Killruddery House and Gardens

It was another Saturday in August when my little family of three ventured down County Wicklow for another hunt for a beautiful garden in Ireland. We are savouring the last few weekends of summer in this part of the world and we try to visit as many places as we can before we hibernate for the cold autumn and winter time. Also, we realise that for our sanity's sake as new parents, we do need to get out of our apartment. With our baby of course! :)

A quick google of "beautiful gardens in Ireland" the night before and a prompt search in Instagram for actual visitors' photos led us to Killruddery House and Gardens. We didn't really read the website but only took note of the address and drove there the next day.

What we thought would just comprise of an old house and a decent-sized garden turned out to be a lovely old mansion with an equally lovely garden.  We learned later that the estate is a popular location for well known movies and TV series such as The Tudors, My Left Foot, Far & Away, Angela's Ashes (the only I was able to watch) and Camelot.

Just a thirty-minute drive from our place in Dublin, it was a perfect place to chill on a weekend, walk the baby out, and just breathe in and forget the craziness of this season as first time parents.

Sharing loads of photos with you and some info if you want to make a visit there one of these days. 

Here's the main entrance which is a mini shop and reception. Admittance is not free unless you're a member. Admittance fee info is here; it isn't cheap but worth your euro if you're planning to stroll for a day. We paid €7.50 each for the garden entrance allowing access to the formal garden and the walled garden. We skipped the house tour but it'll be something we can look forward to the next time around. 

Signages are everywhere so you'll be well guided. We tackled the formal gardens first and the tearoom because we were famished. We got there at half twelve, just in time for lunch.

The first of the many brazen and vintage statues in the entire premises that we saw.

Our dear Zeya looking all too cute, content and calm when we started our walk. The key to walking a baby out, I discovered, is to feed him first and whenever he's fussy. I fed him in the car just before we went out for a walk. I'm a breastfeeding mama so no bottles, no hassles for us when we go out! 

First view of the house, the orangery and tearoom.

Family photo courtesy of the kind waitress from the teahouse (taken from the convenient i-Phone).

More photos with our dear Zeya because you know, he was in a good, thumb-sucking mood.

Fab view of the Wicklow Mountains on the other side.

Distracting our baby Zeya with his non-stop thumb-sucking (we suspect teething, bless us!) Memories like this are the kinds I want to capture in photos and then print, frame and display in our home. 

The tearoom and the view you get while sipping a cup of tea or coffee or simply enjoying your meal. No food photos as it was already a challenge alternating eating and holding a baby. The tearoom, as the name suggested, didn't offer much in terms of "lunch" but there were few sandwiches, pizzas and cakes you can order. 

The sunken garden with roses (almost drying by this time) and another charming vintage statue.

Some florals from the formal garden. Now this isn't the kind of garden with overflowing flowers.  The gardens are subdivided into hedges, ponds and walks with flowers here and there.

Hydrangeas seemed to be present in all the gardens we visited this summer. 

There is a farm market too where you can enjoy good food, coffee, local produce and arts and crafts.  Just take note that the market is every Saturday. We should've eaten our lunch here to be honest; more choices than the tearoom's. 

We went back and walked on the vast garden and were delighted by what we saw. I was happy practicing my photography skills snapping photos here and there, and posing for the camera too, if you must. Our little Zeya was very comfy in the carrier and was sleeping ninety percent of the time we were walking. 

These hedges reminded me of Versailles' in France albeit not as grand and not as polished but lovely just the same. 

Statues and more statues, brazen and otherwise. I could go back here and photograph all the beautiful statues.

Here's one statue I adore being the certified bookworm that I am. :)

A different side of the mansion.

The clock tower.

Stellar view of the estate can be seen up there in this rocky area. We missed climbing it however. Another thing to do when we go back here.

And another side.

And more statues.

The Orangery where a number of events can be held---wedding, parties, corporate and private, dinner, and so on. We will surely do the house tour next time. I'm sure the interiors and house stuff collection will be interesting given that generations of families lived in and took care of this house.

Now photos from the walled garden which is essentially a kitchen garden and a picnic area. 

Here's the picnic area where you can enjoy your own picnic food and a huge sandbox (not pictured) for children to play around. There's a coffee mobile too for parents who want to chill with a cuppa whilst watching their kids play. We will definitely go back here once bubba is walking. I could just leave him on Rolando's watch while I sit, enjoy a good book and a cup of coffee.  I CAN'T WAIT!

We were greatly surprised by Killruddery House and Gardens; it felt like discovering a gem of a place equally lovely and yet overshadowed by the more famous attractions in the area. Because it is located just within the border between Dublin and Wicklow, it isn't really far and exhausting to travel to. By car is the most convenient mode of transportation. Parking is free, abundant and just a few walk to the house and garden in case you asked.

There you have it. I hope you enjoy this visual tour with me. I am still trying to find 20-30 minutes of my daily taking-care-of-the-baby schedule to do a write ups of all the places we visited this summer. Because I need to take a look at them come wintertime to remind me what Ireland looks like on warm days. Will surely help us get through till the next summer comes along! :)

Isaiah Patrick's 4th Month

My darling Zeya,

Happy 4th month bubba. We celebrated your 4th month two days in advance. It was another Saturday when we drove to Wicklow and looked for a place somewhere nice. Thanks to Instagram, I learned about the place called Mount Usher Gardens so that's where we went. You slept all the way going there! Hurray!

What have you been up to? Let's see...

At four months, I can say you have already overcome your acid reflux. Thank God a thousand times for that! You're still tiny at second percentile which made me worry for days on end. But lately, the Lord has been asking me to cast all my worries to Him and that He's got you at the palm of His loving hand. Someday, I know you will grow bigger in length and weight. In the meantime, I'll enjoy your smallness and rest in God's assurance that my breastmilk is enough to sustain and nourish you. You are bright, alert, active and hitting all your developmental milestones. At this stage, that's all  that matters.

Also... (*drum roll please*) you've overcome your car hysterics! Hurray! You have finally discovered that you can do other things in the car like sleeping or just amusing yourself at whatever passing scenes and colors you can perceive or thumb-sucking fist-sucking. You still cry, but only for a short time. Well done bubba. By the way, your fist-sucking drives your daddy nuts! 

Hmmm, what else? You scream now whenever you get excited or happy or fussy. You can be demanding sometimes and your dad insists that you got that stubborn behaviour from me! (How unfair is that?!) But you know what else bubba Zeya? You've learned to laugh, to reach for your toes, to grab objects especially mommy's hair. Praying I won't go bald by the time you're one! You're still learning to roll over and flip, but we'll get there. 

I want to thank you Zeya for stretching our hearts and filling them with so much joy and love and patience too. Your dad and I, we are trying hard every single day to love and take care of you the best way we know how. And that's what we celebrate today---four months of having the privilege to be your mom and dad and having the opportunity to shower you with love we never knew we could give until you came along.

I love you Zeya. With all my heart. :)

Photos from your fourth month celebration at Avoca Cafe in Mount Usher Gardens:

Here's mommy trying hard to hold a wriggly baby!

The lighting of your cake. Thank God there's a Filipino waiter whom we politely asked to take photos of us. So here, your dad lighted your candles for the second time.

Family photos:

With just you. This photo didn't capture your long eyelashes. Shame. :)

The blowing of your candle lights:

And now with daddy and your drool. :)

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This is part of the Love Letters to Zeya Series | - On my quest to write my dear son a love letter each month on his first year.

Isaiah Patrick's 3rd Month

Love Letters to Zeya Series | - On my quest to write my dear son a love letter each month on his first year. 

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To our darling baby boy, Isaiah Patrick

You were 3 months yesterday---25th of June 2016. I sang you a happy birthday song early in the morning and as usual, you were wide eyed wondering what song in the world your mommy was singing again.

Since it was a Saturday, a weekend, your dad and I decided, rather braved, to get you outside Dublin. You still cry during car drives and we figured, Voxy Woggy (our car) was your greatest nemesis. My only prayer as I strapped you in your car seat was that you wouldn't cry anymore. But as expected, you did! I sang you a couple of nursery rhymes during the drive while your dad figured out the way with a number of reroutes which made you cry even more.

Nonetheless, we managed to get to this place. Hurray! This is your first trip outside Dublin and when you're all grown up, we will go there again, for breakfast or snacks. I promise.

My heart skips a bit as I type these words. We've come a long way my bubba. Long way. I'd rather post the moments we celebrate each month than the statistics of your growth, in height and weight.  At three months, you have become one curious and observant little bubba! Your eyes lit up and grow bigger every time you see something new, something stimulating perhaps. What you lack in weight at this point, you compensate for your curiosity and the numerous cooing sounds you make!

Now with your dad:

The blowing of your candles: