when it rains it pours...

This last month has been challenging for us, both Phoebe and Zoe were battling a particularly nasty flu... and not just once, after the first round it decided to come back for another go. Any parent will know exactly what I'm talking about... its enough just to care for a sick baby, but to have the same thing is worse. In the midst of it that, I put my back out and had to just keep going (as you do). As always there are rays of sunshine that keep you going though, like Zoe's unstoppable joy and huge spirit, and Phoebe's mum coming to help, but we are in need of recovery! Bring on the holidays...

ZOE MIRACLE UPDATE:
This month Zoe gave us her first real word (aside from Mama and Dada and Nana), which was...wait for it....
"STAR". She also gave us "Apple" and an attempt at Butterfly, which came out Buff-A. Too cute. She also gained 2 more teeth (top two) so now has 4, with her molars coming through (nooo...). She knows how to shimmy off the bed or off the couch and daybed, she has been "helping" mummy with weeding by pulling out the newly planted herb garden!
She is more affectionate than ever, coming up to us and wrapping her tiny little arms around our necks and giving us the I love you eyes.
The Butterfly Effect:
Zoe fell more in love with butterflies than ever (something we didnt think possible) and we are the type of parents who cant help but fuel this obsession, so now our house looks like its been taken over by a butterfly plague...and whenever we pull her out of the cot, the first thing we have to do is go say hello to all...(I'm ashamed to admit this) 19 butterflies that grace her room. Ok, so I told you she was obsessed. We also have books with butterflies in them and Phoebe has been making a book for Zoe with beautiful drawings of butterflies, that Zoe walks around hugging.
She is getting better at dancing, and has added a funky hip swing to her repertoir, plus her popular dancing backwards move which is a crowd pleaser. Her singing is coming along, as is her keyboard and guitar playing (I kid you not). Also she has mastered the floating xylophone in the bath.
She now brushes Phoebe's teeth in the bath but wont let us brush hers yet, so for now she uses her toothbrush as a drumstick.



We also received a surprise package by airmail, "uncle Nick" showed up unannounced on our doorstep one morning. Aside from a confusing riddle which i didnt get, we had no warning, so it was a real surprise. So we took him in, gave him a bed to sleep in and taught him how to read books to his little niece, which had to include all animal noises and multiple repeats of the same book, the same pages, and the same noises! Little toddlers love repetition! We also put him to work in the garden and as our official dishwasher...hey, he didnt tell us he was coming! We had to teach him a lesson... He leaves tomorrow, and actually, its been really great to see him and to watch Zoe work her melt the heart magic on him. I think Nick will be more keen on marriage and children now! They made quite a connection. Also, Nick made some friends here that he will probably keep up contact with, and got a vision for his future wife! She walked past him at Hillsongs Encounterfest...joke.










This month we have some great things to look forward to...Phoebe's birthday on the 7th, Stevie Wonder on the 22nd (!!!), our 6 year anniversary on the 26th, and our holiday down south to Bega where Phoebe's dad lives and where Zoe can get to know her grandfather, her Pa. Good times. Zoe loves the sand on the beach, so we are gonna try introduce her to the ocean bit by bit.