Celebrating

(Thank you Ch for the lovely time!)

These last few days we've had American Thanksgiving (joined in with some friends who are like family), it was our seventh wedding anniversary and today it is Toby's 5th month birthday (is that how you say it)!

SO much to celebrate and give thanks for.

Thankful for all the good things in life like food, friends, mom who babysits, cute movies like Arthur Christmas (that's what we watched on our night out haha), groupon-type vouchers (that's what we had for our anniversary meal- wasn't great but we did have three courses which was fun!) and a sweet baby.

I also got to go to a baby shower of a friend who is having a baby after waiting for a time, and having one miscarriage. We got to know each other via our little prayer group at church! It was a special shower and so exciting. It was also neat to know that the prayer support meant so much to her and her family. God does cool things.

Here are some pics.

I love you despite the mo.

Toby today.

Toby the other day looking a little crazy after testing out some pumpkin on him.

Toby's place setting at his Thanksgiving dinner. (Though he spent most of it on the floor trying to roll around...)

Hanging with dad.

10 Quick Things- will I make it?

So yes I'm gonna squeeze in two posts in a go again! (Here's the other one.)

I used to do this thing called  '10 Things at Ten A.M.'...

It is not 10am, and I don't know if I have ten things but here goes:

1. We are moving along into summer and I love it. It is also coming into Christmas which is fab. I'm excited! It will be special to have a Christmas with a baby. Another part of a dream come true really.

2. I've wanted to make an advent calendar for a while now and I'm hoping to get one done but it is about 10 days before the end of November and I haven't started! (If you're on pinterest too let me know!)

3. I have finally transitioned into wearing some clothing with zips and buttons! I've tried on my jeans- I can pull them on but sitting down might cause breathing problems. haha.

4. This coming Saturday (27th) we celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary! Looking forward to a nice dinner and hopefully a movie with the husband. We're thinking to go to one of those with the luxury seats.

5. I watched 'Twilight- Breaking Dawn' the other day- on the first day it was out. Haha. I haven't read the books nor am I an avid fan but I have friends who are and it has just been a fun thing to do that with them. The husband came along too! It was super cool to go out and do that, even if it was just down the road.

6. Toby has a passport! We are planning to travel to Canada and the US next June/July to visit family as he hasn't yet met his Canadian fam.

7. Having a baby means that marriage is different- redefined? It is taking a bit of figuring out. It is tricky being a wife to my husband and a mother to my child, and both at the same time. And yet having needs myself. I don't know if that makes sense. We'll come back to that another day haha.

8. I am thankful for the husband- he is a great help and I love seeing him with Toby.

9. Did I ever share that my friend Ch was at my labour? It rocked having someone there besides the husband and the mid-wife! She was awesome. We even rung her at 1am and she came soon after. Then she had to say for something like another 12 hours! Blessed to have a friend like that.

10. Ah! someone at the door. talk more soon.

It was my mom. She came to say hi to Toby.

Toby - almost 5 months

Toby is 5 months in about a week! Here is an assortment of photos from the past few weeks.

The husband is doing Movember (Yes. Like for real.) so we thought we'd have some fun getting mo's for Toby too. Why not make use of some cuteness to raise money for a good cause (Men's prostate cancer and also mental health awareness)?

This is what happens when you have a mother who loves random ideas and sometimes actually carries them out. (They don't sell Reese's Peanut Butter Cups here in NZ, but we like it when we get it brought over- my sis-in-law gave the husband a t-shirt and  I gathered the rest...)

'She said to keep still.'

We always have smiles for daddy!

We have matching work t-shirts.

Thanks Michelle for my baby toy tool set!

Drying off after a bath... He loves being in the bathroom. (We use the big bath now but I haven't figured out the best way to hold him him slipping and without getting an aching back! He's got a bath seat but is getting too big for it... just gotta hold on til he sits up.)

Oooh Oooh Oooh

(Ok. Still not going strong with the blogging!

ANYWAY.)

I just got told about another NZ-based book about infertility, A Common Thread. Thanks Jill! Finding books written here is so exciting! While doing this, I stumbled onto another NZ blog, Cherished, by Sally who is a mother now via adoption and fertility. As well as Thursday's Babies, a sort of prayer network/ministry started by some ladies here.

Looking forward to looking into these!