The 'M' Word

On friday night I caught up with my Mother's Group friends for dinner - a ritual that we try to keep to every 5 weeks so we can have a girls night out and not worry about crying babies or dirty nappies.  We had a lovely meal at an Italian restaurant with lots of chit chat and laughter, punctuated with one rather uncomfortable moment.  We happened to be discussing the bub's 2nd birthday party and one person suggested we go to a local indoor toddler play area where they actually cater for the children and do all the decorations etc.  All we have to do is turn up basically which sounds good to me!  Particularly when I will be due to pop at any moment!

A couple of mum's questioned what sort of food would be served and we came to the conclusion that it would probably be your typical party food for children - nuggets, pies, hot dogs and the like.  Some were more concerned about this than others.  Some were of the opinion that it was ok to eat that kind of food because it's not something they eat all the time, others were dead set against it because they felt that food like that was just not going to pass their toddlers lips.  I can understand both points of view, but I was of the opinion that it's a party, a one off sort of thing, so I wasn't all that concerned if Ella had a day of eating 'party' food instead of what she usually eats which is good healthy food that I prepare myself.

One of the mum's then coyly brought up the touchy subject.  She was reluctant to say what she wanted to at first but then said "It's disgusting but, oh, it's ok, I can say it in front of everyone here because I know that nobody here would do this".  She eventually came out and said that a mother she knew fed her two year old child McDonalds.  Most of the ladies at the table had a look of horror on their faces, some looked down and didn't want to say anything, I, on the other hand, along with one other mum, smiled crookedly and looked around the table and confessed that our children had in fact eaten McDonalds.  Needless to say, the mum who brought it up was completely embarrassed and apologised profusely for offending us (which she hadn't).  Ella had actually eaten it for lunch!  The other mum had fed it to her kids for dinner before she went out that very night!

The table was essentially silent but I went on to stand up for myself and my decision that I had no problem with Ella eating McDonalds every now and then.  It's certainly not something that I feed her on a regular basis but there are times that it's an easy option if we're out and about and I know that she will eat it. I certainly don't feel like a bad mother because she's eaten it a handful of times knowing that every other day she is eating better food than I probably do myself!

Eventually the conversation ended and we all moved on to lighter subjects.  I'm lucky that I have a group of open minded friends and we all respect each other's opinions as it wasn't uncomfortable at all from that point.

I couldn't wait to go home and tell Tim about it and we both had a chuckle and joked about how were were "bad parents".  The one thing that I took away from the situation was the way that I confidently stood behind my choice and wasn't afraid to voice my opinion.  Had it been  a few months after Ella was born and it would have been a very different story.  At that time I was not confident at all, I probably would have put my head down, not said a word and then tried to fight back tears of guilt!  And I would have felt that guilt for weeks.  I was so unsure of myself then and had no conviction in the decisions that I made, always second guessing myself.  As my journey into motherhood has continued I have become more and more confident each day.  I by no means know everything about parenting and I'm still learning things each day from my little pocket rocket, but I am proud of the strength that I have gained over that time and am thankful that I have been able to change so much in the almost two years since I've had Ella.  I am careful not to judge other's choices since becoming a parent because at the end of the day, all we ever want is the best for our child and we make our decisions based on this.  What is right for me, may not be right for you, and that's ok.

It was Mother's Day yesterday.  The photo above was taken whilst we ate lunch at Manly, right before a bird pooped all over my back!

I was treated to a sleep in, pancakes for breakfast, a beautiful card made by Ella with Tim's help and some lovely gifts to help with my gardening.  I also received my Small Prints pendant which was taken on my birthday and was ready just in time for me to wear on Mother's Day.  I am so thankful for Ella, Tim and this little boy growing inside my belly.

Becoming a mother drastically changes your opinion of your own mama, or in my case it has at least.  I know how hard the job is now and appreciate it so much more.  My mama is such a special person and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful role model to help guide me through this journey.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mama's out there!

Archie

Poor Archie doesn't get nearly as much attention as he used to before Ella.  Thankfully these two get on like a house on fire now though so he has a great play mate.  Arch is such a good dog with kids.  Although we are still careful with Ella being around him in case he snaps, she can pretty much do anything to him without causing any issues, including using him as a step to get up onto the couch.

Now that she is talking a lot more she even talks to her furry friend.  I often hear her saying "Look at the plane Archie" while they are playing outside or "Look at my sickers [stickers] Archie" when she's colouring in her sticker book.

You deserve a big bone mate!

Slow Roasted Greek Lamb

My house smells like heaven right now.  Of lingering caramelised meat, garlic and rosemary.  I tried out the slow cooker I got for my birthday for the first time today.  It was the perfect day for it, it was cold outside and somehow the smell of the food just made the house seem cosier.  I haven't had a roast in I don't know how long since our oven door has been broken for months and months so this was going to be a real treat.

It was so simple to cook and tasted delicious.  Plus we have so many leftovers we will be able to savour it for another few nights too.

Greek Lamb Roast

2kg leg of lamb
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 sprigs rosemary cut into 1cm lengths
1 lemon, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons cornflour

1:  using a small sharp knife, make incisions all over lamb.  Insert a slice of garlic and a piece of rosemary into each incision.  Rub lamb with lemon and season with salt and pepper.

2:  brown the lamb on all sides and add lemon to pan.  Place lid on slow cooker and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.  Remove lamb from pan; cover to keep warm

3:  strain juices in pan through a sieve.  Discard any solids and return strained liquid to pan.  Stir through combined wine and cornflour.  Using the browning mode set to sear, stir until mixture boils and thickens.

4:  serve sliced lamb, with gravy and vegetables

This recipe is a keeper!  The meat was the most tender I have ever tasted.

Did she really just say that?

The other night I was watching Ella in the bath.  She was happily playing with her bath toys and rambling to herself like she usually does when all of a sudden I heard her say:

Knock, knock
Who's there?
Ella
Ella who?
Ella Race

Really?  I think I shook my head in disbelief wondering if I had actually heard what I thought I did.  She's been talking a lot more lately but usually a 3 or 4 word sentence is the extent of it which I am pretty impressed with anyway, but this?  Surely not.  That's a lot for a little girl to remember!

I called my mum straight after we finished the bath and asked if she had taught her this and sure enough, she had.  We're so lucky that when mum looks after her when I'm at work she is so committed to teaching Ella new things.  From the moment she walks in the door, to the minute she leaves, she is fully committed to Ella and in a very conscious way.  Her attention is undivided as they sing, read, play pretend games and just generally interact.  I had a very different experience with my Nanna when I was younger and I am so grateful that Ella has such a wonderful role model and she's been able to develop such a strong bond with her Nanny.  I hope she always remembers what a special woman she really is.

Every time I think of her in the bath saying that phrase, sounding just like Elmur Fudd with her L's and R's sounded as W's, I just can't stop smiling.  This little lady is growing up so quickly.

Thirty one weeks

I know that in a few months time I will be kicking myself that I didn't document as much as I would have liked or take enough photo's during my pregnancy, but I can't really be bothered to get all dressed up and pose for pictures, and I can tell by the way that Tim rolls his eyes at me that he's not really that keen on setting the camera up to take photo's of me every week so a dodgy Instagram self portrait will have to do for now.

I had an appointment with my obstetrician this week and everything is going along really well.  I am measuring slightly large for this period of gestation so I am likely to have another rather big baby.  I was overdue by ten days when I had Ella and my obstetrician said that this time if I had to go over the due date, he won't let me go that far to save a few hundred grams - thanks for that!

This baby boy loves to rock and roll!  I can't remember Ella moving around as much as he does.  I'm not just feeling kicks here and there, it feels like most of the day and night he is doing round house kicks in there!  Typical boy.

I am feeling well, although I am getting tired and have quite a sore back, but this is most likely because Ella always seems to want me to pick her up lately.  She definitely knows now that something is going on.  When she comes into bed with us in the morning she cheerfully says 'morning' to Tim and I and then says 'morning baby', pulls my pyjamas up and gives my belly a kiss.  It's just beautiful.  I can't wait to see her reaction when the baby actually arrives.

The countdown is well and truly on now...only 9 weeks to go.  Eek!  I can't wait for that newborn smell again, soft pink skin and gangly little legs.  Part of me just wants to keep him safe and tucked away inside my belly, but I am also really yearning to hold this little man close to my chest.

Thirty Four

1:  I received a beautiful bunch of roses from a work colleague and got so many lovely messages and calls wishing me happy birthday - I was definitely feeling the love.

2:  Among other lovely gifts I received a Slow Cooker which I can't wait to use.  It will be great during Winter when we have two bubs.  I can just throw everything in in the morning and have a nice meal all prepared at night time, leaving me time to feed babies, bath babies, and put babies to bed at night, without then having to think about what to cook for dinner.

3:  So many lovely recipes in this book.  The cover picture has me salivating.

4:  Just me, my belly, a cuppa and some delicious Haigs Orange Chocolate (best chocolate ever!) while Ella had her nap.

5:  All dishes were left in the sink.  Who needs to do housework on their birthday? Not me!  Actually, you will find my sink looking like this more than just on my birthday but this time I just didn't feel guilty about it!

6:  I spent the afternoon with mum who made an impromptu high tea for me.  We ate scones and cakes and sipped tea from my great aunt's pretty china tea cups.

7:  Terrible photo of Tim and I because it was so dark but we went out for dinner while Ella had a sleep over at mum and dad's.  We went to a restaurant in Neutral Bay called "Blue Plate", a Southern American style restaurant.  Bufallo wings, Gumbo, followed by Pumpkin Pie for dessert.  Yum!  Needless to say we reminisced a lot about our holiday in America in 2008 (way back when we were young and care free!  ha ha)

8:  A blissful nights sleep without any interruptions and we even slept in til 8am!  We also snuck in a breakfast date before picking Ella up.

Perfect birthday - check!

A visit to Poppy's farm

ANZAC day was on a thursday this year so Tim took advantage of the public holiday and took friday off work so that we could have an extra long weekend.

Ella has a bit of a love / hate relationship with my dad at times.  Sometimes she screams when she's around him (mainly when she was younger) and other times he's the bee's knees.  At the moment we are in a stage of not being a fan of poppy at all.  Aside from being a great opportunity to get away for a few days we thought a trip to the farm might also provide an opportunity for some good bonding between Ella and dad!

Stress instantly lifted off my shoulders as we drove over the mountains and into the crisp autumn country air.  I love the smell of the bush and smoke from chimneys warming mountain homes.

The moment we arrived, Tim and I were treated like royalty.  My mum made us rest while she looked after Ella and dad did all the cooking for the weekend including a delicious Moroccan Lamb dish which I must remember to get the recipe for now that I think about it.  They took Ella when she woke early each morning so that we could sleep in and generally waited on us the whole time.  We were spoiled!

This is only the second time that Ella has been to the farm and I have to say that over the weekend I don't think she stopped smiling!  Poppy soon became Ella's best friend, mainly because of his tractor.  I have never seen her smile so much as when she sat on Poppy's tractor.  She spent most of the weekend on that thing, turning the steering wheel and pretending the beep a horn.

The weather was perfect the whole time.  Sunny and warm during the day with perfect clear blue skies and cool at night so that we could get cozy near the fire.  The only thing missing were the marshmallows which we forgot to buy on the way there - dang!

A surprise 70th Birthday

It was mum's 70th birthday a few weeks ago.  She's the type of woman who is all about everyone else and never herself so I decided to throw her a little party to make her feel just as special as she always makes us feel.

Our back paving, thankfully, was finally finished only days before the party.  The week before the party it rained on and off for days and I was worried that it wouldn't be finished in time which would have been a disaster.  It would have been more of a disaster if the actual day itself was wet but somehow the God's were looking down on mum and put on a perfect sunny autumn day for the occasion before turning the rain back on the following day.

Mum was blown away when she walked out the back and saw everything set up.  She was so stunned that she didn't even realise that there were way too many chairs just for our family and so was even more surprised when two of her sisters arrived shortly after, along with one of her nieces and her family.

It was such a lovely afternoon celebrating with my beautiful mum while we relaxed, ate, drank and chatted in the afternoon sun.

I love balloons! 

Sunshine, good food and good company

Family xx

It's becoming tradition to let go of all the helium balloons at the end of a family party