What now?

Inspired by several recent returns to the blogosphere I thought I'd put my two pence worth in while Baby Boo has a nap and I have done enough housework to be allowed a "reward". (Yes, I am in fact thinking about other types of reward too...like chocolate and tea and cake...)

So life is good if a little stressful. We've almost bought a house. Baby Boo has learnt how to sleep through the night about 85% of the time. Husbink has a horrible commute but at one end of it a job he enjoys and at the other me and Baby Boo...what more could a man want?!

I have started doing a few things that tax my brain a little teeny tiny bit (there still isn't much brain to tax) and life has some sort of consistency and balance to it. Things are good.

Which always begs the question, what next? Nothing stays the same for long, especially not with a ten month old, but who knows what is coming round the next corner? Sometimes I feel like the title of this blog should change but instead I think it far better to view everything as an adventure rather than just the far flung variety...

Thank You...

...to the ladies in Morrisons who took pity on me/Baby-boo last Friday and packed my shopping for me while I bounced Lord Sadness. We could've managed but it was really nice to not have to.

There was going to be more but someone'swoken up...

Firsts

As you may know or imagine, a mother's life is full of firsts. Some good - first smile, first roll, first step, first word... Some bad - first cold, first injection, first projectile poo... And in our household, you won't be surprised to hear that there are a number of silly firsts to be celebrated too. Take the Sunday evening just gone.

It was bathtime for Baby-boo. Husbink was getting the water ready and I was getting Baby-boo undressed. I was ahead of Husbink and so ended up cuddling Baby-boo to keep him warm while we waited for the water (he still had a nappy on, I'm not a total idiot and getting piddled/pooed over would not have been a first). Baby-boo was facing over my shoulder, watching Husbink.

Husbink burped. (This was not a first either.) Baby-boo laughed. And laughed. And laughed. That's right, this was the first time Baby-boo realised that burps (and presumably farts) were funny. Clearly it is wired into little boys! This was also the first time that Baby-boo had laughed so much he made himself sick.

The effect of all this though is that Baby-boo does seem to have found his laugh a little more - he's giggled off and on for a while now but it has always taken quite a lot of effort by us to get the laugh out and it has only lasted a few seconds - he seemed to shock himself with it and shut up. Now he's quite confident of his laugh and giggled his was through baby yoga yesterday morning and found "mummy's crazy hair" very funny yesterday afternoon...

Adventures in Absence

Last week, I left Baby-boo. Twice! Goodness!

On Tuesday afternoon, Husbink had some time off revision and had a play with Baby-boo then a walk while I had my hair cut. :) Yay! When I met up with the men-folk afterwards, everyone was very happy. Baby-boo was so happy that he even agreed to just sit on my knee in Costa and Not Have A Boobie. This is still something of an event in my life. Quite often, he'll forget about eating if he's with someone else and being entertained but once he's with me it's boobie, boobie, boobie all the way.

After Costa, we went to Mothercare and spent yet more money on the little chap including getting him a Bumbo. A special seat thingy that helps with posture blahblahblah. We just got it because my back was starting to die with Baby-boo's continual desire to sit up...while not being able to sit up...

Then on Wednesday night I got Baby-boo to bed just after 7pm and went out to home group as they were having a Passover meal. It was very interesting - following the traditional Passover celebration then a lovely big meal followed by a final prayer and response. Really interesting in it's own right and also a really good non-baby thing. I even managed to do non-baby conversation at points.

The weekend has involved lots of adventures for Baby-boo as my parents have been here. He's had lots of play time as well as several cafe opportunities. He's been to an art gallery and, although I missed this bit, he has smiled at portraits that smiled at him. He's also been to Lotherton Hall to see lots of birdies. Perhaps a little overwhelming when he's not really seen normal birds much to be presented with some fairly wacky ones. It's all meant a lot of sleeps as, as my Grannie would say, it's so tiring enjoying yourself!

"A lovely mummy-shape"

The other day I did a very swift bit of clothes shopping with Husbink and Baby-boo in tow. I'm pretty bored of my maternity clothes but there's no way my pre=pregnancy clothes are fitting me. probably ever. Anyway.
I'd been feeling pretty good in my skin for a bit so was a little too enthusiastic over what size was going to fit me, going for only one and a half (I used to be between sizes) sizes larger than pre-pregnancy...so then i had to "upgrade" everything I took in...
When trying on one shirt in the larger size, Husbink was trying to encourage me that I kooked good and in the process uttered the title of this post:

You're a lovely mummy shape now. You look great...but if you want to go back to before it's going to take serious effort...

The thing is, I didn't take a neurotic female response to this. I heard the "you're a lovely mummy shape" and enjoyed it instead of turning ound and saying "you calling me fat?" I've never been too awful on the physical self image front in that I've just not been that bothered(come on, you've seen my hair...) but it did just make it obvious to me that what I require now is not ego-boosting on the physical but ego-boosting on the mummy skills. I regularly have to point out to Husbink that I need my kudos now...for looking after Baby-boo, managing to get dressed, feeding all of us, getting a load of washing done, a little bit of washing up...whatever it might be... The goals in life have definitely changed. On the one hand they seem kind of miniscule - well done for getting up - on the other hand they are huge - well done for keeping Baby-boo alive and happy...

Pregnancy Hair

Pregnancy hair was one of the nicest things about pregnancy. So full, so soft, so much not needing washing ever...
It kindly lasts a few months after the birth...the not needing washing bit being particularly helpful!
Sadly, it is now at an end. My hair comes out in big handfuls and gets EVERYWHERE. I keep having to extract strands from Baby-boo's mouth. It makes showering a very lengthy process as I keep having to deal with all the hair tangled up in my fingers.
And now my hair is GRUMPY. and wants washing more than once a day. Which is doesn't get. I'm not getting enough sleep yet for a shower every day.
No fair.
(Thanks, I just needed to whinge about something not all that serious.)

So here's the pic of Baby-boo and the gym as promised. Action shot. Fuzzy...

Which post am I going to write?

I've had a number of posts going round my head since I last managed to write but never got here. Now I have the time and wanted to say hello but...I don't remember any of the things I wanted to say!

Baby-boo is currently sleeping. This is still something of a novelty. He doesn't really believe in sleep. Our nights are improving a little (I'm up to about 6 hours a night on a good night now) but mostly during the day he's wide awake. The health visitor has told me that he simply isn't getting enough sleep and I must force sleep on him by taking him for long drives or long walks in the pram as the more he sleeps during the day the more he'll sleep at night (well, not quite. If he slept ALL day...but it does seem to be true that the days he manages a good nap are often the better nights, certainly they are no worse). So I went to a prayer meeting this morning for Messy Church which our church is starting next Saturday (aside:please click the "our church" link even if you don't look at the site - it is a new site and struggling to make its way up the google rankings etc so needs lots of hits!). There were only three of us there but it was very good ot go and pray and get re-excited about something that I was very excited about pre-Baby-Boo and am indeed leading a craft table at but have given no real thought or preparation to etc etc...

At the end Wonderful Mary (she's always been Lovely Mary but now she will be Wonderful Mary forever) got Baby-Boo to sleep. She worked on the children's ward at the hospital for years (play therapy or something) and said "oooh, this used to work" and it did. Then we got him into his car seat without more than a minor complaint and I drove the long way home thinking at least he'd get half an hour...

I've been home nearly an hour and he's still asleep. As he's in his car seat I can't leave him and sleep myself but I have managed a peaceful lunch, hanging some washing up and now pootling on 'puter without distraction. I'll have to get him up soon but...

So to finish, this is Baby-boo a week or so ago with his then favourite toy, his kick piano. He loves kicking and he loves music it was a great combo. But already he is showing signs of being slightly bored and other toys are gaining preference. The gym which Mad Medea and Hubland gave him is starting to really come into its own...

(Oh, and catching smiles on camera...blooming impossible!)