Bliss – Page 29 – Postcards from Tasma

An enormous caterpillar!

The wild, wonderful, generous and impulsive Linda and Dianne sent us a treasure trove of gifts today all the way from Gloucester, Massachusetts, including a furry caterpillar 7 feet long, “Juggling for Complete Klutzses (for me!), a dress enrirely covered in watermelons, pears, lemons and cherries and the most luxuriant bathrobe you have every seen. There’s more stuff in there we haven’t even glimpsed yet. I don’t know how they got such a huge box of unexpected pleasure over here so fast.

We were exhausted after a bad night with Lucinda, and then had this most excellent surprise. Thanks, guys.

Lucinda’s baby comes out too

All the while Fiona has been pregnant, Lucinda has also “had a baby in her tummy”. I’m proud to tell you Lucinda has informed me this morning that her baby has come out too.

Name: Ivy

Weight: 150g

Born in the traditional way: from a child’s imagination.

Hello Audrey May

Audrey May Thorpe arrived this afternoon at 2.45 at the Royal Womens’ Hospital, Carlton. 8 lb 13 oz! Fiona laboured like the true legend she is and Audrey came into the world in the traditional way.

In the waiting room, on a wobbly planet

Waiting for a birth. It’s like a cross between “24” and Groundhog day. We’re fine and having fun in the meantime. But it’s all meantime, all the time – and we’re going a bit mad. As Ethan says, “It’s a wobbly planet.”

First Day at School

Somehow this day has arrived. Here is Ethan on his first day at school. He showed no apprehension as we trundled through the throngs of weepy camera-toting parents, and blinked back the tears when we left. We had to do the same because we couldn’t show him how we were really feeling today. I had three peeks around the doorway after he thought we had left, and he was making a really good fist of it. He’s a brave kid.

Who knows? Maybe we will be back down at the school today and bringing him to hospital to see his new sister. What a week.