Monday 31 March 2014

13/52

"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"


Jimmy: On the edge of a comfy seat, looking out... and not sure about what he sees.

This lovely moment was captured by Michael and sums up where we are at: right now we're comfy, staying with my parents, taking some much needed rest, being looked after, and doing the last of the sorting, storing, and other things that are done before moving overseas... and it's the moving overseas that we're not sure about, even though we're also starting to look forward to going and starting our new life in Manhattan, KS.


Tuesday 25 March 2014

12/52

"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"

Jimmy sits in a corner he's never seen before, in an empty house, and he's not sure what to make of it.

I took lots of photos this week, and had three others I wanted to use this week, but this one sums up this week. We've had a very busy week, but on the other side of it, it doesn't sound busy, but it was. Not just physically but emotionally busy. We've packed up the last few things in the house, gone to Melbourne for our US Visas, visited cousins, cleaned the house, said "see you in a year or so" a few more times, and moved out of Brisbane... there's still a bit more to do, but we have time and now the emotional space to do it. 


Saturday 15 March 2014

11/52

"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"

Sleeping soundly, but you're out of sync - it's too late and too early, but you sleep anyway as we wait for your Dada to head out on his last shift at the Story Bridge Adventure Climb.

I don't remember what settings I was using on my Canon G15 when I took this shot, but I have been playing around with the shutter speed and I'm liking what I see. I'm also spending 5 mins a day just taking photos of Jimmy (and Michael), in a conscience bid to have a photo or two that I like by the end of the week. This is turning out to be fun.





Trying new things


Yesterday we were running some errands, and had stopped for a spot of lunch and were getting into the car when Jimmy made it clear that the car was NOT where he wanted to be. We had time, we could accommodate this. It helped that we were near a park, St John's Wood, Ashgrove, to be precise. So we went for a walk and ended up near a playground and we decided to try the equipment.

And all we had to record Jimmy's first slide and first swing were our phones... I know I shouldn't complain, but I can't help but wish that I'd had my Canon G15... But if our phones didn't have cameras in them, I wouldn't complain and I'd value my own memories more than having good photos of the event, because those giggles were epically cute. Just like Jimmy (no bias, I'm his Mumumum).

Wednesday 12 March 2014

A rather big day...

Last week, during dinner on Tuesday night, we heard the sound of something hard against the spoon Jimmy had in his mouth. Could it be? After all this time? But we didn't check...

And then 2:30 am, or so, rolls around (Michael and I have only been in bed a few hours due to packing etc.) and Jimmy is not interested in going back to sleep. No amount of bum patting or breast milk seems to do the trick. Michael takes Jimmy to change the little man's nappy and administer some paracetamol - things need to be eliminated so that we might go back to sleep quickly! And quickly and exited is how Michael comes back with a newly toothy baby! With not one, but two freshly cut teeth! No wonder our little man was not interested in sleeping. But the paracetamol kicks in and we all get about 4 hours more sleep (broken with the odd feed).

We may have had a good nights sleep, but we were all still a little out of sorts. Nothing a yoga class can't fix, right? Jimmy and I head off to a yoga class that we haven't been to before, but are going because we can't make it to any others. The location is the same, but the time is earlier... Jimmy refuses to nap more than 20 minutes, which is not unusual, but I dose him up on paracetamol before the class just in case his teeth are bothering him. We rush off, because we loose track of the time. With an unhappy Jimmy in his seat, my bag goes on the passenger seat, I lock the passenger door but the window is down for airflow, and we head off but not without a quick thought about a package I need to send, but we're running late... We arrive yoga, Jimmy is unhappy again so I quickly throw the car key into my bag, get out, lock the drivers door, whip around to the passenger door, go for the handle and...

Yes. It was locked.

Yes. The car key, my phone, and my baby were all in the car.

But the passenger side window open! Not enough to allow me to unlock the car, but enough for airflow and a coat hanger...

I race into the venue, ask for assistance and a coat hanger and race back to the car. By this time Jimmy has settled, but quickly becomes unsettled again. I tried to unlock the car, but that didn't work (wrong lock type) and then I realise that I know where my key is in my bag! So I start working on that while one mum is on the phone to RACQ (and the automated screening process seems to be taking forever), and another mum offers to help with the coat hanger while I talk to Jimmy.

The key is fished out. Jimmy is removed from the car. Tears. Hugs. Melting into a mess. It all happens. Apparently I was calm through out the whole thing, but I was shaking on the inside.

The yoga class was lovely. It turns out I already knew some of the mums, because they were in my regular class until their babies grew too old. We had a good time. Jimmy was understandably clingy and I was understandably teary, but it was good. And Jimmy and I got what we needed: a cry for me (because moving overseas is a bit of a big thing) and a sleep for Jimmy (because teething is a lot of work).

Tuesday 11 March 2014

10/52

"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"

Packing and reading, reading and packing... toys on the floor... chaos... and this little boy remains a nice constant.

There's a lot going on at the moment: US visa stuff, packing, cleaning, putting boxes into storage at obliging parents homes, Jimmy's first two teeth have come through, I've locked Jimmy in the car (more later), there was a mummies night out, my parents stayed for a few nights, more cleaning and a little bit of packing...



Tuesday 4 March 2014

Baby Butterfly



At our very last MummyMe yoga class, run by the lovely Suzanne at Yogababy, last Friday, Jimmy and I performed our last "baby butterfly" and we were lucky to have a neighbour take a few photos for us. All 7.5 months, ~9 kg of Jimmy on one hand, while the other hand holds those pudgy baby feet in. These photos make it look easy... it's not, especially when Jimmy just wants to get out there and explore everything. I'm going to miss our weekly yoga classes at Yoga Baby, but if we move back to Brisbane, I'll be back there with baby #2, whenever that is.

Sunday 2 March 2014

9/52

"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2014"

My little helper, my ever present companion, Jimmy is happy watching me do laundry related things, while he has a book, some blocks and his rattle snake to occupy his hands. The cushion helps when he can no longer sit up.

I might be a little late joining in, but better late than never? Plus one photo a week should be easy enough to maintain while moving about etc etc... I'll try to fill in the gaps, but no promises of them being in chronological order.