Jack and Katrina's Place

On Monday Katrina and Guy went into the city to have lunch with Sarah. She is the contractor's project manager on the website project Katrina was doing for the ministry, so they are effectively equivalents. In fact they are so well matched that Sarah is expecting a baby of her own very soon. She came down to check on the progress of the project and also checked out Guy's progress.

At some point I guess they visited a baby change facility, where Sarah took these pictures. Now the words 'Baby Change Facilty" have always made me smile, Visions of putting small boy on table, slamming it shut, wait a few moments and then open it up to find your boy has changed into a little girl! I know they don't really work like that, but I do know some airlines reported problems with passengers who didn't understand the difference between baby changing and baby making facilities, remember those tables are only stressed for about 20 kg.

Anyway,, here are some nice photos of Guy from Sarah. The close-up one had me wondering how two brown haired people like us can have such an 'Aryan' baby, with those eyes he should be doing advertisements for' Blue Stratos' or something. The other photo, with his bee a blur and gleeful eyes like Thomas the tank engine, now that is classic Guy!

Well what a big weekend that was, so big it's taken me until today to get stuff together enough to make a blog entry. Guy travelled really well in the car for a 1000km or so, On the way back he slept after we stopped at a friends place in Reparoa, kept sleeping while we checked out Huka Falls, and slept all the way until we stopped for coffee at Taihape. Then he was the most endearing baby smiling at everyone in the coffee shop. Another big sleep took us to Levin for a snack burger for Kat and I. That proved to be the final straw and he woke up to find himself still strapped into the stupid backwards facing seat, now in the dark. After a few kilometers of screaming we stopped and he had a big feed near Otaki, but only a few kilometres south of there at Waikanae we had to stop again. I pulled into a rest area between the highway and the railway. He stopped crying as soon as he was picked up, just need some reassurance. While he was awake in my arms a big freight train came past, I covered his ears but his little eyes were as wide as saucers.

The reunion was enlightening, Cousin Kathy has some great pictures onher website (my cousin Ben) but the gist of it was we established Guy is the 7th generation to descend from Reverend Seymour Mills Spencer who ran arrived in 1842 to run a Mission on the shores of Lake Tarawera amongst the Tuhorangi hapu of the Te Arawa. His youngest son Frederick also became a minister, at St Faith's Chruch on the shores of Lake Rotorua. All of the New Zealand family are descended from Frederick.

Before becoming a minister Frederick spent time exploring the North west corner of the South Island, including the plateau at Denniston above Westport. I have been to Denniston three times, and always found it a curiously compelling piece of country, although I never knew of the link until now.

Anyway we caught up with all the family, and here are some photos, sorry they are a bit dark and grey.

We are heading up to Rotorua tomorrow for the Spencer Family reunion at Lake Tarawera. Guy will almost certainly be the youngest there, and with Ben Turner, will be the representing the next generation. I think he's the sixth generation (or maybe I am?) anyway that's why we're going, to know these things and renew links with our whakapapa. Should also be lots of hot pool soaking and feeding to be done. (me, not just Guy!)

Anyway here are todays photos. Guy wearing his snuggly woolly cardy, relaxing in his bean bag, checking out his bee (still fascinates) and in one of his reflective moods.

(yes this was actually Thursday's entry but it wouldn't load on Thursday and I haven't got the weekends photos yet. Turns out Guy is the seventh generation. Vertitable Tangata Whenua.

Following on from the photo at Oriental Bay, it was taken by Lisa who was over in Wellington for a 1 day course and she took the time to come and see us. We are looking forward to seeing more of Lisa and Guy's Uncle Edward at Easter time. Looking back through these pages the other day I realised how many photos there are of Guy in the arms of various women, ... good on you Guy, start off as you mean to go on I say! : )

I've said it before, but raising a baby makes you think about time, (or it makes me think about time anyway). Somehow it seems to take about 27 hours a day to look after a baby, and those 27 hours occur in three hour cycles, so somehow you are much more conscious of the passing day, night, moon coming up, wind going around to the South, the natural rythms of the world of which you and your baby are an infintesimal part.

Anyway, that's what I was thinking about at 06:20 last Friday when I took this photo from my driveway. To the right of the street light is a small dot of the 1st Air NZ flight of the day getting underway to Auckland, another one of those little daily rythms.

The other photo was taken later on that stunning autumn day, outside the Parade Cafe in Oriental Bay where we had a nice after work catch up with Lisa, over from Nelson. It looks a bit like an Ad for Ground Effect cycling gear. I've just cycled in from work, Katrina is wearing her cycle top because it's nice and warm and Guy is also modelling his best fluffy stretchy outfit.

Guy has been very lucky to receive many toys as gifts. Here he is playing with some of his bug toys. The big ladybird is a soft book as much for touching as reading at the moment, and his wrist bugs are just gorgeous to watch as he holds them up to his face and studies them. Sometimes though he just likes to chill out and think about stuff. What do babies think about?

Guy is growing fast again and has been developing the muscles to lift his head (and even shoulders) clear of the ground during tummy time. He loves his new play gym (above) and wiggles excitedly when the music plays. He is continues to develop his 'vocabulary' although he most often sounds like a little fuzzy R2D2, chirping and squeaking. We have also found he is quite ticklish under his arms. Tickling him often elicits a little chuckle and a gummy smile. It's all lots of fun, hours and hours a day (tired sigh!).

Yay it's Friday! The week seems extra long when the days are so full. The autumn weather continues though and last night I took mountain-bike off road to ride the new track up the Ngaio gorge. It takes me about 8 minutes longer but for that you get to wind your way though the rocky gorge, crossing the sun lit stream on the new wooden bridges, three of which have ramps and one has steps to catch out the unwary biker. You could be miles away in the hills, only the regular passing commuter tain emerging from a tunnel above you reminds you that you're only 5000 m or so from the CBD. Its a wonderful place we live in.

I know you really came here for the baby photos, so here they are. Today's theme is nappy changes for some reason. Guy yakking away while I change him on the floor of his room, and a roadside change when we were in town last Saturday. The other photo is just Guy.

Have a Good Weekend All, Jack

On Saturday morning Katrina went to a two-hour long craft course. This meant Jack and Guy had to amuse themselves for two hours on a sunny morning in Wellington. What to do? Well for a start there was cruising around the waterfront, checking out old boats, Uncle Tony's new ferry and seeing if there were any cheap kayaks for sale at the Kayak shop.

Then we met up with KAtirn and as it was still a nice day we went to explore the new Waitangi park that is being built next to Te Papa. Guy was very happy trundling along in his buggy. Then it was lunch time, and time we introduced Guy to inner city Cafe style. Here he is on my Knee at the Dixon street deli while Katrina scoffs her salad. A friend of ours commented the other day she thought Guy was an 'old soul'. Sometimes when he looks off into the distance like this, or holds me in his steady gaze, I think I know what she means. Even from the first minutes in the hospital, he has had this calm wide eyed gaze, I look forward to finding out what he thinking about. The other photo is just to show he can also be a silly baby!

Last week we were lucky to have visits from several friends and relations. Here is Jack's Aunty Jan, up from Southland to check out how much Guy has grown. On Sunday we called around to see Inge, Stu and their little Sam who is now growing fast too. Back at home Guy was enjoying lauging at the baby in the sun, on his play gym.

Here are some pictures of Guy and Katrina. He is 9 weeks old now and is becoming so much more aware of his surroundings, and lots of fun to be with. His play-gym has a yellow sun with a plastic mirror on the bottom, he loves to lie on his back and smile at the silly looking baby in the sun, that's what he's doing with Katrina lying next to him. Katrina took the photo herself one handed, so we had quite a few fuzzy and cut off ones before she got this shot.

Guy has been playing with his hands this last week, usually bunching his fingers into a fist and biffing himself in the face then looking suprisresd before doing it again! Interestingly he plays far more often with his right hand. After hearing about him doing this Granny Margaret sent down these two neat little bugs that velcro onto his wrists. Guy was fascinated with it, he looks and talks to it and then waves his arms in delight before looking puzzled when he can't see the bee anymore because his arm's over his head. Here are a few photos of him the first morning playing with his bee.

Guy and Katrina have been getting out and about. This week they went into Katrina's office to catch up with friends and generally disrupt the serious business that gets done at the Ministry of Things. Here Guy is sleeping on Anna's shoulder but by the time poor old Chris got to hold him he was slightly less happy.

Guy is turning into a real little chatterbox. For those of you who know his mother, that should be no real surprise! Here are three shots taken in succession, he's not yelling just gobbing away!

Requirements for a passport photo include, eyes open, not smiling (no teeth showing, he hasn't got any!) and both ears visible. This one should keep the Customs man happy. Now all we have to do is find someone who's known him for more than six months to certify it as a true likeness, madness!

To travel overseas, Guy needs his own passport in these security conscious times. That means you have to try and take passport photo, that meets all the requirements. After much mucking around we captured these two shots of Guy, in his little 'prisoner' pyjammas too.

Over Makara heading north, on the Ground at Paraparaumu and bonus bath time photo.

Guys new winter gear, and lunch with Kirri

On Friday the first real Southerly storm of Autum arrived. Gales whipped up swells that halted the ferry and threw sea spray across the railway line and ontot he motrway as I cycled home. When I got home I had a bath to get the salt off and warm up, and as Guy was getting too big for his plastic bath he joined me in the big bath. He loves it, kicking his feet like a little frog. Then we drove down to Island bay to watch the storm while we had Fish & Chips, note the little boat sheltering behind the island.

Saturday was like winter with cold squally rain. We were glad to have a new woolly jumper and boots for Guy, knitted by our friend Christine. He was so warm and snugly he didn't even wake up when Kirri came for lunch, although I did manage to get a photo of her this time.

And just to prove it's not all about the baby, on Sunday while Lois and Katrina discussed all things baby, her husband Robin and I tooke the Cherokee out along the coast over Makara.

Guy had his 1st train ride yesterday, Into Wellington on the J'ville line and out to Petone to have lunch with Jack and pick up the car which was getting new tyres. No worries at all, had a quick feed while the guard clipped the tickets. Sorry no pictures of that excursion but here are some from earlier in the week. Have a nice weekend.