Halloween 2012: Bob the Builder (in drag)

So we were invited to a Halloween party for kids last week, which (*gasp*) I actually thought about skipping for lack of a creative costume (for those unfamiliar enough with our current locale - fresh bread is a treat, let alone ready-made cute Halloween costumes).  Fortunately my lovely friend Kay offered an emergency Samurai outfit - which, unfortunately on our tall, tanned, blonde boy, made him look more like someone that should be hanging out at the Playboy mansion with a cigar, than a celebrated Japanese warrior.  Luckily I spotted a 'tool belt' I had bought for Luka eons ago at Ikea if memory serves, so we decided - right, 'handy man' it is - we contemplated the accompanying outfit he should wear, when Chris suggested that 'white onesie' - meaning the designer, expensive, virgin white onesie my mom bought at a lovely shop in SA, which we have never put Luka in because, who  would put Luka in WHITE?

Given his obsession with shoes, Luka proceeded to test out his own footwear for the occasion which ranged from the effortlessly casual flip-flops, to the dependable black court shoe mamma wore to her UK college examinations and graduation ceremony.

Bob the Builder does 'casual'

Bob the Builder in 'drag'

Bob the Builder on the move

Gorgeous little Bob the Builder in a rare
stationary moment with his mamma

Bob the Builder contemplates his next move..

Bob the Builder announces the END of this
party!

You'll have to excuse all the photos being in 'MOTION' - if you have to *ask* - you obviously haven't seen Luka recently....

Bday bliss for mommy

Turned the space between our homes into an awesome
dinner venue to celebrate to Libra birthdays...

Mommy's little helper...

After an awesome bday 'braai' with neighbor, friend and fellow Libra, Maarten on the 29th - I  celebrated a blissful bday brunch on the beach with my two favorite boys... Fortunately Luka was there to help me unwrap my prezzies, and practice his latest word 'ouch' for my knee. 

hanging out - reminding mommy why she really needs to
think about switching to 'tankinis' ;)

'Where's Luka's tongue?'

'Aaaaaaah'

:)m

Momeraderie

10 September 2011 - After nearly six months since our birth,
Chris and I share our experience with HypnoBirthing

With our birth coach Kim Young of
Beautifully Born

Chris and I attended a HypnoBirthing info session by our beloved birth coach, Kim Young (Beautifully Born) on Saturday.  Kim asked whether we would share our story of how HypnoBirthing helped us when our birthplan went awry.  Revisiting the events that started on 20 March and culminated in Luka on the 22nd were both an emotional and empowering affair,  it led me to finally finish the post of how it actually all happened that we ended up in Darwin on that fateful Monday afternoon... You can read Part II of how it all transpired here.

After the talk I met  'Ben's mom' who came up to introduce herself by saying "I hope this does not make me sound like a stalker, but I have been following your blog since April".  She had her son 4 weeks premature, and just like us, was overwhelmed with the emotions and having to leave your precious baby behind in hospital day after day.  She explained how much the blog and my sharing of my experience meant to her, often prompting her to ask "what would Luka's mom do" when faced with a particular challenge.

This encounter builds on my own inspiration that I drew from hosting fellow new moms here for a brunch last weekend and from engaging with other sleep-deprived mommies at various gatherings over the past week.  I realized this week just how CRUCIAL it is to have a support network that includes other moms who know what you are going through.

I don't think that Ben's mom so much needed to get any answers from me, not that I really have any anyway, rather just knowing that there is someone out there going through a similar experience is often all it takes.  So it came as a surprise to me this week  that even second-time moms don't have themselves as together as they would like.  It turns out that we ALL believe we are not doing a good job, that surely bub should be sleeping/feeding/rolling better by now, and that we will never get him weaned on the bottle and why can't I just seem to keep up with work/correspondence/my hobby?

Well, the lesson for me this week was that if you have/will have a baby - surround yourself with other new moms. You will be amazed to know that what you are going through is not unique, nor indicative of bad mothering, and that perhaps, just perhaps, you're not doing all as bad as you think.  In this way I have pit enormous, incalculable strength from my support group, most notably Stacy, niggie, Katie and others - and if I can in turn mean something to someone, be it personally or through my writing...then this is all a big circle of momeraderie karma.

If you are a new mom reading this, get up, find a mommy-and-baby group (seriously, trust me it was not my thing either) and go compare notes with someone else, you might be pleasently surprised.

Luka and mommy

Scarborough beach 3 September 2011

At the Old Biscuit Mill Food Market in Cape Town
27 August, 2011