A Trip to The Rose Gardens

Christmas came early for Dean this year. Carly got him (or more accurately - let him get), an SLR camera. He has been enjoying it. Here are some of our photos from a trip to the Rose Gardens.

  

Asher Speaks

The Chronicles of asher part 1

Asher has become quite responsive and talkative of late. The other day he had just awoken and was grizzling so dad went to pick him up and as he reached in to grab him a broad smile widened over his face amidst his continued baby moans. He has also become quite talkative and responds to baby gaggle in kind... when he is in a wakeful, alert, sociable state. Today he did two explosive poohs that his nappies were unable to contain. The poos made it all the way up his back to his arms and neck.

An Asher Montage Narrated by: Asher Gauthern

Trip to the Coromandel

ROAD TRIP

Well it was sort of a road trip, Dean and I went on our first holiday with the baby. Because the weathers been so nice lately we thought that we would visit Deans sister on the Coromandel before the holidays when it will be super busy. It was a good trip. It took us about twice as long as it normally would because we had to stop now and then to feed Asher, but it was good because it gave us a chance to stop at lots of nice little bays and beaches that we would have normally driven straight past.

One of the days we were there we decided to climb up a hill to this cabbage tree, there were really nice views and it was good for me to get some exercise, (I still have lots of pregnancy fat to loose). Later that evening Dean went out fishing and saw a school of about 20 dolphins who kept them company while they were out there, which meant that they couldn't do any fishing, but I would rather see dolphins than eat fish anyway. The forests on the Coromandel were also very nice, with lots of palms and ferns, with knarly trees in between, the beaches are also lined with Pohutakawa trees, which I'm sure would look amazing when they are in flower ( a week or so from now). In all it was a good trip and it was no hassle having the baby with us at all, so we are all set for lots more summer adventures before Dean has to go back to work in the new year.

Rosie Quotes

Rosie on one of the rare occasions shes been tramping with us

RoSiE qUoTEs

'I'm just a normal person trying to live in the world, there are way meaner people than me, i.e. Hitler'.

This was Rosie's response to me calling her mean after she kicked Izzy and her friends off the trampoline after 20 minutes, not because she wanted to use it, but because she didn't want them there. A few years ago now Lucy and I put together a book of 'Rosie Quotes', I really wish that I had it now because she had some really funny ones, which involved things like Knives and forks, gingerbread men and a 'pee ness'.
I don't know why Mum thought it necessary to buy a trampoline as Chucky is 16 now (he's the youngest) and obviously isn't that interested in playing on a trampoline.

Talking about quotes did everyone hear the comment that the Italian PM made about Obama He said: ' He(Obama) has everything needed to reach deals with him: he's young, handsome and even tanned'.

And talking about PM's I am really sad to see Helen Clarke go, while I didn't like her government or policy's I really like her and she was a good overseas representative, I just feel like we have replaced her with Goofy(aka John Keys), I think he may turn out to be the George Bush of New Zealand.

Birthdays and such

BiRtHdaYs aNd OtHeR ThIngS

Lian made me the awesome cake pictured above. The key to a good birthday is to put up a notice a couple of weeks before the date, (I put my notice up on the fridge at Mum and Dads place) firstly to remind people that it is your birthday and secondly to list items that you would like to recieve as gifts. This method has always worked well for me and this year was no exception as I recieved a pretty good haul of gifts, I think that having recently had a baby helped as people who wouldn't usually have got me anything were thinking of me. And the family all went out for dinner to celebrate.

Joe, Rose, Dean and I were talking the other night and wishing that we knew a midget or a dwarf so that they could push Asher around in his little pram in town, we all thought that this would be hilarious. In the photo below with Dean and Asher, Dean has dressed him, I thought that it was a bit of an ugly outfit, but he disagreed, so I would be curious to see what others think.

Asher is now over five weeks old, below are photos of him at 1 day and 5 weeks exactly, he is starting to turn into a little chubba, but still has to gain a bit of fat to get to the really cute stage. Every so often i find my self calling him little Robbie, I guess I just got so use to talking about little Robbie and his name runs of the tounge easier than Asher.

When I was finally booked into the hospital for my inducement I remember being excited as I had never stayed in the hospital before, it seemed this big strange building where all shorts of mysterious things were taking place on a 24/7 basis, a bit like the ministry of magic in Harry Potter. Now everytime I drive by or see the place I find myself becoming distressed and anxious as its now associated with the most traumatic experience of my life. Just in short, I was admitted on a Wednesday and left on a friday, but even then it took a monumentous effort to leave as I could barely walk and they have this policy that if you can't walk out on your own, you can't leave, but I was determined and I didn't want to stay there for even one more night. In the time I was there I had 15 internal exams all by different people, 3 gel insertions, a catheta that I had to wear for several days after I left the hospital, ( hence the name 'catheta girl' thanks to rose and Evie) my waters broken with what looked like a knitting needle, a drip, an epidural, more drugs in a drip to try and bring on the labour, a botched up needle for the drip, they had to use forceps so they cut me, and then they tore my spincter with the forceps. The short story is that I think Asher will probably be an only child.


Luckily for Asher he will have plenty of cousins. I think that this summer is going to be really great, Pita and Tasi will be home with the two kids, and there friends from wellington are planning to visit them while there here. Cousin Emma is coming for a visit on her way down to Christchurch. Tom and Jonelle are planning on a trip, and hopefully pete and liz. I have been teasing my Dad telling him that he and Mum might as well set up a 'Day Care' with all the kids that will be around. Talking about my Mum she will be back from her trip to Egypt in a week or so. A recent weather report said that we are in for some good summer weather.