Almost 6 months old already?

(With thanks to my mom-in-law... I've stolen this entry from an email to her!)

This is rather overdue, but here we seem to have been through a really busy two weeks of the year so far.

Jessica's approaching 6-month birthday is marked by lots of food around the mouth. She is now eating creamed butternut, sweet potato and lots of yoghurt (any flavour is good). Rice cereal has to be carefully disguised in any of the above as it is quite boring on its own. Fresh fruit is sucked enthusiastically, carrots have become miniature swords and biltong is a gummy weapon. Adam lost the last few centimetres of his Christmas gift to be sawn up into chunks that a small chubby fist can wave.

Along with the new foods has come the ability to sit up for a few minutes before a graceful lurch to the side or gentle face-plant into whatever Jessica is sitting on. Car seats are no longer something in which to loll, but rather sit and try to survey the world from. The Flower is beaten up regularly by kicking feet or hauled forward and slobbered on before bouncing up out of reach.

And lastly, Madame has perfected the art of rolling over and gives you wide toothless grins when you peek at her, wiggling her bottom happily in the air.

Adam went climbing on Saturday and came back sweaty, sunburnt and satisfied - and very creaky the next morning as he carefully rolled out of bed and hobbled off. Those climbing muscles need regular exercise or protest a lot afterwards. We drove to Darling that evening to join Grant and Gail to celebrate Grant's 40th birthday at the local restaurant, Simone's. Excellent food, served by Simone herself. The next morning, Sunday, we all drove across to Yzerfontein (20 minutes) for breakfast overlooking the bay, a paddle in the surf (Adam and Grant) and some time on the beach (Gail, the kids and me). A lovely morning. It was home via Milnerton for my cousin's wedding: Adam was introduced to a few of the many extended cousins and survived all the new names and faces admirably. Jessica behaved impeccably during the garden ceremony, made friends with her new little cousin and shared his play gym with smiles. She really is a little charmer! We finally drove home towards a table-cloth-topped mountain, replete after a good weekend.

Today has been almost unbearably hot. 30'C in the house and 35'C outside. WIth a power failure during the day, Jessica and I opted for a siesta and slept through the hottest hours. If our pool was a little easier to get into holding her, I would have taken her for a swim, but instead filled a tub with cool water and let her splash in that.

The first deliverable of my work project was handed in last week and it seems that I am on the right track in my research. A great relief!! I may be going in to Old Mutual this week for a conference but as I have not been able to get hold of them, I am not sure of the details. I interviewed two ladies to "nanny" Jessica last week and both were lovely. So I have hired both, one to come in every week and the other as needed. They both speak Xhosa to Jessica and I am hoping she will learn the language naturally.

Well, Adam is home, and has wandered into the garden to do chores, Jessica perched happily in her new baby backpack behind him. Little head peering around, hands clutching at the carry strap. It's time to do dinner, so I'd best be off to think of something for supper.