Just arrived
The Small Girl, our latest addition to life at the cottage
Meaty stews and wholesome soups, egg-in-an-eggcup for breakfast and mid-afternoon hunks of cheese with apples: my latest long-term cooking project came to an end early last Thursday morning and now it’s feed-me-up time.
Our little Maya Ellen, who will be known around here as the Small Girl, took her own sweet time to decide when she would put in an appearance. But once she had made up her mind, that was it. As it happened, we only arrived at Cork University Maternity Hospital about 40 minutes before she did.
Given my love of hospitals and their bad food, which seems to have gotten worse since I was in with Little Missy in 2009, I was very thankful to escape home on Friday. I still had to have the Little Sister make a cheese/oatcakes/hummus delivery on Thursday night so I wouldn’t starve as the Small Girl fed. Otherwise it was just watery mash, limp veg and breaded chicken or fish. The spaghetti bolognese even came with the pasta chopped up – obviously nothing worse than having a full-length piece of spaghetti on your plate. That said, the one exception has to be the post-birth tray of tea and toast: never does something taste so delicious, or so well deserved!
A Friday morning visit from the Sister sent me home with the ideal present for any food lover, let alone one who has just had a baby: a bag from the English Market packed with sharp Hegarty’s cheddar, rounds of soft, oozy Cooleeney and Gortnamona cheese, organic avocados, my favourite chicken liver pâté from On the Pig’s Back, crackers, brown bread and relish – in short, all you could need for a series of perfect afternoon and morning snacks.
The best post-baby snacks
Unfortunately the Small Girl’s late arrival has put paid to my plans to head to tomorrow’s Blas na hÉireann National Irish Food Awards at the Dingle Food and Wine Festival – but at least I have a dark haired, sloe-eyed, constantly hungry little mortal to keep me occupied.
Speaking of which, there’s some movement from her bed – time to grab a hot chocolate before the Small Girl starts demanding her own afternoon feast!
Well Done! Two little girls is brilliant (three- like us- is even better but we will give you time for a breather)
I think I’ll need a wee breather alright – having the Small Girl seems easy in comparison to the other “baby” this year, the Husband’s Eight Degrees Brewing!
Congratulations! Heard the news this morning from Scott!
Best wishes and blessings to you all!
Got your text message, Margaret, but didn’t have a chance to respond. Little Missy is indeed enjoying being a big sister – so far, so good! Tell me more about the Mexican feast that you have planned!
Congratualtions Caroline and welcome Maya – beautiful name. And look at those tiny little hands! So sweet.
They may be tiny, but you should see the fierce waving around when she’s looking for food and not finding it!
Yipee, woohoo I’m smiling from ear to ear with the news. Congrats to you all! Enjoy every moment (even the sleepless ones!).
Maya Ellen is a gorgeous name too 🙂
Thanks Gillian! I’ve a pile of trashy novels to read during the night time feeds – makes sleepless times much easier to deal with.
Congratulations to you on your wins at Blas na hEireann – you must have been thrilled!
Caroline,
What a beautiful little bundle. I love, how the blog post reads so honestly about the ghastly hospital food you were offered. I would have been racing home too.
Congrats to you both and enjoy the chilling time.
Woo hoo! And now there are two! Remember, one more and you are outnumbered!
Ghastly hospital food is right! I don’t know how they ever expect anyone to get better given the kind of diet that’s on offer.
I was nearly out on Thursday afternoon but they wanted to take another look at the Small Girl the following day so I had to hang around. Just as well I had family nearby to keep me fed!
Huge congratulations Caroline. I was just thinking the other day that I hadn’t seen you on the Twitter so you must have had your hands full with something else. What a gorgeous little bundle and a beautiful name. Well done to you. x
Hands literally full of something else! Just realised that you were the person who brought those amazing brownies to the #irishfoodpix day. I’ve your recipe bookmarked!
Those little hands! I will admit to tearing up a little just looking at that sweet photo. Congratulations to you and Scott and to the proud big sister and welcome beautiful baby Maya! xxx
Thanks Kristin! She’s very intent in that photo as she’s happily feeding away. And wouldn’t you have to make fists when you’re really concentrating?!
Congratulations. Beautiful picture. enjoy every moment.
Thanks Lily. It was the only snap I managed to grab without her squirming!
Hey Caroline,
We just found this. Loads of love from John and myself and we look forward to meeting Maya. xxxxx
Sally and John
Thanks Sally! Like the rest of her family, the Small Girl came complete with a good appetite so is thriving. We’ll have to bring her down to West Cork next chance we get. Little Missy still talks about her holiday there in June.
Congratulations Caroline & family on your beautiful little bundle! Such a sweet photo & I love the name 🙂
ah deadly Caroline. I’d swap #dinglefood for that bundle of joy in a heartbeat 😉
Keith
Congratulations. She looks like a powerful little woman 🙂
Many congrats Caroline to you all on the safe arrival of your little bundle! How exciting…hope LM is enjoying her new sister!
Comhgairdeachas – and welcome to little Maya. What a lovely photo of the SG
Congratulations Caroline! Your little bundle looks adorable. Well done and enjoy this lovely nurturing stage of baby. 🙂
Congratulations Caroline! She looks precious. Hope all is going well for you and your family!
Caroline! I didn’t know! Was just going to send email about the journal and ask if you were EVER going to have the baby and then I saw this!!!! BIG CONGRATULATIONS! She is beautiful ( I can tell by the hand and eye =) And love her name..Maya.
Will speak to you soon. Warm wishes and big hugs, Imen xx
That was how I felt towards the end – will this child ever make an appearance! Talk soon.
What Imen said! I didn’t even know 🙂 Congratulations, she looks adorable! xx
Caroline (and Scott, of course!)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Only just found out as we were away. Maya is beautiful and a gorgeous new sister for Little Missy. Much love to the four of you xxxx
At least she didn’t arrive at the Bord Bia offices that day! Sounds like you had quite a time on your US trip. I’m enjoying about your foodie experiences there.
CONGRATS! Caroline. I hope all your renovating got finished before the beautiful new arrival. Enjoy X Sheila
It’s still a bit of a work in progress but, thanks to my mother, all the painting was finished before the Small Girl put in her appearance! I’ve the Husband’s parents here at the moment, building shelves and weeding my garden, so am being spoilt by family.
Hi Caroline
I know I’m a bit late but major congratulations – she’s beautiful!
Yvonne x
All congratulations are gratefully received! Thanks Yvonne.
Congratulations – I am very late is getting to this. Hope it is all going well, beautiful photograph.
At least she allowed me to come to the Bord Bia Irish Food Photography day – it was great to meet you!
Just catching up on the blog reading, congrats again on the arrival of little Maya – such a lovely name. But I might still call her Cottage Pie! 🙂
I don’t think she’d mind being called #cottagepie – at least not for a few years!