Out on a whim...

Willows Farm

2010-04-10T21:28:00.002+01:00

We now seek outchild friendly places with indoor and outdoor activities. A favorite is Willows Farm which has real and wooden animals, soft play areas, giant slides, you name it. Here is M with cousin Oscar and Daddy. Note the reins - essential wear for our little torpedo. One blink and he's gone.

Friends

2010-04-10T21:27:00.002+01:00

Mack here in the garden with his little mate Evie. They have known each other all their lives!

Well trained

2010-04-10T21:26:00.002+01:00

I will keep this as evidence for when he is older. At the moment he LOVES cleaning -- especially scrubbing.

Emotional

2010-04-10T21:24:00.002+01:00

Mack is 17 months old now and the days have become an emotional rollercoaster as his limitations frustrate him and he struggles to communicate how he is feeling without words. However, I am quite good at working out what the problem is.

Where have we been?

2010-04-10T21:21:00.002+01:00

Well, here we are! We moved house in January and then seemed to fall off the face of the earth. We were cut off for quite a while as it took ages to get the phone and internet connected and then I guess we were out of blogging practice. we are renting a lovely house while we wait and look to buy.

New addition

2010-01-07T21:33:00.002Z

We visited Aunty El the other day to celebrate the arrival of new cousin baby Isabel (born 28th December). Mack had fun with Oscar's toys and the doting Ray girls. I think he looks very grown up in these pictures - a bit shocking - where is my little baby?

London Zoo

2010-01-02T08:51:00.005Z

It has been lovely having Thom at home over the Christmas break. We visited London Zoo last week but didn't realise how cold it was. Many of the animals were hiding so Mack found it difficult to see. However, he loved the pigeons (could have seen them for free)and the penguins. The merry-go-round was a new experience but was perhaps a bit too fast!

Dizzy!
Make like a penguin...

Knackered.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T21:09:00.006Z

And a very Happy 2010 from all of us xxxxx

On the move

2009-12-24T21:09:00.002Z

We are moving house on the 15th January so it's all happening here. Will be n touch with new address.

Snow

2009-12-22T18:52:00.004Z

Our weekly visit to the farmers market was a chilly one this week as we had a covering of snow. It was lovely to see sparkles everywhere but we couldnt stay too long due to numb feet. The coffee was extra good!
Colour coordiated Dad

Nice and snug

Warm

2009-12-22T18:50:00.004Z

The weather has turned very chilly lately and Mack has been able to wear one of his new Granny Margaret knits made from Aussie merino wool. I have been getting alot of wear out of my gorgeous fingerless gloves - thank you Claerwen! Photo coming soon...

model

2009-12-22T18:04:00.002Z

Peek a boo!

Cocoa

2009-11-15T08:37:00.001Z

Things went very quiet the other morning and as I looked over I realised that someone had found a tin of cocoa in the kitchen cupboard and had poured it all over the floor. Consequently it was all over him as well, including up the nostrils. Lovely!

Cute

2009-11-15T08:33:00.002Z

Here we are heading to a coffee shop on the weekend with Mack being very independent. He was sporting his cool new coat - thank you uncle Neil! The scary thing is he doesn't want to hold our hands, he wants to bolt off so we have to be very careful with him and have bought some reigns. Not sure what he will make of them though!

Birthday fun

2009-11-01T21:30:00.006Z

Mack had a great time today down at the Newton's house in Essex. Sue and Bryan put on an amazing lunch complete with banners and balloons and despite the weather there was alot of fun. Thom requested a Victoria sponge cake so I rose to the challenge and produced one for the occasion. Never realised how difficult it is to bake a good sponge - I felt that this one was a bit heavy and flat but it looked good for the candle blowing moment...

The packaging is sometimes more popular than the present! (circa 6.30am)

Happy Birthday!!

2009-11-01T07:10:00.003Z

Today our little boy turns one! Mack was born at 10am a year ago at Barnet General Hospital. It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed since meeting our chubby bundle. He is running around everywhere now and charming everyone he meets. He loves books, hide and seek and chasey. A few words are forming - 'dadda' and 'mumma' and something resembling 'dog'. He prefers to point and gurgle and use body language to communicate at the moment. We are going to the Newton's today for a lunch to mark Thom's 40th and Mack's first so more photos later...

Autumn Leaves

2009-10-19T09:02:00.000+01:00

Fun in the park

Poncho

2009-10-14T08:32:00.003+01:00

The weather is cooling down here so we bought this mini poncho at the farmers market recently. I reckon he can carry off the leggings/uggs/poncho look!

Cute cousins

2009-10-12T13:46:00.002+01:00

Mack caught up with UK cousin Oscar recently who is 10 weeks older than him. They are interested in the same things now but there is not alot of eye contact going on yet!

Holiday snaps

2009-10-09T21:14:00.005+01:00

We had a lovely holiday in Mauritius and the sun did everyone the world of good. Mack started walking at 10 months and 3 days!

Cousins

2009-08-27T07:14:00.003+01:00

Thom's older sister Kate has three teenage daughters who adore newcomers Mack and cousin Oscar. We recently went to visit them and Mack had a great time with the girls as they lavished him with attention. Activities included playing on the trampoline and going on the swings. I was able to put my feet up!

Sunny sun sun

2009-08-25T08:09:00.001+01:00

Some lovely weather lately - hooray!

Art appreciation

2009-08-25T08:03:00.002+01:00

Mack appreciating a Henry Moore sculpture. Quite a resemblance, don't you think?

Great escape

2009-08-23T11:24:00.008+01:00

Thom tried to take a nice photo of Mack and I the other day but our boy had other ideas and was hell-bent on grabbing Thom's I-Phone (which we think is a crap phone but a great camera).

Cold

2009-08-09T20:54:00.002+01:00

Mack has had another nasty cold this past week and he obligingly let me take his picture after I had wiped his nose which he hates. I think his hair is going curly like Thom's used to be and I like this t-shirt - it has a photo of a lion on it. But most importantly if you look really closely you can see two bottom teeth here and yes, a discarded toothbrush on the floor next to him. Well, it doesn't take long to clean two teeth!

No comment

2009-08-09T20:49:00.003+01:00

Mural

2009-08-09T07:41:00.006+01:00

We have a new 'scene' at the end of our kitchen now which hides our new utility room. Mack easn't sure what to make of it at first but it makes a good backdrop for photos.

Daddy Time

2009-07-26T07:51:00.009+01:00

I love seeing the close bond between Thom and Mack.

Story time

"Fingers of hair"

Starting early with the driving lessons

Standing

2009-07-18T10:13:00.004+01:00

Can you see a theme developing here? The little monkey is standing confidently now and getting into everything. The dishwasher is a favorite - must run in the family as I remember seeing pictures of cousins Winter and Baxi in their dishwasher!

Philip's Eulogy

2009-07-11T09:50:00.003+01:00

“I wish to read the following message from John's eldest son Philip”

Thankyou all for coming today to celebrate my father's life. I wish that I could be here with you all today.

My dad was a gentle, quiet Englishman whose 80 years of life time experiences spanned two countries. He spent the first half of his life in England and had experienced World War 2 England as a teenager. My impression was that before I was born he had lived a happy life which had featured European travels, some interesting cars and his marriage to his first wife Helen. His life's low point occurred in 1970 when he suffered the tragic loss of my mother Helen soon after the birth of Thomas.

As one era drew to a close, another one opened when he met his current wife Margaret, and Emma was born. His life's story took a further twist when we moved to Australia. It must have been a corageous decision at that time, as I for one couldn't understand why we would swap beautiful green Devon for a less salubrious suburb in Sydney. We were in Sydney for only 4 months until the decision was made that we should make Adelaide our long time home. There Dad was able to work in his occupation as a Further Education lecturer and life in Australia for Dad became more pleasant and harmonious although he still had the normal trials and tribulations of raising his children. My impression was that he had immensely enjoyed his 18 years as a Further Education lecturer as he had access to equipment and gadgets that appeared to be in line with his own interests that included photography. By 1993 he had retired and was making himself pleasantly busy, and life was getting even better now that the kids had grown up and left the nest.

Dad had a contented but busy retirement. He once said to me that he didn't know how he had found time for work in the first place! He had a keen interest in all things technical, and he loved using technology for practical purposes. During his years in retirement he was involved as a co-ordinator with Neighbourhood Watch and was an avid member of the Probus club and there he helped them using technology that he had a passion in. I think I had inherited my love of gadgets from him.

He was a reserved man with a great sense of humor, and quite a fit man, even at the age of 80 he was still riding his bike in hilly Blackwood.

He has been a loyal and devoted husband to Margaret.

He was a wonderful father to myself (Philip), Thomas and Emma. He has encouraged me to be independent, however I never really inherited his organisational skills – as he was always meticulously organised and prepared for any activity or excursion.

Today is a day to celebrate my Dad's long and busy life, We will miss you...from Philip and Toni.

From Oliver and Joseph -
You were a quiet and caring Grand-dad, you are now our angel watching over us....we love you.

John

2009-07-11T08:27:00.008+01:00

Mack's middle name is John, which was my Dad's name. It felt like the right middle name to give him, as sadly, Dad never got to meet Mack. This week saw the anniversary of the accident that took Dad's life here in London whilst on a visit to see us. I have found this week difficult and have been up and down. Some say that the first anniversary is the hardest so perhaps it will get easier in time. His death coincided with a couple of key events over here - the Wimbledon final, Tour De France (we were in France at the time in a village near the event) so they all strangely served as reminders of last Summer - if this makes any sense.

Of course this year we have our lovely and amazing Mack so things are different and have moved on in a big way. And of course with a little dynamo around I don't have time to dwell for too long, especially when he flashes one of his amazing gummy smiles at me - or fills his nappy. I didn't write about this on my Blog last year as there was far too much going on but I would like to mark the occasion with one of my favorite photos of my Dad and I together (circa 1974) at our then home, Brook Cottage in Devon, and to publish a copy of my brother's excellent Eulogy (above) which was read at Dad's funeral by our cousin Simon Neate.

Heatwave

2009-07-11T08:14:00.004+01:00

Last week we saw the first UK 'heatwave' for 3 years. Temperatures soared to 32C! That feels pretty hot in sticky London, so Mack and I were very excited when we visited my friend Ellie. Her son Bryn has this very impressive pirate pool complete with inflatable swords, shield and hook and he kindly let Mack have a swim. Mack was dressed in his finest sun protection which Ellie found amusing (thinks I am OTT Australian slip slop slap mother) - especially as after all the effort to protect against the sun, Mack wanted to get out after 5 minutes!

Camping it up

2009-06-29T14:05:00.003+01:00

Neil and I went to see Priscilla - The Musical on Saturday starring Jason Donovan. I am not usually a fan of musicals but am a fan of the film. I treated Neil to a ticket for his birthday and off we went on Saturday leaving Mack with daddy for the day.

I bloody well forgot my camera - and an umbrella so don't have any shots of us shopping and lunching in Soho/Covent Garden or getting caught in a torrential downpour on the way home. I can tell you though that the show was absolutely fabulous! The costumes, the campness, the music and the Aussie humour meant that I had aching cheeks at the end of it (from smiling and laughing so much!). The costumes and set design/stage production were A-MA-ZING. It was good for me to have a day out of mummy-land and I had no worries that Thom wouldn't be able to cope. In fact Mack ate and slept at the right times - perhaps in his cot may have been more appropriate - but hey, the boys had a good time at home together and Mack joined in the spirit of things in a pair of pink hotpants (warm weather here).

A weekend in the country

2009-06-22T07:59:00.006+01:00

We spent the weekend at the Newton's in the Essex countryside. Mack had some new experiences which are documented below...he always seems extra chilled out in the country and loves exploring Granny and Grandpa Newton's garden.

Mack enjoyed 'holding court' as we ate our breakfast. Very entertaining child!

This little cart (above) is about 40 years old - Thom and his sisters were pulled around in it when they were babies. We filled it with cushions and blankets and took it in turns pulling the little prince around the garden.

The swing was a big hit

Movin'

2009-06-14T08:34:00.004+01:00

Still imagaes don't really show the crawling style but believe me he is into everything!

Photoshoot

2009-06-14T08:30:00.001+01:00

Rocking

2009-06-14T08:24:00.002+01:00

About a month ago Mack started to rock on his hands and knees and ten on the 4th of June he started crawling at the age of 7 months. I was hoping he would wait a bit longer but he was off and now crawling is a means to an end for him to get to a place where he can drag himself up to standing. We've already had a few bumps and tears but all par for the course...

Stuff

2009-06-13T14:23:00.001+01:00

He likes the chair but hates the bouncer - I have put it away for a while...

Gorgeous

2009-06-13T14:15:00.003+01:00

We left gorgeous late summery weather in Sydney and returned to identical matching weather in London so the transition was pretty smooth. Here we are in our back garden with Uncle Neil after Thom had mowed the lawn.

Belated update

2009-06-07T14:00:00.006+01:00

Sorry about the lack of Blog action lately! I don't find myself having very much 'me' time at the moment and when I do, there are usually other priorities (like sleeping). We had a busy trip to Australia and Mack's first visit was packed with action and admirers. The little fella travelled really well and actually slept during most of the flight over. We spent two weeks in Adelaide followed by 5 days in Sydney and were blessed with great weather most of the time. In fact, the weather was a bit too hot when we arrived in Adelaide at 35C and poor Mack dealt with it by sleeping and sweating alot. He had only ever experienced UK wintery weather! Our trip was full of mixed emotions for me. It was a happy time as Thom, Mack and I were able to spend all our time together as a family and it was lovely to be able to finally introduce our beautiful boy to everyone. It was also lovely to be amongst fantastic friends and family and catch up with lots of special people and meet some new editions. (it had been 4 years since my last visit - far too long!). Speaking of special people, Granny Margaret was one of the main reasons for our visit and it was great to finally introduce Mack to his 'Oz Nan'. I had not seen mum since our tragic time together here in the UK last Summer so it was an emotional reunion. Unfortunately our visit coincided with one of Mum's severe depressions so she was having treatment for that whilst we were there and didn't get around to doing alot of of things we had planned to do together. I felt Dad's absence/loss pretty strongly in Adelaide as so many things reminded me of him. I had plenty of 'moments' during the visit and missed him being around. And he never got to meet Mack face to face. After Adelaide we headed to Sydney, where we were rushing around, trying to see everyone we wanted to see and have some family time as well. We had a great time and wished we'd had more time there and will definitely make sure we do next visit!
Here are some pics from our trip, we have a bit of video too but I'm not sure how to put it up on the Blog - any suggestions?

Ready to Go!

2009-03-27T10:41:00.003Z

We leave for Australia tonight and we have packed our essentials...

Spring

2009-03-19T21:42:00.004Z

Spring is finally in the air here in London and yesterday I took some shots of our little blossom amongst the blossoms in the park...

Traveller

2009-03-19T21:29:00.003Z

We have purchased a little fold up buggy for our upcoming travels and have been road testing it. It seems to have the Mack seal of approval!

Bath time

2009-03-19T21:06:00.007Z

Daddy does his best to get home for bath time and stories. Mack used to hate having a bath but he loves it now and kicks water all over the bathroom.

Mummy bath time...

Bust a Move

2009-03-12T10:40:00.000Z

Girlfriend

2009-03-12T10:30:00.002Z

Mack's younger girlfriend Isabella came to visit the other day and they had a cuddle on the sofa.

Hangin' out

2009-03-12T10:21:00.002Z

The Baby Bjorn is very popular and I think we will be very glad of it during our travels. M loves it and it is much more comfortable for Thom and I to use - we had a cloth sling that just wasn't substantial enough for such a solid baby!

Rolling

2009-03-12T10:17:00.001Z

Mack has been rolling front to back, back to front for a few weeks now and recently toes were added to his mouth.

Happy

2009-03-12T10:08:00.002Z

Dribble

2009-03-12T10:05:00.001Z

There is a constant stream of dribble from Mack's mouth now so bibs are an essential accessory.

Naked Ambition

2009-03-12T09:58:00.003Z

Babies look best naked I think. Nice to have 'no nappy' time too.

Swimming

2009-03-12T09:56:00.001Z

Mack had his first swimming lesson last Sunday the 8th. it was so cute and he did really well. He took it all in and even went underwater. We were in the pool for 30 minutes with daddy watching on the sidelines. I took the camera but no photos as it steamed up as soon as I got it out.

Update

2009-03-12T09:49:00.002Z

Sorry for the lack of updates lately - I misplaced the cord for the camera (have found it now) and have been very sleep deprived. This week I have a cold and now Mack has it so everything seems even harder! Am preparing for the big trip as we leave London for OZ two weeks tomorrow...Hopefully we will have colds out the way before we travel.

Bumbo

2009-02-18T08:53:00.003Z

Mack is just old enough to sit in his Bumbo chair for a few minutes. When he can hold up his head properly he can spend more time in it. He seems to like it...

Rock

2009-02-18T08:44:00.005Z

My friend Luissa sent a box of fab 'Rock Your Baby' gear from Sydney recently. We love the rock take on baby wear. Thank you Luissa! There are more outfits for a later date as Mack was getting tired during this session and when I added the hat it was a step too far...
I told Mack to look 'tough' for this shot...

Check out the cheeks!

Cute punk

Had enough Mum!

Cosy

2009-02-05T21:05:00.004Z

This lovely cosy knitted jumper was cleverly thrifted by Auntie Claerwen. It has sweet yellow elephant buttons and it now fits Mack perfectly - good timing with the freezing weather! Thank you AC! xxxxx

Knits and Corduroy

2009-02-04T17:13:00.004Z

Mackenzie has been lucky enough to have several items handmade for him. He is often seen lying on or under this knitted blanket and wearing a cardigan expertly knitted by Thom's sister's mother-in-law Maureen. Here, he also sports his new corduroy dungarees expertly and lovingly made by Oz Granny Margaret (very handy in this weather to hold all the layers together) and clutching a new teddy made by Neate cousin Penelope. What a creative family!

Snowsuit

2009-02-02T22:16:00.002Z

Not impressed with the snowsuit!

Snowed under

2009-02-02T22:11:00.002Z

Thom trying to find the car this morning. He set off for work eventually but was back withing half an hour as the weather was so bad. The snow was beautiful though!

Pretty in Pink

2009-01-24T16:41:00.003Z

We love Mack in pink...why shouldn't boys wear it? He has started a love affair with his feet too...

Developments

2009-01-11T12:03:00.003Z

Mack has recently discovered hos hands. He is also picking things up and moving them towards his mouth. Auntie Claerwen - what a great idea sending this retro toy - he loves it! xxx

Out and about

2009-01-11T12:00:00.004Z

We met up with Steve and Hayley who take a great photo!

Mum and Dad

2009-01-11T11:55:00.003Z

It is very difficult to get a good picture of Thom and I together. The Newtons have a genetic tendency to close their eyes in photos and as you can see it is difficult to get us both in focus at the same time. I had been woken up every two hours the night before so was looking pretty rough around the eyes but had just had my hair done which is why it looks unusually coiffured (spelling?). I like Thom's new hat

Fan Club

2009-01-11T11:52:00.003Z

Mack has a growing legion of fans and one of his biggest is Neil. He loves to watch Neil pull funny faces and make crazy noises, and to be honest, so do I!

Several women have picked up Mack and suddenly become all broody. Here is 'stop at one' Ellie thinking about how lovely it would be to breastfeed again.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-02T18:07:00.014Z

Mack's first Christmas wasn't freezing or white but it was pretty chilly. Unfortunately 80% of the family (including Thom) went down with various bugs during the break so it wasn't as jolly as it could have been. Poor Thom had been looking forward to his time off work and as soon as he stopped work he got ill and he is only just beginning to feel normal again - in time for work...Not fair!

Christmas morning and a stocking from Neil stuffed with groovy goodies - some fab clothes and a Beddy Beddy (stuffed toy filled with lavender and wheat that you can heat up).

Daddy cuddles

Life is tough...

Grandpa Newton cuddles

Grandpa Cole, Uncle Adam, Auntie El and cousin Oscar

Heads Up

2008-12-22T17:20:00.004Z

Mackenzie has started to hold his head up (very advanced!). The doctor recommended five minutes a day on his tummy to practice this and pushing himself across the floor. I can see that it won't be long before I am chasing a crawling dynamo...

Cute!

Gym

2008-12-22T17:17:00.003Z

Chilling in the baby gym. This is supposed to enhance the baby's intelligence!

Posing in the pram

2008-12-19T21:27:00.005Z

We had a lovely mild and clear day today so we put the snow-suit back in the cupboard and Mackenzie sported his lovely new cardigan, expertly knitted by Rosemary Pearson. After a walk to the shops, he posed in his pram for some happy shots.

Weigh in

2008-12-17T18:45:00.003Z

Mack is now 6 weeks old so he had his first check up at the doctor today. He now weighs in at 12 pounds and 8 ounces, about 5.8kg. That is 91% for his age. Good boy!

Handsome

2008-12-17T18:43:00.002Z

Woops, didn't mean to use the flash...

Smile

2008-12-11T18:13:00.006Z

Mackenzie has just started to smile. Sometimes it takes a bit of prompting with a finger under the chin but slowly it is becoming more spontaneous and more frequent. he has started to 'coo' as well. All very heart-melting and we can't wait to see what he will do next week...

Chair

2008-12-11T18:10:00.002Z

Our friends Mel and Leigh came around on the weekend and gave us a bouncy rocking chair that their daughters used. It is fab as Mackenzie loves it and I can rock it with my foot and move him around the house in it. He even falls asleep in in sometimes!

Family outing

2008-12-03T19:00:00.002Z

On the weekend we had a family outing to Kenwood House and walked around the gardens and into Hampsted Heath. We gave the pram a good thrashing and it took it well. We then had a pub lunch in front of the fire - all before Mackenzie woke up. As he started to stir, we fled the pub and came home.

Boo!

2008-12-03T18:59:00.000Z

Flat hair!

Snoozing

2008-12-03T18:55:00.002Z

The midwives mantra is 'sleep when your baby sleeps' so often we can be found snoozing in the daytime. This isn't always the most restful sleep for me as Mackenzie can snort and snuffle quite a bit so it's great on weekends when Thom can look after him so I can sleep. He already prefers our bed to his own, little tinker!

Cute!

2008-12-03T18:49:00.002Z

Mackenzie is beginning to pull lots of different faces. Here he is in one of his (and our) favourite Bonds baby-gro's - courtesy of Auntie Clarewen.

Welcome home

2008-12-02T15:50:00.006Z

The first few days at home were very snoozy and cuddly as we all tried to catch up on some sleep after the labour and birth shenannigans...Mackenzie was quite yellow to begin with as he had a bit of neo-natal jaundice, but that cleared up after a week or so.

Mackenzie 1.11.08

2008-11-28T21:36:00.009Z

Hooray! Junior is here. He finally arrived safe and sound at 10am on the 1st of November, weighing in at just over 9lb (4.1kg). It took us a couple of weeks to decide on a name and as you all know, we have called him Mackenzie John (after my Dad) Newton. It's a bit tricky at the moment to get the time to write much but I will upload some images from the last few weeks. Everything is going well now, following a rollercoaster of a pregnancy, a VERY long labour and a week spent in hospital after the birth with a bladder problem. Thom and I ar totally smitten with our beautiful son and can't get enough of him. Mackenzie is a real sweetie, loves his cuddles and food and is extremely handsome and cute. He is also very strong and I wonder how i will manage to change his nappy in a couple of months when I will struggle to hold him down. A budding spotsman, perhaps?

Welcome to the world Mackenzie!

Where is Junior?

2008-10-26T12:20:00.003Z

Many people are asking. Junior is taking his time to make his first appearance. Probably because he is nice and cosy in his bubble and he's been told that it is getting cold, wet (wetter) and windy outside.

I am seeing the doctors on Tuesday to negotiate induction dates. Hopefully it won't come to that...but they like to book you in in advance. I will hold off as ong as I can as I would rather not be induced. Their protocol is 12 days late but apparently they are negotiable. Maybe he will make an appearance on his Daddy's birthday - Wednesday the 29th of October??

Original and new

2008-10-12T19:02:00.002+01:00

A few weeks ago, we were staying at the Newton's during a rainy weekend and Thom suggested that I make a new 2008 Gonk for Junior. Soon I was raiding Sue's button collection and stash of leftover fabric. She wizzed up a pattern on newspaper based on original Gonk and in no time I had all the pieces ready to make a new one. Admittedly, Sue helped me with some of the sewing and she hand-stitched the mouth as well so I couldn't have done it without her. We were all very happy with the result and here he is with half-finished hair.

Gonk

2008-10-12T18:58:00.004+01:00

Whenever we have visited Thom's parents place in Essex and stayed over, Thom and I have always admired his childhood 'gonk'.
It has always made us laugh out loud with his simplicity - button eyes, square shape and stocking insides. We have always thought how great it was that something made from scraps could have so much personality. He has now been handed down to Junior...

A walk in the park

2008-10-07T17:16:00.002+01:00

The other weekend Thom and I went to the Muswell Hill Farmers market (yum) followed by a walk in Alexandra Palace park. I am always lagging behind and out of breath as the baby is pushing up on my diaphragm. Thom took this shot as I was trying to get my breath back.

Belly Cam - 37 weeks

2008-10-07T12:30:00.003+01:00

Apologies for the lack of Blog updates...there is really no excuse! Good news about the placenta, the 34 week scan showed that it had moved up and out the way so we are set for a natural birth. Could be anytime now but most likely to be around or after the 20th October sometime. I am now 38 weeks, so in my 39th week. We are both getting very excited, a bit nervous and trying to make the most of sleep and spending time together. We have completed some antenatal classes, so feel as if we have some knowledge about all of the possible scenario's during birth and have hired a Doula, who will be with us and assisting us during the birth. I have been busy 'nesting' but feel as if I have run out of steam a bit lately as Junior is taking up maximum space now and various areas of my body can be quite uncomfortable. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was anaemic, which explains alot of the tiredness during June/July and August. At the time I put alot of the exhaustion down to Dad's accident and the aftermath of that so I guess one would have affected the other. After alot of careful dietary adjustment, (including eating some red meat, unfortunately) and taking some hardcore iron tablets, I'm happy to say that levels are back in the normal range.

Lying low

2008-08-04T19:03:00.004+01:00

At the 20 week scan I was told that I had a low-lying placenta. Basically, this means that the placenta is located near where the baby comes out (the O/S) or in some cases, over the O/S. (see below). This can be very dangerous for both mother and baby during the birth process as the placenta can rupture and cause hemorrhaging.
Apparently, most low lying placenta's move up and out the way in time for the birth, but they keep a close eye on you by performing more scans to monitor progress, so we get bonus scans. Friday we had a 28 week scan which showed a healthy baby but that the placenta had barely moved. They will scan again at 34 weeks and if it hasn't moved by then we're probably talking a scheduled cesarean 2 weeks before the due date to make sure that I don't start going into labour. As you can see from the scan, Junior is getting so big they can't fit him all in to the picture anymore!

Belly Cam - 28 weeks

2008-08-04T18:33:00.004+01:00

Here is my belly at 28 weeks. I'm definately feeling a bit slower and heavier and it's a bit harder to roll over in bed. However, from all reports I hear that this is nothing compared to the last few weeks!

Belly Cam - 24 weeks

2008-07-25T19:51:00.004+01:00

This shot was taken 4 weeks ago when I was 24 weeks. Note the summery UK weather!

20 week scan

2008-06-04T12:04:00.002+01:00

Baby Newton is perfect!

Belly Cam - 20 weeks

2008-05-31T18:03:00.003+01:00

Well, this is me at 20 weeks. About a week ago I was worrying if my bump was growing enough but Junior is definately popping out more and I am looking a bit more convincing. In fact, last night I was offered a seat on the tube by a very observant woman so that was a bit of a landmark!

Thank you Claerwen for your comments about finding out the sex...we have the scan on Wednesday and still haven't decided what to do. I will update you all asap!

To find out or not to find out...

2008-05-21T20:54:00.003+01:00

After spending all this time thinking that we would find out the sex of the baby (helps planning and bonding), we are now 2 weeks away from the 20 week scan and are wondering whether we may not find out and have a surprise in October. Ummm, ahhhh, if anyone has any comments about this, please let me know!

Not a good look...

2008-05-21T20:47:00.002+01:00

Neil (my Gay husband) came to stay recently whilst Thom was away. Neil brought some face masks with him that he bought in Malaysia recently. They were very handy and not messy as they ha a kind of fabric base. You just open the packet and apply as shown. However, I took mine off after 5-10 minutes as my skin started to sting! Not very attractive are we? However, I'm happy to report that there was no damage and our skin did feel very soft afterwards. We then watched Pricilla, Queen of the Desert. Fabulous!

Belly Cam - 16 weeks

2008-05-11T09:16:00.003+01:00

As requested, here are a couple of belly shots at 16 weeks. No one is giving up a seat on the tube for me just yet! However, those who know are starting to remark on the bump. The midwife paid a visit this week and we listened to Junior's heart beat via a doppler. It sounded like a horse galloping - nice and healthy. 20 week scan in a few weeks...

Special news

2008-04-28T11:35:00.006+01:00

What we have wanted for a long time has finally happened...we're pregnant! I have waited 15 weeks, just to be sure, to Blog the news but everything appears to be going well. I am sorry to say that I have been suferring for about 7 weeks from terrible moring sickness - and that includes vomitting (spewing) every day. Some days I have been rendered helpless on the sofa and I have not had the energy for very many domestic duties. Food has become an interesting challenge, with some going out of favour and not agreeing and others becomming new favorites.

The first trimester seemed to take forever for both of us. We were too nervous to fully accept the amazing news and talk about future plans and hardly told anyone for weeks. We know what it's like for it all to go wrong so we just kept everything crossed.
We had a 12 week scan a few weeks ago which was great - a very healthy and viable fetus moving around and posing. The nuchal fold measurement and blood tests have come back normal/low risk so that is more good news. I am feeling a bit better now, I am still 'spewing' most mornings before breakfast but in general the nausea isn't so bad. Fingers crossed it continues to improve!We have now accepted that little 'Junior' is part of the family so have given him/her this nickname until the birth. Oh yes and the baby is due around the 20th October. Thom is hoping he/she will be born on his birthday, October 29th!

Thom made me take two tests, just to be sure...

Seeing Junior moving around and waving arms and legs was amazing and very reassurring. So cute!

Easter greetings

2008-03-24T16:17:00.003Z

I found this image of a 'Harey Bush' on TMZ.com. Hilarious!

Paris, no.

2008-02-02T08:42:00.000Z

Well, unfortunately we missed our trip to Paris (this time) thanks to my dodgy stomach bug. Boo! Four days later I am finally feeling human again albeit disappointed.

Paris, oui?

2008-01-19T15:21:00.000Z

Yatje and I are off to Paris soon to make sure that we stick to our new years resolutions...more art! more culture! more cafe o lait! more trips to Paris (esppecially for Y as she is practically French). We are travelling on the new 186mph high speed Eurostar from Kings Cross St Pancreas. Only 10 more sleeps to go!

Country walk

2008-01-08T15:11:00.000Z

Essential after Christmas dinner.

A Green Christmas

2008-01-08T14:56:00.000Z

Thom's parents have gone very environmentally friendly and chose not to buy a tree this year. They raided nearby fields for branches and decorated them. It was very effective!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-08T14:54:00.000Z

Well, I didn't die after I handed in my dissertation, I am still here. SO, happy new year 2008!
A couple of people, one in particular, have 'encouraged' me to update my blog which I think is a very good idea.

Hand in

2007-05-27T19:06:00.000+01:00

After a mad dash through the Friday afternoon traffic and hair-raising tube journey we arrived at uni just in time and had the luxury of having three staff members helping us to bind the dissertations. Thank goodness we had a bit of help as by that stage we were so tired we probably would have bound them back to front!

Neil handed his in first.
I was very happy to follow suit!
Happy and bloody exhausted!

D-Day

2007-05-27T18:59:00.001+01:00

On Friday, Neil and I handed in our dissertations. We were so tired on Friday morning after all the hard work we have put into them but we still had to print out several copies each and make sure we assembled them properly. We combined the two brain-cells we had left and helped each other through the day. I was in charge of printing...
Neil took charge of collating the final copies.
We treated ourselves with tea and vegemite crumpets.