Monday, October 31, 2005
Beached
The weather was very much as expected over the weekend, so on Saturday we headed off to Freshwater Beach to have some fun-in-the-sun and try out our Shelta. Everything went very well, and Caitlin was less hesitant of the sea, until we got to the point of trying to re-pack the Shelta; at which point I realised that the instructions didn't make a whole lot of sense. Fortunately, there was another Shelta-owner nearby who was able to help us out, and give us the re-assurance that it took them about an hour to figure it out the first time!
Sunday was rainy on-and-off all day, so I was able to get stuck into the tax returns and managed to get them done before Anna went to her orchestra rehearsal - so that I could look after Caitlin without interruptions.
Chris
posted at 10:24 pm 0 comments
Friday, October 28, 2005
Taxing Weekend
As Anna and Caitlin have now, pretty much, fully recovered from their viruses (or is that viri?) we'll be out and about again this weekend - the forecast is for a good Saturday and a rainy Sunday. That actually works out pretty well as I need to complete our tax returns before the October 31st deadline, so a rainy Sunday seems like the perfect time for me to do so, while Anna practices the violin.
Also, a quick reminder for the folks in the Northern hemisphere that, as the clocks change over this weekend, we'll switch from being nine hours ahead of UK time to being eleven hours ahead.
Chris
posted at 8:35 pm
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Lane Coving
Although Anna and Caitlin are both starting to feel better, they decided to skip tonight's run around Lane Cove and rest up at home. The theme for the run was Halloween but, as it was a pretty sticky evening, most people decided to delay the putting on of costumes until after the exercise was complete.
After a late-ish start, I guided the back-of-the-pack round to the end point at just after 8pm, so I only had time to grab a beer and run for the bus, which I knew was coming at eight minutes past.
Chris
posted at 11:27 pm 0 comments
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Shoes work their magic
With the help of the anti-biotics, Anna felt well enough to pop into the city yesterday, when she received word that her Shubar sandals had arrived (Ed: I wonder if the anti-biotics were the major factor?). After which, she took Caitlin to Hyde Park and the Art Gallery with rather differing effects on her rash:
- As it was a hot day, her rash flushed in the sun of Hyde Park, but
- In the air-conditioning of the gallery, her rash quickly quietened
However, and more importantly, the rash doesn't seem to be causing her too much irritation as she is still herself, and doesn't appear to have any itchiness associated with the rash. Fingers crossed that it will clear itself up in a few days...
Chris
posted at 10:23 pm 0 comments
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Viral Attack
Anna seems to have come down with some form of virus, which has given her a very sore throat and generally drained her energy so, to give her chance to rest, I stayed at home today to look after Caitlin. During the day Caitlin also developed a small, but visible, rash over her body - so, off we went to visit the doctor in the afternoon.
The doctor, although trying to be re-assuring, couldn't really pin-point the cause except to state that it was most likely a viral infection that we'd need to keep an eye on over the next couple of days - fortunately, Anna had an existing prescription for some anti-biotics which she was able to start soon after she became ill. Although not 100%, Anna was feeling well enough by the evening to attend her design course, but probably isn't going to feel up to much baby-minding for a couple of days.
Chris
posted at 10:08 pm 0 comments
Monday, October 24, 2005
Shelta-ing in Manly
When I got home on Friday evening, I reminded Anna that we'd heard that there was an art exhibition at the Balmain Watch House featuring some paintings by a friend-of-a-friend, Peter Handran-Smith, whom we had met at another exhibition we went to last year. He had a range of very nice paintings and we decided to buy a painting of Thames Street Wharf, at the bottom of our road, as a joint wedding present.
On Saturday, we headed over to Manly in the car for a stroll along the promenade and to do a little shopping. However, when we got there, the weather had turned a little so we focussed on getting a Beach Shelta (pictured above) for when we head off to Jervis Bay next month - so that we can get Caitlin in the shade when required.
Chris
posted at 11:49 pm 0 comments
Friday, October 21, 2005
Birthday weekend
Following on from my post yesterday, we'd all like to wish Uncle Richard, standing next to Anna in the photo above, a very happy 30th birthday over the weekend. With the car back in action again, we'll probably be out on Saturday making the most of the weather.
Sunday should be fairly quiet, as we have Willow staying with us in the evening while Kerry & AJ attend a friends' wedding reception. As Anna will also be heading off to orchestra, I'll be in charge of both of the girls.
Chris
posted at 11:03 pm 0 comments
Thursday, October 20, 2005
It's raining, it's pouring
The day started with a call from Anna's brother, Richard, regarding some wine that we had sent him for his birthday - hopefully it will arrive soon. While he was on the phone, we also discovered that his wife, Tiziana, is doing very well during her pregnancy - the new member of the Staines family is due in January, so we hope everything goes well for all involved.
This evening, Anna and Caitlin met up with me at the Birchgrove ferry wharf on our way to the evening's run from the Woolwich Pier Hotel. Unfortunately, however, the heavens opened as Anna was making her way to the ferry, so she got rather wet and decided to stay in the pub rather than risk another soaking. I, and the few other stalwarts that braved the weather, were rewarded with a pleasant (and short-ish) run around Hunters Hill in the gentle drizzle.
Chris
posted at 11:33 pm 0 comments
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Wisdom?
Currently, Anna helps to look after a couple of babies, which means that Wednesday is the only day, during the week, that she has to herself with Caitlin - although this will improve in the next month or two. So, aside from getting the battery replaced in the car, today they had chance for a little relaxation. I'm sure that those parents reading will be nodding knowingly at the thought that Caitlin, now mobile, can pretty much be left alone for approximately 2 seconds before she needs to be restrained from something or other. Of course, she thinks that it's all a great game, and can't wait to make another escape!
Early though it is, Anna and I have also been prompted to start considering Caitlin's education; assuming that we're in Australia at that point. The conventional wisdom, in Sydney at least, is that a good school is a private school - which appears to be a result of the fact that the government funds private schools. Odd, isn't it?
Chris
posted at 9:58 pm 0 comments
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Kilroy was here
I forgot to mention yesterday that I've uploaded another video, this time one of Caitlin doing a more-than-passable impression of Kilroy Was Here; click on the logo above for the history. Anna also asked me to make sure that everyone realises that, when you click on the videos link at the top, you should click on the text link under each video to view it in its entirety; the current interface shows a play button within each picture which only shows the first few seconds.
Anyway, to view Caitlin doing her Kilroy impression, follow the link below:
Chris
posted at 11:35 pm 0 comments
Monday, October 17, 2005
The chasing begins
I hadn't realised until this weekend that Caitlin has now mastered the concept that three secure limbs allows the fourth to move, with the inevitable consequence that she can now crawl reasonably well! As a result, Anna and I spent much of the weekend dragging her away from electric sockets and cables; only for her to make a bee-line straight back to the same spot. What I've found most impressive, however, is how quickly she has learned to apply her newly-acquired knowledge: she had been able to roll and drag herself around for a little while but, having put it together, she is now also able to drag herself up into a standing position and make quite good progress (as long as she has something to hold on to).
Since we've not been using the car very much recently, it wasn't too much of a surprise (although an unpleasant one) when, just as Anna was about to head off to a baby shower, the battery failed. We'll get another one put in this week but, as I'm currently working in the city, the car very rarely gets out at all during the week; so a fresh one is probably a good thing before we head off to Jervois Bay next month. Aside from that disappointment, things went pretty much to plan over the weekend, with the good news being that Anna has been promoted from an inner to an outer member of the second violins for the next concert with the sinfonia.
Chris
posted at 9:31 pm 0 comments
Friday, October 14, 2005
Get Up, Stand Up
Caitlin has become more mobile in her cot over the last couple of weeks, and is often in a variety of positions when we go into her room to get her in the morning; all of which appeared relatively safe. However, in the last day or two she has progressed to the stage where she can now use the top rail of the cot to help pull herself up into a standing position - so my first job for the weekend will be to lower the base section of the cot, to minimise the chance of her injuring herself.
While Caitlin and I are planning on watching the cricket, Anna has a busy weekend ahead including:
- A friend's baby shower on Saturday afternoon
- A mothers' dinner on Saturday night
- Back to orchestra rehearsal on Sunday
Chris
posted at 9:42 pm 0 comments
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Food for thought
With Caitlin's teeth slowly appearing, the rather uncomfortable question for Anna has become Can I still breast feed?, as Caitlin seems to have made the common association that biting might be a good way to alleviate teething pain. Now that Caitlin is having solid food regularly, the need to feed from the breast is reduced but, like most mothers, Anna still finds it both comforting and convenient.
The folks at Google seem to have got their video approval process well-and-truly smoothed out as the latest videos, that I uploaded yesterday, are already available:
Chris
posted at 9:04 pm 0 comments
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Just takes two
As Anna was looking after Jackson yesterday, she had initially thought that she would not be able to join the mothers' group meeting. However, having organised herself well, she was able to make it along with both Jackson and Caitlin in tow - which one or two of the other mothers found pretty impressive.
Later, Anna was off to college where she handed-in her completed drawings from last semester. The other students are still putting the final touches to their work, so were giving her a little ribbing for being the teachers' pet but, from my perspective, it's better to have them done-and-dusted than having to spend time on them whilst you're supposed to be focussing on the new material.
Finally, just a note that I've uploaded some more photos, so click on photos link at the top to view the latest...
Chris
posted at 9:55 pm 1 comments
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Up and Down
After a couple of weeks off, Anna was back to college again last night, where the focus was on Quark, which produces competitor products to Adobe. The drawings that she had finished over the weekend are, apparently, to be handed in tomorrow - although she'd spend more time on them if she could, Anna has completed all of her drawings, so it will be nice to have that module wrapped up.
Caitlin has also, for the first time, started to expand her dimensions of movement from commando-like crawling around the floor to levering herself and attempting to stand up. Naturally, her legs are nowhere-near stable enough to hold her at the moment, so it's likely to become an ongoing vigil to make sure that she doesn't injure herself too badly as she improves her balance!
Chris
posted at 9:39 pm 0 comments
Monday, October 10, 2005
500 and counting
Although there was plenty of rain on Friday night it, fortunately, cleared up for the 500th run festivities on Saturday. A crowd of around 60-70 gathered at The Bells Hotel for what turned out to be a very enjoyable day.
With Anna's course re-commencing next week, Sunday was primarily focussed around completing her remaining course work, to be handed-in this week. Meanwhile, Caitlin has now figured out that moving her legs separately might provide more stability for crawling - she still hasn't quite put everything together, but we don't think it will be too long now before she does...
Chris
posted at 10:50 pm 0 comments
Friday, October 07, 2005
We're 500!
Last night Anna, Caitlin and I all met up for our Thursday night exercise which, this week, involved a walk/run from Lavender Bay (pictured above); and it also doubled as an opportunity for Caitlin to show off her new haircut. However, our running festivities aren't over for the week as, this weekend, we celebrate the 500th running of our club with a jaunt around the city starting from Woolloomooloo.
Anna is hoping to join up with a few friends for a visit to the theatre this evening, while I watch the cricket - hopefully the second game in the series can come closer to matching the excitement of The Ashes.
Chris
posted at 9:01 pm 0 comments
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Size One
Anna and Caitlin joined a couple of the other Mums from her Mothers group for a walk around Balmain and, having made their way to Elkington Park, Anna decided to continue on for a walk around the Bay Run. Fortunately, she had packed their swim clothes so they could stop off for a swim at the end of the circuit. Caitlin, after her recent experience with the sea, was feeling much more confident and was apparently doing lots of excited squealing. We're hoping to get involved in the next of the baby education programs, if it matches up with our schedule.
Meanwhile, I was out buying a new SleepSack for Caitlin, as she has outgrown the one we have been using for the past few months. After a little to-ing and fro-ing, I settled on the size One option, which gives her plenty of room to manoeuvre (without drowning her in material).
Chris
posted at 10:16 pm 0 comments
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Toof
The big news from the weekend that I, of course, forgot to mention was that Anna noticed that the first of Caitlin's "milk" teeth seems to be on its way - which, no doubt, explains why she has been a little cranky. As yet there isn't a great deal that can be seen, but when you run your finger along her gum you can definitely feel the beginnings of the incisor. It is normal for both of the lower incisors to appear around the same time, so in a week or two there will probably be something worth taking a picture of!
The other change, when I got home yesterday evening, was that Anna had succumbed to the idea of cutting Caitlin's hair. Although not a great deal of the hair she was born with remained, there were a few strands which look much better for having been cleaned-up. The new hair that has grown through in the last couple of months definitely appears to be blonde - like mine was a long, long time ago!
Chris
posted at 9:18 pm 0 comments
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Central Coast Cruise
With Monday being a public holiday in New South Wales, we decided to take a more leisurely route back to Sydney; so we stopped for a dip & lunch at a beach just north of The Entrance. We all enjoyed a paddle in the sea as it had turned out to be quite a hot day, but Caitlin was a little unsure about the waves as they splashed around her feet.
After an ice-cream, we headed off again along the coast, and made our way back to Sydney via Gosford - although we got caught for a little while in the traditional public holiday traffic, it didn't delay us for too long. What with the sea air and driving, it wasn't long after Caitlin had had a bath and gone to bed that we were following her upstairs.
Chris
posted at 9:32 pm 0 comments
Monday, October 03, 2005
Not-so-blue in Blueberry Hill
We drove up to The Hunter Valley on Saturday and, after stopping once to feed Caitlin, we arrived in plenty of time to get everything set up before sitting down for a great barbecue dinner with Sharon, Steve and their other guests (Andy, Effy and their sons Nathan and Liam).
On Sunday, we joined the group on a tour to a couple of the local wineries (vineyards) to sample their wares, and buy a couple of bottles to take home. Our tour took us to Blueberry Hill and McGuigan's cellar doors, with the winner in my book definitely being the Pinot Noir from Bluberry Hill. After the tour, and a quick freshen up, we headed down to the Royal Federal Hotel for a bite to eat while we watched the NRL grand final - which our local side, Wests Tigers, won!
Chris
posted at 10:06 pm 0 comments
