Day 7 - Life

Alarm.

Grab phone before it wakes the others.

Ease out of the firm grip of Maggie.

Shower.

Let dogs out.

Espresso machine on.

Heat pump up.

Unpack dishwasher.

Wash bottles. 

Pack lunch and snacks for girls and Rob.

Lay out breakfast. 

Pack bags.

Let dogs back in out of the rain.

Go back and encourage the others to wake up.

Wrangle girls into high chairs.

Look away for a moment and find they are painting with their yoghurt.

Clean up.

Offer them bananas.

Pick them off the floor.
Get them back out of the chairs.

Pay bills online.

Thankfully sip the coffee my dear husband makes me everyday.

Herd girls into bedroom and change nappies and dress them with Rob.

Brush my teeth, encourage them to do theirs while Rob showers.

Watch them play hide and seek in our wardrobe.

Dress in work clothes.

Cajole girls towards the car dragging bags and baskets. 

Say bye to dogs and lock them up.

Drive to family day care.

Drop girls in, laugh as they greet their baby friend and wave us happily goodbye.

Spend 20 minutes alone with my husband as we drive to work.

He drops me in Battery Point then heads to uni to give a 9am lecture.

I visit the post office and buy 1kg of coffee beans.

Walk down the road to work.

Computer on.

Email open.

Greet open plan cubicle mates.

Catch up on a week's emails.

Walk across the road for a coffee.

Wish I'd walked a bit further for a better one.

Wrestle with our website content management system.

Walk across to Salamanca to buy veggies and bread for dinner, and soup for lunch.

Catch up with friends as I eat.

Start planning my timetable for the rest of the work year.

Realise that it is only 24 work days.

Feel tired thanks to the change to daylight savings.

Check and see a Facebook update from their carer.

Laugh as I see Maggie covered in paint.

Melt as I see Elisabeth's sweet smile.

Count the minutes down until home time.

Head out the front and wait in a cool spring breeze for Rob. 

Head to care.

Rush in to see them.

Hear about their great day.

Cuddle them as we head to the car.

Drive home.

Unpack car.

Let out joyous dogs.

Rush girls in through the rain.

Unpack.

Amuse girls with Shaun the sheep on my phone while Rob cooks stir fry noodles.

Eat.

Drink wine.

Clean up girls.

Remove their dinner covered trousers.

Police the trike riding.

Practise their yoga moves.

Run their bath.

Wash the girls.

Dry shivering girls as they stayed in their bath too long.

Convince them to put a nappy back on.

Teeth brushing.

Sleeping bags on.

Bottles.

Sleep.

Move them into their cots.

Smile as I watch them sleep.

Blog.

Chocolate.

Whisper goodnight to dear husband.

Sleep. 

Well for 3-4 hours at least.

Returning to work

We had a very quiet day today after a very warm night (for us Tasmanians), both girls were quite unsettled after 1am, which resulted in them both in bed with us.

It had cooled down considerably today, and after breakfast while Rob had some time in the garden I pushed the girls in the pram down to the laundry hut to do some washing. I could see their eyes getting heavy, so I put up the hammock, and rocked Elisabeth in the pram with one hand whilst rocking Maggie and I in the hammock.

I could have snoozed, but instead I enjoyed the moment with my girls. I return to part time work next Wednesday. After 13 months of maternity leave it will be a bit of a readjustment. At the beginning the months ahead seemed to be such a long time, and even when I had a meeting in August with my supervisors, my return still seemed such a long time away. Since Rob has been on holidays with us, I have been mindful of the return date, but instead of letting sadness or worry ruin my remaining days as purely a stay at home Mama I have tried to enjoy each day. 

So today I looked down at a sleeping, snuggling Maggie on my chest in the hammock, and later this afternoon Elisabeth in my lap on the window seat and I soaked in the moment. No iPhone. Just us. I listened to the sounds of our home, the dogs panting in the shade, the washing machine sloshing through a cycle, the buzz of insects, the breeze rustling the grass, a swallow singing above me on the washing line. I looked at the hut, Rob when he walked by covered in Lily pollen, the peaceful look on the girls faces, and high above us,

a wedge tailed eagle, slowly circling higher and higher against the cloudy sky. 

Of course I will be a bit sad to leave next Wednesday morning, but for the first six months Rob will be taking some leave to look after them at home. So I know they will be fine and enjoy some time with their Papa. I am trying not to worry about all the tasks that await my return (I have been warned a few things have slipped in my absence). Or the fact that I thought the girls might have weaned themselves by now, well that will work out too. I'm no stranger to the breast pump, so it will come with me to work, and the girls can drink expressed milk from a bottle or a cup. I am only returning at 50%, so I will still be here most of the time anyway. 

All those things I gazed at or listened to will still be here. Sure I may miss some of those big firsts, but I have witnessed so many this past year, I shouldn't let it upset me so.

Finally I worked out this morning, that just because I'm returning this year, it is not set in stone that it has to stay that way forever. Once I repay my years service, if things are not working out, we can reassess and try a different arrangement that works for our family.  

A friend commented on Facebook recently that I might struggle to cope with tearing myself away from the girls. I replied that I haven't forgotten for the first 112 days of their lives, I did just that, tore myself away as I said goodbye and left them every day in the NICU. That was hard. At least at the end of a work day I will come home to my family. 

So as I enjoy each day of my last week, including my birthday on Saturday, I will store away little memories to smile at during my work day. Of two happy girls with their Papa, a couple of German Shepherds and a small little hut. My family whom I adore in our home. How can I be sad about that?

Winter morning

I wasn't much better at blogging this week! A full on week at work, mostly good but the head cold is still lingering on, making me feel a bit weary.
Yesterday I managed to injure both my big toes with a pull-up banner, they're bruised, sore and puffy. The day was topped off with the realization that my electric blanket no longer works. First world problems I know.
A couple of glasses of Italian red and a plate of pasta and meatballs did soothe.

But today is a new day. The sky is an unbelievable blue. I can hear birds. The sun is streaming through our French doors onto our bed. Rob made me breakfast in bed (freshly baked sourdough rye rolls with jam). But best of all, I just captured a photo of this gorgeous Mr Robin who keeps tap tap tapping on my window.
Happy winter weekend to you.

Hello sweet weekend

I am here, albeit in a snuffly, coughing, husky voiced kinda way. Thank you for your get well wishes on my post on Monday.
I crammed 5 days of work into 3, and whilst I got things done - it was rushed and I don't like to do things like that. Sure there are still things left to do, but they'll keep.
Next week is a big one too- I'm managing a display booth at a major science conference in Hobart, whilst trying to fit my regular work around that.
But for the moment it's finally the weekend. I'm ready for some quality hut time.
I'll leave you with a photo of the Channel, near the little town of Snug, we drive past it everyday on the way to work, and marvel at the way it is slightly different depending on the clouds, weather, and tide.

Traveling

I'm sitting in the Canberra Airport waiting. I've eaten a dinner of steamed pork dumplings and a beef pho. My brain has been numbed by commercial television (in the background).
My visit was brief, flying to Brisbane yesterday afternoon for a work meeting this morning. Then home again.
Last night I ran across the carpark of my hotel to a DFO. I had 40 minutes for a quick shop (found a few gym tops and some clothes for Rob) then came back outside to dark skies and a tropical downpour. I ran across to the hotel but got quite wet.
So I thought I might as well go for a swim. The pool at the Novotel is on the roof and hangs a little over the edge. 20m long, I surprised myself with my freestyle technique. I only learnt to swim when I met Rob, he was horrified that I couldn't swim. Refreshed I had a Massaman curry and beer (and a chocolate tart) before tossing and turning all night. I'm looking forward to seeing my husband (even though he's got a bad cold), my dogs and the hut. Oh and my bed. Have a lovely weekend. I'm planning a quiet one, which is hardly different from normal!

Hay harvest at the block

It’s been a busy week for us at the block. First of all we finished our front gate. We think it’s an appropriate entrance for our little hut one day.

Nigella is doing her best to look like a guard dog. She may look tough but we know it’s not convincing; she loves to meet new people, and seems quite offended when people don’t want to pat her or let her lick their ears!

Then it was the big hay cutting weekend. A few nervous days when we hope that it won’t rain, particularly on the baling day. Baling day is Rob’s favourite day of the year. We cart 150 bales of the hay. He likes packing the bales onto the ute & trailer, tying it down. Driving the ute. Stacking it neatly in the shed. Whereas it’s probably my least favourite day. It’s usually hot, lifting the bales above my head is hard work, not to mention the bits of hay that seem to find their way into all of your clothes, shoes, eyes (not great for someone who wears contact lenses) and lungs. We’re not usually done until 8.30pm. That’s when I feel happy; seeing the bales all stacked safely away. I guess Rob’s right, there is a certain honesty in the muscle soreness, the calluses on your hands from the bale twine, working for hours in the sun, the general griminess.

My favourite day of the year is the day after the hay is done. We can go down to the block and it’s all neat again, the cropped grass already bleached. Nigella knows she’s free to run around without me stressing about snakes, and Rob & I can enjoy a glass of home brew at the block.