Ho ho ho (author of this post = Caleb)

Merry Christmas to everyone.  Hope the year's been great and everyone is looking forward to next year.  My year has been great.  
I've had alot of improvement in my academic work and I am in room 3 Year 7 for next year.  Yesterday was my last day of school.  I was sad and happy.  The sad part was because some of my friends were leaving to go to other schools, and the happy part was I'm now part of the intermediate department of the school.
Other great things of the year would be moving house, finishing building the house, little sister Elena who is the cutest little sister you could have.   One week at school we had to look after an Egg.  I called my egg Yoko because I thought it was going to crack on it's first day.  Now I know how Rach feels looking  after Elena.
I'm really happy about moving house because there's heaps of room and the tennis club is only up the road.    I love playing tennis and with the club being up the road I can go to the courts heaps and do lots of practice.
I have also been doing some cooking but the best part is eating it once you are done making it.
In the holidays I'm looking forward to going to Camp Adair in the Hunua Ranges because I will be going there with a group of friends.  I'm looking forward to doing fishing and hopefully I'll get a WHOPPER!  In the holiday's dad, Rach, Elena and I will all be going to Kennedy Bay.  I'm going to try and help Kingi build his bonfire for New Year's Eve.
For Christmas at Tess' I will bringing along a pinnata made by me and some friends at school.  We called him Steve.  It will be lots of fun because Steve will be hard to break so everyone will get a swing.
When Steve breaks
Candy will fall,
and down will come Steve's remains...
paper and all.

Here's some photos.  Enjoy.

Feeding Elena her first baby mush

All by myself - peach crumble

Steve the pinnata

Jingle balls

Bye and Merry Christmas

From Caleb

PS.  Add some comments for me please.

Fun and Christmas Messages

Gregg and I have made a special Christmas Message.  It made us smile putting it together...we hope you smile too when you watch it.  

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/4RiiD2T0AnRjhp1t4CyN

And then, go on, share the joy....try it for yourself 

x 

U2 and 10/11 year olds

It was a pretty special occasion on Friday night when Caleb got to go to his first concert...and a pretty big one it was to have for the first one.  We'd got 4 tickets and not told Caleb we'd arranged with his friend's Alex parents for him to come too.  The kids were buzzing and excited on the way to Mt Smart.  On the trek along Great South Road to the stadium amongst the constant stream of people the excitement started to turn to a little nervousness.  I think the scale of the event was starting to hit home.  Our obsession with telling them to listen to instructions, keep close to us, hold our hands etc etc was all starting to make a bit more sense and we weren't just these silly adults telling them to do something just for the sake of it.

Before the throng of people and having to hold our hands

Anyway, we shuffled our way to our seats after winding up and down scaffolding stands of seating.  Jay-Z was playing.  The boys were whooping and making the star or triangle Jay-Z thing with their hands as he played.

Their hands were sore from clapping ...and U2 were yet to come.

Caleb and Alex in between acts

They wondered if they were the youngest at the concert.

So there must have been 50,000 people there...or thousands and thousands anyway...but who do they spy just 5 rows in front of us...one of their school classmates, with her sister and her dad.  Small world.  So there were more kids their age.

Of course there were kids from school just in front of us!!  Crazy.  

The youngest person we saw was about 8 months old, being carried in a front pack by his dad.  Hope he had earplugs on under his little wee beanie.  Gregg and I wondered if perhaps we should have taken Elena??  But that was a stupid so very fleeting thought.

No front pack for the baby for us at the concert - no baby

Anyway, U2 came on.  EVERYBODY stood up.  Caleb couldn't see that well...so we got him to jump up on the seats.  The look on his face once he properly saw the stage, the lights, the mass of people in the stands, the people in the mosh pits and general admission areas was my best memory of the concert.  It was one of awe and amazement and excitement combined with a little bit of shock and overwhelmingness (is that a word?).  His face lit up, his eyes sparkled.  It was great to see.  I loved it.  

They were thrilled at feeling the bass pounding in their chests.  Alex got a new respect for the drums and promised to go hard on his drum lessons.  Caleb promised to get his guitar out and start playing that again.  Perhaps they will start a band.  

11.30 arrived, the concert was over, the stadium seats started to clear, and we shuffled our way out through the scaffolding, carried along by the thousands of people.  Not one complaint from the boys this time about having to hold our hands while we trekked back to the car up Great South Road.  The car ride home was less energetic as the tiredness had set in...but all agreed they had loved the concert and can't wait till their next one.

Not so much energy at the end of the concert.

The boys and girls came out to play

Yesterday afternoon we had a do at our place to wet the babies heads.  The babies all belong to the mums from the ante natal class we all did together, and was the first time the dads have got together since the last class (and their one outing that they did to the pub and stayed out till 1am when the bar shut!).

It was great and everyone enjoyed themselves- it was bring a plate.  I left my plates in the fridge and they weren't even eaten!  Baby brain.  We all know a new bacon and egg pie recipe thanks to Steve's 12 egg and 800g of bacon wonder.  

Babies were passed around, admired, rocked to sleep, put to sleep in the different bedrooms around the house.  There was play time on the mat with different toys that crinkled, squeaked, rattled and were soft and squishy.  We all wondered how coffee group get togethers were going to be once the babes were all crawling and walking.  Time will tell.  

Gregg told me it was great seeing all the babies and how good they all looked.  We get to see the bubbies each week.  The last time he saw all the girls we had massive bumps out the fronts of us, or tiny new borns in hospital.  The guys all seemed to be having good old chats - and am sure if the babies weren't all getting ready for the nightime routines of feeds and baths and bed, they would have happily carried on till 1am again.    

I have no photos of the occasion.  I'm normally very trigger happy and my camera goes everywhere.  Perhaps we tidied up too much and the camera wasn't on the coffee table where it normally is.  I don't think anyone took any photos....so here's one below that was taken earlier at one of the coffee groups so you can see some of the bubbies.  

Propping each other up.  Elena's 3rd from left.

The mum's all get together each Tuesday and it's great to have the addition of Bridget the second, and Lou.  Tomorrow is a picnic at Mission Bay if the windy weather doesn't put a stop to that.  I must remember the fruit platter and truffles to take along!!  Hopefully baby brain doesn't get me again tomorrow.    

What a difference a few weeks makes

From the moment Elena was born I have wanted to freeze moments in time, have her stay the wonderful little person she is - just the way she is.  But every day I get over that pretty quickly because every day brings something new and wonderful.  The changes she is making are so incredible, so fast and so exciting to watch and enjoy with her.

This week has been a big one of changes which has made me look back over the past few months.  Here's a bit of a photo gallery of just a few of the 'before' and 'now' moments that together show what a difference a few weeks really does make.  Elena was 17 weeks old on Friday.  Those weeks have gone so fast.  So fast so that I thought she was still 16 weeks!!  

Where to Sleep??

37 weeks - Sleeping inside mummy...not in any hurry to come out
even though Elena had thought she might want to
see the world as it was getting a bit tight for space in that bed

First 5 nights - In the see through bassinette at the hospital.  

Night 6 to about 3 weeks - In the bright lime green carry cot.
She's almost too long for her carry cot,  and am trying to avoid
changing to the buggy seat just yet.  Another couple of weeks?
But I said that a couple of weeks ago.  Hmmm.

Then until 16 weeks - In the bassinette (borrowed from her cousin
Anna) which lived in our room at the old house and wardrobe at the new house

15 weeks - Into the big girl's cot in her own where there is more room to move!!

And every now and then she makes into the BIG bed!!  

Big Brother - Little Sister

Caleb (10 1/2 yrs) and his first (slightly nervous) hold of his little
sister Elena, aged 1 day

Getting the hang of this cuddle thing. Caleb still 10 1/2; Elena  8 days

Bedtime stories.  Elena and Caleb listen to The Hobbit.  Elena's 5 weeks.

Sunday morning family antics in our bed.   Caleb and Elena have
lots of smiles, giggles and cuddles.  Elena's  11 weeks

So much more confidence now, Caleb gives  Elena a bottle for the first time.
She played with it and smiled at him, so it took a while.
Cheeky monkey.  Elena 13 weeks.  

Why READ a book when you can EAT it?  

9 weeks - Fluffy Chick and Friends get looked at intently

16 weeks - all that looking at the rooster and the duck got too much - they had to get eaten.
Everything is starting to go in the mouth

A Splishing and a Splashing

Day 3 - Elena's first bath  - in the hospital sink, still with her umbilical
cord attached.  She was soooo little.  She cried at the start.

8 weeks - She LOVES her bath - and kicks her feet on the end of the
bath and splashes out half the water

6 weeks - In the final stages of the house build,
Elena tries out the bath for size

12 weeks - What the?  Gregg uses turtle, crab and octopus to make
Elena a bath bikini.  Daddy!!!???

Lbs and Kgs

Just a few minutes old, getting weighed for the first time.  3.48kg/7lb 10oz
Gregg sent this photo out in the 'birth notice' email and titled it Fingers and Toes

7 days old - getting weighed like the stork delivered Elena.
My lovely Midwife Mary Horsley weighed her with the same thing you
weigh fish with.  Gregg was eyeing up them up for his fish.
The Plunket Book got put somewhere for safe keeping during the move...
do you think we can find it?  Somewhere in a box in the garage.     

Family Portraits
How sad is this?  We have no photos of the 4 of us.  Good thing I've got some photos booked in to be taken and can update this section later.  But I must get someone to take photos of the 4 of us when they are around with our camera.

Pre-Elena days - Gregg, Rachel and Caleb, at Lara and Hamish's wedding
nearly 4 years ago.  Time to get the family photos updated.  We do have more recent ones from our wedding but they're not on this computer to load up

Brand new Elena with her mummy and daddy

Elena with her mum and dad.  2 days old, and already she is wondering about BOTH of her parent's fashion sense!  

Elena aged 11 weeks.  This is about the only photo of the three of us since
when she was born.  And it's not a very good one.
Had been a weekend of unpacking boxes after moving into the new house.
We were zonked - and look it.  At least the fashion is better!  

There are so many more things to track the changes of.  Another post another day!!  

Moving Rooms

Elena has moved a fair bit in her short little life so far and slept in a few bedrooms.  From hospital to Nana Rose's at Ramarama to 'the old house' and to the 'new house' - so she's got used to moving house.  All that time she's been in our room with us.   The time had come this week for Elena to move rooms.  

Elena spent Sunday night trying to 'jump out' of her bassinette, and I spent all night awake watching her  fling her legs up to her head (ready to jump to the rescue should the legs go over the edge) and wriggle wriggle wriggle.

This was over a month ago in her carry cot.
Imagine this kind of carry on in the middle of the night in her bassinette!!

I had been in denial up until that night that she would be moving to her big girls bed (her cot) for another few weeks.  But alas, the time had come.  Monday night was the big move.  Elena's been having lots of sleeps in the cot, which is in her room, during the day so she had got used to it and had done some mammoth sleeps in it, so I haven't been worried that the transition would be a hard one for her.  It was me I was worried about.

So accustomed to the little noises in the night I had become since the day she was born.  So used to being able to get up when she needed feeding and jump back into bed with her...and only have walked five metres there and back in the process.  So comforted I had been knowing I could hear her and see her just there...safe and tucked up.  

In her bedroom - well that's another story for mummy.  Down the hall.  Away from me.  Would she be ok?  Had she got used to us breathing in the night in the same room?  Was she comforted by knowing we were there and just a couple of steps away should she need us?  We weren't to know until we actually moved her - which we did on Monday - the night after I couldn't sleep for fear she was going to become a little gymnast and flip flop out of her bed.    

Elena has been sleeping through the night for a few months....we put her down sometime between 7-8pm, and she normally doesn't stir until around 6am, except in a blue moon when she'll wake at around 3am.  (Yes I know - we are very lucky!!)  So my excuse of needing her in the room so I could feed her easily in the middle of the night has been quite a lame one.  

And I needn't have worried.  Elena was fine!  In fact for most of the week she has slept longer!!!  Waking between 7-8am.  I've got up a few times when I've heard a little squeak through the monitor, and have had to feed her once or twice (but I think that has more to do with her starting to get ready to eat rather than being in the cot - another story I'm also trying to stay in denial about!!)

Little wriggling munchkin after an afternoon nap that started further down the mattress
and 90 degrees the other way - very pleased with herself she was...
the sleeping sac became a 'must have' item for the cot sleeps to stop this

So all in all it has been a successful transition for Elena, mum and dad.  No more whispering in our room when we go to bed.  Baby girl is getting enough beauty sleep.  Gregg doesn't need to dismantle and reassemble the cot again.  Caleb is pretty stoked too that the kids rooms at the end of the hall our now both being used.  I think he likes being able to keep a watchful ear on his little sister in the room next door.

On our way to bed, Gregg and I peep through the door..then go in (Elena's like a magnet!!) - look at each other in amazement at the little sleeping baby who is growing up so fast, but is just our precious little bubby.

Peeping through the door you can just see her in her cot

"Sweet dreams baby girl, love you lots." Followed by two little kisses from mummy and daddy.  Before we turn and walk to the other end of the hall.  And I'm feeling ok.          

   

The Cat in the Hat...Came Back

Well he doesn't have a hat - but back Sherpa the cat came back, after being on his own adventure for 4 weeks after we moved into our new house.  Living up to his name!

Sherpa the adventurer

Each time he's moved in the past he normally reappears after getting the lay of the land for 2 or 3 days.  Not this time.  Had he just had enough we wondered after he hadn't come home after a week, and kept wondering as the weeks ticked on by?  After all, he's been through alot over the past few years......

He moved in with Caleb....a fun loving 6 year old at the time, who was very interested in knowing what he was up to at all times.

Sherpa thought he was safe under the bed

Then we got a puppy.....Zinzan.  Sherpa ended up on kitty prozac from the stress of it all because Zinny thought he was a fluffy toy to play with, he ate his food and chased him.  Poor Sherpa.  

Sharp claws to the nose did not deter the silly puppy wanting to play with the fluffy toy

Then we moved again, which all in all was going ok before we decided to get another dog...Saffinna.  Two dogs who thought he was a fluffy toy to play with, to eat his food and chase him  - but managed to avoid the prozac this time.

Zinny and Saffinna - double trouble for Sherpa

And if that wasn't enough, baby Elena arrived.

Hmmm - who's this little thing taking over MY couch?

Not interested one little bit

And then we moved house again - and for the last time we hope for a very long time and the builders were still building the deck banging away with hammers.

Was it all too much for poor old Mr Sherpa?  Had he gone back to the retreat Remuera rather than the chaos of Orakei?  I did go back to the old house a few times on the off chance he had (and survived the crossing of two major roads on the way)....but no Sherpacat was to be found.

Now he's home - he reappeared under my car outside (cos the garage is full of boxes still!) and came in for some breakfast.  We know he still loves us all - barking dogs, crying baby and the other humans.  He's purring away, soaking up the cuddles and didn't even flinch when the dogs barked 'welcome back' at him while he ate at the back door.

We reckon he was trapped somewhere - he is skin and bones, not his big old fluffy self.  The vet yesterday said it was lucky he was a little cuddly before his adventure.  He has a gash in his foot, is hobbling and looks a little worse for wear.  Poor Sherpa.  

Skinny Sherpa, home safe and sound

But, we are glad he's back.

He'll be pining to go out again in a few days.....butter on his paws we think this time.

Motivation in Action

When I first heard about this blogging lark, I wondered who has time to do that, who would be interested in what other people get up to - but that was all before facebook became a place I loved to let people know what I had been up to and was able to keep up with the fun and games my friends and family around the country and world were getting up to; and before I fell in love with reading blogs...most specifically Joe To the World, my wonderful sister's blog she set up when in Sydney.

So as I sat yesterday writing a Letter from Elena (that kept getting longer and longer) to go in our (very late) thank you cards, I realised I had lots to say about what is going on in my life with my wonderful family and could sometimes even say it in a quite amusing way - perhaps my friends and family would like to see what's going on, keeping up with the funny, and not so, stories of our lives??  But perhaps I kid myself.  We'll see as time goes by.      

Motivated I got.
Action I took.  As my baby girl sleeps.  As the broken garage door gets fixed.  As the missing cat who ran away after we moved in to our new house 3 weeks ago, decided to reappear at the front door when I let the garage door man in.  (Another story!)

Here is my first blog.
For the Dell of It.

Because we are the Dells - and because 'why not' - because I can.

Me and Elena - two days ago. 

Me, with Gregg and Caleb - 2 years ago.  Must do updated family photos.