Lots of firsts

We've had a few firsts here this week. Jack started walking on Friday morning. I suspect his primary motivation in finally using his legs may be laziness. If it is I know he got that from me - I'm so proud. He wanted to get from the kitchen cupboard to his wooden walker. It was about two steps worth - not really worth the effort of getting down on his knees, crawling, and getting back up again. So he went for it - two whole steps! I was washing the dishes and almost missed the whole thing. Which made me wonder if he hasn't been walking behind my back for ages Lou and Andy style. He's a little bit wobbly and tends to launch himself at whatever he is walking towards - me generally. He looks very, very proud of himself. And I am extremely overexcited! Who knew such a simple thing could give you such a buzz.

I am baby - see me stand!

Also this week Jack started 'posting' items in the bin. I didn't realise this until I emptied the bin and found my old mobile phone nestling underneath the bin bag. I did wonder prior to that where my wooden spoon had gone but figured it would turn up sooner or later. It seems that my potato masher has also been sent for recycling. I'm not sure what other items we've lost thanks to 'Frugal Fischler'.

Jack went on a swing for the first time yesterday - loved it!



In another first, Alexis and I hired a babysitter and headed out for some couple time. As a nod in the direction of romance, I put on make-up and upgraded my usual uniform of Bonds nursing vest and K-mart pants which have-seen-better-days to proper underwear. I even shaved my legs. We went out and stuffed ourselves full of Thai food followed by substandard Argentinian ice cream. The streets were full of kids wearing their beer coats and not much else - which never ceases to amaze me when it's cold outside. Alexis said we had marked ourselves as 'old' by walking along in our sensible coats and him wearing a beanie. But I reckon I always wore a coat in winter. Crazy kids. At 10 o'clock we dutifully headed home and lay, stupidly full of food, in front of the TV until almost comatose. Alas, a full stomach and romance of the jiggy jiggy variety are sorely incompatible.

As punishment for going out without him Jack woke up every few hours throughout the night. He does have a blocked nose and conjunctivitis but still. In an unusual turn of events we did manage to get him to sleep in till 9am. Small mercies.

Misnomer baby

So the other first is that Jack has suspected conjunctivitis. Which makes nursery a bit awkward as Alexis and I must assess who has the greater need to be at work on Monday. I read somewhere that breast milk is great for clearing it up. And what do you know it works! I mean, like, in minutes:

INTERESTING FACT: Many people treat conjunctivitis by applying a small amount of breast milk to the affected eye. A particular antibody in the breast milk, called immunoglobulin A, prevents the pink eye bacteria from attaching to the mucosal surface of the eye. This limits the growth of the bacteria, helping to end the eye infection.

So we might both be going to work on Monday - keep those fingers crossed.

Top tip for readers - ask a lactating woman to help you out next time your eyes get sore. Of course she won't think you're weird. She is just waiting for the opportunity to squirt milk in your eye.

Happy Birthday Jack!

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Retrospective of Jack is on hold while I continue with keeping on top of very important activities such as washing, cooking, bathing. In the meantime...

Jack is bathed, ready for bed and zipped into his sleeping bag. He is having a rummage through his book drawer - all the cupboards/drawers within reach of Jack are now his. As he gets taller and more mobile we are gradually relocating all dangerous/adult items higher and higher up throughout the house. The house gets gradually messier over time as we run out of high-altitude storage space for our things.

Alexis is on his way home from his Friday night treat - swim, sauna and jacuzzi. Hopefully armed with a bottle of wine and some takeaway.

We had a little tea party for Jack's birthday on Sunday. He was taking a nap when most the guests arrived and was initially somewhat perplexed as to why the living room was full of big people. He received lots of lovely toys and clothes. Thanks everyone who came to the party and everyone who posted him presents :)



He got his very first pair of shoes. I tried putting them on him on Monday for nursery but he cried until I took them off again.

Everyone talks about how fast the first year goes. I guess time always looks condensed when you're looking back. For me it feels like it's been a long year! I guess we did a lot with our round-the-world trip in the middle. I'm sure it won't seem like long before I turn around to see a strapping 16 year old in front of me and I'll wonder where my baby went.

I am back at work three days a week. After an initial few weeks of guilt settling Jack into nursery we all seem to be managing with the new set-up. Work is brilliant - if only because I get some time to myself away from Jack. It's hard being parents without family nearby. You rarely get a break. When Jack is on an even keel and you are well rested it's all good and manageable. Today for example, apart from a small meltdown in the supermarket because he was due for a nap - my fault for pushing him too far - he was so cute and smiley and he has started to throw his arms round my neck for a hug. When it's like that he's a pleasure to be with. But sometimes you're tired, Jack's tired, or teething or just whingeing for the sake of whingeing and it wears you down...then you think...WHY exactly did I think it was a good idea to have a baby???!!

All the new stages seem overwhelmingly unmanageable at the start like going back to work and putting Jack in childcare. Then suddenly you get into the swing of it and it doesn't seem any harder than anything you've done before. I'm only working three days a week which makes a massive difference. I don't have any mum-guilt about my baby spending more time with strangers than with me. And the house doesn't get too out of control in those three days.

It is a massively life-changing thing having a baby. Everyone tells you so but you can't fully comprehend it until it happens to you. So if you like things the way they are....don't have any kids! Although sometimes your hormones make the decision for you and then you just have to make the best of it.

It is cool watching him grow and learn. I love the way he watches the world so intently. The way he wants to touch and explore everything - except for the way he always wants to play with the laptop when I'm on it. That's just plain annoying. The way he is figuring out how things work. They go from small and helpless to, well still pretty small and helpless but he can do things now like help you get him undressed. When he's holding onto the bathtub he helps you out by lifting one leg then the other when you take his jeans off and then swapping his hands over when you take his top off. It's so cute!

Hope this post find everyone happy and healthy.
Kisses from Oz
xxxx

Party photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=273494&id=855875421&l=6d63f3deb0

Baby Jack facts for trivia buffs:

Weight: 9400g
Height: 73.5cm
Favourite toy: Saucepans
Favourite food: Banana, Corn on the cob
First words: Banana, Hiya/Hola (whilst simultaneously holding a phone or calculator to his head)
Likes: The toilet, putting the toilet seat up and down,dropping things in the toilet, pressing all the keys on the laptop, making Indian 'woh-woh-woh' noises with his hand over his mouth, seeing how far he can throw food in the kitchen.