Christmas Eve 2016: boat, baby, and a new business

Carols are playing, a candle has been lit, ten-month old Georgia is asleep downstairs.

Christmas Eve is coming to a close in New Zealand and just starting in Europe. Two hours ago, Andy sailed into Bluff (the southernmost port in NZ), bringing to a close his first commercial trip with our boat, Baltazar. He’s just been to the New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands and back. We have more trips booked for 2017 but completing the first feels the most significant. So much work went into getting this far – for himself, the boat, and the paperwork.

We have a lovely baby girl, healthy, happy, really smiley and pretty chilled out. I feel very lucky; she’s fun to hang out with, quite self-contained, laughs a lot, and beams at anyone who makes an attempt to connect with her. She’s increasingly inquisitive, moderately mobile, and plumpilicious (a little chubster, like both her parents were).

While we’ve been starting up both a new business and new family, I’ve also had – at times – a fairly demanding year with work and am massively appreciative of my colleagues who have helped me navigate a new work-life balance. Hats off to all of you out there who manage it. I’m also proud to have done our little bit towards normalizing being a working mum with a baby. That includes Andy doing at least 50% of the real hands-on, day-to-day, active parenting while he was around (not to mention meetings with a baby and milk logistics on my side of things..). While the new work takes Andy away from us during much of the summer season, I’m hoping we’ll get pay-back in the off season when he gets to be superdad every day. (It was noted, however, how much credit and kudos he got for doing something that so many mums do every day, all year round…)

It’s not been all hard yakka; we’ve had a wonderful year. That includes taking the opportunity of Georgia’s arrival to go sailing for a several weeks when she was 3 months old, and to Europe when she was 6 months old – including meeting with my extended family in Germany to celebrate my uncle’s 80th birthday, and joining Andy’s family in Worcester afterwards. Both were great trips and I am happy (and relieved) that we keep on adventuring.

Carols are over, the candle has been blown out, ten-month old Georgia is asleep next to me. Andy joins us tomorrow for our first christmas as a trio. It’s a funny old world.

 

junglebub

last day of bump

dinghybaby

when Georgia was 3 months old, we escaped on our boat and hid at Great Barrier Island

Picking a pub lunch near Andover (photo: Craig Nicholls)

Picking our pub lunch (photo: Craig N)

baltazar

Baltazar at sea

Love to you and yours in what has been one of the more bizarre years in politics and world events. All things considered, New Zealand feels like a good place to be right now. Come visit us any time!

5 thoughts on “Christmas Eve 2016: boat, baby, and a new business

  1. Happy Christmas to all 3 of you!
    It has been an amazing year for you – congratulations !
    AND
    I have a little parcel for Georgia and want to swing by in the morning if I may?
    Lots of love
    Sarah

  2. Rhian, Andy and Baby Georgia!!! Congratulations on a very productive 2016! We can’t wait to meet Georgia – given the US wacky politics, we could be down there sooner than later. Maya I’m sure would love to come crew on Baltazar, but first she has to finish high school – Kai is a great poker – not the card player, but the fencer. Lots of love! the Kamayans (Ruth, Tim, Maya and Kai)

  3. Indeed it is a funny old world Rhian, but what a beautiful one too! So glad our adventures have crossed paths, let the new ones begin I say! xx

  4. Congrats to all three of you and enjoy the holidays! Best of luck to Andy with the new boat business, and to you Rhian with the home and work balance game.

  5. Come visit?

    The rapidity with which things are turning to rat-shit in the UK has me thinking we may be doing so soon….. for quite a very lengthy duration ……

    I just have to charter one of those Antonov transport planes off the Russians to get Pippin to her new mooring….

    🙂

    It was great to see you three this year in Cambridge.

    Georgia is Georgious!!!

    As I type, Jackie is in Antarctica………..

    Happy Christmas and love,

    John (and Jackie.)

    XXXXXX

    Good luck with the Baltazar charters!

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