Chubby Bunny and Other Activities

Jamie declared my last post as depressing so since we are waiting for photos of the wedding here is a sneak peak into what we have been doing this week -

A rousing game of Chubby Bunny since my daughter looks like she is smuggling marshmallows in those cheeks - the big jetpuff kind.

Torturing her into a dress for the rehearsal dinner - beauty is pain honey!

Helping Dad on the computer, she's a Teuscher so we have to train her early.

Sleeping on the never ending plane ride. 4 hours delayed with the air conditioning turned off on the tarmack, one bus ride over to the new plane, a 10 hour flight, 1 hour layover and a 1 hour connection - I practically cried when they told us we made the last connection and wouldn't have to spend the night in a hotel. From the time we left the house to the time we got to my parents was 20+ hours and Hadley did great. It was long and now it is over.

And that sums up our week! The wedding was beautiful and my brother is happy. I will post pics, the photographer was absolutely amazing, when they are up. And we just finished her costume, so excited for her first Halloween!

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

Image uploading is disabled, so just imagine pictures and pardon the wordy post.....

COULD be deciding how to artfully hang spiderwebs, place pumpkins around my little home and trying to wedge my big baby into a hollowed out pumpkin for a photo op in Sunny CA

INSTEAD I am trying to figure out how to hang a shower curtain so water doesnt go all over our floor from the half shower door thing and purchase lightbulbs - they have 4 different bases and different watts. I want to know who uses an 11 watt? Why not just break out the candles?Blerg.

COULD be bragging about how my child sleeps through the night to anyone who will listen

INSTEAD I have reverted to rocking my 7 mos old - not being in the same bed and/or time zone for more than 4 weeks at a time since she was 11 weeks old has taken it's toll on her little body and I just feel too bad. I am hoping to make some progress when we return and wont be traveling. I am terrified she might be my only easy baby and I have wasted it.

COULD be starting up a running program and doing my yoga again

INSTEAD I have been eating my way through England, if there is a pastry, cookie, candy bar or dessert (trifle, meringue, panna cotta - you name it) I feel it is my duty to try as an American. I am 10 lbs below pre-pregnancy but I still have 10 left from my working-at-a-candy-factory weight and this is not helping.

SHOULD have been a better visiting teacher

INSTEAD I didnt realize that I might have been the only person she spoke to all week, I will resolve to do better now and when I get back

SHOULD have shipped a stash of canned pumpkin, maple flavor and baby shampoo, oh and Halloween decorations, they dont really celebrate it here

INSTEAD I am stocking up and hauling a huge duffel bag from the states in a few weeks.

WOULD love to thank the people who made Facebook, Blogs, Email and Video Gchat

INSTEAD of losing my marbles I have been able to keep relatively sane

WOULD love to join playgroups, sign Hadley up for swimming and find a music class (basically for me, I hear there are adults there)

WILL when we get back, the culture is to do almost everything within your town. I think I have finally figured out how to get involved, the church group isnt interested in weekly activities since traveling takes so long - most families have 1 car, trains take time and the boundries are large. Who wants to schlepp kids for 45 minutes each way to go to a 30 minute music class? I don't blame them. A few girls did give me some websites to locate the programs in our town and it looks like there are quite a few, so I am hopeful.

WOULD love a diet cherry limeade from Sonic and a hug from my mom....and WILL have one in 24 hours!! Little bro is getting married and couldn't think of a better reason to travel.

Outdoor Market

Hadley and I took a trip to Henley's towncentre in between naps today and there was a darling french outdoor market set up. I loved the display of soaps and the smell from the sausages was wonderful. The olive display was the most interesting, there were about 20 different types of olives in buckets and bags that you could fill up to be weighed. I purchased some french soaps for gifts and licorice ropes for Jamie that he used to eat in Spain.

You can't see it but the names are imprinted in french on the bars

Piles of fudge (here fudge is typically vanilla not chocolate) and ropes of marshmallows

Sausages served on fresh baguettes

Not even sure what this is? But did see some Elk Pate for sale

Dried fruits, they had entire dried clementines

Every Night

Since Hadley was a newborn we have done a nightly bath and after each bath I wrap her in a towel, go to the closest mirror, put her face next to mine and point until she looks...

and say "Who is that??"

and then reply "That's MY pretty baby"

And she is.

Happy October

from our smiling little pumpkin!

There has been too much moving, not enough pretty babe on this blog! So in honor of Hadley turning 7 months yesterday here are some fun facts about her -

She started solids this month and her favorite food is pears, hard to tell though because she basically scarfs anything placed in front of her. Since baby food is $2.50 a serving here, everything is homemade with love.

She loves to grasp and grab. Her favorites include my hair, necklace, shirt, skin, lips...basically if it is part of me or attached to me she wants it. She isnt big on putting everything into her mouth yet.

She started patting everything and when I pick her up she pats me on the back - like "it's ok Mom" and I melt everytime. Also when I pat her back to burp her she mimics me, it cracks me up.

Her favorite person is her dad and he has found all of her ticklish spots. She is her mother's daughter and has lately started laughing before he even touches her because she knows it is coming.

She talks nonstop and communicates with squeals, laughs, shrieks, growls, mumbles, singing, yells, raspberries and this open-mouthed hollering scale thing. Between the two of us, Jamie isnt going to know what hit him!

She is a sucker for anyone that smiles at her and will flirt with her biggest smile for basically anyone.

She is a happy, squishy, naked baby and I love squeezing her. She is still really long and heavy for her age and I am thinking I may need to bump her up to the next level clothes.

Gratuitous bum shot

She still loves to be held and sit on our laps, she doesnt snuggle on in though unless she is really tired or not feeling well.

She can roll over, but hasnt figured out that it can get her places. She does kind of a backward worm/scoot thing to get her to the closest toy.

We video chat with my mom and she can recognize her voice and picture, we are dying to see if she will realize it is her in real life next week.

Her nicknames include - Sweet Pea, Hadley Pacquete, Pretty, Hadley Pop, Squicky, Missy Mouse and Hadley Padley.

Her pumpkin outfit was the first thing I bought when I found out I was having a girl

She is so much fun and we can't wait to see what she does next, it seems like each phase is as wonderful as the one before it.

6 Weeks Out

We have been in England for six weeks as of yesterday! From previous posts you probably could tell some things haven't gone smoothly, but we did get moved into our place this week and it feels so good to be out of suitcases and have a place to make a home. The good news is because of the delay our furniture arrived so we only had to do one move! We are learning that different is sometimes good - as in all of the stylish clothes and pastries, sometimes just different - it is really strange sitting in the passenger seat on the "wrong side" of the road and sometimes worse - like realizing that if I am reading my new washer's instructions right I will be doing wash everyday (or wearing things more often, it has yet to be seen...). We are learning, growing and enjoying doing it together (sounds like a church commercial). Below are a few things in England that have made me smile this week -

Reading the oven's instructions and there is a specific setting listed for choux buns, like it ain't no big thang.

I remember string cheese and on a good day maybe a cheddar stick in my grocery store - here the "string cheese section" contains Brie, Double Glouster, Extra Sharp Cheddar, Cranberry and Westleydale (not even sure what that is), Goat Cheese with Herbs and a bunch of others that I cant remember in individual servings. It is awesome.

I have huge windows in my new place, floor to ceiling in the living room! It is so bright and pictures of Hadley are so much clearer now, although I seem to be finding alot more dust...

Finding a bag of Tostitos at Costco, Costco Size.

A darling apple tree in our front yard, I have always wanted a fruit tree and right now it is full of ripe apples. On the topic of fruit - the fruit is really, really good here. And it is fun to see the Oranges are grown in Spain, Pineapples are from Africa and nothing is from Mexico.

So things are good, we are figuring it all out and when things aren't going smoothly (like half of our kitchen not arriving, amazing how much you use a peeler/grater/can opener) I treat it with another chocolate croissant, it seems to be working.

*Post Edit*

Um, it has only been five weeks here. I counted from when we were moving, whoops! So Karey, it doesn't feel that long bc it hasn't been! We can just pretend I wrote this in the future:)

If it goes well....

in the next 24 hours we will finally sign on a rental house in this town, Henley on Thames. The house is OK but the town is what I am really excited about, it is everything a little English town should be in my mind! Here are a few pics from the trip we took last weekend. I will post pics of the actual place when we get in - dont get too excited, the Landlady asked if we were familiar with 1960's architecture, the same style we left in dear California. The kitchen has been redone and it is a 4 bdrm so we are thrilled and I will breathe a little easier when all of the paperwork is finalized! We should be moving this Friday and I am so excited, I have missed Hadley's toys and crib, my cutco knives and my bed.