Harris, Steph & Sophie

Nanna’s Birthday and Lone Pine

We ventured out for Michaela’s first long car trip last weekend to go to the Coast for Nanna’s birthday. It rained and there was no surf, but we managed to have a lovely day with Nanna and Pops and took Nanna out for coffee to Raw Energy in Peregian Beach. Michaela did really well on the 2 hours car trip each way and we only had to stop once in each direction.

This weekend was a little more tame. More rain, but we got out to the duckpond and Lone Pine on Saturday afternoon. We bumped into Nelle and Robbie there, and the girls had fun feeding the kangaroos (see photos here). Sunday Nanna and Pops came to visit for the afternoon. (more photos here).

Australia Day 2010

We had a lovely Australia Day 2010 with the Massi’s at their house at Moggill. The boys had a great time playing with Sophie and we all got involved in Guitar Hero on the Wii. After a big BBQ breakfast, Wii fit video games were the order of the day. Photos in the gallery.

Michaela 4 Weeks old

Photos of Michaela and Sophie, 4 weeks old.

Michaela 3-4 Weeks Old

It was Harris’ first week back at work this week. Pops came down from the Coast Mon-Tues to help ease us into the change, and then it was Steph and the girls at home together Wed-Fri. We managed really well and got out to the State Library on Friday where Soph made a camel hat and some artwork. We also went to the grocery store, over to Paul and Lesley’s for Pizza, visited Caro and Ted and had Amanda and Nelle over to visit as well as all the Wilsons over for dinner (thanks Amanda for cooking a fabulous lasagne!). Photos in the gallery of Michaela this week.

January 2010 Photos

Sophie Dancing
Photos of Sophie in her Princess Ratbag dancing skirt that she got for Christmas.

Sisters
Photos of Sophie and Michaela.

Pops Visits
Couple of photos from Pops’ visit 19 Jan, 2010, and a few of me with Sophie and Michaela.

Amanda and Nelle
Photos from Amanda and Nelle visiting 19 Jan, 2010.

Michaela 1-2 Weeks Old
Photos of Michaela 1-2 Weeks Old.

Other
Other photos from Jan, 2010.

Michaela’s First Week

It’s been a lovely, quiet week as we adjust to being a family of four (plus dog) with Michaela feeding well and regaining her birth weight by her 11th day. Our doula visited to talk through the birth day, and we met up with our midwife at the birth centre, and Michaela has been growing well and sleeping well. She had a little conjunctivitis, but nothing to worry about and has been doing beautifully. We even managed our first family trip out to IKEA to pick up some storage – it’s also been a week of de-cluttering and planning for the year ahead. Here are a few pics of Michaela at one week old.

Welcome Michaela Casey Hutkin

On 28th December 2009, we welcomed our daughter Michaela Casey Hutkin to the world. She was born at 7:54pm at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital, four days after her due date, almost 24 hours after contractions started and 9 hours after arriving at the hospital. We had a great doula, a great midwife (Julie at the Birth Centre) and managed a drug-free birth and came home the very next day!

Here are the essential stats:
Weight: 4.605kg (10lbs, 2.4oz)
Height: 53cm (20.87in)
Head: 36.4cm (14.37in)

Michaela arrived one day later, was almost one kilogram heavier, one cm taller and with a one cm larger head circumference than Sophie at birth. Soph had a little holiday at Nanna and Pops’ house at the Coast while we were in hospital and came home very excited to meet her sister. She loves her already and has been great at helping translate those cries and giving gentle cuddles and kisses. We’re recuperating and de-cluttering for the new year while Harris is home from work, and getting used to being a family of four + Molly! Photos here in the gallery.

Julie and Cliona Visit

We’ve just had a lovely 3 days with Julie and Cliona who were visiting from Sydney. A hot three days too – temps reached 35 degrees! Sunday afternoon we took Cliona to the duckpond at the Botanical Gardens so the girls could run around. Harris cooked up some fantastic whole snapper on the BBQ, and Julie and Cliona got settled in our new “guest retreat”.

Monday morning we went to Flute in Rosalie for breakfast, followed by a quick trip to West End and then PCYC for Tiny Tots which both the girls loved (although Cliona did suffer from an over-zealous admirer). Monday afternoon Julie put together a fabulous deconstructed prawn cocktail and bean tacos. Tuesday was much slower-paced due to the heat and we went to swimming classes in the morning followed by afternoon tea at French Twist at The Barracks and some grocery shopping. It was too hot to attempt anything more than a skinny dip splash in the wading pool on the deck for the two girls. Soph will miss her live-in playmate but had some good practice at sharing her toys and attention.

Byron Holiday

Being highly pregnant made it a bit difficult to organise an overseas holiday this year, so we stayed close to home and spent a week in the Byron Bay hinterland in northern NSW. The first couple of days we stayed at a cottage in Teven, about 15 minutes in the hills inland from Lennox Heads and Byron Bay. We really enjoyed our host Neville and his 3 huge Labradoodles Barney, Pudding and Bella (and 6 week old pups!) as well as the resident Alpacas. Soph still talks about how “one alpaca spits! phah!”. We had a great time at the Lennox Heads markets and exploring the hinterland. Photos here.

A few days later we moved to a great cottage in Ewingsdale (Photos here) where we settled in to the holiday rhythm. Deirdre and Bobby had a host of little dogs for Molly to play with (Rocky, Benny, Buddy, Lily and Barry) and Soph loved Crystal and BamBam, the horses next door, that is until Crystal “made a big noise!”.

The winds were up in the area and there was still a lot of dust in the air from the recent dust storms so there was only minimal surfing, but we managed to spend some time at the playground on the beach, our favourite breakfast spot the Byron Beach Cafe, the Byron farmer’s markets, and doing a little shopping. Photos here.

We also had a lovely afternoon checking out Brunswick Heads and exploring the gardens of the Crystal Castle, near Murwillumbah. Photos here.

Almost 2

Soph is quickly approaching 2 which is unbelieveable. She’s had a really fun time recently making her friends Ted and Nelle wear her dancing dresses. In fact, every day we have to wear some kind of “dancing dress” which means tutu or any dress with a bit of flounce. All the “good” dresses are getting some serious use. Ted likes to return the favour by making Soph dress up as a fireman at his house. Some pics of playdates with Ted and Nelle here.

Soph has also been going to swimming classes at UQ this term and really enjoying (most of) them. She’s definitely really comfortable in the water and even kicking a little, and very good at getting out by herself (the most important part).

Soph has also been going to Jahjumbeen occasional care on Wednesday mornings for 3 hours which she really loves. Nelle goes at the same time, so the two of them get to do all sorts of fun activities together; she never wants to leave at midday.


Soph is also about to get a haircut, but I just couldn’t resist trying pigtails. Too cute! Although the cuteness doesn’t quite make up for the cleaning up I have to do after Soph tips Molly’s food all over the kitchen. Not fun!