Ana loves standing; hold her up and she'll wobble away, arms flailing for balance, eyes gleaming with excitement, mouth half pursed in concentration, half smiling with the sheer joy of finding out she has legs. Though she does get tired sometimes and we end up with a crouching baby. We're thinking of making a new film: 'crouching baby, hidden...' - any suggestions?
Every year on Shrove Tuesday, the ladies of Olney have a pancake race through the town. They have to flip their pancakes at least twice - once at the start and once at the end. The prize is quite lucrative - something like £300, and importantly, a kiss from the Vicar. What a way to welcome in Lent. The photo shows the ladies running down the highstreet towards the church.
Last Sunday after Church we headed over to Cambridge and had a lovely time with my folks and Grandad who had come up from Suffolk for the day. Here is a picture of four generations in the family.
Ana is now five weeks old and beginning to smile at more than just wind. (Yes, we all know it can be very funny...)
Lara and I were watching Yes, Minister the other day, and Ana, who woke up half way through it was completely enthralled, particularly by Sir Humphrey, the scheming civil servant. Her gaze was completely fixed upon the box of moving pictures for a good minute or so - which is a long time for a baby!
So Ana may only be a month old, but that does not stop her advising her Daddy on the pros and cons of different research techniques. Seen here, in a rarely photographed situation, Ana is briefing Tim on the most reliable indicator of overall classification success. With this type of help, the PhD will be done in no time!
With every passing day, Ana is more alert. She is watching us move around the room, loves looking at bright lights and is generally a lot more interactive. She is also starting to make gorgeous cooing noises and talks to herself - lovely!
'Snow had fallen, snow, on snow... snoowoowoo on snow...'
Ever wondered where that famous hymn; Amazing Grace, was written? The answer, is here - in Olney. John Newton - slave trader turned minister, wrote this song whilst based here in this gorgeous market town.
Ever wondered what it would be like to be back in the pram once more, with your parents proudly gazing down upon your cherubic face? Well, we decided to show you. Placing our camera beside Ana's head, we bring you this baby's view of the world... What a beautiful place!
So, today Ana is three weeks old.
Never too early to begin competative sports, here are Ana and I on the starting line of the 5mm dash - that hallowed race of the great and good. I won! (He said proudly and with a self satisfied smile, displaying his medal and larel wreath...)
Two weeks old today - amazing how time flies! Ana is already so much more alert, and can sometimes hold her head up and look around. It is interesting how these little things seem so huge advances, I mean, it isn't often that you go up to you friend and congratulate them on their ability to look around, or sit up, is it? Funny, but definately fun.
So, 11 days on, and we're all a bit tired. Nevertheless, my daughter and wife still look remarkably cute! This picture shows Ana mid-yawn and she really should have been sleeping all afternoon - instead, she prefered biting Daddy's nose and cheek, and perfecting her goal-scoring technique by booting her (very dirty and smelly) nappy off the changing unit at Mommy!
Ana's Uncle Dom and Auntie Crystal came to visit on Saturday and brought with them what I dread to think will be first of many large, brightly coloured objects which make noises... This was a playmat with actually quite a clever arch design from which you can hang toys. So we put Ana on it last night, and to my complete amazement, she actually started bashing the hanging toys around! (They may have just been in the way of her hands, but, perhaps not...) What a clever little girl!
Today has been a day of landmarks. Lara and I started going out five years ago, and Ana is a week old today. It really is amazing what can happen in five years, and indeed amazing what can happen in a week! We've had a steep learning curve this last week, and thankfully things now are nice and calm. We had a few nightmare days where Ana wouldn't eat, so she couldn't sleep, didn't like being changed, bathed, anything, really, except being held. Thankfully now she is feeding wonderfully and sleeping beautifully (five consecutive hours last night!) and doesn't even protest that much if we change her (quickly). What a relief! Ahhh....
So Tim's feet sometimes stick out the end of the bed, and already, Ana is sharing this trait! We were recommended to place Ana at the foot of her cot so she couldn't squirm down under the covers, but with her legs often tucked up by her chest, this was the result when she stretched out!
"Please Tim! Stop messing around!" Ah well! Both mother and daugher are wonderful, and greatly improve the asthetic qualities of the photos I'm in, so this seems like a good thing to me!
Here's two-day-old Ana sitting on our sofa. You can already read the expression on her face; "Why is Daddy pointing that camera at me again?"
Ana does not really like sleeping in her Moses Basket. She much prefers being held to being put down but here she is looking quite content, so you can look at this picture and think, 'what a gorgeous child, perfect in every way!' Sleep sounds like a novel idea!
For the ride home from the hospital last night, we dressed Ana in this gorgeous little snow suit. This is her when we arrived home.
My lovely Tim and our new baby Ana, just after she arrived - aren't they both gorgeous?!
Ana Daisy Faith Farewell, our first child, was born on the morning of Saturday the 13th January, 2007.
I've now managed to get the understairs cupboard doors made, and in place. They even open and close - this was much harder than I thought it was going to be. Now they just need to be painted before the little one arrives. (Oh, and I'd better put a door on the baby's room!)
With the crazy run up to Christmas, mince pies were not made till after Christmas - but mince pies at New Year taste as good! The only question which remains is, "Who ate the mince pie right off the cooling rack?!" By the size of Lara's belly... they tell me its a baby, and admittedly it does kick a lot... but really... (Ok, fine. I ate it!) Ummmm.....
