4 years old!

Hello my little sunshine! Happy birthday! This post is very late - your birthday was long ago, and I started writing this long ago, but it's taken me a while to get your photos uploaded and the post published. Anyway, you're four now. Wow! How the time has flown. I wrote about the day of your birth over here...

I've always felt that yellow is your colour. You're such a bright and sunny little girl. With your blonde hair, your bright blue eyes, your naughty giggle and your mischevous ways, you pull people in and wrap them around your little finger. You are so beautiful, and you have the most gorgeous lips, I love watching them when you speak as they form so deliberately around each word, and you really pucker up for a kiss...you give the best little kisses!

Jemmie, you've suddenly changed from a little girl into a big girl! Over the last couple of weeks I've noticed so many changes in you, a few months ago you were a bit whiney and not very good at using your ears, but you've become so responsible - you listen to me, put your plate in the sink when you're done eating and your clothes in the washbasket before you bath. You're also speaking really well, you're reasoning and negotiating and you don't keep quiet when something doesn't go quite as you had planned it!

You're such a free-spirited little girl, and you're very chilled, but you're also still very stubborn and when you decide not to do something, it's just about impossible to change your mind! You're a real toughie, quite fearless, and so you're always full of bumps and bruises! I think they're mostly from the jungle gym.

You LOVE to snuggle. Each morning when you wake up, you sit on my lap and snuggle up to me before you even say a word. I love those moments with you! As soon as you get moody, I know that you need to eat. Food is your instant mood changer! In fact if I could arrange that you wake up with a bowl of Pronutro beside your bed each morning, you'd be super happy, and my mornings would be a little easier - but then I probably wouldn't get my sleepy morning snuggles because you would jump out of bed like an energiser bunny.

You don't like shoes, you NEVER wear them, which I think is great as I'm not wild about shoes either. This winter is going to be a challenge for you though as you're going to have to wear shoes when it gets really cold! You've also decided that you're not too keen on clothes, every night you go to bed with your pjs on, and each morning when I wake you, you're completely naked. All I see is your little bum under the blankets - and that's always my first smile of the day!

You're loving books and have your nose stuck in one at every opportunity! I'm so relieved because although I've been reading to you since you were little, I haven't read to you as much as I have wanted to - you've been left to your own devices more than Ella was, so seeing you so deeply engrossed in a book fills my heart with such gladness.

You're still in pre-school with Teacher Claire. Going back to school this year was hard for you as your 3 best friends, Nicole, Addi and Gavin are all a little older than you and had moved onto other schools. Although I had explained to you that your friends wouldn't be there, you didn't really understand and so you were looking forward to seeing them after the long school holidays. After a few days of being back at school you realised that they weren't coming back and you were heart-broken. Luckily you've seen them a few times this year and they all came to your party, so you know they're still your friends - and you've done well at making new friends. Each morning when I drop you at school, you run up to the babies and gently hug them. I think that they will get to know you well this year - and love you lots, just like everyone else does.

You fill my heart with pure joy, I love you my little lemming, and I look forward to all the exciting things we have ahead of us this year.
xoxo

7 years old!

Hey my little treasure box. It was your birthday on Sunday. 7 years old, I can't believe it! I remember so well the day you were born. I wrote all about that day over here.

The last year has been a big one for you. You had a great year at school - your last year at Wendy's Pre-school. You did so well in class and Teacher Katie just loved having you as one of her pupils - you're so well behaved, and you enjoy school so much. You received a brilliant report at the end of Grade R - but then Dad and I have always known you were clever so we weren't really surprised, but we were really proud.

This year, on 9 January, you started Gr 1 at Curro Aurora. You were so nervous but you're loving being there. You're learning to read, which is what you're most excited about. Last night you sat and read an entire first reader to me - it was one of your Dora books. I was amazed! You're swimming at school and playing tennis too, which is something else you're really excited about!

You're as beautiful as ever, with your long hair and big brown eyes. You're generous and caring and very sensitive. You love being around your friends. People are drawn to the softness of your soul. You're still unsure of yourself when in a new environment and you don't like change much, but I have no doubt that as you become more confident, and find your space in the world, that you will grow into the butterfly you're intended to be. You see, you're so worried about making mistakes, but I'm trying to teach you that it's ok to make mistakes, that you have to make mistakes in order to learn. You don't have to be perfect, no one is - and no one expects you to be. We just want to see you live, learn and have fun!

I have discovered that you have a shoe fetish (oh dear!). You just love shoes - the prettier or the cooler, the better! You still talk all the time - you even talk, and shout, in your sleep! You're a whiz on the computer - as well as on the LeapPad you were given for your birthday. You still love horses and long to be able to ride. You want to learn how to play the violin, which I hope will happen when Aurora opens their music centre. You love to sing and dance and draw, and you love sums too. You don't like being woken up in the mornings - you stick your head back under the covers, and pretend I'm not there! You procrastinate like no one I've ever met before - but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that you're always talking and so you lose focus on what you're supposed to be doing! Hunter is still your favourite little man. You have a cheeky smile that lights up your entire face, but you also have an evil stare that would wilt the flowers in the garden if you were to ever turn that stare on them!

You fill my heart with such joy Ella. I'm eager to grow and learn with you as you make your way through Gr 1, and I'm so excited for the life you have ahead of you.

I love you my honey bee
xoxo

Happy Birthday Jemma Roo!

You were born on Sunday 15 February 2009 at 20h08. You weighed 2.9kg and were 49cm in length. Your nose was a little squashed but you had no other marks on you. You were beautiful – and you still are.

Although I really loved being pregnant again, it had been a tougher pregnancy than with Ella. She started school in October 2008 and started to get sick quite often, Dad and I got sick too and I just couldn’t get better. We were also having a tough time financially and were both very stressed. With a much busier job this time around - and a toddler to consider, I didn’t have a lot of time to relax and really prepare myself for the fact that you were on your way. So when I finally finished work on Friday 13th I was relieved and thought that I would have about a week to take life easy before you arrived. That night we were at Granny’s house and I told Dad that I needed a break – I just had to chill and spend some time thinking about you. It was Valentine’s Day the next day so there were lots of Valentine's Day promotions. Nanna did some phoning around and managed to find us a great deal at a hotel in Sandton - it was also really close to the hospital in case I needed to get there fast! It was great to spend time with Dad, to relax and eat well. After dinner we sat outside enjoying the gorgeous evening, and for the first time in a long time, I felt comfortable. I spoke to you and told you that I would be ready whenever you were. On Sunday morning I felt much better, although I didn't feel much like eating. I had a little snooze on the couch in the afternoon and at 16h20 I suddenly felt a strange pressure in my tummy. I couldn’t sit still and needed to walk around. Even though we had been through it before I didn’t know if this was labour as, once again, I had not had Braxton Hicks contractions so didn’t know if this was them. I started to feel the pressure more frequently and I eventually spoke to Aunty Gill (who is a doctor), she said that because Ella’s birth had been so fast, we should probably just go to the hospital. We phoned Nanna and Granny and arranged to leave Ella with Granny for the night, just in case you did arrive. I started to make Ella dinner but decided it wasn’t a good idea. I just wasn't feeling great at all - so we loaded everything into the car, dropped Ella off with Granny and drove like crazy to the hospital with me, once again, gripping the door handle with every contraction.

By the time we got to the hospital at around 19h00, I was in full-blown labour. One of my biggest fears was that Dr Cameron wouldn't be available at the time of your birth, but luckily he was on call that weekend and he was already at the hospital with another patient. As soon as he saw me in the corridor he started to prep me. It all happened even quicker than before, I was rapidly dilating and my entire body was shaking. It was time for Dr Cameron to do the epidural. Not long after that they wheeled me into the delivery room and I could still feel the contractions, there hadn’t been enough time for the epidural to take full effect – they weren’t painful, just uncomfortable. It was 19h50, after a few deep breaths and one huge push you were born. It was 20h08 - a little more than an hour since we had arrived at the hospital. Dr Cameron handed you to me – all white and wrinkly, and Dad and I both looked at you in utter amazement. Our second little girl. Just because we had been through it before didn’t mean that the experience was any less incredible – and it had happened so fast that it just didn’t seem real – and again, Dad still had his sunglasses sitting on his head!

The nurse took you away to weigh you and wrap you up and then gave you back to me for your first feed. Again, we were lucky because the hospital was quiet and so we were able to spend lots of time in the delivery room without any interruptions - just the 3 of us. Dad and I falling more in love with you with every second. When we were finally taken to the ward, I was so hungry but it was late and dinner had already been served. The nurse managed to organise some toasted sarmies - we sat eating them in the dim light of my little area in the ward, chatting quietly while you lay sleeping beside us. Those were the best toasted sarmies ever!

The next day Ella came to visit you, she was so excited Jem and couldn't wait to hold you. She has just turned 3 (as you have today) so was still really little. She sat beside me on the bed, holding you and just staring at you, trying to get you to hold her hand. While you were still in my tummy, she nicknamed you Baby Roo, and so that's how you became Jemma Roo.

That, my sweet girl, is the story of your birth. It's been an amazing 3 years with you. You're such a chilled little chick - but you're also fearless and funny and fiercely independent, and you get really mad when things don't go your way! But you don't hang onto stuff, you get over things pretty quickly and go back to being your cheery self. You love school - you get cross with me because I take Ella to school first instead of you - and when you finally get to school you run off to look for your friends. You're really affectionate - it just comes naturally to you. I love holding your hand - I always give it a little squeeze and you squeeze mine back. You love books and Hello Kitty and Tinkerbell and Smurfs. In the mornings, driving from Ella's school to yours, you love for me to make up a 'Once Upon A Time...' story about you and Smurfette, and you always giggle at the end.

Sweet Jem, you fill our hearts with joy! We have great adventures to embark on with you. We're so blessed to have you with us, and we love you with all of our hearts.

xoxo

38 weeks...

Your birth day.

3 months

9 months

1 year

2 years

2 years

Happy Birthday Ella Bella!

You were born on Friday, 3 February 2006 at 12h33. You weighed 2.7kg and were 47cm in length. Your nose was squashed, your eyelids were red and you had a little bruise running across the bridge of your nose – you still do. You were beautiful – you still are.

We weren't expecting you, well of course we were, but not for another week yet. I finished work on the Wednesday. I saw the doctor that day and there was no indication that you were ready to arrive just yet. I loved being pregnant, I was healthy and full of energy. I spent Thursday at home, up on a bar stool or on the kitchen counter, taking down curtains, throwing them in the washing machine and hanging them up again. We had big plans for that Friday night – some of our friends, who lived in London at the time, were here on holiday, and out of our group of friends, 3 of the guys have birthdays in February, so we were all planning a big party, I was going to go shopping for party goodies with my girlfriends that day. I had massages planned for the following week, and a session with my yoga instructor to teach me how to breathe whilst in labour (luckily I didn't need those, not sure why I thought I did...!)

During the very early hours of Friday morning I went into labour – although I didn’t know it was labour. I hadn’t had Braxton Hicks contractions so I thought it was probably those – and I had a party to go to that night - dammit! :-) I started waking up every hour to go to the loo – a strange pressure in the lower part of my tummy. After a while I wasn’t comfortable enough to sleep any longer, luckily it was summer so it was hot and would be light before too long, I didn’t want to wake your Dad as he had to work that day. I went through to the lounge and lay on the couch watching my favourite movie, Notting Hill. When the alarm clock eventually went off and Dad woke up I told him what had been happening, we tried to phone the midwife but couldn’t get hold of her so I sent Dad to work and told him I would be fine. I got into the bath to try and relax but the pressure became more intense. I phoned Dad who had just arrived at work and told him to come back home. I hadn’t finished packing my bags or yours, so, trying to remember what we would need for our days in hospital, I threw a bunch of things into the bags and then went for a little walk around Vista Mews, the complex we lived in. Dad got home in record time and we went flying off to Morningside Medi-Clinic in his little red Toyota Conquest, with me hanging onto the door handle the entire way and gripping it with each contraction. We got to the hospital around 9, I think, and we were still pretty clueless. We didn't even consider stopping at the entrance to the hospital so that I could get out and wait for Dad - we ended up parking a million miles away and walking to the entrance, but I had to keep stopping to sit down while another contraction moved through my body - we were so silly! We went immediately to the doctor’s waiting room where the nurse took one look at me and told us to move our butts over to the labour ward!

Dad was rubbing my back, which really helped me to feel better, but he also wanted to call everyone to tell them where we were, and when he phoned Pops and Oumie, they just kept speaking and asking questions until I eventually told Dad to stop talking and focus on rubbing my back. I probably didn't say it quite as nicely as that though! After I finally agreed to the dreaded epidural they hooked me up to a machine to monitor the contractions. You and I were both doing well but for some reason I had to have some oxygen, I can't remember why. Once that was over, I felt great and was really hungry. I asked the nurse for some food but she looked at me in a funny kind of way, and said, "But Mrs Paulson, you're about to have a baby!". Dr C came to check on me again and suddenly they were wheeling me into the delivery room with Dad walking beside me – and that was when we finally realised that we were going to meet you that day. I had started shaking uncontrollably – adrenaline rush. Dad was amazing and Dr C was joking around – as you crowned he told us you were a red head – ha ha! Funny man! Before we knew it Dr C handed you to me – there you were, safe in my arms. We couldn’t take our eyes off you. We’d heard stories about how long labour took but this had all happened so quickly – Dad still had his sunglasses on his head. I was so overwhelmed that I hadn’t even taken a look to see if we’d been blessed with a little girl or a little boy, I just wanted to know that you were healthy! The nurse took you to weigh you and wrap you up and only then did I think to ask what you were – our sweet little girl!

Everyone left us alone in the delivery room to spend some time together as a family. You snuggled into my arms, had your first meal and fell fast asleep. Dad and I just stared at you - full of love, and joy - and trepidation...neither Dad or I had ever even changed a nappy, and now we had a brand new, and tiny, baby to take care of!

And that, my love, in a nutshell, is the story of your birth. I can't believe that you're 6 today! It just doesn't seem possible. But you are - and you're so excited to be turning 6. In fact, yesterday, you decided that you're now old enough to do all sorts of things, and so you made yourself a sandwich. You stood in the kitchen with Po beside you, and spread mayo onto the bread, added lettuce and salami and cut the bread in half. I sat watching you in amazement. You also dished up dinner for yourself and your sister when we returned home from swimming!

You're an amazing little girl. Dad and I are so proud of you. You're really clever - we know that, but your teachers also keep telling us that. You're a real chatterbox - you have been since before you could even speak! We always used to say that you were like a wind up toy - the second you woke up, you'd start chatting, and you wouldn't stop until you fell asleep. These days, you even speak in your sleep - a lot. You giggle too! You're confident but not loud. You're really sensitive and battle a little to adapt to new things, but that's ok - we know you'll figure it out. You have lots of little girlfriends, who mean so much to you, you also have one little boy in your life who is quite special! You love pink and purple, and butterflies and horses. You love riding horses too - and you're pretty good at it! You're starting to learn to read and write at school - which you're really excited about. You can't wait to be able to read - it's going to open up a whole new world for you! You have a fantastic imagination, and you and I are going to write a book together.

Ella Bella (which is what everybody calls you - and what you believed your name to be when you were little), you're our little treasure box. Each day with you is a surprise. We're so blessed to have you with us baby girl. We love you with all of our hearts.

Not too long to go now...

Your birthday.

6 weeks.

1st birthday.

2 years old.

3 years old.

4 years old.

5 years old.

xoxo