New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve and Ibolya, Ruby, my Mum, Dad and I, joined Ben, Chloe and George for New Year festivities at at Stephen's. We had lots of wine, take-away curry and had a really lovely evening. It was great to introduce Ruby to Ben and Chloe and to have a New Year's Eve evening, pretty much as we would have done, regardless of Ruby, Mum and Dad being with us this year.
Our bus journeys there and back were a little fraught. Going there, we sat in front of a swearing, drunken Scotsman and coming back, we faced a tense and cold wait for the 266 to take us home.

We took this picture, of Ruby, Ibolya and I at the moment the clock struck 23:61, the extra second courtesy of a correction for the earth's wobble.

Ruby gets a play gym

Ruby received a fantastic play gym today, a gift from Jerry, Jessica, Adam, Robyn and Alex. 

This is Ruby, with hiccups, putting the gym through it's paces.

Ruby's First Restaurant

Ruby had her first visit to a restaurant today when we met Sarah at Carluccio's in Richmond.

Ruby gets a bank account

I had that feeling again today of performing a significant duty on Ruby's behalf, when I went to the Harlesden branch of HSBC and opened a bank account for her.

In few short weeks, she's already accumulated £60 and I thought it high time she sorted out her financial affairs.

I hope this will be the start of a tidy little nest egg, that will mature into giving Ruby a financial head start in the future.

Opening the account at HSBC was an absolute pleasure and I was looked after by the marvelous Kara Arvind. We bonded immediately after she saw the India visas in my passport. She comes from Pondicherry and she loved hearing all about my travels, how much I love India and how much I can't wait to go again with Ruby.

Brougham Road

We all went over to Stephen and Christophe's for Sunday lunch, Ruby's first visit to Brougham Road. 

Christophe cooked a delicious roast beef with cauliflower and potato cheese, followed by a magnificent cheese board. 
The occasion also gave Stephen and I the opportunity to smoke the Cohiba cigars I'd bought in Havana, for the exact purpose of smoking with him, after Little One's birth. They were superb.

Elizabeth Street

These have been simply blissful days. Just Ibolya, Ruby, the cats and I, all just being together, enjoying each other's company and getting to know each other. We've not had to be anywhere at any time and can please ourselves, with all the warm and comforts of home or on little outings to Roundwood Park or the shops at Westfield or High Street Kensington.

Ruby's changing and growing each day, like the amaryllis at our kitchen window. A little more weight, hair; slightly lighter, expressions more animated. But above all, each day she seems more aware of her surroundings, her eyes focus and and she can now look and examine things, instead of looking into the distance at nothing in particular. She's become fascinated by the musical play feature on the rocker, Christophe and Stephen bought for her for Christmas.

I keep detecting the slightest of smiles, whether these are involuntary, chance like gestures or the first signs of genuine amusement, it's hard to tell. Smile or not, she's constantly fascinating and amazing to watch. When I look at her, I still can't believe this perfectly formed, beautiful little girl is my daughter and that there surely must have been some gigantic mix up at St Mary's.

Elsewhere today, the morning started with a trip to Elizabeth Street Veterinary surgery, to take Josie, after three days of vomiting. It always seems it isn't Christmas without a poorly pet. Going back to Elizabeth Street is always painful as it was there, in the very first days of 2000, that I said goodbye and watched Boofy put to sleep.

Josie was treated for over-grooimg irritable skin, caused by a reaction to fleas but is otherwise in perfect health. I was immensely proud of her as she showed the utmost bravery and fortitude when her temperature was taken and she was administered a steroid injection. As the vet finished with her, adoringly, she reached her paws up, and demanded a big cuddle before I put her back in her basket.

After lunch we took the train a couple of stops to Olympia and did some shopping in Kensington. After suffering Ibolya's constant plucking and pulling at my nose and ear hair, I treated myself to an electric, mail grooming device.

Boxing Day

I took a little film and photos of Ruby this morning, in between nappies and outfits, enjoying herself being naked, clean and seemingly enjoying Van Morrison's 'Like Young Lovers Do', which happened to be on Desert Island Discs at the time.

Christmas Day Food

Our Christmas Day foods were: Eggs Benedict for breakfast

Sausage rolls for lunch
Dinner: roast duck with a pork and orange stuffing, roasted potatoes in goose fat, honey and mustard roasted parsnips and carrots, pan fried brussell sprouts in garlic butter and red cabbage

Dessert was chocolate yule log

Ruby's First Christmas

Christmas Day 2008 and Ibolya, Ruby and I are spending it together, at home, pleasing ourselves and loving being a family. 

We were supposed not be giving each other anything big but I couldn't get what I wanted to get for Ibolya so she's had a few little bits and pieces and she's spoiled me with a red, repro, Eames rocker, which will be my reading chair in Ruby's room. She also got me some DVDs including the Seinfield box set and (this year's best film) 'There Will Be Blood'. I also got a lovely Paul Smith tie from Denis and Beatrice, who also got Ruby some beautiful hat, mitten and cardigan set.

Ruby also got a playmat from Great Uncle Jim and Great Auntie Pauline.

Ruby's Visitors

Ruby's had a lot of visitors in the past few days, here are a few of her new friends.

Laura

Shirry

Robyn

Jessica

Rav

Alex

and Jerry

Greetings from Japan

Saturday's post brought us this beautiful card, all the way from Japan, from Pete and Karen to welcome Ruby to the world.

Such a gorgeous card. Thank you so much P&K and have a wonderful Christmas.

Strictly Come Dancing

This is the first year we've watched this show from start to finish, missing only a few programmes during it's run. We've absolutely loved watching such great Saturday night entertainment.

It's got pretty much everything you could wish for from a great bit of telly; glamour, competitiveness, great music, attractive people and politically sound.

It's the most all-inclusive TV possible and the only programme, I can think of, in the past 20 years, that is as enjoyed by me as it is by everyone at work, my Mum and Dad and my nieces and nephews.

For me, one of the things that makes it such a pleasure is Bruce Forsythe. His scripts are lousy, he's embarrassing, he makes mistakes but it makes him all the more human and connects the programme to a great tradition of British Variety and television.

I've been watching Brucie on Saturday nights since I can remember, watching the Generation Game with my family from the early seventies. Here I am now, all those year later, sitting down on Saturday nights, watching a Brucie fronted Variety programme, with my family, and loving it.

I really like how the Saturday Guardian summed up 'Strictly' in it's 'In Praise Of' column:

'Dancing is affirmative, optimistic and democratic. It embodies the idea that the world can be a better and happier place. Those are useful ideas in difficult times.'

Shame that Rachel didn't win, as she should have, although our favourite throughout, was Lisa.

Ruby Goes to Goldbourne Road

At bathtime last night, Ruby measured 52cm in length and the remaining piece of Ruby's umbilical cord fell off. Of course, I've kept it and put it in an empty jar of Tescos Finest Hollandaise sauce.
It felt very symbolic that she's now shed the last vestige of life in the womb as she now embarks along life's long and adventurous road, however corny that sounds.

And one of the very first roads I needed to walk down with Ruby was my favourite road, the mighty, Goldbourne Road.

We took the 18 bus to the top of Ladbroke Grove, Ruby's second journey on public transport and my first with her. We then stopped on the bridge over the canal, waved to the barges below and fed the ducks, geese and these little fellas who lined up to mop up fallen crumbs.

We then carried on along Kensal Road, past the Cobden Club, where I had my stag do, and paused at the top of Goldbourne and showed Ruby one of my absolute favourite buildings, in the world, the Trelik Tower

At the bottom of Goldbourne, on the corner with Portobello, Ruby and I stood and admired the wonderful vista, looking back up Goldbourne, with the Trelik looming above us. Ibolya took our photo, as close as we could to the position of the photograph on the back of (one of my top 5 favourite albums, ever) 'This is Big Audio Dynamite' by Big Audio Dynamite.

After Goldbourne, we carried on down Portobello, had coffee at Ibolya's favourite coffee place and checked out some of the brilliant Children's shops. In Cheeky Monkey's I couldn't resist buying Ruby the same Fisher Price, musical clock I had as a child, which plays 'Old King Cole'.

It was very special taking Ruby on this trip as it's a place of huge significance for us. We courted, dated and romanced there. We've done more shopping, socialising and having fun there than anywhere else in London and it's where Ibolya now works.

I felt so happy that Ruby is now part of the things we normally do on a Saturday morning and very proud too that, by escorting her around in her pushchair, she's now part of this very special place.

Ruby Becomes a Citizen

This is a very significant day in Ruby's life. Today she officially became a registered citizen of the United Kingdom, when I registered her birth at Westminster Town Hall, Marylebone Road.

We like it, perhaps for the neatness but more likely out of snobbery, that both our Wedding and the birth of our daughter have been certified under Westminster Council.

The Registrar was the imposing figure of Patricia Z Gordon. I was so excited and happy about performing such a solemn duty, I had to take a photograph.

Ruby was having a busy day too. In the morning she went with Ibolya and granny, who stayed with us on Wednesday and Thursday, to Craven Park Road clinic for a TB jab. And in the afternoon, she went to Mothers and Baby group, along with Kate (who we met at the antenatal clasess), on Chamberlayne Road. Ibolya loved being in a big group of first time mums and all their babies. She's going to make it weekly event.

Ibolya also got very excited when she found out about the Mother and child, morning film screenings at the Lexi and Electric. I hope we can all go for our first family trip to the movies, over Christmas.

Kate and little Maisy. Kate made us some lovely ginger bread men.

Ruby gets more lovely things

Ruby received this beautiful card from our Parisian friends Beatrice and Denis, along with some beautiful gits too.

She also got these grows from some of my work colleagues. I really love this Julian Opie bib.

And if that wasn't enough, Kelly also bought her this fabulous Hungary Caterpillar Baby Book. We love it!