As a mother, the arrival of a new baby is something amazing! What’s even more amazing is the multitude of precious and special experiences that follow! I have come to discover that the more tender and precious the moment is, the harder it is to put into words…. How do you describe watching your baby smile and light up at his older brothers face? Or watching that older brother get so excited when he sees “Baby Blake waking up!!!” (Have you ever tried explaining to a 2 year old that you don’t WANT baby Blake to be waking up right now!!??)

How can you describe the place 2 little boys can hold in your heart!

Although sharing those feelings and experiences with someone who has not experienced them is almost impossible I believe that images can come closer than words ever can, have or will….

I had the wonderful opportunity this past weekend to have a mother and baby photo shoot with Blake, and Nicole Viljoen from Nicole Viljoen Photography. I was a bit apprehensive about the warm weather that was forecast but sitting in the shade by the beach was a surprisingly pleasant place to be! Despite the warm weather it was a relaxing morning and the photos are beautiful and for me, capture some of those tender moments that are so hard to describe!

To see more of these photos (and more of her work) please visit Nicole’s website at http://nicoleviljoenphotography.nicron.net/ or follow the link to Nicole’s Facebook page

Blake just a couple of hours old

For those who may be interested in the details, Blake was born at 3.16pm on December 29, weighing 3.12kg (6lb 14oz) and measuring 49cm long. In response to medical advice, I was induced almost 3 weeks early (which I wasn’t really complaining about!) and went into the hospital on Wednesday night. After 2 sets of gels, they broke my waters at about 12.45 Thursday afternoon and 2 1/2 hours later Blake was born. Knowing I have a wonderful husband, and not wanting to be away from home longer than I had to, I opted to stay just 1 night in hospital and I came home this morning just after 11am.

Blake waiting to come home from hospital

Holding your little one for the first time is of course very precious, and as Mum I was privileged to have the first, hour long, cuddle with Blake. Dallin and I have welcomed a baby into our lives before, when Josh was born, but what is totally different this time, is introducing and watching Josh welcome Blake into our family, it is truly amazing the instant love that he has for his little brother.

Josh's first cuddles with Blake before we came home

Yesterday when he came into the hospital to meet Blake, he didn’t want to hold him. He was more than happy to look, give a kiss to and talk about Blake but was generally more interested in running around the room, playing with the curtains, and his new car! But today we have had some of the first of what I’m sure will be many precious moments, my favourite of which came at bed time!

With Joshy’s bed time routine we tuck him into bed and sing him a song before we kiss him good night and leave him to sleep. Tonight I suggested that Blake lay next to him while we sing, which he quite happy to do… We sung the song and Josh lay there the whole time watching and smiling at Blake – it was beautiful! The only problem came when the song was finished and I went to pick Blake up…. Josh started crying and insisting that he wanted us to lay Blake down next to him again… he really didn’t want him to leave! We explained that Blake needed to go to his bed and so Josh came with us to put Blake down before returning to his own bed to sleep. It amazes me how at 2 years old he seems to know how precious and special a little baby is – and seems to love him so much already! I love my boys and am excited (if not slightly nervous) to watch them grow together and become friends and play mates!

We are all excited about the new adventure of becoming a family of 4 and are looking forward to the days, weeks, months and years of growth ahead!

I have resisted committing to any regular, public expressions of gratitude such as these, although I’m not sure why. Maybe I don’t want to be a ‘copy cat’ and maybe I’m a bit afraid that after a while it will become something I do out of habit and expectation rather than a desire to express sincere gratitute. Whatever the case may be, today I have some gratitude to express.

First to a friend who may not realise how much to means to me that although she may not share my beliefs and standards, she is willing to help me keep them, even when it makes her life that little bit harder. I am thankful to have had her friendship and respect in my life since high school. She was probably more of a rock to me during high school than I ever realised at the time.

Second, for the blessings of a Father in Heaven. Once again I have been reminded that his plan for us is not our own. Initially that can be devastating and hard to swallow! I realised a little while ago that my ‘perfect plan’ was crumbling before my very eyes – and that wasn’t easy to accept even though I knew and felt that the path we were taking instead was the best one for us. I’m thankful to now be on the other side of that, to be looking back and seeing the things that have taken shape over the past month, and seeing evidence of a more perfect plan. It’s wonderful to have confirmation that you are indeed where you are meant to be (whether you like it or not!!)

Third, for my family. My husband – who is, now and forever, my rock (especially when I’m 7 months pregnant!). He is patient with me as he helps me and waits for me to see the bigger picture. I’ll quite willingly admit that more often than not he’s the one that’s right, it just takes me a little more time to see what he does.
And then there’s my oldest son, who is no longer a baby, and not really even a toddler any more…. He’s my ‘big boy’ and I love him. I am so grateful for the precious moments we share. My favourite moments have to be when, out of the blue he climbs up to me on the couch, gives me a kiss and says ‘I love you Mummy!’ – How do you describe the place a little boy holds in your heart!?
And although at the moment I probably do more complaining about the grief my youngest son gives than anything else, I’m thankful for gift that it is to be able to be a mother. Life is so precious, and I look forward to meeting this little man.

There is so much more I am grateful for, but words fail me, so I’ll leave you with a quote I saw recently – it’s good food for thought!

– What if you woke up today, with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

2. I agree … Love is the key to know how successful you are in most cases

3. Love and joy in the home ♥

It seems the overwhelming response is love, and while I completely agree that love is the most important part of any relationship, and especially that between a parent and a child, there’s a part of me that thinks there’s more to it than that… I think that perhaps it’s HOW we love, and show our love to our children that’s the key.
So I want to love my children in a way that teaches them the following things, as well as many others.

- Although I love them unconditionally for who they are right at this moment, I know that they have the potential to become even more. They can and should strive to do and be anything they want to be.

- Never underestimate the value of hard work. I believe it is the means by which all great things are achieved.

- Learn from your mistakes. I was reading part of a book recently that talked about not teaching your children that mistakes are bad and devastating! Making mistakes is how we learn, grow and improve.

These are just 3 things that I think it is important for me to teach my children. There are many other things I will strive to teach my children and although there is no one of them that I would constitute my failure or success as a parent they are important to me. What is important to you will be different.

Above all, of course, I do want my children to know that I love them. I just hope that through that love I can teach them to always want to be the best that they can be. Not to the point that they are overwhelmed and think that they will never be good enough, but I want them to always want to improve, to bless not only their lives but the lives of their families and all those they associate with….

Our Family...

A comment made on FB today caused me to reflect on a couple of other things I’ve read and conversations I’ve had. These things have led to this question ‘How do I define my success as a mother?’ that then led to ‘How to others define my success as a mother’ followed by how does the world define it?

Now, before we go any further I would like to add that I know my role as a mother is never complete. As Elder Lynn G. Robbins said, I can never ‘check a child off my list as done’ and I don’t plan to! I love my children and I will always be seeking to teach and guide them in appropriate ways, and to be the best mother I can be to them.

Let me share with you a couple of the comments that show a part of how others define their success. One said ‘No matter how many colours, shapes, numbers and letters I managed to teach my child before she goes to school, I will have failed if I haven’t taught her that she is loved and given her the confidence that she CAN learn new skills.’

Another made the comment ‘ Parenting is all about redundancy. In the end, we want to do ourselves out of a job.’ I personally LOVE that one! Thanks SR!

Now neither of those comments were made in response to my question, but I think that they both show in part what these women believe is important in their role as mothers and parents. Each of us have different life experiences that teach us to value things differently and that is reflected in the way we continue to live our lives. It’s reflected in the type of parents we become.

I don’t know if I can concisely explain how I can, do or will define my success as a mother. It’s something I want to give more thought to before declaring it to the universe!

What is so wonderful is that we can ask this question about any aspect of our lives. How do we define our success as a….. parent? Friend? Teacher? Student? Sunday School Teacher? Youth Leader? the list goes on!

Ultimately how others define our successes does not matter, although it’s often hard to remember that! Others will always have different priorities that will influence how they think you should be as a mother – but they are not YOUR priorities! They are theirs! And I am a strong believer that there is no one else in the world who can make better decisions about you or children than you can, as a conscious and loving parent!

Today I’m going to ask you to share some ways in which you feel you can define success in parenthood. Or how you feel your parents succeeded, or your grandparents, or the couple who lived next door to you for 20 years! Sharing these with me will help me, and hopefully others, become the best parents we can be by giving us the opportunity to consider where our priorities are and where they should be!

It started with the wonderful weather! It was truly wonderful to the outside in the sun!

This morning I took Joshua to his weekly swimming lesson, which is always a high-light! Joshua loves his swimming lessons and today he did particularly well. I love seeing his confidence grow, and seeing the look of achievement, satisfaction and joy when he realises he’s done a good job – it’s really priceless! I am often overwhelmed and almost surprised at how proud of him I can be when he learns or does something new.

After swimming Josh fell asleep which gave me the opportunity to do some housework. I am so grateful that I could have the doors and windows open to enjoy the weather while I worked! Housework it is not something that I ALWAYS enjoy doing but I am learning to feel a great sense of satisfaction and achievement in the work that I do. I feel good knowing that I am working, to the best of my ability, to look after my family and to make our home a happy, peaceful and clean place. I am learning to appreciate work in the home and value it.

I teach a few piano students on a Tuesday afternoon. I am grateful that Joshua spending time with his Grammy and Papi, which allows me to teach for a couple of hours, and that they are willing to give their time and energy to not only help me but also bless Joshua’s life as they help him learn and grow also.

I love watching my students learn, and seeing their accomplishments. It is wonderful to see how proud and happy they are when they realise they have done something good, and achieved what they set out to achieve.

This evening I will have a quiet couple of hours at home studying for an upcoming theory exam, feeling secure in the fact that I have a wonderful husband who is out serving in his calling, a beautiful boy who is sleeping peacefully just metres away, and that as I study I will be able to do well in my exam.

I am truly blessed to be able to enjoy many aspects of life. I can enjoy my life with my husband and son, I have been blessed to be able to continue to seek education and also to continue a small amount of work. I am blessed with the time and ability to serve others and hopefully bring a bit of comfort and joy into their lives.

Today was a wonderful and beautiful day for me. I hope that yours was too

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. – Anthony J. D’Angelo

Yesterday (and today) my thoughts have dwelt on 3 wonderful women. The first, I’ve known for about 5 years and in that time she has taught me a lot, and yet almost every day I continue to learn more from her and learn more about her. The second, I have known for probably around 7 or 8 years. She has in many ways become like a sister to me, she is a wonderful example to me and those around her. In watching her work in many areas of her life I have noticed that she puts her all into everything she does. The third, I have known for probably around 6 or 7 years, and our relationship is a great contrast to those I have mentioned above. In fact we rarely talk or see each other and yet I know her as a woman of immense understanding and wisdom, a woman who studies and learns all that she can.

I would describe each of these women as women of strength, humility and integrity. They are examples of love, service and sacrifice, and I believe each of them have helped shaped who I am today. The one thing that has linked them together in my mind at the moment is their passion and love of learning. They are continually seeking to increase in knowledge, wisdom and understanding. They are continually seeking to improve themselves and are not satisfied with less than their best.

I feel that far too often I accept less than my best… With too many things, I have noticed that as long as it meets a minimum standard I’m happy to move on to the next thing. I am learning through the example of these great women that I should not be satisfied merely with a ‘task complete’ I am learning that I should strive to complete and serve in all areas of my life, to the best of my ability. I remember one of these women saying one day that she did not necessarily want to be the best, but she wanted to be the best that SHE could be. So, from today I want to set my self a new standard, to be the best that I can be. It does almost seem daunting to realise that as I strive to do and be my best, that my best will continue to become better.

I have also come to know that the more I learn, the better I can become. Through learning, we can find and learn better ways, we realise a better standard. Whether the learning and knowledge that we gain is through formal education, the advice and counsel we received from others, from our own mistakes or through the Spirit it does not matter. What matters to me is that I take what I have learnt and use it to become the best I can be. I believe that the more we learn, the greater capacity we have to teach and help those around us. We raise stronger families and happier children when we have learnt through study and experience what makes us happy.

I hope that I can foster in my children a love of learning. I hope to teach them to give their all and their very best in every aspect of their life whether that be their schooling, church service, families or their construction of a toy train track! I want this for them because I believe that by learning this early in their lives they will be able to live their life to the fullest. I want my children to be able to touch the lives of others the way that these women have touched mine.

I leave you now with two more quotes….

- To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.
Socrates

To celebrate his birthday we had a family party. I wanted it to be low key, but fun, and something he would recognise as being special and different. We decided to have a ‘Cars’ theme as it is, hands down, his favourite movie. He would watch it everyday, several times a day if I let him! To decorate we put up a few balloons along with a Cars poster and pictures of the characters, which he looked over carefully before deciding that it was in fact ‘Cars’. It wasn’t anything much really, but I knew that he would recognise it and it was something new for him.

Cars poster and characters.

Then we looked at the food! We just had basic party food including popcorn, biscuits and veges with dip and fruit. I also made some foccacia bread with pizza toppings and made some racing cars. I found the idea for the racing cars here and everyone thought they were great! Super easy, but as soon as Josh saw them he knew they were cars and of course, knew they were yummy!

Milky Way Racing Cars!

Earlier in the week it was Papi’s birthday and of course then, the presents were for someone else! So before the party started today he was giving the present to other people! Of course, when it came time to open presents it didn’t take long for Joshy to realise that they were for him, and that he liked opening them! He was spoilt with his presents, and he loves them. He has really started to outgrow a lot of his toys so it’s nice for him to have some more age appropriate toys, as well as the other presents he got which weren’t toys. We have a couple more presents to give him tomorrow as it will be actual birthday but he did very well for himself today!

Why is this card making noises!?

Opening presents on Mummy's lap.

Joshua playing with his Mack truck

After the presents we had the cake! Joshua blew out the candles perfectly, even if it was at the beginning of the Happy birthday song! I decided to make a Lightning McQueen cake and although I was really nervous about it, I was really pleased with the end result. I’d never made a cake like this before and so it took a little while to do but as we went along we learnt a few things that will make it easier next time! It also helped that before I even started I had great advice from the ladies at the cake shop as well as the more experienced cake decorators in our family! Not to mention a very observant and helpful husband who assisted in the decorating as well.

Lightning McQueen birthday cake!

Joshua had such a wonderful time! He told us several times this afternoon that he was ‘happy’ and it was clear that he was really enjoying himself! With half of our extended family living interstate it was a relatively small gathering, which was kind of nice. Of course we missed all of our other family and wish they could have been here but the small numbers meant I could focus more on Joshua during the party and that it wasn’t too overwhelming and noisy for him! We spent the remainder of the evening playing with his new toys and despite being over half an hour past his bed time, he was very disappointed when he had to go to bed!

Eating dinner while playing with his new toys!

His birthday tomorrow will be a much quieter day, but we hope to enjoy spending some quality time with him. Part of the day will undoubtedly involve me spending some time wondering how I was blessed with such a precious gift. The unconditional love that exists between parents and their children is amazing. It’s also hard to comprehend how a small child can contain so much! He’s gentle, loving, energetic, inquisitive, playful, happy and determined…. and that’s just before he gets us out of bed in the morning! We love you Joshy!

Our precious Gem.

Watching the digger for hours!

We have this photo of Dallin when he was a little boy. Apparently one day his Mum found him sitting there under the carport, he had found the chair, dragged it there and was watching the digger and truck for ages. I’ve always thought it was a pretty cute little story and photo!

Well yesterday we came home today and there was a digger digging up the footpath just down the street. We were heading inside but of course Joshy had already seen it, and when I tried to bring him inside he insisted ‘digga digga digga’… when I said no and brought him inside (because it was cold and I was tired!) he grabbed my hand and insisted ‘look look look’… So he took me outside, led me through the gate and down the footpath. We stood there for a minute, when it became painfully clear Joshy was in for the long haul!

Joshy settling in to watch the diggers!

Loving the digger!

I’m sure many of us have felt like that. I know I have at times, but lately I’ve been looking for ways to contribute to good causes that don’t cost me any extra money and little, if any extra time or effort. There are a couple of quick and simple ways that I have found lately that allow you to do this.

The first is through Fly Buys. Lets face it, most of us that have Fly Buys cards take so long to accumulate points and when you have enough points to get SOMETHING it’s not usually anything all that exciting! We were at the point a few months ago where we needed to use some of our Fly Buys points or they were going to expire. So we made the decision that instead of getting something for ourselves we would take the option to make a donation to charity. It was easy, and didn’t cost me anything but it was nice to know that instead of getting something I didn’t really need or want I was able to do something (very) small for someone else. I haven’t looked specifically but I’m sure that you can do the same thing using QANTAS frequent flyer points and other reward programs.

The next is through a website like www.schoolbuy.com.au which allows you to shop on-line and purchase something you would be purchasing anyway, but know that your purchase is helping support a local school.

On a more personal level, I have found that if I am making a meal that I know produces twice as much as my family would eat, I can bundle the other half up and take it to someone else. I know that the food won’t go to waste, people appreciate it and I have just made someones day a tiny bit easier for no more effort than getting in the car and dropping it off to them.

I love doing these tiny things! I’m not at a stage in life where I have hours to contribute to volunteer service, or hundreds of dollars to donate to a good cause, but these are things I can do. By being aware of these opportunities it helps me keep a bit more perspective in my life. If I think ‘why not!?’ rather than ‘why bother!?’ I feel like I’m making a contribution to society and making the life of those around me a tiny bit easier.

Does anyone else have ways that they can give service or contribute to a good cause that takes little to no effort? I would love you to share them!

Make a difference today…. it can cost you nothing!