We are slowly settling into our new home, still sorting through boxes and unpacking which takes a lot longer than you think it will when you're also working full time! This pic is taken from our bathroom window across 'our' park which we walk through and in on an almost daily basis. The leaves on the trees throughout the park have now unfurled and everything has the beautiful newness of spring, untainted by dust or pollution. Walking through the park your ears are filled with the sounds of bird song, children laughing and playing, dogs barking, happy conversation, it is such a peaceful place to sit and read, or to laze in the afternoon sun at the weekend in the walled cafe with a mellow cup or coffee. It feels really good living here, coming home here at the end of the day. We haven't even started the redecorating yet, and we don't own a sofa or proper table yet either, but I can see the end result in mind and know we'll get there...

I found this gorgeous little fellow in Dad's garage and we fed him honey on the wooden end of a matchstick which he just loved! Geckos are one of my all time favourite animals, I love their little sticky round toes :)

Ros and Lauren at the beach on my last day in Perth when I got sunburned...she's a real little water baby!

Here's the adorable little Ethan a few days before his christening. He had just worked out how to poke his tongue out and so was poking it out at every opportunity!! He's a little blondey like his big sister Lauren and just such a happy little man. He's started crawling now too!!

Well this seagull is Mr Optimistic! This pic was taken at Cicerellos in Fremantle, the home of fish and chips! In case the photo is too small, the sign on the post says 'Please don't feed the seagulls or they will S.O.Y.'!!

Graffiti spotted on the footpath in Fremantle...I enjoy looking at the graffiti around the world and I have to say Perth graffiti artists weren't particularly talented! This was one of the few stencilled works I found that I liked, and it was definitely the most striking...

Ah so this is what a beach looks like! Was looking through my Perth pics and found this one taken at Trigg, my all time favourite beach ever...bit too rough for swimming but was still a beautiful warm day...

Ha! For all those people who refuse to believe me when I tell you that at just under 6ft I am actually the second shortest in my family - here's some proof! That's my baby brother Andy on the left and big bro Brad on the right. And little, short, weeny me in the middle ;)

The park across the road from us is just so beautiful. We are thriving living so close to such a large goregous open space. 2 or 3 nights a week after work we go for a walk around the park, and at least once a weekend we'll go and sit and read and chat for while in the sunshine near the pond. You can close your eyes and all you hear is bird song and distant traffic, it's amazing sometimes to think we're only 5 or 6 miles from central London! Here's me roadtesting our new picnic blanket in the afternoon sun, and I think I might even have had a little snooze after this pic was taken!

Spring is most definitely here! This pic was taken at Brent Reservoir, a park about 20 minutes walk north of where we live. The reservoir is so big there's a sailing club attached to it! Not big yachts, but those little dinky ones. Blossom trees are blooming and scenting the parks and streets of London and the sun is offering warmth as well as light again. It is bliss to sit in the sun, face upturned to the warmth soaking it all in :)

Baby update: here's a semi-nudie shot of me and my belly at 6 1/2 months pregnant. Wasn't sure about putting this photo up but then I figured you can't see much beyond the silhouette anyways and it is what I currently look like! It's been an incredibly emotional journey, more than I ever realised it could be. And the baby isn't even here yet! Watching my body change has been by turns exciting, frightening and incredible. All these biological things going on without any conscious effort on my part whatsoever. Sometimes I look in the mirror and just don't recognise myself from the neck down, but on the whole, I am enjoying the process. By the time it's due I'm going to be H U G E! No dainty little full term pregnancy bellies for me.

It's all, now, going really well. So well in fact, I've been offered a home birth if I want one! But, I think I'd rather go to a birth centre, a home away from home, which is one floor below the labour ward in my chosen hospital so if anything medical does go wrong, I don't have far to go for help. Baby is due in 12 weeks, where did the last 28 weeks go??

Thanks to Fi for this pic of Su, Andy and little Mattie, now 3 weeks old. He's a beautiful little man :)

Still here...just! Spent a week getting over jetlag and adjusting to the weather - it snowed the day after I got back which was ever so slightly surreal seeing as I had sunburn underneath my coat/scarf/hat! Whilst getting over jetlag we packed our household up, and the removalists came the following week to take the bulk of our worldly possessions. We finished the remaining bits and pieces on Sunday afternoon, and are now in our new flat surrounded by boxes piled high. We've had electricity, gas and water restored, the new bed, fridge/freezer and washing machine delivered and installed, carpets cleaned, plumbers in to fix various heating/hot water problems, locksmith to replace front door locks, and have the phone line being connected tomorrow (internet at home again, yay!) and the intercom being fixed as well. Crikey! Been quite used to calling 1800LANDLORD for every problem, now we are the landlords and it's down to us to fix everything! Thank god it's Easter is all I can say. We'll have a few days to make a start on the unpacking and clearing of boxes. Oh, and I have the flu, as does Stu, and I have just spent the past 2 days in bed while poor Stu has had to haul himself to work as it's the busiest time of the month for him! Will get pics up in a few days once the pc is unpacked and everything hooked up again.

And in the meanwhile, huge congratulations to Su and Andy on the safe arrival of little Mattie on Su's birthday :)