Wednesday, February 13, 2013

At last I am updating it....what a lot has happened!!

I just noted in my last post I said I would try and update this weekly....ummmm well several months later.......life has never been busier. Since October we have:

1. Had our first Christmas in Doha 
2. Sold our house in the UK 
3. Moved house in Doha
4. Bought a car
5. Had several visitors to stay
6. Last but not least....had a baby - welcome Dylan Woody Harris


Christmas in Doha was great although very strange going to a Christmas tree light switch on on a sunny day and listening to carols in the sunshine. Lots of the big international hotels do lovely things for Christmas like have life-size edible gingerbread houses and christmas carols with the opportunity to meet santa. We went to the Marriot on Christmas Eve for the carols and Emily saw santa and we drank eggnog - it felt very festive. on Christmas day we took Emily out on her new bike and enjoyed our first family Christmas just the 3 of us (as was then). Once Christmas was over our beautiful baby boy made an appearance on the 28th December (photos attached). Giving birth out here was much the same experience as back home except it was in a private hospital and I was lucky enough to be upgraded to the VIP suite (I don't recall getting two private bathrooms on the NHS!). The birth went well and Dylan is now 6 weeks old as I write this. He is a very chilled out baby (which is a good job with a big sister as hectic as Emily). Emily loves Dylan and loves to cuddle him and show him things. He does get the occasional sly whack or missile launched at him but on the whole Emily loves being a big sister. Moving house with a 2 week old baby is not to be repeated - stressful doesn't quite cover it. We're all settled now though and I have attached pictures of the new place. Emily now attends nursery 5 days a week from 7-1 and loves it. The commute to nursery goes via the animal market and she gets very excited by the daily drive by the camels and various other animals. Emily is growing up quickly and is adorable half of the time and the other half drives you crackers!! Everything has to be inspected, pulled out, tipped up and thrown about - she certainly keeps me on my toes. It has been nice to have cooler weather over the winter - most days are like a british summer day - its heating up again now though. I have attached some photos (in a random order) that hopefully cover everything that has happened since I last updated the blog. It definitely won't be as long next time.......



Enjoying the park

Making my lunch at pizza express

More cheese please

At the top of the sand dunes with mummy and daddy

Emily climbed this and then slide down! 

Watching the sun go down from on top of the dune

Merry Christmas!
Emily loving the tree


Hello Santa (Emily wasn't too sure about him!)

Christmas Eve at the Marriot hotel
Getting ready for the nursery carol concert! Emily sang jingle bells
Welcome Dylan
Daddy and Dylan at the dunes
Thanks Santa!


Team Harris!

Growing up quickly

Daddy relaxing in the city

Dylan sunbathing with mummy

Having a picnic at the sand dunes

zzzzzzzzzzz

Road testing my new sun hat

Emily and daddy small dots on top of the dunes

Our new pool 

Smile Dylan

Space dress up day at nursery - meet Alien Emily!


Sleepy cuddles

More cuddles!

I scream for ice-cream

The first meeting at the Hospital


More zzzzzzz


Fresh out - welcome Dylan!


Afternoon tea at the Four Seasons - yummy

Baking pink cakes with mummy

The best bit about baking!

Lazy afternoons at the beach

Pussy cat Emily 

Enjoying time with nanny

Monday, October 22, 2012

time flies

I cannot believe it is a month since I last updated the blog. I don't know where the weeks go.....baby Harris number 2 will be here before we know it. We had a scan yesterday and they showed us the baby in 3D which is quite amazing - its like looking at an actual baby! I think he/she looked like Emily - Andi can't confirm this as he was busy chasing Em around and trying to stop her unplugging expensive equipment. We have told Emily that she can speak to the baby if she wants via my belly button and its very sweet when she says hello to him/her.

Emily has come on massively since I last updated the blog, its like she woke up one morning and decided she would string sentences together and learn lots of new words. She speaks much more when its just me and Andi as I think its when she's comfortable and confident. She copies everything you say which is very amusing. I picked her up from nursery the other day and asked her if she liked her lunch I made her - she told me it was yukey, she has also told me I am big and fat (remembering from earlier in the day that I told her I couldn't go on the slide in the park (speech has its downsides!).

She is still really enjoying swimming and we spend lots of time at the weekend by the pool - Emily has obviously been watching mummy and is becoming quite skilled and lying back on her float and bobbing around the pool lazily! We recently took her to the local aqua park and she loved floating around the lazy river and generally splashing about.

We have been to a family day at the local museum and Emily enjoyed the bouncy castle and getting her face painted. She also seems to really enjoy live entertainment and sat and watched the bands at the family day and clapped along. The weather is slowly getting cooler (mid thirties not forties) and we can go to the parks and the beach for longer in the day which is nice. Picnic and BBQ season is just around the corner. Andi has 5 days off next week for the Eid celebrations and we're going to scope out some new beaches and take a BBQ.


I've recently been to a chocolate cooking class at one of the 5 star hotels out here and it was a great evening. I had dinner with the class and then learnt to cook some tasty chocolate treats. Even I was amazed at how good they looked! Move over cupcakes.......

I must update the blog more often and will try and do it weekly. I've added lots of photos below and two videos. Emily was desperate for the local cat to get 'up' and play and I've also added a video of Emily at the park desperately wanting to play in the water fountain but being a bit of a scaredy cat!



Expanding mummy at the beach
Building sandcastles


Busy busy at the beach

Emily enjoying her first communal late night hot tub at a BBQ

Reading stories with daddy after work

I scream for ice-cream!


A picnic at the museum park

After the picnic we walked in the grounds of the museum -
this is a picture of the Museum of Islamic Arts

Mummy's chocolates that she made!

Teddy bear's picnic - everyone invited

After the picnic time to take teddies for a drive

Enjoying mummy's pancakes at the weekend


Fountain fun with daddy

Not more ice-cream!.....

Enjoying arts and crafts with mummy - glitter gets everywhere!

Ice-cream.....AGAIN....bubblegum flavour - yuk!

Bouncing about at the local family day

Having my face painted

Sat in the shade with mummy and daddy listening to a live band

Cheese

Daddy and Emily's idea of shopping for chest of drawers isn't productive!

Stickers everywhere but the picture!

More stickers!