WHEN you grow up with a miracle mum as a role model, your expectations of what a “mum’’ is, is kinda high. You see, Betty O’Brien had seven kids and I was the last of them. I was a mistake in fact. Result of a housewives basketball celebration dinner apparently … still getting therapy for that revelation.
I was nine years after my next oldest sibling and my mum was well over 40. My birth nearly did us both in – I was so premature I spent months in hospital after being born.
Despite that, I still reflect at the amazing amount of time my mother devoted to me in my childhood, even to the point of having nightly post-school “foul shooting competitions” at the family basketball court while tea was bubbling away on the stove. My point? Bear with me …
I reflected on this influence privately recently. What I concluded was, in looking for my own partner I did, subconsciously, look for someone who would similarly take the same approach to motherhood.
Don’t be confused. Kellie and my mother are completely different people (it would be kinda weird if they weren’t). However, they both share an unfathomable love and devotion for their children.
Take our six-month-old Holly for example. Since conception, it has not been easy for Kel. A perfectionist with a great career and true professionalism, Kel’s sickness associated with the pregnancy meant she was largely bed-ridden for a large portion of the pregnancy and had to give up work way earlier than expected.
Since birth, she has had to battle a baby, which – while delightful in every way – has slept only three-hour stints at night on less occasions than you have fingers. All this while managing an independent and spirited three-year-old and a husband with a challenging, full-time job requiring long hours.
Kel does all this while remaining sane, (largely) happy and actively aiding the development of both children to the point they are a sheer delight to all those who meet them. Her kids adore her, as do I. She, like Betty before her, is the perfect mum.
SOME parents face really terrible and tragic circumstances with their children. Luckily that hasn’t befallen us. But we have had some minor scares and it’s never easy. Nobody tells you it’s like this when you take on the role of mum. (Maybe they know we’d all chicken out if we did.)
On Saturday, while Baby Holly was trying her best to crawl, we realised one of her arms wasn’t straight. It appeared to turn downwards – so much so it looked as if it was dislocated.
Driving the “boat''
After an excruciating journey via Dr Google, the Parenting Helpline, the ER and then finally yesterday our wonderful GP, we’ve been told Baby Holly likely has a muscle imbalance. It’s linked to the extreme flexibility that allows our little bubbas to do things like touch their eyebrows with their toes. Oh, to still be able to do that!
Playing with her toes in the highchair
Of course, we have to monitor her over the next month in case her development halts, but for now I can finally sleep easy – when she actually allows me to sleep, of course. Now, that’s a whole other post.
Showing off how she can now sit by herself!
I’ll never stop worrying about my two girls. Well, it is my job. But let’s hope it’s a while before I have to go through this degree of panic again.
My baby girl
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Join us as Three Li’l Princesses hosts a Royal Wedding Pyjama Party in the palace on Friday from 7pm. It’s a chance for those princesses and queens who can’t go to the `actual’ wedding party for Kate and Wills to have a wine and gossip in our gowns (ah, dressing gowns) and slippers (just so you know, we’re not talking Cinderella slippers, either) as we watch the real thing on tellie.
Simply click on the link below on the wedding night and start chatting. Feel free to come and go as you please. We’re all mums, so we understand that getting children to bed comes first.
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Today is an historic day. It’s the day Kate and Wills tie the knot. I was only a year older than you Ella, when Will’s mum and dad created headlines doing the same thing. So today, to mark the occasion, I’m sharing the story of the day your Dad and I said “I do’’.
Oh, and by the way, your Dad informed me yesterday that your genealogy-obsessed Uncle Kim has discovered he and your Dad are Prince William’s 13th cousins (on the Spencer side, thank goodness). We’re now wondering where our wedding invite is!
Me, looking for your Dad!
I awoke to a letter on my pillow and my soon-to-be husband (your Dad) gone. We couldn’t spend the night apart, so we made a vow – our first for the weekend – that your Dad would get up early so I didn’t see him before the big event. Me, being the suspicious one, and your Dad not caring either way.
We’d whisked the family and closest friends away to Tassie’s West Coast to a fishing village called Strahan. It was partly to make it a relaxing holiday with those who meant the most to us and partly to stop sticky beaks.
I spent the morning having my hair done in a simple up-do by my wonderful hairdresser. My natural-looking makeup was done by yours truly (until last year, I was a Mary Kay consultant for 14-odd years). I wanted your Dad to see ME, not some overly made up person, as I walked down that aisle.
Being the list-keeping, ultra-organised person that I am, this wedding was planned with military precision. All, that was, but the weather. It had been perfect in the days leading up to the event, but decided to become rather grey and gloomy as the time approached.
The ceremony was to take place on the balcony of the Macquarie Restaurant, overlooking the bay, the famous Abt Railway and the township itself. A spectacular view. Then, just as I was about to walk down the “aisle’’ and out onto the balcony, the music started playing and the clouds parted. It was magic.
Cousin Ned asked four times during the ceremony if we were ready for the rings yet.
The ceremony went better than I could have hoped for. Your Pop and I couldn’t hold back the tears as we approached your Dad, who had waited so patiently for his late bride. It was rare for me not to be on time but, according to photographer Grant, was expected. During the ceremony, this time it was your Dad who would shed the happy tears as he barely finished his vows.
We then had stunning photos taken at the Abt railway station, on the beach, the pier and the balcony itself with your cousins Ned (as page boy) and Sam (as flower girl). Our guests didn’t have to travel anywhere – they were already at the restaurant. They just needed to drink and be merry.
And merry they were. After the speeches (including a speech from your Mum), the gorgeous seafood buffet (if only I’d felt like eating) and cutting of the cake (which your Mum designed), the frivolity began.
As you can probably tell, we found some pretty ingenious ways of cutting costs. Another of those was to do away with flowers on the tables and replace them with goldfish. The fish cost something like $20 to hire and you paid $2 for each fish killed. So there was great amusement when one guest pretended to eat a goldfish, much to the horror of another guest.
Cousins Ned and Sam getting bored in the background.
As the night wore on, so did the stories. Unfortunately, I can’t share them all in such a public forum for fear of retribution! Maybe they’ll make some good bedtime stories one day.
Apologies for the quality – it's a photo of a photo.
This photo was one of the last for the night and was taken overlooking Strahan’s annual Christmas carols, which were being held on the pier. A year later I went on to host and sing an original song at that Carols event. It was the perfect way to spend our first wedding anniversary. I might even share the video of that song one day. Maybe.
Ella and Holly, we thought everything was “so complete’’ that day. Having you two in our lives makes us realise it was far from it. Our lives are so much richer for the two of you.
Love you both. xx
If you’d like to be part of the Royal Wedding meme, simply:
Link up your wedding story (old or new) or your story about preparing for your big day with the linky tool below.
Grab the button, created by the wonderful Lisa Warren from Life As We Know It, to add to your post.
Link back to Three Li’l Princesses’ Royal Wedding meme
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An optional step, but feel free to take part in our Royal Wedding Pyjama Party tonight. We’ll share some laughs, gossip about the wedding (of course) and chat about the wedding stories linked up here.
Because Three Li’l Princesses is made up of, well, “princesses’’ and we have our own online Palace, we’re throwing a Royal Wedding Pyjama Party tonight from 7pm.
It’s a chance for those princesses and queens who can’t go to the `actual’ wedding party for Kate and Wills to have a wine and gossip in our gowns (ah, dressing gowns) and slippers (just so you know, we’re not talking Cinderella slippers, either) as we watch the real thing on tellie. No makeup or up-dos required.
You can pop in and out of the party throughout the night (no pass out stamp required). For Royals tragics, there’s the option to join as a panellist and spread your Royal knowledge. Just let me know prior to the night so I can shoot you an email with the panellist details. My email is kellie (at) threelilprincesses (dot) com.
I’m hoping it’ll be a chance for bloggers and non-bloggers to “meet’’ some new friends! Because that’s what happens when you go to weddings, right?
What are you like in social situations? Do you hide in the corner hoping someone will approach you or are you the life of the party?
PS. For bloggers, Three Li’l Princesses is hosting a Royal Wedding meme today. Just write a post about your wedding day (or how you’re planning for your upcoming big day) and link it up once the meme’s live.
THE countdown to the fella with the fluffy ears and tail is well and truly underway here. So much so, we spent yesterday getting in the spirit of Easter. For morning tea, we indulged in chocolate hot cross buns. Later that afternoon I looked in the mirror, only to notice I had it all around my mouth. No wonder the mailman wouldn’t look me in the eye.
We then scoured the pantry with the intention of making some Easter Candy Bark but, alas, there was no chocolate. Some gremlin ate it all while blogging late at night. Hmmm, who could that be?
Instead, we went and got out this little creation made by her dad back in January.
White Rabbit-come-Easter Bunny
A couple of weeks ago this very hat became rather famous after making an appearance on Mrs Woogs’ blog Woogs World. She sent a call out for Easter hat creations, so I submitted the above photo (yes, they are pink undies) and this description:
Princess Ella, wearing her bunny hat, painstakingly made by her dad, (painstaking, because it’s held together with a pink ribbon and 1000 staples). He originally made it as part of a one-year-old’s Alice In Wonderland birthday party in December (yes, that’s one serious birthday party). Ella, obviously being the white rabbit. Not really the crafty type, hubby was so impressed by his own efforts he put it away ready to reuse at Easter
But this all wasn’t quite enough. We needed to make something “Eastery’’ and so we headed to the doodle drawers – I mean, craft drawers – and discovered some red felt. The idea was to make a basket to put eggs in during her Easter egg hunt to come Sunday morning.
Ella got into the spirit of things by donning the hat while we did our craft. But be warned, she ain’t no Easter Bunny. She told her dad this week she can’t use a proper toilet seat. Why? “Because I don’t have a big fat bum’’ You see? How on earth could she be an Easter Bunny? (And, by the way, she takes after her Mum in that department).
Anyway, here’s our step by step guide to making an Easter basket:
Get a square piece of feltCut slits from the corners midway to the centre of the squareInterlink the sides and glue together. We had no craft glue, so used sticky tape. Yeah, doesn’t quite have the same appeal!Cut a strip of felt and glue to make a handleDecorate. This is Ella’s version of a cat face. Why a cat? I have no idea. Then add eggs.
Oh, and reveal the full effect of the hat (which makes her look decidedly like Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland).Although, I was lucky to even capture these photos, considering how fast the egg was devoured.
Then, patiently wait for Easter Bunny….
So, what Easter craft activities have you been up to this week?
