49/366 - Best view in the world?

This is possibly one of the best views in the world.  It's certainly on of my favourites.  This is taken at Fairlight, along part of the Spit to Manly Walk in Sydney; I have done the walk from Balgowlah to Manly many, many times, and have done it a few times on this trip already.  I never get bored of looking at it; there is always something happening, people to watch, strangers to engage in conversation.

49/366 - 18 Feb 2012

So is this the best view in the world?  For me, it's one full of memories, home-coming and wishful thinking (hey, BoyWonder, one of my favourite houses on this walk is currently for sale - turret and all!).  What is your favourite view or walk?

Cheers, KangaRue :)

48/366 - Jetlag

Poor Pickle, his sleeping patterns are really confused.  Here he is having a lie-in the day after we landed in Oz.

48/366 - 17 Feb 2012

I love the little outfit my friend Gail bought him - reminds me of Aboriginal hand paintings, which is fitting considering our location.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

47/366 - Uncle Joey

I'm lucky enough to have adopted a few close friends as family members along the way.  Here is Pickle with his Uncle Joey, we may not be related, but there is as much ribbing, frustration, oh and love, as any family member can have for another.

47/366 - 16 Feb 2012

And while he's been a little scared of holding Pickle unless he's sitting down, I did manage to get him to change a dirty nappy even if it was under duress, so I think he's earned the Uncle title.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

46/366 - Cheeky Monkey

Not quite sure which one I'm referring to in the title!  Pickle decided sleep was passe on our second flight to Australia (as you can no doubt tell by the extra luggage he's carrying under his eyes).  So I got out the monkey that I had stashed away as a surprise.  His absolute delight on seeing him hasn't abated, and it is an absolutely delight to watch him engage with Charlie as he's now been named.

46/366 - 15 Feb 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

45/366 - International Traveller

Pickle's first flight, and he's travelling in style, sitting in his bassinet on the first of two Singapore Airlines flights to Australia.  Cool, calm and collected isn't he!  He was as good as gold on this flight.

45/366 - 14 Feb 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

44/366 - Perfect Present

I found the perfect Valentine's present for BoyWonder.  We had to celebrate a day early this year, as I spent the day packing and organising before jumping on the plane on the actual day.

44/366 - 13 Feb 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

43/366 - Entrancing Entrance

I love the Dale Chihuly sculpture at the V&A and Pickle seemed equally entranced on our recent visit.  I hadn't realised that the blues and greens pick out colours in a lead-light window on a higher floor, as well as the blue in the roof.

43/366 - 12 Feb 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

42/366 - Mini-Him

Today we went to the Christening of my friend Juliet's younger daughter, Anna.  Pickle was suitably attired in shirt, tie and waistcoat.  You can see where he gets his sartorial influence...

42/366 - 11 Feb 2012

He certainly dresses like his Daddy, but will Pickle get any his hair?!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

41/366 - I am not a rooster

I'm pretty sure Pickle wears this snowsuit under protest, but I think he looks adorable...

41/366 - 10 Feb 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

40/366 - Gumming

Pickle started teething at 12 weeks of age.  At five months his first bottom tooth cut through, and five days later his second bottom tooth followed.  He is really biting down now, and his little toothy-pegs are a little sharp on my fingers!

40/366 - 9 Feb 2012

Remembering to take teething rings out and about with us is a little tricky, so being able to wear one, that is also beautiful to look at is a bonus.  Gumigem necklaces fit the bill, and I had fabulous service from Mama Jewels who I discovered via Twitter.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

39/366 - Sitting Up

Pickle has been sitting up on his own for about a week now.  He was sitting up with a slow lean for a while before that!  Here he is discovering his activity mat on a whole new level.

39/366 - 8 February 2012

Yes, that is a champagne cork from his sensory box, which is doing double duty as a teether.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

38/366 - Peacock

Another shot from Maryon Wilson Park - this time of a regal peacock in the animal park - I love the contrast of his tail against the snow.

38/366 - 7 February 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

37/366 - Snow Angel

I have my very own snow angel, isn't he adorable.  Bundled in his snowsuit, we helped Pickle make his first snow angel in our back garden where the snow was still pristine.

37/366 - 6 Feb 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

36/366 - Silly Snowballs

A raft of photos from our walk today, but I couldn't go past this one of BoyWonder.  He's made an enormous snowball and is throwing it in the air waiting for it to explode when it lands.  Between work, house renovations, the allotment, study and being a husband and Daddy, he doesn't get enough time to be silly - this was one of those rare occasions, and it was a delight to watch

36/366 - 5 Feb 2012

I'm a strong believer that silliness is a good thing, and extremely important for mental health.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

35/366 - Ride 'em Cowboy

Pickle riding Lulah's rocking horse, while we had a fun, casual dinner with friends.  He had a great time checking out every aspect of the horse as much as the rocking I think.

35/366 - 4 Feb 2012

Thanks for a great night Caroline!  Looking forward to #SausageFest becoming an annual event.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

34/366 - New Tastes

I am in stitches every time Pickle tries something new to eat.  He screws up his little face and looks like he hates it, but keeps trying and starts enjoying it.  He has done this with everything he has tried!  He looks so cute, but I can't help feeling mean for laughing at him.  He ended up wolfing down this piece of kiwi fruit and then some watermelon.

34/366 - 3 Feb 2012

I think he takes after BoyWonder, who to this day hates mushrooms, aubergine (eggplant for the Aussies) and goats' cheese, but will keep trying them, just in case!  Because of his tenacity, we discovered that BoyWonder actually likes duck, just not the skin (more for me!).

Cheers, KangaRue :)

33/366 - Playtime

A fun, carefree day.  We had an impromptu meeting with my friend Caroline, and Pickle had a great time playing with Lulah and her toys.  He's getting more and more active, rolling over and is now sitting up well on his own... though I'm still nearby if he starts to tip!

33/366 - 2 Feb 2012

Cheers, KangaRue :)

Bruce the Sudocrem Moose

Last week, Pickle and I were lucky enough to be invited to a Sudocrem launch at the lovely Bill's Cafe in Covent Garden.  Firstly, this shouldn't be confused with Sydney Bill Granger's new London restaurant which I visited earlier in the month.  The cafe-deli-restaurant will definitely be getting a return visit though, as it looked lovely, and the staff were friendly and approachable; while busy and bustling, they couldn't have been more baby-friendly and pram accommodating, which I was somewhat amazed at for such a central venue. But back to the point...

Meet the Sudocrem Mousse
mascot: Bruce the Moose!

I'm a huge fan of the Sudocrem cream, and have a pot at both changing stations at home and a sample pot in the baby-bag.  But the launch was for the two new Sudocrem mousses: a moisturiser and a 50-SPF sunscreen. Made especially for babies and children, the mousse format is quickly absorbed, and you only need the teensiest bit - a little goes a long way.

It's nasties-free, so no colour, scent or parabens, so I've been happy to use the moisturiser on Pickle both after his evening bath and before we go out in the cold and wind; with snow due any minute, it's protecting him, especially when I'm baby-wearing.  He also gets dry skin on his legs, and the moisturising mousse is good at preventing eczema.

You'll be able to find the Sudocrem
mousse at Boots and
independent pharmacies

We've got a trip to Australia planned in a couple of weeks to meet the Grandparentals, so the sunscreen will come in very handy!  It's got the highest rating possible, which is so important to use as an adult, let alone on a baby, as most skin cancers are caused through damage done as a child.  I've lost a good friend to melanoma, and as an Aussie I understand how important it is to slip-slop-slap.  As the mousse is so quickly absorbed, we can go out straight after application, with no need to wait half an hour before exposure - I'm sure this will be beneficial with impatient kids excited to get outside to play!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

Disclosure:  I received complimentary moisturising mousse and sunscreen mousse in order to review the products, and Pickle received a moose toy, that he loves drooling over.  All views are my own.

32/366 - Shadows

A quick snap of Pickle and I today.  The sun was shining, but it was cold outside.  He was a bit grumpy today, and couldn't bare for me to be more than an arms length away from him.  Not only did his first tooth break through, but 5 days later, the second bottom tooth decided to do the same - poor thing, no wonder he's out of sorts.  And that's Lulu curled up in the crook of the chair in our shadow.

32/366 - 1 Feb 2012

I spent the day baby-wearing him, and in the afternoon went out to a new - to us - child centre for Bouncing Babies (sing and sign).  He loved it, and it was a really nice atmosphere, and they also have a sensory room which Pickle enjoyed exploring.  There were great opportunities for photos in there, but it was a little cramped with some other mummies and their babies also having a look (besides, Pickle wasn't really in the mood), so we'll be booking the room again soon for some photo opportunities!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

31/366 - First Library Book

Borrowing his first library book, Pickle chose one with a different texture on each page.  He is utterly fascinated by the different sensations he experiences (confirmed by the ongoing joy he finds within his sensory box).

31/366

What were your, or your children's, favourite books growing up?

Cheers, KangaRue :)

30/366 - Partners in Crime

Pickle's best friend has got to be Hermes.  He squeals with delight when Hermes comes up to him; in turn, Hermes head-butts Pickle's hand to pat him.  I took loads of photos of the two of them playing, but one or the other (or both) were completely blurred.  Here they are resting between bouts!

30/366

We have no doubt they will be in mischievous cahoots in the not too distant future!

Cheers, KangaRue :)