Dear Harper,

Happy half birthday Harper! A lot has changed for us in the last six months, finally after removing soy from your diet you weight issues are getting better.

Yesterday we had you 18 month check up and guess what? Your back on the growth chart! On the 10th percentile. It's such a relief not to see your little ribs sticking out anymore! You still have a massive appetite, you eat so much and finally I can stop worrying about where it's going.

Six months ago

Later in the month we have another allergy review, I try not to get my hopes up but it's so hard not to, if only just one of your allergies has gone, it would make so much difference to our life.

Last time I was so devastated to find out they had all got worse, like I said I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

I pray that one day we will no longer have to base our life around food, safe places and a EPI-pen, that every time someone touches you I wont have to think do they have clean hands. That i'll be able to let you play at friends houses without first cleaning the floors.

Day care, play group, child care, kindergarden, school, friends house, camps, canteens, restaurant, birthdays parties, Christmas lunch, planes, holidays, overseas trips.

I know it could be a lot worse but it could also be a lot better.

This month you are really loving daddy, you hear the door close when your in the bath you get the biggest smile and say daddy! Daddy! When you wake up next to me in the morning you look over to see if dads home.

You stand on the edge on the couch and bang on the window, it's so dangerous and nothing I can say or do will stop you it's an all day battle that ends in us going out.

You tell me, No Way! About 20 times a day.

Talk heaps, pick up things really quickly, can unlock my iphone.

Wave your arms and get upset but haven't had a tantrum yet.  

Know when you're doing a wee and say wee but like to do it on the ground instead of the potty.

The last week you have been sleeping for 3 hours a day, you must know mummy needs a rest.

Point to my belly and say baby, kiss my belly. If i'm being sick and you can hear you make the noise as if doing a fake cough and say sick sick sick.


Sing songs, goes something like, row row row row row row...      boat.


I love you Harper, you're going to make an amazing big brother.

9 months to grow a baby 9 months to lose the weight

While pregnant I watched the morning show, A lady on there was talking about the rate famous women lose baby weight, How it was unhealthy and gave us false expectations and in an ideal world it takes 9 months to gain the weight and a good goal would be 9 months to lose the weight.
 I remember thinking 9 months that's soooooo long.

 I knew I had good genes on my side, My mum told me she had only put on ten kilos with each of her three children and had worn her pre pregnancy jeans home from the hospital, What I didn't take into account was that she lived in a different time, I lived in a time where if you are to tired too cook you order takeaway and I was tired a lot. I had also quit smoking and used food to fill the space, I ended up gaining about 20 kilos double what my mum did. Luckily I had a very strict obstetrician with very strong opinions on weight gain or it may have been much worse.

 I weighed myself a week after having Harper and had lost 10 kilos the next few kilos were slower but Breast feeding helped. I'm not the type of girl who diets or exercise and With Harper my hands were full, I was tired. I ended up losing the last few kilos because I had to take dairy and egg out of my diet because of Harpers allergy's. Now Harper is 9 months old and I am about a kilo off my pre baby weight I have been this weight for the last couple of months.


Although I'm a similar weight, My body has changed and of course it should have, Look at what this amazing body did for me, It built me a baby.

There are days I get down about my body as we all do, I wish my tummy was more toned like it use to be, I wish many things but there are also as many days I am thankful, I'm so thankful I didn't get stretch-marks on my tummy and that I didn't get loose skin.


A lot changes when we have a baby right from that last push and for many soon before, We can never expect to look the same or be the same person nor should we be expected too. I am stronger that I knew, Have More compassion and with Harper I am selfless,  I've done things that once I would have thought impossible. I might not have my hair and make up done, The house is not always clean and sometimes I wear tracksuit pants because now I have more important things. I have a baby boy to bring up,

My own baby boy.