Back online...

We have had a few technical problems, so haven't posted for a week or so. While we were off-line Kitty has been getting up to all sorts........

She had a trip to London to see cousin Olive and help us pick up the lovely old wood burner we bought on ebay.

Kitty with dad at the services on the way down.

I love the wood burner and hopefully it will warm up the front room this winter. Should be good for drying nappies too.

It has a pretty flower pattern on the enamel which is repeated on the hot plate.

We also had a trip to Clitheroe to check out the shops and the textile exhibition at the Platform Gallery. Kitty got a new picture book from a charity shop and I got some nice chocolate from the new chocolatier - Coco Moyo .






















Kitty was very interested in all the nice shops. Me too!

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Textiles open exhibition was pretty good, though we didn't stay long as Kitty got a bit hungry. I really liked these 'hanging pockets' by Ellie Evans. I might have a go at making one - to keep hankies, hair grips, bubble-gum and whatnot.

Both sets of grandparents came to visit over the weekend. Mama and Grandad Simpson on Saturday - bringing with them a massive new kennel for the dogs.

Grandma and Grandad Pih and Darren, Nicky and Ben on Sunday - bringing with them still more presents for Kitty, from their recent holiday and from other friends and family.

Ben gave Kitty a cute rattle, which she really likes.

Since Kitty can't go to the pool yet, we have started swimming in the bath. This is currently her favourite activity. She likes the water nice and deep so she can float. I think by the time she actually gets to the pool she'll be swimming already!

Today it's pouring with rain, so we stayed in and played. We have been following some of the activities in the Dr Miriam Stoppard book, Baby's first skills. It's got some good ideas of games for us to play and Kitty is getting to know some of the activities now and gets excited when she recognises her favourites.

Music lesson

Tonight Kitty had her first music lesson. She gave her xylophone a good old bashing. She also managed to look remarkably like Patrick Moore.

Baby massage

This morning Kitty and I went along to baby massage class. I was told that she would cry the first few times, but then she should get used to it. As the music started and 30 mums started oiling up 30 babies, the cries and screams started around the room but Kitty just smiled. Twenty minutes in, and about half the babies were crying, the other half were either pooping all over the place or being rushed off to one side for milk. Kitty just lay happy in the nip, looking around, wondering what all the fuss was about and enjoying her massage. The other mums were amazed.






















She looked real sweet today too, as last night I finished making a new little crawler dress for her. It's made from some pretty cotton lawn fabric leftover from some cushions I made. I got it from a great shop in Skipton called The Fent Shop.

















I added a little 'Made in England' label to the back.

I also finished a little pair of linen trousers. The pattern was from my new Japanese sewing book. I wasn't sure what size Japanese 75 was and they have turned out a little big, but at the rate Kitty is growing she'll be in them by the end of next week!



















We made the most of the sunny weather and spent the rest of the day outside with the animals.

Eugine loves to sunbathe.





















Bert got a bit hot.

Kitty wasn't too keen on wearing the little sun hat that mama Simpson got her.

Dolly on the wall.

Ganu enjoying the sunshine too.

With the dry weather, I took the opportunity to fix the goat's fence. Kitty wasn't happy watching on from the bank, so we braved the long grass and she came and sat by me in the field for a couple of hours.

Kitty listening to The Archers.

Happy baby

Over the last week Kitty has become much more vocal. She has started cooing and oohing and even shouting at times as well as the usual grunts, groans and cries. She is smiling a lot and almost laughing at times.

She especially likes it when you make faces at her and the purple meowing kitty on her gym is guaranteed to make her chuckle.

Sunday shopping

Kitty likes going to the supermarket as she gets to ride around on the trolley. She wasn't very impressed with the selection of potatoes on offer today........

......but she thought the cakes looked good.

She has been kicking off her blanket at night, so we decided to get her a sleeping bag. It's a Purflo Sleepsac made from environmentally/baby friendly bamboo and has some good reviews. She seems to like it so far, but I'm not sure she'll want to stay in it all night.

This picture of her in the sleepsac makes her look kinda spooky, like a victorian ghost baby or something.

A long weekend

This weekend I went home to Derbyshire to visit the Simpson's as it was my dads birthday. I was only planning to stay one night, but because of the bad weather it ended up being two. We missed Peahead lots, but had a nice time.

Kitty helped dad blow out his birthday candles.























She visited great mama Kitty a couple of times.























Great mama has grown some really pretty flowers.










































Kitty, my mum and I went for a walk around Codnor Park. The Goodwin's who live at the top of the hill have made a little seating area on the edge of their land so walkers can stop, rest and admire the view. There are plants, a local information board and a bowl of water for dogs. It's called Sharon's Corner in memory of their pet Sharon the sheep that was poisoned by idiots who threw their dog poop bags over the fence. Hopefully, while those same idiots are enjoying the Goodwin's generosity and resting at Sharon's Corner they will take note of the sign and in future, use the bin that has also been provided.

















Peahead did a good job of looking after the goats while we were away, but they are sick of the rain. They must have been bored as they have started a new hole in their shed........

















.......to match the two they already did.






















I feel sorry for them as their pen is like a mud bath and they hate it. We really need a couple of weeks of dry weather to sort this out before winter.


















They enjoyed all the left over cabbage that great mama sent for them from her garden.























I have completely neglected my greenhouse this year as I thought the watering would be too much while I was pregnant. I noticed today that in my absence, Max the stray cat has moved in.

Bath time

Kitty really loves bath time. She like to kick and splash and float around. I think she'll be a good swimmer someday.

Getting active

Over the last few days I have noticed Kitty becoming more interested in her toys and keen to look at and touch things. So, we used some vouchers that a kind neighbour gave her to buy a really nice baby gym. It is really brightly coloured and has lots of things for her to pull and bash. When we put her on it, she went mad whacking and kicking all the dangly things and growling at herself in the mirror. I think this means she likes it!

Today she wore her elephant dress that peahead picked for her in Manchester and her funky new stripey tights.

Out in the sunshine

Today we finally got about half an hour of sunshine, so we sat outside for a while. Kitty met Johnny, one of our neighbours for the first time and Rosie, another neighbour took her for a walk to the pub and back. She seemed to enjoy it!

The day got even more exciting when the mobile library visited. We hopped on board, got ourselves a library card and a couple of books. Pete, the mobile library driver/librarian was very taken with Kitty. There weren't many books for Kitty, but she seems happy with the copy of Delia's Vegetarian Collection that I got. I quite like it too.