May Randoms

Reuben and Bethany.

Pak Kamit comes and does gardening for us every once in a while. After Autumn's birth, Philip suddenly had the urge to do some garden landscaping.
Soren's photo of Reuben with the teacup and teapot that Soren made with the groovy mosaic set Gramma Kate sent. Thanks mum!

I just like this photo of Phil, playing with the boys one Saturday morning.

And this one of Reub.



Phil starts to lose it.

A daily occurence.

I adore Reuben's little designs.

Grumpy.

The Sinclairs recently got themselves some wheels--a family vehicle, Indonesian-style. The most people we've seen on one bike is six.

Making Music!

It's usually the wobbly, fractious time between bath and dinner that Soren will announce, Let's make music! which can mean any number of things, from putting on his CD of choice and dancing like lunatics around the lounge room, to assembling a drum kit and having an impromptu jam session with his brother.

Reuben perches precariously up on the couch for his palm-branch guitar and drum solo.

Trombone. Or manual breast-pump, depending on your point of view.

Autumn comes home

Our little lemon 'n lime grublet.

Enjoying some awake time.

The boys made me a welcome home banner for my return from hospital. This is Reuben's Autumn impression.



Our helper Ibu Anik shows Phil how to use an Indonesian selendang (sling).

There are times it is very helpful having an extra two hands in the house.


Luxuriating in all her newborn deliciousness.

One of the mums from Kidsland came to have a peek.

In Java, babies are not usually taken outside for the first 40 days for fear of infection or sickness, but I snuck Autumn over to our Chinese-Indonesian neighbour Pak Achan and his wife, much to their delight. He is a bit of a grandfather figure to our boys, slipping them lollies through the gate whenever I'm not looking. He's a music lover and can be heard belting out karaoke at all hours. He's also a keen Buddhist who practises traditional chinese medicine and massage.

Autumn Grace Swan, 8 May 2011

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your prescence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there, if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,'
even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake I am still with you.
Psalm 139.1-18

First moments with Autumn.


The doctor (who arrived shortly after the birth) had to convince this nurse to stop wrapping, swaddling and dressing Autumn, and to hand her back to her eager parents who were still in the bath. She was just very keen to do her job!
Labour: 2.5 hours! Weight: 3.2 kg/7 pounds Length: 53cm


This is our wonderful friend (and midwife in Australia) Lynley who did all manner of things to support us. She drove us to the hospital and was pulled over for (carefully) running a red. She protested that there was a lady in the back about to give birth, the policeman took one look at me and waved her on: jangan diulangi! don't do it again! She also kept one hand ready to catch as I was getting into the bath, whilst taking excellent photos with the other.
Two of the bidans (midwives) who helped Autumn into the world.

The lovely birthing room where it all happened.

The doctor (left) trains the midwives in some of the details.
After Autumn was checked and weighed and I was stitched (ouch!) and showered, we moved to a recovery suite to relax for the rest of the day and that night.


The boys get their first glimpse.

Reuben checks out his new competition.


Soren thinks his new sister is lovely.

The brilliant babysitting crew.

Hooray!