a brief post...

This looking after the baby thing really is taking up all of my time. I'm lucky if I get to spend more than 30 minutes without him. If I'm not holding him then I have to be watching him to make sure that he doesn't do one of his strange kamikazi dives onto the floor. Of course, he really is the baby that will not sleep. He seems to spend his entire day fighting the need to sleep. Sleep is for wimps, apparently. Right now he is sitting in his chair next to me trying to work out how he can get hold of Slinky's tail. Poor animal doesn't know what's hit him. The upshot of all of this is that the blog is suffering. Posting just seems to fall of the agenda for some reason. I still remember to wash, to eat, to sleep, but I forget to post. Sad, really, because I used to enjoy the blog so much. I don't intend to give up on it, and hopefully it the blog will be worth reading again. To paraphrase the fan who approaches Woody Allen in Stardust Memories, "I much prefer your earlier, funnier, ones."

and another thing...

This is not the best photo I've taken of Babycake, but it is meant to demonstrate how Mrs McMuffin has taken leave of her senses. She has taken to tie-dyeing all of Babycakes white clothes. She started on the white muslin clothes that we use to soak up his ever flowing saliva. I thought they looked pretty cool. Now, she has startd dyeing all of the little white body suits that he owns, and she will not use any other colour but blue. What's that all about? Although, I have to admit that he does look like a little superhero. All he needs is a little tie-dyed cape and he'd be away. He could be Tie-Dyed Boy and his amazing dribble.

strange starey eyed baby

I love him, really I do, but he even creeps me out a little bit sometimes. I just know that he is judging me. God alone knows how other people must feel when they come under that stare. By the way, Babycake is sitting in his new chair. It is clamped to the table. Very cool, and he loves it.

great leap forward

I used to think this blog was a means for Slinky to acquire an internet presence, but I now know that was just preparation for reporting Babycake's every move. The last two days have been a busy time in the life of our seven month old. He managed a brief crawl forward yesterday, having developed a lovely backwards movement over the last few weeks; he enjoyed his first proper game of peekaboo with Mr McMuffin today and a few minutes ago he engaged in his first dirty protest when I tried to get him dressed for bed and smeared some of the contents of his nappy over the wipes. I tell you, I am so proud of that child.

rushrushrush

Somehow, in between my return to work and keeping Babycake smiling, we forgot to go on holiday. We decided to ditch the June plans and instead go off for a few days in July to celebrate our anniversay and have a couple of weeks in October. Of course that didn't happen either, as we only remembered our anniversary when Big Sister sent us a card. Truly we are useless at remembering the happiest day of our lives (and no, Babycake's birth was not the happiest day, we were both a little too shell shocked to be properly happy). Mr McMuffin seems quite keen on returning to Rome (now in September, for some reason) and nipping over to Florence for a few days and wants to get things organised. He doesn't understand that one of the best bits about holidays for me, is in the possibility of it all and the minute you decide, all the other possibilities just disappear. Of course Mr McMuffin may understand all too well and is trying to make sure we actually get to go away, rather than just dithering about.

Last weekend my Big Sister and the Niece and the Nephew came down from the frozen wasteland of York to bask in the balmy south. It was lovely to see them and Babycake thoroughly enjoyed the fuss they made of him. My sister and her husband have done a great job with the children and they are confident, polite and witty. The Niece still thinks Gypsy Tart and I are 'cool' for old ladies and went away with armfuls of vintage (we used to call them charity shop specials) clothes from the sixties and seventies. When I told her that I used to wear a short black and white dress with a pair of baseball boots way back when, the admiration in her voice made me think I might have actually have been as cool as she thought I was. Of course, I know the truth, but it was nice to be as much of a style icon as Kate Moss for a few, precious seconds.

Anyway, I have to go as Mr McMuffin thinks he needs to use the Mac. What a shame he started smoking again. He could have looked forward to being a two Mac household in October and having his own machine to play on, if only he hadn't been such a weakling. I read that last bit out to him and he didn't even crack a smile. Honestly, some people are just so serious. And weak.

Testing the test

I have just set up the typepad mobile posting software, and it does what it says on the tin. Excellent.

Test

lie in

I had a lie in today, courtesy of Mr McMuffin. Sweet, sweet, sleep, how I've missed you.

it's official

Babycake is a monster baby who is sucking the very life force from his poor parents. I took him to the baby clinic this morning to have him weighed. Turns out that he is 20lb 3ozs which puts him over the 75th centile. To think that he started out on the very average 25th centile. I also had him measured, and it is no surprise to find that he is very long, and on the 91st centile. It a funny thing this baby growing business, suddenly any pride you might have in having such a strapping baby disappears when you have to lift the great big lump.

growing

Babycake just seems to be growing all the time. It seems like only yesterday that the little suit that Mr and Mrs Carrot got for him was a little bit too big for him, and now look at it less than six months later. There is a lot to be said for Mother's milk.