Relatives and Chocolate Cookies...

It is great having a new baby. Apart from having a tiny little person around, you also get lovely visitors!

And in this case, there were chocolate cookies to consume as well! You will see that Lara is making the most of the opportunity presented by Auntie Val holding Rose to surripticiously help herself. Sensible really, as it seems when she is at home looking after both Rose and Ana by herself, eating is not something that is so easy to find time to do!

Sunrise

One of the pleasures of getting up early is that you can witness some lovely sky-painting. On this morning, the mist had not yet risen and so we had a stunning view of the church from the back window.

The Last Few Drops

The spoon is rather ineffective at getting the last little bit of milk. This has got to be the best way.

Ana's Breakfast

So, here is breakfast time. One bowl. Two spoons. And a vertible battle of the wills to see just how much cereal Daddy can get Ana to eat... but there are far too many other things to do at this time in the morning... who wants to eat?

Tutti-Fruity Dungy-Bungies

The great thing about having two girls is that you get to re-use your favourite baby clothes (assuming they survived round 1).

Rose is seen here sporting her multi-coloured dungarees set (which, as these things happen, are currently referred to in this house as dungy-bungies).

Rose's Little Feet

Is the reason that no baby socks stay on, that this allows wonderful photos of the new-born's tiny feet? Sock manufacturers are so thoughtful!

Happy Birthday Lara and Grandad!

A little gathering to celebrate Grandad's birthday with a shared cakey-sing-a-long of "Happy Birthday" for Lara and Grandad. Being generous people, they let Ana blow out the candles with them.

"Ana feeding Dandol"

So this has to have been the highlight of Ana's week.

Always a sucker for punishment, my elder brother allowed my not-yet-two-year old to feed him cereal...and milk. She LOVED it, and has kept repeating "Ana feeding Dandol" ever since...

Sorry for the photo Daniel.... (and Esme) - perhaps not the most flattering one ever taken...

Great-Grandad and Rose

Here is a picture of Great-Grandad holding his newest great grandchild - on his 81st Birthday as well! Happy Birthday Grandad!

Story Time

Who needs a sofa when a chair can sit three so comfortably?

Is someone happy?

Oh yes! Ana enjoyed her walk tonight, and dawdling home - stopping to sit on this bench, watching a kitten, and a number of other distractions.

Another family portrait...

This one was taken above the floodplain this evening... Lara thought it was pretty cool...

Family photo!

Here is our newly expanded family, though the photo is lacking Tim's forehead and Rose's chin... it's hard to get 4 people in a photo when one of you is taking it!!!

Sleeping in a warm sunbeam

This morning Rose had a sleep in the warmth of a passing sunbeam (before it rained). Peaceful, cosy and content!

Ana ADORES her baby sister!

Ana is delighted with her new baby, she keeps running over to her shouting "baby sister, baby sister! Hold, hold, kiss!". These hugs and kisses, however, are generally very boisterous (as are most things Ana does). She does rather grab and squash Rose, but thankfully Rose has so far withstood all this affection and come through unscathed. We hope they will grow up to be the best of friends : )

The homecoming

Here is our little Rose in the same snowsuit as her sister came home in, another little star for our family : )

Proud Daddy again!

Tim and Rose very shortly after her arrival, aren't they cute?!

Rose Amia Joy Farewell

Rose Amia Joy Farewell, our second child, was born just after midday on Tuesday the 21st October, 2008.

Key Stats:
Weight: 6lb, 7oz
Length: 52 cm
Arrival time: 12:08 PM

The Rose is one of our favourite flowers, both for its glorious natural beauty and scent.
Amia, which means 'beloved' (and is almost certainly dervived from latin for 'friend') is what Ana kept calling her sister.
And Joy was given to us in a number of ways.

It is our hope and prayer that Rose will be a true friend, and that she will be always full of Joy.

The craving of the century

Let's just say Lara kept the Nutella company in business over the course of her pregnancy.

If you're ever in need of a quick dessert, take one banana, lather it in Nutella and eat, mmmmmm.... Then if you really need some more sugar, take a spoon (a big one) and dig deep.

Ana the robot and the last photo of 'the bump'

We got a new bin, Ana got a new robot costume!! Tim cut face and arm holes in it and Ana had a wonderful time running round the house in it : )

This is also the last photo we have of Rose as a bump - the one we'd planned to take closer to the delivery date never quite made it, as Rose decided it was time to come, whatever the midwives had said!

"Oh dear, all dirty!"

These were the precious words of our daughter heralding the fact that she had fallen over in a very deep and muddy puddle.

She was down on the floodplain having a great time with Daddy when he called to ask me if I wanted to join them. In the background, I could clearly hear her demise into the recieving puddle.

Here is a picture of her covered in mud. The trousers were once pink. The boots were once full of air instead of water, and prior to being covered in dirt, the grin was once not quite so wide!

Cooking the dinner, stirring the pot...

... time for a taste if it isn't too hot!

Ana emulates her parents' curious culinary creations in her own little kitchen. A bit of this, a bit of that, and suddenly "soup" is ready. But be careful, it's "bit hot", so you need to "blow, blow!".

She did start off her cooking with Mummy's best Le Creuset pots (courtesy of Daddy who thought they were unbreakable), until she found them, and replaced them with some lovely (old) metal ones instead...

And the soup has never been the same since...

Mummy's Shoes

Ana ADORES shoes.

It must be genetic.

Spotty shoes, slippers, boots and, of course, Mummy's shoes; yes, Mummy's shoes are wonderful!

You know those rainy afternoons when you just HAVE to get out of the house? We've found a trip to the shoe shop is a splendid excursion. Recently we haven't had to buy new shoes, (Daddy sighs with relief!) but trying them on, and having one's feet measured is certainly worth the trip.

The Geese are Flying

Autumn really was setting in this morning.
The air was crisp, the geese were flying and the leaves beginning to turn and fall.

Early Morning Walk on the Floodplain

Early this morning Ana and I (Tim) went for a cold October walk on the floodplain by our house. Ana wanted to go through this gate, but Daddy said "no". We went through the open gate to the right instead.

A veritable lesson in flora and fauna followed, with sightings of swans, sheep eating grass, dogs, geese, and other wonders.

And still back in time for breakfast (well, second breakfast!)