Bumpin'... 34 Weeks with New Friends

One sunny morning during my 34th week of pregnancy as I collected the newspaper from our front lawn, I met Hal. Hal's an elderly man who lives around the corner. He walks a young, playful two year old black Labrador named Mindy. She's about as sweet as Labs come, with a gentle nature and flapping tail. Hal asked how long we had to wait until we meet little Pecan and was surprised when I answered, just over five weeks. He laughed and said, 'Are you sure you haven't got two in there?'.

It was wonderful to hear those words as I had been a little concerned in previous weeks that Pecan may be on the small side. I needn't have felt so concerned as this baby is growing as expected and I've begun to fill out more myself (hello breasts!). My favourite torn jeans feel tighter around my legs than last week and I'll soon need to fold them away in favour of stretchy yoga pants. I love being pregnant in the cooler months.

The rest of the day was spent washing Pecan's cloth nappies in preparation for his/ her arrival. Next week we'll wash all of the baby clothes as I continue to brainstorm items to stockpile for birthing.

I can really feel this nesting urge to prepare, scrub, polish and purge my life of unwanted or unneeded clutter. I'm also cooking more too, if only my energy would last beyond 7pm...

Bella xx

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Bumpin'... 32 Weeks Filled with Love and Friendship

I love it when friends come to stay. In my 32nd week of pregnancy, this sweet girl, Kailee and her beautiful husband, Lachlan came to share a long weekend with us at the beach house.

It was the first time their little dog, Laramie (named after the American town in which they met) had ever seen the beach. He bounded along the shore, splashing about with our little Coco, his energy catching.

On one hazy morning, where the sea salt hung thick in the air we had a pancake cook-off. Kailee's tantalising orange and almond pancakes impressed the judges (Lachlan and myself) for a narrow win over Byron's strawberry and banana offerings.

We slept in each day, a true seaside holiday where this 32 week pregnant mama could relax in comfort with dear friends. The greatest highlight for me was seeing my friends, who travelled such a long distance by car. Though the duration of their stay felt more like a heartbeat than four glorious sun-soaked winter days, I am grateful that we could bask in the warm winter sunlight. She, 19 weeks pregnant with their first baby and I, 32 weeks pregnant with ours.

What greater joy than to experience this life-giving time with my dear friend at the very same time that she is expecting. I am so pleased they allowed us to take some maternity photos down by the shore. If I manage to catch up with my own pregnancy posts, I will be sure to share Kailee and Lachlan's gorgeous images here for you.

There's something magical about sharing your pregnancy with another pregnant mama, don't you think?

Bella xx

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Ocean Breeze

On clear spring evenings, we wander down to the sea. If we're lucky the air is calm, only a gentle ocean breeze blows wayward strands of my auburn hair. Cool salty air bristles the bare skin of my neck as I pull the sleeves of my sweater down over my fingers. I smile to myself as I recall this is a habit my mother used to disapprove of when I was a teenager.

Days pass and we return to the shore. This time we try in vain to teach Coco to 'stay'. Sometimes I think she is so clever that it is she who is training us. We persist for fifteen minutes, rewarding her with liver treats before we turn to walk towards the jagged point of Witches Reef.

The next morning, an offshore land breeze blasts cool air across the breaking waves. Sea water sprays off the crest of the waves in impressive arcs and further out to sea, the familiar triangular shape of a sailboat can be seen racing along at an alarming speed.

A cheeky seagull parades infront of me as I stare in disbelief. Surely he can see Coco fix her gaze upon his plump, feathered breast. Hours later, onshore afternoon winds increase in intensity from the southeast, whipping the shore, and howling with wild stories of distant storms.

We jog along the shore together, taking turns to run in front of the other. Coco splashes in the tiny breakers as I focus on my breathing. We pause at the end of the beach to stretch with yoga and play before returning home for a warm shower.

Coastal trees bow, their leaves rustling with the wind. I close my eyes and listen to the steady rhythm of the waves as they gently roll ashore. When I open my eyes, I gaze along the beach and marvel at how the top layer of sand is magically picked up and blown in fluid, moving shapes across the beach.

Suddenly, as if a giant switch is turned off, the wind stops. The air is clear, and the sound of the ocean is somehow amplified.

As the sun dips, it casts golden orange, pink and pale violet hues across the sky. I turn to watch Byron walk beside me, in the soft light his skin takes on a peachy glow.

My heart grows with happiness. This is my seaside life. This is home. Sometimes all I can do is stare at the expansive ocean and breathe deeply.

Bella xx

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41/52 Smile

A portrait of my family once a week, every week in 2013

Coco: Happy. Oh! So happy to explore the coastal headland.

This week we're smiling, from ear to ear. We're happy because the days seem longer, thanks to Daylight Savings and when we arrive home from work, there are enough daylight hours remaining to go running, exploring, surfing and generally anything we want to do outside. Hooray for long summery days!

Week 41 of 2013.

I thought about 41 weeks, it's enough time to conceive a baby, to grow that little being inside my belly and to birth a child into this beautiful world. In forty weeks a woman could accomplish this task. It happens the world over. Some take less time, others reach forty-one weeks and whisper to their bellies, 'Hurry... Oh please come out, I want to meet you.'

I wonder with awe and inspiration at how a woman can create a new life; two hearts beating in one body. It's a miraculous and selfless feat to grow another human inside her. With strength, courage and sacrifice she earns her tiger stripes.

This week we thought about all the women who have given birth to children. I am not pregnant and though we have tried for quite some time, we continue to smile for our fortune may change. Whether we conceive or adopt, it does not matter.

This man, this woman, this cat and this smiling puppy. We're a family already.

~Joining Jodi and friends~

Love Bella xx

You can follow my collection of 'The 52 Project' posts here.

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Drink the Wild Air

pounding heart // crab home

pumice and co. // rock pool life

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Our Seaside Life: A Weekly Collection of Stills

Spring Time by the Seaside

1. Tranquil Sea Pools
2. Chipped
3. A Model Poser
4. Driftwood
5. Distracted Puppy
6. Strawberry Pancakes
7. Relaxed

Joining in with Emily, Bree, Trish and friends

Love Bella xx

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37/52 Beach Grass

A portrait of my family once a week, every week in 2013

Coco: Watching the graceful birds soar in the sea breeze.

This week we worked hard, took time off, visited the dentist, played one-on-one soccer with a fox terrier cross dachshund as referee- Somehow she won??

Byron captured this image of Coco hidden on a sandy dune, surrounded by tall pale green blades of beach grass. She secretly watched sea birds parade along the shore before darting out and chasing them into the water. As always, they evaded her by the magic of flight.

This image for me whispers of summer. On a warm spring afternoon, they explored a deserted beach one hour before sunset.

I love spring, the longer days, the colourful flowers in seaside gardens and the sweet scent of orange blossoms as they begin to bloom. I love spring because it reminds me that life begins a new cycle, powered by the same sun light that beams throughout spring into our seemingly endless summers.

Bella xx

Joining in with Jodi and world of talented bloggers

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A Week by the Seaside

watching the sea together // taking flight // an empty home

Sometimes life isn't all lavender shrubs and clear blue skies. Sometimes we have to work harder to make things easier. Sometimes we have to give a lot of ourselves to reap a tiny reward, like the busy bee who tirelessly visits hundreds of flowers before buzzing away to his sticky, honey-filled hive. It's a bizarre and humbling contradiction in this life we've built in our seaside home. We work all day and into the night to afford to live in this postcard place. More and more often I find myself working out of town and when I sleepily arrive home I usually feel too exhausted to walk along the inky blue beach, freezing cold with the winter air and cloaked in nightfall. The sound of the ocean lulls us to sleep at the end of each day, a gentle reminder of where we are and why we choose to live by the seaside.

collecting pollen // pre-blended raw green smoothies // fishing friends

Our relationship has changed, we have settled into married life. We blend separate smoothies for breakfast. Mine usually has raw cacao powder, his does not. We walk along the beach together less often than we would prefer due to clashes in work rosters and tired bodies. Last weekend we witnessed a young couple have their wedding photos taken at our beach. Byron stopped, turned to face me and kissed me softly in the breeze. Everything changed in that moment. Wherever my mind was, it floated back to me and we lived the rest of the week in the moment.

a sad end to a soaring friend // seashells on my kitchen windowsill

This week we made a conscious effort to take each available moment to visit the sandy shores of the beautiful blue sea on our front doorstep. Some mornings we ran in the sunshine, on others we found ourselves caught in rain showers. One day we swam, splashed, laughed and played. On Saturday we were confronted with the sad demise of a sea bird. I hope he soared high and found the time to dart and weave, dive and swim before he met his untimely end on the sandy shore. I will make more effort to appreciate the beauty in our lives. Everyday. Because living this life today is as important as working so hard for tomorrow.

Bella xx

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