19 wks+
This week I finally took baby to a massage class. It was free and held at a health centre in near Kensington Olympia. I'm really glad I went because in the two days before I did, I was sitting at home mostly - the weather was foully grey - and tearing my hair out trying to think of ways to entertain baby without giving her nightmares.
The odd thing about it was that I found out about the class from a complete stranger. I was browsing through the Baby Gap sale two weeks ago when I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, another woman seeming to smile at baby in her pram. I ignored her because, to be honest, sometimes I'm just too lazy to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Also because I was afraid it might have been a diversionary tactic to snaffle the only cute green jumper left in 6-12 mth size.
Turns out it wasn't. She asked something in Mandarin, which I didn't understand, to my shame - so much for two years of evening classes - and when I said I didn't understand, she switched to English and apologised, saying she thought I was Chinese (salt in the wound).
Anyway she seemed very excited to meet me for some reason and then out of the blue asked if I'd be interested in attending a baby massage class with her. Now, I'd been checking out the idea for ages but been put off by the charges so far because, I reckon, how the heck much can there be to learn about massaging a baby? Surely not £45 worth. Since she mentioned that her midwife mentioned them to her, I thought that the classes might well be subsidised, which would be fine by me.
I did also wonder why on earth she was approaching a perfect stranger to ask to go to classes with but then thought maybe she'd mistkenly assumed I'd be able to chat to her in Mandarin at first. Was slightly reassured when her mother-in-law showed up with her baby as it was less plausible she was trying to kidnap Boo.
Anyway turns out she's quite nice and I even went to her flat afterwards for lunch without being poisoned or anything. I guess I'm just not used to the idea of making new friends. Shame on me.
But why the hell would you want to make friends with a stranger?!
21 January 2006
17 January 2006
18 wks+
So we've set up baby's cot
And poor baby has been banished to it tonight, seeing as she tossed and turned so much last night daddy hardly got a wink of sleep and he needs his wits about him because he has to finish a project at work before we go back home for Chinese New Year!
Cry, baby, cry, make your mother sigh
Baby had quite a howling fit Sunday - we're putting it down to a lack of sleep because we took her to lunch at Jackie's house. She was sleepy there but kept not wanting to be put down to sleep because she was so excited by the voices (and maybe the smell of delicious laksa and their widescreen TV).
Then when we came home, it was the same thing. Refused to be put down and, when I made the mistake of moving her from her little carry chair on the dining table to her cot, where I thought she might sleep better, she yelled and yelled so much, turning absolutely red in the face and all but tearing her hair out in anger, that I finally caved in and picked her up.
Alex took her off me and, as soon as she realised she was up, the tears stopped and she assumed a look of nonchalance completely at odds with the terrible face of Medusa she was presenting earlier. I had to laugh.
But I also decided I had to draw a line. So I told her I was not pleased with her behaviour; that I was giving in and carrying her but I did not expect to hear another peep out of her while we ate. Otherwise it would be back in the cot and she could howl the heavens down for all I cared.
Her lip trembled. The ends of her mouth turned down again and, exhausted from the fit earlier, I hurriedly backtracked. 'OK, OK, I know you're not going to cry, you're a good girl, aren't you? A good baby.' Her face was serene again. She meeped.
Alex burst out laughing. 'Round one to baby!'
Alright we may be spoiling her but, I have to say, I think the theory that praise works better than scolding is correct. Everytime she threatened to cry afterwards, it was because I put on a scolding voice. When I encouraged her instead, to be good, she was quite happy. I've noticed this works when I need to do something she doesn't like as well, like putting cream on her face. If she threatens to cry, I go 'Don't want to crylah, baby's mommy's good girl, yes? Good girl, don't want to cry.' And it works.
So we've set up baby's cot
And poor baby has been banished to it tonight, seeing as she tossed and turned so much last night daddy hardly got a wink of sleep and he needs his wits about him because he has to finish a project at work before we go back home for Chinese New Year!
Cry, baby, cry, make your mother sigh
Baby had quite a howling fit Sunday - we're putting it down to a lack of sleep because we took her to lunch at Jackie's house. She was sleepy there but kept not wanting to be put down to sleep because she was so excited by the voices (and maybe the smell of delicious laksa and their widescreen TV).
Then when we came home, it was the same thing. Refused to be put down and, when I made the mistake of moving her from her little carry chair on the dining table to her cot, where I thought she might sleep better, she yelled and yelled so much, turning absolutely red in the face and all but tearing her hair out in anger, that I finally caved in and picked her up.
Alex took her off me and, as soon as she realised she was up, the tears stopped and she assumed a look of nonchalance completely at odds with the terrible face of Medusa she was presenting earlier. I had to laugh.
But I also decided I had to draw a line. So I told her I was not pleased with her behaviour; that I was giving in and carrying her but I did not expect to hear another peep out of her while we ate. Otherwise it would be back in the cot and she could howl the heavens down for all I cared.
Her lip trembled. The ends of her mouth turned down again and, exhausted from the fit earlier, I hurriedly backtracked. 'OK, OK, I know you're not going to cry, you're a good girl, aren't you? A good baby.' Her face was serene again. She meeped.
Alex burst out laughing. 'Round one to baby!'
Alright we may be spoiling her but, I have to say, I think the theory that praise works better than scolding is correct. Everytime she threatened to cry afterwards, it was because I put on a scolding voice. When I encouraged her instead, to be good, she was quite happy. I've noticed this works when I need to do something she doesn't like as well, like putting cream on her face. If she threatens to cry, I go 'Don't want to crylah, baby's mommy's good girl, yes? Good girl, don't want to cry.' And it works.
15 January 2006
18 wks+
Baby rolls over!
Wa-hey! Without any indication that she was inclined to do so, today baby rolled over for the first time. I have been encouraging her to do so, by placing her on the empty bed in our second bedroom and cheering, 'Come on, baby, come to mama!' while waving her white rabbit in front of her, but the response so far has only been indulgent smiles.
I've also been getting her started on the rolling - because, face it, how the heck else is she supposed to know what I want her to do - by gripping her hand and tugging it over her body and she thinks it's a game now. When I do it, she smiles again and lifts her leg and does half the rolling herself.
And the first time I tipped her over when she was on her front, she looked up at me from the bed with mild surprise but didn't seem to mind. Just another of mommy's little foibles.
But today, while she was on her stomach, to my surprise, after pushing herself up on her arms two or three times, she suddenly pushed extra hard with her right arm and - boom boom - she rolled over onto her back. Cue immense applause and cheers from me and an 'Eh? What's all the fuss?' look from her.
Then I thought maybe I'd cheated a bit because I'd been depressing the side of the bed she rolled towards. However, after some protest on her part, she did it twice more (the last time with daddy to witness as well) and on a totally level bed. So baby rolls over! Well... from her front anyway. We have yet to convince her to go beyond smiling while on her back.
I think she's starting to develop crawling motions as well, though. Because when she's on her front now, she doesn't just raise her head and scrabble, she's able to use her legs to push herself forward. She hasn't quite worked out her arms, so they get left behind and squashed under her, leading to some yowling, eventually, but one step at a time, eh?
Musical baby
Her new favourite CDs are Michael Buble and Stacey Kent. But her real, real favourite is the soundtrack to the movie Amelie; especially track 16 ('La Redecouverte', The Rediscovery), which sounds like a music box playing. I swear everytime I turn it on, she smiles. It's probably because the music is lovely and full of such unexpected sounds. Or maybe because she knows that the music means mommy intends to waltz round the room with her for about half an hour (before mommy's arms and back give out), with her drooling happily onto my shoulder - a current favourite pastime. I also don't know if she's learned to associate the music with the CD player yet or whether she's entranced by the LED on the on button, or whether she's just looking out for the music source, but she does stare rather so at the player when the music's on. And she'll look at CD covers and the remote control too if I use it.
Funny faces
It's impossible to describe them and the joy and hilarity they induce in us. The pictures we manage to capture are only a fraction of the things she does all the time, every day.
Our favourites are still her wake-up smile. When she wakes, she's often in a grouch at first. But if you look her in the eye, smile and go 'Hello, baby! Hello sweetheart, have you woken up then?', she gives you such a dazzler of smile you can't help but melt and smile back. And if she's looking at me, I'll wink at her and click my tongue twice and she'll grin back so wide, her eyes are slits, like we're sharing the wickedest joke.
Alex did a little silly dance in front of her earlier and she put her hand to her mouth and peered up at him in an extremely puzzled manner. It's all Kodak gold, I tell you, but even when there's time nowadays to whip out the camera, she immediately looks at it and is like 'What the heck is that thing you keep pointing at me?' Ah the pity of it all.
Other development
She's actually finally looking at things and picking things up to put into her mouth. Now the difficulty of convincing myself she doesn't need a shedload of toys to 'develop' begins. Already I want to get her a little kick piano and this toy light orchestra which is out of production (damn you, Tomy).
Baby rolls over!
Wa-hey! Without any indication that she was inclined to do so, today baby rolled over for the first time. I have been encouraging her to do so, by placing her on the empty bed in our second bedroom and cheering, 'Come on, baby, come to mama!' while waving her white rabbit in front of her, but the response so far has only been indulgent smiles. I've also been getting her started on the rolling - because, face it, how the heck else is she supposed to know what I want her to do - by gripping her hand and tugging it over her body and she thinks it's a game now. When I do it, she smiles again and lifts her leg and does half the rolling herself.
And the first time I tipped her over when she was on her front, she looked up at me from the bed with mild surprise but didn't seem to mind. Just another of mommy's little foibles.
But today, while she was on her stomach, to my surprise, after pushing herself up on her arms two or three times, she suddenly pushed extra hard with her right arm and - boom boom - she rolled over onto her back. Cue immense applause and cheers from me and an 'Eh? What's all the fuss?' look from her.
Then I thought maybe I'd cheated a bit because I'd been depressing the side of the bed she rolled towards. However, after some protest on her part, she did it twice more (the last time with daddy to witness as well) and on a totally level bed. So baby rolls over! Well... from her front anyway. We have yet to convince her to go beyond smiling while on her back.
I think she's starting to develop crawling motions as well, though. Because when she's on her front now, she doesn't just raise her head and scrabble, she's able to use her legs to push herself forward. She hasn't quite worked out her arms, so they get left behind and squashed under her, leading to some yowling, eventually, but one step at a time, eh?
Musical baby
Her new favourite CDs are Michael Buble and Stacey Kent. But her real, real favourite is the soundtrack to the movie Amelie; especially track 16 ('La Redecouverte', The Rediscovery), which sounds like a music box playing. I swear everytime I turn it on, she smiles. It's probably because the music is lovely and full of such unexpected sounds. Or maybe because she knows that the music means mommy intends to waltz round the room with her for about half an hour (before mommy's arms and back give out), with her drooling happily onto my shoulder - a current favourite pastime. I also don't know if she's learned to associate the music with the CD player yet or whether she's entranced by the LED on the on button, or whether she's just looking out for the music source, but she does stare rather so at the player when the music's on. And she'll look at CD covers and the remote control too if I use it.Funny faces
It's impossible to describe them and the joy and hilarity they induce in us. The pictures we manage to capture are only a fraction of the things she does all the time, every day. Our favourites are still her wake-up smile. When she wakes, she's often in a grouch at first. But if you look her in the eye, smile and go 'Hello, baby! Hello sweetheart, have you woken up then?', she gives you such a dazzler of smile you can't help but melt and smile back. And if she's looking at me, I'll wink at her and click my tongue twice and she'll grin back so wide, her eyes are slits, like we're sharing the wickedest joke.
Alex did a little silly dance in front of her earlier and she put her hand to her mouth and peered up at him in an extremely puzzled manner. It's all Kodak gold, I tell you, but even when there's time nowadays to whip out the camera, she immediately looks at it and is like 'What the heck is that thing you keep pointing at me?' Ah the pity of it all.
Other development
She's actually finally looking at things and picking things up to put into her mouth. Now the difficulty of convincing myself she doesn't need a shedload of toys to 'develop' begins. Already I want to get her a little kick piano and this toy light orchestra which is out of production (damn you, Tomy).
12 January 2006
11 January 2006
4 mths, 2 days
Her obstinate face
Here, at Elaine's request, is what we call Baby's obstinate face. This is the face she puts on when you've decided to risk your dignity in public to talk baby-talk, in a falsetto, while simultaneously pulling the stupidest face you can think of. She's saying 'What the heck is wrong with you?'
This is why people like playing with babies alone. No one else can see your humiliation.
Tears at bedtime
O dear babe has started throwing tantrums. The first two weeks we moved to the bedroom she was being put to bed at about 11pm, docile as a deer. This week, however, she has been going at 11pm, only to wake up again later, more often than not in a crying fit.
Tonight, I put her down at 11pm and fed her to sleep. She seemed happy enough but about 20 minutes into the sleep, she began scratching at her scalp (she still has cradle cap) and then rubbing her forehead furiously, and working herself up into a real lather. I tried the ultimate pacifier again - food - and she settled down. Five minutes later however, she woke with an inexplicable crying fit, as if I'd yanked her hair or something (I didn't, I checked!).
This rapidly escalated into an all-out tantrum, which has taken about an hour and a half for her to get out of. Well. She stopped crying after about ten minutes, but was immensely grouchy after that and kept starting and stopping with the yelling. Finally, after a long bout of non-stop carrying and being talked to soothingly, she's fallen asleep again.
Pretty much the same thing happened yesterday. This is not good if this is what happens when she's teething!
Pull the other one, it has got Bel on
The most annoying thing about her crying, however, is the fact that you know it's part frustration and being pissed off, and part a way to get us to carry her. This isn't always the case; sometimes you can see she's just going out of her skull with pissed-offness, the way she's twisting herself into knots. But, sometimes, right after you pick her up, she stops crying, starts huffing and then sighs triumphantly, 'Haaah'.
So now mommy has started to adopt the stern tone - something I've not done before - when I think she's tantrumming for effect. I say, 'Boo, mommy's just going to the toilet to wash her hands. There's no need to cry, OK?' I'm making sure she knows who's boss. The fact that I then feel compelled to reward her good behaviour by picking her up , is neither here nor there.
Acne watch
The latest diagnosis from the doctors is that it's not acne on her cheeks, by the way, but possibly eczema. And they think it's been exacerbated by the cold weather and the consequent central heating. They've given us creams to moisturise her and stop it itching - it's dying down again for the second time so fingers crossed it stays away once and for all! Then we only have the cradle cap to deal with!
Her obstinate face
Here, at Elaine's request, is what we call Baby's obstinate face. This is the face she puts on when you've decided to risk your dignity in public to talk baby-talk, in a falsetto, while simultaneously pulling the stupidest face you can think of. She's saying 'What the heck is wrong with you?'This is why people like playing with babies alone. No one else can see your humiliation.
Tears at bedtime
O dear babe has started throwing tantrums. The first two weeks we moved to the bedroom she was being put to bed at about 11pm, docile as a deer. This week, however, she has been going at 11pm, only to wake up again later, more often than not in a crying fit.
Tonight, I put her down at 11pm and fed her to sleep. She seemed happy enough but about 20 minutes into the sleep, she began scratching at her scalp (she still has cradle cap) and then rubbing her forehead furiously, and working herself up into a real lather. I tried the ultimate pacifier again - food - and she settled down. Five minutes later however, she woke with an inexplicable crying fit, as if I'd yanked her hair or something (I didn't, I checked!).
This rapidly escalated into an all-out tantrum, which has taken about an hour and a half for her to get out of. Well. She stopped crying after about ten minutes, but was immensely grouchy after that and kept starting and stopping with the yelling. Finally, after a long bout of non-stop carrying and being talked to soothingly, she's fallen asleep again.
Pretty much the same thing happened yesterday. This is not good if this is what happens when she's teething!
Pull the other one, it has got Bel on
The most annoying thing about her crying, however, is the fact that you know it's part frustration and being pissed off, and part a way to get us to carry her. This isn't always the case; sometimes you can see she's just going out of her skull with pissed-offness, the way she's twisting herself into knots. But, sometimes, right after you pick her up, she stops crying, starts huffing and then sighs triumphantly, 'Haaah'.So now mommy has started to adopt the stern tone - something I've not done before - when I think she's tantrumming for effect. I say, 'Boo, mommy's just going to the toilet to wash her hands. There's no need to cry, OK?' I'm making sure she knows who's boss. The fact that I then feel compelled to reward her good behaviour by picking her up , is neither here nor there.
Acne watch
The latest diagnosis from the doctors is that it's not acne on her cheeks, by the way, but possibly eczema. And they think it's been exacerbated by the cold weather and the consequent central heating. They've given us creams to moisturise her and stop it itching - it's dying down again for the second time so fingers crossed it stays away once and for all! Then we only have the cradle cap to deal with!
07 January 2006
17 wks+
Quiet Saturday
Today we stayed at home, listening to Michael Buble's CD endlessley, with intervals of Amy Winehouse, to pacify baby while racing each other on sudoku. Am disgusted that our end score was 3-1 in Alex's favour, though I maintain baby never cried when I was holding her and that he had a head start because he was doing sudoku all last night and this morning, while I haven't had a go at it since before babe arrived.
Baby has been in a good mood these days, and is extremely susceptible to being tickled. I can't help pretending to eat her chubby thighs or her tummy when I change her nappy now, even though my nose then tends to end up quite near the pee-filled nappy, and she just squeals with laughter when I start. Sometimes all I have to do is look at her and go 'mumm mumm mumm' and she'll start shrieking in anticipation.
Today mom and dad caught her in a good mood on the phone and heard her happy squeals while I made faces at her. If we could bottle this stuff we'd make a fortune.
Quiet Saturday
Today we stayed at home, listening to Michael Buble's CD endlessley, with intervals of Amy Winehouse, to pacify baby while racing each other on sudoku. Am disgusted that our end score was 3-1 in Alex's favour, though I maintain baby never cried when I was holding her and that he had a head start because he was doing sudoku all last night and this morning, while I haven't had a go at it since before babe arrived.
Baby has been in a good mood these days, and is extremely susceptible to being tickled. I can't help pretending to eat her chubby thighs or her tummy when I change her nappy now, even though my nose then tends to end up quite near the pee-filled nappy, and she just squeals with laughter when I start. Sometimes all I have to do is look at her and go 'mumm mumm mumm' and she'll start shrieking in anticipation.
Today mom and dad caught her in a good mood on the phone and heard her happy squeals while I made faces at her. If we could bottle this stuff we'd make a fortune.
17 wks+
That's the jabs done!
Shame almost, she's gotten really good at them. She didn't even cry on the first one today and only yelped a bit on the second, before fixing me with a slightly bewildered look.
She was more upset earlier in the supermarket when a nice little old lady approached me and asked about her ('Is it a girl? How old is she?'). Boo happened to be sleeping contentedly in the baby carrier just then, but woke when the old lady peered under her hood and then patted her on the head. The sweet little old lady pronounced her lovely and then wandered off, thankfully unaware (I hope) of the malevolent glare baby was giving her. I almost laughed out loud when I saw it. She looks just like me when I am woken before I want to.
It's the suit, stupid!
The little old lady also thought Boo was enormous for her age. 'Four months? She looks like she's a year old!' Discounting the fact that the old lady was about two-thirds my own height and therefore has a presumably skewed sense of size anyway, I am starting to realise that the reason everyone thinks she's so big may be because I put her in a snowsuit for children 6-12 mths old!
Doh! But you'd think they'd realise, right? Or are they all coming over to stare at the poor Keith Haring baby whose wrists and ankles are all at 90 degree angles to the rest of her limbs?
That's the jabs done!
Shame almost, she's gotten really good at them. She didn't even cry on the first one today and only yelped a bit on the second, before fixing me with a slightly bewildered look.
She was more upset earlier in the supermarket when a nice little old lady approached me and asked about her ('Is it a girl? How old is she?'). Boo happened to be sleeping contentedly in the baby carrier just then, but woke when the old lady peered under her hood and then patted her on the head. The sweet little old lady pronounced her lovely and then wandered off, thankfully unaware (I hope) of the malevolent glare baby was giving her. I almost laughed out loud when I saw it. She looks just like me when I am woken before I want to.
It's the suit, stupid!
The little old lady also thought Boo was enormous for her age. 'Four months? She looks like she's a year old!' Discounting the fact that the old lady was about two-thirds my own height and therefore has a presumably skewed sense of size anyway, I am starting to realise that the reason everyone thinks she's so big may be because I put her in a snowsuit for children 6-12 mths old!
Doh! But you'd think they'd realise, right? Or are they all coming over to stare at the poor Keith Haring baby whose wrists and ankles are all at 90 degree angles to the rest of her limbs?
06 January 2006
17 wks+
Equanimity all over ma face
Gosh she's really good about the needles. She let out just two surprised and slightly indignant peeps when she got her BCG jab. Brave little soldier, said Janet our health visitor. One down, two more to go tomorrow then no more jabs for a while, phew!
Wakey baby
She's been waking an hour or so after being put to bed these last two nights, despite going peacefully each night at about 11pm. Fortunately playing Classical FM radio or Stacey Kent and being carried while mommy shuffles back and forth seems to send her back to sleep quite quickly. But poor Alex has been suffering - he slept through his alarm clock yesterday!
New year resolutions
1. Wake up by 9am every day (10am on weekends)
2. Start exercising again at least once a week. Walking to shops with baby in sling doesn't count so it looks like I'm either going to have to take up fast-walking or learn to jog with a stroller. Urrgh so boring.
3. Aim for following meal food ratios: 33% fruit and veg; 33% carbos; 15% meat; 15% dairy and 3% junk food
4. Eat at least one vegetarian dinner a week
5. Ignore the remaining mince pies - even the mini ones - still on offer at Waitrose
Equanimity all over ma face
Gosh she's really good about the needles. She let out just two surprised and slightly indignant peeps when she got her BCG jab. Brave little soldier, said Janet our health visitor. One down, two more to go tomorrow then no more jabs for a while, phew!
Wakey baby
She's been waking an hour or so after being put to bed these last two nights, despite going peacefully each night at about 11pm. Fortunately playing Classical FM radio or Stacey Kent and being carried while mommy shuffles back and forth seems to send her back to sleep quite quickly. But poor Alex has been suffering - he slept through his alarm clock yesterday!
New year resolutions
1. Wake up by 9am every day (10am on weekends)
2. Start exercising again at least once a week. Walking to shops with baby in sling doesn't count so it looks like I'm either going to have to take up fast-walking or learn to jog with a stroller. Urrgh so boring.
3. Aim for following meal food ratios: 33% fruit and veg; 33% carbos; 15% meat; 15% dairy and 3% junk food
4. Eat at least one vegetarian dinner a week
5. Ignore the remaining mince pies - even the mini ones - still on offer at Waitrose
05 January 2006
17 wks
Still in the 91st percentile
Baby now weighs 7.23kg (15 lbs 15 ozs for the imperial mind) - just in the 91st percentile by the skin of her teeth. And the health visitor, clinic receptionist and five waitresses at the Royal China restaurant proclaimed her a beauty. In the face of such overwhelming opinion what can a mother do but agree? All also clamoured to hold her, which was sweet but a bit worrying because one waitress kept insisting on prodding her prodigious cheeks.
My little yokozuna-chan
After lunch with Liss at Royal China, we wandered into H&M in Whiteley's where, alas, I laid eyes on this t-shirt, couldn't stop giggling and could not leave without buying it. Am still in search of a vest jumper for her but no one seems to sell one.
Am afraid the next two days may not be happy ones for Boo - she is due a BCG shot tomorrow and the last two immunisation jabs for a while on Friday. Fingers crossed she receives them with the same equanimity demonstrated before.
Still in the 91st percentile
Baby now weighs 7.23kg (15 lbs 15 ozs for the imperial mind) - just in the 91st percentile by the skin of her teeth. And the health visitor, clinic receptionist and five waitresses at the Royal China restaurant proclaimed her a beauty. In the face of such overwhelming opinion what can a mother do but agree? All also clamoured to hold her, which was sweet but a bit worrying because one waitress kept insisting on prodding her prodigious cheeks.
My little yokozuna-chan
After lunch with Liss at Royal China, we wandered into H&M in Whiteley's where, alas, I laid eyes on this t-shirt, couldn't stop giggling and could not leave without buying it. Am still in search of a vest jumper for her but no one seems to sell one.
Am afraid the next two days may not be happy ones for Boo - she is due a BCG shot tomorrow and the last two immunisation jabs for a while on Friday. Fingers crossed she receives them with the same equanimity demonstrated before.
03 January 2006
16 wks+
Good Boo
According to another Uncle Chris, one of our few friends with recent (well quite recent) experience of babies, Bel is an unusually quiet baby. We'll take his word for it. Have not been sure so far if she is unusually good or whether our friends all just have exaggerated expectations of how much babies cry. Vik still asks each time we see him if she wails a lot at home.
She doesn't really... either that or I hardly think it unusual when she cries now. She still does the hilarious complaining crying though. Today it was because I put her into her seat when I started to make dinner. Alex came back shortly after I did this and when he took her into the living room with him, she proceeded to regale him with five minutes of aiyaiyais because mommy had abandoned her. Sadly for her we still find this hilarious.
More pix
Here's baby watching football with dad; sitting up with support; and modelling the latest look from Arizona.
Good Boo
According to another Uncle Chris, one of our few friends with recent (well quite recent) experience of babies, Bel is an unusually quiet baby. We'll take his word for it. Have not been sure so far if she is unusually good or whether our friends all just have exaggerated expectations of how much babies cry. Vik still asks each time we see him if she wails a lot at home.
She doesn't really... either that or I hardly think it unusual when she cries now. She still does the hilarious complaining crying though. Today it was because I put her into her seat when I started to make dinner. Alex came back shortly after I did this and when he took her into the living room with him, she proceeded to regale him with five minutes of aiyaiyais because mommy had abandoned her. Sadly for her we still find this hilarious.
More pix
Here's baby watching football with dad; sitting up with support; and modelling the latest look from Arizona.
01 January 2006
16 wks+
Happy new year!
Hope you all had a good time seeing the new year in. We did despite being stuck in a traffic jam on the way home at the time.
Baby is currently being held over daddy's shoulder while he watches Spy Kids and is holding a nonsense conversation with me. She'll call for attention by squealing and then:
Me: Hiya Boo! Hamachi baby oh oh!
Baby: [with much delight] Wa-aah!
Me: Yesha? Booboo hajibaby yaya! Yes?
Baby: [grinning her head off] Aiiiiiiii! Haaa!
And so on and so forth.
We had a good new year's eve! We spent it over at the Lee-Shigemitsus, having originally gone over for lunch at Royal China then being kindly invited to stay for dinner. They brought out a souvenier from their trip to Burgundy - the second Epoisses cheese we've had in two weeks - and it was quite funny watching Baby's reaction to it.
She wrinkled her nose and turned away from the first two pieces held in front of her nose (I imagine smelling an Epoisses is what a Westerner feels when they smell durian for the first time; it's the kind of smell that smacks you in the face) but then was looking on with greater interest the fourth or fifth times. We will raise a little gourmand!
Baby had a fab time with all the attention from the aunties and uncles. She spent about five minutes laughing her head off when Elaine held her on her lap, had Weify and Lucy making all sorts of funny faces at her and Vik prodding her chubby cheeks with interest.
The rest of the time she tried to eat fingers and farted on Uncle Vik. I think this was a mark of favour - she also farted on daddy about three times the rest of the night. Either that or the boys have conveniently been blaming baby.
When we left, we made a mistake of heading towards the Embankment, completely in a daze over the fact that there were fireworks there of course, so had to detour a long way down towards Southwark and then Elephant and Castle before finally being able to make it back over the river and home.
Baby seemed reasonably unperturbed by the idiots in the cars behind us, who insisted on greeting the new year with the non-stop honking of their car horns for about 20 minutes. Fortunately the lane we were in was moving much faster than theirs so we eventually left them in our wake. She also woke around Waterloo and seemed very interested in the scenes of actually quite sober revellers waiting for buses.
Baby's sleep
We've kind of established 11.00-11.30pm as her bedtime now. When we get there - we know when it's time because she starts getting irritable and rubbing her eyes with her little hands and sometimes she nods off while being carried - we just take her to the bedroom, swaddle her in a blanket or her sleeping bag and, once the pacifier is in her mouth, she drops off probably even before we've finished moisturising her face for the night. Sometimes she cries in her sleep - this happened about four times the night before last - but all it takes is for one of us to go in and pat her reassuringly and talk and she calms down. Most of the time she's out for the night until she wakes up for an early feed in the morning. Alex is happy because now he can watch these horrible action films on tv without turning the sound down.
Acne watch
The acne on her face has pretty much receded now (hopefully for good). At the last GP visit, the doctor said he thought the skin on her cheeks near her ears - the only troubled patches left - was just a bit dry rather than being inflicted with acne. He said this was not uncommon here and was probably due to the cold weather and the central heating being on at home. Some bulletin boards suggested decreasing the frequency with which we wash her face and increasing the frequency with which we moisturise her. So we haven't showered her for two days, just been wiping her down a litttle, and that really seems to have helped. Even her cradle cap hasn't come back in force these two days. London water. Gross.
More pix
Oh here are some earlier pictures Alex took of her holding court with her soft toys and having a little read of her book:
Happy new year!
Hope you all had a good time seeing the new year in. We did despite being stuck in a traffic jam on the way home at the time.Baby is currently being held over daddy's shoulder while he watches Spy Kids and is holding a nonsense conversation with me. She'll call for attention by squealing and then:
Me: Hiya Boo! Hamachi baby oh oh!
Baby: [with much delight] Wa-aah!
Me: Yesha? Booboo hajibaby yaya! Yes?
Baby: [grinning her head off] Aiiiiiiii! Haaa!
And so on and so forth.
We had a good new year's eve! We spent it over at the Lee-Shigemitsus, having originally gone over for lunch at Royal China then being kindly invited to stay for dinner. They brought out a souvenier from their trip to Burgundy - the second Epoisses cheese we've had in two weeks - and it was quite funny watching Baby's reaction to it.
She wrinkled her nose and turned away from the first two pieces held in front of her nose (I imagine smelling an Epoisses is what a Westerner feels when they smell durian for the first time; it's the kind of smell that smacks you in the face) but then was looking on with greater interest the fourth or fifth times. We will raise a little gourmand!
Baby had a fab time with all the attention from the aunties and uncles. She spent about five minutes laughing her head off when Elaine held her on her lap, had Weify and Lucy making all sorts of funny faces at her and Vik prodding her chubby cheeks with interest.
The rest of the time she tried to eat fingers and farted on Uncle Vik. I think this was a mark of favour - she also farted on daddy about three times the rest of the night. Either that or the boys have conveniently been blaming baby.
When we left, we made a mistake of heading towards the Embankment, completely in a daze over the fact that there were fireworks there of course, so had to detour a long way down towards Southwark and then Elephant and Castle before finally being able to make it back over the river and home.
Baby seemed reasonably unperturbed by the idiots in the cars behind us, who insisted on greeting the new year with the non-stop honking of their car horns for about 20 minutes. Fortunately the lane we were in was moving much faster than theirs so we eventually left them in our wake. She also woke around Waterloo and seemed very interested in the scenes of actually quite sober revellers waiting for buses.
Baby's sleep
We've kind of established 11.00-11.30pm as her bedtime now. When we get there - we know when it's time because she starts getting irritable and rubbing her eyes with her little hands and sometimes she nods off while being carried - we just take her to the bedroom, swaddle her in a blanket or her sleeping bag and, once the pacifier is in her mouth, she drops off probably even before we've finished moisturising her face for the night. Sometimes she cries in her sleep - this happened about four times the night before last - but all it takes is for one of us to go in and pat her reassuringly and talk and she calms down. Most of the time she's out for the night until she wakes up for an early feed in the morning. Alex is happy because now he can watch these horrible action films on tv without turning the sound down.
Acne watch
The acne on her face has pretty much receded now (hopefully for good). At the last GP visit, the doctor said he thought the skin on her cheeks near her ears - the only troubled patches left - was just a bit dry rather than being inflicted with acne. He said this was not uncommon here and was probably due to the cold weather and the central heating being on at home. Some bulletin boards suggested decreasing the frequency with which we wash her face and increasing the frequency with which we moisturise her. So we haven't showered her for two days, just been wiping her down a litttle, and that really seems to have helped. Even her cradle cap hasn't come back in force these two days. London water. Gross.
More pix
Oh here are some earlier pictures Alex took of her holding court with her soft toys and having a little read of her book:
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