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...

Recently.

Because the Easter weekend coincided with ANZAC Day this year - which meant that Good Friday through to the following Tuesday was a holiday - Alastair and I both took the next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off work in order to have an extra break.

I have been sick for the last two weeks, and so it was perfect timing to have a bit of a rest. It's just been a bad cold, but I've had problems shaking it, and at night still have a really croupy-sounding cough.

So on Good Friday, we went to church in the morning, had lunch with my parents, and then set off for Gilgandra to see Joel and Katherine. We had a lovely few days with them... relaxing, going for walks, kicking the footy, watching movies, playing board games, and lots of other things. :) We drove home on ANZAC Day, and again the normally 6-hour trip took 8 hours. Dinner with Mum and Dad again on our way back through, and Uncle Steve and family dropped in to pick up their beagle Mum and Dad were babysitting, so it was great to catch up with them.

This week has been one of late nights and just generally trying to catch up on house-cleaning. We are almost there... which is good, as tomorrow we're back to work! We also managed to attend an Sydney Youth Orchestra concert at the Town Hall which Meaghan was playing in, visit my grandparents in Manly, catch up with Alastair's Mum and Nan after their recent trip to Italy, and attend a Swans home game.

I have only 9 more weeks of work before I finish, which is SO EXCITING! And then there will only be 8 weeks til the baby is due!