she seems to grow overnight!

The past few days whenever I have gotten Gaby up in the morning, she appears to be more grown up than she was the day beforehand. She is making new noises, pulling new faces, getting into more and more. It is like she really is growing right before my eyes - and I guess technically she is! It's quite amazing. A little sad, but mostly amazing!!!!

Still no more teeth, I don't THINK I should be worried about it at this stage, but if they aren't up by the time she turns 1, I will talk to the Plunket Nurse about it.

1st birthday... I don't know how much of a 'party' I should give her. I would LIKE to invite Ter & Gav, Sue & the girls, Serena & Josh, maybe Mel & Raph (depending on them having to travel) - I should probably invite Stu & his sisters too, so maybe that is getting too messy & too many people? I want to make her a birthday cake, but I don't know that it is NECESSARY for her 1st birthday. Well, OF COURSE she needs a cake! Who am I kidding? I should probably try & find recipes for kid-friendly-cakes. I was thinking of just doing a banana cake.... maybe i'll stick to that plan!

10 months!

Gaby was 10 months old last Sunday. She is now a 'double digits girl', and that thought is freaky! I think back to this time last year, being around 33 weeks pregnant & waiting (not so) patiently for her arrival, and now she's almost 1!!!!

She is becoming more and more mobile each day, she can pull herself up against furniture easily now, and can crawl at a rather fast pace. The past couple of weeks I have noticed she is starting to want to feed herself - which is a messy activity, but one that she has to do all the same! It's so cool to see her getting food into her fingers, getting it in her mouth & then eating it. She isn't AS dependent on me anymore, and it's quite cool. Scary, but cool!

Gaby has said three words now. Mum, Nan & Poppa. WOW!!!!!!! I think Mum & Dad are both quite chuffed that she has said their names - Dad told everyone at work that she said 'Poppa' before anything else... obviously forgetting that she has been saying "Mum" for a couple of weeks now!!!!! Oh well, whatever makes him feel like 'the man'.

Last Sunday Gaby also had chocolate ice cream for the first time! She certainly enjoyed it, and got good and messy!

love her so much

Once again - I can't believe how much I love that little girl. She has been so cheeky lately - getting into stuff she shouldn't be getting into - but at the same time KNOWING she shouldn't be, and giving me a sneaky little grin as she pulls on a cord, or takes a DVD from the rack, or puts her hand in the middle of the TV screen.

She has started saying Mum! Talk about a wonderful moment in my life. I know it is more than a 'noise' - it is a real word. The past few days she has been standing up a LOT, I am scared (in a pleasant way) that she's going to start walking in the very near future.

I watched Maternity Ward yesterday, and I have to say, I am so so so glad that everything was okay with me & Gaby before & after her delivery. There is so much that can go wrong, I am so lucky that everything was straight forward for the two of us. I am so lucky to have a happy, healthy, thriving baby girl.

so grown up

Since Gaby started crawling - she has seemed so grown up, all of a sudden! She is getting into EVERYTHING, and doing things she'd not have done a week ago. I love it, but it's also a bit scary!

She is beginning (slowly) to learn what "no" means, and I think she's beginning to know certain things she's not allowed to touch or play with.... I REALLY need to do some more baby proofing though, and try to figure out some ways to make the house a bit more baby-safety-friendly.. There is nothing really obviously harmful - BUT I'm sure there are hazards out there that I've not thought of.

I've been reminiscing about Gaby's birth some more lately... and about my pregnancy. I can't wait to be pregnant again & to experience my child growing inside me. Although when I say I "can't wait" I don't mean I want to be pregnant now, or even in the next couple of years........ I want to devote my time to Gaby right now...

crawling!

On the 2nd of August, at approx 2.37pm - GABY STARTED CRAWLING!!!!!!!!!!!

My baby is officially mobile now, and it's all a little scary. It means she's a step closer to being independent. She no longer needs me to carry her everywhere. Soon she'll be walking. Then running. Not to mention talking. Going to primary school. Going to intermediate. Going to high school. Dating. Going to university (if she wishes to)..... Getting married... having children..... Okay, so maybe there are still quite a few years before she reaches that peak, BUT it's all getting more and more real!

Tomorrow we are getting some more Pixi Foto's taken tomorrow - and I think Terri & Gav, Sue & the girls are going to get a photo done with her as well. It's all quite exciting really - I'm going to love having these photo's to look back on in the future!

I think we are teething at the moment, she's been waking up at 4.30-5.30am, and not going back to sleep, she's grizzly, dribbling a whole lot, chewing on anything that will fit in her mouth. I really hope these dang teeth arrive soon, so that I can have a good 7-8 hour sleep. I'm starting to feel a little rundown at the moment, BUT it's all part of the package isn't it. And if I had to choose between good sleep, or having Gaby - Gaby would win every single time!

growth spurt & 12 months approaching

the past few days Gaby has been quite grizzly - and quite hungry, just acting quite out of character. Last night she had THREE bowls of dinner! LOL. I am picking she is having a growth spurt, I remember the plunket nurse saying that she'd probably have her next between 9-10 months.

Josh turned 1 the other day, so that means Gaby isn't far off! Scary stuff. I'm trying to decide if I should buy her anything else for her b/day - she is only going to be 1 - she isn't going to understand what the heck is going on, and will probably be more interested in the boxes! BUT it would be nice to spoil her! I might get her some more books, and a couple of cute little outfits maybe...

Not sure if I will have a 'party' for her... I will invite Sue & the girls, Ter, Gav & Tyler... and probably Josh & Serena... and then there will be Stu & his sisters.... hmmmm could be a busy day!

happy 9 month b/day

Gaby is 9 months old today!!!! 9 months ago today, my life changed irreversibly - not that I'd want to reverse it!

It's really funny (well not funny haha) how much your life changes once you have a baby. You realise how much you've taken certain things for granted (sleeping in!), you realise that your parents weren't really that bad, you realise how important family is, you realise how un-important going out & getting drunk every weekend is... Your choice in friends changes, you drift away from those friends without children, and get closer to those with children. And suddenly YOU are not the most important thing in your life - your baby/child is 10x more important than you, and you automatically put their needs ahead of your own.

Some people probably think "that sounds pretty lame" - but I love it. I feel like my life is on the track it's meant to be on, since I've had Gaby. I don't think I'm meant to be a 'career woman', I don't think I'm meant to be someone who travels until they are 40........ I think I'm meant to be a Mum. I KNOW I'm meant to be a Mum.

Although sometimes, with the way things are with society now, I feel like it's not good enough for me JUST to be a Mum. I should be working 40 hours a week, while studying at the same time. Until recently that has caused me a lot of confusion. But I have finally realised that I CAN 'just be a Mum'. I don't HAVE to be at university. I don't HAVE to be working 40 hours a week. For me personally, the most important thing is that Gaby is put first - and that she's the most important thing in my life - that she gets as much time with me as possible during the early days, to build that all important foundation of love & respect........

I love her so much..... she's a little monkey at times, but I love her all the more for it!