We are staying at Justin’s Gran’s house.  She’s lived her for over 60 years. It’s a Speke Council House as Justin’s Grandad (Tommy) was a Council Member.  This is also the house that Justin’s Mum, Angela, was born in.  It’s actually quite amazing to just be here with all the family history.  We are lucky to be able to have little Stella spend some quality time with her Great Gran.

Stella and Great Gran Alice

Justin and Gran Alice

Alice also lives just round the corner from where George Harrison of the Beatles grew up.

Alice has been living on her own now for 34 years.  The socialized health care system here is VERY good to the elderly.  She has a lot of help and still lives at home at the ripe old age of 92.

Stella also got to visit with her Great Aunt Shelia and Great Uncle Billy.  Shelia is very good and helps Alice out every Friday.  A very kind and gentle woman that Alice is very lucky to have in her life.  Billy is always good for a laugh and full of life.

Shelia and Billy playing with Stella

Yesterday we spent a rainy day in the city centre and had the best curry dinner I’ve had in a long time.  Stella also had her first lollie…as many of you know I’m pretty hard core when it comes to making sure Stella eats healthy foods…but she absolutely loved eating the lollipop they gave her at the restaurant!

Stella's First Lollie - She Loved It

We leave tomorrow but will be back for a visit in October.

A word on road trips with babies…

Not sure I’ve made this disclaimer but by no means am I a baby travel expert…not yet at least.  Just sharing my wisdom, successes and pitfalls along the way.  Yes I have great ideas but often times my attempts to make things simple fail…

Our drive up to Liverpool was not as easy as we’d hoped and I think we were all wishing we’d been on the train.  We got lost, Stella couldn’t fall asleep and we failed to get her out of the car on our gas stop break…

We didn’t arrive until almost 8 PM on Sunday night and the last 30 mins of the trip found me in the back seat of the car contorted into all sorts of positions trying to breast feed Stella while we were driving…not the safest thing in the world but you have to do what you have to do when your child has been in a car seat way too long, has a very dirty diaper, you are lost and she’s very hungry…I know I’m not the first to do this as my good friend Lee Ann shared a similar tale before I had Stella.

However, we got here in one piece, Stella survived (well actually, we all did as for some reason we actually let a guy get into our car to direct us to Alice’s house as we were just tired of driving around…  And  you should know…Liverpool puts Pittsburgh to shame when it comes to the rough and tumble of a nation…god bless ‘em!:)

I will say that the rest stops in England are REALLY baby friendly.  There were 5 private changing/nursing rooms in the bathroom where we stopped as well as signs saying that the restaurants could heat up bottles and food upon request.  Very clean as well.

Today we hit a fantastic baby and maternity store, Mamas & Papas.  Wish I actually needed a few things but FYI for anyone heading to the UK.

We leave tomorrow around noon to head back to Marlow to spend a little more time with Angela and pack for Greece.