SNOW in the Pilbara: March 2016

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Zara at 11 Weeks

Zara is growing up way too fast, I seriously don't know where the past few weeks have gone. She is becoming a very settled and happy baby and as you can see from these photos, she's starting to get chubby too! She can still just fit into NB (0000) clothing but it's getting tight so I've started putting her into 0-3months or (000) clothing now.

I haven't weighed her for a while (poor 4th child) but at her 6 week check with the doctor she was in the 25th percentile for weight, the 40th for length and the 30th for skull circumference. She weighed 4.11kg at that check up.

A few milestones...

Her first smiles were at 4 weeks

At 5 weeks she started reaching for things under her play gym

At 9 weeks she laughed (I've been waiting for her to do it again - I get a little snort now and again).

She has her last feed at night at around 10pm and sleeps till at least 1am, sometimes 3 or 4am. She often feeds every 2 and a half to 3 hours during the day and doesn't take long naps - about half an hour to an hour at the most. She takes a good 45 minutes to an hour to breastfeed which is hard...I feel like I'm feeding her ALL THE TIME!

She's still not pooping every day which has proven to be a blessing as we are so busy all the time! The only problem is she's prone to poo explosions and has soiled carseats, rockers and bassinets several times. She often saves her poo explosions for Sundays at church - when she's wearing her prettiest outfits...she's thoughtful that way!

I am totally besotted with this sweet little girl and waste hours just staring at her and playing with her. The other siblings love her just as much and she adores their attention (when it's not too rough!). We just love our little Zara Maxine...

Friday, March 25, 2016

Easter Weekend

We had a very chilled out Easter weekend...we decided to stay home and just spend lots of time together as a family. Leading up to the Easter weekend I usually prepare a little message to read each day about what happened in the days leading up to Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. This year I wasn't so organised! Heavenly Father must have known I wouldn't be organised because our family just happened to be up to 3rd Nephi, chapter 8 in the Book of Mormon. We try to read the BOM every morning before Clint leaves for work and every night after dinner (no it doesn't always happen but we try). Anyway, we were miraculously up to this part - where the signs of Christ's crucifixion are occurring in the America's - just as Samuel the Lamanite had predicted 34 years prior. Each day were were able to discuss what signs were happening and then what the three days of darkness symbolised. We then read that after all the terrible storms, earthquakes and fires the people heard the voice of the Lord - and later the resurrected Saviour himself visits the Nephite people. We were able to bear testimony to our children of the truthfulness of these events that happened on the other side of the world. One morning the spirit was really strong and re-testified of this truthfulness to me too. It was a real blessing!

On Good Friday Clinton took Harrison fishing at Cleverville while the girls and I stayed home. They caught a few fish but none that were big enough or tasty enough to eat. Then on Saturday we went to Point Samson for a swim...by the time we got there it was midday and 41 degrees! We had gone the Saturday before and the weather was much milder. This didn't bother the kids of course, they were straight in the water.

I put Zara under a little tent on the beach but she was still too hot for my liking. I tried dunking her in the cool water (she wasn't impressed) and the feeding her but I felt like she was still too hot. I had visions of her getting overheated and sick and so I took her back to the air-conditioned car and continued feeding.

Clinton swam with the kids - Sienna and Harry had a lovely time snorkelling together.

That afternoon Harrison, Sienna and Alissa made a 'Happy Easter' chalk drawing for the Easter bunny.

Sienna drawing the Easter Bunny

Alissa doing her "writing"

We then drove to the Baker's house for dinner with the Mckay's and the Hall's. We played some board games together and had a really fun night!

The next morning the Easter bunny had visited our house! The kids woke up to an egg at the end of their beds and a note that said it was too hot for the Easter bunny to leave eggs outside for the Easter egg hunt but that he'd left the eggs with Mum and Dad to do the hunt later that day. Before Clinton left for church we had a little family devotional on Christ's resurrection and then watched one of the church Easter videos.

After church we had an Easter egg hunt...

Harrison was told to find eggs very slowly...

I love this photo but it was overexposed so it's a little light...

Lissy loves her big brother

On Easter Monday Clinton went spearfishing with Mick Rodoni and Joel Lekias. He had a ball and caught a lovely Coral Trout for dinner. He battered it and we had fish and chips...so yummy and fresh! The perfect end to our Easter weekend...but then that night Sienna started vomiting and didn't stop! She had a terrible case of gastro that went into the following day. Poor thing, luckily none of the rest of us caught it.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Picnic at Withnell Bay

We realised we hadn't had a picnic at Withnell Bay for ages and decided to organise one with some of the other families in the branch with Woodside employees. Withnell Bay is right near KGP so the men were very easily able to get there straight after work. Here's Joel, Clinton, Kent and Bryan at Withnell Bay with KGP behind them. Joel had already changed into his swimmers so we told him to put his work shirt back on for the photo!

As soon as I got there I was feeding Zara...I was itching to take some photos of the kids but by the time I could the light was fading fast. Still managed a few of course...here's Alissa and Benji - such cute little friends.

Harrison loves mucking around with Matthew and having a wrestle! If only he had a little brother...poor Harry. Matthew pouring sand on Harry's head - with Harry's consent!!