Hever Castle

The last day of Brian's paternity leave, we decided to get out of the house and do something memorable. We went to see Hever Castle -- where Anne Bolelyn grew up. What an impressive place!! We couldn't take pictures of the inside, but here are some great shots of the gardens and grounds -- some of the best we've seen over here...

Samantha took her sweet time crossing the drawbridge over the moat. There were slats in between the planks, and she could see the water below (see second picture of my foot for an illustration of the width of the slats). She carefully stepped from board to board, without letting her foot go over the area where there was water. It took us about 3-4 minutes to cross, holding hands together.

Brian had the camera, so most of these pictures are of me and Sam, rather than him and Spencer.

I love this one below, where Sam is saying "cheese" and smiling for all she's worth, looking way off instead of facing the camera. We get that a lot these days.



They have a gorgeous lake with canoes for rent, and a really pretty island you can paddle to... we opted not to, but just think how romantic that could be, just you and your honey. sigh.

As most of you know, Brian got four weeks off work for paternity leave after Spencer was born. What a luxury, and also what a blessing for us! It was soooo wonderful to have him at home with Sammie while Spencer and I were in the hospital those first few days. Then, it was soooo nice to have him at home when I got home with a NEWBORN. And then, it was great that he had time off to spend with his parents while they were here. And most important, I'm SOOO glad he was at home with us when I had that unexpected hospital stay and long recovery. (Still not 100% yet, but getting close now -- a month later.) So, happy celebration of his paternity leave!! yay!

What? No peeps??

I have been meaning to put up a post about Easter for ages now. I saw everyone else's blog with their kids in darling easter dresses, gathering eggs and showing off baskets full of candy. It all looked like so much Easter-y fun! Well, we had our own kind of Easter-y fun over here. First order of the day... SNOW!! All of you in the US may not find that very interesting, as you've been buried since last October or so. But for us Londoners, snow on Easter was our FIRST this winter! We woke up in shock to find an inch actually sticking to our back patio. Sammie was especially excited, so we had to go out and check it out.
We tried to make a fun day of Easter, but I confess, we ended up doing a lot of improvising, as there just isn't the same selection of Easter "wares" over here. Some of the things we couldn't find here for our Easter celebration...
-- white eggs (a few days after, our friend Debbie told us about a "secret" Polish shop where she was able to get some... ours here are all brown)
-- egg coloring dye (Debbie also had some dye kits, but those were mailed to her from the US)
-- plastic eggs (one friend looked in 6 different shops to find them for primary, but was told she'd have to buy online or from a catalog. It turns out Woolworths does carry them, but you have to get them pretty far in advance.)
-- robin's eggs, (you know, the malted chocolate kind like whoppers with cool colors that you can make your own funky lipstick as you eat them?)
-- Easter baskets -- we ended up using ONE basket for the whole family, and it was one that originally came with flowers in it; Brian's mom transplanted the flowers, then I cut out the plant lining and cut tissue paper to line it, as there was also no Easter grass, of course.
-- jelly beans. Well, they did have some jelly bellies in the store we were in, but they always have those, so they don't count. They didn't have "Easter" jelly beans, ya know.
-- no peeps. Can you BELIEVE!? NO PEEPS!! Is there really an Easter bunny that doesn't bring peeps?!?
-- little girl Easter dresses. I wanted to get Sammie something new and springy, but there really was nothing at the stores. I even went to MotherCare -- which usually has the best selection for frilly things like that. There was only one "springy" dress, but it just had spaghetti straps and was over 20 pounds; not the best option for this Easter. Sam wore her pink plaid jumper with a long sleeved shirt under, and we didn't even get a picture of her, too bad.

Well, we made due for our Easter basket with M&Ms, gummy bears, gum drops and other little fruity candies. Sammie was thrilled to get a necklace and bracelet, as well as some fun barretts and hair clips. Spencer got a bottle, lucky boy. And I got some very nice bath bubbles. Brian got... um, M&Ms.

We also made a fun Easter Bunny cake that night... yummy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Sammie helped decorate.


Easter Sunday was just a week and a half after my surgery, so I wasn't the most "perky" person that weekend. We did go to church, but only stayed for an hour and then I came home with Spencer to rest. It was definitely a different Easter Sunday than others I've had. Memorable, yet quiet and a bit underdone. Oh well.

yummy close-ups of our boy

Spencer had his six-weeks check up this week. He's a growing boy... weighed in at 11 pounds 8 ounces. No wonder I feel like he's eating around the clock. That's because he IS!! He started in the 50th percentile, weight and height. He's pushed himself into the 75th percentile for both now. Good eater, good sleeper... just a night owl, like his mama and daddy. We love him to pieces.

President Monster

During the last session of our church's General Conference last weekend, we were watching via internet at our home with my parents. Samantha was really keyed in when the choir would sing, and would occasionally stop to watch the computer when she could hear the music. She was paused for a few minutes, watching, when President Monson came to the pulpit to announce the next speaker.

I decided to make a teaching moment, and said to her, "Sammie, do you know who that is? That's the prophet, President Monson."

"Oooh" she said, in her cute, I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about-but-it-sounds-fascinating tone of voice.

"Can you say President Monson?" (How very cool if our two-year-old could recognize and name the new president of our church, right?)

She looked at me and said, proudly, "President Monster."

We laughed, so she said it again, pointing at the screen, "President Monster."

Cute, very cute. Personally, I don't think he would mind. I loved listening to this conference, especially President Monson's closing remarks.

I have much much more to blog about, but for now, must be off. Cheerio!!

"Big Girl" bed

It was several months ago that I posted a video of Samantha climbing out of her crib, remember? Well, luckily for us, that was a one-time deal and she didn't do it again until just before Spencer was born. Then, she pretty much got in and out as often as she liked. But she suffered several "bonks" and "owies"in the process. So, we got her a "big girl" bed, which she is VERY proud of!
The big girl bed came about the same time that Sammie learned to open doors. So, just imagine the whole new world of freedom she has discovered this past few weeks... can get out of bed anytime she wants; can get out of her room any time she wants; can run faster than Mommy. Hmm. It's definitely been a transitional time for us!

The past week or so, Sam has developed a night-waking habit. This is especially bothersome now that we're also up with Spencer a couple or three times each night. The other night, while Brian was out of town, Sam came into our bedroom at 3:30a.m. She turned on the light by my side of the bed and started talking to me about toys and books and her sippy cup. What?! Where did our good little sleeper go?!

She's also still VERY attached to her binky. (Yes, my will power to rid her of the binky died sometime last summer -- she'll eventually grow out of it, right?) The rule has always been she could only have it in her bed at naptime and bedtime. But now that she can get in and out of bed any old time she wants, she also thinks she can go have a little binky time any time she feels like it. Due to extenuating circumstances (my surgery, Spencer's birth, etc.) we've been quite indulgent with that one. She now calls herself "Binky Lover" -- something I called her once when I caught her with it.

Anyway, I just wanted to write a bit about Sammie and her fun big-girl bed. She does really seem to love it, thankfully.
I can't remember if I put up these pictures or not... I probably did. Here's Sammie getting ready to go to the hospital... cutie!

Happy First Month, Spencer!

Hard to believe, Spencer is one month old today! Where did that month go?! It really has flown by for us. I just wanted to put up some pictures of our little Spencer, and tell a bit about our time adjusting to this new baby person in our life. He had a little photo shoot this morning to document the day. Here are some cute shots...





Over the past few days, whenever I've gotten the camera out to take some pictures of Spencer, Samantha decides she wants to "hold it" -- and joins in on the pictures...

Yesterday, Sammie saw me walking by with Spencer, and she reached out her arms while standing in the middle of the room and told me "I take him." Scary, when your two-year-old wants to walk around with your newborn. But I do love how she is so gentle with him.

She loves to watch as he gets his diaper changed, or when we wrap him up in a blanket. She likes bringing his binky or his bottle, or whatever else might be helpful (blankets, toys, clothes, snacks, etc.)

Spencer seems to have developed his own little routine over the past week or so. I'm not sure I appreciate it too much, but I do admire his consistency. He sleeps A LOT during the day. Some cute picts, for proof...

Just for my own "journalish" documentation, here's Spencer's current schedule, which he has kept since I got home from the hospital: He wakes up around 7ish to eat every morning, then we both go back to sleep until 8:30 or 9, when he wakes up and wants to eat AGAIN. Then, by 10:30 or 11, he wants to eat AGAIN, so I feed him, get him dressed for the day, and he stays awake for 1/2 hour or so. (Confession: sometimes I just don't have the milk for all that eating in the morning, so I have to top him off with an ounce or two of formula at noontime. rats!) After that, he'll sleep for 3-4 hrs (sometimes 5) before he gets hungry again. Then he gets kind of cranky in the evening between 6pm and 8pm. He acts like he wants to eat again every half hour and ends up getting the binky plugged in for awhile so we can eat dinner and get Sammie settled for bed.

The hardest part of the day for me is when he wakes up at 10pm, ready to eat once again (even though he just ate around 8pm). Those of you who have nursed can imagine how much milk I DON'T have by 10pm with his rigorous schedule. So, he gets a bottle in addition/instead... usually 2-3 oz, sometimes 4. He then settles for a good look around from 11:30 to 12:30. He is wide awake and sooo peaceful... unless we turn out the lights and try to sleep; he likes his "look-around" time and doesn't appreciate being shoved in his bed in the dark. That means, Brian and I are usually up until at least 12:30 or 1 (last night it was actually closer to 2a.m.), waiting for Spencer to decide it's bedtime. From then, he just wakes up once to eat, around 4 or 5am, and then goes back to sleep until the day starts at 7ish again.

Spencer likes to sleep in our bed. He really dislikes his cute little moses basket we're borrowing from a friend. We've tricked him a little bit, by putting a pillow in the bottom of the basket, so it feels and smells more like our bed. But if we're right there in our bed by him, he generally knows the difference and gets quite demanding about getting in our bed with us. He also likes sleeping on us -- mainly on Brian's chest. It's sweet and cuddly during the day, a little exhausting at night. But he sure is a cute boy! We love all the adjustments so far.

Hard Week Over

I've debated what to write about this past week, if anything. It hasn't been our best here, though we've been in good enough spirits, I guess. I spent most of the week in the hospital, going in last Monday night for a minor surgery.

It was supposed to be an out-patient surgery to clear out some post-birth infection I mentioned a few entries back. Well, there were some complications during the surgery and I ended up with a mini C-section, with stitches and all. Rats! So, instead of going home to nurse my baby and put Sammie to bed Monday evening, I ended up staying in the hospital until Thursday. No fun!

(Aside: they sure like to bring out the needles at the hospital. ouch! I ended up with eight different "pokes" from that little 3-day stay -- two IVs, three blood thinner injections that hurt like nobody's business, a morphine injection, and two blood withdrawals. I repeat: No fun!)

Brian did his best to shuttle back and forth between the hospital and home, bringing Spencer up to nurse during the days, then taking home bottles I expressed for night time. He spent the first night with me in the hospital, (which I VERY much appreciated), and left Samantha and Spencer with his parents at our house. Brian's parents were our lifesavers! We are soooo glad they were here to help at such a crazy time. They stayed with Sammie (and sometimes Spencer), kept our house in good order, made good meals for when Brian was home, and just made us feel so much more at ease -- like everything was taken care of while we were so busy helping me get better. What would we have done without them?? They sure made it easy on us! We miss them A LOT!! They flew back to Idaho the day I came home from the hospital, leaving our house in tip-top shape so we don't have to worry about it and can just rest and recover.

So I've been doing my fair share of "resting" and "recovering" to be sure. I don't feel too down or discouraged about things, thankfully -- just trying to take it all in stride, learning to expect the unexpected. I'm up and around the house when I feel like it, and I spend a lot of time with Spencer in our room. Sammie and I read books on the couch or color at the table together. And Brian keeps everything running smoothly around here. He runs a very organized ship... good meals, spotless kitchen, and clean laundry (he must have done 10+ loads on Saturday!) This is his last week of paternity leave, and he'll probably be happy to get back to the office and leave the Mr. Mom role behind him (even though he's so good at it -- practically overqualified already). I'm just wondering how we'll cope when it's just me and the kids and the stitches?

We'll keep you posted!

Spencer's Baby Blessing

We had Spencer's baby blessing at church this past Sunday, March 9. We wanted to do it while Brian's parents were here, so they could be a part of it. It turned out to be a really special time for us. Brian blessed Spencer, and gave a beautiful blessing. He got a little teary at one point -- so did I, just listening and thinking about what a special boy we have and how many blessings we have received from our Heavenly Father.


We took some pictures when we got home, just thought I'd share a few of my favorites...


Spencer had his own photo shoot in the afternoon, but he wasn't extremely cooperative. At least we tried...

Weekend trip to Isle of Wight

We had a fun little overnight trip with Brian's parents this weekend. It was good to get out and see something new. Brian and I had been wanting to go down to the Isle of Wight for awhile, so that's where we went.

First, we stopped in Winchester, and toured the Winchester Cathedral, quite spectacular! Spencer slept in the carrier on Brian's chest, and Sammie ran wild inside -- testing her echo and trying hard to out-manuevre Grandma and Daddy. Brian got some nice shots of the building...

Its claim to fame is that Jane Austen was buried there in 1817. Actually, she was the last person buried in the cathedral, as they stopped the practice right around then, due to "health and safety" reasons.

Then we drove down to Portsmouth to see the famous dockyard and Spinnaker tower. We were a little late arriving, so we didn't get to tour the old ships that are supposedly quite famous. But we did make it up the Spinnaker tower for some great views of the harbour and surrounding area.

They have a glass floor on the viewing deck -- 100 metres (328 feet) -- where you can "walk on air." Samantha thought that was pretty fun, though she was quite cautious walking across it.

We stayed in a hotel in Southampton, near the harbour. Southampton's claim to fame is that the Mayflower left from there way back when. However, apparently there were some problems with the ship and it redocked in Plymouth (further down the coast) and set sail for the second time from there. So, both towns claim that the Mayflower set sail from there. Funny.

Here's Sam and Spencer in our hotel room... Spencer had quite the stylish bed, but actually preferred sleeping with Brian and me. (sigh)

Saturday morning we took the ferry over to the Isle of Wight, just barely off the coast from Portsmouth. Samantha and Brian went on the veeerrrry cold top deck to see some of the boats and get some views of the water. (Spencer and I stayed in with Grandma and Grandpa, where we could keep warm and eat snacks from the cafe.)

We toured the famous Osborne House -- home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, for nearly 50 years (up until 1901, when Victoria died). It was quite spectacular, with great sea views and hundreds of great paintings and statues. We couldn't take pictures inside, but here we are standing at the back of the house, below the gardens...
(Aside: Sammie was not so impressed with the Osborne House. They wouldn't let us take her stroller on the tour, and all she wanted to do is lay down on those royal hallway floors and sleep. So, just after half the tour was over, she and I took a shortcut to the end and waited with the stroller for our group to finish.)

We had lunch at a nice little cafe, then drove around the island for awhile before catching the ferry back. Here's Spencer, enjoying the drive in his car seat...
And here's a cold, blustery picture of the coast...
It was nice to be out of the house for a few days and get a change of scenery!