Sunday, February 20, 2005

IT'S TOUGH HAVING A LITTLE INTRUDER!

On Friday, while my wife (Rev. Jan Croucher) was conducting a funeral, I spent an hour and twenty minutes with our 18-month-old granddaughter.

Part of it was both of us lying next to each other on a lawn under a tree, talking about birds, and planes, and the sky and the clouds, and lots of other things...Special!

I had too little time to do that with our eldest two children...

Yesterday (Saturday) Amanda and John brought their new arrival (Bella) home. There were pink balloons in the trees and around the front of our place, and a large welcome sign on the front door.

But Millie found it hard: she had what is called (these days) a 'hissy' on and off yesterday.

Today she's settled a bit - I had another wonderful hour with her this afternoon. We'll have to give her at least the usual one-to-one time until she gets used to the idea that her mum is going to share her with another little one.

And Bella has been so good! She's asleep now in a cot in our bedroom.

Thanks for your prayers: we now have two special little people in our lives!

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

AMELIA LOVES SLEEP-TIME!

Tonight I am alone with the little one. We went for a little walk around our court (in Australia that's a cul-de-sac street - nice and quiet). We talked together about the black cat, and the roses, and the moon, and some birds...

Back home I sang her lullaby (Oh lula lula lula lula bye-bye), gave her a bottle of formula, kissed her, put her down, and without a murmur she snuggled into her bedding and was soon asleep.

None of our babies loved sleeping like this little one.

Her little sister is progressing well. Bella has blisters on her lips from feeding (common with new-borns). Amanda and John are getting excellent care at the maternity hospital.

Tomorrow we'll go again and visit...

Thanks to everyone who put comments here or sent emails of good wishes!

Sunday, February 13, 2005

AMELIA HAS A LITTLE SISTER!

Amelia's little baby sister, 'Bella Jayne' was born by caesarian section this afternoon (Monday 14th, 2.30 pm. PS Who'd go to the flower-shop on St Valentine's day????).

Amelia took us to the hospital later to view mother (Amanda), father (John) and the baby (who ignored us and slept for the 3/4 hour we were there).

Bella Jayne is 7 lbs 15 oz, very healthy, and very beautiful. We wondered if she'd compete in the beauty stakes with her big sister and we think she will! The main difference: she doesn't have as much hair as her 18-month-older sister.

Amanda and John are very happy, we're all relieved that everything went OK, and now we have Millie to ourselves for the week mum and dad are in hospital. (Yes, these days dads can sleep in the same room - John has a fold-up bed).

So join with us in prayers of gratitude - and pray that Millie won't miss her 'Mummy-oh' and 'Daddy-oh' too much.

I've rescheduled a lot of counselling from this week, so that I can spend quality-time with the little one. Tomorrow we plan to go shopping together.

God bless you all!

Rowland Croucher

Friday, February 04, 2005

AMELIA AWAITS A NEW ARRIVAL


Amelia will be 18 months old on the 8th February (just four days time); and six days after that - on Valentine's Day - her mum is due to have another little one.

Interesting question: Does Millie know? We've talked to her about the baby in mummy's tummy, and she's been a bit 'clingy' to her mum lately.

I took her with me - together with her uncle / our son Paul and Paul's youngest son Will (Millie loves cousin Will) - to the Vet for Will's kitten to get a booster something-or-other.

I sat with Millie in the car and we talked, and for the first time I can recall she looked serious after about 20 minutes and said 'Mummy'?

She's very clever (have I told you that :-)? She can now pick words she knows in our sentences. When she hears me coming up the passageway she runs and hides or plays with something, all excitedly.

Last night her dad washed her hair for the first time in six days: we hope the wound on her forehead has healed (the plaster is still there).

She's very beautiful!