our second night

On our second night while looking for a place to camp we came across a huge lake with a beautiful town across the water. The view was incredible but the campsite there was very busy and just didn't have the same feel as the night before so we decided we could always come back there and camp but we'd explore a little more first. We decided to head across the other side of the lake to the town we could see which was St Wolfgang.

every home had one

pit stop

another village along the way

ah the serenity ...

happy anniversary

What a morning! If only it had been this sunny on this day five years ago!

the lake

first night camping

Our first night was spent at a camping ground in the Gemäuse National Park. Although there were caravans there we were the only ones camping so we had a huge open green to pitch tent wherever we liked. We soon discovered why no one else was camping in the middle of the night when we had to put on extra layers. I'm sure it got to sub zero temperatures!

a village just outside of vienna

The first time we picked up our camera was outside of Vienna in lower Austria, once we had moved away from the main motorway and hit some of the smaller winding roads. This was about the point that Woz began to say "This would be amazing on my Ducatti. I wish Ruffy could be here to see this. A motorbike is the only way to see this sort of countryside." He then proceeeded to repeat this phrase at every breathtaking turn along the way for the next five days, and believe me, they were countless!

let's start from the very beginning .. a very good place to start ...

Doe, a deer, a female deer ....

Woz and I have just arrived home after the most incredible holiday we've ever spent together. Every moment was amazing, each day better than the one before. Between us we've taken hundreds of photos in just five days but I'll attempt to select a few that will show you what it was like. once again I've post dated each entry to show the date each shot was taken.

Our trip to Austria was to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary on September 1st. We flew into Vienna and had intended to visit the cities of Vienna, Linz and Salzburg over the five days and camp outside the cities. On our first day we picked up our hire car and headed straight for the hills, eager to see some of the mountainous peaks the land of 'The Sound of Music' had to offer. We had no idea just how spectacular it would be and quickly discovered that tis trip would be less about the cities of Vienna and Salzburg but about everything in between.

growing strong

One of Mum's contibutions to the Marina when she stayed was to plant some cherry tomatoes and some green peppers for us. I have to admit I didn't think they'd last under my care but in my newly domesticated state I have managed to keep them alive, flourishing even! They taste fantastic and very rarely make it to the kitchen.

water baby

Today Woz and I took Nate swimming for the first time. He absolutely loved it ... until Woz dunked him under the water. I was too scared to do it but I'm going to have to be strong! I'm going to try and take him once a week as it is less than a ten minute walk away. No photos for the blog unfortunately - we live in such an age that it is banned for child protection. Sad really. We'll always remember it though.

splish splash

Nate is beginning to smile more and more now for longer periods of time and more times in the day than before. Usually when he is in the bath or on his change mat and it is soooo lovely. At his age he really only really needs to be bathed every few days but it's so much fun and he enjoys it so much that we are starting to do it everyday.

three generations of parker men

Not sure if Nate qualifies as a man just yet ....

pop and nate

goodbye

Sunday was a sad day for us as we said goodbye to Ron and Fiona who have very much settled into their new roles of Nanna and Pop. We had a great time with them but as usual the week they were with us flew by very quickly.

museum crawl

Saturday meant a day off for Woz and so we took Ron and Fiona gallery hopping, starting off at the Design Museum to see a Formula One motorsport exhibition and then on to Hyde Park to the Serpentine Gallery.

the view from above

swingin' around

a night out on the canal

We had a visit from Ron and Fiona's good friends on Wednesday night. Cor and Linda flew over from the Netherlands to see the newest member of the family and to meet Woz and I. We had a great time cruising along with Woz and Cor handling the locks before finishing up in Paddington basin for dinner at a restaurant. Cor and Linda insisted on accompanying us home on the boat which meant Cor and Woz had a long trip back in the dark and the rain! Definitely hard core boaters!

nanna and nate

nanna and pop come to visit

Ron and Fiona arrived today to spend a week with their new grandson. I took them on a walk to a park I have been frequenting in the hot weather.

hampstead heath

After constant heat for weeks Woz and I headed off to Hampstead Heath for a picnic lunch and a swim, paying no heed to the advice that we may see thunderstorms and a cool change. By the time we arrived in the town it was raining and we along with hundreds of others bearing beach towels and a picnic lunch headed to the closest pub for shelter. Clearly Nate can't hold his drink as after just one he had passed out and spent the rest of the afternoon in a leisurely slumber.

rule britannia!

Today Woz offically became a Brit! We went along to a Citizenship ceremony for him at the local town hall where he pledged his allegiance and sang "God save the Queen" with great gusto. He is now eligible for a British passport as is Nate (which was the whole reason we wanted to go through with it). Somehow I think we may be kicking ourselves in twenty years time when Nate announces he's going to go and live in Poland for the rest of his life .... hmmm ..... but we wanted to give him the opportunity to make the choice. Anyway, by the time he's twenty we'll all be beaming up to different countries right?.

is he really mine?

Yesterday I took Nate out by myself for the first time. It was also the first time we've used his pram and having spent most of the morning getting ready to leave the house for a 2.50 pm appointment I finally locked up, placed him in the pram and started walking to my appointment. I'd only just wheeled the pram through the gate and I caught my reflection in an office window. I can't describe how surreal it felt to be wheeling a pram with a newborn baby, my baby, my son. Having him has been such an emotional rollercoaster, mourning the loss of my independence and the end of a time Woz and I have been able to spend together as a couple, but at the same time loving Nate more than I could imagine and wanting to protect him, and loving seeing Woz become a father. I also didn't think it would be so hard looking after a newborn (aren't they just supposed to sleep all the time?!) and now have an incredible admiration for anyone who has brought up one child let alone any more than that.

the three of us

proud mum

mum takes the tiller 

this was taken sometime during the week in a brief moment between throwing up!  

an epic journey

Where can I start? The last three weeks have been a blur, some of the most challenging times I've ever experienced and now that I am trying to write some of it down it strikes me that I have no idea what I did other than feed Nate, try to settle him and coax him to sleep and change nappies.

Mum has spent the last month with us, arriving just a day before I went into the early signs of labour. It was so good to have her here, especially in light of my caesarian to help out with Nate and with things around home. She flew out last night and so today is my first day home alone for a month now. A little daunting as I'm still not entirely fit and well but I'm getting there.

During the time Mum had here she was able to see quite a bit of London despite a good week of her stay being taken up with me being in labour and recovering in hospital, and another week of her looking after Nate and I while I had gastro. We had to resort to some formula feeds during the night once or twice that week as I couldn't keep anything down. Mum was able to feed him for me through the night and I caught up on some much needed sleep, though I've learnt how lightly a mother can sleep when her baby cries no matter how wiped out she is. Anyway, we couldn't have survived the last month without Mum and I'm sure she'll be going home now for rest!

Woz has taken to being a father like a duck to water and is absolutely besotted with his son! Over the last few weeks he's taken Nate on loads of walks by himself so that I can try to sleep and although I'd love to be out walking with them, without sleep I'm not much good to anyone.

I've posted a few random shots that were taken over the last few weeks, mostly taken by Mum. In between me being sick I was able to join Mum and Woz on a few outings. With Nate not yet a month old he's been out on two canal boat trips, a boat trip to Greenwich along the Thames and seen all the touristy sites in London; Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Oxford St, Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Portobello Market, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Modern ... need I go on? Too bad he can't focus on anything that isn't within 30 cm of him!

zzzz

Woz and Nate beat the heat with an afternoon nap.