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Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Feeding montage

Solid food


Michael had his first solid food today. We tried him with a little banana at lunchtime. I chopped it up into little pieces and let him explore it and taste it at will. He wasn't dramatically impressed and the faces he pulled were priceless! It is interesting to me that he'll put anything non-edible that is within reach into his mouth but the minute I actually present him with something he is permitted to eat he gets all coy.

We had a really rough time with him this evening because of his teething pain. Even with paracetamol he could not sleep for his last nap of the day so by the time his (early) bedtime came around he was very difficult to settle. I think I must have run through my entire nursery rhyme and song repertoire at least twice. When it gets to the point where I am singing Edelweiss from "The Sound of Music" followed by "More than Words" by Extreme, I recognise that things are getting desperate! He has finally gone to sleep and am crossing everything that he is a happier bunny in the morning.

Teething again

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Update on my name and shame

Well, good grief. The Babypark website is no longer closed on Sunday. Will wonders never cease. You will, however, note that in order to view the products in the stores you have to scroll through a scanned copy of the entire catalogue. Muppets.

Update and a name and shame

First for the name and shame. Shame on you:

BABYPARK

Surely the crappiest chain of baby stores in the entire world. And no, don't bother trying to view the website because it is Sunday. The website is closed on a Sunday.

Last summer we tried to purchase a Micralite buggy from them, only to be given the runaround by their customer services staff on multiple occasions. The Micralite sales office told us that they had made a deal with Babypark and that Babypark would be stocking the travel system within the month. On every occasion that we rang customer services they gave us a different answer on when, or if, the Micralite would be stocked in their stores. In the end we gave up and bought a Quinny Speedi SX.

We did go to their Gouda store on a couple of occasions to look at their selection and the staff walked around looking baffled and their pancake restaurant had no-one serving in it.

We are clearly very stupid people (although not as stupid as them) because we called them today to inquire whether they stock any of the Graco buggies. On the first occasion, the woman who answered the phone hung up on me. On the second occasion, Phil was told that he should call back on Thursday when someone would be in who would know if any Graco buggies were in store. Erm... why don't you... ya know... walk over to the pram, travel system and buggy section and... use your eyes... no? Too complex?? OK, then.

Aaah... isn't the Internet a wonderful thing? I feel so much better now!

OK... now for the update. We went along to Prénatal today and spent a pleasant couple of hours buying Michael a buggy and a car seat in the next size up. He has almost outgrown his current car seat because he has such broad shoulders (as I remember quite vividly as the reason for my episiotomy). However, we are going to keep him in it for as long as possible because a rear-facing car seat is so much safer for his immature neck muscles. When he finally outgrows it, he can move into his new Maxi Cosi Tobi.

We need a buggy for when we fly home to visit family. A buggy can be used in the airport and stored in the cabin on the plane. It is also necessary for when I use public transport and don't want to use the baby carrier. Our Quinny is great but at almost 12 kilos it is too heavy to lug around on a bus. We bought a Graco Mirage Plus. We had great fun pulling it to pieces in the store and giving it a thorough test drive.

It has an adult beverage holder. My choice of beverage might say more about me than the buggy or the appearance of myself or my baby. What kind of Mummy am I if there is iced tea in the holder? Beer? Red Bull? I'll have to give this some serious thought ;o)

Prénatal really is a great store. We went to their big store outside Amsterdam and they have recently revamped the first floor. They now have a large baby changing area, breastfeeding chair with screen, and unisex toilets so Phil doesn't have to face walking into the ladies' toilets in order to change Michael's nappy. They are as good as Babypark is bad.

Now for an update on Michael. Since he cut his second tooth he has been a very sunny baby indeed. He is doing some backwards shuffling when we put him on the floor now. You couldn't call it crawling yet but he is certainly moving in the right direction (albeit bum first). He's had some trouble adjusting to the size of his cot. He has a lot more space than he is used to and has been waking himself up at the end of each sleep cycle. He has been rolling over onto his stomach too, and last night he managed to wedge his arm through the cot bars at the shoulder. I had to go and rescue him because I could tell by his cry that something unusual had gone wrong. I've positioned him with some care tonight in the hope that he will roll over in the same direction as in previous nights and have the space not to squash a limb. Phew... that was a long sentence. My old grammar school English teacher would not be impressed.

Michael hosted a webcast this evening and had the pleasure of hearing my mum and dad chatter to him (my sister has done something to their webcam configuration so he couldn't see them). My parents remarked that he looks like a little boy now and not a baby. I guess he does. I'm dressing him in little boy clothes now rather than sleepsuits. His hair is still very red and I'm expect that at six months old, that isn't going to change any time soon.

To end this epic entry on a slightly gushing note - we are constantly amazed and enthralled by what a fascinating character Michael is. We can't imagine our lives without him and are incredibly proud to be his parents.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Need a carbolic sheet or something

Michael doesn't know it yet but he really wants a Wheely Bug for his first birthday - oh yes he does!

He had a really bad night last night. He slept for about 3 hours and from then on kept waking, crying and going back to sleep every 20 minutes or so. I brought him downstairs to see if he needed a feed but that didn't help and we didn't get him settled until 5am. He developed a dry cough yesterday and has had a stuffy nose for a couple of days so it looks like he still has the virus that made us all unwell. I was advised to take him to the doctor and, fortunately, he needs nothing more than some TLC and the humidifier on in the bedroom. His lungs and ears were clear of infection.

I went along to the doctor's surgery alone with Michael in the baby carrier. The waiting room was very hot and we had to wait for over half an hour. That was a bit of a stretch of Michael's patience. He just CANNOT be still at the moment. He wriggles from morning until night. He also has this habit of zoning in on someone and staring, unblinking, at them until he has formed an opinion of them. He did this the last time we went to the surgery and the end result was that the poor target of his attention did not meet with his approval. He pouted at her and started to cry. How harsh to be found wanting by a 5 month old baby! On this occasion, he happily stared at a young woman and must have really disliked her because he let out an embarrassingly audible and noxious - how can I put this delicately? - bottom burp. I didn't help matters by not being able to conceal my amusement.

In the past I have witnessed many a mother staring adoringly at her progeny whilst the little angel theatrically filled their nappy in some public place. Please spare me from this kind of pride - I'll stick with the humour.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Cycling

I was really looking forward to taking Michael out on the bike this spring when he reaches nine months old. My baby clinic "Growth Book" states that cycling before nine months is a no-no. I started looking online for a helmet for him and came across a number of sites advising that babies should not be on a bike until they are at least one year old. Gutting! There are multiple problems with it, one being that the neck muscles are insufficient to support the weight of a helmet and even on Dutch ultra-safe cycle paths I wouldn't risk cycling anywhere with him not wearing a helmet. So... no cycling to Lisse to see the tulip fields until next year :'-(

Squished baby

I was woken in the early hours of this morning by Michael's cries. He frequently cries in his sleep and is peaceful again a second later, but this cry was different. It was more of a squeal. I got up to find that he had turned himself sideways in his cot and wedged his head against the bars. I had a feeling that he was going to end up in weird and wonderful positions with all the space of his cot. I turned the indignant chap back around and stroked his head for a few minutes. Luckily for me he went straight back to sleep. I really hope this isn't going to be a nightly thing. If so, my night will go something like this:

02:00: Phil and I creep into bed, endeavouring not to wake Michael with our giggling.
02:05: The cats recognise that we are now upstairs and start howling and scratching at the door.
02:06: Phil squirts the cats with the water pistol to get them to desist.
02:10: Phil falls asleep and starts snoring like a lawnmower.
03:00: I finally fall asleep.
04:00: The cats decide to push their luck one more time and start howling and scratching.
05:00: Michael gets wedged in his cot.
10:00: Phil's alarm wakes me and I wake him and eventually communicate to his sleep-addled brain that he has to turn the alarm off AND get up for work.
10:01: Michael wakes up wondering what is going on.

I think I might be spending too much money on baby clothes. I have spent quite a lot this month because I wanted to get a good amount of clothes in the next few sizes in the sales. I've got clothes up to 18 months to 2 years (considering he is in size 9-12 months now, he could be wearing these clothes sooner rather than later). I went into town yesterday to get something from the housewares store and also wandered into Hema and bought Michael a pair of shoes. He outgrew his last pair and needs a pair to keep his feet warm when he is in his baby carrier. They only cost 7 euro and I was pleased with my purchase.

When Phil got home I told him what I had bought and he got a look on his face that wouldn't have been out of place on a man who was about to be offered a final cigarette and a blindfold. He tremulously asked me if the shoes were all I had purchased. On discovering that this was the case he visibly relaxed. Poor guy.

Today I have broken one of the rules that I made when I was pregnant. That rule being:

Never let Winnie the Pooh merchandise anywhere near my baby

So... No Winnie the Pooh wallpaper, lighting, bed clothes, toys or baby clothes. I'm ashamed to say that I weakened when confronted by an exceptionally cute pair of dungarees that I found in H&M. Michael is wearing them now and thrashing around in his playnest (really have no idea where he gets his energy and athleticism from - Phil and I are total couch potatoes).

Monday, February 19, 2007

I miss my baby

Michael has slept in a crib next to our bed since he was born. He is now too large for it so, since last night, is sleeping in a cot at the bottom of our bed. He is only a couple of meters away from me and yet I miss him. When he woke in the morning he would chatter to himself for a little while and then a questing hand would appear over the side of the crib. I would reach out my hand for him to grab hold of and then he'd smile up at me. I miss my boy :o(

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Welcome to the year of the pig

Michael has started settling himself to sleep. He has done it for the past three nights. I give him his last feed, clean his teeth (plural!) and cuddle with him on my knee for ten minutes and then take him up to bed. I sit with him for a minute to say goodnight and then go downstairs. He puts his thumb in his mouth and settles himself to sleep without a single tear - magic!! I have never been willing to leave him to cry for any length of time so I didn't anticipate him doing this for months. I have always carried him upstairs to bed when he is already asleep.

We took Michael up to Amsterdam this afternoon to see the Chinese New Year celebrations. They were a bit of an anticlimax, in all honesty. We missed the fireworks and didn't see a single lion dance. There were some Kung Fu demonstrations in a marquee but it was too crowded for us to even see what was going on from the doorway. We did get to go inside the Buddhist temple and were immediately assailed by the heady aroma of incense. Michael had been very quiet up until that point and suddenly started jabbering away. Wonder what was in the incense?!?

To get to Chinatown, we had to go through the Red Light District. It was the middle of the day but I was a little uncomfortable taking Michael through there until I saw some other tourists walking with their babies. I guess all Michael would think if he looked through a luridly-lit window would be "Hmmm... lunch?" A virtual paradise for the breastfed baby. If I had been feeling particularly naughty I would have asked Phil to take a photo of us outside one of the live sex shows. I could then show it to our relatives to enjoy their squeaks of indignation.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Caption competition

Virtual chocolate for the best caption to go with this photo!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Second tooth

Michael's second tooth came through today.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Finally he confesses

Phil was sitting at his computer with Michael on his knee and suddenly announced to the room at large "Daddy's got a monobrow". Finally he confesses! :oD When challenged about this statement he first said that it was a hypothetical statement. Secondly, he said he chose the words for their lyrical content. Thirdly, he said that I was picking on him.

I would just like to say... tee and hee.

Sleep success

For the first time EVER we got Michael to sleep before midnight! He has been going to bed for the night at 3am for some months now. We were fully aware that it couldn't continue but have had difficulty moving the schedule back due to his teething and strong urge to be a night owl. He went to sleep at 23:50 and that is major progress for us. It still needs to come back to about 10pm but at least we're moving in the right direction.

Michael was Mama's little helper this afternoon. We went shopping and I didn't have enough room in the Quinny basket for all my purchases. I ended up balancing a large box of cornflakes on his cosytoes. He was kind enough to keep hold of it all the way home with one pudgy little hand so that it didn't fall onto the pavement. What a considerate boy :o)

He launched himself out of his playnest twice yesterday in the space of 5 minutes so we know that his days of immobility are drawing to a close. We've been frantically baby-proofing the house. We had to do quite a bit of baby-proofing some years ago because Harry likes to chew anything and everything. I had a bit of a rant about this in my blog - posted here if anyone is interested.

I think that is about it for baby news. I'm off to scoff some of the lovely chocs that Phil bought me for Valentine's Day and read some more of Jingo (Terry Pratchett).

Monday, February 12, 2007

6 months old today!

Here are a few of my favourite photos of Michael taken in the last few days.

On any occasion, if things stop going Michael's way (like he is tired and we have the impertinence to wash his face or change his nappy) then he'll throw one hand over his eyes and put his thumb in his mouth. Very, very cute. He gets it from Phil because I wasn't a thumb sucker. I had a comfort blanket (and YES, Mum and Dad, I STILL BLAME YOU FOR TAKING IT AWAY).














Michael watching "Bubble and Squeak". We watch Nick Jr. together for an hour in the afternoon. He really loves this show but I can't stand it. I much prefer "Peppa Pig" and "The Wiggles".


Oh no... now I have the "Peppa Pig" theme tune stuck in my head... again...







I took this photo last Thursday when we were out walking in the snow. About 2 hours after it was taken he spiked a temperature of 39.1. You'd never know he was sick to look at him here.


Saturday, February 10, 2007

All smiles again

Michael was absolutely fine today with no fever or other signs of illness so I have no idea what was wrong with him yesterday. I read that antibodies are passed from mother to baby in breast milk so maybe he just had a really watered down version of the illness I have had.

He gave me a hell of a fright this morning. I went in to the bedroom when I heard cries and he had managed to pull the canopy cloth over his face. AAAAAAAARGH! He could breathe fine but I freaked out and removed the canopy altogether. I forget what a strong little boy he is. Now the problem is sneaking into the bedroom at night without him waking and seeing us. Before, the canopy blocked us from his view. How we love a new challenge(!)

Friday, February 09, 2007

It's oh so quiet

Finally we got Michael to bed an hour ago. Once the medication wore off, his temperature didn't rise above 38 which was a mercy. He's dosed up again and tucked up in his grobag. I was a bit worried because I didn't know what I should dress him in for bed. He normally sleeps in a long-sleeved bodysuit and a 2.5 tog grobag because our bedroom is 20°C at night (even in the dead of winter when it has been snowing all day... want to hazard a guess at the temperature in summer??) I was concerned that this would be too much clothing, but I am assuming it will be ok because the medication has dealt with the fever.

Poor little guy. Mummy and Daddy hope you feel better soon, little petal.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

My home is alive... with the sound of Gleghorns

Well... I was going to post a ranting entry about the various members of my household keeping me awake at night but since Michael and Phil are sick, the wind has been taken out of my sails somewhat. Phil has hurt his back (thinks he slept in a dodgy position) and Michael has a fever. It was 39.1 but with paracetamol, and stripping him down to his vest and nappy I have reduced it to 37.4.

I have been sick with a sinus infection since last Friday and am only now starting to feel better. I was under the impression that it sprang from an allergic reaction but since Michael now has a fever, I think it must have been a virus. It is odd that he would show symptoms six days after I became unwell. Odd too that he has no symptoms other than extremely red cheeks. I am wondering if it has something to do with the teething, but I suspect that the fever is too high to be related.

So... on my my slightly deflated rant. My husband SNORES. I am a very light sleeper so in our first year of living together we negotiated an arrangement so that Phil wouldn't wake in the morning to find a hatchet in his back. The deal was that Phil would stay awake until I fell asleep. The snoring, on the whole, prevents me from getting to sleep rather than wakes me up. This arrangement worked fine until the arrival of Michael. We are now so tired that Phil falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. So on one side I have a snoring Phil and on the other I have... Michael. Michael is also an extremely noisy sleeper. He also snores on occasion, he leg slams, he cries in his sleep and sucks his thumb with a noisy little 'pop pop pop' sound. I swear it is like sleeping in an orchestra pit sometimes. In addition to this cacophony, there is the dulcet tones of Harry, one of our Burmese cats, howling, scratching and launching himself at the door to the room he sleeps in.

I have some vague concerns that Phil's bad back is due to him bending into an odd shape in a last-ditch attempt to find a position that he wouldn't snore in. I would feel guilty but... sleep deprived mad woman and all that ;o)

Monday, February 05, 2007

The conclusion of the lump saga

We have just returned from Michael's hospital appointment. It took 1.5 hours for 2 people to determine that he has... a lipoma or a cyst. Initially we saw a trainee who wasn't allowed to read the doctor's referral letter (I had read it so told him what it said) and wasn't allowed to give us a diagnosis. He asked a lot of questions and prodded and poked Michael. He seemed bemused that Michael wouldn't open his mouth for him, and somewhat alarmed when I cautioned him that putting a finger in his mouth was entirely at his own risk. We were then left to our own devices for half an hour or so before the trainee reappeared with the head of department. She performed pretty much the same checks but by this point Michael was really in need of a nap and was heading towards meltdown at alarming speed. Lipomas can come in clusters and even in organs which was the reason for the very thorough checks.

It appears that Michael has only the one lump and it is harmless as far as the doctors can tell. It does not interfere with his eye or cause him any pain. It will probably not grow but we are going back to the hospital to check that in 3 months. They would not be able to determine for certain whether it is a cyst or lipoma without invasive tests. That is too much for a little baby and does not appear to be necessary.

So... that is the end of that... hopefully. Amusingly, when we first arrived, the trainee thought (because he had not been allowed to read the referral letter) that we were there to discuss the fact that Michael is so large for his age. If he knew just how large the men in both our families are then he wouldn't be at all surprised at the size of Michael. My uncle is a good 2 inches taller than Phil and Phil isn't exactly tiny at 6' 3".

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Ready and willing on December 24th...

Let's face it - if Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph were the size of Michael then Santa's sleigh would never get off the ground on Christmas Eve...