06.22.09
Posted in Church/Ministry at 2:29 pm by Sarah
If I haven’t mentioned it before: we are involved in a church that is being started in East Ryde. To set up, and in preparation for our launch in September, a group of us have been working through the different aspects of church. What the Bible says about it. What we can do differently. How we can think outside the square. How we can cater to those who don’t feel like they fit in to church culture.
It’s been great to bounce different ideas around and watch as our baby church comes together.
Music has been an interesting subject. Most people have an opinion on church music… There are people who sing, who sing badly, who don’t sing at all, who like old hymns, who like new music, who don’t care as long as it’s theologically correct. Discussions on the subject can last for weeks.
I was thinking about it last night and kind of started to understand what exactly I want from church music.
When I was a teenager, I loved my Hillsong cassettes. My family can testify to my woeful singing (due to headphones) while listening to my walkman in the car. That music was helpful in expressing that particularly emotional stage of my life. The one thing I didn’t enjoy about them however, was that they often imposed the emotion. The long drawn out end to a song with lots of ‘woahooos’ etc was particularly annoying.
Then I moved to Sydney and was introduced to ‘Sydney Anglican music’. The theologically correct, but not necessarily emotion evoking (Rock of Ages and the like excepted). Some of it even seemed ‘clunky’ and out of date. The CD’s were good… but they all seemed have the same style and sound and get boring after a while. there were songs that could have been explored a little more creatively and weren’t. Perhaps they were afraid anything more would make the music unsingable by a congregation?
I think the ideal church music - for me - would be melodious, thought provoking, with a emotive and reflective mood (without the imposing factor). It should also stand up as biblically correct, but not pharisaically* so.
It excites me that we are trying to do something different with church music.. it excites me that we are trying to do something different with church! I really really hope we get somewhere good with music… that would be so cool. 
Check out our website !
* Is that a word? If not, it should be.
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06.21.09
Posted in Micah at 1:01 pm by Sarah
I can’t believe it’s only been 3 months… and yet Micah has changed so dramatically. I was trawling through his photos the other day and came across the photos taken moments after he was born. So little and blue and squally. Now he looks like a true little boy.
His latest favourite thing to do is to smile at himself in the mirror. He can pretty much sit up on my lap without much support from me and play with my fingers. He hasn’t shown a huge amount of interest in toys yet.. but he’s started grabbing things (my sleeve, my hair… anything). When he’s happy he’ll ‘talk’ to you and stick out his tongue. He was also on the verge of rolling over for the last week… and today he finally did it!
3 months is a milestone for a few reasons. But the one that is always in the back of my mind is the SIDS stuff that gets drilled into you. The highest percentage of SIDS deaths happens in the first three months. So… now I can relax a little. Although I’m not sure if it’ll stop me getting up in the middle of the night to make sure he’s breathing.
I’ve heard parents say that ‘it goes so fast’ like a million times… but it’s just very true. If you think about how much they grow and develop in a year… walking, talking, eating… it’s pretty incredible.
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06.01.09
Posted in Micah, Projects at 12:57 pm by Sarah
The practise run…
The duds…
The results…
It took forever for me to get around to doing these! The footprints took so long that I didn’t have the energy to do hands as well… with the whole prising open tightly shut fists and all….
Ah well… fun times.
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05.29.09
Posted in Projects at 4:21 pm by Sarah
I was browsing through my sewing and craft books last week when I realised that Mum’s birthday was on the weekend… so last minute sewing it was.
I managed to find an old jumpsuit that Mum had put together years and years ago and never used. She had given it to me so I could use the fabric. I realised that it could easily be converted into a 50’s style apron and started cutting it up. I added some panels on the side and ties using an old cotton sheet (feels incredible!!) and sewed on some felt applique.. and done!
Kindly modelled by my Mum
Then my bible study had a craft night about which I was unhealthily excited. The lady organising it had piles and piles of scrap booking materials. We were decorating A5 books .. which doesn’t sound too thrilling… but it was fun searching through the paper and ribbon and stamps trying to find the exact right colour combination and style. Double sided tape was our bestest friend. I found it funny to craft with others because I tend to be quick when I make something and slap it together without measuring much.. I just guess proportions. Others were perfectionists, and needed to measure everything and line it up to the nearest micromil.
Anyway this is what I ended up with - I was pretty happy with it.. considering it doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to make.
Next will probably be some more interior decorating.. been watching too much homeMADE!
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05.21.09
Posted in Micah at 11:15 pm by Sarah
Apologies for all the posts on parenting… but as it takes up 80% of my brain space at the moment… hopefully I can be forgiven.
Micah is now 2 months old. He’s smiling, gooing and responding alot more when you talk to him. He’s gone from 000’s to 00’s.. (although it does depend on the brand of clothes). He settles easier now we know how. He loves his dummy for sleep time. He even has a favourite book - ‘Where is the Green Sheep?’… he smiles and goos whenever I read it to him. Although he is also partial to Paddington Bear!
I am loving how we get to see his personality shine more and more brilliantly. He has a new facial expression every day, a new sound to make, and new hurdles to cross.
Being a parent to a baby in the first few months is similar to the first few months of pregnancy where there is a huge learning curve. Pregnancy is more learning about how your body will change, how the baby will grow inside you etc. Parenting is learning about a new little person who is an individual.. who won’t necessarily react to life in the same way other babies do. You are learning about each other.. learning new skills, like feeding and sleeping and taking a bath.
Thing start becoming very automatic. Changing a nappy becomes a fine art. You must do it correctly or risk a leakage… usually on freshly laundered clothes - yours and his! Efficiency is also crucial - especially with a grumpy screaming child. And you also have to guard against ‘accidents’! Haoran and I calculated that between us we had changed about 700 nappies so far… that’s just crazy talk - and that’s only the beginning!
Also… the time during which Micah is sleeping is incredibly sacred. Choosing how to use that time must be done wisely. Housework invariably needs to be done.. if it isn’t done it annoys me now.. perhaps because of the increased amount of time I spend in the house! Facebooking happens whenever there is a spare few minutes… connection with the outside world is important. I like to get on the WiiFit as often as I can… not so often of late.. Enjoyable pastimes like sewing comes down the list - as does blogging. Time with Haoran.. playing board games and bible reading… is especially special now. This is all interspersed with the great production of Going Out… which is becoming a easier as time goes on.
A good example of prioritising happened this morning when I felt like I was coming down with something.. and felt exhausted after a tough night with Micah. The house was a bit messy and we were expecting a visitor for lunch. But in the end the housework waited while we both slept. And it was worth it.
Socialising is another thing that’s changed. I have tried to limit going out to once a day so as not to unsettle Micah too much and tire me out as well. This doesn’t always happen and it usually ends up badly . Going out with Micah during the evening just doesn’t work for us right now either. I would like to say yes to everything… but sometimes it’s wiser not to in the long run. In the last week or so I’ve managed to get out by myself a couple of times - and Micah even got babysat by the grandparents one evening! And although the time out is appreciated… I still end up worrying about him anyway. I suspect this will be an ongoing feeling!
And so the learning curve continues…
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05.06.09
Posted in Micah at 2:16 pm by Sarah
We’ve hit 6 weeks now… has it really been that long? Well it must have been because Micah has grown heaps in that short time.. and weighs 1.5 kg heavier! The midwife reminded me today of what she said when we first met when Micah was 2 weeks old - that there is a honeymoon period.. and then it gets tough.
I’ve been feeling it over that last week as we’ve been struggling with settling techniques, having a blocked duct and more recently, Micah getting reflux. It’s been up and down with a really good day followed by a horrid one… or just a few bad days in a row.
The good days are heaven. You feel like perhaps you’ve settled into this motherhood thing.. in fact, it’s a piece of cake! Your child is the best baby in the world and sleeps when he’s supposed to and is happy when he’s awake.You have some nice play time, maybe read a book or sing a song… and it’s all happiness and roses.
Then there’s the horrid. The baby is unsettled all day and he screams whenever you put him down. You start to think maybe you’re not so good at this… what did I do wrong? Am I starting bad habits when I pick him up when he’s crying? Maybe he’s sick? And you start down a guilt spiral that’s difficult to recover from.
I often wondered why mums were so cliquey before I became one. Now I am starting to understand. Because there are certain things that you need to get off your chest… things that other mums KNOW about. Not that friends who weren’t mums wouldn’t understand. I just think I would rather talk to another mum than whinge to a childless friend. Because I imagine they are thinking ‘You got yourself into this.. you chose to be a mum.. so suck it up!’.
The best part about whining to other mums is that they remind you of one very important thing: it DOES get better. Once you hit 3 months (or 6 if you’re unlucky) .. things start falling into place. It’s a good thing to remember and push on towards.
And for now, we’ll enjoy the good days and love Micah through the bad ones.
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04.28.09
Posted in Journal, Micah, Seen at 8:31 pm by Sarah
Last week we set off on a big trip… Micah’s first trip to Parkes (of many) and a fairly significant trip for us. My little sister was getting married, and I was getting a new brother.
The trip there was uneventful. It took us 6 hours (as opposed to the normal 4 1/2) due to two stops for feeds and nappy changes. And Micah slept the whole way. We decided to leave 5 days before the wedding, to help out with the set up… and give Micah time to settle into a strange new environment.
My parents gave us the B&B to stay in, which was lovely. Plus it meant they could sleep through the nightime feeds. Micah refused to sleep in the porta-cot, and after the first night in our bed, he slept in his pram for the rest of the trip.
We used the first two days to settle in and get into the flow. Then on Wednesday things started happening. Mum and I spent most of the day at a beauty salon where we had manicures and pedicures and facials - my birthday present. The chick couldn’t believe I had never had these things professionally done before. The manicure was ok.. but pretty much what I could have done at home. The facial was absolute heaven- refreshing creams and scrubs and - best of all - hot towels. I am definately doing that again! The pedicure was cool too - my toes had never looked nicer. While I was being pampered Micah drank out of a bottle for the first time, milk I had expressed earlier. It was good to know he was happy to do this: a promise of nights out to come!
That night my aunt and cousins arrived and plans of marquee settings up were in motion.
The next two days were full on. My parents were hosting the wedding in their backyard (note they have 5 acres of backyard to play with!) and had pretty much organised the entire thing. Mum had a list of things for each day that week. There was a marquee and several gazebos to set up, chairs and tables to set out and dress, metres and metres of material to arrange, pot plants to move…. Mum and Dad were a blur and the rest of us just tried to be as helpful as we could. Micah lived in his sling and was incredibly good considering the flurry of activity around him.
The day came and I got spoilt again when Mum sent me to get my hair done. Getting your hair done is fun. Once you’ve got all your formals and wedding out of the way - there’s not many occasions where getting your hair done is appropriate. So it was way cool. I wandered in and out of the house where the bridal party were getting ready in various stages of readiness. But finally I was in my awesome new dress and watching my baby sister walk down the aisle.
I had trouble concentrating during the ceremony. Between trying not to poke H in the eye with my parasol (unsuccessfully!), making sure Micah was out of the sun, and making sure the bridal party were looked after… I hardly heard a word. I read a Bible passage and Haoran prayed, and suddenly the service was over and my sister was married.
Micah was incredibly good.. only getting vaguely whiney towards the end. We hadn’t had time to buy him a special outfit for the occasion (one we’d be happy with him spitting up on at least) so I dressed him in all white, and Mum made him a little black bow for a bow tie.
I guess this is what I can expect in life as a mum.. but I was distracted during the rest of the day too. I’m not sure I had any complete conversations until later when Micah had passed out. I had expressed feeds for that day so I didn’t have to get out of my dress.. so that made things a little easier. Although later on I had to give in or risk exploding.
The afternoon tea was lovely - gluten free cakes in the shade of the gazebo - with a gorgeous view of the sun setting. It was with that background that the bridal party returned from the photoshoot and entered another one with the family.
It was fun having all the family there. My immediate family are the only ones who made the move out to Parkes… so having the rest there was a bit of a novelty. Plus as we get older and are more involved in our own lives.. we don’t make a huge amount of time to get together anymore. So it was kind of cool to catch up and just see everyone together again.
Micah met alot of the family that week. His ‘Pop’ (my dad), three great grandparents, uncle and aunt cousins (what Micah will call my cousins) great aunts and uncles.. and even a great great uncle! It’s pretty amazing that Micah has 5 living great grandparents.
Being away with Micah wasn’t as intense as I thought it should be at some points… and was at others. For example, the trip on the way home took 8 hours. That’s right… twice as long as it should. All I can say is never underestimate the traffic coming down the mountains on a Sunday afternoon. You will end up in a traffic jam with a screaming baby in the back… having to turn off into a side street and change that same baby’s pooey nappy on your lap in the front seat because it’s raining outside (in case you’re wondering… extremely difficult). In the end, however, it gave H the opportunity to find some clever back streets and get us the heck out of there.
Apart from all that… all in all, a successful week. One sister married.. that was the plan.
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04.22.09
Posted in Micah at 10:07 am by Sarah
In preparation for parenthood.. I did alot of research. I have always loved being around babies and children… but the opportunity doesn’t present itself that often to get into the nitty gritty stuff like nappy changes.
I read numerous books, read parent blogs and grilled almost every parent I met! I was the darling of the parenting class at RPA… knowing the answers to most questions asked by the midwife.
I’ve discovered, since Micah was born, that even if I didn’t have mounds of background information in my head.. I would have probably been ok. Instinct is a pretty powerful thing when it comes to being a mum. I’ve had many people comment on how relaxed and easy going I am with Micah. Even the midwife from the Early Childhood Centre asked if I had spent alot of time around babies.
My only explanation is a (God-given) mother’s instinct. And I’m so thankful for it!
A perfect example happened when I picked up a book yesterday on how to play with your baby to help stimulate their development. I flicked through the 0-6 weeks section and realised that we had been doing 90% of the content with Micah already!
I wonder if this is a universal thing. I have heard of mums - who had never been baby people previously - being completely different with their own children.
Anyway it’s encouraging to note that no matter how prepared you try to be… God is always one step in front.
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04.11.09
Posted in Seen at 5:28 pm by Sarah
The more I explore our new area, the more amazed I am by the richness of the culture. I should say cultures.. because there are so many. And as a direct result of those cultures… the food is even more amazing.
There’s Ashfield - asian central - which not only houses our favourite dumpling place, but many little asian food stores and fruit shops. And Dulwich Hill - where you can get awesome Portugese tarts, visit a Portugese butchery and discover an Italian store full of fruit and veg and miscellaneous imported goods.
Campsie has been my biggest culture shock so far. It’s asian, indian.. plus you can get authentic Malaysian food there. Walking down the street is almost like being in the middle of an indian bazaar! Even on a weeknight.
Even the next street down fromus contains a pretty cool gelato factory with a little factory outlet store in the front. Yummy!
And today we went for a walk up our street to a Lebanese sweet shop that always seemed deserted. Not so today.. there was a long line of people leading up to to the counter ordering trays of goodies in lebanese for their easter feasts. The shop was amazing, huge plates and trays piled with baklava, pastries, biscuits, cakes lined the walls. Plus there was huge easter egg hampers. I felt a little silly making my order - asking for a tray of ‘those pastry things’ - but it was worth it!!
I’m sure what we’ve seen is only the beginning… I’m looking forward to discovering more awesome culture.. and food in our neighbourhood.
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04.08.09
Posted in Micah at 10:13 am by Sarah
Micah Tian Xiang Un
Born 21/3/09 at 4.30am
3.54Kg, 52cm
So I know it’s been 2 and a half weeks already.. but these things must be recorded, whether late or not.
One of the first things I decided to do was to write down Micah’s birth story. Mainly so I would remember it. Not the pain, but the absolute miraculousness of it. Birth is amazing… it happens every day.. but it’s still amazing.
So since writing his story I have been deliberating over whether I should blog it. I don’t really have much problem sharing it… it’s just that some people may not enjoy the nitty gritty details! So I edited it to produce a less ‘juicy’ version .. Enjoy!
Read the rest of this entry »
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