Ramblings of today

Reflecting on today...its been a good one. There have been some highs and lows, but my favourite part - was when D2 had a day sleep, and D1 had "quiet time" in her room, for nearly 2 hours! I had 2 whole hours of PEACE and QUIET...and it was AMAZING! I had a little 30 minute power nap on the couch and just pottered around the house - not really wanting to do much for fear of waking D2!

These two monkeys test my strength and build my character on the daily. I need to remind myself constantly that its a journey, for all of us. They are learning so much from the world around them, and how I hold myself in times of frustration/stress will ultimately impact on them down the track. 

Parenting can be a scary thing in that sense...we are gifted with such a precious job and it holds huge responsibility as they are the products of how we bring them up (along with other variables of course!). Though, we as parents are only human, we can ask for grace and guidance and strength so that we can make the right decisions in moments where our heart says one thing but our head says another!

After our peaceful lunch naps, D1 had laid a little blanket down on the floor with some books and toys. D2 woke and wanted to sit down on it with her - but this caused a mini erruption as D1 simply didnt want her little sister sitting on her mat with her things! So D2 and I went and grabbed a bigger mat, and set it out for ourselves. All the while, Im talking about sharing, and playing nicely with one another etc etc...D1 got ever so slightly jealous that I had sat down on D2s mat and it didnt take long for her to ask her little sister if she could join in with us for the fun :)

I made the girls little hot chocolates (cacao powder, almond milk, dash of maple and some mini marshmallows) - this is no where near as good as a straight forward hot chocolate - but, they willingly oblige. D1 pulled faces whilst drinking it whilst D2 just went gung ho - and plastered it all over her face! 

I then ran them a bath (which they dont normally have due to the sibling rivalry) and I thought tonight I might pop some Frankincense in there, which is a powerful oil in so many ways, but I was wanting it for its 'bonding' properties! ahaha  and you know what - for the first time in forever (Frozen, anyone?!) they had a long bath together, playing nicely with no fighting! It would have been close on an hour they were in there together and I was amazed! And this calm, loving sisterly behaviour carried on right the way through to bedtime. I had been diffisuing frankincense through the house with some lavender too - just for an added boost of love!  You dont reckon Frankincense will become my go to oil then for the girls daily then, do ya!?
[I am obsessed with my essential oils - what is the deal with them, you ask? Drop me a line - I would LOVE to share my passion of them with you!]

I am going to try and keep my camera within arms reach through the days, to capture some little moments in the day, so I can better remember just what my girls were like at this age. As much as they drive me crazy, I want to remember everything - the good and the bad. I also want to video as much as I can so I can remember the sweet sound of their high pitched voices, and the silly little things they come out with! 

D1: Are the mosquitos going to be out tonight, mum?
Me: Probably, sweetheart.  They always like to come out at night time.
D1: Well, Im just going to fight the mosquitos and say RAAAAAAAAAR..
Mosquitos are never going to be my friend

xxx

Sweet D1, wondering why on earth her hot chocolate tastes so vile!

 

These little crooked feet....I simply adore them. They carry her far and wide, to wherever her heart desires. Usually...into mischief!

My little wildling - always grubby!

{family} A new year

2012 was a busy, hectic year. No wonder it went so fast! But i can tell already that 2013 is going to be just as crazy!

For those that haven't yet heard, we are expecting our second little bundle of joy, due in early July! We will be finding out if its a little brother or sister for Miss Placid, so stay tuned on that front!

We have 2 amazing weddings to attend toward the latter part of the year which we are really looking forward to! My beautiful best friend will be tying the knot in Broome, and our close friends will be getting married the following month in Bali! We have never been to Bali before so we are excited to see what that will entail - especially with a 2 month old and a 22 month old! :/

This year I hope to be alot more productive and organised than I was last year! Im hoping to get back into the word more, and have started a Chronological reading plan which i really hope to keep up with! I am also hoping to write and journal more, so hopefully there will be more regular blog posts going up!  I would like to start making some more dresses and bits and pieces for Miss Placid, and to also start decorating my home more, to make it more homely, inviting and personal. I have been looking for inspiration on pinterest and etsy already!

2012 was a tough year for us financially and we are praying for God's provision and blessing for 2013 that it will be our year to get back on top. We really need to learn to trust in God's faithfulness as we make decisions and trust in His timing and plan.

Looking forward to seeing what I will learn this year and what exciting adventures we will go on!

Stay tuned...

Much love

{family} there be changes a coming

So, our family is about to enter the world of living on one income - scary times!  As of next month, we will be short approximately $3,000 per month, which means, we have a lot of careful consideration to do when it comes to budgeting and living. We wont be able to live by the same carefree means we have in the past, and as such, are looking for any ways we can stretch our money to make it count!

First things first for us is nappies....we have been using Huggies with Miss Placid since birth, but those babies are $33 per box and we go through roughly 200 nappies a month! Crazy huh! After a bit of research, Im going to go with the Snugglers, which you can get at Big W for just under $20 a box....big saving there!

Ive also decided I can save on baby wipes by using face wash cloths when I am at home. These are easy washed and reusable, and I can just use the disposable wipes when I am out at the shops!

Because my hair is currently dark, I can probably get by stretching out my hair appointments now. I used to go 6 weekly when I was blonde, so i think as long as I am dark, I can probably stretch these out to 3 monthly appointments (or more) instead!

We are thinking about setting a limit with our groceries (yet to be decided on the amount) and buying monthly. Once we have spent the grocery money, that will be it - so it will take careful planning to make sure our meals stretch out and last that long.

As for keeping gas, electricity and water down, Im not really sure how we will make a huge difference to these bills. I guess just limiting the use of lights, switching off at the wall, limiting our shower times and making the most of using the washing machine - ie only using when it is a full load.

There will be much more having people over for coffees instead of heading out for coffees and I will have to watch my fuel closely, making the most out of my trips as I tend to drive around alot! I have no idea how to make birthdays and Christmas presents work, but perhaps I will have to get a little more creative on that front! We are also considering downsizing our home and moving to an area, a little closer up the freeway, but not too far from Mr O's work.

It is quite a daunting road ahead of us, and if we were completely honest, we aren't sure how we are going to get through it! But, we do know that we have a good, and faithful God, and he doesn't let us get in over our heads more than we can manage.  We put our faith and trust in Him with our finances and are praying for and seeking His wisdom and guidance through these times.

I would absolutely love to hear from all you mummas out there who have travelled this road before us, to hear how you got by and the little things you did to stretch your dollars further! 

Much love

Daughter of the King
x

{obedience} disconnecting to reconnect

You may remember back here where I decided to give up Facebook for the month of March.  I wasn't very successful...I did manage not to post anything on Facebook for the entire month, or respond to anyone on there, but I did give in and check it most days after the first week!

After this experience, I quickly realised how much of an addictive thing Facebook had become in my life.  I felt the urge to check it...all the time...and this was unhealthy.  I also hated the fact that it took away my time as a 'mother' to Miss Placid and I started becoming a bit absent. As she would be playing, it was very easy to just sit beside her and scroll through the news feeds, seeing what everyone was up to.  I really believe God was doing a work in me to make me understand that Facebook was somewhat a disease I needed to rid myself of. It wasn't a hard decision, and sometime in the beginning of April I deleted our account and haven't looked back.

However, it didn't take me long to find something to replace Facebook in my life....and it was called 'Instagram'.  Another social media app where you post pictures of whatever you please. People can follow you, and you can follow others. You can comment on peoples pictures and hash tag them into a category for the world to see.  At first, I didn't see it as a problem at all. I only had close friends or family following me and I was really just using it to put pictures of Miss Placid up for them to see.  But then, my followers started increasing, people I didn't even know were wanting to 'follow' me and my pictures...and you know what....it felt good. It was nice seeing that number of people go up and I would look forward to checking in to see what new comments people had put on my pictures and if anyone new was following me.

I caught up with a beautiful girlfriend during the week, one who has been through an extremely tough time this last year.  She lost her first born, a beautiful baby girl, at birth.  She is absolutely amazing, and the fact that she has remained steadfast in her faith, relying on Gods goodness and faithfulness in such a traumatic situation, is testament to her beautiful relationship with Christ.  We got chatting about social media, and how she also is no longer on Facebook and how she doesn't miss it either.  She was saying her friends are always asking her to come back on so that she can not 'miss out' on anything! Its funny how quickly people forget that you can still be a part of someone's life without living vicariously through Facebook or social media! We discussed how you end up following and having so many people follow you that aren't necessarily great friends, just acquaintances.... but they end up knowing every intricate detail of your life and what you have been up to!  I remember going to a gathering a couple of months back and people who i didnt even know came up to Miss Placid and I and said "Oh, this is Miss Placid - i feel like I know her already!!" It was pretty confronting and scary really!  

We also spoke about how Instagram and Facebook becomes such a pin up board for the perfect life and it can be quite a selfish feat.  You end up comparing yourself to the lives other people are 'living'....or the lives you believe they are living through the select images and posts they put up! People appear to have such perfect lives on there....it is easy to feel quite complacent with your own and with the things you do during the week! That, along with looking forward to seeing what people have to say about your pictures or your posts and comments, for me, I began to realise was quite a vain thing.

This last week, I again am feeling the heart of God give me a gentle nudge.  What am i really using this app for? How much time am I spending on it as opposed to spending time with my daughter or time spent with God? I quickly felt shame and have realised that again, I need to make some changes.  I do love instagram for the fact of sharing photos of Miss Placid with my family, so I will be cutting it right back to have only family and friends that live away that will be able to follow my photos on Instagram.  I will only be posting photos of Miss Placid, and the occasional shot of me or Mr O with her as a family {In time, I may even get rid of it totally, and just stick to the good old fashioned emails to close family and friends!} There is no need to be posting pictures of what I am eating for lunch, of selfish 'selfie' shots of myself, just so I can get 'approval' from others as to how I look. My approval should be coming from only one person, and that is God himself.  I shouldn't be glorifying myself the way I have been. 

1 Timothy 2:9 (NIV) says "I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 

 I also like how this is worded in the Message:

1 Timothy 2:9 

"And i want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it"

This isn't for everyone, and a lot of people don't struggle with addictions to social media the way I have in the past...but this is something that i have been convicted by in my spirit and in my life and it is time for me to stop conforming and start transforming my life the way God wants me to live it!

I am sure there may be other things that may pop up as temptations to distract me as I go through this journey to being a more present mumma, wife and daughter of Christ, but I know that with his strength, and if i continue to listen to his gentle nudgings, I will stay on the straight and narrow.

Much love

Daughter of the King
x

P.S. If there is anyone that is really going to miss seeing Miss Placid on Instagram, and doesnt receive my 'monthly' Miss Placid updates by email, but would like to stay in touch that way, send me an email and I will add you to the mailing list. 

{motherhood} through the darkness, there is light...

Today, DD1 and I said farewell to an amazing lady - someone who has helped us out immensely over the past 3 months. Someone who has been more of a friend to me than some of the friends I have had for years. She will be greatly missed, on a 'work relationship' level...but I also know i have gained a friend for life in her.

Before DD1 came into our lives, people were asking me if I was prepared to be a mother. Of course I was. I was married to the love of my life and in love, we were blessed to be able to create a life together, one that we would bring up in the best way possible, to the best of our knowledge. We would figure it out along the way! A few people towards the end of my pregnancy asked if I was aware of Post Natal Depression (PND) and what that entailed.  I was aware of it, i had heard of it, but I was adamant it wasn't going to be an 'issue' for me. I was a positive person with a positive outlook on life. I looked at motherhood as an exciting adventure - I was gaining a new little best friend who would keep me company through the day and love me unconditionally.  PND was for those that were already struggling in life, weren't happy or had struggled with depression in the past. No way...not me.

I was so wrong.

I have since learnt that depression, in any form, isn't something you can choose to have or not have. It.........................................just.........................................happens. And it happened to me.

When DD1 was born, I thought i had it all under control. Motherhood seemed to come easy to me. I waltzed out of the hospital, babe in arm, and I was happy and complete. We went out for dinner that night to my mother-in-laws house and people were amazed at how quickly I was up and at it! 

It didn't take long for everything to come crashing down.

About 5 days in, things became real. The bucket loads of advice and information I had taken in about how to raise DD1 - how to feed her, hold her, how long she should be sleeping, how often she should be feeding, whether she should be using a dummy (etc, etc) - caught up with me and I started doubting my ability as a mother. I had some extremely dark moments, and at times, I was wishing I had never chosen to be a mother.  I couldn't do it, I was a failure and was not cut out for this job! It was (and is) a tough job and I really struggled. I tried to hold it together in public, but when I was alone at home with DD1, I broke down. I was curled up in a ball, sobbing....heartbroken and struggling. 

It was my mother who prompted me to go and seek some help from a Dr and have a chat to her about PND. Even at that point, I was denying it. I just thought i must have been exhausted and tired, but there was more to it than that. On a chemical and hormonal level, I was depressed. The Dr diagnosed me with mild PND and sent me on my way with advice to get out more and have a break from DD1 whenever possible.

I managed to go and see my Child Health Nurse seeking some help with getting DD1 to sleep - as I believed that I was only feeling this way because she wouldn't sleep (well, not for as long as everyone was saying she should be!) She decided to come out to my house to help me out (for free) as we couldn't afford to trudge off to a sleep school! Upon coming to our house and spending an hour with me to see what it took for me to get DD1 to sleep, and how exhausted, stressed and upset I was, she offered me a golden ticket---there was a service that was available to women struggling with PND, a service that entailed an "in-home carer" to come out to your house, for up to 13 weeks, to help you out, and it was Government funded! She said that I should think about it and if I wanted to go ahead with it, to call her back the next day and she will set it up for me.  You don't think i was up early, calling that Child Health Nurse at the crack of dawn that following day!

And that's where Tracey comes in.  

Tracey was the lady assigned to help me out with DD1. I was asked what days and hours I wanted her to come, and because of the state I was in, I asked for as much time with her as possible!!! She has been with me 3 days a week for 6.5 hours each day for the past 13 weeks. I refer to her as my angel as I honestly believe she was sent to me for a reason...to get me through a really rough and dark time.

She has been an amazing source of encouragement in her time with me. She helped me realise that I am an amazing mother to DD1, that I am doing a fantastic job and that I am doing everything right. She offered her advice where necessary and gave me some really helpful hints along the way. She came with me to appointments and helped me build up the courage to do things that I was too scared to try on my own with DD1 - eg: using my shopping trolley cover for the first time! Its a tricky thing to put on you know! ;)  There are years between Tracey and I, but you would never have known that.  For the most part, she was simply a friend. She would come and share a cuppa with me, and just hang out. She was someone I could rely on, and for that, I am eternally grateful as PND really shows you who your friends are!

I'm really going to miss having her around, but I am also really looking forward to starting a new chapter and continuing on with our relationship - which will evolve into more of a friendship now.  I am not ashamed of my depression. I am speaking out about it in the hope that it may encourage others that are struggling to know that they are not alone, and that they don't have to struggle on their own. There is help out there. Some people didn't know how to handle me, or how to act around me, especially when I had Tracey around - and that is ok, it can be hard to know what to do or say - but the best advice I have is to not shy away from anyone struggling! Make a point to be present - make an effort, really 'ASK' if they are ok. Rock up their place with coffee and cake, even if they 'arent up for it'...they will appreciate it!.
Through it all I believe I have always continued to be the same person, I just needed a friend to hold me up as I stumbled through the beginnings of motherhood.

I hope that one day I can help someone else in the same way Tracey has helped me.

If you know someone that is struggling with PND, or if you are yourself and you would like some more information on help that is available, please feel free to contact me, or your local Child Health Nurse for some more information.  

Psalm 56:12-13

I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.  For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Much love

Daughter of the King

x

Autumn is here {we think}

So it finally seems as though Autumn has arrived here in Perth, Western Australia! We have had a long, hot summer, with some crazy storms and wet days in there too - but so far, Autumn for us has consisted of a rather long heat wave with temperatures getting up to 41 degrees!

This is no fun when you dont have air-con in your home! **Cue spending time at the folks house and hanging out at shopping centres to escape the heat!**

The heat has also meant i havent been brave enough to venture out for walks with Miss Placid in the pram. Also, partly due to the fact I have this fear that she will start a tanty when im a good 20 mins or so from getting back home!

Mr O finished his shifts yesterday so we decided we would take an evening stroll down to the park and see if we could get Miss Placid used to her pram again!

It was about a quarter to five. The sun was still up but a cool breeze was blowing. The leaves from all the gorgeous trees in our estate had started to turn brown and were lining the footpaths where we walked!

The colours that were out were amazing! I couldnt believe the bright green grass and the clear blue sky! Just amazing - God is amazing....

Simple pleasures like this seem to slow the pace of life down...just a little. Enough for us to pause and enjoy our little bundle of joy as she explored new scenery and views!

Miss Placid has been such a happy little bunny since we started her on formula. I didnt want to have to do it, but my milk supply had dropped so much I couldnt sustain her anymore. Im thankful I can still give her at least 1 feed in the morning from me....I cherish that time while it lasts!

 

Society for some reason seems to put breastfeeding on such a pedalstool..it almost seems frowned upon when people find out your baby is on formula.  I dont know why that is. I think, as long as your baby is healthy, thriving and happy - and you are as well, then it cant be such a bad thing!

She has certainly captured our hearts...

As Mr O and I spoke, we were even toyed with the idea of expanding our family of 3 to a family of 4....my oh my - we are obviously sleep deprived and delirious!

The cheeky monkey seemed to enjoy the pram ride, for the most part. She was throwing these cheeky smiles at me and giggling as we walked. She even fell asleep on the way back (dummyless!!).

 

Anyhow, I hope you are all having a wonderful week!! I am having a lazy day at home with Miss Placid today in preparation for our usual crazy, busy weekends!

Much love

Daughter of the King
x

What a week it has been! Through the craziness and drama of it all, i have been reminded that God is good, He loves us, cares for us and knows what is best for us.

My little sister has had a tough week. She was involved in a car crash and also had a relationship that came to a close. She is ok, physically - apart from a couple of burns and bruises. But emotionally, she is drained. I received the call from her just as it had happened - she was hysterical and unsure what to do. I felt so helpless, living so far away! I wished I could just jump in my car and go and rescue her, but i couldnt. So i called our parents and luckily our dad was only a minute away and he found her quickly to help. 

It was a 3 car pile-up...airbags were all deployed and the car is likely a write-off.  But thankfully, her life isnt and she is ok.

Sometimes i wish i could wrap up my loved ones in cotton wool..to protect them from lifes dangers, hurts and pains. I wish i could prevent problems and heartaches before they arose and I wish i could make everything better again. I wish i could show them into the future to see that everything will work out just fine in the end.

 

I have the most beautiful family...we are not perfect, in any way shape or form. We have our fair share of trials and problems, and life hasnt always been kind to us. But...another thing i have learned this week is that your family are your best friends. They love you regardless...even though at times you think what they are doing to/for you is harsh -it is always because the love you. They are there for you always, even when your "friends" dont appear. And they have your back...110%!

my hottie parents!

my beautiful older sister, Rochelle

my stunning younger sister, Maddison

 Life is a story that is constantly being written by someone who always has our best interests at heart..even though we dont always see that. We very rarely know what the outcome of our story will be, though we often have a plan in our mind of what we want it to be. Sometimes, most of the time, it is not what He wants for us. And when it doesnt turn out our way...we hurt. We get upset and think life is just not fair anymore. We see everything as doom and gloom and find it hard to look for the positives in the situations.

But..i believe there are always positives to each negative.

 There is a reason everything happens the way it does...sometimes it just takes us awhile to see it. And that is perfectly ok.  It is ok to grieve what you thought was best for you...it is ok to cry and think 'woe was me' for a little while. But, the sun always comes up again and its a new day.

We only have limited time on this earth. We never know when our story will end. We shouldnt live our life in fear of that, but rather we should just simply LIVE our life. Each day is a blessing and a gift and we shouldnt spend it dwelling on the past...what could have been. Instead, we should embrace our days, grab them by the reins and soar forward - exploring new possibilities and having fun in the process. Life is MUCH too short to be sad.

Much love

Weekend in review!

Hello Monday! You are back again! The weeks are just seeming to fly by here - we are almost in March already...where has the year gone?!

We had a fairly busy weekend in the O household! Saturday morning saw my 2 sisters come up for a little picnic down at one of our local parks. It was a very eventful picnic, with Miss D not wanting to participate in any way shape or form! She just cried the whole time, so we took turns cuddling her while we each ate our lunch!

My sisters provided lunch and even cleaned out my fridge for me...sweetest girls ever!

and P.s. arent they the most beautiful sisters in the world too? I think so! 

We then went to a babyshower of some dear friends of ours! They are expecting their wee pink bundle to arrive in the next 6 weeks or so! She looks AMAZING for 34 weeks pregnant!! Cant wait to give her cuddles!

Sunday morning Mr O went off to church while I stayed home with Miss D (we didnt get a wink of sleep the night before), then we headed off up to the South Perth Foreshore to celebrate one of Mr O's friends 30th birthdays! The weather was just divine and Miss D was a little more behaved this time... :)

AND...for the first time in awhile...she SLEPT overnight! 8pm till 3am, fed at 4:30 then back down till 8am! Woo-hoo! :)

Feeling mighty refreshed today! Praise God..He has been answering my prayers!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too - what did you get up to?!

Much love

Daughter of the King
x

Happy Friday everyone!

 

I think i have had about 3 or 4 hours total sleep in the last 24 hours

 

 

Maybe even in the past 48 hours....ive lost count!

 

But...when this little angel wakes from her little nap...i somehow seem to forget all about it!

 

Maybe its these yummy toes...

 

Or this scrumptious smile...

 

Or these big blue eyes staring at me from the change table..

 

somehow she always knows how to brighten my day!

 

Happy Friday everyone!! :)