More Visitors November 6, 2009
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My parents have arrived from the UK to stay with us for the next couple of months. Originally they were coming in Jan 2010 but when Singapore Airlines did some extremely cheap offers earlier this year they managed to snap some up (£420 return each inc taxes). They’ve really missed little Evie and she’s changed so much since Feb when she could only just about crawl. Now she runs around everywhere and is starting to say words. Of course they see her on Skype most days but it’s different in the flesh. Evie looked most confused when they arrived and enjoyed poking their faces to see if they were real and giggling away (poor thing imagines them to come out of the laptop I suspect – she likes to poke their faces on the screen too). The house was scrubbed in preparation and all ready by evening when they arrived. It’s the first time my parents have seen the new house and they were happy with our choice. They even have their own room which was already populated with their luggage that they left behind at my brothers (inc 4 suitcases and various other sportsbag style luggage as well as 3 full golf bags and sets). Had a quiet dinner at home when they arrived. 2 more days and we’ll have even more relatives coming – my sis and my BIL are coming on Sunday. It’s gonna be a full house here.
Bon Voyage October 15, 2009
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Mum and Howell left to go back to Blighty today. It was like a grey cloud hanging over us all day. I took them to Oatley Park for the morning just to get their legs stretched (preemptive anti-DVT measures he he) and also for Evie to go to the playground. Evie was particularly clingy to her Nana and she knew something was up. I guess it’s worse as this time we don’t know when we’ll see them again. Our next planned trip back to the UK will be 2012 and by then Evie will be 4! We always knew it would be hard for everyone when we decided to upsticks and move to the other side of the world but it’s always so happy when we see family and friends again, but doubly distressing for us to all be parted again.
Welcome to Oz Mum! September 29, 2009
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Hubby’s mum has come out to visit us for the next couple weeks. It’s weird to think that we haven’t seen her since we left before Christmas. It was quite wrenching when we left (especially for hubby) and Mum was upset to have Evie go. Evie was her usual charming self and took straight to “Nana” cuddling her at the airport. Evie especially likes saying Nana lots now 
Kogarah Rhymetime September 16, 2009
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I dragged Evie and myself to Rhymetime at the library in Kogarah. Contrary to the internet – the library is NOT actually located at 2 Belgrave St, but actually on the other side of the road about 50m up the road, set back in a piazza. It was hard to find a space to park the car and I ended up doing 2 rounds of Kogarah centre before I managed to swoop into a previously occupied space. Hence I was already late then wandering around #2 which had numerous entrances with automatic doors but sadly all shut and looked very closed down. Eventually went to a nearby cafe to ask. Finally found the library and was surprised as the place is massive. They have the rhymetime in the atrium at the entrance and there’s loads of space and big comfy seats for the parents. Even the 2 librarians leading the rhymetime had head-mics so that they could be heard over the vast masses. Although there were loads of kids it didn’t feel cramped and was nice to see the kids all so happy and excited. Evie was a bit scared at first but started to relax more (though saying that she never went further than arm’s length from my chair). Enjoyed it and think will def go back (unlike the horrid time I had at South Hurstville rhymetime a few weeks ago where some of the other mummies were ghastly to me).
Hayfever Woes September 13, 2009
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My friend Cat arrived to visit from the UK. Hubby went to pick her up from the airport in the morning. Poor Cat was so knackered after the long flight she went straight to bed. We had a traditional Aussie barbie for lunch at home (i.e. some snags and a rather massive steak) and then chilled in the early afternoon. Hubby took Evie into the pool for the first time this year (they went into our pool for the first time, rather than her first time in a pool ever) but she didn’t like it. Later we headed off to Carss Park for a mooch about, stretch legs and a nice coffee. Since I woke up this morning I’ve been non-stop sneezing and runny nosed. The pollen must be really high today as I went through 2 boxes of tissues and my eyes were so itchy. When we got back from Carss Park it was so bad I had to cancel playing piano at church as I wouldn’t have been able to see (what with all the eye rubbing and sneezing). I think it’s hitting me particularly badly as this is my first Spring in Oz and hubby reckons I’ve not built up any resistance at all to the Aussie pollen.
Evie made a new friend at the Carss Park playground. She climbed up the slide and met a little boy at the top of the slide who she went straight up to a gave a big cuddle. He seemed equally enamoured by her and they went down the slide together and held hands walking round to the steps again. It was so cute. He was only about 2.5 years old. Blond haired little dude who was very grubby (think he must have been rolling about on the playground floor chippings). Evie was shrieking with delight. Meanwhile her Daddy was not looking impressed at Evie’s antics with said boy and he was sulking big time. Poor Evie – Daddy says now no more boyfriends till she’s 25 (she’s had 3 already and she’s only 13 months old).
Beachward Bound August 14, 2009
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Now Evie’s up and about more, took her over to see my friend and her kids. She lives really close to a beach so we took the kids out in the pushchairs to go play on the sand. Evie’s last time at the beach was probably in March and she absolutely hated it. Screamed and screamed. Today she loved it. She was playing with the spade and attempting to eat the shells and sand. And digging, plenty of digging with her hands. It was quite funny because she drools so much her chin was wet so when she ate some of the sand it ended up pebbledashing her chin and looked like she had blonde stubble! She enjoyed walking on the sand and even toddled with me to the water’s edge and splashed her hands in the waves. She’s almost like a different baby from 5 months ago. Now can’t wait till we go to the beach more in a couple of months (when it’s not Winter). Feeling a lot happier today, there’s nothing like a warm sunny day and the sea breeze to blast away the blues. Makes you appreciate what you have and thinking about it, yes, I believe that my life is actually great!
Going Cold Turkey August 4, 2009
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We’re trying hard to kick my daughter’s addiction. Today is the 3rd day of her going cold turkey and she’s not doing too badly. It’s mostly just when she goes for her naps and bedtime. We’re determined this time that we will not give in. We’ve confiscated all her dummies. I was quite surprised on the first day as she had managed to secrete a few about her nursery and playroom and each time we took one away she crawled off and came back making sucking noises around a different dummy. Now we have them all accounted for she’s going totally cold turkey. We decided to do it now as she’s 1 and her teeth are mostly through and from Sept-next April we have visitors coming and it just won’t work when she’s screaming for it and the grandparents will cave. She’s been less interested in the dummies during the day now and only had it when we put her down for naps. Even then she’d suck it a bit and fall asleep and it would fall out or she’d just lie there playing with it in her hands. I’m hoping by the end of the week she’ll have forgotten about her addiction and gets used to going to sleep without all the crying and angry cat noises.
Jabs again! August 3, 2009
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Poor Evie had to have yet another jab this morning (after last week’s round). She went over to the Bangor practice to have her Hep B jab on catch up because we’ve moved from the UK and they don’t give Hep B there. She always sees Lisa the nurse. Evie absolutely adores Lisa even though she’s always there to have an injection. After last week’s 10 mins of crying and snivelling after her injections today she didn’t even shed one tear. She made some angry noises for a minute and that was it – she went back to grinning at Lisa. She also confirmed that this was Evie’s last catch up jab (just 3 Hep B shots not 4 like the GP in Brighton-le-Sands insisted).
12 Month Check July 29, 2009
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Took Evie for her 12 month check this morning. All is fine and she’s developing well.
Latest stats are…
- Height : 73cm
- Weight : 8.4kg
- Head Circumference : 44.5cm
She’s quite petite between 10th and 25th percentile but perfectly formed.
So all’s well in Evie land The only thing we need to change now is the milk. The family nurse said that Evie should now have normal milk rather than formula and to start training her to get off the bottles and onto cups. As I’m allergic to cow’s milk and hubby drinks soya too, I asked whether it was OK to have soya instead. Nurse said that was fine as long as it has plenty of calcium in it. Tried Evie on 200ml of soya in her bottle when we got back from the clinic and she downed the lot. No probs at all with changing her milk (I was reading up on how you start to mix the formula with soy until it’s all soy, but Evie didn’t seem to mind just going straight to soy).
Ouch Poor Evie July 27, 2009
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Evie went for her 12 month immunisations. She had 3 jabs in total. Not impressed with the new GP. A friend from church recommended them but I found him a little too old-school. First he has no digital records – no computer at all. His desk is covered in files and apparatus. He prepares the 3 needles on his desk (no tray or anything) and after giving her the first two he lost the last one amongst all the paperwork and folders on his desk (yikes and the needles was exposed it’s amazing he didn’t prick himself). So poor Evie got 2 jabs and screamed, I managed to settle her and then she got the 3rd jab 5 mins later and screamed again. Then she was measured with a tape measure. Just held up against her while she was standing on my lap. Then they weighed her and I asked whether I should take her clothes off (she was wearing massive trainers) and he said no. She was 8.5kg and the doctor said she’s too light for her age and that she should be at least 9.3kg as he said it had to be 3x the birth weight. Later looking at her growth charts at her current weight she’s following the same growth curve she always had – he didn’t even bother looking. Also he forgot to fill in any of her blue book! Don’t think I’ll be going back to him again!
