Birth Day - 30 March 2007

Our baby was born yesterday! What a day. It appears that labour is called "labour" for a very good set of reasons. Even then, "labour" has got to be one of the world's greatest understatements. Still, it was pretty much all over within 24 hours and we have a wonderful product at the end of it.

Our baby girl, Alice Jenny Grant was born at 7.12pm on 30 March 2007. She weighs 7lb and 10oz (the midwife measured her weight on a metric set of scales and then used conversion tables to give us the numbers. The question is "Do EU laws on metric measurements apply to babies as well as fruit and veg?").



Here's her very first picture.

She was a bit quiet when she was born. No great screaming cry; but she was moving loads and pinky in colour, so we're just assuming that we have a quiet baby. She didn't even have a cry when the midwife bunged her on the cold scales to be weighed. We're hoping that we've got the quiet, good sleeping baby that we ordered!



Stuart got to hold her for most of the first hour whilst Pauline was being sorted out with the midwife. He tried to use that time to convince Alice that maths is definitely the way to go (when she's sorting out career options). He also tried to teach her how to cry. He was pretty successful at that one! This pic is of Pauline holding Alice at last.

Just a couple of sleeping pictures to finish. Alice started to get tired around an hour after she was born. Stuart then was able to move her between rooms and along to the maternity ward in her handy wheely cot. A bit like a shopping trolley but with plastic sides. Pauline is, of course, still in hospital. She's not planning to stay there long though; she'll be home as soon as she's got the feeding sorted.



(Notice, no pink! P hates pink. We own no pink baby clothes and I doubt you will ever see Alice in pink. S says - until she's old enough to decide what to buy herself maybe?).

We're feeling very grateful to God today. Very grateful.

Elephant baby - ready for real thing

Nearly all ready now. Elephant baby is dressed up in a wee cardie made by baby's granny; sitting on blanket made by same. The last of the internet bought crates of stuff arrived today. Bring on the birth!

Elephant relaxes in the cot. How sweet!

Elephant baby

Got the new pram through yesterday. P spent all afternoon taking bits apart and forming all the different pram options. Elephant quickly became the baby of choice - temporarily of course. It's a wee bit stiff to put together and take apart, but it's a good little runner! Elephant seemed happy. 

Home Group weekend away

Just come back from a fab home group weekend away in Frosterley (Co. Durham). This pic came from a walk we did on Saturday. It was bright blue sky and crisp January cold. A good time was had by all; even bump. 

Stuart and the Chocolate Fountain

Pauline's parents came over for Christmas this year. Pictured above at Seaton Sluice beach. P with her special pregnacy coat. Bump totally invisible. No free seats on the Metro for her!


The chocolate fountain made another appearance on Christmas Eve. I always enjoy the task of cleaning it up afterwards. There does tend to be more chocolate on my face afterwards than was in the fountain when we were using it. 

Pauline graduates

Pauline graduated from her MA today. It took Stuart nearly an hour to get parked in town - an hour! I ask you - parking in the the city centre? Get the Metro I say.


The ceremony was pretty good as graduations go. A couple of talks from the Uni big wigs, then an honorary degree to Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. They wrote comedies such as Porridge, Likely Lads and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.


Then the graduation of the students themselves. Here's Pauline receiving her degree. A superb achievement!

Latest scan pic

The latest pic from inside Pauline's womb. Complete with handy pointers so that you know what you're looking at. We've got one more scan due before the birth! 

Tomatoes

These tomatoes have been grown in the north east of England. Outside! I even didn't plant them outside until the back end of June. They're pretty small, but they are red. I shall pick them and enjoy this weekend! 

Baby on the way!

12 week scan today. Here's the picture, complete with handy hints as to what bits of baby are where. We're very excited (as you can imagine). Looking forward to the next 6 months of pregnancy. 

Wallington Hall

There's nothing like an afternoon out in the country! We went to Wallington Hall in Northumberland this afternoon. We took a stroll around the lake and into the walled garden. A couple of wildlife spectacles caught my eye...



These flowers were very popular with the bumble bees. There were only two left in flower, so maybe they were a diminishing feast.



We must have seen 3 or 4 robins whilst we were there. Not exactly rare, but interesting enough to photograph when they sit this close.

Well worth a visit by the way. I'm sure we'll be back! 

Ants' nest

This was just fascinating! I was taking up the paving slabs in the back garden (to make a bigger border - part of a grand-ish plan for improving the back garden. It's all likely to take some years to complete though). Anyway, I lifted the first slab and I uncovered an ants' nest. Of course, they immediately went into defence mode and began hiding away all the eggs. Managed to get a photo of the little heros in action. All the eggs were gone in under 5 mins though. Pretty darned efficient. 

Chilli

I'm growing chillis this year. The vegetable patch is out of action as we're having a bit of a garden re-development. So, I decided to grow something that could exist quite happily indoors. The chillis seem to be doing very well. I've got 4 chillis on one plant and loads of flowers on the second one. Green fingers you see...