We’ve managed to make it back okay from deepest darkest Northland after having a lovely time with Rich’s family. My worries about taking Sam on such a long (and fiddly journey – 1 tram and 3 trains) trip were thankfully not realised as Sam was well behaved all the way there and all the way back again.

Sam seemed to really enjoy all the attention that he got, whenever he was awake there were at least two people around to entertain and amuse him, and most of the time you couldn’t see Sam for all the adults crowded around him cooing. His grandparents especially couldn’t resist his winning smile and would be more than happy to pick him up for a quick cuddle. Sam also got to meet his two great grandmas for the first time and both of them seemed so very happy to hold him and say hi. As well as this Sam got the chance to be admired by a few of Rich’s aunts and uncles and his dad’s cousins Drew and Ella (who would be his cousins once removed I think).

Rich and I also managed to get our first meal out together since Sam was born and really enjoyed going out to a fantastic Thai restaurant nearby while Sam stayed behind being looked after by his grandparents and aunt Cara. So after 5 days of being well cared for with tasty meals, lots of cups of tea and plenty of eager Sam helpers Rich and I both felt very rested and refreshed.

Thanks so much for looking after us Rich’s mum & dad and thanks again Cara for letting us take over your bedroom again.

Sam seems quite surprised to be wearing a Christmas vest in February… but that’s what happens when you are a difficult size and mum has run out of clean clothes that fit you.

Sam and I had another busy day yesterday, baby group in the morning and then a visit from Sam’s grandma in the afternoon. My mum and I had a lovely lunch (and I even got out my pretty tea set) while Sam cooed and watched us eating and chatting. After all this attention though he did spend most of the evening asleep which gave me enough time to do a bit of sorting and tidying in preparation for our trip up north.

So tomorrow the family Felton is heading off to Northland for our most ambitious journey with Sam yet. I’m not too sure how it is all going to work out (will Sam sleep on the train, will there be room for all the luggage, etc) but I’m really looking forward to spending some time with the lovely in-laws and getting a chance to show Sam off.

Wish us luck – we’ll be back soon and will hopefully have some more Sam pictures to show you.

Sam was in great demand this weekend what with two separate dinner invitations for Saturday and Sunday. Sam’s first outing was on Saturday to visit aunt Cara and future uncle Nick and view their shiny new kitchen. Cara and Nick provided Sam’s mum and dad with some very tasty adult food which included some fantastic melt in the middle chocolate puds served with some very yummy home made ice cream – mmmmm.

Apart from a minor screaming fit when we first arrived Sam was in fine spirits and greatly enjoyed watching his parents having a go at the Raving Rabbits game on the Wii. While Sam was happy Nick took the chance to snap some photos with his impressive camera so hopefully some of his shoots will have come out and we’ll have some better quality photos of Sam.

On Sunday we hastened over to visit Matt and Steve at their flat as Steve was cooking up a large beef joint and needed some extra stomachs to help put it away (I’m always glad to help with such matters). Duncan also came over and was full of stories about his recent trip to New Zeland and brought along photos from his first ever sky dive. We all ate very well, the beef was delicious and came with all the trimmings and for dessert we had ‘chocolate eruptions’ which sounded very complicated to make but looked fantastic when they came out of the oven slowly oozing chocolate sauce from their tops (and  they tasted great too). Duncan also took some Sam shoots with his impressive camera so hopefully he’ll send us a few more photos of Sam that we can share with you all soon.

The photo on the right is the only picture that we got of Nick and Sam from the weekend… don’t you think that Nick looks like he thinks Sam is about to explode at any moment? Caption suggestions anyone?

After 3 days of being snowed in at Tea Towers I was getting slightly desperate to get out and do something so Sam and I bravely ventured out. I spent about half an hour struggling to get the pushchair over the icy/snowy pavements fighting the whole time with the wheels that could only skid over the ice or get stuck in drifts of snow. We finally arrived at the baby group only to have to turn back as it had been closed due to the adverse weather conditions. Ah well.

Another half hour of careful trudging back as well as a quick stop in to the local Co-op at least meant that when we arrived home we appreciated it’s warmth. After a couple of lovely hot cups of tea and some relaxing time crocheting while Sam slept I now feel much more human and I think in the future I’ll just appreciate this weather from the comfort of the sofa.

Yesterday you may have noticed a little snow out your window… well we got some at Tea Towers too! Because of there being no trains, trams or buses Rich had both today and yesterday off from work and so got to be snowed in with Sam and me. The snow is the deepest that I have seen it for at least 15 years and it is still covering everything in sight turning our road and garden into a much prettier world.

Sam seems to have had a bit of a cold so we thought it best to keep him tucked up in the warmth of the house and he is now (after a lot more sleep than usual) starting to feel better and more chirpy. So I’ve not been out much either, instead I’ve been sending Rich off to gather supplies (all the local shops seem to be selling out of the essentials here). Sadly Rich will probably be back to work tomorrow so Sam and I will have to fend for ourselves again, it’s been great to have him home though and Sam has certainly enjoyed his death-defying flying rides…

Rich has also been busy in the kitchen making a batch of delicious millionaire’s shortbread. Unfortunately this batch will have to be consumed by only Rich and myself as the caramel in the middle didn’t set quite right and so gets all over your hands, face, clothes, small baby when you try to eat a piece. Ah well – we’ll just have solider through the batch by ourselves 🙂

We’ve had a bit of a Fidget related scare this weekend. On Sunday we noticed that Fidget was having real trouble walking , she seemed to somehow have twisted herself and she was holding her head sideways. She seemed only able to walk in circles and fell over a great deal. Thankfully she seems to be on the mend and has improved much over these two days, she is still pretty unsteady but otherwise seems quite happy and wanting to be out and about. Fidget is now 2 years old and I’m going to have to start getting myself ready for when she is no longer with us, but until then I’m determined to enjoy her company as much as possible.