Letter to India at 1 year old

Dear India,

I’ve wanted to write you a letter for some time now but something has always prevented me from actually finding the right time or the right language. But today I feel i cannot put it off any longer. I have agonised over the right words to use, and written and re-written this letter in my mind a thousand times, so as to get the wording perfect. I have feared that i would not be able to sound eloquent enough and still be able to capture just how much i love you. So finally, i have decided to eat my pride and just write all of the things i want and need to tell you.

You love music and i love you loving music! Your favourite song is ‘Coin Laundy’ by Lisa Mitchell. You dance when the beat hits you and you don’t care who’s watching! You sing, oh how sweetly you sing. Your little neck strains as you try to hit those high notes and i relish the sound like no other! I hope your love of music continues.

You love food. You love the feel and the smell and the taste. You started solids at 4months old and have never looked back. You make a whimpering sound when we are getting your bottle ready that shouts “HURRY UP!!!”. Your favourite solid food is pasta or anything noodle related. Im so grateful that you are not a fussy eater and i attribute a full belly to why you also sleep so well. I hope your love affair with food continues.

You love books. If you are not dancing or singing or eating you are looking at your books. You drag books over to me and daddy all day long in the hope that we will sit and read to you. I do not have the strength to say no as i watch you go to the book box, pick your favourites, carry them across the room and then back your little bottom into my lap. Your favourite book is a pop-up story called ‘The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark’. I hope your love of literature continues.

India, you are such a happy child. You have these big blue eyes that smile and captivate. I cannot go anywhere without people stopping me to comment on how happy you are. Strangers will stop me on the street because they see and feel your happy energy and you ALWAYS indulge their kindness with a smile or a laugh or a tilt of the head and a batter of those big flirtatious eyes. You seem to feed off the attention and just when i think you’ve had your fill, a new martyr steps up and nourishes your ever hungry sense of self. I love this about you. I love that the whole world revolves around you, and even though at times I feel suffocated in your world, you reserve the most love for me, and that stifled feeling is obliterated in your smile.

You certainly can have your off days, days where your demands just do not seem to be met; but not for lack of trying. On those days you express yourself with tears and grunts and the occasional throwing of toys or body parts. I have come to accept the fact that you are a passionate person. You love with an unrestrained intensity and it is not hard to deduce that you will therefore bemoan with the same tenacious resolve, no matter how unjustifiable your protests may be. The silver lining of all is this; that regardless of what provoked said outburst you will always seek me for comfort afterward. This is something i pray will continue into eternity. I hope you will always consider the refuge of my arms as capable of providing all the comfort and safety you need to move on after a hardship.

I want you to know that you were wanted. Your daddy and i planned for you and prayed for you and loved you even before God formed you in my womb. And we will love you until the end of forever, come what may. You are now a 1 year old. People often ask me how old you are, as though your age should define who you are and what you are capable of. But you are so much more than a 1year old. You are inquisitive yet reserved, rambunctious yet composed, happy yet whiny, selfish yet selfless. You are a wonder to behold but most importantly you are mine.

I love you forever,

Mum xxx

What a week!

To tell you the truth, I'm a little OVER IT!

1. Work is driving me to distraction - I have a job which entails 1 cup of bliss and 9 cups of sheer boredom!
2. Neither Georgia, India or I have been feeling very well this week! Georgia can't even look out of her right eye because it's swollen through hay fever!
3. My footy tipping was deplorable last round, putting me in second last place on the ladder - I think the person in last place hardly ever participates.
4. I placed a bid on eBay for a camera lens, only to find out after I had won it that it wont fit my camera - it was THEIR fault - the title was misleading and they agreed thankfully.

ALTHOUGH......

1. I am blessed to be employed during this rocky global financial climate
2. I am extremely blessed to live in the true 'promised land' where I can see a doctor when ever I need ($9) and which provides relatively free health care (I live in Australia)
3. I am thankful for sport! It is common knowledge that Australian Rules Football is the MOST popular team sport anywhere - 'World Famous in Australia SINCE Ages ago'
4. I never forget how blessed I am to have 20/20 vision.

There you have it - although I feel things are going a little rough, it's a drop in the ocean compared to the other 99% of the world!

I swear I just fell asleep

India's been taking up most of our time nowadays! My typical day starts at 7:15am.

I wake up to see Georgia either feeding in the living room or sleeping on the couch so that I get a good nights rest! She's too good to me :) If India's not asleep, I'll rock her while organising my breakfast. Meanwhile Georgia has a quick rest in bed or has a Milo. Then I abruptly hand India back and head out to work at 8:10am.

Around 5:30pm I get home and have a little play with India while Georgia makes dinner - again she is too good to me!! After dinner I try to do the dishes while India has another feed. By 10pm we're wasted and try to get to bed - and the cycle starts all over again

Here's a picture Georgia took of India on her moblie phone the other day. I think she was trying to copy John McCain - we both have it as our wallpapers :)

they melt in your mouth and not in your hands

its 2.30 am on a saturday morning....

its feeding time...

India guzzles her chichita (our code for the breast)...

i sit and snack on m&ms (thanks kelly!) while i catch up on the last 3 episodes of home and away (thanks youtube)...

at around 4 am we stumble back to bed...

the baker girls content and Kent none the wiser

inspired advice from inspired people

I have felt inspired of late to start keeping a record of my life again. And i feel i must thank Sarah and Sharry for their wise words that have pushed me into action! I was very diligent as a teen and i am grateful that i was because looking back on my journal makes me laugh and sometimes cry, but allows me to remember! In the past 5 years i have not kept a journal or a blog and sadly it has been those 5 years that i have seen the biggest changes in my life. Milestone and experiences that have shaped me and caused me to grow have all happened in those 5 years and i have no record of them. The past 5 years have seen me lose love, find love, and create love. I have become a wife and a mother. my greatest milestones in life and i wish i had written more down! Sure i have memories but no written words that allow me to reflect on how i felt in those moments. Memories can fade with time and i dont want the rest of my life's achievements and failures to be nothing but more fading memories. And so i have made a determined resolution to keep this blog as a journal for myself, for Kent and for our children. So again i thank Sarah and Sharry for reminding me of how important it is to remember, even if remembering makes us embarrassed :)
So heres to blogging!
Peace and love xxx

what shall we do with the drunken sailor...

Recent photos

She looks so content – crackin' a SMILE :)



India enjoys sleeping with her fingers intertwined



Must be a good dream!



Georgia’s mum, Gerry



Kent’s mum, Trish



Georgia’s dad – bushman, Al



Kent’s dad – ‘do I have you on my emailing list’ - Phil



Kent’s sister Stacey & her children, Jack, Isabella & Sam (over from Perth)



Pimpin' Sammy with cousin Rachel & India



Jack with India



Cousins Rachel, Sarah, Hannah, Isabella & Lauren



Fast asleep – please don’t wake up the shows about to start



Not impressed – white vomit on a black top!



Just relaxing



Still relaxing

Transition

Georgia and I really enjoyed our time with little India and the family last week. I was able to get the week off of work and spend a little time with mum and Georgia. The house has now been 'trish-afied' - which means that things are now in place and in proper order - even our little garden has been spruced up!

Unfortunately mum came down with a cold a few days before she was due to fly out and therefore hindered my progress in having her fix everything before she left. 'Whats that?...your fingers hurt? Well now your back's gonna hurt, 'cause you just pulled landscaping duty. Anyone else's back hurting? I didn't think so!'

We really enjoyed having her over and I know that Georgia just loved spending time with her talking about babies and other uninteresting things.

India has been doing really well. I can't believe how much she sleeps - what a life! We've had friends over a lot of the time and even then she's just slept through it all. She tends to wake up as we get ready for bed - but this only means that her eyes are open. She looks around the room for a while then quickly falls back to sleep.

Georgia is doing really well and has turned into 'Mrs. Organised' - rivalling the organising capacity of the Australian Army - she's a feeding machine! She's done such a great job! Now we're just waiting for the fluid to dissipate from her feet so she can wear shoes again :)

Dummy Novice

We found this video pretty funny but I'm sure it's only because we're first time parents! I'm sure it will bore most of you to tears :)

India

before the day

Georgia and I booked ourselves into Flinders Hospital on Tuesday night (23rd Sept) at around 6:30pm. Everything was going hunky dory - we had a nice room - so nice in fact that Georgia commented that the colour of the walls made her feel physically ill - I was happy because we had a television!

We watched a few shows and joked around how things would never be the same. I told the nurse that I'd be staying the night with Georgia and she happily arranged a fold out bed complete with a mattress thinner than rice paper. After a couple of minutes I asked for another mattress and slept well until Georgia rudely woke me up demanding that I time her contractions.

THUNDER CATS ARE GO!

Georgia's contractions began at 1:30am - at 4am we moved into the Labour Ward - at 8am the anaesthetist came to give Georgia an epidural - from 11am - 1:15pm Georgia tried to deliver with no success - India was just too big!

Finally the doctor agreed, and rushed Georgia into the operating theatre to usher India into the world.

she's arrived

Just a quick little note to let you all know that Georgia gave birth on Tuesday to India Smylie Baker. India gives new meaning to the word flubber -
she was 9 pound 10. I'll be sure to write more soon

Falls Creek

This was our last holiday before the arrival of our first little Farquhar

(kent) Grand Final - Walkerville V's Flinders Park

To tell you the truth I didn't think we'd stand a chance! I'd hear rumours that I'd be rucking against a descendant of Goliath - one that liked to wear a helmet! this proved to be somewhat accurate and I chose not to mention this to 'it' or who they affectionately named 'Frankenstein'. I started out in half forward with specific instructions to knee Frankenstein in the kidney whenever possible! I was didn’t really like the idea but considered it a challenge. When the time came I chickened out and reverted to my basic instinct of flattening opponents through the use of my right shoulder. Luckily the umpire didn't notice that I ran full tilt into him as he stood still watching he umpire preparing to throw the ball in from the boundary. I won the tap uncontested, as it appeared that he was prostrate on the ground, but as everybody knows Frankenstein's have an incredible short term memory - and moments later I was ceremonially thrown into the ground and fed small quantities of dirt and grass (Rye grass I believe)!!

Flinders Park scored the first 2 goals and I thought it was 'all over red rover' - thankfully one of my team mates kicked an extraordinary goal (in his 300th game for the club) to keep us in with a chance. This very same team mate was happy to let me know, in not so many cordial words that he felt I wasn't playing hard enough - his demonic prayer must have been answered because I was asked to play the role as chief cannon fodder or 'ruck' as it is commonly known.

I had now been thrust into the first of many center bounce contests with my 3 armed rival. Someone had forgotten to mention that the 'blood rule' did not apply to ogres, but the stage was set. Screams of encouragement in the form of 'get up there' where intermingled with the oppositions taunts of 'he's nothing', 'you'll smash him' and 'jump on his face'. Needless to say thoughts of 'why am I here' and 'where am I going' came to mind a few milliseconds before the umpire threw the ball up. I've always been told by my coach 'Jimmy' that I could jump well, perhaps in jest as our backup ruck man makes a sumo wrestler look like a ballerina! At the time I must have laughed but was undoubtedly confused moments later. The ball flew high, and I ran in - determined not to look at Frankie, I jumped! I flew....higher and higher - me thought I could see the Qantas Frequent Flyer lounge at the Adelaide Airport (a later photo revealed that I was barely a foot from the ground).

To my utter surprise I felt my knees protruding into Frankenstein's chest - I took courage and utilised his ribs as a spring board to reach heavens. I had 'not gone the way of the dust of the earth' after all. Whichever way I tapped the ball, I'll never know - but what I do know is that I slew that 3 armed beast!

While 'Balance' took a breather, 'Gravity' insisted that I continue on with the game, and I fell - 'and great was the fall thereof'. I again reacquainted myself with the taste of dirt (with a hint of Rye grass) and went on with the game.

The game seesoared backwards and forwards all afternoon - until 2pm when the sirens sounded and we had beaten an opponent who belted us on two occasions weeks prior.