7 Billion Inhabitants

The world's population is expected to hit seven billion in the next few weeks.


After growing very slowly for most of human history, the number of people on Earth has more than doubled in the last 50 years.


And me? I am 4,544,406,922nd person alive on planet earth. Pretty impressive isn't it. To find out your special number, click here.

Thursday

6:30am
Woken up with James sitting on my feet as he sits on the end of the bed and ties his trainers and leaves for the gym. Roll over and snooze.


7:30am
Wake up to hear Teddy talking through the monitor. Bring him into my bed and we cuddle then Abi comes in, crying, asking for me to put on Disney Junior so she can watch her 'shows'.


8:30am
Repair guy from Fisher and Paykel arrives to fix the double dish drawer. He takes 45 minutes to replace a part while I feed Ted and Abi breakfast.

8:35am
Slice finger open with knife trying to remove stupid child proof cap on baby food. Major ouch.

9:30am
Put Ted down for his morning nap. Abi watches ABC2 while I clean and do washing.


9:40am
Make coffee and consume quickly.


11:45am
Ted wakes from nap and we play and cuddle and laugh.


12:30pm
Unload stuff from my car and bring inside. Boxes, clothes for Ted, etc. I come back to find Ted here, not under his climbing frame but on the floor with his feet under the sofa. EEK! He moves! He crawled, did I miss it? Or he rolled over many times in a row and I missed that too? Damn it.

12:45pm
Feed Ted and Abi lunch. Abi enjoys cruskits with Nutella, Ted has banana porridge and then yoghurt.


2pm
Put Ted down for his afternoon nap. Abi and I play all afternoon, doing puzzles, building cities out of blocks, just enjoying each other's company.


4pm
I give in and let Abi play Mario on the Wii. She can't really play so I end up helping her. Then I end up hijacking the whole thing and playing for another hour! I'm a HUGE Mario Brothers fan from way back. Picture me, getting upset as I lost to Bowser many times. Then I realise the time and turn it off.


5pm
Ted wakes, after a HUGE nap. We play and cuddle and watch Abi dance around to music with her wand, casting spells on us.


6pm
I make Abi's dinner and feed Ted. He has pumpkin with cous cous, avocado and chocolate custard which he doesn't finish but Abi polishes off.


6:45pm
Bathe and dress Ted for bed.


7:15pm
James walks in the door from work. Ted is enjoying his last feed for the day. Abi is asking to play her itouch.


7:30pm
Abi is on the sofa playing Angry Birds. James and I both have a Lean Cuisine for dinner. It's mildly depressing but healthy.


8:30pm
I head to Woolies to buy some essentials. Tomorrow night we are heading to my Mum's for dinner and I am making Lasagne and Rice Pudding for dessert.


9:30pm
Driving home, pull onto my street and a teenager up the road is having a HUGE party. An 18th Birthday perhaps, or an End of Yr 12 party? Either way, it looks pretty fun. Maybe 75 cars I passed, all parked down my road. I drive past slowly and see teenagers making out, getting drunk, dancing in the rain, music pumping, strobe light flashing. I seriously wanted to pull over and go inside and see what a young party looks like again. But remind myself that;
A) I'm a 30 yr old Mum, who would appear ancient to these young kids.
B) I'm wearing leggings, nike trainers, an oversized red flannel shirt that Abi calls the "Jessie Cowgirl" shirt, hair in messy bun, looking a wreck.


10pm
Watch videos and read tributes for Steve Jobs, who passed away today. A true genius, a real inventor, a man who changed the world. Sure, he wasn't perfect, but no-one is.


10:52pm
Hit 'publish' on this post, then head to bed with a bowl of yoghurt and 2 new magazines.


That was my Thursday.

Currently - The September '11 Edition

Current Book
Again, nothing at the moment. But I just bought my husband an Amazon Kindle for Father's Day so I fully intend to borrow it often.


Current Playlist

• Bon Iver - Perth
• Jonsi - Go Do
• Friendly Fires - Hurting
• Nero - Promises
• Bon Iver - I Can't Make You Love Me
• The Jezabels - Endless Summer
• The Jezabels - Mace Spray

Current Colour

Grey for rainy days. Red for the new gym. White for clean sheets on the bed.

Current Drink

Water. Coffee. Milk. Coke Zero. This category will be boring until I finish breastfeeding!!


Current Food
Yoghurt. Museli. Dried fruit and nut mix. Cheese.


Current Favourite Show
The new season of Glee has begun and already drama has erupted. I love Dianna Agron's new haircut.

Curb Your Enthusiasm has finished for another season and it was absolutely brilliant. I actually cried in most of the episodes, they were so funny. The Office has just started again, the new season without Steve Carell. It will be interesting to see if the show tanks without him as the star.


Current Wish List
More motivation to head to the gym every day. Good fortune. Personal training with Michelle Bridges.


Current Triumphs
I joined a gym, haven't stepped foot in a gym since 2007 so it's a pretty big deal for me. And I've lost 2kgs since. Again, not alot, but I'm taking baby steps to be more healthy.


Current Abigail
Abi is now swimming most lessons without ANY floaties at all. She loves to swim but hates her goggles. She loves to dive and jump and chat in the pool with her teacher. Abi is Edward's favourite person and she is a very good little helper with him. Almost every day, she asks to watch the movie 'Tangled'. And her doll of the moment is 'Hazel', a baby Cabbage Patch doll which she pretends to breastfeed and burp.

Current Edward
Teddy, as we call him, loves to eat. His favourites are custard, yoghurt, blueberries, banana, broccoli and pumpkin. He is sleeping through the night and wakes most days at around 7am which is fantastic. His favourite time is bathtime or reading and chewing on books. He said his 1st word, BUBBA, a few weeks ago. And he is almost saying MAMA too. He is 7 months old next week, I cannot believe it.

Current Celeb Crush
Kate Winslet. Mother of 2. Hero. Actress. I love her. And her body? Insane.

Current #1 Blessing
My Mum has been a real support to me over the past few weeks. Yes, she is my best friend and we have a fantastic relationship, but the last few weeks have been a little trying and she has offered verbal and physical support, which without, I would have really struggled. Love you Mama!


Current Excitement
Is it too early to talk about Christmas? Abi is already talking about it, the tree, the "party" at Nanna's house on Christmas Day, going on holidays. I'm excited about James having 2 whole months off from Grad School from November to January.


Current App
OzWeather - to get current and accurate weather updates before I head out with the kids to the park, shops, etc. Nerdy but essential.

Minti Summer Collection

I love finding and buying clothes for my kids. Even more than I love buying clothes for myself. 

One of my favourite brands 'Minti' just released their new summer collection for kids and I love it. I could do some serious damage on the credit card but will try and restrain myself. I have bought things from Minti in the past and the quality is really fantastic which is really important when buying kids clothes. 

Here are some of my favourite items on my wish list:

Minti Girls Relax Cat Playsuit

Minti Girls I Am Awesome Frankie Dress

Minti Baby Peace Owl One Piece

Minti Baby Peace Owl Envelope Tee

Minti Happy Face Comfy Pant

Minti Boys Circus Elephant Tee

Minti Boys Cloud Face Burglar Tee

Minti Boys Rainbow Lips Tee

Minti Boys Hello Friends Burglar Tee

Minti Girls Scoop Rainbow Tee

Minti Girls Heart Hugs Dress

Minti Girls Happy Face Layer Dress

Tangled

Abi and I recently discovered the Disney movie 'Tangled'.


I bought the DVD for her in Woolworths a few months ago when it was released and kept asking her if she wanted to watch it. But stubborn Abi, wanted to watch her usual favourites like Toy Story 3, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo and The Lion King. Finally, after my sister Louise chimed in how much she would like it, Abi sat down with me and watched it.


And it hasn't left the DVD player since. I can honestly, and almost shamefully say, that Abi watches it nearly every day. She is IN LOVE with this movie. We have the soundtrack on my ipod and on days when I say no to the movie, we listen to the soundtrack on the ipod dock, dancing around the house.


I'm a big kid at heart and love watching the movie too. The songs are adorable and Mandy Moore was the perfect choice as Rapunzel. My sisters and I can sing all the songs from Annie, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, we like Disney movies in our house, ALOT!


I have no idea how long this obsession might last. Toy Story 3 was the last movie to leave the DVD player, and that was on high rotation for nearly 12 months.


The last song of the movie is probably my favourite. I love Grace Potter from way back and fell in love with this song even more when I found out she co-wrote and sang the song.


Have a fantastic long weekend, and if you need something to dance to, I highly recommend this.

Happy Friday

Wishing you all a very happy Friday. This video should help.

Enjoy!

xx

Weekend

Did some painting in the sunshine on Friday afternoon.

Woke up early on Saturday and headed to Palm Beach.

Found a lovely shady spot and enjoyed the sunshine and fresh breeze.

Abi and James went to the playground and Abi made friends while I fed Ted and we cuddled on the rug.

We devoured some simple cheeseburgers and headed back home.

Detoured on the way and signed up to a new gym in our area, Virgin Active.

James and I both need to change our lifestyles to include alot more exercise.

Am already looking forward to swimming and yoga and pilates.

Am sure I will bump into both my sisters, because they both work out there.

Headed to my niece's 2nd Birthday party yesterday.

Tried to stay cool in the shade with Edward while Abi climbed the playground with her cousins and friends.

Made bacon and egg rolls for dinner and read the papers.

Went to bed early and watched a few episodes of Arrested Development.

Enjoyed every moment of the weekend with my loved ones. This weekend is going to be busy. We are off to a wedding in the Hunter Valley, cannot wait!

Currently - The August '11 Edition

A few changes this month, hope you enjoy xx

Current Book

There is so little inspiration out there at the moment. I was in Borders today and honestly couldn't even pick one book that sounded enticing. Still want to get my hands on Tina Fey's Bossypants and Keith Richards "Life" autobiography.

Current Playlist

Alot of great new material this month. These albums have been high on rotation lately;

• The Weeknd - House of Balloons
• Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
• Drake - Thank Me Later
• Gotye - Making Mirrors
• Florence and the Machine - What The Water Gave Me (single)
• Feist - How Come You Never Go There (single)
• M83 - Midnight City (single)

Current Colour

Blue for swimming lessons. Green for baby food. Yellow for sunshine.

Current Drink

Water. Ginger Beer. Iced Coffee. Passionfruit juice. Lime cordial.

Current Food

Thai takeout. Porridge. Broccoli. Lasagne. Rice Pudding. Meatloaf. Baby food. 

Current Favourite Show

True Blood is almost finished, only 2 episodes till the finale. The whole season has been quite lacklustre. The new season of Australia's Next Top Model has started off slow. I wish Charlotte Dawson was the host, she is super hilarious. Come Dine With Me, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Sesame Street have also been favourites in the last few weeks.

Current Wish List

Same as last month. A new neck and upper back. A tropical holiday. A cleaner. 

Current Triumphs

James and I finally had our 1st date night since Edward was born. We went to Rockpool for my Birthday dinner and it was amazing.

Current Abigail

She can dress herself head to toe. She loves Katy Perry. She wants a pet dog. She is ALREADY talking about Christmas and Santa. She can move around my iMac like a pro, opening apps and taking photos of herself on the camera. She is 3 going on 13.

Current Edward

My little champ is onto solids now, 2 meals a day. He loves brocoli and pumpkin. He rolls over but his favourite place to be is laying on my lap. He loves to cuddle and bath time is his favourite thing in the world, besides the boob!

Current Celeb Crush

Jason Bateman. Super cute 80's child star turned movie superstar. I love him in Arrested Development.

Current #1 Blessing

I turned 30 last week and was completely spoiled by my family. It really took my breathe away how loved everybody made me feel. 

Current Excitement

A few friends have recently had babies or are about to give birth. I'm super excited for them all. James is nearly finished Grad School for this term which means a few weeks of uni at nights and on weekends, no text books or study groups, yay!

Current App

Woolworths Supermarket app is awesome. You just scan items around your house and it adds them to a shopping list. It even saves your local Woolies in the app so it tells you where each item is in your local store. Pretty impressive!

Tokyo Rising

This short film about life in Tokyo, post tsunami, is just brilliant.

Having been to Japan 3 times in my life, I admire and respect their way of life very much. They are amazing people and I pray they can rebuild and start again after the devastating events in March this year.

If you watch only one film about the rebuilding of Japan, I highly recommend this one.

xx

30

The big day is here. Today I'm 30. I feel better today, much better than I have the last few weeks. I've been dreading today, like I dread my Birthday every year. But here it is, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.


I feel ready to move on from my 20's in a positive way. I plan to lose all that tension and anxiety about who I am and what I want to be.


I am going to embrace life. Did I think my life would be like this 10 years ago? Probably not. But I love what I have. 2 gorgeous kids. An amazing partner. A fantastic family who care about me. A new home that I feel blessed to call my own and my health. At the end of the day, what more can you ask for.


Tonight my parents are minding my babes while James and I are heading to dinner at Rockpool in the city. Tomorrow, no plans yet. We will see where the day takes us. Mathildas Market, the beach, who knows. Sunday, my whole family are heading to Bather's Pavilion at Balmoral Beach for a gorgeous lunch. Hopefully the sun will shine, the salty breeze will blow and we will laugh and be merry.


See you on the other side. xx

July - In Photos

I've been so lost lately. Can't find my mojo. My blogging mojo. My friendship mojo. I'm barely holding my wife mojo together too, while focussing everything on my 2 tots.

Here is what I did in July. Easier to show you then to tell you.

She played with her toys

We went to Fagan Park in Galston,

where we had a picnic and cuddles.

My new double pram is amazing!

We drove to Glenorie and enjoyed the scenic back roads

Edward rolled over and loves tummy time on the mat

Abi is in love with Masterchef and made me play-doh cupcakes for days

We are really settled into our new place now. I have a love affair with my kitchen.

Saturday nights are for takeaway and DVDs

Edward's favourite place to fall asleep, on my lap

Abi is delighted that she still fits in the bumbo baby seat!

My little mermaid at swimming lessons

A very generous gift from my inlaws! Abi turned 3 and this is her awesome new cubby/playground. I never have to visit the park again!

Edward tried his first meal, organic rice cereal. He wasn't thrilled.

Here is my angel on her 3rd Birthday. She was so inspired by Cadel Evans winning the Tour De France that she wore her helmet around for 3 days.

We went to the beach house for 4 days. Why on earth do we need so much stuff?!

James and Abi swam at the indoor pool and enjoyed the quiet family time,

until I ended up here. 6am, Monday morning, Wyong Hospital ER. Was picked up from the beach house by an ambulance with chest pains and difficulty breathing. Once I arrived at the ER, I was more frightened by the general filth of the ER wards and the mental patients roaming the aisles. Avoid Wyong Hospital at all costs.

Edward loves sitting in his bumbo seat

Where did my other baby go?! 3 going on 13 sometimes

My crazy outspoken lady with my quiet prince, what a pair!

Siblings. Best Friends. Love.

Edward and I playing around with photobooth on my iMac