News

May 2003	I have been pretty lax updating the website and this morning's update took ages while I tried to work out how to make a gallery page of photos again. I'm settled in flying the Airbus now and doing a couple of days a month court. We have set up a neighbourhood watch in the village and I'm trying to get broadband started. Emma is going to a school in Banbury [ www.st-johnspriory.oxon.sch.uk ] for a couple of mornings a week and coming along fine. Paula is still working flying and also doing a bit of mystery shopping now and again.
September 2002	I haven't been keeping the website updated much recently. I did a course onto the Airbus A320 in the early part of the year which took a lot of time. I also was appointed as a JP which involved a bit of reading. Emma can talk well now and is coming along very well. She has a great temperament. We are doing a lot of painting and improvement at the house this year with maple flooring going down almost everywhere.
December 2001	Emma went to her first party this month. The idea was we would take a travel cot, she would go to bed at about 8pm and we would take her home when we'd finished later. Emma stayed up until 11pm when Neil and Paula couldn't stay awake any longer and we went home! She also went on her first flight this month to Edinburgh from Birmingham for the day. All went well. Emma didn't like the seatbelt but that was the only grizzle. We had a cold but enjoyable day looking around the shops. Neil had been off most of the month and Paula is also on a month off.
November 2001	The PC has been repaired on site with Evesham.com's on site warranty. It needed a new motherboard and now seems much more reliable. It had become very unstable , hence no website updates for a while.
October 2001	Emma understands a lot of what is said to her and has a vocabulary of about 10 'words' - some of which are more like sounds that we can recognize. Towards the end of the month she became 'Bob The Builder' mad and can now spot a Bob or piece of Bob merchandise from about a mile. She can walk well, climb onto the kitchen table and my desk. She doesn't yet come down the stairs on her own. She has been swimming several times and seems to enjoy that. Neil was due to transfer to the Airbus as a result of reduction in the fleet size of the 757/767 in December but it has been delayed to January. Paula is still enjoying part-time working.
September2001	Emma can almost run around now and is very confident walking. She understands the meaning of many words and can understand simple sentences. She knows the names of her different teddies and the names of her plastic farm animals. Paula was on the second flight in to New York after the terrible events of September 11th.
August 2001	There has been a complete overhaul of the website. I hope it looks less amateurish. We only going to post Emma's latest photos on her page as I think Emma has a right to her private life like anyone else. She can walk really well now. Paula enjoys a break by going back to work part time. Neil is full time of course and enjoying the recent promotion.
July 2001	On 2nd July 2001 Emma took 3 steps not holding on to anything for the first time!
June 2001	Still no distinct words from Emma but more sounds. On the 26th June she walked behind her trolley unaided for the first time [but still holding on to the trolley]
May 2001	Paula went back to work part time at then end of the month. Emma can recognize several words and points to everything. She can roll around on the floor and seems to know it's called "roly-poly". The stairs are great fun and she can be up them in about a minute! We think there may be the start of a few words now.
April 2001	Emma started crawling this month and can now feed herself [after a fashion]. She generally seems very happy and content. No words yet but lots of babbling. The garden is just coming back to life after the winter and there are plenty of plants in the greenhouse for another good display in the summer. Neil has passed his command course and now sits in the left seat at work. Paula is due back to work any day now.
March 2001	Emma has had her routine 8 monthly health screening. She is going to take part in a training session for midwives to learn how to check hips towards the end of the month. Gardening has started again this month with most of the seeds now sown and some small plug plants bought.
February 2001	Nothing new in Feb. There are a few new videos and photos of Emma.
January 2001	Emma has really come on well and is sitting up now. She can stand up when propped up against a sofa or something to hold on to. Paula is mentally preparing herself for a return to work in the next few months.
December 2000	We had a really good Christmas with Emma. Sleeping went through a bad patch but seems to be improving towards the end of the month. Paula is hoping to be on-line with her own PC if and when we upgrade the present system. We have wired up a network system all ready for the new arrival to be plugged in.
November 2000	No news in November ... I didn't quite get round to it.
October 2000	Emma has had a few injections now and coped well. Her sleeping is improving and she looks well. We had a professional photo taken last month at 10 weeks which is now on the website at the children page.
September 2000	Ok I am actually writing this in October. September saw an improvement in sleeping.
August 2000	We're both getting exhausted now. Paula is more tired but we're coping OK. Emma appears to be nocturnal at the moment but we're assured it doesn't last forever! She is very alert and active and doing well.
July 2000	We've been a bit busy recently and I haven't updated the news section much. Anyway in case you didn't hear, we had a baby girl [Emma Charlotte] on the 12th July 2000.
June 2000	The garden is looking really good and I'm working on a new section that should be up and ready in July with a photo library of our garden plants. Paula is keeping well. Pitter pattering of little feet next month!
May 2000	Things are really busy in the garden. Paula is getting more tired as the days go on. Neil is driving round with the child seat in the back to try and get used to the idea! The 777 course plans look to have changed now. More news when it happens.
April 2000	Nothing much happening in April. Paula is still expanding. Neil is trying not to.
March 2000	Paula has had a scan and Baby look well. Neil has been busy in the garden this month and the greenhouse is bursting at the seams. If it all works out a garden section of the website may appear. Paula can feel junior kicking now.
February 2000	Paula is getting noticeably bigger now at 4 to 5 months. Neil had decided to change to 777s and should have a course date sometime in the summer.
January 2000	Paula is enjoying her time off regular work whilst she is pregnant. She is working hard, however, at her Advanced French Conversation course at the local college. Junior is due in July. Neil is boring Paula stupid with non stop fiddling with our website.