New life

It's the end of February, which means that it's almost March, which means that it's nearly spring. There are buds on the crab apple tree in my small patch of mud (aka little front garden), and one or two flowers with plenty more buds on the winter jasmine in the back yard. As yet there aren't any daffodil buds (too early for that up here in the north), but there are shoots popping up here and there, and it won't be long until we see the bud heads, shortly followed by them blowing their trumpets :o) Spring is wonderful. A very welcome return of longer days, warmer weather, signs that nature has just been resting during the long winter months, and the return of life in the world around us.

For all that February has fewer days than any other month, it can be a long, long month to get through. It can be cold, and dark, and with long nights and short days, and a post-new year lethargy. This year February hasn't been so hard to get through , largely because of the anticipation of the arrival of my younger brother's first baby. It was due on 10th. Baby J eventually arrived in the evening of 23rd! Almost two weeks of suppressed excitement in the waiting, but at last he arrived. It wasn't an easy birth and ultimately he had to be born by cesarean section, but he's here and feeding well, and the whole family are doing well, so I'm told. They live down in Cambridgeshire, and although Mum has gone down to see them they've asked that they have a little bit of time to get used to being a family of three before they have lots of visitors. I want to respect that, even though I'm desperate to meet J, so it'll be a little while before I get down there, but in the meantime I have a small mountain of presents to send J, though I need to make a card for him to go with the gifts.

I love being an aunty to O and D - my older brother's boys - and I'm very much looking forward to being an aunty to J as well. My only wish is that they didn't all live so far away, but once my courses are finished then I should have considerably more time to go off visiting, although I'm definitely going to get to Cambridgeshire before then. Definitely.