ANZAC Day

The 25th April has always been a special day for me.
Ever since I can remember, we have woken up well before dawn and trecked into the capital city we were living in to commemorate the men and women who have given their lives for their country.
Australian and New Zealand forces, and many more.

Jasper has joined my parents and I at the dawn service in Kings Park, Perth, for about 4 years now, and 2012 was to be Molly's first turn.

As it turns out, my parents were away on the other side of the country, and Jasper's scout pack do a local march and commemoration. It was Jasper's choice this year, and he wanted to go with his scout pack.

I woke the kids at 5.30am to get dressed and we headed out.. Here they are, raring to go!
Jasper was wearing my grandfathers medals, and Molly was wearing my nanna's medal.
It was a special moment.. We always wear my grandfathers medals, but I had never seen my nanna's one before. She was named Mary, and everyone called her Mollie (hence our baby girls name!), so it was a tear filled moment to see my baby wearing her name sakes medal.

Here is some of the march action... it didn't go for long, but was nice to see some of the old ANZAC's get their moment.

 Jasper's pack, marching

 My handsome lad. I was very proud of him there, showing off his great granddad's medals!

 More marching

 After an egg and bacon sandwich at Scout Hall, we were off to the War Memorial near the city. It is so peaceful there, for a memorial of such violence. It is so beautiful, and again, part of our family tradition.

This is my granddad. He passed away when I was 6 months old. From the stories I hear of him, I sure wish I got more time.

 My boy, putting a poppy for rememberence on the plaque

 Molly and Jasper with my granddad's plaque.
Again, it was very emotional. It was hard going there without my folks. I missed them today!

Walking through some of the memorial grave stones.

Molly was holding on tight to her boy.

 A boy and his thoughts

The kids were super well behaved. At the dawn memorial, Jasper was with his scout pack, so we did not see him til it was all done and dusted.
Molly was amazingly good. She seemed to understand it was a time for quiet (it took over an hour, so that is pretty good for a girl who is not yet 2!), and she spent a bit of time squeezing and kissing me when she thought appropriate.. funnily enough, it was when they were playing the last post, and raising the flags. A very special moment.

She is a perceptive little bean.

So well behaved at the memorial, and at the Garden of Rememberence.
In the car on the way home?? Let chaos reign!!

Ok, so, 1 1/2 weeks til our baby girl turns 2, I guess that will be the next post, unless biopsy results come in on Jasper.

Thanks for reading!

Brooke

How Fast They Grow

Can you believe our Molly is almost 2?? Come the first Friday in May, she will wake up, and no longer be a 1 year old...

Kind of makes me sad.

She is such a sweet thing. 

So good with her words. 

She doesn't like people arguing, and loves to snuggle her bunny when she is tired.

Not many tears pass those eyes. 

She throws a good tantrum, and does NOT like being told NO.

Her favourite obsession is the iPad. It is kind of cute, but when I need to use it, well it can be kind of annoying.

Molly had her first haircut just the other day. There was not much taken off, just a small trim to try and get rid of the mullet, and to tidy up that fringe...

Here is my girl in the big chair at the salon...

She was so excited. She just climbed on up there!!

Towards the end, she kept asking "all done?" and grabbing the cover thingy saying "take it off, mummy. take it off!".

 Snipping off the back a little...

Here are her cheer squad. Jasper and one of his best mates, Liam.

 A little more snipping... (like how I cut her face out of this shot? clever, aren't I?)

And then she was done!

I will see when I can do her hair nicely, and post a recent pic of her... it is the last weekend of the school holidays, and we aren't bothered enough to brush hair, or get out of pj's right now!!

Needless to say, she still looks beautiful, just a bit tidier!

Before Christmas, we were given a toddler bed from a friend of mine. Paul and I decided we would build it and put Molly in it for her 2nd birthday...

Well, we didn't quite make it that far... Paul built it this weekend!

The name thing on her bed was a gift from some friends of my parents when Molly was first born. I have had it stored away waiting for her to be big enough for a bed! Looks so sweet!

 She LOVES her new bed. She knows she is such a big girl now!
So far we have had 2 day naps, and one night sleep... so far so good!!! She hasn't realised she can just get out of the bed... I am wanting to keep it that way!!!

 New favourite past time... kneeling on the bed and looking out at the street!

 Seems to be Jasper's favourite past time too!!!

 Oh, here is a sweet picture of the kids... Even with a lip full of coldsore for Jasper.
Such beautiful babies!

Ok, more to come on Molly's birthday celebrations, and Jasper's biopsy results!

Thanks for reading!

Brooke

Biopsy 2012

This was the sight that greeted Jasper and I as we drove to the hospital yesterday morning for his annual biopsy...
(I did not take this photo, just googled what we saw and where, and this came up!)
A double rainbow over the ocean.
Good sign right?

Our appointment was for 8am, which normally means - get there for 8am, have weight, height and bloods done, wait til about 9.30am, go up to surgery, get knocked out (Jasper), eat (me), get back together once surgery is done, and then eat (Jasper), flu shot and cannula removed, wait 15 minutes due to flu vaccine and then go home.

Simple, right?

Hmmmm.


This year, we were third on the surgery list... THIRD. Jasper and I had not eaten since the night before (well, I shoveled a few spoons of yoghurt in the morning, but it was definitely NOT enough to be classed as breakfast (plus I was nervous, so felt too sick to eat too much)).

At about 9.30 I asked our nurse how much longer til we went up, because Jasper wanted to get the PS3 to play on, and I figured we would be heading up to surgery at any minute, so it wasn't worth the time.
That's when she said we were third... You can IMAGINE my delight.

Other people in the day surgery room were bringing in food - and HOT, SMELLING FOOD. It was torture.
What do you say to an 8 1/2 year old telling you he is so hungry he thinks he is going to pass out. "me too, mate. Me too."

Surgery was quick. 11.30 he was put under anesthetic, and 12.05 the phone call came that he was ready for me, and starting to wake up.

As soon as I got there, Jasper was awake. First words out of his mouth? "I'm hungry"!!

Back to the room for sushi (a deal we made that morning). Then a sausage roll. Then 2 tubs of icecream. All washed down with some blueberry juice.
Think he was full after that!

Cannula out, flu shot in (many many tears and hysteria - from Jasper... just quiet sobbing from me).

15 minute wait.

Home we go!

Now, with a biopsy, they basically  get some bone marrow from inside the bone on your hip bone (at the back). They take a sample of bone as well.(this is called a trephine).

It is not a delicate procedure.

It seems that when we have a male doctor, Jasper has a few days of pain.. when we have a lovely calm, caring, gentle female doctor, he is bouncing off the walls ready to rock and roll the next day.
We were not rocking and rolling the next day.
My poor poppet was sore this year. Darn male doctors.

Oh well, here are some of the photos Jasper let me take!

In the morning with Molly, before we left for the hospital...

Having a thumb prick (will update on blood counts when I get biopsy results)

Hanging out with BB- a special bear from a special friend, just to take to hospital (matching name tags attached to Jasper and BB!)

There are some more photos, but Jasper didn't want me to share them, so I guess I need to respect that - for now.

I will post again soon, with pictures of Molly getting her first haircut, and once I get biopsy results, I will share the latest blood counts of Jasper as well.

Thanks for reading.

Brooke

Easter 2012

They say time flies when you're having fun, and here we are at Easter ALREADY!! It seems like just yesterday we had Christmas, but it seems that time did grow wings, and we are in April!

School broke up on Wednesday, so Thursday was sleep over time for Jasper at my parents (Grandy and Poppie). It is a tradition for Jasper to wake up there on Good Friday, as the Easter Bunny comes so Jasper can do his Easter egg hunt at their house.
Molly and I went down for breakfast, then their cousins came over, and we all went to Kings Park.

My gorgeous little bears!

 All the spectacle bears! How cute that 2 of Jasper's cousins needed to get glasses just a few months after he needed them! My parents, 3 of their 5 grand kids and all their glasses!

 Molly is very much "monkey see, monkey do". At the park, the other (older) kids were climbing, balancing, walking... on everything. She has such a natural sense of adventure, and a CAN-DO attitude. She sees them do something, she just KNOWS she can do it!
Here is Poppie helping her off a high wall. The other kids (except the 4 year old) jumped down... she wanted to try it too, and was not happy being helped down!

 Making sand angels! Grubby kids are happy kids, and you can always wash clothes!

 Another monkey-see moment... balancing on the log to get to the other side where her brother is waiting. She was happy for the help from Poppie, but wanted to walk it! "No carry Molly" was the cry!

 Building a cubby house with Grandy. This was at the end, and the kids (especially Molly) were wiped out! They had a blast, and I figure that the adults did to!!

So, that was Good Friday...
Saturday had Jasper at a birthday party, and the rest of us just slothing around.
Oh, and of course a bit of make-your-own bunny ears!

 Molly was first awake on Sunday morning... 6am, so not as early as she has been getting up!
Jasper was not far behind her, then the hunt was on!!
Here they are with their loot...
Molly got a beanie (we're coming into winter in Australia), new Dora dressing gown and ugg boots (thanks Grandy and Poppie!), a little Dora doll and some little yellow chickens.

Jasper got a huge amount of eggs! He also got pyjamas, ugg boots and a tennis racquet (thanks Grandy and Poppie).

 My handsome young man

 My pretty little girl

 Wearing their bunny ears!

 Super cute and super spoilt!

 As any good day should start... in the spa with daddy!!

So, that's Easter done and dusted... 

All I've heard is "mum, can I have a chocolate?" OVER AND OVER again from Jasper!

He decided my cooked breakfast was nothing worth eating, it was all chocolate. Sorry to the pig that was cooked as bacon in my kitchen this morning... and to the chickens who sacrificed eggs...

Today, chocolate wins!

Happy Easter.

Brooke