Tina, Amber & Scott

Well since we last wrote so much has happened, that we haven’t had time to write it down so forgive us for being absent.

Martin & Miranda: We find ourselves becoming friends with this wonderful couple, its true what they say about us “Poms” sticking together, even though Miranda is a kiwi, Martin is a scouser and they are both a great laugh, They met in the UK when Miranda was on OE and fell in love its a great story and now they have a beautiful boy Connor (oops can you call boys beautiful, or should i say handsome)? Anyway we had a fantastic meal round there house a few weeks ago turns out Martin was a chef in the British forces.

Mums and Bubs movies: Amber and I went to our third mums and bubs movie last week at the reading cinema in Porirua, and I can honestly say it was the worst experience of the three. First we went to see Last Chance Harvey at Island Bay which was great very comfy seats and a nice environment. Secondly we went to see Star Trek and the lighthouse in Pauatahanui, which is my favourite cinema you get two seater sofa’s to sit on and they projectionist, informed the mums and others that this was a loud movie and that he would try and turn it down as to not scare the children. He sat with us for the first five mins to make sure all was well. (So nice). But last week at the Reading cinema in Porirua, we went to see “The Land of the Lost”, it was an OK movie quite silly but very loud and they said they couldn’t turn it down, not a very nice experience, wont be going there again.

Birthdays: Samson turned 2 last week so we put him into Paws in the city for a day out, he is looking so down in the dumps lately. and my Mexican friend Fernanda turned 29 last week and we celebrated with a lovely meal on Cuba street, also doubled up as a goodbye for now to Ola who is heading home to Poland for six weeks, we shall miss her..

PAFT: (Parents as first teachers) lady Robi visited again last week and said that Amber is developing well and has given me more games to play and things to teach Amber, which involves reading/ looking at Board books so we took a trip to the library and got Amber her very own first Library card its so cute and hopefully it will be well used.

And Finally: Amber turned five months on Saturday, i cant believe it FIVE months! we have been to Plunket who agree she seems to be growing well and doing everything that a five month old should be doing, including her first roll all the way over back to tummy followed almost immediately with tummy to back, i am so proud of her. She has her vaccinations tomorrow, luckily Scott has the day off to come with me, as she always cries. Really where does the time go?

We’ll its another one of those little land marks, the first Solid meal.  Debs has been asking Tina for weeks now if we’ve started her, so we finally took the plunge of Saturday night.  Amber was sat on her chair on the kitchen side, looking around, and we pounced with a little rice dish that Tina whipped up in the kitchen. It was more sludge than solid, but its apparently better to start off more with a liquid than a solid.  Amber’s face on the first mouthful is a picture, there seems to be a disconnect between the brain and the mouth, with the mouth eager for more, and the brain screaming , “What the hell was that ?"  As soon as she realised she liked it, both arms were flying forward eager to grab a hold of the spoon and fit more in. In to her mouth, her nose, her eyes and her ears.     fun.   We took a movie of the event.. 

Anyway, its all in the video. A land mark achievement.  So that was Saturday night, today is Monday night, and we’ve still to have the aftermath,  the Nappy from hell.  Amber had a bowl more last night of the same stuff, which she was eager for, but this time it was a little firmer. And tonight’s we varied it, by having a little Banana mulched into the mixture.  Not to much as Tina said Banana can cause Constipation.

Other news,  Well I managed to hack the Wii and I’m having fun playing all sorts of games now. Tina is having a game of Tennis now as I type, into her second round and tied fifteen all. More fun.  This weekend, we didn’t get up to to much,  mooched around on Saturday, and visited Scott who was back from Christchurch, on Sunday afternoon, and then round to friends for Sunday dinner,  Yum,  nice.  I’ve still got to get round to doing the second cupboard door replacement,  the first went well, and just needs varnishing,  the second is for Ambers room, top cupboard, that is missing, and has been since we moved in.  I moved the last of the logs from the front garden on Sunday morning. Back breaking work,  around 15 wheelbarrow loads up the steep drive way and round to the back shed.  I’ll leave it there for a few years till it dries out properly, then chainsaw it into firewood.

Were queued up for visitors this Christmas, with Lee’s family coming out and than my Dad for Christmas.  Looking forward to it, and the Spring.  Oh, and I re activated my Facebook account, I’m keeping it small this time, just family and close friends, so don’t be offended if I ignore you, It got out of hand last time.

Well, what a time were having, firstly Scott accidentally drops the camera down the toilet (I know right) and surprisingly it doesn’t want to work again. Luckily having a master photographer in the family that is Dave we managed to acquire a really good replacement. Scott’s mobile phone also gave up and headed for that big electronic graveyard in the sky.

Then the 3 house disasters. They say that they come in three’s.

1) The washing machine which admittedly has been playing up for months finally gave up and because its a European make we can only get the parts from one place with a 2 week waiting list before they can even come look at it. (Thank goodness for Kenny & Carol and their spare top loader) I don’t know where we would be without you guys.

2) The back door had been on the blink (i.e. sticking) for a wee while too and over the weekend decided not to open, so Scott (and Kenny) had to take the lock apart and dismantle the handle… blinking el…

3) And finally as Amber and I arrived home today after our last “your growing baby” session at Plunket there is no electricity. I check with next door and they have power, so I ring Scott and the power company so we checked all the fuses and nothing. The power company assure me that no work had been carried out today, and it could be 3 hours before anyone could come out. So Scott and I make preparations for the sun going down with no heating/lighting or entertainment not even hot water. Turned out to be some work that had happened in the street had blown a fuse to our house typical.

Lets hope that nothing else happens now eh?

Well you lucky people up in the Northern Hemisphere are going into Spring time and Summer,  us lucky ( ? ) citizens down under are rapidly running head first into Winter.  It seems like the rain has not stopped for a week, and winter winds direct from the Antarctic are beating the shores.   Here’s a small video on Vimeo of the storms. For people who have visited us, you’ll recognise some of the coast line areas shown,

Waves up to 14 metres and winds over 60 knots made for some pretty amazing clips including surfers at some of the more sheltered eastern bays and waves breaking over vehicles.

Just a quick update between meetings at work.  Amber is doing well, her night time routine is becoming settled, Sleep by 7:30, or 8, then wake her for a bottle at 11pm,  she wakes around 3 , for a dummy replace, and then at 5 or 6,  its still hard on Tina but I try to jump in on the weekends so she can charge her batteries a little.

Bath time is getting fun. We’ve had Amber in the shower and the bath a couple fo times, and let her play and splash around in the water, once she has got over the initial alien environment she loves it and cries when we take her out of the bath and dress her

Tina is ever busy with coffee group meetings and looking after the little darling.  I am working hard with the team, trying to do more with ever less. Also been mucking around with Windows 7 at home and a new graphics card.  Bad news that I broke my Razor phone last week and have had to resort to the work issued mobile, which seems to have been designed for a 4 year olds fingers.  The camera, that trusty old FinePix that has stood me in good stead for years, finally leap to its death down a flushing toilet ( No I was not taking pictures at the time) and has expired, but fortunately, having a Dad who is a photographer, he’s sorted me out in the direction fro a good replacement

Ho hum,  got to go, another meeting in half an hour

I just wanted to add a short note that we had a awkward week last week with Amber, we tried her in her own room on Saturday 2nd May but still in her bassinet she only woke up once but i woke up a few times to check she was OK Sunday night I tried to settle her in her own room until 2am and finally gave in and brought her back in our room. Monday night she slept in her own room until 10:30pm then cried until midnight so I gave up and brought her in our room, she woke up 4 times during the night for food and banged the sides of her bassinet all night which means I really didn’t get any sleep. I gave up after that and brought her back into our room every night until this Sunday night 10th (Mothering Sunday in New Zealand) we went out and brought a new mattress for Amber’s big cot, and put her in that Sunday night… Brilliant i woke up about 1/2 before Amber for her feed to check on her (she woke up twice) but she resettled straight away, and last night was the same waking twice first for her dummy and then for a feed around 5am. Good girl. Lets hope she enjoyed her own space now and Mummy will just have to get used to hers again.