I had always said that if I was going to start this website/ blog then I would keep it updated regularly. However I feel that I am not living up to that promise at the moment. So, I will apologise to all that regularly read this in an effort to keep up to date with Éowyn’s progress and obviously to enjoy the latest photos. I must try harder!
Thursday brought the year round to October, the month of Éowyn’s birth. This time last year, we were poised on the edge of parenthood not knowing what the future held, or indeed when the momentous day would occur. Éowyn was due on the 5th but as per ‘all good things’ she made us wait, but I will leave the reflections for another post.
Life has settled down into its usual pattern of my shift pattern after the excitement of the summer and so I have been able to enjoy being at home a little more. However, we never seem to rest on our laurels and try to fit things in on my days off and last weekend was no exception to that.
Last Friday we managed a second trip of the year to the cinema due to the generosity of Lucinda’s brother (Mike) and his baby-sitting skills. I am sure that Éowyn was aware that we wanted to go out for it took her a long time to settle herself to sleep. Nevertheless she dropped off and we managed to make it in time for the film we were hoping to see (District 9). This is by far the least number of cinema trips I have made in a year for more that 20 years. I have even been known to see more than two in a day on a number of occasions. We will be fitting at least one more trip in before the turn of the year since Lucinda is eager to see New Moon, the second of the Twilight series after being hooked on the books and I thought I was the geek of the family!
The next day we spent ambling about the home, taking it easy and just playing with Éowyn for we were heading down to Liphook in Hampshire for the evening. Hollycombe is a working steam museum and every September/ October they open into the evening (10pm) so that one can experience the steam fair at night. The greater Cathrall clan headed down there early and we cooked up a barbeque in the car park before heading in as the sun went down. The rides are in remarkable order considering they a close to 100 years old and it is interesting to imagine the wonder the Edwardians must have felt at these rides when they first saw them. It was also interesting to see how much the children were enjoying it and getting the thrills out of the rides even though they are veterans of Thorpe Park et al. It was great fun and Éowyn behaved impeccably, considering it was totally against her routine. We even took her on the carousel and she loved it, sitting there with a big grin on her face. At her usual time she fell asleep in her pushchair and hardly stirred despite the noise and lights of the fairground.
Sunday was a trip to Nanny Fran’s in West Bromwich. It was my sister Elizabeth’s birthday and so it was a good excuse to pay a visit. Also with Éowyn’s birthday around the corner it meant that Nanny Fran and Auntie Liz could take Éowyn and Lucinda around Merry Hill and choose a present for her. I managed to wheedle out of traipsing around the shops by arranging to meet up with my mate Bobby and we sat in the pub putting the world to rights. I think that was a fair compromise. Again Éowyn was in a very cheery mood, despite the previous night’s excitement and entertained her Nanny and Auntie for the best part of the day. It always seems too short when we zoom up to the Black Country for a day but it we wnot be long before Nanny Fran and Auntie Liz will see her again.
This week it was Lucinda’s turn to entertain the NCT girls for their coffee morning and I was off, which is a rare occurance. It was really interesting to see how much Éowyn enjoyed people she knew coming round, and there was a definite delight on her face when her little friends turned up. It was also quite amusing when she went up to Blake and gave him a hug. He just turned to his mum and burst out crying. I don’t think that Éowyn understood why he was so upset and looked at him as if to say, ‘I’m only giving you a hug!’
Before I leave you for this update one little thing that Éowyn has started to do this week is very touching and that is to string words together. The first was on Tuesday of last week when she said ‘Bye Daddy’ as I left for work. Then on Friday when I was at work, she picked up her toy phone, not once but twice, and said ‘Hello Daddy’. Okay, maybe not the oration skills of Winston Churchill or Abraham Lincoln but just as important to me.
Enjoy the photos…
Baggie!
