K is a letter that has appeared alot in my life during the past week: knackered, kold, keith, karnival, kids, kelly.
I came down with a cold on the weekend and it's steadily got worse until Tuesday when I emailed Keith at work and asked him, no begged him, to come home and take over from me. Zack was crying kontinuously through the day and wouldn't settle - No idea why ! ? My head was aching, my eyes were tearing, my ears were blocked from the sinusitis, and my ears were deaf. I felt awful and I was trying to get along with freelance work while Zack slept... not a chance. Thank goodness for knights-in-shining-armour aka Super Dad. Yes, you've read about him in an earlier blog.
I'm not sorry to say, but I crashed for four hours and when I awoke, Keith had fed Zee and the cleaning lady, Kristina (this is getting ridiculous), had kome and gone. Zack had continued in his un-settledness, which was also a relief I'm sad to say, because at one point in the afternoon I'd thought I was going nuts and it was all ME. Oh no, he was the same with Dad, so I'm not going barmy or knuts.
Monday was a bank holiday in the UK and this weekend was the Nottinghill Carnival. We've never made it, in seven years, so I suggested we go early and see what we could see. Keith took his camera and got some lovely shots of the parade. Zack was great and seemed to cope fine with the noise and throng. The street party was mashuga-wena (krazy) and krowded (oh, there's another k). We decided to leave mid-afternoon and escaped down to High Street Ken' for a coffee and chill-out before heading home.
Zack is still eating baby rice, but it's led to a bit of konstipation. The answer is apparently to get them to drink plenty of water. Ah huh. Well, if I could get him to not puke out the water after he's drunk it, that would be something. We'll pursue the 'solids' thing though, as I am feeling that my milk production is a bit down at the moment. I think it's the cold, and feeling a bit blue (is it those darn contraceptive pills I'm taking ? I just don't know), so it probably isn't as bad as I think it is - everything is just a bit magnified when you're not well.
Wednesday morning my brother's girlfriend arrived from Johannesburg, en route to the Isle of Man. Kelly and her mate Natasha are here on a flying sightseeing trip. Zack is always keen on new faces, so is all smiles and turning on the charm. Charlie will be pleased to hear that another earthling has been konquered !
Zack rolled over this morning for the first time. He's done plenty of twisty bits, but never managed to flip himself right over, just a leg here and an arm there. Now its the whole body. I put him down for his evening nap just now, and the next thing I heard loud squeals coming from his room. I assumed, incorrectly, that it's the usual "I've spat my dummy out and want it back Mum!!"-squeal. No, no. It's because he'd flipped himself over and then pushed himself right up to the top of his crib with his face on a teddy bear. Things are going to change from here on out... No more leaving him alone on raised surfaces.
Happy Birthday Nana !!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
the Big 5
It's amazing to think that a mere 5 months ago our little bub had just made his way into the world. He has grown so much and is so alert, busy, wiggly and noisy now. This week he has started passing things (particularly the dummy) from one hand to the other. He can also grab hold of things far better. He is turning his head to see you when he knows you are near, even if it means hard-left or -right. These are all developmental stages that very normal. Although he's still chewing everything - including your hand if he can get it into his mouth - he isn't drooling quite as much as he was a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if this means better oral control or less drool manufacture, but it's a small thing.
We had solids on Thursday night for the first time - baby rice. The recommended technique is to feed milk as normal, then stop half way through, try a bit of the baby rice mixture, and then return to the milk for a complete feed. Zee is none too happy with having to stop in the middle of his meal. But after 2 nights seems to be understanding that the stuff on the spoon isn't yuck, it's OK and it doesn't hurt either.
He has grown out of most of the clothes he was given as a newborn and I've got 2 bags chocka-block full of babygro's, 2-pieces, et al. He's now wearing 6 - 12 month clothes depending on the make. With the weather changing and moving away from the incredible heat, I'm trying to make a last ditch attempt at wearing the more 'wintery' styled clothes he was given. Hmmm... it's great having a babe in the summertime, just that the winter clothes don't get worn. He'll have to hand them down to someone.
On Wednesday Zack and I joined Trish and Caitlin for the Bill Viola exhibition on Tooley street, near Tower Bridge. Trish is a photographic artist, so this was of interest to her as it's also visual media. We really enjoyed it, while the babes found it noisy and cavernous in the dark - all the better to make loud squeals in!
Reading matter
I'm still reading my book - Life after Birth. Last night's topic was the working mother and the author sought to argue against the current trend of mothers feeling guilty because they 'go back to' work. She argues that women have always worked before and after childbirth, it's just that since the 1800's society's structure has changed and total care for the child has been placed on the mother with the advent of the nuclear family. Hence a constructed guilt associated with not being "motherly enough" (defined by governments, child-rearing authorities, and the media) and the label of 'going back to work'. It's good food for thought - I need to keep reading and then put down my thoughts.
I hope to get back to the gym tomorrow for the first time since November! Fingers crossed.
We had solids on Thursday night for the first time - baby rice. The recommended technique is to feed milk as normal, then stop half way through, try a bit of the baby rice mixture, and then return to the milk for a complete feed. Zee is none too happy with having to stop in the middle of his meal. But after 2 nights seems to be understanding that the stuff on the spoon isn't yuck, it's OK and it doesn't hurt either.
He has grown out of most of the clothes he was given as a newborn and I've got 2 bags chocka-block full of babygro's, 2-pieces, et al. He's now wearing 6 - 12 month clothes depending on the make. With the weather changing and moving away from the incredible heat, I'm trying to make a last ditch attempt at wearing the more 'wintery' styled clothes he was given. Hmmm... it's great having a babe in the summertime, just that the winter clothes don't get worn. He'll have to hand them down to someone.
On Wednesday Zack and I joined Trish and Caitlin for the Bill Viola exhibition on Tooley street, near Tower Bridge. Trish is a photographic artist, so this was of interest to her as it's also visual media. We really enjoyed it, while the babes found it noisy and cavernous in the dark - all the better to make loud squeals in!
Reading matter
I'm still reading my book - Life after Birth. Last night's topic was the working mother and the author sought to argue against the current trend of mothers feeling guilty because they 'go back to' work. She argues that women have always worked before and after childbirth, it's just that since the 1800's society's structure has changed and total care for the child has been placed on the mother with the advent of the nuclear family. Hence a constructed guilt associated with not being "motherly enough" (defined by governments, child-rearing authorities, and the media) and the label of 'going back to work'. It's good food for thought - I need to keep reading and then put down my thoughts.
I hope to get back to the gym tomorrow for the first time since November! Fingers crossed.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
NEW YORK back again
Our second week in NY was pretty uneventful, besides my birthday and the day after. In the late morning I took the sleeping cherub to Trump Towers for lunch - salad and a glass of bubbly. It is super tacky, but you gotta do it. My waitress was orange from fake tan lotion or too much sun-bed, with dazzling white teeth and designer black glasses' frames (and matching blue-black hair). After lunch we walked up to the John Lennon Memorial in Central Park because I've never seen the Dakota or the mosaic before. Droves of tourists came and went while I sat there with Zee - Strawberry Fields is a hot spot.
Belle offered to babysit Zee so Keith and I went out in the evening for supper. You'd think that we'd be waiting at the door in anticipation of Belle's arrival so that we could dash off and abandon Zack. Nope! Belle and Keith were hanging around waiting for ME to get back with Zack.
Then we needed to change... ... look decent... ... feel special... and THEN walk up to Central Park. We must've got up there around 8pm.
I really need to be more organised when it comes to baby-sitting - to use every single moment of the care, to be JUST THE TWO OF US. I'm so busy flapping and giving instructions, Keith's patiently explaining things, demonstrating swaddling techniques, that we've wasted half our 'away' time. Nuts! Oh well, I can only think that we'll get better at it. Perhaps what I should do is write down instructions, which I can just hand to the babysitter, rather than talk through it. So, you're probably wondering if we had a good evening, and the answer is yes. Keith took me to the Boathouse in Central Park. And yes, it has it's own gondola and gondoleer. There was a private party on that night, so they were ferrying out groups of about 6 - 8 people. It's a lovely setting next to the dark water, with the city reflected in it, over the trees. It was also strange to not be worrying about where the buggy was, if people were falling over it, whether Zack was going to wake up, etc. etc. We were home around 11:30ish I think. Ah, how things have changed. And yet, we had a wonderful bottle of Australian 2002 Shiraz, so maybe not everything has changed. We still enjoy a lovely bottle of wine together which is something we haven't done in a year.
On the day after my birthday Zack and I took the D train to Coney Island. I've been meaning to go for ages, and just never made the time. It's a bit like Brighton, except that it has real sand. It has a vintage theme park / funfair, and the roller-coaster dates back to the 1920's. We got ourselves a 'dog from Nathan's and took photos of the hassidic kids on a school outing.
Thursday was 'pack bags day' and back to JFK at 3:30pm. Our flight home went off smoothly and although Zack was a bit unsettled to start with, he went to sleep and I got some shut eye in the last 3 hours. I couldn't watch the films because the sound and picture quality was awful, and my screen kept switching off every 2 minutes. Ah, the joys of the basinette seats.
Well, it's all been good practice for flying to South Africa in November.
11 hours without Keith. I think it'll be OK.
Belle offered to babysit Zee so Keith and I went out in the evening for supper. You'd think that we'd be waiting at the door in anticipation of Belle's arrival so that we could dash off and abandon Zack. Nope! Belle and Keith were hanging around waiting for ME to get back with Zack.
Then we needed to change... ... look decent... ... feel special... and THEN walk up to Central Park. We must've got up there around 8pm.
I really need to be more organised when it comes to baby-sitting - to use every single moment of the care, to be JUST THE TWO OF US. I'm so busy flapping and giving instructions, Keith's patiently explaining things, demonstrating swaddling techniques, that we've wasted half our 'away' time. Nuts! Oh well, I can only think that we'll get better at it. Perhaps what I should do is write down instructions, which I can just hand to the babysitter, rather than talk through it. So, you're probably wondering if we had a good evening, and the answer is yes. Keith took me to the Boathouse in Central Park. And yes, it has it's own gondola and gondoleer. There was a private party on that night, so they were ferrying out groups of about 6 - 8 people. It's a lovely setting next to the dark water, with the city reflected in it, over the trees. It was also strange to not be worrying about where the buggy was, if people were falling over it, whether Zack was going to wake up, etc. etc. We were home around 11:30ish I think. Ah, how things have changed. And yet, we had a wonderful bottle of Australian 2002 Shiraz, so maybe not everything has changed. We still enjoy a lovely bottle of wine together which is something we haven't done in a year.
On the day after my birthday Zack and I took the D train to Coney Island. I've been meaning to go for ages, and just never made the time. It's a bit like Brighton, except that it has real sand. It has a vintage theme park / funfair, and the roller-coaster dates back to the 1920's. We got ourselves a 'dog from Nathan's and took photos of the hassidic kids on a school outing.
Thursday was 'pack bags day' and back to JFK at 3:30pm. Our flight home went off smoothly and although Zack was a bit unsettled to start with, he went to sleep and I got some shut eye in the last 3 hours. I couldn't watch the films because the sound and picture quality was awful, and my screen kept switching off every 2 minutes. Ah, the joys of the basinette seats.
Well, it's all been good practice for flying to South Africa in November.
11 hours without Keith. I think it'll be OK.
lining up the babes
Cezanne and Zack have a moment's meditation.
Dig the beatific hand-thang
We spent the weekend in Naperville (the 2nd best place to live in the USA), Chicago with old friends - Ryan and Lanelle Lambert and their 7 week old baby girl, Cezanne. Although it was a whistlestop trip, we were able to find some relaxing time in with peeps we haven't seen in ages. Zack was spoilt to sleep in Cezanne's cot while she was in her moses-basket. Luxury! Cezanne is such a cutey - she put on some of her best faces here, and mum and dad insisted that we post the pics together...
Shots like this make you wonder what's going on inside ?
Or perhaps it's pretty obvious.
On a quick run through the photos we took, before going to sleep tonight, I found this one which is my personal favourite. Yes, I've tweaked it a bit, but it's still gorgeous. Thanks Keith - great shot !
click on the pic to see it full screen size
Monday, August 14, 2006
NEW YORK new york
We departed on Saturday the 5th of August, a week ago, so thankfully missed all the airline chaos in the UK. Zack slept for most of the flight to NY. Keith flew biz and they seated me in one of those mum & basinette seats, which was great. We had discussed swapping so that I could get some shut-eye but it all worked out fine - I'm finding that those little fabric eye-masks really do the trick and they weren't keen to have Zack in Business Class.
Rockafeller Centre is not too far from "home" in New York, and we loved the shade and the fountains.
Last week was spent walking around alot of the city. We tried to get into the Guggenheim Museum, but they don't allow strollers into the gallery, only the foyer. Sheesh, how annoying ! Well, the place is being renovated outside, so there wasn't too much to photograph. It meant we got to walk the 30 blocks back to the hotel, rather than go straight back on the bus. We had time after all. I started walking back along Madison as there is so much to see on the boutiques and specialist shop windows. It gets a bit boring though, so I walked another block down to Lexington and the rest of the way home. You pass through an area that's all exotic antiques, hair dressing salons and nail bars. More to see.
We've been pretty brave - took the pram down into the subway (not nearly as easy as London), took the NJ bus from the Port Authority on 42nd to Jersey Gardens outlet mall (excellent bargain shopping), took the bus up to the Guggenheim (had to fold the stroller, and have Zack on my lap surrounded by my belongings), and necessarily a cab or six (they are dirt cheap). We visited FAO Schwartz and bought a smashing gift for a mate. More about that in a future blog. Did all 8 floors of Bloomingdales. We also love Starbucks, so end up there at least once a day.
a police officer is happy to pose for a photo outside St Patrick's Cathedral.
Zack has charmed his way from SoHo to the East Village. Everyone comments on how big he is, what a cute smile he has, and his general demeanour. What a delight ! It certainly has made travelling easy - he disarms people with his smile. And it's free ! I catch him smiling at people before they've even made eye contact with him. It would be wonderful if he could stay so sweet. How do you protect your child - keep them innocent, contented, blissfully unaware of the nastiness in the world ? It can't be done. I suppose the next question is, how do you help them cope with it all, and retain their true character / nature, able to blossom despite it all ? 42.
Rockafeller Centre is not too far from "home" in New York, and we loved the shade and the fountains.
Last week was spent walking around alot of the city. We tried to get into the Guggenheim Museum, but they don't allow strollers into the gallery, only the foyer. Sheesh, how annoying ! Well, the place is being renovated outside, so there wasn't too much to photograph. It meant we got to walk the 30 blocks back to the hotel, rather than go straight back on the bus. We had time after all. I started walking back along Madison as there is so much to see on the boutiques and specialist shop windows. It gets a bit boring though, so I walked another block down to Lexington and the rest of the way home. You pass through an area that's all exotic antiques, hair dressing salons and nail bars. More to see.
We've been pretty brave - took the pram down into the subway (not nearly as easy as London), took the NJ bus from the Port Authority on 42nd to Jersey Gardens outlet mall (excellent bargain shopping), took the bus up to the Guggenheim (had to fold the stroller, and have Zack on my lap surrounded by my belongings), and necessarily a cab or six (they are dirt cheap). We visited FAO Schwartz and bought a smashing gift for a mate. More about that in a future blog. Did all 8 floors of Bloomingdales. We also love Starbucks, so end up there at least once a day.
a police officer is happy to pose for a photo outside St Patrick's Cathedral.
Zack has charmed his way from SoHo to the East Village. Everyone comments on how big he is, what a cute smile he has, and his general demeanour. What a delight ! It certainly has made travelling easy - he disarms people with his smile. And it's free ! I catch him smiling at people before they've even made eye contact with him. It would be wonderful if he could stay so sweet. How do you protect your child - keep them innocent, contented, blissfully unaware of the nastiness in the world ? It can't be done. I suppose the next question is, how do you help them cope with it all, and retain their true character / nature, able to blossom despite it all ? 42.
Monday, August 07, 2006
rellies rellies everywhere
Zack has been completely swamped with love and attention these past two weeks. First Granny arrived from Johannesburg, and then six days later, aunty Sally and little Sienna arrived. What a great time they've all had together. Granny baby-sat Zee while Mum and Dad went out TWO NIGHT IN A ROW ! what freedom. How very strange.
It was so good to spend quality time with Sienna too, as I haven't met her yet - she was born in November, so is 9 months old already. She and Zack are almost the same size, and certainly the same weight. The big difference is the development – she is far more advanced in motor skills (gross and fine), speech, appetite, mobility and cognition than Zack. I am keen to see what the next 5 months hold for our little chap having seen his cuz in action.
Sleep depro is ongoing. Zack seemed to be doing better, but then we moved him into the lounge so that our guests could have his room. And it all started up again. Thankfully it's not gone back to the 2.5 hour rotation, but it has meant getting up a number of times in the night to put the dummy back in his mouth.
It was so good to spend quality time with Sienna too, as I haven't met her yet - she was born in November, so is 9 months old already. She and Zack are almost the same size, and certainly the same weight. The big difference is the development – she is far more advanced in motor skills (gross and fine), speech, appetite, mobility and cognition than Zack. I am keen to see what the next 5 months hold for our little chap having seen his cuz in action.
Sleep depro is ongoing. Zack seemed to be doing better, but then we moved him into the lounge so that our guests could have his room. And it all started up again. Thankfully it's not gone back to the 2.5 hour rotation, but it has meant getting up a number of times in the night to put the dummy back in his mouth.
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