dampsponge

Zoo talk

March 9, 2010

Saturday was Tate’s very first visit to the Melbourne Zoo.

We took Sienna with us and had a lovely couple of hours looking at the new seal enclosure, reptiles, platypus & meercats before the HUGE storm rolled in and we luckily made it to the car in time. Driving through it was an experience to say the least - we were holding onto the windscreen and watching hailstones the size of golfballs bounce off the bonnet. The sound was incredible and the sky was dark as anything. An amazing sight at 2pm in the afternoon.

Some photos from the last couple of days - Tate is changing all the time and getting so strong in his little neck & legs. He loves to be sitting/standing upright and looking around… especially to watch his big sister who he adores and thinks is the funniest person in the world.

“Lock up your daughters”

February 13, 2010

Tate wore his AC/DC tshirt today to get into the spirit of things (thanks Tin & Mike). He’s now 12 weeks old, how quickly the weeks fly by. Such a happy, smiley baby - he’s found his voice and loves to goo, gaa and gurgle when we have a chat with him or he sees his big sister Ava dancing around.

We spent today at Scienceworks which has a new toy exhibit which was fantastic. The kids wore themselves out trying to race Cathy Freeman in the 20m sprint and the adults gave the physical challenges a good workout as well. Lots of fun.

Ava & Meg give Cathy a run for her money

Miss Pickle in control of the remote

The gang last weekend

Tate at 11 weeks

Ava doing her yoga at Granny’s house

Watching the cricket with dad will put him to sleep every time

World world keeps on tickng

February 2, 2010

dampsponge is due for an update and my keyboard just ran out of batteries. will update tomoz.

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2009

Well, the Hough’s enjoyed a great and busy Christmas day packed with non-stop eating! Started with breakfast at our place, on to lunch with the Smith’s, a pitstop at the Bergins in Melbourne Rd and finally dinner with the Collins clan. Christmas is much more fun with an excited 4 year old totally believing in Santa and waking up at 6.20am to see if he had eaten the cookie & Rudolph the carrots. An onion was also left out for The Grinch and it too had been nibbled on. Too cute. Ava loved all her presents and the Leapfrog System (which she calls a “DS” like the big kids) was her favourite. She told us that she is “never going to be able to stop playing it”. An added bonus to open her brothers’ presents also and in the end they both came out pretty even. A long day, home after 10pm and everyone straight to sleep whilst I potter around unpacking all the toys they’ve been given. Very spoilt kids and a mum who feels very lucky to have everything I’ve wished for.

Merry Christmas to all of our family & friends - we hope you’ve also had a great day and look forward to sharing 2010 with you. xx

Counting down til Xmas

December 16, 2009

A great day at the Roker family Xmas get together on the weekend at Werribee Mansion’s Victoria Rose Garden. Ava had a ball with her cousins Megan & Will - opening presents, eating krispy kreme donuts & rolling down the hills together. A really gorgeous location to pull out the picnic rugs and enjoy the surrounds.

The rose xmas tree

Ava & Tate

Santa’s cutest helper

10 days old

November 30, 2009

Little man Tate has settled in beautifully at home and sleeping/feeding well. Ava is a great big sister helping out with nappies, bath time and giving him lots of cuddles. She loves her baby brother so much and has told us a couple of times that she’s going to marry him! Hmmm, maybe if we were Tasmanian!!!

Ava gives Tate a cuddle for bedtime stories

Great-grandmother Marjie & Tate

Last week Ava went on her first kinder excursion to the Royal Botanic Gardens for a picnic lunch, Xmas carols and some exploring. She had a great time and made a potpourri bag to bring home for mum.

Emotional

November 20, 2009

It is a rare privilege to be at the beginning of another persons life. See them come into the world. I guess it is a job for obstetricians and other health care professionals so it could become just a job for them. What an honour to be there at the birth of our son yesterday afternoon. What a happy moment to see it second time around. When Ava was born it was definitely one of the most amazing days of my life. Due to it being my first it was surreal and I was in dreamland for most of it.

Yesterday as a seasoned veteran I think I was able to appreciate and actually take in what was happening. From waiting to go into see Marnie after her epidural, to seeing Tate appear from Marn, to cutting the chord, to holding him for 15 minutes on my own, only 15 minutes into his life, the whole day was very special.

Also being able to tell Ava that she had a new baby brother, seeing Tate rest on Marn for the first time and seeing Ava meet her brother and hold him. All very special. Probably will be lost in the passage of time to some degree. What an absolute amazing day.

The work is ahead now to bring Tate into our lives. An enjoyable time ahead to see another little person grow.

Welcome Tate Addison Hough. Happy 0 Birthday.

Port Douglas ‘09

November 10, 2009

Our annual trip to Port Douglas has been & gone. 12 superb nights at the Portsea resort - great weather and a great group of friends to head away with. We had 15 adults and 12 kids in total so needless to say there was always someone to hang out with either at the pool or down the street. Ava loved every second of the holiday and having all of her friends to play with all day. We did a few touristy things - a day trip out to the Low Isles of the Barrier Reef, breakfast with the birds, the Sunday market and a train ride through the town. All in all a wonderful family holiday which hopefully we can repeat next year!

Ava & Megan drinking sugar cane juice at the market

The girls with their hair braids

Ad & JJ in their snorkelling gear at the Low Isles

Ava getting some air over Jakey (her favourite holiday photo!)

Having fun in the pool

Another year and the pancakes still taste just as good

Ava and a blue tongue lizard - concentrating not to drop him

Making sandcastles on the 4 mile beach

New One Large singlets

October 22, 2009

Finally after 9 years or so we have new singlets. Check them out. Our basketball skills just need to live up to the hype.

Relaxing

October 11, 2009

Well most our immediate friends are away with us, for those still stranded somewhere else
on the planet, we are having a great time at Port Douglas. Ava is learning a great deal of things about being a grown up and managing her own feelings. She is starting to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around her which is a rude awakening for any child. I think this holiday will be good to help her realise that.

Beach is in order tomorrow after a big day at the market (gotta love the sugar cane jucie and the guy Jason cuttin up the coconuts for drinkin) and in the pool. Kids everywhere. Red emporer fish for dinner. Flake is substandard. Get into good quality fish.

Another run tomoz but need to look after the calves. The iPhone is the answer.