Hello! I thought that I would update you all on what I have been doing lately. I have been practising my sitting up in the grown up leather arm chair. I am still getting bigger and I weighed 7.9kgs on Wednesday 15 March.

Solids have been a mixed bag. At least I don't have to eat the rice cereal (glue paste more likely) by itself now. I have been having pear, which is OK, and zucchini, which is NOT. Today though I tried sweet potato and that is a definite improvement. Some days I eat a lot, and others I just want milk. I can use the spoon pretty well myself, but for some reason Mum & Dad want to do it themselves. Weren't they ever young themselves? I have tried sitting up in my rocker and sitting on knees as well as the chair, but I haven't quite worked out a comfortable spot yet.

This last photo is of me playing at the Early Childhood Centre while all the mums (and some dads, including mine) were doing a First Aid Course. This was taken on St Patrick's Day and Finn and I were both in green, and playing with Finn's book. Finn is going in the St Pat's Day Parade through Sydney this Sunday, which sounded like lots of fun.

David's progress

I had David weighed on Tuesday 7 March and he is now a beefy 7.7kgs at five months and aone week. He has gained 700 gms in three weeks!

David has also started solids on Monday 6 March! The series of photos could be titled Before, During and After! It was another hot humid night, hence the nappy only.

In more detail, David was very excited by the sight of the bowl and spoon (Bunnykins, with suction bottom). He was very excited & seemed to know it was about food, even before there was any rice cereal in the bowl. We had him sitting up, with some help from Dad. The only problem was that I would suggest that the taste itself was a bit of a let down, based on the look on his face. ("Is that it??"). He didn't finish the one teaspoon we mixed.

However, the next night I tried rice cereal mixed with water, not formula. David got so enthusiastic during the feed that he grabbed the spoon twice and put it in his mouth himself. Pretty good. It suggests that he will want to control it himself, just like the bottle. The third night I gave him rice cereal mixed with breast milk, and got a moderate response.

Next comes organic stewed pear! Then probably carrot.

It doesn't seem to have affected his appetite however. David still seems to need a lot of milk and formula before we can settle him to sleep at night. Once settled though, he does sleep through.

Geelong Botanic Gardens

Well, here are some other photos from our trip to Victoria. These were taken in the Geelong Botanic Gardens, while Paul was giving a seminar at the Geelong Conference Centre. Apparently they are the second oldest botanic gardens in Australia, and were intended to spread over the many hectacres of the Eastern Park, but as the notice says "inhospitable soil and weather conditions" put paid to that. the first photo is of the interesting installations at the entrance, near the twentyfirst century garden (read low water). I have taken a photo of some of the bollard art - there are at least 50 of these bollards, each painted to represent some person, all the way along the waterfront of Geelong - surf lifesavers, bathing beauties, military bandsmen, stately ladies, historic figures, a Geelong footballer (of course) and in the botanic gardens, the original curater holding a Sturt Desert Pea (which he was the first to cultivate) and a young lady who has stolen a piece to press in her flower press (which is behind her back).





It was a hot day, but dry and rather pleasant in the breeze in the Gardens. David certainly seemed to enjoy the walk. We had a little morning tea break at the cafe in the gardens, before going into Geelong on an errand for Paul.

The last is a photo of the largest grass tree that I have ever seen, again at the entrance. It looks as though it has been relocated, because of the guy wires, but no explanation or plaque that I could find.

The new car!

Well, here are photos of the very lovely new car. Subaru Liberty Wagon GT tuned by STI.

We enjoyed the trip up and back. We stayed overnight in Albury on the way to Melbourne - and had to drive around to find a motel - the Commonwealth Games torch was due to arrive in town in the next day and there was a festival of sport underway to celebrate the event. The motel we did stay in was very nice however, and had a lovely pool, which I had a good swim in to stretch after the car trip.

The next day David and I went for a walk up and down the main street and enjoyed the stretch, while Paul had business meetings in the morning. After the walk, David slept well on the way to Melbourne.

We stayed in Gundagai on the return journey at the Gabriel Motel and had a lovely meal in the attached restaurant. It had just received its liquor licence and was empty on Saturday night (having had 40 or more to dine the previuos evening). We breakfasted at the Niagara cafe the next morning - first opened in 1902 as the first cafe in Gundagai, and still with the original counter. Lovely, almost art deco (but too early for Art Deco) and still in marvelous condition. A great old fashioned cafe. Lots of memorabilia on the walls and visited by John Curtain, Ben Chifley and Arte McFadden in 1942. We had a nother stop in Berrima on the return journey for a drink and a stretch after David woke up. That is a lovely spot, with lots of galleries and antique shops.

The last two photos are again David in his car seat. An action shot taken before the seat was installed in the new car, and one of David travelling in it - it is like abig old armchair and looks much more comfortable than the capsule.

Cousins!!

Well, lots has happened since the last entry. We have been to Melbourne for a trip which turned out to be almost two weeks away, woth Paul doing lots of business in Melbourne (and Albury and Geelong). We tooks the new car along, which helped it run in over around two thousand kms, and let Paul really get a feel for the way it handles. It also let David get a feel for the new carseat (very luxurious and comfy). We stayed with Paul's parents in Melbourne and let David see lots of his cousins, aunt, uncle and grandparents and let them see how much he had grown.

It was supposed to be cooler, but that part of the plan didn't quite work out. We did have a couple of cooler nights though, and David actually wore suits with covered arms and legs on two nights. All the rest were more like Sydney though, and back to just sleeping in a nappy and singlet.

Here are some photos of David with his cousins. As you can see, the size difference between David and Matthew (who is eight weeks older) is getting less and less. Matthew weighs approximately one and a half kilos more than David at the moment. Matthew is sitting up and on solid food, and has a lot more hair, but they are playing at the same level. Both boys were fascinated by the other - it is nice for them to see someone their own size.
David now has a bedroom in Melbourne, with a cot and change table, and toys which we have left in Melbourne to play with. One is a little next with 3 tiny birds, and the nest plays music and tweets like a bird when it is knocked. Both boys love to play with it. We also organised a new bed for us to sleep in, when we are in Melbourne, instead of the two single beds. It is all starting to look very organised!
The last is a photo of the boys with their aunt & uncle or grandparents respectively. Again, having lots of fun.