Lilah talking... then it ends in tears ;)

March

March has been a busy month for us. Bron had to go to Sydney for work for a few days, but didn't want to go without Lilah, so Eric and Lilah both came along for the trip.

Lilah did really well, but it was quite a challenging expedition - babies don't really understand the concept in a plane that 'this is our seat, that seat is for a perfect stranger who doesn't necessarily want you to touch their lunch or headphones and isn't probably thrilled about being kicked or climbed on'...

Anyway, we coped ok and just tried to keep her occupied as much as possible.

One very cute moment - there was a baby on the other side of the plane, a little older than Lilah. They kept smiling at each other throughout the trip. Then, all of a sudden, Lilah waved at her, and she waved back. The whole aisle went 'ooohhh ahhhh'. It was very cute!

When we got to Sydney we had to catch the train to the hotel, because we didn't want to take Lilah in a taxi without a seatbelt. So, by that time she was beside herself with tiredness, and finally fell asleep for a short while.

When we got to the hotel, we all went for a swim and it was really lovely. The pool was several stories up, so we had a great view of the city, and there was no one else swimming - we had it all to ourselves. Lilah is a little water baby, she loves to swim, kick, splash and go under the water. If you stop moving, she tries to kick off on her own.

During the day Eric and Lilah explored the city while Bron was in meetings, and they had a pretty good time. On the 3rd day though, they had to check out at 11am, and I didn't finish until 5pm, so they were very tired after walking around Sydney all day long together with Eric as the jungle gym. When we got back home we were all exhausted for several days, and Lilah hasn't gotten back into her good sleeping routine from before the trip still because she then decided to stand up in her cot instead of sleeping every nap time, but we're getting there.




















I took a few more photos at crawling club this week. The light and colours there are really good, so it's a good opportunity. Lilah had a great time - she is definitely one of the smallest babies there though - our little 'delicate joy'.























She loved these little green balls. She crawled around everywhere with them, and if she saw another baby with one she would crawl over and take it off them!

More movies...

Lilah's new cubby house... so funny!

Crawling Club

Today Lilah and I went to crawling club for the first time. She had a lot of fun. Here are some pics!

Lilah's Dedication

Firey February

As most of you would have heard by now, our country is engulfed in the worst bush fires in history. It is expected that the death toll may get to 300, and thousands of people are homeless after their small towns were ravaged by fires that hit like a nuclear weapon, destroying everything in their path. We have been saddened and touched by all of the stories of loss, heroics and hope.

This month has been a very hot month, but no where near as hot in Brisbane as it has been down south where the fires are (it got up to almost 120 degrees there).

Lilah is growing everyday and now says quite a few words: Mum, Dad, Lilah, hello, 'b' (for bird), ear, 'Nan' (for Nanook her toy husky dog) etc. She's really adventurous, and we can't leave anything on the floor anymore. She likes to crawl all over the place, and is finally starting to eat really well also. She laughs a lot, and just grinned at me while I am typing this, crinkling her eyes up (which she thinks is very funny) - her latest facial expression.

Eric has been very busy at work over the past couple of months. He had his largest camp recently, Jan Camp, where several hundred young people camp under large canvas shelters, swim, play games, and worship. Lilah and I went out there one morning but it was far too hot for us - Lilah looked like she'd been swimming after a 20-minute nap - so we went home. The camp went really well though, despite the heat. Here is a video of how it went.

Just before Jan camp, Lilah was dedicated at our church. She wore the dress that I was dedicated in when I was about her age. It was a lovely service, and afterwards we went to our favourite Chinese restaurant with friends and family. We had a really nice day.

I am back at work now, 3 days per week. It's going really well, and I'm actually enjoying the variety in my week. We have my Mum and a Nanny doing two days each week, and then Eric has Lilah on Fridays. So he's getting lots of bonding time, and Lilah is able to stay at home while I'm at work, and she is really enjoying her time with Grandma and her Dad. And I'm really appreciating the time that I get to spend with her even more now that it's less than before.

I have to do some travelling for work, and have already been to Sydney once, but nothing over night yet. That will no doubt happen soon, and we're not sure how we'll cope with that just yet.

December

Here are some photos and movies for November and December. At 6 months old now, Lilah is very active and playful - it's such a precious age!

With Mum at 'Mum's group' (we meet in a cafe)...



















Swimming for the first time...














Laying around in my room














This busy life is tiring!



















On a picnic with friends in the park.

My first time in the Jolly Jumper!

Chatting with Mum and Dad first thing in the morning...