What's new?

I haven't updated in a while so I guess it's time for a general update. Michael is in to everything right now. He has been opening cupboard doors and trying to unlock the TV cabinet. He chases after the cats and is forever opening and closing my slide-out keyboard table. He's happy virtually all the time and sleeps very well. Because of his almost suicidal curiosity we've put cupboard doors at the base of all our bookcases and have some pretty sturdy baby gates. All the cupboards are locked. The cats are starting to learn to take advantage of his presence. Xinx will sit patiently under Michael's highchair when he is eating in the hope that he will drop something tasty and gooey.

On a slightly ranting note - Annabel Karmel! How I hate that woman! Preparing and freezing food in bulk is so time consuming. I prepared a tray of peaches and a tray of potatoes this evening and it was so annoying to have to blanch; peel; remove the stone; chop and purée the slippery little peaches. I'm going to make a tray of apple and cinnamon tomorrow. I don't have the energy to do any more this evening. The most annoying thing was hearing the laughter of Phil and Michael coming from the living room whilst I was up to my armpits in peach juice in the kitchen. Bah! No fun! I can totally understand why mothers buy ready-prepared baby food jars. Life is just too short for this amount of hassle.

Ok... back to Michael... erm... what else is new? He's outgrown all of his 9-12 month bodysuits and T-shirts. He's now wearing 12-18 month clothes. I didn't see this coming and have to go shopping for yet more summer clothes. He hardly got any wear out of his play clothes at all. More alarmingly, he's almost grown out of his 12-18 month soft shoes. His feet are just huge and so wide! I've had to add a €100 monthly clothes allowance for him to our budget.

Michael's first birthday is fast approaching and we are planning on having a BBQ and have invited the grandparents over to spend the weekend adoring him. It'll certainly be nice for him to celebrate his birthday in the summer. Phil and I celebrate our birthdays in March and it is always cold and rainy - but never cold enough for snow.

I don't know if I have mentioned the competitiveness of mothers before now. Being a mother is the best thing in the world but I hate having to deal with other mothers. You have to be really secure in what you are doing to not let the parenting methods and choices of other mothers get to you. For example, comments like the following float around the baby forums on a regular basis:

• Oh, you're having a BBQ for his birthday? We're having a professional entertainer and have hired a marquee for our 100+ guests.
  
• You aren't taking him to a baby sign class?!? How do you communicate with him??
  
• I just couldn't use disposable nappies. Just THINK of the environment!

Yawn! Goodness knows what it will be like when Michael goes to school. All those mothers at the school gates judging each other...

"Did you see that Michael Gleghorn? His mother has the nerve to call her whites white! And I'm sure she doesn't wash behind his ears!"