Saturday 30 April 2011

Life Carries On...

So back in Waiuku we carried on unpacking and organising, and reorganising!  :)  I had an anatomy scan and have decided not to find out the sex of the baby - we'll wait and have the surprise at the end.

Lilli and Tommy on her couch.


Max was trying to take a couple of belly photos for me and Lilli was like 'Can I have the camera Daddy.  Please!!!'  :)


Then when she couldn't have the camera she decided that she would be in the photo instead.


The next day she tells me 'Mummy I hurt!  My tail broke.'  Hahaha.  She got that from a tv program she watches.  They were doing a show about going to hospital when you break a bone.

Her other new phrase for the day - 'It's awesom!'.

We were booked to go and do a photo shoot for the annual Plunket photo competition on Thursday 21 April and while I was getting Lilli's clothes out of her draw she came up to me and I just knew that something was wrong and I said to her are you going to be sick and next thing she was.  Poor little thing vomited all over her bedroom.  After that we were both covered in it and I couldn't put Lilli down as she was really upset so I had to call Nana to come over in the hope that she could hold Lilli and I could clean up her room but Lilli wouldn't let me put her down so poor Nana had to clean it up for me!   Here she is asleep a couple of hours later - exhausted.


She came right after her big sleep and chirped up quite a bit.  In the afternoon she said to me 'Dild you hear that?!  It's Swiper!  He's going to want this lid.'  Hahaha.  To those who don't know, Swiper the fox is from the Dora the Explorer show and he's always sneaking around trying to swipe their stuff!  So cute.

Caught doing something she shouldn't be doing (playing with the heater buttons) and she gives me the look.



On Sunday 24th we took Lilli to Kelly Tarltons.  After waiting in the queue for about an hour we finally got in but needless to say she was a little tetchy.  However, she really enjoyed it and we had to pry her away from each thing to go on to the next one.  :)  Here she is looking out the window of the 'snow mobile' at the penguins on the antarctic adventure ride.


Riding the big sea turtle.


Listening to the ocean in a huge shell.


Checking out the sharks.


In her gorgeous nightie that Oma Doris gave her.



On 27 April we decided to bake some cupcakes.  Lilli just loves them and always asks for some so we whipped some up.  Here she is licking the beater.


And now holding it in her mouth to free up her hands...


To try and get the camera!  Haha.


Cute little hair do.



And final notice for April - Max felt the baby move!  Finally!  Little ratbag has been kicking away and then when I tell Max to come and feel it just stops!  Haha.  He's been very put out - but now he has felt it.  :)

Sunday 17 April 2011

A Beautiful Farewell...

We had Nana Dot's funeral today.  It was just lovely.  A really great send off.

This morning when Tony and co arrived we decided to write a speech for one of us to say at the funeral about what Nana Dot had been to us.  As soon as that was done we were all into our cars to go to the funeral which was held at the Oparau Hall.  It was decided that I would be the one to do the speech - eeek!  I am normally a wreck when it comes to public speaking but on this occassion I decided that hopefully I would be able to do it.  Lilli was a blast!  She was running around with all the cousins' kids outside and generally making herself known to everyone - as she does.  She's so funny.  Then when the funeral started she sat down with Toot, Annie and the boys for practically the whole time.  She got up and walked around a little bit but she was really well behaved.  I was so proud of her.

I managed to get up there in front of everyone (there were 500 or more people there!) and do our speech and even got a couple of laughs from everyone.  Lilli was interupting me all the time and wanting cuddles but between Brian and I we keep her busy until I finished speaking.  It was really great and I was very proud of myself .  The boys were stoked and said that I had done a great job too.

It was a sad occasion but also nice to catch up with all the family.  Very sad to be pregnant with a baby and know that Nana will never meet it and to see two of my cousins pregnant too and of course my cousin Darryl's partner Pavla.  Four new great grandchildren that are coming and Nana couldn't quite wait around to see them.

Max and stayed for a couple of hours after the funeral and then popped Lilli in the car and headed home.

Saturday 16 April 2011

Lilli Said Bye To Nana Dot!

Check out the first thing Lilli started doing once her bedroom got set up.  Now she's trying to avoid finishing getting dressed.  Little monkey!  :)




So we have left our unpacking and bundled into the car to head down to Te Awamutu to say goodbye to Nana Dot.  Her funeral is tomorrow and we are spending the night at Honey and Brian's place.  Brett and Michelle and the kids came over this afternoon and Keren and Nige are here, so are Darryl and Pavla, and Aunty Jean.  Nana and Pops had to go back up to Auckland for a wedding but they will be back around midnight tonight.  Tony, Annie and the boys are coming in the morning and Neil and Debbie will be with them as they have come up from Dannevirke too.  We have had untold other people coming and going throughout the afternoon to say goodbye to Nana Dot.  She is in Honey and Brian's bedroom.

This afternoon Lilli headed down the hallway towards the bedroom.  She hadn't seen Nana Dot yet but I had been telling her we were coming down to say bye to Nana Dot as she had gone up to be with Jack in heaven.  When she headed down to Honey's bedroom I hurried into see Honey and asked her what I should do.  She said that I should take Lilli to see Nana Dot and asked if I would like her to come with me.  Naturally I said yes, and so Honey, Keren and I took Lilli in to see Nana Dot.

It was so freaky!  As we all know, Lilli has always had a special connection with Nana Dot.  Well, I had Lilli in my arms and we went in.  There was Nana Dot's casket with a lovely sheer cloth over it and Honey pulled the cloth back and said to Lilli 'Here's Nana Dot Lilli, she's sleeping.'  Lilli shook her head and said 'No, not Nana Dot.  Not there.  Close it Honey.' indicating to Helen to recover Nana with the cloth.  I wasn't saying anything because I just couldn't speak and when Lilli wanted to be put down I put her down.  She walked out into the hallway and stopped.  Then she sort of looked around a bit, had a little giggle, and came back into the room and asked me to pick her up.  I did and she said 'Open again Honey.' so Helen pulled the cloth back again to reveal Nana Dot and Lilli said in a chirpy happy voice 'Bye!  Bye Nana Dot.'  Then she asked me to put her down again and off she went!

I tell you it was an amazing experience!  Helen, Keren and I were all totally blown away.  I will never forget it.

Thursday 14 April 2011

Our Moving Truck Didn't Turn Up! Plus A New Molar.

Daddy got up early this morning to finish cleaning at the house and wait for the truck to help load and Lilli and I were to stay at Nana and Pops' until the trucks were loaded and on their way and then meet at the new house so that Lilli wouldn't get too bored waiting but so that I could also get into the new place and do some cleaning and check that all was well.  We got up to find Lilli had some great bed hair...




Here she is having her breakfast at her little table.


Then I checked her mouth to see if her molar has come through and it has!  So she has her bottom right molar, the very back one.  It's the first of the last 4 molars.  So I guess it could explain some of why she has been out of sorts and unsettled (as well as seeming to be living in a moving warehouse for the last couple of weeks!).  Poor baby.  :(

Our moving truck didn't turn up this morning so we had to wait for Phil and Marion to load up their truck and then unload at our place and load our stuff to move around to our new place.  It was always going to be a tight schedule with us swapping houses but being a truck down made it awful.

We got a great discount and our move didn't even cost half what it should have but it made it one hell of a day I tell you.

Lilli was great, she was so patient and well behaved considering all the hold ups we had and the fact that her and I had to spend a couple of hours at the new house with no toys, no furniture, no nothing until the truck arrived and we got some stuff unloaded.  She's so brilliant.

Max helped unload the truck and I directed furniture into rooms and then Max and I worked tirelessly to get Lilli's room and our room as sorted and settled as possible to try and give Lilli a home again after being a few days without.

Of course the rest of the house is a shambles but hey, one step at a time. 

I am waiting on final details from Mum and everyone regarding Nana Dot's funeral so we will know when to go down to Te Awamutu.  With everything that's been happening in Lilli's life lately we have decided to just go down for one night and the funeral and then come back here to our new home.

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Pops' Birthday and Nana Dot Passed Away!

Well today was Pops' 65th birthday and Nana Dot passed away!  So our intended dinner for Pops went out the window, Nana and Pops shot off to Te Awamutu and Lilli, Daddy, and I are staying up here for a couple of days and then going down because we have our moving truck booked for 8 tomorrow morning!

Mum had a phone call from Brian this morning to say that Nana Dot had been rushed to Waikato Hospital with a suspected heart attack.  He said he would call as soon as he had more information for us.  He rang again a bit later and said that the doctors had confirmed she had had a heart attack but they also said that we were not to rush down there as it was not a major and they would be keeping her in for a couple of days and then sending her home.  So Mum left her phone on charge at home and went round to our place for me to finish a bit of cleaning while Lilli and I stayed at her place. 

She'd only been gone about 15 minutes and her mobile went.  When I picked up Brian said to me not to rush down there but Nana Dot had had another one and only had minutes left.  We lost her.  She had another heart attack - a big one - and she died.  I put Lilli in the car and zoomed around to our place to tell Mum and it was just heartbreaking.  Poor Lilli knew that something terrible had happened, she just didn't really get what.  I guess all she really understood was that Mummy and Nana were crying and crying.

So we will move tomorrow and try and get Lilli as settled as possible before heading down to Honey and Brian's place for the funeral.  :(

RIP Nana Dot
Gone but never forgotten

Sunday 10 April 2011

Nana Dot Has Moved Into A Home

Well we went down to Te Awamutu on Friday to help move Nana into her new home.  It looks really lovely and she seems quite happy about the move.  She's probably just glad as heck to get out of that other horrible Matariki!  She had a very rough time of it there and apparently some of the staff were not being very nice to her.  Poor Nana.  Anyway she's in her new home now and we think it's going to be good for her.

Nana, Lilli and I stayed at Honey (Helen) and Brian's place for the night.  Lilli went and collected eggs from the chooks as she does at their place and we all had a lovely night.  Lilli just has a ball down there with Honey and Brian.  We told them it's good practice for when their own little grandbaby comes along soon.  They will have to do a bit of re-arranging of the house before he starts crawling around and grabbing stuff though!  :)

Here she is playing the piano with Honey.




And by herself.


Here's a couple of videos:




On Saturday we went to visit Nana Dot again and make sure that she was ok.  She was great, very happy.  We sat outside on the patio with her in the sun and she seemed really happy there.  Lilli had to go to the toilet before we left and she knew that her potty was in the car so she wanted to use it.  I popped the boot on Nana's car and she sat in the boot (it's a Toyota Rav4 so a big roomy boot that connects with the inside of the car) and went poos!  Haha she thought it was just great fun.  Will have to remember the travelling loo for future trips and make sure the potty is always ready to go if possible in the boot!  :)

Back at home we are still packing.  Only Lilli's room resembles normalcy - this is to try and keep her feeling happy and secure although I'm not sure that it is working so great.  She had been really unsettled lately and I think it's safe to say that it's because the whole house is being packed up.  But she still soldiers on and is mostly her happy little self.  Still up to mischief and climbing where she shouldn't be climbing!!


Thursday 7 April 2011

First Dental Appointment and We Are Cafe Girls

Yes, how to keep the 2 year old out of the cat's food and vice versa!!




We have sold our house! Well actually we are doing a swap with some people who want to downsize. They buy our house and we buy theirs!! Great stuff. So every spare moment I get I am packing boxes and getting organised. We have organised everything to go through quickly and will be moving on 14 April! Can't wait.  As you can see I have already emptied out all but the necessities in the kitchen cupboards.  Lilli and Tommy are finding lots of new places to explore and play.





Lilli had her first dental appointment on Monday, 04 April. I got given the speech about not giving her too much sugar so I have had to reinforce this to Nana as let's face it, Nana's give way more treats than stingey old Mummy's. ;)

The dental nurse told me to keep an eye on her sugar intake and also to make her brush teeth twice a day as they have to last her until she is 12 or 14 years old. She told me not to give her lots of sugar - you know, the usual spiel. Lilli was great. She was all chirpy when we arrived and was talking to everyone and saying hi, then when the dental nurse asked her to open wide and say 'ahhh' she did. They said she was excellent.

Hehe proud Mummy moment for me - just one of so many.

After we'd finished I took Lilli to a cafe for a hot chocolate - well, I had a hot chocolate and Lilli had a fluffy which is basically a fluffy milk. Some cafe's, like the one we went to today, put some chocolate in it. Probably not what the dental nurse would recommend after our visit but hey, we are cafe girls now, we go do hot chocolate. :D

That evening Lilli was riding her horse while sitting on top of her little stuffed toy wolf dog. Hahaha.

On Thursday, 07 April we were at another cafe! I took Lilli out for lunch because we were in Pukekohe doing some shopping with Nana. Lilli said she was hungry and wanted to have something to eat but she wouldn't sit down and was fidgety. Then she got up so I followed her. She walked through the tables out the back through a doorway and down the hall to the toilet! Fancy remembering where the toilet was after going in there only once before with me when she needed to go toilet!! Oh my gosh I think this is the first I have mentioned that Lilli is toilet training!!! She has been since not long after her birthday - clever girl. Anyway she found her way to the toilet and I helped her go and then she went back to our table and happily sat there and ate her food and drank her milkshake! How's that?!! What a clever little angel. :D


Here's Lilli pushing her little trolley at The Warehouse.  Haha.




That night we built walls and towers with her blocks. Of course she took great delight in knocking them all down once they were built.