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Dappled light on Mother's Day | Chasing me with her magical wand

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Her new sweet ride- It's a secondhand hiking pack for toddlers, a necessary purchase as she has outgrown the Ergo baby. For now she seems keen to sit and watch the world as we rock her up sand dunes and through the Australian bush.

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Yesterday went something like this... Up before 6am, washed two loads of washing, poached pears for her and made fluffy pancakes with a delicious pear, cinnamon and currant syrup for the both of us as her papa left for work before 7am.

She painted (her tummy and legs mostly), then we walked Coco on the beach (translation: Coco watched on as Love ran into the sea and rock pools fully-clothed). We saw a friend and his two older daughters at the beach, who weren't that keen on Love demolishing their sand sculptures.

Following the beach, Coco dog didn't want to get in the car, then she hid underneath it because she didn't want to be hosed, then Love didn't want to get out of the bath until I convinced her to help me to bake a cake (or was it the other way around?).

Next, Love sat on the kitchen bench transferring almond meal into raw eggs as I tried to demonstrate 'like this, sweetheart' and encourage her to 'watch mama, Love'. Eventually the cake made it into the oven and I used two towels to wipe batter from Love's sticky fingers before I made pasta for lunch and Love enjoyed her next bath, which was necessary to remove the cake batter dreads and pasta sauce finger paint.

I put the third load of washing on as salty, wet, sand-covered ghost dog returned home, then washed the dog, greeted husband and enjoyed (two!) slices of moist orange and almond cake with half a cup of tea.

Next I continued packing in preparation for the big move. Love started to do that extra-cheeky thing she does just before she passes out so I whipped her into the backpack with the 'buh-bows' (bubbles) she requested (demanded) and hiked over the headland. She whined a little and proceeded to flick bubble mixture all over the back of my head and arms. Not to worry, I completely fudged the bubble recipe (3 parts water : 2 parts detergent : 1 part corn syrup?? I think Sesame Street lied...) then the kicking and whining stopped (she fell asleep).

Mama reheated her tea for the umpteenth time and went to bed with half-filled boxes littering the kitchen and wet washing still in the machine.

Living a blessed life by the sea. Trying to make do with the mere 24 hours in every day... #amiright?

Bella x

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Mermaid

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There's a new member of the Love toy family, a beautiful handmade mermaid from local artist, Kath. I adore that she is hand stitched with love, from her crocheted seaweed hair to her hand beading.

There are more beautiful mermaids available in gorgeous, whimsical colours. I particularly likely the green-skinned girl with the coral-like hair and lace crown. I feel a giveaway not too far away...

What should we name her?

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Watching

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Sticky Fingers

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Live music, a waterfront restaurant, a deconstructed cherry tart and some very, very sticky fingers.

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Best friends | Bark, bark, bark!

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Honey Sticks Beeswax Crayons

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We are a creative family, so Love was always going to have access to paints, pencils, torn paper, crayons and other items foraged from nature.

A few weeks ago, Byron ordered a delightful little table and chair setting for Love to sit at whilst she scribbled and sloshed wet brushes across thick recycled paper. I arrived home from work one evening to find that they had assembled the miniature furniture together. It stood proudly in the centre of our living area, a few steps from the fridge, kitchen, dining and lounge areas- Craft central.

At long last, our little person could sit in her special area and create to her heart's content.

We've started her off with these chunky, bright beeswax crayons made by Honey Sticks. They're thick and easy to hold in her hand, they don't snap like the thinner ones (as you may recall from your own childhood) and they're made from beeswax and non-toxic pigments.

Harm-free art products are a must, especially when our little Love is teething and they occasionally find their way into her tender mouth. Aside from the 12 lovely colours, there is minimal environmental impact caused from the production of these New Zealand made crayons, they even smell quite nice and come in a recycled cardboard box.

If you're thinking of a suitable toddler-friendly art product, Honey Sticks beeswax crayons are a fun choice and a safe one too, especially when stray scribbles can be wiped away from hard surfaces with a damp cloth... But we think we'll leave the bamboo floor art there for a little while longer.

I'd love to hear your recommendations for other non-toxic, environmentally friendly and creativity-inspiring art products for Love as she grows.

Bella xx

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When Your Baby is Injured...

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Today my sweet girl had a fall. I was at work when I received the call from my husband. His voice was shaky and he was on the way to the hospital. He didn't know how badly she was injured but he was able to tell me she fell hard. I could hear her screaming in the background. My heart began to pound.

I threw everything into my bag, shut down my work computer and flew out the door after letting my boss know that there was a family emergency and I had to leave immediately. My work were very understanding and concerned about me driving in the storm.

The drive to the hospital seemed to take longer than it should, I was trapped behind slow moving vehicles in the torrential downpour, my windscreen wipers barely making a difference as the rain was so heavy. I was careful and alert, but worried about how serious her injuries could be. Byron had said she could have fractures.

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When I arrived they had already been seen in triage. We were told she would be ok, just very sore and tender for a few days.

Her lip is split, her gums are swollen and purple where her teeth were pushed back and her swelling was quite bad but has begun to subside (it amazes me that the swelling could reduce almost as quickly as it seemed to appear). We are fortunate it was not a serious injury.

I comforted Byron and my little Love. Family is everything and although accidents can happen in a fraction of a second, how we come together to support one another makes a huge, positive difference.

I'm grateful for family, for my understanding boss and of course for the quick response by the medical staff.

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Likes to hold on to prevent me leaving for work

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Love had a restless night, high fever and stuffy nose. I thought about staying home from work but reassured myself that Byron could care for her well. As the hours ticked by and with little rest, my eyes began to itch and water. By morning I could hardly open them, my red eyes resembling those of someone stung by bees. Dust. The house is really, really dusty.

I made arrangements to stay at home and cleaned what I could, whilst tending to Love. Byron, my calm, reliable partner in all things domestic (and in love), helped to clean as I lay next to my tired girl, gently stroking her hair and back to comfort her. When Love was rested, we made a short trip to the pharmacy to purchase eye wash and eye drops. I was advised not to use antihistamines (either orally or contained in the eye drops) as I am still breastfeeding (with the exception of Phenergan, which has caused me to feel very drowsy in the past and was in no way a suitable option today).

We drove to the Botanical Gardens and wandered slowly in the shade of native trees, my girl's tiny body relaxed against my chest. We listened and watched for birds from a bird hide attached to an elevated boardwalk in a mangrove forest and I rested here, waiting for my eyes to feel less itchy and photosensitive. After a short time we stopped for a picnic, where we were greeted by a rather tame bush turkey. At one point a tiny lizard crawled over Love's toes and as we examined it closely, she overcame her fear and allowed it to scamper from a golden leaf, along her hand and up her arms before it leaped back into the safety of tall blades of grass.

She soon fell asleep again in our baby carrier, thirsty and warm from the summer afternoon. Together, we slowly wandered back to our car, past scribbly gums*, sensory gardens, greenhouses and endangered plants species from Australia and abroad.

On the drive home I fell asleep too, waking only when Byron turned off the car engine. I was feeling better and as I carried my dozing girl to bed, Byron opened the windows to allow the sea breeze to cool and lift the air.

One day soon, we will move into a different house and I look forward with hope that these relatively new allergic reactions do not come too.

*For those of you wondering, the scribbles on the scribbly gum tree are caused by the movements of moth larvae under the bark of the gums. The scribbles become visible after the bark has fallen away.

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Formula vs Breastfeeding

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The Woolies run

We try to make do with everything we order in our weekly grocery box delivery, but there are items we need to top up that we can quickly collect at our local supermarket. Cat litter, grain-free dog food and sometimes other items that appear on special. It's difficult to stick to just the one or two items and we've often found that we end up with an expensive total on our shopping receipt. Writing a shopping list and having a weekly meal plan (even a rough idea of what we want to prepare) is essential to keep costs low by purchasing only what we need... Then there's shopping with a baby and who knows what will end up in the trolley.

The trick is to give her something to play with, something indestructible that you can place back on the shelf at the last minute or something you intend to purchase anyway.

Woolworths offer free fruit for children whilst you shop, which is a clever idea. Healthy too.

We like to hand the items we choose to purchase to Love so she can place them in the trolley. Instead of using the trolley seat (which she tends to climb out of), we place her on a thick jumper in the trolley and she is content to sit in there to help us shop.

We're looking forward to ordering from our regular organic grocer again soon after they re-open following the Christmas and New Year's break.

You may also spy some organic toddler formula in the trolley. We've decided to give it at try since I am working more and often away from Love for ten or more hours a day, three days each week.

We'll let you know how that goes and whether or not we return that second tin. If I'm being honest with myself, I'm rather uneasy about giving her formula as I'd prefer to continue breastfeeding but my supply has decreased, despite expressing at work.

I'd love to hear about your experience with formula and if anyone chose to use formula in addition to breastfeeding. I understand this can be a topic that can carry great emotional weight, as well as strong opinions, so I'm grateful for anyone who is able to share their experience.

Thank you, mamas xx

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Beach Scenes on New Year's Day

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On New Year's Day, we ventured down to Red Rock beach, where we relaxed in the shade of tropical pandanus trees. We snacked on fresh mango cheeks, sweet strawberries, bursting lychees and sticky nectarines that had warmed with the hot sun. A considerable amount of snacking involved biting into juicy, sandy fruit.

Love splashed about in the shallows, sharing natural treasures of bird feathers, smooth yellow pebbles and broken shells. After lunch, we climbed to the top of the windy headland to admire the choppy waves, salt spray and distant islands before returning to the scorching car.

Most of the cafes on our drive home were closed, except for one tiny corner cafe, where we were able to order some chilled sweet slices of chocolate, pear and pistachio cake, gluten free caramel slice and berry cheesecake.

Today I felt very happy to sit and be. I was thankful we were able to relax and play as a family. Today was the first day in quite some time where I have felt like I could enjoy the present, without the unsettling feeling that I needed to rush off to the next gathering or appointment.

We didn't make personal New Year's resolutions, other than a playful joke where Byron suggested I should be more patient and I laughed, before adding that he should 'be more prompt'.

2016 will see us travel to New Zealand in the summer, embark on more exciting family adventures, move into our own tiny beach house, push ourselves to be more creative with our photography and hopefully much more.

Whilst we wonder about the possibilities, we mindfully savour the present.

May 2016 bring you joy, good health and a refreshing appreciation for living in the moment.

xx

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Chicken pox. We have no idea where she contracted it but I do know that for two weeks, I felt unrelenting fear as her little body fought the virus. High temperatures, general discomfort and a very poorly baby. Thankfully, she did not break out in many blisters. These pictures were taken at the beginning. I don't have photos of how she looked as it progressed because I couldn't be separated from her when she needed me.

Somehow, despite this recent illness and the mandatory quarantine period, she managed to find joy in simple objects. A hair brush, a ceiling fan, a roll of toilet paper. Baby Love, you are stronger and more resilient than I ever imagined. I'm thankful that you did not suffer for very long. I'm grateful that your beautiful smile and happy personality shone through, even when you were unwell. xx

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Sometimes she naps quite late and I wonder if we will manage to squeeze in an afternoon walk. Today she woke as the sun dipped low in the sky. I scooped her relaxed warm body into my arms, secured her to my body and hurried out the door as the insects began to trill. By the time we reached our secret beach, the sun had slipped below the tree line and a hazy glow lingered briefly, like the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon apple pie.

We played on the sand for a short time before the trunk of a large old uprooted tree caught her eye. The driftwood was smooth and pale grey, bleached almost white by the sun and salty sea. On one side, sooty black scars could be seen, a sure sign that someone had tried to burn it, possibly as a campfire. I was relieved it didn't burn, I have a special bond with this tree, having visited it many times during the days when we were trying to conceive a baby. It provided silent company, somewhere I could sit and think about all the things in my life that came and went with wavering levels of importance.

Now my daughter was drawn to it for her own reasons. The thought of this long lifeless tree touching my sweet girl brings me joy.

I love this beach, this tree, this time of year and this life. All are impermanent but mean the world to me.

Tomorrow will bring the first day of summer.

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