Day 2 Snow

Woke to heavy rain then snow. More than a dusting. We stayed in the tent for it to ease off before starting the day. Milla sat and ate cold sausage for breakfast! Some hunting dogs came sniffing around.

A long dirt track driving day, like the old days. Crisp high country air and mud all over Sooty. Milla napped and we stopped and snacked at Lake Buffalo, then late café lunch in Myrtleford.

We'd searched and searched for accommodation at Falls Creek and eventually found a lodge that sleeps... oh maybe 30? We're the only booking so it feels terribly palatial, especially given the fancy kitchen.

Charlie and I are drinking cups of tea and listening to Milla shriek, debating a little whether to retrieve her from her cot two floors away. 

Morning snow on tent at Stirling. 

Day 1 Stirling

Spirits high as we left our somewhat empty house and nestled into our nicely packed truck. Our familiar trek to Mt Stirling starts the month of adventure.

Lunch and play in autumn leaves in Yea then push on with baby crying and tunes blaring. Set up camp in the clouds.

Packing

Oh never straightforward. Cut my hand washing dishes. Hurt my back. Packing to do. Awaiting shipment of Charlie's new bike wheel. Beautiful baby motoring and chatting.

Amidst all this a trip to baby theatre! Saw a beautiful amazing wonderful show designed for little people like Milla. It certainly was worthwhile. I wish we could go every week. Milla crawled around and positioned herself between cellist and cello on the stage.

Mobile

Baby racing through the house. Fast and fun and getting dirty knees. I call to her and she follows me around the place. She's quick and pleased with herself.

Milla discovered crawling at 9.5 months.

Standing, holding, now so confidently, alternating hands and she points points points to helicopters, magpies and leaves waving.

It's nearly time for our big trip and this mobility changes things. How will it be at campsites? Staying warm and clean and dry? We camp Stirling, in a house at Falls Creek, a few camp night backcountry to near Mt Kozi, on to Canberra to stay who-knows-where, then the big push north to Byron, staying maybe Crescent Head and somewhere... on the way. Byron! Then back down, to Newcastle, to Blue Mountains, then a week of who-knows-exactly then home.

I cut my hand tonight and grabbed a tea towel to soak the blood. Milla in her high chair was having a snack, idea was to put her to bed in a tic for a late nap. I knelt by her chair, hand aloft in the bloody towel. She swung her arm out of the seat, and patted my arm and was peaceful. I felt so comforted.

15/52

Eating dirt. Getting dirty. Being a big baby. Crawling, climbing, trying to walk.

You Yangs carpark, eating stones.

Needing a lot more food these days. Talking lots and pointing pointing pointing.

End

This chapter is drawing to a close. Just this week and next remain of this big year of no work and having my funny home life with Milla. This year of backyard activity, gardening and laundry and riding the bike. Of lunch dates and walks and back to bed after morning feeds. Saying goodbye to Charlie and waiting for his return from his work day.

After our trip I'll be back to work. Life rolls on.  

Kere Kere Cafe in Fitzroy Gardens for lunch. 

Training

Milla is suddenly mobile. Only two weeks ago she made her first attempt at pulling herself up to standing. A few days ago she crawled. Now she is good at both and getting quick.

A few weeks ago Charlie pointed out the red clock in the kitchen and now Milla loves to point to it. We are training her to use her excellent pointing skills to indicate 'clock', 'guitar', and her two toys, Aslan the wooden lion who sits with her at mealtimes, and Alpi the knitted alpaca who is her very favourite of the cuddlies. Last night she did all four of the 'points' and yielded lots of congratulations from us.

Backdoor kitchen pan percussion with new hat.

Crawling

Milla crawled yesterday. She has been doing some downward dog style poses and lots of pivoting. Yesterday after an epic grocery walk, I unpacked her and the groceries and working in the kitchen while she played in the hall on the carpet. Fifteen minutes playing with a packet of chewing gum. Then she crawled towards me.

When Charlie got home she did he customary shrieks, actually holding her breath with excitement. He knelt to her and put his wallet with keys down and she crawled forward to it. Yays! Milla has been so into standing lately that we'd thought she might not crawl, just go straight to upright.

Yesterday we also dropped the 5pm breastfeed. I realised it's been months since I breastfed in public. Now it's just morning and evening, in Milla's dark room.

At State Library for Baby Bounce session.

14/52

Nine months, five days. Dissecting dried fig.

Nine Months

Almost as long outside as in.

New Milla. 

Milla is very interested in the world. Loves pointing. Watching people walk down the street. My hands on the steering wheel. Wind moving the tree tops. Listening for birds.

Milla is trying to stand up. Does not crawl. Loves to be tickled and wrestle with me on the bed. Is overwhelmed with joy when Charlie gets home.

Milla plays with my googles, a remote, the beautiful wooden blocks, her soft toy collection (somewhat roughly, very enthusiastically), my water bladder.

Milla can sometimes clap on command, can sometimes guide a spoon to her mouth, loves to bounce in her high chair and on her feet.

Milla points at the little black cat in the Maisy book, is soothed by recitation of Each Peach (cos I don't sing), will drop everything for Charlie's guitar playing.

Milla is loved and is lovely. Nine months old today.

Sleepy. On the road. Nine months.

Baby Jail

We're at this stage.

Baby jail purchased not for punishment but because Milla is now trying to pull herself up. It's awesome. Nine months old tomorrow.

13/52

I took some paparazzi shots of Charlie and Milla sitting on the bluestone step in the yard, peeping from the window. Then Charlie got up and peeped Milla around at me. So good. 

Who's that peeping? 

Books

Charlie sold some bike gear on eBay and declared the profits would be available for new books. Awesome.

Milla has had books read to her since her first weeks. Guess How Much I Love You was read many times in the Ballroom to the tiny infant.

Then we were given Lost and Found and Maisy's Colours and they become firm favourites.

A few others have joined the repertoire. Since Christmas, Charlie and I learnt Each Peach Pear Plum by heart and Where is the Green Sheep gets lots of grins from Milla. She now points at elements in the pictures (pointing is her favourite thing this week) and tries to turn pages. She rocks and reaches and is very happy to be read to and unless exhausted will want more and more.

So the family excursion to Readings finally happened yesterday (after Ikea! We must be mad!). We spent $95 in twenty minutes, anxious to get back on the road before Milla let us know she was tired.

Readings haul at home. 

It was fun and mad. We three picked up books and quickly read them. The Mix it Up book was the only one I'd already seem before. Though I've coveted the black and white fabric books. Perfect for little ones. How to Catch a Start is by Oliver Jeffers, who we love from Lost and Found. It's going to be fun reading these!

12/52

Did my second of two photography classes last night. Lucky me I know someone who would come to me. So we took photos down at the waterfront at the end of my street.

First portrait of Milla with technical intent.

My brain was emptied almost completely of all the technical photography know how from school and when I had my lovely Pentax and amazing Zenit. I was starting again.

11/52

Long night, slow morning, strange days. Great light.

Waking up in travel bed at Castlemaine.

Castlemaine

Another girls' overnight trip. In Castlemaine to see art and friend. Milla and I have house to ourselves, it's cosy and strange. Lucky I have lived with this dear friend before, stops the house from being too spooky.

Outside gallery, playing. 

Milla barely slept last night (and me too, having brief nightmares about Milla taking a huge fall). She was so hot to touch and very upset. When Chemist Warehouse opened at 830am, I was there to purchase a thermometer. She registered 37ish and perked up a little. We hit the road.

Clapping

Friends for dinner last night and Milla clapped. She does a lot of things with her hands but this was the first time clapping. Very exciting. Yesterday morning I collected her from bed to race of to Pilates and she was all sleepy on her tummy. Progress there too.

Few days have passed in the last eight months with no photos of Milla. Yesterday was one. Here's a pic from Monday instead as Charlie introduced her to a new toy.

Bit exciting.

This time last year we were in New Zealand and I was 25 weeks pregnant and feeling great. Time flies. Life marches on. We are now in the gap where I have no income, after my work maternity leave has run out and the government parental scheme. A few weeks from now and we'll be back on the road, headed north, Buller again, Jindabyne, Blue Mountains, Newcastle, Byron Bay, Nowra... A month of life on the road before I return to work. Eep.

10/52

Running low on photos. Thank goodness I'm doing a photo course next week. Expect huge improvements here. Huge.

Just woke up. 

Just back from three days up Mount Buller, a very different high country weekend. Charlie competing mountain biking and us girls hanging out. We feared it would be long boring days on the summit, but Milla and I managed to socialise and really enjoy the gorgeous weather and relaxed pace. Charlie's races started later in the day so we enjoyed mornings together and Milla slept well so we were all happy. So much to say.

Tried a run around the village, hills and thin air made it so challenging! I was dreaming of the long flats.

9/52

Yesterday was a baby-led weaning kind of day so Milla didn't eat much. Woke at 1:45am and got a bonus feed. Most times I go to collect her from her room, she's on her tummy. Here's her snotty sleepy face with pink cheek from rubbing on her bed this morning as I cycled on the stationary bike unawares. She's got some beautiful block sets from family which can be used for all different types of activity. Here she's using a wooden set for drumming.

Baby Milla at work.

8/52 and Eight Months

Eight month check up yesterday. The last one was 4 months, seems like forever. At that appointment we were told we could start giving Milla food. This time we found she's at the 90th percentile for weight, yup. Huge.

At the nurse, lifting up the toy in waiting room.

I need to give Milla more finger food, so she can feed herself. Mealtime is so messy anyhow, what am I waiting for? Last night while I was at Pilates Charlie played lots of 'development' games with things hidden in boxes, requiring various skills to find and retrieve them.

First swimming lesson on Sunday was a blast. We had Grandma cheering from the sidelines and Milla grinning at everyone. Who knew Braybrook could be so much fun? I had been warned that the lessons were exhausting.

Post-swim coma.