Last post before the UK

We fly tomorrow early doors so everyone is hoping that Emily sleeps well tonight! I'm dreading the flight but hey ho what can I do (apart from resort to sedatives). We're just about packed although Andi is reminding me I still have to iron a weeks worth of shirts for him : ). We've had a busy last few days in Doha, at the weekend we went out early to the beach to avoid the heat. It was nearly a disaster because we had parked on the beach and were too busy having fun in the sea to realise that the tide had gone in and the car was on a sandbank. Luckily it was only shin deep and we drove out. Won't make that mistake again! Emily had a great last day at nursery before the summer break and had her face painted like a butterfly. She also ate mountains of cupcakes and pizza and was well and truly sugared up when I arrived. Emily and I had to do a visa run to Dubai which was a disaster of a day and involved the airline losing the pushchair and us nearly not getting back into the country. Airline has found the pushchair minus several quite important features which are goodness knows where in the world. On a more positive note, we've been swimming lots and are finding it is still possible to use the pool in 40 plus degree heat - its actually not as hot as you'd imagine out here or perhaps we are just getting used to it. I don't have any cold weather clothes to bring to the UK just flip flops and sundresses so come on sunshine!! Hopefully see you all soon. 

Nando's yummy

My first Johnny Rocket's!

A hungover daddy at Johnny Rockets

Its a hard life queen Emily Jude has. 

Emily butterly

I insisted on breakfasting in my crown

Nursery did a 'what I want to be when I grow up week' Here is chef Emily

Mummy purchased these plus DVD's to keep me quiet on the plane  apparently

We're expanding....

...and baby makes 4. Another post so soon - it must be good news. We're beyond excited that we are expecting another baby. The 12 week scan showed that everything is well and baby Harris has 10 fingers and 10 toes and is due to descend in Doha on 28th December 2012. This obviously means it will be Christmas Day on the beach for us this year (or in the Hospital) and not back in the UK. Emily was decidedly unexcited about watching the scan preferring to try and pull out various wires whilst munching on raisins. She does like looking at the scan pictures though. We are very blessed. Not the best picture but here is baby Harris number 2. 

Summer in Doha

It's now hot....it was 47 yesterday and my friend said the temperature in her car read 50 degrees. Its actually surprisingly bearable. Having said that, unless your going out in the car and moving from the house to the mall you can't really be outside comfortably between 8-4. We're still finding enough to occupy ourselves though. Emily is still enjoying swimming which we do at 8.30am before it gets too hot and she whizzes round the pool on her noodle now without needing to be constantly held. She's quite a little dolphin. She continues to bring us no end of joy seeing the new things she does everyday- just the little things like learning to jump, putting on shoes and saying mummy. We've discovered she really likes painting and is actually rather good at it - I think I have a mini Picasso.

I haven't written on the blog for a while (I'm not entirely sure anyone reads it anyway..?) for various reasons including the fact that Emily has decided that anytime between 4.00am and 5.00am is acceptable to wake up in the morning meaning that when she sleeps at lunchtime so do I! Both Emily and I have also been ill with some nasty bug and were incapacitated for about a week. There has also been quite a sad period in Doha following a terrible fire at the local mall opposite our house and normal life went on hold for a while. 13 children all of around Emily's age died at the nursery in the mall following an electrical fire. Although Doha is a city its a small community and everyone was really effected. Two poor families each lost 3 siblings (one a set of triplets). Life can be so cruel.

We've finally found and bought a new car a little silver 4 wheel drive - a ford escape. I really wanted a hummer (well petrol is cheap out here) but Andi put his foot down. Nothing else really exciting to report - not long till we're back in the UK now. I hope the local fish and chip shops are prepared for my arrival....I never thought I'd say this either but I really miss Tesco and can't wait to go! I'm slightly dreading the flight - 7.00am - 1pm in a confined space with Emily - she'll be ruling the plane by the time we land I've no doubt. Sorry to say this as well but I'm hoping for rain over the summer - I miss the rain.

Anyone who does read the blog - do email us all your news. x

Chocolate and heat = disaster

Collecting water from the sea with daddy

Move over Picasso

Enjoying colouring at Ray's Reef

Playing at Ray's Reef (indoor soft play area)

Princess Emily 

Very pleased with my tower

Peepo!

Long time no blog.....

Its been a while since I posted anything....things have been busy. We've had two lots of visitors (Will and Steve and then Nanny) which has been nice. I don't think we'll have any visitors between May and September though its just too hot. We're coping with the heat and we'll get used to it. The strangest thing to get used to is that the cold water is always boiling hot. We can't really go out in the day as its too hot so Emily is getting used to being indoors quite a bit but doesn't seem to mind. At the moment by about 4pm we can venture outside. Flights back to the UK over the summer have been booked and Emily and I are in the UK between 3rd July and 15th August and Andi between 27th July and 10th August. Obviously apart from seeing people I can't wait for proper fish and chips, real sausages and bacon! I've attached some recent photos of what we've all been up to. 

A new park we have found in the city

Beep Beep check out my new wheels

Will, Steve and Andi recapturing their
childhood on the inflatables at the beach

Emily having fun in the pool with Will and Steve 

Early evening drinks by the water

Emily splish splashing in her new paddling pool

Early morning weekend painting with daddy

Making new friends with a stray kitten
(daddy has said I can't have it - meanie)

Weekend Away in Dubai

We've just come back from a weekend away in Dubai which was very hectic but good fun. We visited Dubai Mall which houses the most amazing aquarium and everyone should go and see the Dubai Fountains they are incredible. We went up the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) and had a lovely lunch and leisurely dhow ride from Dubai Marina. Emily enjoyed tea at the rainforest cafe but wasn't sure about the life-like animals. Good fun by all. Its getting much hotter now and the air con is officially on! We're reaching the 40's now.....eek. 

All packed for the airport come on mummy and daddy me and Teddy are ready! 

Where's our plane teddy it's way past my bedtime

Burj Khalifa

It's high up here!

Admiring the waterfall in the mall 

So many fish!

Amazing fish tank!

Wow daddy look at all the fish

Its fun in here!

Waiting for the dancing foundations

A leisurely dhow ride around the marina
 - made more peaceful as Emily slept!

Bobbing about on the water with teddy

I had chips twice today, some of daddy's sprite
and now I'm allowed ice-cream! This is the best day ever!

Just some photos.....

My new sun protection gear - lets hope it works as its 37 degrees today!

Fun times in the pool with daddy

Off to the pool with my new noodle which the swimming teacher says will help me swim

Libby's new favourite thing in the whole world - dean and deluca macaroons

Enjoying dinner out

The biggest ball pool I've ever seen!

Cooking something for mummy in my new kitchen

A good and a bad week

First the good part of the week! Our shipping arrived and whilst if I had my time again I wouldn't have packed half of the stuff I have at least all Emily's toys have arrived - each box got a big 'wow' from her as we opened it. Unfortunately her trike was in several pieces and had to wait for Andi to get home to put it together and Emily couldn't understand this and so kept bringing me the seat in tears. She's whizzing around on it now though as you'll see from the photos below. Its been nice to get cookbooks out and pictures and photo albums and it really feels like home now. The bad part of week was being fined huge amounts of money for failing to realise mine and Emily's visas had expired - oops. Anyway quickly moving on....

Emily and I watched spiderman climb the torch last week in Doha which was exciting (the French guy who climbs structures with bare hands and no harness). We also had lots of trips to the park and swimming. The swimming pool tends to be lovely and warm about 5pm and so after dinner Emily and I sometimes go swimming and Andi meets us in the pool after work.

We've just had a nice weekend and headed to the beach with some friends who had their daughter and grandchildren visiting and we had friends over for a BBQ on Saturday night (it rained!!!). We also found a new park to visit and lovely ice-creams for 40p each! It hasn't really got any hotter at the moment and so we're still managing to get out and about.

I was very pleased my trike arrived

The Torch

Emily checking out the spiderman action

Emily's lovely new kitchen that was shipped over.
Mummy is enjoying the many cups of tea being made

Ice-cream!!

Yummy

Our new favourite park 

My new pool/beach hat which I love!

Daddy enjoying ice-cream as well

Early evening trip to the cafe at the park for nuggets and chips.
Teddy has to come too!

Come on teddy hold on.....

Can you guess the new favourite toy?

Faster teddy faster

Enough of the pictures of Emily - hello from Libby and Andi  x