Our Walking Heart

2011-10-12T20:56:00.000+11:00

QUEENSLAND HOLIDAY AND PARKERS FIRST BIRTHDAY

The start of our trip in an icy Canberra and we had a great plane trip, both ways!

The view from our apartment was spectacular!

Opening Parkers presents-a fire truck from Grandma Forman (above)

and a family photo on the day...

We had a lovely visit from Poppy and Nanna

And a lovely few visits with Grandma Lindsay

Had some yummy vinos!

And we had some very yummy food too.

Parker absolutely loved the beach, the waves, the sand...everything!

Parker took us on some beautiful walks

Our little jokester...

For now I will leave you with these photos. I hope you are all well!!!!

our love xx

2011-09-02T12:09:00.001+10:00

OUTDOOR RENOVATING

We have officially decided to renovate our backyard and with that decision made it was only a matter of hours until I had spent thousands...gosh I am clever. After the $10,000 quote we recieved I figured (with a little encouragement from mum) that doing it ourselves meant we were actually saving money. Ha. We are pulling up the pavers and laying new ones, fencing up a compost and vege patch, making a privacy screen, getting outdoor furniture, pots, lemon tree and a daybed (with the possiblity of a fire pit) and bistro setting, cleaning all the gutters and putting in gutter gaurd, AND painting the garage and fence. phew...

I have also fixed all the dripper system so our garden should be taking off very soon.

On top of all the renovating we (I) have been in a little bad luck patch lately as I hit a kangaroo the other week and dropped my iPhone into the toilet so that is why things have been a little chaotic as of late.

BEFORE/DURING REMOVAL

AFTER REMOVAL

( After much deliberation I decided on two lovely colours of steel mesh (a little bit lavender) and Igloo Blue. They go well with our sandstone coloured pavers so fingers crossed it all comes together. Ryan has been making some jokes about this "lavender" paint but is graciously going along with it, with the expectation it will all look lovely...

DURING REMOVAL

AFTER REMOVAL BUT BEFORE SAND

Parker loves helping outside!

A healthy obssession with cords...

Yummy gluten and dairy free choc-chip pancakes that I made...quite good actually!

Parkers new outdoor cubby, he is just trying to figure out how to climb up the slide.

We have also found a great place at the Fresh Food Markets The giant Mushroom.

Parker thinks it is great fun to go down the slippery-dips front first and climb back up...

And I will post some more photos very soon as we have found our camera...it went missing and turned up in somebody's toy box...

Love to you all and a very special congrats to James, Annaliese and Ben on welcoming there new little boy Matthew into the world. So exciting!!!!

July and 3 months until the big day

2011-07-16T16:31:00.001+10:00

Very eventful week. Parker got his first ever package ("Thanks Owenn, my teething is really much better now I can chew on the little capsules!!!!")

We also had a wonderful visit from Grandma Lindsay, Parker just loved having her here and so did we!!!!

A nice picnic by the lake

We also had another lovely picnic in -2 degree weather...

Parker playing at his playgroup with his friends Nicholas, Nikki and Nadav...kind of hulk like in the picture but he is learning to be gentle!

Daddy had a wacky hair day at school and was quite impressed with the outcome? All gone now as you can see below.

Parker watching in the Night garden before his bedtime... he just loves that Pinky Ponk

Daddy enjoys watching too!!!

And Finally what we have all been waiting for, a good shot of his chompers, 3 down...

We also had some playing with the recycling...note to self, not do leave laundry door open!

I will post some funny demon talking soon!

Love to you all xxxx

Parker Update - Late June

2011-06-28T21:21:00.000+10:00

Its all happening. Parker has three teeth now (two on the bottom and one up the top). He is really enjoying them at cracker time! Not so much when they are swollen but Matt is sending over some "herbal relief" (thanks!) and we have our fingers crossed.

I have also learnt a new mummy skill and can sew. I hemmed Ryan's jeans and fixed some curtains and I sure do have a knack....next up Mummy's MooMoo.

We have also found a very fun game called 'shut mummy out of the room before our bathtime' Its hilarious!

See the foot on the door ;)

We have been having a bit of fun in the kitchen lately. Parker just loves measuring everything out...surprise surprise the cakes aren't always edible!

We also had a play date with Parker's cousins James (in picture), Harry and Finn (in below pic)...Lots of babies!!!!

Shredded paper is an all time favorite at the moment!

This clip is of Parker navigating some tricky steps...without any real assistance from his bystanding mummy. I think i was hoping for a good $250,000 funniest home videos moment.

And I will leave you with a lovely picture of our sons huge, beautiful (not so bald anymore) head. Every now and then I glimpse the hair in a certain light and it is quite red...Milkman???

Love to all!!!

June 2011

2011-06-15T09:52:00.000+10:00

Just a quick one. We have been quite busy with me back at work on weekends but we are all adjusting really well! Ryan and Parker enjoy the mornings together and it is always so lovely to see Parker's face when I get home.

Parker is enjoying his new found independence and getting into lots of mischief! We put another on up on you tube of him feeding himself too!

And he loves playing with Daddy and his coights!!!

Lots of love to you all!!!!!

Shopping, crawling and socializing!

2011-06-09T10:06:00.000+10:00

Parker is crawling!!! He has been slowly getting better and better over the past week. He still forgets he can do it sometimes but is getting more and more adventurous!

As you can see his motivation is our little iVac which he cant get enough of. When i turn the vacuum cleaner OFF he crys???

He is also loving the shopping trolley now which makes grocery shopping a lot easier!!!

We try and catch up with Parker's cousins James and Harry at least once a week which they all enjoy.

We also had Mothers Day in May and I got spoilt with a lovely breakfast and new hair dryer!!!

Stay tuned for Ryan's Birthday in two days...as if we could forget!!

WINTER HAS COME EARLY

2011-05-16T10:53:00.000+10:00

I will first apologise that the quality of all the photos are not great. We forget the camera alot and rely waaaay too much on the dreadful iphone. In fact I don't think Ryan has taken a photo on the camera for 3 months, POOR FORM Lindsay family, I am nagging so Im sure we will see some improvement soon...that is how its done right?
We are going to be much better! Starting today. I am taking my camera to Playgroup and I am going to get some photos!!!!!!

Well gosh all we have to say is it is cold!!! It is still 2 weeks till winter and we have already had the coldest May night on record EVER (-6.8).
Our heating is holding up quite well ( I shudder to think of our bill) and Parker certainly takes after his dad (thankfully) and is now my permenant water bottle. My lips are always blue : (

We still manage to get out and have been to the Park near our home

(Don't worry, he was wearing his hood most of the time, that bald head certainly loses alot of heat!!!)

We also brought a lovely new friend for Parker, Polly the Penguin. He was quite scared of her laugh at first but they are very friendly now! He is still also very happy to play with his ole' mate Terrence the Teddy.

We also went to Sydney for the weekend inApril and I had my first wild night out (since Parker anyway), AN USHER CONCERT, so great! And thanks to my lovely friend Jo, my first 8 hours away from Parker we actually really enjoyable!

We also stayed in a wonderful apartment overlooking the harbour...Thankyou Grandma Forman, so Ryan and Parker had a ball too!

We had a lovely walk (a little chilly) around the harbour the next day and a wonderful breakfast too!

Our apartment

The concert at Acer Arena

We also tried something a little inventive as Parker kept waking himself up in the car on the way home, his head would flop forward...did the job quite well!

Ahhh the taste of leaves in the morning!

Gosh I just love Canberra...there I said it!!! Look at the loveliness

I hope everyone is doing well. I am enjoying watching all the lovely clips of Owenn and we are going to get a few more up soon. Parker has started clapping his hands, and oh so very close to crawling. Love to everyone and keep safe and warm (p.s Particularly jealous of you frenchies on this 11am 1 degree morning!!!!!!!!!)

Liz's Bathroom 2.0 and Little P

2011-04-14T14:52:00.001+10:00

Parker and Mummy having a play

Daddy and Parker reading

Well, he is doing many new things but I'm not sure you can improve on perfection awh...
Parker is doing so well, he is eating well, dancing well, sitting well just missing the one thing...sleeping well. Oh the elusive sleep fairy must really come and pay a visit to our house.
I am investing in a book called No Cry Sleep Solutions by Elizabeth Panthly so fingers crossed it goes well.

We are also loving our new bathroom that Mum renovated for us a few weeks ago.
There were ups and downs but through everything Mum powered on with innovative and wonderful solutions to any problems that dare present themselves to her!
THANK YOU MUM

We had our makeshift shower

This is Mum using tape as a rope for the wrench...what did I say, innovative. This worked well as Mum had to make a platform under the bath and concrete the bath in - she did all of this in what Ryan and I can only imagine as spinder infested trenches...AMAZING. As soon as we get the final touch (the screen door that is getting the better of us) then I will be putting up way more photos including pics of the floor etc

BEFORE

Parker's new snorting face, unfortunately I can't stop laughing at it so he keeps doing it.

We think he looks a lot like his cousin Ben in this one?

Ryan's Mum noticed how similar Ryan as a baby and Parker looked in this photo...uncanny!

Parker has also gotten a new little pose, he likes to sit cross legged on the ground now. The nurse in me tells him to uncross them immediately because it is bad for circulation but I know how comfortable it can be!!

He has also been enlightening us with the muscial sounds of P-Funk on the bongos

Parker can of course bust a move just like his olds!

Reactionaries to the cold??? I think not. 8 degrees outside is chilly I don't care if it is Anzac Day or NOT!

Parker's favourtie French thing (Im so sorry Matt and Elo and Owenn!-its a phase, when he is visiting you for holidays he will definitely love you all more!!!) SOPHIE. And our sleeping angel, he really is so lovely when he does sleep, doesn't he know that it endears us even more???

Well for this month thats it! UNLESS of course Parker grows some milk buds soon and then we can at least blame the crankiness on something lol

Miss all our family all over the world and can't wait to come and visit each and every one of you!!!!

Sitting, eating and talking...he'll be moving out in no time

2011-03-24T12:39:00.001+11:00

Parker is just more fun every day. He is loving the little trains that flash and play music and he is sitting up very well now. He loves playing with his cousins and I just know he misses his French connection all the time (just like mummy and daddy!!!) Hope your reno's are going just as well as ours.
We had a little "emergency" as mum yelled it but everything is going great guns now...She has done a spectacular job!!

Just a little taste of whats happening

Before During

AWAIT FOR THE FINISHED PHOTOS

We filmed a little clip of Parker doing his first attempts (below) - sorry that it is sideways, I don't have the knowledge like Ryan to fix it.

We have been having bubble baths at Grandmas due to the renovations, otherwise we were showering with a lovely solar shower under the clothes line-quite freeing

Parker is also eating three times a day and loving everything from Beetroot to berries which is exciting! His favourite is avocado (yuck!)

We are heading to Sydney this weekend for me to let loose and boogie and my husband has so kindly offered to accompany me and look after our offspring. Look out Sydney town!!! We are going to do a little sightseeing and catching up with friends as well. And thankfully just in time for our little road trip we have turned the car seat around which Parker is loving!!!!

Parkers First pub visit went very well at christmas as well!!!

On a side note my lovely husband is also doing very well in his writing endeavours and I look forward to announcing a very exciting prospect soon...no pressure on him of course but just to say that Parker and I are so very proud of all the work he has been doing, while still managing to make me eggs for breakfast every day and reading lots to our little boy!

Parker laughing his guts out!

2011-03-07T10:11:00.000+11:00

This little man laughs 90% of the day which is so lovely to be around! He even giggles in his sleep now.

ENJOY XX

Little Clip of Parker Babbling with the Flash cards

2011-03-07T10:01:00.000+11:00

5 months and counting...well not yet, but Ryan is sure 1,2,3 is coming really soon!

2011-03-02T17:46:00.000+11:00

Well Parker is eating some pears, banana and apple puree and we certainly notice a smelly difference! He is also very close to sitting by himself which is exciting!

We are getting very excited about our bathroom renovations coming up, I'm sure mum is too lol. We have stocked up on paddlepops to help get her through the dark hours of tiling, grouting and lifting!
Here are a few before shots

A big thank you for this beautiful outfit from our lovely family in France. The writing is translated from French to English and is a beautiful poem for our little bubba

"Come to my Pony Party...Rock me, Again and again

I'm your sweat rocking pony

rock my, follow my, there where the wind will us

again and again

come to my pony party...rock me

I'm your sweat rocking pony"

LOVE IT!!!

And of course my new hair colour...a little change

Parker Eats and Talks - 4mths

2011-02-13T19:19:00.000+11:00

Parker has just started ingesting some real food so we thought we'd share with you the process.

He really likes sitting down to eat with one of us and he babbles all the way through so turn the volume up because there's plenty to hear.

3 Months on

2011-01-04T13:53:00.000+11:00

We just had such a lovely christmas with our families. One christmas down here in Canberra and one up in Tweed heads.
We had Parkers first swim ( a tad cold) but he really liked it...we think. No tears but rarely a smile so we think he is just getting used to it!

Flying high with Daddy

We also went to the beach which was lovely! No sand action yet but soon, I'm sure

We also had some giggle fests!

Parker also had his first taste of some flood water (even if it was only for one day) He wasn't too perturbed by the week long raining sessions and his cousin Ben so so incredibly well behaved for being couped up on a small verandah.

And this long lanky fella just doesn't stop growing

And home time, with another flight delay, was sleep time for our little one and us!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

2010-12-01T12:11:00.000+11:00

2 Month on and we are going great guns!

This shot just goes to show that you have to be quick in the line of fire

Here we have Parker striking his sleep pose

There are only a limited number of years this is appropraite so we are helping him to make the most of it on a very hot day!

and he is just not sure what is going on here...

We went to Aiden and Sahra's wedding on the weekend and Parker was so well behaved and it was absolutely beautiful!!!!!

My "lets get some serious dancing done" look

And coming soon a look at our christmas tree!!!! With some video on u tube...stay tuned

The first 3 weeks

2010-10-20T14:55:00.000+11:00

It's Jess here, finally got my computer up and running and found a little time in between napping, eating and feeding to post.

This is me while the contractions were still exciting and managable...i definately know why our brains are programmed to forget the birth or the world wouldnt be over populated! BUT, when Parker did open his eyes for the very first time and saw Ryan and I...well there is no other feeling like it!

We had our first home visit today and were told that Parkers weight gain was almost unheard of...all i wanted to hear was that he was doing well because i never know whether im doing anything right or not, SO, we are doing at least that! He was 3.6kgs when born and today, 2 weeks later, he is 4.4kgs.

Parker a few minutes after birth...so beautiful!

Our poor little Jaundice bubba, he lost the yellowish tinge about a week after birth

Parker going for a ride in the car, which he loves!!!

Daddy and Parker, getting some much needed nap time!

I breast fed in public for the first time today, something i have been dreading because everyone has an opinion about it, and i had visions of my boobs (or "tuckshop", as Ryan and Parker call them) popping out and milk squirting into a strangers face etc but it worked really well so i feel a little more confident!

Ryan is getting great at multi-tasking!!!!

Parker loves a good nap not wrapped up, however he gets the "thriller arms" which tend to wake him up...so cute though

Tess is settling down a little more every day, however she chooses some inopportune moments to play out. She is getting her big walks everyday though cause Parker also loves the pram, sometimes we just keep walking because he is quite!

Bye for now, i will keep the blog going!!!

Why Parker? - Parker Lewis

2010-10-07T21:20:00.000+11:00

There are many reasons why Parker was chosen as the name. The inspirations are many so let's detail a few, shall we? In no particular order, of course.

Parker Lewis Can't Lose

If you didn't get the chance to watch this show in your youth then I feel sorry for you. It's a true 90's classic and sadly forgtten/overlooked by many.

Corin Nemic was the eponymous Parker Lewis and he carried the show as the rapscallious heart and soul of every misunderstood teen just trying to have a good time.

This show is the link between Doogie Howser: MD and Scrubs. But, y'know, for kids!

It's a rock solid piece of my childhood and I'm happy for my son to share some namesake with the kid who couldn't lose.

Meet Parker

2010-10-05T07:23:00.000+11:00

He has arrived. The heir to the Lindsay throne (or at least this branch of it), the little guy who will be getting plenty of my time from here on out, and the champion with little sideburns who is ready to tackle the world.

Parker is here.

The birth was quite the arduous process, though probably not as much for me as for Jess, but we got there in the end.

It's strange being trapped in the one room for a whole day; we got there before 7am and didn't have our little man until 7:40pm. It's a long time to never leave the room and just wait for it all to come and go but we had fun anyway.

And it was nothing compared to the 4 days we would spend in the next hospital room. You get a little bit of cabin fever and just can't wait to get home. And we are home now.

It's all a steep learning curve but it's also a stack of fun.

I'll try and update on here a bit more as Parker slowly evolves into the bundle of awesome we all know he is and will be but for now you just get one measly picture.

The Cool Dad

2010-08-30T05:52:00.000+10:00

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not looking to be the 'cool' dad. I'm not consciously going to try and be hip and hang with the kids and all that garbage. I'm a firm believer that a child needs a parent before they do a best friend. Sure, if you do it well then you'll end up friends with your kid but you can't sacrifice parenting opportunities because it might hurt the friendship, that's forr sure.

However, I am a goofball at heart and I get the feeling I'm just going to get on well with my kid anyway. I get on well with kids in general and I feel like I'll be on my little fella's level.

Jess seems to think the same thing because every time we watch Modern Family, a show that didn't initially impress me but I'm now in love with, she just looks at me and laughs or smiles.

There's a father in the show, Phil Dunphy as played by Ty Burrell, and he's kinda like me in a fair few ways. He's goofy, he's afraid of spiders, he's a big wuss. The more I see the more I see myself. I might not have the perfect comedic timing of Mr Burrell but otherwise the character seems a great deal like what I'll be like in just a few years.

Have a look at the trailer below, it's pretty close.

If you've ever seen the show then you can possibly see something into it, too.

And I don't mind it. I laugh my ass off when I watch Modern Family, Phil Dunphy is also my favourite character, and I got to marry a hot blonde too. It all fits together.

Names - Lando

2010-08-13T06:46:00.000+10:00

A mate of mine made a suggestion for a name that I think is pure genius. It's a name that's never really been used before and it would make for one individual individual.

Lando.

Think about it. Everyone knows Lando, he's smooth, he's cool, he's not to be trusted until you come to completely trust him.

Just look at him.

Lando.

I like it. But if you're going to go for Lando should you just go for Han instead?

Names - Campbell

2010-07-11T14:52:00.000+10:00

It's funny, Jess had submitted Campbell as a possible name. And you know what, it's not too bad at all. It's got a little jazz to it, it's snappy, it's a bit different but not crazy. It's regal and will surely match the middle name.

When I think of Campbell I think of the soup or the actor, you know the one, Bruce Campbell. He's a living legend and one of the best actors to be able to do acting in reverse, he's a phenom, no doubt about it. Those are two pretty good things to have for the name, and I can even put them together in the one image (borrowed from sci-fiwire.com, click the images if you must have a link or want to put these labels on your own cans):

This name was seriously on the list but then a good friend from work just had her first and named him Campbell. I'm happy to let her have it, I think we still have one better suited for our son.

But congratulation to that friend, anonymous shall she remain, she's got a safe and healthy baby and she's given it a cool name.

Hail to the Campbell.

Homemade Pizza

2010-07-05T20:53:00.000+10:00

Over Xmas last year we managed to score this awesome homemade pizza cooking stone. It makes us feel like real Masterchef's in our own home and goes back to the Italian heritage that my greasy hair seems to think it has even though I'm half Pom-Kiwi, go figure.

Anyway, so we made up the dough and we got to making our own special pizzas. Note: when I say we made the dough I actually mean I was all set to make the dough as a special treat for my lovely pregnant wife but instead I don't think she exactly had what we'd call 'the faith' in me so she ended up doing all of the dough so now we'll never know if I could have done it myself or not.

Jess' dough came up pretty awesome and then she rolled it nice and flat and into a round shape. The stone had been heated up in the oven and we were ready to start flipping the dough around and slapping some 'exotic' ingredients on there.

Poor Jess wasn't allowed to partake in my awesome hardcore deli meats because they say it's no good for the pregnant ladies and she doesn't want to risk it, so I got all the salami. When we got the pizza out I was super impressed by how great it looked. Check it out.

Id' pay good money for that, and in a sense, we probably did. But it was fun to do and I'd certainly do it again. I can only imagine Jess and me in the kitchen with out little fella teaching him how to do this from an early age. The ladies won't know what hit them.

Names - Ares

2010-07-01T15:56:00.000+10:00

This one goes out to my brother in France, as it was his suggestion, based on a character I wrote into a story once.

I think Ares as a name holds many grand connotations. It's synonymous with strength, with pride, with courage. Sadly, it's also pretty connected to warfare and death and all that sort of stuff but if you take it on the regal god manner in which it is intended it's got a pretty fine backbone to it.

Imagine if kids in the playground find out he's the god of war. Just think of the possibilities.

He could even escape the gene pool that his father has thrown him into and turn out like this:

Names - Yorick

2010-06-25T21:50:00.003+10:00

Alright, time for me to pony up and offer some of my suggestions, after having bagged out Jess' for so long.

This is a name I actually really like. Yorick. It's just got a certain ring to it, I don't even know that I could explain it. I like how it looks, I like how it sounds. You can shorten it to 'Rick. I dunno...it's just got that special something about it.

It also reminds me of one of my favourite comic book characters:

But it doesn't, surprisingly, give me those Shakespearean overtones, all that skull holding and soliloquising. It's just not coming to mind.

Though, I will admit, I'm not sure if I just like this name as something for a character, or my actual son. Time will have to tell on this one.

Names - Barclay

2010-06-21T12:12:00.001+10:00

Here's another gem that Jess thought up. She told me this name and in my head I instantly went here.

I thought she meant Barkley, like Sir Charles up there. Now, don't get me wrong, the Chairman of the Boards was a pretty cool player, and maybe one shade of eye bag away from Sleepy Floyd, but he wasn't impressive enough to me to warrant naming my kid after him.

However, Jess didn't mean Barkley, she meant Barclay, which just made me think of this.

Perhaps Visa is just an easier way to go, and he'll be accepted in over 200 countries worldwide (ba bum cha!).

Dr Bruce Campbell M.D.

2010-06-16T19:58:00.001+10:00

Jess and I went for a check up recently, the usual stuff, nothing too crazy, but while they were weighing Jess I was stuck in a narrow hallway and I looked upon the wall to see something glorious.

Most doctors have the usual art on the walls, lame and lazy pieces that are meant to placate their patients, make then feel at home, make them feel cared for, to create an environment of peace. Well, our obstetrician is obviously not a usual doctor.

I stared at this visual masterpiece and just knew I was with the right man. I snuck my phone out and got a quick snap before any of the nurses busted me, though Jess blew my cover by screeching out a big, fat "What are you doing?" Damn, no stealth at all.

So, without any further ado, here he is, our obstetrician.

Recognise.

Ryan's 28th Birthday

2010-06-14T17:40:00.000+10:00

Well we had Ryan's birthday on Friday and he came down with the man flu, he is still suffering which means we all are!
He managed to make it through the weekend in style though and had such a great time with friends. There were quite a few people that came from a far which was lovely!
Tess had an interesting weekend, with visitors in the house, definately out of her comfort zone. She has well and truly settled down now...thank god. The threats about RSPCA worked at treat.

I m 26 weeks now and as you can see growing daily. I am feeling better the bigger I get which is nice. I had a little melt down in a David Jones' changing room with mum but have since recovered with a wonderful friend giving me a fews clothes.
I certainly am loving being pregnant with my sister but it would have been handy to have borrowed some of her clothes, not just see her look fabulous in them! I am also wearing my glasses more now as my eyes won't stop watering, the opposite problem to my mum.

So far Ryan has been telling you all the names I am putting forward but you will notice that Ryan is not actually submitting any at all??? I'm waiting to see what his game plan is...

For Ryan's birthday I got him a i-phone docking alarm and an apron. It looked cool because the snooze is a motion sensor so you just wave your hands in front of it. handy because Ryan generally integrates the alarm sound into his dreams and it just goes on and on. With my Marfan arms, I'll get the job done before he realizes whats happening.
We had a great dinner at my Mums, three different types of curries and Ryan got very spoilt getting a brown knitted vest for school, some old comics and beer and some very appreciated money from the Grandparents.
My sister even made a lovely cake with 28 candles on it, i blew them out though, no one wanting sick man breath on their piece.

I also attempted an iron man cake for our night out at Nandos and A-TEAM (which was awesome), however the logistics of time got in the way and his face kept melting, making it look like Whiplash whooped his ass. Oh well, its all trial and error but I enjoyed making it and it tasted great!

I'm keeping up to date with my brother and his family in France and Owenn, my Nephew, is so adorable!!! Keep the photos coming.

Jess

Names - Pepe

2010-06-09T20:44:00.000+10:00

I have no idea whether Jess is being serious with this one or not but either way I have to stamp down my authority quickly. Pepe. Seriously....uh, no.

I could say I don't want my son to be a faux-French sleaze ball who doesn't know how to respect the boundaries established by the women around him. A la:

But in truth, I think I'm just worried that a kid with my DNA lurking somewhere within him might actually fit the name and turn out like this:

I don't care if you do like Pepe as a character, no one wants a kid that even closely resembles this Muppet.

Names - Milo

2010-06-03T21:18:00.000+10:00

I don't even know where to start with Milo. It's not necessarily a bad name, but it's certainly not one I'd use. I can't even pin down what I don't like about it, whether it's the chocolate drink connotation, or the pseudo-Italian vibe I get from it, or just an annoying habit that probably two decades later I still can't get this crummy movie out of my head.

Doesn't it look like they're watching from heaven?

Sorry Milo, we're not having a little brother for you and calling him Otis. Just not on the cards.

Names - Major

2010-05-31T13:44:00.000+10:00

Another one of Jess' masterpiece choices. She thinks Major is absolutely cute, though she concedes it might work better as a dog name. I don't hate this name but I'd rather use it for an old St Bernard than my son and the living destiny and echo of my bloodline.

I'd like to profess that upon hearing the name I first thought of Joseph Heller and at least was happy that my surname isn't Major as well, but this was a mere second thought. Sadly, my first thought went straight to this head.

And I don't want to hear any creepy chuckles from the belly as I sleep.

Heh, heh, hyeah.

Names - Ross

2010-05-26T06:20:00.000+10:00

Jess still had plenty more names she wanted to try out on me. Another zinger was; Ross.

Now, I have nothing against this name, I think it's perfectly fine, I can understand how people would use it and be happy for the rest of their lives. But it's just not what my son will be called.

This is a case of a name being perfectly fine, except for the fact that I'm not in love with it, and I have to be in love with my son's name.

Not to mention, Ross only has one meaning for me and it signals that I'll have a kid like this (make sure you watch until the TV bit, hilarious...but not my son):

Gardening, Other Delights and 6 months next week!!!!

2010-05-20T12:34:00.002+10:00

So this is my first foray into the blogging world, which I'm sure Ryan is super excited about. He left me with instructions this morning and I am muddling through them now.

We are slowly collecting every a little baby may need and in our pursuit I found a lovely steal (which I had to get my husband to bid for as I was in surgery at the time and I am sure the doctor or the patient would not have appreciated the slight distraction)

As these photos show we got an absolute steal on e-bay, over 100 items of boys clothing for 0000-0 for $70. They were in great condition and definitely worth it! The three on the left were new (George's shirt was from a Friend Jess in Sydney- Very cool dude!) The others were a purchase due to their coolness.

Our first baby, Tesla, is keeping warm in this whether by snuggling into our dressing gown, we have put in the garage, from breakfast and not waking again until the sun is well and truly out... AND i even got her a coat that she wears for wet weather.

She has also started two wonderful habits, the first is that she lets one drop (as in doggy farts) now when she needs to go out, just so everyone is aware and we get her outside quick smart, and and the second is, she brings everything she finds in the garden, be it old bones (not sure but they look pretty human), pots, knobbly bits of wood and even pipe when she can get her hands on it up to our door, which is so convenient when you have a pregnant women with no co-ordination stumbling about all the time... We have 000 on speed dial!

The weather really hasn't been too bad, especially during the day so I was out in the garden last weekend and it was wonderful. I figure I might try and get alot of it in before I can't bend over anymore! Its already starting to feel like I have a bum bag on all the time. And look at my belly (and face, and arse...oh I could go on forever...) grow.

Its funny, in Australia, people only say 1 of 2 things to pregnant women and it isn't what you would expect, like 'you are glowing' or 'You're looking well'.

Nope, they go with 'Wow, you are huge, sure there isn't two in there' or ' Gosh your carrying it really small aren't you'- implying, I'm sure, that I must have taken up smoking to actually lower the birth weight or maybe he is missing a leg, helpful huh ???

I have a little motto for everytime someone whats to help with their kind words and it is simple

I AM STRONG AND HEALTHY

Say that a few times and the other comments just fly away!

It is also couples week for yoga next Tuesday (figured that out the hard way by taking Ryan to the all girls class last week-sorry babe), and Ryan is amazing and supportive so I'm sure he is looking forward to it as well!

Oh and just for the record I had way more amazing names including Major, Marshall, Barclay and Matthew, thank you Mr Lindsay, who, came back to our little drawing board with.... YORRICK?????????

Maybe we should just do what I'm sure all teachers do and tell the kids to submit $5 to go in the running to win the right to name our bub?

Just a little image to leave you all with... I worry about all Ryan's books when baby comes!!!!

This was brought to you by Jessica Lindsay (I know it is so hard to tell the difference between a professional writer and her husband! )

Signing off (...is that right baby, Signing off lol)

Names - Ace

2010-05-19T06:28:00.000+10:00

Jess and I have been bandying about names a lot lately to see what else might stick and how we feel about it. Naming a kid can be hard because you both have to agree that you love a name. Love it!

Jess and I barely like the same tv shows, she tolerates me watching Big Bang Theory and I have to leave the house to watch LOST.When she watches The Good Wife I usually rock the laptop on my knees and get some work done. We're not always in synch, though we do both enjoy Glee a fair bit, so you never know, we can come together on some things.

So Jess was at work and came up with a list of names. I'm going to share some of them with you now just to test the waters.

Ace

Jess really likes Ace for a name.

I don't.

All I can think of is this guy.

And sorry, champ, but Ace gets a big thumbs down instead.

It's A...Boy!

2010-05-02T19:02:00.000+10:00

We finally found out the sex of our child (actually we found out a while ago but I've been slack in updating, sorry...).

We went in to get the scan done, we were both just ducked out from work, we were in between patients, and then BAM we get told it's a boy. It all happened so quick, and I was so sure it certain that it would be a girl (for no real reason, just felt it in my waters) and then I find out I'm going to have a little hairy creature just like myself to call as I wish and boss around and craft to go on in this world and conquer all that he surveys. It's so cool.

I now try to imagine what the 'little fella' (as I've been calling him) will look like. It's a pretty crazy notion to really think about the honest production of your own genetics mixed with that of the person you love. This little fella is going to be so awesome and I can't wait to meet him. And meet him again and again every day for the rest of his life. Well, technically it would be the rest of my life, he'll live on much longer than I will.

Dr Seuss - My Boy Loves Him

2010-04-22T17:59:00.001+10:00

I've started reading to the baby and everybody involved is loving it. We picked up this Seuss book (well, it's not actually Seuss, but it's based on him, references a stack of his work, and really nails the overall vibe of his oeuvre quite well) while on our Babymoon up north.

A few times now I've read it and then Jess has felt some movement, so either her bowels love Seuss (a helpful hint to save for later) or our little bambino likes some of the classics.

I do feel that Dr Seuss would go perfect with our child, so feel free to purchase away from his back catalogue, if the fancy so takes you.

Manly Men Feelings

2010-04-06T20:13:00.001+10:00

Jess is starting to show just a little bit more. I don't know if I'm allowed to say that but she is. She's not popping like 9 months but she's certainly got a thicker trunk than when I met her, and it's all baby.

I have never been a guy to touch a pregnant woman's belly. I've never done it actually, I always felt weird when it was even possibly on offer. I don't want to man handle some poor other woman just because she happens to have a kid inside her. It's still her body, she doesn't become public property as soon as she gets another little one in her. Yet so many people treat them like they are, it's weird. They go commenting freely on the new proportions of belly and boobs, and discuss the eating habits and funny style of standing up from the seated position. It's open slather and that's pretty weak, when you think about it.

So I've gone from a life without touching big bellies to one where now I cannot get enough of it. Each day I can feel the further space that the baby occupies, like watching tectonic plates slowly grind and shift over time. It's awesome. The stomach is so hard and large and I know that between that sheet of skin and muscle is another little life that I've created. A little person floating in fluid and feeling the noises I make around it and trying its best to see through the red-lit haze at what is around it. It's strange to get into the headspace of your unborn child, would probably make a good story one day...anyway.

I'm sort of glad I waited so long to go grabbing at the full belly. It made it all the more meaningful when I finally caved in and now I can't get enough.

*Other women need note, I still don't want to get all up in their torso, I will still only appreciate the pregnant form that I spend time creating. Others are of no interest.

You're Having My Baby

2010-04-05T14:15:00.000+10:00

It wasn't long after we found out that we were having a baby that we heard this piece of music on the show Glee.

It seemed to sum up a lot of what we were feeling and made us laugh to beat the band.

Thought you might want to enjoy it as well.

Our Baby Will Be Reading Soon

2010-04-01T19:39:00.000+11:00

We still haven't finalised which exact cot we want but we did manage to locate the perfect quilt set, and of course the doting mother-to-be needed to get matching pillow case, clothes hamper, and nappy holder. And who am I to withhold these things from the woman I love?

Of course, it's word oriented, or at least letters. I just love the colours and the pics are pretty cute. I am certain our little child will truly appreciate the levels of home decoration we went to just to ensure it grew up stimulated and learning at all times.

Plus, it'll really tie the room together, I think.

Here's A Little Belly, For Those Waiting

2010-03-31T16:50:00.000+11:00

I know many people want to see pics of Jess' belly because they have some sort of sick need to have to judge or quantify exactly what is happening, or else they just want to share in the joy. Either/or. I figure most people just like to watch someone else's body change after years of working on it and getting it just how they wanted it.

No matter what your motivation, feel free to enjoy the pic below of Jess' baby bump at about the 14 week stage. I think it is absolutely amazing that below the skin there is something sentient growing and starting to think. How cool.

Building A Stronger Baby

2010-03-30T06:48:00.000+11:00

It is highly important to put good fuel into the system to make sure that baby gets all that s/he needs. We here at the Lindsay household have been very conscious of making sure that we are constantly at the pinnacle of health and nutrition to ensure our baby's brain will grow exponentially so that it can one day rule the planet. Or just get published like its father can't.

So, in the interest of promoting solid eating habits during your pregnancy as well as ours we bring you the Good Morning Menu.

That's right, boils and ghouls, a little bit of bacon and eggs go a long way. That right there is 97% fat free bacon, and I have Tabasco sauce all over mine, to help with the digestion process.

Here's another shot we prepared earlier. As usual, Jess won't get in front of the camera but she thinks others will want to see my mug some more. Don't worry, the next post will have a shot of her, I promise.

Mm-hmm, that's some hunk of meat right there. The bacon, you know?

Hope your breakfast is just as delicious.

Parental Reading Guides

2010-03-24T16:52:00.000+11:00

Not every set of parents need be identical. Jess and I revel in the fact that we are different.

I am a boy; Jess is a girl.

I have black hair; Jess has blonde hair.

I am a teacher; Jess is a nurse.

I get up early every morning; Jess has been known to sleep 20 hours in a day before.

I like Doritos; Jess likes Cheese & Bacon Balls.

I love LOST: Jess hates even the fact that I love LOST.

My favourite movie is Chasing Amy; Jess' favourite movie is Striptease.

It is these differences that gives us the power to appreciate the other person for what they bring to the relationship and how the other person would never have it if it weren't for them.

I love our differences and know that everything Jess is and does makes me a better person. Yet, when we returned from book shopping the other day I was a tad concerned about our choice of purchases. We went into a great little secondhand book store and this is what we bought.

Just doesn't seem like one of us is on the right page as far as what makes a good parenting book. Guess which one it is...

Because Parenting Ain't Easy

2010-03-22T18:38:00.003+11:00

Just quietly, between you, me, and the lamppost, this parenting gig is going to be easy.

How do we know this?

Because what's a child when we can teach our dog, Tesla, to brush her own teeth.

She takes the bait and the crowd watches in silence...

It crosses the threshold, we have bristles on teeth.

She wants us to have a go now. We politely decline.

She doesn't want to stop. "Look ma, no hands!"

*This post brought to you by my wife who thinks I'm far too verbose and needs to remind me that I'm allowed to sometimes just post photos. Enjoy.

Onwards and Upwards Into The Second Trimester

2010-03-18T06:25:00.000+11:00

It may have taken over 13 weeks but finally I was allowed in the room while Jess got a scan. It was a very cool moment for me to actually be there and see the whole shebang in process.

I have to say that the scanning machine is hugely impressive with its lubes and dvd burners and cool ball-mouse thingy. Must be a huge improvement on the old can on the end of a piece of string I'm sure they used once upon a when. Jess had her belly greased up and we were ready to roll.

I get the easy job, I sit back and watch it all on the big screen. It seems a little detached at first but then the baby comes into view. We push through Jess' rock hard abs and something moving comes into view, and it's not peristalsis.

It's hard to describe exactly what you feel when you first sit there and see the little one squirming around. If you've been there before then you know what I'm saying, and if you haven't then you've got no idea and my florid prose probably won't help at all so I won't even try. I'm slowly learning my limitations. I will say, though, I could have watched it all day.

The little one started in a perfect profile shot, legs pumping like it was riding a bike and hands waving in front of it like it was tripping at a Timothy Leary recital and it could see the words. Watching it move is the coolest, knowing that what you see at that moment is exactly what is happening inside my wife. Life begins eternal, and all of that.

We watched as the baby was measured like a prize sow at the markets. Feet, legs, arms, and hands were identified. Crown to rump was set down in length numbers. All that jazz, I loved it all. My baby just became a stats game, wonder how long it'll take me to start charting its progress in an Excel document, haha.

For me, the coolest thing was seeing the top view of the cranium, and thus a view into the brain. The brain is such an amazing tool, or organ if you prefer, and it can do so so many impressive things and one of those super-computers is being built and knitted together as we speak. That freaks me out and makes me marvel at the human body completely. In a good way.

So without any firther ado, here's the big show. 5 whole seconds of the baby moving. I love that you can see its hand press up at athe end like some romantic Titanic image. I wonder who's in there with it?

Enjoy.

Meet Ampersand

2010-03-16T05:50:00.000+11:00

We were out shopping for baby-type stuff; maternity clothes, organic face wipes, you know, baby-type stuff. It was a usual weekend.

I'm not the greatest at shopping, unless it's for books and nerd-type stuff, so I grin and bear it while the lady tries on her clothes and ooh's and ah's over the usual kid stuff. I'm just a walking bag carrier and credit card holder. Usually.

This weekend while Jess was trying on her clothes, I spotted a little monkey who told me his name was Ampersand. He is so gloriously cute and cheeky; a little brown monkey made from corduroy and with little patches of old material for belly, ears, and arms. He was so cute and he just wanted to come home with me and wait for the little one to eventually join us. Who was I to tell Ampersand that he could not come?

I looked at his price tag and it seemed he struck a reasonable enough deal with me. Jess laughed when she saw me holding him and then didn't seem too impressed with the outcome of my price bartering with him, but never mind her, I hold the credit cards, remember?

So I brought Ampersand home and he lives in my office with me now. We'll write in the mornings together and have such a good time waiting for the little Lindsay to come join us.

See, Ampersand even left some room next to him just for the baby. How sweet!

Ah, Remember Those Simpler Younger Days

2010-03-13T11:03:00.001+11:00

There was a time when the intrusion of little baby Lindsay didn't have any real discernable impact on my wife. The baby was small and barely ate, never said a word, and we didn't even know it was there for the first few weeks (at least I certainly didn't, Jess with her powers of extra-sensory perception probably did). These were simple times, the salad days really, of doing whatever we wanted, but now that's all over.

I wasn't there in person when Jess got the first scan. I was probably at work bringing home the big bucks that teachers so often do...and when I got home Jess had a disc full of three different videos and four snap shots of our little one. It was a very amazing feeling to know that technology had come so far as to bring the scan home to me to enjoy in the privacy of my own home. It was also pretty amazing to see this first spark of life, so small, so fragile, so inhuman. It's a lump on the screen, attached to the inside of something within Jess, a lung perhaps, or her appendix, isn't that what it does? But it slowly beats away, and the little arrow moves to show me just where it is, in case I'm a bigger idiot than at first diagnoses. Either that or it's showing me where Dennis Quaid is in his little miniature rocket...either is cool.

So enjoy the first Zapruder style film of our child. There'll be plenty more to come in the future.

The News Is Broken

2010-03-10T07:34:00.002+11:00

The news is broken. My lovely wife and I are having our first child. It’s a lot to take in. At least, it was a few months ago.

Jess is very in tune with her body; so she knew she was with child within a few weeks. We had been actively trying, so it was no shock, but we also weren’t exactly expecting such results straight away. You hope for the best prepare for the worst and take whatever you get. Pragmatic, yes, but helpful as well.

The trying hadn’t yet been successful, though a stack of fun, and then Jess went away for the weekend. She felt different, a touch of nausea on the car trip to the coast, a feeling in her waters. Nothing really more than that but that was all she needed and she was suspicious. She abstained from the alcohol for the weekend, because she’s a trooper like that, and upon her return went off to whiz on a stick.

I do believe I was on my computer in my office when she walked out of the toilet, no wait, I was on the bed, reading perhaps. She showed me the stick and I’m not the sort of guy who memorises what all the lines mean on those many sticks but I didn’t think she’d be rushing to show me a dud result. I looked at it, because that’s what you do, and I remember smiling and being happy. Jess describes me as somewhere between a deer caught in the headlights, a deer caught in a bear trap, and a deer caught in a bear’s claw. Either way, reactions aside, something was happening. Life was growing. As was our happiness.

We walked to the store and bought another few sticks to whiz on, just because it’s fun. I didn’t get to have a go but it didn’t seem like my time. I have my whole life to urinate on snow and walls and fire hydrants this was Jess’ moment to cut loose. More sticks confirmed it, and we liked the trick, we could constantly relive the moment with a new stick, we were pregnant.

But it was too early to tell anyone. Usually you wait until the end of the first trimester, 3 months, 12 weeks, before formally announcing the news, so that left us with roughly two months to keep it under our hats. I was much better at this than someone else involved in this pregnancy, no names need be mentioned. So we waited and we researched, and we discussed many things, and we nearly burst at the seams. But now we can tell everyone, and slowly everyone is being told.

After being married I loved talking about ‘my wife’. I’d always drop it into conversation because I’m a child at heart and to sound adult was just so boss. Hearing myself referred to as a ‘husband’ also offered equal glee. Now I constantly refer to my ‘pregnant wife’, it really is as cool as it sounds. I just know I’ll become one of those parents who can only talk about his child…who am I kidding, I’ll still talk about comics and movies and LOST all the time. My poor child has decades of entertainment to stand in front of to gain my attention, pity them now. Or bask in the awesome as I expose them to Daredevil and The Empire Strikes Back and Rescue Me (all progressively at appropriate ages, of course), and I don’t care if it’s a girl, I’ll be having a little fangirl instead then.

However, I digress, the point is. We have now been able to tell people and that’s been a fun experience. It’s hard to cover everyone, and Facebook is a wonderful tool for spreading the good word, and now if you like you can follow the exploits of our pregnancy right here.

See the wife crave dehydrated mash potato.

See the baby perform seal-esque tricks of endurance and skill while still in the womb.

Hear all about the hulked out womb and the many, many naps.

Discover just how verbose and loquacious the husband can be on the topic.

Being pregnant is hard, there’s the cravings, the nausea, the cramps, the pain, the new and exotic sleeping positions, and the many mood swings through the virtue of crazy hormone levels (and yes, I don’t care how prepared you are, you can never be prepared for what mood will greet you) and there will also be fun times. The shopping for teeny tiny clothes and setting up our nursery. The quiet, reflective times as I massive the belly to stimulate brain growth (that works right?) and the even quieter times as I’m allowed to read in peace while the lady in the delicate position has her third nap for the day.

We’re aiming to look on the bright side of things, and probably not be as wordy as this usually. There’ll be more photos, a few videos, and plenty of love (awww) so stick around for the show. This is Pregnancy 2.0 for the new millennium, we make the rules.

Enjoy.

And Here We Go

2010-03-09T17:47:00.000+11:00

To have a child is a very serious decision. One that should not be taken lightly, it will affect the rest of your life immensely. We decided we wanted to get pregnant and we took the decision very seriously. I guess you could say we took it heavily and we honestly hope it will affect our lives til their very end. That is the plan and now that we know we are pregnant this all could not be made any more concrete in our minds.

We are about to embark on a journey that will never end. A path which we will walk, together, forever. It's either really scary or completely awesome. For some it's one, other the latter, but for us I believe it will be both. And so it should be. Anything less means we just aren't being real about it all.

Here we hope to show you everything, or whatever is flattering, that we go through. Family that lives in the regional fields of France right up to the sweaty climes of Charters Towers. Even those who live five minutes down the road can be given the inside straight on just what we are doing and going through. Grandmothers (and not for the first time, either), cousins, uncles and aunts, and maybe even us. It will be so much fun, so hectically insane and full on that perhaps we'll look back on this in future times and smile, laugh, perhaps even cry. It would be presumptuous to think that we won't.

It's going to be a big 2010, and anything can happen. And perhaps it should. Feel free to stick around with us as it does.

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.
Elizabeth Stone

I can't wait to see our walking heart stroll by.