arm for his first week and a bit of Kindy but then got to take it back again after it was removed and show everyone for 'show and share' in front of the class - he loved that!! I actually walked in while he was doing it and it was very strange to stand back and watch him talking to the whole class with such confidence :) Recently his teacher told me that Caleb was a bit shy and prone to let others boss him around rather then assert his self on others (just like his gentle natured Daddy). I worry that he'll get bossed around as the kids get bigger but then he may just take a little while to build up more confidence as time passes?
Kindy has been great for him! He likes it so much more then day-care and after a couple of days of tearful drop offs in the first week he's now settled in great. He never says he doesn't want to go as he used to for day-care and he is just thriving in the learning environment there. His teachers (Male teacher plus female assistant teacher) are awesome and teaching him heaps. He learns new songs every week, learns all about a different colour each week etc and they are really building up the skills and knowledge that will serve him well in prep year next year.
Each morning I stay with him for about 10-15min's for a play until the bell rings for 'matt time' and all the Mummy's and Daddy's leave. I think this is a great practice as it helps him realise all the parents go together and that it's not just me choosing to leave him. Of course my play is always one handed as I always have Talyn asleep in one arm at that time of the morning. They encourage parent helpers to come play/help for a day and next week his Granny is spending the day there with him. I have told him that I will take my turn once Caleb is no longer breastfed and I can leave him with Granny for a day to give Caleb and his Kindy friends my undivided attention. I know he'll love that.
He sure does love his little brother though. We have to wait for Talyn to get kisses from Caleb before we do now and he is all over him all the time! I walk a fine line between telling him to back off and give him some space and trying not to discourage his interest in him. It get's particularly bad when someone else is around and I understand that's to do with Caleb's own insecurities and jealousies so we try to reassure him that he is still just as loved and adored by all as the new baby is. I am just grateful that what little jealousy he does display comes out as lashings of affection for Talyn rather then aggression towards him.
It's a bit of a balancing act to juggle two children after always having only Caleb to focus on but one that as a family we are adjusting to. :)
Be sure to check out all Caleb's latest pic's here and I'll be back again soon with more stories from the world of Caleb *wink*
Cheers P
Febuary 5th 2007...
Well my big boy is now at Kindergarden! *Sob*
Today is his first full day and fingers crossed all goes smoothly :) His short trial day last week went well, no tears or fears so I hope today goes equally as well!
He loves wearing his little uniforms each day and seems to really like his teachers which is a relief.
I just hope he stays equally enthused when he realises that he goes back again tomorrow and the next day again.
Will post a pic of his first day soon with my next entry and let you know how his first week went. Stay tuned.
Cheers P
January 23rd 2007...
Well...after waiting what seemed like an eternity to him...Caleb is finally a big brother!!!
We welcomed Talyn Mason into the world at 2.43pm, Friday, January 12th 2007...weighing in at 7lb 14oz. You can read the full story of his birth here and see pic's here.
However that's not the only excitement in Caleb's life of late. 3 days after I got home from hospital...he broke his arm!!!! He was accidentally double bounced off a trampoline by an older child and came down hard on his left arm. He broke it through just above the elbow. The full story of the hospital visit and treatment can be found at the pregnancy journal so I won't repeat it here again.
The short version is that he has a temporary cast from wrist to shoulder on now, set at a 90 degree bend, and worn in a sling. It has taken him some time to adjust to sleeping with it and playing, eating and doing all manner of self care things one handed but he is improving with each passing day. It's truly amazing how fast kids adapt! I am astounded to watch him use his feet to hold things or manage to do things one handed that before would need two hands. He does love to say though "I can't do that...I've got a broken arm you know!" hehehe
Today he goes back for a review at the fracture clinic and we expect the huge, heavy cast he has now will be replaced with a light fiberglass one. We have heard a water proof option may also be available and if nothing else it would be great if he could ditch the sling at least.
Otherwise he is just loving everything about his new little brother! He just won't stop kissing him and we have to keep reminding him not to do so when he is trying to sleep. Honestly I think Talyn is going to be the most kissed baby in town if this keeps up. Caleb delights in helping with Talyn's baths and nappy changes etc and has been surprisingly accepting of the extra time Talyn takes up in our lives. He knows I can't always do what he needs immediately now but he's been great with that. He even does more cleaning up after himself etc 'to help mommy' he says and he has just been a delight. I am careful to still lavish him with love and praise for all that he does and remind him how much we love him too :)
He has two more days of day care left now then it's on to Kindy next week! He has just one day next week then the following week he begins the regular 3 days a week. He seems really excited about it for now but I just hope he continues that way when he realise's it's 3 days in a row!! Still he'll have to do 5 days a week in prep next year so he has to get used to it sometime. I'll let you know how he goes :)
Cheers P
January 6th 2007...
Ok....no bub news to report yet but I think it will only be a matter of days now (I hope).
From now on all posts will be at the pregnancy page here. I will try to do a brief update when I leave for hospital but even if I don't manage that I have left Simon instructions as to how to update it after bub's birth. So if you are looking for baby updates go to pregnancy page!
Wish me luck...I think I may need it *wink*
Cheers P
December 29th 2006...
Ho Ho Ho!
The jolly man in red has been and a fun time has been had by all :)
I had a bit of spare time now, and who knows how much more I'll have of that when bub arrives any time so I thought I'd best do the Xmas update while I still can.
Caleb had a wonderful time visiting the Christmas lights displays this year (see pic's). Funny thing happened when we decided to have tea in a park before we headed out. Simon had fish and chips and Caleb said the funniest thing. He spotted Daddy's piece of battered fish and asked..."Daddy...did someone turn that fishy into a nugget??". So funny! :)
Caleb was so excited on Christmas Eve night that I thought he'd never sleep! He set out a carrot and dish of milk for the reindeers and a glass of beer for Santa (yes beer - the tradition in my family)...hehehe He had asked Santa for a snowman for Xmas and a lovely friend of mine found one for him in a snow globe so after he went to sleep we placed that next to Santa's snacks for him to find in the morning.
Then after he was all tucked up in bed we set about wrapping all his gifts and assembling see-saws and scooters for him to find in the morning.
We all fell into bed about 11pm hoping to get as much sleep in as we could before the boy woke us bright and early. As it turned out we may as well not have bothered! Simon and I woke up at 4am. Yes...4am!!! We were so excited about our boy's Christmas that we ended up waiting around for him to wake up instead ...hehehe
I was sitting on the lounge reading when I saw him come out of his room. He went straight to the snack table to inspect the mess the reindeers had made with their carrot and the empty glasses etc then expressed such delight at his snowman. Then Xmas began!
His thrill was just too much to bear at the sight of the gifts under the tree and his full stockings. He was so excited and his little face was just the picture of wonder and joy. After checking out his stockings while he waited for Granny and Uncle Ben to get up and get ready we then tackled the gift mountain.
Simon came out in his Santa suit to greet Caleb and I'm not sure he knew what to think. (see pic)
He was grinning and looking puzzled before announcing...."You're not Santa, you are Daddy Santa". He took great delight in sitting on Daddy Santa's lap though and having a cuddle and chat.
Then he got down to the real work of passing out presents. Of course 90% of what was under the tree was actually for him....which he loved. He brought each present to Daddy to help read the tags and could not believe how many were for him.
He opened each one with joyful abandon and kept saying "Is there more for me?". Oh yes...there's more! He got a total tonne of Superman stuff - from bedspreads, coloring books, capes and pj's...to money boxes, furniture and games all in the theme of the man of steel. His granny got him a great Wiggles scooter which he loved. And amongst the Superman stuff there were other clothes, books, racing car sets, toys and the like which he just loved.
If I had to name his favorite gift I would say his Clark Kent/Superman fancy dress kit (see pic) It's a grey 3 piece Clark Kent suit, complete with glasses, which rips open with velcro to reveal a superman suit underneath. He just loved it but boy did we ever help him get in and out of it a gazillion times on the day as no sooner would he get it on then someone would 'need help' and he'd have to rip if off and go to the rescue. Check out the pic's because the Clark Kent suit is just TOO CUTE!
There was lot's of good eating, lot's of swimming and lot's of fun had by all on the day.
I know for certain that Caleb was at an age to enjoy this Christmas like no other and Simon and I will treasure the memories of it forever. So special!
Cheers P
December 22nd 2006...
Well as it's almost time for the jolly man in the red suit to arrive I thought I'd best pop in for a pre-Christmas sum up in the wonderful world of Caleb *wink*
Christmas....never so magical a time as when you have children to share it with. Every year that we have had Caleb in our lives has made it such a joy but no more so then this year I'm sure! He is just so excited by all things Xmas that he can barely contain himself :)
Every day he gets up to open up the door on his advent calendar with glee. As his dairy allergy prevents him from using the common chocolate filled ones we have a huge wooden one that we use each year and hope to one day hand down to our children as a family heirloom (see pic's). Each door holds a hand carved and painted Christmas decoration to hang on the tree. This year as each door is opened Caleb is counting down the sleeps until Santa's arrival with glee!
We've had our Santa pic taken already (see pic's) and as he did last year, when asked by Santa what he would like he said "A snowman" (!!??) That's so weird as he never asks for such a thing except on the two occasions Santa has asked him??? Luckily he also added Superman stuff this year as Mummy and Daddy have bought a whole swag of Superman stuff for him.
Each night that we are out after dark we have driven him past some houses decorated with Christmas lights and tonight will be the main tour. We'll go out for an hour or so...driving past the good ones and stopping at the street here that is renamed 'Christmas Street' each year during the silly season. Almost every house in the high class area cul-de-sac are completely decked out with lights on houses, in yards and all manor of moving, dancing Santa's and decorations in their gardens and on their footpaths etc. Crowds of families walk the street marveling at the lights, soaking up the atmosphere of the Christmas carols and basically just enjoying the theme of Christmas.
Of course with less then 4wk's to go until bub arrives this little Xmas mumma is likely to be seen waddling down the street more then walking this year *wink*
On Christmas Eve, Caleb's Granny and Uncle Ben will sleep over to be here and ready for present opening on the big day. We'll share a BBQ breakfast then a big lunch of cold meats, seafood and salads while swimming in the pool and keeping cool inside in the air-con. After Caleb's afternoon nap we'll go visit some close friends then return here for an evening Christmas meal with Caleb's Aunty Alicia and Uncle Andrew also. A fun day to come for sure!
Caleb has now moved into his new 'big-boy room' (see pic). It is in a superman theme but we are waiting for Santa to bring his Superman doona, bench seat and wallpaper runners to complete the look. For now though he is just so excited to be in his new, bigger and freshly painted room that he suddenly likes to play in there more then he ever did his old room. His first room has now been returned to the nursery that it was when he was a bub in readiness for our new arrival any day.
I have had a couple of drama's this week with the pregnancy but anyone who is interested can read all about that here at the pregnancy site.
As the year winds down Caleb has enjoyed finishing up and celebrating break-up parties for play-group,day-care and swimming lessons. He participated in his first Xmas stage show and dressed up as a Shepard which was really special for us all - and so cute! (see pic's)
He's enjoyed pre-christmas get together's and gift sharing with all his little friends who he won't see again until after the big day and all in all is just loving every aspect of this season.
We no longer wake him at night for wee's and without doing that he has been wetting his bed maybe once every 3-4wk's if that so it has been fantastic!
He has now progressed from recognising the first letter of his name to being able to recognise and write the whole thing! He can copy an example of his name with ease but when left to write it himself for the first time sometimes he will write Cable or some other incorrect order of letters but the letter's themselves are still correct - and he's not even 4yrs old yet! Golly that boy will be leaving us for dead soon I'm sure :)
Next year in February he begins Kindergarten 3 days a week so that's exciting.
He's ever so eager for the arrival of this baby and we just know he is going to be a fantastic big brother!
Just one of the many exciting changes 2007 will bring him I'm sure.
Anyway....I'll update again after the silly season has passed but for now....Merry Christmas to you and all and may 2007 bring all your hopes and dreams to life!!! :)
(PS be sure to check out the latest pic's at the photo album here)
Cheers P
November 17th 2006...
Just a quick update for the latest in the nappy journey.
Yep they are over! We've not got him up for an overnight wee in 9 nights and in that time he has had only 1 wet bed!! Yippee! We still don't know if he is really getting up at night or whether he just holds on until morning but either way I don't suppose it matters. We leave the toilet light on for him overnight just in case but I doubt very much that he's using it.
Being a late bed wetter myself I was worried that Caleb would be the same so I'm so pleased that not only is he not, but also that nappies are all finished with well before bub #2 arrives in a storm of nappies in a few short weeks!
Speaking of bub, Caleb is getting so excited about it all. He keeps saying "I want to talk to bubba" and he presses his face into my belly and talks in a big deep voice to his little brother or sister. He says the funniest and most weird things too. Like yesterday when he was having lunch he wanted to tell my bump "Bubba, I'm eating all of Daddy's ham". hehehe He also wants to cuddle and kiss the bump all the time which is so adorable. He says "I'm not a big brother yet but I will be soon". He's very curious about why baby is in there, what it does/see's in there and when it will come out. And boy is he excited about being able to hold and cuddle him/her when they do arrive.
His other big thing at present is the letter 'C' for Caleb. Every sign we pass, every word that comes on TV, every piece of paper he spots with writing on it - he has to stop and find the letter C. Then he yells out excitedly "that's my name!" or when he remembers it correctly says "that's the first letter of my name!". He thinks it's so exciting ... hehehe So now we are working on him recognising the following letters also.
Something else new in the last couple of weeks is the fact he'll often call me "Mumma". He's never done it before and only began it while we were away on holidays - even though none of the kids we were with used that name?? I'm not sure where he picked it up but I must say I love it! It's so cute and lovable to be called Mumma all the time instead of just the usual Mummy *beams*
Anyway...on that note...this Mumma is out of here! More soon :)
Cheers P
November 11th 2006....
Just a quick shout out to my big, clever boy Caleb!
As you know we have ditched the final overnight nappies a month or two back and have been waking him each night to do a wee around midnight.
The last 3 nights we stopped doing this.
The first two nights he woke us to take him and last night he went all by himself!!!
I'm so proud of my little man!!! :)
Cheers P
**PS** Caleb's holiday photo's are now ready for viewing!!! Please use link to album on left
November 7th 2006...
Well we are back from our holidays so I thought it time I came and filled you in on what we got up to. After excitedly counting down the sleeps until holidays Caleb spent the morning of our departure running around the house squealing "I so exciting about holidays!"...hehehe. His Poppy surprised him with a new Spiderman suitcase with wheels and pull up handle the day before we left and I think he was more excited about that then anything *wink*
The apartments we stayed in were gorgeous. Huge, spacious and modern and overlooking the esplanade and surf beach. There was a great children's playground right across the road too which Caleb got plenty of use out of.
We were joined by Caleb's Granny, and Aunty Alicia (Simon's sister) for the first two nights of our stay so that they could join us on our day at Dreamworld. My sister Vicki and her husband and son also met us at the themepark for the day too so between all of us, plus our friends group of 9 that we were holiday with, we made quite a crowd!
Dreamworld was great - but for me being pregnant it was a totally exhausting and hot day. Of course I could not go on most of the rides so spent most of my time waiting for others and walking from one side of the massive park to the other. Caleb had a blast though. He enjoyed many rides in Wiggles World and the Nickelodeon kids sections. We toured the Big Brother house which was totally surreal, visited heaps of rides and attractions and before we know it the long day there was done.
That night Simon, myself, Granny, Aunty Alicia and Scotty all hit Jupiter's Casino for a flutter while Scotty's mom stayed in our room with Caleb until our return. We didn't come back rich but we sure were tired when we climbed into bed about 2am after our massive day and night!
The rest of the week went by in a blur of shopping, swimming and relaxing. We played indoor mini golf one day and went glow in the dark tenpin bowling another night. I spent a lot of time walking around for hours at Pacific Fair shopping centre (again exhausting!!). We hit Billabong factory outlets for some new clothes for Simon and we spent plenty of time in the apartments pool, and the beach and kids park across the road.
One the Tuesday Simon took Caleb to the beach to try out his brothers skim board while I stayed at home to catch up on some rest. It wasn't long before he returned, limping and in much pain. Turns out he severely sprained his ankle when the skim board attempt went wrong on his very first go at it! He spent a few hours at the hospital for x-rays etc then came home with bandages, heat rub and pain relief. It was very swollen and left him quite limited in what he could do for the remainder of the holiday and is still causing him pain this week since he has returned to work. Silly boy!
While we were away I also got to finally meet my email friend of 4-5yrs!! She lives in Melbourne so it was just a lucky fluke that she was at the Gold Coast the same time as us. We finally got to meet each other, our kids and partners when we met up at an indoor play centre and it was FANTASTIC! I worried that it would be awkward but it was great - surreal - but great! :)
After 7 nights in the holiday apartment we headed to my other sisters house in Brisbane for a night on our way home. Caleb had heaps of fun with his cousins and it was a great opportunity to catch up with them all. Then on our way home we also stopped into my best friend Julie's place (Caleb's godmother) for an hour or so and caught up with her also.
So now....it's back to reality! Back to work for Simon and back to routine for Caleb and I. Caleb continues to do fantastic on his nappy free nights. He's had about 4 wet beds in the month or more that he was been nappy free but taking him for a middle of the night wee most nights seems to avoid that for now.
Now the countdown to Christmas begins!! And then in a few short weeks after that it will be the countdown to bub's arrival! All the pregnancy news is here if you are interested?
Otherwise I'll leave this here for now. I have heaps of holiday snaps to upload to the album online but as I have a new digital camera I have to get it's new software loaded first before I can get the photo's sorted. Will do that sometime this week and let you know when it's done. Keep you posted on that.
Cheers P
October 3rd 2006...
Just a quick addition to last weeks post (see entry below)...
Had to share how proud we are of our little man!
After weeks of asking to sleep in his big boy pants at night instead of a nappy, I finally decided to give Caleb a go at it last night. I admit I was hesitant to face loads of wet washing every morning right now but I knew that if he was asking for it now was the best time to do it.
Last night after being put to bed in his nappy he actually got up and took it off himself so we decided he couldn’t be any clearer in his wishes then that. So I got him out of bed to go to the toilet, gave him the big speech about how he needed to do that again if he needed to wee overnight and not do it in bed thinking he had a nappy on.
I got a change of clothes and bedding out and ready for middle of the night wet runs and went to bed unsure of what would happen. Simon wanted to wake him overnight to wee as his little brother always had been but I feared that he would then not want to go back to sleep?
As it was I was awoken with a nightmare at 1am so since we were awake Simon took Caleb to the toilet. I could hear him saying “but I don’t need to do wee-wee Daddy” but none the less I soon heard the sound of weeing soon after. He then climbed back into bed with no fuss and promptly went back to sleep –thank god!
This morning I heard him moving around on the lounge t 5.15am (!) and fearing he was wet I jumped up to check him out…but he wasn’t! He and his bed were dry and I cannot tell you how proud we were of him.
We lavished him with praise for his efforts and he was just tickled pink with it all. He kept saying “I’m a big boy now and I don’t have to sleep in my nappy ever again – I can wear big boy pants to bed every night!” Hehehe He sure can! We got him to put a special stamp on the calendar in his bedroom and told him he could do the same for every day he woke up dry.
Guess we should have listened to him earlier huh? I’m sure there will be plenty of accidents to come in future but in any case we are saying goodbye to nappies for him for good (damn shame I just bought a bag of 54 of them!). I had wanted him off them before bub arrived and the night time one is the only one he’s used for a year or so now so the timing has been perfect.
But when did my little baby boy grow up so fast!? Every day now he insists on dressing himself, making his own bed, brushing his own teeth and hair, putting his own shoes on, and now no more nappies either!
*Sigh* :)
Cheers P
September 26th 2006...
Ahhh my baby boy is growing up so fast :)
It’s been a real month of independence for him this month. I guess in some ways we are trying to boost his skills in preparation for when the bub arrives but in general I guess he is just growing up and needs our help for less and less.
He now takes huge pride in dressing himself each morning and again in the evening for bed. I’m sure he could have done this much sooner but sometimes I think it’s easy to just do what’s faster instead of letting him blunder along himself. Now however he is quick to say “I’ll do it myself” so long as we get the clothes out for him and he just beams with pride when we make a big fuss of how well he has done. This morning before he went to day-care he dressed himself, brushed his hair, brushed his teeth and put his shoes on all by himself! Now that I can get used to :)
He has brushed his own teeth for a year or more now quite happily but we had always brought the pasted brush and cup of water to him. Now we just remind him to go and do it and he’ll climb on his stool in the bathroom and do it himself in front of the mirror. So far we’ve had no toothpaste disasters and he is actually quite dainty with the amount he’ll put on his electric brush…hehehe
This week he has also discovered bed making in a big way again too. Like the dressing it’s something he’s been able to do for a few months now but I just tend to do it with my morning chores without thinking about it. Well today he made his bed and our bed (!) and I gotta say *blush* I think I have turned him into a total anal-retentive like me as everything has to be just right and the pillows have to be placed just so. Hahaha. That’s my boy!
On the weekend Caleb stayed over at his Granny’s house and went with her to a BBQ at her friend’s place (whose son is Caleb’s friend). He had such a good time that the next morning they all went to the beach and had a ball there collecting shells, digging holes, splashing in the water and having a picnic lunch and he didn’t get home to us until after 1pm and boy was he exhausted!! The day before that Simon had taken him for an early morning beach visit also that was meant to be brief but lasted almost 2hrs. He just loves the beach at the moment and now he keeps asking me to take him again.
Tomorrow since there is no playgroup on during the school holidays we are actually meeting some friends and their kids for a morning of play on the beach before we all settle in at their favourite park for a picnic lunch. Should be lots of fun!
Caleb is such an “I love you boy” of late. He has always grown up being told many times a day how much we love him and seeing Simon and I say it too each other several times every day also so it’s no surprise that he says it – it’s just how and when he says it sometimes that’s funny. He’ll just come out with it at the top of his voice in shopping centre’s and while at play, and Simon was saying how cool it was when he took him into the toilet after swimming lessons last week and he announced loudly for all the other dad’s to hear “I love you Daddy!!” He says it with such earnest feeling that it just sounds so divine! Actually the friend whom he and Granny visited for tea on Saturday night had to tell me the next day that during the course of their evening together he came up to her on at least 4 occasions and just said out of the blue “I love my Mummy!” Aww shucks!!! Bless his loving little heart!
He’s really looking forward to the new bub arriving now too…(for anyone who doesn’t know it you can read my pregnancy site and see bump pics here). He talks to my bump in this funny deep voice and he tells me about all the things he’s going to teach his little baby brother or sister to do in the coming years. He wavers between wanting a baby brother or a baby sister each time he is asked but I just know he’ll be a fantastic big brother regardless and I’m really looking forward to him having someone else around to interact with all the time as they grow up together :) Only 14-16wks to go!!!
Caleb joined the family for dinner at a restaurant on Sept 11th for Simon’s birthday and it was like a whole new experience for us. Usually he has to be strapped into a highchair to keep him in one place and constantly given a stream of toys etc to keep his interest long enough for us to shovel some food down before getting him out of there. This time however he was an angel. He sat in a normal chair and stayed seated all night without complaint. He ate a bit of his roast meat and chips for tea but the rest of the time he was happy to play with the few toys we had brought with us or to colour in or chat to those around him. Ever since then he has asked us several times a week “are we going out for tea tonight” so I think he enjoyed it as much as we did…hehehe. So to reward him for his great behaviour we are going to take him out to McDonalds for tea this Friday night as a surprise. This way he can again practice eating at the table peacefully but when he’s finished we can go out and play in the play-land area which I know he’ll really love. He’ll be stoked!
Yesterday Caleb and I had nothing to do so we hit the cinema to see the movie “Barnyard”. It was a great kids movie and Caleb really loves our regular cinema trips and never once mucks up or tries to leave his seat which is a relief. It’s a great way to spend the morning together and he gets such a thrill out of going :) We are lining up ‘The Wild’, “Ant Bully” and “Garfield” to go to in the coming weeks also if he’s a good boy.
Otherwise not much is news here. Only 5 more weeks until our 7 night Gold Coast holiday. Woo-hoo! During our time away we’ll be having a day trip to Stradbroke Island and also 1 (maybe 2) days at Dreamworld too. He’s really looking forward to Wiggle World at Dreamworld and my sister and her family from NSW will be joining us there for the day too so that will be heaps of fun. Besides that the friends we are going with have 5 kids of their own so it’s like a ready made party for Caleb everyday and they all get on so well. Gotta love holidays!!
Cheers P
August 8th 2006...
Caleb is really into that whole toilet humor thing of late!
Nothing gets him giggling more then the mention (or presence) of ‘bums’, ‘farties’, ‘doodles’ or for some strange reason belly buttons??
Hehehe Ahhh the simple amusements of a 3.5yr old!
Speaking of his bum…we are slowly inching closer to getting rid of the last nappy – the overnight one. Up until recently he always woke and did number 2’s in his nappy first thing each day (kind of like his Daddy only without the nappy *wink*). Well the last week he has finally listened to us and takes his own nappy off and does it in the toilet. There’s nothing quite like being woken to the call of “Mummy – Come wipe my bottom!!”
He always hated a cold wipe on his bum on the winter mornings so he finally realized if he used the toilet instead as we suggested he could avoid this. Now that he has this habit down pat he’s asking to sleep in his big boy pants as we had foretold he would soon be able to. However he still has a wet nappy each morning.
I’m sure that if he woke in undies he wouldn’t wee in them, as he doesn’t during the day. However I’m fairly sure he is still doing wee’s overnight so this wouldn’t stop while he was asleep? So I think the solution for now is to start to emphasize to him that when he can keep his nappy dry in the morning then he can wear ‘big boy pants’ (as he calls them) to bed at night too. And we can farewell the nappies for good (well at least until the new bub arrives in the house in January)
Oh funny little discussion with Caleb yesterday about the baby. He informed me in all seriousness that "Mummy might have a little boy, a little girl or ... a dog!!!" Hmm Mummy sure hopes it's not the latter! I tried to explain that Mummy was not going to have a dog and it was only a boy or girl to choose from. He then came out with the gem of "but there is already a little boy in the family” Ahhh bless him!
He’s had a busy weekend just gone. We went to watch fireworks one night while having a picnic in the park with friends on Friday. Then on Sunday we all went to our annual ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic in the Park’. He took his beloved Ascot dog that he has taken to bed every night since a baby and really enjoyed all the clowns and performers there for the kids.
After that he went fishing with his Daddy, which he loves – even though they didn’t catch anything.
He enjoyed a recent trip to the cinema to watch “Over the Hedge” and now he feels compelled to point out all the hedges he comes across *tee-he*
This weekend we have our annual local festival with float parades, live music, rides and more fireworks in the evening. We’ll be taking a blanket and heading down to the oval in the evening to settle in with friends until the fireworks begin at dark. Will post some pics of us all with the next entry :)
Cheers P
July 3rd 2006...
Well we have just returned from a weekend away and had a lovely time. I celebrated my 31st birthday on June 29th and we all enjoyed a lovely family dinner at a local restaurant that night. Caleb was very well behaved throughout then he slept the night at Granny's while Simon and I went out.
The next day we headed off on a weekend at Caloundra with friends. The weather was spectacular and the views from our 4th floor ocean viewing balcony were divine! Caleb loved having the 4 children of our friends to holiday with and had an absolute blast! On the Saturday we spent the morning at Sunshine Plaza shopping centre and I don't think Caleb stopped wining from start to finish *wink* He was happy at one point when we bought him a Bob the Builder PC game. I took the disc out for safe keeping and he then carted the box around everywhere, all weekend! It wasn't until we got home and unpacked that we realised we had someone lost the disc during our shopping trip! Oh no! He took the news fairly well though and I have since got another one on Ebay that I am awaiting to arrive. Fancy taking it so he wouldn't lose it, only to lose it ourself! *blush*
For lunch that day we went to Sizzler and he was on his best behavior at last. I was surprised how many things there he was able to eat and he even had his first taste of dessert, enjoying jelly and sprinkles. I did ask if I could get some of their famous cheese bread toasted dry but sadly it came to them already cheesed so he had to make do watching everyone else enjoy that one :(
That afternoon we spent time walking on the rock pools and beach directly across from our motel before spending some play time at the park.
Sunday morning we had to leave bright and early to travel to Gympie for our day trip on the Valley Rattler Steam train. It was so much fun. The antique train was like a page out of history. Our particular carriage was a 1st class carriage from 1923. Our journey was powered by a steam locomotive up front and the sound of cho-choo steam and and old time train horns were weird. Not to mention seeing the steam billowing in the shadow of the train when looking out the window. The train made various stops along the way and we had a long break mid way for lunch. It was a great day and I think Caleb really enjoyed himself.
I've posted some snaps of our weekend away here.
Sadly it's back to reality now until our next holiday at the end of October. We are hosting my Dad's 60th birthday party here next Saturday which many family members and old family friends will be traveling to attend. I'm looking forward to that and Caleb is looking forward to hanging out with his cousins.
He recently loved a trip to the cinema to see the movie 'Cars' and we will be taking him to see 'Over the hedge' in the next week or so when the crowds thin out a bit. Every time he see's a promotional poster up somewhere for it he announces "I'm going to see that!" so I'm guessing he's looking forward to it! *wink*
Otherwise not much to report. Caleb seems very interested in words, days and times right now. He is always asking me "what does this say" and pointing out words in books, signs or on buildings. I think now is the time to seize on this curiosity and bring out his flash cards - after all if he is asking about words now is the time to provide him with learning opportunities. He also likes to know what day of the week it is now so today I am making up a poster for his room. It will be divided into days of the week and I'll have laminated signs to stick next to the appropriate day for all his regular activities like day-care, library, play group and swimming lessons etc and blank ones for other things we may plan. I'll put a picture next to each one so he can see for himself what is happening on any given day. He also has a calendar in his room for upcoming events and likes the countdown to holidays and birthday that he can see coming up.
Like the days of the week, he also wants to know more about telling the time right now. We have a large pendulum clock in the lounge and we use it a lot to mark when things have to be done eg "We will leave when the big hand is up the top". When he looks at clocks and watches he asks what time it is so today I've ordered an educational clock from Ebay that I can use to begin to teach him the basics.
Let that sponge of a brain soak up all that it can I say! :)
Cheers P
June 9th 2006...
Let's see what's been happening since last update.
I guess the biggest event has been the local annual show/fair. So much fun as at least he wasn't sick this year like he was last year. From the minute he got through the gates he was pointing out all the biggest, scariest rides saying he wanted to go on them. He was most disappointed to learn that he was too small for most of them (and let's face it...even Mummy and Daddy baulked at some that he thought he'd like to try!).
In the end he went on the Dodgems cars and Fun House with Daddy, The Ferris Wheel and a camel ride with Mummy, and several kids rides, pony rides and jumping castle/slides. One in particular was a big inflated whale that they had to climb up about 25m on one side then slide down the other side. He loved that and the best bit was there was no time limit so he really got his money's worth out of that one :)
We arrived about 11am and left at 5pm so it was a big day for him and he was asleep in the car before we even got out of the car park....hehehe!
The camel rides were pretty cool...and scary when they stand and sit because the incline is very steep...by the time I got off my legs were shaking from gripping on so tight!
Caleb picked out a ninja/power rangers showbag which he absolutely loved. There was also a circus there that we were able to watch for just a gold coin donation too so that was a bargain :)
All up a great day and already we are looking forward to next years.
This week we also had the Dorothy the Dinosaur's Dance Party (The Wiggles) to attend. Sadly it was seated and viability wasn't great but I think he had a great time all the same :)
All things baby are going well so far and I am due December 25th...hohoho! That may change today though as I have my first scan this afternoon to check on the dates for sure. Caleb knows there is a baby in Mummy's tummy and says some funny things. He says he can't jump on Mummy's tummy or the baby might cry...and yesterday when he came to my blood tests he asked if the Dr was going to take the baby out of my arm when he did it (Yeah Mummy wishes!!! *wink*).
I am a bit worried about how I will manage the time between him and the baby when it arrives but I'm sure we'll work it out when the time comes. Caleb will start Kindergarten in the new year for 3 days a week so that will give me one on one time with the baby but I am mindful of still fitting in one on one time with Caleb also. And the sleep deprivation with a 4yr old in the house also...Ugh I dread to think!!
Anyone interested in more of the baby can visit my pregnancy journal here.
Otherwise not much else to say for now. My birthday is on June 29th and we are going away with friends the following day for a weekend on the Coast which should be fun. Caleb gets on really well with their 4 children so he's bound to have a blast! On the Sunday we have a full days train trip on an antique steam train which makes various stops along the way so I know Caleb is really going to love that!
I have updated his photo album with all the pics from the show and Wiggles so go here for a look :)
Cheers P
May 16th 2006...
Gosh I didn't realise how long had passed since my last update here!
Caleb has had some health drama's of late. Over the last month or so we have noted that he has had 8 dizzy spells. And by dizzy I mean he staggers, slides down walls and calls out for me. He says “I’m dizzy mommy”, get's sweaty and clammy, then just clings to my lap for a minute or two until it passes while his littel eyes flicker back and forth trying to focus on the swimming world around him. Me being the ‘worst case scenario’ type thinker that I am thinks…low blood sugar, low blood pressure…or tumor!!! Eeek! Anyway we finally got a Dr’s appt and she didn’t know either! She said it could be some infantile vertigo (according to the specialist that she phoned while I waited), perhaps something I found called Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo in Children, of viral origin... or who knows but in any case it needed further investigating. So now I have to take him to a peadiatric specialist this afternoon and he’ll likely have to be sedated to have a CT scan of his brain. SHIT! This really worries Simon and I as NOTHING in this world is more important than our little man. I could not stand to think of anything bad being wrong so I’m just trying not to think about it for now until I know more. Jesus!
On a brighter note...a Christmas miracle has come into our lives! I found out yesterday that I am going to get the most AMAZING gift for Christmas this year…
Yes…
That’s right…
I’M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
****SCREAM****
I can still hardly believe it myself!
As most of you know we were told we could not conceive naturally. Caleb took 5yrs of expensive and emotionally crippling fertility treatments to achieve. We have been trying for a second one for the last 3yrs. 1year of more treatments, drugs and medical intervention…and 2yrs focusing on weight loss instead. It would seem that the latter worked. 28kg later and I have pulled off a miracle by conceiving all on my own!!! (Well ok I guess Simon had some part in it *wink*)
I was about 8-9wks late for my period. I had already got two negative pregnancy tests in the last month or so and figured it was just my messed up body getting all out of synch again. Apparently not!
This last weekend I noticed that my breasts had got so sore I couldn’t even sleep on my front any more. I knew the only time they had felt like that was when I was pregnant the last time. I have also been running to the toilet a lot and for some reason this last week the scales kept going up no matter what I did???
So I bought a test on Mother's Day and figured I’d do it yesterday for one last check.
Well I got up at 5.30am and did the test. At first I scrutinized the feint line from every angle, under the light…sure it had to be wrong. But there was no denying that second line was there!
I went back to bed, decided I would not tell Simon until I was able to confirm it for sure at the Dr’s. Well I made 20mins before I had to turn a light on (to see his reaction), nudge him and tell him the news. Needless to say we are as thrilled as each other!
So…. WOW!
I’m pregnant! At this stage I am due December 25th – Christmas day!!! However due to my mixed up cycles I cannot know the date for sure until I have an ultrasound in the next week or so and find out a more specific date. WOW WOW WOW!
I remember my fertility specialist telling me that a weight loss of 5-10% could make the difference between fertility and infertility to me. Well I lost 25% up to this point so I guess he was on the right track! hehehe
I have to work hard not to gain too much weight this time. Last time I gained 17kg (11kg of which was gone 4 days later when I left hospital). This time I’m not going to use it as an excuse to go crazy. I will keep exercising this time (I did NONE last time as I was terrified of losing the baby we had fought so hard for). And of course I’ll be back and into the weight loss side of things as soon as I can afterwards.
I’m sure there is much more to say but for now my mind is still swimming. A baby! Right now! Inside me! Infertile me! WOW!!!!!!
Please check out the new page I have made for the new pregnany here. Or see link to the left titled "New Baby".
Chees P
March 26th 2006...
Well another birthday has come and gone and my little boy is now 3 years old!!!
He had a fantastic day and was thoroughly spoilt by everyone with his gifts.
Our main gift to him was a slippery slide for the back yard. We erected it in our bedroom overnight while he slept and when he wandered in at 5.15am the next morning we heard him whisper "Oooh what's that!?"....hehehe We also got him die cast figures of all the Bob the Builder vehicles, spider man cards, a grip ball set and some new party clothes.
At his party he received Bob the builder play sets and more character toys and puzzles, Wiggles puzzles, Spiderman lunchbox, drink bottle, bag and web squirter. Then there were coloring books, bath toys, spider man beanies and even a spider man that rides a battery operated 4 wheel bike! So yes he was spoilt!! He loves Spiderman at the moment and Bob and Wiggles are old favourite's so he was very happy all round :)
On the Monday he went to day-care with the Bob the Builder cupcakes I made him to share with his little friends. They made cards and paintings for him too. Then for his big day Daddy took a day off work and we spent it together.
During the morning he went to several parks to play, to a pond to feed some ducks, to Maze Mania 4 Kids and finally to play a game of tenpin bowling before lunch (Shhh don't tell but Caleb beat Daddy too!! - Mummy won).
Despite this busy morning he then only had 1hr sleep instead of his usual 2-3hrs so by the time his party came round he was one tired and cranky boy. This was made even worse by the fact that McDonalds got our party booking wrong and we had to move the party from the original 4.30-6.00pm timeslot to 6.00pm-7.30pm at the last minute. He is usually in bed at 7pm and given the big day he had he was crying to go home to bed before we even made it to the party! I was so angry with McDonalds for getting the booking wrong, then moving us back later to accommodate another party that was by then already booked in....then that party didn't even show so we changed everything for nothing! That will be the last McDonalds party we book that is for damn sure!
So anyway...he cried through a lot of his party, was too tired to play and didn't want any of his tea or birthday cake (as usual!). He reluctantly played a game of pass the parcel and had some play on the outdoor equipment but otherwise was one tired little party boy :( All the other kids seemed to have a good time though which was good. By the time it was all over Caleb was asleep in the back seat before we had even got 5min's down the road :)
I can't believe he is now 3 years old. Yesterday was the day we brought him home from the hospital three years ago and it still seems like yesterday in some regards. I still cringe when I remember the very first breastfeed I did after coming home and dropped him from from under my arm and he slipped off the side of the rocking chair towards the tiles! I caught him at the last minute but I was horrified and thought it was a sure sign I was going to be a terrible mother!! hehehe Oh how I hope I get the chance to have another child now that I know so much more about the job then I did then :)
A big thing for us these last few weeks is that Caleb had finally stopped crying and screaming when I drop him off at daycare - at last! It's always made me feel horrible and it's never once made me come back and take him etc so I thought for sure he had to give up on it sooner or later *wink* Now he just gives me a kiss and cuddle and says 'bye Mummy' and that's it. Lovely!! I'm sure that's thanks in part to his new room leader, Miss Danelle, who he just loves and she is so good with him. It's lovely to know he is in such good hands.
Yesterday at swimming lessons the instructor asked us to fill out the forms to move him up to the next level of classes next term. That means that instead of one of us getting in the pool with him each week he'll actually just swim on his own now with the teachers and will begin to learn actual swimming strokes etc. Yey for our big boy!! I'm not sure how he'll go at first but the centre's teachers are very experienced and I'm sure they'll know how to settle him in just fine.
Caleb really enjoyed his trip to Fraser Island last month and a few weeks after that one he traveled there again with us for Aunty Alicia's birthday. He loved the boat ride in rough seas and was most caring towards poor sickly mommy (I always get horrible motion sickness!).
This week we booked a new holiday for October at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. We are going with our best mate and his sister and mother. His sister, who is a friend of mine, has 4 children already and will have a 6wk old baby as well by the time we go so I know Caleb will have heaps of fun with them all. It will make a nice change for him to have the other kids around with us and it is going to be so much fun. We'll be staying for 7 nights right on the beach in beautiful apartments. We are all going to spend two days at Dreamworld and on another day take a day trip to Stradbroke Island for canoeing, paddle boats and beach fun. I can't wait already!!
Everything else is going well here otherwise. Simon is very busy at work and I am still busy with my weight loss goals. I've lost almost 30kg now and I'm feeling SO much better for it :) This next holiday is one I certainly will not be watching from the sidelines for a change :)
We have a day trip coming up in July when we are traveling to Gympie to take a day trip on the Valley Rattler train with the same group of friends we are going on the October holiday with. Caleb still loves trains so I know he's going to love it!
Well I guess that's about it for now ... I've updated his photo album with all his birthday pics so be sure to check them out here on your way out.
Cheers P
