For you Bev

So you can see Sam's haircut!!

Alone

So, Nat left on Thursday for 5 weeks overseas. She's currently on her way to Sweden as I type. I'm so thrilled for her, but we'll miss her, and I will most certainly miss her help around here!! Poor Sam was sobbing as she was leaving - as she went down the escalator (towards customs, so we couldn't go) he was just sobbing into my shoulder cos he "just want to give Nat a cuddle". It was so cute....but I think poor Nat had some tears too!

I was telling Cas about it later that night, and she made me realise that the poor kid probably doesn't understand that people actually do come back from Sweden! Hakan left last year and Sam hasn't seen him since. Cas left in Feb, and Sam hasn't seen her since. I ended up asking him if he knew that Aunty Nat would be back in a few weeks and he said "yeah, but I don't like her now cos I just want to give her a cuddle". The logic of a 3 year old.

Max is walking full time. Has been for a few weeks now. He still looks WAY too small to be walking - I am still struggling to believe that I now have 1 little boy and 1 toddler. No babies in this house anymore. It's a bit sad, but I'm looking forward to this next step in being able to enjoy the boys interacting together. Sam can be the sweetest big brother sometimes. He can also be awful and rough....but Max doesn't seem to mind too much most of the time.

I am up to date with proofing at the moment, so I've enjoyed 2 nights away from the computer. First time for over a month!! I've just got a shoot tomorrow at the coast for Phil, Shamus and Finn - and they want them for xmas, so I will have to rush them through! Nothing like stress, huh? I actually think I've lost a bit of weight from being so stressed and busy! It's a good stress though, not a bad stress.

On another note, Clydey told me today that I should just go ahead and get the camera that I want. I was talking to him about how I am starting to feel the limitations of my camera, and that it really underexposes a lot, so I think there might be something wrong with it - and he told me just to go do it! I'm very excited...but have decided to sleep on it. I can't get it for less than $1800 unless I buy it online, and if I do that, it would have to be on my credit card, and I'd really prefer to do interest free terms. Will sleep on it and see what I think. I know I've got enough work over the next few months for it not to be a problem in paying it off.....but I really don't want to have to put it on the credit card.

Anyway, not much else here. Looking forward to a xmas break - although we have to sort out what on earth we are doing with the dog??????? I imagine the kennels will all be booked out by now (mum and dad don't have a fence at their house so she can't really stay there with us).

I am thinking of starting the new year with a post for every day with info on me starting with the letter A, then B, then C and so on. Get me posting regularly again.

Ok, best I leave with some photos then:

Yeah I know...

long time between blogs!

I headed out to mum and dad's the other week and had 6 photo shoots lined up - was so busy getting myself organised for that, then there for a week, and now home proofing....ridiculously busy! In a good way though.

You have to slip over to my work blog (link to the right) to check out my Trash the Dress session - OMG how much fun was that? I still have hundreds of photos to go through, but have banned myself until I get these family ones done first!!

Boy, I just went searching for photos of my boys to post here...and had to go back a LOOONNNGGG way. Seems I've been taking heaps of everyone else and none of Max and Sam! Max is pretty much walking now - he will easily walk across a room - but still only when HE feels like it! Esther thought I was lying about him walking - he always refused to show her, until yesterday actually! I'm glad she believes me now!! It's so cute when they start walking, isn't it?

Speaking of Max, I realised the other day that he is going to be JUST like Cas - clumsy as hell, and a drama queen to boot. The worst possible combination, I think (sorry Cas!!). Lucky he's so bloody beautiful though!!

Ok, photos.

photos

Just a few of Nic's boys I haven't shown off -

He amazes and surprises me.

Sambo. He really does amaze me. I don't give him nearly enough credit for what a gorgeous boy he's become.

We've been talking about the chance of leaving his "buddies" (dummies) out for Santa to give to some little babies who need them. He wasn't really keen on the idea - "nah, Mum, I think I need them more". So, I thought I'd change track and tell him that I'd buy him a lovely big present if we threw all his buddies in the bin. He thought that was a good idea, and that he really, really wanted an excavator (the boy is obsessed with all things boyish!). So, the 1 dummy that he always has, that is the only one that has a clip on it went missing on Sunday. I looked EVERYWHERE for it Sunday night. He went to bed with about 3 other dummies, but I was worried that he would wake up looking for it if it wasn't clipped on him. I actually barely slept on Sunday night trying to work on where on earth I'd put this dummy. Turns out, Sambo threw it in the bin. He told us Monday morning.

Wow, I thought. We might be onto a winner here.

So yesterday we were at the shops. And he spots this toy whipper snipper. Now, as I've mentioned, the kid LOVES all things boyish. In fact, he has been obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED with mowers and whipper snippers from a very young age. He has turned anything in our house that might have a long handle type thing into a whipper snipper. So, you can imagine how excited he was to actually find a proper whipper snipper that makes noise etc! So...he decided that he would throw ALL his buddies in the bin, if I got him the whipper snipper.

So he did.

I was dreading last night. Really, really dreading it. I was tired to start with, and I thought I would be up ALL night with him.

Come bed time, he got a little anxious and told me he didn't want the whipper snipper anymore. I told him that we had thrown all his buddies in the bin, so there were none left. I said he could lie down on the couch and watch some of the Jungle Book (current favourite) with Thomas (the Tiger - also a favourite) and his whipper snipper (a BIG favourite!)...and there he fell asleep. I put him into bed and he slept all night with no problems.

What a little champ, huh? I'm so proud of him, but also kind sad that he's not a baby anymore. Within the space of a few short months, he's toilet trained, and thrown out his dummy. He's getting so big now...and having proper adult conversations.

Way to go Sambo.

Now....onto other stuff - Max has taken his first steps. I can't bloody believe it. At 9.5 months of age, and he's decided he wants to walk. Sob sob sob. Even my baby isn't a baby anymore!

A very big Happy Birthday to Nat and Cas for last Monday.

A very big Happy Birthday to Sal for last Sunday.

A very big Happy Birthday to Doylie for last Wednesday.

A very big Happy Birthday to Michael for last Friday.

Boy, October is a busy month for birthdays for us, isn't it?

Ok, now to leave you with a few photos:

No news really

Just thought I should update! The boys have gone home - we had such a good time with them, even if it was exhausting! They just adored Max (as well they should - he IS adorable!).

We were supposed to go whale watching on Sunday which we were so looking forward to, but it was cancelled as it was too windy. What a bummer. Ah well, next year when Clydey's parents are here, we'll take them.

Max's top tooth has finally started cutting. Did I update his stats? At 8.5 months he was 8.99kg and 74.5cm long. Sam was 75cm long at 12 months so I'm guessing Max will be taller than his big brother??? The midwife was worried because Max's weight gain has really slowed down and she told me to feed him more solids - yeah right, did you take a look at him? He may be a lightweight compared to what Sam was....but he's no shrinking violet!! He's crawling you crazy woman! Of course his weight gain is going to slow down!!

Clydey rang me yesterday telling me we need to have another baby and it HAS to be a girl - apparently he was holding a 12 week old baby girl at work, and got all clucky. He doesn't want another unless it's a girl though!

Ok, nothing else for now. I'll drop back later with some photos.

I don't want 5 kids.

More specifically 5 boys. I love my nephews and I love my sons. But 5 boys might just push me over the edge!!

Having a great time though (even if it is very noisy!!). We are making kites, we have played with play dough, been to the park, jumped on the tramp, played with the golf sticks, played with sticks, been to the shops.....and they've only been here since Friday night!! We are going to Shorncliffe Pier tomorrow, a picnic today, State Library on Wednesday....and maybe rest on Thursday (yeah right!).

Here are some photos - plenty, plenty more to come!!

Update on my kids - Sam fully toilet trained - day and night!! He was waking up with a dry nappy every morning, and the other night when I was putting him to bed I said we need to put a nappy on, and he said "nah, I don't need one"....so I figured, why not give it a go? What a little champ!! Max is still very grizzly....so I am guessing it's more teeth on the way? Can't see any but am hoping to hell that's what it is, cos I don't want him whingy like this all the time!! Still standing every now and then on his own....for longer and longer. It's not all the time though, so am grateful for that.

Ok, best go sweep for the 4th time today!!