On Friday Martin and I were in Kmart and we found a pool in the discount section. It was a metre deep with a 450 diametre which is big enough for us to cool down in and will be great for Nina to learn to swim in. We had been thinking about getting one for a few weeks since we saw one at our friend’s place. Anyway, it was discounted to $260 from $380 just for damaged packaging. We thought that was alright so we snapped it up. When we arrived at the counter the woman scanned it and then she said it was $11. I said, “that would be great but it’s not really $11”. So she called her superviser and he came over. He tried to fix but couldn’t so we were told to wait while he called someone. We were waiting and waiting and Nina started crying so I went and asked if it would be much longer. He assured me it wouldn’t. About a minute later he came over and said I could have it for $11. I looked at him and said, “are you serious?” And he said. “well that’s what it is scanning at”. “Okay”, I said. So we paid the $11 and rushed out before they could change their mind. I thought perhaps there was going to be something wrong with but there’s not. We set it up and it’s perfect. The girls are playing in it right now.

My dear, dear friend Carney, who has been living on this block left today. I feel very sad. Carney is truly a one in a million person and her support over this year with Nina has been so great. I’m going to miss her heaps.

Nina has become quite the little chatterbox (just like her mum hey). She truly makes the cutest little sounds ever. Her favourite words include:

a goo
a oo
iiii
ay

Monday 37 degrees, Tuesday 38 degrees, Wednesday 38 degrees.

Today Nina and I lay on the couch for a bit. We listened to music, looked into each others eyes and gave lots and lots of smiles. We studied our hands, played boo and gave lots of kisses (well I gave kisses and Nina opened her mouth on my cheek). We had lots of fun.

Nina has really beautiful hands and she loves them. She spends a fair proportion of her waking hours studying her hands. She looks at them (in fact stares), she plays with them (sometimes I swear she is counting her fingers), she sucks them and recently she started gripping on to things (like other people’s fingers and her rattle) with them. Her wonder for her hands and watching her discover what they can do has really encouraged me not to take my hands for granted. I think we should all have has much wonder for our hands as Nina.

“Do you respect that of God in everyone though it may be expressed in unfamiliar ways or be difficult to discern? Each of us has a particular experience of God and each must find the way to be true to it. When words are strange or disturbing to you, try to sense what they come from and what has nourished the lives of others. Listen patiently and seek the truth which other people’s opinions may contain for you. Avoid hurtful criticism and provocative language. Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that are unfair or untrue. Think it possible that you may be mistaken.”

This is one of the Quaker “Advices and Queries” that I read yesterday. I have found it really, really helpful in helping me build relationship with a person I find difficult.

I was feeling pretty sad as I drove out of Sydney on Thursday. It had been a great time with everyone and I was dreading its end. And I do still feel a little bit sad to not be in Sydney with all my lovelies but driving into Alice on Sunday felt like coming home. I love the air, the quiet, the sky, the open spaces and of course the amazing people I live with. So I am happy to be back and I think Nina is too. She did so amazingly well with everything but it was pretty overwhelming for her I am sure.

I don’t think I can really write about the trip in Sydney Nina is being a bit whingy but we’re having a great time. But highlights are:
this house at Collaroy – waking up in the morning and having a swim and then mango for breakfast
Nina’s thanksgiving ceremony
catching the ferry to the city from Manly and showing Lida around Circular Quay
catching up with family in Tamworth
Leonard Cohen concert – truly the best concert I’ve ever been to
sharing it all with Nina

We arrived in Sydney on Monday arvo after having left Alice on Friday morning. It was a good trip, everything is just so green and there are wildflowers everywhere. Highlights would have to have been driving through the Flinders or our gorgeous riverside cabin in Wellington. A visit to the Bevis family in Hazlebrook to meet the babies was nice too. It has been a long time since we have seen them. Thankfully Nina quite likes the car so she was pretty cruisy the whole time. Unfortunately though she got a little bit sick so our first stop in Sydney was the Summers Ave Medical Clinic. She was fine, just a little cold but her parents were a bit freaked. Nina makes me feel very vulnerable. In the evening Jemma came over and had dinner with us and it was lovely to catch up with her too.

The next morning, Martin went and picked up his mum. Nina and I hung with Gem for a bit and then waited around for them to come back. It was great introducing Lida to Nina. She was so excited. In the evening we all had a happy evening at community dinner.

That night Nina manged to sleep from 10pm to 5.30am. Even though I still had to get up and express some milk I felt pretty amazing after that much sleep. I also went for a swim for the first time since Nina and I managed 12 laps. Not a bad start I thought. On return I had a hot bath. I think for the first time since getting pregnant my body felt good, like it was mine again. I can not tell you how good it felt. We also took Lida for lunch at pie in the sky. Good pies, beautiful view. That night John, Tom and Gem joined us for a very funny dinner.

Nina didn’t sleep so well that night though. She is constantly reminding me not to expect any routine. It’s great that Martin’s not working though so he was able to do the 4.00am bouncing for almost an hour. What a wonderful father. Thankfully she slept in a little bit longer though so we were up at 8 rather than 6. We went to Gerringong to visit Kat and Tom. Long drive but so beautiful. I love that part of the world. We stopped at the Buddhist temple for tea and to show Lida. I had the nicest chai and spring rolls ever. The food there is always so good. If you are ever in that area make sure you eat there. It was also so, so great to catch up with Kat and Tom in their new totally amazing home on the beach.

Today though I am bracing for not so good a time. Nina is having her 8 week vaccines and they are pretty painful. I imagine she is going to be pretty distressed after. And me too, probably more. I am completely out of proportion worried about how awful it is going to be watching someone stick a needle in my little girls leg I actually have butterflies in my stomach. So glad Martin is coming. I couldn’t do it alone. So better go wake her up which totally sux baecause she is for the second time ever actually sleeping in her cot in daylight hours.