Brothers - a friendship that is made to last

So many people warned us that the transition from having 1 child to 2 is far greater than it was going from 0 - 1. And although they were right in certain instances I wish they would not only tell us about the bad stuff, but also emphasize the good!!!

Anton, now 2 years and 2 months, and little Hendrik, a mere 2 months and 2 weeks currently dictate how my days and even my nights run and they decide when I can have a quick cup of tea, eat lunch and sometimes even when I can take a shower. BUT with the demands of these two little creatures comes entertainment and dialogue that NEVER fails to please. OK, no dialogue from Hendrik yet, but his constant smiling when Anton is around does indicate that he can see the clown that is his older brother.

Like I say - never a dull moment with these two and this is only but the beginning. I am excited when I think of the fun and laughter these 2 will still have, the battles they will face together, the games they will play and the fights they will have to settle. As a mother I have the privilege to experience this relationship firsthand and I am grateful for every moment that I can share with these two. 

  

 
It is my daily prayer that my two boys will laugh more than they will cry, play more than they will struggle, live full lives and, most importantly, enjoy each other and treasure the special bond that only siblings can have!

Happy mama

I know its been a while since my last post! Yes my life is a bit fuller since the arrival of little Hendrik, but I certainly can't blame my lack of writing on him. I think I have just been caught up in life - the kids, the husband, work, running a household and savouring every precious moment with my loved ones - specifically my 3 boys!

I cannot put words to the happiness that I experience everyday. Yes there will be times when I want to run away and hide under my bed until the storm is over, but these moments are only faint blips on the rose coloured canvas of my life. My boys are entertaining, challenging, funny, demanding, dependent, loving and oh! so lovable! I cant imagine a life without these three in it!

I am not always content in thinking that my life has changed so drastically in the past 3 years, but I am happy! I am happy and I am grateful! Today I am thankful to be a mama and to be a wife. xxx

progress report_ being a mama of two, the experience so far

there is something very special about a night feed... its just you, your babe and the night noises and i find this to be so peaceful and tranquil that i almost don't mind the terrible hours that i have to get up for a night feed!

tonight is a bit eerie though as there is quite a strong wind blowing outside and due to some windows being open this is causing all our internal doors to rattle and shake. the rest of the house however is dead quiet and still, so i'm loving it!

so far Hendrik has been a good nighttime babe and we have sailed smoothly through our first several night feeds - i know this might be fuelling the strange sense of euphoria that i might be experiencing right now. it's still early days and i know this sweet little angel lying in my arms tonight can easily transform into, what seems to be, a fire breathing monster that eats away at precious bedtime hours at any point in time. for now i am grateful for every good night though.

so far (and i am aware that its only been 10 days) my whole adventure with Hendrik has really been pain- and hassle free. what a lucky mama i am, our little prince really is setting the bar high for himself for the coming weeks. like most new mamas out there i have that precious 12week milestone in mind- this is when things usually start to get a bit easier for babe and ultimately for the parents.

big brother Anton is also slowly getting used to the fact that baby brother is here to stay. i won't  say that he's surrendered the battle of trying to get our undivided attention, all the time, just yet, but i suspect the change is starting to become his normal. this transition period has definitely brought with it it's own set of challenges! dealing with a newborn, a feisty and strong willed two year old and recovering from surgery is not an easy task, but it helps having some extra hands available to diffuse the "volatile" moments. thanks to the husband and my mom even this potentially difficult introduction has run relatively smoothly.

ok, the little guy seems to have fallen asleep again, let me also try to catch some precious sleep. more on how we are settling in soon!

have an awesome monday and great week dear readers, xoxo

Our latest addition

those of you following me on instagram are by this stage well aware of the latest addition to our family! little Christoffel Hendrik Petrus Derksen was born on thursday 26 february 2015. what a special and wonderful day this was. from the moment we set foot in the hospital at 05:00 everything went smoothly and quickly and when they put Hendrik in my arms at 07:35 i felt nothing but love and immense feelings of humble appreciation for an awesome God!

to hold such a small, little perfect being for the first time is an act you cannot really put words to, all i can say is WOW! the immediate love for this little boy is indescribable! the connection between the husband and i as the nurse gave us this little wonder is a bond that seems impossible to break. the realisation that we are to care and look after this person for the rest of his life is a responsibility that feels too great to really comprehend. but the motherly instinct that immediately kicks in is real and wonderful and very, very natural. i am in love with our latest addition to the family.

From here

that nesting instinct

i think i might have hit the "nesting" phase of my pregnancy, so nursery, baby, de-cluttering and home organising are a few things that i am exploring and searching on the internet at the moment.

That Nesting Instinct During Pregnancy

Reorganizing the closets, alphabetizing the spice rack, and thwarting dust-bunny breeding efforts under the bed? Welcome to a pre-labor ritual that helps get your home ready for the baby, and helps you pass the time.

from here

today i am writing lists for what needs to be done in the next 5 weeks, making a mobile for the new nursery, hanging pictures, frames and mirrors that have been standing in their new positions for ages now, putting up some shelving and hooks for easier storage in and around the house and starting to sort through some of anton's old clothes to be packed into hendriks's cupboards.

These little animals are the starting point of the mobile that i want to make for the nursery - i will post the end product when it is complete.

i went for a doctor's check up yesterday and all is well with mom and baby - for the time being we are still set for the 26th of february. have a lovely day xoxo

they grow up too fast

it is with a heavy heart that i am writing this morning. it is bucketing down outside -perfect cuddle and stay in bed weather - and i am sitting in a dead quiet house... anton started going to kindergarten this morning and i guess i will have to get used to the few hours of solitude that this gives me. i know this is actually wonderful, but i am a bit sad when i see his little shoes, books or toys scattered around the house though :(

this is a photo from when he was about 8 months old, cant believe this little guy is at school today!

...a little update

hello, its been awhile! let me begin by saying HAPPY 2015! may this be your year! so much has happened with me and my little family since my last post and i wish i could have shared it all a bit sooner, but today i am hoping to give you a proper update.

on a very happy note we celebrated my little sister's wedding day on 13 december and what a beautiful and spectacular event this was! she looked like the stylish and elegant woman she has grown to be and to see the immense happiness and excitement on her, now, husband's face when she came down the isle was one of the most special moments of 2014! as the wedding was being hosted on my parents' olive estate the days leading to the wedding were filled with family, friends, laughter and a whirlwind of getting it all ready... but this added to the special event that it turned out to be - so many guests attending the wedding had a hand in the end product and what a magnificent evening this was! i will in the weeks to come dedicate an entire post to this day as there are just too many precious moments to share here.

on a sour note, i must share that my dad had a very bad accident only a few days before the wedding and although things turned out far better that what we initially anticipated we got a big fright when a ladder slipped from under my dad's feet and he had an almost 3m fall! initially he only spent one night in hospital and came home with a big cut on the back of his head, a broken chest bone, broken toes and an intensely bruised body and although he spent the following week in bed or in his wheelchair, the old man still managed to walk my little sister down the isle!!!! my eyes fill with tears just thinking about this gesture! i can only imagine the pain he must have experienced in doing this, he even forced those broken feet into shoes! "no daughter of mine will walk down the isle without me by her side whilst i still live and breath". he did however go see another specialist two days after the wedding on on his recommendation he did undergo surgery to reset the chest bone as the break was far worse that initially thought. he is still recovering and the doctor said he must be take it easy for at least 6 weeks! as you can imagine this was one of the lowest points of 2014, but it could have been worse.

as i told you in one of my previous posts; expanding little family; we are having another baby and his arrival is getting closer and closer - estimated due date is 26 february already! i am getting very excited now and as my bump is growing a little each day the reality of this whole experience is also starting to feel more real! anton has now properly moved out of the cot and he is enjoying naps and evening sleeps in his "big boy" bed in his "big boy"room now, i am such a proud mother that this transition went very smoothly and that he himself suggested the move - no forced move here! this little guy has grown so much and he surprises us with a new word, or trick or skill every day - he certainly will be a great big brother! whats more is that this little guy will be attending kindergarten this year - staring this week!!! i am anxious to see how this unfolds for both mother and child.. more on this in a later post. for now this little blond prince is his moms favourite for another month or so and then a level of equality will have to be established :)

otherwise life is quickly falling back into its normal routines after we spent almost a month on our family farm in stilbaai - a wonderful break from the everyday rush of the city of joburg. christmas was filled with love and laughter as my entire family attended christmas on the farm this year - anton was the highlight and his joy and excitement at the lighting of the christmas tree was contagious! a special period with all of my most favourite people.

workwise i have decided to take it slow for the first half of this year and i have only taken on 1 new project as to prioritise little anton and his new baby brother. this project is another exciting one, a new residential projects for two very special friends that will soon start construction on their dream home. it is always such a humbling experience to be part of such dreams, even though it is my profession and work!

well there you have it all in a nutshell - some bits and pieces might still flood the pages in the coming weeks, but at least now you are all up to date again. may your 2015 be filled with warm sunshine, love and laughter and i also hope that i will be able to share more happiness than sadness in this new year - lets go!!! xoxo

Expanding little family

Those of you following my Instagram feed are by now well aware that our little family of 3 will be growing to 4 members early in the new year... Eeeeeeeek a reality that have not really sunken in yet!

My estimated due date is on the 6th of March, but my doctor have already mentioned a Cesarian date of around the 26th of February. This means that we will be meeting our new son (its a boy!) in less than 4 months!!!!

This time round I have experienced pregnancy in a whole different manner! No more stolen naps when I feel the need or just because I want to, no more embracing the ups and downs of morning sickness or having the husband treat me like I might break.. nopes! Now that I am already a mother all the luxuries that I had during my first pregnancy are being gulped up by the much needed attention and demands of little Anton. This means that some days are tough and that I don't have an alternative option but to push through the day and wait until Anton's nap or bedtime before I can finally put my feet up! (As I am writing now I am wondering if I will regret not having a lie down as Anton is taking his afternoon nap now.)

I am sure many mothers before me and many still to come will go through the same emotions when expecting their second child, I must be honest I am a little bit overwhelmed. I keep on asking myself if I will have enough love for two little ones!? How in the world will it be possible to have my heart love more than it is already loving now!? Between my love for the husband and little Anton I often experience SERIOUS heart ache when I think of them - will it be possible to fit another love like theirs in there?? Will I be able to cope with the demands of the little one while caring and loving for Anton and the husband as I am doing now? Will I still be able to work and deliver on my goals and high standards? Will the husband and I have ANY time for each other? These are but a few thoughts that keep on creeping into my mind and that I probably will only be able to answer next year - I will keep you posted.

For now I am silently excited, a little bit scared and some what overwhelmed over what might be. I am giving Anton as much of me as I possibly can, I am spending as much time as possible with the husband too and all this while praying that God will protect our little family and the growing little baby inside of me and keep us as a happy and healthy unit for as long as physically possible!