RIP Grand maman Trudy

Yesterday we recieved the sad news that my Grand maman Trudy passed away with my dad and uncle by her side.

We heard that she was unwell, but had no idea it was this bad. The doctor did tell my dad to hurry and get over to Switzerland asap, but it was still hard to believe. Im just so grateful that my dad made it in time and that they got to see eachother.
I just wish we could of all been there and that she could of met Liberty. But I know that she is in heaven (with Grandpapa and Uncle Etienne) now and will be able to watch Liberty grow up from above.

Here is a photo of her only 2 weeks ago, full of health. It happened very quickly.

And here is the last time I got to be with Grand maman Trudy (i've always kept in contact with lots of letters and a few phone calls throughout the years). August 2004. Court, Switzerland.

I love you Grand maman Trudy, you will always be in my heart...

Liberty and my cat...

Hi everyone!

Here is a little video of Liberty playing with my cat Ruby up in Katoomba yesterday...

Click HERE to view it!

Xx Jess

Our little water baby!

I love summer, Matt loves summer and its now confirmed.... Libby also loves summer!! We are making the most of this beautiful weather and spending most of it by the water or... in the water!!

Here are some photos of Liberty (and us) this month enjoying herself here in Narrabeen...

XxJess

7 months...

Hi everyone!!

I'm so happy! I've managed to keep up my photo a day for 2009 for over a week now!! You can see my photos on MY Flickr account.

Liberty is now 7 months old and is more fun than ever!! She is growing so fast! I thought I would doccument some of her little milestones that she's up to at the moment...

• is crawling like a pro, and getting into everything!!
• can pull herself up to stand against objects now!
• sits without any assistance at all now, no longer need to surround her with pillows!
• can go from crawling to sitting and then back to crawling again with ease
• eats 3 solid meals and 5 breastfeeds a day
• loves drinking water from her sippy cup
• is now forward facing in her carseat
• no longer sleeping wrapped up like a sausage. She is now sleeping in a sleeping bag
• we've had to lower her cot seeing as she can now pull herself up on things
• loves playing in water wether it be the bath, rock pools or the ocean, no matter what the water temperature is, she loves it!!
• she grunts and fake coughs to get our attention
• she loves everyone
• she is sometimes clingy now, and if tired doesn't want to be left alone
• starting to give cuddles, well at least thats what i like to think!!

Here are some photos of her so far this month...
Xx Jess

I also have a video of her which you can see by clicking HERE.

Photo a day for 2009

Hi everyone!!
I have two new years resolutions for 2009... haha, feels weird saying that as I never usually make them!! Anyway... My new years resolutions this year were:
1. go to the dentist (so badly need to go but i just hate it so much! but i will go asap!)
2. take a photo a day for 2009. I've enjoyed watching other people do this and my favourite photo a day blogger in 2008 was Jennifer Woodbury. I love her photos and how she edits them so sharp, crisp and warm. I wish i could get all my photos looking like that!
So, I hope I can keep it up for the year, and then afterwards i'll have it published in a blurb.com book for myself.

You can visit my daily photo updates in my flickr account, which you can get to by clicking HERE! (There is also a link provided on the top right hand side of my blog!)
Xx Jess

Looking back on the year that was....

Hi Everyone!

I filled out this questionnaire at the end of last year (click here to see) and I decided to fill it out again! No tagging here but if you guys fill it out let me know cos i'd love to read about your 2008 year!

1) Where did you begin 2008? at Balls Head, watching the awesome fireworks over Sydney Harbour with Matty, Bec, Kato and Mikey! It was fun!

2) What was your status by Valentine's Day? In a relationship with Matty!

3) Were you in school (anytime this year)? No, But I did have my 10 year high school reunion in December!! That was interesting!

4) How did you earn your money? The start of the year, I was working for my parents in the kitchen making desserts and sometimes serving, but I finished up there in February. I also Nannied Jade at the start of the year and I think it was early march when I finished up with her. Since then, i've been a 'stay at home' Mummy!!!

5) Did you have to go to the hospital? Yes. I went for routine visits, then for the *big* day!!! 25th of May 2008, I gave birth to a beautiful baby GIRL!!! Liberty!!

6) Did you have any encounters with the police? No.

7) Where did you go on holiday? Early in the year (Feb) Matty and I went to Forster for a holiday, but the weather was so terrible we ended up coming home early! We then went back to Forster (july) with Matt's parents and our 5 week old Liberty. In August, Matty, Liberty (9 weeks old) and I went to Perth for 8 days! And then the three of us also went to King Valley in Victoria in September!

8) What did you purchase that was over $1000? A digital TV (currently getting repaired!??!!)

9) Did you know anybody who got married? Yes, our friends Matty A and Leea in October

10) Did you know anybody who passed away? No.

12) Did you move anywhere? no! We love it here in Narrabeen!!

14) What concerts/shows did you go to? We went to the Velodrome, once when Libby was in my tummy, once when she was born.

15) Are you registered to vote? In Australia, its compulsury.

16) Who did you want to win Big Brother? Was that still on TV this year??? I was probably too sleep deprived to notice!

17) Where do you live now? Narrabeen, NSW

18) Describe your birthday... I met up with my family at IKEA. It wasnt a good day at all, as the day before I was in the emergency room at hospital with heart pulpitations, and on the day of my birthday at IKEA, I went to the bathroom and was bleeding. I was pregnant at the time. I was too worried to enjoy myself.

19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2007? I actually always thought I would but as it like a dream come true... I bacame a mummy!!

20) What has been your favorite moment? Giving birth to Liberty and spending each and every day watching her grow!

21) What's something you learned about yourself? I like sleeping!!! hahaha! Its not till it was taken away that I realised how much i liked it!! HAHA!! Also, im a lot stronger than I gave myself credit for.

22) Any new additions to your family? My baby girl, Liberty born 25.5.08

23.) What was your best month? Every month! Obviously May was incredible because we became parents!

24.) What music will you remember 2007 by? "im yours" by Jason Mraz.

26) Made new friends? Yes, a great bunch of Mummies (and their babies) from my Mothers Group!! They are all awesome and its great to be able to share the milestones and also confusions and frustrations with a bunch of ladies going through the same thing!

And here is a photo collage of 2008...

*our* new years eve...

*Happy New Year* everyone!!! I hope you all had a fantastic night last night?!!

We had a wonderful New Years Eve! Very different from any of the other years we've spent together so far!! hahaha!

My parents were staying down in Narrabeen visiting since monday! It was really nice actually! On Monday night, Matty and I went out on a 'date'! We basically did the usual thing we used to do before Libby came along... We went to dinner at Dee Why RSL and then went and watched a movie - Four Holidays, which was entertaining! Mum and Dad babysat a sleeping Liberty!

New Years Eve...
Mum, Dad, Libby and I went on a nice long walk to North Narrabeen and had lunch in a little restaurant there! I had the 'salad by the sea' dish, which was so yummy! Then Mum and Liberty braved the cool(ish) water and went for a dip! I got in as far and my knees! haha. It was perfect for Libby, it refreshed her quite a bit! Then we did the nice long walk back to my flat and Mum and Dad went back home.

Later that afternoon Matty came home from work, so we gave Libby some dinner and at 6:30pm headded for the carnival thats in town at the moment! They were even having some fireworks go off at 9pm (we didnt stay that long though).

Liberty was loving looking around at all the rides going round and round!

We also played a few fun games!! I actually won a *big* stuffed toy (pictured in stroller below) plus we won lots of other little stuffed animal toys! The stroller was full!! I also enjoyed eating a bag of fairy floss and matty had a sausage on a stick!

It was good fun!!! But after walking round the carnival three times, spending way too much money on silly (but fun) games we figured it was time to go home! As we were walking to the car it occured to us that our flat is really too small for the new stuffed toy additions we'd just won.. so we put them on all the cars as we were walking to ours!! Hahaha, i think it was the most fun we had! It was funny watching people walking past the cars looking at the stuffed animals!

We put the big toy on a car that had a toddler car seat in it! We thought they might think Santa had come to visit him/her once again!!!

Then we drove to McDonalds so Matty could get a burger, and I requested driving back via the carnival to see if all the toys were still there - they were! And still, people were walking past looking at them!! heheheh! Love it!

Liberty was being such a happy girl! It was an hour past her bedtime and she was also missing a breast feed, yet she was happy and squealing the whole time!!
When we got home we put our princess to bed, I had some food whilst Matty worked on his puzzle he got for chrissie...

We watched a bit of teli and waited for it to get dark.. then I cracked open some glow sticks and sparklers... Matty and I had our own fireworks and NYE celebrations out on the balcony! We then decorated the balcony rails with our glowsticks! It was good fun!!

We had a fun New Years Eve as a little family! We were in bed and asleep by 11pm!!! hahaha!

Xx Jess