Kaya in Thailand

Were here! In fact we've been here two weeks already. This is the first time we've had a chance to blog. Our first two guesthouses were without wifi or easy reach of an internet place and my mac has gone down with a kernel panic so is now in the Chiang Mai Apple Centre.

We had four days in Ayutthaya at the Sherwood guesthouse and six days at Orichid Hibiscus in Sukhothai, both places we stayed before with great managers and staff who were all excited to meet Kaya and see us again. We're now in the White House [no relation] Chiang Mai.

Kaya is taking everything in her stride. She didn't have any problems with flying, take off or landing, except for the first part of the first flight when her recent constipation caught up with her and her bowel movements made her cry. Once that was sorted she was fine. She was awake for most of the first flight, falling asleep just before landing in Dubai at her normal bed time. She had already slept through customs leaving the UK. She then slept through most of the second flight, first in the bassinet cot then on us. Her first long bus journey was fine for the first four hours but then she filled her nappy and it came loose due to her squirming and crying! We did a quick change on the moving bus and then she was happy again.

She enjoyed Thailand immediately as Thais love babies, and go ga-ga over them, especially farang babies. It means she is having lots of lovely happy interactions but we do have to be on guard against strangers pawing at her hands or going in for cuddles. Its men and women both who are gooey, but especially women. She returns their smiles with great smiles of her own and wiggles her legs with excitement. She also took to the smiling Buddha in Sukhothai with a big smile for his.

She is an absolute trooper. We sorted out her night time routine once in Sukhothai and have had a few late nights out with her recently as it is Loi Krathong so there are lots of fun things to see. She usually falls asleep in the sling about 8pm-ish but then wakes about 10 for a feed and a great big play. We'll have one more late night as it is the finale of loi krathong tonight with floating candles on the river (River Ping here in CM), a big parade, chinese flying candles and fireworks. She has slept through thunderstorms and not noticed fireworks. She is a star.

We've just about worked out routines and food for her. Restaurants and stalls with good english cook her something with no salt. Breakfast at the Orchid Hibiscus in Sukhothai was a big hit - scrambled egg, coconut pudding, toast and banana. The pumpkin soup with coconut milk was a big success, the pureed watery vegetable soup on rice as popular as her first attempts at parsnip and avocado. She definitely prefers food she can chew now. She has also learnt to drink water through a straw but then I guess sucking is something she has plenty of practice at!

Everyone says how good-natured and happy she is and she certainly is. She usually wakes up in her excellent LittleLife cot singing and rocking on all fours.

She has been coo'd at by a Buddhist monk on a bus and yesterday a young monk sang Old MacDonald had a farm to her in a temple in Chiang Mai! Now how many 7 1/2 month olds from Sheffield can say that. And if they could tell you about it would be something of a miracle anyway.