Girls are growing up too fast

This is an issue I have been aware of for some time, but now that Rona is around, it is something I have to put more thought into.

Recently there was a post on the blog We are That Family
And here is the news article

What to do? What happens in a world where there is sexualisation of little girls? Expectation that young girls will be pressured into sex to fit in?
How to show Rona to stand up to peer pressure and not fall into the traps that so many do....

I will be posting more on this soon, with more articles and hopefully some answers

Tired

I am so tired lately, I am having lots of nana naps.

Before I got pregnant I could not sleep during the day, no matter whether I had a migraine or not.
But during the pregnancy I was so sick I slept a lot during the day. And since I had Rona, I got to sleep when she sleeps about once a week... get a little extra sleep.

At the moment I am so tired that I just want to sleep all day, but I will cope.

Rona is such a good sleeper, she tends to sleep from about 10pm to 6-7am, which means I get about 7ish hours sleep, which should be enough, but my depression plus the busyness of having a baby has made me so very tired.

Immunisation

Well, Rona had to get her needles for immunisation yesterday. She has had a temperature since.... last night I ended up sleeping in the same bed as her, as I was so worried. I know it is normal to have a temperature after immunisations, but this time it was worse than last time.

She didn't sleep too well last night, and so neither did I, but she is sleeping lots during the day, she cannot cope with staying awake so much as she usually does during the day.

She hates the taste of baby panadol too, which doesn't help. But she is slowly on the mend.

I believe strongly in immunisation, part of working in healthcare, I suppose. It drives me crazy when people say that they cannot see the point of getting their child immunised. Obviously they have never seen children suffering from measles, rubella, whooping cough and many other diseases that medicine has enabled us to reduce the risk for.

So, while I am not liking seeing Rona not well, I prefer a short term temperature to a devastating disease.

I threw a tantrum

I admit, I am not very mature sometimes....

I was overtired and told Husband that I needed a break from caring for Rona on Sunday, then Husband went to play Starcraft II on the computer. Rona was tired and cranky and would not sleep. I was frustrated so I went for a drive with Rona and ended up at my parent's house for 2 hours. Rona did end up sleeping for about 30 minutes.

I stayed at my parents for so long as I was cranky at Husband for playing on the computer while Rona was cranky. I also stayed away so long because I knew I would calm down when I had had a break, and my parents are always happy to play with Rona, no matter what her mood is.

I pray that I will become a better wife and mother, God is slowly stretching my limits for patience.

A Ballerina Cake

This is a ballerina cake that I have made recently.



It isn't the best cake I have made, but the ballerina fan I made it for liked it. I tried the new fad, of having icing balls around the edge, I kinda like it :)

What to do?

What do you do with a cranky baby?
Rona is going through something... growth spurts or something. My days are now just trying to keep her reasonably happy, forget the housework or cooking.

She is a lovely girl but it is just so hard lately. Hopefully she will grow out of this fussy stage, but at least I get to get lots of extra cuddles.

Her favourite thing at the moment is lying on a mat with her nappy off, it seems to make her happy, anything to keep her happy. :)

And now I have to go, Rona is getting cranky again....

My New Hobby

Well, I have a new hobby.
Photography.

I have recently bought a digital SLR, a Nikon D3000. It is 10 megapixels, but any megapixels in a SLR would be better than a compact digital camera.

I have a standard 18-55mm lens, and I am loving taking photos of Rona. I am planning on just enjoying taking photos of whatever takes my fancy, and will expand on it as I get better.

So keep posted for some photos :)

Ernest Hemingway

I must admit I do love Hemingway's books. From what I have heard, Hemingway was not a nice person, but he did write well.

The Sun Also Rises was the first book of his that I read and while I wouldn't say it was romantic, it is so very well written and realistic.
Hemingway is one of the few authors that can write dialogue well.

A Moveable Feast is another one of my favourites, a brief snapshot of Hemingway's life, when he was happy.

So I am reading The Sun Also Rises, also known as Fiesta, again. It is a book I can read over and over again.

The West Wing

I admit, I am addicted to The West Wing
I have no idea why I am watching an American political drama, but it is captivating.
Yes, it is in part, very thinly veiled propaganda, but it has compelling characters and storylines.

And it is good to watch when I am breastfeeding or rocking Rona for hours on end :)

Husband's Cake

Husband turned 30 earlier this week, I cannot believe that I am married to a thirty-year-old.

I traditionally make a cake for Husband for his birthday, it means a lot to him I have been told.

Husband asked for a Mario Cake, so I did this:




In case you were wondering what Mario looks like :

Still a Gaming Widow

Yes, even though we have a daughter, Husband still spends an inordinate (in my opinion) number of hours playing computer games.

We have 2 consoles and a computer that is especially configured for games. Even our television was purchased because it would improve Husband's "gaming experience". Husband also works in the industry, so he spends a lot of time on the internet in relation to games.

I want to be a supportive wife, but it is harder to deal with when we have a daughter, as she needs attention. And when Husband comes home, or is home for the weekend, I try to encourage as much "daddy and daughter" time as possible, which is of course impeded by gaming.

Husband is a great father, but it is hard to balance his need to spend time with Rona and his need for down time. Hopefully one day we will get the balanace right.

Depression Update

Yes, I admit I am still depressed, better than I was this time last year, but still depressed.

I am on medication still, have actually upped it as my hormones are wreaking havoc with my mood. I adore spending so much time with Rona, she delights me.

I caught myself before I fell too far this time, but not before I gained weight. So I need to lose that as well... I will get there eventally.

Yet another baby girl

My best friend, Sarah had a baby girl lately. Joan is so very beautiful. She was born one day short of Rona's 3 month birthday.

It is surprising how fast babies grow, I hold Joan and I wonder how my baby grew so very fast.

Sarah had a rough labour/delivery. Her water broke, and 5 hours later she started contractions, 14 hours after that she was 2 cms dilated.
At which point she got an epidural, a couple of hours later she was only 3cms dilated. And a couple of hours after that she had a ceasarian as Joan was trying to come out with her face rather than the crown of her head.

And I thought I had a bad labour :/

But Sarah is recovering well and Joan is none the worse for her dramatic entrance to the world.

What a joy to see my best friend with her baby girl.

Stephen's Wedding

I should probably talk about Stephen's Wedding and his new wife.

Stephen's new wife, Louise, is a lovely lady, she is from England and is very shy. Stephen and Louise met over the internet, in an Anime forum. Which is not surprising, knowing Stephen. He and Louise love anime and have many other mutual interests. I am delighted that Stephen found someone to love. He has been a very angry young man and I can see a softening in him, which is delightful.

I am still getting to know Louise, and I love her already, but she is hard to get to know as Stephen is very protective and he answers for her most of the time.

They got married in the Chinese Gardens in Sydney, it was beautiful. Unfortunately I didn't get to spend any time looking around the gardens as Rona was cranky by the end of the ceremony.

The wedding had a theme, Kaoru and Kenshin from the Anime Ruroni Kenshin Louise and Stephen were dressed costumes, as were the bridesmaid and groomsman.

The reception was at my parent's place, which was lovely, homely and warm.

It was a long day for Rona, being so young and there being so many people all round, but it was a great day.

Rona

Rona is growing at such a fast rate. I cannot believe that only a couple of months ago I was still pregnant. She is a joy to be with.

I admit she has her moments, on occasion, but she is such an easy going baby. She has inherited her father's temperament, thank goodness.

She is smiling all the time now, laughing a lot (which is so much fun to hear) and looks around a room for me if I am not directly in her line of sight. I am reading What to Expect The First Year
it is helpful to let me know what milestones she should be up to and how to deal with any problems that generally comes up.

Another great book to read is Baby Love which is a comprehensive guide to pretty much everything I have come up against, and much much more.

I am loving getting to spend time with her, I am so blessed that Husband supports me in being a Stay At Home Mum.

Links for Cakes

A great way to start the month, with links to beautiful cake blogs :)


Bakerella

Apparently Jessy

Cake Journal

Pink Cake Box

Half Baked - The Cake Blog

Di-licious Cupcakes

Not that I will ever get this good, but it is good to dream