Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Happy 2nd Birthday

To my darling Jacinta,

One hundred and four weeks.

Twenty four months.

Two years.

Its hard to believe that you turned two today sweetie. It doesnt seem like two years since I held you in my arms for the very first time, and yet as I look at you I no longer see a baby, but a happy, determined, loving, and gorgeous little girl.


9 days



11 1/2 months



22 1/2 months

You have grown up so much over the last month.

You have your Dummy, Blanket aqnd Ethel (your doll) at sleep times, and often add your little doll, teddy, and other dolls to the collection you take to bed. I dont like you having your dummy out of bed though. You dont actually suck on it, and the dribble just runs everywhere!

You have toilet trained yourself over the past few weeks. You take yourself off to the potty whenever you need to go.

You have this little routine you follow - You pull of your pants and your 'knickies', where ever you happen to be when the urge to go presents itself. You then collect them up, take them all the way to your bedroom, throw them in the door, and then head to the potty in the bathroom. When you are finished I have to remind you to go and get them again to be put back on - you would happily continue playing with out getting dresssed again.

I still put a nappy on you for sleep times, but often when you wake you have pulled it off yourself and it is still dry. Once you are out of a cot, and can get yourself to the toilet if needed, I dont think we will need nappies during the day at all. Some days I pop your matress on the floor so you can get to the potty if you need to. So far you have stayd on there and slept well.

I sorted through all your nappies the other day and packed them away.

It was a little bitter sweet - I loved using cloth nappies, but Im so proud of you now being nappy free.

You have started drinking out of a proper cup a lot of the time now, but I often fill your sports bottle with water during the day so you can help yourself when you are thirsty.

Your language skills have exploded. You chatter away all day. You construct sentences, ask questions, and express how you are feeling. Occasionally there are bits and pieces that we dont understand, but you will usually get your message across eventually.


You love helping Mummy - especially hanging out the washing on the line. It takes twice as long with your help, as you insist on handing me every item from the basket, and telling me who it belongs to. It is very sweet that you want to help though! You are great at packing your toys away, and you like things to be in their place. You are alwasy putting the boys wii controllers away on the cupboard when they leave them on the floor, and are always picking up the remote controls and bringing them to me to put up.


You are beginning to show uncertainty of noises. You ask " noise Mummy?" about a million times a day as you hear things you are unsure of. Even things that you hear every day are questioned.

Isaac started Kindy a few weeks ago, and although you miss him on his two days away, and are baffled as to why you cannot stay at kndy as well, we have lovely days together.
We potter around the house, we have visited your great Nannas, had friends over for coffee, done some shopping - all the things that are so much easier with only one little one to wrangle! Our home days are peaceful and you sleep well with out the noise of others in the house.

You have spent a couple of nights away from home now. One at Grandmas and the other at Nannas. You slept well both times and were really good. One of your favourtite things is bath time.
Im sure if you were given half a chance you would have ten baths a day. You and Isaac splash around and giggle and chat. The only part you dont like is having to get out!

You are a sensitive little thing, and dont like being growled at. You are starting to assert yourself more now, although it is usually pretty easy to convince you to do something, even after you say NO ! If I say no to something you want, you will start yelling it at me determined to get your own way "want chocky Mummy"- lets just say going to the shops can be rather challenging if your in a mood like that! You are still a pretty good eater, although are starting to get a bit more picky. You LOVE chocolate and cakes, will only drink water and milk and are always telling me you are hungry - it usually goes something like this - "mum I hungy, pease mummy I hungy, I wan toast, mummy get it toast pease mummy" and wanting food. You are really good at using your manners. "Pease", "sank oo Mummy", "sowwy Mummy".


Your Birthday celebrations...
Your turning two was celebrated over a few days. On your actual birthday you woke up to presents to open with Mummy, Nathan & Isaac. (Daddy and Caleb were already gone, and with confirmation/cricket/footy etc after school there wasnt gong to be a time when we were all here together!)




We gave you a dolls house, with some dolls and bedroom furniture and a drawing wallet.

Auntie Vic, Georgia, Bailey & Aunite Jode came for coffee and cake in the morning, and Grandma & Grandpa arrived just in time for the cake.
It was hillarious, and SO cute, the way you held your face when the candles were lit - it was like you had never seen candles or cake in your whole life!

Auntie Jode gave you a Barbie doll and some more furniture for the dolls house, Auntie Vic gave you a dolls pram and play jewellery and Grandma & Grandpa gave you dolls house furnture as well. You also opened some lovely clothes from your Godmother Alison.
In the afternoon there was another cake with Jess, Luke, Riley, Auntie Jode, Nathan & Daddy, and another little cupcake with a candle once Caleb got home!

The next day you had a little party with your friends Sarah and Sophie (and their older sisters)a few decorations, some mini food - mini hotdogs, butterfly shaped chesse and fruit platters, mini cheesles, mini cupcakes and the birthday cake. All very cute, and a nice relaxed celebration.

It was so cute to watch with your presents once everyone left. Gorgeous girly dress ups, jewellery and a bag - you wanted to try it all on - at once and dance around the room.

Then on Sunday we had yet another cake with our family and Nanna & Pappa, Auntie Mandy, Uncle John & Rhiannon.
Nathan baked this cake all by himself and helped with the decorating. Nanna & Pappa gave you a push along roller toy, plush butterfly bag and a little angel figurine, and from Mandy, John, Jason & Rhianon you got a fairy dress and crown. You were a very lucky girl and got lots of lovely presents.

As much as it saddens me to say goodbye to the sweet baby that you have been, Im really loving watching the gorgeous little girl you are becoming, and sweeite, my heart bursts everytime you whisper "uvv you Mummy", wrap those arms around me and plant a noisy kiss on my face.

I love you so much.
Big hugs
Mummy xxxx

Photo a Day Challenge - Feb

February 2010
days 18 - 23











Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Photo a Day Challenge - Feb

February 2010
days 12 - 17











Thursday, February 11, 2010

Photo a Day Challenge - Feb

February 2010

days 7 - 11











Saturday, February 06, 2010

all about Ethel

Last Christmas, Jacinta received a doll from Santa.
She is a little cutie (as far as mass produced, plastic dolls are concerned), and Jacinta loves her dearly.
Daddy named her. Ethel.
Mostly we just call her Baby, but lately Jacinta has being calling by her name more often.

As cute as Ethel is, and as much as Jacinta loves her, I have my heart set on one day getting her a gorgeous custom handmade doll from Little Jenny Wren...I even have a name picked out - Gracie, since Jacinta's middle name is Grace. Ahhh one day - anyway what does the dream of Gracie have to do with Ethel? Well yesterday Jenny posted a tutorial on her blog about how to make a very simple knitted vest for a doll.

As you know, I have only just begun my journey to learn to knit and crochet, but it sounded simple enough. Today I retreated to the sanctuary of my room for an hour of so, and (despite constant visits from the little ones) managed to make a little vest for Ethel.

It didn't go to plan - I decided to crochet it, but as it turns out, I couldn't crochet a square if my life depended on it! What ever I was doing, was gently tapering the piece inward - but that was perfect for my vest! Instead of attempting to work out what I was doing wrong (which I still must do before I tackle my dishcloths - they really need to be square!) I went with the flow. I made the front, and added a shoulder strap, then I started the back - I suspect I'm not stitching into the ends of each row properly, as (thankfully) the back piece also displayed the same tapered effect as I worked it - perfect!!!! Surely the only thing better than learning form your mistakes, is being able to keep making them and using them to your advantage! After the addition of another shoulder strap, and some pretty dodgy chain stitch type arrangement to join them together, Ethel had a cute little vest - nothing like what I was trying to make from the tutorial! It looked pretty silly with just her little (permanently attached) romper, so I stitched up a simple dress to go with it. The dress is OK, but- tomorrow I think I will turn it into a skirt and add some little bloomers and a shirt to her wardrobe.

Ethel looks so grown up now in her proper clothes. Jacinta said "ahhh Effel coot Mummy, baby pwetty, fank ooo Mummy" its not perfect, but I love that she loves it - her sweet little thank you just melted my heart!

What else does a girl do with a new outfit - off to play of course...
a little reading perhaps,


a few kisses,


and a lot of wandering around tucked safe under a loving arm!

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Photo a Day Challenge - Feb

February 2010
days 1 - 6

Ive decided to keep going with my photo a day journey. Unlike after the first month last year, Im not bored with it, and its not become a chore to take a daily photo. In fact, Im really enjoying recording all the snippets of life. I m excited that by doing it over a longer period of time, I will be able to capture so many more of the daily things, the little things, that make up our family life.