Dad is 3 months old ....

Ok baby Hannah is the one who is three months and and a good 3.5 kilos further on from when she was born but I too can celebrate getting to this amazing place in time. Today for the first time little Hannah took a toy out of my hands and rattled it to herself in amazement at what she just achieved. She then tried to shove it in her mouth and after that failed a crying episode was garunteed.

I look at her sometimes and can't help but crying myself and when I do she looks back puzzled. "Daddies are not meant to cry", perhapps she muses. "If I am patient then he will stop all this silliness and then get on with the infinitely more entertaining regime of funny noises squeeks and tickles that are so much fun". See left Baby Hannah teaching me to put my index finger in my mouth. Mmm. It does taste good.

I could start listing all the tricks she can now do but that would be boasting. Ok .. I'll list a couple. She can poke her tounge out and she can say "hello". At least Mummy and Daddy are very sure that it is "hello" and she gets very excited, kicking her little legs and waving her arms when she gets it right .... then M & D get very excited and jump up and down and wave their little hands around. Baby then gets more excited and tries harder to make her squeaks according the Mummy and Daddy's pleasure. The loop repeats, wash, rinse, cry ........

So is it all bubble and squeak, happiness and love. Damn no ... It is hard. I have to go to work and sit in front of a computer screen for 8 hours a day and Evelyn has to stay at home and mind the baby and the house. Neither of us ever imagined being forced into the role of working husband and stay at home housemaker wife but here we are by way of circumstance. It is not always easy to deal with. The responsibilities and different aspirations we both have, and must work around, in managing this new life are a complicated little web with a glowing little beautiful baby in the middle. So what do we do to manage?

Well this previos weekend we did what we like to do, Mountain hiking. We packed baby in her little red Trägetuch ( baby carry sling ) and headed off to the Ötcher Grabner to stay in a hut on top of a mountain. As soon as you are out walking through the forest the worries of the city seem to slip away, especially as you realize the guide book's estimate of a 1.5 hour ascent to the hut is wildly off mark. We had arrived at Mitterbach at 7pm after spending the day in Melk, visiting the old monastry, intending to make it to the hut by 8:30pm. After an hour and a bit's walk we crested a ridge and I cheered to Evelyn, who was carrying Hannah, that we were almost there as I could see the hut. Ooooops wrong hut. What next came plainly into view was the 400-500m steep ascent in failing light we were going to have to make to get to our bed.

Eventually, exhausted and a little panicked we made it to the hut where we were greeted by a very warm and friendly man and then a cute little double room with the most comfortable soft pillows I have ever slept on.

Next morning (see above view ) after breakfast we made our decent into the gorge, first stopping at another hut for for a delicious bowl of tortlini and barlauch pesto followed up with apple strudel, where again luck was with and we avoided being drowned in a thunderstorm by coming apon yet another hut where food and drinks could be procured.

All along the way we would either be met by fellow walkers who would either look apon us with undisguised disgust that we could possibly take our baby daughter at such a young age away from the safety of her baby cradle and out into the mountains or the "oh so cute" reaction. We did spend some time worrying whether we were doing the right thing with her but her reaction to the outside would confirmed our best hopes. She really loves being in the forest and the mountains. The air is quiet and the colors are rich and lush. We show her flowers and let her touch the grass. On her back she can keep her self happy for ages just watching the bright green leaves of a walnut tree waving in the wind.

Look left at a trully happy little forest dwarf. My recommendation to beat those big city blues. Get yourself a baby sling and head for them hills. It is so much fun and the start of many more adventures to come.

The only thing to say is that one should be a little fitter than Evelyn or I am at the moment to try racing up a 1600m peak in failing light. Today ( Monday ) I can barely walk on legs whose muscles feel as if they have been removed for dry cleaning and I am making do on thin and highly fragile, spaghetti strands.

Where to next weekend ? ..........