Day 24: Laundry... yes, you read it right!

Yes, up there with some of my favourite things is, in fact, doing the laundry! I know I am a very weird person, however I do get such delight in washing dirty clothes.

I love sorting the darks and whites, towels and sheets... and now - all of Alex's itsty bitsy baby clothes, bibs and cloths!

I love love love hanging out the clothes to dry on the line, on a lovely sunny day, with just a little wind! I must admit to being slightly OCD about this though! I do like to have the socks hung in pairs and all the undies on the same line (all facing in the same direction!)... and yes, I do like all of the clothes to be facing me - i.e. all the 'fronts' face towards the house! But no - I don't match the colour of the pegs to the colour of the clothes, as I know some people do.... I don't go that far.... (*thinks* I must take more zinc & magnesium to cure this OCD!!)

I adore the smell of clean, dry washing as you take it off the line and bring it inside. It's a small achievement in the grand scheme of things, but it's just so nice to have clean clothes, towels & bed linen!

Now folding and putting away these clean clothes - I can manage this, but its not my favourite thing in the world to do.... but, I do love to have all of my clothes right there, where I can see them, so I can decide what to wear for the day!

Ironing - well that just doesn't happen in my house. Have you seen me wearing any 'clothes that might crinkle' in a while? No, didn't think so. Ironing is just a very occasional thing for me. After working in a must-be-ironed uniform for almost 5 years, I avoid using the iron and ironing board at all costs! If Daz wants a shirt ironed, he can do it himself!

Ok, must go; Load #1 is waiting to be hung on the line and load #2 for the day is halfway through the cycle.... and Alex could wake at any moment!

Day 23: Precipitaion

I can't tell you how much I love stuff that falls from the sky - precipitation! I love rain, snow, sleet, hail and I even quite like fog (not that it falls from the sky per se!)... of ourse it's an extension of rain that I do love storms - the wind, the thunder and the lightning!

I am so grateful that the water that comes from the sky makes our land so green, helps our crops and plants grow (now plants, that's a whole different variety of appreciation - I'll get to that, one of these days!) Rain washes all the dirt and dust away and generally makes the world seem a lot clearer and more beautiful.

It is a scientific fact that rain has some kind of positive ion thingys that pull all of the negative kind of ion thingys out of the air. So, what this means is that the negativity in the air is removed.... which is why it always feels much nicer and smells so much better after the rain has fallen. I think this would be one of my favourite things about rain.

Another of my favourite things to do is to lie in bed when the rain is falling - I love the sound of rain of a tin roof (which is really iron, but who's being pedantic? (or iron-ic - haha!)). I love going to sleep with the rain falling... and I've mentioned how much I adore Sundays.... the only thing that makes Sunday better - is rain!

I have very fond memories of being a child and splashing around in the rain. I would get all dressed up in rain coat, waterproof pants, gumboots and an umbrella and go outside to splashi n all the puddles on our driveway - the deeper the better. I still love splashing in puddles - but now I'm older, I can drive my car through them, even better!

So, although I can appreciate a sunny day - I am always delighted and calmed by the sight of a rainy day!

P.S. I realise that rain & flooding is a big part of the Australian climate right now, so I must say, that although I marvel at the immense power of water - I do not love floods!

Day 20: Sleeping babies

Oh, how sweet Alex is when he's asleep.

The cupid's bow lips, softly together. The quiet sound of his breathing, quietly and steadily with an occasional deep breath or sigh. His perfect little face; skin soft and kissable. Long eyelashes resting gently upon his cheeks, how sweet! I could sit there and watch him for hours.... just don't tell anyone - I DO sit there and loose long moments in time, mesmerised by his perfection!

And then it is time to wake up.... in the morning there are coos and gaa's and lots of talking & babbling in his cot.

But, sometimes there is crying. Insistent 'pick me up or I'll die' kind of cries... and the 'mum, I neeeeeed you' cries and the 'I don't want to go to sleep' ones too. Sometimes I can resist the latter.... but often I pick him up! He's only small for such a little time.... babies can't learn bad habits - yeah right! But I guess that's my choice to make!

And then comes the fun part - the awake times.... but more about that later, I can hear a little voice calling from the cot :-)

Day 19: Being so busy I don't get to the computer days!

Oh yes, being a new mum, and a wife and a friend... cooking, cleaning and socialising all lead to there "not being enough time" to turn the computer on some days....

There's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Sometimes family time and sleep trumps blogging!

Day 14: My bed!

I love my bed! Well, really I should call it our bed, as I share this bed with my beautiful husband Daz! I love it for so many reasons, here are just a few:

1. I love the comfort of bed, which immediately relaxes me.
2. I love the feeling of 200 thread-count sheets on my skin (a wedding gift - SO nice!) and the doona pulled up to my chin on a cool night.
3. I love the connection between Daz and I when we are in bet at night, chatting and spooning before sleep.
4. I love that this is one of the places I feel safest in - in the whole wide world!
5. I love the conversations that I have with Daz in our little cocoon of bed, no distractions, no interference; just us and our thoughts and words - so precious.
6. I love the lying-on-top-of-the-covers cuddles we have at any time of day. but especially the ones when Daz gets home from work and we re-connect.
7. I love bringing Alex into bed with us in the morning, especially on Sunday!
8. I love breastfeeding Alex in bed when the 3 of us are home - it really is a most connected, family time for me. Even if we end up with a few little vomits on the sheets! (from Alex, of course!)
9. I used to love long lazy sleep-ins on weekends.... but I guess with a little one who likes to get up at 6.30-7am, that's a thing of the past (for now).
10. I love to starfish when I have the bed all to myself.
11. *TMI alert* I love that we conceived Alex in our bed.... I know ... too much information.... Well, how could I possibly have a list of things I love about bed and not mention the most obvious one!

Day 12: Sundays!

I love Sundays!

Like Garfield loves lasagne, I love Sunday! It is the best day of the week by far! I love the lazy sleep-ins, the quiet moments and the slower pace of the day.

Sundays have always been perfect for brunches - who could count the number of Sunday brunches I have had... Coco Lounge, the Pantry, Smoken Joe's, Mocha Jo's, Banks, Barclays, King Bean; just to name a few! I am so grateful for this mode of connection, over food and coffee.

Lately, Sundays have become family day! Like this Sunday - I got up with Alex for his first feed of the day and let hubby sleep-in while Alex & I had a little snooze on the couch! Once the snoozing was done, we made a couple of coffees and headed back up the stairs to hang out in bed with Daz, drink coffee - and for Alex, some 'booby-time'!

How many Sundays have I spent in my jarmies? a SFD (shower-free day) or a dagging around in my trackies kinda day? I love it!

Day 10: Coco Lounge

Coco Lounge in Glen Waverley is one of my favourite cafes to head out to for a brunch or lunch Once upon a time, when there were baby-free evenings and a little more spare cash - dinners aplenty there too!

Before we were married, Daz & I used to frequent Coco's on a Saturday and often a Sunday morning for brunch. Now let's be honest here, we went there in the afternoon because Coco's was the only place that still did eggs after midday, and we were people who 'liked to sleep in' back then!

It became the regular haunt for us, and our house mates... our friends and our families... (for about 4 years, truth be told)... and after we had been living there for a little while...

It was where I proposed to Daz on Feb 29th 2008 - the Ladies Day!!!

Unfortunately it was a little small for our Engagement Party, so we went to it's Greville St sister, Palate... and took our favourite staff there for the night - Brendan, Loz & Chewie! Unfortunately Rach couldn't be there :-(

Hen's night - upstairs at the Coco's bar.... you get the drift.

Since moving out of the area, we haven't really been to Coco's all that much. so, when I was meeting up with a couple of girlfriends for lunch today, Coco's was suggested and boy, it did come through with the goods again. Great atmosphere, great staff, great service, great food and the coffee... delish! And Rach was there this day - whit-woo!

It's great to know that you can count on your old faves to come through with the goods!