Babies: the joy, heartbreak and cuteness of a baby's first year
LAST year we introduced you to Generation Alpha, 100 beautiful babies born in 100 days. Now our cheeky little boys and girls are celebrating their first birthdays.
LAST year we introduced you to Generation Alpha, 100 beautiful babies born in 100 days. Now our cheeky little boys and girls are celebrating their first birthdays, and we’re thrilled to bring you this collection of photographs and interviews with their exhausted parents about everything from teething to tantrums.
Audrey Summerhayes
Mother Gabrielle Summerhayes: Watching Audrey develop into this curious little being and discovering her surrounds has been amazing. She had reflux and would cry all night and I wouldn’t know what to do. Giving her medicine for her reflux at such a young age was really heartbreaking. My husband always has a coffee on the table for me in the morning. We’ve learned to become a team.
28 March 2013
Elliot Judge
Mother Lauren Judge: Elliot is a typical boy cheeky, happy, sociable and a flirt. It’s just amazing watching him develop. It has been the most humbling experience. I came from a hard, demanding job as a lawyer and thought how hard can it be? Well little did I know. Elliot had reflux and was waking every two hours. I don’t know how I coped. We were going to have another baby sooner but now we’re waiting for the Abbott paid maternity scheme as my husband is an accountant and he’s done the figures. Having a baby is bloody hard, but it gives you both ends of the emotional experience: it is the hardest, but most gratifying experience ever.
28 March 2013
Olive Wiehahn
Father Dylan Wiehahn: Olive is big and sturdy, she is focused and self-righteous and bosses everyone around, but she’s great. The sleep deprivation has been a challenge, but the worst part is she really hates being in the car, that’s been our biggest challenge, she the only baby who does not like the car. The best bit is just being our own little family, our little trio swimming down at the Brunswick River.
28 March 2013
Mason Medeiros
Mother Emma Medeiros: Mason is very happy and has a good sense of humour I think because he laughs in the background when you’re doing stuff. He’s very cheeky. He is my second and the first time round I was overwhelmed, but this time I’ve just gone with the flow and really enjoyed it, even waking in the middle of the night, I just cherish it rather than getting stressed.
29 March 2013
Saxon Walker
Mother Simone Walker: Saxon is funny and very social and he just smiles at everyone. I love the way he grows and changes overnight. I’ll walk into his room I see he is different, something has wired up and he’s grown up a little bit. He was a nightmare sleeper and we ended up at Tresillian (where) they said I was borderline post natal depression and I think sleep deprivation is the majority cause. It didn’t get too bad because I had the tools to deal with it. I’ve bought a sewing machine and I’m looking to reinvent, I’ll start making kids clothes.
2 March 2013
Lenyx Bradford
Mother Melanie Codrington: We call Lenyx The Destructor because he likes to make a mess and he’s a little monster. When he was 10 weeks old they thought he had whooping cough. As soon as they said that I started panicking, but luckily it was just a really bad cold. The best thing was him crawling on Christmas Day. Finances have been tight but I’ve been using cloth nappies and we go without so he can get everything.
3 April 2013
Henry Gilbert
Mother Karen Daniels: Henry was our happy accident. We thought we’d have a colicky, crying baby because we had three really good babies before him, but he’s perfect. I have friends who want to pinch him just to see that he can actually cry. My husband is away working on the Pacific Highway upgrade. We miss each other but we have him on Skype at the end of the dinner table each night.
5 April 13
Sarah Stephens
Mother Cheryl Stephens: Sarah is really funny and quite mischievous and a very happy baby. The best bit is watching Sarah interact with her 3-year-old sister: just seeing them when they are playing together and laughing at each other is great. You are sleep deprived and you have guilt because you can’t look after yourself, your baby and your husband as you want to, that is what I felt first time around, you can never be enough for everyone. But we’re fine now. My advice: don’t be too hard on yourself, you are doing the best you can and it’s hard and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
6 April 2013
Henry Neal
Mother Elizabeth Neal: Henry is very charismatic and a charmer and he’s already been in a TV advertisement so we might do a bit more of that. I’m thinking about going back to work because he is so social and I think he’d get a lot out of daycare. Nothing will prepare you for a baby, so don’t be shocked when you feel out of your depth. Motherhood is different to what I thought it would be, babies don’t sit still. I thought we’d hang on the couch relaxing but he is so busy, you just can’t take your eyes off him.
7 April 2013
Declan Elphic
Mother Amber Lee Bischoff: Declan is doing great, he’s cheeky and very loving and loves his cuddles. My first baby Kaleb died when he was ten days old in 2010, he got an infection in the womb. We’ve had a couple of miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy and at Christmas we found out I was pregnant again and it was another ectopic pregnancy so I have lost both my tubes and we can’t have another baby unless we do IVF. I’m just happy and grateful for what I have got.
8 April 2013
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CHRISTMAS is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. We've compiled the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself. Part 1: Cameras
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Christmas is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. This is a compilation of the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself.