this is the face of the boy who loves baby rice

As you can see, Babycake seems to like his solids. He wasn't very keen on the whole spoon in mouth experience, but was happy to eat from his father's finger (or daddy's nipple as it is now known). Babycake is growing so fast and I'm a lot less panicked at leaving him. Since his morning with Mr McMuffin last week and his move towards food which doesn't arrive via my body, I am reassured that he can survive without my constant proximity.

I seem to be growing too. Now I can fit in my pre pregnancy clothes I've noticed that the legs on my trousers seem a little short. As I already need extra long trousers, I can only conclude that I am actually becoming a flamingo. Good thing I like prawns.

Testing

I have just downloaded the new browser for Mac called Pimpfants dot com

carrots...

...are acceptable to Babycake. Tomorrow he will enjoy the taste sensation that is pear. Apparently it takes eighteen tastes for a baby to decide whether they like or dislike a flavour, so Babycake isn't doing too badly at all. This is good news for Mr McMuffin, who has been dying to feed the boy and has been boiling, mashing and sieving like a demon. I have also had some good news through the grapevine in that I may not have to return to evil boss and may be able to go back to the project I was working on before I went on maternity leave. Evil boss seems to be so keen to get rid of me that apparently he's not even demanding a replacement! Intellectually I know it's not really about me, as I've never had a manager treat me like this before, but it still feels horrible.

day 2

Well, day 1 of giving up smoking passed without event. In the end I didn't need to use one of the nicotine puffer things that I've got. I did notice that I woke up at about 4.30am and then dozed at 30 minute intervals until about 8am, when I got up. I can only assume that this had something to do with the nicotine withdrawal. Today, I feel all on edge. My arms and legs have a slight buzzy tingle, as if I'd had a few drinks. I have an odd feeling in my stomach. It sort of feels like hunger, but when I thought about it, I think it is closer to how I feel when I am anxious. I guess giving up smoking is quite a big deal for me. I have smoked full time since I was 19 years old, that's 26 years with a fag in my hand. That's a lot of cigarettes. I'm trying hard not to think about cigarettes, but every time I stop for a moment, my first thought is to have a fag. I'll keep you posted.

the best joke ever...

Apparently, if you are 5½ months old, you like the sound of baby massage so much that it sends you into fits of hysterical laughter. There is just no accounting for taste. I imagine if you try this one on a 6 month old they will look at you with disdain, because that is just sooooo babyish.

We tried some sweet potato on Babycake today but he didn't seem to like it very much. I think part of the problem was that I couldn't get it smooth enough. We gave up and resorted to baby rice. We let him eat until he could eat no more (that's a whole teaspoon of baby rice, by the way). He is now completely blissed out, stuffed and loved up. Mrs McMuffin is bathing him now, which he loves. Life is good.

is it wrong?

I had a lovely day yesterday, except for the 43 year old woman in the baby doll dress thing, who was really irritating, and only stopped talking to me after I told her that I wasn't going to have sex with her. Apart from that, the sun shone and we ate lots and drank lots, and Babycake loved all the attention, until he didn't love it anymore. I was thrilled to find that Mrs McMuffin got me an iPod nano for my birthday. It's really is a lovely little machine. Unsurprisingly, it does exactly the same as the other three iPods that I have, but, what can I say, I just wanted one. Mrs McMuffin thought it would be unseemly of me to post about my iPod collection, but I don't care. I know there is something adolescent about the pleasure I get from owning four iPods. Of course there is nothing wrong with being adolescent if you are an adolescent, but I'm 45 years old. Anyway, here is a picture of my lovely iPods. I decided that I couldn't take a better picture of them than Apple did, so I've used their photos. I love my iPods...now, if I could only get them to work in my f*@#ing car...Damn Vauxhall...Damn their eyes...

happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear meeeeeee, happy birthday to me, and maaaaaannnnyyyy moooooooorrrre.

Mrs McMuffin and the bairn are still in bed, but I thought I would start getting into the mood. I am having a joint birthday celebration today with our dear friend, who doesn't have a cake name, and who doesn't read our blog anyway. Happy birthday to her too. She is hosting a get together of our friends. There will be lots of food and drink and general jollity. I must get on now because I have to go and buy some vegetables to roast and add to my cous cous and lamb dish. I was going to make a couple of cakes but I think as we are fortunate to have a Paul's patisserie on our doorstep, I might get a couple of their lovely cakes to take instead.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention that today is a momentous day for Babycake too. He will have his first taste of solid food today. It was Mrs McMuffin's idea that we start weening him on my birthday, which is quite sweet. That boy is so ready for solid food. He watches us intently while we eat, with a big grin on his face while he mimics our jaws moving. Of course, when I say solid food, I really mean that he's going to have a spoonful or two of baby rice, but I'm sure he will enjoy himself.

Hope you all have a good day too.

incentive...

Mrs McMuffin has agreed that I can get a new Macbook in October. Her only condition is that I must give up smoking. I always planned to stop when the bairn was born, but the nice weather has made it possible for me to continue and stay dry, for the most part. I immedately agreed to her challenge, and I have decided that Monday will be my stopping smoking day. It's a bit strange really because I have been a smoker for a lot longer than I was ever a non-smoker, but I think the time has come for me to knock it on the head. I just don't enjoy it anymore. Anyway, wish me luck.

got the lot

It is Mr McMuffin's birthday tomorrow and a time of great despair in the McMuffin household. Not because Mr McMuffin mourns his lost youth or is inconsolable about his old git status, but because I have no idea what to give him. I thought I had it covered, a knife skills course at Prue Leith's cookery school, but the course is booked solid with no confirmation of a further date. Mr McMuffin has been very helpful and told me of all the technology he has coveted but denied himself, such as an iPod nano, but I really wanted to get something a little less predictable and a lot more satisfying to give.

At my request, Mr McMuffin kindly put together the snippets of film of Babycake's birth and made it into a coherent whole for me to watch. It's almost six months on and I only now feel as if I can watch it without hiding behind the sofa. I was quite surprised to see how well my memory of the event matches the reality and that I appeared on the surface to be very calm and quiet, even managing little breathy conversations between pushes. This is so unlike my usual hypochondrical presentation that I am very pleased we actually have the evidence of my bravery on film. It will also be useful to watch if I ever get broody (not that I ever have been yet) and less painful than hitting myself round the head repeatedly with a cast iron frying pan.