12 Months

I can't believe my little baby is now one. So much has changed in such a short amount of time.

Harriet
How would I describe Harry? Clever, stubborn, affectionate. She started walking at 9 months. Literally just stood up one day and walked off. None of this pulling up on furniture for weeks or months. Just "I want to be over there" and she decided walking was the way to do it. Now she runs. She dances. Amelia and Harry rock out to the tunes of Beyonce on my iphone in the kitchen. Milly flings her twig thin legs about with such force and determination she almost decapitates her stocky little sister. Inspired by the likes of Angelina Ballerina, Milly's dance style is somewhat eclectic. Harry - being more stout and having a lower centre of gravity - likes to just get down and boogey. It's delightfully cute. She will come running from another room at the mere hint of 'All the single ladies'. Oh the shame! No kids songs for her! Who is this Justine Clarke you speak of? Give me Justin Timberlake or Hilltop Hoods!!!

Harry has settled into childcare like I knew she would. Picking her up at the end of the day is such a sweet pleasure. She spots me as I enter the door and races towards me, arms out, massive smile on her face, proclaiming 'Mumma, Mumma' at the top of her little lungs. She wraps her chubby little arms around me and smooshes her face into my chest. Then she'll throw her head back, mouth open and kiss me. Mwah. Once she's in my arms, I'm not allowed to put her down until she's in her car seat.

To my utter surprise, Harry is still breast fed. I've had a delightfully problem-free run with my boobs this time around. They have settled into their required state - perhaps a little too well. I have to most unimpressive set of breast feeding boobs. They are small, almost their normal size. None of this ravishing, full breast feeding cleavage for me. Nope. But at almost 13 months, I'm very happy Harry is still MINE in that respect. Childcare threw me a curve ball - or more so - Harry threw me a curve ball when starting childcare. Harriet decided that breastmilk from a bottle was a no-no. She refused, and refused, and refused some more. Meanwhile, I was expressing, expressing and expressing some more. I'd hide myself away in the toilet, cradling the pump to my boob, trying to ignore the nurffff nurfff nurfff noise of the pump and pretending all the other people using the loos were not wondering what the heck I was doing in there!!! I tried bottles of different brands, makes, models. Different teats, no teats, straws, anything! If it wasn't from my boob, she was not interested. It got to the point where she would cry at the mere sight of a bottle. Even if that bottle was in the sink being washed. She'd flap her arms, shake her head and cry real little tears. We had to make do with water only during the day, and then she'd slam me for about 6 feeds in between 6pm and 7am. Oh what fun. I'm pleased to say we're over the worst of it now. She's down to 2 or 3 feeds a day (well, night) and doing very well.

Her teeth are coming through slowly. Her bottom two teeth came through around her first birthday (so very recently) and now I notice she appears to be cutting her top 4. That's been fun. Not. Throat infections, ear infections, sleepless nights. So much for the amber necklace! I've never had anyone say they didn't work. Perhaps mine is a dud... Still, looks very pretty!

Amelia
My big girl is now 4. So grown up and still so small. She's all ribs and knees. As skinny as a pretzel. She has wild blonde hair and big blue eyes. She's clever and loves to sing. And sing. And sing some more. Some days she sings so much I have to ask her to stop. She sings Harry to sleep as we walk to the shops with the pram. She sings as she colours, she sings in the car, she sings in the bath.

She's a very emotional little thing. She's not robust like her little sister. She's sensitive to criticism, hates being told off, cry's at the drop of a hat, and is reduced to a howling, snotty mess on a daily basis. Sometimes more than once. I worry that, while she's very clever, she's not emotionally ready for school. She's got 6 months to toughen up - otherwise I think they'll eat her alive!

She's very considerate of Harry and does a wonderful job of sharing with her. She shares her toys, her room, her food - everything - and she does it without complaining and most of the time, without being asked. Harry on the other hand, will not share, is demanding and quite often will give Milly a quick swat if she's not fast enough to hand over whatever it is that Harry desires. My darling big girl is just that, a darling. Her Nanna thinks she's 'special'. Magical perhaps. I've never seen anyone take advantage of my Mother as easily as Amelia does. Mum will retell events through the day after looking after her and I'll put my head in my hands and say "and you did it/gave it to her/BOUGHT it for her??". Nanna loves her girls.

Which brings me to my next point.

Sydney
Adam and I have been given a fantastic opportunity to move to Sydney. The Northern Beaches, to be specific, Dee Why. Despite being very settled in our house and our lives, we're moving. We're moving away from our family and all our friends, from the kids kinder and childcare. Away from my work and out of a house and into an apartment.

Why would we do that? Well, why not?

It's 100 metres from the beach, needs a LOT less work than our little Victorian house and - did I mention it's really, REALLY close to the beach?? Adam's family has graciously let us live there rent free, so it gives us an opportunity to perhaps not have me work for a bit and spend some time with those children! You know, the ones that are growing up waaaay too fast???

We're planning to move in the next 2 months. I'm not looking forward to clearing out 7 years of accumulated crap, but it's got to be done at some stage, hey!

So, the return the blog land is a way to keep in touch with those we're leaving behind. Mainly my Mum. I figure I can write in here what we've been doing and she can read it and cry - because I know she will. Then, when she's finished crying, she'll book a plane ticket to Sydney and she'll come see us! Yay.

I'm trying not to think too much about all the things I'll miss, and trying to look ahead to all that is ripe to explore in our new environment!