One year!!! I can’t believe we made it – all three of us: the original two with our little plus one .   Looking back... I used to think think going through labour was by far the hardest thing I ever had to do…. contractions, pushing, stretching, tearing (sometimes) – not pretty at all. Whenever other girls ask me about it, I’m always sorry for sharing too much when I see them wince and grimace. In truth, it isn’t an easy task. There were moments when I could barely think through the pain, and I almost believed I could not go on. But I had to, and I did. And at the end as I found myself staring into a pair of small curious eyes peering inquisitively up at me, I learnt that I had it in me all along. And then I realised, all that was really not as hard as sleepless nights,  midnight nursings, growth spurts, teething, and everything else that came together with the little bundle. There were moments when I felt it impossible to get out of bed again for the tenth time that nigh...

So what what’s cooking in your kitchen this Christmas? Well this year’s Christmas goodies from my kitchen are… Oreo Pops!!! An absolutely brilliant idea I got from here Dead simple recipe but requires some methodical planning for the assembly process. They are basically popsicle sticks stuck in Oreo cookies, dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled over with hundreds and thousands. Hubs was very nice and helped out with splitting open the Oreos for me. He gloated over how perfectly split they came out each time – all cream on one side and clean on the other. After the chocolate cooled and hardened, I went a step further and individually wrapped them in cellophane and ribbon. They’re dreadfully sinful, hence I’m imposing a quota of one stick per person.

Christmas is just around the corner… Our Christmas tree is up (note the protective barrier around the tree) We’re singing Christmas carols… And experimenting with Christmas recipes… Everything feels so Christmassy… love this time of the year!

Another video of Nathan… not an especially extraordinary one. This is just an ordinary everyday clip, this particular one showing Nathan using the little wheely-bin (containing dirty laundry) as a baby walker. I’m posting this clip up purely for the benefit of Nathan’s grandparents who are desperately suffering Nathan withdrawal symptoms. I know they will be ecstatic to see ANY new clip of their darling grandson’s antics. This video could have been better done, but it’s hard to be both the director and camera-man at the same time. So if you find this clip somewhat anti-climatic, don’t say I didn’t warn you.