Another update, another month, although a little later than I had planned, 2013 is definitely speeding by. The first couple of months seemingly dragged as a combination of cold weather and the anticipation of Ezra’s arrival apparently dilated the passage of time, somewhat like the week before Christmas when you are a child. However since his birth, time has flown and amazingly he is now eight weeks old! Eight weeks old and 12lbs 12oz (5.78kg).
Thus, as you can guess Ezra is putting on weight nicely and sitting happily on the 75th centile. The health visitors are very happy with his progress and it appears he has missed the genetic lottery and cow’s milk protein intolerance. As a coincidence we also weighed Amélie and Éowyn to compare them with their brother’s 12lb 12oz. Amélie weighed 2 stone 2 pounds (13.6kg /30 pounds) while Éowyn tipped the scales at 3 stone 3 pounds ( 20.4kg /45 pounds); a nice symmetry to their results (in imperial measurements).
You are not here for weight updates though, are you? You want to know what has been happening in the world of the Bagnalls. Fortunately we have been blessed with some seasonal weather of late (although looking out of the window at the moment you wouldn’t believe it) and so we have been able to leave the confines of chez Bagnall and take full advantage. Unfortunately I have not been on all those those adventures (work does get in the way), but there are plenty of photos to give you all (and me) the flavour of those adventures.
We have also managed to complete the adventure that is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both girls thoroughly enjoyed the book even though it took us best part of a fortnight to read it and they kept up with the story remembering (with a little help from the voice-over guy type: ‘previously on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘) all the names and what was going on. I have now said that since they know the story they can watch the film. Neither of them have shown too much interest in the sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator though and to be honest neither have I, it doesn’t quite have the charm of the original, it is no Empire Strikes Back.
As I mentioned above Éowyn and Amélie have been taking advantage of the good weather playing in our garden, in Nanny and Granddad’s garden and down the local park, fully sunblocked up (Lucinda and I both have delicate celtic skin that burns easily, even in the poor weather we have had so the kids have no chance) with matching sunhats (the only item of clothing that they will wear that is the same). The local park (Lammas recreation ground) has, in addition to the usual adventure playground a splash park. Great fun for little ones (and the little one in adults), water jets squirt large arcs of water over anyone in area and the girls love it. Fantastic fun on a warm day, so not that often this year.
However the weather doesn’t have to be warm for a Bagnall to go on an adventure, although if it is dry it is a bonus. The girls have been on a couple of adventures since the last update. The first was to the Great Cockcrow Railway in Lyne. It is a miniature steam railway maintained and operated by volunteers and I am a little bit jealous that I wasn’t able to go (that work thing!). Éowyn thoroughly enjoyed the trains but Amélie, being a little younger, was a initially scared of the tunnel but nevertheless when she was asked if she wanted to go on it again and seeing that her older sister was so keen to go again insisted that she went too. The Great Cockcrow Railway is only open from May through to October and so if Daddy is going to go it will have to be over the next couple of months.
Daddy did manage to go on the second adventure though a trip around Saville Garden and Virginia Water with Éowyn’s best friend Raine. It was a little insight into how live will be with three ‘mobile’ children, you really need to have eyes in the back of your head. For although both Lucinda and I were there, there were occasions when all three would run in different directions and with large bodies of water and people walking dogs you have to be one step ahead all the time. Not relaxing! Thankfully there were all well behaved so that when we told them to stop or come back they did and so thoroughly deserved their ice-creams at the end of the walk.
Ezra accompanied the girls on their adventures but obviously was very much a passenger. However his development is accelerating and he is far more alert now and will sit watching his sisters or mommy and daddy. However the biggest and most pleasing development is that he has begun to smile and even giggle. He will sit on your lap looking into your eyes and give you the biggest smile cooing gently at you. When I come home from work the girls usually run to the door to give me a kiss to welcome me home and now, in addition to that attention Ezra will turn his head and look at me and give me his cutie smile.
Not only is Ezra ingratiating himself with his cute smile and cooing noises he is also giving us as much sleep as one could expect from an eight week old. He goes to bed as we go to bed and will wake once in the night (as much as seven hours later) but only cries to wake us, has his feed and then goes back to sleep quite quickly. He was even good the night he had his first set of inoculations. Obviously he cried and got upset when he had them and was quite disturbed throughout the day and we were prepared for a bad night but as soon as the lights went out and he was lain in his moses basket he went to sleep for six hours. Can we ask for any more? But now that I have told you have I put the collybosh on it? We will wait and see.
Work is building to the end of season crescendo so afterwards worklife should calm down a little and hopefully their will be more time for me to take part in the Bagnall family adventures and you dear readers will hear all about it on these pages. I will leave you now with a good selection of photos below and over 200 new ones on our Flickr (broken link now fixed) pages (I have been busy with the camera), feel free to pop by and check them out.
Peace and love
Baggie
