Away

I've been away with work for the last couple of weeks. 2 nights away last week and 3 this week, and it'll probbaly be the same for the next two weeks. Although I'm in another country, it feels the same during the day - thinking about Marisca invades my thoughts with a similar regularity. After work though, I miss her. On a normal day in London, I'll get home just as she's going to bed or more usually once she's asleep, and she's waking up the next morning just after I've left, so all I'm really missing is looking in on her a couple of times and a quick stroke or kiss of her head, and settling a crying baby back to sleep. Those moments are so fleeting or supposedly unpleasant, but I really want to be there for them. I'll get home tonight tired after travelling and intense 12+ hour work days all week, but if Marisca wakes up at 1 in the morning, I'll be there first.

Because I don't want to do the washing up

It's been quiet around here for a few days. Have a couple of pictures of our gorgeous girl:

Learning to untie Mummy's laces!

Sleeping like a baby. Isn't she lovely?

six months

What a beautiful, happy, smiling daughter we have! The last month really has been fun: Marisca is generally a happy person who loves to smile at anyone. Rolling over is well established now, and she's much happier to play on her own for a while - the whole of the sitting room floor is now her playground, as she rolls so much there's no way she'll stay on the playmat.

The new skill this month is sitting:



Marisca can't sit up by herself yet, but if you put her in a sitting position she'll sit unaided - until she gets bored and flops down. She's usually surrounded by cushions just in case... all of this movement and new positions has given Marisca a new view on the world, and she's loving it.

We still have crying at nap times, which still breaks my heart, but I know we can cope with it as I know it is just her way of settling. I look forward to the month where the update says she's grown out of crying to sleep though! Meanwhile weaning continues, which is great fun for all of us. I'll post a separate entry on how that's going as the pictures are classic.

It seems a very long time ago that we brought home our little scrap of a newborn girl. That baby has vanished, to be replaced by our little girl with her own personality, likes and dislikes. It's been a hard six months with so many new things to learn and worry about, but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm looking forward to all the new things Marisca will learn over the next six months, and all the joy she will bring to our family!

Happy half year!

Happy half birthday Marisca. The past 6 months have been amazing and we love having you around.

Daddy

Autumn colour

We took advantage of the lovely weather this weekend to get out on a Walk. We headed to the Ashridge Estate near Berkhamstead, a beautiful area of beech forest on the edge of the Chilterns. The autumn colours were stunning:

This also provided Tim and Marisca with an opportunity to try out their new mode of transport, a proper hiking backpack:

Tim has wanted one of these since the day we found out I was pregnant, so he was really pleased that Marisca is now big enough to make use of it. She enjoyed the views from her new vantage point and had a quick power nap when she wanted one.

After afternoon tea and a quick outfit change, Marisca enjoyed playing with the autumn leaves:

Visiting my cousins

I had a lovely time last weekend visiting my cousins. Mostly I hung out with Elliot as he is my own age and doesn't play funny games that I don't understand. I did have lots of cuddles with Izzy too though.

There was plenty of space on the floor for both of us to roll around on, and we were so mobile that I'm surprised that Daddy managed to get a photo of us in the same place facing in the same direction!

We went swimming on Saturday which was fun, and went for a walk to the park on Sunday. Of course Elliot and I didn't walk - we're too important to have to walk to places, we have people to push us around instead.

Maybe next time I'll be big enough for the swings too!

Dadadadadadadadadadadadadada

Marisca's got consonants. I'm sure during the week she's going mamamamamamama all the time and it's just at the weekend when I'm home that she switches to dadadadadadadadada, and I'm equally sure that she has no idea why it makes me grin so much, but it's lovely all the same.