Monday, July 6, 2009

One year ago.




Exactly one year ago tomorrow night I walked into a small clinical room where a number of doctors and midwives attempted to usher my son into the world a little earlier than he would have liked. It was getting dangerous for him in there and it was time to give him a nudge. I spent a sleepless night on a horrible "bed" built for function, not comfort. I lay and listened to the reassuring and speedy lub-dub of his teeny heart on the monitor next to me. In the morning they jabbed me, hooked me up, plugged me in and began the wait. A showy, unproductive labour ensued and three of my favourite people in the world were there to help me through it, along with seemingly endless rounds of magnificent midwives who all helped me feel hopeful that I would achieve the outcome I hoped for.

But after two days of not progressing and of exhausting the poor stubborn little being who did not wish to leave me just yet, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Hours later, when I was at the end of my rope, a gurgling, wriggling little creature came into the world and I crashed into exhaustion. The next morning I met the most perfect and divine thing I have ever seen. My little Ari Morton Holland. Thumper.

And he we are one year later. And I have no words for any of it right now. He is just, my life.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

MARKET FIND




On Sunday we went to our local markets, which are just down the road and which we often forget to frequent! Along with some yummy locally grown tomatoes, homemade tomato sauce and some vege seedlings, I purchased this awesome teapot, cups and sugar bowl I found. LOVE IT.

It turns out the teapot doesn't go with the cups and sugar bowl (which I especially love) but they match pretty much perfectly. The teapot is Johnston Brothers form UK and it pours like a dream. I almost didn't buy them because I need another teapot like a hole in the head, but I'm glad I did. What more could you ask for on a Sunday morning market stint?

Saturday, May 9, 2009



Every day my Ari is growing, doing something new. Today he is ten months old. He says Mumumumum. He picks up teeny pieces of food with his fingers. He rolls and rolls and will soon crawl. He laughs, grins, smiles and growls. He is a wild thing.

Tomorrow is my first mothers' day. Last year he was a wriggling kicking bump in my belly. Today I can kiss and kiss him for as long as he will let me. I have just been reading this post from Sharilyn, whose blog inspires and warms me post by post. It hits the nail on the head for me.

Soon my Nat will bring me a steaming bowl of stew I cooked with my mum. Tomorrow we will wake up and all squeeze into bed with cups of tea, hot toast, magazines and Maisy.

Each day, at least once, I feel like the luckiest woman on earth.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Neko Case’s “PEOPLE GOT A LOTTA NERVE” - Blog it for a Worthwhile Cause





From Anti- website:

"Today, we are especially happy to bring you “People Got A Lotta Nerve,” the first single from Neko Case’s forthcoming album Middle Cyclone (out March 3), because for every blog that reposts the song and/or iLike user who adds it to their profile, Neko Case and ANTI- will make a cash donation to Best Friends Animal Society.

The promotion will run from January 13 to February 3, 2009. Five dollars will be donated for every blog post and one dollar for every user of iLike that adds the song to his/her profile."

DOWNLOAD "PEOPLE GOT A LOTTA NERVE"

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Sunday afternoon.

My house is clean. My house is tidy. My sweetheart is gone. For two weeks. My boy is awake. I'm a little lonely. Tonight I'm going to bed to watch a movie on my puter. The end.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Monday, February 23, 2009

The box it came in.

A classic moment this morning. Ari is sitting up really well now and looking for toys. So I filled a little round box with a few little things that he could play with. I sat it down in front of him and took off the lid. He looked at it. Picked up the box, turned it upside down and tipped everything out, then played with the box! ... Now even though he is actually playing with the things, the box seems to maintain his curiosity.

Yesterday we introduced him to the Jolly Jumper which was hilarious. He still needs to figure out just what its for though. And also a fabulous musical piano that lights up when he plays it, which he is fascinated with. A little maestro.


His favourite book at the moment: Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Bubbles, Fairylights and a Happy Little Pumpkin



Things after the fires have been pretty sad in our state. Can't imagine how long standing and far reaching the effects and the grief will be for so many.

But in our little world things are sweet. Ari is being the most divine little pumpkin. After a little stint of crying himself to sleep each night while demanding that I be in the room stroking his face, he has finally come around to settling himself again. And in the end all it took was leaving on his little string of lights from Grandma and Papa. It must be a security thing, he's quite happy to chat to himself until he goes to sleep while we potter around in the kitchen getting dinner. The first night he did it I was so happy I could cry, such a nice end to the day. He is a happy little boy and we love him.

Yesterday we introduced him to bubbles and he was happy to sit there for nearly an hour watching them dance around the room and *pop* disappear into the air. He would try to catch them as they floated near. The look on his face was priceless. Little darling.

So tonight we ate pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden and I'm going to watch Rockwiz and make myself go to bed earlier - am starting to need to catch up on sleep! Domestic bliss.

Friday, January 30, 2009

SOMETHING COOL

Its so very hot here and no end in sight as yet ... tonight we all got really hot and bothered by 5 o'clock so we ran Ari a cool bath which he splashed in enthusiastically for a while. Half of me kinda ended up in the bath as well and it was delightful. We all cooled down. Yum. If only water wasn't quite so precious I would quite happily have jumped in and out of a cool shower all day.

So now nothing to do but try to sleep. Lots of water. No ice cream (bummer). And try to get my head around any number of hot hot hot days to come. Peeeeee-yoo.

Also, these are cute and I want them.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

HEATWAVE.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!

Forecast for the rest of Tuesday

Sunny. Winds east to northeasterly averaging 10 to 20 km/h tending north to northeasterly during the morning. Temperatures in the lower 40s during the day.

Bendigo
Sunny.
Max 40

Maximum Fire Danger: Extreme
UV Alert from 9:40 am to 5:30 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]

Forecast for Wednesday

Sunny. Winds north to northeasterly averaging 15 to 25 km/h tending north to northwesterly around midday. Overnight temperatures falling to in the mid 20s with daytime temperatures reaching the lower 40s.

Bendigo
Sunny.
Min 22 Max 41

Forecast for Thursday

Sunny. Winds north to northwesterly averaging 15 to 25 km/h, reaching 30 km/h at times. Overnight temperatures falling to in the mid 20s with daytime temperatures reaching the lower 40s.

Bendigo
Sunny.
Min 24 Max 41

Forecast for Friday

Sunny. Light winds tending north to northwesterly up to 20 km/h during the afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to in the mid 20s with daytime temperatures reaching the lower 40s.

Bendigo
Sunny.
Min 22 Max 42

Currently in a cool room in a cool house (I meantemperature, not style) that will soon heat up in the BIGGEST HEAT WAVE SINCE 1908 PEOPLE.

Will I make the journey home to an even hotter town, but to a house with cooling (that will admittedly struggle in this heat)?

Meh. Meh.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Goose Pimply All Over

Sorry - on a YouTube stint. Really hot days always remind me of The Seven Year Itch. Something else that gives me endless joy. I really wanted to find the scene where Marilyn talks about various ways to possibly stay cool (perfection) but alas the video has been removed... So it had to be Rachmaninov. Not a bad second in the favourite scene stakes. It shakes me. It quakes me. Every time I see it I go to pieces. Miss Piggy I love you, but I will always love Marilyn more.



That's enough from me, I'm tired and my Mad Men obsession awaits (along with some fresh raspberries....).

Oh P.S!! My boy has a fair dinkum tooth coming through his cut little gum! *ouch*

Ukulele Piggy

I've said it before I know. But seriously, this is one of my all time favourite things and it warms my heart and puts a big goofy smile on my face every single time. If you ever need cheering up, seriously, go watch this. It works for me. Miss Piggy, how I love you.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Divine Miss K.

My beautiful Miss K came to visit today and played with my little boy. It was so lovely. There is little more I love than seeing the most important people in my life bonding with him. It was insanely hot - it got to over 40°C. We stayed in the cooling all day which even struggled in the heat. I miss just hanging out with her. She brought fresh raspberries and blackberries with her. YUM.

We sat him up on the bed with a pillow. What a cutie.



So am going to finish all my fiddly little jobs and because there is nothing at all on tele, I'm going to grab my laptop and head to the comfort of my mattress. I just can't decide whether to go to bed with Don Draper or L. B. Jefferies.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Sock ears

Look at my little man with sock ears. Just a day or so old...

I will never forget the night Katie and Alexamia came in to see us. It was the day after my birthday when the "baby blues" had come a day early. Two shiny girls came in looking so beautiful, smelling of the outside world. Came in to our hospital cocoon to see little Ari. He was tiny and yellow and the most freakishly beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I kept wondering "where did this perfect creature come from"? They came in with treasures they had made for Ari that rendered me speechless. And they also had personal gifts for just me which was really special at that time. I love the gentle placement of Katie's hands in this photos, holding the wee socks up. Those hands had been massaging me not long before in the labour room. That visit was a special one, Ari's aunties.

silly clothing post

Ari has this top - I bought it recently on a whim. It is so flipping cute.

On another notre, we planted coriander & rocket today, and found yummy garlic in the garden. Now I just need to figure out what I'm supposed to do with it - I think you're supposed to dry it before you use it? Tomorrow I'm potting up mint and APPLE MINT. YUM. It just sounds like the perfect thing, doesn't it? Espiecially with all this hot weather on its way next week - mojito anyone?

So N freaked out about this blog being a public document and all, with photos of us in it. It doesn't seem weird to me at all because I have been following online journals for years, some people I have been watching through massive life changes - births, deaths, moving across the world as well as little day to day vignettes that make me smile, laugh, sniffle etc...

I offered to take it down but he seems ok now. I suppose I just want to document things as they happen because it all goes by so fast (cliche alert!).

He's back to work again next week so its just Ari and me here which could be interesting.

Side note: am completely addicted to Mad Men. Currently on to season 2.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Giggle fever

Yesterday Ari had his 6 month immunisations and the poor little pumpkin has had a bit of a fever. This (along with a little dose of panadol) hasn't stopped him from having fits of giggles with mum and rolling around on the floor, grabbing his toes and for the first time having a real conversation and proper chuckle with himself in his little round mirror. He lay there for quite some time actually just looking at himself, making sweet little cooing noises and the odd gentle giggle.

So far its made for a pretty cruisy day while I sat and got this little blog together. Right now he's checking out his hands and reaching for the crinkly butterfly. Little darling.

I love this photo of him and Natty with the Massey's teddy bear.

Us.

This is about us and our days.