Isobel at 8 months

Our beautiful second daughter is 8 months old. She is an absolute delight - very chilled out wee thing who plays quite happily and chirpily by herself for most of the time. She loves: her sister, animals - in particular Zac, being tickled, baths, throwing her head back and lying against us, gurgling loudly, playing hide and seek, pulling her socks off. She dislikes: the finished sign at the end of her meal, having her toys taken off her (particularly the phone!), having her nose blown, being leaned on by Alexa.

First time at the snow

Last weekend the girls and I travelled from the farm over to Turangi, while David drove down with Annie and Jojo. We stayed in a rented cottage with the fire on from dawn till after our covers where pulled around our ears. Brrr it was chilly. But it did enable David and John to try a spot of fishing, and then for us all to drive up to the Chateau to give Alexa and Isobel their first taste of snow. There wasn't much on the ground, but enough for Alexa to enjoy. People before us had made a snow rabbit - which Alexa wandered over to greet (with the traditional hongi).

Isobel spent most of the time asleep in her car seat but did wake finally to experience the temps and we didn't even get a glimmer of a smile. This very serious look was all we got out of her the whole time. Once she warmed up, back at the cottage, she was back to her normal chirpy self.