[Flash 10 is required to watch video]
Wishing a very happy Half-Birthday to our bouncing baby girl <3
xox
Many adults are put off when youngsters pose scientific questions. Children ask why the sun is yellow, or what a dream is, or how deep you can dig a hole, or when is the world’s birthday, or why we have toes. Too many teachers and parents answer with irritation or ridicule, or quickly move on to something else. Why adults should pretend to omniscience before a five-year-old, I can’t for the life of me understand. What’s wrong with admitting that you don’t know? Children soon recognize that somehow this kind of question annoys many adults. A few more experiences like this, and another child has been lost to science. There are many better responses. If we have an idea of the answer, we could try to explain. If we don’t, we could go to the encyclopedia or the library. Or we might say to the child: “I don’t know the answer. Maybe no one knows. Maybe when you grow up, you’ll be the first to find out.
“
| — |
Dear Little One, I promise you I will take the time to try and answer (most of) your inquisitive questions. Otherwise, we’ll Google-It. xox Mama Carl Sagan (via ohioclaire) |
Dearest Little One,
You are 5 months old! Can you believe it? I can’t! I certainly don’t know how I am going to believe it in 7 months time when you have your first birthday. That’s gonna be a real trip.
Time is going SO fast, you are learning and growing so quickly. I am blessed to be here to watch you grow before my eyes.
Right now you are in the sling so I could get some stuff done around the house, and first you wanted to watch me and soon enough you had a little crank and then went to sleep. I took this opportunity to take a picture of the two of us, I don’t have many as I am usually the one taking the pictures!
Here is a picture that I took of your foot today, with the newborn-footprint up against your foot - sorry it’s blurry, you hardly ever keep still.
Also, a breakthrough! You now seem to not mind the bottle so much. I’m imagining you saying “seriously guys, all this time I have been trying to tell you I just wanted to do it by myself!”
Now that you can take milk from the bottle, maybe me and your Daddy can go out somewhere together without you! Don’t be upset though, I promise we’ll come back.
Love you heaps more than the number of stars,
x Mama
Ps: we are trying ‘baby-led weaning’ and so far you have tasted/played with: watermelon, cucumber, banana & carrot. I don’t think you were fussed on any of them. But we will continue to offer them to you and it will be interesting to see what you end up liking best (probably chocolate…when you’re big).
Dear Little One,
You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I see you every day, and most of the day I am either looking at you or holding you, and still you manage to strike me with your inner beauty shining out.
I love your big blue inquisitive eyes with their long eyelashes, your huge happy wide-open-mouth smile, little turned-up nose, chipmunk cheeks, the feeling of your supersoft baby skin and smell of your sweet baby milk-breath and talcum powder under your dribbly chins.
I love your little fingers grabbing at my hair, leaving a bunch of strands in your tiny fist. I love you watching everything people do and drinking in your surroundings, I love you laughing, and squeaking between each (rare) cry.
I love you in your Daddy’s arms, reminding me of how small you are when I forget for a moment and think you’re a Big Girl already.
I love you gabbling at light fittings on the ceiling, I love the way you suck your fingers like \m/ , I love you excitedly bouncing in your bouncer, I love your toes - especially the big toes which have little squishy pads that remind me of frog feet.
You are so super amazing and I can’t believe how lucky we are. Thankyou for coming into our lives.
xo Mama.
Hello Little One! Sorry we haven’t updated in more than a month.
We moved to our new digs, which you were fine with, and we honestly have not had a whole day at home to ourselves as a little family unit since we got here! Today was meant to be the first day we had by ourselves but I ended up going for a walk to Aunty Carla & Uncle Pete’s while your Dad fed you a bottle (YAY! You take one sometimes now, but you don’t like the teat so you prefer to sip it straight from the bottle, like your Daddy does with the cows milk… grrr…)
You are such a sociable little person, today you saw at LEAST twelve different family members and friends, and were happy and smiley with every single one. Your neck is super strong now, and you like to be held in the ring-sling facing outwards (we call you Buddha Baby because you sit so happily in there with your legs crossed) so you can watch everything.
You gabble a LOT and tell us all sorts of stories in your own little language, I bet you are taking everything in and me and your Dad try hard to give you new things to look at, listen to and talk about each day.
This Summer (which has been pretty un-summery most of the time) you have been to the beach and had your first dip in the ocean, which didn’t bother you one bit. We went kayaking while Aunty Neeky looked after you. You have also visited the swimming pool, where you loved splashing in the paddling pool and went for your first swim with Mama in the ‘big’ pool - you didn’t complain but we got you out before it got too cold. Soon we will go to some swimming classes together with Mama’s friend Hanna and her baby Milla, who is only 1 month younger than you.
You have showers now as we don’t have a big bath at our new house (you kick so hard against the sides of the baby-bath) you’re quite happy with this and are nice and relaxed after a good wash and a play! You still sleep well, and pretty much can sleep anywhere and through most noise, except sometimes I think your gums hurt because lately you really like to chew on everything.
On Monday your Dad will be starting his Paramedicine course, and it will be just you and me, babe! We are so enjoying watching you grow and change every single day, and you keep us on our toes. You are lovely.
xox All our Love,
Mama & Da.
Dear Little One, this was our 2011…
JANUARY: I was living in Melbourne with the best housemate ever, Jordan, and another girl.
Blake and I started the New Year by seeing a sand-sculpting exhibition at Frankston Beach. I started my Diploma in ECE and was loving my new job as an Early Childhood Educator. We ended the month by attending my first BDO, and it was awesome. I saw Kora at the Espy with Helena and we had a wonderful night. I also got my kick-ass Jeffrey Campbell ‘Clinic’ shoes *swoon*
In FEBRUARY, Jordan left the place we were sharing (boo!), I moved into a new sharehouse that I ended up hating. I took my first hula hooping workshop and loved it. I bought a new fitness hoop, and practiced nearly every day. I was getting really into Hot Yoga and I was bike riding a lot on summery days. At the end of February I went back home to NZ for a summer holiday, and the day after I arrived back in MARCH (8th) I found out with a shock that I was pregnant. In March I also started properly learning to drive.
APRIL: I don’t remember much about April, not even Easter holidays. I was busy working hard, avoiding my housemate and trying to save money.
MAY: Blake and I both turned 25, and made the decision to move back to NZ. We had a marvellous Goodbye Dinner at TacoBill with friends, where I was jealous of everyone’s Pancho Villa’s.
I went back home to NZ first, right after my birthday, and had my first midwife appointment at the end of the month.
JUNE: Blake arrived to NZ, one of my cousins married his lovely fiancee, I saw my Grandmother for (what would be) the last time, and we found out I was carrying a girl. Blake proposed to me (yet again) behind a waterfall while we were on a nature walk.
In JULY: Blake began working again on the Mountain where we had first met 5 years ago, and my Uncle & Aunty renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas while I watched from home on the internet.
AUGUST: I reminded Blake with a bottle of wine that on the 22nd of August, 2009, he officially went into remission. That means 2 years successful remission, woohoo!
SEPTEMBER: I had yet more ultrasounds at the hospital, as we were following our baby girls’ growth carefully. Not much else happened as I was rather pregnant & awaiting arrival of our daughter. I sewed a lot.
OCTOBER: Blake finished working for the season, and started Observation shifts with St John Ambulance.
For me the days felt longer with each passing one, and my back ached, my feet ached, I was exhausted and yet bursting with anticipation. Our beautiful daughter (you) was born at 4.14pm on 27th October and changed our lives completely.
A few days later my Grandma Ruby passed away. This was the month with the strongest emotions.
NOVEMBER: Blake found out he was accepted into Paramedic studies for 2012, and we had lots of visitors. Little One’s first visit was from Jordan (wahoo!) who came bearing gifts & good cheer.
Blake’s father Nev visited from Australia,and they walked the Tongariro crossing. My Opa (Your Great-Grandfather) visited too.
In DECEMBER, You & I ‘graduated’ from midwife care. Blake & I settled into our new roles as parents, celebrated Christmas with more visiting family in the hot summer sun, eating good food, laughing & listening to good music. We organised our move to the city where we will start our new life… and tomorrow we leave for our newest adventure.
2011 was an amazing, intense, happy, nerve wracking, busy, crazy, exciting, scary, hilarious, beautiful, painful, life-changing year. I have learnt so much more about myself and about the people around me this year than ever before. I hope that this year brings more happiness, health, fun and adventures along with it.
This year I hope to: grow some vegetables in my garden, take better care of my body & teeth (I have vowed to save up for a dentist visit & eat more healthy food), raise a tiny human being with love and light, be a supportive partner and good friend/family member, and move forward in extremely positive ways.
Ricky Gervais on being an atheist. (x)
Dear Little One,
I hope you know, one day, that you can believe in whatever you like, as long as you have good intentions and good actions.
Love, Mama.
