Annie-the-Pooh and the Blustery Day :)

It was a cold, rainy day, and we'd been at a funeral... so she was tired and snuggly by the time we got back to Mum and Dad's house and I wrapped her up in her teddy suit :)

This one is a bit blurry, but don't you think she looks like a little
animal popping up out of its burrow?? :)

Cute and snuggly with Grandpa :)

Facebook addiction...

Last Thursday, I deactivated my Facebook.

It's a bit of a long story, but the short version is that Alastair and I have been thinking about it a lot... read lots of articles and stuff. We're uncomfortable with Facebook's privacy settings, amongst other things.

But since deactivating, it's become more than that. I didn't realise how addicted I was. I didn't spend hours each day on Facebook... I haven't had oodles of time to spare now that I don't have it. But I would check it quickly several times a day, (it might only take me one or two minutes) just to see what was happening... just to see what was going on... and I think it was actually a gossipping mechanism! I reasoned that I was just keeping in touch... but that's not really it. I was - or rather, I am - addicted to knowing what's going on. Not in a current-affairs-and-news kind of way, but in a who's-going-out-with-who and a what-is-so-and-so-doing kind of way... and that can't be a healthy way to spend ones life!

It's also become a habit... across the top of my browser I have shortcuts - email, online banking, blogger, weather... and Facebook. I check them all out of habit. On Saturday, before I knew it, I'd opened a new tab and clicked the Facebook shortcut. Given that my account is deactivated, it had a message to tell me that and to ask if I wanted to reactivate - and it was only when I read that message that I realised I was opening up Facebook without even thinking!!! That struck me pretty hard...

And so, I'm going without Facebook for now... and majorly suffering withdrawal symptoms, by the sound of all this! It reminds me of 1 Timothy 5:13 though, and I know Paul is talking about younger widows here, but read: "Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not." And verses 14-15 too: "So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan." Yikes!

And to finish... my friend Danielle's thoughts on Facebook.

Look at my little cutie!

Three posts in two days?!?!

Just a few more photos I wanted to share...

These first two are from Meaghan... and thanks to the "fish face" setting on her new camera:

Like mother...



... like daughter!



And yesterday we had a bit of a photo shoot with Mr. Elephant:

Extra photos...

Getting ready for Anthea's baptism, photos courtesy of Aunty Meaghan!

Update... finally!

The mastitis has cleared up, the baptism is over, and I've basically had a week at home - so good. Thanks to a number of things (including an email from my dear friend Andrea), I realised (after one of my Mummy's Magnificent Meltdowns on Tuesday night), that I have been pushing myself and my baby too hard in my efforts to be Super-Mum... and that I had to take a step back and re-evaluate everything. So this week, the floors have stayed in their needing-to-be-vacuumed state... we've eaten more meals from the freezer... and basically all I've managed to accomplish each day has been the washing and dishes. But, I have felt more rested and I have a happier baby for it... I have a more peaceful (though dirty) home... and my husband has come home from work to a happy wife... and that's what counts. Darling Donna always reminds me that some people actually have a DIRT floor in their home... SOME dirt on mine isn't the end of the world. :)

Today I had planned to go up to Newcastle with one of the mums from church to be a support to another of the mums, at the funeral of her dad... but with my tiredness and Anthea's fussiness, I had to opt out. I really wanted to be there for Jill to show my love, but my prayers will have to suffice, and I'll catch up with her next week or something... maybe a cooked meal will show my love more...

And so begins my life as Not-Super-Mum... and my life learning to say 'no' more often. Problem is, in order to get better at it, I have to practise...

"Not-Super-Mum"... sounds like a good alias... :)

Anthea is asleep at the moment. :) She sleeps well at night (7-8 hours), but I'm struggling with her sleep routine during the day... in that she doesn't actually have a routine for sleep during the day! She feeds 2.5 - 3 hourly, then some awake time... but sometimes she stays awake for the whole time til her next feed, and I'm not sure that she's supposed to!!! Anyhow... trial and error.... :)

She's growing up so much. The nine and a half weeks since her birth have passed so quickly!

In mid-October, we did a Friday-to-Tuesday trip down to Melbourne for Alastair to do the "Around the Bay" 100km bike ride, stopping overnight each way with Alastair's Nan in Benalla. I think I might finish this post in pictures...

Daddy with his baby, at his favourite landmark:



Anthea having morning cuddles with her Great Nan:



Outside Nan's unit before we left:



Having a picnic:





Cuddles with Aunty Donna:



All snuggly and cute:



Last Sunday was Annie's baptism day - 30th October 2011:



















And that will have to do for now... I have a few other photos I wanted to put up, but they're attached to various emails, and I need to find them, save them, etc, before I can put them up...