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Published: April 13th 2011
Bonjour! – And here we are again, 9th of July was our last blog so 9 months later, what has been happening to all you lovely people??
Okay, I’ll start with an update from us… It’s the 12th of April 2011 and I’m sitting in my work recovering from the weekend, I was at the Grand National down in Aintree for the second year running and am still feeling slightly worse for wear, it was a great weekend with the same eight chaps as last year and we’re already looking forward to next year. I think it’s like the pain of childbirth, kind of, by the time next year comes around you forget how sore it was and that you said you would never do this again, but ultimately you do as it’s worth it.
Yes I did just compare me going for a weekend bender with my mates to the racing with the magic of childbirth, it’s how I roll.
Speaking of which, and some exciting news so early in the blog…. Fiona is pregnant again, she’s due our second child on October 5th which is exciting isn’t it? She’s not been too well this time out
Lois and mummy
on her birthdayhas our Fiona and is really suffering from morning sickness, or some severe variation of, which has seen her off work for the last few weeks, which isn’t great but she is getting better as the weeks are ticked off.
Last time she was pregnant with Lois we were in the Maldives and she suffered a bit there, this time she’s at home with a toddler and suffering a lot more so thankfully our mum’s have been coming up to help with Lois during the day.
Anyway it’s done now so she’ll just have to grin and bear it..... The foetus has been Christened “Martha” but Fiona is already convinced it’s a boy, saying that we were both convinced – or should I say Fiona convinced me, it was a boy last time out when the foetus was called “Milo”.
I think we’ll have another girl, in fact I think if we have 17 children they will all be tall blonde girls who will send me to an early grave as I sit straddling my shotgun in my rocking chair waiting on them coming home of an evening…. Lois has just turned two so I’ll not have
Nap time
Fiona and Lois cosie in after lunch at Brechin Castle Centre to deal with her dating for at least another 36 years hopefully.
Right, back on track – the past, what’s happened since July 2010, well we finally moved house in September last year and we’re loving it in our new abode, Lois especially seeing as she’s commandeered the bedroom opposite hers for a play room and the sun room for, well another playroom, and “her” garden is more of an outside playroom than anything else but it’s all good, I get to cut the grass, take out the bins and paint the decking and sheds so it’s a pretty fair deal all in… It’s going to be an interesting conversation when we tell her that her playroom is in fact going to be her little brother or sisters room, oh joy.
We’ve still a fair bit of decorative work to be done but nothing major, Lois’s room and our room are done, as is the granny’s bedroom, the living room and sun room are also done and the hall and stairs are a work in progress. We’ve still got the wee bathroom, dining room, kitchen, utility and of course nursery to do but hope to get it all
Pre dizzy head tilt
She's going off for a run, I can sense it... finished before September when the baby will most probably make an unplanned and drama filled early appearance…... We’re only leaving one room untouched and even that took some convincing to Fiona that the main bathroom didn’t need done as she would have ripped that out too given half the chance…
Lois was two-years-old in February, unbelievable where the time has went. She had a ball with a couple of parties for her wee friends and also the family, she seems to enjoy older peoples company more and can often be found ushering her friends into one room so she can close the door behind them and spend some quality time chatting with the mums… She is a total belter and she cracks me up every day with some of the things she says and does, she’s an excellent talker (she takes after her mum…) and not only can you have a proper conversation with her, with teddies, Angelina Ballerina and Peppa Pig being her conversation of choice but she also reads her books out loud when we’re putting her to bed. Now I’m pretty sure she’s not a genius and just has an incredible memory but it’s still impressive.
me and the old lady
The worlds oldest football trophy at the DUFC hall of fame dinner earlier this year She loves swimming, dancing and getting dizzy (?) and can often be found running in circles with her head tilted to one side or waltzing with her teddies. She can’t get enough of her garden slide but can take or leave her swing right now. Sandpit’s are a huge draw as is jumping up and down in muddy puddles, which is just wonderful when you’re trying to get somewhere when it’s raining… She loves hide-and-seek but hasn’t quite mastered it yet, she still loves to “hide” by simply covering her eyes so she can’t see you and her best one is when she hides and we say “I wonder if Lois is in her bedroom?” and she shouts out “No”, genius I tells you, genius.
The travelblog (which isn’t really about travelling anymore…) has had 98,381 views as I write this which is getting close to the time when I will actually have to turn it into the “book” that I always threatened… I did say 100,000 views so will start looking into it, maybe.
On that front I got an e-mail from the site saying that we’ve been inducted into the Travelbog Hall of fame, I’ve
I'm Peppa Pig
Fiona made this fantastic cake for Lois's second birthday no idea who nominated us or if they just felt we deserved it seeing as we’re so old to this game but we’re in it now, which is nice. It’s the 9th anniversary of Travelblog.org and they induct 10 (or maybe 12, I can’t remember) members into the Hall of fame every ‘birthday’ we started writing this in November 2004 and I think the website has only been around since April 2002, there are over 200,000 contributors to the website now so the Hall of Fame is a nice place to be, there are currently 105 contributors on it so I like to think we’re in the top 100…
http://www.travelblog.org/Awards/hall_of_fame
Now for the bad news…. Dundee United could not become the 4th club in the last 100 years to retain the Scottish Cup which we won last May, I’m sorry to report that we were knocked out a couple of weeks ago at the Quarter-Final stage, we were terrible in the game and deserved to lose so there is no trip to Hampden for us this May. I did get to follow them into Europe last year after our cup win and travelled to Athens in August for
Happy Birthday
Lois gets wired into the presents on her 2nd birthday a match that we drew 1-1 against AEK. This was a surreal game as there were only Dundee United fans (about 600 of us) inside the ground as home fans were barred due to previous crowd trouble, we were also shipped from stadium to stadium in the days leading up to the game and finally played at the 3rd choice stadium after days of disruption and demonstrations. It was a great trip though, Athens in August is very hot and not so cheap.
Also my Aussie team, the West Coast Eagles are now the worst side in Australia for the first time in their history… When we were living in Perth and I was going to the games the Eagles were the best side in the country and won the Grand Final in 2006 after losing the same final the year before, oh how the mighty have fallen. I think there is a direct relation between me and sporting success though as when I was in Perth watching the Eagles win every week Dundee United were truly, truly awful at home. Now I’m home United are winning and the Eagles are awful back in sunny Perth. Ah well, there’s
Lois the nurse
Although she may not look it she did love this present! always Western Force…
Well that’s about all I have for you, I got my “B” grade for Higher Maths which will now allow me to apply for the Primary School teaching Post-Grad course but I’m not sure if now is the right time with another bambino on the way, applications close in December so I’ve plenty time to think about it.
We’re going to France in June for two weeks which will be great, Lois will go on a plane for the first time which probably won’t be all that great seeing as she thinks the Dyson “is a bit loud daddy”. We’re flying into Toulouse and picking up a car for a 3 hour drive down the South Coast for a week then we’ve got a 6 hour drive to the West Coast for our second week before flying home from Bordeaux. I’m hoping to get a sneaky detour into Spain and Andorra to get a couple of more stamps on Lois’s passport, seeing as it cost me £63 last week I want to make use of it and I can’t see us going on a foreign holiday for another couple of years after this one.
Feeding her dolly
She got a high chair for her dolly too, lucky girl. I hope you’re all well wherever you are, friends, family, loyal readers and kids who have just stumbled upon this by accident. I love you all and until the next time, don’t have nightmares – please do sleep well.
Andrew, Fiona, Lois and “Martha the bump”.
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Kath
non-member comment
Congrats!
Very nice to read an update and great pics (of Lois especially). Congratulations on the 'Hall of Fame' I think I had something to do with it by mentioning you to one of the moderators on the forum. Please don't end this blog! Me and I gather QUITE a few others enjoy reading your updates and now watching your growing family. I wish you and Fiona (especially Fiona) an easier time with child #2. and no complications. All the best and keep writing these blogs!