Comings and Goings

Kel has been working at a new job for a few weeks now and is loving it. Two days a week she works in Caboolture and 2 days a week in Narangba. So, if nothing else there is half the driving. Next year one of her days will be in Burpengary instead of Narangba so it is even closer. She is basically running play group type things and gets paid time for programming

My job with Aussie Pooch didn't go so well. So next year I am studying Residential Drafting at Sunshine Coast TAFE. It's three days a week, so hopefully I'll be able to get some casual work the other days. Cricket isn't going well either. It's rained most weekend and so far, when it hasn't rained, I've only managed to score a total of 8 runs. Fabulous.

Noah and Bayli are both doing great. Noah isn't walking but still gets around pretty well.

And most of our xmas shopping is done.

Renovations and holiday homes

Kel here.

We've been slack, I know. But with a good excuse. We've been staying in a luxury holiday home for the last few weeks, so we've been living the good life - no time for blogging. Actually, we've been staying in the big house while Scott's folks have been away visiting Deborah in the NT. But it's definitely been luxury - running water - oohhh, the things we take for granted. Their first phonecall home we told them we had good news and bad news: The good news was we'd found a house to move into; the bad news was: Damn squatters had moved into theirs.

But they're back now, and harsh reality has seen us trudge back up to the shed for the foreseeable future. And if we're here for the long haul, why not renovate it a bit? So that's what we did. Or, more accurately, Scott did. Walls were torn down (or in this case, strategically placed furniture was re-arranged) with the end result being a bigger lounge room and study, and Bayli and Noah sharing a room. So far, so good. Only a couple of early morning disturbances from Noah, and Bayli thinks it's terrific having him in with her.

With all the extra living room, some of the local wildlife thought it would be nice to drop in - unannounced, in the middle of the night...

You know how when something wakes you up, you sometimes incorporate it into a dream just before you wake up properly? The other night I woke up wiping something cold and wet off my cheek. I'd woken up convinced that I'd been drinking a glass of water, and missed my mouth, hence the cold wet feeling. Just as I was going back off to sleep my logic brain kicked in and I realised that I hadn't been drinking anything at all. So what had I been wiping off my face?!? I turned the light on to discover a tiny frog sitting on the book next to my bed. I then spent the next 5 minutes trying to catch the thing so I could take it outside. I think it was going to try and turn into a prince.

Speaking of princes, our little prince is commando crawling his way around madly now. He has also started to take an interest in standing, which he has previously refused to do. He says "Bye" and waves, claps his hands, says "Boo" and hides his eyes, and is generally very cheeky.

Bayli was very pleased to see Nan and Pop on their return. She spent the next two days following Pop around and "helping". Lucky Pop.

Nan and Pop are off again next week. This time only for two weeks, so we'll be back to the big house. Ooohh, running water. The things we take for granted...

On The Move

No, we aren't moving, unfortunately. But, finally, Noah has started crawling. Well, crawling may be a slight exaggeration. He uses his arm and legs in a purposeful way to move from one location to another. As long as that location isn't any more than about 30cm away. I doubt it will be long before hes getting around to entirely to much, but we've been waiting a long time for this. He could hold his head up for thirty seconds or more a couple of days after getting home from the hospital. A couple of months after that he was using his arms to push his entire body up off the floor. He is 8 months old tomorrow and only just started crawling.

We'll probably be wishing he'd stay still in a week. Bayli never really took stuff of shelves as a baby. She didn't put stuff in her mouth. Noah grabs everything he can gets his hands on and puts it in his mouth pretty much as soon as he's got it. Things are going to start getting interesting.

He is also teething. He isn't enjoying it , especially the last week or so. Kel and I aren't enjoying it either.

Speaking of not enjoying it, Kel has dropped down to two days a week at work. It was too much for her-- the long hours and driving-- so we'll see how this goes. And I have a new job. I work in the head office of Aussie Pooch Mobile. It isn't too bad. It will be better when I can remember everything I'm doing. It is only half an hour from home, which is a big advantage over the last job.

Bayli is doing great. She will be getting a new cubby house on the weekend. It's already in place-- finished today-- but she doesn't know it's for her, though she has sort of claimed it already. She's pretty much been playing in/on it since the day my father stared building it, stomping around on the floor and opening and closing the window. And opening and closing the window. And opening and closing the window. I don't think we'll see much of her for a while.

Went to Jason and Kirstyn's wedding a couple of weeks ago and Damon and Nicky's engagement party last weekend. Both were really good. Congrats to everyone.

Deborah is now working in Kakadu, but I don't know how long it is going to last.

Our car is running well now. Our TV may be broken. And that's all, I think.

Not the photo Leanne wanted

Leanne (hello Leanne) wanted to see a photo of Bayli's clothes line, but we don't have any yet, so I thought I'd post a picture I took for Mother's Day.


Other than that... ummm...

Kel and I are still working though I may not be after this week. Still no interest in the real estate. I've changed novels that I'm working on. Twice. See how long this new one lasts.

And, we bought a new car. Well, a second hand new car. It's a Mazda MPV. Pretty cool but we're having a a bt of trouble and will be taking it in to get looked at under warranty.

That's all for now. I'll post the other photo soon.

Parties and Feeling Sick

Kel and I are both still working but the commute is killing us. Unfortunately there hasn't been any real interest in either of the houses so we may be driving for a while yet. Both jobs are going all right and it's nice having the money.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it here previously but for some reason we have a single hole punch sitting on the desk near our computer. Ages ago Bayli saw it and, in what I thought was a fairly imaginative leap, started calling it a crocodile (because it looks like a crocodile's mouth). The other day I was driving Bayli home from day care (I pick her up early on Thursdays and Noah on Fridays) and we passed an A-frame sign on the footpath that had two helium filled balloons tied to it. The were blowing about in the breeze and Bali said that they were dancing. I thought that was even better than the crocodile.

Bayli and Noah have both been sick recently. Croup apparently. Coughing and colds. Generally not good. They are both starting to get better now, thankfully. Last time Bayli had a cough it hung around for months. Noah didn't seem to be worried by it all at all. He'd have a bit of a coughing fit and then give a huge smile. There was one night where we were thinking of taking him to the hospital but 13 Health and some other doctor we talked to on the phone gave us the run around and by the time we got through all that Noah had recovered so we just stayed at home.

It's Bayli's birthday in a couple of weeks but we haven't really planned anything yet. We're down at Algester at the moment so we're thinking of going to look at a couple of parks this afternoon so we can find a location at least. The way the weather has been lately an out-door party might not be a good idea but we'll see how we go.

Bayli can count to ten on her own. She can say the alphabet and recognise all the basic shapes. She can also say most of one of her Hairy MacClary stories from memory.

Last night Kel and I went to Sharon's birthday party as well. It was great. Everyone brought along some food. There were a couple of pastas and sandwiches. Everyone loved Kel's pumpkin soup. Then there was desert. Mousse, muffins, brownies, a crispy mint pudding pie thing Kel made and an amazing banana pie thing that was amazing. We played games-- Kel won the word game and I came second (as usual).

What else?

I've sent The Brightest Light to Baen and started The Subtle Chains. It's slow going at the moment but it normally is for me at the start of something new.

Kel did the 'Shave for a Cure'. She raised almost $300 and looks pretty good with her short hair. It's shorter than mine at the moment.

Mum and Dad are back from Egypt. They had a great time but are glad to be home. Deborah is living back in Woodford. She's looking for work and still doing her degree.

For Sale

A lot has happened since last time we spoke.

Kel is now working in Nundah. Sarah, ex director of Sunnybank Hills CC, was looking for a full time group leader and Kel just happened to see the ad. She wasn't really sure if she wanted to go back into a room, and certainly not full time, but went and had an 'interview' anyway. Sarah really likes Kel, so she is now working three days a week and can take Noah and continue breast feeding. Bayli was going to be going two days a week but is going three as well because I have got a job too.

I am picking orders for Chemist Warehouse in Geebung. Start at 6am and finish at 2:15. Nat the most glamorous job but pretty good.

Worst thing for both of us is the drive. Kel takes about an hour to get there, me about 50 mins.

But both of our houses are now on the market. When we sell them (there hasn't been a lot of interest yet) we will be buying some where closer. First preference is Bracken Ridge but we will have to wait and see what the prices are doing, both for the ones we are selling and the one we want to buy.

We are also in the process of trying to find a new car. We have already bought a car off my parents for $800.

Both of the Kids are doing well. Noah slept all the way through one night but has regressed since. He still isn't making a habit of rolling over. Bayli can count to ten.

My parents are in Egypt.

It's all happening.

But now I have to go play cricket.

Update

Deborah is working out at Ayres Rock now and wants the blog to be updated. What about her blog? That's what I want to know.

Anyways...

Not a lot is actually happening here. Noah is doing well. He feeds fairly regularly during the day but at night he gets fed about 9 o'clock, then at about 3am, then at about 7am. It isn't too bad. He's already wearing 000 clothes, which Bayli wasn't wearing until she was three months old. Nan and Pop reckon he'll be crawling any day now-- apparently he pretty much got up on his hands and knees the other day but neither Kel or I witnessed it.

Bayli helped decorate the xmas tree the other day. Then she spent about an hour playing with this book thing that has a 3D scene inside and plays music when you open it. She loves it. She is starting to read now as well. She recognises about half the alphabet most of the time and can tell you a word or two that the letters stand for. She even works some out herself. We normally say window starts with W but the other day, out of the blue, she told us that water also starts with W.

And Bayli also had her first hair cut the other day. She took it pretty well. She was a bit unsure at first then she was great. She got a certificate.

Kel has been reading my Brighest Light novel. As soon as she finishes I'll be going through it as well and then I'll be sending it to Stephanie Smith at Harper Collins, who currently has the updated version of Singing Other Worlds.

Christmas presents are getting organised. Kel and I lashed out last week and spent $5 on a little TV cabinet type thing that we are going to turn into a kitchen for Bayli. She also has lots of kitchen stuff to go with it. We'll post pictures when it's finished.

And, most important of all... I scored 31 runs in cricket yesterday. 31 may not sound like a lot, but for me it is.