Toys Rn't Us

So we've been pretty lucky in this household toy wise, as Nana and Grandama have been going a small bit NUTS on buying them for Austin. Although our place is TINY it has been amazing to have so many interesting and fun toys coming through the door. It has also meant that I haven't really needed to do much toy shopping myself. 

So when the big FIRST birthday rolled around, I was in for a bit of a rude shock. Off I went thinking I'd be able to quickly snap up some beautiful toys fit for a little mans first birthday in a quick shopping sesh.... but no. The range available poor, the quality crapola, lots of plastic, and nothing even seemed that interesting. AHH! 

Ok, so it seems we haven't been just 'lucky' we've been pretty damn spoilt. Unbeknownst to me, Grandama and Nana haven't been willy nilly picking random old toys out for the small guy, they've been hunting around and looking for the best toys to get his little mind going. 

Now I am short of time and have to find fabulous toys FAST! So, online I head. My sister has some fab toys for her little one so I search for the brand and voila. Two minutes later I've ordered some superb little toys and I'm back on track for the birthday celebrations.... or so I think. Until it is a day before Austin's birthday and I realise the damn toys haven't arrived. So I double check the email and it says 'expected delivery end of September'. Nooooooooo. I'm sure I saw that they were in stock before ordering. I call up the store. They have supplier issues. NO TOYS!

Back to the drawing board. I have 24 hours, and my ability to be fussy is fast diminishing. I duck down to Little Darcy, and sweet baby Jesus they have just got a MASSIVE order of new toys in. So I pick out a super cute and super soft giraffe (now named Mr Gaff) and a baby harmonica (CUTE) and hope that they will be a hit with Austin.

Toy shopping is TRICKY. More tricky than I thought anyway. Even when you do manage to find what you think is the best toy, that has been ethically produced, made locally, using child friendly vegetable die with activities that stimulate the mind... there is no guarantee that he will like it. He may just prefer the box it came in (HA!) or the $2 bath fish you got in a flurry at the supermarket. 

Well, at least I am now officially inducted in to the world of toy shopping and PHEW he loved the giraffe and harmonica. 

O.N.E

Austin had a smashing birthday

The cutest guy in the world!

This is SOOOO much fun

The joy of balloons

Park hangs post cake smashing

Holy shizballs, this small man turned one this week. A whole year, 365 days, has flown past. And what once was a small helpless screaming pink little baby, is a standing, talking (well babbling), loving, cheeky little man. Raising a baby is the hardest thing we’ve ever done as parents, and also the most amazing thing we’ve ever done as humans. Once that little ball of goodness comes out there is no turning back. For every extreme high there has been a matching low, but the combined result is….honestly the most amazing year of our lives.

To celebrate Austin’s first birthday I thought I would share some little tidbits that I’ve learnt over the last year:

• I used to act crazy when I was hungry. Now I act crazy when I’m tired. And I’m tired all the time. Uh oh. Catnapping and coffeeee have become my new best friends
• Baby poo is a hot topic between new parents. How often, what colour, soft or gooy, how many per day and the size of each. Yep, there is lots to talk about when it comes to baby poo
• Baby wipes can be used for pretty much anything.  And I mean anything. Cleaning my hubby’s Jordan’s, the tv, wiping benches, tables, floors. Cleaning hands and faces (as much as baby hates it). And of course…baby bums. Cleaning cute chubby poo stuck in baby but cracks
• Babies sleeping through the night seem to be a made up fantasy to give new mothers hope
• A new born baby will poo 12 times a day. Sometimes more. Relentless amounts of squirty orange poo
• My husband and I have started talking about the future. And I don’t mean 2 year plan or even 5 year plan I mean… what will we be doing in 20 years time? Where will we be? What will Austin be like? (Mind f*^k thinking about your baby being 20 years old)

What will the next year hold? Who knows! But by god we are ready to grab it by the balls and own it. 

The eight things I swore I would never do

Austin as a bald 3 month old rocking the brows

Soo cute, even when eating books

Oh heeey ladies!

Mama, save me from the horrible car seat

I cannot believe it but our baby is turning one in five days, crazy! Before the little man was on his way there were certain things I swore I would never do and now one year later I can safely look back and eat my words completely. So, here are the eight things I swore I would never do and now do all the time:

1. Speak to baby in the third person. “Mummy’s going to change your nappy then we have to get going!”
2. Speak to baby in public like they understand (including goo goo gaga). Yep, do this all the time. Have completely stopped caring if people hear and think I’m mad
3. Expect people to ooh and aah over my child. What do you mean you’re not interested in my baby? He is surely the most amazing thing on this earth! Right? Right?
4. Change our lives to suit the baby. Ah yeah. This is a good one. Everyone knows how you’re “not going to let the baby change your life. They’ll fit right in!” Sure….. famous last words
5. Phone while pramming. That is walking along with the pram while staring down at my phone so that I weave all over the footpath. Oncoming foot traffic have no hope of getting around. Sorrrry!
6. Ask baby questions as if they can understand and answer. “What do you want to do today Austin? Should we go to the park?” Austin is 11 months old. We may be waiting a while
7. Get angry at people for doing normal things because my baby is sleeping. Talking loudly (or quietly, or at all), laughing, beeping their car horn. You a** holes!
8. Take baby to places that non-baby people deem inappropriate. The pub, a nice restaurant, a going away party. Yep, he’s our permanent plus one and we couldn’t be happier

Running wild in the west

Eh, what you looking at?

Let me down woman

PUPPIES!

It was a crisp morning but the sun was out, and despite managing to scratch his face with a mystery object, Austin was in a good mood. And not only that, the little man had graced us with his first steps a few days earlier, so he was both happy and antsy at the same time trying to wiggle out of my hold and hating life in the pram. He wants to be FREEEEE (run Forrest, run).

Finding a café that is baby friendly, not just in the sense that it has high chairs and change tables, but is really actually child friendly can be difficult, so off on the eternal hunt we went, over to the wild west on my sisters recommendation to Happy River Café.

Austin’s eyes lit up on arrival seeing the toys and trikes strewn across the grass (THE FUN, THE FUN! LET ME FREEE). The few tables in the sun were highly coveted, and I’ve said it before, but we should probably have taken our own advice and got there early (where does the time go in the mornings?).

Inside the décor was a bit drab and the menu a little daggy, but the food was good, the coffee strong and the location great. And really the reason why people come here is to test out some free range parenting and let the kids run to their hearts content. Or in Austin’s case take a few steps and then revert back to crawling (CUTE!). If you’re after a gastro café serving single origin coffee you’ve come to the wrong spot but I think most people would find it hard not to enjoy Happy River Cafe's relaxed, hippy vibe (the view around the back of the building isn’t half bad either).

So we ate our bacon and eggs and drank our coffee (thank you god for coffee), and then we walked around the Footscray Arts Centre gardens until Austin weed through his nappy and and then we were off home.

Wahoo another place to dine and let your kids shout to their hearts content. 

This is how we do

We have a system. And the system works. So don't fix something that aint broke, and follow the system:

1. Baby wakes up (it's 5.30am)
2. Baby dressed and changed
3. Baby play
4. Baby fed
5. And then baby sleep (woo! success!)
6. BABY IS SLEEPING!!! Quick now, let's do everything else that needs to be done....
7. Shower, breakfast, dressed (mum and dad)
8. Prepare baby bottle, snacks and food
9. Pack baby bag (wipes, nappies, toys, bib, umbrella, blankets, beanies, socks)
10. Oops, we forgot the water bottle, add the water bottle
11. Get the pram ready (upright, straps ready, wet weather cover, muslin cloth cover, pram pegs)
12. Oh, we might want the baby bjorn...maybe put the baby bjorn in the basket under the pram
13. Coffee... dear god, why did we not have coffee yet. GET THE COFFEE STAT!
14. We are caffeinated, we are packed, we are dressed, we are ready, we are..... waiting? Hold on, this never happens. Hmmm......ok so now we chill and then when baby wakes we are off on our wonderful walk to The Melbourne Shrine and gardens.

So, finally we were on our way! Walking up St Kilda Road we could see The Melbourne Shrine ahead, standing tall with pride and imposing on the gardens around it, a truly beautiful building. Entering via the visitor’s centre, which allows you to access almost all areas with a pram, we headed down underground towards the 'Galleries of Remembrance'. The gallery is built within the foundations of the shrine, with the exhibits standing between and next to the brick foundations – an awe inspiring site. Where the Shrine above pays its respects to the service men and women of Australia, the galleries below take a closer look at individual stories and memories through the use of relics and photography. I wish I had more time to spend here, as there was so much history to take in but there was only so long I could keep Austin occupied for (and without disturbing the other visitors). I had no idea that there was so much below the large and beautiful shrine; it just shows that I should probably take more notice of our home town, not just when off being a tourist.

A wonderful morning, and high fives to getting out of the house.  

The simple life (or as simple as can be)

Austin LOVES the chickens

Fresh country air, AMAZing

Austin perfecting his "look in to the distance" pose

Yeeha!

I think he likes the country life!

The goat! The goat!

Mmm yum muffins

So we decided, that’s it, we’ve had enough of city living, being squished in our apartment, no backyard, nowhere to go– lets do it, move to the country! Well, not the country, Collingwood, to the Children’s Farm, and not like forever, just for a morning y’all.

The children’s farm was GREAT, and the one thing we’ve done so far where enjoyment levels from both parents and child were on par. Austin LOVED the chickens (and the goats and the pigs), and we loved seeing him love it. The air smelt like fresh bacon (thank-you The Farm Café), perhaps the only place you can view the pigs and smell the pigs (cooking) at the same time. Not for everyone. But hey, we are big bacon fans, so a PLUS for us.

There was so much to see here, and heaps of open spaces, green grass and animals roaming around. FUN. You cannot get this at the zoo or the aquarium. This felt less manufactured, and more real. A slice of country livin’ in the middle of the city.

And there must have been something in that country air because every other family was with one child and one on the way. Bump central. I felt a bit out of vogue actually but we were there to animal watch not bump watch, so all good.

Austin is going to be a BIG animal fan judging by his excitement levels at this young age. Apart from the almost panic attack I had when seeing the 'beware of snakes' sign, the children’s farm was a huge hit and we’ll definitely be back again. 

Why wont you wear your shoes, child?

So damn cute!

At least they make good toys.

Baby shoes. Pretty much the cutest things in the world. After babies (duh), puppies and babies with puppies. Then you have baby shoes. 

Austin has so many GORGEOUS baby shoes. Lots were gifts and some I got sucked in by the cuteness to buy. And he won't wear ANY of them. Not only that, he cries, REALLY cries. Why you cry child?

For all their cuteness there is an important fact that we haven't discussed yet – baby shoes are completely pointless. He doesn't even walk yet. Ahhh so much wasted cuteness.

At my recent birthday party (I turned 30, I am getting old), he wouldn’t wear his shoes so I sat them on the bar like a little artwork. They may as well have been art for the price they cost (don't tell hubby, whoopsie). Baby would NOT wear them. Trust me I tried.

Please admire the shoes above as there is no guarantee that I will ever be able to get them on his cute little tootsies (without tears and tantrums). 

Coffee + park + sun = hell yeah!

Thanks to my photographer extraordinaire (hubby) for capturing these moments. 

Can't really go wrong with an afternoon at the park, coupled with some great coffee (thank you Kettle Black), and some beautiful sunshine. 

Slowly but surely the park is becoming more useful. When Austin was really little we took him to the park and well, there wasn't a lot to do. We put him down on a blanket. We fed him lunch. We put him in the swing, but he was too small, so we held on to him and moved the swing as if it was the real deal (a fallacy, I know). We left. 

But now he's bigger the park has become quite the little entertainment spot. Crawling, climbing, standing. Watching the big kids (always). 

Speaking of 'big' kids what looked like a ten year old boy looked at Austin and said to his friend 'What a cute baby. Can't wait 'till I have one' (whoah kids are mature these days!).

The little twinkle in Austin's eye tells me he's going to show this place who's boss in the not too distant future. 

Best parts of the park:

1. It's free
2. It's free
3. It's free

What not to do at the zoo

Before Austin had his nap after 20 minutes. We timed this zoo trip VERY well. 

Here's a little list for you of what not to do when going to the zoo with bubs (compiled by me, master of whoops moments):

• Decide on a whim half way through the day to take your family off to the zoo 
• Just sit around relaxing after making this decision and wait until your baby wakes from his nap to begin packing and preparing to leave
• When you get there, ignore that the carpark is so full that people have parked on the nature strip. This surely doesn’t mean anything, nothing to do with the zoo being REDIC busy on this glorious sun shining day
• When you can’t find a carpark keep driving around and around and around and then end up parking over a kilometre away and then walk back to the zoo (no need to worry about time, next naps etc, all is going VERY WELL so far)
• Rush out of the butterfly enclosure (the only thing really that interests a 10 month old) to get to the next exhibits
• Worry that your baby is not interested in the elephants or giraffes and stares at the tree trunks instead
• Leave your phone in the parents room. It's probably just a distraction anyway, so you know, best to just rid yourself of these modern day conveniences

What to do at the zoo

• Just do the opposite of everything we did above and you will be seriously fine. Oh and do, do, do laze around and enjoy the sun while bubs sleeps after being there for 20 minutes. Yep, WHOOPS, what a disaster.  

Autumn leaves; the best things in the world

Some happy snaps of us in Southgate the other day. The autumn leaves were a huge hit with Austin. Lots of crunching and throwing and trying to eat. One of these days I will get a snap of him smiling!