First Family of Four Picture

Introducing the new McCulloch Fmaily complete with all four human members.

Willow the cat and Milo the goldfish may follow later!

Summer's nearly over.

As we have not gone away for a summer break apart from one night to North Wales, Emily and her daddy have been 'camping' in the back garden. It is not really camping, but reading books and eating snacks in the tent! She let Joel in for a little while but was quick to remind him that this was her tent and that she was camping with daddy.We have been to Tatton Park today to go on the 'roundie' I really love carousels, the music the painted horses and the history that goes with them. Emily just likes going round and round!

Little Acorn... wow a big tree?As the summer comes to an end, (J was back in school this morning) we have had a great time. We have spent a lot of time inthe garden, going to parks, swimming, walking, farms, the library, shopping and lots of puzzles and playing. We have had a great 5 weeks together, it is such a bummer that J has to go back to school, but someone has to earn the money!

The McCulloch Men

All action girl

Day out at Dunham Massey...

...with Fifi Flower Tot, Joel and all the McCulloch clan.

And one of the little 'oiled' man today, (his skin is flaking off as he was more overdue than we thought!)

Nice Days, sleepy days

Less bruised

Joel looked much different yesterday and his little face is less swollen. All is well at our house.

Joel Alexander McCulloch

He has arrived. On Sunday 17th August at 9.29 pm. He is 52 cm long and was 7lbs and 12 oz heavy or light! He is so great and it is amazing to have a son, a brother for Emily and grandson for our parents, a nephew and cousin for our siblings and nieces and nephews and little boy who will hopefully grow up to make a mark in this world. He is so fab. Thanks be to God.

Four weeks down... two to go.

Emily has found the joy of singing!! Some may say the joy of speed talking in a high volume. This song rings through the rooms of our house continually throughout the day! She has no awareness of tempo or of her right and left but it makes us laugh! Enjoy

We have had a busy week, lots of fun things to do when you are due to go into labour any day! We have been to the park, swimming, the farm, to Manchester on the tram to see the big roundie (Manchester Wheel) playing in the garden, baking, painting, sticking, gardening and shopping. We have also been to the clinic as Emily fell at the park and cut her head in 2 places.

No glue needed, just a sticky and magic water, not forgetting the Calpol and kisses. The bump is going.

Scones we made for breakfast this morning... there are none left and not a lot of banana bread left either!

A new swimming suit. She will now swim on her own and not cling on to us. ( Not me as my suit doesn't fit now either!) Her kicking is good but as for her arms, well there is a lot of work to be done if we were pushy parents!

On baby watch.. well there is nothing to report, we are still waiting and getting fed up as it really feels restrictive. I am at the midwife on Tuesday, maybe something will happen then but I am either 6 days late or 1 day late depending on the 2 dates I have been given by the hospital. Either way we need this baby to come soon as my skin is sore and I don't think it can stretch much further.

Anniversary

Yesterday Jamie and I celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary. We can't believe in many ways that 8 years have gone by, but in other ways we know where the time has gone. Great holidays, new jobs, 4 cars later, 3 houses later, a fabulous two year old and another child about to arrive any day, laughter, tears, success and failure; 8 great years have passed and now we embark on another year together.

We went to Manchester Airport to see the planes land and take off. Emily is obsessed with transport at the minute, she went on a train and a bus last week and yesterday she enjoyed splashing aound in the puddles watching the airplanes.

Keeping hands warm in the wonderful August Weather with hot chocolate.

Concorde.

Do you like my new airplane?

Daddy made caterpillar pancakes for breakfast, she ate it all apart from the head!

On baby watch?... still nothing to report, maybe tomorrow I will be thin again.

Happy Anniversary to Greg and Sara... 8 years today.

Happy anniversary to Lucy and Mark... 1 year yesterday.

Happy anniversary to Esther and Eifion and Lucy and David 5 years this week.

What a lot of anniversaries! What a great thing to celebrate, happy marriages.