August 2011
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In the spirit
Of continued blogging. There was a cat in a tree outside our three story kitchen window this afternoon. Baxter just about died. We saw Tom for a beer at the Southern Cross later and Baxter told him about it. The telling went “Mao! Baby!”.
(By way of explanation, we call this particular neighbourhood cat Baby Mao, because she is a baby mao. I knew what he was talking about.)
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July 2011
11 posts
Doodling
Baxter has become a drawing fiend. I wish I could transport one of his pictures on to here, but they’re all done the old fashioned way - on paper, with crayons.
He’s really big in to giant swirls at the moment. He likes to keep his drawings on one piece of paper and after a few wall-meets-crayon mishaps, he knows to ask for “pabar”. He also likes for us to draw with him....
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I’m sorry we’re so absent. Isn’t it strange how life becomes so normal so fast? I miss the early days. People told me I would at the time, and I don’t think I believed them. Baxter continues to be awesome and insane and hilarious. He’s obsessed with cats, though he has started to call them Maos. There’s one round the road who is big and orange and well worth the...
June 2011
4 posts
The hilarity
of having a toddler. I could write about Baxtery mischief all day.
This includes:
- Demanding Yvonne give him a bigger piece of sausage - “No! big piece!”. His longest string of words yet.
- Attempting to jump. Basically he goes on tippy toes and strains really hard with his little red face in the air.
- Joining in when I’m trying to sing a lullaby and he’s resting on...
Tom just put Baxter to bed. He shut the door very quietly after doing their little routine of saying goodnight to everything and reading soothing books. So sweet, so soft.
And then we hear “let’s go!” come very clearly, and very buoyantly from behind the closed door.
Go where? The pub?
It’s Friday night and I’m tired. But Baxter, you just keep going and going and going.
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Grown up?
I’ve had some interesting conversations with friends without children over the past few days. There’s a few waiting for the right time to come down this road, a few wondering why we went down the road, and others just asking how we got to this stage of life so darn quickly.
I’ll admit now my cries of “just do it! It’s so easy,” are a little off the mark, but...
May 2011
12 posts
WatchAn illustration of the crazy we now live with. So, so sweet, and then so, so horrendous. You thought women had moods? Hah! Ain’t nothing on toddlers.
He’s asking for my phone here. Then he decides he’ll just go all the way and hang off the oven door to taunt me. I had to stop and intervene. I’m really scared he’s going to cook himself.
I try to avoid saying no all...
Tom walked in to Baxter’s room this morning and said hi.
“Hi,” came the reply.
Weird! He’s a real person now!
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Thank you for a lovely day Baxter. Mondays are my favourite.
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Happy 18th months....doof
Today Baxter celebrated the big 18 month mark by smashing his head open.
We were at La’ffarae with my mother looking forward to tucking in to some eggs and coffee when BAM!
We ended up at A and E for three hours. He covered both of us with blood and I had to hold him wrapped in a blanket while the only doctor who felt capable of handling a tired, hungry, sore, angry toddler put little bits...
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Big day
Took delivery of a parcel of clothes - all size TWO!
Baxter protested his afternoon sleep by throwing his muzzy out of his cot. This was closely followed by his NAPPY! He took it off! The little …
He has also become very proficient at saying no. And he has a very no face to got with it.
Hello, you terrible toddler!
“Me teeth?”
– Baxter Fitzsimons joins his first two words while asking for his beloved toothbrush. He’s taken to calling himself meme or me. It’s very sweet.
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April 2011
6 posts
He says stairs
Which makes sense because we have moved to an apartment. We’ve also ALL been sick for a week. Sick + moving = horror.
But the end is near. Finally the internet is on and Baxter has at least got a lot of joy out of the boxes.
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WatchThis is probably very dull to people who aren’t the parents of this child. I like it though. See how he makes those strokes! I’m enrolling him in art classes asap! I’m sure he’ll be able to fit them in alongside his music, brain-gym, and literacy workshops (I lie).
There have been a few people who are convinced Baxter is left-handed like his dad and nine out of the last...
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Life is starting to move too fast again. I’m already mourning that year and a half where it was all about Baxter. I haven’t picked up my real camera in a long time. I haven’t made muffins in a long time.
But Baxter can say digger so he’s pretty happy.
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A Monday
I swore I would never put iphone photos on here.
But I am. It’s so bloody easy just to whip out your phone and click - especially when the charger from Esme has gone west (Baxter!).
Anyway, here is a snippet from our day:
This is Baxter demonstrating one of his new favourite activities. He sits on the bench and turns the tap on and off. It’s not often I allow this, but he’s...
March 2011
7 posts
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Starting work tomorrow.
You started creche today. Big steps little boy, big steps.
This work I speak of is 1.5 days a week. You are going to creche for two mornings. Not big in the world of real working mothers and fathers, but something for us.
The last 16 months I have spent almost every day, all day with you. This is going to be scary but it is going to be good. You need more time in sandpits with other kids, I need...
Please
Could the grandmothers (or anyone else for the matter) stop cutting Baxter’s hair?!
With three more-than-amateur hairdressers, I hate to think what he’s going to start looking like.
Thank you.
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Hooray beach
Tomorrow the Fitz-Palms head off to Waihi beach for a week.
I can’t wait to get Baxter in to that water! I can’t wait to see the summer off in style!
Can you think of anything more Kiwi?
Boy. This is going to be a lot of fun. Baxter may not have been as excited by the sandcastle I made at Lyall Bay yesterday as I was, but we’ll have him acting like a little beach-bum in no...
WatchThe Baxter has been getting together a nice little collection of words. Here’s an example of two of our favs - bye, bye and baby. And then there’s his favourite - plane (bain).
He’s also got (or approximations of):
- car
- bus
- teddy
- Daddy
- Mama
- vroom
- wow
- uh oh
- peg
- key
- teeth
- this
- Mama
- shoes
- nana (ba)
- book
- bird
- light
- duck
- ta
...
February 2011
17 posts
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WHAT?!
Apparently Baxter has started calling me Harriet.
My mother swears when I left the house this morning he was walking around looking for me and calling “hayiet! hayiet!”.
Outrageous! I’m Mama! Mama! We are not doing this first name thing. Heeelllll no.
(He also said toothbrush “teefbra” tonight, and has started the wave and “byeee, byeee” - cute).
Again!
Baxter’s great-grandad was one of the last out of Christchurch cathedral before it collapsed in the city’s second major earthquake today. After a horrendous, horrendous wait by all of us he was found in hospital and taken home covered in dust with bumps, bruises and a bandage on his head.
Grandad, we are so, so, so pleased you are safe. And not just cause you’re The...
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