Jack and Katrina's Place

On Sunday we caught the train down to Brighton to visit Jack's cousin Josephine and her fiancee Jed. They have a lovely house in Portslade, a suburb of Brighton. They have a beautiful english country garden, looking as if it were straight out of a garden magazine.

A bit like our garden in Wellington, it was built on a series of terraces, but unlike our windswept hillside, they could enjoy tall bushy flowers like blue delphiniums and foxgloves. Still it gave us both some inspiration and turned our thoughts to home.

Jed and Jospehine took us for a short drive up onto the South Downs ( which are actually 'Ups', or a line of smooth topped hills) There was a lovely view, although it was a bit hazy, and a nice cool breeze for kite flying. Kirri Lynn will remember I thought months ago kite flying would be a fun game for small boys, well here is Guy having his first go at kite flying, or kite chewing actually!

Then we went for a walk down on the famous Brighton Waterfront, the lovely old pier unfortunately burnt down a few years ago and is now in the process of being removed. Brighton still has lots of other attractions and Jospehine guided us around the city centre. It is infinitely more relaxed than London, people say 'thanks' when they get off the bus and 'cheers' when you step out of their way on the footpath. They also have mighty groovy vegetarian cafes.

Jed and Josephine are getting married back in Auckland in March 2007, so we will look forward to catching up with them sometime thereafter. Guy had lots of cuddles for Josephine and big smiles for Jed, so he's looking forward to it too! ; )

P.S Guy has learnt to co-ordinate his legs enough to bounce on my lap. Unfortunately he thinks its hugely funny and does it all the time, that's what he's up to in the photo of Josephine and I in the cafe. I am going to have bulging sholder muscles by the time we get back to NZ and put him in the Jolly jumper. He bounces so vigorously Katrina thinks we may have to pad the top of the door frame!

This weekend two old friends of Katrina called in to see us. Gillian is Scottish, and Donna (with the darker hair) is Irish but they used to work with Katrina in London. Donna is 21 weeks pregnant with twins! Many aspects of motherhood, impending and recent were discussed. We caught the train to Hampstead Heath and had a picnic under the plane trees. Guy is getting better and better at sitting up, and can do so for at least long enough for me to move away and take this photo.

On Thursday (the longest day of the year) we met up with Jack's cousin Josephine who lives near Brighton and works in London. Josephine works for a large dept store as a Nursery Designer, part of the interior decorating consultation service. She met us for lunch in St James's Park. Lunch was extended a bit, because it was a nice day and because Jospehine needed to research the needs of babies and new parents. Here is Jospehine doing some 'research'.

When we got home Guy was pretty tired, so he just chilled out in Diane's lounge. Later on he had his first real attempt at sitting up unaided. Well almost, I hovered around as every so often he would fling himself backwards. But he is starting to get the idea.

Meanwhile back in Wellington, little Emma Charlotte Bradbury was born yesterday. Congratulations to Gail and David, she is truly beautiful little girl.

While babies can be demanding and challenging they are also a lot of fun. Here are pictures of fun things we've done with Guy this week. Feeding is always good fun and here Diane is doing a fine job of feeding Guy his mushy dinner.

We found ourselves having lunch on Ealing Haven Green, and the formal flower beds there were just the thing for playing 'Flying Baby' . Check out Guy's face, he thinks this is smashing fun.

Things have quietened down a bit at Dave & Diane's house in Haringey, with the departure of her parents back to NZ after almost 2 months away. The house, including the fold out sofa was at maximum capacity there for a few days, and as Guy liked to wake up around 6:00am, I took him out for some early morning walks. This let Katrina get another hour or so of precious sleep, as well as all the other house residents. On one of our early morning walks we explored this aqueduct that runs along the side of the valley near their house. It was opened in 1613 and still supplies drinking water to London. Mean while Guy has been thriving on his solids, and is growing out of the clothes he came over in, here he is looking cool in his next size up 6-9 month baggy shorts, very urban!

Back in London with Diane and Dave. The evenings were fine and warm so we went to a pub with a beer garden. It was time for Guy to have a meal and as lunch had been a hurried affair, we took the opportunity to feed Guy his solids. Dave did a great job and him and Guy are good mates now. When Guy is rolling around on the floor of their house, he always has a big smile for Dave. Maybe because Dave takes the time to play sit-up/stand up with Guy. He often lies on his back and lifts his shoulders clear of the ground like he's trying to do a situp. A gentle pull on his outstretched arms is enough to pull him into the sitting position. Once sitting though he quickly pushes with his legs and propels himself into a standing position. As he does so he gives a big dribbly smile and usually a little 'shout' of triumph. He stands for ages, supporting his own weight, although he really has no idea of balance, and everynow and again completely forgets he's standing and retracts his legs.

London has been fine and warm, we have been riding on buses and tubes and hanging out in parks under shady trees to keep cool. Although we have been into a couple of Pubs for lunch with Guy in the backpack, including this one, we have found most pubs really niggly about babies. I guess persons under 18 are prohibited but it seems an unduly literal interpretation to include those persons who are breastfed?

After a busy day in Cambridge we headed East to the Suffolk Coast to stay the night in Felixstowe. Although we got there late in the day and did a couple of laps of the town trying to find the B&B, Felixstowe was unexpectedly charming, like a small version of Scarborough, or a big version of St Heliers (Nz) Built in the late 1800's, grand and not so grand, turn of the century victorian brick villas. The old Great Eastern railway station has survived on high street as a small shopping mall. The platforms have been truncated, but across the carpark the last wrought iron canopied remnant survives as the 'new' British Rail Station. The esplanade is classic brit seaside, pebbles, piers, groynes and bathing sheds. The Fish&Chips however, are RUBBISH! For a start the menu is written in inch high letters on a board about as big as this laptop, so the selection is woeful. Particularly if you're travelling with a sometime vegetarian. I wonder how the locals would take it if a proper kiwi takeaway with the 12 foot wide menu board were to open up? Could it be a business oppurtunity? I strangely fancied living in Felixstowe, beside a brooding north sea, it's a lot less maddning than London. nuff said, here's the pics.

As detailed below, Duxford, a branch of the Imperial War Musuem, is just awesome for anyone even remotely curious about aircraft. For Guy, who is usually curious of just about anything, it was all too much.

The first night in London was so hot, Guy had a bath in Diane's kitchen sink to cool off. The next day Jack had to get away early to drive up to Cambridge for a meeting with De Havilland Support. They were having a quarterly meeting with their UK CAA to discuss any problems with the Tiger Moth, Dragon, Beagle and Dove range of aircraft, so Jack took the opportunity to get some advice on a problem with the main wing attachments on the Dove. Katrina and Guy came up on the train and spent the night. The next day we looked around the lovely historic universities. In the afternoon we visited Duxford aircraft museum, guided by one of the very hospitable engineers from De Havilland's. A highlight for both Katrina and I was going aboard the Concorde, the wiggly man enjoyed it too, but he was all tired out by the time we got to the awesome Hall of American Aircraft.

After our week in Paris it was time to head across the channel to London to stay with Diane and Dave. France had been very warm and we were looking forward to the cool London rain. Wrong! the afternoon we arrived it was ovr 30 degrees. To keep cool Guy slept in just his nappy, here is a picture of him dreaming of the 2025 Mr Puniverse competion. Diane and Dave live in Haringey North London, which in the late evening sun looks almost like coronation street, but more trees. Oddly every 5th house seems to have a NZ cabbage tree, also hebes and flowering Manuka. Guy is still enthusiastic about his mushy solids, on the way over on the Eurostar he tried carrots for the first time.

Out for lunch and then
Katrina and I, sans Bebe!

We have been in Paris for a whole week, and what an eventful week it has been. Katrina and Andy went shopping and Katrina bought a bikini and a lovely evening dress. She got to wear the dress later in the week when Andy minded a sleeping Guy while we went for dinner and then up Mont Marte to watch the sunset. Guy almost co-operated but the warm nights have been causing him to wake, mid evening, late evening, then 2:00am and 6:00am. This has been very tiring for Katrina and I (and Dave and Andy). In an effort to let Katrina get some shut-eye, after his 6:00 am waking on saturday morning I loaded him into the backpack and set off through the early morning streets for an hour and half. Nice time to be out in the cool air (20 deg) watching the markets set up, unloading huge fish from crates of ice. Checking the shop window reflections to see two bright little eyes watching it all, until the rhythm of walking finally closes them again. Then of course you have to keep walking, so I had a good look around the eastern edge of Paris. The interupted nights are taking a very heavy toll on Katrina, and we may have to modify our plans for the next few weeks, we'll get to London and see how it goes, being in a country where the word for milk is just milk, should be less stressful for a start. Yesterday, Katrina stayed home to recharge her batteries while Andy, Dave, Guy and I joined some of their friends for a picnic in the Champs De Mars, the big lawn in front of the Eiffel tower. This was Guy's first picnic and he loved it. Wiggling on the rug under the tall green plane trees, 'walking' barefoot on the grass, until finally he had a little sleep behind the backpack. Andy's friends both have boys a year and a bit old and are both expecting their second babies, so she is in good company. When we got home Katrina was feeling much better. Guy had another wakeful night, every three hours, and he is still reluctant to take a bottle. He is still taking solids well, and I did get about 40mls of formula into (and around) him by letting him use the sipper cup with the lid off. When we get to the UK, we will work hard at trying to expand his feeding methods to take the load off Kat. Enough said, enjoy the pictures, might be a while before I can establish an internet link again, as we're off to London on the Eurostar tomorrow. We'll stay with Diane and Dave in their new home in north London. CU - Jack, Katrina & Guy Wiggly

Hmmn.....,, Blogger is being a bit odd about the photos today, try these.

And here is Guy at the picinic, (no he didn't really any drink champagne, but he does sleep like he's passed out from partying)

Here are some pictures with Andy and Dave. They have just annouced the happy news they are expecting their first baby this December. Andy has had lots of experience as a Nanny, but for Dave this week has been his 1st week of full immersion training. Although Guy has been trying us all a bit in the evenings and very early hours of the morning, him and Dave seem to get on fine.

Since leaving the south of France we have been staying with my Cousin Andy and Dave in theri apartmnet near Bastille. Paris is great at theis time of year, warm breeze, 20-25 degrees. Guy has ben enjoying long walks along the river in his backpack. There is an old railway viaduct nearby that has been planted along the top with roses and trees and that has been fun, walking along through a garden at roof top level.

On Sunday Dave and I went to an airshow on the outskirts of Paris, but I decided not to add to my collection of fuzzy black dots in the sky photos. So you will just have to believe me that there was a great variety of WWI and WWII aircrfat, including a Junker Trimotor, a Skyraider, and a B17 Flypast, as well as spitfires mustangs and some rare French Fighters. Notably there was excellent food and beer, it was a french airshow after all.

Guy meanwhile has been trying new solid foods, and so far seems to gobble up all and anything we give him. The apple and prune combo made him raise his eyebrows briefly at first taste, but then he was into it. He reaches out for the spoon as we feed him, so when the foods gone we give him the spoon to play with and get used to. He is having just half a meal a day at the moment until he gets used to it, a sort of midday pudding after his normal feed. He is also enjoying his baths, outside now as he has discovered how much fun it is to splash.