Six months this week!

I know I say it pretty much every time I put up a post, but time has just been flying.  All of a sudden, Arch is nearly six months old, work wants to know when I'll be back, we have started solids, and those (usually wet) little hands are all over the place, pulling and groping at anything and everything in sight.

He's such a smiley little baby, he will give anyone a cheeky grin.  His motor skills are really developing a lot, like amazingly, and absolutely everything goes in his mouth.

I get a little bit sad putting him down to sleep at the end of most days, because that's another day over that we'll never get back.  Not that it's always beautiful and easy, but I know this time when he's so small will be so fleeting and I'll be back at work before I know it (part time), and long for the days when I could hug my tiny boy.  I must kiss him several hundred times a day.  He usually ends up in fits of giggles, which is only an encouragement for me to do it more.

We took him on his first plane ride last weekend - to Perth, for a wedding.  I was totally worked up about taking him away, flying, and being in a different time zone, but you know, it all worked out.  It was fine.  He was a bit clingy for the first few days back home, but he did so well, and it was a good lesson for me to learn.

He is really proud of himself when he sits on his own on the couch:

 What's not to love about a hood with ears?

 First time in the big bath at Drew and Liam's!

The reason we went to Perth - JAS's wedding.  Also pictured, the 8 month pregnant RK!  Such an exciting time for both lovely ladies.

 DDP and LFT bonding with Arch.  Cuuute.

We did a first aid course on the weekend, I'm really glad we did.  Especially for the baby specific stuff.
This weekend Grandpa Frank is going to be in town.  Grandpa Frank is known for the lasting impression he leaves on children, so I'm very curious to see how Archie reacts to him.  Nanna Annie is following in a few weeks, and then I think I'll be lucky to get a hold of Arch at all as she whisks him away at every possible opportunity.  I've thought a lot about my mum since becoming a mum, and imagining her doing all the stuff with me that I'm doing with Arch.  I hope that when Arch is in his 30s I'm a regular fixture in his life, and he comes over for dinner with his partner, and we hang out and drink wine and catch up for lunch, and he likes me, and asks for my advice on things, and that I'm cool and slightly eccentric.
The little bear is going to wake up any second now, so I'll end it here.

Surry Hills

Surry Hills is undoubtedly one of those places in Sydney that people just want to be.  Which is why it's so awesome (restaurants, shops, bars, cafes, parks), and sometimes not so awesome (parking, hipsters, no bookings at restaurants, neighbours who have terrible taste in music and very loud speakers).  I prefer mid week Surry Hills when it seems to be mostly locals around, rather than weekend Surry Hills when everyone floods in from everywhere.  Especially now, I spend a lot of time walking around outside, and most times when I'm out, I bump into another mum with a pram that I know (the mum, not the pram, although I am pretty good at identifying prams too) and have a chat, or just start talking to someone in the park.  It's nice, and there is this whole baby community of people around, and everyone just reaches out to each other.  But of course that isn't unique to Surry Hills.  I'm really grateful to live somewhere where I barely have to use a car to do what I want, and there really isn't much that I could want to do, buy or eat that isn't within walking distance.
But it isn't just me who thinks SH is awesome!  Recently, The Hills were named as one of the 50 most stylish suburbs in the world.  It was the only suburb in Australia to make the list (I've never heard of the website that made the list, but who cares!  Surry Hills is on it and that's where I LIVE).
Read about it here