Where are they now?

Cripes, was it really July when I last posted? (Rhetorical question I guess).

We just keep on keeping on. The girls are thriving and loving life. Charli is an inquisitive and generally outgoing little girl who seems to have a playground radar, and loves TV (like her Mum). Bella is an adventurous and at times mischevious little mite who is emerging out of Charli's shadow and is catching up to her in height.

Beck recently won a promotion so will be leaving her current job and starting a new one towards the end of November - the girls and I are very proud of her. As for me, I'm enjoying my current career - should have made the change at least two years ago..

We've also been busy renovating our kitchen over our "holidays" and it's starting to look great.

An update.

It seems like so long since I've updated this page, so I thought it's time.

We're in the middle of a pretty damp Adelaide winter, but thankfully we've so far managed to escape with nothing more than a couple of sniffly colds.

Life is pretty busy with me on shift work, and Becks hours increasing and likely to be even busier as she moves to a new office in August.

The girls are thriving though, Charlie is now 27 months old and full of beans. She's capable of having a conversation for the most part. She is still very bubbly and a happy little girl, and seems to be quite bright. Be careful what you say around her though, because she tends to repeat it :). She had some surgery a couple of months ago now, to fix the scar on her forehead from her little accident and seems to be healing well from that. Life for Charlie tends to be a fast paced affair with not much walking hapening - she tends to run and bounce everywhere. Thankfully she doesn't often spend much time on the naughty spot

Bella is now 16 months old and a tornado. She is very energetic and is into everything. She doesn't take any crap from Charli either, but that said, they really do love each other and are always playing together (when not watching Shaun the Sheep). Bella has a very healthy appetite and pallet and will eat just about anything - beit animal vegetable or mineral, whereas Charli is a little fussier. Bella also loves her books and often sits down read a book to herself or to us..

She Walks II - The Bella edition

Yes, as you can see by the title our little surprise packet keeps surprising us by walking before she's even one! There's very little crawling going on in the Murdoch house now with Bella pretty much walking from when she gets up in the morning to when she goes to bed at night... Many apologies in advance for our carpet... :) Bella really has continued to advance quite quickly, I guess it helps to have an older sister to try and keep up with

Progressive Charli

Rather than update this every month for Charli, I've decided to make it every three months, so sit back and enjoy watching our big little girl grow :)

This is me next to my favourite bear as the month roll by. This first one is of me and bear - I was four days old, and a little bit jaundiced.

Me at three months - as you can tell me and the bear had some good stuff that night.

Me and the bear just chilling. As you can see i've grown quite a bit in my first six months. I'm 65.5 cms "tall" (will be taller than mum soon), weigh in at just over 8kgs and my head size is in the 97th percentile - dad reckons that mean i've got a big head :)

Well, this is me at about nine and a half months. Sorry I didn't post closer to my nine month date but someone pinched daddy's camera (and video camera and tomtom sat nav). He called them lots of names I didn't quite understand but apparently it "would've made wharfies blush" according to Mum.

Well, I'm one year old now and loving it. I had something called a party last week and lots a cool and lovely people came, showed me lots of attention, and gave me plenty of presents, including, books, clothes and toys. Mummy and Daddy have had to buy a new house for me to put all my new stuff in. Anyway, what am I up to? I'm really scooting (by crawl and wall/furniture assisted walk) around the house into every cupboard and drawer I can find. I've got my third tooth coming through now (up the top) and am understanding this big world more and more every day.

This is me at 15 months and a few days... I've developed quite a bit in the last three months into quite a character. I'm walking well now though gravity and I have had the odd disagreement and it's not uncommon for me to have some sort of bump on my head. I've got six teeth now (four up top and two bottom), am interacting and understanding things and my favourite TV show is "In the Night Garden" with UpsyDaisy being my favourite character... I absolutely adore my Mum and Dad and my little sister too, always giving her loves, and really love spending time with my other family especially Jamie, Tom and Karli. And the thing I love doing most of all - DANCING!!!!

Yay, I'm 18 months now and life for me is just go go go. I am a one girl eating machine most days though am displaying a bit of dads fussiness with food. The last three months have seen me grow quite a bit, but I've also got a nice little bang on my forehead from a clash with the corner of a wall at home (the wall won). I'm really enjoying playing with my little sister now and have a few more words to my vocabulary - Mum, Dad, Nanny, Poppa, jas', Pugs, Ta and Daisy as well as my versions of other words like UpsyDaisy and the cutest "Yes Please" you'll ever hear (it sounds like Bwis Pweeze - Mum and Dad know what I'm saying anyway

Hell again everybody, I'm 21 months old now. It's been a pretty busy three months since I last posted, for everyone in the house. when my little sister posts next week she can tell you what she's been up to. As for me, I keep on keeping on. I'm still a very happy little girl who loves her mummy and daddy and little sister lots and lots. I'm now pretty free with my kisses and hugs. My words are expanding all the time as is my understandong of the world around me. I've just been through my second Christmas, and boy did I get spoilt by that big guy in the red suit. I like pictures of him but try and get me anywhere near him and you'd think he stole by favourite toy (which is whatever one Bella has at the time). I guess I haven't grown that much in height but as you can see from my picture I've got a pretty full head of (freshly out of bed) hair. I love feeding the ducks, playing with Bella, and mummy and daddy, and playing with me friends too

. I am a bit of a fussy eater, in that if it's rubbish, i'll love it but if it looks good for me, I'm not really interested. Mummy and Daddy (and pretty much anyone who meets me) reckons I'm a real character but really I just love life. That's it for now, next time I post, I'll be two!!!!! Syonara, or in my words bye bye and MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMWAH!

She walks!!!

Yes, it's true, our Charli has started walking. She's gotten to the point where she doesn't even crawl anywhere and of course is now into EVERYTHING!!!

Watch her walk here!!!

Bella's first twelve months

Well, here I am. The biggest surprise packet in Mum and Dads life. I've noticed my big sister has something like this so I thought I'd copy. This is me only a few days old next to my very own bear. As each month goes by, i'll try and get Dad to update my progress like he did for Charli.

My how quick a month goes. Here I am at one month old. Not a great deal has changed - I've grown and put on a bit of weight but am still in the 25th percentile so have a little way to go. I don't think this will be a problem though as I do love my food!!

Well, here I am again, another month has passed and many two hourly feeds later, I've managed to get my weight up. I'm starting to give smiles now that aren't always cos' I need to fart, and even seem to be recognising my name. My big sister has even stopped poking at me (most of the time). We move into a new house over the next few days so that will be fun and in the mean time I'm going to keep eating and growing big and strong.

Yes, I'm three months old now and the world seems a different place everyday.... Mummy and Daddy have discovered something called a ticklish spot - it seems to be between the top of my head and the bottom of my feet. Not much to report this month, I'm starting to make noises and babble a bit but am a long way from beating Charli... Daddy says sorry the image is a bit blurry - I wouldn't sit still for him this month

Well here I am at four months old.. In the last month I've had my first hospital visit (RSV and bronchilitis), I have my own cot as i was popping out of the bassinette and am eating like a horse and growing well because of it...

Okay, so I'm five months now and becoming more vocal. I love attention though it can be a bit difficult with my big sister demanding it a bit too, and especially love when people talk to me. I'm still only on the bot-bot but am watching mummy and daddy eating that solid stuff so will be ready for it when I turn six months old..

Yes, it's that time again. I'm now 6 months old and growing all the time.. I love my "food" though not real keen on that stuff mummy and daddy call "solids" usually creating wonderful art works on the floor, couch or mummy or daddy (even uncle Jason wore my work). At six months I weigh a little over 8kgs and am 67 cms in length, a little taller than Charli was at the same age.
The last few weeks haven't been the best for me health wise with that bronchiolitis (sic) rearing its head and almost turning into pnuemonia but a quick dose of 'roids and I'm all good now - though am now growing hair on my back (go figure).

Guess what? I'm 7 months old now and quite easily in the 90th percentiles for height and weight. I'm not really into solids as yet so heaven help mum, dad, Charli and the scales when I do start to eat them. I've got to be watched closely now as I'm rolling around from front to back and vica verca and sitting up unassisted. Still very quiet unless I'm hungry or tired, otherwise you don't usually hear from me though I have started to make conversation.

Time has flown since my last post - and i'm 8 months old now. I'm eating like a horse now (no, not eating hay), with two or three jars of food being accompanied by bottles and anything I can reach that's edible. I'm able to stand and support my own weight but thats when someone picks me up and puts me that way, otherwise I roll all around the floor.

Wow doesn't time fly - I'm nine months old now and life is pretty good. I'm loving my solid food now and am making pretty strong movements to crawl (and even walk sometimes). As you can see from my photo, I'm a pretty happy bub, and am really looking forward to my first Christmas.. whatever that is. this is a typical attempt from me of crawling - more like rolling at present - please forgive the carpet and my missing sock - it is one of my latest tricks

Yes, it's true! I'm now ten months old, and what a fascinating last month it has been for me.. I've experienced my first Christmas where there were lots of shiny colourful things under a big shiny colourful thing and I got to make a mess. I went up the river for something called New Years - not sure what all the fuss was about that, I was asleep by 8pm, I'm crawling like a demon and pulling myself up and walking with the assistance of furniture - or even a walker AND I've got two teeth. Big month for me!

Introducing Anabella Grace Murdoch

It is with much joy and happiness that we introduce our second gorgeous daughter, Anabella Grace. Bella arrived at 8.50am on Wednesday 12 March at Burnside Hospital. Bella weighed 2.8kg, a bit smaller than her sister Charlotte and lost almost 10% during her hospital stay. Unfortunately this meant mum and dad and big sister missed out on a luxury weekend at the Hyatt, vetoed by the Paediatrican but that was fine as it was too hot to move anyway. We are pleased that at last count Bella weighed in at a healthy 3.3kg and judging by the way she loves her food we are expecting another decent weight gain this week.

Charlotte is enthralled by her little sister and doesn't want to leave her alone, we think she is a bit impatient and wants Bella to play with her now. Otherwise she has been a wonderful big sister and even helps pat Bella's back at burp time.

The Murdoch household feels very complete now and very busy with not much sleep happening at night. We are estatic with our little brood and look forward to giving you regular updates as our darling little princesses continue to grow.