Well, we decided we weren't doing enough this year, what with having a baby and all, so we've bought a 2 bedroom flat as well. If you're ever thinking about buying property in the UK, a word of advice - don't! It is the most archaic, expensive, infuriating system I've ever come across. Your offer gets accepted, but the seller can accept a higher offer right up until the point you exchange contracts. This point can take anything from 4 - 8 weeks of not knowing whether it's yours or not (or whether you've lost the several thousand you've already spent on lawyers and surveys). The flat we have bought was a repossession, so they requested a 28 day turn around, so we only had 3 weeks of daily waiting for a phone call to find out whether a higher offer had gone in or not!

We get the keys the day before I fly out to Australia - ack! We have 3 weeks after getting back to move out of where we are and into the new place, and I think we will take our time and get some help in. This photo is taken from the corner of the block our flat is in - as you can see it's a delightful chocolate brown brick - ours is the second floor flat and you can see the bay window which is in the living room. It's spacious by London standards, and importantly, it's within our budget. But I'm not going to tell you how much we paid for it because you'll convert it to aus dollars and pass out! It needs some redecorating - we're going to rip the skanky carpet up and put floorboards down, as well as remove the wallpaper and paint the walls instead, and the ceilings need to be replastered, but the majority of the property is in good condition.

There is no private outdoor space, but we are literally directly opposite this park http://www.gpcc.ik.com/ 97 acres of grass, paths, a pond, art gallery, cafe, walled flower garden and children's playground. I know where we'll be spending our summer evenings :)

Here's something you don't usually associate with an esky....poor little iced thing! Or, for that matter, a BBQ, seen lying down in the back of the pic!

I'm still recovering from the flu, having spent 3 days off work in bed, and Saturday and Sunday doing pretty much nothing but feel miserable as well. But I did have an appointment with the midwife on Friday, and got to hear my baby's heartbeat which I recorded so Stu could hear it too. If you'd like to hear it send me an email and I'll send it to you. I've listened to it, oh, only about 50 times so far :) Over the past week I've really started to pop out more, progressing from 'my she looks fat' to 'hmmm she looks like she might be pregnant but I don't want to ask in case she's not'. My next size up jeans started feeling really tight today. Might be time to go into proper maternity gear!

Iain and Cesca got married at the weekend in a beautiful ceremony at the Rye Town Hall in East Sussex. Freddie stole the show in an escape attempt down the aisle although Iain's very emotional vows came a close second ;) It was quite an, erm, 'interesting' time before the wedding. Cesca had asked me to help her get ready, and she discovered, about an hour before the ceremony, that her suitcase with all her underwear, makeup, jewellry, shoes etc etc etc had been left at home and there wasn't time to go and get it. She had the dress, and the boots/clothes she had arrived at the hotel in.

Cue the most frantic 30 minutes I've had in quite a long time, trying to find alternatives and solutions! God knows how Cesca was feeling, but she admirably didn't go to pieces and started working out how to fix things. Makeup was pretty much sorted as I had all mine with me but Cesca needed powder so that was first on the emergency shopping list. Shoes - I'm a 9, Cesca is a 5 so no go there, add those to the list. Underwear - Rye is a small tourist-type town, I didn't rate my chances of finding anything suitable, but luckily the 'natural' approach (!) looked absolutely fine on the very slim Cesca, though as it was freezing tights were also put on the list. I had a wool wrap in blue that I use as a scarf which doubled up as the something borrowed and the something blue, and which kept Cesca from developing frostbite on the day, and Steph loaned Cesca a pair of silver earrings. So, out I went in my high heels racing up and down the High Street in Rye, the very cobbled, uneven, narrow pavemented high street! Stu had already been sent out to find a shoe shop which he did in record time so I ran inside and starting throwing shoe boxes around, much to the consternation of the owner, who, once I'd managed to explain things in my out of breath state leapt into action and helped me find two potential pairs, one in cream and the other in silver. Then over to the chemist, who had the smallest range of stockings I've ever seen but I managed to find a really basic pair in Cesca's size, as well as some powder from their makeup section. I went straight to the front of the queue, puffed out my explanation (sister-in-law...getting married in 30 minutes...suitcase left at home...) and was out of there very quickly! The shoes were very tight but Cesca made do with them, and running only ten minutes late, I had the privillege of escorting the very beautiful bride along the streets of Rye to the Town Hall. So, congratulations Mr and Mrs Bell, on a very beautiful and eventful wedding! (And if anyone reading this ever finds themselves in Rye, I can highly recommend the Fish Cafe, where the reception was held - just delicious seafood!)

Me with Freddie, cute as a button in his little waistcoat and cravat! Stu walked Freddie up to the Town Hall not long before the service, and he was apparently the subject of much 'ooohing and aaaahing' from passersby!

We spent the day after the wedding walking around Rye, which is such a beautiful, historic town, with buildings going back to the 13 and 1400's - we found this doorway in one of the oldest parts of town. Either they grow 'em bigger in Australia or they were just reeeeaaaaally little a few hundred years ago! This house had actually had another doorway knocked in on the other side, but I like that they kept the original as well, for comedy value if nothing else!

What's that I was saying a few weeks ago about how mild this winter has been?? I underestimated the 'February Effect'! This is the view from our bedroom window into our neighbour's garden this morning. Poor Stu had to venture out into it, but as I've been hit by a nasty flu and have so far spent two days in bed with pretty much no voice, I got to admire the pretty whiteness from the warmth of inside. At least I've discovered the soothing properties of camomile with honey and lime - can't take any medicine because of my little one, but this drink goes a long way to making my throat/head/aches feel better. Hope you Aussie readers are enjoying that heatwave!