Wednesday, September 28, 2005
jaws
Toothy peg #2 made its appearance next to toothy peg #1 this weekend, which is very exciting if you're a sad mum like me. We had a fantastic holiday in Devon (details and a link to pictures can be found on the main blog), although we realised that sleeping in the same room as a dog and baby means very little sleep for us. I think Jack was grumpy from teething or from being in a strange room, so he was very grizzly for most of the nights we were away. In fact, the grizzliness has continued since we've been home and he's broken out into a rash (the doctor says he has "a virus" - how useful, thank you) so maybe he just wasn't feeling great. At any rate, we both agreed that a self catering holiday somewhere with more than one bedroom would be ideal next time.
Despite the sleepless nights, there is a distinct advantage to travelling with a non-crawling/non-walking baby. As long as we can wheel him around or carry him, we can pretty much go anywhere with little difficulty. He slept peacefully through our meal at Tanners and sat happily in his stroller wherever we went. He's not old enough to get bored, run away, or throw a temper tantrum if he can't get chicken nuggets. He's a great ice breaker; people constantly stopped to fuss over him and ask us about him. As any mother will tell you, you never get tired of people fussing over your baby (unless they are insane old people at pubs and Tesco).
As I mentioned earlier, Jack's got a rash and has spent most of the day slumbering in his play den. I took him to see a doctor who seemed nice, but gave us a vague diagnosis of "he might have a virus - babies sometimes get rashes when they get a virus" and advised that I just keep an eye on it and give him Calpol. Grand. Now I'm worried that he'll be up partying all night long because he's slept so much today, but maybe he's sleeping so much because he was up partying all last night. Either way, I'm starting to feel the delirium of broken sleep and am in desperate need for caffeine. If only I could train the dog to make a latte.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
more than a handful
Dressing my little boy is like dressing a breakdancing octopus whose just had five pints of espresso. I am now adept at putting clothes on a baby who is upside down, flipflopping between his belly and his back, constantly grabbing at his willy (what is up with THAT?), rattling two small toys at once, and trying to chew on the nappy I've just removed. Not only can I change him at lightning speed, I can do the whole thing with one hand while the other tries to control flailing baby limbs. I have no idea how I'm going to be able to do this when he's a toddler without employing three other people to help out.
The lone toothy peg is rising up above the surface of Jack's gums, with the promise of a neighbour arriving soon. Jack's got another puffy bump next to his first tooth, so I assume #2 isn't far behind. On the most part, he's been okay. Thankfully, he's still the smiliest baby in town and is still sleeping through the night. In fact right now, he's slapping the floor and giggling like a loon. Ah, to be so easily entertained again.
We're off on our first family holiday tomorrow; I cannot wait. I know that Jack won't really understand what's going on, but I love the idea of taking him different places from an early age. We've got our plane tickets home for Christmas and we plan on going to California next year to introduce Jack to his American relatives. I've got a long list of places I want to take Jack in this country and the rest of Europe is just a short journey across the channel. Oooh and we have to go back to Cadbury World as our first visit was unsuccessful. For Jack's sake, obviously.
That's it from us until Tuesday. Adios amigos! And before we go - happy 7 month birthday, Jack-Jack. You never cease to amaze me and make me smile.
Monday, September 19, 2005
excuse me while my face turns green
On Sunday, we watched the Great North Run on television (yes, I do see the humour in sitting on a sofa and watching 40,000 people plod 13 miles around the Tyne) and Paul reminisced about the time he ran this same marathon. One of the presenters interviewed model/television personality Nell McAndrew, who is not only gorgeous, but she qualified for the elite group this year - and she just happens to also be pregnant. Now, the best I could manage was a 5k walk in a big park when I was 5 weeks pregnant. This woman, who also won "Rear of the Year" this year, ran a flippin' marathon. I walked 13 miles and I thought I was gonna die, and I wasn't even growing a baby at the time. Amazing. Annoying, but amazing.
Jack continues to be a grizzly bear and has been chewing on everything and anything. Please forgive me Jack, but it does make me giggle when you're simultaneously crying and blowing raspberries, bless you. We're leaving Jack with friends and his little friend Lauren (who's very pretty and about a week younger than Jack) this evening while Paul and I go out for his birthday dinner. We've only been out for dinner one other time without Jack, and I kept thinking that I'd forgotten him somewhere. The sad part is, that could really happen - my mind isn't too sharp these days.
Right, if I start scrubbing up now, I might look presentable by 7 this evening. Get my trowel and sandblaster - I'm goin' in.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
the whole tooth
Jack's been a grizzly bear this week, which I thought was due to a cold. He had a runny nose and had quite a few screamy moments off and on - nothing that Mr. Calpol couldn't handle. So I was checking Jack's gums on Saturday (as you do daily when you're an insane new mother) and I said to Paul, "Oh!" "Oh?" he enquired. "I feel something! Toothy pegs! Toothy pegs!" I squealed. I peeked inside my son's mouth (who was now giving me an odd look) and saw the sharp jagged edge of his first tooth. I truly have no idea why something as mundane as a tooth is so exciting, and I can only chalk it up to one of the million weird things you do when you have a child. Regardless, both of us were quite thrilled about this new development, which I promptly recorded in Jack's baby book.
He's been chewing everything he can get his hands on (including my fingers, which bloody well hurts) and I think it's pretty uncomfortable for him. I smeared some Calgel on his gums which seems to slide around everywhere but the area you actually need it to be applied, and gave him a frozen oven chip (french fry) to chew on. I read something years ago about giving teething babies frozen chips to help with teething pain (or maybe I just made it up), and it did seem to make him happier. He's got teething keys in the fridge, but I think I need to purchase more soothing things to chew on. I also remember reading something about how a baby's first tooth tends to make an appearance roughly the same time as their parent's did, and for Jack this was true. My first toothy peg was at 7 months one week, Paul's was just short of his 6 month birthday, and Jack's right in the middle.
Just one question - why are baby teeth so sharp? Did we used to send babies out to hunt in prehistoric times? Did we use them to cut through jungle vines? Open tins before can openers were invented? It's a stumper.
Friday, September 16, 2005
happytalk
I've written another very ranty post about motherhood on the main blog, but I hasten to add, I'm actually quite happy these days despite the recent increase in ranty posts. I think it's a sign that I should avoid newspapers and the news channels for a while and stick to the very nice "Location, Location, Location" type shows instead.
I'm starting to warm to the idea of mother/baby groups now which either means that I'm being more objective about the concept or I've finally succumbed to maternal dementia. We started our second term of swimming classes yesterday, and it was fabulous. Jack hasn't been in the pool since July, so I wasn't sure how keen he'd be on being underwater yesterday. We are now in the more "experienced" group, so we dunked our babies under the surface almost immediately after the class started. I held Jack on the pool's edge then after a "ready, steady, go!", I plunged him down as far as I could reach and brought him back up again in one smooth arc. I could feel him moving his body like a tiny dolphin under the water, and he came up with a big smile on his face and not one splutter. The Other Mothers were very chatty this time, and some were familiar faces from the last class. People made small talk with me, for crying out loud. Fantastic. This morning, we went to baby yoga and lingered for ages after the class to chat about what nonsense Gina Ford spouts (apologies if you're a Ford fan, but I truly don't get her at all). We swapped several tips, fussed over each other's babies, and actually talked about non-baby things. Jack held the hand of the doll the instructor uses to demonstrate the moves and tried chatting her up. I don't blame him; she's very cute. All in all, it's a really nice way to spend a Friday morning. In 6 weeks, I may need to find another group to join. No, really.
Before I go, can someone please tell me if Jack's the only nearly 7 month old in the world who doesn't sit up unsupported? Personally, I think he's got too many places to go and finds sitting dull.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
money can't buy you brains
"Pop singer Britney Spears gave birth to a baby boy at a Los Angeles hospital on Wednesday...Spears, who married Federline in September last year, had been previously reported as saying she planned to have the baby by Caesarean section to avoid the pain of a natural birth." [source]
After Victoria Beckham's last birth (two days before Jack's) I read an article that said, "All three of her kids were delivered by Caesarean, allowing a faster recovery." Do you know what? I would gladly swap my c-section with anyone's vaginal birth if they want to "avoid pain" or make the process "easier" for themselves. I would give anything to know what a contraction feels like, to look at my son and know that I pushed him out myself, to know that my body was capable. I will happily give away the fears that something inside of me was irretrievably damaged during the surgery, and that every pain I still feel today means something's horribly wrong. You're more than welcome to my worries about my next pregnancy, wondering if my scar will rupture or if I'll end up with another c-section and having to recover while taking care of an additional child. Or how about the frustration and anger of being no more enlightened about labour and birth than a first time mum? Or about having to give up breastfeeding because surgery made it physically and emotionally too difficult? While I'm at it, I'm also willing to trade my inability to climb more than a few stairs, sit up without my abdomen shaking, and the pulling pains I still feel on my left side every few days.
Celebrities, sign up now. I'm willing to do a deal.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
babyzilla
Do you know why this picture is blurry? Because not only can he stand while supporting himself, he likes to bounce up and down while he does it. I swear, I am not feeding my son triple espressos in the morning.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
last week in pictures
Jack's been getting up on all fours quite a bit recently, but hasn't quite sussed out that he needs to move his hands and knees to get anywhere. Either that, or he's been practicing his downward facing dog yoga position.
Socks taste yummy!
We went to the Linton Zoo with Nanna and Grandad. At first, Jack wasn't too impressed.
But he got enthusiastic about it a bit later.
We also went to the Anglesey Abbey. Although it rained and rained, we made it to the grand house and the rain had stopped by the time we were finished. We admired the beautiful dahlia collection, had a cup of tea, and Grandad had to drive us home in the pouring rain.
Of course a little rain never gets Jack down.
Monday, September 12, 2005
hear me roar
When Paul said to me a few months ago that he might be asked to go to our Ft. Lauderdale office in September, I got a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. At that point, the thought of being alone to do all the parental, doggy, and regular household duties made me queasy. What if Jack got ill? What if he started teething and he screamed his way through the nights? What if Jasper got ill? What if I got ill? The months went by and the topic came up again in August. Paul asked me if I would be okay if he went - he was fully prepared not to go if that's what I wanted - and I said yes. For some reason, I knew I'd be okay. That didn't stop me from enlisting the help of my fabulous in-laws mind you, but I was surprised at how relatively calm I felt about the whole thing. Jack and I both got ill, and the most challenging thing was walking both baby and an energetic 36kg. Labrador Retriever until my in-laws arrived a few days after Paul left. It was weird being here alone at night and it was slightly unnerving after Jack went to bed and the house went quiet, but it was surprisingly okay.
I have a theory, somewhat akin to the notion that "what doesn't make you completely mental makes you stronger" (or words to that effect). Being madly in love with my son was never a problem, but pretty much everything else about new motherhood was a struggle. I couldn't breastfeed, couldn't deal with no sleep, had a lousy recovery from the c-section, and worst of all, I felt helpless and physically fragile. After months of being unable to do many everyday things, and when my strength started to return, my confidence grew. Everything suddenly seemed easy; I could sail through the day with Jack on my hip, no problem. The contrast was so dramatic, and I think that's because the early days were so bleak. Or maybe it's because Jack's such an easygoing baby. Hmm better stop now before I jinx everything.
We started baby yoga on Friday, which was fantastic. It's run by the same lovely woman who taught our antenatal yoga classes, and a few of my friends are taking the course as well. I think I'm starting to notice fundamental boy/girl baby differences - all the girls remained on one spot on the floor and happily let their mums bend, stretch, and rotate their limbs. Jack, as soon as he was placed on the floor, rolled halfway across the room and decided that it was much more fun to keep turning on to his tummy than stay on his back and have his limbs manipulated. The girls sat, Jack wanted to stand. The girls relaxed quietly next to their mums, Jack rolled over to the closest girl and gave her hands a nibble. The girls stared intently at their mums during songs, Jack's eyes darted around the room or looked at the mum next to me. Lord help me when he learns to crawl.
An interesting cultural difference became apparent during baby yoga.
Them: If you're happy and you know it and you really wanT To show it...
Me: If you're happy and you know and you really wanna show it...
It was like singing with a church choir, the enunciation was so precise. We are such lazy speakers. Tsk.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
stop, thief!
Monday, September 05, 2005
bump and grind
The more observant of you may have noticed that my weight loss ticker has not changed, even though today is Official Weigh-In Day. I will never use the word "only", so I'll simply say that I lost 1/2 pound this week and didn't feel the need to change my ticker for that amount. No complaints here; in ten weeks I've lost weight every single week when normally I would have hit a plateau by now.
There's a woman at my gym who is very large, and she totally inspires me. She works much harder than I do and she's there as often as I am, possibly more. Today, I noticed a woman next to me who was visibly pregnant. She did exactly the same machines that I did and worked out for 45 minutes like me. I say, hats off to women like her. Unfortunately, I fell under the "pregnancy is a delicate condition" misconception and moved as little as possible my entire pregnancy. Maybe that contributed to my high blood pressure at the end, and it certainly led to my extra layer of protective blubber last winter. Although I can't imagine plodding along on a treadmill or the step machine in the third trimester, I really want to be a lot more active next time. Of course once you have a child, life becomes very active anyway. I seriously doubt I would be able to take it easy next time, even if I wanted to.
One final note about my new fitness regime: pilates hurts. Don't be lulled into thinking it'll be a breeze when deciding to take a yoga or pilates class. I'm telling you, my stomach hurts for three days after my pilates classes. Hmmmm which must mean that I've got abdominal muscles after all. Hurrah!
i should have called him oliver
Just as we arrived at the gym this morning, something seemed not right. A quick whiff of my son's lower half quickly revealed that he was in need of changing. I whisked him off to the changing room and discovered that his nappy had leaked - and I mean leaked. He had poo on places I didn't think came anywhere near his bottom. I stripped him down to his bodysuit, cursing the fact that I forgot to replenish the supplies and clothes in his baby bag after the weekend. He had no other clothes to wear, and this was the only clean nappy he had. I carted him down to the nursery where I apologetically explained why we were late and why Jack was rather scantily clad. Praying that he wouldn't fill another nappy as he had none going spare, I left him in the amused hands of the nursery ladies.
I returned after my workout and saw two babies in the nursery. One looked like Jack from behind, but the baby was wearing socks and a strange outfit. "Where's mine, then?" I asked one of the ladies, not recognising my own son. "Oh, we had to put him in some other clothes that we had here," she explained. "His bodysuit had some poo on it, so we found this outfit for him, and then he felt cold so we put these socks on him." Another lady joined in, "We used to have some lovely baby jeans here, but they've gone missing. This was all we had." So there my son was, dressed in a pilly faded t-shirt and a bodysuit that was slightly too small. Cringing, I muttered "Oh dear. I really should check Jack's baby bag before I leave the house. Okay my little street urchin, let's go! Heh." and made a hasty retreat.
I bet stuff like this never happens to Kate Winslet or Stella McCartney.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
anything you can do, i can do better
I sense a theme here. When I was pregnant, the month-by-month lists of what you "should" be experiencing used to make me mental. My pregnancy, like everyone else's, never went by the book. What is the point of causing panic in pregnant ladies around the world by inferring that there's a need to worry if you're not experiencing a particular pregnancy symptom? This continues to plague me through the form of the "your baby this month" emails I get from Pampers and Babycentre. (I know I could simply unsubscribe but there are actually some useful articles in those emails and I would have nothing to complain about.) Apparently by month 6, Jack should be pulling himself up to a standing position by himself, sitting up unaided, and writing short pieces for the cello.
The problem is, I can't help but compare his progress to other babies. Not in a negative way mind you - I don't freak out because Jack has no teeth yet or because he hasn't got the hang of finger foods - but a small part of my brain does register what other babies his age are up to and compares them to Jack. A very, very tiny part of me might feel slightly smug if Jack does something earlier than another baby. I suspect this is normal for most mothers and probably continues for the rest of your child's life. I mean, who doesn't brag about their kid in some way? And who doesn't feel a bit put off hearing someone brag about their kid?
Let me say this again: this is very likely why I should never attend mother/baby groups.