26/52

"A portrait of my babes, once a week, every week, in 2014"

Audrey :: The recent cold snap and fierce winds have meant fishing out our Winter woolies!

Baby R :: 38 weeks tomorrow and surprisingly I can still see my toes.... Well sort of!

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25/52

"A portrait of my babes, once a week, every week, in 2014"

Audrey :: Our afternoons of late have been spent in the back yard soaking up the last of the winters sun. You tend to the chickens, chase after Oscar and bounce on the trampoline until your legs can no longer hold you.

Baby R :: We walked the grounds of Milton Park where your Dadda and I were married I could not help but feel completely blessed. As your sister ran up and down the stairs that were our makeshift aisle I reminisced of the day I walked those very stairs. I was a girl, a girl in love, with a new chapter of my life about to unfold. You and your sister were but a dream for our future, as I held my belly I felt you moving and I knew you were experiencing this beautiful moment with me.

- Joining in with Jodi and a world of talented bloggers -

The Name Game

How did you go about deciding your children's names? Did you stick to a theme? Perhaps take it in turns? Did you ask your other children for input? Or do you follow the syllable rule?

We are having the hardest time finding the perfect name for Baby Rampling!

When pregnant with Audrey, Luke and I chose to find out if we were expecting a boy or girl. As soon as we knew we had a little girl on the way names seemed to come easy and we quickly decided on Audrey May. Hormones and restlessness had me questioning our decision late in my third trimester but as soon as she popped her head out of the water and was placed on my chest it was clear she was our Audrey May...

This time round we have decided it would be nice to have a surprise and for the most part I love not knowing if Baby Rampling is pink or blue but it has made choosing a name far more difficult. Added to the difficulty is trying to find a name that compliments Audrey, we are not into 'matchy' names but I am definitely mindful of how the two names sound together.

While Luke and I tend to have similar taste when it comes to names he loves to throw some curve balls into the mix (showing his Bellingen upbringing) which intrigue me but I'm always unsure of. Oh and he absolutely refuses to have surnames as first names (which I absolutely love).

So here we are less then four weeks till our due date and without a name for our darling boy or girl... I have listed our top picks below but as you will see there are no matches! How long do you have before you have to register your child's name????

Luke's Top Five Pink Names:
1. Annabel
2. Harriet
3. Eadie
4. Winter
5. Primrose

Luke's Top Five Blue Names:
1. Louis
2. Arlo
3. Ayrton
4. William
5. Jude

My Top Five Pink Names:
1. Luisa
2. Magnolia
3. Marlowe
4. Francis
5. Spencer

My Top Five Blue Names:
1. Goodwyn
2. Hugo
3. August
4. Ari
5. Lawson

Frog's Top Five Pink Names:
1. Elsa
2. Elsa
3. Elsa
4. Elsa
5. Elsa

Frog's Top Five Blue Names:
1. Elsa
2. Elsa
3. Elsa
4. Elsa
5. Elsa

24/52

"A portrait of my babes, once a week, every week, in 2014"

Audrey :: Never one to miss out on a photo you jumped straight up on our bed while your Daddy was taking a picture of your Baby brother or sister and said "I smile, I smile"! You then smothered my belly with kisses before jumping off the bed in search of a new adventure...

Baby R :: We did it! Rest and water have seen your amniotic fluid score go from 5.6 to 9.3 in ten days so we don't have to be induced! We are all very excited to meet you but we are very happy you will get to stay, growing inside with love for a few more weeks...

- Joining in with Jodi and a world of talented bloggers -

23/52

"A portrait of my babes, once a week, every week, in 2014"

Audrey :: Sometimes I find you in the funniest of places, doing the funniest of things. You were meant to be having your day sleep but instead I found you wearing your dress up tutu, admiring your resplendent self in my mirror...

Baby R :: You like keeping us on our toes! Our ultrasound this week discovered you are low on amniotic fluid so we have spent every second day attached to a CTG monitoring your strong heart and movement. We have a few more CTG's to go and another ultrasound on Thursday before we find out if you will be meeting us earlier then expected.

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Documenting Audrey | In The Kitchen

She takes great pride in helping to make the family meals. She measures, rolls, squeezes, and chops with lips pursed in concentration. Every so often I hear her whisper to herself "dis is gunna be weally nice". She looks to me for guidance but insists on doing most things herself. I cherish this time together and remind myself not to hurry her. As we sit down to enjoy her great feasts we give thanks and her contented smile warms my heart.

With my belly growing rounder and butterfly sensations turning into swift kicks I am reminded that in a few short months we will be a family of four. With this in mind I have started a little project for my first baby, our Frog. I want to remember her, the every day her, the things that somehow get missed in all the baby books and journals. Over the coming months I will document the little parts of her day that are so special at this age with a few photos and words, the third in this series is in the kitchen...

* You can see sleep here

** You can see play here

22/52

"A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, in 2014"

Lately I have noticed something about you... You are a thinker. I often find you eyes fixed on the world, lips pursed, in deep concentration. When I ask you what you are thinking about you just look at me and smile. I don't mind that you are not ready to share your inner thoughts with me just yet but I am here for you whenever you are...

- Joining in with Jodi and a world of talented bloggers -