My Super Trooper...

Yesterday I took Beth and myself off to have our combined flu/swine flu shots... I was initially only going to get Beth done with swine flu only, but after consultation with our GP friends, we figured, if she was going to get jabbed, she may as well get jabbed for both the flu and swine flu, since that vaccine was now available... And even though I got a swine flu shot last year, I decided to get the combined shot just to cover myself (nothing worse than having to look after children while you're sick) and also I read some recommendations that apparently the baby can also get some immunity to the flu as a passed on effect from me having the vaccine. I got my shot free anyway because I'm pregnant thanks to an initiative of the federal government.

Anyway... I was really dreading taking Beth... I didn't tell her where we were going... I just said we were going to the shops (which is true, the medical centre is part of a shopping centre)... and then when we got there I said, we have to see the doctor for a little bit and then we'll go shopping... so we went in... went through the admin rigmarole and then Beth watched me get my shot done... and I said, "Look, mummy's having an injection, I'm a brave girl"... and then we told her she was going to have an injection too and it was going to hurt for just a little bit, but then it would stop... so I held her on my lap while she sat really still and cuddled Jemima really tight (seriously, I was expecting a struggle from her!), and then she actually watched the needle go in and flinched a bit... and then it was all over a few seconds later... no tears, no crying, no drama! She was *such* a brave girl, I was amazed! She wasn't fazed by it at all... she got a green jellybean as a reward from the doctor... and then while we waited for 15 minutes to make sure we didn't have any adverse reactions to the vaccine, I also gave her some stickers to entertain her, a chocolate frog and a few M&Ms as a reward... I thought she deserved it! She kept saying "I'm a brave girl.. I got a green jellybean... When I see Daddy, I can tell him I'm a brave girl!"... so we rang Phan and she told him over the phone that she was a brave girl... :)

Seriously, my fears of her having a meltdown were complete unfounded based on her reaction... She's one tough cookie. Hopefully it will go this smoothly again when I have to take her back in 4 weeks to have her second shot (children under 10 have to have 2 shots... doesn't that suck!)

Her Bac Bao Anh also rang her in the evening to say well done on being a brave girl and as soon as Phan put her on the phone she exclaimed excitedly "I had an injection! I'm a brave girl!" LOL... she makes it sound like it's a fun event!

We've only had some minor side effects, which was to be expected... but it still gave me terrible mother's guilt for putting my girl through all this... I just have to remind myself it's all for the greater good and to try and protect the baby as best we can. Beth woke up with a fever around 2:30am... managed to get some Dymadon into her (that was more of a drama than the needle!) and then she seemed to get back to sleep fine... I went and snuggled in her bed at around 6:30am and we fell asleep together and didn't get up 'til 8:30am! She's been a pretty good mood mostly... a little more irritable, sensitive than normal, and a bit flat and tired (read: spaced out in front of the TV), but all things considered, she's doing pretty well. I'm sporting a lingering headache, which is my only side-effect and my arm really hurts and feels like a dead weight from my shot, so I'm impressed Beth hasn't complained once about her arm... I would be!

We managed to get to playtime this morning which was good fun.. it was easter-themed, so we made an easter basket and some easter cards... and then came home (Beth was starting to lose it a little and get quite cranky), had a small bite of lunch and we both crashed out and had a mega-nap for 1.5 hours( AWESOME!), followed by some funny games in bed with soft toys...

So here's our super trooper girl this evening... She's rediscovered the frog mask (found during the artwork cull during the weekend) and is enjoying wearing it again... I know the photo is nothing special, but Phan totally surprised me out of the blue by getting me a 85mm f/1.8 lens today... I was totally was not expecting that... and it's not for any particular reason either... he just wanted to get it for me... he's spoils me far too much! My first non-L series lens, but its still sharp and I can see that I'm probably going to love using this focal length... this photo was taken in the quick 5 minutes I was mucking around indoors... for interest sake, shot at ISO 6400, f/1.8, 1/320... ah... it's been a while since I've shot at 1.8, so it's a lovely change! Can't wait to have a play around with it outside... hopefully tomorrow if the weather is kind to us...

Cuddles...

I now finally know what it's like to have a child who gives cuddles, kisses and hugs... Beth's never really been into any of these things (despite enjoying being on the receiving end of all three of these things!)... but in the last couple of months and esp the last couple of days she's become a really cuddly child... She cuddles a different toy to sleep every night... and in the middle of dinner last night she just wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me and gave me loooong smoooch kisses for a few minutes for no reason... She even makes her soft toys give me kisses... And last night after I tucked her into bed and was about to leave she said to me "Give me a hug, Mummy"... and I got a great big cuddle and kiss back in return.... I'm loving that I'm finally getting to experience this affectionate side of her...

We've been creative, artistic and crafty...

Okay... quiet for the last week on the blog because I've had some crafting projects on the go...

First up - here's Elizabeth, looking pretty pleased with herself after painting some things for an easter craft activity I was doing with her... I don't know why she loves putting paint on her face!

And here's the end result of the craft activity I was doing with her... It was supposed to be easter themed... but I guess the only easter-ish thing about this, is the fact these little critters are egg shaped! Beth looves the little alien/monsters she created... so much she wanted to take them to mass with us this morning, but I managed to convince her to leave them at home and take a soft toy cow with us instead!





I thought I'd also just mention, since I just said we went to mass this morning, that Beth had a great time at mass this morning... It's Palm Sunday, so there was the blessing of the palms and we all got a palm cross which Beth loved holding and looking at... it was also "Family Mass Day", which is great because instead of having a sermon, there is an informal children's based discussion where all the children come and sit up near the front of the church while one of the children's liturgists talks to them and gets them to interact and talk about the gospel. Today's gospel being the Passion was an important discussion and it was cleverly organised so that there were 12 plastic eggs with different objects in there and different kids got a chance to open the eggs and see what was inside and link the objects to the story of the Passion... eg, a crown of thorns, dice (for when they cast lots for Jesus' clothes), a cross, nails etc etc... it was really great to see all the children getting into it. Today was the first time that Beth went up and sat with all the other children to listen to the discussion (she normally just sits with me and Phan)... so it was so lovely to see her becoming more independent and confident to join in and sit with the other children.

Okay... so to fit in with the craft stuff we've been doing, I decided it was time for me photograph some more of Beth's artwork and cull some of it (it's getting ridiculous!) So here's a (very small) selection of some painting she's done in the last 6 months -





I actually photographed 130+ pieces of her artwork (and chucked out about 500 pieces of paper I reckon!)... so I'll be pulling adding more to this Masterpieces series soon...

And lastly, the crafty thing I've been working on this week has been this -





It's a fabric noticeboard... It was inspired by something I saw in a shop (that cost $90!) and I thought I would have a go at making one myself... basically it's one of those art canvases wrapped in a piece of calico and I've appliqued/sewn on the house and garden scene using bits of leftover fabric, wool, felt and ribbon. The ribbon at the top has miniature pegs attached to it so Beth can hang little notes or pieces of paper/art from it... I've hung it up in her room and Beth just loves having it there... she thinks it's very pretty... :)

Happy Birthday Ong!

Baby brain has resulted in me realising (a little too late) that now that Beth goes to kindy/preschool 2 days a week, I actually don't have her available to do stuff at the drop of the hat... so I didn't realise until it was too late that we hadn't drawn a picture and sent it off to Ong in time for him to receive for his birthday! We are so sorry! So, to make up for it, we did this picture for you this morning and I took a photo of Mai holding it and it will be in the post for you this week!

Happy Birthday! Talk to you tonight on Skype!

bright.bubbly.beautiful

my.joy

I'm now into my third trimester and the days and weeks are flying by and I'm becoming ever so conscious of the fact that our world is about to change in so many ways when the baby arrives... One thing that I'm sure I am going to miss is the one-on-one time I've been able to have with Beth... Lately, she has really been an absolute delight... she's such a lovely, good-natured child... She often says to me "Thank you Mummy, for making dinner for me..." which makes me smile and just melt... We also have been having lazy mornings and afternoon snuggles in bed after her nap... I'm just treasuring these times of cuddling next to her in her bed... having her give me kisses out of the blue, feeling her hold my hand and squeeze it... I'm just breathing in these moments and holding onto them while I can...

And so here is today's photo... taken during some afternoon snuggling and tickling amongst the bedsheets... *so much fun*...

Hiding Behind The Baby

I had plans and images in my head when I setup the tripod to take some photos of me, Beth and my little bump... but do you think any of those plans and images came to fruition? Of course not... ah well... thems the breaks... Of the 50 or so photos I took, this one of a handful of decent shots... I think it's kind of cute...

Our day.

Woke up 7:10am...
Dallied and had cuddles and snuggles for half an hour before getting out of bed.
Made bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Watched Playschool whilst eating a pink lady apple, fresh from Stanthorpe (yum!).
Made chocolate brownies.
Made chapati bread and had fun rolling it out flat... spread it with butter and cheese (yeah, we're totally authentic here) and ate it for lunch.
Did some drawing and colouring in.
No nap... (naps are going out of fashion again... She's only napped once in the last 7 days...)
Went to the pool to practise our swimming (highlight of Beth's day!).
Cooked spaghetti and had it with bolognaise sauce for afternoon tea. (She was a hungry, hungry hippo after swimming).
Played puzzles, more drawing and played pretend camping with toys.
Mummy loomed a rainbow sleeping bag for Flower Bear.
Had another pink lady apple (for dinner!).
Played hairdressers and pretend eating and drinking coffee at a cafe. (Don't know where she picked up the coffee drinking business since I don't drink coffee!)
Had a bath. A loooong bath... spent most of it washing cars with a wash cloth and spray bottle...
Happy to see Daddy at 6:45pm! (A long 13 hour day at work for Phan... poor Daddy.)
Played more hairdressers!
Almost fell asleep in front of Playschool with a bottle of milk, but Mummy kept being annoying to prevent that from happening.
Mummy finished looming a beautiful feather-y cocoon for the baby.. :)

And just wanted to share this little photo I took last week... Beth has a thing for flowers (yes, even weed flowers) at the moment, so I snapped her with this flower... excuse the fact she's a bit sweaty... it was a hot and humid day and she had been running around the backyard like a maniac!

Now this Mummy is totally beat... off to bed!

Time to catchup...

Yes, I've been quiet on the blog front again... last Tuesday we got back from a 1 week visit back to Adelaide ... we had a great time at home and we really just enjoyed being around family and being back in our home town... it's going to be 9-10 months until we head back again, but I'm sure the time will just fly by!

Beth loved hanging out and being doted on by her Ong Ba and aunties and uncles ... so much that she didn't want to go home! We left it until the very last night to tell her that we were going back to Brisbane and she said to us "Noooo... I want to stay here in this home."... It was a bit heart-breaking for us, 'cos she's now finally reached the age where she really enjoys and company and loves being around family...

As a side issue, Beth *really* doesn't like take-offs and landings in planes... which also may have contributed to her reluctance to leave Adelaide... She freaks out at the shaking and doesn't like the sensation at all... it didn't help that we also hit a spot of turbulence in the second hour of the flight and she got scared and kept saying... "Whoa... help me!" repeatedly... and then we had quite a bumpy landing too... but we survived (well, she did!)... hopefully the memory of the flight fades a bit by Christmas when we travel again!

We've settled in back home pretty quickly... no issues at bedtime like we had after we came back from Christmas... and she happily went to kindy on Thursday ... however, on Friday she didn't want to go for some unknown reason... When I asked her if she wanted to go to kindy she goes to me... "Nooo... I want to stay home." I think she was trying to scam a day at home on the couch watching some Playschool... but when I said to her "If you stay at home, you won't be watching any TV", she reluctantly decided to get dressed and ready for kindy... and when we got there, she just skipped off and started playing wooden blocks with the other children. When I went to pick her up, she had a little splot of green paint on her nose and she was really happy and chattering away non-stop about her day... She got a (ghostbuster) sticker for doing a good show and tell about her toy Peter Rabbit... and she played a dragon game on the computer and his favourite colour was orange and you had to click on the balloons (or something like that... she obviously liked playing the computer 'cos she told us this story about 5 times!). They coloured in pages from the story "Wombat Stew" and she did painting and made green paint from blue and yellow... (she loves mixing paint and can tell you that you need red and yellow to make orange, blue and yellow to make green and red and blue to make purple... I think that's pretty cool!) So in the end she had a great day at kindy and I think she's glad she went. :)

I had an obs apptment on Friday... Everything is going well... I'm still feeling good, although my tummy is beginning to feel really *HUGE* now and it's becoming an effort to get to my feet (esp from bed) and bend over to pick up things (which I feel like I'm doing constantly!) I've also developed a lot of klutziness too... I keep dropping things and today I managed to knock a glass on the floor where it smashed to smitherines... Took forever to sweep up all the fragments of glass and vaccuum all the tiny bits up... I was quite cross at myself! I'm in the last week of the second trimester... and it's beginning to freak me out that there is not that long to go and I have a heap of things I want to do before this baby joins us!

I have a feeling Beth is starting to sense something about the baby's arrival too... She has been very cuddly the last few days... giving me hugs and kisses for no reason... coming up and rubbing my tummy... And those who know Beth, will know that's really unusual for her 'cos she's not a very cuddly child and I normally have to extract hugs and kisses out of her! She's also been insisting I give her baths and put her to bed (something Phan was taking turns doing with me) and during the night I have to take her to the toilet or put cream on an itchy spot on her arm... Not sure what exactly is going through her head, but I'm trying to spend lots of time with her and telling her about the baby... She felt the baby kick for the very first time while we were in Adelaide... she woke up from a nap really grumpy and I was giving her a cuddle in my lap and she was lying on my tummy and the baby decided to give her a great big kick and she was really surprised and taken aback and jumped back a bit and looked at my tummy and went "Whoa!"... I told her the baby just wanted to say hello to her and she seemed to accept that... :)

Today we went shopping for a little bit at Chermside... We let Beth choose a toy to buy with some of her li xi money (Vietnamese New Year money) as she'd been quite spoilt from all her rellies while we were in Adelaide. She's recently developed a bit of a thing for "My Little Pony" stuff... so she was looking at some My Little Pony things... she developed an interest in 3 toys and in the end chose the cheapest of them all... So here she is playing with new toy... she absolutely adores it... she makes the mummy pony and baby pony ride in the car and has been playing games with them all afternoon... I overheard her talking to them and saying "And the ponies are going to Adelaide..."... LOL... so cute... she obviously hasn't forgotten all our family back there... :)

Want some pancake with that sugar?

I'm in the processing of writing a longer blog post, but I just wanted to quickly share this photo taken on Thursday this week... Elizabeth insisted on having pancakes for breakfast, and I didn't have any shop bought ones on hand (yeah, I'm lazy and normally have a packet floating around 'cos I don't like having to make pancakes *everyday*), so we made a batch of mini pancakes/pikelet things before kindy... Anyway, I'd cooked a batch and given Beth one and let her spread it with butter 'cos she insisted in her independent little way - "I can do it... I can do it"... so as she was doing that, I turned to cook a second batch and then heard an excited Beth exclaiming "I did it Mummy... I put sugar on my pancake..." and I turn around to find a lovely neat little mound of sugar on her pancake. Yep... I think that's enough sugar, darling! In the interest of having things in moderation, I did make her redistribute the sugar onto some other pancakes though ... :)

Always Remembered, Always Loved