KissKus

First times

We experienced some big moments with our little guy this past week.

On Thursday Linus spent his first night in his big baby bed, in his own room!
This was an emotional moment for me. Since his birth he had slept in his cozy cot next to my bed and now he was moving not only to a big bed, but also to his own room, which is not even on the same floor as mine! However, I knew it was time for this. He was bursting out of his cot and the nights (the crying/not-sleeping part) were getting increasingly worse. It was time to move on! It feels good too. I think it's very nice for Linus to have his own place where he can be safe and where he has room grow.

The next big happening was on Saturday when Linus had his first taste of something other than breastmilk. Apple was on the menu!

It was a great success as you can see! What a strange sensation it must be for him to have something solid and yucky-tasting in his mouth... I'm sure it won't take him long to get used to it. He did open his mouth for the spoon, which I thought was very clever of him.

And the last new thing is the fact that Linus is now in his stroller.

Look at that mini-man! It is so funny to see him sitting up instead of lying down.

Sigh, things are going so fast now.
For a sentimental person such as me it's difficult that every first time means also a last time. I don't like last times, I hate saying goodbye, but I'm really trying to focus on the positive side of it all. New beginnings, new chances... a different routine that will hopefully help us to find our rhythm again. And I definitely won't be sorry to say goodbye to the crying, the frustration, the despair that we've had far too much of lately. Today is a new day, I'm feeling hopeful!

To bed (if only)

Amber and Simon made a bed of carrot peelings and cut grass last week... doesn't it look comfortable? I'd give anything to have a couple of hours undisturbed sleep on there. Or anywhere else for that matter!

If anyone wonders why I'm quiet lately, on my own blog or visiting others, it's because of .... LIFE. I've got my hands full, trying to stay awake while comforting, caring, living. I may be juggling a few too many balls at the moment, but please don't think I'm complaining! I'm very grateful for my life and family. It's just a little intense right now.

But it's all worth it, no doubt about it.

I hope to be back at full strength soon. Crafting... I miss it so much! Visiting your blogs. If you're waiting for e-mails or packages, I hope you'll be able to wait a little longer. I hope you're all well!

PS I was featured on IkeaHacker... so cool!

We party with cake

Oh yes, we do!
I decided that this year for Simon's birthday we needed to have a homemade cake.
It was a simple plan: chocolate cake, layers of whipped cream and on top a coating of marzipan. Oh, with the John Deere logo!
All credits go to Michel who -with blood, sweat and tears- created this:

Wow! We were all impressed and I've decided to make this a family tradition :)

 

We celebrated Simon's birthday for family and friends yesterday. He received lots of nice presents and he enjoyed his special day.

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On his actual birthday on Wednesday we went to a lovely, small theme park called Sprookjeswonderland. We had heard good things about it and it definitely didn't disappoint us! It was a very friendly place where we enjoyed a very fun afternoon in the sun.

There were fairytale creatures, cute rides, a pet zoo and playgrounds.

Certainly a day to put in the Happy Memory Box :)

Four

Our sweet, sweet Simon turned four years old today!

This is a photo of the birthday boy, on the birthday chair, with his birthday hat, sitting next to the (I think) very scary class mascot.

This is him handing out the treats to all the children in his class. It was wonderful to see him interact with the other children.

I feel so very lucky that I have been able to share my life with Simon for the past four years... he brightens up each of my days with his laughs, his cuddles and his passion for life. He is beautiful both from the outside as the inside!

We spent a gorgeous day together, which I'll write some more about in the next post.

By the way, this is what we made for treats:

An oilcloth cone filled with healthy "fries": sliced carrot, cucumber and cheese. I'm glad it was a hit!

What's going on?

So what's going on? Well, too much and not nearly enough, that's what.

Amber and Simon have been back to school for more than a week and contrary to what I'd hoped, I've achieved nothing. My house still looks as if a bomb exploded and I haven't touched my sewing machine since this little project...let me tell you that I'm showing some very serious signs of withdrawal!

The thing is that I have my hands full with Linus. The boy just refuses to sleep during the day! He prefers to be with me all the time, which is lovely and cosy, but my housekeeping suffers from it. And me-time is practically non-existent. I have to admit that I find that really difficult at times. I know things will all fall back into place eventually, but for now I'm still searching for the right balance that will work for our family.

In the mean time, these are photos of the felt-cakes that I made while we were in France.

Five months

Today you are five months old, Linus!

Some things you love doing:

• sitting up
• blowing raspberries
• being where the action is
• grabbing anything you can get your hands on (your sister's hair, leaves, tablecloths)

Some things you don't love so much:

• sleeping
• being alone
• being put down in your cot or pram

The past couple of weeks have been quite eventful for all of us. All of a sudden you started crying so much and we had no idea why. You really weren't yourself anymore, especially the two weeks we were on holiday in France. Initially, your discomfort intensified when we got back home, but after a couple of days you seemed to calm down somewhat. Thankfully, for the past couple of days you've been quite content again, although your daytime napping is still almost non-existent. We're so very relieved that you seem to be happier again, most of all for you. It was so difficult for us to see you so sad. We love seeing your beautiful smile at all times! Did it really upset you so much to be away from your home and familiar surroundings? I suppose we'll never know.

I do know that this will be the last month that you will be a "real" baby. Next month you'll be starting solids already... I don't want to think about it yet. You're still my little baby now. You still sleep in your cot that's still within an arm length of my bed. You still get nothing but my very own milk. I know it will all change very soon!

Amber and Simon are so very fond of you. The first thing they do when they wake up in the morning is look for you. They often argue whose head is allowed the closest to your face. Judging by your smile you don't seem to mind that much. Your biggest smiles are reserved for your father, though!

Your hair is starting to grow! And you have the bluest eyes... we love you, Linus!

His first day

Today was Simon's very first day at school.
My little man is that big already.

He was a little tense this morning, but mostly excited. He's been looking forward to school for so long and now he's finally able to experience it for himself. I'm so pleased for him.I know he will enjoy it immensely.

Still, my motherheart is a little fragile today, but I'm certain I'll get used to the new situation in no time. Thankfully, I still have my wee one to keep me occupied! (plus a house that seems tramped by elephants!)

Amber enjoyed her first day back at school again too. She was pleasantly surprised that her new teacher was actually very nice!

Sigh... they were babies yesterday and now they're both in school!