six months means half way to 1

Zack is now six months old. what happ'ned ?

He has been joined in the last week, by three new friends :

Alexandra Andrews born last Tuesday. Congratulations to Yunhui, David and little Eppie


Timothy Bray on Sunday 24th Sept - Congratulations to Jenny & Richard

and Stephanie Bayley Dickinson also, on Sunday 24th Sept. Congratulations to Theresa and Dave.

cast comunique 1

Had an appointment at the Royal London's fracture clinic with the orthopedic surgeon. She tried to put the wind up me saying that Zack might need to go for a general anaesthetic today so that they can fit a new cast. That was completely out of the blue ! (I'm not sure why people do this... read on). Two staff members looked at his X-rays and then we were whisked off to the plaster room where they replaced his 'half cast' with a complete one. We even got to choose the colour and design - in an NHS hospital. Sadly the football motif was the only one not in stock (yeah, Keith and I, the last of the great footie fans), so I went for blue which won't show up the poo. The new cast goes as high up the leg as possible and back down to the toes (like the previous one). It is bright royal blue.

We went for an X-ray once the cast was hard, to see how the bone was sitting and whether or not they were going to have to consider the G.A. It didn't take long and we were back at the fracture clinic where they looked at the X-ray and decided it was all good to go. No need for the full body cast, no need for the G.A. Hhhmmm.... not sure what was going on this morning ?! Perhaps they make it their mission to scare the pants off you, so that if you are abusing your child, you don't do it again/ you stop. Lovely.

One of the girls from my NCT class lives a block and half from the hospital and we haven't seen one another over the summer, so Zack and I popped into Sandy's place for a visit with her and little Cloe. Cloe and Zack are exactly one month apart in age (she is one month older). We had a fun time - Cloe is a delight - just as full of smiles as Zack. It was wonderful to be in a home with lots of laughter and giggles, considering how delicate I'm feeling.

I had a wisdom tooth extracted yesterday at noon - it only took 1 minute and 20 seconds to take out (I was amazed - I'd been watching the clock), and I was free to go home. Corne had been looking after Zack, so I headed back to pick the bub up. By last night my mouth felt like it had been hit with a baseball bat. And we had to be up and heading for the bus by 8:15am this morning. Yes, it's been a bit rough at Chez Guthrie of late.

I feel awful : zack in plaster

Zack rolled over off his changing unit yesterday morning, and fell onto the floor. I was standing right there, and had just turned to put his nappy in the bin. He cried and cried - he let me hold him for more than an hour while the crying came and went. I wasn't sure if he'd just concussed himself, or if there was something more serious because he could move his arms and legs, hands and toes, his head from side to side, and was quite lucid. A little later, I tried to see if he would stand supported on my lap, but he wouldn't put any weight on his left leg, and I thought it was looking a bit swollen (it is so hard to tell as his legs are so chubby), so I went off to A&E at the Royal. The girls there were very sweet, and said that it happens often. I felt just awful - so guilty for changing his nappy, AND I'd been saying that he needed to be watched on raised surfaces. Boy oh boy.

Initially they thought it might just be sprained... all the while telling me how often this happens. But once we'd been for a few xrays, they could see that he'd fractured his femur above the knee. Plaster is what they do and Zack now has a cast from his hip to his toes. Poor little guy! I feel just terrible, and keep contemplating all that he'll be missing out on in the next 6 weeks. He's been SO mobile lately, wriggling around, flipping himself over at every opportunity. Well, that's how it happened, but still... I feel just awful about it.

I was saying to Keith, that the upside is that Zack did it while I was looking after him, and not Keith. We both laughed, but it's true - I would have been angry and annoyed at Keith, whereas Keith is being very supportive. Still, I feel awful about it happening. I can't even say, "I wasn't there." I was. If I didn't feel guilty about being a mummy, I do now.

Zack is doing OK - despite being in pain last night, he slept well, and was chipper and his usual self this morning. He's frustrated that he can't roll over, so I'm spending more time 'supervising' and assisting play, but we'll take it a day at a time. Poor little chap.

zackapoopalopalous

We have had our first family holiday in Greece - on the island of Skiathos. Zack made his entrance, and hence the title of this entry, with a big BANG. He made the biggest poo in Zack-history, as we landed. I was wearing a white blouse. Once inside the terminal building, the queue to the ladies loo was a mile long, and there weren't any baby changing facilities, so I found a corner in the arrivals hall and stripped the boy down, and between Keith and I we managed to clean him completely. I am now a good boy scout - I am ALWAYS PREPARED! Only snag was that I usually expect my trousers / skirt to get trashed in the event, but this was a first for the upper garment of the mother. Thankfully our suitcase soon came off the carousel and I could slip out of the yellow number, and into something fresh. Oh the joys !

Despite advice to the contrary we pursued feeding Zack 'solids' while away on holiday: he had apple cereal most days (not always for breakfast tho), and some water. The package holiday people supplied a travel cot for the little 'un, and it was fine - except that he was right next to our bed, so we woke up with every noise he made. It wasn't the most restful time I must confess - Keith and I slept best when the other had taken Zack off for a walk. Note to self for future holidays : we MUST have a separate room for baby !



Greece's weather never fails to deliver so we all got a bit of sun, and I was a faithful lotion applier, and am very proud of myself. Zack is barely a different shade from when he departed, unlike Mum who has a bit of a tan and plenty freckles. Yes, freckles are something I want to save Zack from - well, certainly the kind of "sun damage" freckles that I have. He took a bit of convincing to wear his sun-glasses (Baby Banz) but we finally got him into them one afternoon and he seemed quite happy. The only hiccup was the nose pieces pressed into his face, and he had marks when we took them off - he doesn't really have a bridge yet, his nose is quite flat.



The trusty McLaren pram/buggy came everywhere with us... on and off every conceivable form of transport (except our scooter), and I confess it's looking a little dusty and bashed. It's quite resilient though, and everything still functions - we even dragged it backwards through the beach-sand (you'll find that it's easier to do this than to try and push). We discussed the merits of prams very briefly with Jackie and Claudio (mates that were already out there on holiday) - Claudio's boss has told him that she went through at least twenty different prams with her two boys. I find that very difficult to believe, but even if it's true, who in their right mind would spend in excess of £3000 on prams ? Maybe she would like to part with the 18 or so that she didn't like - I'm sure we can find a noble cause ? ! !

K appears in....

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 !!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

4 months today !

tonight Zack and I celebrated his 4 month birthday with a trip into town - sweat sweat - to go and meet an old friend of mine, Jo. We haven't seen one another in almost a year, so it was introductions all 'round, and then Z kept himself entertained while Jo and I caught up on one another's news. He has discovered his hands, and I think he's got teeth on the way as he is chewing both hands simultaneously and drooling incessantly.

Zack has been sleeping quite well, despite the awfully hot weather. He's managing to do 6 hours with a little persuasion, and has even gone to 7 on one occasion. All hail the father tho', as the mother is too knackered to bother and is just as happy to get up and feed as to get up and replace dummy. Keith's latest suggestion is that we try and get him to sleep from 11pm until 7pm. This would be very, very nice. I don't know if it's possible - one can only try.

He seems to have grown again suddenly. His little head seems bigger, and his body seems longer in the torso. Every now and then I have moments when I think, "Oh wow, he's changed again." It's all happening at such a pace right now. Another thing he does alot of is wave one hand up and down, as if seeking to find something by bumping into it. He isn't too sure about clasping, but prefers to 'rake' and drag whatever he has managed to clasp towards his mouth. This is seldom successful, as he drops it en-route, or it isn't the right way 'round and bumps him in the head. So frustrating, but he perseveres with delightful heavy breathing - the sign of true concentration.


On Saturday Granny arrived from Johannesburg and we all drove out to the airport to meet her. Lots of excitement!

Sunday was aunty Elly's birthday party in Victoria Park, and it was great for Keith to meet little Ruby and little Anokye, as he'd missed the reunion being in NY on business. He and Matt got talking cameras, but not before firing off a good number of shots. We are STILL waiting for the fabulous lens - who knows how many more months ? !

little Anokye fast asleep

Kwame & Anokye, Keith & Zack (what's with the face dude ?)

farewells and welcomes

I join a group of mum's for bible study every Thursday morning in the Canary Wharf area. It has only been running for about 6 months but we've all benefited immeasurably from the group. Sadly one of the girls is moving back to Australia with her husband and little girl. Last Thursday was their last time with us, so we had a picnic in the park. As tends to happen, Cindy and Kelvin were at the doctor on the morning of the picnic because Esther was running a temperature. You wouldn't guess so from the photos...


cindy and little esther at their farewell picnic


the gaggle of mums and tots in Limehouse Park

Zack's great uncle Derk Jansen was passing through London on Saturday morning, en route back to Vancouver, so we drove out at dawn to meet him. We spent a good 4 hours just hanging out and talking about his trip to SA with the family (who are still there for another week or so). He also showed us his grandfather's passport which he'd got from Keith's mum while in Johannesburg - this is Keith's great-grandfather, so Zack's great-great-grandfather. He was born in Rijsenburg which is just outside (south-east) Utrecht. We were interested to see the vital statistics - height, eye colour, etc. I must confess that it's the first time I've seen a strong resemblance in the eyebrows... Keith and grandpa have an eyebrow thing going on.


a piece of family history


Uncle Derk and Z get acquainted

successszzzzzzzz

Saturday was Annabel's First Birthday Party and off we went for a big family lunch. Pete had fired up his BBQ and true to South African culture cooked enough meat to feed a small army. Annabel was the belle of the ball, with a gorgeous dress and pink fairy wings to match - too cute !


Peter, Helen, Annabel and my aunt and step uncle - Ilona and Vaughan - visiting from Johannesburg.

Zack is sleeping MUCH better now. He did 6 hours all by himself last night. We put him down after his 10pm feed and he 'rang' at 4am. Now that's more like it! I think Keith's commitment to the cause has really helped. I was concerned that more sleep would affect my milk supply but I've been expressing in the mornings and trying to get Zack to feed on both sides, so all seems to be in order.


Zack had a whale of a time at Annabel's party. Lots of attention - what babies love.

He's growing a pace and we went for our first weigh-in since birth yesterday. He is a robust 7.7kgs. Not bad going for a 3.5 month old boy. You're wondering why I haven't had him weighed before ? well, it's a schlepp (A) and our GP's scale has been broken (B) and getting ourselves out of the house on a Friday, the right Friday too as it's only on alternating weeks, is a bit of a task (C). Does that suffice ? In any case, he has been getting heavier and heavier and there has been no concern from our side with regards to his 'thriving' or not. There is no doubt - he is.

Bathtime is becoming a bit of a noisy event. For some reason, Zee thinks it's best to shout ALOT when Keith tries to dress or undress him. Not sure what it is, but if mummy does it, there is no fuss. I wonder how you break these funny little habits ? It's not as if Keith is doing anything different - I've watched and it's all the same. Kids man ! Sheesh.
At least he enjoys the actual bathing. I've decided that I'm terrible at it - the times I've put him in the tub, my back feels like it's going to crumble (worse than gardening) and he's SO slippery too. I guess that's what comes from division of labour - I don't feel confident doing someone else's job. Keith is the bath meister and the boys have bonding time doing it.

We're getting into a bit of a rhythm:
7pm - feed and then when dad gets home we have a bath and go to bed
10pm - wake him for a feed
>>> hopefully he sleeps for around 5 or 6 hours (maybe 7 one day!)
7am - hungry and time for more food, if not, then
10am - wake him for food, and then onto a 3 hour cycle.
I've tried to get him to take to a 3.5 hour cycle, but he resists, so we'll continue like this for now.

Circumcision report:
Completely healed and all looking well. No more icky bits hiding in the folds.

Bathtime with Dad last night

All change please

Zack was sleeping up to 5 hours at a stretch until 10 days ago... then the trip to Utrecht threw him right out. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week he was waking every 2,5 hours and mummy was a wreck. Enter Super-Dad aka Keithster with handy book - Baby Wise - and we're starting to re-write our child's sleep patterns. Wednesday night, Thursday night he only got water at his 1am feed, and on Friday night, Dad gave him just his dummy and some soothing words to tide him over. Saturday night he was stretched to 7 hours. Our book says that at this age - 15 weeks + and his weight 8kgs + - he should really be able to sleep through. So we're attempting to convince his little tummy and his metabolismic clock that it's OK to not eat at 1am and 4am. It's pretty tough going for both parents, but if you're feeling strong - and Keith seems to be - you can do it !

Here's hoping we'll be sleeping like logs in the next week or so. It will be such a blessing to my psyche.

Keith's mum, niece and sister arrive for 10 days in London, in just ten days time. We needed to get ourselves sorted out as Sienna (our niece of 8 months) is going to need a bed to sleep in and a car seat to travel in ! So off we went to Mothercare this morning and bought one on the sale. Hooray and good timing. Now all we need to do is find a travel cot and that's that. Roll on the visitors.

Congratulations to Maria & Barnaby on the birth of their baby boy last Saturday

Utrecht hoorah

zack, mum and dad on Saturday at the 'beach in the forest'


sadie makes quick work of brocolli florets

Zack and I went off to Utrecht together on Friday morning... Oooo, what a job it was. But we arrived safely and in one piece (my bleeding toe doesn't count). We were welcomed by Jeany (on a work deadline), Clint and Sadie. Keith came straight from work in the evening. We spent three lovely days together, cycling, drinking beer, enjoying the sunshine and one another's company. We wish it was even closer so we could do that every weekend in the summer.


lunchtime with Jeany and Sadie


About to depart with Sadie on the bike kiddie seat

Circumcision update:
Zack's plastibell came off at Schipol airport on Monday evening. He is just as cheerful and smiley as ever, though Keith and I still look at the wound with trepidation. I'm hoping it'll dry out and heal more and more, as it still looks red and angry. These things take time I guess.

the big C

Circumcision...

Yes, we've finally taken the plunge and Zack is sans foreskin. It certainly took long enough for the NHS to get their act together. To anyone reading this who's considering circumcising their baby - find someone who'll do it for you in the first weeks of life or/and go private! My friend Elly got the local Rabbi to circumcise her son, and I know of friends in Wimbledon who've had their sons 'done' by their GP, and the 'egyptian man' too. If we have another son, that's what I'll be doing.

The Mile End Hospital only uses the Plastibell method of circumcision, and the procedure is explained on this web page:
http://www.cirp.org/library/procedure/plastibell

Mum and dad are more stressed out than little Zee. He was so chilled through the entire procedure. Little Mohammed that went in before him (yes, Tuesdays is Circumcision afternoon - the place was bursting at the seams with little boys) screamed from the minute the doors closed, until well after Zack came out of the theatre. Zack seems to have taken it all in his stride, again, and gave me a big smile this evening when I changed his rather bloody nappy. Poor Keith had to take a moment to lie down while he was bathing Zack, so I took over and dried our boy and made sure the bleeding wasn't too much. He's on infant paracetamol to ease the pain and I'm hoping he'll heal really quickly. If his umbilical chord is anything to go by, he should be fine by this time next week ! He has been incredibly brave for a 3 month old.

Meditations on Motherhood and Parenting in General

I've recently started reading two books - 'Life after Birth' and 'Raising Boys'. Both are worthwhile reads thus far. I can't promise that I'll finish them - that's too much to promise right now BUT... what I've taken from them, I've found very helpful and thought provoking.

Keith and I were talking last night about IDENTITY and how things change inexorably once you become a parent. When you give birth, you are suddenly stripped of so much that you took for granted as your identity, and in the weeks and months that follow you spend alot of time soul-searching, and trying to find some of those things you 'used' to be. Naturally there's resentment and frustration, but being able to talk to Keith about it has really helped. I don't think that we've spoken about everything, but we've made a start and that has taken a huge load off my mind. That, and reading these books. It's all about normalisation - popular culture and some of the crap that they feed you in the media puts you under enormous strain to 'be' something or 'do' certain things. In hindsight I can see that we've made some mistakes, decisions that I would do differently now, but (to quote my cousin's wife, Mandy) "You don't know what you don't know", and that's a great truth. We're just plodding along, and hoping to make the right choices. I'm grateful for the resources that are out there. I need to make more use of them !


mum, zack and jackie in Cowes, Isle of Wight

a little dip

The heat in London continues, and Zack went for his first swim yesterday. He was very calm throughout and didn't really splash around an awful lot. He enjoyed being bounced in and out of the water, but paddling around and floating were done with the same unperturbed manner he seems to manage so much of life. Anokye (his mate) on the other hand was splashing around - arms and legs going beserk - swallowing oodles of water, and having a whale of a time. Great fun ! Because it's indoors we may yet be swimming in the middle of winter, so watch this space.
I hope to post a photo next time.

Zack is starting to grasp things, but I don't know how concious he is of it. He certainly resists letting go once he's got a hold on whatever it is (particularly my hair). He is also holding his head up more and more when he's propped up. I weighed him on Friday last week and he's already 7kgs. Growing and growing !

Congratulations to our friends in Chicago - Ryan and Lanelle on the safe arrival of their baby girl yesterday, 20th June.

football and hot hot hot

This past week has been a scorcher and this baby is drinking his way through it. Many of the other mums have been offering their bubs water, but I haven't tried that yet. Zack seems to be managing on milk, even chilled milk is going down. I'm so grateful to Dean and Emma for their advice - You don't need to heat baby's milk, they are quite happy having cold milk and anyway you're making work for yourself if you have to rush around looking for a way of heating up the milk you've got with you ! How very true.

here are the boys on Daniel's baby gym

Yesterday Zack and I took the DLR and the bus to New Cross Gate to visit Lizzie and Daniel. Z and D are just 2 days apart in age, and had a ball on Daniel's baby gym together. It was fun seeing Liz and catching up on the past ten weeks of events and development. I'm hoping we'll all get a chance to be together - Dean, Emma, Liz, David, Keith and I - before the summer is out.


Zack is now officially a Brit ! His passport arrived the other day which means we can now do some travelling abroad. First destination will be Holland to visit Clint, Jeany and Sadie.

Zack is making more and more of his hands - he now sucks them and rubs his eyes a bit. He's also taking a fancy to my hand if it's within reach of his mouth. How did we get to this developmental stage so quickly ? He's supposed to be such a wee chap. In the last 48 hours, he's also started holding up his head a little. It's so funny - one moment he's leaning back and the next he's doubled over, with his cute little fat chin. Too cute !

shots

Whew ! another week goes whizzing by...

Zack went for his shots on Tuesday and contrary to my expectations (hey, this happens alot when you have a baby) he was fine. There was no temperature, no whingy baby, a bit grumpy but then it is awfully hot at the moment, and generally he came through it all quite well. Two small plasters on his thighs is all he has to show for it.

At the end of last week I really felt like I was losing the plot. An accumulation of late nights / sleepless nights, the weather being rotten, being trapped inside because Zack wasn't well and I didn't want him getting sick, all made for a pretty unhappy mummy. Keith is a real pillar of strength at times like these and I can cry on his shoulder and he says great things like, "I can be strong for both of us", which is exactly what this tearful mummy wants to hear.

Well, to make things better Keith agreed that we could go out on Friday night, so after having supper we went up to West India Quay and watched X-Men III with Zack in the sling. Boy, do I look back on that and think, "Ruth, you must be crazy!". It was really noisy - funny how you forget that action films have sound that makes your kidney stones disintegrate. But his highness just slept blissfully through the whole film, what a laugh. I was more worried about his hearing getting damaged than he was!


Saturday was a glorious day, and we went off to Smithfields to buy meat with some mates. Then a delicious brunch at S.O.S. before coming home again. The weather was far too good to spend the day indoors, so at around 3pm I started walking to Greenwich with the pram. Keith got on his bike and cycled down to the barber, had his haircut, then cycled home again, pumped his tyres and then cycled down to the foot-tunnel where he caught up with me. Notice the length of time taken on foot! It was eventful though, as everyone was watching the football with England leading 5-0 over Jamaica, and the pubs spilling out onto the pavement with everyone shouting the odds. it was great fun!

Keith took me to see a dining hall in the Naval Buildings which was completely covered in tromp l'oiel. Something special to see.


Greenwich park was heaving with people, and we put our picnic blanket down and I had barely touched the ground and was overcome by sleep. Nothing like a bit of sunshine to put you under. We stayed until 7pm, and then drifted out of the park and back home on the train.

more news as soon as i get a chance...
here's a pic of aunty nix and aunty jax on wed

bubbity boo

bathtime with Dad on Wed 31st of May 2006

It's the first of june and I'm aware that things are still running along at a lick. We have almost one full bag of baby-gros that don't fit anymore and I was chatting to Kate on Tuesday, only to hear that Bethany is the same weigh as Zack and she's almost 6 months old ! Apparently boys are like that, Megan tells me.

My brain is still mush and right now I'm blaming it on the breast-feeding. I feel like there's a fog and I'm straining to see through it. Thick treacle and all that.
I decided to bunk the immunisation session on Tuesday at the doctor's rooms as Z was full of cold and not a happy camper, and I was feeling shattered after the weekend's driving.

We had a wonderful time in Scotland altho it was a very long way to drive for just a day or so together. Pia & Geoff were fabulous, and we felt so welcome and at home! We hope to get back up there before the end of the year to spend more time together and see even more of the surrounding countryside. Did you know that it doesn't get dark that far north in the summertime? - yeah, it's a bit like being in Scandinavia.


Zack thinks Jessica and Stacey are just the bees' knees.


Geoff goes ga-ga for Zack.


Pia doesn't manage to escape the Zack-magic either - he can even do it when he's asleep. Amazing !

I have bought some shampoo for the ever-worsening cradle cap. The olive oil is OK, but messy and Zack seems to get annoyed when we try and put it on him. I'm hoping the shampoo does the trick. I will report back.

news update :
Patrick's photos are now on the web, thanks to dad Eric. Check them out !!!

9 weeks och aye

Zack is 9 weeks old tomorrow, and I'm guessing is weighing in at around 6.3kgs if not more. He is doing very, very well and I thought I'd mark the occasion by noting some of the little developmental items that have gone on in the past while.

He is starting to say "a-goo" more and more. This is usually followed by smiles and chortles. He is responding to smiles and can give you a real dazzler when he wants to. This does wonders for every mummie's heart!

He went for 6 hours between feeds on Tuesday night (this is remarkable because he is usually on a 3 hour cycle), and I felt like a million bucks after all that sleep. I hadn't notice how much I was suffering from sleep deprivation, until I took a note of my mood the following day : I was upbeat, happy, coping really well, and feeling quite chirpy. I don't expect him to do quite so well every night, but I do hope it's the start of good things. He was back to a 3-hour cycle the next night, but he managed to do 4.5 hours last night.

He has been wearing no.2 Pampers nappies until now, and it occured to me this week that he is now beyond the 6kgs on the guide, so I should get him some larger ones. That means our little bub is going onto no.3's already. Whew ! it all happens so fast.
Also I took out some T-shirts for him to wear today, and noticed that they barely fit him anymore and I haven't put him in them at all. Tsk tsk. This is why I need Keith - he has set up a system of baby clothes so that I know what the next 'set' of sizes UP are, and can pull them out the drawer. It's odd how some of the stuff is good for weeks and weeks (eg. he can still fit into the yellow baby grow that we brought him home from the hospital in), and then other things, you can forget ! They just don't do up anymore.

He has had cradle cap (infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis) the last two weeks, and it's been particularly bad on his eyebrows. I'm medicating it with olive oil, as directed by the midwife, and it seems to be making a big difference. The problem is that he rubs it (oil) off every time you hug him, because he loves to nuzzle your shoulder. It's not too nice to look at, but doesn't seem to cause him too much discomfort.

We love skype ! and we love to talk to uncle Andy. It's wonderful being able to stay in touch and now to share pictures - as we both have a webcam !

Yesterday I went walking with Trish (and Caitlan) and Elly (and Anokye) up in Victoria Park. It was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL afternoon, and we breezed around the park and looked at the sky, the trees, the geese, the children playing. It has been so good to get to know that part of London a bit better as we tend to isolate ourselves to the Docklands and Vicky Park, as it is affectionately known, is such a boon for a mum who needs to stretch her legs out-of-doors.

We are driving up to Scotland for the Bank Holiday weekend. We will visit my mum's cousin Geoff and his wife Pia. It's going to be fab ! I must say that I was a bit silly in reckoning the travelling time, but they say it'll take us around 7 hours, which is not too bad. I just hope that Zack holds out for that long in the car - it can be quite tedious for little 'uns. A neighbour has offered us a horizontal sleeping cot that you can strap into the car and I would like to take her up on it.

Otherwise all we have to say is "Och Aye" and off we goooooo !

(back next week with photos of hairy coooos and all that)

survival tip no.1 - sleep when baby sleeps !

Well, you didn't hear it from me.
In fact, I've heard it from almost everyone else and still not put it into practice until recently. You know when you're brought to your knees by the situation that it's time to take some good old home-spun advice and DO IT, like the Nike advert says. So we did... in a manner of speaking.

Last night we fed Zack at 10:30pm, after giving him a bath and all was calm and delicious. Keith put him to bed, and we both rushed around doing things until midnight (our usual sad-O bed time). I remember looking at the clock and it said 00:22, although I know that Keith keeps it running about 10 minutes fast. It's still a bit of a gloomy announcement when you know you probably have 50 minutes to get some shut-eye before the little growling noises turn into a wail of starvation and armageddon.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up at 04:27 to a little cry.

Whoohoooooo ! ! !
Our baby has done the six hour stretch for the first time !
What a feeling of elation, and pride. I know that I'm feeling as good as I am today because I've had more than 2 hours of undisturbed sleep for the first time in 2 months. It also makes me see how my coping ability in the past week has been getting worse and worse - especially with the fever and infection. I feel great now.

I'm hoping we can help Zack sleep longer more often. We will see what happens.

mastitis roundabout

zack is now 8 weeks + 2 days old. I have managed to come down with mastitis again and this time it's been N-A-S-T-Y!!! I had a raging temperature from Friday evening until Sunday morning. Life seems to turn into a haze of sweat, shivering, feeding baby and trying desperately to sleep. Not nice at all. I thought the worst was over and went out for a lovely lunch with friends yesterday afternoon. I felt great.
Then last night when I got to bed after the midnight feed - so that's almost ten to one - I started feeling chilly again. Thankfully I could snuggle up to Keith and drift in and out of sleep. But I kept waking drenched in sweat, knowing I needed to get up and feed Zack. Yuck ! yuck ! yuck !

I don't wish mastitis on anyone, it is just revolting.

Amazingly, when I rang the doctor's rooms this morning they'd had a cancellation and could see me at noon. (what are the chances on the NHS???) So off I toddled, and now I'm on another stint of antibiotics. This time a heavier dose than before, and I'm hoping the penicillin kicks the infection for good.

Zack has been steadfast in his feeding though, so that's made things easier. He is happy to feed on both breasts and I'm going to try and express from the infected breast to try and clear the infection. The doctor tells me that mastitis is an infection of the tissue, so there is no cross-over to the actual milk supply. It makes sense, but I think all mums worry.

Wonderful news : more babies in the world !

Luke Andre de Oude - 14th May 2006
a baby boy for Walt and Cindy in Singapore

Patrick James de Oude - 22nd May 2006
a baby boy for Eric and Emma in Guildford, UK and a cousin to Luke

How awesome !

tues must be blocked ducts

went to norfolk with mum to show her the beautiful countryside and managed to head straight into a blocked duct. Thankfully I had some advice from a friend in the back of my mind, so took a warm bath and got out my comb and used that to massage the ducts. Using your thumbs just seems to bruise, so a comb offers steady, constant pressure. Hey it worked !

Had a lovely time in Norfolk, although it was TERRIBLY FAR to drive for just 2 days. Zack was very good, and we had a fun time driving through the countryside.

A night in with the girls !

Tonight, Zack, Mum and I hosted the NCT reunion. We had a good turnout - only 2 cancellations and 2 no-shows. It was great to see all the girls (and boys) and catch up on what's transpired in the 3 months since we saw one another last.



Caitlin while she was up and running, earlier in the evening.


Zack was in with some stiff competition from the other lads - Sonny and Fred. The girls were looking mighty fine, with little Ruby directing and Caitlin having a quick ZZZzz during the proceedings. Delightful !