Back in New Zealand

I can hardly believe that it's been over a year since we were living happily in New Zealand - there we were for three long lounging months of summer; going to the beach; walking up the mount and generally having a lovely time with Nanna B with not a care in the world and our Sydney adventures still to come.

So now we return for a couple of well earned weeks rest after lots of work and more tummy bugs, coughs and snotty noses than you can count on one hand, which is perpetually clutching a tissue.

A windy beach walk with Aunty Jan & Nanna B

It's amazing how quickly you can switch off from all the work worries and slip back into doing very little. Alex recognised Nanna at the airport and was immediately very comfortable at her house which makes me thinks he remembers it, even just a little bit. He's spending his time climbing up and down the stairs, chasing the pussy cat every chance he gets and hanging out with his (2nd) cousins Ruby and Jackson. He's becoming very good at saying 'Jaxshon' although 'Boobie' he still struggles with.

The backpack, up and safe from slobbery dogs

We also bought a backpack for him to travel in when we go for walks which he loves. Haydn and I walked up Mount Maunganui with him in it, admittedly I had the easy ride as I didn't have a 12kg+ toddler on by back. Well, I say that he 'loves it' there was one moment where he was strapped into the backpack but dad hadn't picked him up yet and a very friendly dog came up and gave Alex a big lick across the face, he wasn't such a fan of the backpack at that moment....


We've been having daily walks on the beach with Nanna B and Aunty Jan and the weather, which keeps promising storms and rain has been lovely and sunny the whole time we've been here.

NZ bye bye

For a while there Alex got into waving bye bye. Not always at the right time but with a bit of gentle encouragement he would start waving and sometimes not stop for most of the afternoon. I'm not sure if Alex gave NZ an official goodbye but we had lots of lovely fair-well adventures before we left. Here are a few photos from our last few days.

Fairwell BBQ at Nanna Bs

Last picnic at Pilot Bay

A professional haircut from Kyleigh 

The family resemblance? - cousin Ruby & Alex 

Having fun... I think... At Ruby's 2nd birthday party

Chasing ducks

watch out little feathered friends

Such bad blog admin, I've just realised that I never posted the video of Alex chasing the ducks at McLaren Falls back in New Zealand. It feels like a million years ago now but it's nice to look back and remember a less busy time... Personally I think Alex gave up the chase a bit to quickly (I think it was the gravel path that scuppered him).

More up to date news soon... I promise.

The Littlest Hobaby

Dear Baby Alex,
I have something to tell you, you see, we're moving again. Please don't be sad. I know you might feel that your babyhood is a bit like an episode of 'The Littlest Hobo'. You arrive in a new place, bright-eyed, tail wagging. You make friends with the locals, you solve some crimes, everyone in the village falls for your furry charm and just when people are thinking you're here to stay you're gone again.

I know it doesn't seem fair to leave the lovely Nanna B and beautiful New Zealand but there's this thing called 'money' and these things called 'jobs' which enable you do pay this thing called 'rent' and eventually get one of these things called 'mortgages'.

Seems ridiculous to you I'm sure. Can't we just stay here and play all day and eat iced lollies and mush banana into the carpet? you ask. Well, your Dada and I would love to do that but alas the aforementioned money, jobs, rent and mortgages are calling and eventually holidays have to end.

I think you'll like Sydney... really.  

Love,

Mama xx

P.S
In case you don't remember The Littlest Hobo, this is sure to jog your memory:

There's a voice that keeps on calling me
Down the road, that's where I'll always be.
Every stop I make, I make a new friend,
Can't stay for long, just turn around and I'm gone again

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down,
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

Learning to share

Try this for me will you Dada?

I'd like to claim credit for Alex's new found fascination with sharing. "Of course, we are a very generous, caring, sharing family, so it's only natural that the youngest member of the family has a natural instinct for these things" I might say ... except we really haven't done anything, and it's not like he's desperately sharing his toys with any little person who walks past.

No this sharing phase is mostly about food. He loves to take what ever he's eating and carefully plonk it in the mouth of anyone in reaching distance. I admit, it's very cute (see the video below) but now he does it with every meal - to the point where the family have become his unofficial taste testers. Lucky he usually eats whatever we're eating so I'm not having to develop a taste for apple, pumpkin, prune and chicken mush. Another thumbs up for this baby led weaning business.

Lovely visitors

Here are a few photos from our recent (ish) visitors. Theo, Rachel and the gorgeous Emily came to stay for just over a week and it was just fantastic to have them. The bubs seemed to get on well, although I think Em kind of tolerated Alex while Alex got very excited, sometimes too excited when he saw Em (see photo above where he decided to show his enthusiasm by whacking her on the head and Theo had to gently restrain him). But generally they are babies with very similar temperaments - which helps I guess. 

So we explored all that Mount Maunganui had to offer, walking around and up the mountain, visiting the beach, the hot pools and had a picnic on the harbour. We also went to Lake Taupo and enjoyed boat trips of the slow ferry variety and the fast jet boat type and developed an unhealthy obsession with honey ice cream.

We also proved that you can have a wonderful joint family holiday with two babies in tow. Hopefully this will be the first of many family trips together.

Rach & Theo embracing their 'inner bee' in Taupo

Em giving Alex crawling lessons
(he started a few days later)

Picnic at Pilot Bay - Mount Maunganui

Baby Swap

Eye Spy

eye spy 'puss' at the mount

 Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with C.

C for Cat. Alex has discovered his little furry feline friends with a good dollop of enthusiasm of late. It started with the somewhat fraidy-cat 'Puss' at Nanna B's house. For the first couple of months Puss has been far too terrified of baby Alex to emerge from her hiding place under the house, except when hunger provides some temporary courage. Recently she has ventured out a little more, mainly to sniff around under Alex's high chair for any tasty leftovers. This amuses young master Butler no end, and the chances of him actually eating go down to almost nothing.

Poor Violet in Auckland

During our visit to Auckland this weekend a more courageous cat provided Alex with some much needed crawling incentive. That is until Violet (the cat in question) retreated to the top of her scratch poll thingy to escape from baby Alex's advances.   

Keeping myself busy over the holidays

With the unique combination of lots of free time and lots of help with bubba I've felt the desire to be productive with my spare time. Do things to better myself, and perhaps better the world as well. What could I do? Volunteer my services to a worthwhile cause? Take a correspondence course in quantum physics? Even work on my CV so I can actually get a job when we get to Australia?

No... instead I perfected the art of making a gingerbread house. This included carefully cutting out and building several cardboard models, baking a half size prototype a week before Christmas and then creating the final product as unveiled during our BBQ on boxing day.

If you're interested this is the recipe I settled on

And here's the finished product, I even roped Haydn in to do some decorating and uncle Adam to do some structural consulting when the roof wouldn't sit on the foundation...

The final product of my Christmas baking efforts

Bubba's first Christmas

Yayee - presents!

Alex discovered the true joy of Christmas on the 25th... well, sort of.

The Arden-Wood family, Grandpa, Amma and uncle hOb all arrived from Australia to spend Christmas with the Butlers, while uncle Adam and auntie Chrissy also joined us on Christmas day. So Alex was able to spend the day with all his favourite people, all competing for the attentions and the odd sneaky hug from the youngest member of our family.

Like any good Christmas there was more food that we could possibly eat, Nanna B did an outstanding job, catering for the wide and varied tastes of all the visitors. Alex had a nibble on pretty much everything, he's getting very good at feeding himself now and will generally stare at me grumpily with his big blue eyes if I'm daring to eat without offering any to him.

And then of course there was the presents, approximately 9 in every 10 gifts exchanged on the day were for baby Alex. Presents elicited responses ranging from vague disinterest through to outright fear - with the occasional smile and squeal of excitement for good measure. Of course the moments of pure Christmas joy and excitement were reserved for the wrapping paper and the occasional bow. Meanwhile I've hidden away most of the new toys so he can appreciate them a new over the next few months.

By the end of the day Alex was exhausted and more than a bit grumpy (for him anyway). Haydn and I are now looking forward to next Christmas, or perhaps the one after that when Alex really appreciates the joy of Christmas... beyond just the wrapping.

OK... I'm over presents now

Fiddling

I'm just having a fiddle with the design of the blog, getting a bit bored with the spots. Not quite there yet so bare with me.

In the meantime, here's a picture of Alex from this afternoon. He isn't quite 'getting' the concept of his Jolly Jumper, preferring to use it as a way to propel himself up the door frame, spiderman style. At least he's got the 'Jolly' part down.


Spiderbaby in action

A very very short Christmas story

Setting: Bay Fair Shopping Centre, Mount Maunganui

Photographer
"Best if you keep baby looking at you and just pass him to Santa"

Baby
looks uneasy

Santa
"It's probably best that he doesn't look at me, most babies are frightened of the beard"

Mum
"Don't worry, his Dad had a beard almost as bushy until very recently" (see previous post)

Santa
"Oh really, well then..."
Turns baby towards him

Baby
Big smiles

Photographer
"Um... over here"

Baby
smiles at camera

Mum
"Job done - lets go home...
I'm sorry? that much for just one photo!"

Backyard tradition

A few days ago Alex got to experience the ancient New Zealand tradition of sitting naked in a big shell filled with water in the backyard. Did the young man enjoy, and fully appreciate the significance of this important occasion? See the video to find out.

What happens when Dad chooses your outfit for the day?

The Family Series: Second cousin Ruby

Decided to try comic form for today's entry. You will probably need to click on the image to read it.

Alfresco baby

Part of the appeal of moving bubba to the other side of the world is obviously the weather and the outdoor lifestyle that comes with more warm months. Given he's not yet walking, or even crawling for that matter (will he ever?) he can't fully appreciate the great outdoors.

One way we've made the most of it is through the great art of eating outdoors, as demonstrated by these photos. As well as being a lovely way to dine, or lunch or breakfast for that matter, the other bonus is it's much easier to clean up the um... slight mess which accompanies the darling boy whenever he has a meal. Win win!