juno is here!

nov 2010 to feb 2011

2011-05-09T21:14:00.000+01:00

well, what a long break! sorry about taking so long to keep you updated... here's a few snaps - of Juno at the childminder's with her pals Gregoire and Indy, spending time at Nana's and Grandad's, painting and celebrating birthdays and Christmas, and of generally just larking about. and - snow! loads of it. and some of socks.

marching on...

2011-05-09T20:34:00.003+01:00

well, miles and i went on a march against the cuts - there was lots of people and no cars, quite a sight, and we took a side trip (ahem!) to hamleys, the gigantic toy store and saw some great toys for kids (and weird things too). there's also loads of pics here of juno eating! yum, yogurt! yum, breakfast, with iggle piggle and macca pacca (yes, those are the names they were given by the tv show, not me!). we have her new haircut in her red coat (the bangs/fringe is a bit short! will do better next time) and showing off her home-made medallion. miles having a cuddle with a cup of tea and juno having a super cuddle with flea the super gentle and very skinny dog. we also had a car torched outside our house! apparently it was the neighbour's mother-in-law (it was the neighbour's car) and she drove all the way down from Glasgow to do it... we had to call the fire department - the windows blew in and the fire was so high it nearly caught the nearby tree on fire. and of course, socks in a bib and juno seeing a monkey for the first time.

our april holidays...

2011-05-09T20:18:00.003+01:00

... were great! two bank holidays and lots of sunshine and trips to the sea, and to London. Juno was looked after by Nana and Grandad on several occasions, which gave us a break and she had loads of fun, and we both came back to work relatively refreshed (!). Here's a few shots of the hols - we didn't go far, as you can see - lots of back garden, a few trips to the beach, and up the funicular in hastings old town, lots of sunglasses, and ice cream! and a very special puppet show in the walled garden we have a little plot in (radishes and one asparagus, which apparently takes two years to grow!).

my first halloween party

2010-11-05T21:42:00.000Z

guess what i was? meow...

red riding hood

2010-11-05T21:40:00.000Z

my new red coat in the park, on the swings and playing with streamers at Heather's.

just another october day

2010-11-05T21:37:00.000Z

sitting at my new table and chairs, reading with daddy, stuffing my face with apple, having a poo!

2010-11-05T21:34:00.001Z

those bags behind me - our old ceiling...

various no 2

2010-11-05T21:33:00.002Z

stealing milk from the recycling bin - yum! hanging out with our sunflowers and at nana and grandad's in my new hat from Barb, who visited us from Canada and then skipped off to Spain, and mummy taking a super close up of my chubby face!

varied...

2010-11-05T21:30:00.000Z

me stripping wallpaper... juno in her trunk, and juno at the de la warr pavillion's anthony gormley exhibit (on the roof).

roll on autumn...

2010-11-05T21:26:00.000Z

these are back in august, i think - our front garden (a bit of it), and just a couple of books...

more from london trip

2010-11-05T21:22:00.000Z

miles can lounge...

i can bike!

pics from miles camera

2010-11-05T21:19:00.000Z

found these from miles camera - during the time we 'lost' ours (behind the sideboard)...

includes when miles and i had a wonderful day out in london, thanks to miles' parens, who looked after juno - went to the v&a museum, and lounged by their paddling pool on a very hot day indeed - and had tea in the amazing dining room designed by William Morris.

Our poor house...

2010-11-05T21:16:00.000Z

the hole, the mess and the scaffold...

mid-Sept now folks...

2010-11-05T21:12:00.000Z

well, i lost my camera in September for a month,so this runs through to mid-Oct... we have some painting, including Juno's first ever piece of art (I interpret it as a hedgehog on the left and a bull on the right, but make your own guess!), a novel way to get around, and one of poor, neglected Socks...

pic batch no.3

2010-11-05T21:09:00.001Z

my name is Juno and on 8 September 2010, I loved: sitting on step, using my walker in the park, playing with Lister the cat and playing my opus on the piano.

pic batch no 2

2010-11-05T21:06:00.000Z

here we go - into september now... chickens and dirt at the allotment with childminder Heather, driving, of course, and eating up my good lunch.

autumn pics

2010-11-05T21:03:00.000Z

hi all,

let's just say it's been a bit hectic around here! our ceiling in our front room partially came down last month and we're nearly finished replacing the entire thing - we've had a downpipe replaced, a window refurbished and cooker replaced, too. and we all had a nasty bout of the flu... on my birthday! boo hoo you all say... I know, enough moaning. So - here's some snaps of Juno (let's face it - there's none of me because I'm the one with the camera!)

Happy bonfire night, to those in the UK, and hope all in N.A. had a great Halloween.

xxx robin

-so this is summertime, actually! juno enjoying her 'water tray', aka the old sink Miles and thought we'd use in our kitchen one day... yeah right! and then a great day we had at the beach with Miles' brother and his family. here we've also got her swimming pool (loves it, can you tell?), at the beach again, in the tunnel of love with her friend Gregoire, and hangin' in the poncho.

Mum's birthday celebs

2010-08-06T18:56:00.006+01:00

We were so lucky to get some great photos taken of us by Mum and Rick's friend... and it was a great day!

Canada - the first few days...

2010-08-06T18:42:00.005+01:00

1. Staying at Great Grandma Johns' house - we're a bit tired!
2. Meeting Great Uncle Lee
3. Heidi, Papa and Shamus, skulking on the lawn at Mum's birthday celebs.
4. Great Great Auntie Olga and Great Grandma keeping Juno company!

to cut a long story short!

2010-08-06T18:26:00.004+01:00

went to Canada in April and May - anyone hear about it?! Well, needless to say, it was great x 10 - saw good old friends and nearly all - gasp! - the family, which is practically a miracle. Some people we even saw more than once!

Juno had a fantastic time - why wouldn't she? She was the centre of attention, constantly. And was horribly spoilt by everyone (but in a good way). By the way, I have some thank you cards yet to send - sorry been so lax on that front - they're on their way!

Thanks though to everyone in Canada for making us feel so welcome (and missed!) - it is never long enough, really and I think of various Canadians throughout most of my days.

Here's some Canada snaps - there were so many that I've had to severely edit them down or you'd go round the bend with 'juno-itis'!

I'll also post some post-Canada stuff in a bit.

xxxrobin

two pics - the send off - Miles sees us off at Heathrow in London.... and then I was met by a bunch of people on the other side! Mum and Rick, Papa, Megan and Heidi pose for a snap with Juno and I.

the latest - peekaboo with curtain...

2010-07-24T22:15:00.000+01:00

somehow i forgot to add some photos...

2010-04-18T20:03:00.003+01:00

hi, realised that some photos didn't upload - probably because there were simply so many!

here's a few more then - of Jo and Franklin and Juno in Brighton.

xr

feeding time at the zoo.

2010-04-16T12:00:00.002+01:00

err... finally - sorry!

2010-04-16T11:24:00.010+01:00

hi all - I'm very sorry about the lack of blogness lately. But here's a bumper crop to make up for it.

Two monthsl... well - she's got two teeth - they came through last weekend, the two bottom ones, which means books are doomed. I bought her a book for the plane and she'd managed to bit a chunk out of it before we'd even left the bookshop.

She's also got marginally more hair, which she mostly improves the look of with various amounts of porridge, orange, rusk and cheese. If anyone needs a recipe for hair gel, I've got one.

Also - major rolling, back to front, now - Miles went in this morning to get her from the cot and she was happily playing on her stomach - a first.

We've also been to the childminder's, next door, over a few half days in the past two weeks, which has been great - as you'll see, there's lots to do there! Water play, blocks, books, maracas, piano...

There's some pics of Juno and Nana and of Juno with Jo and Franklin (who's 15 months!). And of course, some of the swings... and I had all the Brighton book club ladies over in March - Juno enjoyed breakfast with them, and reading the Complete Hedgehog, of course. I had my first Mother's Day card - not sure how she got her handprints on the front of a card, or took a self-portrait, it's a mystery. and we can't forget Socks... poor Socks... and we've got a pic of her and her friend Gregoire, sharing rice cakes - basically stealing them off each other so that they were effectively 'swapping'. yum.

You'll see that I've had some breakfast disasters - why oh why did I give her the bowl?! And you may have noticed - she's a mini-Miles - so much for mother-daughter...!

I'll be seeing some of you pretty soon, but for those we're leaving behind for a month, here's some photos to laugh/coo over in the meantime.

xxr

it's been too long...

2010-02-12T20:09:00.009Z

sorry guys and gals - I realise it's been over a month now since the last update and I've had a few comments that... ahem... it needs a few more pictures!

She's had a terrible cold this last week, but seems to be pulling through the worst of it now. Despite this, I have to say, she's on good form these days - laughing and smiling loads, saying mama and dada a lot, and i'm sure it's directed at us, but who knows!?

What else is new? We had snow again yesterday! nearly a foot... crazy. And I've been a bit ill with a tummy bug and Miles has not. And I've been working quite a bit... boo. But - booked my tickets for Canada - arriving in Vancouver on 22 April - for a month!! You've been warned, all you Canadian people.

Well, here you go.

J-bug's first swing... she loved it!

And... stop the press! We had an albino squirrel in our neighbour's garden! It looked so fluffy... and here's a few shots of when the Powells came for lunch - as you can see, Socks is finally getting appreciated...

A few of Juno in her new housecoat. And reading, of course! (Books taste good).

Here's one of farmer Juno - people often say, 'oh, isn't he lovely? What's his name?' - I wonder why???

And here's a pic of when Nana and Grandad popped round - Socks found a kindred spirit in Grandad and Juno had loads of smiles for Nana. And bathtime - when Juno gets really excited and tries to grab as many bath toys as possible in her hands while we scrub her bits.

J-pips had Indy and Zuzu's 2nd birthday party to go to - all kids had to dress as Oompa Loompas... Those suspenders are a pair of tights tucked into her trousers! Mums have to improvise - I also sewed a pair of striped brown-and-white gloves together and tied it round her neck. There's no dignity when you're 8 months old.

And finally, Juno looking outside with her buddy Iggle Piggle, hanging with her other buddy giraffe (there's many giraffes in her life, thanks to the Powell family toy box!) and another cuddly toy we haven't named, and lastly, j-pips just generally looking cute.

xxrobin

s to the n to the o to the w.

2010-01-11T09:21:00.008Z

well, it snowed here in st leonards town last week (and across the country - the place has been in a panic - no bread in the shops etc), and we had merriment, hot chocolate and daddy days off work (and Miles got plowed in the eye socket with a deadly snowball – thanks, Roland!).

we also did more work to the living room - which, frankly, is getting tedious beyond belief now! mostly, we are trying to put right various disasters (ok, I'm exaggerating) that have happened with powder fillers and masking tape.

juno wasn't sure what to make of the snow - liked the look of it coming down, from the kitchen window. didn't so much like it in her face.

here's some photos... Juno getting kisses from her mate Grégoire, us playing in the snow in a nearby park, where it appears we were interrupting some kind of dog convention (note the blob of mascara under my eye in all these shots!), one of Socks pleading at the back door - can you guess what he thought of the snow?! - us in the back garden (and cruelly placing j-bug on the snowy ground... had to be done). some random DIY pics - notice how Miles looks after our child? ahem... and the smattering of juno being juno.

xxxr

apres xmas

2010-01-03T21:32:00.003Z

hi,

a bit of post-xmas stuff - one of grandad and juno - and then one of me in my great xmas pjs, having breakfast in bed (only on holidays!) and a visit to Brighton to see friends - Ben tried on Juno's hat and it fit... and of course, after being away, Juno wanted nothing more than to get home, get into her xmas jumper and catch up on some reading... and have a good chew, of course.

xmas day and boxing day

2010-01-03T21:28:00.002Z

at Miles' parents - loads of fun, and still some snow. we found old photos of Miles and his family, and here's one I took a photo of - Miles surrounded by all his smurfs!

and more - sorry, it works the wrong way round - read from the bottom!

2010-01-03T21:23:00.005Z

ok - juno and the christmas tree in the kitchen, juno with her great grandpa and our living room, just plastered...

more pics...

2010-01-03T21:20:00.002Z

juno in her high chair, in her snowsuit (it's been really cold!), and two pics from our outing to the xmas tree farm...

2010...

2010-01-03T20:49:00.003Z

... is here - where has the time gone? been incredibly hectic over here - still doing up the living room and trying to fit in holiday festivities. news - had a great christmas, first just the three of us (plus Socks!) for the morning - thank you all, for lovely pressies and cards (Miles got a rocking chair and I got pajamas and slippers - how old are we?) - and then up to Miles' parents for a couple of days - Juno slept in her travel cot for the first time. Not too happily, admittedly, but she did sleep eventually!

In other news, we've also moved out of the nursery and back into our own room - leaving Juno on her own for the past few days... eek. I've also been resurrecting Skype - look me up - robinpridy - as I'm aiming to get a webcam this week. Miles is back to work tomorrow and Juno and I are certainly going to miss his company, since he's been home for the past ten days - hopefully his work week won't be too horrible!

What else? Well, Juno is getting much more mobile, wanting to crawl (but she's not sure what her arms are for - she just kind of 'surfs' on her stomach and expects to get somewhere...). She's grabbing at all things within reach, and putting it immediately in her mouth. She's also learned to pull herself up from lying on her back to sitting, as discovered today when we left to sleep in her pram and checked on her to find her dangling slightly over the edge! She also said 'dadada' this morning! It figures... She's having one or two solid meals a day - have tried mushed peas, carrots, squash and parsnip, in varying quantities, as well as banana and avocado - or 'bacado' as we have taken to calling it. And porridge is a hit, as are toasted bagel strips and a kind of cheesie puff she crams into her mouth. Yum yum!

I'm off now to upload a few photos and catch up on much-needed sleep.

These three images are Miles and Juno having a lie in, Juno loving her Christmas costume we forced her into, and Miles' parents, Roy and Penny, and myself.

Love to you all,

Robin, Miles, Juno and Socks

michael flatley eat your heart out.

2009-12-10T11:34:00.001Z

hoping to post a video here, but having trouble... will get back to it... x

pics galore

2009-12-10T11:21:00.005Z

hi all, in a rush, trying to get the deadline for xmas etc... but thought i'd upload some photos real quick. will come back and write more later.

miles using dangerous stilts that he quickly abandoned.

2009-11-29T17:00:00.000Z

yum.

2009-11-29T16:54:00.003Z

baby rice. coat.

house

2009-11-29T16:39:00.003Z

front room, which paint colour?, and poor socks, sleeping on a cushion piled on top of loads of stuff in the back bedroom.

muuummmmeeeeee...

2009-11-29T14:35:00.004Z

hi all,

a bit lax on the blog front lately, i know, but it just feels a bit hectic around here! we're getting the floors sanded tomorrow (so that juno doesn't snag herself on a nail when she starts crawling!). This means that Miles has just had a week off, doing DIY - i.e. stripping the walls of six layers of wallpaper, which were also painted over each time... and having a couple of plaster disasters... let's just say we're getting a guy in two weeks from now, to plaster.

we've also got the couch in the kitchen, along with anything else that can legitimately fit in there. poor socks doesn't know where he is! [wait till tomorrow when he's banished to the shed....]

other news - a few trips to see friends, more babies to see, some horrendous weather, ahh, and trying to feed juno baby rice again - which was a success. she loved it. the pics are of all the NCT babies (our antenatal class), and some Brighton pals, and Juno sleeping at someone else's house, as well as just her hanging with a blanket.

but the big news... I think she said 'mummy'! it was a cry of despair, after being rudely awoken from her car seat to be put into her cot, but Miles was there as witness, and we both think she said it. seems early, so might have been a random coincidence of vowels, but it made me smile.

hope everyone is good, xxxx robin

a day in brighton

2009-11-20T19:58:00.003Z

well, did a day of baby visiting in Brighton this week, and it was good fun. First saw my friend Emily (old neighbours, fellow cat lover), who has just had a baby girl - Honor Julia Patricia - no less, and she's just two weeks old. They're doing great, and we got a photo of Juno and Honor on the sofa - it's amazing how time flies - seems just yesterday that Juno was that size and my friends Ian and Jo's baby Franklin was Juno's size. At the time, we also took a similar photo, and Franklin looked like a teenager next to her! Now the tables have turned...

We then went to see my other friend Lizzie, who's also recently had a baby, this time a boy, named Emilio - but he's called Milo. He's adorable, with loads of hair and big eyes - but I forgot to take a photo...

Then on to lunch with Rich and Jo, and Franklin, who is now 10 months old. We had tea at Rich's and put the kids on the sofa with remote controls - it looked so funny and we were cracking up taking the pictures, and this made them crack up. It was so cute.

In other news, Miles and I went out again last night - crazy, I know, twice in three months - to a movie in a cute little cinema that only holds about 50 people - with old velvet chairs and a bar at the back. It was a French film, called 'Conversations with my Gardener', and we loved it. Nothing much happened, but it was great.

Juno's being really great these days, full of smiles and laughs - tonight she thought me 'meowing' like Socks was the funniest thing in the world. The other day it was me saying 'Mama'.

Well, Miles is working late tonight so thought I'd catch up on the blog, but now I have to order some Thai food - it's the start of Miles' 1 week holiday! Yay. But we're not going anywhere - instead, we're doing up the living room - removing wallpaper and repainting walls and wood - and then a guy's coming in to sand, stain and varnish the floors so that Juno can finally roll around on them (or crawl, which might be sooner than I think!).

Hope all's well for everyone, and that you're keeping cosy.

xxrobin

party pics

2009-11-20T19:46:00.003Z

more photos from miles' parents, including some of his cousin Clare from New Zealand and Juno's Auntie Clare with me and Juno and Ruby, and one of Penny, Miles' mum and Juno's cousins, Ruby and Ted.

juno in a high chair

2009-11-20T19:44:00.002Z

with her own name tag! at miles' parents house, for Roy's 79th birthday, and Penny's 61st.

visit to nana and grandpa willey

2009-11-11T20:52:00.003Z

we visited Miles' parents last week - had a great lunch and managed to stop in and see Rich's dad. Here's some pics...

xr

finally!

2009-11-11T20:39:00.003Z

well, we're over our terrible colds... I hope. I still have a little tickle in my throat, but all seems much better. Just spoke to Grandpa Rick and Granny Pat - it's Rick's birthday, as well as Miles' mum and Auntie Jill today - happy birthday all!

here's the latest pics - Miles has taken to calling Juno 'piglet', on account of her, ahem, weight (18 pounds!) and her snuffles with her cold. She's definitely looking pretty big these days, but she's also super cute. I've got her in her Halloween outfit from Auntie Wendy and Uncle Rae, and her flowery baby gro from Auntie Jill.

Also, just a few shots of her all striped out.

xxrobin

standorama

2009-11-02T20:09:00.001Z

here she is standing! and more of the feeding, and more of the sitting, and in one of her pumpkin outfits - other one to come later... xr

more pics...

2009-11-02T20:03:00.004Z

ok, forgot, she also tried some baby rice last week - it went down well, but then we got ill, so going to try again next week.

and here's a pic of her with her playmate Gregoire, and hanging with her other morning friends, ugly and sophie the giraffe... on the couch.

and outside in the garden and also one with Grandma and Auntie Geri, being not so sure about the outfit she's in... mummy might have gone overboard with the layers.

xr

tardy, once again...

2009-11-02T19:42:00.005Z

hi there,

well, i haven't posted for awhile again, and this time it's because of a rotten cold juno gave me... conjunctivitis and loss of voice (well more like Demi Moore voice - Miles finds it very amusing).

we're hopefully only in for another couple days of it, as I'm getting tired of staying away from people!

having said that, we have done a few things, and juno's definitely been busy. i went to Brighton on Friday to see my great friend Andy, and we had a lovely seafront autumn walk, and visited a couple of our old haunts from the days when we both lived in Brighton... no pics though! what a shame.

Sunday we went up to Miles' parents, and Juno had a good visit with Nana and Grandad - even watched Grand Prix racing with Grandad...

in Juno news, she's really wanting to stand all the time now, and her little legs are very strong! and she can almost sit by herself, with comedy wobbles. no teeth yet, but the signs are all there.

because we were ill, halloween came and went, really, as I had to cancel the daytime party for the babies we know. I didn't even draw on a comedy moustache. Miles felt so sorry for me he carved our one pumpkin at about 9pm, lit it and put it on top of the TV - no kids even came to the door. But I did dress Juno in her halloween outfit from A Wendy and U Rae, and earlier in the week i had her in another pumpkin costume for my own amusement.

In other news, I'm finished my experiment with working, for the moment. It was a bit too hard without childcare. Will try later!

So here's some pics... the first lot are from when Grandma and Auntie Geri were still here - one of Grandma's digital camera skills at Bodiam Castle (me and A Geri, headless), and a few of J-bug, one in her coat from Grandma, complete with Canada pin, as well as in her jumper with leggings from A Wendy, and a pic of all of us at Heathrow airport.

xxx robin

... and owls

2009-10-20T11:56:00.001+01:00

pics pics pics

2009-10-20T11:52:00.002+01:00

yes! we have more - a few town shots, juno in her crazy legs from auntie wendy, auntie geri pushing the pram, a few dogs, a bit of bread...

more pics

2009-10-20T11:48:00.002+01:00

more garden, some birthday action and some hastings old town shots.

xr

quick last ditch computer time....

2009-10-20T11:40:00.003+01:00

hi! just frantically trying to use the last gasps of this computer before it is shipped to Surrey for some maintenance! (and while juno is sleeping, of course - always a race against time...)

had a great week and a bit with grandma and auntie geri, and here's the pics to prove it! basically, these ladies don't wait around. i woke up one morning and there was juno swinging away in her jolly jumper, for the first time!

and - they put Miles to work, pronto. He was digging up entire trees, he was. We did loads in the garden, just hanging around the flat and having lunch and dinner and spending time with juno. didn't get to London, but I think it was for the best - they'd exhausted themselves from Paris!

So here's a few snaps of the trip.

We'll be back online in about a week or so. If I don't get back online by then, happy halloween!

xx robin

a bit of pause...

2009-10-18T20:26:00.003+01:00

hey there,

just a quick note to let you all know that my computer is on the mend (I hope!), so no pics for awhile. we had a great time with auntie geri and grandma, and I can't wait to share the photos. Just took them to the plane this afternoon (boo hoo) and already miss them.
xxx

quick update

2009-10-14T17:47:00.005+01:00

well, phew! it's been busy round here. when auntie geri and grandma come over they don't mess around. they have cooked, cleaned, and restructured our back garden, complete with gorgeous windowboxes - pics to come. and they come cheap... just a few dinners and a bed to sleep in.

we've been having a great time though, and I'll sure miss them when they go. They are in Paris - I hope - at present. I'll hear all about it tomorrow night. Then, I'm going to take them baby swimming and Sat is London day. Then they go home... boo!

So here's a few photos of us having a dual birthday celebration and kind of thanksgiving dinner, thanks to grandma and Miles, and some shots of us in the garden - and Socks up a ladder. and us on a visit to Juno's cousins and aunt clare and uncle mark in london.

xxrobin

great grandma and great auntie geri are here!

2009-10-12T22:26:00.004+01:00

hi all,

well, it's been hectic... i've been working on a couple of newsletters and we've just had auntie geri and grandma pridy arrive a couple of days ago, too - so, the blog has taken a bit of a backseat. but - there's some great pics that i'll post over the next couple of days. here's a few for thanksgiving, with more to come (and more to write! off to bed now, so tired..!)

xr

lamby...

2009-10-02T16:22:00.003+01:00

hey all,

well, she's got a pocket for it, so why not use it? here i am, trying to interest her in her 'lamby' that uncle leif and auntie jenn gave her. she is growing really fond of it, cuddling it during her naps in the daytime now.

xr

ssh! can't you see i'm reading?

2009-09-30T17:38:00.002+01:00

well, here she is with her favourite book, 'happy baby'.

things juno gets excited about (and by 'excited', we mean fast breathing, a bit 'huh huh huh' and legs kicking, sometimes straight arms up)...

1. happy baby book
2. mummy singing old macdonald had a farm
3. her new cd from auntie wendy and uncle rae, which, brilliantly, has her actual name in some great nursery rhymes
4. her old friend, the changing table mobile
5. her new friend, the knitted birds mobile
6. our friend Thad, for some reason [he elicited her first real belly laugh. twice.]
7. sometimes nothing that i can see.

other news - went out for the first time, just miles and i, to a fancy restaurant [first time without juno, not to a fancy restaurant - what do you think we are, philistines? no - just hermits!]. it was a birthday treat.

it was great, and the babysitters - the ladies from our favourite cafe - were great. juno didn't even wake up, and we shared a bottle of nice wine... yumm! but no pics, i'm afraid - too busy getting drunk!

promise to post more soon.

xr

2009-09-28T17:17:00.000+01:00

a few pics for end of september

2009-09-28T17:13:00.002+01:00

well... not much has happened since last post, but have uploaded the photos I quickly took of cousin Reed and Juno before aforesaid hopped on a train. And - I started work on the weekend, so Miles, aka 'Daddy' had to look after J-bug all morning. This is how he did it! And we visited some friends on Saturday - their little girl Flo loves Juno, as you can see.

Also, I'm forcing books on Juno - look!

xrobin

feeling pensive

2009-09-25T21:49:00.001+01:00

cot time! and a smile...

2009-09-25T21:46:00.002+01:00

a few quick ones...

2009-09-25T21:20:00.004+01:00

hey there - what's new? a little bit - juno's gone in her cot now - no more moses basket because she's too big for it! but - we have another 'baby' that apparently thinks he can fit right into it - socks took no time to snuggle into the basket last night... cute and disturbing at the same time.

so juno's in her big bed, and she's getting very strong as well - can almost hold her neck upright and is doing some serious exercises during tummy time, lifting her head and shoulders clear up from the floor (she showed this skill yesterday during baby massage at the local children's centre and the nursery nurse was shocked that she was only 14 weeks old) - go juno!

she's also teething, i think, judging by the rivers of drool coming out of her mouth - she actually had a pool of it in the crook of her neck this morning. and this brings grouchiness... oh dear.

she's been weighed - last week - and is a whopping 15 pounds - that's big - about the weight of an average 5 month old. my arms are getting strong! she was also measured and surprise surprise - she's a bit short!

We also had the pleasure of having my cousin Reed over for a short stay while he was working in London, and just before he set off for Octoberfest in Germany (some people have all the luck!). We managed a couple of snaps though and I'll post a couple more through, but here's the first meeting - as you can see, Juno wasn't impressed at first! [we soon got some smiles!]

We also got some great pressies that Reed lugged over from canada - and I mean lugged - the poor guy had a massive suitcase! So thanks for all those great items Auntie Wendy and Uncle Rae - beautiful clothes and shoes - some to even last her to two years old! She's a very lucky girl. Pics to come!

And we also just received an amazing parcel in the post from Uncle Leif and Auntie Jenn - again, beautiful things for a much loved little girl - thanks for all the care taken in finding these lovely things.

in other news, no pics I'm afraid, but we had our second swimming lesson last Friday and she was 'dunked' - they just naturally hold their breath when they're put under water - it was fine but I was a bit scared! I also took her to 'rhyme time' last Tuesday, which is at the local library - her current favourite is 'Old Macdonald had a farm'. She starts smiling and laughing when I sing 'Ee I Ee I O' - who wouldn't?

oh, and just to explain a few of the pics - we've got j-bug in her different pram basket now too - it's more on an angle, and she's got her 'cozy toes' liner to keep her warm and a little talking book to keep her occupied. so we took pictures of that!

that's it - or what i can remember anyway!

love and miss you all,

xrobin

tummy time 2

2009-09-15T22:02:00.004+01:00

hey all,

well, it's been eventful. i've had juno in her bumbo seat, to help her with sitting upright (and to keep her off her back - she's getting a flat head, poor girl!) and to give her a better view, and I've been putting her on her tummy and reading to her - 'Happy Baby' is the current favourite. I've also included photos of J-bug with Daddy and her blanket, in her car seat going to Royal Tunbridge Wells and just hangin' at a friends, in lounging pose no less... and there's one of her in a purple jumper that i wore as a baby.

What else? Ummm... oh, she's going into her cot now - but the first few days I've got her moses basket actually in the cot so she's more used to it. And I got a playmat extraordinaire in the post today - and nearly did my back in trying to set it up - I feel weary, and then Juno cried when she was in it... we were both ready for bed! She's also chatting loads - even trying to sing a bit I think - along with the old standby, country roads... I think she's trying to correct my terrible tuning.

In fact, thinking about it, I did do my back in. It hurts. I'm such a weakling... and off to bed.

xr

tummy time

2009-09-15T21:59:00.002+01:00

swim swim swim!

2009-09-15T21:55:00.004+01:00

We went swimming! Juno loved it and we floated around and sang some songs and played on a floating mat. This Friday, she goes underwater... scary! You'll notice in some of these shots that J-bug has a tendency, when her hair gets wet in the water, to resemble a caucasian Mr T... let's hope she doesn't mind planes.

more j-bug

2009-09-15T21:50:00.003+01:00

round 2

2009-09-15T21:48:00.001+01:00

loads o' photos...

2009-09-15T21:37:00.005+01:00

cousins and aunts!

2009-09-09T22:13:00.002+01:00

we went to Miles' Aunt Geraldine's again last Sunday to see off his other aunt - Jill - who's going to Italy before returning home to New Zealand. Most of us were there - Miles' parents and his brother's family, as well as Jill and Mush, and Peter and Geraldine. And Juno got to meet her cousins Ruby and Ted again!

xr

trying some videos...

2009-09-09T21:56:00.002+01:00

... let's see if it works!

a day at the farm

2009-09-09T21:54:00.003+01:00

we went to middle farm the other day with phil and chiff and their two kids, barney and martha - here's miles with martha and juno - as you can see, it was a bit of a colder day!

xr

new pics for sept

2009-09-09T21:50:00.003+01:00

here's the latest - just a day at home, hangin' in the bouncy chair and loving my mobile again.

awhile back...

2009-09-09T21:10:00.002+01:00

... we did a baby massage class with one of the antenatal ladies - it was great, and juno loves getting massaged (who wouldn't?) - here she is getting held by the antenatal lady, Jane, and here she is again, and I'm holding one of her buddies, Gregoire.

..and a sad face!

2009-09-02T13:21:00.002+01:00

nuff said...

bank holiday photos

2009-09-02T12:55:00.004+01:00

hi,

Miles' mum Penny just sent these wonderful photos she took when she was down with Roy and her sister Jill and her husband Mush, from New Zealand. Jill and Mush got Juno a wonderful book - one of her first board books - and a famous New Zealand toy, the Buzzy Bee, which she already loves, and Jill actually knitted some great socks and hat, as pictured - she even two hats of different sizes!

Off to Brighton today, to go to Book club with the Brighton girls - first outing! xrobin

2009-08-28T21:36:00.000+01:00

more and more...

2009-08-28T21:08:00.003+01:00

she's being very cute these days - here she is in a great pink poncho knitted by auntie jan!

xr

new day, not so tired!

2009-08-27T10:27:00.004+01:00

hello,

here's a few more pics. the other day i had to change over some of juno's clothes - she's actually too big for them... sigh. but that means a whole new cute wardrobe to try out. here's her first one.

a few more pics

2009-08-26T21:32:00.003+01:00

juno in her sling from auntie wendy and uncle rae, with her big face! and in her new strawberry hat from aunt penny. x

quick one...

2009-08-26T21:26:00.002+01:00

so tired! didn't have the best sleep last tonight, but here's a pic a friend at work sent. i took juno in the other week - can't believe how big she's getting! she definitely looks like a Powell, i think...

familia

2009-08-18T13:53:00.003+01:00

we had a great visit from friends caroline and rho the other day, and they took some great photos, some of which i've already posted. but here's a few more (she's a professional photographer so we have to take advantage!)

x

kn is for knitting

2009-08-18T13:47:00.004+01:00

i'm a very terrible knitter. but these people aren't.

first up, an incredible knitted bird mobile, with little leaves, and branches, for juno's nursery, thanks to the lovely Lesley and Pea at Aardvark cafe on the St Leonards seafront.

and this super cute poncho, knitted with love from - in her own words 'old auntie jan'! - it comes with a pocket for a teddy... and what little girl wouldn't want that??!!

last - miles' childhood friend, 'super dog' - found by his mum not so long ago. i asked miles if we could give it to juno as her toy she could carry around, and he said 'no'. apparently, super dog is still 'his'.

x

jabs today...

2009-08-17T13:42:00.003+01:00

well... i'm a bit pensive because it's juno's day for her first set of immunisations... and miles is away until 10.30pm!

hopefully she'll be good and not have any reactions, and i hope the needle doesn't hurt her too much. she's doing very good lately, learning to soothe herself - she still loves her mobile on her changing table, so much that it can actually stop her crying a bit. she chats away to it. and she's discovered two new things - mirrors and thumbs. she tries to suck the latter, but inevitably ends up thwacking herself in the face with her fist in an attempt to get that thumb in the mouth! live and learn i suppose...

here's some recent pics of her that make me laugh - i'm not afraid to show 'not so cute' pics of my baby - she was probably trying to have a poo!

keepsakes...

2009-08-17T13:34:00.002+01:00

here's two items in juno's room

one is a handmade wooden box, crafted by my uncle raeburn, and it's gorgeous, with three different kinds of wood inlaid. i've put special things in it - some old photos of me as a baby, my own baby bracelet, and a baby biscuit for juno, with hopefully more stuff to add as time goes on.

and here's a beautiful silver spoon that mum and rick had engraved with juno's name, date of birth and weight - rick has one that his mum had made when he was a baby, and we used it as a sugar spoon growing up. so we are keeping up the tradition!

these things are both so special, and took so much thought, that it's hard to express how much they mean. and they'll only get better with age.

something about the name Juno...

2009-08-15T19:47:00.003+01:00

here's a few items that have been lovingly crafted by friends and family, all with the name 'Juno' on them... juno table tennis balls no less, thanks Auntie Sina... funky elephant, with 'Juno' stitching on the tail, thanks Auntie Julie, Uncle Ben and Flo... cool Juno felt card, thanks Auntie Sarah and Uncle Thad and Indie... and Juno jumper! thanks to Auntie Ellen. Of course, no one even tried to add 'clementine' - where's the dedication?

x

the fam damily

2009-08-15T19:40:00.002+01:00

the weird things children love?

2009-08-15T19:35:00.002+01:00

juno's fave at the moment - a mobile on her changing mat that is downright scary... especially the wotzit toy we've added to it, complete with squeaky nose.

bits of stuff

2009-08-15T19:23:00.002+01:00

ok - ive just done the rounds and tried to capture a few images of things we've been given by various friends and family, all lovely, and i know i've missed some out! hopefully i'll get to those at a later date... but for now, here's a smattering of pretty things.

first up - blankets - great auntie nick and uncle terry sent us some great ones the other day, along with a tea set only a canadian could love - and hey, that's no problem in this household! the first blanket is a fave - a retro playmat from playskool - super great it is, especially the squeaky fur patch. also, a soft and cuddly blanket made by auntie nick, and a pretty quilted blanket that can be used for pretty much anything.

a day in the life...

2009-08-15T19:15:00.002+01:00

here's a few shots of things that get us through the day, now that i'm a mum. 1. tea - in a pot, with a cosy - mum, aka 'granny' reintroduced that to us and now we do it every morning. 2. nappies, or diapers - hanging on the line. laundry is a constant! 3. bottle - a new one - just started this, and Miles managed to give Juno her first bottle feed last night. 4. dummies, or soothers - pretty much saved our sanity. we have a lot of them...

more pics

2009-08-10T21:10:00.002+01:00

8 weeks and 1 day

2009-08-10T20:59:00.003+01:00

we've hit the 2 month mark, and there's been so many changes - lots of smiles now, and more weird sounds. and last night she slept for 7 hours!

here's some more pics - we've had a busy few days and saw Miles' aunt and uncle, Peter and Geraldine, at their beautiful house in the Kent countryside, watching the birds and enjoying lunch in their amazing garden, and then spent Sunday afternoon at Simon's parents' house - another beautiful garden - for our antenatal class reunion. Seven couples! And then we had Auntie Ellen round from Dublin for the night, and she showed up with a great cardie that she'd emblazoned with 'juno' - showcasing some serious knitting skills. pic to come!

then, today, the aunties came round - clare, phil and ellen and clare's little esme - for some tea and gossip. great visits all round, and clare even managed to get some smiles out of juno!

xr

keep forgetting about this one...

2009-08-05T14:57:00.002+01:00

this is how i spend my days now! not really... but this is a pic of all the new mums who i took my antenatal class with (and a dad), and that's not even all of them... i had them round mine for tea and cake for kristina's, one of the mum's, birthdays. kristina brought some huge zucchinis for us from her garden... spot the zucchini...

also - how short am i?!!

xr

not sure about kisses yet...

2009-08-05T14:48:00.002+01:00

... but likin' the mobile on the changing table - thanks sarah and thad!

almost forgot!

2009-08-05T14:44:00.003+01:00

her first trip to brighton, and on the train no less, all very exciting! she was good as gold, and helped mum with the sudoku, as you can see.and here's a pic of her in her chair, and with crazy eyes in her pram, and mum learning to use a train ticket...

xr

pics again...

2009-08-05T14:34:00.003+01:00

and here's the last batch for now, i think...

j-bug doesn't like being burped! and here's some close ups.

xr

more pics.

2009-08-05T14:25:00.004+01:00

and this batch is at a cafe on the seafront and at home - hey, she might be in a dress and bonnet, but she's tough! and of course, we can't forget socks! and here she is in great grandma's cute jean dress.

xr

a bit tardy on the posts.. but jc is 7 weeks 3 days now.

2009-08-05T14:04:00.006+01:00

typing one-handed and with right hand but i'm grabbing the chance to post more photos before i forget today.

well, granny's left the building. we took her to the airport yesterday morning, bright and early. it was so crowded and the queue so long to get into security that we were feeding mum sips of coffee and bits of muffin from the other side of the barricade, as this was her only chance of breakfast!

i'm pretty sad to say bye - the house seems a bit emptier without her - neverminding a bit of a reality check today that i actually need to do everything myself now! mum was so much help and i hope she's not going to miss juno (and socks!) too much. poor socks will also miss all the attention - and extra food...

can't believe we're nearly at the 2 month mark for juno. she's doing great and making loads of coos and other more alarming sounds, and is smiling too. she's starting to really look at toys and her mobiles. and mum was convinced she liked her singing 'you are my sunshine' - hmmmm... not sure mum - a bit suspect that the one 'fan' of your singing can't speak for herself!

but then i think she LOVES my singing...

here's some photos of the last week. there was dinner at ours - mum made a great pork roast - and here's the st leonards seafront.

xr

hi

6 weeks and a day

2009-07-27T18:11:00.003+01:00

juno just had her 6 week check up and weighs 10 1/2 pounds! She's basically a bit pudgey for her age - but not much - and of course, a bit short! but still just as cute. here's a pic of her on the weighing scale, dressed up in her 'bunny' jumper (actually a loan from phil and chiff) and just a general 'cute' shot. she's making lots of interesting sounds to keep her mummy (but not her daddy!) awake now, including grunts, coos and squeaks - and of course, plenty of farts.

xr

little miss st leonards on sea?

2009-07-25T22:06:00.001+01:00

and here she is modelling her new ladybug outfit from auntie clare and uncle rob.

weekend

2009-07-25T22:01:00.002+01:00

hi

quick post - just going to bed - had a long day - garage sale then park then town for late lunch. here's a few pics - granny getting comfy, juno just hanging out, looking less like a newborn every day, and miles enjoying the dummy more than juno!

xr

bathtime!

2009-07-22T20:51:00.003+01:00

hi,

well, we've reached the 51/2 week mark, if that's a mark, and i decided to (well mum told me to) try and have a bath with juno. she loved it! here she is after the event, enjoying a cuddle with granny in her towel from auntie ellen.

also this week, further pampering has ensued, with baby massage. check out the tushie!

topping it all off, she got a new electric swing - hallelujah! she sleeps in it and stops crying! - and had some cranial osteopathy - basically, a head massage. what a lucky baby. if only her mother could be so lucky. why don't they sell adult size swings that lull you to sleep - although, i suppose that's a hammock!

we also hosted our antenatal class - 7 babies... phew - quite the day. will try to get pics of that as well.

granny is still enjoying her walks with juno, and we've been to town and to our favourite cafe. next time, we'll take the camera out and let you see the town too.

xr

grandpa rick's mobile!

2009-07-18T21:33:00.002+01:00

pics juno will eventually be mortified about...!

2009-07-17T20:00:00.001+01:00

we call this look 'crazy eyes'. and here's juno and miles' bath time... cute!