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 !!!