The littlest rascal

I am in denial that this little baby is nearly 2!  Well she's not nearly two, it's almost two whole months - but still!

I wish so badly that I could step back in time and kiss the sweet cheeks of this newborn baby, but at the same time I'm just loving watching this girl develop her own little personality!

Last week Jess experienced her worst fall.  It was so sad!  I held myself together when it happened then cried all the way home!  She stepped backwards down the playground steps at the preschool and fell all the way to the bottom.  It was a terrible fall and I was sure she had broken her neck as I watched her fall.  After taking Jessie home and stripping her off this was the only bruise I found.

Which looked like this after hitting the same eye on the corner of the table at her daddy's work two days later!

And now is just a huge browny coloured black eye!

A few days ago, mum and dad were moving into their house, Sarah took the day of school to help.  She was outside with Jess taking pictures and I was so pleased when she showed me!  I really think my 8 and 10 year olds are better photographers than me already!

Ruth 

Jessie's Room

Here are some photos from Jessica's room.  I SO wish my photography skills were a lot better than what I can do on Instagram but this is how it is :)  Most importantly Jessica loves her room!  

Alphabet free printable from here  :    Close up for Jess by Frances Choikee Photography :  Newborn photo was taken by Lisa Ceely photography  :  wreath made with scraps of fabrics :  elephant made for Olivia by my sis in law  :  gorgeous doll by Alimrose designs.  The J button monogram made by me  :  Elephant wall stickers from here  :  gorgeous dresses print and the babushka doll prints are from here

Little Red Cardigan

I love dressing my little ones in red, especially from around 9 months until they are about 3 years old!  The three youngest have all looked especially cute in red with their big brown eyes!

For about the past few months I have been searching for a little red cardigan for Jessica to go with a few of her outfits.  I tried so many stores but couldn't find one.  The sales assistants kindly told me red is not in!

Anyway, I logged onto Ravelry and searched for a pattern - I was going to make my own.  I found this perfect and easy pattern.  Mum gave me some cream wool to practice with and I got started.

The very next day while sorting through the too big, too small clothes I found the red cardigan Jess is wearing in the pictures!  I didn't even know I had it.  I have seen it before but do not remember any of the girls wearing it and it's definitely a home-made hand knit :)

So, I continued with the cream cardigan and have spent almost every spare minute with a pair of needles in my hand!  I only have the sleeves to go now and then I'll be looking for another pattern to make a navy cardigan :)

I had no idea how addicting knitting is!  Hopefully I will get it finished and take some pictures!

17 things

Please excuse these iphone pictures - I must really get out the 'real' camera!!

Jessica (aka Goocie Moo, Jess, Jessie, Jessie bear, Jessie Bessie) is such a cheeky little girl and totally spoilt.  At the moment she is a Daddy's girl.  All my girls are Daddy's girls through their toddler years.  He loves that!  I just thought I'd record some of the things about Jessica at nearly 17 months old!

17 things I love about you:
1.  I love how you put your face really close to mine and babble
2.  I love how you try and make a diamond for twinkle, twinkle.
3.  I love how if I don't wave goodbye you take my hand and make it wave.

4.  I love how you love to go to bed and lay down so happily.

5.  I love how after I wrap you you lay your head on my shoulder and snuggle in.  If I sing you will sing along too.

6.  I kind of love how your a daddy's girl!  

7.  I love how you wave good bye to everyone, even the tv or anything in the room.  You say something that resembles 'bye' and wave.  You also blow kisses with a 'Mwah'

8.  I love that you can go from cranky to happy when you see a mandarin.  If you're in a good mood you'll let out a real belly laugh when you think you're getting a mandarin.

9.  I love your gorgeous big brown eyes, luscious lips and curly little locks at the back.

10.  I love your attention seeking at the dinner table trying to make everyone laugh.

11.  I love the beautiful relationship that you have with all your sisters and how you really miss them when they're not around.

12.  I love how you follow me everywhere (not so much that you have to hold my skirt the whole time!)

13.  I love that you love hats and shoes and check yourself out in your clothes.  

14.  I love how when I give you kisses you ask for more.  You are definitely the kissiest of all my babies.
15.  I love how you're are shy and cling to me when you're unsure.
16.  I think I love how you go to very few ladies and pretty much any male.  You fell asleep on Dale's shoulder in church a few weeks ago.
17.  I love how much you love your Grandma and Grandad, especially your grandad!
(and two more because I couldn't count!)
18.  I love how you eat so well then shake your head and say 'neh' (no) when you've had enough.
19.  I love how your sisters totally dote over you and somehow you never seem to annoy them.

You are so dearly loved my baby girl!

Jessica's Birthday Party

It's taking me a while to get through last months events but I still want to record a few details from the girls parties this year.

Jessica turned one this year and we threw together a very last minute supper for her.

I'm not sure why life was so busy that week but it turned out that I was cooking everything for the party from scratch from about 2pm onwards!

When I got home from the shops Jessica was so clingy!  It's funny how sometimes you can be torn between celebrating a little girl's birthday and just stopping and giving her a big cuddle and showing her love that she can understand!

Anyway, everything was done on time and there was plenty of food for everyone!  My sister in law made the most delicious 'Salted Caramel Cheesecake' the recipe is here.  It was a huge hit!

One of my cooking obstacles is stopping the icing from yellowing over night.  It was pink when I first made it but as time went on it was more apricot.

One of the sweet tables which was pretty much untouched that the end of the party!

The traditional family photo with the birthday girl!

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend!

Photos of Jessica

We are getting so much rain here in Canberra it is crazy!  Two years ago we would have done anything for a day of rain.  Today we'd do anything for a day of sunshine!  We totally skipped summer here in Canberra.  Usually we have very hot dry summers but I don't think I put the air con on more that three times!  I have a flood around most of the house and will probably call the SES and talk to them about getting some sand bags.  The ground can not take anymore water so if we get any more torrential rain or the sump backs up we will have a problem.

On another note one of my very good friends just happens to be an excellent photographer!  I feel very spoilt when she takes the most beautiful photos of my children!

These were taken at Jessica's first birthday party.  I'm not a huge fan of animal prints but I LOVE this tutu I found on etsy!  I love etsy!

Sorry about he photo overload!  I couldn't decide which ones I love most!

 Luscious lips!

 

Lucky for her she got her daddy's eyelashes! 

Little miss serious!

I love baby hands and feet! 

Crazy wordy catch up post!

What a busy past fortnight it has been!  I have really wanted to post regularly but didn't manage to find the time!  There had been heaps happening here.  I'll just give you a quick update and fingers crossed I can go into more detail in some future posts!

First of all we had the two birthdays.  Olivia's birthday on the 8th.  We had a cake at our home group but I wanted to wait until Mum and Dad came home before I had an actual party.  Mum and Dad flew in from India on Friday night and we had Olivia's party on Saturday afternoon before Mum and Dad left to go to Shellharbour! Talk about craziness for them.  More pictures to come in a future post.

Jessica's birthday was on the 12th and we had a quick last minute supper the night before.  It was mostly family and a few friends which was lovely.  I can't believe how rushed Jessica's party was!  I feel terrible that I was not able to put in more of an effort but I'm glad I managed to pull it together at the last minute.  Josh had been out and arrived home at about 1pm in time for me to go shopping and get home to cook everything for the party!  I'm not sure what I'll do in the future with them having their birthdays close together.  Pictures to come!

We got our puppy on the 15th.  His name is Prince and he's a very nice puppy!  I'm so pleased with how quickly he is learning to sit and stay.  More on that later I hope!

Jessica had her cake smash photo shoot this past weekend!  It was a crazy day and I'm not sure my house has ever been as messy as it was on Saturday.  There was literally stuff every where as I was cooking for Josh's brother's birthday and finishing of the cake and other last minute stuff for the photo shoot.  I'll post on the photo shoot this week I hope!

I have started teaching Sunday School this year.  I've haven't taught Sunday School since Sarah was born so since we had just one baby left for Josh to look after it was time for me to get back into doing what I love most and that is teaching.  I may just even write a post on that!

This week I'm hoping to have a quiet week to get stuck into a heap of unfinished projects around the house.  I have Jessica's quilt to finish as well as a few spice racks to get painted and onto walls for books.

Like these ones

I have a sewing cupboard in desperate need of organising and many other pockets around the home that are beginning to drive me crazy!  I'm hoping to get a chance to do a random placement of pictures in Olivia and Hannah's rooms.  Kind of a mix between these rooms.

Found here.  I love this entire room!

Found here.  Another gorgeous room!

Found here.  I love this little boys room too!

I'd really just love to spend a week in each room sprucing them up!  Their rooms seem to be never ending projects!  Secretly I'd even LOVE to paint stripes in Sarah's wall like they have at the blue illusion store in Woden!  You can kind of see them in this picture.

Anway, a girl can dream!  Right now I need to go and finish getting this house back in order!

Enjoy your week!

1 year old!

This beautiful little bundle turned one yesterday!  My how time flies!

Here's some things about her at age 1:

-  She will try and eat almost anything small enough to fit in her mouth.

-  She's weaned onto the bottle (mostly)

-  She has a funny sense of humor

-  She says mamma and dadda and makes a particular sound when calling her sisters.  

-  She mimics everything and thinks it's so funny,

-  She's an excellent sleeper (I don't take this for granted!)

-  She's so clingy but is just starting to go to a few people now.

-  She's thoroughly spoilt by her three big sisters who dote over her.

-  She loves most food but will not touch packaged baby food.

-  She does the actions for 'open shut them' for almost any song.

-  When I'm putting her down she puts her head on my shoulder and pats me and says 'ahhh' (then I don't want to put her down!)

There is heaps more I wanted to say but right now I can't remember any of it, except,

-  She may be our last.... :(

This is the best photo I managed to take of her birthday cake!  It was dark and the only camera we have at the moment is our iphone!

 Have a wonderful week!

Strange feeling

The girls went back to school today.

It's always strange when they go back to school and the house all of a sudden seems empty.

Cheeky Smile!!

I just have one little one at home today and am planning on giving her lots of extra special attention.  Even though I really should have just put her straight to bed!

I know this time is going to pass in the blink of an eye.

 

This little munchkin is one on Sunday!  My heart aches when I think of that!

Anyway, better get to some much needed cleaning.  I hope you're enjoying the kids being back at school!