Thanks !

What a week! Just when you think you've seen it all a little person comes along and you realise you've actually seen nothing. It's amazing... at least for now!

Thank you all for you kind comments, cards and pressies. Little Poppy has been inundated with all kinds of lovely baby things. I don't suppose anyone wants to buy her a private education, do you ? One certain purchase in a few years from now will be a great big shotgun! Thanks also for the support and advice. We really feel sorry for the first parents in the world ever. How ever did they manage ?!

Sarah is recovering slowly but surely.... from food poisoning! I thought I couldn't go too far wrong buying in a load of frozen pizzas. 20 minutes gas mark 7 bish bosh. WRONG! Sarah suffered the cremated pizza because that's the kind of girl she is. She's still quite sore after the section and quality sleep is a thing of the past but she's in great spirits and has taken to being a Mum like a duck to water.

Poppy likes to sleep. She sleeps all day, waking only to be fed and watered before sleeping some more. Until it gets dark. Then she wants to play. We're sure she thinks she's a bat!

Poppy at home and one week old today!

Some more pics of Poppyat the hospital

Poppy Finally Arrives !!

Poppy, our new baby daughter, was dragged kicking and screaming into the world on the 23rd of March at 4:15pm. She weighed in at just over 8lbs and was 51cm tall. Here are some photos to mark the occasion.

Pooped!

Proud as punch!

Although Poppy ws born by Caesarean section the doctors attemped to induce her for the two days before her birth. As the contractions started Sarah walked a lot to help Poppy along. We got some strange looks from people as she walked through the centre of town attached to a drip ... and a plastic bag of fluid on wheels!

Poppy was born here at Hopital St. Cyr in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the Lot-et-Garonne, South West France.

The Mother of all News!

We're pregnant! Sarah is 15 weeks pregnant today..... c'est une vrai miracle!

She looks beautiful. For me, at 40, this is really "long trousers stuff". There's no doubt tis a quare funny thing.We're both enjoying it immensely. I get a great kick out of all the old wives' tales. "Are your legs more hairy these days?" No. "Ah, that's a girl". "And is he gaining weight along with yourself." Yes. "Ah, that's a boy". "What happens when you dangle a bit of thread over your belly button for a while?"... and so on.

We've spent most of the last month at Sarah's parents place in England while having all the early antenatal care bits and pieces. Poor John and Chris (and, of course, Suggs their mad bassett hound)! In the meantime, our bolthole in France, and almost everything else, has been completely neglected. Up until now that is.

Next week we will attack the kitchen in the farm house. Steve, our builder friend, will drive down to Ferrrensac overnight tonight laden with everything we'll need from tile spacers to the kitchen sink to transform the place. The demolition bit is the part I look forward to most. We'll start on the porch, knock it down and turn it into an outside eating area. Then comes the construction part. A new kitchen. This is the part I'm not very good at so I'll probably just shout lots of orders at Steve for the duration.

Sarah and The Bump will while away the hours in Blighty as Steve and I make ready for their arrival in a couple of weeks time. How bad!

We're trying to organise it so that Sarah can have the baby in france. This involves a little sparring with the NHS in england but we're hopeful. So far, we've managed to successfully apply for the all important card that entitles us to treatment abroad. We're waiting now for a decision from the Department of Health for the final bits that are specific to maternity care. Once we get the administrivia out of the way we'll wait out the winter in front of our toasty woodburning stove until the spring and the sprog arrive. And all's alright with the world!

A few photos from the weekend Birthday Boy Dave, Root, Su and Kev came to visit this August.

One of Dave's 40th Birthday parties. August 2005

Su reads Kev and Dave a bedtime story before their afternoon nap. It's one of those story books where kids learn to do stuff as well as hear a story. This one is all about learning how to tie your shoelaces. Kev's doing really well but Dave decides he's not playing anymore because he knows he doesn't have any shoelaces.

Su,Dave and Hand

Sarah and I have always been passionate about "diddly-idle" or traditional folk music. In france we discovered they also have something very similar. Not being able to speak the language fluenty we don't do the words, just the silly expressions with the eyes closed.

Root and Sarah lunching on a mid-August afternoon in Villereal. Lunch was outside purely because it was August. We basked in temperatures of 15 degrees celcius. No shortage of stiff upper lips that day.

Some photos of the family on holiday in France

The Mrs 

Shadows and tall trees.. 

"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, half a packet of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses... HIT IT!"