I HATE BABY CAR SEATS

October 18, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So I figured out three things yesterday…

I hate baby car seats!
I hate installing baby car seats!
I hate when I can’t finish installing a baby car seat!

Yes… These three things really ended my day yesterday in a wave of frustration and anger.

Our little Jesse was starting to outgrow his baby capsule. He has always been quite a long baby despite being a lightweight, and lately, his little legs and feet have been sticking out the end of the capsule to the point where he was able to kick the back of the seat.

Right we thought, time to upgrade the seat to something a little bigger and better.

So we packed the car, bundled up the little one and headed out for the morning to look at baby seats! We even thought that this might be a good opportunity to take the camera along and film another vlog.

Well, we did end up buying a new car seat, and a good one at that! We packed it in the boot eager to get home to install this seat that looks like the worlds comfiest chair! I mean, if they made full size versions of this thing, I’d be first in line for one!

We unpacked it, got it ready for installation and then BAM!!! It was like the capsule all over again. What is it with installing baby seats in cars that something has to inevitably go wrong!

In the end, it turned out that the tether wasn’t long enough to reach to the floor in the boot of our Outlander. “Well this is stupid!” I thought. “Why don’t they make these tethers long enough to fit all vehicles?”

We had to abandon the install in search of an extension belt for the tether. Something that, given the time it was, we wouldn’t be able to get until tomorrow.

Luckily, while I stayed at home with Jesse for the morning, Renee was able to find a tether extender, and in the end, we were able to finish the installation successfully albeit a little later than expected.

It really feels like the people in the baby stuff business are just sitting back and laughing at all of us… scheming about how they can best screw with our heads and tempers next!

I’m just glad this new seat is supposed to last Jesse until he is 4 years old. I’ll be buggered if I’m going to install another new one any time soon!!!

The Big Lap: Must See Events?

October 11, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So today was Bathurst 1000 Day. The race that stops the nation!

We love ourselves a bit of Bathurst action, and today, we made the decision to kick back for the whole day to watch the race. 161 laps of V8 goodness.

It got us to thinking though, about how on many occasions we’ve spoken about making the trip down to Mt Panorama to watch it live one year. To take it the sights, sounds and smells of an authentic Bathurst experience.

We are currently in the early stages of planning a road trip around Australia! We’re going to do the big lap! Young nomads on the road exploring our own country.

And today something clicked. As we were watching V8s race around the famous Aussie track we thought, let’s stop at Mt Panorama on our big lap trip! What a perfect opportunity to get tickets to see Bathurst live!

Photo: Fox Sports News, Twitter

It then got us thinking further… Well, apart from Bathurst, what other famous events could we attend while we travel round our magnificent country?

So what are some events that we could plan for on our travels around Australia? What are the must see events that are on your list?

We have come up with a few that we would like to attend on our travels around this great country. The ones we have thought of so far are:

Bathurst 1000 (obviously)
Gympie Music Muster
Tamworth Country Music Festival
Australian Open (tennis)
Rugby League State of Origin (NSW/QLD)

Being that we have only seen a very small portion of Australia, we are really looking forward to this big trip. And the fact that we can attend so many amazing events that Australia has on offer while we are on the road, will only make it better!

I Love Rugby League

October 4, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

Ok… So before you read on, let me give you a little warning about this post.

It’s all about the great sport that is Rugby League.
It’s completely biased toward the Brisbane Broncos.

Right, now that’s out the way, let me just say that I love Rugby League. I love my footy. And most of all, I LOVE the Brisbane Broncos!

Today is the 2015 National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final, and I am excited! Despite the fact it means another season of amazing footy is all but finished. I am excited for three reasons…

The Brisbane Broncos are playing in the Grand Final tonight!
The North Queensland Cowboys are also playing in the Grand Final tonight.
This means that no NSW teams made the Grand Final.

This is the first time ever, that two Queensland teams have made the Grand Final. And it’s very exciting.

I have been a massive fan of the Broncos for a long time now. Being that I was born and raised in Brisbane, Queensland, and also that my dad has supported the Broncos since they entered the competition in 1988, it was only logical that I too supported the mighty Broncos. Six premierships later the Broncos are one of the most successful clubs in the NRL and are often referred to as the ‘glamour club’. All that said, all I know is this… I love the mighty maroon and gold and every time they run out onto the field I am cheering for them to come home with a win.

So, imagine my excitement when we entered 2015. 26 regular season rounds and 3 finals rounds later, we are in the GRAND FINAL! What makes this even sweeter is of course, the fact that there are no NSW teams are playing in today’s game. And the only thing that will top this off as one of the best sporting days of the past, almost ten years, is the Broncos winning the Grand Final.

So today, to celebrate the achievements of Queensland Rugby League, we are having a Grand Final party to celebrate the fact that two Queensland teams will face each other on the biggest day in the NRL calendar. And hopefully, the celebrations will run into a celebration of Broncos winning the Grand Final!

I know I said it before, but I’ll say it again… GEEZ I LOVE MY FOOTY!!!

So that all said, it’s time for me to sign off. The beers are cold, the food is ready and the game of the day is about to start…

GO THE BRONCOS!!!

Photo Friday: Our Very Hungry Caterpillar

October 2, 2015October 2, 2015 Renee Barton2 Comments

This adorable outfit is a gift from Jesse’s (fake) Aunty Sarah.

My best friend came to stay with us for a few nights this week as she had been suffering from Vertigo recently and, being unable to drive, needed a change of scenery from her four walls.

It was lovely to have her join our little family for a few days and Jesse looks incredibly cute in this outfit which was inspired by story time.

12 Week Fitness Challenge – Getting Our Fit On!

September 27, 2015September 27, 2015 Kaine Barton2 Comments

Trying to stay fit and healthy can be hard work… but then again, no one has ever said that it’s easy.

At the moment, we are both partaking in a 12 week fat loss competition through our gym. The goal… to get our bodies ready for summer!

It is actually a really good competition to be involved in. It’s a challenge comprising of healthier eating, supplements and stepping up our gym game by going more often and pushing ourselves harder.

So far, I’ve lost 1.5kg of fat (not weight, just fat) which is pretty good for me, considering I don’t really have that much to lose in the first place. My goal for the competition however, is the following:

Drop back to my ideal weight of 75kg
Drop back to 12% body fat

This all seams easy enough, but believe me, like I said, it’s harder than it looks. I am currently sitting at 79kg and 15.9% body fat.

To give us a little advantage in this competition however, we have started doing our home circuits again. We have a bit of exercise equipment lying around the house that we used to use quite regularly, but then got a bit slack with. Things like kettle bells and sandbags and ab wheels.

12 Week Challenge

So what better opportunity than now to get back into our home circuit training to give us a competitive edge in the 12 week challenge.

The last circuit I put together, was the following:

30 push ups
30 weighted squats
30 dips
30 weighted lunges
30 ab crunches
30 secs of planking
30 push ups
30 weighted squats
30 dips
30 weighted lunges
30 ab crunches
30 secs of planking
30 burpees
30 push ups
30 weighted squats
30 dips
30 weighted lunges
30 ab crunches
30 secs of planking
30 burpees

The perfect opportunity for us to get stuck into a good circuit like this one is when Jesse is all fed and watered and in his cot soundly sleeping. Any time before then, is a nightmare trying to do exercise whilst also attending to his needs.

It got me to thinking though…

What are your favourite home exercise circuits to do? What home exercise equipment you like to use? Do you have any suggestions as to circuits or equipment that we could use to really kick up our game and get some good results?

Six pack here I come!!!

Footage Friday: Mum and Dads Day Off

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015 Kaine Barton1 Comment

So a couple of weekends ago, we kind of tagged teamed our parenting responsibilities on the Saturday so that we could both go out and enjoy ourselves. It guess you could call it, ‘Mum and Dads Day Off’.

We decided to do a video blog on the day, but until only recently, all the footage remained on our hard drive as an unedited project. Well, I finally got around to editing it, so we can finally share what we got up to on the day…

After all, this is called the ‘Not So Secret Life Of Us’!

Renee had the morning shift with Jesse so that I could go out to celebrate the 30th Birthday of my sister’s boyfriend. He had schedule a bunch of us (about 20) to play Laser Tag at Mango Hill Skirmish.

It was an absolute blast and was even a great workout, running around the course in camouflage and with a heavy Laser Tag gun.

I got home just after lunch to take the afternoon shift with Jesse so that Renee could head to a country music themed race day at Doomben Racecourse. She also had a blast, having the afternoon and evening off and being able to indulge in a few beers too.

We capped the night off with some finals football (Rugby League) at home and were all tucked up and in bed all before the stroke of midnight.

All in all, it was a pretty successful day of fun I think…

365 Project: 100+ Days In

September 20, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So I know I’ve touched on this before… but wow… we are now up to day 116 of our 365 Project! How insane is that!!!

I cannot believe that we have made it this far…

A photo every day.

A post every day.

All showing off what our lives are like as a first time mum and dad.

The 365 Project has been many things… challenging… tough… fun… exciting… hard… easy…

Having to come up with a photo and post EVERY DAY has been challenging at times… but we knew that we were not going to be in for an easy ride with this project.

All that said though, we are having an absolute blast doing it.

Looking back on all the photos I’ve taken, all I can think about is the end game. The end result. That book that we will end up with that shows what our lives were like in that first year with our little Jesse.

How amazing is that going to be to share with friends and family! How amazing will that be to share with other first time mums and dads out there to show them hey, you aren’t the only ones who have felt like this or gone through that. You aren’t alone. We’ve all been there. And we will all be better off for it!

But the best thing of all, how amazing is it going to be to share this book with Jesse when he is older! How amazing is it going to be for Jesse to be able to read all about his first year of life through our eyes as first time parents.

All the ups and downs… the trials and tribulations… the struggles and the victories… How much our lives changed but also how we wouldn’t have had it any other way…

While I don’t want to wish the year away, I cannot wait to see this book in all its glory at the end of this project!

The 365 Project continues…

Things I Would Tell Pregnant Me

September 16, 2015August 18, 2017 Renee BartonLeave a comment

I am currently selling a few unwanted baby things online. Today a lady contacted me about one of the items and asked to come over.

I opened the door to a beautiful girl in full pregnancy bloom – one month to go with her first baby.

I was immediately taken back to a few months ago when I was in that same situation. Belly round and mind full with excited anticipation.

It got me thinking about all the things I would tell myself if I could go back or what advice I might give to an expectant mum.

Get all the sleep you can. Don’t feel at all guilty for those morning sleep ins or sneaky afternoon naps. Just enjoy it and get as much as you can. You may think you’re ready for sleep deprivation but it really is a bitch!
Relish in every moment of pregnancy. Even though you are excited to meet your little creation, you will never be pregnant for the first time again. Though you may have more pregnancies you will also have at least one other child to care for so will not necessarily have the luxury to just plop on the couch, pull up your shirt and enjoy watching your bub kick and dance inside your tummy.
They make it look easy in the classes but breastfeeding is actually pretty hard. But if you can persist you’ll be glad you did. Oh and there is this thing called cluster feeding…don’t worry, it won’t last forever.
Though all they do is sleep and eat, having a newborn is really hard work. Feeding every two hours is exhausting! And yes they sleep a lot but between eating yourself, having a shower, having a bit of down time and maybe even catching up on a bit of sleep yourself, the days just disappear.
You’ll doubt yourself about everything but try to trust your instincts. Don’t get hung up on whether you are doing the ‘right thing’. If your baby cries, scoop him up in your arms and soothe him. If he will only sleep while in the safety and comfort of your arms, let him. It won’t last forever and there may just come a time where you will long for those newborn snuggles.
Bottles, dummies and disposable nappies are not the enemies they are made out to be. What is important is that your baby is happy and healthy.
You don’t have to be super mum or have it all together straight away. And you won’t so just go with it. You don’t have to get your pre-baby body back immediately and your social calendar won’t be exactly like it used to, as least not at first.
There will be times when you are more tired than you thought possible and all you want to do is cry. It’s ok. Cry. But ask for help when you need it. You won’t do yourself or your baby any favours by pushing yourself past your limits.

These are just a few things I would tell myself if I could go back to those last few weeks in my pregnancy. But mostly I would just simply say…

You’ve got this.

Our Little Giggling Baby

September 13, 2015 Kaine Barton1 Comment

So this happened yesterday…

Jesse’s first (proper) giggle.

HOW ADORABLE IS HE!!!!!!!!!!!!

So happy that we managed to get this on camera.

So how did we manage to get him to giggle? Well, Nanny and Poppy were over for lunch and to get ready for a country race day at Doomben Racecourse. Poppy decided to take him outside to play with Pacey while the girls were getting ready and sure enough, it was our dog Pacey and his barking that first made our little Jesse giggle.

Of all the things that we thought we could get Jesse to giggle at, Pacey barking is probably the last thing we thought would work. A loud bark from a dog the size of Pacey… surely that would scare a baby. Nope. Not this baby.

He loved it and thought it was absolutely hilarious.

The real test now though is to try and get him to giggle and laugh again. And despite everything that I’ve tried since discovering that he can giggle, we have still been unable to get him to giggle again.

Perseverance will surely pay off in the end.

On a side note, yesterday I also went and celebrated Tyler’s (my sisters boyfriend) 30th birthday. Happy Birthday mate… Hope you had an absolute blast of a day and I loved running the field at laser tag with you!!!

Photo Friday: Spring in the City

September 11, 2015 Kaine Barton1 Comment

Spring is probably my favourite season of the year. And in Queensland, the gods really turn it on for us each year when spring eventually rolls around.

Spring has officially begun. We are now 11 days into what I think is the best season of the year and it’s already looking like it’s going to be a spectacular one. The skies are blue. The trees are starting to get their leaves and flowers back. The grass is the greenest I’ve seen it. And the temperature is that perfect mix between being not too cold and not too warm…

It is absolute heaven…

I work in Brisbane City. Always have done. And spring is the perfect season to get out and about to soak up the sun on leisurely lunch time walks.

On more than one occasion over the past week I have found myself walking through the Brisbane Botanical Gardens enjoying this heavenly weather we are experiencing. I’ll often walk through looking at the gardens daydreaming about our future with little Jesse. Or sit on the grass and soak up the sun thinking back about how lucky we are to have such a perfect little man in our lives.

It is incredibly soothing and relaxing to be able to get outdoors and just clear your mind on a daily basis, getting away from the hustle and bustle of the streets of Brisbane and the stress of work.

Spring in Queensland, is perfect!

So, do you enjoy spring as much as I do? What do enjoy doing in spring that relaxes you?