She's smiling

I forgot to mention in the previous post that Azara is seven weeks' old today and as of Monday and the visit by the health visitor, she was weighing 9lb 11 oz, which means she has put on more than two pounds since she was born. She has also grown a couple of centimetres in length, so all is good. I also forgot to mention that we had a rather momentous development when we were in Bedford and Azara started to smile. Since then, she has also taken to trying to laugh which is very sweet. She often smiles when she makes eye contact with us, although this can also happen at totally random times. So, it's still a little hit and miss at the moment, but it is wonderful. Sorry the pictures a little blurry: it's more difficult than it seems to catch a baby smile!

Like father, like daughter

Sorry, it's been a while....I could use all manner of excuses, but time seems to take on a life of its own with a baby and I don't seem to have much chance to sit down at the computer. So, here in the interim between feeds, screams and nappy changes, a quick summary of the past couple of weeks. This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago when we went to Nanna and Papa's house for Sunday lunch. As you can see, it's exhausting being a new baby and a new Daddy. Later that week, Jon went to Ethiopia, to do some work for the BBC's Science Unit, which was filming a documentary on a volcano. He went to help them with the abseiling and the expedition safety and I think it was just what the doctor ordered after several weeks of babysitting Yorkshire style. Azara took her first trip out of God's own county and we went to Bedford to stay with Auntie Marion, Jon's godmother, and Auntie Wendy, Sarah's godmother. We had a lovely time. This week has been rather tied up with less pleasant episodes, such as a visit to the dentist which has left me with tremendous toothache and an interview with BBC Look North in Hull for a planning editor position, which I don't think went very well...ho hum. It was a little traumatic having to feed Beanie in the stairwell of Primark, when she was having a hunger fit and we were trying to buy some cheap clothes...yes, we really are plumbing the depths! So, hopefully a more relaxing day tomorrow, although a bit of tidying and cleaning is in store. One of the other local Mums, Tara is coming round for a cuppa in the morning, with her little one Jasmine, who's five days older than Beanie...and I promise the talk won't just be nappies; although, on that note, Azara really could be nicknamed Missy Muck at the moment. Just as an aside, I really am beginning to miss the Southern Hemisphere: the country roads are well and truly mucky, the weather is mostly drab and it gets dark at 3.45.....hardly worth getting out of bed really!

Four weeks' old

Today is Azara's four week birthday and we have a quiz for you. Here she is in the middle of these three pictures, framed by none other than yours' truly (on the right) and Daddy Jon. We'd like to know who you think she looks most like as we obviously have our thoughts on the matter. The pictures of Jon and me were taken when we were slightly older, but it was so exciting to see them all together like this. For now, little missie is squeaking and Mummy Bean has some work to do, so answers on a posting please.....
xxx

Little pumpkins

I can't really tell who looks more scared Jon or Azara, but I wanted to share these pictures. Jon put his artistic skills to good use and carved out a pumpkin for our little pumpkin. At least we enjoyed it, even if we couldn't take part in the 'carve a pumpkin' competition in Terrington as we bought our Halloween treat from the supermarket and not the village shop. We might be temporary traitors, but I still think it looks good.
xxx