Cakes 'n' Booties

Can I first of all point out this is not an ultrasound of my womble!! So calm down everyone - mine is well and truly barren...(phew)
I've been harbouring two massive secrets for far too long now. This blog is dedicated to good tidings and congratualtions to 4 people very close to our hearts.

The first secret, is that we are about to become Auntie Sam & Uncle Andy once again. My brother Math and his wife Louise are expecting their first baby in November! It is truly exciting and while we won't be home in time for his/her arrival, we will be celebrating Kiwi style! Here it is all snuggly and warm at five months old. Poor Mum has had sickness and headaches and all sorts to contend with while Dad has been away diving which has given him opportunity to think of amusing baby names such as "Stella" (after his favourite beer). I remember Mum telling me during an online chat some months ago whilst we were in Cambodia. We toasted the moment with a couple of bottles of Angkor beer - how about "Baby Angkor?" It would be original... We still don't know if it will have pink or blue booties, we'll have to wait another four months to find out. Well done you two!!! We're over the moon!

Secondly, another reason to wheel out the champagne (and didn't we have trouble trying to find some in Kuala Lumpur?) is that there has been a proposal. A proposal which, I might add, was quickly and graciously accepted. (Again, this does not involve me, so chill out). There we were on the beach in the Perhention Islands (or rather there I was - Andy had gone off for a dive), when I happened to look over to "Beer Corner" where Em & Andrew were having lunch. It appeared as though Andrew had fallen over, for there he was on his knees in the sand. I thought nothing more of it, but thought how in love they looked on walking across the beach together. As they approached me, Em flashed me her big shiny ring, which startled me somewhat. After much "He didn't !!" "He did!" "You're not??" "We are!!" I only finally believed them when I saw that Andrew was a bit pale and wobbly. And Em was probably the nearest she'd ever come to speechless. We celebrated that night with warm chardonnay (sorry guys)...we'll get the Verve in in January '07. Enjoy the Charles and Diana shot and lets hope the ending is more favourable ("Whatever love means") and that Andrew won't run off with a Rod Hull lookalike. So there it is, two happy stories for us all to rejoice in. Congratulations to you all. Let the panic over trust funds, cakes and dresses commence...