My Birth Story with Number Two

 

Shortly after Sienna was born, I blogged about her arrival. It was an emotional post for me to write, and I remember it generating a fair amount of emotional response amongst those who read it. Ironically however, most of the true emotion that I felt at the time didn't make it into that blog post. Reading it back now, I talked a lot about the facts and very little about my feelings.

Writing that I was 'stunned by the enormity of the situation' is about as close as I got to documenting just how damn hard I found things during and after my first delivery.  Why did I not write more candidly? It wasn't because I didn't want to remember the feelings, or even because I didn't want to admit to them - instead it was because I didn't really realise at the time that what I felt wasn't the way it was for everyone - and wasn't the way it always has to be.

So - some bullet point reality checks to set the record straight:
 - My first delivery was quick and traumatic. The pethidine made me hallucinate and feel totally out of control. Things got stressful and my baby was yanked out by forceps. She was beaten about by the trauma of the delivery and I felt little to no emotion when she arrived.

- The day after she was delivered I felt like I'd been hit by an emotional tonne of bricks. The baby blues were immediate and very real.

- The physical impact of delivery on my body was huge. I couldn't sit down without pain for a good few weeks. I swelled up so much with the excess fluid that I was a good couple of dress sizes bigger than normal and could not get my shoes on for several days. I couldn't walk more than a couple of hundred meters without my pelvic floor feeling like it wanted to give in.

- My baby had tremendous difficulty feeding which took weeks of perseverance to solve, as well as a handful of other health issues which were thankfully minor in the grand scheme of things, but none the less very stressful for a first time mum.

Only over time, and through the counsel of some great friends, did I come to understand that my difficult experience first time around was not a reflection on my inability to cope with childbirth and a newborn. I'd genuinely been dealt a tricky hand, and it took quite some time for both the physical and emotional wounds to heal.

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it put me off having a second baby. I always joked that the conception of our second child would have to be impulsive and very lucky or I'd get cold feet. Well, it was and before I could change my mind our second bub was on the way. An army of supportive mums assured me that the second time would be different, and despite the fact that I wasn't entirely convinced, they couldn't have been more correct.

And so here begins what this post is all about.. the delivery of my second bub, Joey...

Pregnancy with number two was a very different experience to first time around. Chasing the tail of a toddler with a baby in your tummy is exhausting, although it no doubt kept me fitter than the sedentary office job that occupied me when I was pregnant with Sienna. Tom and I both had a chuckle when a doctor responded to my low blood pressure reading by enquiring if I was an elite athlete... I believe the last time I did intentional exercise was in 2012!

It was otherwise a smooth and uneventful pregnancy. I was well cared for by the NHS midwives, although I will admit it was quite a different experience from the Australian private system. Instead of seeing the same obstetrician month in and month out, I didn't see the same person twice throughout the nine months. Most of my check ups were in a temporary-hut in a school playground and seemed to revolve around taking urine samples - something which was not done once during my Australian pregnancy! Sienna enjoyed coming with me to see the 'dot-dot' (doctor, aka midwife) and watched the blood tests and so-on with great fascination.

By 38 weeks I was desperate for relief and delighted when the grandparents arrived to help me look after Sienna. I'd been having Braxton Hicks contractions for many many weeks, but they started to ramp up by 38-39 weeks and I had a few false starts wondering if this 'was it' or not.

My expectation was for a quick labour. My first delivery was 7 hours all up from the very first twinge to baby's arrival. I knew very well that things are usually quicker second time around, so my main goal was to make it to the hospital in time. I lied and told the midwives it was 5 hours, just in case they didn't let me come in quickly enough!

My birth plan also had a number of changes from first time around - no pethidine this time for obvious reasons, and instead I really wanted to try an epidural. I chickened out of this option first time, afraid it would slow my labour, or leave me with some horrible side effect. I also enlisted the help of a budding-doula and very close friend, Fiona, to help me during labour.

We all know that a birth plan is really just a guide, a shopping list of 'nice to haves' in the lottery that is childbirth. Well I won the jackpot that night, because everything went exactly as I wished it to. For every challenge that I faced first time around, I was rewarded with an entirely different experience with our second baby.

I started having contractions at about 6.30pm. Having had a few false starts in the previous days I wasn't too excited, but an hour later they were getting steadily closer together. The hospital surprised me by encouraging me to come straight in, and we left home just after 8pm on a Saturday night for a relatively pleasant traffic-free drive into Kingston. Being a Saturday night also meant parking was easy at the hospital, and I wasn't so far along in my labour that being in a car was too difficult.

I was 3cm on arrival, not quite enough to be admitted. So they sent me for a walk around. During this time we established a great system between Tom and Fiona to help me with each contraction - Tom was my physical support - squeezing my hand, letting me lean on him etc. Fiona was my emotional crutch - talking me through each contraction and lending me words of encouragement. After just 45 minutes I was the required 4cm, and could be admitted to the labour ward. I called for the epidural immediately and it was all set up and effective about another hour later, 11.15pm.

I had a lovely Scottish midwife called Miranda and the anaesthetist was very professional and calming. Having previously thought I'd be terrified of the needle in my spine, it was actually a piece of cake - probably helped by the fact that I was on the gas and air by this point!

Whilst the epidural took away all of my contraction pain, I still felt incredible pressure from the baby moving down. I was under the impression that an epidural would mean I couldn't even tell when I was having a contraction, but for me I needed gas and air and a heck of a lot of cheerleading to get through the pressure of every single contraction. In hindsight, this was probably because the speed of my delivery meant it was all happening extremely fast.

Within an hour of getting the epidural, my waters broke, the contractions got really close together, and our baby was born in a way I could never have imagined possible. Fiona guided me to breathe slowly and listen to my body - it felt so unbelievably natural to slowly breathe him out.  Before my final push I felt absolutely euphoric - such a contrast from my previous delivery - and I specifically remember thinking, 'I'm actually going to do this!'. The emotion as I was handed our baby boy was immediate and real and full of love. There were tears all around. I finally felt the emotion that I was denied with my first delivery. It felt like the most wonderful reward for surviving the first time around and being brave enough to give it a second go.

The contrasts don't stop there - my recovery has been so much quicker this time around. Barely a stitch and no bruising has meant much less discomfort, I am not the size of a blue whale (perhaps just a humpback), breastfeeding has been much easier, no major or minor health concerns with baby - and so on. A tonne of bricks has not come thundering down (yet!) and the blues have only been momentary, perhaps a very pale shade of turquoise, and more likely related to a toddler meltdown than a newborn-induced depression...

My message here is two-fold and very simple. For all those women who've had a tough time having a baby - (1) it's not a reflection on your abilities to birth or be a good mother, and (2) there is hope for a better experience. Have confidence in your body and the fact that it knows what to do. Take comfort that your previous experiences will stand you in good stead for the future. Believe that even if you don't feel instant love for your baby, it will grow each day until your heart is fuller than you ever thought possible.

So why was I blessed with such a positive experience this time? I believe a good amount of luck, some careful mental preparation, the unwavering support of Tom, and also the instrumental role of friend and doula - Fiona.

Fiona has become somewhat instrumental in my life. She introduced me to my husband, was the maid of honour at my wedding, and has now helped me deliver one of my precious babies in the most wonderful of ways. Everybody questioned my decision to have her present at my birth - most could not fathom opening up such an intimate moment to someone other than your husband or the medics. I think my differing outlook was a result of a few things - firstly Fiona has had two wonderful deliveries of her own, and I was willing to try anything to influence my second delivery to be more positive than the first. She is also training to be a doula and I knew that experiencing her first birth as a 'third party' would be critical in her training. And finally, I myself had the honour of accompanying a close friend whilst she give birth several years ago, and that had only served to make our friendship stronger. If there was ever a reservation from either Tom or myself, it quickly disappeared and we both agreed her contribution to our experience was key. I'm not planning a third baby, but if I was - I'd want her to be there, and I think Tom would too.

So baby Joey has safely arrived. Eight minutes past midnight on the 5th June 2016, weighing a tiny 6lb and 3oz (2.8kg). He's a delight and Sienna adores her little brother. My heart is full :)

CAVEAT: throughout this post I have tried to referr to my 'first pregnancy / delivery / baby'  and 'second pregnancy / delivery / baby' rather than to 'Sienna' and 'Joey' - because in no way does my differing experience reflect on who my children are and how much I love them. If Sienna or Joey were ever to read this (let's face it, Sienna might, Joey probably won't!) I would not want them to think that the positive/negative experiences I had was in any way a result of who they are as little people.

Sienna vs Joey at the same age!

Little Street

We had a fantastic day out yesterday at Little Street in Frimley with Sienna and her little friend Lucy. Little Street is a toddler-sized 'town' packed with 'let's pretend' adventures for children. It features a cafe, hair salon, medical centre, supermarket (my favourite part!), theatre, fire engine and construction zone. The details are incredibly realistic and ticketed slots mean that it isn't overrun with too many children at once.

Sienna and Lucy had a great time 'together'. I use inverted commas here because they are still so young that they largely ignore each other, but the mums did plenty of chatting to make up for it! Sienna was very excited to have Grandad along for the ride, so I was rather redundant and could chat to Sally more easily than if I had need to chase around after her.

Here are some photos from our fun adventure!

Leaving Australia... one year on

A year has passed. That's 365 days without Melbourne in our lives. Without our friends, the babies, the coffee, the football.

I couldn't let this milestone pass without a blog post. Another chance to capture my thoughts because I know I will enjoy looking back on them in the future.

We've had a wonderful first year back in the UK, filled with family and friends, quality television and convenient eating. Our lives are no longer punctuated by long distance facetime calls, and Sienna's grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins are firm features in her life. 

The move was hard, Sienna was tough, and the winter was long, but it was without doubt the right decision. But that doesn't stop me getting nostalgic for the things we left behind.

We miss our friends, and I pretend in my head that the children have not grown up and nothing has changed. I pine for Melbourne the most when new babies are born to our old friends. Andy and Stacey - little Harriet was the first and oh how I longed to be there with my camera!

We miss the delicious and healthy take away options that were on our doorstep in Port Melbourne - Hunky Dory, Thomas Dux, The Greek place, Foxes Den and of course Crust (ok that's not healthy). I have no idea if Bay Street still looks the same and if these places still exist.

I miss the convenience of walking everywhere with Sienna - the park, the beach, all of her little classes. Don't even mention Monica from Albert Park storytime. My heart pines for this woman! Please come and train up the UK librarians to be even half as good as you. Carla please send videos... lots of them! (Special request from Sienna for Wheels on the Bus or Open, Shut Them)

In leaving Australia I left behind my colleagues and my job of ten years. It was a second home and a second family, one which gave us so much opportunity and supported us through good times and bad. Flying the nest to go it alone in my own business venture has not been easy, but so far it is paying happiness dividends for our family. Sienna has taught us to measure success in smiles, not dollars. Daily life with a toddler can at times rival the stress of a city commute however!

You could argue that Tom left behind even more with his job. His 'dream' job. Boy did we pick our time to leave, right before the Doggies make the finals. Tom and I have an agreement that if they make the Grand Final he will hop on a plane. I'm not sure Qantas take smiles as payment so lets hope their exponential improvement levels off a bit...

We, of course, miss our friends, but have been so fortunate to see so many of them in the year since our return to the UK. Richard, Matt, Lucy & Claribel, Lucy & Martha, Seb.. thanks to all of you for fitting us into your busy travel schedules. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone...

Whilst Melbourne will always have a place in our hearts, our return to the UK has taught us that fitting back in really works. Our friends have welcomed us back into the fold as if we never left, and we have made plenty of wonderful family memories in the last 12 months.

We look forward to visitng Melbourne again and showing Sienna the place she was born. We can't wait to visit old friends - Sam & Lou we hope *that* house is built before our first trip over! For now however, I've stopped coverting pounds into dollars, I've lost my Aussie-twanged 'no', and we are falling in love with another place called home, all over again.

SIENNA52: Week 1 - Rolling Around

It's time for a new photography project. Together with my dear friend and photography inspriation Christie Nelson, I will be making a photo collage each week for a year, titled 'Sienna52'. After a lot photographs of Sienna standing in fields of flowers, this project is about capturing the 'every day' and making some memories of the things she loves because, as we all know, they change so quickly!
I will post my images in an album here on Facebook.

Christie's project followers her son Fred and I think you'd thoroughly enjoy her photography if you'd like to check it out. 

To kick off, here is week 1, titled 'Rolling Around'. Sienna and Tom have a ritual every night before bathtime.. she climbs up stairs and excitedly runs to our bedroom and awaits his arrival to pull her up onto the bed for a fest of rolling around, tickles and giggles! 

Beach Hut Week 2015

This week we've had a fantastic three days on the beach at Sandbanks. Sienna is now old enough not to eat the sand, but young enough to be entertained all day by it! With grandparents to dote and lots of photographic opportunities to be had, everyone was a happy camper..

I had trouble narrowing down the photos, so here's quite a few...

Mastering the stairs...

It's not come easily, but after a few Tumble Tots classes Sienna (at 19 months) can now get up and down the stairs on her own!

Exploring the woodland...

We are having fun exploring our local area, including the Woodland at Claremont House..

Sienna at 18 months....

As predictable as it sounds, I'm not sure where the last 18 months has gone... Sienna is 1 1/2 years old already and the time is flying by. She is becoming more fun and interactive every day - here is a glimpse of Sienna at 18 months...

- She is is now walking, spinning, almost running and climbing the stairs. She still has not crawled!
- She loves to try and jump by bending her knees and shouting 'djum!'
- Her comprehension is vast, she understands so much, but her language is yet to catch up. She seems to favour words beginning with 'b' and can say 'ball', 'bubbles' and 'blueberries' (three of her favourite things).
- Her favourite time of the week is her ballet lesson, where she smiles and giggles for the full 30 minutes
- She can throw a mean tantrum!
- She enjoys the swings and slides, the beach and playing in the garden.
- Her favourite foods are pasta, avocado, babybel cheese, pizza and blueberries! If it needs to be delivered by a spoon, she isn't interested...

Here are some photos of Sienna exploring the garden today:

Hunting for Easter Bunnies

Three of Sienna's cousins came to stay last weekend, and with Easter just around the corner we wasted no time hunting down some chocolate bunnies at Wisley. Emily celebrated her 12th birthday whilst they were with us - happy birthday Emily!

Here are some photos of our adventures...

  

Walking in the garden with Grandad...

Finally some sunshine! It hit 12 degrees at the weekend and the Brits were out in shorts and t-shirts... blimey!!! We are still in coats but are still enjoying getting out in the garden...

Sienna & Duck [at Wisley]

At last Sienna has dropped down to one nap so morning outings are an option (actually a necessity!). Today despite the dreary weather we went to Wisley for a walk through the butterfly house (third visit so far!) and a look at the ducks.

It was a hit with a nearly-but-not-quite-walking Sienna!

Baking with Lynne

I'm rather behind on sharing photos here.. there is all of Christmas to catch up with! Whilst I buy some time to sort it all out.. here are some photos of Sienna and my good friend Lynne baking a cake together!

A little update!

I thought it was high time for a bit of an update.. since I last wrote we have had three new teeth, two lots of illness, one wedding, multiple frosts, and a lot of work in our home!

I miss Australia like mad, but the happiness we are getting from being close to family and old friends is immeasurable, and the more 'novelty' perks of being back in the UK are still going strong. The list of small things which make us happy to be 'home' are endless… a cold and festive run up to Christmas, Sky TV, calling friends and family in the same time zone, John Lewis 'Click and Collect' (my goodness, that's dangerous!) ... even Dave Lamb's voiceovers on Come Dine with Me!

Tom tries not to think about what we have left behind (remarkably positive for him really!), but I can't help missing my mummy friends, easy walks and the favourable climate. We are still awaiting our belongings which have now been absent for three months. I think once they arrive and are situated in our house my brain will finally realise that they aren't still sitting in our old Melbourne apartment!

There is plenty to do to keep me occupied however. Not a minute of nap time is wasted as aside from all the normal household chores, there have been Christmas presents to buy and wrap, unpacking and sorting to do, and the small matter of re-establishing my photography business here in the UK. I'm totally re-branding my business, making a new website and hope to launch in early 2015.

Sienna is now approaching 14 months old.. she has tested us with teething and temper tantrums, but most of the time is a happy and delightful little soul. She enjoys walking whilst holding our hands and can pull herself up to her knees, but not quite to her feet. She can stand whilst holding on to something, but hasn't yet gone for a 'cruise'!

She has four teeth, loves 'round and round the garden' and blowing bubbles.. is happiest in the bath, and could eat the world out of avocados if we'd let her!

Here are some photos from recent weeks…

Showing off her new skills in the cot

Visiting the reindeer at Garson's Farm in Esher

Giving 'kisses'!

Playing on mummy and daddy's bed (mattress on the floor still!) and (middle bottom) 'round and round the garden'

Is it really October?

20 degrees at Branksome Beach... what day of the year is it? Hallowe'en! To have this temperature and a sunny day on 31st October is rather unusual, but we made the most of it with a trip to the beach with Granny Pam and Grandad.

There were people in t-shirts!! I'm still in shock!

Sienna enjoyed some laughs on a bench on the prom..

.. before some walking practice in the sand with Grandad...

.. and finally a little look at the sea!

I'm sad to report that the temperature dropped to 9 degrees today, just three days later! Oh well, time to buckle down for our first British winter since 2008... if my fingers do not freeze I shall continue to blog ;-)

Sienna's first birthday party (lessons learnt and photos taken)...

Just like everything else on the parenting spectrum, children's birthday parties are a learning curve. With one down, it's time to compile a list of things I've learnt for next year..

1. Cake - start earlier.. OR be less ambitious OR outsource to willing grandparent

2. Decorations - balloons are adored by children, but if buying one three times the size of the birthday girl, give her time to get used to it before attempting a photo shoot!



3. Food - cater for the number of guests you have attending, not three times the amount!



4. Venue - definitely hold a children's party in a house that you are about to redecorate - no worrying about the carpets!

Despite being less than a month after we landed from Australia, in a home with next to no furniture, we had a lovely little celebration for Sienna's first birthday. The theme (due to lack of furniture) was 'teddy bears' picnic', and grandparents and a few close friends with young children gathered to eat food plucked directly from Sainsbury's and onto the plate!

Here are some photos of the occasion...

The day before, Sienna's first birthday 'photos' in the gardens in front of our home. I was lucky to get a dry day and lovely sunshine!

Sienna with her Granny and Bubba (Tom's parents), opening her first gift - a doggie walker! As she can't push it yet, we are using it as a ride-on!

All dressed up in her party clothes... I still want to eat her up!! Does this feeling ever go away?!

Granny Pam, Grandad, Sienna, Granny Sue and Bubba

Time for cake with Mummy and Daddy!

Sienna turns ONE...

Happy birthday to Sienna!

Today marks Sienna's first birthday and the first anniversary of Tom and I entering into the crazy world of parenthood... our tiny 3kg bundle of baby has grown into not-quite-9kg of smiles, giggles and cuddles, and we couldn't feel more blessed.

Sienna marked her first birthday in style by cutting her very first tooth, and in between the party preparations, cake making and present wrapping, I stole a few moments to consider the fact that we have survived a whole year!

Having a baby is the most wonderful gift, but also the hardest job in the world. The learning curve has been steep and we are still on the incline, but Sienna has taught us so much more than how to look after a baby. She has taught us patience and resilience, shown us that there are more important things in life than work, and filled our hearts with more love than we thought there was space for.

At 12 months she is a happy little lady who loves to babble (dadada), clap and wave. Her favourite foods are pasta, avocado, Babybel cheese and yoghurt... She can push up to her knees (just!) and bum-shuffle a fair distance. She is learning to walk when we hold her hands and takes adorable giant steps with high knees and stomping feet!

She has slept through the night precisely 16 times, which means I've had at least 349 broken nights. If you're surprised that I've counted these, your baby sleeps better than mine....

I've spent the equivalent of 25 solid days nursing (that's 621 hours, give or take a bit). If you're surprised I've counted this, then you need to get to know me better :-)

Sienna has adjusted well after the huge upheaval of moving from Melbourne to Surrey, and just to record this in writing for my own personal benefit, I do not plan on moving 10,000 miles with a baby ever again. I don't plan on moving even 10 miles with a baby for a while...

Happy first birthday darling Sienna May, we love you more than we ever imagined possible. With hugs and a million kisses from your Mummy & Daddy xxx

Pictured above, Sienna's first 12 months.

Goodbye Melbourne...

I've been composing this post for several weeks. It's all about us leaving Australia, and it feels like a 'biggie'.

I've written a few 'big ticket' blog posts in the last five years.. leaving the UK, our wedding, Sienna's arrival... I write mostly for myself, to capture my thoughts for future reflection. I find it therapeutic to write blog entries on the big events in life, but they have also generated a greater response than I ever anticipated.

So here goes...

Five years. It's a big chunk of my life, our lives. It's longer than I spent at junior school, at university.. one sixth of my lifetime..  We came to Melbourne for a two year 'fling' and ended up falling madly in love with this wonderful city. It's welcoming, live-able, vibrant, sporty, foodie... a place we will always feel at home.

We arrived in October 2009, uncommitted and free from responsibilities - me, an accountant, and Tom a management consultant, totally unaware of how our Australian adventure would change our lives forever. We leave as a happily married couple, with our beautiful Aussie girl Sienna, and me, a budding photographer, and Tom, a sports marketer. We didn't just find sun and travel in this land down under, we found things that we are both truly passionate about. Tom took the plunge with a total career change, and has found his happy place in the world of sports marketing. I discovered my overwhelming joy for portrait photography and set up my own business doing something that I truly love.

Moving to Melbourne was the scariest thing I had ever done, but has turned out to be one of the most rewarding life experiences. It taught me that being a little bit afraid can be a good thing... had we stayed in the UK, I bet we would not have discovered our new passions in life.

It's not just the place, but the people here that we have to thank for amazing memories that we are taking back to the UK... I want to mention a few people here who have played a huge role in my Australian life, and who I will miss dearly when we leave. I'm taking a risk by naming a few people that there will be others who I've left out.. so sorry if you're not mentioned in person, but I promise I do love you too :-)

In no particular order..

Christie... how bittersweet that my closest friend here still lives in a different city. I'm SO glad I found you at the Tamara Lackey workshop back in 2011. We bonded over a passion for photography, and sealed our friendship with a shared struggle over babies that won't sleep through the night (although we love them dearly of course). You are an inspirational photographer and a dear friend who has captured my family in photographs that I will treasure forever (including the image at the top of this post).  I expect you will be able to get a bit more done in your days now that we are in opposite time zones and can no longer have a continual day-long conversation via text message. There's nothing quite like an hour of CreativeLive/ClickAway/AIPP viewing with live chat between the two of us! How you juggled two kids and that many messages I will never know. Lets keep the dream alive for another photography workshop before too long..

Shelley... my mummy-friend from parenting classes... we were destined to cross paths. We have known each other only a year but you have been not only a trusted friend but also an absolute hoot to hang out with! You are eloquent and expressive, passionate and ambitious... an amazing mother to Hugo and oh-so-sweet with Miss Sienna. They shall remain betrothed to one another despite the distance, and I expect many a Skype chat with you in the future to continue the laughter... This is only just the beginning of our friendship..

Claire... my goodness how I will miss you! Our Tuesday swims, late afternoon meet ups at the park, and chance meetings in the supermaket... you have made the first year of motherhood so much easier with your advice, sympathy and cheerleading. We share a mutual obsession with baby sleep, let's not get started on temperature... We will miss you and Matilda so much, and here's hoping our paths cross again soon and the 'swim twins' can be reunited :-)

Lou.. I first met you nearly five years ago, whilst you were in labour with Ben! I thought that was pretty random at the time, but as I've got to know you I've realised that going to a party whilst in the early stages of labour is just how you roll, and of course I love you for it! You and Sam have been a constant support to my family over the years... always able to provide child models, emergency baby advice, a good talking to, and a great laugh! I will miss seeing your little 'mates' grow up and your new house take shape.. Please keep in touch 'tidylou'... xx

(Kevin I know you will love that your are photobombing this image!)

Jac... without you we would not be here. We only found Melbourne because we found you! You hosted us on our 'reccie' back in 2008 and immediately I knew that Melbourne was the city for us. My early education at 80 Strand in the Australian delights of Tim-Tams and Fairy Bread stood me in good stead for what I was letting myself in for! Thank you for the connections and the welcome that have made this experience so fantastic. (Below photo is from 2007!)

Lisa and Ali.. I couldn't have asked for a better work 'family' than you two.. Supportive both professionally and personally, our experience here in Australia would not have been the same without you. You have guided me on my career and given me opportunities i will always be grateful for. Lisa you were the first person to meet baby Sienna, and you've both let me into your lives to photograph your nearest and dearest... If we make the move back Down Under, I will most definitely be in touch... (sorry no photo here!)

My mother's group.. it has been harder than I envisaged to wave you goodbye. Whilst Sienna will sadly not remember her little friends, but I will never forget the friendship, kindness and fun times that we've created as a group. Clea and Ella, Aneta and Lachie, Martina and Felix, Lucy and Claribel, Bree and Isla, Nikki and Makenna, Nicky and Jess, Carla and Harper, Liz and Tyler, Andy and Mason, Claudia and Clara, Tania and Perry, Viktoria and William, Antonio and Salome... we will keep in touch and hope for a reunion one day.

My fellow YLTers... what an experience. The year we all spent together was inspirational and thought provoking. You supported me through the tougher times of 2012 and inspired me to strive for the things that make me happy in life. In particular.. Lauren.. thanks for being my rock, Ben... your chaos inspires me (embrace it!), and Will, I hope our families paths will cross again because there are more good times to be had!

Tom.. I wonder if he will ever read this? He's not a big reader of this blog, so this message may remain unread for years to come. When you do read it, I want to record how grateful I am to you for this wonderful journey you've brought me on... we both know that I came here for you, and you are leaving here for me. I wouldn't have done this without you, and am so glad we did it!! You'll absolutely HATE this public display of emotion so I'll stop there, other than to say I hope the rest of our life can be as happy as the last five years have been :)

We leave as not just Brits but Australians too, making a return Down Under one day a realistic opportunity. For now, we bid you farewell. Thank you, Australia, for welcoming us with open arms and changing the course of our lives forever... x