Videos and Pics of Juniper Feb. 2011 Eight months

Bicycle Time!

 We finally got to try out our new bike and baby seat today. It was a 50 degrees and sunny day here in good ol' England. Warm enough and dry enough for a family ride through the country side to Coton. Spring is arriving with snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, and buds on the trees. It is looking greener every day. No cries from Juniper, so I guess that means she liked it. She held off as long as she could, but fell asleep at the end. It was a bit scary for mum at first, but not too bad on the more quiet roads. I am not quite ready for heading into town, but soon I suppose. I need more practice without her. Hopefully we can see a little more of Cambridge and the surrounding villages and points of interest. We might be waiting on the weather a bit longer though; today was a bit of a present I believe.

Compact living

There is lots of row housing here in Cambridge- the ones that are connected together. I like their little front yard gardens. And I am sure I would love the backyard ones too if I could see them. The houses are really close together here, but many people still have their own little tiny front yards, They are usually big enough of a place to put bikes, a few plants, and maybe the rubbish bin and recycling. Than there is a private backyard that is big enough for sitting out and eating, tossing a ball, having a little garden, and doing some landscaping. No big lawns to mow. We do Americans love their big yards other than them thinking they are suppose to? They take so much time to mow and gas and energy. What are they for? They are overwhelming. A little yard is not over whelming. It is manageable to go out and do a bit of gardening; it's not scary. If your yard is not big enough for a game of ball, you go to the community green space. Than you can socialize and enjoy your community. I think it is more green here, even if there are houses all compact together. It doesn't feel like it too much though. Like a puzzle how they all fit in. The houses and flats are a decent size, I think; large enough for what you need in life. Why do we need bigger houses? To put more unused stuff in? To keep busy cleaning? The bedrooms maybe smaller, but so you hang out in the living room with each other. Or have less clothes. Less clothes to clean. Who likes cleaning? You get out more when you don't have cleaning and mowing to do. No room to put stuff you don't need so you don't shop as much, so you go for a walk with your friends and have tea or a pint. Or a bike ride with your family. The country side begins at the city limits- always five/ten minutes away by car (least here in Cambridge, a city of 108,000), plus there are so many parks within the city. Boating is available in the city too. Maybe not gas guzzling speed boats, but canoes, kayak, punts, and rowing. Physical things. I feel it is ironic actually. And this may go for some cities in the US too, but it is more natural to be active here in the city than it was living in the woods of Vermont the last two years. I admit I do miss hiking in the woods very much, but it was so much more of an effort to do something physical when I lived in the woods than it is now in the city. I can walk and do errands. Not drive to do errands, than have to go walk after. But I guess I am doing a lot of generalizing. This is all specific to me and what I like. And I am not working. But people seem very good at biking to work and to pick up the kids at school by bike and shopping by bike or walking. Too big to carry, delivery services are everywhere. Places I need don't feel far to me. Occasionally maybe if I am tired from not sleeping well, but usually a 1/2 hour walk is fine. I use to dread 1/2 hour drives to the store in VT. We use to drive a 1/2 hour just to walk around Hanover because it was much easier with the stroller. And we could get a treat at the end of the walk. And not feel like we were going to be run over (walking down a country road doesn't always feel so safe, even if it is quite pleasant). Well enough from me, I am glad I have two working feet. P.S. If you couldn't tell, I love all the walking here. :)
But we just got me a bike and a seat for Juniper. I think I am going to miss the walking even though it will be more than twice as fast to bike. More time outside is better to me. Plus Juniper is too interested in the computer for me to use it when she is awake at home, which is what I want to do with more time. She doesn't sleep well at home unless she fell asleep walking first. I am finding this amusing as I write it out. Oh well, either way, biking will be lots of fun as a family. We can see more of Cambridge and the surrounding countryside and villages. Look forward to that a lot as it slowly warms up. The flowers are coming up already, the crocuses and daffodils, even a few tree blossoms. Pretty.

Mummy and Juni Update

Juniper is now 8+ months. She loves the bathtub. She has discovered her legs in the past week and a half. She wants to stand and she wants to walk holding our hands. She can sprint across the living room in 2 seconds when in her walker! She simply demands to be on the move.

Meanwhile, mummy's life is taking a new turn. I will soon be chasing Juniper through the house and everywhere else. It makes me sad to no longer have a tiny baby. It makes me nervous- will I be even more preoccupied by the baby from here on? Sitting at the cafe with my friends may mean I will no longer get to sit! At the same time, I am able to leave Juniper alone with daddy. I am taking a photography class and Bollywood dance lessons. It is nice to get out on my own. My pregnancy and baby hormone brain is gone, which is very nice. Mothers know what I mean. It sure is nice to have a clear brain back!

I am getting more attached to Cambridge, as expected. I have more strange Cambridge stories- so stay tuned. Maybe one of these days soon, Juniper will sleep long enough for me to write a blog in the evening. Nursing and typing is no longer much of an option. She gets too interested in what I am doing and wont drink. Anyways, I better enjoy the nursing while it lasts. Being a mother continues to be wonderful.

She sure loves her boyfriends Yoram (pictured) and Hiro.

The Baby is Crying, Quick Mummy, Come!

I am going to put the PS first. P.S. I am not angry with anyone, just thinking my thoughts out.

Pushover; softy.  Two words used to describe me this week. I am not proud of this attribute, but I am happy with my big heart and understanding of others and their situations or who they are even. I am not perfect at it, but I do try and live by the code "Don't judge a man till you've walked two moons in his moccasins."  So when it comes to parenting, I want Juniper to be respectful, to be understanding, to have manors, to not get what she wants all the time, and to understand that you have to do what you don't want to sometimes. But I also don't want her to be pushed around and taken advantage of by others, of course. I guess that is another great reason why it is nice to have two parents. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as picking and choosing their good attributes only. The world would be full of perfect people by now if that were true, and I suppose it could be quite boring, maybe. Actually, I think it could be quite pleasant....but people would have fought over which attributes are the best anyway. Sorry I digress from what I was trying to say.
Raising Juniper. So I have become worse at realizing when I may be being "pushed over" and I know kids are particularly good at manipulation, so I worry. She has started to manipulate me already and already I am telling myself that she is trying to communicate with me, so I should assist her with her needs. And I believe in letting a child explore their curiosity and to let them figure out things on their own; to let them realize natural consequences; and let them make their own decisions. But I am worried that I won't recognize what exactly is happening between her and I; our give and take relationship.  I know all mothers, especially with the first, worry more than necessary. And also that kids are a lot of whom they are whether they parents do something or not.
My conclusion: she will stop indulging in the BOOB when she is ready. I am not worried that she will be 8 years old like the girl in the following video. I think she is slowly learning to fall asleep without it (another mummy downfall; her slowness). I do want her to know how to sleep on her own so I don't have The Nanny at my house in 4 years. It is hard sometimes in the middle of the night, but then again I am lucky to be home with my daughter to be able to give her what she wants. I know I/we will raise a respectful child. She will be independent like both her parents. And she can't be too spoiled because there will be another sibling to compete with in the future. I was the first child and grandchild and I was spoiled, but not too much (I think). Plus I am a bit jealous of Juniper. It is so hard to pull her away from nursing when her eyes are rolling back in their socket into sleep and slumber because the taste, feeling, and comfort of the mama's boob is just so wonderful, apparently. I wish I could feel that relaxation and escape too.  Lastly, I will rely on daddy to help me out and maybe I can learn too! After I get some guts.

Christmas 2010

After the great Christmas dinner Kirby made, after driving to London Heathrow and back to pick parents up in our brand new Saab, rented that is.

New toys!

Chillin after the long travels.

Presents!

A plate and bowl for Junie

A new baby doll from mamaw, picked out by daddy.

Her favourite was the package of tights.

Night night time. So happy to see her grandparents.

After a day spent in Cambridge and a day in the near by village of Grantchester to have tea and scones with clotted cream and jam, we made it to the Stonehenge.

Which does she like more Stonehenge or....the camera?

Love this photo!

This one too!

Salisbury Cathedral in the fog.

Sleeping baby, time for a drink by the real fire. I wonder how many people have had a drink here over the 500 years.

Getting ready for bed in our really old bedroom.

The naked girl.

Oh it was the best continental breakfast ever, well better than all the ones I had travelling for work.

Lovely English garden along the Avon.

Supposedly the oldest clock in the world. It was attached to the church bells.

In Salisbury Cathedral.

Hanging glass tear drops.

Gorgeous cloisters. 

Back side of St. Paul's Cathedral

Mom and Dad at the Tower Bridge

Grandpa and Grandma at the Tower of London

Tower of London at night

Trafalgar Square

This is huge!

DAD at Picadilly Circus. Great photo.

The Tower from the inside. It had closed early the day before so we had to come back to get in.

Wonder how many times he's been photographed

He was very nice

Junie and mummy at Big Ben

Junie and Daddy in front of Westminster Abby

Time to leave :(:(:(:(

Although we did try to leave Junie with them for a while the night before to get a drink alone and she gave some good screams.

Since we had too much gas in the car after dropping my parents off at the airport, we drove to the eastern shores of England in East Anglia to check out the ocean and say goodbye to 2010; a year that will not be forgotten. Spent our New Year's Eve here eating a good Indian meal and listening to fireworks in a town called Great Yarmouth, which for you Mainers- it was much more like Old Orchard Beach than Yarmouth and multiply that a few times. Luckily it was the winter; the miles of beaches were empty.

And home again.

Happy New Year 2011 says Juniper!

This says it all.
 Our great Christmas visit with my parents!