The 2014 Adventures of the Hill Family

2014 has certainly been one of the best years of our lives!

In March, we welcomed our long awaited and much loved addition to complete our family of 4. Our gorgeous little boy Henry is now 9 months old, and is a most vivacious, active and gorgeous little man. He is crawling at speed, and has almost mastered the art of cruising furniture. Look out, world, Henry will be walking in no time at all!

Sean has enjoyed his last year of day care, and we are sure he will miss his beautiful educator immensely. But, wise beyond his years, when Sean was asked if he will miss his beloved "Sima", he said "No, not really, you only live next door to me, hello?! So I'll still see you all the time!" Out of the mouths of babes. Sean will start preschool in the new year, and we are bracing ourselves for the barrage of new information and ideas Sean will no doubt learn and sprout.

We have had the immense pleasure of watching the formation of a beautiful bond between Sean and Henry. They adore each other and we hope they will continue to grow closer.

2014 has been a year of travel for The Hills. Adelaide/Barossa Valley and Hong Kong were just 2 of our destinations this year, where we had the special privilege of attending 2 very special weddings. The Barossa Valley provided a stunning backdrop for the beautiful union of our beautiful friends Craig and Heather, and Hong Kong was THE place to be for some eagerly awaited celebrations as Gloria's cousins Carolyn and Eugene became husband and wife. We will forever cherish the amazing love we felt during these special celebrations.

We enjoyed a small family reunion during Carolyn and Eugene's wedding celebrations, with family members from all corners of the world joining in to bask in their love. It was terrific to see so many uncles, aunties and cousins all together in the same place, and it was made all the more special to finally meet some of the cousins for the very first time!

We are now counting down the days to our next trip, destination New Zealand, to spend Christmas with Jonathan's family. This will be our first Christmas in New Zealand, and we are hoping to make this vacation a much more regular thing going forward.

We hope 2015 holds a year of special surprises and highlights for you, and you are surrounded by your loved ones during this festive season.

Being Momma G: Day 1346

Dear Henry,

Today is your half birthday. That means you are 6 months old. You've been in this world for 6 whole months!

It feels like it was yesterday when Daddy and Momma calmly walked into the hospital and "checked in" with the doctors and nurses, who were all super efficient in making sure we met you as soon as we could that morning. We knew which day you were going to be born - 7 March - because Dr Baber and Daddy and Momma made plans for us to meet you that day. And you were perfect, right from the moment we first laid eyes on you.

In the past 6 months, you've grown from an adorable blob who didn't do very much, to an adorable blob who is engaging, interacting, and laughing with us. Your big brother calls you an "adorable blob", because you are. Sean can't wait till you can crawl and walk and move about a bit, so that he can show you how to get up to all sorts of mischief.

You have a very good appetite, drinking lots of milk, and as of a week ago, you have also started eating solids. It took a few weeks of experimenting, but you finally started to like the baby cereal, and you now wolf down your meals without blinking. You tried pear puree today. The look on your face suggested you didn't enjoy it.

You can sit up by yourself now, for short periods of time, without being propped up. You like sitting up and looking around. You like sitting up so much that when you are lying down, you try to sit up by yourself, but you only manage to do stomach crunches. But the look on your face when you are trying to sit up is priceless. Such a look of concentration.

You can roll from your tummy to your back, but you haven't yet learned to roll from your back to your tummy, at least, not consistently. You like to grab hold of something to help you roll from your back to your tummy, and sometimes, we see you throw your legs up in the air and drop them to the side, in hope that this momentum will get you onto your tummy. You haven't quite got the hang of that yet, but give it time. We're sure you will soon get the hang of it.

Although you can't roll, you can certainly still move about! You seem to be crawling, on your back! Scouching around on the floor, you can move quite quickly, and quite stelthily! We can't really leave you on the sheepskin rug and expect you to still be there 5 minutes later.

You haven't grown any teeth yet, but we can see 2 little nubs in the bottom gum. We're sure those little toothy pegs will come through soon.

You are such a happy baby and you love to smile and laugh, all the time. You light up when you see Daddy, but you positively beam when you see Momma. And you love seeing Sean do funny things. Your laughter is the best - it makes us laugh too!

You are a very gorgeous young man, who is often mistaken for a girl. So many people think you are a girl, and tell us in so many words. Some people refuse to believe you're a boy, and even go so far as to ask us if we were sure that you are a boy. Your big saucer eyes, fair complexion and your little curls might have something to do with everyone thinking you're a girl. But we know you're a boy, and we correct people when they are mistaken.

You are growing bigger and stronger every day. In the past week, you've learned to splash in the bath with your arms and legs. You and Sean often compete to see who can make the bigger splashes in the bath, much to Daddy's bemusement. You are so wriggly and strong, that it's often hard for Daddy to keep a hold of you. Perhaps it's time to start some swimming lessons for you, so that you know what to do if you slip from Daddy's grip.

Henry, we love you so very very much. You made our family whole, and you have given us so much joy over these past 6 months. We look forward to seeing what amazing things you will do as you grow. Sean for one can't wait for you to be bigger, so he can have a proper playmate!

Happy Half Birthday, little man. Daddy and Momma love you so very, very much.

All our love,
Daddy and Momma

Introducing Henry Wing Ji Hill!

Introducing Henry Wing Ji Hill!
Born: 07.03.2014 at 9.16am
At: North Shore Private Hospital
Birth Weight: 3.42kg (7lb 9oz)
Length: 51.5cm
Head Circumference: 34cm

A very planned pregnancy and a well executed delivery (via a scheduled Caesarean section), our second child and son arrived safely, making us a family of 4. Our dream of giving Sean a sibling finally came true!

Henry means "home ruler; rules his household". Wing Ji (永智) means "Forever and Always Wise and Intelligent and Clever".

A HUGE thank you to everyone for all the well wishes. This little project was 20 months in the making, and we feel so loved and blessed to have our miracle Magic Bean finally in our arms.

More photos to come. Stay tuned!

Vale Dave Parker

Rest in peace, old friend. The world is less shiny without you.

I woke at 4am today, unable to breathe after a coughing fit brought on by a nasty cold, coupled with the weight of a full-term baby pressing on various internal organs. I was extremely uncomfortable, and after some tossing and turning in bed, I decided to grab my phone and scroll through Facebook in an attempt to lull myself back to sleep.

I was almost up to date with what people had gotten up to while I was sleeping when my scrolling stopped on a photo of you, on our mutual friend's page, with a message that read "You will be missed, Dave. RIP."

What. The. Feck.

I jumped out of bed, leaving my husband to continue his slumber, and lumbered out to the living room to my laptop, where I spent the next 90 or so minutes stalking our mutual friends, trying to find out what happened. Although we lost touch a thousand years ago, rarely a week goes by where I don't think about you, and wonder how you're getting on with life.

I sent desperate messages to a couple of mutual friends, and waited, and waited, and waited to hear news. As everyone was asleep, there wasn't much I could do except a bit more Facebook stalking. Finally, I heard from one of them, saying that the cancer had returned and the doctors weren't able to slow it down.

Cancer? I didn't even know you had cancer.

Later, I had a long chat with another friend, who had more information. You were a survivor, having already dealt with one bout and seemingly won. When it returned, you fought hard, like you did the first time, with good humour and steely determination. Unfortunately, even though you got into a medical trial to try and slow down the progress, the cancer made its way into your lungs, then kidneys and liver.

I was told you arrived home on the weekend, in time to spend a couple of days with your family, before you left us. I'm glad you were home, and surrounded by all those you love, and who love you so much.

I don't remember how or when we met - I know we met through friends of friends of friends at Macquarie University, and for some strange reason, you tolerated my loud and sometimes abrasive personality. We became friends, and for a time, we were very close - we saw each other every week, and we hung out all the time. You were such a good friend to me, more than I deserved, as I often whinged and complained about all my problems and woes, and you always listened and provided support. For years, you put up with me dishing the crap, and so it wasn't alltogether surprising when you woke up one morning and realised you didn't need my negativity in your life. We drifted apart, and then, later, with separate lives to live, we lost touch.

You were one of those rare people who never had a bad word to say about anyone. You were also one of those rare people who never had a bad word said about you. Everyone you met loved you at first sight. Everyone lucky enough to have been able to call you "friend" was treated with utmost respect and fierce loyalty. You always lit up a room with your presence, with your ready smile and easygoing nature.

I am shattered by the knowledge I will never see you again, and the inexplicable loss of someone so young and vibrant. I'm a bit numb as well, grieving for you as many many others are grieving for you too. But I know you are in a better place now, watching over us, beaming down with your trademark goofy smile.

Dave, I thank you for the years of friendship, and for making my life so shiny with your kindness and love. I will always remember the awesome times we had - all the times you made me laugh, picked me up when I was down, and the pearls of wisdom you imparted. Hearing of your passing today hit hard, even though it's been years since we last saw each other. You will always be remembered as a great bloke, a friend to one and all, and the life of the party.

You will be missed.

Magic Bean Update: 1 week to go!

Magic Bean @ 38 weeks

Things got real today.

One week from tomorrow, we will be holding our precious baby boy in our arms.

One week from tomorrow, we will be a family of four.

One week from tomorrow, our dreams of giving Sean a baby brother will finally become reality.

Only a week to go.

I'm not sure if I'm totally ready for this!!!

There is still so much to do!

Like washing all the itty bitty things along with other baby related items, like sheets and muslins and wraps and the like.
And packing the hospital bag.
And charging the camera batteries.
And sorting through Sean's clothes so there is room for the baby's clothes in the tallboy in Sean's bedroom.
And getting the breast pump and all the accessories down from storage.
And clearing out the bassinet so that it's once again a bassinet and not the overflow laundry basket.

I thought I'd have a couple of days to get some of these tasks out of the way this week, being my first week of maternity leave. Unlike the last pregnancy, when I had no choice but to work till I was almost 39 weeks pregnant in order to qualify for paid maternity leave, this time, I chose to work until I was 38 weeks pregnant to maximise my leave entitlements. Crazy idiot that I am. Trust me when I say, now, that if I was to do this all over again, I would have stopped working at 36 weeks. Anyway, having only 2 weeks off before the baby is due to arrive meant I could still get a few things done, and the plan was to get the bulk of the things done over yesterday and today, when I was suppose to be alone and Jonathan at work and Sean at day care.

What is it they say about "best laid plans" again?

Early yesterday morning, Sean sprang a fever. He woke at 4am and cried for Jonathan, so Jonathan went into Sean's room to try and settle him. Jonathan thought Sean felt a bit hot; hot enough to warrant getting the thermometer and checking Sean's temperature. 38.2C. A dose of Panadol settled Sean, but with a temperature, I wasn't keen on sending Sean to day care. So we spent the day at home yesterday. It's hard to do anything mundane and unexciting when one has a whiny clingy sick toddler on hand, so I got very little done yesterday.

Early this morning, Sean again woke and became very fussy. It was around 2am, and Jonathan went to try and settle Sean back to sleep. Sean finally drifted off at around 4am, but only for about 45 minutes. At which point, Jonathan was too tired to cope with sitting in Sean's room, so the little one came into our room and slept in our bed. Yes, Sean slept. Not so much sleep for Jonathan nor I. We woke at around 7.30am, all feeling very sorry for ourselves, and Jonathan ended up taking the day off work today because he was just too exhausted from 2 nights of sleep deprivation. Meanwhile, Sean has developed a cough and a runny nose - early signs of a cold - which I'm hoping will get better without the love being shared around the house before Magic Bean arrives.

So, my two days of "me time" went flying out the window.

With Sean back at day care today (he was also developing cabin fever from being cooped up inside the house yesterday), Jonathan and I managed to get quite a bit done. We filled out very important banking paperwork, visited the preschool we want to send Sean to next year and filled out paperwork to put him on the waiting list, drove to Macquarie Centre to claimed all sorts of medical rebates from various health agencies, went to the Post Office, went to the bank, enjoyed a lazy lunch, and I even got my much longed for pedicure. Once we got home, we even got all the itty bitty things down from the attic storage, ready to be washed. And topping off our very productive day, we moved Sean's car seat into the middle of the backseat and fitted the baby capsule into the car. Before we knew it, it was time to collect Sean from day care and head off to visit Dr Baber for our weekly appointment.

And as it turned out, today's appointment with Dr Baber was the last time we will see him before D Day!!!

Magic Bean is still not engaged, but all is looking good. My blood pressure is good. Magic Bean's heart rate is good. He continues to move like a little man on a mission in my belly - if last night's disco dancing was anything to go by, he is going to be a wriggler just like his big brother!

I am experiencing a huge mixed bag of emotions at the moment. On one hand, I am very much looking forward to meeting our littler man. I am also looking forward to not having to deal with this giant belly and my poor aching back and buttocks/glutes, and to be able to sleep without this weight forcing me to lie on my side with a pillow between my legs. I am looking forward to holding a newborn, to watching the miracle that is a new life change and grow in my arms, to experiencing all the firsts with this new baby. And more than anything else, I am looking forward to seeing Sean interact with Magic Bean. On the other hand, I am going to miss feeling the littler man wriggling and rolling around inside my belly. I'm going to miss rubbing my belly with the knowledge that I'm growing a human. And, I'm going to miss seeing my belly become misshapen when Magic Bean rolls into a weird position. And I am going to miss sleeping through the night.

One more week. I have 2 more "alone" days next week - here's hoping I do get to spend those days alone, because this will be the last time I will get the chance to spend 2 whole days alone. I'm sure I'll still have errands to run, but I might see if I can book myself in to get my eyebrows done, and possibly get a pregnancy massage as well. I really do want to take myself to one last sushi meal too - just me, and the sushi train, and nothing and no one bothering me. At this point of the pregnancy, I really don't care what I am allegedly allowed to eat and not allowed to eat any more.

One more week. For the longest time, we didn't think we would get to this point. And here we are, one week to go.

Woo hoo!

**********

Dear Magic Bean,

In one week and one day, we will be giving you cuddles and kisses, holding you in our arms with tears in our eyes. Don't worry, darling boy. Daddy and Momma will be just so pleased to finally meet you that we will be shedding tears of joy.

We have been on an amazing journey; all of us: Daddy, Momma, Sean and you. We can't believe we will finally get to see you next Friday!

We are getting everything ready for you - or at least, trying our very best to get everything ready. The new deck is all ready, as are the new French doors. Your big brother loves the new deck, and we are sure you are going to love running up and down the deck too, just like Sean. The house is now free of all the construction dust, and Daddy has finally gotten all the little clothes down from the attic storage, so Momma can wash every item of cuteness and dress you up in all the fun clothes.

You have been super wriggly these last few weeks, which has made both Daddy and Momma laugh with delight when we see you wriggle around and around in Momma's belly. You love wriggling around late at night, just like your big brother did. And, you really get your wriggle on when Momma eats "noodly snacks", exactly like your big brother. Sean really loves "noodly snacks" - they are now one of his favourite snacks to eat, and we're sure you will develop a taste for them when you're older.

We went to see Dr Baber today, and he is very happy with how you're growing. We won't be seeing Dr Baber again until next Friday, when he will be the first person to meet and greet you into the world. You are one very lucky boy, to be in such safe hands. He was the first person to meet and greet Sean too!

Daddy and Momma and Sean are so excited about next week. You will complete our little family of four. The little family we'd always dreamed of. We can't wait to meet you face to face!

Until next Friday, keep wriggling and kicking. Dr Baber wants you to keep busy and move around as much as you can. Daddy and Momma will keep working on making everything comfortable and ready for you at home.

We love you so much, Magic Bean. See you next week!

Hugs and kisses,
Daddy and Momma

Magic Bean Update: 5 weeks to go!

It's hard to believe, but today, we are exactly 5 weeks away from meeting our littler man, Magic Bean!

This pregnancy has been harder than the first, with a very active 3-year-old to chase after, as well as dealing with all the rigours of life. But, we wouldn't have done it any other way.

The pregnancy itself has been great. I sailed through the first weeks (and, in fact, the entire pregnancy) without having to deal with any morning sickness, which is a huge blessing - I didn't have morning sickness with Sean either. I've lost weight as a result of craving fresh vegetables, just like I did with Sean - living healthier because of the pregnancy has its advantages. My health has been better than ever, and Dr Baber couldn't be happier with the progress - perfect blood pressure, good blood work, etc.

At the end of November / beginning of December, I was almost decimated by a cold. It took me around 7 weeks or so to shake. That was about the worst of it. My back is doing its best to keep me upright, but by the end of the day, it really does need a lot of tender loving care, and very fortunately for me, Jonathan is more than happy to give me a nightly back rub with scented massage oils to relieve the aches. There have been some weird / odd pangs around my belly over the last couple of weeks, but Dr Baber doesn't seem to be too concerned. We're putting it down to the baby trying to get into the right position for these final weeks.

Crazy as it may seem, we have started some minor renovations / additions to our house. The works kicked off late last week with the removal of the huge frangipani tree in our backyard, which was replanted at the house of our friends from Mothers Group. We really hope the Turners will enjoy the gorgeous tree for many years to come. The Turners also took our pavers from our "courtyard" side of our backyard, to be used down the side of their house. In place of the pavers, we are adding a gloriously huge merbau deck, with the dining room window being replaced with French doors to access this wonderful space. Earlier this week, the wonderful people from Brander Constructions came and tore down our old wooden fence and replaced it with a huge new Colorbond fence. The new fence is about 300mm higher than the old fence, which is giving us a slightly great sense of security and privacy. Whereas we were once able to see the main road from our house, I now need to stand on a step or a chair to see over the fence. What little noise there was emanating from the main road is also cut down somewhat by this higher fence. We love it!

Integro Carpentry will start works on the deck and the new doors next week, and hope to be able to complete the job by 21 February (or thereabouts). We would love the works to be completed by then, so we would have a week or two to clean and tidy up and enjoy this added 14m x 3m living space before Magic Bean arrives.

To think, I was 34 weeks pregnant with Sean when we moved house, into this lovely little house of ours. And now, at 34 weeks pregnant with Magic Bean, we are undertaking what we consider to be major renovations. This is what is known as "Extreme Nesting"!

There are still so many things to do before Magic Bean arrives. Jonathan and I need to pull down all the itty bitty baby things from the attic storage space and go through what we have to work out if we need to buy some new things. I need to wash what we have and rejig the drawers in Sean's bedroom to accommodate all the itty bitty baby things. And we need to turn the bassinet back into a bed for the baby - it is currently being used as the "overflow basket" for my clothes and coat hangers!

I've been away from work for 2 days this week, due to the fact that I've barely slept and everything hurts. I can't wait for my maternity leave to start at COB on 21 February. I'm looking forward to not having to sit on a bus for 2 hours every day getting to and from work.

Two weeks ago, Sean had his own lightbulb moment, when he finally felt the baby kick in my belly. Up till then, we're not sure how much he understood - probably a heck of a lot more than we give him credit for, but he was so pleased and surprised and happy to feel Magic Bean move. The look of delight on his face when Sean felt his baby brother move was absolutely priceless. Now, every day, Sean puts his ear to my belly and waits for Magic Bean to move. And every day, Sean continues to be delighted by the little kicks and rolls Magic Bean does in my belly.

We've been so busy that we have not tracked the progress of Magic Bean's belly bump as closely as we did with Sean. But here are some photos nonetheless.

Magic Bean @ 13 weeks

Magic Bean @ 19 weeks

Magic Bean @ 19 weeks

Magic Bean @ 20 weeks

Magic Bean @ 26 weeks

Magic Bean @ 28 weeks

Magic Bean @ 34 weeks

Magic Bean @ 34 weeks

5 weeks to go. We are so looking forward to meeting our littler man on 7 March!

**********

Dear Magic Bean,

We only have 5 weeks to wait till we get to meet you, all perfect and squishy, just like your big brother was when he was born!

We have picked out your birthday - 7 March - a special special day indeed. You will be born in the Year of the Horse, and we are told that the Horse and the Tiger (which is what Sean is) get along famously. We certainly hope so. We would love to meet you on the day, but not any earlier, because your crazy Daddy and Momma are making the house bigger and better for you and Sean, and we need you to stay put until all the dirty dust is cleaned from the house.

Your big brother is very much looking forward to meeting you. Daddy and Momma have tried our best to tell Sean what you will be like when you first come home - how little you will be, and how much you will need to sleep, and how much you might be crying, that sort of thing. We've also told him that it will be his job to teach you all the awesome things he knows, like how to eat, and talk, and walk, and run, and climb, and tickle. And in return, we've told him you will give him lots of cuddles and kisses for being the world's best big brother. We truly believe you two will be the best of friends forever.

Sean finally felt you kick and shake in Momma's belly two weeks ago. Every night, Sean gives you a big kiss and hopes to feel you move, and you haven't disappointed him yet! Daddy loves to feel you rolling and kicking and moving in Momma's belly too - he giggles every time you move!

Oh, our littler man, we are so very excited about your impending arrival. In 5 weeks, we will be holding you in our arms, giving you lots of cuddles and kisses. There are so many others waiting to meet you too, so be prepared to be passed around for heaps of cuddles and kisses!

We love you so much, little one. Stay well, and see you very soon!

Hugs and kisses,
Daddy and Momma

Happy New Year of the Horse!

恭喜發財!
Gong Hey Fat Choy!
Happy New Year of the Horse!
We are already so blessed on this first day of the new year, and can't wait to see what the Year of the Horse has in store for us.