Fun in the snow

Lots of fresh snow fell over East Anglia over Thursday and Friday nights. Then we had lovely sunny days over the weekend. Natalie loved going out in the snow and we had three walks around the village over the weekend.

Natalie is her snow suit. We are really glad she still fits in it for a second Winter!

Natalie's first snowball!

Natalie discovers a snow angel

First Trip in Our Canoe

We took our newly purchased 2nd hand canoe out on the river for the first time this weekend. We picked up the canoe a couple of weeks ago, but it has taken until now to get buoyancy aids for Natalie and Mum, and to sort out a river permit for the canoe. It is a large Canadian open canoe, suitable for three adults. So Natalie had plenty of room to roam about inside. After a quick test with just Dad on board, we loaded up the canoe and put Natalie in the front with Mum. Natalie was a little uncertain at first, and kept falling over as she tried to walk about. But once we had got her sitting comfortably we set off up the river, and she delighted in seeing everything. Boats, ducks, Swans with cygnets and lots of different dragonflies and damsel flies.

Natalie sat happily on the seat with Mum.

We paddled off up the river, and after a while Natalie looked very tired and soon dropped off the sleep. We lay her down in the boat and paddled on. We were making great progress, and after an hour or so Natalie woke up and had some lunch. In fact she ate really well. Mum remarked that we should always try feeding her in a canoe if she ate that well. She is playing up a lot at meal times at the moment!

Natalie slept for over an hour as we paddled along

She will sleep anywhere when she wants to!

We decided to turn around after 2.5 hours of slowly paddling down river. This had mainly been against a gentle breeze, so in fact going back up stream was quite a bit easier. Natalie had got quite confident in the boat by now, and was coming to the back to see Dad, and then going back up the front to try and squeeze onto Mum's seat with Mum. This made paddling a little difficult! Then she discovered she could just about reach the water with her hands if she dangled them over the side. She loved that, squealing with delight as her hands got wet. At this point she suddenly leant a bit too far over the edge, pivoted on her life jacket on the side of the canoe and plunged head first into the river! At least we now know her life jacket works properly. She bobbed up to the surface and it flipped her over onto her back very quickly. Dad was able to grab her as she floated past the back of the canoe and haul her back aboard! We changed her into some dry clothes, and within 10 minutes she was smiling again and trying her best to fall out again as she would not sit down. So she was not put off by the experience. Next time we will take two spare sets of clothes so we don't have to confine her to sitting for half the trip if she falls in again.

On the way back to where we launched, we met a cow who had fallen into the river and could not get back up onto the bank. The rest of the herd were all looking on concerned, and this poor cow was getting rather tired. We knew the bank was lower further along, so we spent a while gently herding the cow along the river to try and get her to safety. Then just short of the easy way out, the cow decided to swim across to the other side, and we had to pass her, come around and herd her back across. Mum was concerned the cow would try to climb onto the canoe and capsize us. But we eventually managed a successful cow rescue before the poor beast became too exhausted to get out. Quite an adventure for our first 'quick try' with the canoe!

Fellbrigg Hall

We had lots of fun looking round stately home gardens at Fellbrigg Hall.

Natalie found a big tree!


Running through the arches


Lost?

In the carrier with Mum.

A walk around Sherringham

On our holiday in Norfolk, we spent a day walking around Sherringham. Starting in the woods above the town, Natalie slept in the rucksack carrier for the first hour of the walk. So we were down in the town before she woke up. After lunch in a cafe we went down onto the beach to run around and splash in the sea. Then we walked along the coast and did a big loop back to the car.

Having lunch in a cafe

Descending onto the beach

Natalie loved being chased by Mum on the sand

Throwing stones in the water, a family tradition!

Paddling in the sea

We had an ice cream of course!

Above the trees at the top of a tower we found on our walk

On the beach at Weybourne

We spent a lovely week in Norfolk by the sea this month. Natalie loved every day of the holiday, and so did Mum and Dad. This is the first day we walked down to the beach from our holiday cottage.

Natalie was fascinated by the seaweed on the beach

You can wear it on your head

Or you can put it on Mummy's head!

She loves pebbles too, and picks them up everywhere we go

Natalie and the sea

Natalie has the Pox

Poor Natalie has caught the chicken pox. She came out in spots at the weekend, but did not seem too bothered by it until Sunday night. Now the spots have gone all itchy, and she has a temperature and sore throat as far as we can tell. She is very unhappy when we cover her in calamine lotion, but between bouts of feeling really rotten, she still runs up and down the garden squealing in delight at the cats and has been enjoying going out in the sunshine.

Poorly girl cuddling up to Mum on the sofa

She really is getting quite spotty now.

Natalie's First Steps!

Natalie walked unaided for the first time tonight! We captured this on video a few minutes after the first time she did it.

Davros, Destroyer of the Universe

Natalie Meets a Dragon!

We spent a lovely weekend with our friends Cheryl and Barney, and their son William who is only a month or so older than Natalie. During the day we went to a petting zoo where Natalie was fascinated by the dragons in the reptile house. The dragons were pretty interested in her too!

Natalie face to face with her first dragon

"Can I tickle it under the chin?"

Natalie is out of Hospital

To our huge relief, Natalie is back at home again after her operation, and looking so much happier. Here is a photo to prove it!

Operation and Hospital

I'm sure any parents reading this will understand why the blog has got a bit behind with us having a 6 month old to look after! The past few months have been lovely really, with Natalie starting to smile and babble. All captured on camera and video of course, but not yet uploaded onto the blog I'm afraid. Unfortunately hanging over us during this time has been the looming date for Natalie's operation to fix her cleft palate. Dad is writing this blog entry live from the hospital cafeteria, having come to visit Natalie and Mum after work today. Natalie went into surgery on Monday, and was under the surgeons knife for around 3 hours. Thankfully the operation appears to have gone as planned, but she is not allowed home for at least 3 days. So Mum has been staying with her in hospital, and Dad has been there as much of the time as he can fit around work (who have been very understanding and supportive).

The past couple of days following the operation have been really quite horrible for all of us as Natalie has been in a lot of pain, and not at all her usual self. She went into hospital her happy smiling bouncy self, but came round after the operation very unhappy indeed. It was 24 hours before she really opened her eyes properly again, and when she did it was only for a few minutes (but really lovely to see her look at us again). Now another day on and she actually managed a little smile when Dad arrived to visit her this evening. She has been taken off the strong pain killers today, so she is starting to wake up a bit more now (but fell asleep shortly after Dad got here this evening!).

So hopefully we will be allowed to bring her home tomorrow, and can start to get back to normal. Hopefully as we are resting over the coming long weekend Dad will catch up a bit with the blog!

Natalie's First Wedding

We took Natalie to her first wedding this weekend. It was very windy outside the church, and for some reason we did not get any pictures of her at the reception. But she really enjoyed meeting large crowds of people for the first time.

Natalie meets Matty, another recent addition to our caving club.

Natalie enjoying her first night in a B&B

In the Garden

Just a pleasant day at home in the garden.

Natalie and Mum enjoying the Spring sunshine

Natalie is nice and warm in her thick coat

Natalie likes to feel our faces at the moment

Bath Time

Natalie enjoys her baths, and usually manages to empty half the water out onto the living room floor!

April Fool

Some April fools day pictures of Natalie.

This is a rubber moulded seat which supports Natalie so she can sit up before she has the strength to support her own weight. She enjoys being sat up as you can see.

She also enjoys being in her comfy recliner of course!

She is already developing her computer skills.

Playing Aeroplanes

Natalie loves being whirled around

Playing aeroplanes with Dad

More messy eating, now we are moving on to solids

First time in the snow

While Dad was away caving in Spain over Easter, Natalie and Mum visited Nana and while they were there Natalie got her first experience of snow!

Natalie and Mum in the snow

She seems to be enjoying it

Cousin William playing with Natalie

Natalie is teething

Smiley Girl, Messy Chops

She can be a messy eater, but she enjoys it!

Happy Girl with Teddy Bear

Smiling on the sofa with one of her Teddy Bears

On the Malvern Hills

Spent a weekend visiting Grandma and Granddad, and took Natalie out walking on the Malvern Hills.

Dad, Mum, Natalie and Grandma out walking. Natalie is inside Mum's jacket.

Natalie on the hills

Reading Dad's magazine

Natalie with Grandma

Being fed by Dad

And by Mum too. Must be hungry!