Auckland Museum

So we went down town to the Auckland domain for a day out at the park and a stroll through the museum. It is free to go for Auckland residents. We had a "cuppa" out at a cafe by the duck pond then went up to see the big ducks (or geese?) ... They looked like geese, but they were in the duck pond so I am going with big ducks :)
Then we went to the museum... it is very big and has a lot to go through. Our little girl just loved it, and we will have to keep going since she was so happy. They had NZ focused exhibits with a Maori wing and a more recent collection of European things on the first floor. The next floor is based on natural history with volcano and water sections and some ancient artifacts from around the world. It also had a local nature section that lead to a children's discovery area... fish tanks, bugs, butterflys, bright colors, mini science projects... just fun. The top floor was a war memorial section which was interesting to see what perspectives of war are like outside of the US. It also has a flash back area of a town set up like Auckland in the 1800's. Very neat!

Getting cold again

It is April already! Time is really flying by with all the happenings. So first and most importantly we welcomed our baby girl to the world on the 16th of February. I cannot compare giving birth in NZ to giving birth in the states since she is my first, but my experience here was great. I called the midwife when I had 3 contractions in 10 minutes (it took a day and a half with two sleepless nights to get to that point) and she had us meet her at the hospital at 1:30 am. We got a room and she stayed with us in it with her and her assistant (an apprenticing midwife). The only hospital staff members I saw were the nurses at delivery and the guy who did my epidural. My midwife delivered her at 7:31 am... our baby is perfect :) They do an hour of skin to skin time immediately after birth (before cleaning or weighing... she came out and went right on my chest... cord still attached and all) This was an amazing bonding experience, and then she was taken to get weighed and cleaned and checked out after an hour. During that time I got cleaned up and something to eat which gave Brandon some bonding time. I stayed at the hospital for 2 nights. It was so close to the water that there were seagulls hanging outside my window. The baby stayed with me in my room the whole time (no nurseries like in the movies). That was a little tough from a sleeping point of view but I would not want it any other way :)
After that we had my parents come to NZ to visit us... especially the new baby. We went all over to show them where we live and I got help taking out the baby to some of our favorite spots. I am nursing her and NZ is not shy at all about nursing in public... I still cover up, but I notice many people dont and I get a lot of loving glances from other mothers when I do feed her out in public. I also have not been to the parent rooms in the states, but the only here are fantastic. Rooms for nursing with big comfy chairs and multiple changing tables with sinks between and bottle heaters. Even short toilets for the little ones who are learning in some. I was very impressed.
I was glad to have my parents in town to go through some of the many 'firsts'. Being far from home is very difficult. I am finding support though with my mommies coffee group. We meet once a week and talk about successes and failures of being a first time mom. We started going to a wiggle and rhyme class too which is a class for babies to listen to music and do little movements to.
The midwife came to our house for weekly check ups for the first 6 weeks too... very nice to not have to go into the doctor to get her weighed and checked.
Then in March we had a set of Brandon's parents come to visit. I was starting to get a hang of baby's schedule so we were able to go out as tourists again. They also took a trip down to Tongariro national park to do a 12 mile hike. Baby and I didnt make it there, but Brandon went with them and they made it through the whole 12 miles. It went up an active volcano just south of lake Taupo. They said it was no joke and pretty difficult to do. The day after their hike we had our baby baptized. It was another great visit.
That brings us to April. Easter is just around the corner, Brandon register for the marathon again, we are meeting with the Plunket nurse every other week, and we are trying to find things to do around here since it is getting cold and we have baby with us.... maybe bowling :)

Knitting, Crocheting, and Sewing... oh my!

So I have been going crazy with my crafts for the baby. Thought I would add some photos of my projects!

Holiday Time

Well, we had another successful Thanksgiving, Christmas, Boxing day, and New Years.
On Thanksgiving we had about 11 people in total. All of the food was excellent!
For Christmas this year we skyped home to open gifts on video and went to the beach. (We are going for the "all I want for Christmas is a real good tan" wish list)
Boxing day we went to a cricket game. It was my first one...I have attached a photo of the field before the game. We had some delicious food before the game made by one of the friends we went to the game with. The Black Caps won (NZ) against Pakistan.
Finally on New Years we went over to our neighbor's house and had drinks and snacks (sparkling juice for me!). It was great to meet their friends and nice to get to know them better too.
I am at home now with a little over five weeks to go till our little one is due. We went through childbirth classes here. They are geared towards doing everything as naturally as possible. Everyone in the class is planning on going drug free and 1/3 are doing water births and 1/2 going to a birthing center that is free from any medical intervention. Just very different from the way labour is portrayed in the states. We are going to try and do the gas route (not even an option in the states, same stuff you get at the dentist... you use it through contractions, and Brandon can even take a few puffs off it if he wants, haha!) and will get an epidural if I feel I want one.
I made the national dessert of New Zealand yesterday... it is sooo good that it is almost completely gone already. It is a pavlova, it has a marshmallow like texture with whipped cream and fruit on top. Yummy!
We are just now getting several of our holiday cards in the mail. Seems like the whole country shuts down for the holidays here including the postal service, so Christmas is coming for a month this year. Enjoy the photos, and we miss you all!

Auckland Marathon

Brandon ran in the Auckland Marathon today!!!! He ran it in 4 hours 39 minutes 41 seconds.
I have some pictures attached. So proud of him for doing so well... now just to work through the sore muscles :) The last picture is of him in his yellow marathon shirt and his medal... he definitely earned it!

Rangitoto

We decided to get out of the house after Brandon was gone for work this past week. So we took a ferry over to Rangitoto from Auckland. It was such a pretty day out, why not climb a volcano?!
It took awhile to climb since I was breaking every time there was a place to sit, but we made it to the top, and the views were great. We could see 360 views with all of the islands, the skyline, and the peninsula where we live! The pictures show the island, Brandon pointing at the crater on top (filled with trees since it has been 600 years since it came about), us in front of the views on top, and me with the volcanic rock along the path (The whole path was not a boardwalk... I was enjoying the break from walking across rocks).

Long time no post

Wow, a little embarrassing how long it has been since my last post. Tons has happened! The pictures show a day at Shakespeare Park with the puppies and the picnic spread we had. It was the first nice day of the year. We are in spring now, and I am sooo happy! It rains most days in winter here.
The biggest of happenings is we are expecting a baby in February. This has led to all sorts of new discoveries! First is the dramatic difference in prices of baby gear. Strollers, carseats, cribs, bottles, monitors... and the list goes on! We stopped comparing the money we would have saved if we could buy things from the states after the stroller. We are having family members bring over somethings and we are already getting the care packages.
The last picture is of the sushi Brandon made for me at home... it is preggo safe sushi :) It was sooo good! Now that I know he is so good at making sushi I want it all the time. He found a local Japanese food shop owner that got us all set up with the supplies so it should not be a problem.
That is all for now. Miss you all back home!