Hands up everyone! Abby and her cousins.

We spent our Christmas in Palmerston North this year visiting the husband’s family there. It was a busy day, leaving Wellington in the morning, arriving in Palmie two hours later for a Christmas lunch at the mother-in-law’s, then over to the father-in-law’s for dinner. I ate way too much food and suffered indigestion so didn’t get much sleep that night (I should’ve learnt from my last pregnancy) . And then Abby decided to wake up with the sunrise at 5am the next day. That’s what happens when you don’t have curtains!

Fez after too many festivities

We then spent several nights with the sister-in-law, and ate and ate some more. Fez had a great time playing with the other dogs, and his mum Floss.

Abby had fun meeting lots of different animals. She got to touch alpacas, horses, some new cats and dogs, and met a budgie. She even got to sit on a miniature horse but didn’t like that at all!

Meeting some miniature horses

Oh hai

During the week we were away, Abby decided that it was time to walk more on her own. It’s still a bit strange seeing my baby walking whenever she pleases. She still needs to pull herself up on something to get on her feet, but it won’t be long before she’s completely independent with her walking. And it won’t be long before there’s two of them to run after! Good lord, she’s already wearing me out and I’ve even had lots of sleep-ins lately. I better enjoy the two weeks the hubby has left off work before I won’t have the time to!

I can’t believe this is Abby’s second Christmas! At least this year she’s not a newborn so will be able to actually enjoy the presents, food and company like everyone else (unlike her first Christmas where she just slept).

Abby on Neigh-neigh and her mini sock monkey in a stocking

Abby got to open some of her Chrissie presents early, one of them being a paddling pool gifted from a friend. It was so nice last Saturday that I thought she might like a paddle on the deck. And she did – lots.

She lurrrves water, playing and drinking it too (at least it was just plain tap water and not chlorinated public pool water).

Mum and dad got Abby a play oven for Christmas, which she was allowed to open last week also. She’s not quite figured out how to turn the hob dials though, but can press the “timer” button for the oven so it ticks and dings.

The random stuff in my oven are done!

Then she spends the rest of the time putting things in and taking things out of the oven. She also pretends to fry up what I like to think is bacon and eggs for mum’s breakfast.

Breakfast in bed for mum please

She’s such a clever cookie. She’s walking more by herself now. She can climb on, and backwards to get off, the sofa/bed or out the back door (another thing I have to watch out for!)

She’s learnt to say “ball” and “shoe” but they come out as “brr” and “shuhr”. (In the video below, at 1:04 I ask her “What is that?” and she starts to say “ball” but I correct her – I then notice that Fez had dropped his ball at her feet. Way to confuse the poor child.)

She’s starting to repeat what we say so I have to watch my potty mouth around her just in case!

Have a merry Christmas and a great break from the norm everyone!

One month old already

Abby has been busy for someone who has only been in the world for a little over four weeks. She’s been to two bbqs, on a road trip from Wellington to Palmerston North then to Auckland, another road trip to Taupo before heading back to Wellington, she’s visited friends, been Christmas shopping and had her first Christmas with both sides of the family.

Pukeko in a yucca tree

Christmas was busy! Abby took up most of our time leading up to the day, and we ended up with a yucca as our Christmas tree, complete with a pukeko (although a ponga tree would’ve been more awesome of course). We had a full house with family staying in all the spare rooms, and one of my nieces came down with chicken pox on Christmas eve so spent her Christmas in quarantine away from the two newborns. Not so fun for her. I won’t be surprised if one of us gets it next but I hope it won’t be Abby.

Abby and her cousin Bridget (who is a day younger)

Fez was extremely well behaved. He got a bit freaked out with all the noise and kiddies wanting to play with him – understandable having mum and dad neglecting him so over the last month and all.

Abby and Fez having a Christmas nap

So, it’s been a busy month and as parents it’s been exhausting. Abby is still fussy with breast feeding so Mummy Milk Truck continues to deliver milk in a bottle. She has her good days among her bad days where she stays awake for hours on end and cries about being too tired (or hungry yet again). She’s an adorable little girl though, even when she’s bawling. She’s beginning to interact more and makes those cute baby sounds when you talk to her. We love her more each day and hopefully the next month will be much easier – fingers crossed.

It appears that these people are making Christmas cheer a workplace hazard.

Being hungover at work is a workplace hazard and a quarter of all injury claims are alcohol-related, ACC general manager of injury prevention Katie Sadleir said.

stuff.co.nz

Maybe employers should plan their Christmas dos for the end of the working week… and if staff have to work on the next day, then they should know better! Naughty!

Keep it merry!