The Nettings do NZ - Week 10

This week started off a little slow!  I think Kensley had a bit of a cold (runny nose and cough) and I was feeling pretty sluggish myself, so we laid low.  By Thursday, we were ready mingle and met up with Julia and Lucy, and Julia’s other friend Hannah and her baby Isabel, who is two days older than Kensley.  I really can’t wait until these little girls actually interact with each other, which I think will start happening soon as Kensley was definitely checking them both out this week.  She was attempting to chat with Isabel who was being quite vocal and even started grabbing at Lucy.  Kensley and I were also invited to lunch by one of the ortho wives, Tania, to meet another wife/mom as well.    I met Tania at the work dinner Caleb and I went to a few weeks ago.  Tania is such a peach and loves Canada – her husband did one of his fellowships in Calgary and she lived in Vancouver for another year.  She went to Canada with two young children during her husband’s fellowship so we connected immediately through that.  Anyways, the day came and Kensley was napping, cookies to bring were in the oven, and I was packing Kensley’s diaper bag when I realized I couldn’t find the car keys!  Turns out, Caleb took the car keys to work!  Pure accident, as I NEVER drive, but unfortunately, we had to cancel.  Tania offered to pick us up but Kensley’s car seat was in the car so that wasn’t really going to work.  We will reschedule once Tania gets back from holiday with her family.  On Friday, I got to enjoy a little spa/me time in the afternoon before Caleb was on-call for the night.

We have ourselves a 6-month old baby as of this week!  And she’s started sleeping through the night (11-11.5hrs)!  We’ve always been blessed with a good sleeper and I know this may not last but I’ll take the 5 days that it has happened!  It is truly amazing to think that we’ve had Kensley in our lives for half a year.  She really is becoming just a ball of fun and continues to be such a good girl.  She continues to find her voice and love her daddy.  Caleb says she’s getting beefy, big and strong (haha I’ve told him that he can’t describe her like this for much longer without giving her a complex :P).  She loves having her diaper off, and seems to really like leaving me surprises while it’s off.  She hates having her shirt pulled over her head – like loses it every time.

On Saturday, yes, after our latte bowls, we packed up and started our 2.5 hour trek north west of Christchurch to Maruia Springs Resort.  This was recommended to us by Kayla after she read that Caleb called Hamner Springs a family tourist trap.  Caleb treated Kensley and I to a night away, in the family room, meaning that we had two rooms, one where Kensley could sleep and one for us.  This meant that I didn’t have to build a fort in our room for her and that Caleb was allowed to unzip his jacket and eat in our room!!! He actually commented on how nice it was to do both of those things in our room haha.  Like I said before, I know I was absolutely ridiculous, but to have her in a separate room from us was SOOOO appreciated and SOOOO worth the extra $40ish (even Caleb agrees).  We arrived and did a walk along the riverbed with Kensley.  Then we checked into our room and the three of us enjoyed a soak in the tubs.  There were 4 hot tubs (one was indoors) and one cold tub, 2 saunas, and some relaxation rooms.  This little resort had 20 rooms and really is in the middle of nowhere.  They take the water directly from the hot springs (it’s about 60 degrees) and then use some of the river water to cool the tubs down to 38-41 degrees.  Because it’s all-natural, there is this cool black algae throughout the water.  The tubs are beautiful and what we expected hot springs to be like (unlike the Hamner Spring with water slides/water park feel).   Kensley really loved the water and there were very few people in the tubs with us; at 730am Sunday morning we had the whole place to ourselves (probably because it was daylight savings so it actually felt like 630am and everyone was still in bed)!  Kensley went to bed Saturday evening pretty early and Caleb and I enjoyed dinner and wine in our room and each went on our own for an evening soak.  It was such a relaxing experience and we both agree we’d go back (and get the family room!).  On Sunday morning we enjoyed breakfast at the resort restaurant and some more soaking before heading back to Christchurch.  I’m really finding being a passenger on these NZ roads difficult as I’m getting hit with awful waves of car sickness – so bad that we have to pull over and I have a bag ready.   That is basically how I felt my entire pregnancy so I don’t know if it’s just since pregnancy or maybe this is my baseline?  Either way, I need to start trying some remedies for our car trips because it makes for a miserable few hours.  Anyways, we got back to our place Sunday afternoon and I scooted out for my long run and when I returned, Caleb went out for a surf.

Caleb almost bought his 4^th bike this week since being here a little over 2 months but the quality wasn’t as described/basically was crap, so he’s still on the hunt!  There is a website here that everyone seems to use called TradeMe.  The idea is that you bid on things posted and if you win the bid you are obligated to buy whatever it is.  Well, my husband does not stand by that (nor should he).  They expected him to buy this bike but when he went to pick it up it was not what they described or what the pictures look like (rusted and worn down) so he walked away with them telling him that when you win the bid you’re supposed to buy it.  I mentioned last week that he had bought another bike, which he picked up this week and will be his commuter/beater bike around town so he still needs a mountain bike – stay tuned!

Overall, we had another a great week but the best part was that Poppa booked a flight to visit us and arrives November 15^th!  Just in time to come cheer me on at the Queenstown half marathon!   

This weeks successes:

Kensley is 6 months and has slept through the night all week (except for one 4am feed one night)!

Poppa booked his flight!!!!

Caleb walked away from buying a crappy bike

Maruia springs! And the family room!

I got some TLC at the spa

I almost forgot our wine!  This week we enjoyed Central Otago, Pinot Noir: The People’s (totally chosen for the name) 21.99.  I’m finding a peppery but enjoyable taste to all of the Central Otago pinots.  I give this 4/5 and Caleb feels he is getting spoiled with too many good wines.  He states it was good but it didn’t stand out.  It was a nice, easy drinking wine, he says 4/5.  I have to agree with him. TOO MANY GOOD WINES!

Biggest babe at the hot springs!

Feeling pretty cool as a 6 month old

<3

Enjoying her birthday cupcake from her friend Kate (really, Kate's mom Jaime!) who sent her an AMAZING 6 month birthday care package! 

I've got this sitting thing!

Sleeping beauty amongst the lovely flowers

Pit stop for a pic with the big kiwi

On the way to Maruia 

Just catching a nap on daddy's back

Walk at Maruia Springs

Riverbed at Maruia Springs

Ready for a soak!

She loves the water!

Celebrating that Kensley has her own room!