Anya Portrait

Anya Portrait
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Callum Portrait

Callum Portrait
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Life, the Fast Version

I’ve decided to try posting via email from now on. Sadly, I can’t seem to find time to blog properly, so maybe this will work. You’ll notice I started back at work mid-April and stopped posting in May… (except for one or two uploaded photos)… We actually hit a lot of milestones recently which surely merited blog entries, but time continues to shoot past like whitewater rapids, so I’ll just have to recap quickly now:

This weekend Callum’s two top teeth started to break through so he’ll finally have a complete set for biting… he’s already a menace whenever anyone is eating (wants to eat everyone’s food!) Now he’s really set. As for walking, he is still “surfing” the furniture. I’ve tried holding his hands for walks, but so far he only takes a few steps and sits down. Talking consists of babbling although a few times he’s seemed to repeat a sound back, and his main form of communication continues to be laughing (most of the time) and screeching (when he wants something NOW, or is frustratedly trying to remove his shoes and socks).

Anya is starting to be interested in spelling out words, but so far only spells “DANGER” and her own name. She knows “DANGER” from going to the train station and seeing lots of construction sites around town. She’s been pretty indifferent to the Olympics, but it’s been good to introduce her to the idea of physical contests. She’s got a great broad jump, a tiny hop for vertical jumps, and super yoga-quality balancing and flexibility. Going from point A to point B usually involves running enthusiastically or sauntering slowly, with no in-between speed setting possible.

I turned 40 on August 2^nd and Callum turned 1 on August 11^th. It’s rather unnerving to be confronted so emphatically with the age gap between us (Anya’s birthday is in May, so I tend not to think about it too much, with her). The same week, Brisbane had the “Ekka” (Royal Exhibition), an annual week of agricultural displays and competition which has somehow become popular as a fun fair. We duly went along and showed Anya and Callum all sort of animals and took Anya on some rides, and went home exhausted after just a few hours. Since then we’ve felt a bit partied out, so haven’t been up to much.

What did I do for my big four-oh, you ask? My day started with my usual Saturday morning kickboxing class, after which I went to a beauty salon, where David had arranged for an hour long massage followed by a facial. Then it was home for lunch and naptime (not for me, unfortunately), then over to our in-laws to celebrate more birthdays (my nephew Isaac and niece Jessica). Last, in the evening, we went out to dinner with friends at Mondo Organics, a restaurant whose chef I’ve enjoyed watching on Ready Steady Cook. At day’s end, I collapsed gratefully into bed – really feeling my age.

Backtrack

A quick summary of Callum events (missed when I didn't post anything from May to August...)
21/5 waves back
3/6 gets keen on pulling himself up on furniture to stand
12/6 mimics my actions -- feeling a book, tapping a box
15/6 first tooth
2/7 Callum had been napping -- Raema (David's mum) heard a brief cry, and didn't go in right away; she found Callum crawling out the bedroom door, much to her shock (must have climbed out of his cot from the bassinet insert, across our bed, and somehow got down to the floor) -- we stopped using the bassinet insert!
8/7 loves to point; Anya has been licking his finger to make him laugh
14/7 second tooth
20/7 climbed a full flight of stairs, at Rob's (David's brother) house
27/7 clapping
11/8 first birthday! ...says "ah-ta!" peeking out from behind a cloth; puts things into a box (until now was only pulling them out!)
21/8 hands things to us over and over; loves rummaging in drawers and cupboards
23/8 third tooth (top left)

Going to Town

5-Aug-08 Gaythorne Station
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

This is our typical arrangement when going to work for the day. Behind David you can see the stairs we know very well from crossing the train tracks to get to the city-bound platform from the carpark. Anya now has legs of steel from traipsing up and down these stairs three days a week!

Man Enough

This is the tale of one man, two children, and several Samaritans...

David was taking Anya and Callum home on the train yesterday when Anya started to cough. She coughed and coughed and coughed until she started to gag and then... she threw up.

Two men nearby immediately moved out of the vicinity.

Three women immediately came forward to offer help. One even gave David her towel to mop up the mess.

Tangalooma 26-Apr-08

Tangalooma 26-Apr-08
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Swimming with Dolphins

We had a great Anzac holiday weekend with Paul and Teresa and Heather (now 6 months old) at Tangalooma, a resort on nearby Moreton Island where dolphins come nightly to be handfed by willing tourists. I had imagined myself swimming with dolphins (yes in a fantasy-like mini-movie starring Elaine) -- the reality was quite different, with long lines of tourists going down to the water like an assembly line, but it was still pretty amazing to be that close to the dolphins. We waded out with a staff member and each had a fish to place in the water. I wasn't quick enough and my young dolphin (3 yr old) nipped my fingers a bit by accident. Anya, meanwhile, was keen initially, then ended by climbing my body in fear when Storm and Silhouette were actually circling us. (I'll post the photo soon.) So David fed Anya's fish to the dolphins as well, then the staff member even gave us more fish to prolong the moment. Paul gloated afterwards that he got THREE fish to feed their dolphins -- I didn't realise it was a competitive point!

The other great activity was snorkelling the wrecks just off shore. All of us enjoy scuba diving (Paul used to be an instructor) so it was the perfect holiday activity for us, and largely fitted in with the constraints imposed by two babies and a toddler. Paul earned platinum status by looking after both Callum and Heather while Teresa and I were snorkelling -- both babies needed naps and he had to walk up and down the beach carrying them both until they fell asleep. Meanwhile, David was back at the villa waiting for Anya to finish a nap. He went snorkelling after we came back, and Paul went back with him.

From Anya's perspective, the best part was probably having four adults to talk to. I don't think she considers herself a child! She enjoyed being right on the beach with grassy areas, sandy beaches, a swimming pool and playground all within a short walking distance. It certainly was great being able to swim at a moment's notice (the family unit at Peregian Beach is a couple of blocks away from the beach).

Silver Clouds

warhol4
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Took Anya to the Gallery Of Modern Art today to enjoy the kids' area. My favorite part is a high-ceilinged room with fans blowing around bouyant Mylar pillows (the silver clouds). I had a hard time convincing Anya to pose at all for this "celebrity portrait" as she was more interested in using the controls in the photo booth -- hence the odd expression.

For some reason this photo reminds me of the Frieda Kahlo self-portrait with herself repeated three times as goddess, mother and child sitting inside successive embraces.

Thunderbirds Are Go!

This Easter weekend, we stayed at the family units in Peregian Beach along with our in-laws. Last year Anya had followed her cousins around without real understanding, while they hunted chocolate Easter eggs (the youngest, Isaac, by cunningly following their dog around); this year she actually did some hunting herself, with everyone chiming in, "hot!" "cold!" to clue her in. I wish I could remember what Americans do, because my childhood Easter memories are mostly formed from school activities as my parents didn't do much special for Easter. I remember dying and decorating hard-boiled eggs, crafting bunnies and chicks from cotton balls and pipe cleaners, and just maybe getting to eat a tiny bit of chocolate and marshmallow. (That's another discrepancy -- no marshmallow chicks are sold here.)

Meanwhile, Callum really got moving this weekend and started going across whole rooms and down hallways, groaning with the effort as he went. Life's a whole new ballgame for him now! Today he also stepped up the pace with making not just one, but several different syllables in one continuous burst of sound -- for example: "Mamamam bab bab buh mam mam buh bah boo..." (Until today he would only repeat one syllable over and over.) This morning I could swear he talked for a solid fifteen minutes (and David could hear him from the other end of the house) while I lay groggily next to him and occasionally lifted my head to murmur to him encouragingly.

Other milestones for Anya: sleeping overnight without a nappy (she's been dry for a few months now but we were too chicken to try it); swimming across a lane and back, talking the whole way; writing letters and numbers... and generally acting like a little adult (except for a baffling need to delay and naysay proceedings at random times throughout the day).

Our Celebrity Portrait

warhol1
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

I finally made it to the Andy Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art this week. Strangely, I ended up feeling that I was more impressed by Yayoi Kusama's works. However, I imagine that it's probably hard to take in Warhol's work because he's been so influential. His way of seeing and creating art has so pervaded our cultural environment that his artworks seem (in hindsight) obvious and nothing special.

Rainwater Tank Installation

This is only a temporary location, but still annoying that the tank completely blocks access through the yard.


David looks like he's grinning, but actually he is grimacing in pain as his head is aching from a cold and the machine vibrations are getting to him (not to mention the general fatigue of a long day of hard labor).


This is the tank overflow pipe (should we ever be so lucky to have that much rain). It was a real bugbear to complete the installation since this neighborhood doesn't have a stormwater system, so we were required to connect to a 1m x 1m x 1m rubble pit. Thanks to the tank installers, we learned this fact after the tank had been placed in the only through access, forcing us to be inventive about how to bring in the earthmoving equipment.

It was lucky for us that our neighbors had their house razed recently (to build a new one) and were happy to let us drive in through their property. David simply cut out some of the rotten old fence (to be replaced anyway as part of construction) and set up a ramp over our back retaining wall. Once situated, the digging was not so straightforward either as he discovered some 60-yr-old construction rubble in the process. Fortunately, the rubble was useful for filling the pit, which was for the rainwater tank overflow. This job took all weekend. Kudos to my manly man!

Terminal Fatigue

David is conked out in bed with a cold and the rest of the household has also been under the weather for about the last two weeks. I haven't gotten terribly sick (had maybe a couple of days of feeling headachy) but I am very tired from coping with two grizzly kids. Callum seemed to be on the mend earlier this week but went downhill again with new, scarier symptoms. The doctor thinks he probably got a second virus just as he was getting over the first one.

Nonetheless, there are some fun things to report. Last night we had several friends over for a games night -- "Man Bites Dog" was first, then "Listen Up!" No PCs or game consoles involved! Just great food and conversation.

Also despite being sick, Callum has continued to show off new skills such as waving his dummy or toy between my mouth and his own -- he also did this with his grandma. It really seemed like he was trying to insert his dummy in my mouth.

Anya surprised me tonight by properly counting objects in a picture. She's known how to count up to 13 or 14 for quite a while, and recently mastered the idea that holding up fingers = a number, but until now had never seemed to understand about pointing at objects one by one to count them, and would randomly point all over the page while reciting her counting sequence.

Figure Drawing

This is Anya's latest skill. /tears/ She's really growing up!

Her first figure drawing (Feb 8th):


Her drawing of me (Feb 23rd):


Her drawing of David (Feb 24th):


Another drawing of me (Feb 24th):

Asian Beef Salad

David and I made up this recipe last night -- he did the greens, and I did the beef and onions:

Marinate 2 or 3 small flank steaks in lime juice + pulp, chili sauce, kecap manis, soy sauce and honey. (Approx 2 limes, 1 Tbs chili sauce, 2 Tbs kecap manis, 2 Tbs soy, 1 Tbs honey, but I just drizzled it into the bowl without measuring.) Grill on the BBQ or sear in a pan, then slice up for your salad.

Slice 2 onions and brown on the BBQ plate or in the pan. Set aside.

Simmer the marinade on low in the pan until thickened (approx 3-5 minutes). Return the onions to the pan and toss to coat. If there's a lot of sauce then you can also toss in the sliced beef.

Serve warm on a bed of mixed lettuces, fresh basil, tomato wedges & freshly toasted walnuts lightly dressed with sesame oil, fish sauce & rice vinegar.

Some Movement, Please

We've known for some time that Callum is raring to get going -- hates to be left lying around, rolls every which way, and constantly insists on being sat up (preferably in someone's lap) for a better view of the world around him. I've tried to show him how to slide forward on his tummy, but so far he still only scoots forwards if given something big to push off from (then he gets so excited that he's moving!)

Today he was making his usual break for it off the change mat, and I noticed that he was getting up on his knees. So it seems we'll be skipping phase one and going straight to hand-knee crawling. He's also been much more stable when sitting on his own (tipping over after several seconds rather than instantly) so that's the other problem sorted. :)

He's been much more vocal over the last few days despite (or perhaps because of?) having a snuffly cold. Vav vav vav, mam mam mam, bla bla bla (didn't you understand that?) Laughs like it's the greatest joke ever when we say "achoo!" and "boo!"

Late Night Musings

While cooking some pasta last night I wound up thinking about my friend William. I pretty much think about him every time I cook pasta, although I haven't seen him in over fifteen years (though nearly caught up with him at the turning of the millenium) and haven't exchanged email or anything with him in probably seven years. The reason I think about him is that he's the person who showed me how to slightly twist a bunch of spaghetti before letting it fall into the boiling water. I still remember how "Eureka!" that moment felt to me. I suppose to most people in the world, cooking pasta is a very ordinary event, but to this day, when I stand some spaghetti in a pot and then let it fall in a spiral, I feel a little thrill.

This got me thinking later that night about food memories. I guess they keep coming back because you never stop eating and the food still tastes like it did the first time, bringing the memory right back again. Especially if you're as into food as I am. (I do realise that I've just rather inelegantly re-capped that famous bit about madeleines and tea, but they're my own inelegant words, so there.)

I'll think of Jill every time I eat artichokes. A "wow!" moment when she showed me how to steam one and dip the leaves one by one into scrummy dip, after which I willfully broke away from her recipe (lemon juice with a tiny bit of melted butter) and ventured into high-fat territory (melted butter with a squeeze of lemon juice, and aioli, and anything with lots of butter).

Gosh, anyone reading this who's never met me would never know that I am NOT as big as a house. /laugh/

I also remember my sister "inventing" cheese cooked in a pan, after realising that her favorite part of a grilled cheese sandwich was the cheese that melts out the sides and browns in the pan. At the time, we thought she was weird. She was just in the wrong family! She should have been born to a Swiss or French family... of course, raclette is not traditionally made with a slice of American cheese.

Whenever I cook eggs, I think of my first boyfriend, who astonished me by cooking his eggs in butter. As my parents cooked everything in vegetable oil, it had never occurred to me to cook eggs in butter. His mother is German, hence the butter. I now definitely prefer eggs cooked in butter. Also broccoli cooked in butter. And most anything cooked in butter.

Which reminds me, when I first flew to Australia (to visit my not-yet-husband and in fact he was my not-yet-fiance), I went on Air New Zealand and was amazed by the delicious butter served on the plane -- a weird thing to be impressed by, but I later found out that New Zealand is in fact renowned for its dairy. I learned in the Gina Mallet book (see my list of good reads) that a small increase in the quantity of butter fat can make a world of difference in the taste of the butter, so I'm guessing that's what impressed.

This entry is starting to be all about butter... when my hubby (pre-affiancing) first asked me how I like my toast buttered, I answered him truthfully, although afraid of seeming fussy, that I like to let the toast cool slightly so that when I butter it, the butter doesn't melt all the way. I was gratified when he replied that he did exactly the same thing! The first in a long list of things we do the same (to match the equally long list of things we like to do exactly opposite).

Meanwhile, here is the little pasta recipe (without any butter) I made up last night:

2 small onions, diced small
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
2 red capsicums (bell peppers), diced small
approx 1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large chorizo sausage, diced small
handful arugula leaves, chopped coarsely
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely

Cook the onion on low heat in some olive oil until softened, then stir in the garlic, capsicum, mushrooms and sausage. Keep going until the mushrooms are cooked. Stir in the fresh herbs. Serve over spaghetti tossed with fruity olive oil or chili infused oil, and garnish with grated Romano cheese or crumbled Danish feta. (I think some fresh sage would also go well, but I didn't have any to try when I made this dish.) If this dish isn't saucy enough for your tastes, add some diced tomatoes to the pan as well and let them cook down a bit.

How to Blog It Right

I've been reading Notes from Inside My Head with awe and delight. I write my little blog as a sort of news posting for friends, but this author writes about motherhood with such verve that even commonplace events such as colds, tantrums and tender moments take on a special patina of significance.

Frangipani T-shirt

One of my main artistic outlets these days is screen-printing t-shirts. My niece Lauren asked me for a frangipani and I came up with this design. I like that it's different from the common frangipani design I've noticed on numerous shirts and tableware ever since she asked me for it.

Flexiboy

Callum has recently learned to eat his toes!

Whimper whimper

So this morning I had been asleep for what seemed an eyeblink, after coaxing Callum to go back to sleep (he'd woken at 5:30 with the birds and started playfully rolling around the bed), when I was abruptly jolted awake by a few firm pushes to my bottom (did I mention my fractured tailbone?) and a bell-like voice saying, "Mama! Wake up! I need to do a wee-wee!"

I couldn't help it -- I started whimpering.

Time to Chow Down

Callum is not quite six months old yet (the age recommended for starting solids) but he's been so demanding that I decided this week to get started with some banana. Unlike Anya, who initially just let the food bubble out of her mouth, Callum immediately got into the swing of things and ate everything I gave him (about a tablespoon). Today was the fourth day and I decided to give him a lot more -- three tablespoons -- and to my surprise he ate it all. Occasionally, he stopped and winced as if the taste were weird, but he kept eating.

The first week you're supposed to do just one meal per day, but the boy is so keen I'm tempted to skip right to having three or four meals! (A meal being one to three tablespoons, at this age.) I can't wait to give him some veggies... maybe then Anya will get back into eating them! She used to eat all sorts when she was a baby, but now will only eat peas and corn (other veggies go in hiding in pasta sauces and the like).

Supreme Butter Chicken (not for the anti-fat brigade)

We cook a lot of curries at home -- mainly Thai red or green curry -- but lately I have been using Indian butter chicken curry paste. Last night's effort was especially tasty...

1. Marinate 3 chicken thighs in 2 tsp butter chicken curry paste mixed with 1/2 cup yogurt. (in fridge, preferably overnight, or 3 hours as a minimum)

2. Grill chicken in the oven until done. Slice into bite-sized pieces.

3. Meanwhile, saute minced garlic (to taste), one diced onion and half a green bell pepper (capsicum) until soft; then turn down the heat and add 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon butter chicken curry paste and large pinch of fenugreek leaves (methi). Simmer on low until tomato breaks down.

4. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream (to your preference for sauce consistency), the chicken pieces & juices, and 1/4 cup corn niblets. (I microwaved an unshucked cob of corn for 3 minutes, then cut the niblets off half the cob for my recipe. Don't forget to run the back of the knife over the cut area to scrape off the part of the corn that stays behind when you cut it.)

5. Add salt to taste.

6. Serve over rice steamed with potato pieces, and garnish with unsalted roast peanuts. (Simply dice a washed unpeeled potato and add to the rice cooker -- no extra water needed.)

As with all curries, this probably would taste better the day after making it, but of course you can't make a dish like this and hold yourself back from eating it right away!

Running With Scissors

Not quite running with scissors, but I did slip and fall. I was going down the back steps, which were slippery with rain, and carrying Callum -- then mostly focussed on protecting him when I started to fall. X-rays showed that I had fractured my tailbone. Hence the dearth of blog entries. I can't sit comfortably and I'm a bit sleep deprived as well since lying down is not too restful either. There's not a lot of useful treatment for this type of injury (you can't set a tailbone) so I just have to put up with the pain. The doctor recommends I wait and see how I'm going in three months. Not a great injury to have when one has a 7.5 kg boy and 15 kg girl to handle!

I do have quite a few journal notes that I want to type into this blog, and will be back-dating them, so for Anya/Callum fans out there, please read back for entries since Xmas to see if you missed anything.

Look at ME! Watch ME!

Being on holiday with the family was great -- swimming at the beach every day (even if it was raining) -- and lots of people to play with Anya and hold Callum. There were times that I found myself wandering around the place WITHOUT ANYTHING TO DO. Amazing. We were there for two weeks, then had to go home since David was going back to work.

One thing Anya learned from her cousins was the catch-cry "Look at me! Watch me, watch me!" They tried to teach her to do a forward roll, but she found it too intimidating. She can, however, do some stuff they can't, because she's so flexible: stand on one leg and lift the other out straight by holding her foot with her hand (just like a yoga pose); slide into the splits; downward dog yoga pose (hands and feet on the floor with heels touching the ground). She can also jump great distances and hop (very briefly) on one leg. All this jumping has made her legs really strong, and she can even run uphill now.

It's funny to watch her run, as she hunches her shoulders slightly and lumbers from side to side like a football player. She also sometimes prances through on tiptoe, which makes her hair bounce fetchingly. It's such gorgeous hair, I'm jealous! Her hair is so long now, and she speaks so well, she often seems more like a four year old than a two year old. It's hard to remember she's a toddler when I need to discipline her for misbehaving.

I introduced the "yelling room" because she's been yelling so much. I told her she can yell as much as she likes, but I don't want to listen to it. So she can go into her room, close the door, and yell. Her cousins thought this was a great idea and would often join in.

Always Laughing

Callum's first laugh was November 20th (yes, I wrote it down!) and he's been laughing so much ever since. He used to only laugh if we kissed his tummy and laughed at him, like he needed company to laugh. Lately he's been laughing if we just laugh with him (no tickling) and then January 8th he laughed after falling asleep. I was so amused by this that I chuckled, and hearing my laugh got him laughing some more (still in his sleep). Amazing!

No talking yet, just cooing -- I'm still waiting for the first "da-da-da" (that was Anya's first syllable).

In other milestones, he rolled over for the first time on January 5th, and since then has been practicing it every chance he gets. Still no good at rolling back again (from tummy to back), though, and he only rolls on one side. I also discovered that if I placed something solid at his feet, he could scoot along on his tummy with his mighty leg kicks. Without any help he can also wriggle a little bit, but has not yet worked out that he needs to dig his toes in. The boy is definitely on the move and keen to get going.

He also grabs all sorts of things now quite well. I have to be careful what I leave near him now. This morning I was eating from a bowl, and he was grabbing the rim (I let him) then he managed to grab some of the food (yikes!) It's fun to lie face to face with him and let him explore my face.

I'm still feeding Callum through the night, maybe because he sleeps with me, which makes it easy for him to demand a feed. Anya started sleeping through from 20 weeks and I was hoping the same would happen with Callum. He even weighs more than she did, which should help with sleeping through, but no such luck. (Boys weigh more than girls anyway, but his current weight matches her weight at 3 months older!) I'm now holding on to hope that starting solids (at 6 months) will help him sleep through. There is no way I can go back to work if I'm still waking through the night and only getting total of about five hours' sleep overnight, unless I get to have a midday siesta.

Tickle Time

Callum is now 20 weeks old. He's been smiling and laughing for quite a while now, but this is first time the laugh has been captured on video.

More Anya Tales

Anya's been going to swimming lessons since late October, and swims at Don's (David's brother) and Newmarket Pool (a great local pool with slides and fun pools) quite often. So I guess it's no suprise that her first comment upon finding Mrs. Incredible in the doctor's toy basket, with super-stretched arms, was, "She can do BIG ARMS -- BIG ARMS!" (this is the way they teach them to do freestyle/forward crawl).

Another moment that really made David laugh happened when he took her shopping. He likes to cycle with her, towing her in a trailer, and puts the groceries in the trailer for the ride home. Since we live at the top of a hill, the last leg is pretty tough with all the extra weight. He was panting heavily on the upward climb, and didn't answer Anya when she tried to talk to him. "Daddy? Daddy?" she called. "Can't -- talk -- right -- now --" he gasped back. Once home, he stopped in the driveway and panted some more. "Daddy! Why are you hah-ing? Stop hah-ing! I want to talk to you!"

The naughty spot has been in force for a while now, but Anya still doesn't quite understand (or doesn't want to understand?) that we put her on there for a set time, and don't talk to her while she's on it. Recently I had to try really hard not to laugh: she told me she was ready to say sorry, but time wasn't up yet. I simply reminded her, "No talking, time isn't up yet," and she said forcefully, "Unggh! I HATE the naughty spot!" and smacked the wall with her hand. I had to go away because I was afraid I was going to laugh... (Yes dear, that's the point of the naughty spot!)

Anya's First Rock Climb 27-Dec-07

Anya's been pestering us to take her rock climbing, and she does climb things quite well at the park. So we brought her to Rocksports to try it. She only climbed up about a meter, twice, then declined further opportunities, saying, "I'm supervising."

Christmas '07

We started this morning with opening presents at our house. Grandma (David's mum Raema) had stayed overnight and joined in. Mid-morning, we all trooped over to Don and Ann Maree's house for a massive family get-together where more presents were exchanged. It took forever to open presents for six kids and seven adults!

Anya's favorite present of the day was a miniature Winnie the Pooh tree house (complete with honey pot). Her other favorite is a magic wand which makes jingling noises when waved. This morning she enjoyed waving it at Raema and "magicking" her into a baby, a dad, a mama, and back to herself again.

Christmas '07 Video

Waily waily waily!

Anyone who's read Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men knows what "waily waily waily" means... if you don't know it, there are "pictsies" (little men who are, well, Pictish, in that they're blue skinned, speak with Scottish accents, and love fighting and drinking) who bewail unfortunate circumstances by yelling "oh, waily waily waily!" (they especially love to do this in groups, like an aggressive form of keening).

 

I've managed to find amusement in Anya's latest infuriating mannerism by thinking of this line from the book.  In Anya's case, this involves suddenly flipping from being happy and cheerful to feeling fussy.  She then works herself up from low level fussing up to concentrated snivelling and ultimately full blown wailing, by which time she's forgotten what she's upset about, but she's darn well upset and intends to stay that way.  This happens at least four or five times a day, usually about nothing of importance, more as if she's checked the clock and thought, hmm I haven't fussed for a while, better do it again.

 

So far we've managed to stay pretty even tempered about it, simply telling her we can't talk to her while she's wailing, but it is VERY annoying and tiresome, and I hope she stops doing it soon!

Bitey Boy

Our boy continues his winning ways, not only smiling at all and sundry but now also willing to lick and bite just about anybody...

Anya+Callum Photo Comparison

Everyone keeps saying how much Callum looks like Anya did. I felt at the beginning as if we had Anya all over again, but as Callum got older I didn't find them very similar after all. So I put these photos together to compare.

Springbrook National Park 5-7 Dec 07

This was the second day of our mini-holiday at Springbrook. David really did the toughest bit, carrying Anya on our bushwalk. We were just happy she was over the mysterious allergic reaction she suffered the day before during our walk to Natural Bridge. You can just make out the top of Callum's head in the sling I'm wearing.

Purlingbrook Falls (Springbrook) 6-Dec-07

Natural Bridge (Springbrook) 5-Dec-07

My Jumping Elf

Anya's changing as quickly as Callum... time seems to be going so quickly.  I just realised this week that she's developed the habit of running from A to B full pelt, then arriving with a jump at the end.  Jumping is also fun across gaps, up steps (still not doing that one properly, but keeps trying), on one leg (while holding on to furniture), up to the sky (while David and I hold her hands and she swings her legs way up) and into the pool.  She's very excited to help Callum jump as well, bouncing him up and down in the Jolly Jumper.

 

Less engaging habits lately include yelling songs at the top of her lungs, doing exactly what I've just asked her not to, and other typical toddler behaviour... luckily for me I haven't yet experienced a public tantrum, although David has: while carrying Callum in a sling, holding Anya's tricycle in one hand, and trying to get Anya to keep moving through the shopping mall (in aid of giving me a break at home).

Jolly Jumper 1-Dec-07

Lots of firsts this week: jolly jumping (well, mostly swivelling on tiptoe so far), standing supported (looks delighted every time), sitting up (with help), rolling to one side, reaching out and grabbing things... and best of all, LAUGHING! Rather than a giggle, Callum's laugh is sort of a "heh-heh-heh" as if he's surprised to be laughing.

By way of comparison, Anya's first turn in the Jolly Jumper was at 5 months, so Callum seems to be developing physically a lot more quickly. It's amazing to watch him try so hard to sit up -- cranes his neck and lifts his head. Anya only sat up after months and months of being carried around upright and never seemed to be trying to sit up by herself.

On the other hand, Anya was already reaching out and grabbing things at 12 weeks old (Callum is now 16 weeks) so she was ahead in other ways. My hairdresser (who has 4 kids) said she thinks boys are lazier and don't develop as quickly! Funny, as general consensus seems to be that boys are usually ahead of girls in physical skills.

I've also been reading about birth order (Time Magazine) -- apparently we can expect Anya to be more intelligent/ambitious, conformist/conservative and serious, while Callum will most likely be more agreeable, rebellious and humorous. Firstborns are also usually physically larger, but so far that's not the case! I was interested to read that elder siblings' intelligence is boosted by the tutor effect -- having to explain things to their younger siblings.

Renovation Concept

This perspective drawing shows how our house will look after renovation. We intend to raise the house, make most of the existing interior into an open-plan kitchen+living, and have 3 new bedrooms+rumpus downstairs (an existing bedroom will remain in place upstairs). A deck will be added as well as a paved area underneath the deck extending out to a spa.

For photos of the house as it currently exists, please go to flickr (i.e. click on the drawing above).

Fingers 18-Nov-07

Callum's latest hobby... chewing on fingers and growling happily while doing so.

Our Lovely Boy

"Before"


"After"

David wanted to capture the mega-poo experience but missed seeing this one, so I photographed it for him. Then I thought, why not share the excitement?

Bath 14-Oct-07 (4)

Callum loves his baths! It's lovely to view this photo's set in flickr as a slide show.

Big Smiles 8-Oct-07

Callum is 8 weeks, 2 days old today. Last week he weighed 5 kg and was 58 cm long (gains of 1.3 kg & 7.5 cm since birth).

You're not imagining it, yes he's got BIG hands.

Heavy Weather

After living here for ten years I'm still not used to Brisbane's heat. I just can't take the sauna effect:

• Brisbane's high today is 30 C (86 F) with 66% humidity.

Compare this to my last city and my home town:

• Los Angeles is the same temperature but with 12% humidity.
• Tucson is a little cooler with 8% humidity.

The mad part is that it's supposed to be springtime here right now... with weather like this, I'm really dreading summer!

Cycle Crazy

Today David got up at 5 am and rode 100 km along with 5000 other people in the "Wilson HTM Brisbane to Gold Coast Cycle Challenge" (here's a map of the route). I managed to pack a bunch of necessities and hit the road (with Callum and Anya) by 9:30 to meet him down there and pick him up. He was done by 10:30, similar to last year's effort, despite worries that he'd lost fitness.

Afterwards, we met up with my friend Mel, who recently moved to Miami Beach. I was amused to note that she lives on Santa Monica Road (intersected by Redondo Avenue). Mel is Australian, but like me, lived in LA for a few years. (I even lived in Redondo Beach for a while, but never lived in Santa Monica.)

It's been a pretty big visiting weekend -- yesterday we also visited both David's brothers Don and Rob at their respective homes. Both families have been away together, camping on Fraser Island and finishing with a few days at the Peregian Beach units.

Anya had a great time swimming in Don's pool and playing with him (Ann Maree and the kids had gone out before we arrived, but came home in time for the latter part of our visit). She loves going to different places and looking around. In the evening we were at Rob's, and Anya ran around the house with her other cousins at a mad pace.

Everyone enjoyed holding Callum and "chatting" with him. I'm continually amazed at how much all the kids love babies. The day really brought home to me, as well, what an easy baby Callum is compared to how Anya was. He (gasp!) goes to sleep by himself sometimes when you put him down!

He's getting really big -- long, not fat, that is. At his first checkup this week he measured 58 cm long (head to toe), which apparently puts him in the 75th percentile for his age. I've noticed with dismay that he's already outgrowing the baby carrier which he sleeps in (rather than a bassinet). It was my plan to have him in it for about 4 months, but it looks like I'll have to come up with a new plan.

Pumpkin Moon

Pumpkin Moon 30-Sep-07
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

This moon was out while the fireworks were on. Too bad I couldn't get them in the same photo...

Mitchelton Turns 150 Fireworks

Mitchelton Turns 150 Fireworks 30-Sep-07
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Our hilltop position is great for seeing fireworks in all directions! This photo was taken from our driveway.

Mystery Pest, Kaffir Lime

Mystery Pest, Kaffir Lime
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

We just noticed these infesting our kaffir lime tree this week. The young are the same green as the leaves; as they get older and bigger, they gradually turn this bright orange. We have no idea what kind of beetle this is. (Please comment if you know!)

Fat Little Fruits (Pawpaw)

Fat Little Fruits (Pawpaw)
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

This the same tree as I photographed on 8-Sep for my daily photo.

Baby Stories

At present, I don't have any Callum stories that don't involve poo. So I'll just leave it to your imagination... and if you have no idea what I'm talking about then you should feel lucky...

By the way, Callum is now 4.65 kg (10 lb 5 oz), which is 60 g more than Anya at the same age.

As for Anya stories, she is getting so grown up. We have such involved conversations that I sometimes forget that she's only two years old. Here is a David and Anya story from last week:

David: Can I have a hug?
Anya moves in close as if about to snuggle his chest, then bites him.
David: OW!
[pause]
Anya: Sorry, Daddy. We should take you to the doctor, so he can put ice on your nipple.
David laughs heartily at this very cute idea.
Anya bursts into tears at this inappropriate reaction to her sincere suggestion.

Gum Tree, Late Afternoon

Gum Tree, Late Afternoon
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

The golden light on the white bark looked so elegant. I'm not sure this photo really does it justice.

Hail + Rain

Hail+Rain 22-Sep-07
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Our roof had hail rocketing off like a slippery slide, but I wasn't lucky enough to catch one in a photo (unless you count the streak of airborne white).

Night Owl + Moon

Night Owl + Moon
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

This looked cooler with the naked eye (the house's roofline also was visible). I'll have to try again later.

Mango Tree (My Neighbor's)

Mango Tree (My Neighbor's)
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

These mango trees grow all over Brisbane.

Peregian Beach Rock Pools

Peregian Beach Rock Pools 13-Sep-07
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

I've skipped some daily photos as we were on holiday up the coast. (That's David in the water.)

Bunya Pines

Bunya Pines 13-Sep-07
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

This is the view northward from the family unit at Peregian Beach.

Beach Path Under Water

Beach Path Under Water 11-Sep-07
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Our usual beach access path is thigh-deep under water. My mother-in-law says she's never seen it flooded like this, and she's been going to Peregian Beach for 20 years! David took this photo. (I tried taking my own the next day, but my camera settings were wrong and I got nothing good.)

Water Tank

Water Tank
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

This 7000 liter water tank was delivered this morning. We will install it when we renovate, but we needed to order it now to qualify for the government rebates.

Frangipani Tree

Originally uploaded by jaguarish

It's harder than I thought to find a good photo each day, especially with a little girl dogging my every move...

Pawpaw (Papaya) Flowers

Pawpaw (Papaya) Flowers 8-Sep-07
Originally uploaded by jaguarish
This is David's red pawpaw tree. This variety is able to self-pollinate (yellow pawpaws require male trees to pollinate the female trees!)

I rather liked the idea of the Yahoo! Daily Photo Widget so I hope to take an interesting photo each day to post, but considering that I have a newborn and a two-year-old, I'm not sure I'll make it. But hopefully this photo will be the first of many...

Story of the Day

I went into Anya's room this afternoon after she'd been napping for about 2 hours. I thought she'd probably wake up, but I really needed to get something. Sure enough, after I'd taken a few steps into the room, she opened her eyes as if she'd been awake all along, and looked at me steadily.

"Hi sweetie," I greeted her. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

She took the dummy out of her mouth and proclaimed, "Steve really likes crocodiles!" while waving her index finger at me.

I don't know how she'll take it when she learns that Steve Irwin isn't with us any more... he's a favorite of hers from Wiggles videos and Bindi Irwin's afternoon show!

The Birth Story

Read on... this is not a gruesome tale. I just thought the highlights might be of interest.

Friday (10 Aug) I went to bed at my usual time but after a vigorous sorting out of clothing for donation. (the so called nesting instinct?) I spent most of the night asleep but woke occasionally thinking, "Gee this position really hurts!"

Saturday (11 Aug) I woke around 5 am without knowing why. As insomnia has been the order of the day, I didn't think much of it. Then a few minutes later I experienced a really strong cramp. "Ooh, could this be labor?" I wondered idly, without really meaning it. (I'm thick aren't I?) I did glance at the clock though, so with my next pain, I knew it had been seven minutes. I started watching the clock. I was reluctant to wake David up without being sure.

After one or two more contractions at around the same timing, I woke David up and we got the ball rolling. We had to call his mum to come over to look after Anya. I kept timing everything, then when we were ready to go we called the hospital and let them know we were coming. My obstetrician had told me that things were probably going to happen fairly quickly this time, but I was afraid the hospital would insist that I wasn't really ready yet. They did seem a little doubtful that I was "really" laboring. The midwife said that my timing was a bit irregular and they might even send me home, depending on what the on-call obstetrician thought.

My obstetrician wasn't on duty, so a completely different doctor came and looked at me at about 8:15. By this time I was experiencing strong contractions and was up to sitting under a hot shower and sucking on gas.
I did not like having to get out of the shower and wait around for him to examine me! They said he was on his way but I must have been waiting at least fifteen minutes before he arrived. It certainly showed me how effectively the hot water was easing my pain. The gas on its own wasn't nearly as good.

The doctor convinced me to let him break my waters, saying that otherwise I would be laboring that much longer and getting tired. He predicted that the baby would arrive by lunchtime. After this I went back into the shower. David ran a bath as he thought someone should get the benefit of the spa bath. The midwife laughed when she saw this and took several photos for us.

In the end, Callum was born at 10:19 -- morning tea time rather than lunchtime!

He's Here! Callum Taliesin Ree!

Anya's Words of the Week

As Anya talks less and less like a baby, in complete sentences with adult turns of phrase, I'm beginning to forget that she's only two and a bit... but here are a few slip-ups that are oh-so-cute:

"Bumpy Dumpy" for Humpty Dumpty
"Lellow" and "Lillow" instead of yellow and pillow
"Me, me, me do it!"

And here are some adult phrases which make me laugh to hear her say:

"I'm busy at the moment."
"You wait here. I'll be back in a minute." (pointing her finger at me)
"Let's go to London-town!" (thanks, Wiggles, for that one...)

My Latest Shape

Here is my birthday photo... /laugh














We went out to Tukka on the night of my birthday, a restaurant that specialises in "bush tucker" -- food prepared with native ingredients. David had wallaby and I had possum. Neither of us were greatly impressed by the main meals (the service was quite slow, as well). I did like my appetiser of mussels with native herbs & spices, and the palate cleanser of mandarin and lemon sorbet.

Art Opening

My friend Helen had her first ever gallery opening tonight:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/helenparlevliet/

About 18 months ago we started getting together and doing art at her place or mine. It got tricky to schedule so we didn't keep up a regular practice, but it certainly kick-started her art engine! I haven't been as productive, but it was good fun and got me back in touch with my arty self. I also learned screen printing from Helen (and she kindly loaned me some equipment).

When I get more spare time again (who knows when that will be!) I hope to get my watercolor painting skills back up to scratch. It was appalling how poorly my few painting attempts went when I tried. In the last decade or so I've barely painted at all, mostly honing my skills in sketching (in my journal). I do have some thoughts about doing some childrens' books. I've always loved them for their beautiful art (which I couldn't really compete with) but the vast majority seem really poorly written to me.

Also around the time of our art afternoons, I got really inspired about trying to do a graphic novel version of a C. S. Lewis novel (Out of the Silent Planet) and made up quite a few panels, but didn't finish the story because I had to return the book to the library (lame reason, I know...) At the time I was thinking it would be cool as a present for my nieces and nephews. Maybe someday I'll finish it.