Our Christmas

Well I am not as eloquent as David but I will do my best to update you all about the end of 2007 beginning of 2008. Our Christmas Holidays began on the 22nd of December with a 9-10 hour drive (and Ferry) from our wee Island home to the small village of Kenmore where we had rented the "Old Police House" for our family to spend Christmas together. There were my Parents, John Anthony, Kristen, Brennan, Nathan, Stacey, Kellan and my Grandad, as well as David, Abigail and me of course. We were also blessed with a visit from David's parents and Daniel on the evening of Christmas day through until the Thursday morning. The house was amazing. The main living areas were open plan which made it easy for us all to be together even if some were cooking or preparing baby meals. We all had our own bedrooms and there were 3 bathrooms. It was a small village so it was nice to get out and walk about. There was a carolling service outside the village hotel on Christmas eve that we all went to. We enjoyed trips to Aberfieldy to get our shopping at the small co-op there. Mostly we enjoyed spending time together playing games, watching a few movies and sharing meals. We left the house on the 29th and travelled to Stirling via Perth Leisure Center for Abigail's first swim. She had a blast and enjoyed every minute, she seems to be a real water baby. We also spent some time in Aberdeen with John Anthony, Kristen, Brennan, Nathan, Stacey and Kellan. It was great to be around Christian family at the same stage in life as ourselves. We miss that a lot! We had a very quiet New Year at my parents home in Stirling. Just the 3 of us for most of the night then my parents came home later for the bells. We then spent some time in Glasgow with David's family before having to head back home. Though Abigail coped very well all the changes and travel began to take it's toll on her and we tried to keep things low key in Glasgow. The journey back home was smooth and quick and we all settled back in quickly as David returned to teaching the next day. We are as busy as ever with David dealing with prelim exams and we are beginning to look at what will come next for us as David's probationary year draws to a close this summer, the same day as Abigail's 1st birthday. We are looking to return to the mainland but do not know where yet it is all going to depend on where the teaching jobs are and which one David can get. Of course Abigail and our home take up all my time. We are looking forward to visits from family and friends as it helps to break up our time here. We are planning to be back on the mainland for the easter break (1st of April for 2 weeks) but do not plan on doing much travelling around as we all require some much needed rest and relaxation. We will welcome all who want to visit us while we are down. Here are some pictures of our Hols. Enjoy.....

First Halloween

These are some pictures of Abigail on her first Halloween and it was also her first time sitting in her travel high chair. She was just over 4 months in these pictures. Her busy Daddy has just got the time to develop them.

28th November 2007 - The Big Day - 1st attempt at food other than breastmilk. The second attempt today went better! She is just over 5 Months.

Sweet Cousins

This was a sweet moment while sitting on Grannie's couch watching TV. Abigail is sitting with her big cousin Brennan (he is 18 months).

Pictures

I never know what to say on this thing so I will jsut give you what you all want, which is more pictures of Abigail! I think all of these are from our trip back to the mainland during David's October break week.

Giggles

Abby is about 13 1/2 weeks old here and found her laugh at 12 weeks old.

The Law of Baby dynamics

Becoming a parent makes you think. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, physicists and scientists worked to unravel the mysteries of the universe; the ultimate goal was to understand how it all worked. Every bit of creation worked as though clockwork, and all that we required was to develop sufficiently rigorous theories and we would be able to understand every part and predict the future course of events with absolute accuracy.
Then came the advent of quantum phyics. Quantum mechanics tells us that when we look at the universe at a very small scale (i.e. the size of atoms and smaller) we are entirely unable to predict the behaviour of particles. It's not that we just haven't developed sufficiently powerful theories yet, but rather, if our current theories are correct, it absolutely impossible to predict what any particular atom, electron or proton will do.
So, I hear you ask, what does this have to do with parenthood? Well, this uncertainty, this "quantum wierdness" is not supposed to manifest itself at larger scales than the atomic realm. Hence we are able to build cars and bridges and computers, knowing what they will do given certain circumstances. We are also able to map out the behaviour of the stars and predict solar eclipses down to the very second. The universe with which are familiar is solid and predictable. Well let me tell you, having a child sure makes you question that! I am coming to the conclusion that children are the exception to this rule, the area of the "real world" in which quantum uncertainty must play a major part. How else do you explain the way in which a 3 month responds to exactly the same situation two days in a row in entirely different ways?!? How else do you explain the sudden, unprovoked outbursts of inconsolable screaming, the on-off faviouritism (I'm a momma's girl... no I'm a daddy's girl) and the uncanny ability to wake up the moment the parents have two minutes for themselves?? It's the only answer really; Baby dynamics and infact mechanics, the new frontier of physics. It should have its own Nobel Prize. The Nobel Baby prediction prize!



But for all that, then there are these moments, when you are bowled over by something as simple as a smile. When your child laughs (at you, or at the inanimate clock on the living-room wall) you realise that something indescribable has happened in your life and you are thankful to God that inspite of your failings and inadequacies and inexperience, your child is thriving and growing and flourishing. May he help us all to be the parents that these wonderful kids deserve!

And yes, as the science-related rant would indicate, this was David writing, not Deborah.