3 months! where does the time go?

 There have definitely been some changes around our house. This little pink jacket is just the tip of the iceberg! The coat hooks should say Cartref, which is Home in Welsh, but the f broke and I only had a y spare.  

We took another little trip this month. This time it was to London to register Ayla's birth at the US Embassy and apply for her social security card and passport. She will have dual nationality. 

On the way to London we stopped in Cardiff to see Cousin Ellie and her family. This is Ellie, Kym with Ayla and Rory. Not pictured is her Husband Ian who generously drove us to the train. 

Ayla's first train ride. 

We swaddle her at night. It seems to help her stay asleep for longer stretches. This is the amazing ergo baby swaddle. Despite its clever design she still manages to get an arm out every once in a while.

We walked and walked around London. We stopped in a nice hotel for a rest and the comfy chairs so I could feed Ayla. As it turned out she wasn't hungry so it became Daddy time. Wonderful!!

Sights around Hyde park.

Ayla spent a lot of cozy time in her pram. What a little angel. 

 At the Natural History Museum we couldn't resist a picture of this pygmy skeleton and Ayla. 

 It wasn't always smiles. 

We also squeezed in a visit with my old flatmates. Sarah and Ollie are getting married next May in Italy. I hope we can go!

Daddies with Prams. We went to South Bank for a market lunch after a wander past tourist attractions for Shifty. 

 Myles is practiced being a great big brother by reading to Ayla. 

 Lindsay's bump!!!!

More wandering the parks. It was easier to walk everywhere and have Ayla sleep on us than brave the underground. The only time we did they stopped the train service before our stop for maintenance! More walking. Luckily I had the London A-Z app on my phone. 

Ayla's taxi ride. London black cabs are great because you can just wheel the pram straight into them without even folding it up!

And then we were back home, in the countryside again. Lovely. 

Happy 3 Month Birthday Ayla!!

Ayla at 2 Months

This was the month of smiles. Each smile makes all the sleepless nights fade. We managed to coax a few smiles out of her to get a picture but she also made some other faces for the camera. She's going to love this picture being shown to prospective boyfriends!

As usual she had her adorable sleeping moments. Even without hands she managed to get her burp cloth onto her head. 

We took Ayla on her first trip to Cardiff to pick up Mr and Mrs James Badcock. She was such a good girl on the 2.5 hour drive (ugh, traffic) and sleeping in the hotel. We loved every minute of the time away from home and even managed to go out to a nice meal. 

Ayla enjoying the plush bed after a night in her travel cot. 

The Welsh Millenium Center and Opera House. 

Back in Pembrokeshire we took Shelley and James to see St. Davids Cathedral. 

Uncle James

Waffles for the big birthday breakfast. Shelley and I share a birthday.  

Our little trooper asleep on one of the many car journeys. 

Ayla and Grampy love their matching outfits!

We have been trying to get her to take a bottle. So far she fights it like a champ. Don't be fooled by her calm demeanor here. I return to work on Thursday so maybe she'll be more keen when I'm not around. I wish Granny all the luck in the world!

The ergobaby carrier allows me to cook meals..we would starve without it. 

Timmy is learning to watch Ayla play on the floor. He is very curious about her. 

We are very proud and tired parents. She seems worn out too. 

Ayla Charlotte Lloyd - 2 Months 

Weekend Adventures

Fall has arrived with fluttering leaves and the odd rain shower but despite those clear signs the sun keeps showing up. We took advantage this weekend and squeezed in two local adventures to see seal pups in Martin's Haven's rocky coves and pick summer's hard work, blackberries!

Enlarge this so you can get some geographical context.  

We couldn't get down to the coves but that is probably a good thing as some of the pups were only just born. 

They blend in very well! The longer we searched the beach the more we spotted.  Binoculars really helped. 

Ayla enjoyed being snuggled in during the walk. We'll show her the pictures someday. 

From here you can see the wildlife haven islands. They are also a popular sailing destination for locals. 

What lucky cows!

We had to keep Timmy on a lead so he wouldn't annoy the cows. 

Nearby there are also sheep grazing in picturesque fields of straw bales. 

Our walk back to the car. It just started to sprinkle!

We picked blackberries on the coastal path near our house. It was very fruitful!

Ayla managed to stay awake for some of this adventure. 

Timmy loves blackberries and even picks them himself if a ripe one is in his reach. 

Yum!!