Life Lately- September 2018
I figured a little update of what’s going on in our corner of the world is due. Although we’ve had lots of great adventures, we’ve also settled into a routine. We’ve been in Alice for almost 2 months, so here’s a look at our life lately.
The Cruiser has become a new hobby and project for the man of the house. Jon’s enjoyed adding lights, a roof rack and other accessories to our bush vehicle.
We’re antsy to get our camping gear to really test it all out! In the meantime, he’s enjoyed taking it Out Bush with the 4WD group and to Tin Can Hill.
We’ve also taken a few trips to the local hardware store- Bunning’s- and they have a sausage cook-out every weekend. It’s a totally Aussie thing to get the sausage, which comes in a slice of bread instead of a bun. We had to indulge during one of our trips!
Jon continues to enjoy his new job and went on his first TDY (temporary duty) to Melbourne. He spent a couple nights in the city and this is the only picture from that trip, so cheers!
Clearly work trips aren’t all that bad in Australia! On that note, the biggest difference Jon has noticed with work down here is how dedicated the Aussies are to their time off. He’s enjoyed adopting that mindset and “leaving work at work.” It’s also been a nice culture shift with the evenings at home being much busier with our girls!
Speaking of our girl- Emmylou is growing like a weed! We just went to her 4 month check up and she’s doing great- she continues to top out the percentile charts for height (no surprise there) and hold steady around the 50th percent for weight. She’s already outgrowing her 6 month outfits!
She’s officially sleeping in her own room and we have been in serious sleep training mode (hello, 4 month sleep regression). She’s loving bath time and going on walks with Penny in the pram.
She’s also become a true, Aussie baby- she wears a Wondersuit most days (because they really are better than any American onesie!) and doesn’t leave the house without her sunhat. We’ve hit some tougher weeks since we arrived with teething and growing pains, but overall she’s very happy, healthy and spirited!
We joke that she “woke up” at three months from her sleepy, newborn days. She’s a great baby but isn’t as laid back as originally advertised. 🤣 She loves to chat and is very good about using expression to communicate- she clearly knows what she wants and how to get it. It’s pretty entertaining but we’re surely going to have our hands full with her- she’s a ham!
She continues to love being outdoors, has learned to enjoy her car seat (with the help of all the toys), and thinks Penny is hilarious. They are really an adorable pair. Penny and the robot vaccuum are Emmylou’s favorite tummy time entertainment.
Penny has adjusted well to life Down Under and loves her little sister. She sniffs her diapers/whines if they are dirty, kisses her face, lays with her while she plays and barks if we don’t respond quick enough to her cries.
She’s patient, gentle and the sweetest big sister! We sometimes feel as if we have 2 babies when they’re both whining, though.
Penny has definitely missed chasing squirrels and frequently dreams of them during her naps. She’s taken to chasing birds and it’s pretty hysterical. She seems to get great satisfaction from running them out of our yard and I don’t miss the crazy hound barking up a tree. It’s a much quicker and quieter process!
Speaking of the yard- she LOVES it and spends most of the day outside! She moves back and forth between sunbathing and napping in the shade. It’s totally her happy place. Clearly I woke her from a good nap to snap this picture.
She’s also (finally) figured out that the yard is a great place to go to the bathroom. After avoiding messing her outdoor space for a month, she has discovered the joy of going in the privacy of her own yard. I gave her treats and photographed the first one! #proudmama
I have been enjoying the many playgroups, a newborn parent support group and a couple of girls nights. The women and families here are so wonderful. Emmylou and I are never short on a friend to play/chat with, walk with or go to Target with (somehow it’s not the same but has the same dangerous effect #buyingallthewondersuits ). The weather has been so nice, we have enjoyed getting a cuppa with some other mums and bubs in town.
I’m adjusting to and enjoying being home with Emmylou and have found mothering to be the hardest and most rewarding job there is. I have been getting out of the house and working out most days, which helps me feel engaged and accomplished. I am taking a few graduate credits this fall to maintain my teaching license back home and also began tutoring a sweet Year 1 student in reading. The days fly! I’m also enjoying finding activities to stimulate Emmylou’s development. #teachermom #sensoryplayforthewin
Our weekends are usually pretty busy so we’ve made it a point to relax (sleep regression and nap boycotts hit us all hard). There’s always something to do so we’ve enjoyed being busy and but also slowing down after a crazy 4 month stretch . Finding a balance between social time, family time and down time has been important.
We usually video chat with family on weekend mornings and find those slow mornings to be the best! We share happy hour and coffee, which works out well with the time change and Emmylou is awake and engaged. Using our EchoShows has been the best; it’s almost as good as being together. Emmy is really starting to interact and “get” that her Grandparents are in the box. They are starting to get some of these faces and we all melt!
We’ve got an exciting September ahead with the ball (Mommy and Daddy’s first big night out!), Jon’s birthday and a family day event at work. We are also working on planning a fall trip, so there’s lots more to come! My next post is about our trip to the Kangaroo Sanctuary, so stay tuned. As always, thanks for following our #upwardhoundadventuresdownunde
Happy Trails,
K, J, EL & P