Sitting!!

So, Sophie's brief stint at sitting during play group last Friday wasn't just a fluke! She now sits without being propped up. She does fall over occasionally but she is enjoying the freedom of not having to be held all the time.

This weekend Stephen and I have been trying the Baby Whisperer's techniques on getting a baby to sleep without having to be rocked to sleep and on staying asleep throughout the night. So far I have spent countless hours with Sophie picking her up from her cot when she is crying and putting her back down as soon as she stops. Even though this technique is much more labour intensive and back breaking than the controlled crying method where you let a baby cry for increasingly longer periods of time before they actually cry themselves to sleep I like it much better because it just breaks my heart to hear Sophie cry and I don't want her to ever think that I am not there for her when she needs me. But I think that all the effort is paying off because this morning Sophie went off without a whimper... Fingers crossed!

We had a beautiful weekend and Saturday some friends came 'round to see Sophie and I. Here are the pics of us all lounging in the sun in the garden... What an April!

5 months today!

I can hardly believe how fast my baby girl is growing up! Today I gave her some baby rice for the first time. I was trying to get her to 6 months exclusively breastfeeding but she has started crying at the ends of feeds because she is still hungry, waking up countless times in the night, and really reaching out for our food. So I think she is probably ready.

Sophie also sat up unaided today for the first time while we were at baby group! What a milestone. Here she is attempting to crawl... I suppose that will be the next one!

This last week...

... has been beautiful in England. We are experiencing a very warm spring and it has been really nice to be able to spend much of it out of doors. I have been walking everywhere and only really use the car to grocery shop.

Wednesday I met up with three friends from my post-natal group at Frensham Little Pond and we took the buggies on a walk around the pond. It is so beautiful there and it was such a nice day that we all went home feeling very refreshed.

Friday Sophie and I went to baby play group and I took the cutest picture of Sophie and 4 other little girl babies playing together on the mat... Can you pick Sophie out? And do you think she is going to end up a bully? Or is that just an extension of friendship?

Saturday Sophie and I went to the park where she went in the swing for the first time (she's almost sitting up by herself so I thought it was about time!) I don't know that she loved it, but she definitely didn't hate it so maybe next time the look on her face will be less perplexed!

And finally today we had Andrew and Lee-sia over for the first bbq of the season. It was lovely and Sophie managed to stay awake while we ate outside so that was especially nice. Note that she is sitting in her new Phil and Ted's travel high chair at the table and playing with her very own spoon and a beaker of water. I haven't begun to wean her yet but she is becomming very interested in what happens around the table so I thought that I would get her used to eating utensils before jumping into the whole baby food thing.

Tomorrow Sophie and I are heading into London to pick up my passport. Hopefully the weather will be as lovely as today and we can have a nice day out.

One toy is just not enough!

Back in the UK

We are finally back in the UK after a wonderful trip and a couple very long flights. Peter and Patricia saw us off at Auckland. Here they are saying good-bye to Sophie.


And then we were off to Korea where we had an over night stop at Incheon Airport. Sophie was very good on the flight and slept as much as could be expected at the hotel in Korea. Here she is propped up in the sky cot on the plane... what a difference in development these two weeks have been! (notice the bright red cheeks? We think they are most likely teething spots... but no teeth yet.)



In the hotel with daddy...

And in the airport in Korea. As a blonde, blue-eyed baby she was a celebrity! We had several people ask to take her photograph and lots wanted to hold her. Here she is surrounded by Korean women in one of the duty-free shops.

The last flight to London was blessedly uneventful and our little star traveller even slept last night! She is however, very grumpy today! Let's just hope that she will be back to her usual cheerful self tomorrow when Stephen goes back to work tomorrow.

What a clever baby!

Sophie has developed by leaps and bounds in these last two weeks. She is now reaching for and grabbing anything within her reach, babbling and almost sitting without help. She has also grown very long and thin. Here are some pics of her taken in the last few days...

Here is Sophie drinking her bathwater!

And eating her new bucket that Grandma Kay bought her.

Playing on the floor.

Playing percussion in the kitchen with Grandpa Kay.





And piano with Uncle David... quite the budding musician!



And finally a picture of Stephen and I before we went on a date last night.

A Beautiful Wedding

The wedding Saturday was beautiful. The weather was overcast but that was perfect because it would have been far too hot if it had been sunny. As it was all of us were comfortable in temperature most of the day long.

This is Sophie and I just before the wedding started.

The signing of the register.

The Kay Family.

A bit of a melt down.

And a dummy make it all better!

Sophie and her handsome daddy.

With Grandpa Kay and Lee-sia.

Sophie and Grandma Kay looking at a spoon.

Sophie and Mummy.

The cutting of the cake (which Patricia made!!! What a clever Grandma!).

Patricia, Stephen and Tara.

And one last one of Stephen and I.

A long flight and lovely weather

Our trip to New Zealand was very long, but Sophie must be a born traveller as she was good as gold. She cried twice in 30 hours and charmed all those sitting around us.

This is Sophie and I in the departure lounge of Heathrow Airport just prior to boarding.

And here is DJ Sophie on the second leg of the flight between Seoul and Auckland. (DJ Sophie's in da house -- Woo Woo)

The weather has been fantastic in New Zealand. Warm (but not too hot) and very sunny. We have taken Sophie to the beach twice already and are hoping to get there at least a few more times before we leave. Sophie loved dangling her feet in the water and the feel of the waves as they washed over them.

We are looking forward to David and Vanessa's wedding on Saturday and will post pictures of us there hopefully Sunday.