Didn't I just have her?

Since returning to work in October I've started feeling a little nostalgic - I've been reflecting a lot on my time with Chloe from the last year as well as soaking up as much of my time with her as possible. I think it's all because it is slowly dawning on me just how fast she is growing up. I mean, it feels like I gave birth to her just yesterday! I have been fighting off thoughts that she is 15 months, 15 months! and that time seemed to go in the blink of an eye. Before we know it she'll be 2, 3, at school, high school, driving, getting married and having children all of her own...... ok, ok, that's a fair while away.... but still, it all seems to be passing by far too quickly. It probably doesn't help that I recently packed away her 'baby' clothes - you see, she's now in 1s and that I get to shop in an entire different section of the store for her clothes now *sob*.

Its funny too, because ironically her first 2 months of life, ok maybe the first 3 months of life, time went by sooooo slowly; as I stumbled through unpredictable days, endless feedings, nappy changes, the constant 'I've been hit by a truck' feeling bought on by sleep deprivation. But then magically as I came out of the three month fog, I saw her changing before me, she lost that creepy newborn look, she was cute, smiley, adorable. I fell in love. Hard. And as much as I try, really try to recall those early weeks, when I look back (without the help of modern technology), I can barely remember it. And that makes me sad. Really sad. And I regret that I didn't pay more attention. I feel like Chloe has materialised into a little human so rapidly. Whilst I am so happy and psyched to have such a beautiful, sweet, smart, funny, happy, healthy (I could seriously list adjectives all day, but I'll stop) little girl, I cant help but think: "wow, where has the time gone?"

I think there's part of me (deep down) that feels like I'm missing out being back at work. That same part is also filled with guilt and worry because I am spending two days away from Chloe a week. And the truth is, as much as I love, and want to keep my career alive, it kills me to be away from her. Kills me. I argue this in my head ALL the time, these two conflicting emotions make it very hard to be rational some days....

But.... logic always wins.

I have to work to generate income to allow us to live the lifestyle we have decided is important to our family - to pay for trips interstate regularly, to afford an overseas trip, to buy that house in a years time, to have chicken and chips regularly on a Saturday, to have outfits for Chloe with matching headbands (hehehe), to have that second cup of caramel latte on a play date. But more so, I have to work to satisfy my own personal ambition. An ambition that fuelled the birth of my career well before the birth of Chloe. A career that required a university degree and years of hard slog, to be realise. And one that I need to nurture because one day, when Chloe is all grown, I want to be able to inspire her - for Chloe to challenge herself, be educated, find a career that is fulfilling and that she loves and to go after her dreams.... and how can I expect this of her when I don't model it myself?

But, enough of the reflective stuff.... let's get into the goooooood stuff, the Chloe stuff. The stuff that I know you are all SO desperate to hear about.

 

STATS

 

Weight: 9.5kg

Height: 74cm

Clothing size: 0-1.
Shoe size: 3-4



EATING and DRINKING

 

So dinners have continued at 5-530pm and have been a great way of introducing new foods to Chloe. She now eats much of what we do, including Tacos and octopus! There is the occasional meal she will find difficult to chew and there are times when we fed her earlier as we are having friends over or are out. But generally she's eating exactly as we are. And more recently drinking exactly as we are. Since starting day care where she drinks from a cup, Chloe has shown are real strength in her dexterity at lifting a glass to her mouth, drinking and then safely placing it back on the tray of her high chair. Often its followed by a very 'look at me, I'm so clever' smile. Sure, there are the occasional spills, but its all part of the process. But... if I'm honest, mummy still prefers she use a straw... for now. hehehe.

 

 

She has developed a real love of the finer things in life including baby cino's, sushi and cheese. We've affectionately dubbed her the 'cheese monster' as she often passionately stuffs it into her gob! 

 

 

 COMMUNICATION

 

Chloe continues to be a beautiful little chatter and her nonverbal communication is out of sight! Her oral language skills are also improving - she is starting to clearly say some words. The most common being 'no'. When we ask her if she would like something her stock standard reply is 'no'. Even if she takes the biscuit, sits down to hear the story or leads us the door to go outside after we've asked, she will still say 'no'. I'm not entirely sure where it has come from?! As I'm much more inclined to say 'uh ah' to her, over no. It is however a very firm clear 'no' - the kind I use when I taught Kinder, so I think it may be day care. But I'm not sure?!

 

She also threw out the other day when I was leaving for work 'Shoes Dada' and picked up her shoes from by the door and walked to Jarratt. We both stood in shock. She hasn't done it since. *sigh* So at the moment its all just a little inconsistent. But we're not anywhere concerned. Her verbal communication is still great for her age. She babbles and clearly has good intonation and inflection when 'talking'. The cutest thing she does when she talks is tilts her head so her face is right in yours and then babbles. When she does this to another child its normally when that little kid seems upset and its almost like she's saying 'Are you ok? Come on, its alright!' She's such a sweet little thing.

 

She also clearly understands routine instructions. When I ask her to tidy up, she does it, when I ask her to put her nappy in the bin, she does it, can you start the dishwasher? Sure thing. She's such a helpful little girl, hehe.

 

 GETTING AROUND

 

Chloe has now been walking for about 6 months. She is super confident and has even started 'running' on occasions. She loves playing chasies with mum and dad - and now that her friends are walking they play chasies together too. It's the cutest!

 

She has started climbing - stairs she was already apt at and she is better at going up stairs (solo) but needs help coming down. However she is now able to climb out of the pool at swimming and onto equipment at the park. Sometimes when she's a little short for a particular piece or she needs a boost she'll do calf raises and slap the surface with her hand to indicate "hey! I need some help here". Like I said... non-verbal communication. Out. Of. Sight!

 

SLEEPING

 

So sleeping.... We fell into a beautiful little routine last month of having some lunch, in bed by 12, sleep for almost 3 hours, play around and go to bed at 7. Beautiful! But in the last week or so bedtime at 7 has been a bit hit and miss. We think its a combination of factors effecting the ease of bedtime for us. 1. Sleeping past 2pm is never helpful and 2. 2 hours or more during the day seems to make her too 'rested' for a 7pm bedtime. At the moment these are just hunches.... I'm going to try and keep a journal type thing to see what seems to be the issue. But at the moment we're just playing around with things to see what works. Thankfully Chloe is much more flexible with sleep stuff... she can last til 1pm if need be before having a day sleep, but will go to bed at 1030am if we need her up for a lunch time thing too. Its great! Especially with our trip to Hobart next weekend where we're just going to roll with it in regards to sleep. A BIG deal for a routine loving control freak like me!

 



LOVES and HATES

 

Chloe has developed a real love for the following things  bath time with mummy (particularly when she sings salt n pepper), reading to herself, sand, of any variety (!), painting, and train rides at Cousin Ben's birthday with Nanny!

  

She also continues to love seeing her friends and regular Thursday play dates with bestie Ellie. The two are the sweetest little things together, they take turns and share and encourage each other in ways I think is so beautiful. They are obviously two kindred spirits both enjoying smoothies together, playing in the sand and sharing numerous morning tea foods. I feel so blessed to have such a gorgeous pair of girls to spend each and every Thursday with. And whilst there has been stiff competition for Chloe's love between Ellie's parental units, I think Auntie Nic has finally edged Greg out as a firm favourite..... hehe



Meanwhile she's fallen out of love with brushing her teeth which we originally thought was because she had teeth coming through. But two weeks on, she still refuses to play the game. She has also started turning her face to give a cheek when we ask for kisses - bizarrely!? I think the last one to score a good peck from Chloe was Thomas on their last trip to Sydney. But she happily gives high fives no worries, which I can live with for the time being. But her real hates at the moment are having something taken from her and sharing mummy with other babies. But this (I know) is a developmental thing and thankfully a phase she will grow out of.

 

 

OTHER STUFF

 

Modelling

Chloe's second Big W catalogue came out on the 7th of November. She looks so sweet in it! I'm sure they will sell a lot of the Christmas outfit as a result. hehe. I originally thought the outfit was *cough* very *cough* unflattering but in the catalogue amongst the other kids it looks gorgeous, but maybe I'm just a little bias.

 

We also attended the casting for Bambini Studio Magazine where she was required to wear smart casual, the shoots next Thursday and we have yet to hear anything, so its not looking good. I'm going to book her new head shots in the next month or so, as I had a look at her old ones and she looks much different now.

 

Trip to Japan booked
For Jarratt's 30th we went to India and Singapore, so its only fair with my 30th coming up we go somewhere overseas as well. So we discussed nice practical, easy options as we now have Chloe... New Zealand, Hawaii.... but neither made me excited. We then looked at flights to Japan, as ideally, that was the next place we wanted to visit.... and when I found flights for 1000 return pp (Chloe 10% of the flight price being under 2) my heart leapt out of my throat. After a few calculations we worked out it was possible and within 24 hours booked the flights. We are both super doper excited and I'm slowly nutting out an itinerary for the trip. We are thinking Tokyo - Kyoto - Hiroshima - Osaka - Tokyo..... OR Tokyo - Odawara - Takayama - Kyoto - Hiroshima - Toyko...... with the former being a more leisurely trip and the latter being a bit more jam-packed! Ahhh what a dilemma.... but there are worse problems to have, obviously. hehe.

And that's this month done and dusted.... I can't believe that next time we chat, Christmas will most likely have been and gone.... YIKES. Where does the time go!? Are you sure I didn't just have her?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho. It's back to work I go.

Hi All,

How are you? We're well, although kind of freaking out at how fast this year has gone! Its November people! November! And before you know it, it'll be Christmas. Yikes! Time really is flying by. And it seems to be going even faster now that I've gone back to work part time. Yes, you read right, mumma B has returned to the workforce. Well, the paying workforce. So I'm now Full Time Mummy, Part Time Teacher and boy is it a tricky mix. So far I'm coping, actually - I'm loving it. I feel like now I am appreciating the time I do have with Chloe more. You see, as bad as it sounds, I was starting to feel pretty resentful and missing my job and school. So now I get the best of both worlds. Jarratt is also getting to play stay at home parent one day a week, he and Chloe have a 'daddy-daughter' day every Tuesday whilst I work and both just love it! Its beautiful that they have this special time together, it has really fostered their relationship and I can see the happiness it brings J to be spending that quality alone time with her. Its just so sweet.

On the Monday I work she is *gulp* in day care. This has been a REALLY hard emotional step for both J and I. Its difficult to hand your most precious thing, your child, over to someone else and trust they will do the best for them. But..... it is part of the process. Jarratt and I had always felt me staying at home indefinitely with her would not work for her, I or our family. I oscillate constantly back and forth between the arguments though, confused by my feelings of guilt and anxiety that something will happen and I wont be there to protect her... and all the sensible arguments that completely contradict those feelings. As difficult as 'letting go' is we wanted her to be exposed to different situations and people; to build her confidence; to develop her social, emotional and academic skills and most of all be happy! And whilst we were very concerned about how she would cope in this new environment, despite knowing exactly what happens in it, as we have been overlooking the centre from our balcony the ENTIRE time we've lived in our unit.... she absolutely breezed through it!

And while she has only been to day care one day so far she did really well and obviously had a blast! When we picked her up she showed us around the centre, pointing out things and activities - clearly 'showing off' what she had participated in that day. She smiled, laughed and high fived all the staff and a few kids when we left and was in a wonderful mood the whole afternoon/evening. The staff were very complimentary and very happy with how she did. A few even seemed upset to hear she was only going to be there 1 day a week. hehe. They commented on how happy, friendly and outgoing she was and my heart did swell with pride when one teacher told us she really was a credit to both of us as she didn't cry or have a tantrum once, which is unheard of on the first day. The same teacher informed us that when she was playing play dough with a group of children, she backed up and gave her a hug. A hug! Our Chloe, giving hugs! I couldn't believe it! We were informed about how she'd slept, eaten, everything! We were even given a sheet of paper that outlined what she'd eater, how long she'd slept for and the time of each nappy change. As each bit of information and happy comment hit me, I could feel a little bit of anxiety melt away. Chloe was ok. No one had hurt her. She hadn't need me to protect her. She was ok. No, she was happy! I felt extremely relieved!

But, I'm a realist, it was the first day and everything was new and exciting. The true test will be when it occurs to her that this is a regular thing. It wont be a problem if she likes it, but if she decides its not for her - it will be a very difficult process. Jarratt and I have spoken about pulling her out if we really feel it is too traumatic for her, but at this stage.... honestly.... I don't think that will be a problem. *knock wood*

And so brings us to the mundane, boring, monthly stuff.... I had her weighed the other day at the chemist, but have yet to measure her. So.... stats-wise she's 9.2kgs

EATING AND DRINKING

 

I reached a point, not too long ago where I had had enough. I felt like I was working and cooking all afternoon.... Chloe would eat at 5, we would bath, milk, brush teeth, read a book, put her to bed, then we would eat. I would be shattered during dinner, Jarratt and I would sit side by side on the couch and quietly eat our meals, exhausted from the busy afternoon/evening. So one night, I made spaghetti bolognaise and we all ate together and it was lovely. Since then we have had to make slight adjustments to what we eat. Unfortunately, she hasn't quite mastered Tacos yet. hahaha. But if we do feel like Tacos we just feed her earlier that night and have tacos once she's in bed. And as she's got better at feeding herself... she now uses cutlery proficiently, including stabbing food with a fork and spoon feeding herself with some assistance, I am finding Jarratt and I have more conversation together, which is nice. The final issue around eating together is I am generally a little hungry around 8 .... but this is often sorted out with tea time, or dessert. hehehe. So clearly its not all bad. ;-)
 

 

 

Chloe has continued happily drinking milk from her straw sippy cup for her morning and bedtime feed. But its a bit hit and miss with volume, not that we're worried. Some nights she'll drink half or there abouts of her cup, other nights she'll smash it and we'll need to refill it. She has also taken a real shine to smoothies, often when we're out I'll now order a smoothie (made with real fruit) and ask for the excess in a small espresso cup with lid and straw. She. Just. LOVES. It! It is beyond adorable the way her face lights up when she sees it and sucks back the goodness like a little lamb. Too cute!


 

 

COMMUNICATION

 

Chloe's communication skills are out of sight! She is a chatty little thing. She's not afraid to talk and ask for things. We can see the frustration beginning to form in her with our lack of understanding but its not a major issue, yet. As her chats are often combined with hand signals, which is very helpful!


Oh my word! This book has the most amazing pop ups!!!
(Chloe's WOOOO face)

This months she has really mastered the conversation and language development from last month. Unfortunately though 'ba (ta)' has become a bit more of a 'give it to me' rather than 'please'. But we're working on that. In addition to those skills she now understands a lot of cues such as when daddy leaves for work we say bye then go to the balcony to wave. Most days, Jarratt hasn't even left the front door and she starts eagerly pointing to the balcony. She is also applying this practice to my farewells too.

She has developed quite a cute "WOOOOO" face and noise, kinda like she's taking a deep breathe, for when things are REALLY exciting. It is simply gorgeous!

GETTING AROUND

 

Chloe is now a VERY capable walker. She can climb over obstacles, move objects whilst she walks and even climb stairs! Although coming down is a little bit tricky and needs mummy or daddy's help. Last month I remember I was ecstatic about the fact that she was mobile, but now ... Its. All. She. Wants. To. Do! The pram has now lost a fair bit of charm and 'walking' to the shops has taken on a whole new meaning ... and timeframe, lol. Thankfully though the more experienced and confident she has become the LESS likely she is to fall down. However, on the flip side, the more experienced and confident she has become the MORE likely she is to walk off. We're employing a 'don't chase' approach. So far so good. But sometimes she gets to that point where I'm like, ok, that's getting dangerous, I'm going to go get her. But hold out that minute longer and sure enough she turns and comes back.... I'm sure some people think I'm crazy but I've seen kids turn this walking away thing into a game and I am not buying into it.... yet! hehe.

 

Dancing continues to be a favourite past time of Chloe. Often when we're out shopping she'll bust out some moves to the music that's played throughout the store. Its HILARIOUS! She sometimes rides in the shopping trolley (the main part) in an effort to avoid the pram battle and will sway from side to side to the music. Its very sweet. She loves all music, but still prefers the music styling's of nursery rhyme jazz, icona pop and macklemore. Although, she also seems to be developing a taste for daft punk recently too!

 

 

She also seems to be attempting to jump. She'll squat down and then cry 'BA' and stand upright quickly. At first I thought it was a new dance move, but she has done it on occasions when no music is playing. I started saying 'up' and 'down' to her as she does it and she correctly moves to each word. Also when we read (or she reads to herself) her 'wheels on the bus' book, she will move the book up and down when we get to that point in the story/song.  

 



SLEEPING

 

I honestly think we have hit the golden period of sleeping. She's sleeping through the night. Yipppeee!!! Is having one long day nap (2hours+) yet can still function on a 45 minute sleep in the pram without too much fuss. Its a good time! But it took a while to get here... And I realise that before too long we'll be toilet training and the night time sleep issues will all up and change. So we're enjoying it whilst we can.

She is also much better at sleeping in different places. She has had a very noisy sleep at Auntie Nics and Uncle Naths for Uncle Naths Birthday, a weekend of sleeps in her portacot and one day time sleep at day care. And all were successful. Woop Woop! But let's not jinx it....... ;-)

She did go through a patch of standing up in her cot. For a few nights and days every time we'd put her down to sleep she'd stand back up and cry as she couldn't lay back down. We'd go in and she'd be resting her head on the bars, clearly tired. We tried everything! Laying her back down, rocking her, firmly telling her it was bedtime, we even let her cry a little, nothing worked. So we just kept going in, laying her down and walking out, eventually, she gave up. And since then *knock wood* we've returned to the zipped into her bag, kiss and cuddle, lay down, sleep. Not entirely sure what was going on there with the standing *shrugs*

PLAYING

 

Playing has been taken to a whole new level. Before Chloe would simply roam the house and move a toy from one place to another, occasionally she'd engage with a toy, and she was happy to play for an extended period of time if we helped her and showed her what it did. More recently she has started happily playing alone, for a really long time. Yesterday, I rang Jarratt to see how far away he was and whether Chloe and I would head to the park. He was an hour or so away. So I figured I'd take her. When I returned to the lounge room she was sitting, happily stacking the rings onto their pole. I figured, ok, when she has enough of that we'll head to the park for a bit. Almost 40 minutes later she stopped playing with them. 40 minutes! That's a lifetime to a 14 month old!

 

 

 

And its not just the stacking rings that she's become very capable with. She can fit the shapes correctly into the holes in her musical car. She can work on complex alphabet puzzles with some support. She has become interested in drawing and writing. She can happily fetch objects and throw balls and play games on her own. Just to name a few. But the thing that I'm really impressed with is how she never gives up. If a particular ring wont fit she will continue to try it until she gets it on. She's such a persistent little thing and I love it. I know how important that skill can be once you reach school and that she is already displaying such skill now makes me swell with pride! In addition to the sticking with it skill, she also is a pretty good tidier-upper! Definitely takes after daddy on that front. hehe.

 

 

Perhaps the best 'toy' though is the phone. She will often take the phone (after saying 'ba' of course) and hold it to her ear and talk. Its adorabubble. Unless you REALLY are talking on the phone and then its a bit of a battle of the wills.

 

 

 

Chloe also LOVES her play dates with friends. She has lots of lovely little people to catch up with in her week. Every Thursday we spend with Ellie and Auntie Nic, be it playing at the park or in the sand or just holding hands. We always have such fun with those two! Last Saturday Chloe had breakfast with Connor, whom she hadn't seen in forever! As his mummy now works Monday-Friday. Last week she caught up with Bella for a coffee and cruise, as well as Orvi and Vince at the VERY cool Annette Kellerman pool in Marrickville. She is very lucky to have such a wonderful circle of friends! I don't think she (or I) could live without them!

 

 

OTHER STUFF

 

Modelling

So the first of Chloe's Big W catalogues came out last week. The one with her as a Bonds kid. I've always desperately wanted Chloe to be a Bonds kid, so this particular modelling gig has a special something for yours truly. Next week (November 7th) her second Big W catalogue comes out and she's wearing a (not so flattering) Christmas outfit. So stay tuned, and hold on to your junk mail for that one.

 

She has also been pulled for an Elle Magazine Swimsuit thing, but I was asked how she was with strangers and at the time she was not good. So I said she was friendly, just not cuddly, but I think that put a nail in that gig. She also has a casting for Bambini Studio Magazine next Wednesday where she's required to wear smart casual..... which has me spinning a little!? What is smart casual for a 14 month old? haha

 

Swimming

Chloe is just uncontrollably happy now at swimming! Her confidence and enjoyment from swimming has sky rocketed! She happily dives and (more importantly) goes to the teacher now! About two months ago we changed classes, the kids in the class are a little older, extremely confident and happy in the water which I (hands down) think is the reason for the change in attitude. So, as predicted last post, we have definitely turned a corner! Woop!

We have also had a few play dates to the pools recently, including one with our lovely lads Orvi and Vince at the Annette Kellerman aquatic centre. That place is AMAZING! Chloe had an absolute blast playing in the spurts of water and impressive baby pool. I'm very excited about the impending summer. You'll be able to catch me and Chlo at the beach if you need us. ;-)

Reading independently
Just recently Chloe has started to read to herself. I'll often be pottering about and all of a sudden there is quiet in our house. Not normal for someone as loud as Chloe. And I'll come into the lounge and find her quietly reading her books. There has even been occasions when she has snuck away to beside my bed side (one of her favourite spots) and flicked through my book. I just don't know how appropriate fifty shades is for a little person. But Jarratt and I are thrilled in her love of literature. We have tried to instil in her from a very young age a love of reading and books by reading to her often, taking her to the library regularly and having quality literature available for her. Clearly, all our work, is paying off! YAY!

Bath Time
So Bath Time had been Jarratts field of expertise for a while, then Chloe started doing a bolt from him as soon as he ran the bath. Recently Jarratt worked late a few days to make up the time he'd taken off to look after Chloe whilst I went back to work. So, for a few nights I was forced to do the bedtime routine on my own. The first night I started running the bath and went to get all her things ready (sippy cup, PJs, etc) and turned around and she had sat herself down on the towel ready to be changed for the bath. So I went with it and thought it was a fluke. The second night with Jarratt working late again, I got everything organised and THEN ran the bath. And sure enough Chloe wandered down the hallway 'checking' each room and space as she went, I'm sure to see if daddy was home. Then plonked herself down on the towel and waited to be changed. The third night, with Jarratt home I showed him the drill..... sure enough, as I ran the bath she came and sat beside me. Jarratt looked at me baffled. Since then I have inherited bath time and daddy does milk. It's just one of those 'why fight it?' things that we've let her win on. And whilst I'm the current flavour of the month, it could just as easily be Jarratt next week. hehe.

Obsessions
Little miss is currently bucking the trend on what a little girl should be obsessed about. At the moment we can not walk past one of those kids roundabout car things in the shops without her wanting a turn. Her love of toy cars and things with wheels has also dramatically increased. She can be a funny little thing.

We have also started calling her FOMO (Fear of missing out) as she does not want to miss out on ANYTHING. Be it using the phone, the laptop, being in control of the remote; if we're eating something, she wants a bite.

She's also taken a real shine to a few stuffed toys. Snoll (monkey), gene (brown bear) and Mug (build a bear) are all big hits and are often dragged around and snuggled into on a regular basis. My heart just melts when she picks one up and pulls it to her face whilst dropping her head to lean on it. Just melts!

She also LOVES brushing her teeth, little weirdo! Since she started sprouting a lot more teeth, we have now incorporated teeth brushing in the morning and before bed. But sometimes (and often in the bath) when she can see her tooth brush she will point at it and say 'ba' continually until she has it.

The last obsession is mummy. Chloe recently has started pushing Jarratt away when he cuddles me. We had just been laughing it off and scooping her up to join us in our hugs. But yesterday when Bella and Tina came for an impromptu visit, Bella saddled up to me for a cuddle and Chloe was not impressed. She tried desperately to sit on my lap and push Bella out of the way. I explained to her that Bella was having a cuddle and it was not her turn with mummy, but this didn't do much as she just backed herself up and sat on my lap anyways. Thankfully Bella wasn't bothered and we just all crowded into a cuddle together. But thank god we've got a bit of time to work on Chloe's sharing of mummy before bub #2 arrives. And NO, we're not trying at the moment. Its still a while away.

And so ends another update. I'll speak to you all again in about 6 or so weeks, xxx

Happy Birthday Chloe. xxx

Hi there!

How are you all? I'm well, as with all posts little miss is currently sleeping and I'm currently having one of those at home days where I'm going get stuff DONE! I've baked some berry and mango muffins for little miss, as well as steamed some zucchini for freezing, done two loads of washing and organised other bits and pieces. And its only 11am! So I thought, whilst I'm on a roll, I'd get started on this month (and a bit)'s update. So without further a due... here goes:

EATING and DRINKING

 

Not much has changed in regards to the eating situation from the last time I wrote about it. Chloe is still a super little eater. She's eating three meals a day with two snacks. Her food is now much more in line with what we eat. Although we have yet to join her for dinner at 5pm we set aside a bit of our dinner each night for her the following day and so far its working a treat. We are working to push her dinner back to 545-6pm and then have it with her. But will wait til daylight savings for that. And there are occasions when she will have more 'babyish' food, such as when we're out and about or more recently when she started cutting her teeth. But generally she eats what we eat which is great as its created less 'work' for me. She's able to confidently use a spoon and more recently a fork! To stab chunks of fruit and direct it into her mouth. Its a pretty impressive skill and we're super proud of her!

She is also drinking from not only her spout sippy cut but also a straw and .... *drum roll please* full cream milk as her morning AND night feed. *applause*
 

We originally introduced the whole milk feed at bedtime and had a run of really bad nights (and forgive the overshare, also a run of questionable nappies). So we returned to breast feeding her at bedtime which solved the problem. So we've inverted the system and gave her milk from a sippy cup before breakfast. Once that was firmly established and we figured out the correct cup situation. Seriously, our cupboard is now a sea of 'fallen soldiers', tried and tested cups that did not cut the mustard. But once we found one that she liked we started to give her milk as the bedtime feed as well. She now goes to sleep happily and sleeps through.

And on a more personal note, I'm proud to have made my goal of breastfeeding Chloe for one year... well, 13 months if you count the trial and error's of the last month. But I also feel sad that its come to an end. Whilst there were nights (and days) where I held back tears of frustration due to the monumental commitment breastfeeding takes. The bond and attachment I had each and every feed is unsurpassed and I've given Chloe (if you listen to all the (annoying!) health professionals) the best start in life. I wish I could say that was my main motivation in doing it, and in part it is, but more so to lessen the financial burden that comes with having a baby. I, by no means, judge anyone who chooses to bottle feed, or can't breastfeed. For me I was fortunate to not have attachment issues or milk supply issues or health issues like mastitis, although it was my BIGGEST fear for the entire year, or any of those issues. I had it relatively easy with breastfeeding... But... I DID have a child who refused the bottle and that took a major toll on me, Jarratt, our relationship and social life. But for the most part I will miss it and I did REALLY enjoy it. But in a lot of ways I'm pretty excited about having weaned Chloe onto cows milk as well. For a bunch of reasons like; I can now pass the torch to J a little more particularly in the middle of the night and early morning; I can have wine for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I want to; I get to buy new bras (yay); I can go out for extended periods of time anxiety free and take medication whenever the hell I want! But seriously, whilst I may joke about the constraints on a breastfeeding mum and how it is a huge commitment, if you choose to do it and/or are fortunate to be able to, enjoy the cuddles and connection because once they're gone the bad stuff will become a distant memory and you will miss those special moments of togetherness!

 

COMMUNICATION

 

Our little chatterbox is developing a vast repertoire of words including the very popular 'bye', mum, dad, ta, yum, eh?, dog, yay and occasionally bird. Recently, much to my shock she strung two of her words together and correctly used them in context. As Jarratt was leaving for work she waved to him and said 'Bye Dada'. I nearly fell over! Truly!

She still babbles ALL the time (including on the phone) and continues to impress us with her amazing non-verbal communication from pointing to objects she wants to shaking her head to indicate no. And her list of parlour tricks has grown since we last spoke and she truly understands more than she can express. She can now in addition to correctly laying her hands on her head when asked 'where's your head?' and seeking out daddy when asked, is:
- Blowing kisses
- Giving kisses (SO. DARN. EXCITED.)
- Giving high fives
- Waving and saying bye when she leaves and when others leave
- Raising her hand as in 'Where is it/they/him/her/etc?'
- Retrieving an object when we say 'get *insert item here*' i.e. ball, mug, cup etc.
- Coming to the bathroom when told its time to brush your teeth and pointing to her mouth
- Tiding up when asked.
We've staged a few in the vid below, but like all things kid related, they don't ever do what you want them to do when you want them to do it so it's not the best performance of the aforementioned skills, lol.

And whilst her language skills are steadily developing, her main form of communication is *sigh* squealing and dare I use the T word? .... Tantrums. This has been a great frustration for both of us. When things don't go little miss's way, she will squeal to indicate her annoyance at us and/or the situation. It is incredibly draining! We do our best to make light of the situation and encourage appropriate behaviours but she is quite stubborn, set in her ways and not afraid to voice it when she doesn't like something. I have NO idea where she gets that from. ;-)

Just recently we started to use a firm 'NO' and much to our surprise she stopped what she was doing. Since then it has become an effective method of discipline, she does try cutesie things when we say no to still get what she wants. Like the other night I told her 'no' and she smiled and stretched her arms wide whilst walking over to give me a kiss..... I took it, because I'm a sucker. But we figure the time has come to start setting boundaries. Yes she is little, yes she may not always understand us, but you need to start sometime and we think she's ready. We'll see....
 

GETTING AROUND

 

She is officially walking.... EVERYWHERE. There is no fear now. Put her down and off she goes. Its great! After months of frustration at our little reluctant crawler, she is now mobile! But she still lacks a bit of confidence in new situations and around her older, more mobile friends, I think for fear of being knocked over. Sometimes she'll get excited and pick up speed and she's quite quick across the floor. More impressively, she no longer needs to pull herself up on furniture to get into a standing position to get her legs going. She can negotiate obstacles too - like ducking under our dinning room table and popping out the other end. But whilst there is much celebration about her walking independently, it does pose a new string of dilemmas.

1. She falls down. A lot. And cries. Its heart breaking.
2. Going to the toilet and/or having a shower requires some serious planning.
3. Dangers are everywhere! And I need to be vigilant, whilst still fostering independence, in her exploration of places around our house. You see, we have chosen, mainly due to the size of our unit, not to shut her out of anywhere. Instead we have simply removed items such as dishwashing liquid, washing machine capsules, knives, all that stuff that may kill her (lol) from her reach. However the lack of baby proofing doesn't stop her occasionally catching her fingers in the kitchen cupboards. Oh and we may need to shut the bathroom door as Chloe's new game is to take magnets off the fridge and put them in the toilet. Which whilst is giggle worthy is not fun to clean up!
4. Getting her to 'come back' is becoming more and more difficult. Her confidence has steadily increased the last few weeks and she has become one cheeky monkey. We try and provide her with lots of new and varied experiences to explore and develop her skills. So when we go shopping now, we often let her 'walk' around the aisle, much to the delight of the customers as she toddles past them. But now she is SO confident she doesn't hesitate to burn around corners and out of sight any chance she gets.

She has also taken a real shine to dancing. Its. the. cutest! Whilst most kids develop a bop. Chloe prefers to sway. Or is it a shimmy? I'm not sure but her legs are planted firmly into the ground and she rocks her shoulders too and fro. I've tried time and time again to get a good video, but she always hears me chuckle and stops immediately. Her current favourites are a cd called Nursery Rhyme Jazz which is what's playing in the video below and (ashamedly) Macklemore's Thrift Shop and I love it by Icona Pop. Too funny! Please be kind in your judgement. hehehe.

SLEEPING

 

I've come to the realisation in the last two months that Chloe is NOT a bad sleeper, despite my continual moaning about her. Shocking I know. Although I had a batch of getting up to feed her overnight a while back. For the last few months she has gone to bed without argument, slept 11-12hours straight and been pleasant in the morning. Her daytime sleep is the same. Zipped into her bag, kiss goodnight and without complaint she is asleep and soundly sleeps for now 1.5-2.5 hours. Of course we have our bad, one off, nights where she is teething or I have a function on for Auntie Lin *wink* but generally, the kid does alright with this sleeping business.

 

 

 

The other night we attended uncle Dean's thirtieth. We had brought the pram and her PJs but in the deep recesses of my mind I knew I would cave and take her home for bed. But I was strong, with the help of Jarratt, and we put her to sleep in the pram in a room right under the (ridiculously noisey) stairs. And she didn't wake up. At all! I was in shock! After about an hour I found myself pacing, I had mentally prepared myself for the fact that she would for sure wake up after 45minutes (her standard pram sleep length) and I would have a bewildered, tired toddler to wrangle, get home and then coax back to sleep. But nope, she slept, the WHOLE time, til we were ready to go home at about 945pm. We then lifted her into the car seat at which point she woke and waved happily to me, drove the 10 minutes home, cuddled her into the house, zipped her into her bag then I left her to nod off..... I shut the door behind me, took a deep breathe and braced for it. The crying. But (surprisingly) nothing happened, not a peep! I then got myself ready for bed and laid staring at the roof, waiting.... waiting for the squeal, the chatter, anything that indicated taking her out and letting her sleep anywhere after 7 than in her bed had been one big mistake. But it never came, eventually I drifted off to sleep and woke suddenly to a sun drenched room. I quickly checked the clock. 730! 720 actually! As Jarratt firmly corrected me later that day. Chloe had actually slept in! I do think it was a bit of a co-inky dink. But I'll take it. I had always said once she was 1, I'd be happy to mess with her bedtime and sleeping situation a bit more. They grow so much in that first year and I didn't want to hamper her brain development by keeping her up late or asking to much of her. But now that we're here I could easily have continued making excuses but with the help of Jarratt's calm nature I'm willing to give things a go.
 

MODELLNG

In the last month Chloe has filmed a commercial for Vodafone which has just been released and done two photo shoots for Big W catalogues out October 28th and November 7th! Its been a very exciting month.

 

Just before her first birthday, we attended an open casting type thing for the Vodafone Commercial. After waiting for almost 2 hours on the first day (with about 40 other kids), they finally selected Chloe to appear as one of the babies in the commercial. She was SO good on set, both friendly and happy. The crew got their shots from her quickly and were really pleased with how well she worked. They 'established' her as one of the characters and we were to return the next morning to finish filming. The commercial used babies faces and then superimposed them onto the heads of adults for a prefilmed sequence. Chloe was one of the girls heading to and dancing in the club. Whilst the perspective of the heads is a little off, making it a look a bit creepy. I think it is a fun commercial encouraging you to see the world as you haven't in a while - using your inner child. The final commercial is below for you to see. Chloe appears on the far right at about the 36 second mark, from memory, with repeat shots from there on til the end. Always on the far right. :)

 



 

The Big W catalogue was a much simpler process. Chloe was cast and sent to dimension studios in Alexandria at a set time. We arrived at our time, she was dressed in her outfit (bonds the first time, a Christmas outfit the second), they shot her for 10 minutes and that was it. It was very efficient and hard to believe she gets 100 dollars for each photo shoot. As yet the catalogues are not out, but I'll be sure to include pictures in the next post of them.

OTHER STUFF 

 

Her Birthday

Jarratt managed to organise a 'day off' for Chloe's actual birthday, thanks to a generous boss. So we made the most of it by heading to Symbio wildlife park. We left just after 10 so she could have a snooze on the way, spend a few hours there and then snooze on the way back. The park, whilst fairly deserted (of both people and animals) was much more manageable than taking her to Taronga as originally planned.

At the park she was enthralled by the crocodiles, patted a koala, pointed at the meerkats and unimpressed with the tigers. Meanwhile Mummy and Daddy were absolutely bamboozled by an over zealous hungry kangaroo. We ended her special day with an attempt at cake smash. Yours truly had gone all out - making a rainbow marble cake which had been cut into the shape of a one. As much as we tried to help her with the concept, I think it was lost on her. She also took one bite of the cake, screwed up her nose and pointed to a mandarin. Glad to see we've established some healthy eating habits.... for now ;-)

 

Then on Sunday the 25th of August we celebrated Chloe's birthday with family and friends at Evatt Park in Lugarno. We had spent the weeks prior scouting the most appropriate location, a park with age appropriate play equipment, BBQ facilities, a toilet, ample parking, shaded seating area and that wouldn't be overrun with Sunday afternoon sport. Evatt park met all the requirements PLUS had a duck pond!!! So Jarratt headed down at 10:30am to set up camp whilst I waited at home, giving Chloe her sleep before the party started at 12. It was such a fantastic day and while I felt like I spoke to everyone and no one at the same time. I was absolutely floored by the generosity and vast number of people who love Chloe so unconditionally. She is so lucky to have so many people in her life who love her it is quite overwhelming and humbling all at once. We couldn't have been happier with how the party went and we know it was a great day for her as well!

 

Swimming



Swimming continues to be a bit of a hit and miss battle. Whilst Chloe LOVES the water and is ridiculously confident, being able to dive under and hold her breath for a very long time. Until this week, although the last two lessons have been tear free may have been a fluke, she was reluctant to do any of the activities in the lessons where the teacher needed to hold her. I've done lots of extra trips to the pool in an attempt to help her but its not actually the water that she seems to be afraid of. Its the separation from mummy. But we have continued to battle on in the hope that she would outgrow it and this week we seem to have turned a corner.... But won't brag too much as I don't want to jinx it! In the interim, I just feel bad for her teacher. I'm sure Chloe gives her headaches.



Special trips away and outings.

We've done two trips the last month and a bit. One to Maitland to visit Nanny and Poppy, as well as Great Gran. Where she experimented (reluctantly) with some finger paint and made music in the park with Daddy.

And the other to Sunshine Coast to met Chloe's new cousin Lucas. It was strange being around a newborn and seeing how much Chloe has grown. I was surprised at how soft and gentle she was with Lucas. Although she did become bored with his lack of interaction and she was much more interested in chasing around her older cousin Thomas. She also had her first taste of ice cream while we were there as well... and she LOVED it.

 

We also rugged her up and took her to her first Swans game. It was a little bit of a negotiation required as she was due a sleep right at kick off. But Daddy certainly has the magic touch because in a crowd that was tens of thousands strong she had a little nap in his arms. We were also able to take her onto the field for kick to kick which was both fun and frightening as balls whizzed past her.

 

More recently Chloe attended her first concert. The Playschool Concert with Auntie Nic and her very good friend Ellie. We managed to score front row seats which came in very handy for being picked out to skip with one of the presenters. Yup, that's right! I'm that crazy, embarrassing mother who threw her hand up at the chance to dance with Tao. LOL

 

And so brings us to another month done and dusted for Team Wyatt. We hope you've enjoyed your visit, xxx

 

10 things I've learnt in my first year for parenting.

We celebrated Chloe's first birthday three Fridays ago, and as I looked at her toddling around the zoo it occurred to me... she's not a baby anymore! She's one! She is one year old! One whole year since she arrived! One! And as the shock slowly wore off and I began to mentally high five J and I for keeping her alive this whole time it occurred to me that we are good parents. No, great parents! There I said it! She's happy, healthy and surrounded by a vast collection of people who love her so deeply it overwhelms me! So to celebrate our first year of being parents I thought I'd stray from my usual format and go for a '10 things I've learnt in my first year for parenting'. The learning curve for a new parent is huge! So hopefully you can learn from our mistakes achievements when you eventually decide to head down the baby track ..... here goes:

1. Be flexible but be fair.
Just when I thought I had Chloe figured out she'd up and change it on me. Whether it be sleeping, foods, toys, whatever! What necessarily was magic yesterday, may not be as exciting to her today. And within this inevitable sea of constant change, your lifesaver will be a strong buoyance device known as adaptability. You need to be incredibly flexible in this parenting gig. Which obtaining for a control freak like me has been a massive achievement this last year. And parenting books DO NOT HELP! It took me a long time to let the baby self help type literature go. So many times in this first year I have looked to 'the book' for the answers.... in the last few months, I've learnt to look to the book as a GUIDE. But being in a sea of constant change relatively alone I found it a great help initially. However as I have gained confidence in understanding Chloe's needs.... yes! Its taken me almost the whole first year to develop said confidence. I feel like I can get there without Tizzy Halls help.... Instead I turn to my dearest mummy friends and its through them that I have learnt the most amazing things! Also, be fair - on yourself! Don't beat yourself up if you make some 'mistakes' along the way, god knows I have! You will get things wrong despite trying to do everything right. Often you will think 'I could have handled that better', but don't get hung up on it. You did your best in that moment! You are a good parent! Judgement from others will follow you wherever you go on this parenting path. Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed. Give a dummy or self settle. Cloth nappies or disposables. It goes on and on. You don't need to add to the barrage by giving yourself an upper cut because you put your baby to bed at 7:15pm not 7pm. In the end you need to do what works best for you and your family. And seek advice from fellow mummy friends if you need it. Try new things when something is no longer working, don't stick with it just because it worked a few times in the hope that it will work again. And know that you can do it! Because, you can!

2. Saying thank you, goes a LONG way!
And its not just Chloe's constant changes that you have to deal with in the first year.... your relationship will change as well. Having Chloe has been the most amazing thing, don't get me wrong, but she has turned our whole world on its head! Jarratt and I are now parents, parents! And in those initial parenting months you will be tired, oh so tired, and you will become frustrated with your partner more than you ever have been, more than you ever thought was possible. But as long as you both understand that this is just a phase. It is the result of sleep deprivation and the needy small human that has turned you and your once love sick partner into snarling beasts. It does get better. And on the flipside having a child does makes you appreciate your partner in more ways than you thought possible. I can't explain the gratitude I feel when Jarratt takes Chloe to the park for an hour or so and I'm free to have an uninterrupted nap. Or when he's home of a weekend and I can have a long hot shower without the shower door ajar and a small person snacking in the high chair next to me, staring. And don't get me started on those nights where you just can NOT get up to a screaming child one more time and without asking he rolls out of bed and suddenly there is silence and you drift back into a deep sleep. And for all those things and more, if there is NOTHING else you take from this blog its to say thank you to your partner for those little things. I wish I did more, but I'm sad to admit the snarling beast got the better of me.

3. Your priorities change
This year my priorities have also definitely changed! Now my idea of a 'good night' is putting Chloe to bed before 7, ordering pizza, having a few glasses of wine and being in bed by 10pm just after tea time! And I do love tea time - it even has its own song in our house! No joke! And I'd much prefer to play at the beach and watch Chloe giggle as she pushes her feet through the sand than go out dancing and drinking. I'd much rather buy that ridiculously expensive baby outfit than pay for a lavish dinner at a fancy restaurant. I'm not saying I've always felt this way or that I don't enjoy the occasional nights away from my mothering gig. But generally if given the choice, I'd stay in for belly laughs and big, sloppy, open mouthed kisses against pretty much anything else.

4. Your body is not your own.
But probably the BIGGEST change for me has been the acceptance that my body (and my brain on occasions) is no longer my own. If you choose to breastfed (and I'm not having a go at anyone who doesn't *insert politically correct disclaimer here*) seeing boobs as anything other than nourishment for your baby will take you, and your partner unfortunately, a LONG time to adjust to. And although there are moments when you are exhausted and you are so incredibly frustrated to feel SO needed, when those little hands, lips, eyes find you and the feeling of being loved and trusted so unconditionally washes over you, the toll it has taken on your body is all but forgotten!

5. Your childless friends may not always 'get it'.
I have the most AMAZING collection of friends who I love dearly. But unfortunately we were the only ones on the baby boat and the further we floated down stream the more isolated I felt. In some ways it has been easier for J, as he wasn't on call like I was due to breastfeeding. And as the stay at home parent I felt Chloe was more my responsibility than his. But nonetheless he still found it difficult as we couldn't 'share' our experience with others and have the same excitement in Chloe's seemingly mind-blowing milestones as us. But I guess initiating a game of peek-a-boo or waving bye when asked or giving kisses after MONTHS of poignantly rejecting us isn't THAT impressive to others. And I'm not saying it's their fault, its not. Its not my fault either, its not anyone's fault really. Its just the way it is. Until your aboard the baby boat, you don't get it. I know I didn't. But if you are one of my 'childless' friends reading this and you do buy a ticket for the ride, I'll be waiting to welcome you aboard with you're buoyance device of adaptability and priority change manual in hand.

6. Don't Panic. Learn to laugh.
Easier said than done, right? I am, as you all know, a control freak. I like order and routine. I can plan for most things, however the unexpected is something you can not plan for. Falls, cuts, instant injuries - these things WILL happen and are the things that can NOT be planned for. Unfortunately bumps and bruises go with the gig. But when they happen you need not panic, you just need to dust yourself (and your child) off, wipe away the tears and get back on the horse, or bike, or puzzle.... whatever it is that you fell from. And laugh. In those times of stress and unfortunate mishaps, I sometimes force myself to have a giggle. Its therapeutic. Obviously not at minor head injuries, which we've had a 2 of this year. But at those 'whoops you slipped on your socks on the floor boards, up you hop' moments, where if I overreact, Chloe will develop such a severe fear complex of the world, the little feisty risk taker I desperately want to send to school may never see the light of day.

7. You will do ridiculous, sometimes irrational things!
When you become a parent, you leave part of your dignity at the door. You need to. It's a must. And this past year I have done some ridiculous things.
I've danced with her in the shopping aisle. And haven't cared who saw.
I've read the same story over and over and over and over again.
I’ve filled my hard drive, facebook feed and Instagram account with hundreds of photos of her.
I've sung 'you are my sunshine'. Numerous times. Often in public.
I've told her to say 'hi' to a complete stranger. Even though she is completing incapable of saying it.
I've occasionally made 'deals' with her.
I have sniffed her bum to check for poo.
I've shouted 'look, dog dog' and 'birdies', numerous times in public.
I've blown on her privates, just to hear her giggle.
I've eaten smashed banana off her grubby little fingers.
I've tapped a piece of furniture and said 'naughty furniture' when she's fallen down and hit herself on it.

8. Kids are smarter than you think.
Chloe is a genius! I swear it! By about 8 months she had J and I's number. She knew what she wanted and how to make us get it. And it wasn't until recently that we realised what a tricksie little minx she was and began asserting our own parental 'power'. In this parenting game you need to view your child as ... well, not the enemy, but just a very worthy adversary - you always have to be one step ahead and have a second set of eyes in the back of your head!

9. You couldn't imagine how much they annoy you!
Unfortunately its not all sunshine and rainbows. Kids are hard work! Fact. Sometimes Chloe will cry and be whiny and nothing I will do will help her. And I get frustrated. And as much as some parents may not admit it, it does happen. To. Everyone! Some days, as awful as it sounds, you just need to make it to bedtime. It doesn't mean you're a bad parent, its just part of the deal. And don't let anyone make you feel guilty about that! I've found that like minded parents do wonders with this. Honest, frank and true friendships that have turned up at my door, mid meltdown and made an inappropriate joke about lobbing said child off the balcony and just laughed afterwards are an amazing help! Make sure you collect these like minded people along the way in your first year. Their friendship is a true get out of jail free card when you have all but lost your smashed banana. Finding the funny may not save your soul, but it will save your sanity!

10. You couldn't imagine how much you love them! 
It took me, I'd say, 4 months to feel the full force of love beating down on me for Chloe. Jarratt, lucky duck, felt it as soon as he held her in his arms the first time. And whether you get that initial rush or the slow overwhelming one - don't beat yourself up about it. People often ask me to describe it and its hard, I think its impossible to really understand it until you are a parent. But it is all consuming. I didn't think my love for Jarratt could be surpassed, but Chloe has made my love for him even stronger. For when I look at him with her, my heart swells to a point that I'm holding back the tears and I am awestruck at just how amazing my life is and how lucky I am. Here together we have created this beautiful thing, this wonderful little person, who is the best of both of us and has the world laid at her feet. For her I would do anything. As clichéd as it is, she is my world. When she laughs and runs for me, its like the world pauses and all I can see and feel is the love pushing deep into my heart that I feel its warmth go flying up from my stomach into my throat. I want to smother her face with kisses and hold her forever. And whilst there are things that I could do without, the wonderful things FAR outweigh the lack of sleep and crying ringing in your ears. You learn to love completely! You see the world with wonder and think about your values more consciously. You live purposefully. You experience and give unconditional love. Its amazing! There are so many good, great, wonderfully wonderful life altering things like hearing mama for the first time; your first REAL slobbering kiss.... actually, ALL slobbering kisses. Hugs. Cuddles. Looks of love. Which without words let you know that she loves you and thinks you are the most beautiful person in the world. That she feels safe in your arms. That there is no where else she would rather be. then here. with you. For all these reasons and more, having a child makes your heart is so full... it. just. might. burst!

And so dear friends, know this - Parenting will bring you face-to-face with yourself. It may be terrifying. It may break you. But it will also rebuild you, and you will be stronger than you ever thought possible. There will be highs that are EPIC and the lows that are crushing, but the ride.... the ride will be thrilling. During this last year I have cried harder than I ever have. I have broken down on the balcony, cried in the kitchen, sobbed in the shower. Being a mum has stretched me to my very limits. I've felt insecure at times, and confident at others. I've been an amateur and a pro. I've been exhausted and exhilarated. I’ve swelled with pride and joy, and I’ve stood in awe. At myself, at Jarratt, at my mummy friends, at Chloe. I’ve been amazed and overwhelmed, grateful and relieved. I’ve learned sacrifice. I’ve earned wrinkles. *deep breathe* I’ve. Given. Birth. This year, I've done a lot and learnt ALOT! I’ve grown up. I've become more of who I know I was meant to be.
But above all else... I've had fun! I've become mum.