lazy weekend

We didn't do a whole lot this weekend. Calvin worked on his breakdancing for a little while:

Bam!

Then we wandered over the Orchard to have lunch and tea. Calvin was rocking a new pumpkin hat, so he was looking pretty good.

He's been kind of smirky lately.

From some angles, he looks giant.

Sam calms him down so we can all enjoy a really beautiful fall day.

Sometimes he likes this, sometimes he just pulls hair.

poetry

This last weekend we spent one day in Cambridge and the other day exploring the paths of Grantchester.  In Cambridge, we walked around St. John's College, enjoyed some fish & chips, and watched a punter fall into the water.  A pretty exciting day!

Punters navigating the Bridge of Sighs at St. John's College

On Sunday we walked along the River Cam through Grantchester and found this extremely quaint place called The Orchard.  It's a beautiful outdoor area that serves tea all year long (there is also a small indoor area too) and is famous for attracting celebrity patrons.  One patron that made it famous is the poet Rupert Brooke.  As my Aunt Mary pointed out to me, we went from one city that is known for it's bad poet to another place known for it's good poet.  Poor Dundee.

In other news, Calvin is eating his toes and sitting up unaided for a minute or so.  He is also sleeping better now that we've settled in a bit more and adapted more of a routine.  Nick is very busy with work and I'm keeping busy entertaining Calvin. As for where we are living, I promise to post pics of our new place soon.  I'm attempting to clean up all of our stuff before I take pictures and at least give the illusion that we keep a tidy house.

Cal's favorite facial expression of late

UPDATE: Oops, I forgot to link to more pictures that Nick took here.  Enjoy!

a few shots of grantchester

We've spent the week settling in, mostly. Sam and Calvin did some exploring with Uncle Alex who was visiting, I went to work, and then just in time for the weekend we all caught colds. So nothing really adventurous went down. Here are a few pictures of the village we're living in, though, where Cal will be taking most of his walks in the magical sleep inducing stroller.

Cows in the early morning mist in the field across the street.

Thatched roof action on the main street through town.

Ivy on some building.

Holly in the churchyard- it's like they start decorating for Christmas earlier and earlier every year.

Calvin along the Cam near Grantchester meadows, which is idyllic in a sort of 'Lord Byron chasing his cousins around' kind of way.

Back in England

Well, we're back in the UK after our trip to visit our families. Math lesson: Calvin + Eastbound jet-lag = infinity screaming for a couple of horrible days and nights. Even in light of that, we had a great time. All we really did was spend time visiting with friends and family, so not the most exciting story to tell. Here are a few pictures, the full set is here.




So now we're back and it's time to start exploring our new home. If you're in the area, we're in the village of Grantchester- look for the reddish door next to the Blue Ball Inn.

on vacation

We're a little over midway through our vacation to Cal's ancestral homeland. When we get back to the UK we'll have about a thousand photos to sort through, including his first transatlantic flight; being spoiled by grandparents; meeting his great-grandparents; leading the cheering section at a mountain bike race; being strollered around all over the place; meeting uncles and honorary aunts and uncles; pooing on a lucky grandpa; celebrating a wedding; and, if the weather cooperates, his first experience harnessing the wind on a sailboat. Maybe not the most relaxing vacation ever, but we've packed a lot in and it's been great so far.

last week in Scotland

Alas, it's our last week in Scotland. We were hoping to get out and explore the highlands one more time last weekend but the Scottish weather got the best of us. Instead we spent a lot of time indoors playing with Calvin.

Chilling on the sofa

Cal also had one last check-up with his doctors at Ninewells. He now weighs 14 lb 14 oz (50th percentile) and is 66.2 cm (26 in) which is just over the 91st percentile! He is definitely a tall baby. The doctor said he is doing well but we found out that we have been encouraging an activity that is a no-no: standing. We've been having fun the past few weeks with him standing in our laps (he absolutely loves it and gets this big goofy grin on his face) but apparently that can make it difficult for him to learn how to sit and roll so we need to focus more on tummy time. So sorry Cal, but no more standing for now!

We've also started Cal on solids this last week but so far, most of it has been on his face. He still looks happy though, don't you think?

Cal is not a fan of baby rice (I thought it was pretty gross too)

So as of Saturday, we will no longer be residing in land of kilts and haggis. We've had a great time in Scotland and are really happy that Calvin will forever have ties to Dundee. But for now, it's off to jolly old England!

Cal is shocked that Dad doesn't know how to put his trousers on

6 months old!

It's hard to believe that it's already been 6 months since Calvin was born. He has been through a lot but you would never know from his smiling face now. We're so proud of you Cal!