May - June

Gregory had a ball on his first 'mummy free' weekend.  Nana and Grandad were gracious in letting mummy go down the coast for the weekend and spend a fun drinking time with uni friends.  It was a much needed night away for all 3 of the girls, Cass, Sarah and mummy.  Another one planned for August.  Gregory enjoyed making a mess at home and had a great time.

The hard decision was made this month for mummy to return to work.  Lack of money and the need for me to have a bit of my old-self back were the major parts in this decision.  It will be a big change for Gregory, being in daycare for longer hours, but overall, I think it will benefit us both in the long term.  After countless interviews and 3 job offers, I made the decision to commence with McCullough Robertson as their float in the Infrastructure and Dispute Resolution group.  Very much looking forward to my new side of life and be able to spoil Gregory more than what I do now, and take him down for his god-mother's wedding next year.

GJ's first week of 5 days of daycare started off badly.  He fell sick and started with ear infections, colds, cough etc etc.  After seeing a specialist that broke mummy's bank and that mummy disliked, for reasons that won't be spoken about, it was decided not to go back to him in the future.  Thank goodness Gregory is now 500% better and started back at daycare again, this time to allow mummy time to get over her cold.  Once one person gets sick in this household, then everyone seems to catch it.

New words are coming out each and every day, and to hear just how much he is advancing at school, it makes me so proud.  Just the other night we were talking about colours and whilst he doesn't know what each colour is, he is able to repeat the words very well and thinks it's hilarious to be copying what mummy is saying.  The new 'thing' at the moment is to blow out a birthday candle and sing 'happy birthday' after a bath.  He shouts at 'ray' (hooray) at the end and then asks for cake.  Cake....  that can be anything from mashed potato to marshmallows to biscuits to dinner.

He's growing up so quickly it is frightening.  He is moving up rooms in daycare come August/September and will be with the big kids.  I'm glad to hear that his friend, Sophie, is in the middle of being transitioned, so hopefully it will make it easier for Gregory, though from what I've been told this week, he loves playing with the older kids and hangs around outside waiting for 2 particular boys to play with when they come outside.

Lastly for this month, it's been funny lately to see how much Gregory tries to copy me.  He'll come into the bedroom after my shower, climb onto the bed, go through the makeup case and drag out the blush brush, mascara etc and attempts to put it on his face. It's so cute, I will have to get  it on video and play it at his 18th party!

April - May

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate....  And we've still got chocolate to spare!!  Easter brought many chocolate delights for Gregory.  As soon as he woke up and saw his stash on the coffee table, he tore straight into them and then, after eating 2 or 3 small ones, decided he'd had enough.  His Aunty Jodie and Uncle Tony brought him sooo much that it fuelled mummy's desire for chocolate for a few days and there was still plenty left over!  I think the time is coming where we need to throw the rest of it out.

"Money" is GJ's new word for the week.  Mummy started to get him taking the rubbish out each night before he goes to bed, and once he's done that, he's given 20cents to put in his money - which he thinks is just fantastic!  He found money in my car yesterday on the way out and holding it in his pudgy little hand, exclaims 'money!!'.  I figure there is never a good a time as now to start giving him odd jobs and rewarding them.  At the end of the week, he's got about $2 - $3 dollars with all the work he is doing, I might have to loan some of his money soon if he isn't careful!

Daycare has brought along the word 'daddy'.  He doesn't know what it means, nor who it means.  It's funny (and also sad) to see him call every guy daddy.  He is also starting to get a bit possessive of me now.  I was at the mothers day morning tea at daycare the other week, which was brilliant, and had a little girl in his class want to sit on my lap, needless to say Gregory wasn't a huge fan of it but after awhile he realised she wasn't going to go away.  His school photos were scheduled for last week, but as we had to go in on a non-school day, he wasn't in the best of moods and didn't participate in the group shot.

Mother's day was a fantastic day this year.  Started with a beautiful present of mummy's latest favourite perfume with a trip to the local markets.  The afternoon was spent with GJ's Uncle Tony, Aunty Jodie and mummy's 2 nephews at Max Brenner in South Bank.  Needless to say after that, chocolate has been the last thing on our minds!  Gregory just loved his babycino and was happily dipping his fruit into the chocolate sauce.  A good day had by all and most certainly enjoyed by mummy!!

This week also saw mummy going back to volunteering at school at spending time with the 2V class.  Goes to show I am studying what I ultimately want to do and very much looking forward to starting my career as a teacher!

Gregory got a surprise today for being such a good boy the past few days.  His first 3 wheeled scooter!  He just loves it!  He understands what he needs to do, though he needs to figure out that he needs to put his leg to the side rather than stretching all the way to the back.  I think a few trips down the esplanade will see him being a pro at it, and I very much doubt the pram will be used for much longer!



Next weekend brings mummy's first half day/night/half day away from her little man.  I know he is in the best of hands with Nana and Grandad but I will still miss him terribly!

March - April 2011

You know, it's really hard to believe that 2 years ago, Gregory was simply a 6 week old baby who would only sleep in mummy and daddy's bed or on the chest of one of us. Time really does fly by past.

Easter is upon us in a week's time and I'm quite thankful I won't have to have a fight with him over how much chocolate he eats.  He's not a sweet tooth child.  In fact, I gave him a piece of chocolate this afternoon and he threw it back in my face.  That and I've also spoken with the Easter Bunny and asked him to limit the amount of chocolate Gregory receives.  I think a few Easter favours like a DVD or books will appear at the end of his bed on Sunday.  Time will tell.....

The past few weeks has seen Gregory excel in his speech.  Only the other day I asked him where his blankie was, to have him reply with "I don't know where it is".  I was shocked to say the least and he refuses to say it again!  Yesterday brought the word 'apple'.  I'm sure he is saying a lot more than I realise, especially at daycare.  He's been saying 'it's booken' for quite a while when something he is playing with doesn't work to his satisfaction or do what it is meant to do, and then the temper starts.

The time out spot seems to work well.  Though I've only used it two or three times it gives him time to regroup and realise that mummy will not always put up with his crap.  As much as he can get on my nerves, I still look at him asleep each night and think 'wow'.  The life of a child is certainly one of God's many miracles.

Daycare is certainly a huge part of his life at the moment and he loves it.  I turn up every day to see what he's done, what's his accomplished, and it's clear to me that I made the right decision in where to send him (now I only want to find the missing clothes, shoes and nappies!).  His daycare teachers care nearly as much as I do (nothing comes close to a mothers' love!) and one of them even does babysitting on the side, which would turn out great since the kids already know them.

Mummy is on a semester break from uni, and it couldn't have come at a better time.  I think I am more tired now than when I was studying and can't seem to catch a good sleep regardless of how long I sleep for. I've also started training with a group of mum's 3 days a week (plus the occasional Saturday).  It's been great to get out there in the fresh air and work on my fitness (god knows it needs working on). 

All in all, life is pretty good at the moment.  Best head off before Gregory decides to shove all the playdoh in his mouth and chew it......

December/January/February/March

Well, grand plans always go astray.  This has now seemed to have turned into a quarterly blog.  Oh well, all is going well regardless.

Gregory has been going extremely well at daycare.  He loves the interaction with other kids and has lots of little friends that come up to him as soon as we walk in.  I believe it has helped him develop and has given him skills that he may not have been able to get from me and being at home.  I'm very glad to see he has good manners and behaves well, so I must be doing something right!

Christmas went off with a blast.  He still wasn't sure what the fuss was all about and didn't have any inclination to open presents so he still had presents to open on Boxing Day.  In the end though, mummy finished opening them all up.  It was a busy day with visits from his nanny and his sister as well as his grandma and grandad.  And his daily lunchtime nap.....  what was that??  There was no such thing that day, too much going on with his cousins, Aunty Jodie, Uncle Tony, Nana and Grandad at lunchtime.  All in all, he had a second great Christmas.

February began with mummy madly trying to create a birthday cake for GJ's 2nd birthday.  If anyone remembers from last year, it took me several goes before I was happy and that was just the cake, let alone having to make the icing.  Just before his birthday we took a trip down to Canberra to see his Aunty Shae and Uncle Nick (his godmother).  We had a fantastic time and mummy took him to many different places including Questacon, the National Zoo and Aquarium and the Adventure Playground.  He was a perfect angel on the plane both down and back but nothing could have prepared me for a rude old lady on the trip down who was not happy to find a toddler sitting behind her.  Regardless, a trip away was perfect for both of us and he had a ball.

Once we arrived back mummy began preparations for his birthday.  The big 2.  A fantastic morning tea was enjoyed by family and friends and GJ received many generous gifts.  I still can't believe my little boy is 2.  The months just seem to keep flying by and he is growing up right before my eyes.

February also ended with mummy finishing her first year of university, and to top it off, receiving nothing under a distinction.  Whilst a break is in order, I am very much looking forward to commencing studies again in 3 months and will be making the most of my break for now.

So many new words are being formed each day by Gregory.  His latest includes 'bis'.  There are so many 'bises' around (buses) and he loves pointing them out and shouting.  He has his words for: truck, plane, helicopter and Harley.  And one more recently that seems to be more prevalent than ever before.  No.  "Are you ready for bed Gregory?" "NO".  "Would you like a bath GJ?" "NO".  The cutest words are when he says: yes and more.  He gets this little grin on his face and it makes my heart just melt.

All in all, the past few months have been a learning curve for both of us but as always, we are happy and healthy.  You always think you know what it is to love someone.  But to love a child as much as I love Gregory, no words can describe it.  I guess that's what being a parent is all about.

 Water fun at Questacon

18 - 24 October 2010

Well, this week started off with a sick mummy and sick GJ.  Swimming was obviously not on for either of us this week, so unfortunately we had to give it a miss.  Which is sad because whenever we miss a lesson, GJ tends to forget what he needs to do, not on all things, just the important things like monkey monkeying along the wall.  That's dramas in itself most days!!

Gregory had his 3rd full day at daycare on Friday.  But this time, when I dropped him off, oh my did the water works and screams start.  I felt terrible, but I know, that at the end of the day, he would have had a ball.  I had had grand plans of making it to the movies and having a coffee out (child free) but alas because I was sick, I decided to stay at home and clean instead and have a sleep.

It's been a pretty quiet week and I'm sure, one that both of us needed to just relax and rest and take it easy.

Looking at Gregory the other morning, it's amazing to see how much he has grown over the past 12 months.  I think back to this time last year when he would have been 8 months old, and just can't believe how much time has flown by.  He has a good range of vocabulary and will often just stand there and have a conversation with himself.  And oh my, he seems to be shooting up tall now!  All in all, it's been a full on 12 months peronal wise as well, so I'm amazed we have made it through.

We've got a few things coming up in the next couple of weeks.  A trip to Canberra to see GJ's godmother and catch up with some friends of mine (do pray for me being on a plane with a 19 month old toddler!!).  Extra days at daycare are starting up and mummy is so close to finishing my first year of uni (in another 4 months, but hey, it's close enough!!) and hopefully my cousin will be coming down from Bundaberg for a very well deserved break away.

So on behalf of Gregory, we would love to thank all my close friends and family members who have been there over the past 12 or so months.  Without you, things would have been a lot worse and harder to deal with, so for that, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Love, hugs and kisses,

GJ & Mummy