Discovery

I have discovered...

How to crawl, just haven't mastered it yet!

My bedroom floor...

My feet...

Baby Budget

I'm adding a new segment to my blog. I would really like to help out other families by sharing money-saving tips. I would really like it if any money-saving tips be shared in return!

I'm going to post 'Baby Budget' weekly with each post of a different theme whether it be DIY, money saving, or money making when on a tight budget. I've lived off a tight budget for years now, and I believe it has made me a better person for it.

In the weeks to come I will be discussing;

*DIY presents

*clothes shopping on a budget

*DIY cheap meals

*Grocery shopping on a budget

*DIY Baby food

*Bill paying on a budget

and more ideas as I come to think of them. Please feel free to add any ideas of your own.

Growing Pains

I stood back and looked on in disbelief. The laundry is empty. All the washing is done.

It is 12:23am and I just finished the housework. Well, most of the housework. I can't vacuum or clean the bedrooms as Nathan and Emily are asleep. When did I suddenly get so 'old' that I got excited as I stared at the empty laundry? Is my life now that boring? I actually did stand there with my hand on my hip and give myself a pat on the back. Well done Tanya, you solved the worlds problems by doing all of the washing. What a waste of time.

The last few weeks have flown by, there was a time when I would find it hard to find something to talk or write about, now my head is swirling with what I've done, and what I still have to do. This year has been a challenge, when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did and now I look back on it and feel a sense of pride at how we worked through it without losing our cool completely. I keep telling myself that next year will be better. I'll keep hoping.

Tomorrow the council are doing an inspection of the house for the certificates so I spent tonight cleaning. I literally had to wait until Emily went to bed at 9pm to start because today she just WOULD NOT STOP whining. The poor girl had sore gums I'm sure. She wanted to spend today attached to Mummy. Mummy wanted to spend the day with the doona over her head. I thought it was in my best interest to clean tonight because if she is the same tomorrow I would rather spend the majority of the day sitting with her while she frowns and grizzles, rather than try to clean the house while she frowns and grizzles.

This week Emily discovered grass. I sat on the grass and didn't realise it was wet, so walked around with a green patch on the backside of my jeans for the rest of the day. Apparently grass is the best thing since sliced bread! We can pick grass, and throw grass and feel the texture of the grass between our fingers. Emily loves it. I can't wait until she discovers sand!

'Oh yes, WHAT IS THIS STUFF!?'

I don't have a title.

This week has been hard. I try to write but everything is one big yucky blur.

So dot points it is.

This week.........

The car was fixed, but had no rego. Now we have rego. Yay. A month out of rego is not a good thing... (stress)

The house is coming along. Finally.

Nathan's nan passed away. I felt awkward and sad. I don't really know what to do with someone elses grieving...just a lot of hugs I guess. (more stress)

We had to get someone to babysit Emily for the service on Tuesday as we weren't allowed to take her. (stress)

Mum and Dad stepped in. (more stress)

I knew it would be trouble when mum asked how to heat up a bottle. (stress)

I had to leave mum instructions which made us late. (stress)

I had to leave early from the service to get to work on time. (more stress)

There was no way I would have gotten to work on time. (stress)

Nathan wouldn't pick Emily up so I had to go. (Argument with Nathan)

I rang mum on the way home and Emily was screaming her head off and refusing the bottle. (stress)

I made a 15 minute trip to mum and dads in 6 minutes flat. (stress)

Emily was happily eating a banana when I got there. (relieved and slightly annoyed)

By this point I was an hour late for work and told I didn't need to come in. Too bad I didn't get the message though and was still rushing to get to work. (second argument with Nathan for the day)

I was so stressed on this particular day that I cried about 5 times.

The next day I took Emily and we went shopping with Belinda and Lucas.

That was a nice day.

Yesterday Nathan actually paid some bills, then we had a counter meal for dinner.

Today I got up at 4am to take Nathan to work as I wanted the car for the day.
so now it is 7:30am and Emily is sleeping on my lap as I make a plan of action for today!

I don't think dot points convey the way I felt this week. I felt like everything was climbing on top of me and weighing me down. It wasn't fun.

Roly Poly

The first time Emily rolled over...Not too sure about it

Now she is a roly poly baby and rolls everywhere, even across the loungeroom.

We're encouraging her to crawl, but I think she is enjoying the rolling business.

In hope of a new and improved me, an "ITanya 2.0"

On Friday I started a diet. Well, it's not really a diet, more of a 'lifestyle change in order to lose weight and get into shape'. I went to the fruit market and bought a heap of fruit and vegies. I then went to the supermarket and bought whole grain bread, yoghurt, cheese, ham, milk and a few other healthy items. I decided that if I'm going to eat healthy, Nathan won't mind joining in.

We don't eat that badly, but we could do better. I bought a lot of things I like but never get around to buying, like avacado. Yuuuummmmmm. I've been doing some research and combining that with what I know worked for me last time (until I got a job in a call centre...) and I have a plan.

10kg and 10cm, (around the waist) whichever comes first. A nice round number.

I read that liquids make you feel fuller than solids so I have been having a fruit salad smoothie every morning with yoghurt and grapefruit. (Grapefruit is meant to be one of the best foods to battle the bulge) For lunch I've been making a salad with every vegie I can think of plus a little cheese and a tiny bit of dressing. For Dinner is whatever Nathan wants and if it isn't healthy I just have a smaller portion.

Exercise comes naturally to me, I am really strong willed and don't mind a bit of strenous activity, but since Emily was born in Winter I look out the window and feel disheartened by the rain and wind. Of course it has been raining flat out, I think mother nature wants me to be fat.

I've been walking now for nearly 2 weeks between the rain. Every nice day we have had I have been walking. Unfortunately it has only been 4 times in the past 2 weeks, but it's a start and it's a loooooooooong walk. It takes me nearly 3 hours to do the walk, which starts at our house on the hill, down the hill, along our road (and over 3 cattle grates along the way) then along another road, along the highway past the shop and back again. The walking the pram back up the steep hill is a killer, it works every muscle in my body but it's worth it.

Emily enjoys the pram ride and watches me in amazement as I grunt and groan pushing her up the hill. Soon she will be coming with me which will give me some company because at the moment she sleeps most of the time.

I also take the dog who loves every sceond of it but wants to play with every other dog she sees.

So far, so good and I'm going to update on here how I go.

One of the reasons why I love being a mum

Today I took Jordon and Emily to the Botanical Gardens

Blossom looking at a blossom

Our Picnic

Jordon and Emily!