This little piggy went to market

Dear Greatgran,

Ruth went with me to the local farmers market early this morning.

We then all went to the local pool before it got too hot.
You can see she's mastered at least one of the pool going activities.


Cousin Maurice was also at the pool, but he didn't go swimming either. This photo was taken in the shade at the pool and that is why Ruth is choosing not to wear a hat. We did have a sun hat for her if she needed it. Honestly. The photo just makes us look like we're bad parents.


Here Ruth is participating in Greek singing lessons with Maria (who is staying with us a couple of days).


love from
Brendan

Terry Towelling Origami

Dear Great Gran,
a harsher critic than yourself might think that this website has become a bit stuck on the one theme.

However, let me assure you that this blog letter is not about the baby or how much she sleeps or that she now weighs over nine and a quarter pounds and is a full inch longer than when she started! This letter is instead dedicated entirely to the little know art of Terry Towelling Origami (TTO).

Here Ruth models Julie's TTO version of a deep sea calamari.
love from
Brendan.

Catching Flys & Zeds

Dear Great Gran,
here is some more of Ruth's recent escapades.

Relaxed at bath time with Cluttergran (working title only). Please note that Ruth's eyes are open in this photo.


With Uncle Rohan, Auntie Nathalie and cousins Joseph and Maurice:


Outside with Gran down at the beach house:


And doing a bit more of what she does best: catching zeds and flys at the same time!


love from
Brendan

Guest blogger is Grumpa Neil

Yesterday we saw Ruth and assorted hangers-on. Today we are seeing her again, with fewer hangers-on...

Julie is looking more confident as a mother - but there still seem to be a few intense discussions about "what's happening now?" These parents today seem to have more curiosity about the process - rather than our eternal question - "How did we get into this pickle?"





Being a Grumpa is easy - look! no hands!



Sue was waiting for her turn, but that wasn't going to happen until Ruth got stroppy.

Alright, I relented, and was then put to work on this entry.

Bye for now

Grumpa Neil

Wetting the baby's head

Dear Great Gran,

This afternoon the traveller's from Norfolk returned along with Sam (who had been holidaying with friends) as well as Rohan and Joseph (who had been in Melbourne for Christmas). With all these extended relatives around at once, it seemed the right occasion to open the bubbly!



All in all, it was a big day for Ruth as she was discharged from hospital in the morning (i.e. the midwives have finished their daily visits), we had a friend over for lunch and she also had her second excursion from the house which was also the first excursion by car (shopping trip to the city, which she completely slept through!).

much love,
Brendan

Red Sky at Night

Dear Great Gran,
Happy New Year!
It was a real Monkey Heat day today so we all stayed inside with the cooling turned on and lay around making monkey poses like this one.

Ruth mainly gets to wear clothes (apart from the terry toweling variety) in the middle of the night when the temperature drops a bit.
We have received much advice about what to do with summer babies and washing nappies, but no-one warned us what to do when ash from bushfires land on the nappies hanging out on the Hills Hoist! The ash was from bushfires in Crookwell and Junee which saw the sky blanketed in smoke, ash fall all over town and the sinister red afternoon light. It felt like the January 2003 fires here or Ash Wednesday twenty years before that.
much love
Brendan

P.S.
The photo makes her hair look darker than it is.