We're parents!

Elizabeth Marie was born at 3:16am on New Zealand Fathers Day September 5th. 6lb 3oz.

 First Feed

We've been rubbish at updating the blog!

Posted by Rob :o)
We've neglected the blog somewhat and become Facebook addicts (well, I have) but I think it's time I brought this up to date and flooded it with some photos again.

So for those of you who don't know, Melanie and I are expecting a baby!
She's due mid September and we've been happily buying many baby things over the last few months and we are gradually starting to comprehend what's happening!

I don't think either of us have fully accepted that in a few weeks we will be coming home with an actual baby girl that we will be looking after for, well, ever. Despite the evidence and having finished and ante-natal class last week.

Other news...

Sam is doing well and is waiting until he gets big enough to eat us I think.

Noodle had another series of seizures, but she seems fine now that they've doubled her medication.

Meg and Mog are well but still refuse to come into the house because of Noodle. They're being a bit braver in the cold winter weather but they still bolt at the sight of her. After three years you'd think they might have started to realise that she just wants to be friends!

Other than that, um, I've been tinkering with the car again.

Red Rocks

A couple of months ago we visited Red Rocks for a walk with Katie and Noodle!

We didn't realise when we set off that it was a 10km round trip! It's an interesting walk as it's a public road where people seem to go to test how fast they can drive their four wheel drives!

Full set of photos here:
Red Rocks Flickr Set

More wildlife

This was somewhat unexpected.

I found Sam on our bed looking for something. When I pulled up the covers a great big rat leapt out!! I chased it around the newly decorated bedroom for about ten minutes with Sam and Noodle helping and Melanie standing on the bed!!
I eventually caught it after it ran up the vacuum pole, up the curtain and along the rail.

It was kinda cute, but a big bugger! Its tail was about 20cm long!

Only in New Zealand...

...could you reach out for a spare loo roll and find...

It's a Wellington Tree Weta They're harmless and feed on rotting vegetation so I don't know what it was doing in the loo! Maybe looking for somewhere to lay its eggs - this is a female. The big spike at the back is an ovipositor. Males have bigger heads too.