Where does time go?

Goodness gracious me, we have been so busy! I feel like every post I do, that's all I say, but it's true! I've got to make a few changes I think. Well, one change has already happened - I had my final assessment for the Community Pharmacy course last Friday, so now, the pressure is off! Hopefully, the next thing I hear from them is receiving the certificate and transcript in the post! :) So that is definitely a weight off my shoulders, I was quite nervous about Friday, but my trainer was lovely and it all went very well. Another change I want to make is to do shorter posts more often. And not just "I'm so busy, this is what happened this week" kind of posts. I want to write the sort of things that people like to read... glimpses into the hearts and lives of myself and my family... the little things that make us happy... and that sort of thing.

We are having a quiet weekend... it's been a long time coming. Today I vacuumed and dusted, and it was good to restore a bit of order in this place. I took the blankets out of a blanket box, and put toys in it instead - which means they're more accessible and we can get them out to play with more often. They're the noise-making, interactive type, which Anthea has just started to like. She can now sit on the floor and bang on her little piano toy - it's so cute to watch. Uncle Lachlan was pleased to see that she's already started playing. :)

The last weekend in March was very special, as our dear friends the Careys came down from Queensland and stayed with my parents, so we were thrilled to be able to spend some time with them during their time here. It had been probably 18 months since we'd last seen them, and we loved being able to introduce them to Anthea! Andrea also came up with her kids - so it was almost like old times! If Lauren and her family had been able to be there, it would have been just perfect, but never mind, another time. :) Andrea was a big encouragement to me as a new mother too... gently helping me to troubleshoot some of my fears and dramas regarding Anthea's routine, and challenging me to chill out about it a bit more. Which was perfect timing and JUST what I needed. :) Oh and I'm so thrilled, she's just started blogging - I've been telling her that she should for ages. :)

I've started going to the ladies bible study at our new church - well, I've been twice. :) I like that it has a broad age-group... from grandmothers down to young single women. And there are thoughtful, heart-felt discussions to be had. I have made a new friend too, the lovely Jade. She is a year younger than me, and is married with a 3.5 month old baby boy named Eli - the only other baby at church. I had her over for morning tea last week, and apologised for not having the floor vacuumed before she arrived... and she laughed at me! "Oh Carla, I never vacuum! You shouldn't have worried!" :) She's a more laid back than me, and I think we'll balance each other out... I have good feelings about our friendship. :)

Easter was a busy weekend too... we went to visit my grandparents in Manly, for the first time since Annie's birth! How terrible is that?! We've seen them a several times, but hadn't actually made the effort to do the trip just to see them. They seemed to really appreciate the visit, and I was quite impressed with how easy-going they were and how well they managed having us and a baby. :) Meaghan stayed overnight on Easter Sunday, to help me on the Monday to prepare for having friends and family over for dinner for Alastair's 34th birthday. (I cannot believe that my husband is 34!!!) We don't have much room in our house, so we had our little party out under Jim's carport, which he cleaned up beautifully for us in the days beforehand. Joel and Katherine stayed over that night, for the first time, and that was lots of fun. They got to have morning-cuddles-in-bed with Annie too... :)

That Tuesday I threw caution to the wind, and decided to head up to the Sydney Royal Easter Show with friends for the day. At first I wasn't sure if the idea was brave or stupid, but it turns out that it was brave - and it was actually REALLY good for me to realise that I could do something like that with Anthea, and that her getting a bit out of routine isn't the end of the world. She seemed to handle it really well, was a bit tired the next day, but overall, it was quite a liberating experience. Oh, I also discovered that I no longer get a thrill out of scary rides - they just don't do it for me any more. So that's good to know.

13th-16th April we flew to Melbourne for the weekend... just for fun. Mum, Dad and Meaghan came too, and we had a ball - mostly. One of the days I got food poisoning, and had an horrendous afternoon at the factory outlet centre - getting to know the toilets there quite well. It was just awful. I had to feed Anthea on a seat outside the toilet with Meaghan beside me, so that at any point I could give Annie to her and run in. :( I found Willow Tree figurines half price, and the maternity bras I paid $60 for early last year, I found for $28, so they were a few bargains. Other than that though, the trip taught us a few lessons... that a holiday with a baby is very different to a holiday as a couple - not bad different, just different different... and as the parents, we were more tired than we expected, so the sight-seeing we'd planned was just hard work.... not bargaining for a half hour here or there for feeds... and stuff like that.  On the whole though, it was good. Anthea flew really well, and slept in the pram when we were out during the day, but unfortunately didn't enjoy seeing Carlton play Collingwood at the MCG - she and I spent most of the time in the parents' room.

So those are the major things that have been going on... but there are lots of little things too, such as making a vegie garden and planting out lots of seedlings; watching Annie learn to play with her toys; getting her first Pixifoto done (with the voucher from the Bounty Bag - yay!); and her first tooth coming through just the day before yesterday! :) She's growing up so quickly - I can't believe she'll be 8 months on Monday!

Before I go, just for a laugh: Alastair took Annie out this afternoon for a couple of hours so that I could get some stuff done. I sent him a message while he was away, to say that I'd thought of cooking spaghetti bolognaise for tea, and did he have any other suggestions, but that McDonalds, Caesar's (chicken burgers), or burritos would not be considered. The message I got back? "You took all three of my suggestions and broke them into shards and stabbed me in the heart with them." :P And you thought *I* was a drama queen. :)

Next time, I want to post photos, do the 12 Random Things meme that the girls have been doing, and also I want to write about Facebook and how I'm doing it differently now,  and how much better it is. :)

I'd better go, Anthea's just woken again....