Veronica and Sven’s Baby Diary

Here’s the pics I promised, including ones of the birthday cake.

 

TWO YEARS OLD ALREADY!  My, how time flies.  Yes, today is our dear little Holly’s second birthday.  It’s been an eventful two years and I’m finding it increasingly more difficult to remember what life was like before she came along.  What did I do with all my time?

We’re having a quiet birthday day today because Holly’s actually sick - she’s got tonsilitis and doesn’t want to eat anything, is REALLY clingy, and very tired (the poor little pumpkin).  Other than that though she’s fantastic.  Here’s a little list of all the things she’s achieved in her little life so far:

She’s sleeping well most nights in her own big bed from 7:15pm to 7am (ish). 
She will feed herself right down to the last drop of something (if she likes it enough). 
She can drink from a cup. 
And boy can she talk!  She picks things up so fast sometimes that it’s a little scary.  We’ve had a few funny moments lately where someone’s said something thinking she’s not listening and she repeats it straight back to them word for word  heehee.  Oh, and she can also count - not necessarily on demand, but she’s getting better - from one to five by herself, and up to ten with a little help. 
She knows her colours and is pretty good a shapes.
She can run fast (a bit too fast for us old folks sometimes) and walk backwards.  She can jump a little and is still learning how to hop.
She’s getting very good with her ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and is pretty well mannered most of the time.  She’s very good at saying sorry if she has hurt someone too.

I’m sure there’s heaps more but there’s so much I don’t think I could write it all down.

Oh, and I completely ran out of time to put up a post about our recent holiday.  Simon, Holly and I went up to Cairns and stayed with my Dad for two weeks.  The trip was partly so that Simon could get introduced to the family, and party because my brother Gary and his partner Kristy were also having a new baby.  Congratulations to them on their new little girl, Giaan Karissa Tippet! 

Luckily, I’d arranged to have my Mum fly up to Cairns with us to help me out on the plane because travelling with two is certainly more challenging.  I don’t think I’d have had enough arms otherwise.  Simon slept the whole way from Brisbane to just before Cairns and was fantastic.  Poor Holly though was a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing and was quiet upset upon getting on the plane.  I think there were just too many faces all looking at her at one time.  She settled down though and ended up having a little sleep on the plane.  Once we were in Cairns we had a few challenges though as Simon got quite sick with gastro and had a horrible temperature.  We ended up visiting a doctor three times in three days, especially after he came out in a rash from head to toe (even on his eyelids and palms) which looked like he had the Measles.  Turned out to just be as a result of the fever. 

While all of this was going on Holly and I were sharing a double bed.  Despite my best efforts to separate us (big piles of pillows between us) Holly kept waking up at 2 in the morning and jumping over the pillows, intentionally smacking me in the face amongst other things trying to wake me up so that she could play.  It was usually not until around 4 that I was getting her to go back to sleep.  This was all the more challenging because Simon was also in the same room as us and I had to try and get her to settle down without screaming the house down.  I think I lasted three nights before I separated the bed into two single beds (a fancy trick indeed) and things started settling down.

Sven came up to join us for our last weekend and found out how convenient living on the Cairns Esplanade can be.  He had all sorts of fun going out exploring after the kids were asleep.  Coming home on the plane was much easier too as we were able to get Holly mentally prepared for the trip home and she pretty much ate her way from Cairns back to Brisbane.  A late breakfast continued into an early lunch that meant she nibbled on various things for over an hour.  heehee

Anyway, we’re all settled in again back home now.  The kids are keeping me more than busy and I’ve given a few death stares at friends who even joke about what I do all day.  At least this time around I’m managing to find time to take a shower each day (thank goodness for routines) as I feel so much better at least being able to do that.  Better go now though as both littlies are due to wake any moment.  I’ll have to get some new pics up soon… here’s a little one of Simon getting all wrapped up ready for bed taken three days ago (he’s 6.66kgs at 11 weeks, btw).