"What's your excuse? - any one would think you've a new baby to look after!"

As Jane commented above I thought it about time I pinned my eyelids open and pushed a few digits in the late hours.

Updating the blog is now far less important to me to do every day yet thinking about the changes in Charles there is no less going on to report.

He smiles a lovely happy smile and looks at you when you tickle his tummy he finds it most amusing if you make some inhuman kooey rather than a word of English.  Not much control of his flapping arms is apparent yet and he gives the impression of a very basic crawl coupled with back-stroke if agitated.  He has been known to put his hand straight onto a finger within reach when calm so I just do not know what to make of that.

Specialists just look and say it is too early to tell much, but they appear to be making more and more subtle observations they are just not telling us about so I am sure it is not long before some negative news hits us between the eyes.

As for head and eye control he is clearly getting that well sorted - he can turn to focus on me even when I am a long way away and I just call him.  Up close he is attentive for perhaps a minute at a time enjoying the interplay.

He is growing like topsey (like a cabbage my Dutch brother-in-law tells me) and is now 9lb 9oz as of last week so he must actually be 10lb.  Quite a bundle when you have been joggling him on your shoulder for 3hrs...

Plans are well underway for his Christening and in case I did not mention it before please tell us if you are coming so we can get an idea of numbers.  We hope to put on some refreshments in the Scout Hall so there is a place to chat and refresh yourselves through the afternoon.  Not a Sunday roast - just things to keep you going and plenty to choose from.

The invitation does include all those who know Charles - friends, relatives, hospital staff (including first-responders), business friends and Wilton Park colleagues.  hope that covers you all - otherwise just mention my name to the bouncer on the door!

The one condition is you all have a hold and have a play with him so he gets used to lots of people!  He is very tolerant already and the thing that will help him these coming years is tolerance as he gets passed from expert to expert.  Though they seem to want to watch more than hold nowadays.

We can't put everyone up in our house either, and if you are travelling a long way we can recommend good places to stay and excellent places to dine - just ask.

Emily is in a play - The lion the witch and the wardrobe at 3pm so tell us if you want tickets as it is a special tea-time show with food in the interval.  We will reserve them for you and you collect/pay on the door.  Emily is Mrs Beaver and knows her lines very well (she tells me).  This is the first production I have not helped with so it will make a nice change to be in the audience on Saturday (previous day at 3pm).

I do not know what God/Life has in store for us from here, but I know the challenges have not stopped with Charles.  The thing to remember is nor have the rewards.  As I tot up how much I still have to find to finish our extension it is the vision of what we will gain in the end that keeps me going.  With Charles we don't know what that vision will be and that is what is hardest to fathom. A bit like playing blind in a game of Poker you can bluff, but the cards won't change, you can't fold and luck is playing for you until you get called...

...Then it becomes the playing that is the reward so whether you win or lose is irrelevant   - the vision is irrelevant.  We are just getting our poker faces and voices trained so we can start to enjoy the stage we are on.

"All the Worlds a stage and we are merely players" I know from my Rush days, but William Shakespeare wrote "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players".

How true is that?

Bedtime broken by baby

- a family cast starts now in Ashington...ZZZzzzzzz

waaah waaah waaah

slurp slurp belch slurp slurp wah wah

nappy change

slurp slurp doze

slurp

doze

slurp

bottle

belch

belch

sleep

and you the audience.

Applause

Curtains open.

See you Sunday I hope