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Little Elsa joined our family two weeks ago. She was born after a natural, drug-free labour, weighing 9lb5oz (4220g). She is a dream. Life with this newborn has been beautiful and I have never felt so blessed.

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Courtney and I met at a crossroads in both of our lives. It was one of those times in life where I have no doubt that it was a meant-to-happen thing. Our first meeting was an early morning adventure with a mutual acquaintance to go for a very randomly organized skydive and we have been close friends ever since. We share a passion for vintage and interior design and I think we mutually inspire one-another. I recently took some photos of her newly renovated home and am excited to share a snippet of this amazing space with you here. You can pop over to Courtney’s blog to see more.

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Our friend put some little (tiny) eggs under one of our chooks while we were away in NZ so Ivy would have some chickens soon after we came back. It was nice for her to watch the eggs hatch and cuddle little chicks before they were even dry. She loves them and they love her. We had them in a rabbit cage with their mum near our back door for their first few weeks and they have now very happily adapted to life in our ridiculously large chook pen. They duck under the gate and come running to Ivy as soon as we step out our back door, it is very cute.

We give the chooks the egg shells instead of shell grit now, apparently it’s the thing to do? Ivy squashes the shell before we leave the pen.

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I’m a kinder mum now. I was so sad before she started, I couldn’t quite cope with the thought of my little 3 year old heading off into the world on her own. It’s a whole new thing not being there to protect and guide her, to be involved in her interactions- good or bad- to be able to discuss them later and shape a positive way of dealing with things. I agonized over my decision to send her a year earlier than a lot of others, although I had no doubt she was ready. My prep teacher mum encouraged my decision and I also started kinder a year early myself and knew that school had always been easy for me. I did know that my reasons for keeping her home another year would be purely selfish ones.

She is loving it. I am amazed by the way in which she has adjusted to such a big change in her life. I knew that she would enjoy it and head off happily, but I thought she might struggle a little once she realized that it was going to be long days, three days a week. It’s not the case though. She is happier than I have seen her for ages. The hours that I was so concerned about seem perfect. She is completely organized and gets ready so happily that we are even have a lovely casual walk to kinder each morning. There is nothing that makes a mum happier than seeing her child happy is there?

* I am still doing a private version of my weekly photos of Ivy. I just don’t blog enough to have a photo of her a week on here without it taking over :)

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 "A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Such a beach girl, she’s so much like her dad.

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It’s always so hard to leave this place. This is life as it should be.

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  We’ve had a bit more than a week back in NZ now. I nearly missed out this time though thanks to a passport drama (an expensive one at that). I had my 20 week scan on the day that we flew out and am enjoying our holiday knowing that our baby looks healthy. We found out this time whether we will be having a son or daughter, it is so amazing and exciting to know and I really do feel a deeper connection with the tiny person I am growing.

We’ll be home at the end of this week to get started moving Ivy into a new room, starting on a baby room, finishing our kitchen and getting Ivy ready to start kinder. It will be a whole new life for Ivy and I this kinder business. I hope so much that it all goes well for her and that she loves it.

Do any of you have a child starting kinder this year?

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  "A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Needing a wetsuit for the beautiful NZ beaches. Lovely to be escaping the heat at home.

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     "A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."  Che & Fidel.

My little party girl, I will not even share what time of the night sleep finally came to her.

Jodi has inspired me to capture and share a portrait a week for the whole of this year. I will try.

Happy New Year x

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My goodness have I missed having a computer for the last few months! I thought I was quite happy without one, but now I’ve got a newie, I’m so stoked! (I was similarly quite happy without a microwave for about a year until I got one again, now use it all the time).

I don’t have many photos to share as I have hardly picked up my camera for the last few months either. Our life has been luckily full of some nice little beach holidays and city breaks lately though, a nice few escapes after a couple of months of feeling hungover every single day. It was worth it now that my belly is growing big with a baby that we are all very excitedly expecting in June. I’m up to 17 weeks now and feeling fit and healthy again.

We’re off to New Zealand again soon. Can’t wait to hang out at the bach for a couple of weeks!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!