Puku!!

Mr Gobbles has worked out that if he uses his arms, he can stay on his tummy for much longer! He was having some fun hanging out with his friends today, surrounded by buzzy bees & rattles made of curtain rings...Good times!

Our other fun & exciting event is working out how to have a nap longer than 45 minutes. Yesterday I spent a couple of hours running around the house like a crazy person doing housework, tiptoeing back every few minutes to peek in & check that my little friend was in fact still asleep. We'd tried a myriad of complex plans to get more sleep in, with extreme failure every time (and much pain & suffering...). Latest plan is to sneak up on him about 35 minutes into the nap (he has a built in alarm clock and wakes up without fail every 45 minutes), hide under his hammock & bounce it to stop him waking up! One of the books I read (the no cry nap solution) seems to think if I do this for a week or so, he'll stop waking up in between - I'm liking that! Will see if it comes to fruition...

Just had my wonderful friends & their babies round for lunch, my soup was such a success I thought I might pop the recipe on here...

Yummy Kumara & Bacon Soup...
Some kumara (any old colour, 3 or 4)
Chicken stock (or vege. or water would probably do it!)
A bacon hock
An onion or shallot.

Roast the chopped up Kumara, onion & bacon hock for an hour or so.
Put the whole lot in a pot or slow cooker, cook it for ages.
Pull out the bacon hock, puree up the soup with a whiz stick.
Pull the meat off the bacon hock, put it back in the soup.

Yummy!! Works really nicely with pumpkin instead of kumara too.

Aries Baby

Something I found on www.bubhub.com.au...

The Aries child is strong, vigorous, vital, outgoing and very affectionate. Starting from the time he is born, he will try to get everybody's attention and he usually cries till he gets what he wants. His body is strong, as well as his voice. The great energy he is born with propels him into action, and he starts walking and talking at an early age. He shocks people with his physical strength, moving chairs and other heavy objects. This applies to both boys and girls. He will always be attracted to what is forbidden to him. You need to keep an eye on him because he is so curious and restless that he may be prone to occasional burns or bruises. He does not learn quickly by experience, but always intends to do better.

Due to his vitality, he recovers from illness quite rapidly. He is very loving and at the same time he needs effusive demonstrations of love. He is a day- dreamer and sentimental and he will have a bright imagination. He is proud of himself and he seeks admiration. He sometimes loses his temper with explosions that can be frightening, but these explosions disappear as fast as they come. He is not spiteful and he is always willing to forgive and forget. He is trusting and sincere, so his parents should be frank with him, in order to strengthen his self-confidence and ability to be discerning.

Aries Baby may have a problem with being lazy about his school work, but neither scolding nor comparing him with his brothers and sisters is a good policy. Instead of making him feel ashamed, challenging him is a good tactic. He will be a leader among his friends. He will make up new games and will always try to win. The Aries child must learn to obey at an early age in order to avoid big problems in the future. His heart is soft; he is overly trusting and he is tenacious and persistent. His pride is also weak and he can easily get hurt.

Birthday presents must be kept well hidden because he is very impatient and he cannot wait for the proper time. He is very generous and a spendthrift, so money will never stay in his pocket. If he receives bad treatment as a child, he will probably be very aggressive in the future. It is better to ask with a smile rather than to order him, so he will try even harder to please his parents. He needs to keep busy, participating in sports or developing creative interests. It is very important to remember that you have to praise Aries children to make them grow up with a feeling of well-being.

Guess we'll have to wait & see! So far looking kind of accurate :)

A curious combination

We have a miracle - my beautiful little man has been asleep for 2 hours! After many battles with 45 minute naps I think I may be winning...(or not, he may prove me totally wrong tomorrow). Have been taking the 'sneak up & bounce the hammock just a little bit at about 40 minutes' approach, as well as playing his lullaby music on repeat right next to where he sleeps. As I'm listening to national radio it makes for an interesting cacophony of sounds. Jim Mora plus Music for Dreaming. Hmmm. Too scared to turn it off though, just in case that breaks the spell.

Usually I'm the lime pickle lady, but this year my lovely husband took over the job as I was just a little bit too busy...

A couple of days before Jarvis's arrival.