Little Isla

How cute is this little baby girl!  Johan and I, along with Claire and Gioia got to have a good look at the sweetest little unborn baby girl in the world this morning.  Gioia shrieked with delight and greeted her sister repeatedly before announcing that Isla looked like a monkey!  The radiologist loved this and so did we!  We cant wait for THE Isla to come in Septemeber, its truely an amazing time in ones life when one awaits a new baby, I am in love with life and my children...and of course my amazing husband who is my rock and best friend.

Home Update

Latest little improvements, or should I say embelishments.

Magic new swing

Here is our little Graeme, fast asleep in Gioia's new swing, while we celebrate his birthday with bar one cake and coffee...He is just so beautiful it takes my breath away.

In Dreamland

Fireplace test

Aunty Claire braving our GP cold

4D Scan in the morning

Finally! It's the night before we get to see our little baby via the 4D scan. Gioia, Claire, Johan and I are off to the Radiology department in the morning to catch  a glimpse of the newest family member.  FYI - A 4D scan displays 4 dimensions - height, width, depth and movement...

Graeme's birthday party - Baas van die Plaas

Photoshoot of Graeme

We have moved and settled in

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of high moments and low moments, big emotional challenges and bigger decision making sessions, ten page 'to-do lists' and renovation phase planning.  The fact that we are in grips of an icy cold winter doesn't help but at least we are a whole family in our big double bed.  Here are some photos of our humble new abode, more to follow shortly.

Early morning chuckles

We have head colds.  I think I'm worse off that Gioia.  I have had the steamer on all night to help me breath, and Isla's position is not helping me either at this stage.  Nothing like a bit of humour to help you forget your discomfort.  Gioia eyed the steamer hissing on the floor and announced that a steamer is hot and can burn you and it helps with burps and hiccups!  Toilet humour is perhaps below the belt, but this morning while she was making a poo on the en suite toilet she thought to give me a runny commentary, so as to keep me updated.  It sounded like this "close the door mommy I want to sit in peace.  Mommy, I made a really big wee wee, no I mean pee pee (her new afrikaans).  Mommy I feel a poo coming, yes its here mommy, now its out mommy, come see!"  I just wish I recorded this because I cant decide to breath or laugh, both are not an option.  All this was being said between singing and humming the tune to I am H.A.P.P.Y!

Big Bear Love

Bean has a fascination with buttons and zips and clasps.  When Marnel came over for a visit she suggested I make Gioia a bag with all the items on the bag thereby giving her a toy to practise on.  I started to research this project/head scratcher but to my delight I came across this bear while shopping for gifts for all the parties and showers .  He is so soft and cuddly and he has a big red button and a zip and shoe laces and a change of clothes. Monday morning I got Gioia dressed and she got Button-Bear dressed.  She removed his hospital scrub pj's and put on his day wear and then she tied up his laces in a matter of speaking and zipped him up for the days activities.  He was allowed to drive with us to school but had to wait in the car chair for her while she was away.

NO MORE TV

Gioia and I have found various ways of keeping ourselves busy at the flat now that I cancelled the DSTV.  Here she is singing with a hat on...we also play with clay till 8pm at night and take extra long bath times.  We have now read all the books in her shelf and caught up on all the Practica stimulation that one little brain (my brain) can handle.  I removed the flatscreen from the bedroom wall and pulled the plug on the big TV Saturday afternoon after I realised what a profound impact the language was having on our kiddo.  She keeps saying ''Oh My God'' which I loathe.  I tell her nicely not to repeat that sentence then I change stations from Mnet to movies and it is repeated three times.  Apparently that phrase is not considered swearing so its not beeped out.  All the American cartoon network stations are awful, violent and distorted with bad story lines and Cbeebies shows are just constant repeats.  The black box seems to just suck up time and after the holiday Gioia started to ask for it morning afternoon and evening.  Cold turkey is the route I picked for now.  Hope I can stand my ground long enough for it to enrich our lives to the point that we dont miss it or lament after it or write poetry to it.  We do seem to have lotsa tickle time and last night we danced cheek to cheek till she fell asleep on my weary shoulder.  The pros really out way the cons to date.

One week without you already!

Johan, you took the warmth with you...we are freezing here in Pretoria...