An amazing few days

It is absolutely incredible to have Grandma and Granddad here!

This week we’ve been blessed with warm weather and even the showers on Wednesday morning and Thursday weren’t enough to dampen our spirits. In fact we spent Thursday at Zealandia (previously known as Karori Wildlife Sanctuary) where we walked for over three hour’s through the beautiful tracks. It was perfect walking weather and the girls ran along the tracks excitedly reading the signs and looking for ‘predator’ posts. They got a little tired near the end, but after a few encouraging words they soon forgot and started running along the tracks again.

I have to say I was very tired in the evening. With only four week’s till bubs due date I’m kind of into ‘waddling’ rather than walking! My midwife visited on Thursday morning and all is going very well. And I had my first of four pre-birth acupuncture appointments on Wednesday morning, which was a lovely opportunity to lie down for half an hour, listen to calming music and visualize baby. I had the same treatment before Sophie’s birth and found the time so precious to prepare my mind for the birth and bonding with baby. The aim of the treatments is to help build up energy, which benefits baby too. And she treated me for heartburn and helped to relax the pelvic ligaments to aid the descent and softening of the cervix. Midwifes have noted that labour time is shorter and that significantly less medical intervention is required if women have received acupuncture pre- birth treatments – here’s hoping!

Whilst I was chilling out my parents were gamely taking their granddaughters around central library and the art gallery. They had a lovely time. By the time I met up with them they had enjoyed a guided tour, courtesy of the girls, round the gallery and had a big bag of books with them from the library. We met up with Dan for ‘Yum Char’ at Majestic Cuisine before heading back home for a little rest. The morning drizzle cleared to reveal the most glorious, hot afternoon. We headed down to Lyall Bay beach, where the girls biked along the wide pavements and then played at the playground for a good hour. They weren’t particularly keen on going in the sea – they are more fresh water babes, but did have a little paddle.

The sunshine on Tuesday took us to the waterfront, where the girls both enjoyed ‘zorbing’ in the lagoon. Sophie had a go on the pedalos with Grandma and Granddad, whilst Charli and I headed for shade and some antihistamine cream for a few mosquito bites that were causing her grief. After lunching in town we headed home for some chill out time in the garden, where the girls ran in and out of the sprinkler. They were both quite tired, after not sleeping so well the night before. Thankfully, Sophie seems to have got over her night waking. We introduced a reward chart on Thursday and said she would get a little present after sleeping seven night’s without waking us. This, combined with a potty in her bedroom at night, seems to have done the trick. She said, ‘It’s all about learning. It’s okay for me to wake at night, but I mustn’t wake up other people.’ Bless! She slept great Thursday and Friday night, so finger’s crossed we’re over the waking ‘blip’!

We had a fun day on Friday, despite the southerly change in weather…

After a morning at home we headed out the door for a session on the croc bikes, timing it just before a big downpour. We retreated to Cuba Street, where the girls spent a wonderful hour in the ‘Tiger Eye Beads‘ store making the most beautiful necklaces. Sophie amazed us with her dexterity, patience and perseverance. She planned out her necklace on the board with great precision and then carefully threaded every, tiny bead by herself, diligently checking that the pattern repeated itself on either side of the horse pendant she’d chosen for the centre. Charli carefully chose her colours and threaded on her beads too. They could have spent all day in there, given half the chance! We returned home with two very happy girls – clutching a little ‘extra’ treat from Grandma and Granddad from the good ‘ole $2 shop. Charli chose a ball (Sophie has lots of them, but can be a little ‘precious’ about them and not always best at sharing them!). Sophie was over the moon with a horse calendar that Granddad found for only $2! She had one last year and was so excited to turn to the next month and see a new picture. I’ve kept all the pictures from last year, which are now plastered over the ceiling of her bedroom!

On Friday night Granddad took the bus into town and was treated to a tour of Wellington’s finest establishments by his son-in-law and enjoyed some fine beers!

Saturday morning we’d hoped to head out early for a day trip to Kapiti Island, but alas the weather wasn’t on our side. My Mum and I had spent Friday night packing picnic lunches, whilst the southerly howled outside. We didn’t think our luck would be in on the weather side, but we wanted to be prepared just in case. In many ways we were actually quite relieved when a required phone call to the boat company at 7am came back with the answer, ‘No, we shan’t be going to the island today’. It wouldn’t have been much fun spending six hours sheltering from the rain and southerlies on the island.

So, instead we opened up the blanket chest box in the lounge and spent the morning playing board games, painting and setting up crazy obstacle courses in the garage. We still ate our picnic, all be it inside! In the afternoon we headed out to the pool for a spa and swim.

And in between all the fun and games my dear folks have been washing windows, cutting the grass, doing the ironing and trying their hardest to get me to sit down and stop whizzing around like a ‘white tornado’ as they’ve called me!

We certainly chilled out this evening, over a lovely Malaysian take-away. Sophie joined Dan, Granddad and myself down the local bar, whilst we waited for the take-away, and had us all in stitches when she suggested, ‘Let’s have a drinking game between Daddy and Granddad! Come on Daddy! Drink! Drink!’ – where does she get this from?!