Wednesday 14 July 2010

One Month New

Miranda is one month new!
Hard to believe really. Don't feel like we've got the hang of it yet. Sadly, one month in to parenthood means no more paternity leave for Carl; he has gone back to work and I have survived two days on my own with Miri. It is HARD. She was obviously so excited about her birthday that she woke up and wanted to start the day at 5.15am, slept deliberately through more human times of day including our outing, and then yelled solidly for over three hours - just for the hell of it - when Carl got in. Headaches all round, and poor Carl couldn't enjoy dinner or just splop and relax in the evening.

Miri is growing up quickly, which is both exciting and scary and saddening in that there is so little time to appreciate the little things. She seems more alert and active every day, and is now (well, at times) happy to sit and stare at things, absorbing and processing information. She seems fascinated by lights, and was very very interested in the fruit machine in the pub, for example. I am convinced she smiles too. I know everyone says it's only wind - but I fail to see how she is capable of moving her face so that she frowns when she's cross or looks sad when crying, but apparently cannot express happiness yet? On the upside, when she is grumpy, she is looking more and more like Carl. I am told she looks like me when she sleeps though (ie: mouth wide open, occasionally drooling). She is also getting far more mobile, developing those neck muscles very well - but only using them when she wants to. She straightens her legs far more now too, and happily kicks me in the stomach.  She can follow objects with her eyes when we move them about and makes steady eye contact with me when I talk to her, and she has successfully reached out for things and grabbed them once or twice too. Clever girl! (Actually, I was more proud of her when she aimed a flood of yellow poo straight down my Mum's leg, but that is besides the point!)

For her birthday, I got her a library card! She is now the youngest member of Darlington library, and of course, all the library staff cooed over her and admired her, as usual complimenting me on the amount of hair she has, as if I grew it for her intentionally! I got a few things out and signed up for Bookstart so she gets freebies in a few months time. I read to her already, even if she has no idea what I am saying. This gives me the chance to read the things I want, rather than the bloody Very Hungry Caterpillar(!!) and the sound of my voice sends Miranda to sleep quite easily - though I am not sure whether that is a good thing or not. She already stares hard at all the books on our shelves - lots of pretty colours in rows, I guess. Books are important, and no doubt she shall have lots of them. Though the library means Free Books for now, and if I get them out on her library card and she drools on them, they don't fine me. What a great system!

I also finally paid off the £3.60 library fine I accrued over a year ago, just so I could get out a book for myself. I found "My Mother Wears Combat Boots" by Jessica Mills. It is yet another (American) parenting book so I didn't have high hopes, but it is written with "alternative mums" as target audience. The author also has a blog: My Mother Wears Combat Boots which is more up to date.  I am all for anything to make a change from average parenting books, because I believe they are written by faceless women who actually like the Mothercare-esque range of entirely-pastel, pink for girls, blue for boys baby clothes, call their children things like Lexy or Jayden or Chlamydia, and drive 4x4s 200 yards down the road to nursery. Miranda's Mother wears New Rocks and rides a cheap Chinese scooter called Binky. And Proud! Sadly, there are very few books that cater for people like me.


BabyBel

BabyBel
Nothing to do with the small pieces of Edam of the same name

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