Oh The Places You'll Go

Source: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/5314_530331237009989_1886929626_n.jpg

After I wrote my last post about wanting to travel more around this part of the world, we got to talking about the where and the when.

For those of you with children, you know being spontaneous isn't that easy anymore.

For those of you with an infant getting ready to crawl, you probably know taking that airplane ride long distances is about as fun as punching yourself in the face as hard as you can.

So it takes a bit of planning but here are some of the places we would like to visit while we are living in Australia.

Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/WhitsundayIslandBeach.JPG

Heart Island, Whitsundays
Source: http://www.all-wallpapers.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Heart-Island.jpg

Apart from pointing out that this place is obviously beautiful, the Whitsundays are a group of islands off of the shores of Queensland and a part of the Great Barrier Reef. The snorkeling is supposed to be amazing and the beaches impeccable. We've been to the Great Barrier Reef before but stayed near Cairnes and if you speak to anyone who is a frequent diver, they will probably tell you that the Whitsundays are hands down so much more spectacular. And who wouldn't want to stay on an island shaped like a heart or an island with the name: Daydream Island?

Fraser Island
Source: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/Content/sand-island-eastern-australia-1051916-lw.jpg

I want to go to Fraser Island because of it's beauty, diversity and all the interesting elements that make it different: 1.) It's the largest all-sand island in the world 2.) An interesting fact I learnt from some friends that recently took a diving trip there is that there are also over 100 lakes on the island and a ton of different types of animals, insects and plants. I don't care about the insects part, btw.  3.) The other night I was watching a show on TV where it was stated that it's the only place in the word where rainforest grows on top of sand dunes.

Melbourne
Source: http://www.mattlauder.com.au/images/photos/melb01.jpg

Not only do I want to visit Melbourne to see these cute, quaint little beach huts (and I want a picture of me standing in front of them), but Melbourne seems like it's so different from Sydney. Or so I hear. Some of the impressions of Melbourne that I've heard from others that have been there is that it's very artsy, hipster and the shopping is good. Those aren't good enough reasons for me to visit just another large city but since it's such an easy flight from Sydney, why not check it out for the weekend?  

Indonesia: Bali (top) and Jakarta (below). 

Sources: http://www.layoverguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Bali-Pura-Ulun-Danu-Bratan-Water-Temple-in-Bali-Indonesia.jpg and http://www.nusantaratravelagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/jakarta_indonesia_night.jpg

We have family that live in Jakarta so why not kill two birds with one stone? The city seems like it can be a little dangerous and scary but sticking close to the locals is the way to go. And when I say locals, I mean my father -in-law. :) Again, it's another city but since the culture is SO different and non-Westernized, I'd really like to visit here. While we are at it, a person or two has said Bali is pretty great too! ;) I know there are a lot of family friendly resorts in the island town and who doesn't like staying on a gorgeous beach?  

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Source: http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/images/Ningaloo_aerial.jpg

This is the only trip that we sort of have planned. In June there is a long weekend because of the Queen's Birthday. I don't know her personally but if she's going to give us a reason to take a holiday, I'll help her celebrate.
Ningaloo Reef is one of the few places you can swim with whale sharks. I think they are harmless to snorkel around... I think. It's a short flight to the Coral Reef from Perth in Western Australia (Sydney to Perth is a longer 5-hour flight). I don't know much about the western part of Australia except the beaches are pretty and full of dangerous, hungry sharks. Little Decker will not be swimming here and I possibly won't either. We'll leave that to Kevin who says, I quote: "Sharks are just like dogs, they are just curious." Well Kevin, I quote, "Curiosity killed the cat." Sharks or no sharks, I look forward to checking out Western Oz.

The 12-Apostles along the Great Ocean Road-South Australia
Source: http://www.victoria.visitorsbureau.com.au/regions/apostles-on-the-great-ocean-road-1561.jpg

Lastly, there is the Great Ocean Road. It's 243km's long and can be driven from Melbourne to Adelaide (South Australia) over a few days. There are many breathtaking spots to stop at and explore along the way such as the 12-Apostles. A couple of our friends have done this and said that the limestone rocks that stick up out of the ocean are massive. I can't wait to do this drive and plan to bring my SLR camera, if I don't, I know I'll regret it.

1 Year Anniversary living in Australia

I should have written this post back in August but time slipped away from me, again! Two weeks ago we moved and then Kevin had to take a business trip overseas so I've had my hands full. Anyway, I thought I would do a 1-year anniversary post on living in Sydney and write about the pros and cons living here and overseas in general.

With my loves at Opera Bar, August 2013

Living in another country definitely has it's challenges / cons.

1.) Even though everyone speaks English, there are some language barriers and new words we've had to learn and incorporate into our vocabulary. We've noticed there is a lot of slang and the locals add an "o",  "ie" or "y" at the end of a lot of words. Most of the words you can figure out but some make no sense to me . It's funny and charming but it's a little annoying too.  But that's the Ozzie's thing, I guess.

For example:

Lift = Elevator                                                  
Ambo = Ambulance
Pram = Stroller                                                  
Arvo = Afternoon (I have NO idea how this translates)
Bin = Garbage Can                                          
Mozzy = Mosquito
Garbage = Rubbish                                          
Footy = Rugby
Nappy = Diaper                                                
Swimming costume or Togs = Bathing buit
Coriander = Cilantro                                        
Doco = A documentary film
Chips = French Fries                                        
Tradie  = A Tradesman or blue-collar worker
Bubbles = Sparkling wine                                
Esky = Cooler (In NZ, they call this a 'Chilly Bin')
Flat = Apartment                                              
Ice Block = Popsicle
Rashi = Rash guard                              
Woop Woop = A small town; out in the boonies
Thong = Flip Flop sandals                                
Whinging (Kevin's favorite) = Whining or complaining


2.) Living away from family and friends. This one is really hard for me, especially now that Decker is here. God Bless the inventors of Skype, Viber, FaceTime and iMessage. Without these advancements in technology I would be lost. End of story.

3.) Trying to find the comforts and conveniences of home from food to Target & Nordstrom. It's always fun to discover little pieces of America while overseas. It was an exciting day when we found Costco and Ikea, ha! It sounds a little materialistic but when you are living so far away, sometimes it's the little things that can make your day. I feel like Australia is more Americanized than New Zealand was but it's still a challenge not having a 'one stop shop' like Target. I miss you Target, more than you know! BTW, there is a Target here but it's not the same-different quality and different brands. They try to make it similar but it's so bootleg it's not even funny.

4.) Driving here sucks! Uggghhhh. We have an SUV or Ute (as they call it here. Another slang word I'm guessing is short for Utility Vehicle?). There are not any major freeways like the 405 or the 5 that you can travel long distances at a fast speed. All vehicles, including huge semi's (there's another word for these too but I can't remember it right now) have to travel through the suburbs to get around. Traffic is horrendous all the time. ESPECIALLY on the weekends. Because businesses here close down at 5pm Monday-Friday, people that work have to run all their errands on the weekends which is major cause for a cluster f*$k on the roads.
The roads are also very, very narrow. Since I drive a bigger car, I feel like I'm going to hit either the side rails or another car. I've already been in one accident here and I'd rather not relive that experience. Thank you very much.

5.) It is so flippin expensive here. I keep telling myself that I really need to get over this one but it's so hard. Especially since we are American and we know the cost of these things in our home country. Stuff is double, sometimes triple the cost in Australia. I rarely go shopping here, definitely not for cosmetics. Poor Kevin always gets a shopping list from me when he goes to the US for work.  Ever since we've lived in NZ, I told myself that I was going to start a business of importing cosmetics and iPhones from the US and sell them back to people here (for a higher cost than what you buy it for in America, but WAY cheaper than what they sell for here in Australia). Then I got reading into all the taxes and other BS you have to go through. Black market business anyone? No thanks.
Rent is another huge cost that makes me sick. I'm not even going to disclose what our rent cost is per week (you pay by the week vs per month). You would keel over and vomit as well. I know what mortgages and rents are in the US and comparing it to OZ,  it's like the cosmetic prices here- double and triple the cost.
I miss the American-style houses- spacious and convenient. Thankfully our new place is more spacious than our old place but we had to move 45-minutes away from the city to get it. But the beach! The Beach! THE BEACH! We are closer to it now. A 7-minute drive to be exact. And it's a beautiful beach too with tons of diving and snorkeling spots too.

On the flip side... here are the Pros.

1.) Everyone for the most part is friendly. It's not "American friendly" but people aren't going to snub you if you walk up to them off the street and ask for directions.

2.) It's beautiful here and the weather is great. In Sydney, the weather is very mild. It's spring time right now and I can't count the days that it's been in the 80's which is my ideal temperature to live in. I'm not a big fan of rain, grey skies or cold weather . I love that I can spend a lot of outdoor time with Decker whether it's laying a blanket out in the front yard or going to the beach for a long walk. Being a stay at home mom, it's important to me that I get out of the house so having gorgeous weather to get out in is a bonus.

3.) Traveling around this country is fairly easy. Within the city, there is public transportation; busses and trains. It's easy to get a taxi and there are a few lower cost airlines that will fly you around the country with good timetables.

4.) Australia is a great place to have a baby and to raise your kids. The whole country is very kid and family friendly.
Things that I have noticed in Decker's 6-months of life: Almost every public place I go, there are baby changing tables in the bathrooms and all the malls and shopping centers have a really nice parents room complete with private feeding stalls, microwaves to heat up food and seating.
There are activities galore for kids and a lot of mother's groups, play groups and support groups for babies and parents.
Even though we aren't eligible for the public healthcare here, we do have private healthcare and there are a lot of great doctors available for us to see. There are also a lot of free telephone hotlines available for us to use if we have questions. The hotline option sounds weird and in the past was a sketchy concept designated for dating but they are staffed by qualified nurses and sometimes doctors for advice. Believe me, when you have a newborn screaming in the middle of the night and you can't call your mother, you are grateful these hotlines exist!

5.) The experience of living in another country. We're not sure how long we're going to be living here, my guess is a few more years but only time (or Kevin's company) will tell :)
Seriously, how many people get to do this? I'm excited to show Decker all the adventures he went on, that he won't remember. I take a TON of pictures that I will show him when he's older. Thank you Apple TimeCapsule for backing up my habit.

Aside from all the challenges that living so far away brings us, we do have some great days here. It's made us all stronger as a family and as individuals. K and I are looking forward to more trips and traveling we want to do while we are living in this part of the world.

City2Surf 2013

The City2Surf 14k is the largest race in the world and with 85,000 people who registered, we were a part of it. 7 months ago, I signed myself up when I was still pregnant as motivation to get myself back in shape, post pregnancy, but didn't put much thought into the training part of the race. As the days before the race grew fewer, I realized I hadn't logged more than 3 miles. Eeeek! This was our first 14k so I decided to give myself a goal: Just finish and really, really, really give a good effort to run the whole course.

The morning of the race we woke up very early and headed into the city and found that everything from public transportation to the locations of the starting lines, was very organized considering how many people were participating.

As the gun went off to signal our start, it took us 20 minutes to actually get to a point to where we could start running. Once we turned the corner into Kings Cross, what a spectacular sight it was to be up on a little bit of a hill and look down at the throngs of people in front of us running the same race. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic!

Finally starting to run as we got into Kings Cross. You can see the famous Coca Cola sign in the distance. 

The energy throughout the whole race was great-it seemed more like a fun run with some people dressed up in costumes. Once the official results came back, I found that the top finishers ran the whole thing in under 45 minutes. Not so much of a 'fun run' for some.  I think my favorite part was running towards the finish at Bondi Beach. Not only because we were almost done but because it was such a beautiful day and we got a pretty view of the ocean in the last few kilometers.

The race was so much fun and I'm so glad we participated. AND,  K and I ran together the whole way and finished. So there- we met our goals! :) Sign us up for next year!

USA trip, 5-month update and goodbye to the binky!

Hello!

I've been missing.

From this blog, that is. But we're back...! From our trip to the US. What an amazing trip we had catching up, relaxing and having some Q.T. with friends and family. I'm so thankful for the time we got to spend on our trip and having our families bond with and watch Decker grow right before our eyes. As I was uploading the 982 pictures I took while I was gone, I was comparing the pictures from the beginning of the trip to the pictures at the very end and I feel like he changed a lot. I also saw my last post was his 3-month 'chair shot' and realized how bad I am at keeping this blog up to date.

But we're back in Australia and it's supposed to be the middle of winter here but the skies have been clear and the sun has been shining. If this is winter, I'll take it! But nothing beats the summertime weather we had while in California and Washington. Spectacular.

Decker is now 1-week into his 5th month of life. I can't believe he'll be 6-months old at the end of August! I'm starting to put together his baby book and I got a little teary eyed when I was going through his newborn photos. When I was in that moment of trying to figure out what to do with this new little being in our lives (who am I kidding... we're still trying to figure this all out!), I sometimes felt like the challenging moments of being a new mom were never going to end. But like all my mommy friends told me, the different stages pass and time flies. 

Our little mister is such a joy to us and brings smiles to our faces everyday. I'm definitely enjoying this precious little baby and all the special moments I get to have with him.  He's still a laid back little guy. He's been rolling around from back to stomach and while we were away, Lolo (Grandma) gave him his first taste of rice cereal! I decided to take up the 'hobby' of making baby food and so far he loves: Sweet potatoes, pears, apples and carrots (mixed in with a fruit). The green beans I puréed? Not so much. We'll try again later. 

Decker still wasn't sleeping through the night or taking naps very well and as a stay at home mom, it can be SO frustrating because I was starting to feel like I wasn't getting anything done. He would catnap for 40 minutes, be awake for 1-hour and then nap for 40 minutes again. All. Day. Long. He was also waking up multiple times in the night.  I've heard that infant boys tend to not sleep as well as girls do so I was sort of just dealing with it. 

We were visiting with some friends over the weekend, they were in the midst of weaning their 9-month old son off of his pacifier, 'the binky'. I then started reading online about infant self-settling and how important it is to get rid of 'the binky'. So many people were saying how their child would wake up a lot in the middle of the night crying because they were searching for it because it had fallen out of their mouth when they were sleeping. A lightbulb went off in our heads and we figured that must be the reason and made our decision then and there to get rid of the damn thing. The next day it was game on. The screaming that ensued for 45 minutes was heartbreaking but he's a smart little boy. He, for the first time, slept through the night!!!! WE WIN! 

It's amazing how this little piece of plastic and rubber could be so addicting to these little ones. 

Today is day 2 and Mister D has gone down for all naps (and took legit naps for 1.5 hours each time) and to bed again with no tears. I love him and binky's suck. I have kept a couple for a 'just in case' situation but as far as I am concerned they are gone. 

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy a few of the recent pictures of Decker F.N King. And oh ya, we recently said Decker's name out loud abbreviating the two middle names...oops! Oh well, could be pretty badass if he becomes an athlete or something similar when he gets older! Ha! 

A winter day at Maroubra Beach

It's always a good morning when you wake up to this sweet face!

Happy 3-months to our little man

Look how big he is! I weighted him today and he's 16-pounds and let me tell ya-my back feels all 16 of those pounds when I lift this little/big guy up!

My mom gave me the idea to take a picture of him on the 28th of every month in his new Pottery Barn Kids chair to see how much he's grown, so here it starts. Btw... I'm super stoked we have a Pottery Barn, PBK, West Elm and Williams-Somoma that just opened up here :) We were at the mall the other day and saw they had opened up a Hollister too. Hello 7th grade! A little bit behind here but far more ahead of NZ and still exciting when an American store comes to the Australian shores.

Back to Decker...

Some fun things he's been doing lately-
-He's found his hands and likes to get in 'boxer' position and looks ready to fight any time of the day.
-He likes to suck on his fingers and hands and keeps them in a tight fist. (Those hands stink so bad!!!  I force him to soak them in the tub to get rid of that rotten smell).
-Decker's such a chatter box. All those cute coo's and baby noises are so sweet
-He started laughing!!!! I love this. But he only did it once a few days ago and now Kevin and I both bop around like jackasses in front of him trying to get him to laugh again. Guess we're not that funny.
-He has now doubled his birth weight
-He's still not sleeping through the night...uuugggggghhhhh!
-Decker continues to have such a sweet personality and is our little buddy. He hangs out and likes to be out and about with us and rarely cries. We are lucky.
-Decker will take his first international flight to L.A. with us on Wednesday!!! I'm clearly more excited than he is. Wish me luck on the 15 hour flight; hopefully he sleeps most of the way. Super stoked to see friends and family in California and Washington and have everyone meet Decker.

Look what I found at Williams-Sonoma here in Sydney!!! I am a cupcake FANATIC and for those who know me well, Sprinkles cupcakes are my absolute favorite. SOOO, when I found this cupcake mix I was quick to buy!

One of my favorite pictures to date. Grandpa Allan came to visit from Jakarta to meet Decker for the first time last week. If you can't tell, this is Kevin's dad. Those King genes sure are strong!

Afternoons with Decker {2-months}

Since Lil' D is going to be 3-months old this week, I thought I would post a few fav's from this past month. He is such a little sweetheart and a lot of fun. I can't wait for him to start laughing... I feel like any day it's going to happen. Now to only get him to sleep longer at night...

Play date on Jamie's rooftop deck, Coogee Beach, NSW, Australia
April 2013

All snuggled up to Daddy

Hyams Beach
"The Whitest Sand in the World" (according to the Guiness Book of World Records)

The many faces of Decker.
I love this face!!!

Out on an evening walk with Decker...
Sunset at Sydney Park (park across the street from our place)
April 2013

Great Barrier Reef {our first family vacation}

Weekly, I get emails sent to me from Jet Star Airlines advertising their sales on airfare (for those of you don't know, it's Qantas Airlines low-cost carrier). I usually delete them along with the other junk mail I receive but last month I decided to open it and check out what destinations were on sale departing from Sydney and I saw a good deal to Cairns. Cairns is a tropical city located in the state of Queensland and the holiday destination for tourists wanting to see the Great Barrier Reef; which I've been wanting to see since I was like, 12 years old. So, I picked some random dates to take a holiday and booked the airfare.

Shit.
(The first words that came out of my mouth after I hit the 'confirm booking' button)

What in the world am I doing booking a trip to a place where snorkeling is the main activity when I have a 2-month old in tow? We went back and forth about canceling the trip but in the end we just decided to go. Partly because it was going to cost more in change fees from Jet Star than the actual cost of the tickets. But we want Decker to get used to flying and traveling with us so why not start now? I also thought it would be a good trial run for the long 15-hour flight to LA we're going to take in June.

Let me just say that I was one of those people on airplanes that want to enjoy my experience in peace and quiet. When I would hear a crying/screaming baby I would get so annoyed and think-"what is wrong with the parents? Why can't they shut their kid up?" I know, so unsympathetic. But now that I am a parent, I get it. Kids are so unpredictable.

So how did the flight go, you ask?

Amazing! Decker slept the whole time and was so good on the week long trip. I'm so in love with this baby boy.  And I did hear a crying baby on our short 3-hour flight up to Cairns and my first though was-I'm glad it's not my kid. Second thought was-I want to give that mother a hug.

Overall, our trip was really relaxing and it was interesting seeing a part of Australia that is so different to New South Wales (the state we live in). And the Great Barrier Reef? Beautiful. Kevin grew up in the tropics and named a few other places in the world where he thought the snorkeling was better but in my opinion the fish and coral were stunning.

And P.S.- So glad I snorkeled first! (We had to take turns so one of us could stay with Decker on the beach). When it was Kevin's turn to get in the water, I was expecting him to be out there for a couple of hours but he returned after 30 minutes and slightly out of breath. He saw two huge sharks! Yeah, I was done after that. However, after some convincing from Kevin that sharks are just like dogs and are 'curious' and due to the fact he snorkeled way further than I would ever go... I got back in the water just one more time. It was worth it.

Nice "General Warning" sign. I don't think I'll be swimming in these waters. Like, ever.
Trinity Beach, Queensland, Australia

These first-aide stands lined the beach. There is white vinegar in the bottles which you are supposed to rub on your skin if you are stung by a "Stinger" aka- Jelly Fish. 

More croc warming signs on a golf course at Port Douglas, Queensland

Green Island, Great Barrier Reef

Beauty inside the Kuranda Rainforest

A Drive-thu liquor store. Trinity Beach, Queensland

Delicious Mango and Mangosteen's. Tropical fruit is the best!

Kevin giving Decker an up and close experience with a Kangaroo

Barron Falls.
Barron Gorge National Park, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia

Mango Trees

Little Mister discovered his tongue on our vacation. 

These guys are everywhere!!!

Our new arrival

Born February 28th

Isn't he sweet? These pictures were taken when Decker was about 8-days old and he has already grown so much since then. Today, he is 7-weeks old. We get a lot of people asking about his name and how we chose it. It seems like when we told our friends from the US what his first name is, the typical response was "cool!" or "I love it!". The typical response from the Australian folks is: "Hmmmm. That's different." It makes us laugh. It is different and unique and that's one of the reasons why we chose his name. His middle names are after Kevin's Grandfather and my Grandfather. So now you know.  :)

I've been so bad about keeping up with this blog but mommy-duty calls. This is a full-time gig! No one could ever prepare me for how tired we would be and the days seem to run into each other. I'll be looking forward to the days that this little one sleeps through the night. He just started smiling last week so those little milestones make us smile.

This little boy is so sweet and he has us wrapped around his little fingers; that's for sure! He's smart, attentive, alert and hopefully adventurous because we've got some fun plans coming up for the three of us: A trip to the Great Barrier Reef in a couple weeks, a trip to the US in June and many fun Australian adventures in between!

A Nautical Nursery

A lot of my friends have asked for pictures of the nursery so here it is!

Bedding by Pottery Barn Kids (we still have to get a mattress!). Yellow and White Chevron Rug by Urban Outfitters. Baby Kangaroos and Koalas quilt made by Grandma Lolo. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star canvas sign by me (idea from Pinterest). Tissue Poms and bunting from Etsy. 

Nautical Pillows from friends. Stuffed bear and elephant from Auntie Honey and Auntie Kandyce. Star blanket from Cotton On.

Closet organization and Baby Kings clothes... can't wait to play dress-up!

This is a dresser that my mom used as a changing table for my siblings and I. Originally a brown wood but I refinished it white as a "Shabby Chic" dresser for myself and added some pink crystal knobs from Anthropologie. Now, the dresser will be used as Baby King's changing table. Knobs custom made and purchased off of Etsy.