Injections, scream, cry, scream, calpol, cuddle, walk, sleep

So today Della had her second set of injections. The actual administration went better than last time which is a relief. However she has been a bit grizzly since. She is currently having a sleep - but as you can see it's not her most relaxed nap and she is taking it under protest:

To celebrate the amazing fact that Della is now three months old here are some bonus snaps of her:

Is pink and blue the correct colour for looting?

Snuggling in her 'Della' blanket - thank uncle Ben and Aunty Emily

I think a Della just landed on me

Dad likes shadows

Saying 'Hi' to her 50% American cousin

I have just realised that although Della does smile and giggle a lot now I am normally so caught up in the moment - it's an amazing feeling to make a little person laugh - that I don't have many photos of her smiling. I am going to make it my mission this week to rectify this. Smily photos to follow!!

Happy 3 month-day Della!

Della is 3 months old today - can't quite believe it! To celebrate, here is a video of her taking a well deserved mid-day nap last week...

And also some pics from the studio of Gran Helen, taken this weekend



It's an exciting day today as well because Angela is getting an afternoon off - Simon is at home looking after Della giving her her midday bottle, meaning Angela gets a whole 6 hours off!! It's going well so far - I've been doing what Angela normally does (update Blog, sort Fantasy Football team out, bring the washing in out of the rain...) After lunch, we'll be off to the shops to pick up ingredients ready to make a Lemon Drizzle cake for Angela's Under 1's Group friends who are coming over tomorrow. If the afternoon goes as well as the morning has anyway...

Richmond and Rain

Gran Helen has been visiting Della for the past few days. Friday was a total washout with the weather and the day was spent huddled up in the house playing with Della. She loved it.

It was time to get out of the house on saturday though. We thought it would be a nice idea to meet up with my parents so bundled into the car and headed for Richmond, a lovely Georgian market town about an hour from York. The sun was shining there and we all had a lovely stroll around the square before heading back for a picnic including pies that Gran Anne had baked:

It was then time for Della's first bottle outside of the house. She has only been taking the bottle from her Mam for about five days so this was quite a big deal and we were all praying she didn't scream. She was in fact happy and hungry so everything was great. However, what we didn't pray for was the dark clouds that started rolling in to suddenly open and for the pies to get soaked. As Della was happily taking her bottle I didn't want to move - we have witnessed Della if her feed is broken and it isn't pretty. So here I am, under a summer parasol feeding our little lady in Simon's rain coat - you can just say see her little feet poking out!

After the excitement of the rainy feed it was time to retire indoors (to a converted old railway station which is now a cafe, cinema, gallery and swimming pool?!) for a nice coffee and sit down. These are some of Della's highlights:

Taking in the art

Insisting a cuddle is the only way forward

Hmm... no coffee for me thanks - think I might take a nap

What a big girl

So Della has now moved into her big bedroom and into her big bed. She doesn't miss us - we thought she would but she much prefers being able to kick about and stretch without being able to touch the side of her crib.

Here she is on her first night. Fast asleep in her grobag.

NEKC Show - otherwise known as Koi-Fest

As promised here is Della at the koi show.

Every year people who have huge (and very beautiful) japanese koi get together in Newcastle and compete to win the coveted  accolade of Grand Champion. My dad has koi but instead of showing his fish he sells his wares at the craft show which also takes place on the same day.

Here is my Mam and Dad with Della and some of his amazing turned bowls and the such:

My dad is also so skilled that he makes rocking horses too. The carousel horse is mine, the rocker is my brothers and guess who the tiny little horse is for...

  

Della relaxing in the living room

Busy times

As well as visiting her Dad at work Della has been up to lots and lots over the past weeks. Here are some of the highlights:

I went to get my hair cut and returned to find simon and Della dancing round the kitchen:

Stevie Wonder rocked our kitchen

We decided to get our social life back and invited a few people round for  barbecue given all the lovely sunshine we had been having. As you would expect the rain came a pouring and we were forced to use Della's shade umbrella to protect the hallumi and steak!

Then her new friend Seth visited, however, she wasn't best pleased that he wanted to play on her jungle gym. After sharing it with him and continuing to bop him on the head she decided she wanted to lie on her blanket instead. Her first lesson in sharing did not go well.

Then Anna visited. It was poop day (Della has decided she doesn't like to poop everyday so when she does it is like a military operation to clear it up!). Here she looks a little cuter having a cuddle with Chalkley:

Then it was Koi-Fest. More Photos to follow from Della's exciting day with giant fish. Did she manage to ride one...

Della on the decks

Last week Della visited her Dad in his new office. She loved the big open space and the beautiful original floorboards. Dan was very excited about showing Della how to spin some tracks. Della mainly enjoyed grabbing and pushing the sliding buttons (I'm sure these have a proper name but I'm not cool enough to know!)...

She also liked to watch the turntable spin...

NB: I have just realised that this is the 2000th photo I have taken of Della. I'm sure her Dad has taken just as many too. It would be boring looking back at them all if you were not me or Simon. 

These are my toes

Now Della is nine weeks old she seems to have developed a lot of new traits. Instead of crying herself awake she now wakes slowly and smiles when you greet her over the crib. This is just the cutest thing in the world and is a stark reminder that you are a parent, charged with the responsibility of taking care of a little new life. You can tell she really likes her Mam and Dad now - which is a relief to be honest!

She has also discovered her fingers and toes. She mainly likes to try and ram her whole hand in her mouth. This results in an incredible amount of dribble on her hands, down her clothes, in her hair (when she is sleeping) and down mine and Simon's back/ arm/ face and so on.

She can now also grab her toes and, with a slightly bewildered look on her, figure out that they might just be attached to her body.

She also likes to grab her clothes, my hair and most importantly her muslins. I think her muslin is already her best friend - probably because she can smell her own sick on them sometimes!

This is Della walking in the park in Hyde Park with Uncle Nick and Dad

Della making faces

Della trying out some of her faces. This was just before feeding time, so one of these means 'Feed me!'




Watch out for the surprise ending...

eight week check

So Della is two months old now. How time flies. She started the week with a visit from Gran Anne while her Dad worked late and visited uncle Nick in Leeds. She had a lovely time with lots of smiles.

One good thing about being two month old is that she has created her own little night time routine now. It goes food, play, nap, cry, cuddle, nap, bottle, sleep. The last sleep lasts anywhere between 4 and 7 hours. This is brilliant as everyone is getting a bit more sleep now - even if it does mean Della sleeps less in the day.

Last night was the exception to this. At least there was a reason though - she had her 8 week check at the doctor which included a check of her heart beat, tummy, hips, eyes and mouth. After this though she had to have her injections. We have never heard her scream so much, we now know that she feels pain!

Two injections certainly left her feeling very grumpy!

Injection in leg one = little scream

Injection in leg two = massive, never heard before scream

A very grumpy Della having some fresh air and cuddle from her Dad

All of this resulted in the routine going out of the window and a very grizzly little Della. As I write this though she has just napped off in her buggy so fingers crossed she will pick herself up as we are heading over to Leeds to see Uncle Nick today. Hopefully we will have some sunshine and we can go out for a picnic. 

The Antiques Roadshow

We tried to go to the Antiques Roadshow when it was at Chatsworth. One thing and another got in the way and we were gutted we couldn't make it. Then, when I was pregnant, we heard that it was visiting the Museum Gardens and decided we needed to take our chairs there. The chairs were left in our house when we moved in. We loved them but were going to re-upholster them as the fabric was a bit brown and didn't match anything. So I googled them and although we found out they were a design classic we didn't find that much out so they were perfect for the Antiques Roadshow.

This is Simon and Della as we walked to the show:

When we arrived there were queues everywhere - luckily with a small child you can get away with quite a lot and we jumped the first huge queue and got straight into the 'furniture' queue:

We waited for AGES but eventually got seen by the furniture expert. She didn't know what the chairs were so went and got the 20th Century expert. He said he saw the chair from across the field and got very excited. After a little bit of digging around (which we think he did on his iPhone) he came back and without telling us any detail about the chairs asked if we would be happy to be on the show. We of course said yes and were taken to a holding area:

We got a 3.30 spot for make up (I know!! I looked a bit like a doll and Simon looked lovely with his dusting down!) Then it was time for filming and to find out what all the fuss was about!

The crew

Us all miked up

You may be wondering what we did with Della - well the production crew were more than happy to look after her!

So it turns out the chairs were designed by Eric Lyons and the fabric by Marianne Straub. Its called a Demountable Easy Chair from 1946-1950. We are not sure is we will make the cut but if we do it should be aired at the end of the year. 

What an exciting day!!

What a weekend...

Della had her first holiday this weekend and went up to Durham on Saturday morning and didn't come home until Sunday night. I forget how large my family is and at the last count she met about 26 new people in the space of 24 hours!

She definitely liked the northern accent and I am still on a mission to make her first words come out with a geordie twang. Although it seems that her first words might be corner, window or mantelpeice. These seem to be her favourite things no matter where she is!

Here are a few shots of her exciting weekend...

watching the grand prix with granda 

Della likes uncle Dave

A nice little cuddle with uncle Alan

The Browne family

Della can't wait til she can have Yorkshire puddings with gravy!!

Della meet Neve, Neve meet Della

Della asleep

This is a picture of Della looking happily and calmly asleep...

And then this is Della tossing and turning in her sleep. She's never liked being swaddled, preferring to be able to stretch out, though normally she does have a blanket over the top too. 

It's all too much...

For Della and her Dad:

Sunday afternoon naps are the best

Dad had to work this Saturday so Granda and Gran Anne came to keep Della and Mam company. After tea and toast we all took a trip to the shops. Della was a very good girl and even managed to get some free baby hangers from Mamas and Papas. She also got some lovely cuddles after the shops

It's been a BIG week

It has been a very BIG week for Della. She is now 10lb 8oz, still eating very well. In addition she:

Went up a clothes size
Needs the next size nappies
Was promoted out of her basket and into a crib

Della in her crib - kindly borrowed from Our Lindsey! 

Della after a hard morning digging potatoes on the allotment

A few more pics...

Della and mum lying next to other shortly after arrival 

Feeding time at the bootsale!

Della's first trip to the pub... unimpressed

Della after having her hips checked by ultrasound, and everything looking normal

Just too cute

So Della is five weeks old today and yesterday we experienced her first proper smile. It was after her morning feed and she was having a little play with us both and then there it was - the cutest little smile just for us. We felt very privileged (even if we are convinced it might have happened before - this one was official).

We didn't have a camera to hand but you can be sure lots of photos of a smily Della will appear on the blog soon.

A month worth of photos...

Featuring: Della smiling (ish); Della and Collins family members; Della's ear; Della yawning; Della and her parents; Della asleep...
To view full screen, once you've clicked the big triangle, click the button on the bottom right above that looks like 4 small arrows.

it has been such a busy week...

...hence the lack of posts recently.

Last Friday Granda Collins visited again. Della could not believe the uncanny resemblance between her dad and grandad:

Like father like son? 

Della then had her first official picnic for Amy's birthday at Rowntrees park

Can you spot Della? 

At the picnic Della got lots of cuddles...

one from James

then one from Frank

Big grins all around from Michael

Then it was back home to say hello to Gran Anne and Granda Browne. After a few cuddles it was bed time ready for an early start to go to the bootsale on Sunday morning. Amazingly we made it out in good(ish) time and Della managed to enjoy the bootsale mainly asleep. Although, she did have the pleasure of having her milk snack under a muslin cloth at the burger van which was a joy for everyone - especially her mam who was amazed at her skill in hiding a very obvious breastfeeding session in a field full of people looking for a second hand bargain!

After the bootsale we all came home and Della played in the garden with her Gran Anne - under a pretty snazzy sunshade (50p from the Bootsale)...

Since then Della saw the doctor - turns out her rash is normal. She played with the health visitor again while she stepped on the scales again. Turns out she is now 10lb - still feeding well and 'thriving' according to all medical professionals.

During the week she also popped up to see her friend Maisie while her Mam met with Kerry to catch up on work stuff. She even went to Monks Cross to do a bit of shopping this week too with her Gran. It really has been all go.

Thankfully all this adventure has tired out Della which was good news to her Mam who on Thursday night got a little poorly and although the night time feeds were still difficult Della seemed to know that her mam wasn't feeling well and really took it easy on her. Thanks Della x