Dear Cooper..... I can't believe you are 2!

My 2 year old

Dear Cooper,

Happy birthday to my tenacious, vibrant, mischievous two year old. Wow how time has flown. You just keep growing bigger and bigger, you never stop eating and I swear by the time you are a teenager I won't be able to afford to feed you!

You continue to light up our lives, you are smart and bold and sometimes very naughty, but even then it doesn't take long for you to do or say something so cute we can't help but to forgive you. You still bring us so much joy and make us so proud. You are growing into such an independent little man, always wanting to try new things and sometimes very stubbornly on your own. Your imagination is starting to run wild and I love hearing some of the stories you make up while you play.

I know that you will not remember these first few years, but I want you to know the fun we had, the love we have for you and the time we devoted to making you feel important and valued, especially when your sister arrived.

We still count our blessing everyday that you are here, that you are healthy and happy. You inspire us to be the best parents we can, you are an amazing little man and I know that in the years ahead you will continue to surprise us with the things you can do!

We love you, you will always be our special little man! Happy birthday darling. xoxox

Love your Mummy & Daddy


Weight: ~15 kilos
Height: 94cm (and if the old way of measuring is right it's predicted you'll be 6ft 2" as an adult)
Number of Teeth: 16
Best Friends: Vin, Finn and Archie
Favourite toy: trucks and cars (nothing specific - just all forms of transport in general)
You love to: dance, run, climb, sing songs and get into all kinds of trouble
You hate: broccoli, nappy changes, brushing your teeth and taking a nap
You can: count to 10, name most colours, sing your ABC's (albeit you kind of skip the LMNO part and just babble there) and put your shoes and socks on by yourself
Your favourite food: Is sauce a food?
Your biggest adventure this past year: Swimming with Dolphins in Hawaii

The construction themed party was a big hit!

Great Expectations

So today I ventured out on my own while Simon watched the kids for 30 mins. While out I ran into a male friend from work who was shocked I was out without the bub and was full of nothing but praise for Simon for being home with both of them. That left me wondering, why  does society do that? Why I'm a horrible mother when I leave my baby at home with my husband so I can run errands, and why is my husband all of a sudden a hero for looking after 2 kids alone?! My husband is my partner, these children carry 50% of his DNA and he is 100% capable of helping raise them..... and for doing so he doesn't need a medal!

Why when a Dad attends a preschool recital or school assembly is he a "devoted and amazing dad" but a mum misses one single athletics carnival and she's labelled a bad mother, too career focused or that she doesn't care?

Why if Simon takes the tandem pram out with our two kiddos or simply pushes it around while I duck into a shop does he get looks of admiration or comments like "what a great dad"or "where is mum?" However when I'm baby wearing my daughter, while pushing a shopping trolley full of groceries with my son in tow I only get looks of disgust if one of them is crying or misbehaving. Where's my medal for managing such a task?

How come mums who stay at home to raise their children  are "wasting" their lives but those who go back to work are made to feel guilty about it?  It is such a double standard!

I don't understand society, I don't understand why women don't praise other women more often for whatever decision they make as a parent.

I want to put it out there - to all the mummy's I know, you are all amazing! to be able to stay at home and raise your children is A-MAZING, to head back to work and still manage to have time for your children is A-MAZING, to battle the shopping centre or grocery store with kids in tow is A-MAZING!

YES praise your husbands and partners for being hands on dads, it is lovely to see a father with his children, but don't sell yourselves short mammas, don't be made to feel guilty for the choices you make as a mother, you are doing the very best you can 100% of the time and its about time society recognises that.

My amazing husband is a great dad, but that doesn't mean I'm not just as great!

Mummy Guilt

It's a horrible feeling when you realise that you no longer have the time to devote your unwavering attention to your first born, but not only that; that you can't give the same kind of attention to your new born.

Mummy Guilt, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels it. It's when I see my beautiful boy lashing out because his world has been turned upside down by this tiny new addition to the family, where when he calls out for me in the night and gets daddy instead and when after two years of nothing but him his mums attention had to be divided in two. It's not just that though that causes so much guilt and pain for second time mums, it's looking at my gorgeous new baby girl and realising that she will never had the same kind of uninterrupted one on one bonding time that her older brother had with me, that she will inevitably grow up with hand me downs and far less extravagant gifts. I can't imagine how bad you would feel about these issues if you had a third.

Then of course there's the guilt for the lack of attention, affection, time and/or all three that your husband or partner is currently receiving. It's enough to make even the most confident of mums feel emotional and awful.

I suppose the good news to second times mums is that eventually this guilt passes, and it doesn't take too long. I think once your first child adjusts and you find a bit of a routine (if there is such a thing second time around) things become "normal" and you just do what you have to do each day to get through.

If the guilt doesn't pass, I would encourage you to speak to your GP or a MACH nurse at your next appointment, as it may be a sign that you are suffering for post partum depression.