Stop the Clock

My how time flys. I can't believe that my little baby boy will be 16 weeks old next week. Yes, 4 months, a third of a year. It makes me want to stop the clock, or at least slow it down a little. Amazing to think that it must be a year to the day that I found out I was pregnant.

Since he was born Lachlan has gained 3 kilo's, and grown 13 cm in length. He can now smile, giggle, sing, lift his head and nearly roll. What amazing accomplishments for someone so young.

I wouldn't mind jumping forward a little to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep, (although mum tells me that didn't happen for her until I was about 6) but, I do enjoy the cuddles with my little boy (even those in the night), when his little hands grasp my one finger, and he shows me his beautiful gummy smile which appears when he no longer wants to drink. He is so helpless with only eyes for his mummy, its something worth bottling up.

It seems such a short time ago that I was putting Lachlan's little cargo pants on his brother. And yet Ashley is now a 3 and a half year old giant at 106cm and 18.6kg, who will soon be lifting his mum around and patting her on the head. Ashley, once the little cousin, is less behind Tom and James (aged 5) (see picture). He has become a little person with a delightful personality of his own.

He has started using grown up terms like "in a minute" and "I'm busy", and graduated to riding a big boy bike with training wheels. He has started 3 year old kinder and tells me his is going to go to school. But the most notable recent change is that he has a new idol. That's right. No longer is his mum the apple of his eye - no, its dad who has now taken on this role. He wants to get big like dad, pee like daddy, wear daddy shirts, pants and pajamas and eat daddy food. He wants to boogie board like dad, get a wetsuit like dad and well, just be like his daddy. He loves to cook for daddy, go to Bunnings with Daddy and have icy drinks and baby chino's with daddy. Lucky I have Lachlan or I would be starting to feel a little redundant.

As the days tick by towards my 36th birthday, I wonder if my mum thinks the same. In 36 years I have grown about 113 cm's and gained some 60+ kilo's. I have finished school and uni and have gone from nurturing my dolls to my own two boys. My how time flys.

It's just a good think that parenting comes with lots of fantastic stories and memories.

Stop the clock.

New Years Resolution

When I was 13, I made a new years resolution not to bite my fingernails. I was in high school and decided they just looked yuck and so, cold turkey, I stopped biting them. Amazingly, I discovered that once they grew, I actually had really nice fingernails, they are strong, a good shape and look lovely with a manicure. I often receive compliments on them from un-reformed nail biters.

This was probably my first resolution I recall. Following this I am sure I made many, most probably related to weight loss or fitness, to save money etc. As I got older though, I realised that to resolve to do something was a sure fire way to set oneself up to fail, so instead, a plan was put into place to reach my goals. These goals included a trip to Disneyland before I was 25 (accomplished) and to buy our first home (also completed).

When I was 25, which seems like such a long time ago, I put pen to paper and wrote my "plan" on a tiny scrap piece of paper (which I still keep today as a reminder of how far I have come). This was a time when I felt I was starting to "grow up". I changed jobs having been at my first place of employment for 6 years, and moved into a senior management role for a large international finance company. This promotion came with more money, more opportunity and an ability for me to focus more on what I wanted in life.

My Plan went something like this:

Age 26 - bonus and payrise (check) complete renovations on house (partly)

Age 27 - complete renovations (mostly) buy a new house (check)

Age 28/29 - bonus and payrise (check), new car - had to be a forester (check) overseas holiday (yes - to Malasyia and Borneo) and promotion to Vice President (accomplished)

Age 30 - Save money

Age 31/32 - complete uni studies (done - Diploma in Legal Studies), overseas holiday (Tahiti). This plan did not forsee a redundancy this year (although it was noted as a variable that may change the plan) which was effectively a nice lotto win. It enabled us to pay off the house (not scheduled until age 33) and start trying for children. It also, however, made me focus on what I wanted from my employment at this time. I set clear employment goals moving into a new phase in my life (i.e. a family) and well, everything fell into place.

Age 33 - Pay off the house (completed age 31) and start family (Ashley was born in July, my redundancy child)

Age 34 - Return to work (yes - new job part time) overseas holiday - went to Fiji

I have intermittently added some resolutions along the way. Again, loose weight, get fitter, save money. One year I resolved to give to every charity that asked for money at the train station - so that particular year I bought a poppy, legacy badge, daffodil, buzzy bee and put money in lots of tins.

I will shortly be 36. My plan stopped at 35 when I sort of lost focus because I had all I wanted. And interestingly enough I read the book The Secret about the law of attraction. It talks about how if you want something enough you can get it. Well I do partly agree this is true. I haven't got my million dollars as yet (although I am about to check my lotto ticket), but I am pondering the next 10 years as my boys get older and what direction I want to take. It's time to enact a new plan. That is my resolution (oh, and to shed my baby weight, get back my fitness, fix my foot and have a happy and healthy 2010).

Happy new year.