A picture is worth a thousand words...

... and as anyone who knows me can testify, I've never been accused of brevity. The day was so warm and sunny I ended up wagging half of the things I needed to do around here to spend part of the afternoon just holding Lily and watching La and the girls play while occasionally snapping photos.

The other day one of the mums at the playground who does family day care asked me how we'd found the adjustment to having two and sibling rivalry. It's actually been so much smoother than I anticipated it would be - although really that could be said of her whole pregnancy, birth and the transition from having one child to two. He is such a little whirlwind and likes being the focus of everyones attention I rather thought he might have a hard time of it but so far he seems to have slid into the role almost seamlessly. He adores Lily and can be so tender and touching with her it's gorgeous to watch. He has a particular fascination with asking me to hold her so I can take a picture of him with her - this happens at least once a day, every day. He loves being able to help me with her - be it fetching a toy to show her, assisting with nappy-changes or directing me as to what she needs. (I am still not competent enough to understand her myself apparently.) She is his "Illie-pillie", his sweetheart. (Lilypillie being my nickname for her) I think he's actually been easier in many ways since she arrived and oddly parenting two feels easier than parenting one. It makes no sense but there you go.

My gorgeous little man




And my little Lily-pillie...

Names and Noms

Lucy, from Blue Mountains Menagerie, came up with names for the twins - the little ram is Macchiato and the little ewe Cino. Mocca-Chocca's little ram lamb has a name from Florence whom my ducks Matilda and Magnolia came from. Black with a dollop of cream and possibly carrying chocolate - he's Vienna.

"Lucerne is nom! What else is nom?"

"How about buckets? Are buckets nom?"

"Are fingers nom???" (That's my finger he's trying to nurse, he's actually rather fond of trying this any time he sees me!)

"Hello Auntie Star!" (Mind you Star is FAR more interested in the lucerne, she is part piggie!)

"Gee, you're a funny looking sheep!"

Latte is still a bit skittish and wanting her space, so only one picture of them at a distance. I figure it's only fair to respect her instincts telling her to keep them apart from everyone for the moment.

One of these days I'm going to have time to sit down to journal all the things I'm thinking about but as it is, time and a 1 month old limit the more in depth thoughts getting onto the proverbial paper. Still they are things I do want to get down - especially on things like Lily turning a month old and my thoughts on her birth and mothering at the moment. It's been so fantastic, all of it, I'm really still on a high from her birth and beyond clucky for more... more pregnancies, more labor, more bubbas!

In the meantime, today I went to a Gloria Lemay "Bringing Birth Back To Women" discussion and while I was there I received a phone call to let me know Latte, my other moorit ewe, had delivered twins - a little spotted ewe lamb (getting a drink in the photo) and a little ram lamb with a few white hairs. Not the best photo as it was dark by the time I got home but trust me they are very cute!

Mothers Day

This is my mothers day card, from "my two biggest fans", Lala and Lily. The colours don't quite show up correctly as Lily's handprint is actually orange rather than red, while La's is green.
Other than that we mostly had a normal day.... between feeding miss Lilykins I cleaned the house (though by the time I'm writing this you'd be forgiven for doubting me on that), cleaned out the chook shed, turned over the compost heap, started prepping one of the garden beds which will be dismantled as we're enlarging the area significantly, took care of critters, gathered kindling, went shopping to the pet stock store for dog food, a quick peek in the nursery while Nic took La and popped into the market. (Or "sucre market" in La-speak, my favorite missaying at the moment as it is also French for 'sweet', so it's the sweet market.) I'd have liked to have gone to Kuranga again, as we did last mothers day but unfortunately there's just never enough hours in the day and with everything being a bit behind taking care of home took precedence.

On a happier note when we were checking the lamb over today, La wanted a cuddle so we snapped a few pictures. Sierra was my self appointed "helper", ensuring the lamb didn't wander while I tried to juggle camera and baby till she was asked to lay down also. LOL
Not entirely looking forward to tomorrow as I will be up far earlier than the mother of a 1 month old should have to be to drive Nic to work since I need the car to pick up my gander from the vets. Thankfully at least it has been determined to be nothing contagious to the rest of the birds - a metabolic problem - but feeling rather 'meh' about breeding overall the moment. One wonders if it's worth the heartache we put ourselves through when we loose them to accidents or illness or they don't turn out.

Lambikins!

We had a lovely surprise this afternoon. When I went to give the sheep their treats and called them over we had an extra member to our little flock. He has no name yet... but he's just cute as a little button! He's black with a white cap and mumma is being a very good mumma as you can see - quite protective of her little one! His daddy is probably not my ram Cadbury but his mumma's breeder's other ram Domino who is black and white spotted.

Bunny Lala and Lilypillie

*snap*
*snap*

*snap* (Hm, that's cute.)
"Me too mum!"
*SNAP!*

Sneak peek...

Here are a few of the pictures from the other day. The photographer does a "sneak peek" on her blog, before the private proof gallery is up. She did such a nice job, I can't wait to see the rest... :-D In the photo with Hope, if anyone is wondering why she looks a bit put out despite getting a "treat", he was handing her pumpkin seeds - which Hope gently accepted every time one was offered before very politely before spitting out!

http://pebblesphotography.com.au/blog/2009/05/a-boy-and-his-new-baby-sister/