A Day at Powerscourt

On a beautiful Sunday, we took a trip to Powerscourt House, a stately home with remarkable gardens. But the real point behind this post is Erin's first pregnant photo! 

The Hills: Slane and Tara

Today, since we were off work for Good Friday, we decided to do a bit of sightseeing.

The first was to the Hill of Slane. Seen above, it's a hill covered with graves and the remains of a monastery. It's famous for being the site of Saint Patrick's arrival in Ireland, where on Easter in 433 he lit a fire symbolizing the arrival of truth to the Isle. It's a moving and meaningful place, peaceful and with grand views of the surrounding countryside. After touring the site, we sat and had a nice picnic lunch.

Then we tried a trip to Newgrange. Since it's the Irish Stonehenge, we thought it would be worthwhile. Unfortunately, all the tours were booked so we couldn't see it. But instead of heading back in a mope, we decided to take a detour.

Then we headed off to the Hill of Tara. Famous as the home of the High King of Ireland, it mostly resembles a well-kept golf course covered in sheep poo, with earthworks, hillocks and trenches where the forts once stood. Remains have been dated from the Stone Age well into the Christian era, so it was continuously occupied for thousands of years. There's not much to see, but we did spend some time around "The Mound of the Hostages". Used as a burial site as well as a jail, it was created nearly 5000 years ago.

After walking back from the Hill of Tara, we noticed a signpost directing us to a Holy Well. It's worth knowing that holy wells are scattered all over Ireland, many of them still visited by locals who seek healing or a connection to their faith. Driving down a country lane we found a well, set about twenty yards from the road, and a noticeboard describing the well's history. Though pre-dating the Christian era, it's supposed to have been used by Saint Patrick for baptism. Thinking it couldn't do him any harm, I knelt at the well (which was cut into the side of a hill), dipped my right hand in the water, crossed myself, and then washed Erin's stomach with the water (which was beautifully clear and cold). Whether you think I baptised the sprout or just gave him a bath, I was pleased and Erin didn't seem to mind. It seems appropriate for Good Friday. 

Second Photo of the Baby

This week we went to the maternity clinic for our second visit. This was routine except that we got the first high-resolution photos of Cletus the Fetus, aka “The Sprout”, aka “Mini-Manatee”, aka “The Bump”, aka “Him, He, the Boy. Etc” (no, we don’t know the sex, I’m just convinced it’s a boy). Erin’s sure it’s a girl.





In case you’re wondering, the head is to the right. You’re looking at a side profile of the baby from the left, though there’s a slight bump of nose just visible. The bright white area at the bottom of the baby is the spine and toward the left you can see the feet curled up. We heard the heartbeat (nice and steady) but Cletus is already being a brat. At the beginning of the scan he wiggled a bit, but then everything Erin and the ultrasound tech did couldn’t make him/her move again. He/she just sat there, clearly very comfortable, not very interested in the goings-on outside.

We’ve had a lot of questions about how Erin’s doing through all this. Basically her symptoms can be broken down into a few categories:

1. Fatigue. She’s tired. Boy, is she tired. She’s gone to bed as early as 7pm lately.
2. Smells – she’s smells things very clearly. So minestrone soup, windshield wiper fluid, wine, and even water smell bad to her.
3. Queasy – she hasn’t gotten sick, but she has had an upset stomach now and again.

And one person has asked how I’m doing through all this. Basically, my symptoms can be broken down into a few categories:

1. Hungry – I don’t know why, but I am absolutely hungry all the time, which is a problem.
2. Chores – I’ve gotten very good at cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, etc. With my wife asleep in bed I can get things done.
3. Wide awake – lately I’ve been up at 1am most nights. (it's 12.06 am as I type).

We’re having some luck with baby odds and ends. Courtesy of some friends, we’ve already had a car seat and stroller donated to us. Some clothes have arrived and I bought a highchair in a fit of confusion about what was needed in the baby’s first few weeks. We also have a collection of stuffed toys already, including the Eeyore I chewed on as a baby, a Peter Rabbit I bought in London for Erin, and a Loch Ness Monster I picked up in Scotland.

But the message for all is that we’re doing well, Erin and the sprout are fine, but we miss you and hope all’s well in your neck of the woods.

A Day in Belfast

With weather, Erin's pregnancy fatigue, and Brian's constant hovering, long trips aren't on the agenda right now. So on April Fool's Day, we took a drive up to Belfast to see, in no particular order: a fantastic saloon, cheap shopping, amazing seafood, outstanding local beer, a brilliant cathedral, and a huge fish.

So, to take them in order:

A fantastic saloon. I never expected to find a saloon in Belfast. But with swing doors, gas lighting, and Victorian etched glass windows, it's as traditional a saloon as you'll find in any Western town. Owned by the National Trust, the Crown Liquor Saloon is very impressive, with mosaics, wood carvings, outstanding stained glass, and plaques that describe bombings during The Troubles. Worth a trip for lunch.

Cheap shopping. Belfast is more a working-class town than Dublin, so even though the selection is good, the prices aren't as high. Erin bought her first maternity clothes here!

Amazing seafood. I had a fish that was new to me. Called "pollen," it's unique to four Irish lakes and is found nowhere else in the world. On the plate, it looks like a large herring, but has a very mild, gentle flavor and texture.

Outstanding local beer. I'm always depressed by Irish beer selections, having grown up with the variety of real ales you'll find across England. In ROI pubs you'll get Guinness and Smithwick's, neither of which are true Irish beers anymore -- both are owned by a Spanish company called Diageo. But in Belfast I had a pint of the Belfast Ale, made at the Whitewater Brewery in County Down. Slightly sour, malty, with a strong scent of hops, not too much alcohol and a good color, I was delighted.

A brilliant cathedral. My compliments to St. Anne's Cathedral, which is Victorian but has a strongly progressive feel and clearly a lively congregation. The chapels are decorated with astonishing mosaic work, and the church itself is used as a venue for arts festivals and exhibitions. It felt like a living, breathing place of worship.

Finally, Brian had to kiss a huge fish.

That's right. A huge fish.

So you don't believe us? Well, look at the photo.

About Eight Hours in Athens

Well...
Brian finally got to Athens. Unfortunately, thanks to a combination of weather, a cold, and business duties, he got about eight hours of sightseeing before having to spend a few days cooped up in a hotel. On the bright side, he now knows where things are. This is the Temple of Hephaistos, and it's remained basically intact for over 2000 years.

I have to say that Athens is one of the few cities I've visited so far where I'd love to have a holiday home. It's a madhouse, full of traffic and tourists, and not particularly clean. But it's very relaxed, not at all pretentious (unlike Rome), and seems devoted to enjoyment. I look forward to another trip.

Miriam Smith Egolf, 1922-2006

In one of life's odd juxapositions, Brian's grandmother died the same day we visited the OB.

She lived to see all her grandchildren doing well, the births of two great-grandchildren, and last night we told her of our new bundle of joy. She lived to see her 60th wedding anniversary. Her life was good until the last couple of weeks and she died in peace.

As a nurse in Atlanta during WWII, she loved to spend time with the babies in the maternity ward. So, even though she was on death's door, I hope our news gave her some happiness.

We both loved her very much, and she even adopted Erin as another daughter early in our lives together. She's the last Smith child, her two surviving brothers died in 2004.

This is a photo of Mim and her beloved brother Ed. Grammy, rest in peace. Your 'goddie angel' should be carrying you to Heaven right about now.

Spreading the Good News

Well, we've been tip-toeing around since Erin's pregnancy was confirmed by our family doctor two weeks ago. It's an exciting time for us, being our first and all.
Today we had our first visit to our new OB, Dr. Valerie Donnolly. She's a woman who, as Erin put it, could be one of the Curves girls in Houston who hang out with Jane. She immediately put us at ease, seems immensely competent, and we're confident that we made a good choice.

We also had our first photo of our sprout, who we're affectionately calling "Cletis the Fetus" in honor of Brian's dad. As you can see from the photo, he/she is about the size of a grape (15mm). By the size of it, we're at about the 8th week of gestation. Nice strong heart, the doctor said, so nothing but good news to report. No Jake, I don't know if it's a boy yet!

The Photo Says It All

 

The view from our patio

If you open the curtians in our living room, you get to see straight down the green. The building we live in is crescent shaped and we are right in the middle. The builders are still working on the apartment buildings along the right side but other than that, we have a great view. The Irish Sea is at the bottom of the green so we get to see it every day.


 

I've never been a big fan of snow

On Saturday while we were in Tennessee we were supposed to go to Mount Pleasant to see Brian's sister Michelle and her family. Sadly, when we woke up there was a good few inches of snow and the roads near Michelle's farm were iced over. Brian and I were disappointed since this meant we weren't going to get to see the Crook's or celebrate Jeremiah's brithday with him.

Jessica, Brian's youngest sister, was able to come into town to spend time with and and it was good to see her again. Here are Brian and Jessica in the snow.

 

Time in Tennessee

The next leg of the trip was spent in Nashville. It got a bit tricky since we have family and friends to see there but we made most of it work. I got to meet Brian's paternal grandmother and I admire what a strong woman she is. It was wonderful to sit down with her and hear about her life.

We also got to spend time with Brian's maternal grandparents. Here is me and Gramps. I keep having to warn Brian that if he weren't already married, I just might have to leave Brian for Gramps.

 

Trip to Texas

In February Brian and I took a trip back to the states to see family and friends. After a few flight delays, a missed flight, and a lost bag, we made it to Houston. All the headaches we had getting back were quickly remedy with a few of dad's margaritas. The next morning it was off to Austin to see my sisters and their families.

It was a quick few days in Austin but it was great to spend time with them. We spent the few days in Austin hanging out, shopping, eating and drinking. It was as if we never had left.



While we were shopping, Lisa took the kids on a gondolier ride in San Maros - it reminded me of Venice and Russ of the Venetian in Vegas.

Jake is hiding his head in embarrassment since the guy started singing to them. He was hoping no one he knew would see him.

A Quiet January

It's been a quiet January. As our company ends its fiscal year in January, we both spent extra time at work planning for the next year. Socially it was peaceful, with few trips or activities. Since we're planning a trip to the States in February we're just saving money and making preparations.


But we did have time for fun. We went to a party with Sofia, Erin's best friend in Ireland. Erin and Sofia have lots of fun playing ponies and talking about Dora the Explorer. They read books together and talk about school. Sofia is the daughter of our closest friends in Ireland so we see them often. 

Brian's Love for Innocent Smoothies

Here's a little known fact about Brian. He loves smoothies. And his favorite are a UK brand called Innocent (www.innocent.co.uk). Made without yogurt or sugar, they're nothing but the best fruit, prepared and delivered ASAP. They're yummy and funny at the same time. The labels have little quirky messages, and the underside of the bottles have funny notes too (my favorite: "Split in half for hamster kayak.")

Here you can see a lineup of Innocent smoothies with their winter hats on. It was cold that day, and clearly smoothies, though best chilled, don't like being TOO cold.

 

New Year's Day in Dublin

On New Year's Day we took Allison and Ben into Dublin to show them around. This is Allison and I wandering around St. Stephen's Green. It was a fairly mild day so it was good to be out and about.