Happenings 17.4.19

DOING: sitting at the kitchen table. Joan is at kinder and Walt is asleep. He’s in the baby carrier, on my chest. He’s still quite sniffly after the virus we all had last week.

HEARING: Walt’s sleepy music. I pay this song (on repeat) when he falls asleep, in the hope it’ll become a nice sleep association for him. He didn’t really need it for this nap, though - after we got home from kinder drop off and I strapped him into the carrier, he instantly fell asleep. We all woke very early this morning, and he would have been napping right when Joan was due at kinder. He’s didn’t seem to mind, though. With his tired, red eyes and runny nose, he was enjoying watching all of the kids move about - putting away their backpacks and finding an activity. He also didn’t mind when Joan tackled him to the floor to say goodbye. He’s used to it. And I can tell he feels so loved by her.

DRINKING: A coffee. Goodness me, it tastes good. The past two nights have been more wakeful than usual. Three nights ago, however, I was gifted a wonderful nights sleep, with solid blocks (I think Walt only woke three times between 8:30pm and 6am - thats’s great for us!). The following morning I felt so good I put on this song and danced in the shower.

EATING + COOKING: Lately I’ve been enjoying lots of warming winter foods. I’ve actually been working on a couple such recipes for ABC Life, which I’ll be able to share with you in the coming months. Dad’s baking adventures have taken him towards sourdough cob loaves, so we’ve been enjoying some beautiful cobs. Joan and I like to slice them thickly then add a generous layer of butter. I am so looking forward to taking her to France one day, so we can wander the streets hand in hand, eating French butter, bread and pastries. You’ve got no idea how good it’ll be, baby girl.

I’ve also been loving one particular evening snack of late. I tend to get super into one snack and eat it for weeks on end, before finding a new one. Lately it’s looked like this: fruit (such as a plum, berries, an apple or a fig), walnuts, coconut flakes and plump, preservative-free sultanas. I’ll sit up in bed with my snack, eating it slowly while Walt has his final feed for the day (final feed? hahaha, that’s so not true - he feeds all night). It’s the greatest.

WANTING: Walt to stop hating the car so I can visit my friends who live 45mins - 1 hr away (as most of them do). So many of my friends have new babies (or are about to) and I want to visit them! I want to bring them food! I want to have cuddles! The car thing is improving, I think. Especially now he can reach out and hold Joan’s hand, the sight of which is entirely too sweet for me to handle.

LOOKING: forward to seeing the final design layout of my book. If you aren’t on Instagram, or if you missed my post, I have news… I wrote a book! It’s called Nurturing Your New Life and is about caring for yourself throughout your transition to motherhood. Right now the team at HarperCollins are busy finalising the layout before it goes to printing. I have so much to tell you about the book and the writing process, and I will - very soon.

DECIDING: the big decision in our lives remains what car we’ll be getting in the coming year (ideally before our current car needs a big service). My priorities are a top safety rating, fuel efficiency and lots of space. I’m sure Ben has additional priorities, which I’ll find out this weekend, no doubt, as we tour a couple of car yards. Car yards, is that the right term? I don’t know. I find the whole endeavour overwhelming, to be honest. It’s such a big investment.

ENJOYING:  cold Autumn mornings followed by sunny afternoons. Hot coffee. I’m also really enjoying cooking at the moment - dreaming up recipes and reading cookbooks like novels. During pregnancy, and in the early postnatal period, I’m not too fussed with cooking or cookbooks. My focus is firmly in babyland. But my interest always returns and, once again, I’m finding myself reading cookbooks in bed at night, or in the morning while sitting at the kitchen bench, as Joan and Walt are play on the mat. I’ve also been enjoying reading books to Walt. Our little man, who is six months old this week, just loves them, and will sit in our lap turning pages and hugging books for some time.

WATCHING: season 3 of This Is Us. I bought it on ITunes, as I simply couldn’t wait until it becomes available elsewhere. I tell you, every single time Jack Pearson comes on the screen, my heart bursts.

READING: As well as lots of board books with Walt, I’m currently reading Say Hello, by Carly Findlay (which is excellent) and First Catch, by Thom Eagle (which is also excellent, though very different). If I’m tired and ready to go off into dream land, I read First Catch. If I have time to read and feel things, I reach for Say Hello.

WEARING: cosy slippers knitted by my MIL, jeans and knitted cardigans (also knitted by my MIL or Nana).

BUYING: some floor mats to help keep us warm when we’re off camping next week. Thermals, too.

PLANNING: all the things we need to have a comfortable camping trip. Camping is so much more fun when you’re prepared, as we’ve learnt the hard way.

CRAVING: coffee.

LOVING: my new hair cut. Yesterday Joan and I went to the hair dresser (Walt and Ben came too, though Walt had a nap in the carrier while Ben answered emails on his phone). I knew I wanted a decent amount cut off, to get rid of the frazzled ends and to be able to tie it up in a short, cute pony tail. And I am so pleased with how it turned out. Something about having a good chop makes you feel lighter and brighter. Joan had her first trim and I almost cried because she looked so grown up, sitting up straight in the black cape with her hair all brushed out. Our hair dresser gave me a lock of her hair to keep.

SAVOURING: time with Joan on the weekends. We’ve been making crepes, reading books and dressing up as characters from the Nutcracker while Ben takes Walt for a nap. It won’t be long until I can leave Walt for longer periods, and Joan and I will be able to go out for a date just the two of us - but for now, our little home dates are really very lovely.

PLAYING: Joan continues to be super into pretending to give surgery. She no longer says she wants to go to University to study midwifery, she now says she wants to be an anaesthetist. She really, really like to pretend giving injections. Ben’s friend is an anaesthetist, actually, and she keeps asking us to set up a time when she can discuss his vocation (she doesn’t use that precise word, though it wouldn’t surprise me if she begins to do so soon).

FEELING: Tired - from all the sleep disruption. Warmed - by all your kind words of support about my book. Excited - to share more news about the book, and to see what the cover will look like. Sore - my back has been aching a bit lately. I might try to fit in a bath soon. Maybe with Joan on the weekend.

Happenings posts inspired by Pip.

Heidi xo