Expecting again....

When I first started Rob Blog in March 2008, in the manic excitement of discovering Ibolya was pregnant with our first child, I never imagined I'd be able to keep the blog up (that after the initial novelty, it would quickly ware off) let alone that 21 months later I'd still be posting: recording all the things that makes us happy and that I want to remember has become an essential and integral part of my life. But more than anything, I could never have dreamt that 21 months later I'd be telling my Mum and Dad on Christmas Eve; and now the rest of the world, on the last day of the year and decade, that we're expecting our second child.

So here, at 12 weeks old, is the Rob Blog debut of Little Bubba, our second child, Ruby's brother or sister and my parents 8th grandchild.

We did the pregnancy test on Sunday morning (Ruby was on a Sunday morning too) October 25th and had the first scan on Monday, December 14th. The due date is June 27th 2010.

Here's Ibolya and I, just outside St Mary's prenatal clinic and Ibolya in the scanning room.

I wish all expectant Mothers and Fathers all the luck and good fortune in the world and anyone else who might read this, a very, very happy New Year.

Ruby Climbs up the Stairs and Walks Around

Ruby's been loving her new found mobility and during the past few days of Christmas week, whilst been enjoying being at home and not having to go very far, we've done lots of walking up stairs and encouraging Ruby to take her first few steps. These are a some clips of her strutting her stuff around the house.

Christmas Day

After a lifetime of Christmas hospitality provided by my Mum and latterly my brothers-in-law, the day finally arrived for me to start to return all that generosity and host Christmas day, for all the family, for the very first time, at our house. No modest undertaking now that the immediate family now numbers, 15 individuals; 8 adults and 7 children aged from 1 to 10. But I think we pulled it off.
My Mum and Dad and twin sister's family arrived on Christmas Eve afternoon, Ruby and Florrie had a really fun bath time together and we all had stew for dinner. A mince pie, carrot and glass of sherry were left out for Santa and Rudolf, by the fireplace, along with our empty stockings.
We all got up at a respectable hour, opened a few presents, leaving the rest until my elder sister Jane's family arrived later in the morning. For breakfast we had cereals and croissants and when the Hargreaves arrived, we served salmon blinis.
I had a frantic couple of hours in the kitchen; despite doing as much prep as possible the day before, it still took far longer than I predicted to roast and reheat all the veg and cook the birds; 8 plump partridges. It was the biggest meal I'd ever undertaken and I'd been dreaming and nervous about it for sereral weeks. It all finally came out, fairly warm at 2.00, an hour later than I thought. A winter salad, followed by Partridge, maple and whole grain mustard roasted parsnips, pan roasted carrots, chestnut and garlic brussell sprouts, apple braised red cabbage and a red current and wine gravy. I was pleased and relieved but wish the birds had browned up a bit more.
After a break to open our Secret Santas and for a periodical photograph of all the children on the sofa, Jane dished up a flaming Christmas pudding and we completed our Christmas dinner, about 7.00 and was followed by a slightly tipsy, festive, family dance.
The Hargreaves departed at 8.00 and we rounded off avery happy Christmas Day 2009 by watching 'The Hangover', just as funny second time round, with Matthew and Sara.

Sunday Morning

These pictures prove that to take really good pictures; all that's necessary is a lot of luck, an abundance of natural light, a good camera and an adorable subject. I love these pictures I took of Ruby on Sunday morning, playing on our bed, with buckets of glorious natural light, flooding through the windows.

Christmas Trees

I absolutely love Christmas trees. Now we have a house I usually have 2, I'd have more if Ibolya let me. But this year, due to our houseful on Christmas Day, I've been limited to 1 big and 1 very small one. Ibolya dressed the big one and I did the tiddler. Here are a few details from the trees.

Saturday

On Saturday morning Ibolya and I had to face up to a new reality of parenthood and consider how we incorporate discipline into our relationship with Ruby. Mary, our childminder, had complained on Friday that Ruby had made two of her other children cry by pulling hair and biting. Two things she does all the time to me that I've always thought was fun, without malice and just part of our rough-and-tumble. I'm now doubly guilty that I've encouraged her and that I'm indirectly responsible for hurting young children! So from Saturday onwards, we've got to get used to setting boundaries of good and bad conduct and reprimand anti-social behaviour. Things that don't come naturally to us and that we'll find hard to do.
After our parental naval gazing, we took off for a bright, wintry, Saturday morning walk for breakfast at the diner on Chamberlayne Road. After that, Ibolya went shopping, leaving Ruby and I to carry on down Ladbroke Grove and on to my favourite road, the mighty Golborne Road.