Photos, as promised.

I have some lovely friends who are just brilliant photographers... I know mine aren't much chop, but at least they give you an idea of what's been happening and how Annie's growing. :)

Anthea LOVES water, anytime, anywhere.

Cute frilly swimmers that friends passed on.

The fruits of our labour - annual Gingerbread Day at Donna's.

Admiring the Christmas tree - from the other side of the playpen.

Aunty Meaghan has more energy than Mummy at the moment!

Cute baby doll from Aunty Meaghan for Christmas - she puts it on her shoulder and pats her back!

Hmm.... eating pringles at Grandpa's house, what a treat.

Cuddle for Daddy.

Quiet inside activity for a hot day.

Another inside activity on a hot day - as I said, she loves water.

"But I WANT to eat the crayons!"

Testing out the car-seats at the shop.

First time of piggy-tails - oh I almost died from the cuteness!

And this is my favourite photo ever - taken (and instagram-edited) by Aunty Meaghan - it just makes me smile so big cos she just looks so darn cute and grown up!

Recently

To be honest, not a great deal has been going on... at least, that sticks out in my memory. We've had the odd trip to Sydney, and visits to friends, but other than that we've just been following our fairly normal routine... doing the shopping... going to mother's group... that sort of thing. So here are a few photos since it's been a while since I've posted.

Enjoying Uncle Jim's playing

 Clowning around with Aunty Meaghan, and helping Grandpa to bring the washing in.

Baby Tania's first Sunday at church - she was born at 29 weeks!

 Fun in the pool - just loves the water!

Asleep on the potty!

So soon?

Have decided to do a little catch-up post. It doesn't feel like long since I last was here, but it's actually been 10 days since the photo post, and 14 since I did that newsy one.

There's not been that much going on really, we've just been "doing life"... getting through teething and colds and all that kind of thing. Speaking of colds... and poor little runny crusty noses... :(

I mentioned the group project baby quilt I was co-ordinating at church, and how it was getting all big and complicated - well the top is finally all stitched up and finished, and one of the ladies is doing the quilting now. Am so pleased to have that over with! It didn't turn out too badly, though I liked it better before the outside border went on.

Alastair is well, and busy at work... then he comes home and does whatever needs to be done around here without complaining, so I am very blessed. He went up to the Collingwood game (which the Swans lost, so he wasn't a very happy boy when he got home), but now we're on top of the ladder, so he's happy again. :)

On Friday last, I left Annie for the longest time since the day she was born when they whisked me away to theatre. It was stocktake day at the pharmacy I used to work at, and they offered me a few hours of work. Mum came and looked after Anthea for me from 9am-1.30pm, and by all accounts they had a lovely time together and my daughter behaved herself beautifully. :)

We stayed with mum and dad on Saturday night for the first time in ages. It was nice, and would have been even nicer if Annie had made an effort to sleep for more than 1-1.5 hours at a time during the whole time. But she's teething, and we had colds, so what can you expect really I suppose. Friends were having their 10 week old gorgeous Isabel baptised the next day, so it was a good excuse to go back to my old church and catch up with people. In the afternoon, I got to have a little sleep (!) and Mum took Anthea for a walk in the pram she bought when I was born... it's doing well for nearly 30 years old, don't you think? :)

 

We are going out to Gilgandra again this weekend with Alastair's dad and his brother Ashley, to help Joel (another of Alastair's brothers) and his wife Katherine get their house ready to put on the market - kind of a little family working bee... should be fun. I'm planning to take a big chocolate cake... :)

Sometimes, towards the end of the day, when the bubba is getting tired and cross and everything is getting too much just before Daddy gets home from work, we take a little trip up to Jim's end of the house and chat to him for a while. It's so lovely having this grandfather-figure just at the end of the hall, who is never too busy to stop what he's doing to talk to us, or to bounce Annie on his knee, or to let her have a "play" on his piano...

Only other thing to add, is that Aunty Meaghan took a very cute photo of Annie on the weekend, where she looks like she's breakdancing - I hope she posts it so you can see. :)

Photos!

 It was the end of June last time I posted photos, so I think it's high time for the next installment!

 

Left: Aunty Meaghan is going to kill me for posting this photo, but I think early morning snuggles are so cute!

Right: "Look Mummy, I ripped up the Kmart catalogue... that's what you said to do, isn't it?"

Our beautiful girl - June 2012

 Annie has taken off - she's walking all around the furniture and walls, so up went the safety gates we found on eBay!

Cuddles with our dear friend Mrs. Woollard

 Left: Bathtime is Annie's favourite time of the day... and since this photo she's been learning to stay sitting down whilst in the bath. :) We just put the baby bath in the bottom of the shower recess - she loves it!

Right: Daddy and his baby watching TV. :)

 Cute ladybird dress from Nanna Glen!

 

Left: Asleep in the pram during one of our walks at the beach

Right: "Hey Mum, look at this cool new walking frame I found!"

 

Getting dry with Daddy after a bath

 

Discovering the board books 

 

New drink bottle with a straw from Eli's mummy, Jade.

Hmm... how does 

it work? 

 

Left: If I cross my eyes and concentrate really reeeeeally hard... 

Right: Yay! It worked!

 

The rag doll I've just finished for Anthea's 1st birthday - generally pleased with how it turned out. (She does have a nose - it's just a little stitch, which didn't come out in the photo!)

I think the way the hair is done is my favourite part of this pattern!

And with that, you're basically up to date! Hope you enjoyed these pics. xo

Photo update

I know it's been ages... apparently time flies when you're having fun. :) We're better from our colds, and Anthea is sleeping much better. We went out to Gilgandra for the long weekend and learned about long car trips with a baby older than 6 weeks. :P We've had a lot of rain, which means a lot of mud in the house. And Anthea has started walking around furniture. I'll save the rest of my wordiness for next time... but for now, some photos...

So, this first pic was taken on Mother's Day 2012 - four generations of women.

My grandmother with her daughter, four granddaughters, and great-granddaughter.

And here is a family photo taken the same day - of the family that were present.

 

Watching Grandpa hang out the washing...

 

Anthea's first Sydney Swans match - May 2012 - she even got a cuddle with Cyggy!

 

 

Helping Mummy weed the garden

 

Visit to Western Plains Zoo - June Long Weekend

Bath time at Nanna and Grandpa's is Anthea's favourite!

Just because it's cute:

Oh, and in case you thought she was happy all the time:

(This last one totally cracks me up - mean, aren't I?)

I must go to bed... it's late! But before I forget - for some photos of the 1920's party I mentioned in my last post, visit my friend Bethany's blog here.

* I have my sister Meaghan to thank for more than half of these photos. :)