Pretty in Pink

i just couldn't resist buying these trousers today! she just looks so much older in trousers and top instead of babygrows. gorgeous day today - blue skies and nice cool breeze. enjoyed a walk at long bay and brunch at altura cafe in albany - eggs benedict done to perfection accompanied by a berry smoothie. then emma, mia and i went to a bbq at nick and michelle's. well, we didn't actually stay for the bbq as time was ticking towards mia's bedtime. toby has spent another day resting his back. $7 chicken laksa for dinner from our favourite foodcourt in northcote washed down with a bottle of feijoa wine. toby and emma watching a film but i just keep nodding off as per usual so thought i'd do something useful instead. not sure what tomorrow brings... xx

Who ate all the pies?

another picture from the top of sky tower on thursday. toby has been busy creating another blog. he has set up a pie blog. yes, a guide to a new zealand national treasure - the pie. http://nzpieguide.blogspot.com/
it is intended to become a travel guide as well and anybody visiting must eat at least one pie, take a photo of it and update the blog accordingly! emma is currently our guinea pig and has tried two pies. i don't think she was particularly impressed with either though. we expect the fletchers to eat multiple pies when they are here.

Where did the summer go?

good grief it's cold this morning. not by your standards i guess, but after suffering 85% humidity recently it is a bit of a shock to the system to have to put a fleece on! i reckon emma brought the cold weather with her. my tootsies are freezing. lack of sleep catching up with me at the moment, i have nodded off in front of tv 3 nights in a row! last night in front of wallace and gromit film. not sure what today brings, might drive north for an hour and go to farmers market to buy some fizzy feijoa wine. feijoas are bright green fruits with a very unique taste, nearest description we can think of is a cross between a guava and a pineapple. they have a very short season and it is just starting. had some wine at birthday party last weekend and it was really nice. no doubt we will fit in a beach walk as well then back to auckland for a housewarming/birthday bbq this afternoon. not sure about poor toby, looks like he'll be spending the day on his back again. neck a bit better but definitely no surfing sessions in sight.

last entry today

emma and mia enjoy a giggle at bar in auckland's viaduct. we were good girls and had fresh juice instead of vino.

Sky Tower

today we have been up the sky tower again. this time with emma and mia (who slept the whole time.) fantastic 360deg views and glass panels to walk over. saw some nutter doing a bungee jump off the tower. then headed down to viaduct for a bevvie, fruit juice for a change. tomorrow brings a new postnatal coffee group and i am hoping these women will be more my age group, or at least my decade! one of the girls in the other group asked, pre-birth, about the possibility of baby being shoved back up if the umbilical cord got stuck round baby's neck. needless to say, i struggled not to laugh. what a thought.

Just how is it possible?

everybody keeps telling me i am gorgeous yet, minutes later, they are telling me i look just like my daddy. how does that work then?

That bad back strikes again....

not sure mia will thank us for this photo in years to come, but it is so typically her, with tongue hanging out! taken just before she fell asleep in buggy at b rowns bay. it is now thursday morning and we are all at home. unfortunately, toby has done his neck in again...... so we've been to school this morning for him to set cover for lessons and been to chiropractor. he will be spending the whole day resting i think. emma heading off into auckland city soon and i am undecided what mia and i will do. might go along with emma or might just have a day at home. heavy rain overnight but clear blue skies now. haven't been in the pool for a while as it is a lot cooler as the humidity has gone. don't worry fletcher family, it is still gloriously warm once that sun gets going......

Browns Bay

Emma running out of the sea to rescue her sandals whilst me and i just watched, laughing! taken around 6pm last night at nearby beach. we had just been to supermarket then enjoyed stroll along beautiful beach. mia fell asleep in buggy and she was bathed, fed and put to bed as soon as we got back.

Me and my girl

Lunch yesterday in posh ponsonby. enjoyed a nice salad and fruit juice. mia good as gold, taking in her surroundings and taking an interest in the food on my plate! she was really good yesterday, kept to a good routine. joy of joys, she took a bottle from me yesterday for the first time. the end is in sight! usually toby gives her the bottle but we were out and about so i did it instead in the back of the car.

Today is the day

yes, today toby and i are going to stop swearing in front of our little treasure. that's the idea anyway. it is tuesday morning and it is absolutely glorious outside. toby is at work and both emma and mia are in bed so i am grabbing the opportunity to update this. really i should be doing housework but that can wait. lovely day yesterday in takapuna, just pottering around the shops then a drink at cafe just up from the beach. last night we went to galbraiths, the only pub in auckland which sells decent beer. as per usual, mia drew lots of admiring looks. she was an absolute star, playing to the crowd. i know i have said it many times, but i can't quite believe how fast she is developing. she now recognises the cats and cuddly toys. we are pulling her up by her arms into sitting position and she adores the new perspective that gives her. she gave us a real hearty laugh the other day as well. not sure what we are going to do today. perhaps book up some trips for emma as she wants to head north to ninety mile beach and bay of islands, then south to waitomo caves and taupo. she is a bit more adventurous than me, wanting to do an abseil plus a tandem skydive/freefall. perhaps a walk at long bay (long beach north of here) or into pretty devonport for a wander. toby went to see waterfall at piha yesterday and today he is going to look at a stream in northcote (suburb his uncle doug lives in). all part of biology fieldtrip he has been roped in to. he gets to sit on the back of the bus with the "bad" boys. not a patch on bad boys at thomas more school in north shields. bit nicer than a day in the classroom anyway. mia now has a wonderful "miffy" musical mobile above her bed (courtesy of emma) and is well on her way to bottle feeding. lots of love to all reading. jo xxx

No more humidity

Mia writes: hope you like the dribble running down my chin. as you can see, i can hold my head up really well now. within the last few days i have realised that i don't just have a mummy and daddy, but i also have 2 huge furry things which spend all their time lying on their backs or howling for food (a bit like me really). one is called frank and the other arnie. another new person has arrived and she plays with me lots and lots. last night she took me to the pub. daddy held me and lots of people admired me. i didn't try the beer but dad said it was really good. thanks to cousin/aunty emma, i am now the proud owner of a musical "miffy" mobile above my bed. i love it. well, time for another sleep. love mia. xxxx

Emma's here!

Monday night, just getting ready for bed. My cousin Emma arrived safe and sound and not too jet-lagged. We've been to see local beach at Mairangi Bay but nothing else really. Early night for all. Mia fast asleep but I'll be waking her in an hour for her "dreamfeed" which should see her thru' til 4ish....... Toby at work as per usual tomorrow and me and Emma off into Takapuna for a wander and a coffee. Emma needs to check out tourist info to see if any of the bus companies can do a mini tour incorporating the sights she wants to see and things she wants to do. Goodnight x