San Francisco And Yosemite

 Very nearly 14 months old and time to get travelling again. A stopover for a week in California - that's Alcatraz in the background, on the way to the UK. Time for a trip to Sonoma Valley wine country - over the Golden Gate bridge, then up to Yosemite, where the big hikes in the back country had to give way to a gentle push of the stroller around some flat tracks in the valley!
 

13 months very nearly

At the beach again, she loves it but gets cold very quickly in the water and soon starts to shiver - just like her dad. She started walking six days after her first birthday, and sand is one of the few things that will keep her sitting down for more than a few minutes!

Happy Birthday to you.........

I can't believe it, one year old already. No party, but we did have a cake, and a couple of visitors from Devon, England for dinner.

First Trip to the beach

.....and she loved it. It's been a fantastic summer, but we went on a dull cooler day - it's been too hot and sunny for her. Must go back again soon though - with a change of clothes!

Almost 11 Months

Walking with the aid of anything she can push along the carpet.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. Well they almost made an appearance on Boxing day, only to recede again for a few more weeks. Now with two up top and two below, she's able to eat a bit more solid stuff - and chew fingers.....

Ten Months

Learning to feed herself!

Amy's first Christmas

Why spend all that money on presents when the wrapping is far more interesting. First Christmas went well apart from...

Donna's dad arrived with a cold which we both caught, lucky Amy seems to have escaped so far. Donna's mum got stuck for the night in Wellington due to fog, then the car broke down on the way to the airport to pick her up. Looking forward to a good start to the New Year!

Eight Months

Eight months old and suddenly everything is happening. In the space of just over a week she's cut her first tooth, learned how to crawl properly (as opposed to dragging herself along using her elbows as here,) learned how to pull herself up to stand, cut her second tooth and started babbling.

At this rate she'll be walking next month. Our litle girl is growing up so fast.

Looking very pleased with herself having just pulled herself up.

 

Seven Months

Out and about at the local park last weekend - before winter came back. Her latest trick is getting up on her knees. She's still getting her balance and sometimes keels over sideways, even back onto her back, but she's getting very mobile, shuffling around, and trying to grab everything shiny to put in her mouth - just like a magpie.

The cat loves to sit nearby, but if she gets too close she gets her fur pulled. She gets annoyed but knows better than to bite or scratch.

Six Months

Six months already. Where did time go?

24 Weeks

Apologies to our regular readers for a lack of posts recently - where does time disappear to now? Cradle cap much better, hair growing back, and a new trick - rolling over, so now every time we put her on her back she rolls onto her front and just loves this position.

18 Weeks

Poor girl has cradle cap, hair is falling out, and she has a cold. Apart from that, she's all good!

17 Weeks

16 Weeks

What more can I say?

Three Months Already

Amy in her favourite sleeping position at just over 11 weeks. At her 12 week weigh in she was 11lbs 10oz, and getting a bit heavy to carry. Below, a few days later, the first snow - the day after the coldest June day ever recorded in Christchurch.

Ten Weeks Old

...and growing rapidly. Almost 10 lbs at the last weigh in, probably well over now. She's already grown out of all the premature baby gear and the 0000. She's just fitting the 000 still, but the amount she's feeding, she'll soon be out of that too. Trying to make up those extra 5.5 weeks. The newborn nappies used to look huge on her, and now she's onto the next size up.

5th May

Here's one from St Patricks day - 1 day old just retrieved from Donnas mums camera. That really flat head has improved a lot since then, see below taken on 24th April - the day after her due day, and 29th April.

Four weeks old

No posts for a week? Well, getting used to being a full time parent is hard for both of us - we've had no little siblings or nephews and nieces to practise on. We've had plenty of long nights, not exactly sleepless, but certainly sleep deprived already, with no doubt many more to come. Here she is at 29 days - obviously a day time photo as she's fast asleep! Apart from that, we seem to be really busy with her appointments - midwife, Plunket Nurse (Health Visitor equivalent,) doctor for immunisations, specialist to look at her head.... Wouldn't miss it all for the world now though.

Happy Easter

It's been a manic few days. Here we are on 4th April, still in Wellington, doing our usual thing, dad beginning to get the hang of bath time. Then suddenly, on Thursday morning, they told us at 8.45 that out plane was leaving Christchurch at 9.30 to take us back. We had to hastily go and pack then wait around till about 12.00 when we finally left.

Same way back, with Amy in an incubator, and two nurses with us. Donna was given a room at the hospital so she could feed round the clock, so out came the feeding tube. She's gaining weight well, now well over 6lbs. Here she is on Easter Saturday - her last night in hospital. What a great Easter present.

Finally home in her own clothes and her own bed - well bassinette.

Flying to Wellington

For those of you who, like me, don't really want to look at endless baby photos, this is how we got to Wellington. Donna being transferred from air ambulance to ambulance, and below, our own private plane. Apart from the people in shot - the two pilots, technician and Donna, there was just me and a midwife also on board.