The Verghese Family:

We're a little late...

2012-01-07T16:02:00.015Z

Sienna and I on Xmas Day and the boys and their matching outfits....

But on December 27th the babies were 4 months old. We all survived Christmas (barely!), which was at our house this year; with kids Mark's immediate family now totals 14! Was a lovely day though, Calum turned into a green eyed monster towards the end after opening so many gifts but seeing him take it all in really made Christmas special this year.

So, Sienna and Evan have now been around for a third of a year. Our night nanny has come and gone and Evan is still sleeping through every night (from their last feed at 10 until about 8). Unfortunately Sienna has a permanent stuffy nose which wakes her every night by about 1 a.m. and keeps us up intermittently until the morning despite trying nose sprays, drops and a vaporizer. Bummer because if both were able to sleep through, things would be almost perfect (if only someone could tame Calum's endless amounts of energy which are frequently coupled with boredom which makes for one stressed out Mom).

In the last week the babies seem to have become aware of each other-if you sit them face to face they smile at each other and have little chats which is pretty cute. Evan seems to be the bigger chatter, he babbles quite a bit although more to things (whilst on his playmat, in the swing, etc.)rather than people whereas Sienna likes to talk to us when we talk to her.

Calum has lost interest in trying to squish the babies at any chance but still loves to greet them every morning and has been caught trying to ram things (cars, puzzle pieces, etc.) into their hands anytime I turn my back, dying for the day when they can finally play with him and keep him company. His vocabulary has come leaps and bounds (which also unfortunately includes some words not appropriate for an almost 3 year old but which we can't seem to erase from his vocabulary no matter how hard we try) and he continues to be the boss-not only at home but even when we're out and about and he meets other kids. He's also obsessed with rules and being orderly, as well as cleanliness (as in, makes me change his shirt if it gets wet, freaks out when there is any dropped food on his placemat, doesn't let me help tidy up his toys....).

I had the kids weighed last week and here's where they stand:

Calum (2 years and 9 months):

Weight = 36lbs (91st percentile), height = 35 inches (30th percentile) = ONE STOCKY KID

Sienna (19 weeks):

Weight = 11 lbs 13 oz (5th percentile compared to other girls at 19 weeks, 25th percentile compared to girls who are the same prematurity and age as her). Teeny tiny!

Evan (19 weeks):

Weight = 14lbs 4 oz (20th percentile compared to other boys his age, 80th compared to other boys who would be the same prematurity and age as him). Calum was about 18 lbs at Evan's age, quite the difference!

3 Months

2011-12-04T14:13:00.005Z

Didn't really think I would slack so much that I would only be posting month to month posts but things have been busy and I suppose fairly mundane which I'm guessing is the same with a lot of you since everyone else seems to be posting a lot less frequently, too. As I write, I have Evan crashed out in my lap, Sienna sleeping on the couch next to me and Calum and Mark have just gone out to lunch with his family.... Silence is bliss!

The babies have a viral infection which has made for awful tummies and lots of laundry and one trip to the A and E ( AKA ER) to make sure they weren't suffering from dehydration. This is after a trip there last week with Evan who had bronchiolitis and was given an inhaler, poor little guy. I guess since it's been awhile since I've had a baby, I forgot how awful it is when your kids are sick and it seems kind of relentless right now.

Otherwise the babies are growing into their own, I think the pics this month aren't so different from last although the size difference between the two (Evan is almost 2 lbs heavier) is more visible. Both babies are still super good, Evan started sleeping from 10.30-6 (when I wake him) a few weeks back and I'm hoping Santa will have Sienna doing the same in time for Christmas.

Calum continues to be a fabulous big brother, less interested in smothering the babies and even more helpful then before since he's become used to their routines and etc. He's also quite bossy, constantly reminding us of "the rules" and still super full of energy. On a whim we went into the Disney Store last week and I got him the Cars 2 movie, since then we've probably watched it about 20 times.... Nice to be able to enjoy some downtime with him though rather than go, go, go. Next week is his nursery Christmas play in which he plays a shepherd, really looking forward to it.

Mark and I had not one but two dates in a row this week-we've found a retired children's nurse to babysit so on Wednesday we went to dinner and a movie and on Thursday Mark's Mum watched the babies (Calum was at nursery) so we could go to the new Westfield Stratford (the biggest mall in Europe) which is at the new Olympic Park-amazing! Was nice to have some time together, although I couldn't get over how many people were out on Wednesday night (Mark reminded me that just because we go to bed early, doesn't mean the rest of the world does, too!) and how weird it is to go out and not be pushing a stroller....

Looking so forward to Christmas and the next couple of weeks leading up to it, have agreed to have Mark's family here which will be a total of 9 adults and 6 kids.... Also kind of talking about planning a visit Stateside, Palm Springs in April/May anyone? x

2 Months

2011-10-27T20:57:00.006+01:00

Today the babies (as we call them, never call them "the twins" for some reason) are two months old. We had their 8 week check up on Tuesday (Mark's Mum came with me) and Evan weighs a whopping 10 lbs 5 oz (from 5lbs 3 oz at birth) and Sienna weighs 8 lbs 5 oz (from 4 lbs 11 oz). Evan is still very chilled out, only getting upset when he eats-he has 5 oz bottles where Sienna has 3 or4 and as the doctor said, he really can't handle the 5 oz which is why he gets sick after each feed and has gripe. Sienna is very much a girl, so dainty and sweet-everything about her is different to my two boys at this age and I can't wait to see her grow up.

The night nanny, Sue, started last week and it's been great to have 3 nights a week of uninterrupted sleep. You forget the noise babies make when they are sleeping (much less how hard it can be to get out of bed for that 2 am feed)! The first night she came I was reluctant to give up the babies, even though they were only upstairs I felt like I was going to be missing out on time with them which is already going by too fast. Although that has changed once I experienced 8 consecutive hours of sleep! The days after she is here I feel like I can do anything, I've even braved two public outings-to the mall and the library, with all 3 kids and am feeling much more confident about getting out and about.

Calum continues to be a great big brother, helping me feed the babies their bottles, getting me bibs and etc. when I am feeding them and showering them with lots of kisses and cuddles (well, Sienna mostly). He's loving nursery and they are getting ready for their Christmas play-so cute to hear him singing the songs, he will be a shepherd and I'm really looking forward to it. Feeling so blessed to have these 3 in my life, I honestly haven't begrudged for one minute my new role and the extra work-it's so worth it x

Big Brother

2011-10-12T20:24:00.013+01:00

Big brother Calum, almost 2 and a half

Sienna 6 wks

Chilled out Evan

Well not only is that the name of my guilty late night pleasure, but also what Calum is proudly referring to himself as lately. When we got back from the hospital Calum announced that he was the "big brother" now, Auntie Rachel and Uncle Paul had done a great job teaching him about his new role in our household and he really hasn't disappointed in terms of doing the title justice.

Calum loves his new siblings to bits, introducing them to everyone we meet as See-enna and Eb-an, kissing and smothering them first thing in the morning, when he gets home from nursery and anytime we're out of the room it seems-always a bit frightening coming back in and finding him literally on top of one of the babies. Unfortunately the play pen is getting a lot of use these days as it's the only safe place in the house.... Maybe even more scary was me coming back into the living room yesterday after a nano second in the kitchen to meet Calum carrying Sienna to me-luckily his hands were around her waist and not her throat (seriously, toddlers have no concept of the pain they can inflict on others!). Sure, feeds can take a lot longer then necessary when Calum insists upon holding the bottle and maybe the babies are getting lots of extra air as Calum doesn't quite know how to hold the bottle the right angle, but it's been pretty sweet to have a little helper at home not only to keep me company but also to warm my heart with his new found love for his brother and sister.

The other Big Brother around here is the ultimate reality show which is still running here in the UK and sadly motivates me to get out of bed for those 2 and 6 am feeds. The twins are feeding every 3 hours in the day and 4 hours at night, Mark and I do the 10 pm feed together and during the week I'm on my own with the 2 and 6 which in the beginning were pretty difficult but now have become a normal part of our routine-thankfully I'm so tired these days that I'm usually able to fall right to sleep after I get back to bed after the feeds. Our night nanny starts on Tuesday so 3 nights a week I will be able to have uninterrupted sleep from 10 to 7, something I haven't had since January (preggo with twins = bathroom visits almost hourly in the night!).

Hard to believe these two have been part of our lives for just over 6 weeks now.... Yesterday they were weighed and Sienna has gone up to 7lbs 3 oz (25th percentile for their adjusted age, technically they are term babies now as my due date was Oct 4th) and Evan is at 8lbs 5 oz, 50th percentile. Finally fitting into newborn size clothes although the 3 and 6 month stuff we have looks ridiculously big and I really do wonder if they will ever be big enough to wear it! Not that I am wishing them to grow, having babies around again is pretty special x

One month

2011-09-23T16:23:00.015+01:00

So we made it past the first 4 weeks and we're still in one piece! I honestly couldn't tell you where time has gone, I really hope it slows down soon or else these babies are going to be grown up before I know it.

Admitedly the first month was always going to be the easiest, Mark had time off work for paternity leave, we spent a good portion of it in the hospital (Evan didn't come home until day 12) and because they were premature, the babies were likely to sleep a lot (even now they are probably sleeping 21 hours or so a day!). I think most nights I'm managing to get about 6 hours of (broken) sleep which is a lot more then I could have ever hoped for. Oh, and the wine I'm now able to drink has really made things a lot easier, too!

Babies are having bottles of expressed milk every 4 hours and pretty soon I am going to be switching them to formula as I just can't bear to spend 3+ hours a day attached to that pump anymore. Long term I knew it would be a challenge to keep up the breastfeeing so I'm happy that in the end they will have about 2 months of my milk and am not going to beat myself up for not continuing it for the 6 months they advise here in the UK-if I only had them I probably would, but it just isn't realistic when you have a toddler and things to do!

Evan is still the more chilled out one, although if you try to sneak a dummy (pacifier) in when it's time to eat he goes a little mental and has already shown that temper that Calum has.... Sienna is harder work but as the midwife said, nothing wrong with a strong personality. They were weighed last on Tuesday and Sienna is up to 5 lbs 4 oz, Evan is 5 lbs 12 oz so slowly she's catching up and with the way she eats, I won't be surprised if that happens soon.

We've managed to go up to London with the family, to Greenwich Park for a day and I have taken the twins out several times on my own. I have yet to go out with all 3 alone, that will be the real test!

Otherwise we're managing pretty well, Calum has been an amazing big brother which has really made things easier for us-he loves to help feed the babies and has kissed Sienna (his favourite) so many times he managed to pass his cold on to her, the first of many I'm sure!

So after all of this, I've probably jinxed myself and set us up for a nightmare in month two but all in all, I think I expected things to be much harder then they are-I'm even managing to make dinner most nights! Looking forward to my Mom's visit (she comes Thursday) and again, appreciate all of your calls, cards, presents and etc.-we're lucky to have you! x

PS-Sorry about the layout, still having issues with posting and moving pics from my laptop....

Spurs

2011-09-23T16:07:00.004+01:00

Here in England "football" is a pretty big deal.... Some of Mark's best memories of his Dad surround the team they both followed, the Tottenham Hotspur. It's kind of a given that whatever team your Dad supports, you will support and Mark is dying to share his passion for the Spurs with Calum.

Several weeks ago Mark came home from work and told me he had bought Calum a present and he asked me to guess what it was. Well, turns out he bought Calum this year's new "kit" (uniform) and got a matching one for himself, with Calum's name on the back and the number 24 for Calum's birthday. Mark announced that he and Calum would wear the jersey's every match and so far, he's held true to it.

Pretty cute. Nothing like the love between a father and son. x

Sienna Rose and Evan Paul Verghese, 27-08-11

2011-09-06T10:09:00.007+01:00

Well, by now most of you know that on August 27th Sienna Rose and Evan Paul Verghese made their entrance into the world and here is how they arrived....

The morning of Saturday August 27th my waters broke at around 6.30. Mark had taken his office out the night before for a few drinks and didn't get home until late (although was sober thank God!) so we had had about 4 hours of sleep when I came into our room to tell him it was time... I was 34 weeks and 4 days pregnant.

Thank God Rachel, my sister in law, got here in good time to watch Calum and thank God our hospital is a 5 minute drive from our house. We got there and met the midwife and her assistant at the maternity ward and were taken to our room where they took their time writing up our notes since my contractions hadn't really started. A team of doctors came to do an ultrasound to check the positioning of the babies again to determine if we would be going for a c-section or a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). When they did the scan they couldn't quite make out twin 1's head and saw that whilst they were probably both head down, neither was positioned in the middle at the birth canal (fighting already!) so they informed me that in this instance I would have to have a c-section as no amount of time would change this and it could cause distress to the babies.

As I was signing the consent papers my contractions were definitely getting stronger and when it came time for them to put in the IV lead and take blood samples, I felt really faint and nauseous. They had done an examination about 20 minutes prior and I was barely dilated. All of the sudden my blood pressure dropped really low and they lost the trace (heart monitor) on twin 1 so they decided to examine me again and I was fully dilated, twin 1's head was making it's appearance.

I hadn't had any pain medication yet and they barely had time to get the hospital gown on me to wheel me into the operating room where they told me they would give me a spinal injection (due to the limit on time) and try to deliver twin 1 with the ventouse and twin 2 with forceps although it was likely twin 2 would come out via c-section.

Sienna Rose Verghese was born at 10.31 a.m. (4 hours after my waters broke!) with the assistance of the ventouse weighing 4 lbs 11 oz. Evan Paul Verghese was born at 10.36 a.m. with the assistance of the forceps weighing 5 lbs 8 oz. Whilst they were stitching me up (episiotomoy, yikes!) and delivering the placentas, I could see both babies being checked by the pediatricians (there were 16 people in total in the delivery room!). Sienna was handed to Mark straight away but Evan's breathing was really labored and awhile later while we were in recovery they went to hand him to me and noticed he was very blue so he was sent straight to the special care baby unit (SCBU).

I was up and showered by 6 p.m., but had yet to see Evan so Mark wheeled me down to the unit to see him. Initially he was put on a CPAP machine to breathe for him, fed by IV and we were told he would probably be in until his due date.... He then got jaundice and was given photo therapy. Each day was up and down but it looks like today Evan might finally be sent home as he's feeding on his own (bottles of expressed breast milk).

Sienna stayed with me on the maternity ward for 6 very long nights... She also had jaundice and was put under the lights two different times. She's a strong girl though and we both came home on Friday night/Saturday morning at midnight.

The whole time I was in the hospital I wasn't able to have Calum come visit because he had developed a tummy bug that could have been dangerous to Sienna so in addition to being torn between the twins, I also felt especially sad about missing Calum having never been away for him for so long. We arranged a dinner for him and I at the hospital cafeteria which was a disaster and I really dreaded what it would be like when I got home but Calum has been amazing-not only is he a gentle and loving big brother, but he's also seemingly forgotten about me abandoning him and all is going really well so far.

Having premature babies has been a very different experience to having Calum. I've been reminded several times that these babies should still be in my tummy, they are very difficult to feed and sleep pretty much all of the time. It's stressful worrying that they aren't getting enough food and watching them closely to make sure their jaundice doesn't come back. Even holding them is different, they feel so delicate and tiny and have to be kept really warm since they didn't have a chance to develop much fat in the womb.

Regardless, the challenges we have faced since they were born has made me forget about my concerns over how I would cope and focus more on how excited I am to have them home and begin this next phase in our lives. Bear with me over the next few weeks (months, YEARS?!) as I settle into a routine with the babies and thank you all for your cards, thoughts, prayers and etc.

34 weeks

2011-08-23T11:26:00.007+01:00

33 wks pregnant with the twins

34 weeks pregnant with Calum

Yep, huge-and this pic was actually taken at 33 weeks. Huge as is none of my "maternity" clothes cover my belly anymore (would love to say I chose this top again for consistency but really it's one of about two that cover my ass right now). Huge as in it takes me quite awhile to get up from the couch or out of bed which is especially inconvenient considering I have to get up literally every hour during the night to go to the bathroom. Huge as in I now can't leave the house without getting questioned as to when I am due and in fact even when in the house (think grocery delivery man, postman, etc.), I get the same questions!

I don't have another appointment now until Sept. 5th which will be my last scan, the 36 week scan to check on how big the babies are and reconfirm their position (which will hopefully be the same as they have been, both head down). Depending on the weights of the babies at that stage, we will then make a more concrete decision as to whether I get to go for a "regular" birth or if we are going to schedule an elective c-section. If the babies are 7 lbs or more (which is pretty realistic if I make it that long), we are definitely looking at a c-section. If twin 1 (girl) is in any position other then head down, we're also looking at a c-section.

I'm really hoping for a normal birth this time but realise things are pretty much out of my control at the moment. Feeling very much like I am stuck in a zone, waiting for the next stage of our lives to start and looking for any hint that labor might be coming, in short-driving Mark nuts and probably not being the most amazingly patient Mom to Calum. The hot weather here hasn't helped, you can't imagine how excited I was to see rain today!

The care package from my Mom last week helped though-think two massive bags of Jolly Ranchers, Slim Jims, a couple of nice maternity tops from Nordstrom and a battery operated fan for the hospital (the maternity ward isn't air conditioned and they only allow fans that have been approved by their electrical department so when I was there last, I literally almost died from heat exhaustion!).

All along I've said that if I had to predict, I would say that the babies will arrive on Aug. 30th so we shall see..... x

Going potty....

2011-08-05T11:54:00.007+01:00

On one of our first public outings...
Lounging around the house in his pants...

One of many bribery treats

Graduating from nakedness to pants AND trousers! Shirt came later...

So it's been awhile since you heard from me... Would love to say we've been sooo busy doing lots of fun stuff but in reality our life has been encompassed by finishing the nursery and potty training Calum which has been the hardest thing I have done so far in terms of parenting. Maybe you are thinking I thought it was hard because of the mess involved which is partly true (although so far we have had only one "poo" accident....), but mostly it's required a ton of patience which runs short when you are 30+ weeks pregnant with twins and can barely put on a pair of shoes, much less crouch down for the 50th (literally) time that day to read a book whilst your child is on the potty or clean wee off the floor....

Anyway, it's done-and by typing that I have probably cursed myself but thought I would share a bit of how it's gone thus far as it seems like a lot of you are approaching this fun task with your own toddlers or might have done already and can offer some tips for when Calum surely digresses as all the books say he will when the twins arrive.

We started a few weeks ago with introducing the potty at bath time, just getting Calum used to sitting on it with some success (they say the sound of water is an old trick to get them going...). Then we cleared our schedule for the weekend after my birthday and literally spent the first day with Calum running around the house naked, as he had only ever gone on the potty before bath he thought that clothes were not part of the deal so Mark and I looked on horrified wondering if every time he went he was going to insist upon taking all of his clothes off. We had lots of accidents the first day. Day 2 Calum got more excited about his "pants" (underwear here in the UK) but thought that pants were like nappies and that you could wet them as you pleased. A majority of the 18 pairs we bought went in the wash that day. Day 3 was a slight improvement-we kept him home from daycare and I tackled the task by myself, we had a 50% success rate but at least had him in pants AND trousers! Day 4 it all came together, we even managed to get out of the house to the park where he used the potty I had to bring along with, just in case.

Since then every day has gotten better and for the last week we have been totally accident free. I feel pretty proud of Calum for getting it and glad for not having to clean wee off the floor every 5 minutes but is it a massive amount easier not having a kid in diapers (minus nap time and overnight)? Honestly, I don't really think so-in fact, it seems to be more work because the second we hear the words "wee wee" we have to drop everything and take him, sometimes turning out to be false alarms which are particularly annoying but of course you have to keep on your fake cheerful parent face and praise him all the same.

Anyway, C now hates diapers/nappies. Which is great on one hand (less emptying that disgusting diaper pail, easier to pack a bag for going out...) but not so great on the other. You see, Calum has somehow trained himself to only poo when it's either nap time or bedtime-usually first thing in the morning to be precise. This results in frantic screams (from behind his firmly closed door) of "nappy, icky nappy, poo poo nappy" the second he wakes up which don't stop until I go in and change him at which point we might as well forget him going back to bed, resulting in me being up every morning around 7.30.... Great.

So that's that. Yesterday C had his first major accident, falling from a step in the bathroom and hitting his head on the edge of the bathtub. The ER doctor we saw said it can look like a bit of a slaughterhouse with head injuries. He's right. I cried more then he did. Called Mark who rushed home from work to accompany us to the hospital. No stitches required, thank God.

My belly is growing more by the day, so much so that almost none of my maternity tops fit and with 5.5 weeks or less to go, there really doesn't seem to be any point in buying any new stuff so trying to look half way decent these days has become ever more impossible. On Tuesday I have my 32 week scan which will help us plan more for the birth (hoping for a VBAC-vaginal birth after c-section rather than another c-section) and know how the babies have been growing so if they do come any day now, at least I can (hopefully) rest assured they are good weights-at our 28 week scan they were about 2.5 lbs....

Our weather was ridiculously hot and humid this week leading to lots of Braxton Hicks which I never had before and are apparently more common in multiple pregnancies and which prompted Mark to think the babies were coming any day now. Will keep you all posted, of course-have a great weekend x

31....

2011-07-18T10:56:00.009+01:00

28 weeks, 4 days preg

This marks my first post as a 31 year old... Yesterday was my birthday and whilst it probably was one of the most chilled out, it was also absolutely perfect. Started my day with sleeping in, something I haven't done since last year's birthday which was a totally difference experience considering the massive hangover I was suffering from! Managed to last until 9.30 but felt a tiny bit guilty, enjoyed pancakes and bacon with my boys (made by me, still working on teaching Mark how to "cook") and relaxed most of the day.

Had the most amazing dinner at Chapter 1, a local Michelin star restaurant-literally the best meal I have had in ages although it would have been slightly better if I could have had two glasses of wine instead of one...

Came home to find out that Calum cried for me the ENTIRE time we were gone and even shut himself in our bedroom to cry which made my heart break a little. Seems like over the last week or two he's been especially clingy, which is pretty bad timing considering he is about 35 lbs and it kills me to pick him up and carry him anywhere. No idea how he's going to cope when I'm in the hospital, much less when the babies come home but for now just going to keep on giving him lots of love and cuddles and hope it gets better soon....

Feeling pretty lucky starting this year out, and hope as many of you said, that my wishes come true x

Just the 3 of us....

2011-07-08T10:31:00.009+01:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Mark and I are making a real effort to spend some quality time enjoying the summer with Calum before the twins come and we will undoubtedly find it more difficult to get out of the house or spend long periods of time away when we do.

We started swimming lessons with Calum a few weeks ago which have been a nightmare, whilst he loves the water he hates being told what to do.... The teacher actually said she had never seen such a head strong child before! Tell me about it! Kind of embarrassing/stressful when your kid is having a massive tantrum(read-hitting you, screaming at top of lungs, refusing to give up the toys that have been thrown in the pool to play with) in the pool in front of all of the other parents who are in the stands watching the lessons take place (parents are in the pool for C's class but another class for slightly older kids takes place at the same time). We've got a couple more to go in the term so we will see how it goes, tomorrow I take him on my own since Mark is away so wish me luck!

Last weekend we took Calum to a local farm about 10 minutes away called the Christmas Tree Farm. It's pretty perfect for his age, not too big and the animals are well behaved-you can buy food to feed them which of course Calum gets a big kick out of giving to the animals, especially the big cows whose tongues barely fit in the buckets! We went out for a lovely lunch afterwards and it was pretty much my perfect day-definitely something I can't imagine doing pushing a double stroller all along the way although guess we will have to get used to it!

Otherwise we're going to be taking Calum to see his favourite show (In the Night Garden) live Aug 20th (if babies haven't come yet), have already bought tickets to Calum's nursery outing to pantomime (an English Christmas tradition, it's a play which is sort of overly exaggerated and directed at kids) and even managed to score Olympic tickets for next summer's London games-Calum will be coming with us to not one, but two Olympic basketball events (let's hope we get to see team USA!!).

In addition to our night nanny I've also managed to find a babysitter-a retired baby nurse who lives nearby, who we are going to have once or twice a month to allow us to leave the twins and spend quality time with Calum as well as to allow for at least one day/eve a month for Mark and I as I've read that parents of twins (and parents in general for that matter!) often neglect their relationship more and spend more time one on one with the children rather then each other. Mark's family have all been amazing in offering to help and we're lucky to have them all so close by however I have a feeling we will be needing even more help then they can offer and look forward to having someone independent who I won't feel guilty about asking to babysit....

Anyway, that's us-Mark is in Marbella, Spain this weekend for his best friend George's bachelor party. George is getting married in Cyprus on Sept. 4th so whilst Mark is one of the groomsmen, it doesn't look like he will be able to make it with the babies on the way (I'm predicting delivery by Aug. 30th!). That leaves Calum and I home to get things done, the babies' nursery is looking neglected although lovely now that it's been painted so now I get to do the fun stuff and start dressing it! Also going through boxes of Calum's old baby clothes to see what can be used a 2nd time around-perfect for a rainy weekend which it looks like it's going to be. x

PS-Still having serious layout issues with Blogger-anyone have any suggestions on how to move the pics around?

Abi's Sprinkle

2011-07-04T14:58:00.012+01:00

Calum, loving every second of having 9 other kids his age over to play

My attempt at desert, to include Abi's favourite Funfetti Betty Crocker cupcakes courtesy of Amazon.com
Mags helping Abi open her gifts

Maggie, Abi's daughter

Lola, Abi's friend Chloe's little girl

Gorgeous little Lara

Abi (36 weeks) and I (26 weeks)

Abi's friend Laura (also preg and due about the same time as me) with her son, Harry

Two years ago I was a new "Mum" struggling to figure it all out and in desperate need of support and company after finding being at home all day with a new baby wasn't quite what I thought it would be. Our local clinic was organising a post-natal Mums group and on the first day I encountered an equally frazzled new Mum outside the clinic asking if we were in the right place. Over the next few weeks Abi entertained us other Mums with her funny stories and when the group was cancelled due to lack of funding, I was determined we would all keep in touch as I desperately needed the weekly get togethers with these women to keep me sane and secretly also wanted to spend more time with Abi as she always brought a much needed laugh to what were some fairly tough days.

Since then Abi and I have shared countless laughs, the ups and downs of raising two toddlers with big personalities (who just so happen to love each other) and now the joys of being pregnant at the same time. When Abi sent me the photo of her positive pregnancy test I was so in shock that it took awhile to register, I then had goosebumps as I knew how much she wanted a little brother or sister for Maggie and now just can't believe that her little boy is almost here.

On Saturday I had Abi's baby sprinkle here at our house. In the UK baby showers are kind of a new thing and whilst Abi had had one the first time around, she was pretty adamant she didn't want a big deal this time so we kept the sprinkle low key and had a nice lunch in the back yard with about 10 Mums and their kids, all around Calum's age. Now the countdown to George's arrival starts, can't wait to meet your next little angel, Abi! x

PS-Sorry about the backwards order, Blogger was being funny today and I couldn't move the pics around.

Big boy....

2011-06-24T11:10:00.005+01:00

The last couple of weeks have had us not only trying to prepare ourselves for babies but also trying to get Calum ready, too.

First step? Moving him into his "new"room AKA the smaller room next door to his "old room". I've been feeling bad about this but as we opted for a toddler bed instead of a twin/single, there is lots of extra room in there and so far he seems pretty happy. The transition to the bed from the crib/cot has been a lot easier then expected, thank God!

Second step? Potty training. We're going with Gina Ford's Potty Training in One Week http://www.contentedbaby.com/books-potty_training.htm and starting the first phase slowly, waiting to find a weekend we can devote to not going anywhere so Calum has two full days of training at home before going to nursery for them to pick up where we left off. The first phase has just had him sitting on the potty and getting used to it, we've had a few "successes" and he seems to have the attention span for it so fingers crossed we are successful when we go for it. One less kid in diapers would be a God send.

Third step? Calum spent his first night without either of us last Friday while Mark and I celebrated his birthday early with a night in London. Bliss. Stayed at The Sanderson http://www.sandersonlondon.com/en-us/#/home/, spent the day shopping and saw the Hangover 2 and then had dinner and a drink at the very Sex in the City-esq hotel restaurant and bar. Pat, Mark's Mum, stayed here at our house and we came home to a less then excited welcome from Calum who didn't miss us much apparently! I will probably be in the hospital for at least 2-3 nights and hope that Mark will be able to spend lots of time during the day with me (they don't allow for husbands to stay overnight in the maternity ward) so Pat will be spending lots of time with Calum to help is in those first few days and it's great to have peace of mind and know he will be happy and probably won't miss me much, although I will be missing him tons-already tearing up thinking about it!

Otherwise this coming weekend we will start with painting Calum's old room for the babies and spending time online trying to figure out how we're going to decorate it, I'm feeling very unprepared! Have a great week x

24 weeks

2011-06-13T10:29:00.008+01:00

Scan photos from 17 weeks

Yep, as of tomorrow I will be 24 weeks pregnant so in months I think that's about 6?

Whilst initially this pregnancy seemed to drag on, all of the sudden the end is near although as each day passes I'm getting a little more nervous about how we're going to cope. I don't worry so much about the babies as I do about Calum, I have this overwhelming sense of guilt at what I'm about to put him through and am already feeling separation anxiety over the days I will spend away from him whilst in hospital

This time around the drs have pretty much said a csection is best for me and babies, with twins they won't let you go past 38 weeks so whilst our due date is officially Oct. 4, that means the babies will be here no later then Sept. 20th. 60% of twins are born before week 37 (so that would be Sept. 13th) and since Calum came at 37+3, I'm thinking we might be early. Pretty much they could be here anytime from late July onwards (my friend's sister had hers at 28 weeks which would put us at July 12th, eek!).

Our 20 week scan showed baby girl in the 50th percentile (they compare twins size with that of regular singleton pregnancies) and baby boy at 95%! Today I have my 24 week scan (I will be scanned every 4 weeks until they arrive to check for size and signs of early labor) so will be interested to see how big they are now, especially as I feel like I have doubled in size in the last month.

Otherwise I've felt pretty good, although it's catching up to me. I'm doing aqua natal aerobics twice a week, antenatal yoga once a week and haven't been visiting McDs nearly as often as last time around ;). I'm even weighing a bit less then I was at this stage when pregs with Calum and dug up my 24 week photo to compare bump size-notice any difference? x

24 wks with Calum
24 weeks with twins
Scary 3D of both babies but love how you can see how close they are in there

PS

2011-06-06T11:15:00.000+01:00

Hard to believe it's been 3 weeks since we got home from our US vacation. On May 8th Mark, Calum and I left Spokane and flew to Palm Springs for a week of proper rest and relaxation (read: eating, sleeping and laying out by the pool). Mark and I try to do a week on our own after we head to Seattle so we can have a real vacation (whilst we love our Seattle trips they are go, go, go and for some much needed sun since neither place is blessed!). Initially I had thought we would do San Diego but with the weather in May being potentially gray (hence "May gray"), we decided on Palm Springs.

We stayed at the Westin Rancho Mirage Resort Villas, would highly recommend to anyone with kids. Not only was our room huge (with separate bedroom so Mark and I could have evenings together, kitchen with dishwasher, washer/dryer, etc. and a private patio with BBQ overlooking the golf course) but they also had an awesome kiddie pool, water slide and other things aimed at families like us. Loved watching Calum become a real fish, scary how confident he was in the pool! Mark unbelievably felt like he didn't get tan enough (umm, hello!) and I loved when my "shift" at the pool was over (Mark and I took Calum for one hour intervals so we could relax and at the end of the day would have some together time with him) and I could catch up on my magazines and just really chill out.

The highlight of our trip? Getting to see Dett, Tara, Justin and Jackson our last night. They all made the drive over and despite a semi-disasterous dinner with Tara and Justin, I loved every second with these girls and really appreciate them coming over to see us. Not only did it seem like it was last week rather than months ago that I saw the girls, but watching Jackson (2 in Aug) and Calum play together was priceless and a highlight for Calum, too.

Mark remarked on our second day how he could see himself living in PS, had to break it to him that it wasn't really for our generation but we're getting closer and closer to a US move I think (although he says it's still at least 5 years away!). At least he's saying I've got a chance ;).

Calum and Auntie Dett

Tara and the boys

Calum in his new pjs with his new "pet" from Auntie Tara

Remember what I said about Mark thinking he wasn't very tan?!

Calum and Dad before bed, hadn't put down this Richard Scarry book since my Gram gave it to him the week before and still demands it at least twice a day!

Ducks by the patio at our room

My two fish

WA

2011-06-01T09:36:00.000+01:00

After a whirlwind 10 days with my Mom here, the Vergheses headed back to Seattle straight into another whirlwind. Last year I promised my cousin Jake that if he managed to graduate in 4 years, I would make the trip to see him walk at WSU. So making good on my promise, part of our visit was to see Jake graduate (even though he kind of cheated and is still attending WSU this summer for a few more credits he needs to graduate) but part was also a final visit as I can't imagine we will be back for at least a year or more with the twins coming.

Trying for a group shot with Calum on the 1st sunny day in over a month! Perfect for walking in the park in Mukilteo and the obligatory Ivar's afterwards.
Grandpa found a crab which Calum brazenly picked up and held!

We started our visit with 2 chilled out days with my Dad and then spent a day at Bellevue Square with my Mom doing some shopping for the babies and then a day at the Woodland Park Zoo, just the 3 of us. This was the first time we've ever taken time for just us to go out and do something whilst in Seattle and I loved it, although not as much as Calum who was truly in his element at the zoo. We met up with the girls and their husbands at El Toreador in Redmond (best Mexican ever) and we even got to go to our friends the Thuriks (http://jerameandkatiethurik.blogspot.com/) who had lots of advice to give about twins as they already have their own boy/girl twins plus another on the way due almost the same time as we are.

The girls (including Westyn!) at El Ts
Checking out Calum's favourite, bears, at the Woodland Park Zoo

After our short trip on the west side of the mountains we headed east to meet up with my Grandma McEvers who made the drive to meet up in Moses Lake from Missoula all on her own, she's 87! Was great to spend a day and night with her, a former nurse/midwife and Mom of 4, grandma of 7 and great grandma of even more; she has a true gift with children and Calum was entranced with her.

Great Grandma and Calum admiring the view-checking out the trucks on I-90
Reading our new Richard Scarry book from Gram-if you have a boy toddler and haven't got this book, run out and get it-kept him quiet the whole flight to CA and we now "read" AKA look for the hidden bug on each page a la Waldo every night

We then headed over to Pullman which was bittersweet. Had wanted to do the regular drive we always did in college but headed down a short cut from Moses Lake so Mark missed me pointing out a lot of the nostalgia. When we got to Pullman it was pouring rain, something I seem to have forgotten it ever does there-I had imagined a hot couple of days like it was when we graduated. And then we checked into the hotel my Aunt and Uncle had miraculously managed to secure, Nendles. Wow. Can't say I've ever stayed in a worse place. The 3 of us headed straight to Basilios which wasn't nearly as good as I remembered, bought a load more Coug gear (is it legal for Mark to have an alum sweatshirt?!) and met up with my family when they arrived for an awesome dinner at a new microbrewery/gastro pub type place called the River (yum!). Pullman has changed massively-there is a Walmart in Pullman, the Bookie is now a Barnes and Noble in the CUB which is pretty amazing in itself and Valhalla now has an upstairs with tvs to watch the games! Made me feel old but I loved seeing Jake graduate and had to laugh when we went to his house afterwards for a champagne toast-how did we live like that?! Congrats, Jake-can't wait to see where you go next.

Former WSU students, me, Jake and my Uncle Ken

Calum and my cousin Garrett who he decided is his idol, post graduation at Basilios (again!)

Venezia

2011-05-25T09:00:00.000+01:00

The day after Calum's birthday my Mom and I took a short trip (2 nights, 3 days) to Venice. She's always wanted to go there and I figured if we didn't go now, I probably wouldn't have the chance to go without kids for a long time (can't really see Mark staying home alone with 3 babies for a weekend!). Was so nice to get away for a few days, this was actually the first time I have ever left Calum overnight although it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be knowing Mark was at home with him. It was also perfect timing in terms of my pregnacy, at 17 weeks I was able to walk around all day and master the hundreds of stairs you climb going over the canal bridges.

Loved Venice overall, it is exactly what you imagine it to be, however it was very touristy and kind of took away from the whole experience for me (there are only 60,000 residents but over 12 million tourists visit a year). I realise we were contributing to the tourism however I guess I just have fond memories of Ravello, etc. where you feel like you are the odd one out and loved just stumbling into an authentic Italian restaurant where no one spoke English or seeing the Italians in the squares living life as they do.

Instead we were walking around with packs of people speaking all sorts of different languages and most restaurants have picture menus and the menu is divided into sections based on the language you speak. The food also wasn't as good as other places I've been in Italy, apparently since the majority of clientele is not classified as potential repeat business, they don't feel the need to strive for as good of quality as you would hope. Everything was also super expensive-like 10 Euros for a cappuccino (that's about $14!).

But all of that said, the weather was amazing and it was nice for my Mom and I to spend a few days together just the two of us. I was also reminded how much I love Italy and can't wait to go back.... Someday!

Typical view down one of the many side canals

A church across from our hotel (called Santa Maria di Nazareth) on the Grand Canal which was built in 1705

View from the opposite side of the Grand Canal of our hotel, the Hotel Carlton-would definitely recommend

Inside St Mark's cathedral

Calum turns 2!

2011-05-20T12:17:00.010+01:00

Doing a far better job with his cake this year (although I still didn't trust him enough to leave him fully clothed!)....

On April 24th Calum turned 2. This year his birthday happened to fall on Easter so we started the morning with his favourite breakfast (bacon and berries-the boy loves bacon!) followed by an Easter egg hunt and opening of some presents AND his Easter basket. Was lovely to have my Mom here to celebrate, especially for the Easter bit as here in the UK they don't do Easter egg hunts or baskets so it was perfect that she had come prepared.

Opening presents (which he definitely remembered having mastered the art at Xmas)
Reading a new book with Dad that morning
Finding his first Easter egg

We took Calum to the local farm since he's animal obsessed at the moment and he absolutely loved it, particularly seeing the horses which are his favourite (and pronounced in a very English accent as 'orse'). Afterwards we went to dinner at a local pub (much more civilised then in sounds) and sat out in the garden there as the weather was so lovely. Mark's family came over in the evening and we sang Happy Birthday (which was Calum's highlight as he knows some of the words and loves to sing) and he opened his favourite present, a big red Steve McQueen car which he currently loves driving around the house and even sits in to watch tv!

Looking like a true farmer (and yes, we did manage to get a new hat that fit his head in time for our CA vacation)
"Petting" the 3 week old bunnies on the farm (just before he poked it in the eye and pulled out a handful of fur)
Attempt at a family photo with me sitting out of arm's length from the bunny abuser
Singing Happy Birthday-look at that smile!

Still feeling a teeny bit guilty for not having a big party but as it was a 4 day weekend here most of Calum's friends and ours were out of town so next year I will definitely do something big for him when he can appreciate it a bit more.

I have to say, this year's birthday wasn't as bittersweet as lasts. I find that I love Calum more everyday and rather then wishing for him to be a baby, I look forward to seeing him grow and learn and become the little person (rather then baby) that he is. He's become a real companion, as Mark says we're like the 3 amigos and my life really and truly began the day he came into it. Happy 2nd birthday, Calum Xavier Verghese-we love you!

Hever Castle/Mom's Visit

2011-05-20T12:13:00.006+01:00

My last post here was over 5 weeks ago so forgive me but the next few will be catching up on what has been one of the busiest times of my life. A quick run down:

My Mom came to visit on April 19th and stayed with us until April 30th when we joined her on a flight back to the US. Whilst my Mom was here we tried to get in some sightseeing around London as her next visit will be in October when the twins have arrived and sightseeing will be limited (if at all!).

Mom's visit came just as our summer weather did, it was in the 70s and 80s the whole time which was perfect weather to enjoy the sites. We headed to London to see what she hadn't yet seen (Kings Road the day after Kate Middleton's honeymoon shopping spree, Fortnum and Mason, Harrods to get her favourite macaroons from Laduree, etc.) which was lovely but a bit hot for a preggo like me.
We visited the gorgeous Hever Castle which is a short 30 minute drive from our house and where Anne Boleyn grew up. Another perfect day. We headed to Brighton so she could see the English seaside and we could hit up my favourite restaurant of the moment, Jamie Oliver's 'Jamie's Italian'.

Oh, and we squeezed in a 3 day trip to Venice (more on that later) and she came with us to a private scan that told us the gender of the twins. I also formally entered the Catholic church the night before Easter and we celebrated Easter and Calum's birthday (on the same day this year).

I'm exhausted just rehashing those couple of weeks and haven't even gotten to the part where we did a tour of Washington state from April 30-May 8th and then headed to Palm Springs until May 15th (for some much needed relaxation!).

I guess I'm kind of feeling like I better enjoy as much of my remaining "freedom" as possible before these babies come as I know recouping from the c-section and getting used to our new life is going to be challenging and it's pretty unlikely I will be getting out much this fall/winter (which is both a little depresssing and exciting at the same time). Hope you've all been well, have enjoyed my first day back at "work" catching up on everyone's blogs and etc. x

Bakers

2011-04-11T13:01:00.003+01:00

Some of my fondest memories as a kid are of "helping" my Mom and Grandma Britton (two pretty amazing cooks and bakers). If I had pictures here of my childhood (thanks Dad for letting me store all of my stuff for the last 5 years in your basement!), I would be able to dig out quite a few of me with an apron on, flour on my cheeks, spatula in hand-starting at about age 3 or 4.

Lately I've been feeling the urge to bake and it's become a Sunday morning ritual for Calum and I. While Mark sleeps in, Calum has his breakfast and I bake. Usually I bake one of my Grandma Britton's recipes and usually I bake something that's not so healthy (I am pregnant after all!).

Mother's Day here in the UK was celebrated last Sunday and on this occasion I decided to remember my Grandma and Mom by baking my Grandma's sour cream coffee cake. Calum decided to help.

Love my little baker, here's to hoping he continues because a) I'm going to need a sous chef and assistant soon and Mark has failed miserably and b) I strongly believe men should know how to cook and am going to try my best to instill this in my son so someday he will make a great husband for more reasons than one.

Can you tell I'm kind of bitter that my husband doesn't help in the kitchen ;)?

Calum tried to "help" iron, too but didn't realise the floor didn't need ironing. We're still working on this one, if he could cook and iron, well that would be pretty amazing!

Our little oasis....

2011-04-04T16:23:00.001+01:00

When we moved into our "new house" we somehow didn't realise that just behind it was a great little park which has become one of my favourite places to take Calum. As one of my neighbours who is also a Mum has said, it's great because you feel like you have taken the kids somewhere without actually having gotten in the car and gone anywhere (which as you fellow Mom's can appreciate; sometimes the act of getting ready to go is more exhausting than the actual activity at the place you are going to!).

I'm pretty sure I will be doing lots of walking in the park once the babies come, partly so I can try to get back to pre-pregnancy weight and partly because Calum will probably be bored silly from being at home, stuck inside with two screaming babies (hopefully it's not that bad but I'm trying to be realistic!).

Here are a few pics from the park recently, love this little boy-can't believe he's going to be 2 in a couple of weeks!

Calum once again trying to be fiercely independent and balance on this little stand-have a few more like this where he looks like a little bear
"Balancing" with Daddy. And yes, Mark totally wears a leather jacket to the park. Totally normal.

Cousins

2011-03-30T16:43:00.001+01:00

This past weekend we had a family dinner at our house. I used to have them all of the time but once Calum came along found it harder to cook for 10 (the size of Mark's family not including the 2 babies, Calum and Rhys). Anyway, last weekend I had family dinner again on Sunday and it was perfect-forgot how much I enjoy preparing a big meal-planning the menu, cooking and the sitting down together and eating. The weather was gorgeous and it was a nice day, even if I was exhausted afterwards! Even treated myself to my first glass of post pregnancy wine. Yum.

Anyway, lately when we've had the two "babies" together, I've noticed how much more they are interacting. Rhy is Mark's sister Tracey's son, he will be 1 on April 23rd, the day before Calum turns 2 so there is exactly 1 year and 1 day between them. Calum loves "baby Rhys" and I think Rhys is starting to reciprocate-he seems to appreciate the noise and mayhem that comes along with C these days.

Thought these pics Mark took were pretty cute. As Mark says, Rhys actually looks more like his son then Calum does! Made me think maybe the twins might be the same-maybe they will be lucky and get the "brown" gene or have brown hair or brown eyes like Mark. Or maybe they will be blonde and blue eyed like Calum...

Our News

2011-03-30T16:14:00.007+01:00

Me at 12 weeks(!)

Finally, 2 months to the day after finding out I was pregnant and almost 6 weeks after our first scan, I was able to tell the world (okay, Facebook) that Mark and I (and Calum!) are expecting twins!

We decided (okay, I convinced Mark) that we would start trying for #2 after Christmas and just like with Calum, I got pregnant in the 1st month. We got the result the day we went and did Calum's professional pictures and have a nice family shot that kind of captures the day. Of course I was excited but a little shocked that it happened so fast and then the feelings of OMG, can I really cope with 2 under 3 settled in. Along with the guilt of how will I love another baby as much as I love Calum and etc.

A few weeks later I had an early scan done, thinking I had an ectopic pregnancy (convinced, actually). Imagine our SHOCK and Mark's (initial) HORROR when the scanner told us there wasn't just one but two babies in there. As long as Mark and I have been talking about kids he has said that he doesn't want twins so the look on his face (that stayed there for weeks after) said it all.

Two scans later (including a nuchal scan which gave our babies a 1 in 12000 chance of having Downs or and 1 in 22000 of any other abnormal chromosome related disease) and we were able to share our news.

Let's just say, we're still shocked. Me less then Mark because I'm the one carrying these babies and it's easier to bond/get used to the idea when you are reminded constantly of their existence. Mark says all I do/talk about/think about is babies which could be true. I've not been sick at all and am rarely too tired, have been going to the gym still to avoid what happened last time (anyone who saw pictures of me from 6 mos onwards knows what I'm talking about here) and of course, being a Mom to a kind of crazy right now toddler.

The babies due date is October 4th although full term for twins is 37 weeks so since I'm having an elective c-section this time around you could say their due date is more like Sept. 13th. 50% of twins are born in the 35th week which brings us up to August 30th which seems scarily not so far away.

The babies are non identical and have their own placentas and sacs (maybe TMI, sorry!) which is the safest way to carry them as they don't compete as much for food. There is a 50% chance we are having a boy/girl, 25% girl/girl and 25% boy/boy. Let's not think about option 3 right now because that's more then I can really handle but knowing us, will probably be the outcome :).

Either way, we are blessed. That's all I can say and that's just how I feel. Having been an only child I always kind of dreamed about having a big family but never really saw myself as a Mom of 3, now that it's a reality I love thinking about how our house will never be quiet, how fun our holidays will be as they get older and how special it is that they will all have each other.

Anyway, thought I would share a few pics along with our news:

Both babies at 9 wks 4 days (2nd scan, March 10)
Twin 2, 12 wks 6 days
Twin 1, 12 wks 6 days

Fight club

2011-03-23T11:10:00.003Z

Just so you know, there won't be any pics for this post. That's because whilst I believe in documenting Calum's growing up years, I think it's probably best to act like this little "phase" in his life never happened, with hopes that it will soon be over and we can act like that's actually the case.

Since Calum was a little baby we always kind of knew he had a temper. Not a big surprise I suppose, he is 1/4 Irish after all and both Mark and I have been known to occasionally lose it (*occasionally*!). Well, in the last month or so this temper has reared it's ugly head to include temper tantrums. These tantrums go beyond him being angry for a second and have progressed into full on kicking, screaming and even hitting matches-the Verghese household has turned into a fight club.

Oh, and it doesn't end there. Last Wednesday when I picked C up from nursery I was asked to sign a form recognising that C had hit another child over the head with a rolling pin in the "home corner". Never mind why they had a rolling pin in there in the first place, I couldn't believe my sweet angel had actually injured another child!

Friday was no better, Mark came home with C to report that he had pushed a few kids and even BITTEN someone! My worst nightmare. I still remember being bitten by some freak at preschool and now my kid is that freak. The bite couldn't have been that bad as we didn't have to sign a form this time but still, biting?!

So we enter the terrible 2s, a full month before C even turns 2. I've been reading all the books/online info I can get my hands on to try and fix this but unfortunately at this age when verbal skills are still limited, it's tough. The "naughty step" which worked brilliantly at first has turned into a joke, Calum no longer even cries when he is sent there and he now thinks it's a game. Am I tempted to get out the wooden spoon as a threat like I had when I was a child? Yes, but there again I'm really not sure what that will solve at this age so I'm feeling stuck. Literally stuck because he's also become a nightmare to bring out in public.

Any suggestions from you Moms out there? I could really use them as I'm at my wits end.

All of that said, the last 2 days with Calum have been brilliant. It's like he knew I was about to lose it and has shown what a great child he can be. Sweet, funny and lots of fun to be with. Don't get me wrong, he's still had a few moments, but I've had to step back and realise that for a few days there I really lost sight of what it was all about. Let's hope he's entered a new phase....

Why don't mine turn out like this?

2011-02-28T14:39:00.007Z

We had another round of professional pics of Calum done on Jan. 17th (he was just a week shy of 21 months). For those of you who have had professional pictures done you probably know they cost a small fortune. The reason we keep going back for more is because as you've probably noticed from my posts over the last 6 months or so, I just can't seem to get a good picture of Calum. They are either blurry, make Calum look massive, contain 1/3 of his body (as he's constantly moving and just the reminants of an arm or leg show up in our "action shots") or feature him making one of his many faces (which mostly involve looking angry instead of smiling, we're going through the terrible 2s a little early here at the Verghese household).

When we got to the shoot I told the young girl (obv not a Mom) that there was probably no chance we would be able to get him to sit still for any pictures. What we didn't expect (Mark came along for moral support) was that Calum would be so camera shy, hence the box of raisins we conned him with about 10 minutes in. Even though we only had about 20 quality minutes of taking photos, I'm pleased with the results. Can't believe how much he's changed from the previous two sessions (below).

21 months

8 months

2 months

It's a good thing I keep the floors clean...

2011-02-28T14:33:00.004Z

It's a good thing I keep the floors clean...

Because Calum seems to think it's perfectly okay to eat off the floor. In fact, I think he prefers to judging by the fact that he choses to throw at least 1/2 of every meal he eats on the floor and loves nothing more then taking a bag of (insert whatever your little heart desires here: Cheerios, chips, cookies, etc.) and emptying it on the floor. Oh, and he doesn't discriminate-he gets just as much enjoyment from throwing stuff on the carpet as he does the tile, and Mom gets to have even more fun trying to get ground up bits of (Cheerios, chips, cookies, etc.) off of our berber carpet.

Calum's New Room

2011-02-28T13:54:00.008Z

Hard to believe we've lived in our "new" house for 9 months now. When I look around there are still a million little things I want to do but it just seems like all of that energy we had when we moved in to make it how we wanted it has faded and things seem to happen slowly but surely now. My "honey to do list" is more imaginary then real as our weekends seem to go by in the blink of an eye and the enthusiasm Mark showed for his tool box has also waned.

Anyway, I digress.

Calum's room had been a little neglected so a few weeks ago we finally got around to updating it. He's at a hard age where he's not quite ready for "big boy" stuff but then he's not really a baby anymore, either. We found this retro German print from the 70s and liked the way it kind of funked up his room without being too cutesy/predictable (read: airplanes, cars, sports, etc.). I think the pattern kind of freaked him out for awhile because the first few nights he didn't sleep so great but now every morning when I go in to his room he is so excited to point out to me the colours he knows (blue and yellow at the moment) and the pictures he recognises (ducks, trains, cars, etc.).

Yeah, the nursing chair is still in there. We still use it every once in awhile (not for nursing obv!) but are going to take it out in April when we move his beloved teepee from his downstairs playroom into his room to be replaced with the table and chairs we got him for his birthday.

US

2011-02-09T10:34:00.006Z

Yeah, we've been a little MIA lately. Under the radar. Seems like every time I sit down to write a post, I feel as if I've not got anything very exciting to write about. Oh, and it doesn't help that since we got back in January I've taken all total of about 10 pictures of Calum. Hoping he doesn't notice this neglect when he gets older and looks back at his old photo books. Oh, that's right-I stopped updating those about a year ago. Ooops.

Calum has settled into nursery really well-today he ran up to the front door with a big smile on his face so I think it's safe to say he likes it. I still look forward to the end of my working days when I get to go pick him up, the smile I get is the best reward a Mom could ask for.

Calum being at nursery has also been better for me work wise. This month I've billed as much as I did for the whole of last year! I'm really pleased that my hard work has paid off and the "target" Mark has set for me to pay off our new Audi Q5 which will be ready in June/July has been achieved so at least I've kept "the boss" (AKA MARK) happy (for now!).

Bye bye, Range-so excited!

We've decided we're definitely coming back in May for my cousin's WSU graduation and might take a side trip this time to San Francisco which is a place both Mark and I have yet to see-let's just hope it's manageable with a toddler!

My Mom has booked a trip to visit in April, I'm counting the days and can't wait for her to come. She's even extended her trip so she can stay for the royal wedding so that should be fun. She will also be here for Calum's 2nd birthday on April 24th (Easter!), this year I've decided to throw him a proper party so will be looking for ideas from you Moms out there soon. On April 23rd I'm going to be confirmed and christened into the Catholic church, going to finally make it official so will be a really nice visit and I can't wait to have her here.

Yesterday we had one of those rare sunny, winter days and I met my friend Zoe and her son Sean for a walk around a local nature trail and lunch. Calum loved every second of being free to roam in the woods which I realised was his first real experience in the woods. The look on his face when he bit it in the dirt was priceless-definitely Mommy's boy (not pleased at all with the dirt on his hands!). In fact, 'mess' is one of his favourite words. Ha!

Calum and Sean (and a bunch of smelly piglets!)
My little piglet

Also thought I would include a few pics from when my Mom's Xmas presents arrived last month. My Mom went nuts like she always does and bought us far too much for Xmas. Since we were limited on luggage space when coming back home she decided she would mail most of it back. In total there were 5 boxes and she spent something like $500 in postage!!! Calum has come to know that good things come in brown cardboard boxes and loved "helping" me open them as they arrived-particularly the one with his new lawnmower which happens to be the loudest/most annoying toy ever.

Getting into Mommy's treats!

In action
Doing a bit of maintenance

Have a great week, more updates soon x

MiAmi

2011-01-21T08:43:00.010Z

Wow am I behind with my blog posts! The weeks since we have been back from our US trip have been manic; in addition to getting used to our new routine with Calum at nursery Monday, Wednesday and Friday I am also trying to remember how I managed to get everything else done in my two days "off".

Since my last post Calum has been doing really well at "school", so well in fact that his key worker (person in charge of monitoring him and observing him, updating his little book on his developments) wrote in his book on Wednesday that "Calum was settling in very well". Whew! Even though he still cries a little when we drop him off, seeing him owning the place when I come to pick him up makes me feel a lot better and I've loved the peace and quiet at the "office" (AKA home).

So about a month ago I left Seattle for Miami where the 3 of us decided to spend Xmas this year. Calum and I had a great week in Seattle, he did amazing on the flight over with me and I wouldn't hesitate doing it again solo although I will definitely be waiting a few months! Our time in Seattle wasn't enough, it never is-didn't get to see everyone we wanted to see, everything was rushed as always, so I was glad to have a week with my two boys in Miami of relaxing by the pool, hitting the beach and doing some sightseeing.

We stayed in Coconut Grove, a little area about 15 minutes from downtown which was perfect for us-loads of restaurants in walking distance, a few shops and most importantly-family friendly. I love Miami but let's be honest, we weren't exactly going to be fitting in at the Delano's pool with a screaming toddler and we also weren't going to leave our baby with some random stranger so we could hit the bars/clubs on South Beach so this was a great option for us.

Anyway, the first couple of days were great-Calum was over the moon to be reunited with his Daddy and the weather was nice enough for us to lay out at the pool. Christmas Eve we had one of the most amazing Italian dinners I've had in my life and Christmas Day was spot on perfect. We had lunch at a French place around the corner, played in the park with Calum and then had a few drinks whilst watching the Lakers v Heat game (Mark has become a little obsessed with NBA lately and the Heat are his team).

Unfortunately Miami then experienced some of the coldest days they have had in history so we spent the rest of our trip out of the sun, in the malls, and spent one perfect day at Key Biscane.

On our last night we went to a Miami Heat game, in fact we actually extended our trip by a day so we could go to the game. When we last went to Miami two years ago (http://markandjenverghese.blogspot.com/2009/01/welcome-to-miami.html) we went to Mark's first ever live game and he loved it. Needless to say, taking a toddler to the game was going to be a whole different experience. It started out fine-we strapped Calum into the Baby Bjorn which is total child cruelty considering it's made for up to 25lbs and Calum must be approaching somewhere in the early 30s these days-not to mention he and the wearer looked totally ridiculous. Unfortunately things progressively got worse as the game went on, we could no longer ply Calum with snacks and the people in front of us weren't really enjoying having Calum throw his toys at them so at half time I strapped Calum on and made myself busy until the 3rd quarter ended and we left at the start of the 4th. Bummer.

Anyway, we had a great trip and I loved having a stress free, chilled out Xmas. Next year we're going to be here in the UK but Xmas 2012 will be spent in the US again and I'm hoping that we can meet my parents half way and have another Xmas in Miami.

Nursery

2011-01-07T10:13:00.003Z

Monday marks Calum's first day at nursery (AKA daycare in the US). Mark's Mum, Pat, has been watching Calum here at our house since February when I went back to work and is going to watch our nephew now that Mark's sister is going back to work. We looked around at a lot of options but in the end settled on a nursery in between our house and Mark's office that is about a 10 minute drive from our house.

Calum will be in their toddler room which consists of 12 other kiddies from his age up to 2 yrs 9 mos. On Wednesday morning I went for our first "settling in" day which was a chance for me to be in the room with him while he got to know everyone and I'm happy to say he seemed to have a great time while I chatted to the head of the room, so much so that after an hour she announced that I should leave him for a bit. Well, I wasn't expecting this and kind of stammered, then snuck out and proceeded to cry on the walk to Starbucks, trying to remember what it is you do with yourself when you have an hour of free time and you aren't anywhere near a bed to sleep in or a t.v. to watch.

I called Mark on the walk who was fairly sympathetic and then checked my watch every 5 minutes for the next hour and sped walked to go back to get him. When I picked him up he had been outside playing and was seemingly quite happy. He was also dirty. Shock horror for those of you who know me. In 2 hours there he managed to get dirt all over his trousers and berry stains on his sweater. Needless to say that today when I dropped him off he was in the grungiest clothes I could find.

Yes, I cried again today and I imagine on Monday when he does his first full day (8.30-6) I will also cry. Ho hum. I guess it's better to do it now rather then in a couple of years when he's off to preschool and at least he's been dealing with it better than I.

Pictures finally uploaded from Seattle/Xmas/Miami but as I'm supposed to be working whilst writing this, I better save those for another post. Have a great weekend x

That's not my baby.....

2011-01-03T18:38:00.002Z

Mark took the above picture yesterday and when I saw it I thought to myself, that's not my baby-that's my little boy! Over the last few weeks Calum really seems to have morphed from a baby to a toddler which has been bittersweet.

When we were on vacation Calum got his own meals ordered at dinner rather than the last time when we were on holiday scrambling to find decent jarred baby food in a "foreign" environment. I can't believe the choices in America-I think I had more fun ordering for Calum (and eating his "leftovers") then I did for myself!

When BA failed to deliver our stroller in Seattle and it didn't show up until 8 days later in Miami, it wasn't the end of the world because Calum can now walk wherever we go (although we have had some serious tantrums whilst in the reigns).

We can't really shop at Cater's anymore since it's all baby stuff although I did buy a pack of the white undershirts in 24 months even though Ashley kindly pointed out to me (in true Ashley style) that maybe Calum is a bit old to be wearing shirts that button at the bottom which I suppose is another sign that Calum is no longer a baby but my little boy.

In fact, we no longer shop in the baby section at our beloved (and much missed!) Nordstrom-Calum is a 2T.

I love this little boy-he was my star on the 10.5 hour solo flight from Heathrow to Seattle and did so good being carted around from place to place, staying up way past his bed time and adjusting to jet lag a lot better then his Mom did. He made our little family trip to Miami for Christmas, it didn't matter where we were as long as he was having fun and having fun he did-from splashing around for hours in the pool, to trying to make new hot girlfriends as you do when you are in Miami (if Dad couldn't do it, someone had to!), to running along the beach at Key Biscane-he loved it and we loved it and that's what it's all about. This little boy. Love him!

Snow day(s)

2010-12-02T14:27:00.010Z

On Tuesday morning I woke up and immediately felt like a kid again, we had snow! I had been feeling a bit jealous of you guys in Seattle and loved the thought of having a lazy day at home with Mark and Calum, especially since Mark had been gone in Barcelona the weekend before.

Day 1-10 a.m.
Checking it out
Day 1-5 p.m., look how much snow we got!

Tuesday was great, nothing like a little snow to make you feel like baking. I made an Apple Upside Down Cake from Cooking Light's October issue, my Grandma's Banana Cupcakes, did about 4 loads of laundry, watched Repo Men with Mark while Calum was napping (awful movie), made a proper lunch for my boys, took Calum out to play in the snow and had a lazy evening in. I realised that if I lived somewhere where it snowed a lot, I would be huge-all you want to do is bake, eat crap and be lazy! Snow also makes it really hard to get to the gym which isn't ideal with Miami around the corner.

Calum not sure about the snow

Wednesday I woke up and we had even more snow. Mark decided he would actually try doing some work which he doesn't realise just doesn't happen when you have a 19 month old running around (which might have been a blessing as he now realises what I go through on my "days off"). We didn't bother going out in the snow because Calum really just wasn't sure about it the day before, which I can't really blame him for as it was up to his waist and there didn't seem to be any cleared patches for respite! Spending 15 minutes getting all bundled up for 5 minutes out in the snow to be followed by 20 minutes of cleaning up after the discarded layers from two boys just didn't seem worth it. I scavenged in the fridge and managed to produce a decent dinner from very little ingredients and almost no vegetables since I hadn't been to the store since the week before (fried rice with chicken and crispy noodles), but I think the fatty non-diet food was finally catching up to me. Managed to polish off the last bottle of wine in the house (well, except the sketchy bottle of red our neighbor brought at the beginning of the summer that is left for emergencies only).

The strip

Today (Thursday) I was even less enthusiastic about another snow day. I had a cupcake for breakfast, leftover fried rice for lunch. Mark decided he would try to get the car out and go to work, had a laugh watching him clear a foot of snow off the car with only his hands-we hadn't really expected a blizzard in November and don't even own a snow brush, shovel or an ice scraper (unless you count the credit card sized one I put in his stocking last year which just didn't seem sufficient). Mark managed to get out, I managed to email him my grocery list and now Calum and I are enjoying some peace and quiet. Will be very interesting to see what Mark brings home from the grocery store tonight since the last time he stepped in one was not long after Calum was born. He's been there 15 mintues and I've already had 4 calls....

Day 3, 1 p.m.

Not feeling overly optimistic about the prediction of more snow and colder temperatures meaning what we have won't go away anytime soon. Have a much needed hair appointment scheduled for Saturday morning which is unlikely to happen I'm afraid which isn't ideal with the clock ticking on our trip home-you might all see me back to my roots, literally!

Calum loving the snow days

As I write the snow continues to fall so looks like I will be housebound for a few more snow days. At least I get time to blog! x

It's a Family Affair

2010-11-08T09:35:00.011Z

We've been busy since our last post, it seems like the end of October went by in the blink of an eye and all of the sudden it's November and just 5 short weeks until our trip to Seattle. Since we last blogged we:

Opened our Halloween box from Grandma McEvers. Highlights: Slim Jims (I DIE!), Rachel Ray magazine, American Halloween candy, Funfetti Halloween cake mix and frosting and our new Halloween haunted house candle feature with Pumpkin Spice candle (which is as close to a Pumpkin Spice latte as I will be getting since I was told last week at Starbucks it will basically never come here since Brits aren't into Thanksgiving).
Opened one of our Christmas presents early. Calum has been unwell for the last month or so. First it was his leg/ankle injury which had him not walking for over a week and then it was a mysterious flu like illness which my Mom thought could be Fifths Disease (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/fifth.html)-you can kind of see the "slapped cheeks" look in the pic above that is characteristic of it. Miserable. Getting sick in the middle of the night, endless changing of clothes, sheets and etc. Calum used to eat anything you put in front of him and since then he's become picky and seems to have lost his appetite. This week he has an ear infection. It's never ending and distressing as a Mom to see your child sick and in pain and not be able to do much about it. Since we're going to be in Miami for Christmas we decided to go light on the gifts this year (as in Calum is getting 3 Fisher Price toys and the truck above is one of them) and as a perk me up we decided to give Calum one of the gifts early. It worked, for about 15 minutes!
Dressed up as a lion for Halloween. I think the look in the top pic says it all.
Had our 2nd annual Halloween party. Since we met last summer, the Mums in our post natal group have stayed in touch and they all came over on Halloween with the babies for our 2nd annual Halloween party. 6 babies + 6 Mums = chaos. That said, it was really fun for me to have them here all together and I look forward to having the party for years to come. I'm so lucky to have met these women, they have really helped me get through some challenging times as a new Mom and Calum is pretty lucky to have such a great group of friends already. BTW, this is the only pic from the day with all 6 babies and it also pretty much sums up the day.

Read lots of books. Calum has always been a big book lover (just like Mommy!) and can never have enough story time before bed. What started as a ritual of Calum and I of reading a book after the bath in his room has extended to him picking a second or third book and bringing it into our room to read with Daddy before his bottle. In addition to our own collection which has been pretty much all thanks to Auntie Tara, Calum gets to have 8 books at a time from the library which has been great-he loves going to pick them out and it allows us to change the selection based on what he's into at the moment. Currently he's into books about animals, making the sounds that they make, and he loves books with flaps to open.
Went to the Mary J Blige concert. Yes, I've been on an old school tour lately-Joe, Keith Sweat and now Mary. Our friends the St Martins were able to get box tickets to see Mary J Blige last week and I have to say, it's the best concert I've ever been to. She sang her heart out for 2+ hours and I found myself knowing almost every song. Amazing. In the bottom pic on the right is a footballer named Anton Ferdinand who happened to be sat in our box.
Renewed our love for our local park. Now that Calum has perfected his walking, the local park is even better than it ever was before because it offers unlimited space for him to run and play and that's just what he's been doing lately as often as he can get us down there. I mentioned before, but this park is literally right behind our house and is only accessible by a path that starts along a big duck pond that our house backs onto. The top pic is our attempt at feeding the ducks-Calum wasn't too happy about sharing his bread, hence him sneaking a bite for himself.
Had cousin Rhys over for a night. Mark's sister Tracey's baby, Rhys, is one day shy of a year younger than Calum so I wasn't sure how we would cope with two babies for the night but it all went off without a hitch. Calum couldn't quite figure out why his old baby toys were out and for the most part didn't pay much notice to Rhys being there-sadly he never seems to get jealous when I hold other babies although I suppose this will be a good thing if/when we have a second. Rhys is a very easy baby who loves to be held all the time (opposite to Calum at this age) and it was a pleasure to have him. The second photo is Calum giving Rhys a kiss-it's taken him ages to be coaxed into kissing but in the last week he's really seemed to pick it up and it's pretty cute.

How I know it's almost Halloween....

2010-10-20T09:30:00.003+01:00

This arrived in the post last week:

Yep, my annual Halloween box from Mom. Sure I'm 30 years old and am still getting Halloween gifts from my Mom-so?! Unbelievably my Mom spent $90 to send a 20 lb. box which is sure to include a ton of candy I really shouldn't eat seeing as how I have to be in a bikini in two months time for our Miami trip but oh well....

I haven't officially opened the box yet, I'm saving it for Halloween but I did have to sneak out Calum's Halloween costume from the top which I ordered from the US Amazon since our UK selection isn't great. Here's a little sneak peak, I think it's safe to say that someone wasn't really loving not being able to use his hands and wearing a furry hat. Let's hope we have more luck on the actual day, this year I'm having Calum's friends around again for a little party and we're going to take Calum trick or treating around the new neighborhood to meet a few of the more distant neighbors we haven't had a chance to meet yet. Can't wait x

Down on the farm....

2010-10-15T11:07:00.007+01:00

Last weekened we made our first visit to the nearby Godstone Farm which was I'm sure, the first of many. It was a perfect fall day to see the animals (which weirdly included ferrets and guinea pigs in an outdoor pen), play in the gigantic sandpit and explore what has to be the biggest playground I have ever seen. I think I had as much fun as Calum did, seeing the smiles on his face were priceless.

Calum with just about the biggest pig I've ever seen. For the record, seeing a pig in person has really put me off eating pig-such disgusting animals!
Trying to climb into the pig pen
Petting the goats despite the big sign saying DON'T PET THE GOATS
Love that smile!
This was only a small fraction of the sand pit. Calum finally overcame his dislike of sand that day, up until now he's not liked getting dirty!
On the swings

Before and after....

2010-10-08T13:27:00.020+01:00

When Mark and I first viewed our house last year around this time, I fell in love the second I walked in the door. It just had that warm, cozy feel that felt like home and as we walked through I could picture us living there-Calum playing in the massive backyard, the three of us sat around the kitchen table eating dinner, it just felt right. This was despite the fact that the house was decorated in a style that was completely not our own (garish yellow wallpaper and gold carpets, *red* wallpaper in the master, a bedroom completely in pink from ceiling to carpet, different floors in every room due to the owner owning a flooring business.....). After months of waiting, we moved in on May 28th and within a week Mark had invited about 30 different painters and electricians in to give us quotes on how much it would cost to make it our own.

For a period of a month our house was filled with painters and electricians; on the day the fireplace was replaced we had 10 workers total in our house! It was a nightmare and something I'm not sure I can live through again-my OCD was in full effect and the stress of trying to keep the house clean and livable was overwhelming. Four-plus months later and we're still not quite there in terms of finishing touches (pictures, mirrors, entry table and etc.) however I thought I would post a few before and after pictures since most of you haven't had a chance to come over yet (although I know you will eventually, guest room remember!).

BACK LIVING ROOM AKA WHERE THE GROWN UPS WATCH TV:

BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER (still waiting on our new mirror to go above the fireplace)

FRONT LIVING ROOM AKA CALUM'S PLAYROOM:

BEFORE
BEFORE

AFTER
AFTER

KITCHEN (we've decided to keep this as is for now, even though it's not my dream kitchen-yet!):

MASTER BEDROOM:

BEFORE-The previous owners tried to sell us these curtains for £200!

BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER

HALL AND ENTRY WAY:

BEFORE-Gold wallpaper covering the hall on all 3 floors
BEFORE-The only picture I could find of the matching gold carpet, this is a picture of the winding staircase leading to the 3rd floor which is currently my office

AFTER-I LOVE these windows, an original feature of the house which was built in the 1930s
AFTER
AFTER (view from kitchen to front door, door on left leads to Calum's playroom)

GUEST ROOM:

BEFORE-pink carpet, two styles of pink wallpaper.....
AFTER-the bed is admitedly too big but as this will probably someday be another nursery we couldn't justify getting new bedroom furniture. Not to worry though, when/if that time comes, we have plans to convert the 3rd floor to a guest room! x

Triennale (3 years)

2010-09-28T12:15:00.005+01:00

Three years ago today Mark and I were married in Ravello, Italy. I went through some of our wedding photos yesterday and they brought back memories of what was a truly magical and special day which was only enhanced by the amazing location, fantastic guests, and gorgeous food and wine (and lots of it!). Never in my life did I think I would marry an Englishman and most definitely not in Italy-if you would have told me 6 years ago where my life would lead, I would have never believed you (nor would most of my family and friends!). That said, I'm a pretty lucky girl-I've got a gorgeous, funny and very hard working and clever husband who has given me the gift of being a mother to the most cheeky, sweet, caring and cute little boy in the world. Tonight we celebrate by having dinner at a little Italian restaurant nearby although I am definitely wishing I could be back here again-

Flat Head

2010-09-24T16:08:00.004+01:00

So over the past week I've been trying to back up all of the photos stored on our computer onto CDs since the (literally) thousands of pictures I've stored of Calum make my computer move at snail pace*. Whilst doing so I came across the below pic of Calum's profile shot, taken in January 2010. At the time I remember how concerned we were about Calum's flat head, we even went as far as doing some research on those awful helmets they have (actually saw a baby in one at the store last week and couldn't help but stare). What a difference 10 months makes!

BEFORE

AFTER

*P.S. How are you other Moms out there storing your pics? I've started to get really freaked out by technology and worried that someday CDs will be obsolete and then how will I access those precious baby pics? I think I went a bit over the top with the first 6 months which I have CDs for, Rachel has CDs for in her safe and I kept the SD card for. Any suggestions on the best method? x

Me? SPOILED?!

2010-09-21T11:54:00.007+01:00

This weekend we went on a mini shopping spree. It would seem that my 17 month old son was in need of a new wardrobe even though he spends 75% of his time at home in sweats or PJs, Mark and I still felt the need to spend some serious cash outfitting him in all of the latest fall styles as well as a few new pairs of shoes now that he's walking (how cute are baby Converse?!). I have to admit, I actually think I prefer shopping for Calum-guess it takes me back to when I was a little girl and dressing up my dolls, it's fun to play dress up with Calum and he even seems to enjoy it although we found out that having a baby who thinks he can walk makes trips to the mall in a stroller a lot harder than they were before. We're about thisclose to investing in a pair of reigns.

Anyway, in addition to Calum's new fall wardrobe we also treated him to a slide. Calum loves slides and when we go to the park he zeros in on them immediately, crying and throwing a fit when he is separated from his favorite toy. I've become a bit thrifty lately and been using this site here in the UK called NetMums where you can source some great barely used stuff so we managed to get him one for £10 and it's been brilliant (if only he could learn how to get himself up the ladder and onto his bottom himself-it's a serious work out for Mom!). Perfect for those rainy days that are right around the corner when we're stuck inside.

Oh, and what else does a 17 month old baby need? His own chair of course! Mark and I went to this local nursery last weekend and Calum fell in love with this little camping chair which now adorns our newly decorated grown up living room which is slowly looking more and more like Calum's playroom next door... When we put him in it at the store Mark said to me it really hit him for the first time that he's not a baby anymore but a little boy and I have to say, he does look pretty grown up sitting there all on his own.

My new chair

At the nursery on the nature trail

Wallabies!

Otherwise over the last week or so we've been going through the tireless process of trying to find a new childcare option since we won't have Mark's Mum any longer from January. We've seen 3 daycares (called nursuries here) and met with 2 childminders which are like nannies who operate from their own house and are regulated by the government so background checked and etc. and required to follow a ciriculum with the children. The first thing I've realised is how expensive they are-even though we only need him to be watched 3 days a week we are still looking at about £600/month which is about double what we've been paying Mark's Mum so the pressure will be on me even more to be making placements. I've also realised how much of a control freak/neat freak I am and how hard it's going to be for me to let go and enter into this next stage of Calum's life. A couple of the places we've seen I wouldn't leave my dog in (if I had one), let alone my precious child. I worry about how much time he will be spending with someone who isn't family, someone I don't really know and how much that person will shape his life. Most of all I wonder how I will get through those 3 days a week with only seeing him in the morning and then for dinner and a bath when he gets home at night.

On the more exciting front, work is going really well and I had a great meeting with an old client last week which has really helped boost my confidence. Mark is in the process of signing a lease for new offices where he and his partner will move their staff which is super exciting, I'm so proud of how well he's done in such a short period of time and hope it will continue and he can deliver on his promise that we can move back to the US in the next 5 years. In the next week or two we're booking our tickets back to Seattle for either Thanksgiving or sometime around Christmas so it will be nice to have that to look forward to again and I know the trip will come up before we know it. Have a great week x

My waiter in training

2010-09-09T20:20:00.003+01:00

So it's finally happened (well kind of finally happened), CALUM IS WALKING. Yes, on Sunday the 5th of September at approximately 1.35 p.m. GMT (that's THE Greenwich Mean Time) Calum Xavier Verghese AKA Cal, AKA Big Cal, AKA Munchkin, AKA Munchie, AKA Bieber, started walking after being subjected to watching paint dry (literally) and other mind numbing DIY tasks that his parents were trying to get through on a boring Sunday afternoon. He was 16 months and 8 days old.

Yep, after Mark and I trying to coax him like a little dog with treats, after subjecting him to hours of kid socialising hoping he would just pick it up like my Mom claimed I did after a visit to the doctor's office, Calum just decided to up and go when we weren't even looking! Guess this is true Calum fashion though, he's never been one to do things when we want him to, he's definitely stubborn (not sure where he gets that from?! MARK! JEN!!!), and even now, 5 days later, he won't walk if I try prompting him which was a little embarrassing at our Talking Tots class this morning when I came in bragging about how he was walking and he spent the whole class alternating between sitting on his bum and arching his back when I tried to get him to stand.

Oh well, I have proof! See the video below. Someone get this kid some knee pads! I heard Huggies makes them, is this true Moms out there?

Yes, he is a waiter in training-in weeks I will have him with a tray in that little outstretched hand with a glass of Sav Blanc perched upon it. Love this little boy, and am so proud he's finally in the club! Watch out girls!

A Boy's Boy

2010-08-27T10:02:00.009+01:00

Calum was 16 months old on Tuesday and as he enters toddlerhood he is no longer a baby but a true "boy's boy". Up until now I haven't noticed much difference between what he's into and what our baby girlfriends are into but in the last couple of weeks he's really started to show a true affinity for cars, beating people up, making a mess, and a few other things characterised with being a boy/man (is there a difference?!).

Case in point? Calum's favourite thing to do in the kitchen while I'm cooking is push the chairs from one end to the other, not an easy feat considering the kitchen is about 20 feet long. Once he's got a chair on one end he will usually try to push his high chair over for a chair party and has even tried to push me over on the bench. His strength amazes me.

Chair pushing

Last week we received a package from my Mom, always a treat since it's guaranteed to include a few issues of Cooking Light, a bag or two of Jolly Ranchers and Sour Patch Kids (gold dust since we can't get them here) and treats for Mr. Spoiled himself (I passed him the title when he entered the world, from one only child to another!). When we were in Seattle my Mom gave Calum a fire truck he could ride around on and no surprise with all the shopping we did, we couldn't fit it in the luggage back home so she sent it in our package and he's not taken his butt off the thing since! Within a day he learned how to steer it around and go backwards and forwards. Pretty cute although it might be hindering his walking as he's still not taken any more then a couple of steps since Aug. 18th (the day he took his first ever unaided steps!).

Driving

My clever boy also finally realised the stairs are made for climbing. Within about 3 seconds flat he can get from the bottom to the top which is pretty impressive considering there are 13 stairs in total and a landing in between! Not great for us though as we have not one, but two flights of stairs and the stairs going up to the 3rd floor are narrow, windy and particularly fun to climb.

Victorious after a stair climb
In action

What else do boys do? They watch football of course! By accident I discovered that at certain times in the day Calum will sit with me and watch tv (the only time I can get a real cuddle, priceless) and I caught Mark and Calum watching the Spurs play in the Championship League the other night. Mark has looked forward to watching football with Calum for ages and I realised this is actually going to be a bonus for me as maybe he will finally stop asking me to watch the games!

Watching football

We took Calum down to Brighton last weekend and he got to go on his first ride, worth every penny of the 50 pence, and I took him last Friday to Greenwich Park where we played in the sand pit and enjoyed our last day of "summer vacation" (I had two weeks off work while my mother in law was in Portugal on holiday). We've been busy putting the finishing touches on the house now that the big stuff is done, pictures to come soon. Work has picked up and I've had a pretty good month so let's hope it continues. This weekend marks the end of the summer here in the UK and is a 3 day "bank holiday weekend". We're off on a date tomorrow (YAY!), and then plan to spend Sunday doing odd jobs around the house (now that we have a house to do them in!). Hope you enjoy yours, more soon x

In the sand pit

With Sean at Greenwich Park

On the ride, notice Mark's FIRM grip!

Just the two of us...

2010-08-09T14:12:00.000+01:00

Dear Daddy,

While you were away this weekend on a "work trip" in Cyprus, Mom and I had lots of fun. Well, mostly I had lots of fun whilst Mom caught up on the Hills, the City and Big Brother while drinking wine and eating what seemed to be lots of junk (I wouldn't know as she only gave me a few measly bites of what she was having and I was left to the same old stuff I always have!).

We:

Had a little(!) temper tantrum when I couldn't figure out the zipper on my sleep sack
Had some fun playing with the Velcro on the new sneaks Auntie Dett helped me pick out in LA
Went to the mall where Mom had me try on this ridiculously cool and fashionable scarf (which we didn't actually buy because it was Timberland and was £25! for a scarf!)
Bumped into cousin Rhys who is looking oh so grown up-remember when I was that big?!
Played with my new turtle who sings opera and even has an underwater voice-Mom couldn't resist
Smiled because we were having so much fun together
"Walked" around the house about a million times
Played dress up... AGAIN. Mom tried to get me in a hat-wasn't having it.
Checked out the birds at the duck pond after our walk and glass of wine (for Mom!) with Zoe and Sean
And finally we read some books. Well, Mom read the books while I tore out the pages. The library is going to love us!

So all in all we had lots of fun in the 3 days since you've been gone. We realised we can get by without you, which is probably a good thing since you told Mom you're going back in September. Mom actually kind of liked the peace and quiet except when it came to going to bed at night in what is still a relatively new house. Most of all, we both just loved getting to spend every second together and learning more about each other as every day goes by without those niggly little interruptions we usually have like Mom's work, Mom having to make dinner and etc.

This morning when Mom got me up I heard some noises downstairs and was getting excited until we came downstairs and I realised it was just Nana.... It was great talking to you on the phone yesterday, but when are you coming back? Mom is great and all, but she just doesn't tickle like you do, isn't near as much fun to wrestle with and just can't make me laugh in quite the same way.

Love you!

Calum

Our trip

2010-07-27T12:12:00.000+01:00

Sunday morning we touched down at grey, depressing Heathrow and I felt pretty sad that the last 10 days spent in Washington and California had come to such a quick end. We were so busy while we were there that the holiday literally flew by. The flight over wasn't great, from now on we will definitely do direct only, however Calum was as good as you can expect a toddler to be after 14.5 hours on a plane stuck on Mom and Dad's laps.

We spent our first few days at my Dad's in Arlington and then headed down to Redmond on Friday for a mini-reunion at good old El Torreador with the girls who hadn't been together since Tara's wedding 2 years ago. The next day was my birthday, celebrated with everyone (including babies) at Ashley's for a BBQ. That night I had a family dinner in Issaquah at this really great new restaurant called the Flat Iron Grill which was amazing. It was a special treat to have my cousin Jake come over from WSU where he's attending summer school to celebrate-next time I see him is likely to be back in Pullman next year when he graduates, can't wait to show Mark where I went to college! On Sunday we spent the day with my Mom, doing some shopping and heading down to Spuds on Lake Washington where Calum enjoyed Mark's strawberry milkshake. That night Mark took Calum swimming in the pool at my Mom's and on Monday we went to the Mariner's game with my Dad and my Aunt Sue. Unfortunately Mark had to have an emergency tooth extraction so photos from that day all show him with quite the "long" face!

Family dinner
Calum, Westyn and Makena

Our attempt at a baby group shot (minus Keri and Kena!)
El T's
In Pioneer Square on the way to the Ms game

We headed down to LA on Tuesday where we spent the first two nights in the OC. Tara and Justin took us to "the Wedge" in Balboa to watch the big waves and crazy body boarders who rode them, then to the OC Fair which was a true American experience for Mark who couldn't get over all of the food, rides and good old American white trash. We saw a rodeo, took Calum and Jackson to the petting zoo where they had a blast, and made Justin and Mark (and even Tara!) go on some scary rides. The BBQ carne asada Justin cooked up that night was a treat. The following day we went to Laguna Beach and had fish tacos, then to a "secret" beach Justin knew of that had 1000 steps (or maybe more like 300) going down to get to it-not ideal when carrying a 27 lb baby! The beach was worth it though, so pretty and picturesque-I could have stayed forever but we had to get back up to LA and needed to avoid the insane traffic there that had already eaten up hours of our trip.

Calum and Jackson at the fair
Calum and Mark at the petting zoo
Family pic at "the Wedge" in Balboa
Dett, Tara and I at Laguna Beach
Besties-Jackson and Calum

We checked into our amazing hotel just off the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica and spent the first evening just the 3 of us, the first time we had spent any time just the 3 of us since we got to the US! The next day Dett was an amazing tour guide, taking us through "LA in a Day"-we drove through the valley, Beverly Hills, past Mann's Chinese Theatre and the stars on Hollywood Blvd, down Sunset and past the Viper Room and then on a side tour to the Century Plaza for some shopping and Pinkberry, an LA must. We then headed to the Farmer's Market and the Grove which was probably the highlight of the day for me. That night we all had drinks around the fancy pool at the hotel (Calum and Jackson included-as Tara says, they totally partied!) and then had a great dinner in Santa Monica (thanks Mark G!).

Tara, Dett and I at the pool bar at Shangri La in Santa Monica
Enjoying a drink at the LA Farmer's Market
Farmer's Market

Come Saturday morning I have to say I really wasn't ready to leave. We had such a good time with everyone and I think Mark was really starting to get into LA, I completely messed up by scheduling such an early flight and not giving us more time in LA to have a look around. None the less, on the drive to LAX Mark did say that he's sure we will be back lots over the next couple of years so there is still hope!

What Calum's Doing Now....

2010-07-05T17:19:00.000+01:00

This weekend we didn't celebrate the 4th of July like everyone else back home but we did manage to get out on Sunday for a little picnic at the park behind our house where they were having a neighborhood get together to celebrate the addition of a few new play toys in the playground. After a day up in London buying bits for the house the day before, it was nice to have a chilled out family day. The weather here has also been amazing so it was nice to actually be outside enjoying it.

As Calum is getting older we are realising more and more that he needs to have activities to do and isn't always going to be content tagging along with us anymore. Besides, this is the age we've been waiting for-those first few months with baby are lovely but it's so hard not being able to get any reaction back from them or being able to do anything with them. Calum is tons of fun these days, loves rough housing around with his Dad and he and I have lots of fun playing games together and having a laugh.

Other things Calum is doing these days:

*He loves to brush his teeth-I think this is mostly because of the taste of toothpaste but at least he likes it! He's now got 4 top teeth and 2 on the bottom. Unfortunately he also likes to grind his teeth from time to time so the ones in the front are a bit rounded and look like real baby teeth. Does anyone know how to get them to stop this? Worst sound in the world and the more I react, the more he does it!

*He also loves to brush his hair and has even realised that my brush is for the same, even though it has plastic bristles and is about the size of his head. Whilst he doesn't realise how good looking he is (I'm his Mom so I'm allowed to say this!), I think he's catching on-the past few times I've come to collect him from the creche at the gym he's been staring and talking to himself in the mirror.

*He says "night, night", Dada, Mom Mom, Nana, Gotcha, and makes barking and quacking noises. We have lots of fun at dinner saying words and having Calum try to repeat them back to us.

*He loves the Goodbye Song from our Talking Tots class that we do every Thursday. I think it's finally taught him when you use Goodbye. Anyway, this class is awesome-it teaches toddlers how to communicate and use their words and in the few weeks we've been going, I've noticed a big difference in Calum. The song goes something like- Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Goodbye, Calum. Goodbye, Calum. Goodbye, Calum-we'll see you soon. Everyone goes around the little circle at the end of class and sings it and then the toddlers go up and get their sticker for doing good in the class. Pretty cute to see Calum's little face light up when it's his turn.

*Calum isn't walking yet but we're thisclose. He stands by himself without holding on to things but rather then trying to take a few steps when I stand near, he thinks it's a game of falling forward onto me or backwards onto his bum. I'm hoping he saves his first steps for America, but we'll see!

*He's started feeding himself, but will only really do his desert (a small pot of strawberry yogurt every night). If you say Calum does it, he will grab the spoon and feed himself. Finally he's also learned not to throw the spoon on the floor after every bite. If you make the mistake of feeding him desert, be prepare to face the wrath of Calum-he hates you taking away his chance to get praise for doing it himself.

*He's started throwing temper tantrums. Like serious temper tantrums. Don't even think about taking something away from him or interupting him if he is into playing with whatever it is he is playing with. I'm a bit worried about this actually, Mark has a notorious temper he inherited from his Irish Mum and I've been known to throw a strop or two myself so this house can't handle another one!

Anyway, no need to fill you guys in on anymore because in exactly a week's time we're going to be able to see you and you can see for yourself! Have a great week x

Silly Daddy

2010-06-29T12:13:00.000+01:00

Had to post this video from the other night but let me preface it with a few points:

1. It's been really hot here, like in the upper 80s/90s which is why Calum is in his diaper and Mark is not wearing a shirt. We haven't all of the sudden turned white trash or anything, promise.
2. I wouldn't normally let Calum play with a fan, when this all started I was in the kitchen and Mark was "supervising" Calum.
3. Even though it would seem that Mark is scaring the crap out of Calum, as you can see-he thinks it's hilarious.
4. Mark actually does wear underwear.
5. Yes, that is a ridiculously heinous tatoo Mark is sporting. He got it when he was like 18, and it's awful. Promise we haven't turned into white trash.

I'm sure all of you parents out there love the sound of your children's laughter as much as I do. As I was recording this tears came to my eyes and each time I've watched it since, I have the same reaction. This is what it's all about.

3-5

2010-06-24T21:24:00.000+01:00

Monday was Mark's 35th, unbelievably because as he so kindly reminded me when he went out the other night and got asked for ID(!), he looks like he's about 25! We celebrated by going out on a much needed date to one of London's top Italian restaurants headed up by an English celebrity chef named Theo Randall: www.theorandall.com. The restaurant was on Park Lane which is one of the most exclusive areas in London full of luxury hotels, Rolls Royces and perfect for people watching. Probably the highlight of the meal were the most amazing elderberry Bellini's, I treated myself to 2 followed by 2 glasses of prosecco so needless to say by the time we left the restaurant, I needed some fresh air!

Mark always tries to act like he doesn't want to have his birthday be made a big deal, but check out the smile when they brought his special bday desert!
M so not into having a touristy pic taken before dinner

We headed up towards the Ritz to Mayfair, and to Nobu for a drink. Nobu is like THE place for celebs to go to when they are in town and I thought Mark might enjoy a glimpse into what was his life just a few short years ago. I loved being out with my husband and hope he enjoyed his day.

The day before was Father's Day. Bummer for me because Mark is impossible to buy for! We had a low key one, decided not to drive up to his Dad's grave and instead went to Blackheath to our favourite little brunch place just the 3 of us. The day really made even more clear to me how special our little unit is, and made me appreciate how lucky we are. Mark lost his Dad when he was 12, and in the past it's always been a bit of a sad day but this was the first time I felt like he could really enjoy it and see the legacy that lives on although I know he misses his Dad just like I miss mine. Every holiday is another one not spent with those that I love and I just wish I could snap my fingers and be home whenever I got homesick.

This was the mood Calum was in for our brunch.... Not a Happy Baby like the book says!

4 years and that little nagging never goes away. Yep, June 19th marked my 4 year anniversary here in London. Hard to believe I made the jump and actually did it, packed up my bags and moved 5,000 miles across the world to see what life had in store! Not a day goes by that I don't think of my friends, my family, or some little memory that I have of home. Do I regret my decision to come here? Of course not, but it doesn't mean that I don't want to someday move home so I can have everyone I love in one place (well, almost everyone anyway!). That means everyone has to do their best sales job when we're home next month-especially you, Dett and Tara! x

Wednesday for our impromptu World Cup barbecue. Pretty sure we aren't ready yet to manage two little ones!
Uncle Mark & Rhys-he loves babies! Neither of us could remember what it was like to have one this little though.

Team USA

2010-06-15T11:37:00.000+01:00

The England v. USA game on Saturday was a big event around our house, with Mark firmly on Team England and me supporting Team USA. Calum, being half American (which I kindly reminded Mark about a million times of on Saturday), was somewhere in between but since we couldn't find a Team USA jersey around here, he sported an England "kit" for the day (kit is the word for uniform here). We had the Verghese family around despite the fact that our living room is in a state with bare walls and dust covering just about every surface, the 60 inch HD flat screen with surround sound has been dying to show itself of for just these sort of occasions!

Unfortunately due to a UK-wide error, anyone watching the game in HD missed the England goal at the start of the match! We did however get a chance to see the US "goal" and in the end, I guess I'm glad it was a tie because whoever's team lost was never going to hear the end of it. We had a bet going that the person's team who won got to have a day off from baby duty the following day. Since it was a tie, I did most of the baby duty on Sunday per usual (only joking, Mark does tons when he's around on the weekends but still got to be the one who slept in on Sunday!).

Calum pointing, which he just discovered last week. I think you can really see a resemblence in Mark and Calum's profiles here...

The World Cup is a true experience here in England and when I arrived 4 years ago, just in time to catch a few games of the last one, it was amazing. I can't begin to describe it, England is nowhere near as patriotic as the US but when it comes to the World Cup they really have us beat. Football (soccer) is THE sport-they don't have 3 big ones like we do to chose from, and the entire country backs the same team, it's fantastic. The large majority of our neighbours have England flags waving either on their cars or in their yards, and just about everyone on the day was wearing some piece of clothing with the Three Lions on it (their logo). The streets and stores are a ghost town, everyone and I mean everyone, is watching the game-mostly in the pubs but also at home like we were. Great thing here is that you can bring kids to the pubs although because they are so packed I probably wouldn't bring Calum this time, but definitely for the next one in 2014 when he's a bit older. Even though I don't understand all of the ins and outs of the game, it's still lots of fun to watch and I look forward to the next match this Friday and I will be following Team USA's progress with hopes that they finish better then England in the end so I still have a chance to gloat ;).

Mark's brother Paul, our nephew Max and Mark in their England kit

TEAM USA!

Calum posing in his new swing, just after we got back from getting his hair cut. In Mark's own words, he is "livid" about how the hair cut turned out. At least it grows back!

Baby Rhys

2010-06-11T11:37:00.000+01:00

This week we have been enjoying living in the new house and trying to keep out of the way of the electricians (who are installing spotlights in all of the rooms in the house) and the painters (called "decorators" here which sounds so fancy!). Before the madness started Mark's sister Tracey came over for lunch with Baby Rhys. Rhys had a fairly traumatic entrance into this world and arrived almost 7 weeks early. Despite a shaky first couple of days, he only spent 2 weeks in the Special Baby Care Unit and has proven to be a strong, healthy boy since he went home with Mum and Dad. Tracey is a natural with kids so it's no surprise how easily she's settled into motherhood, makes me realise what a mess I was when I had Calum!

Calum checking out his little cousin

Rhys was born the day before Calum, on April 23, so he's 7 weeks today. Next to Calum you can really see just how much babies change in a year and I find myself totally forgetting what it was like to have a baby of that age. Mark and I pulled out the photo album last night and just couldn't begin to imagine where the time has gone, there is nothing like a baby to make you realise how fast time goes by. We also couldn't believe how much Rhys and Calum looked alike, although Calum was a bit bigger at Rhys' age since Rhys was a premmie. Looking forward to watching these two grow up together and undoubtedly become best friends.

Tracey and Rhys, 6.5 weeks

Tracey and Calum, 3 weeks

58 Lakeside Drive

2010-06-04T10:26:00.001+01:00

A week later and I think we are finally setting into our new house. I have to say, I love it and I'm pretty sure Mark and Calum do, too. The move went off without a hitch, hiring professionals was worth every last penny in the end. Mark's family was also amazing in helping out, but thank God we won't be moving again for a long time!

The week before we moved he and Nana sat outside in the sun

Before moving in I had doubts, it had been so long since we last saw the house and I worried if it was really the best one for us. Everyday I love the house more and whilst it's going to be a work in progress over the next couple of weeks (spotlights fitted in every room, painters coming to paint all of the rooms, new carpet and a new fireplace), in the end I know it's really going to be our dream home. The space is amazing, I just can't get over how big it is! So far we've spent 80% of our time in the kitchen and with the nice weather (finally) arriving, we are really going to make use of the deck which is larger than our old backyard.

This move has just really made me feel like a grown up. The house symbolises the transition into that next phase of our lives, the grown up phase, and that for me is cemented in that I have an official guest room! The t.v. we installed in the kitchen, whilst a small thing, was something I have wanted since I was a kid. I have very fond memories of my Grandma watching the news in the kitchen on what must have been about a 6 inch screen while she was cooking and it's little touches like these that I want to add to our home to make it really feel like home.

Calum acts like he's lived here all of his life-he seems to sleep even more soundly and has absolutely loved exploring and opening all of the cupboards in the kitchen. A second dream comes true for me this weekend as we're finally going to put up Calum's swing set that the family bought for his 1st birthday. I always wanted a swing set growing up as a kid and now I'm finally getting one!

Loving the cupboard under the stairs
Exploring the kitchen cupboards

Yesterday Calum and I went on a short walk to explore the massive pond and park just behind our house. Initially I was pretty excited about just the pond, it makes for a gorgeous view from the back bedrooms and Calum loves ducks so I knew we would spend lots of time down there. I was so excited to find that if you follow the path around the pond it leads to the most amazing little hidden park complete with a huge grassy field and bandstand, a great toy area and picnic benches. I'm pretty sure we will be spending lots of time down there in the next few years and as we were walking down the path which borders our back fence, I could imagine Calum in a few years being a typical boy and exploring the woods back there (with supervision, of course!).

View of the back of our house from the park
Loving the swings (but not his hat!)
Calum's view of the geese and ducks

Anyway, we're loving it and I hope you all come and visit at some point as I can finally entertain! Otherwise I've been really busy trying to balance work (whilst Pat is away on holiday and having surgery I am trying to fit in every spare second I can), spending time with Calum and feeling like I am giving him enough attention, getting settled in the house and oh yeah, my marriage which unfortunately seems to come at the bottom of the list at the moment although I am looking forward to celebrating Mark's birthday in the next couple of weeks and going on a much needed date soon-I can't even remember the last time we went out!

Have a great weekend, it's going to be 27 here so time to fire up the barbecue!

Checking out the back deck

Brighton

2010-05-19T13:53:00.000+01:00

This past weekend was a busy one. Saturday night Mark and I had our niece Holly and nephew Max over for a sleepover. It was only last week that Calum and I spent the night at their house but Calum was equally (if not more) excited to have them on his own turf and play with them on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Sunday my friend Jeanne arrived from Seattle for a short stay. Jeanne and I spent 9 months of being the "single" girls together in Seattle before I moved to London and she shares the same passion for travel that I do. I think this is the 4th time she's been here since I moved (which is coming up on 4 years in June!) and since she's done pretty much all the London touristy stuff I thought we should go on a little road trip so we headed to Brighton which is just about my favourite place in the U.K.

Brighton is about an hour south of us on the south coast, it's an artsy town with some great shopping, restaurants and night life and was a perfect place for a weekend away with Mark pre-Calum. It's also featured in one of my top 3 "English" movies, Wimbledon (which comes after 1. Match Point and 2. Love Actually). Unfortunately the weather wasn't amazing but we did have fun walking around, checking out the boardwalk and had an amazing lunch at one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants (followed up by homemade donuts on the pier-so much for my diet!). It was great to have Jeanne here, even if just for a little while, we got to really catch up which is so hard to do when we are home for our usual short, whirwind visits.

Now if only more of you would come visit! Honestly, before I moved I really didn't see the appeal of coming all the way to Europe to come to London, but it is a great stopping over point and you will always have a free place to stay! Wish us luck this week with the move-it only just occured to me last night that we're pretty far behind-as in, haven't packed a box and we move in 9 days (and we seem to have accumulated a lot of crap in the year or so since we last moved). I've got so much to get rid of and go through and we have to somehow squeeze in painting Calum's room back to neutral-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Neglected blog...

2010-05-15T17:21:00.000+01:00

So it used to be that I would try to post at least once a week, maybe twice but since we've been home from Cyprus time is moving at light speed. Part of this probably has to do with the fact that I'm working again-for those of you who don't know, I've started up my own recruitment company called Thoughtbox Recruitment (www.thoughtboxrecruitment.com). It's been a bit of a slow start but now I'm full steam ahead and finally getting back into it. I have to say, having a year off I've suffered a bit of a lack of confidence which isn't ideal when you are working in a mostly telephone sales based role. Luckily in that year I missed what was a massive blow to the recruitment industry what with the recession and all, and have joined back in what seems to be an upturn. I've got a couple of new clients on board and love that I have the flexibility to choose when I work and to work from home, although it can be tough sometimes. Mark's Mum, Pat, has also agreed to watch Calum for us so I haven't had to go through the dreaded task of taking him to nursery and I know that he's with he's happy with his Nana whilst I'm working.

We're also getting ready for our move. I managed to off load all remaining glass furniture (so not practical with a baby!) on eBay and the boxes came yesterday from the moving company so we're ready to get packing. Can't believe we're almost there, it's been a process which started back in November and I'm just so ready to get moved in and enjoy the summer in our new house. I'm also looking forward to all of the new furniture we've ordered including our "Super King" bed! BTW, we now officially have not one, but two guest rooms (until baby #2 comes along, anyway!) so no more excuses for not visiting!

Otherwise Calum is keeping us busy as usual. This week he got some sort of a viral infection so Mark had to take him to Kids A&E yesterday to get a blood test done which didn't sound too pleasant. Along with his viral infection Calum has broke out in a little spotty rash, but despite it all he's still as loud and rambunctious as ever as you can see in the video below. We saw the physio therapist last week (3 MONTHS after we were referred, thanks NHS!) about his tip-toe standing (which has massively improved) and she has said it's not a problem and strongly recommend I not use the Bounce a Roo ever again. Calum hasn't really shown any desire to walk which could be because he's perfected the crawl-today I watched him push his walker around on his knees which was pretty funny.

Oh, and did I mention I'm an Auntie again? Mark's little sister Tracey had her baby, Rhys, on April 23rd at 33 weeks. Unfortunately we were in Cyprus and things were a little touch and go at first due to what sounds like misuse of the forceps, however just 2 weeks after he was born he was released from the SBCU and is at home with Tracey and her boyfriend Richard. Rhys was a whopping 6 lbs, can't even imagine what he would have weighed full term! Has been lovely to see Tracey settle into motherhood, she's a natural. Having Rhys around has already made me broody and I have yet to hold him; as soon as I have those thoughts though I am reminded of those late night feeds and those first few weeks home which were a literal blur so we will happily wait for awhile and enjoy what we've been blessed with. Have a great week!

Baby Rhys

Cyprus

2010-05-04T11:06:00.001+01:00

Hard to believe a week ago today we were basking in the sun with not a care in the world. As I look out the window the wind blows and today I was forced to pull a sweater out from the bottom of the drawer. Boo hoo.

Our week in Cyprus was great, more then I would have ever hoped it would be. To be honest, I didn't have huge expectations as Cyprus was never on the top of my list of places to go. Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean just south of Turkey and not too far from Israel. It's history dates back to the 10th millennium B.C. (!); until 1970 it was part of the British Commonwealth. In 1974 there was a civil war of sorts between the Turkish and the Greek communities that make up the island which resulted in the island being split in two (and divided down the middle by barbed wire and UN outposts!), the north is the Turkish side and the south is the Greek side. We stayed on the south side in a town called Larnaka where Mark's business partner/best man/best friend owns a house and was generous enough to let us stay there.

George's place in Cyprus, perfect!

It was the perfect situation really, Calum settled straight into his routine which gave Mark and I 2-3 hours of pool side time to ourselves everyday! With the time difference it worked out perfectly for us to go out for a late meal in the evenings as the Cypriots do and when we did go out, the food was amazing. Think mezes, Greek salads, grilled meats and fresh fish. The people there were amazingly friendly and loved kids, Calum was treated like a king everywhere we went. We took a couple of road trips to the capital city Nicosia for some shopping and to Pafos where we stopped at Aphrodite's Rock on the way to the zoo.

At the zoo
Beach at Aphrodite's Rock

On this night the waiter brought Calum a plate of strawberries that he loved but also got all over his new outfit!

Calum's first birthday was spent relaxing, during the day we went to this restaurant/bar on the beach to watch Mark's beloved Tottenham play Manchester Utd. and in the evening we went to a nice dinner and came back to a little cake and candle for Calum. The next day we took him to the zoo which was probably more for me then him as he seemed more interested in Daddy than any of the animals or birds although the playground was a highlight. He was an absolute star on the 4.5 hr plane ride there and back so let's hope it continues for our trip in July to Seattle & L.A.

Loving his new baby pool, birthday pressie from Mom & Dad
Opening one of his little gifts we brought on his birthday
With Mom at birthday dinner
Calum's birthday cake (not sure who ate more, Calum or Dad!)

Happy 1st Birthday, Calum!

2010-04-21T10:45:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow we leave for Cyprus which in itself is a small miracle due to the constantly changing events after the Icelandic volcano eruption which have totally put all flights to and from the U.K. to a halt. Apparently my recent church going has made someone happy and our prayers were answered, Mark and I desperately need a holiday and as I had nothing planned for Calum's 1st on Saturday I was beginning to feel like his birthday was going to be a blow out.

Yes, impossible to believe but our little munchkin will be 1 on Saturday. In some ways I look back and feel as if it's been 10 years and in others it feels like yesterday that we brought him home. Honestly those first few days and months were tough, I was on an emotional roller coaster, nights of waking up to feed left me dazed and confused the next day and there were more than a few tearful evenings of Mark returning home from work and me thinking I just couldn't do the stay at home Mom thing anymore. This year has been a massive learning and growing experience and instead of being sad about the time that has passed, I look forward to each day moving forward.

A lot of you haven't had the chance to spend much time with Calum which saddens me to no end. Maybe you should feel blessed that your ear drums are still in tact. Yes, he is a talker, yeller and screamer. Mark and I have given up talking to each other at the dinner table as neither of us can talk loud enough to be heard over Calum. I can no longer watch the news in the mornings when I feed him because he is yelling at me and demanding my full attention and rapid spoon to mouth feeding to satisfy his insatiable appetite. Our kid can eat. And eat. And eat some more. There isn't a single thing he won't eat. I can't think of a time when he hasn't shouted for more at the end of a meal. Public outings with Calum are the highlight of his life. Not satisfied with the undying attention he gets at home, he views these as his chance to get as many grannies as possible to look his way, tell him how cute he is and etc. In fact, he doesn't even discriminate anymore-he will even try to get attention from teenage boys and the like which is pretty embarrassing for all parties involved (except Calum of course).

One thing Calum might just love more than attention is books. Better than any toy, books will keep him entertained for ages. Thank you a million times over Auntie Tara for starting our collection, we have read each of your books about a thousand times and it's even gotten so bad that I have memorised the words to Guess How Much I Love You which could be viewed as sweet and pathetic at the same time. Calum also loves his Daddy, lots. I knew Mark would be a great Dad, but I don't know if I could have ever expected just how much fun these two have-it's like they have their own little world sometimes and I am just lucky to be standing outside looking in. Next to Dad Calum also especially loves his cousins Max & Holly. When the three of them get together as of late, they all really play and he could spend ages just watching these two goofballs and trying to be part of the action.

Really we have been blessed with an amazingly good baby. Since about month 3 he has slept through just about every night from about 8-8. He naps religiously 3 hours a day. While I was worried he didn't start crawling until earlier this month, he blessed me with 11+ months of not having to run around after him and prevent him from turning on the surround sound at full blast or taking all the pans out from under the oven. 99% of the time he is a happy baby and he loves being around people. He will go to anyone happily. He loves the creche at the gym which has allowed me to almost get back to pre-baby body which is saying a lot considering I gained about 70 lbs.!

Calum has just been the most amazing, special addition to our lives. He's been more than I ever could have hoped or imagined and I can't wait each day to go in to his room and see that beaming smile of his and where this day will take us, what new thing he will learn or help me learn. Happy birthday to my gorgeous cheeky little boy, we love you!

Our 1 year stats:

Height: 75.5 cm / 2ft 5.7 in (49th percentile)
Weight: 12 kg / 26.5 lbs (96th percentile)
Head circumference: 49 cm / 19.3 in (91st percentile)

Loved what Meghan did and thought I would share a few pics from the last 12 mos. Wish us safe travels! x

Almost 1!
11 months
10 months (notice Guess How Much I Love You in the background?)
9 mos
8 mos
7 mos and looking really grown up!
6 mos-he will never forgive me for this costume!
5 mos

4 mos
3 mos, on my birthday
2 mos
5 weeks

Calum's First Haircut

2010-04-12T09:14:00.000+01:00

Somehow I thought we might be able to prolong Calum's first haircut until after his first birthday, but lately his shaggy dog look was getting far too shaggy and before Mark got tempted to cut it himself (which he actually did when Calum was about 3 mos old resulting in him looking like Chucky for a good few weeks), we took Calum to the closest kid salon we could find which was a good 30 minutes away but totally worth the drive (for anyone reading here in the U.K. it's called Echo in West Wickham and they are great!). I guess when you can only charge £5 for a cut it's not a very hot market.

Pre haircut, Shaggy-style

Anyway, it was awesome-he got to sit in this cute little tractor seat and in front of him next to the mirror was a flat screen t.v. playing Peppa Pig (a kiddie favourite here in the U.K.). Calum didn't cry once and actually seemed to love it, not surprising considering the attention he was getting from the hairdresser and the family who came in for the appointment after ours. I'm still getting used to the results, and the fact that he's growing up so fast that I can barely keep up.

Post haircut showing off for the girls who were next

Tooth number two is making it's appearance, this time it's the one on top just above his one that's come in on the bottom so looks like we're going to have a baby jack o'lantern on our hands until the other two front teeth catch up.

Calum has also perfected his crawling technique over the last week or so which has resulted in me running around after him and hopefully losing those last few pounds of baby weight (a year later!). Just in time for our trip next week to Cyprus where we will celebrate Calum's 1st.

Hope you all have a great week x

The latest

2010-04-06T11:39:00.000+01:00

After what was a long 4 day weekend here in the UK, life today seems to be getting almost back to normal. Friday I went shopping and to lunch with a friend and capped off the night with a family dinner for Max's birthday. The following day we helped Tracey and her boyfriend Richard move into their new house and Sunday we spent the day with family for Easter. Easter morning was a treat, my Mom sent a HUGE box of American candy and a few bits for Calum who actually seemed to really love the Easter pail the most! Poor Calum has come down with a cold again and wasn't really able to get as much sleep as he probably needed due to us being out and about. As I write this he is snoring away peacefully in his room which is pure bliss to my ears!

Tracey and Richard in their new house, Tracey is 30 wks pregnant.

It's weekends like these that I am reminded just what a good baby we have. He rarely cries and even though at times this weekend he looked drunk he was so exhausted, he keeps powering on and always has a smile on his little face. Due to exhaustion and a stuffy nose/cough he woke up once or twice both Friday and Saturday night which is a rarity for him. I know personally when I hear that cry come over the baby monitor I always wake up with a shock followed by a little groan in the back of my mind wondering how long I'm going to be up and how we're going to remedy the situation. Whilst I was exhausted I had to remind myself that this is normal baby stuff that we've thankfully be spared from most of the time. I'm convinced our next baby is never going to sleep and be a big handful!
Most of you know I was a little concerned as Calum (who will be 1 in 2.5 wks) hadn't started crawling yet. On Friday night when we got home I put him down to unpack our stuff he started crawling! After months of trying to lure him with the remote, cell phone and etc. he surprised us by going for it when there was nothing exciting in sight and when he was totally knackered. Of course since then I've been wishing he could go back to not crawling because now he is into everything! Calum's first tooth also made an appearance last week so slowly but surely he is catching up and amazes me at how much he is learning and changing everyday. With his 1st birthday approaching I thought I might be a little sad but how could I be when I have so much to look forward to with him?

Showing off his new crawling skills-he favours the crab walk!
Calum with his favourite, his rocking horse from Grandma. He can rock on his own now! Not sure what Mark has done to his hair in this pic

Max's 7th Birthday Party

2010-03-24T10:01:00.001Z

Sunday was our nephew Max's 7th birthday party and wow, what an experience. All I can say is that I'm going to try and enjoy these next few years of quiet as much as possible-who knew 7 year olds were so nuts?! Max's "real" birthday isn't until April 2, he and his family were meant to be in Thailand but had to cancel their trip as my brother in law has had an absolute nightmare with having his tonsils out and 3 surgeries later has been told he can't fly. Anyway, the party theme was camo/army and whilst it was a little crazy, Calum had a great time hanging out with the kids and getting lots of attention from the family.

I just can't believe Max is going to be 7, when I first met him he was 3 and it seems like in the blink of an eye he's grown up into a proper boy. Calum already adores him and I know as he gets older will probably idolise him and be Max's little shadow. At first I think Max had a bit of a hard time adjusting to not being the baby of the family anymore but over the past few months he's really seemed to grow on the idea of being the older and more wise cousin and has been really sweet with Calum-helping feed him, always making sure he has his little comfort muslin and playing with him when he comes over.

Most exciting is that Calum & Max won't be the only boys of the family..... Tracey (Mark's sister) told us last week she's having a boy! Her baby is due in June so there will be just over a year between her son and Calum so he gets to have not one but two boys to grow up with! Can't wait x

Calum & Mom
Hanging out with Max and the other kids
Max playing with Calum
Calum with Holly and Uncle Paul

New begining, a milestone and an ending, too

2010-03-18T11:06:00.001Z

What a week it's been! To start the week one of my dearest friends welcomed a beautiful daughter into the world; Lorelei Ann Shepherd was born to Andy & Leah on Monday the 15th weighing in at 6 lbs 4 0z-a gorgeous little mini me just like her Mom. Anyone that knows Andy & Leah know that these two are going to make amazing parents and I just can't believe I have to wait 4 more months to meet her.

Lovely Leah pre-Lorelei
Lorelei

Another milestone this week is Westyn's 1st birthday which is today, March 18th. I know Ashley & Troy have a special little party planned and again, wish more then anything that we could help celebrate. As I mentioned to Ashley earlier this week, it's unbelievable how fast a year goes by and just unfathomable how much our lives have been touched by these little miracles. Happy Birthday, Westyn-may all of your wishes come true!

Calum & Westyn playing footsie back in October

Lastly after almost 6 years working for Greythorn/EMR/The FiveTen Group, I handed in my resignation. It was a hard decision to make but one that I don't regret. My time with them gave me some amazing opportunities which included an unforgettable trip to Dubai 4 years ago where I would meet my husband and the opportunity to transfer to London and fulfill a lifelong dream of living abroad. Unfortunately this chapter of my life isn't quite over so wish me luck.

Daddy's boy

2010-03-11T11:12:00.000Z

It's no secret around here that Calum is a "Daddy's boy". Despite me spending 24/7 with him while Mark is at work M-F, Calum and Mark have formed a bond that old Mom just can't compete with. I have to say, it's lovely to watch and touching as I know Mark and Calum are going to continue to be close for the rest of their lives which is something Mark didn't get to have with his own Dad who died of a heart attack when Mark was 12. This video shows just what sort of reception Dad gets when he comes home from work. Have a great week x

Buh Bye.....

2010-03-02T14:47:00.000Z

Rehydrating/double fisting it after a weekend with no food or milk...

The past week or so has been a stressful one, Calum has been really sick. What started a couple of weeks ago as sniffles progressed into a smokers hack accompanied by fevers of up to 104 degrees over the weekend. As of today, it seems we've finally turned the corner and are on our way to having our baby back. In addition to worrying, it's been awful not even seeing a glimmer of a smile or that shine he usually has in his eyes.

Sick baby on the couch watching Baby Einstein

Somehow last week Calum finally learned to wave bye bye (since December we've been waving like lunatics and getting nothing but a smile in return). It's pretty cute, he can't seem to figure out how to do it with just one hand so as with everything else, he does it double. That's my boy! Video below since I can't figure out how to post it here...

Last week we went for a much needed walk with one of my friends and Calum went on the swings for the first time, he loved it! We have also found out that Calum loves ice cream-since he's refused to eat much of anything over the past few days we gave him a bite out of desperation (okay, maybe more like a few bites!). Must remember all that he had whilst in the womb ;)! Otherwise we've just been getting by and I've just been trying to not go insane stuck at home. Hopefully the gorgeous weather we're having will continue so Calum and I can enjoy it later in the week x

Calum on the swings

Calum and his friend Maggie-funny when I took him back by himself he just didn't seem to enjoy the swings nearly as much. Baby love!

My first shoes

2010-02-21T08:05:00.000Z

Yesterday Calum reached two new milestones; he got his first pair of "real" shoes and a new car seat that faces forward. To anyone who doesn't have kids, this probably doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but to a Mom with her first child these steps are further steps away from your child being a baby and becoming a toddler.

We got Calum's shoes from a store called Clarks. Whilst they aren't nearly as cute as the Nikes we got him in Seattle or the Converse my Aunt & Uncle got him before he was born, they are special shoes designed for walking and crawling which in the first day seemed to have already helped him stand more flat rather than on his toes. As part of the first shoes purchase, the people at the store measure the babies' foot and take a picture of him in his new shoes which is entered in a drawing to win £300 worth of kids shoes (which is probably only a fraction of what we will spend eventually!).

I'm pretty excited about the car seat, we don't pick it up until Thursday, but it's going to be so great to be able to see what he is doing now. On Friday I drove into Southwest London to meet a friend for lunch and on the hour or so drive it was impossible to know if he had slept or not. I also think he's going to love being able to see things from a different perspective. Eventually he will also be able to take advantage of watching t.v., Mark was so insistent about buying a car with those t.v. screens in the back and we have only ever used them once in the two years we have had the car!

Today I am off to a Baby Show with Mark's sister Tracey who is due in June, should be fun. Last Tuesday we officially exchanged on our new house which means it's almost as good as ours! We don't move until May 28th, but with all we need to do and buy between now and then, I think that's actually going to be just right. Last Saturday my Grandpa Britton passed away, this week is his funeral in Polson, MT. I am really sad I can't make it but am so glad that Mark and I made the visit out there in October to see him. He was a big part of my life when I was younger and is probably very happy now that he is with my Grandma again and able to play golf. Life is precious and far too short, so enjoy it. Have a great week x

New moves

2010-02-08T19:44:00.001Z

The past few weeks have been really entertaining and a tiny bit heart breaking watching Calum try to learn how to crawl. Due to some massive thighs he just hasn't been able to get from sitting onto his tummy until just a couple of days ago. Now all he wants to do is go from sitting to his tummy although when he finally gets to his tummy he gets frustrated because he can't move forward (which isn't usually helped by us trying to lure him with the remote control or mobile phone as bait!). Anyway, it's pretty cute to see how proud he is when he gets down onto his tummy and for now I'm grateful he isn't crawling.

On Tuesday we went to see his health care visitor (nurse) who is referring us to a pediatrician as Calum is still in the top of his age group for weight (98th percentile at 25lbs 9oz), apparently they just want to make sure there isn't anything wrong as he seems to be eating a normal amount of food and having the right amount of milk. The pediatrician will also look at his flat as a pancake head and check out some concerns with his hips. We've also been referred to a physio therapist as Calum isn't anywhere closer to getting off his tip toes when standing and the nurse thinks this might hinder him trying to stand and eventually walk. Just when I thought everything was okay with Calum, everything seems to be wrong!

Mark and I went on a much needed date on Saturday-somehow I convinced him to take me to Up in the Air followed by Thai at a new place near our house, it was fantastic! Will have to make up for our lack of Valentine's Day plans which I think will probably be a trend for the next 10-15 years or so since it will be pretty hard to find anyone who wants to stay at home and watch kids on that night! Fingers crossed, we should exchange this week on our house-it's been a looooooooong time coming but once it's been done we enter into a contractual agreement and it's almost ours.

Wish us luck and have a great weekend! x

Bruiser

2010-01-24T14:52:00.000Z

On Thursday Calum had his 8 month check up which was a little delayed due to all the snow we've been having lately (worst winter in decades, aren't I lucky?!). Before we went I was genuinely thinking that Calum had slimmed down a bit but it turns out I was wrong. Our little boy isn't so little! His stats are:

Weight: 25 lbs 8 oz (99th percentile)
Length: 73.5 cm (75th percentile)
Head circumference: 49.1 cm (99th percentile)

So as the nurse nicely put it, his weight and head size are proportionate with each other but his height isn't.... Basically, our kid is a touch taller than average (not sure how this happened!) but is overweight and has a massive head! Oh, and as if this wasn't enough we have been told that he is no longer to go in the Jumperoo (Mom's lifesaver and his favourite toy of all) because he's spent so much time in it that his calve muscles might not have formed right which is why he only stands on his tippy toes and not flat like he should be to help for walking later on. He might even need physio to fix the problem! Oh, and his hips might be out of line a bit as when he was laid on his tummy the rolls in his bum cheeks weren't symmetrical!

To cap off a great appointment Calum decided to bash his head on the nurses' desk causing her to run off for a cold compress, me to look like a bad Mom and Calum to get his first ever bruise smack dab in the middle of his forehead (as kind of seen in the photo above). Looks like our little boy is going to be quite the bruiser, literally!

Happy 9 mos today to my cheeky little monkey. To celebrate he kept us up from midnight until 3 a.m. last night. Like Daddy, he knows how to party like a rock star. Happy Sunday!

Change

2010-01-20T10:32:00.000Z

I've been a bad blogger lately. The past few weeks have been a period of change for our little family, it just seems like everything is happening at once with Mark's job, my job, our London flat and our new house. The only constant in our life these days seems to be Calum. He's such an easy going baby that he seems to just roll along with the punches whilst making us laugh along the way.

One thing is for sure, he is a cheeky little monkey. When looking through pics to post from this past month it was hard to find any where he wasn't doing his new pose or flapping his arms around with excitement. He's even got a few different grins and has started to learn how to make us laugh-most often by splashing water on us from his cup. Taking Calum out for dinner has started to become a little embarrassing.

Yesterday Calum and I went to baby movie (Sherlock Holmes) and another Mom and her baby, a boy a little older than Calum, sat down next to us. Calum spent almost the entire movie staring at the little boy and squawking at him. It's not uncommon for Calum to scare his friends in our baby group by shrieking at the top of his lungs, reducing them to tears. Let's just hope this is a phase and doesn't last!

At Nana's house last week Calum started backwards crawling. He hasn't perfected it at home quite yet but he's certainly giving it all he's got. With that nicely padded little bottom of his he's also become a great little butt crawler, able to get anything just slightly out of reach. At Mass on Sunday he entertained everyone in the back 10 rows of pews with his constant raspberry blowing. It's now getting embarrassing to bring Calum to church!

Never the less, our little comedian and attention seeker makes these sometimes difficult and stressful days all worthwhile. After all, we're doing it all for him now, aren't we?

On the subject of change, I wanted to post these two pics below. Other Moms probably know the tinge of sadness you get when you realise your baby has grown out of a certain stage of clothing (not because you have to put them away but because they are getting bigger and you can't make them stop!). Somewhat miraculously I was able to squeeze Calum into a 3-6 month shirt I had taken photos of him in back in September. I can't believe the change in him! He's like Benjamin Button-getting better with age, not so chubby and with more hair!

Jan.18, 2010-Almost 9 mos
Sept. 11, 2009-4 and a half mos
The happiest moment of my day, going into Calum's crib in the morning
Playing the water splash game (see the snow outside?! SO glad it's gone!)
Doing the arm flap after his bath. There is a matching top to these pjs but unfortunately Calum's forearms are too big to stuff into it!

Sightseeing

2010-01-07T08:30:00.000Z

Just before Christmas my Mom came to visit, her second time to see me since I moved to London in June 2006. The last time she came I was 3 mos pregnant so running around London (and Paris) was a bit exhausting and we probably didn't get to do as much as we wanted. This time things were different because we had Calum and no longer live in the middle of the city. Never the less, we saw a lot in time she was here and it was so nice to have her.

The first night my Mom was here we got snow, a pretty rare occurrence where we live. It was so pretty and really Christmas-y but didn't do us any favors in terms of being able to get out and about. The snow stayed for most of her visit and with the BA strike we weren't really sure if she would be able to make it home, but all worked out in the end. We spent a few days in London, going to Notting Hill/Portabello Road market, walking the Thames and having lunch at our favorite little place-Brown's on Shad Thames, seeing Buckingham Palace (a first for me!) in the FREEZING cold, shopping Harrod's and seeing the world famous Selfridge's Christmas windows, having dinner at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants and spending a day in Canterbury where we saw the amazing Canterbury Cathderal.

Even after more then three and a half years of living here, I'm still amazed at all of the things there are still for me to see and do. There is so much history here that I don't think I will ever again be impressed with the history of things in America. The Canterbury Cathedral was founded in 602!

Before my Mom left (on the 23rd) we had our first Christmas where we were spoiled for presents. My Mom even managed to buy things Mark like which is next to impossible since he is notoriously hard to buy for! It was a great way to start the holiday and I'm really looking forward to Christmas in Seattle next year.

(My Mom wasn't included in the pics below by her request!).

London Bridge at night
View of the city from the Thames
Freezing at Notting Hill
Canterbury Cathedral
Inside the cathedral
Inside the cathedral, from 1679!

Calum's 1st Christmas

2009-12-28T11:33:00.000Z

With over two busy weeks to cover, I don't even know where to start! Here are a few highlights:

*My Mom was here to visit from Dec 16th-23rd. Despite not knowing if she would be able to get home due to planned BA strikes, all worked out and it was SO nice to have her. Every day we were busy being tourists and celebrating Christmas early. I will post pics in my next post.

*We had snow! The night of Dec. 17th we had about 8 inches of snow, Calum's first. It made everything seem more Christmas-y and was nice for my Mom to see. Things pretty much resumed as normal thanks to the awesome bus, train and tube network so we were able to go about all the things we had planned with a beautiful backdrop. Nothing beats Xmas shopping on Oxford Street with big snowflakes falling!

All bundled up

Checking out the snow

*We took Calum to see Santa. Here in the UK Santa lives in a grotto so the backdrop is a little different then what I am used to at home. I have to say, it was a bit of a let down since all we did was plop Calum in Santa's lap, have the picture taken and leave. Calum didn't cry though, Santa said he was the only baby that day who didn't!

Getting ready to go see Santa (and not too happy about the reindeer sweater!)

*Ever the attention seeker, Calum has realised that being in front of the camera is his time to shine. This is great since most of his pictures from the last month or two show him with a doe in the headlights look, mouth opened.

Posing for the camera

*Christmas dinner at our house with the Verghese family went off without a hitch or any family arguments! It was nice to have it in our house but even nicer to go to Mark's Mum's and Paul and Rachel's for Boxing Day and have a bit of a break!

Boxing Day

*Calum got spoiled rotten! I think the highlight was the rocking horse my Mom got him, but he also got some really great toys from the rest of the family. Our house now looks like a daycare but Calum is happy and has lots to entertain him and keep him busy.

Checking out one of his new toys

First time on his new rocking horse

*Mark is off work until January 4th so we have lots more time together before life goes back to normal. Here in the UK most businesses close from Christmas Eve until after the New Year which is sooo nice. Come January things are going to be busy, I've got a meeting with my MD on the 13th to talk about going back to my old job in London and have some serious decisions to make. Either way I'm going to be working again soon so I'm going to cherish every minute I have with Calum before I have to go back.

Christmas was just so special this year with Calum, I really look forward to seeing him as he gets older when he can understand a bit more about what's going on. I think more than ever this holiday made me realise how much our little threesome means to me and how lucky we are to have each other. Take away all of the gifts and we have something more special then any amount of money in the world can buy. Hope you all had a great holiday x

Sneaking up on us...

2009-12-15T10:52:00.000Z

That's exactly what Christmas has done this year, it's snuck up on us and I feel far from ready! Tomorrow if all goes to plan (British Airways has announced a massive cabin crew strike), my Mom arrives to stay with us for a week before we host Christmas dinner for Mark's family and then celebrate Boxing Day. The week with my Mom is going to fly by, I've got lots planned and can't wait to show her London at Christmas, it's truly magical.

In the two weeks (!) since I last blogged we've had some good news... The offer on our house has been accepted and if all goes to plan we should be moving late March. Of course there is still so much that can happen between now and then, I'm trying desperately not to get my hopes up-the house just feels right and every day I imagine what it will be like living there.

We managed to make it to mass last Sunday and went to London to visit Mark's Dad's grave, the 13th marked 22 years since he passed away. I think he would be so proud of his family, it was nice to have us all there and to see how it's growing. Mark's sister Tracey will probably be okay with me sharing the news that she's 14 weeks pregnant. She's looking great and Calum is going to be lucky to have a little cousin so close in age.

Speaking of Calum, what a little charachter he has turned into the past couple of weeks. He is a very loud and boisterous little boy, he is constantly vocalising how he is feeling and has given me a fair few headaches screaming at the top of his lungs. His desire to be the center of attention has only gotten stronger and he now gets excited at the prospect of going out I think purely for the opportunity to make more friends with strangers we meet out and about. He also seems to love the cold weather (9:2 odds of a white Christmas in London!) and gets excited when the wind blows when we go outside, its pretty cute and I'm just loving the stage he's at now-I wish I could freeze time and he could stay like this a little longer.

Here are a few photos from Calum's 8 mo pics (we had them done a little early, he's not 8 mos until Christmas Eve). Have a great week x

Christmas comes early

2009-12-01T10:38:00.000Z

Even before Calum was born Mark and I told ourselves that we weren't going to spoil him. Who were we kidding?! This past weekend we went Christmas shopping for Calum (which was about as much fun as Christmas itself) and what did we do?! We spoiled him rotten!

Calum was 7 months old last week so he's just at that age where he's having fun with toys which makes him easy to buy for. The first gift we bought was an AquaPod since he's kind of outgrown his baby bath seat. We thought we should use this now since he's really been wanting to sit up in the bath and play with his toys. He LOVED it!

We also got Calum this inflatable support chair which is perfect for him right now since all he wants to do is sit up. He's had a few accidents on the hard wood floors in the kitchen so this has already been a great toy for him and would have been a shame to leave wrapped until X-mas. Besides, Mark and I told ourselves it's not like he's going to know how many presents he actually got on X-mas, right?!

Last but not least we got Calum a ridiculous onesie sweater with reindeer on it to wear on X-mas, watch this space for funny photos of him in it. Poor baby!

Otherwise we've just been getting into the spirit and preparing for my Mom's visit in two weeks. Last weekend Mark and I went on a much needed date; we went to see New Moon and Mark almost died when he realised he was one of only about three guys in the entire (packed) theatre. It only got worse when the girls screamed every time Jacob appeared on screen with no top on!

This weekend we're going to get our tree, take Calum to see Santa and then on Sunday we're going to this food show that we went to last year with Paul and Rachel where we got to meet Gordon Ramsay. This week we sit on pins and needles waiting to find out if our offer will be accepted on this house: http://www.savills.co.uk/residentialsearch/propertydetail.aspx?pID=265209. Wish us luck and have a great week!

Me (preggo) last year with Gordon

Count Dracula

2009-11-21T12:33:00.000Z

I just bought this from Amazon:

Poor little Calum was born with not one but two cow licks at the front of his hair line, giving him what is commonly known as a "widows peak"; more or less Count Dracula hair. The massive amounts of fuzzy blond hair that he's grown over the past couple of months on his not so small noggin hasn't really helped matters.

Just in time for his X-mas photos next week, we thought we would buy him some baby gel to help tame the mane. Yes, if we were at all worried about his slightly gay tendencies, this is certainly going to help push him into at least metrosexuality at the tender age of 7 mos. Oh well, at least he will take after his Dad ;).

What are you trying to say about my hair, Mom?

Welcome to heaven, Calum!

2009-11-15T19:44:00.000Z

Today was Calum's Christening, something which was probably a bit overdue since in the Catholic faith the belief is that if a baby isn't Christened they still have the devil inside of them and if they die without being Christened, they won't go to heaven. We're a bit behind schedule because we weren't really sure if we were going to be able to do it in the fairly strict Catholic church over here since I'm not Catholic, but lucky for us the Father at our new church is a fairly understanding one (saves us a trip to Ireland where they are a bit more relaxed!).

Lucky for us (or not so lucky!), today was the full Roman mass which meant much of the mass before the Christening was in Latin and I couldn't understand anything that was going on. Regardless, it's still been interesting learning about Mark's upbringing since he was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school until he was 16. The Christening ceremony itself was quite touching in that it recognises the importance of godparents and the impact they have on the baby's life (both spiritual and practical) moving forward. Paul and Rachel along with Tracey are Calum's godparents, I think he's pretty lucky to have them and already they have given him lots of love and support and will continue to do so for the rest of his life.

In addition to introducing Calum to something which is important to Mark, and to our local community, we are also potentially helping Calum with his education as some of the best schools in England are the Catholic schools and even at such a young age you really have to start thinking about things like this due to the massive over crowding in England's schools. Of course there is that bit of me who hopes that by the time Calum is of school age we won't be in England anymore, but none the less best to have a back up plan I guess!

Have a great week x

Calum with his godparents

My little Oliver Twist

Looking like a rapper with his new bling, a cross necklace Paul & Rachel brought back from Egypt

Max asleep on the pews, the church was built in 1853 for Napolean the III's funeral and these are the original pews!

Growing up....

2009-11-09T09:42:00.000Z

As I write this post Calum is blissfully sleeping in his crib ("cot").... Not a big deal for most babies but this is the first time he's slept in his room for his naps since he was a little baby and I have to say, why haven't I been doing this all along?! This morning I was able to bang around downstairs doing laundry and getting ready and I didn't have to tip toe around like usual. Most importantly, I don't have to worry about him rolling off the couch (where he normally sleeps for naps) now that he rolls. When I put him down he was asleep within minutes although it helped that he had his little comforter with him, a muslin which he has taken to sleeping with which is probably not a great thing but keeps him asleep every night and allows him to put himself to sleep rather then a pacifier or feed.

Looking like a little boy in his crib

Yes, Calum has been a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to being active which probably isn't much of a surprise considering his size (20lbs 15oz when he was last weighed on 10/22). He didn't start rolling over until he was almost to the 6 month mark and only last week figured out how to roll back to his back, doing a full 360 (although he can't always remember how to get back onto his back and I still have to "rescue" him about 50% of the time). Now when we put him on the floor to play he loves to roll all over the place and has progressed to being able to get to toys that are out of his reach. I'm not sure if he will crawl or walk first but it's fun to see him learning new things and being more active.

We've really made some progression on eating solids and he's now eating two meals a day which has been messy to say the least but fun for us both trying new things. The books say that by the end of this month he should be on 3 meals a day and 3 bottles a day which seems like such a change. Weaning has been a confusing thing for me, and I'm still not quite sure if I'm feeding Calum too much but I guess we will just keep learning as we go.

Loving banana in his "Nuby"

It just seems like Calum is growing up really fast now, that he's more of a little person and less of a baby. He's got a distinct, boisterous personality that keeps us entertained and for the most part is still pretty easy going and cries very infrequently. Now that he's growing up I find myself growing up too, and really thinking more about getting out and doing more things for me. Mark and I have agreed that I'm going to go back to work in a part time capacity in January and this week I'm going out with some girlfriends (minus Mark) in London for the first time since WAY before Calum was born.

We've got a busy week capped off with Calum's Christening on Sunday, should be fun! x