Dear Dad...

Dear Dad, 

While I think you would have little opinion on the size of baby D this week and probably thought it was a bit off the wall to be doing this anyway, for consistency I shall oblige to those that are regular readers of my scribes.  This week sees baby D weigh in at about 1.7kg.  After a hasty check in the local Tesco's yesterday I can tell you that that is the equivalent of 3 average sized apple pies.  Apple pie being a particular, notorious, favourite of yours. 

Sadly my baking has been a touch lacking lately but I have had some home grown apples and blackberries from mum this week so I will certainly make a couple of crumbles and freeze one down for us to have in the first few weeks after jr. arrives.

This week just gone has seen the passing of what would have been your 68th birthday, which without doubt would have involved a few humourous cards - some which may have required explaining to mum - and jokes, said at a safe distance, about being way too close to 70...

 

On holiday in Grange-over-Sands, Lake District, maybe 2000/01?

Sadly, instead, I daresay all 4 of us have all no doubt had our own personal ponderings on life without you for the last 5 and a half years or so. 

It rather goes without saying that this year my thoughts have been about this baby and that it makes me sad that you never got to see grandchildren, something that I think you would have had great pleasure from, mainly because you can have them for periods of time and get to give them back!  

On a train, fancy that!Eearly 90's judging by the age of Ali and Rob.

 Needless to say that mum is over the moon and on it in the usual fashion that we may have shared jokes about in the past.  I recall several occasions stood in the kitchen, most probably while you did the evenings washing up - a task that I now realise really doesn't take as long as you would let it - blowing off teenager steam about how "unreasonable/difficult mum was being" or having a laugh over something that had happened that day.

However rather than dwell on things that might have been I thought I would prove my skills as my fathers daughter and share the overhaul of the baby unit that I have referred to in previous writing.

The unit came from Granny Fith's, post war, knock it together quickly furniture that I would imagine was all to familiar to you and Aunty Gwynne way back when.

Pre-sand

Anyway, I have sanded, primed and glossed it and spent (too many) hours looking for materials to cover it with, eventually deciding upon some classic pooh fabric for the drawers and what ended up being a strip of wallpaper (I won't tell you what that cost) of Beatrix Potter images.

Post sand

post gloss, pre-fancy bit

After a slight wind incident which left one of the doors in 2 pieces Pip and I ended up with a slight "nail incident" but thankfully Pips dad, much like you left a garage full of, quite frankly, God knows what and this weekend Pip picked up 2 tools to attempt to remove said nail from said door.

The room is starting to look a bit more child friendly now we have some books and toys out!

Thankfully this evening his efforts proved successful and we have now attached the door back onto the unit and all is finished.

It's starting to fill up with baby essentials!

I am sure by now you would have had several visits to ours to advise/oversee and probably hung the shelf and given half the chance re-vamped the unit yourself on the sly and maybe even created some epic baby item at home in the garage.  I don't doubt for a second that my handiwork would have been scrutenised, feedback offered and quickly retorted too.  I do remember telling you years ago that you had to teach me how to hang wallpaper not simply get cross when I didn't do it how you wanted it done.  A skill (the wallpaper hanging part not negotiating) that is most handy now!

Goodness knows I miss you, but it hits me more when I realise how longs its been since I actually spoke to you, shared a joke, had a joint winge about mum!  Who incidently has been an absolute trooper and gets by in her own quiet way, we did discuss the house the other day and mum mentioned that you and her were pretty in tune when it came to decore, however I did point out that the kitchen wallpaper she has put up would probably have gotten a look, probably not much more being a man of few words/stayed quiet for the easy life, and she did conceed that it may be a touch brighter than you would have gone for :o)

Taken I think at your 60th birthday treat, to crew a steam train down in Swanage. I think the phrase "pig in muck" best describes this day...

 I was possibly more of a dad's girl than I had realised but I think because we were similar in the ways that meant we got on easily, whereas mum and I clash due to our similarities - I have a distinct memory of mum being cross with me and telling me there was "no Fithyan (her side) in me, I was all Cole (your side)" and my response being a slightly petulant "that suits me fine" or words to that effect!

My only hope now is that Pip and I will be half as proud of our impending brood as I know you were of us 3.

Love Jill xx