Bon Voyage Granddad

We sadly bid farewell to Granddad last night. We have enjoyed the most incredible time together and we were all a little teary saying goodbye. We have promised to take good care of Grandma and will be sure to give her lots of big cuddles. Unfortunately he has to return to work and we know he would have loved to have stayed longer, but that’s life and he is always close in our thoughts x

Baby is still firmly cradled within my huge belly and I suspect will remain so until close to due date. However, baby’s head is now well down and I have been feeling lots of Braxton Hicks over the past few days. I was hoping baby might make an early appearance, but I have carried past my due date with both the girls so the chances were unlikely.

We’ve had a wonderful last weekend together. In the scorching heat on Saturday Grandma and Granddad headed into Wellington City to soak up the party atmosphere of the Rugby Sevens and came back early afternoon looking very relaxed (and hot!).

Meanwhile, Dan and I took the girls to the local swimming pool for Charli’s swim class. I have been in the pool up until this week, but really didn’t feel like making it into the water and opted to sit on the side like a beached whale instead. Before we headed out Sophie and I had a quick game of Scrabble, which she loves.

In the afternoon we enjoyed the wonderful company of my friend Kathy and her family. Her Mum and my Mum were at school together so it was a real reunion of sorts and a real family affair – with Kathy’s father-in-law fresh off the plane from Canada to join in the fun! We had a fabulous BBQ and all the children played so brilliantly together, enabling us to really relax, eat and be merry. I even felt a little tipsy on my non-alcoholic grape juice – drank from a wine glass of course- and as I had to ‘pop’ a cork before drinking it the placebo effect worked some magic!

On Granddad’s last day, we went for a lovely walk to visit the Island Bay Marine Education Centre. It’s now open every Sunday and at only $2 per person it is a wonderful place to visit and learn of the creatures that live in the sea on Wellington’s south coast.

Afterwards Grandma, Granddad, Sophie and I walked on round to The Bach cafe in Island Bay, whilst Dan and Charli jogged home to pick up the car (as I wasn’t up to walking home later!). The Bach was totally mobbed and knowing the service isn’t the fastest we quickly made a turnabout. We then decided to all pile in the car and check out the Cornerstone Bar in Brooklyn, where we had a huge feast and the girls enjoyed ‘Mocktails’!

It was a really fun farewell lunch, finished up with some crazy fun at Central Park in Brooklyn on the flying foxes.

Missing you already Dad and thinking of you as you land safely in the UK. Thanks for the hugs, walks in the sun, carrying little bear Sophie on your shoulders, occasional sip of your pinot noir and mowing the lawn, washing the windows, cleaning out the pool and turning our patio into something worthy of eating a BBQ on! xx Love you so much and will be talking on Skype soon xx