All posts by dan

Uncategorized

Photo of the family

2 Comments

You may have already noticed, but we have updated the photo in the top left hand corner of the screen. As Catherine noted while she was here, we don’t have many photos of the three of us. In fact, looking through the hundreds of photos on the computer, we couldn’t find a single one! We therefore decided to take one for the website, and as it is bright and sunny outside (despite the fact the weather for Wellington on our website is currently saying it’s “mostly cloudy” at Wellington airport) went out onto the balcony to see if we could get a decent photo.

We quickly abandoned the timer approach as Isabel initially laughed whenever Mummy came out to join her and Daddy on the balcony, but then lost interest and looked away before the photo itself was taken! We therefore decided to go for the arm’s length self portrait approach, which seems to have worked fairly well. (Judge for yourselves in the top corner).

Isabel

My how she’s grown …

We came across the photo below the other day while we were trawling through some of our old photos, so thought it would be fun to take a picture of her in her bouncer today for comparison. Fortunately, she still likes her bouncer, often falling asleep in it after having finished a bottle (of milk, normally). So when she fell asleep in it after we’d got back from the supermarket (Woolworths in case you were wondering) I whipped out the camera and took another photo. Click here to see them both together.

Isabel in her bouncer May 2005 aged 11 days.

Wellington Rugby

Still second

Well I thought for a while that we might go top of the table as I watched the Crusaders really struggle against the Reds for a long while into the second half of their game last night. However, the class of the Crusaders came through eventually (unfortunately) and they won comfortably in the end 47-21. Earlier in the weekend, though, the Bulls had failed to win at home against the Brumbies which means the Crusaders and the Hurricanes are alone on 10 points at the top of the table.

Let’s hope the Hurricanes can make it three from three next weekend in the Cake Tin.

Super 14 standings - week 2
Wellington Rugby

Two from two

Hurricanes logo

This week’s Hurricanes game was a “home” game in New Plymouth. They played one of the new teams this year – the Western Force from Perth. The ‘Canes came out and scored three unanswered tries within half an hour, but then didn’t score again until the final five minutes, making a bit of a meal of a number of good opportunities. Having finally got our bonus point try (you get a bonus point if you score four tries in the game) and having withstood a lot of Force pressure we unfortunately conceded a try in the dying moments so were unable to keep a clean sheet. Final score Hurricanes 29 Force 5. So, another five pointer and good solid defence, but fustrating with the number of mistakes made, especially the number of penalties conceded. Next week brings us the first home game of the season in Wellington against the Cats, which should be a good game, but still plenty of room for improvement early in the season.

Isabel, New Zealand

Isabel at the beach

Well today was Auntie Catherine’s last day with us in Wellington, so to make sure she didn’t leave on an empty stomach we took her to the Chocolate Fish. Having had a lovely brunch (as always) we decided it was a good time to initiate Isabel in the ways of the sea. We therefore took her to the little beach next to the Chocolate Fish to see how she would take to a bit of paddling. Having got over her initial uncertainty of the water surging in over her feet, she soon came to enjoy it, and if Daddy hadn’t stopped her, she would have been happy to wander into the Cook Strait!!

Unfortunately we didn’t have our camera with us, but luckily Catherine did (had her camera, that is, not ours). She has promised she will email us the photos when she gets home, so we’ll post them here when we get them.

In addition to her paddling, Is is continuing to practice her walking. Her current record is the eight steps she took from her baby bouncer to the coffee table, onto which she then put her bottle. What a good girl. Let’s hope she continues to be that tidy as she grows up!

The other trick she’s learnt to do is to wave. Daddy was sitting in the car waiting for Mummy and Catherine in the pizza shop (Hell, of course) and turned around to the Munchkin and said hello and waved. Much to his surprise Isabel waved back!! He tried it a couple more times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, and it wasn’t. She appears to like waving as she has since been seen waving at the cats, herself in the mirror and people on the TV!!

Isabel

At long last …

We, or should I say Kate, has finally got round to posting some news photos into a gallery. Whoop whoop! To make up for the delay she’s uploaded something like 75 photos for your perusal. Before you say anything they cover the time Isabel met Santa Claus at the E&Y Wellington christmas family day, our trip back to the UK at christmas and new year, and some recent ones with Auntie Catherine who is over from London visiting us at the moment. So don’t be surprised if they seem a little out of chronological order. They are.

Click the photo on the right to go to the gallery. Isabel17/DSCF0144.jpg

Wellington Rugby

Hurricanes off to a storming start

Hurricanes logo

In a repeat of the inaugural game in Super 12 rugby, the first ever Super 14 game was played tonight with the Hurricanes (hooray!) visiting Eden Park to play the Blues (boo!). Although they didn’t play well in the first half and went in at the break 16-3 down, the ‘Canes decided they would play rugby after all in the second half and won the game 37-19 to start the season with a bonus point win and second place on the table. Isabel’s favourite Tana Umaga went off in the second half with a calf strain, so we’re not sure if he’ll be playing next week, but time will tell.

Super 14 table - week 1
Isabel

That’s one small step for (a) man ….

2 Comments

Well, maybe that would be better as ‘that’s one small step for a baby’. While she won’t be running any marathons any time soon, Isabel finally took her first tentative steps today. Helped by the fact that Nigel was sitting on Mummy’s lap and Isabel wanted to give him a stroke, she was standing up and took her first little step forwards. Admittedly as soon as Mummy and Daddy started clapping at her latest feat (no pun intended!) she fell over in amazement!! She took another couple of steps over the next few minutes, but still prefers crawling as she can get round much quicker that way. This presumably means, though, that it won’t be too much longer before she is toddling around getting into even more mischief than she is already!

Isabel

Her latest trick …

Isabel is continuing to develop and in the last week has learned a new trick – standing on her own without the aid of a safety net!! We were sitting round the other evening when we suddenly realised that she was standing up, happily chewing on one of her toys, in the middle of the floor. Having discovered she could do this, she has continued to practise the fine art of standing up, and we don’t think it will be too long before she starts to take her first tentative step. We haven’t taken a photo of her doing it yet, but we will endeavour to get one soon.

We will also get round to posting some Xmas photos at some point. But don’t hold your breath!

Isabel

My girls are home

1 Comment

I’m pleased to say that lunchtime today I went and collected Kate and the Munchkin from the hospital and took them home. When the doctors did their rounds this morning they basically said that, although they normally like to keep babies in another day, Munchkin was doing so well they were happy for her to go home today if she wanted to. Needless to say Kate jumped at the chance!

Hurrah!