Forget the Dummy, Give me Hair

Macey has always had a (what I consider to be) strange attraction to mine & other's hair. When she is upset and wants to be comforted it's not a dummy she wants it's a big chunk of my hair to wrap her fists around and lightly swipe across her face and suck on in her mouth. Thankfully she's given up on the sucking now. I say thankfully because not that long ago someone told me as a teenager they went on a school excursion to the museum where they viewed different human body's'. Fear was knocked into her that day when she saw the stomach of a person who was a habitual hair sucker lined with; you guessed it... hair. Eeew what a gross thought. That's probably why I subconsciously cut my hair short. It's harder for her to reach :)


Here's Macey enjoying a hair pull with Aunty Britt's long locks!

a museum and a ferris wheel

Just before Jimmi's Birthday we went on a family outing to the museum (which was awesome... don't have pics of the best stuff... for some reason I was really into all the taxidermy stuff that day.) River Loved all the dinosaur stuff and sea creatures. 

Jimmi's charming sense of humour

We then went for a ride on the EYE which was very worth it. We had a great time & it was a perfect time of day in the late autumn afternoon :)

 Gee always wanted to get kissed up there. Didn't know it would be with my kids in my arms.

We could see the temple pretty good up there :)

Can you tell River was a tad nervous.

An awesome afternoon I hope at least River can remember :)

View from the top

Here are some long awaited pictures from way back when I did my last post.

Here we are at the bottom feeling very strong & me not quite sure if i'll make it all the way with Mace.

Yes I did it. The others had to wait a little bit but not too much. It was awesome. Glad I did it.

Could never get tired of that view

River has decided climbing Mt. Coolum is one of our family traditions. We even put it on our family flag when we were learning about our family identities in Joy School hehe. Will have to plan to do it at least once or twice a year :)

Playing together

I'm starting to notice something. Siblings' are very cute. I love seeing River's and Macey's eyes light up when they see each other. I especially love Macey's giggle when River comes up "Oh hey Mace" or when he's doing something silly or naughty. I find myself saying "Macey, don't encourage him!" haha. 

 I thought Macey just loved being in her jolly jumper. Until the next time I tried putting her in it & River wasn't around. Definately not as fun then. He gets under her and spins her around and pretends to wrestle her. She Loves it!

It is nice to have toys out that they both enjoy playing with and more specifically CAN both play with. It's nice and peaceful when they play happily side by side :) It's cute how River makes little comments here and there to Macey about what he's doing and what she's doing. Good to know he's very aware of her and her progress :)


Macey is growing teeth still. She is constantly scratching those cute little pixie ears and screaming. Boy can she scream. Aside from the loud screaming and squeeling at oft times of frustration Macey is pretty smiley and just generally happy. She is a real go getter. And I mean the literally jumping out of my arms to play with River and trying to actually stand up and look at what's in that big bucket kind of go getter! Yes she really is crazy (in the best possible way) She is ALWAYS on the move fully crawling everywhere. If she sees a crumb that sparks her interest across the other side of the room she makes a straight b line for it. She is just full of life and fun. We just all absolutely adore her. Speaking of adoring Macey my sister Stacey has been texting me all week counting down the days till we come and visit this weekend haha. We are excited to and can I just say how nice it is to have someone that excited to see us. Although when I say 'us' I know it's mostly for the kiddies :)  Ok now make note of how you feel when you look at the gorgeous baby girl in these pictures...

Awwww especially this one. It's my favourite!

If you felt anything like the description below you are a kindred spirit...


Since having Maceydor I have learnt that my mother and my sisters all do a really funny thing when we see something that is ADORABLE.


First off our hearts start pumping and then our teeth clentch followed by a partially audible squeal because we're keeping our mouth shut to not alarm too much. It's pretty funny. But what's even funnier is I think Macey actually knows what it means. It means "You are just sooooo cute and I love you sooooo much there aren't words. Only squeals" haha

This was Macey's very first swim in a pool. Let's just say she loved it. Swimming lessons here she comes. The girl was born for it. Oh just thought of a line from the Little Mermaid


"Somebody's gotta nail that girls fins to the floor" ~ Sebastian


hehe. Can you see where i'm going with this? lol.


Moving now onto River's news. He has started 'Joy School' a rotating kindy with two other gorgeous little friends Kylee and Riley. (pics to come of their adventures) And I am very pleased to be sharing the teaching with their very awesome mother's Chelsey and Melanie. Joy school is twice a week on tuesday and thursday  and this week Mel is the teacher so it is at her home. River is loving it and so am I. The lessons are awesome and so are the songs. I find myself singing them all the time. It is just so awesome to see how much River is learning. This week we have started the module of obedience and they learnt to put their hand up in Joy School if they want to say something or ask a question during the lesson. So tonight we were having family council and River kept putting up his hand. So cute. We explained he didn't really need to do that at home, that that was something for Joy School but we appreciated his manners all the same. haha. 


We have decided that River is going to be a great many things. Here are some of the things he's told me he wants to do when he's bigger and be when he's grown up. Wants to be an electrician (like his Dad :) Bronco (not the horse but on the rugby league team. I'm not going to push for this one. Don't really like the idea of seeing bruises all over my boy) a romantic (talks constantly about how he's going to marry one of his friends. And then sometimes says he's going to choose between so and so and so and so. I guess he might have his pick of the bunch he is a rather sweet kid after all and has been practicing his smolder for us) a surfer, skateboarder, tennis player, mathematician, guitar player, sword fighter and that's about all I can think of right now. As far as career goes Jimmi and I are thinking he'd make an excellent lawyer. His negotiating skills are impecable! 

So here we are holding up our tools, practising the trades. River helped Daddy start building a garden bed and also helped plant and water the seeds. He gets sooo excited about how they are growing I love it.

In January River climbed Mt Coolum with Daddy, Uncle Josh and Auntie Hannah. He had an awesome time and Jimmi said he loved taking River up there and wants to do it again :)

Something else cute River has been doing lately is trying to sing ‘Do re-mi’ from the sound of music. It’s quite a classic.

Macey I can tell already responds really well to music and I love seeing her little face light up when I start singing

River is very into playing games with the whole family any chance he gets. It's usually an re-enactment of a movie (this week Lady and the Tramp 2) or duck duck goose. That gets hard to play with just him, me and Macey. haha. The neighbourhood boys are also a great source of playtime for Riv. They are all older than him though and sometimes their play gets out of hand for River so i've really had to monitor everything and set boundaries and River has responded really well to this. I love how when I call him and say it's time to come home he drops his stick (or whatever he's playing with... usually a stick) says "See ya!" to the boys and comes  running home. That really makes me smile :) 

climbing the pecan tree in between our house and our neighbors. He loves that he can actually do that now. He asked me to help him get down the other day but I said if he can get himself up and play with the big boys he can get himself down slowly back the way he came. And he did few.  


You know what else makes me smile when he eats ALL his dinner and asks for more. This happens when he hasn't had any afternoon tea. I need to remember to keep him busy during this time on other days so he doesn't realise he's hungry until he actually comes to the table. I loved how tonight he said "Oh Mum this is really really good."


I think "Words of affirmation" must be my love language because I love it when they tell me how much they love my cooking :) I think Jimmi's appreciative-ness has rubbed off on River. Jimmi's favourite says at the dinner table have always been things like "mm hmmm" "delicious" "this is so good." Tonight it was "oh I LOVE food!" Yep food is definately one of his love languages. I think that comes under "Acts of Service". Jimmi loves taking photos of food as well. I remember his mother saying that when he was a young boy he was a bottomless pit. I don't think too much has changed. Although since taking this cleanse that we're both doing we have both not needed as much food (i've always been a big eater as well). 


Jimmi played volleyball in high school and has pretty much been looking for an indoor team since he left but the nearest one is over 30 mins away. So he is fulfilling that need with a coaching position at his old high school. He had his first lesson today and he said it was great. There are 19 boys on the team and two of them are his cousin's children. I'm pretty sure Jimmi will make an awesome coach. I think he is a really good role model and also a good teacher because he's patient and explains things in as many different ways as he can until someone gets something. And not to mention he is a bit of a freak of nature and can lay the smack down on a ball like i've never seen. Honestly i'm not even kidding Jimmi could have been AWESOME at any sport (well mostly any sport) Like football. He could have got a scholarship at any american college cause boy can he throw those American footballs like nothing else. And baseball. Have you ever been in the outfield when Jimmi gets up to bat. I'm telling you people it's scary. And he's got a pretty good tennis arm and i'd say some impressive basketball skills. So what i'm trying to say is... He's got a lot of natural talent to be good at sport and i've got no doubt in my mind if he really really really practiced at one of those sports he would totally have excelled. I'm talking big time. I don't claim to be an expert at sports but I know what i'm talking about here ok :) I'm wondering if River will have any of the same natural abilities? He picks up a baseball bat and holds the ball in the other hand, holds it up, drops it and makes a decent hit. I think that's not bad :) 
Jimmi got himself a tennis racket for christmas with some vouchers and he the Australian Open got him pretty excited as well. So he's been playing almost any spare chance he could. Particularly when he was on holidays over Christmas break.


Well it's getting late but I know there's plenty more to update with! all in good time :)
Happy Playing

A Gift, A Miracle

Wow! I had another baby. Just looking at photos again of her birth after all this time has made me cringe a little but you know what i'll get over it :) My desire to have another baby is stronger than my will to avoid pain (but that's still pretty strong)

Now if anyone doesn't want to hear any nitty grittys of how Macey came into the world. Stop reading here. I really like to share my birth experiences and especially remember them.

First to hit it off. Some pre-birth pics!

Cooking meals to freeze for the first month after bubby came.

At My friend Imogen's wedding 2 weeks before my due date. And yes my feet were SORE at the end of that long day. But so worth it for you Immy xo

So Macey came on the 12th August 2011. For some reason in the last scan I had I was given two dates one was the 10th and one was the 12th. So she actually came right on time even though I "thought/hoped" I would go early.

The day started out like any other for a heavily pregnant lady about to pop but I think River knew something was going on because he was particularly challenging so I promised him i'd take him to the park (mistake number one). When it was time to go I had started having more regular but mild contractions. I popped into my neighbour for some reason and she agreed to accompany me to the park (few) I don't know how I would have got River and I back in one peice if she wasn't with me. My contractions got stronger and stronger & River was getting clingy & ended up spewing over my should (oh dear a sign of things to come with dealing with the fact he's not the one and only anymore?)

Well after that ordeal I came home and after numerous phone calls to Jimmi telling him I was ready to have him by my side the last call was a little more like "You can come home now!" Yes they were getting stronger and stronger.

My mother in law Cathy came over as well to watch over River when it was finally time to go to the hospital & it was actually really good and fun (as fun as it can be) to have her there counting my contractions & encouraging me to walk through it (which really helped). Pretty sure they were a minute long and a minute appart before I actually left the house screaming out the window of the car backing out our driveway. Go me I say! But really I couldn't have done it without Cathy, Jimmi & of coarse River who was patting me on the back through my contractions (what an angel). Pretty sure that was 9:00pmish...... then it was to the hospital and as I jumped in that chair & got pushed up the birth suite I must have had like 5 contractions.

To put it plainly the midwife who greeted us seemed cold and hard (not my kind of birthing buddy) but anyway she did her job. The other midwife was in training and I think I began scaring her when after a few goood loooong haaaard sucks of gas I started standing up on the bed

"wow wow Neet, what are you doing?"

To explain what was in my mind would be to exhausting to me right now but I know what I was thinking and it made sense to me at the time :) After that I promised to take the gas right and I did. after like 1 1/2 hours (which went by really fast) I was getting ready to push of coase they didn't believe me & were telling me to take the gas down but I couldn't. I knew I needed it because my contractions were coming over the top of each other and I needed the edge off it and that's what the gas does for me. It is magnificent. It is really a gift from heaven for me :) I love the stuff and am a total advocate :) Anyways... After telling everyone in the room to "Not listen to the midwife because I knew my own boddy" & slapping. Yes slapping my poor husband in the face for telling me something i apparently "didn't want to hear" it's safe to say I had totally scared the trainee so much so that Jimmi said she let go of my hand and backed away to the other side of the room. ggggggrrrrr..... I can be horrible sometimes. She was lovely and afterwards i'm pretty sure I apologised for anything mean I may have said or done (or at least I meant to.)

So anways before all that. I'm pushing and pushing and then out pops this head but it just stays there. Hold on she's supposed to just slip out in one push like tiny little River did. So after questioning whether she was ok or not and then giving the final push SHE CAME OUT!!!!!

WHAT A MIRACLE

And WHAT AN INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL, PERFECT LITTLE GIRL SHE WAS!

AMAZING.

I was honestly shocked and amazed! I literally could not get over how perfect she was. She attached on straight away and I have not had a problem breastfeeding ever since (she's now 6 months almost)

So after meeting this perfect little angel it all became so real and glorious. Our whole new life. But we were really stumped. What on earth to call this perfectly pretty little girl.

Well our criteria was it had to be elegant but cute. Pretty but still cool. hmm and it had to have a whopper of a meaning. so we searched our brains and crossed off a few names that were on the top of our list during pregnancy because nothing was "going"

Then we decided it had to end in an 'ie' sound. So we tried a bunch of names and then finally it was between Bonnie and Macey. Bonnie because she had such striking blue eyes & Bonnie means beautiful in I think Scotland. And Macey because we thought it just sounded totally cool. Then we found out the meaning which is "Gift of God" Well that pretty much did it for me. Jimmi needed a little bit more time to make sure we'd made the right decision. But that is exactly how I felt the moment she was born like Heavenly Father was handing her to me (not the midwives). It only took us two weeks of calling her Bubby but Macey it was. We gave her the middle name Louise because it's my Mothers' middle name and it flows so pretty and do you know what it means? Warrior! Oh yeah. Macey Warrior Princess! haha

So I actually felt a little guilty when Macey was being born because I felt like I hadn't bonded with her enough, hadn't decided how much i really wanted/needed her in our family. But then when she was passed to me I felt the Spirit so strong and knew that Heavenly Father was blessing our lives so much more than we could have imagined with this little gift. Here's some pics of her first few days.

 with our little princess & the midwife's finger :)

Pony blanket courtesy of Grandma. A (love it)

We couldn't get River to pull a straight face. Pretty cute when he went through this stage of posing like this for the camera.

Excited to be FINALLY taking us home. 5 days is long enough to be in hospital. 

Finally at home. Quilt courtesy of Ma ( Love it also)

She will fill the world with Sunshine!

"I have ironing, washing, teaching, cooking, creating, loving, visiting, exercising and reading to do. I don't possibly have time for my blog" Well I have finally ran out of excuses and here I am back again hopefully to stay. I have a million posts to post.

First and foremostly I have a BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER MACEY!

Yeah pretty gorgeous right? she is such a classic. Very very STRONG physically and personality :) She ADORES her big brother and he just loves her to peices as well. Which I think is pretty great. He already takes on the role of protector very seriously (this is of coarse my plan that he will watch over her like a hawk at home, out and about, at church, school and one day on dates.)

I don't think I can put into words on my blog what she really means to me and our family but let's just say we think she is THE BEST!!!!

Our little family is grown bigger again and i'm already feeling like i'd like to really add on some more soon. I hope this doesn't seem to personal to share. I guess I am surprised myself at how quickly I want to have another. And I've got to thinking... and then I remembered a friend explaining how her sister in law felt after having her fourth child "You just love them more and more with each one!"

I didn't think it was possible honestly. I remember even questioning if I had enough love to give around before I fell pregnant with Macey and went through some challenges with River. But it's just there. The love is just there! And i'm sure no matter how many children i'm blessed to have the Love will always be there especially if I put in 100%

Well it is awesome. It is hard but it is awesome. I have come through one of those hard yards now and can breathe a bit and find time to do other things besides sit (or in my case lean forward on my knees...(sore tail bone)) and breastfeed.


Well there is so much to do to make up for on here but I don't think i'll even try tonight; besides of coarse loading up some snaps to hopefully fill in the past... I don't know year?? Hey they do say a picture is worth 1000 words!

xo