Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Ok.... how?
Phil noticed last night that Michael had something like a splinter in the heel of right his foot but Michael wouldn't stay still enough for him to get a good look. We got the doctor to remove it today since it wasn't easily removable by us and it turned out to be... part of an eyelash?!? And not a human eyelash - a cat eyelash by the look of it. How on earth did Michael get a centimetre-long piece of eyelash lodged sideways in his heel? It boggles the mind...
Friday, July 06, 2007
Bargains!
I got a fantastic deal on baby clothes today at Vroom & Dreesmann in Amstelveen. They have a smallish selection of mothercare clothes that for whatever reason are being discontinued. The remaining items are being sold at up to 70% off! As an example, they are selling the most fantastic travel system for €40 that would have cost around €160 new! I bought a whole new wardrobe for Michael in the 12 to 24 months range. At full price I would have paid €185 but I walked out of the store only €58 lighter! I also bought Michael a 70-piece workshop that I'm sure he is going to love when he is old enough to play with it. It has all the tools that a miniature demolition expert is going to need. In response to his increasing mobility I also bought some reins. I've been undecided whether I would get reins but the roads around here are very busy and I don't want to risk, or even contemplate, him running into the road.
He showed the first signs of stranger anxiety today. We were all in the lift in Vroom & Dreesmann and his pushchair was next to another with an older boy in it. His mother was on the other side of Michael. Michael couldn't see me or Phil because we were behind the pushchair. The lady was talking to Michael and the little boy leaned over and put his hand on the parasol of the pushchair. Michael burst into tears and was really distressed. The lady was trying to persuade her lad to let go of the parasol. I picked Michael up the minute we got out of the lift and he eventually cheered up after we pulled some funny faces in a mirror. Perhaps it was just the tiredness and the teething. I hope so. A guy came to the house earlier in the week to give us a quote on painting the living room and Michael wasn't phased by him at all. I would have thought that if he was going to be anxious then it would be when his own home was invaded by a stranger. Babies... who can fathom them?
The weather is pretty chronic at the moment and it seems to have rained non-stop for weeks. I'm getting quite dismayed by it because I have a Nijntje paddling pool that Michael will be too big for soon. I want him to be able to enjoy it before the summer is over. Where is the sun?!? It is July!!
He showed the first signs of stranger anxiety today. We were all in the lift in Vroom & Dreesmann and his pushchair was next to another with an older boy in it. His mother was on the other side of Michael. Michael couldn't see me or Phil because we were behind the pushchair. The lady was talking to Michael and the little boy leaned over and put his hand on the parasol of the pushchair. Michael burst into tears and was really distressed. The lady was trying to persuade her lad to let go of the parasol. I picked Michael up the minute we got out of the lift and he eventually cheered up after we pulled some funny faces in a mirror. Perhaps it was just the tiredness and the teething. I hope so. A guy came to the house earlier in the week to give us a quote on painting the living room and Michael wasn't phased by him at all. I would have thought that if he was going to be anxious then it would be when his own home was invaded by a stranger. Babies... who can fathom them?
The weather is pretty chronic at the moment and it seems to have rained non-stop for weeks. I'm getting quite dismayed by it because I have a Nijntje paddling pool that Michael will be too big for soon. I want him to be able to enjoy it before the summer is over. Where is the sun?!? It is July!!
Monday, July 02, 2007
My little star
Michael has been an absolute star today. He learned to walk holding on to only one of my hands and was so pleased with himself. He ate a dinner that contained broccoli which was amazing because I was convinced he would make a big theatrical performance of turning his head away in disgust. When he decided he was full he very gently pushed my hand away which was quite a shocker because normally he wrenches the spoon from my grasp and flings it over his shoulder.
The biggest thing - he actually stopped doing what he was doing when I said 'Michael, No!" I was so impressed.
The biggest thing - he actually stopped doing what he was doing when I said 'Michael, No!" I was so impressed.
Afternoon in Vondelpark
I spoke a bit too soon in my presumption that Michael was better. He still had a fever on and off until Saturday and had a pretty horrendous night last night. He woke twice and on the first occasion he was very distressed and snuffly. It took some time to get him back to sleep and he woke again a few hours later needing a feed. He almost never wakes twice a night and I really can't tell if it was illness, teething or a growth spurt that was responsible.
Today, however, was a wonderful day. For the first time in what seems like weeks, the sun shone all day long in a beautiful blue sky. It was a day not to be wasted. We spent the latter part of the afternoon and much of the evening in Vondelpark in Amsterdam. We strolled around with Michael in his pushchair and just soaked up the atmosphere. All around us people were enjoying the weather. We took Michael to a play area and he got to experience the joys of a sandpit for the first time. He was a bit sceptical and seemed perplexed that the ground kept shifting beneath his fingers. One of the real joys of Vondelpark are the wild parrots. It really is something to sit beneath a willow tree and watch them fly from tree to tree. The nicest thing of all is that I get to be smug about the fact that I LIVE HERE and don't have to leave like the tourists do.
Michael had a great time and soaked up the attention he got from passers by. He was chattering non-stop by the time we left the park. The only small dark cloud in the sky was that the kitchen closed early at the Tig Barra and we couldn't finish off the day with cheesy chips. Boo!
Michael has learned a couple of new things this week. Somewhat... less than desirable. A couple of days ago I had the dubious pleasure to watch as he discovered that his fingers (and even his thumb) can fit up his nostril. Lovely, darling(!) Whilst I was giving him his dinner he jammed a potato-covered finger up his nose, looked thoroughly pleased with himself, and then stuck it in his mouth. He isn't going to win fans and friends if he keeps that up. The second thing was that I think I saw the beginnings of a tantrum last night. It was very funny at the time but I don't imagine it will be funny forever. He had been sitting on my knee playing on the KneeBouncers website when I needed to do something in the kitchen and put him on the floor. I held his hands in order to walk him over to the kitchen. He refused to walk, bumped down on his bottom, started to howl and then started flapping his hands up and down like an oversized, fat-bottomed duckling. I was trying to smother my laughter which probably didn't help matters.
Today, however, was a wonderful day. For the first time in what seems like weeks, the sun shone all day long in a beautiful blue sky. It was a day not to be wasted. We spent the latter part of the afternoon and much of the evening in Vondelpark in Amsterdam. We strolled around with Michael in his pushchair and just soaked up the atmosphere. All around us people were enjoying the weather. We took Michael to a play area and he got to experience the joys of a sandpit for the first time. He was a bit sceptical and seemed perplexed that the ground kept shifting beneath his fingers. One of the real joys of Vondelpark are the wild parrots. It really is something to sit beneath a willow tree and watch them fly from tree to tree. The nicest thing of all is that I get to be smug about the fact that I LIVE HERE and don't have to leave like the tourists do.
Michael had a great time and soaked up the attention he got from passers by. He was chattering non-stop by the time we left the park. The only small dark cloud in the sky was that the kitchen closed early at the Tig Barra and we couldn't finish off the day with cheesy chips. Boo!
Michael has learned a couple of new things this week. Somewhat... less than desirable. A couple of days ago I had the dubious pleasure to watch as he discovered that his fingers (and even his thumb) can fit up his nostril. Lovely, darling(!) Whilst I was giving him his dinner he jammed a potato-covered finger up his nose, looked thoroughly pleased with himself, and then stuck it in his mouth. He isn't going to win fans and friends if he keeps that up. The second thing was that I think I saw the beginnings of a tantrum last night. It was very funny at the time but I don't imagine it will be funny forever. He had been sitting on my knee playing on the KneeBouncers website when I needed to do something in the kitchen and put him on the floor. I held his hands in order to walk him over to the kitchen. He refused to walk, bumped down on his bottom, started to howl and then started flapping his hands up and down like an oversized, fat-bottomed duckling. I was trying to smother my laughter which probably didn't help matters.
Friday, June 29, 2007
All better again
Michael is doing much better today. He had a fever all day yesterday and slept for 16 hours (13 hours at night and a 3 hour nap during the afternoon). He has no fever today and is back to his chattering, busy self. You'd never know he had been ill to look at him as he doesn't even have a sniffle. Because of the fever, I'm still going to take the precaution of keeping him away from the playgroup this weekend.
Michael may be full of beans but Phil and I aren't doing quite so well. A combination of not getting enough sleep and the weather being so depressing have led to us feeling rather flat. I think we'll be getting a take-away and watching trashy TV tonight.
Michael and Xinx seem to be getting on very well. We have a baby gate separating the kitchen from the living room and this afternoon Michael was standing against the bars whilst Xinx and I were in the kitchen. Much to Michael's amusement, Xinx kept dashing from one end of the kitchen to the other and meowing at him. Since Xinx is such a tiny little cat (only 3kg) he is perfectly sized to become Michael's sidekick.
Michael may be full of beans but Phil and I aren't doing quite so well. A combination of not getting enough sleep and the weather being so depressing have led to us feeling rather flat. I think we'll be getting a take-away and watching trashy TV tonight.
Michael and Xinx seem to be getting on very well. We have a baby gate separating the kitchen from the living room and this afternoon Michael was standing against the bars whilst Xinx and I were in the kitchen. Much to Michael's amusement, Xinx kept dashing from one end of the kitchen to the other and meowing at him. Since Xinx is such a tiny little cat (only 3kg) he is perfectly sized to become Michael's sidekick.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
What will today bring?
Michael and I have caught Phil's cold and Michael is really suffering with it. He woke at 5am with a runny nose and wheezing cry. It took about an hour to settle him back to sleep. I was very aggrieved at the time to discover that we didn't have any saline nasal spray for babies in the medicine cabinet. The one thing I needed. Phil went out to get some as soon as the chemist opened this morning. I hope Michael is feeling better after a good sleep but somehow I doubt he will be. At least (so far) his appetite hasn't been affected. He ate and drank enough for two babies yesterday.
It looks like we'll be missing out on going to playgroup for a third week in a row. Argh!
It looks like we'll be missing out on going to playgroup for a third week in a row. Argh!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Unprofessional photos
Zita is supervising Michael whilst he learns how to use his new push-along walker. He was a quick study and was soon mowing down the cats with his cheerfully coloured wheels.
"What? You think I made this mess? Silly Mama!"
Michael celebrates his success at having wedged snap-lock beads on both his thumbs. Hooray!
This is my spoon. There are many like it but this one is mine.
This is a three-pipe problem.
Little Cheshire cat
I've been wondering lately just how much Michael understands of what we say. I was sitting on the sofa this evening and Michael was playing on the floor. I called him over to me and he obligingly dropped his little toy and meandered over. I praised him and then asked him where Dada was. He looked over at Phil. I asked again and he did the same thing. I then asked him to go to Dada and after a moments pause he cruised along the sofa and then crawled over to Phil. It may have been a fluke but we were extremely impressed. Now if only we can get him to obey the word 'no' ;o) I wish... I've been trying to teach him the concept of give and take with his shape sorter blocks. At first, he would hang on to the block as if his life depended on it when I asked him to give Mama the block. Now he flings it onto the floor. I guess that can be considered progress...
We were supposed to be taking Michael to a playgroup in Amsterdam last Sunday but Phil caught a cold and we didn't want to pass it around the other parents and babies. It was a great pity because we were looking forward to going. I'm crossing my fingers that Michael and I won't catch it and that we can go on Sunday. Phil hurt his back the previous week and if he is really unlucky then the poor guy will get his third dose of bad luck and fall down a manhole or something. He'll do anything to get out of getting Michael ready for bed ;o)
Michael has a new smile. The day before yesterday he turned to me, screwed up his eyes and showed me a big, toothy grin. It is both adorable and hysterical. I was wondering where on earth he picked it up, because it didn't seem all that natural a smile, when I noticed Phil smiling this smile at Michael this morning. If he has started copying Phil then ketchup sandwiches and stealing all the cheese are soon to follow. I'll have to padlock the fridge.
We were supposed to be taking Michael to a playgroup in Amsterdam last Sunday but Phil caught a cold and we didn't want to pass it around the other parents and babies. It was a great pity because we were looking forward to going. I'm crossing my fingers that Michael and I won't catch it and that we can go on Sunday. Phil hurt his back the previous week and if he is really unlucky then the poor guy will get his third dose of bad luck and fall down a manhole or something. He'll do anything to get out of getting Michael ready for bed ;o)
Michael has a new smile. The day before yesterday he turned to me, screwed up his eyes and showed me a big, toothy grin. It is both adorable and hysterical. I was wondering where on earth he picked it up, because it didn't seem all that natural a smile, when I noticed Phil smiling this smile at Michael this morning. If he has started copying Phil then ketchup sandwiches and stealing all the cheese are soon to follow. I'll have to padlock the fridge.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Professional photos
Here is a small selection of the photos we got back from the professional photographer. We are really thrilled with them!
Friday, June 08, 2007
I don't get it?!?
How is it that Michael will wake at night if a mouse sneezes but is now happily napping through the biggest storm we've had in ages?!? Someone has a very cruel sense of humour...
...and now he's woken up. Ha ha ha.
...and now he's woken up. Ha ha ha.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Harry is not a glove puppet!
It has been a couple of weeks since my last post so a slap on the wrist for that. I'm so busy during the day that I don't find the time that I used to for posting an entry. Michael is doing incredibly well right now and has momentarily stood without support twice in the last few days. He was standing behind his push-along baby walker and just let go. He didn't even realise what he had done. I guess he'll be walking soon which is very exciting. He has eight teeth now and two more are on the way. The problem with this is that these teeth are MOLARS!
Oh God, no! I thought that the canine teeth came through before the molars but it seems I was wrong. He's been chewing everything in sight during the day, dribbling and has started to bite a lot. He doesn't hurt, but it is quite alarming to see a baby launching himself at your kneecap, all ready for a chomp. Despite all this, he's quite happy during the day. Nights are a different matter. Even with medication he will toss and turn through the night and sometimes whimpers in his sleep. I feel so sorry for him. We managed to get a look in his mouth this evening and can see angry looking points on each side of the top gum making their way down.
Michael seems to have more teeth than most babies of his age so you'd think he'd be streets ahead with finger food, wouldn't you? Not a bit of it! He will happily suck on bread or rusks and if a little bit happens to get pulled into his mouth then he'll chew it a little, stick out his tongue with a big grin to show me, and then spit it out. Ah well, he'll get there in the end. I suppose this is the price I pay for him being happy to eat vegetables. He'll even eat pumpkin without complaint and to me it smells like horse manure. On the occasions when I've had a mouthful to encourage him it has been very difficult not to look disgusted. The sooner he's eating the same food as Phil and I, the better.
I can't believe that he is going to be one year old in just two months! We're going to go to a party supply store in Lisse at the weekend to pick up balloons and other necessary party supplies. It is a pity that he is too young for a piñata because I really fancy one of them (me? living through my child? never!)
Michael and the cats are starting to interact with each other a little more now. Ron and Zita are still rather terrified of this ham-fisted lunatic but Harry and Xinx will sometimes sit down next to him and allow him to investigate (i.e. pull their tails, squeeze their paws and tug on their fur). We watch very closely and never allow Michael to hurt them. All of my baby books advise protecting the baby from the cats very carefully. I trust the cats implicitly, it is the baby I don't trust! Harry craves any kind of attention which is becoming problematic because he would allow Michael to stick his hand up his bottom and wear him like a glove puppet if I didn't prevent it.
We finally received the professional photos from the photographer who took them back in May. When (if) we get a spare moment they'll get scanned into the computer and I'll post a couple on here. They really do look fantastic and we're very pleased with them. You can never have enough baby photos. I'm sure they'll be an excellent consolation when he is a moody, acne-ridden teenager who only communicates in grunts through his closed bedroom door.
I wonder if anyone actually looks forward to the teenage phase? If you could see the teenager that your adorable little cherub was going to turn in to, would you run a mile? Would you ever have more children? I can't imagine that teenage boys can be worse than teenage girls. My sister and I were pretty good teenagers on the whole, and I would still have run a mile rather than attempt to parent either one of us.
Time to bring this long and rambling post to a close. You might have guessed that I'm a teensy bit sleep-deprived...
Oh God, no! I thought that the canine teeth came through before the molars but it seems I was wrong. He's been chewing everything in sight during the day, dribbling and has started to bite a lot. He doesn't hurt, but it is quite alarming to see a baby launching himself at your kneecap, all ready for a chomp. Despite all this, he's quite happy during the day. Nights are a different matter. Even with medication he will toss and turn through the night and sometimes whimpers in his sleep. I feel so sorry for him. We managed to get a look in his mouth this evening and can see angry looking points on each side of the top gum making their way down.
Michael seems to have more teeth than most babies of his age so you'd think he'd be streets ahead with finger food, wouldn't you? Not a bit of it! He will happily suck on bread or rusks and if a little bit happens to get pulled into his mouth then he'll chew it a little, stick out his tongue with a big grin to show me, and then spit it out. Ah well, he'll get there in the end. I suppose this is the price I pay for him being happy to eat vegetables. He'll even eat pumpkin without complaint and to me it smells like horse manure. On the occasions when I've had a mouthful to encourage him it has been very difficult not to look disgusted. The sooner he's eating the same food as Phil and I, the better.
I can't believe that he is going to be one year old in just two months! We're going to go to a party supply store in Lisse at the weekend to pick up balloons and other necessary party supplies. It is a pity that he is too young for a piñata because I really fancy one of them (me? living through my child? never!)
Michael and the cats are starting to interact with each other a little more now. Ron and Zita are still rather terrified of this ham-fisted lunatic but Harry and Xinx will sometimes sit down next to him and allow him to investigate (i.e. pull their tails, squeeze their paws and tug on their fur). We watch very closely and never allow Michael to hurt them. All of my baby books advise protecting the baby from the cats very carefully. I trust the cats implicitly, it is the baby I don't trust! Harry craves any kind of attention which is becoming problematic because he would allow Michael to stick his hand up his bottom and wear him like a glove puppet if I didn't prevent it.
We finally received the professional photos from the photographer who took them back in May. When (if) we get a spare moment they'll get scanned into the computer and I'll post a couple on here. They really do look fantastic and we're very pleased with them. You can never have enough baby photos. I'm sure they'll be an excellent consolation when he is a moody, acne-ridden teenager who only communicates in grunts through his closed bedroom door.
I wonder if anyone actually looks forward to the teenage phase? If you could see the teenager that your adorable little cherub was going to turn in to, would you run a mile? Would you ever have more children? I can't imagine that teenage boys can be worse than teenage girls. My sister and I were pretty good teenagers on the whole, and I would still have run a mile rather than attempt to parent either one of us.
Time to bring this long and rambling post to a close. You might have guessed that I'm a teensy bit sleep-deprived...
Saturday, May 26, 2007
A couple of photos
I haven't uploaded any photos recently so here are a couple that I like very much.
This was taken on Texel. It was the first time that Michael slept in his travel cot. He seemed to love it as he slept peacefully through the whole night without waking once.
As I have mentioned previously, Michael's favourite TV show is 'Bubble and Squeak'. Here he is gazing adoringly at Matilda, the magical cookery book.
This was taken on Texel. It was the first time that Michael slept in his travel cot. He seemed to love it as he slept peacefully through the whole night without waking once.
As I have mentioned previously, Michael's favourite TV show is 'Bubble and Squeak'. Here he is gazing adoringly at Matilda, the magical cookery book.
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:
"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!"
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!
"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!"
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Mother's Day
I forgot to mention Mother's Day! It was Mother's Day here on Sunday and I had a lovely day. I got a card from Phil and one from Michael. Michael had, with some assistance, signed the card himself! I got a 'Mama' mug that was filled with heart-shaped chocolates and a framed photo of me and Michael. I love that photo and was thrilled with my presents. Phil made me a full English breakfast and we wandered out to a garden centre to buy plants for our hanging baskets. Michael fell asleep in the baby carrier and got many an adoring look. We spent the evening relaxing and I consider it to have been a perfect day.
Whilst I was in the shower I had the perfect idea of what to get Phil for Father's Day. Phil is hellishly difficult to buy for but I know for certain that he is going to love this present! Hehehe!
Whilst I was in the shower I had the perfect idea of what to get Phil for Father's Day. Phil is hellishly difficult to buy for but I know for certain that he is going to love this present! Hehehe!
9 months old!
We took Michael to the baby clinic for his 9 month check-up today and here are his latest stats:
Age: 9 months and 3 days old
Weight: 10.27 kg (22.64 pounds)
Length: 74 cm
Head circumference: 45.6 cm
Number of teeth: 6
Food: 7 breastfeeds a day and two solid meals
Current temperament: Drifting off to sleep (hopefully!)
Current location: Upstairs in his cot
As you can see, he's doing very well and the doctor was pleased with him. It is always such a relief when no issues are raised by the doctor. I actually have a set of scales at home to monitor Michael's weight so that I don't get any nasty surprises when the nurse weighs him.
He's a happy little chap and has just started comically shaking his head. He doesn't know that it means 'no' because we don't shake our heads when we say no. He pumps his arms up and down furiously when he is excited and sticks his little lip out when he is upset. I'm having trouble resisting the power of that lip.
Last night when I was giving him a feed, he bit my nipple. In the past he has nipped but it has only been a little nip and he hasn't really done it since having teeth top and bottom. Last night he bit me and hung on. Ow!! I yelped and said 'no' very firmly. He looked up at me and his mouth started to turn downward at the corners and out came that little lip very slowly. Before I knew it, I was comforting him and my knackered nipple was forgotten. I've got to work on resisting this particular trick!
I'm sure that there was something else I was going to mention but for the life of me I can't remember what... oh yes!
I might have mentioned that Phil and I have been taking him out to one particular restaurant periodically. It is a good choice because there is a large non-smoking section and a lot of bustle. No-one minds if he is a little grumpy and there is a lot of people for him to gaze at. We sit him in one of the wooden highchairs and let him soak up the atmosphere. We went there last week. He hadn't been in the highchair two minutes when he clambered up onto all fours with his feet wedged against the back of the chair. He leaned forwards onto the tray and climbed out of the chair onto the table where he proceeded to crawl off!!! Phil and I sat there stunned. Naturally, he wanted to do this again and again and again so one of us had to hold him whilst the other ate. We'll need to pick a restaurant with highchairs that have a harness in future or ditch eating out altogether. It was very funny and we were very impressed. He really is a serious escape artist!
Age: 9 months and 3 days old
Weight: 10.27 kg (22.64 pounds)
Length: 74 cm
Head circumference: 45.6 cm
Number of teeth: 6
Food: 7 breastfeeds a day and two solid meals
Current temperament: Drifting off to sleep (hopefully!)
Current location: Upstairs in his cot
As you can see, he's doing very well and the doctor was pleased with him. It is always such a relief when no issues are raised by the doctor. I actually have a set of scales at home to monitor Michael's weight so that I don't get any nasty surprises when the nurse weighs him.
He's a happy little chap and has just started comically shaking his head. He doesn't know that it means 'no' because we don't shake our heads when we say no. He pumps his arms up and down furiously when he is excited and sticks his little lip out when he is upset. I'm having trouble resisting the power of that lip.
Last night when I was giving him a feed, he bit my nipple. In the past he has nipped but it has only been a little nip and he hasn't really done it since having teeth top and bottom. Last night he bit me and hung on. Ow!! I yelped and said 'no' very firmly. He looked up at me and his mouth started to turn downward at the corners and out came that little lip very slowly. Before I knew it, I was comforting him and my knackered nipple was forgotten. I've got to work on resisting this particular trick!
I'm sure that there was something else I was going to mention but for the life of me I can't remember what... oh yes!
I might have mentioned that Phil and I have been taking him out to one particular restaurant periodically. It is a good choice because there is a large non-smoking section and a lot of bustle. No-one minds if he is a little grumpy and there is a lot of people for him to gaze at. We sit him in one of the wooden highchairs and let him soak up the atmosphere. We went there last week. He hadn't been in the highchair two minutes when he clambered up onto all fours with his feet wedged against the back of the chair. He leaned forwards onto the tray and climbed out of the chair onto the table where he proceeded to crawl off!!! Phil and I sat there stunned. Naturally, he wanted to do this again and again and again so one of us had to hold him whilst the other ate. We'll need to pick a restaurant with highchairs that have a harness in future or ditch eating out altogether. It was very funny and we were very impressed. He really is a serious escape artist!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Exorcising some very sad thoughts
I, like so many people, have been very distressed to read about the abduction of Madeleine McCann. I have always been distressed by news stories of child abduction, but particularly now that I am a parent.
As a parent, I try to give the best of myself to Michael. I undertook to give him unreservedly my love, time and knowledge. I will treasure his successes, support his mistakes and value his life more highly than my own. The thought that someone could...
I can't even complete the sentence. I can't think about such a thing happening to my baby boy.
Please let that little girl be found soon. Please let her be alive. Please don't make her parents pay any more for their mistake of leaving her alone. Please.
As a parent, I try to give the best of myself to Michael. I undertook to give him unreservedly my love, time and knowledge. I will treasure his successes, support his mistakes and value his life more highly than my own. The thought that someone could...
I can't even complete the sentence. I can't think about such a thing happening to my baby boy.
Please let that little girl be found soon. Please let her be alive. Please don't make her parents pay any more for their mistake of leaving her alone. Please.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Old Macdonald
It used to be that "Twinkle twinkle little star" was Michael's favourite cure-all song. Not anymore. Now it is "Old Macdonald". This is rather unfortunate as it forces us to use our memory and inventiveness during the song. It is bl**dy exhausting too! In desperation this evening, there were some very strange things on Old Macdonald's farm which would probably result in a visit from the RSPCA. On his farm were the following:
Ducks
Chickens
Geese
Horses
Cats
Dogs
Donkeys
Sheep
Cows
Pigs
All fine and very appropriate so far... then we had...
Cuckoos
Owls
A bit of a stretch, but ok... then...
Bears
Lions
Howler monkeys
Dirty pants (with a squelch squelch here and a squelch squelch there...)
Old Macdonald had obviously lost the plot at this point, in addition to soiling himself.
Ducks
Chickens
Geese
Horses
Cats
Dogs
Donkeys
Sheep
Cows
Pigs
All fine and very appropriate so far... then we had...
Cuckoos
Owls
A bit of a stretch, but ok... then...
Bears
Lions
Howler monkeys
Dirty pants (with a squelch squelch here and a squelch squelch there...)
Old Macdonald had obviously lost the plot at this point, in addition to soiling himself.
Slow and steady wins the race
Phil and I have been very tired today. I did indeed have to feed Michael through the night two nights ago in order to stave off mastitis. I thought that after that was resolved we would be able to get a good sleep last night. Wrong! Michael woke up twice in the night wanting a feed. I can't remember the last time he woke twice - not for months and months. I guess he's having a growth spurt because he has fed a grand total of nine times today. In addition to that he had one solid meal of banana.
So... today we weren't exactly at our best. This evening Michael looked like he was trying to walk from one side of his cot to the other. I thought it might be fun to see if he was ready to take a step so I held him in front of me and Phil was holding his arms out ready to catch him. Unfortunately he fell straight down rather than forwards and bumped his mouth on the carpet. He cried immediately and I picked him up to cuddle him on my shoulder. When I looked at him I noticed that there was blood dripping from the corner of this mouth. He looked like a chubby, diapered Dracula. Cue mass panic!! I got Phil to call the after-hours doctor and then slowly my think-rationally-and-take-responsibility parent self kicked in. I wiped his mouth and gave him some sips of water to clear away the blood. When I looked in his mouth there were two tiny - and I mean tiny - puncture marks on the inside of his upper lip. His two bottom front teeth were the culprits. There was no other damage and no bleeding after I gave him the water. The teething causes a lot of dribbling so that is why he appeared to be bleeding so much.
Whew! Lesson learned - when he wants to walk, he'll walk. We're not going to try that again in a hurry. Especially in the evening when we are all tired.
Phil was incredibly upset that he had hurt himself and needed a lot of reassurance that Michael was really fine. There is this thing that I do that makes Michael laugh a lot - Phil holds him and I bunny hop towards him. He howls with laughter. Phil wanted me to do it right there and then to check that Michael wasn't in pain. Michael laughed and Phil relaxed a little. I called the after-hours doctor back and explained that I had checked Michael's mouth and didn't think it was necessary to bring him in for a check-up. He agreed.
I guess we're finally starting to stand on our own two feet as parents. As for Michael... not quite yet ;o)
So... today we weren't exactly at our best. This evening Michael looked like he was trying to walk from one side of his cot to the other. I thought it might be fun to see if he was ready to take a step so I held him in front of me and Phil was holding his arms out ready to catch him. Unfortunately he fell straight down rather than forwards and bumped his mouth on the carpet. He cried immediately and I picked him up to cuddle him on my shoulder. When I looked at him I noticed that there was blood dripping from the corner of this mouth. He looked like a chubby, diapered Dracula. Cue mass panic!! I got Phil to call the after-hours doctor and then slowly my think-rationally-and-take-responsibility parent self kicked in. I wiped his mouth and gave him some sips of water to clear away the blood. When I looked in his mouth there were two tiny - and I mean tiny - puncture marks on the inside of his upper lip. His two bottom front teeth were the culprits. There was no other damage and no bleeding after I gave him the water. The teething causes a lot of dribbling so that is why he appeared to be bleeding so much.
Whew! Lesson learned - when he wants to walk, he'll walk. We're not going to try that again in a hurry. Especially in the evening when we are all tired.
Phil was incredibly upset that he had hurt himself and needed a lot of reassurance that Michael was really fine. There is this thing that I do that makes Michael laugh a lot - Phil holds him and I bunny hop towards him. He howls with laughter. Phil wanted me to do it right there and then to check that Michael wasn't in pain. Michael laughed and Phil relaxed a little. I called the after-hours doctor back and explained that I had checked Michael's mouth and didn't think it was necessary to bring him in for a check-up. He agreed.
I guess we're finally starting to stand on our own two feet as parents. As for Michael... not quite yet ;o)
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Progress
I finally got the lump shifted and am feeling a lot better. I was starting to feel ill with it. I called the Borstvoedingscentrum Amsterdam this morning and told them my tale of woe. They gave me a lot of useful advice (as always) and suggested that an electric breast pump would help. I've used this in the past to some success and we all bundled in the car and drove to Amsterdam. I rented the pump and got re-measured for my nursing bras. That was a lucky thing because I have lost 5cm around my ribs since giving birth so my bras weren't offering me enough support. I bought two new bras which cost a pretty penny and then we drove home. My intention was to use the pump during Michael's nap so I fed him normally before the nap. He was being very wriggly so I used a position I haven't used before - his chin was underneath my breast. You know what I'm going to write don't you? Of course you do. After we had spent 75 euro on renting the pump - Michael cleared the blockage in seconds.
Still... I don't care about the cost! Hooray!!! I'm sporting a nasty bruise and some soreness but hopefully I've done enough to avoid mastitis.
I guess for anyone reading this who isn't pro-breastfeeding, you must wonder why women put themselves through this. When it works it really is incredibly satisfying. There is nothing nicer than Michael having his bedtime feed and then lying back, smiling up at me and wrapping his fingers around mine.
Still... I don't care about the cost! Hooray!!! I'm sporting a nasty bruise and some soreness but hopefully I've done enough to avoid mastitis.
I guess for anyone reading this who isn't pro-breastfeeding, you must wonder why women put themselves through this. When it works it really is incredibly satisfying. There is nothing nicer than Michael having his bedtime feed and then lying back, smiling up at me and wrapping his fingers around mine.
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