Images

Happy Birthday from Nanna

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Our Saturday ikea trip was to pick up this rocking bookshelf that we have been waiting to buy since he got his bed three years ago! Nanna and Gonad bought it for his birthday present, Mark and I built it in Saturday night, relatively painlessly.

We are going to completely rearrange his bedroom, but in the meantime, he’s loving the new easy access to his books without even having to get out of bed. Kid heaven for a bookworm!

Not much of a birthday

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It is two years today since Archimedes Hare and Aubrey Michael nettle were born. Archie fighting for life, and Aubrey already gone 9 weeks previously.

The first month was like a dream, the next three months like a bad trip. The first year felt like a marathon, continually battling to put one foot in front of the other, using sheer force if will just to keep going, to stay alive. Reaching the first year mark was like climbing Everest, sticking a flag in it and calling it done.

This year has had an entirely different tone. I have accepted that although my loss has changed me, it no longer defines me. Although it was devastating, the life I have built, and the me I have become since losing my twins is worthwhile, and that the resilience I have attained (or discovered) is a great blessing that has come from great loss.

My thoughts about my boys (including my Squishy!) are now more likely to turn to the joy and good fortune of knowing them rather than the pain and devastation of losing them. Or the occasional pains of living with an awesome almost five year old.

I can look at pictures of Archie with love and pride, and joy. And know how lucky I am.

My new obsession

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Preserved lemon and chickpea salad

2 cans of cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
3 segments of preserved lemon, flesh discarded and finely chopped. These were home made, I cut large lemons in to 8.
The juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, depending on size
A generous splash of olive oil

Toss together, and enjoy!

I had way too many lemons a few months ago, and I finally got around to preserving them, as I had never done it before. It was just as easy as it was supposed to be, and preserved lemon is now my new favourite flavour. This recipe is a simplified version of the one in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Companion book.