At the park... in the car on the way back from the Cotswalds.. at the other park, and at the pick your own strawberries farm. These are good times, if tiring and overwhelming. But already I am sad in anticipation that they'll end so fast.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
In motion
Annika's first four months have flown past. She's asleep, in the bedroom, on "my" side of the bed. Amps is out at the pub. Nina's in bed - her bedtime's great now. Annika, however, until 2 nights ago, spent her evenings in the living room with us, alternately breastfeeding and dozing on the sofa. This thing about spending time alone in a bed, any bed, even mine, is new to her. I've been in to settle her twice already. She sleeps with me, and Amps is exiled to the hard futon in Nina's room, poor guy. I never intended to co-sleep, but the thing is, the operative part of "co-sleeping" is sleeping. It's always felt like it's that or co-waking. Since day one it's meant that I spend the bulk of the night actually asleep, though it's broken up. And I can feed her without really waking up, or not usually waking up, not much. Every night I consider putting her in her cot. Most days, at some point in the day, it occurs to me that it might be a good idea to get her sleeping in her own cot. Occasionally I even try it, only to have her cry an hour later (where otherwise she would have slept for 3 or 4 hours). Every night I give in, put her on my side of the bed and go back to sleep. In 2 months I'm supposed to be going to Boston for a few days, and every day, it occurs to me that I've no idea how Amps is ever going to cope.
In other news, for those readers (if there are any out there) who don't know already, we are moving to London. It turns out that this is expensive (breaking news!). We are attempting to purchase a small, non-period, 3 bedroom house in a pretty good location in North London, and the process is very frustrating. I have a cool new job, in a location so expensive that we can't live near it. We're looking forward to it, except that I'll have to commute across London every day with both the girls. Tube, bike ... not sure how it'll go.
Today I picked up my lovely children from their nursery, where Annika has now learned how to drink milk from a bottle (after gently starving herself for 7 hours the first long day we left her there). And they gave me this:
It's a picture of me! It's a birthday card - not sure why it appeared today, whether it was made today, or was sitting in Nina's bag for a while. But it's awesome. I am so excited about all the amazing drawings I know she'll make. My mum still talks about our drawings, about coming into my room and finding all these treasures. Some of my brother's, and I guess one or two of mine, are framed in their house. His penguin is just awesome. Nina liked that I was excited about it, so she made this:
The figure at the bottom is me. The circle above my head is her - Nina's head, which has one arm reaching towards me, and the other reaching skywards, with fingers and everything. Apart from the occasional bus and plane (both of which I've posted here, I think), her drawing is mainly scribbles, colours, and the occasional surprisingly well-formed A or 5 or O or C.
I feel like we - Nina and I - had a subtle, and minor, rough patch since Annika arrived, and it's clearing now. On Saturday, we tried to go to her gymnastics - just a free play toddler session at a gymastics place. It was closed, and I braced myself for her to be just so disappointed; after all, I was disappointed but I tried not to show it. Just across from it, there is a very minimal, somewhat run-down, little playground with a slide. I laughed with her, went down the slide after her, chased her jokingly around, jumped with her off the little benches, and she loved it. I guess I don't do those things when I have the baby to watch, or a friend to chat with. I want to make sure to do them more. It's so charming, how good-natured she is, how robust. It was bittersweet, in that there were beer cans on the ground, and, er, evidence of drug use. Of course she didn't care, but I was sad to see these markers of "the other side of town", and yet at the same time, so charmed to see her so happy.
Preschooler in motion:
In other news, for those readers (if there are any out there) who don't know already, we are moving to London. It turns out that this is expensive (breaking news!). We are attempting to purchase a small, non-period, 3 bedroom house in a pretty good location in North London, and the process is very frustrating. I have a cool new job, in a location so expensive that we can't live near it. We're looking forward to it, except that I'll have to commute across London every day with both the girls. Tube, bike ... not sure how it'll go.
Today I picked up my lovely children from their nursery, where Annika has now learned how to drink milk from a bottle (after gently starving herself for 7 hours the first long day we left her there). And they gave me this:
It's a picture of me! It's a birthday card - not sure why it appeared today, whether it was made today, or was sitting in Nina's bag for a while. But it's awesome. I am so excited about all the amazing drawings I know she'll make. My mum still talks about our drawings, about coming into my room and finding all these treasures. Some of my brother's, and I guess one or two of mine, are framed in their house. His penguin is just awesome. Nina liked that I was excited about it, so she made this:
I feel like we - Nina and I - had a subtle, and minor, rough patch since Annika arrived, and it's clearing now. On Saturday, we tried to go to her gymnastics - just a free play toddler session at a gymastics place. It was closed, and I braced myself for her to be just so disappointed; after all, I was disappointed but I tried not to show it. Just across from it, there is a very minimal, somewhat run-down, little playground with a slide. I laughed with her, went down the slide after her, chased her jokingly around, jumped with her off the little benches, and she loved it. I guess I don't do those things when I have the baby to watch, or a friend to chat with. I want to make sure to do them more. It's so charming, how good-natured she is, how robust. It was bittersweet, in that there were beer cans on the ground, and, er, evidence of drug use. Of course she didn't care, but I was sad to see these markers of "the other side of town", and yet at the same time, so charmed to see her so happy.
Preschooler in motion:
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Three!
Three years ago today - in fact, three years less 23 minutes from right now - we were in the hospital having Nina. I can't believe she's 3, although I've kind of been thinking of her as my three-year-old for a couple of months because she just doesn't seem 2 at all. I got one of the emails, from mumsnet or babycentre or whatever, about 'your child at 36 months'. It said that she'll be able to make 3-4 word sentences with good grammar! Well ... Nina can say things like: "well, I'm not going to be afraid of the rain anymore, because if it rains, I'll just wear my wellies, but the rain does sometimes hit me in the eye ... so we should bring an umbrella". She knows most of the letters. She can pick them out on the keyboard, and when prompted by what sound comes next, can type simple words: Nina, Mummy, Papa, Gramma (obviously I didn't bother with Grandma), cot, cat, etc. She can pick them out of a pile of floating letters in the bath. She can scoot so fast on her scooter, she can balance a 2-wheeler with no pedals. She can sing, and with reasonable accuracy she can repeat a simple sung phrase though it helps if she happens to like the words. She can jump, and can even hop on one foot. She can do somersaults. She can hold herself up, hips to a bar, and flip over upside down. She can count. She can play memory, with a deck of cards. She can make very quick work of a 15-piece puzzle. She can assemble her toy plane with her little screwdriver (prompting the occasional very inappropriate-sounding comment about 'screwing').
I told her that if we'd had two babies (instead of just Annika), I would have gone crazy. She later said that if we had one of Pingu's babies, there would be two and Mummy would be crazy. She got her doll baby, put it beside Annika and said "now you're crazy, Mummy!". We were walking to the zoo and I said I had two girls, and she said, no, there are three girls (counting me). I asked how many we'd be if Papa was here, and she said '4'. And if Papa and Andrew were here? --5. That was more than a month ago. She can understand that we don't do certain things because it might make people feel sad or hurt, and she can offer to do things that I've said will make me happy. She used to say that when Annika came, she'd hold her for me so I could run. She knows that we don't talk about fat tummies because people might feel sad. She wanted to wait before we had our cookies so that Andrew could share some.
Perhaps most impressively of all - if it is explained to her that it's still sleep time, because it's 6am in a hotel room and we have jet lag - she can talk quietly to herself for 15 minutes and then go back to sleep.
Nina - will you ever read this? Know that I am insanely proud of you, all the amazing things you do, how kind and loving you are, how you can understand how people feel, how gentle and sweet you are to your new sister. The day you were born transformed us completely. I'll never have a day when I don't think of you and love you and wonder at how much you've made my life richer.
I told her that if we'd had two babies (instead of just Annika), I would have gone crazy. She later said that if we had one of Pingu's babies, there would be two and Mummy would be crazy. She got her doll baby, put it beside Annika and said "now you're crazy, Mummy!". We were walking to the zoo and I said I had two girls, and she said, no, there are three girls (counting me). I asked how many we'd be if Papa was here, and she said '4'. And if Papa and Andrew were here? --5. That was more than a month ago. She can understand that we don't do certain things because it might make people feel sad or hurt, and she can offer to do things that I've said will make me happy. She used to say that when Annika came, she'd hold her for me so I could run. She knows that we don't talk about fat tummies because people might feel sad. She wanted to wait before we had our cookies so that Andrew could share some.
Perhaps most impressively of all - if it is explained to her that it's still sleep time, because it's 6am in a hotel room and we have jet lag - she can talk quietly to herself for 15 minutes and then go back to sleep.
Nina - will you ever read this? Know that I am insanely proud of you, all the amazing things you do, how kind and loving you are, how you can understand how people feel, how gentle and sweet you are to your new sister. The day you were born transformed us completely. I'll never have a day when I don't think of you and love you and wonder at how much you've made my life richer.
 |
| Three years old today! |
My view from here
I'll post properly soon. Promise. Here's a photo to try out this blogger app on my phone...
Sunday, 22 May 2011
more moments
Friday: Nina's nursery's head called. The scooter was taken home by accident, by a boy's nanny, who didn't realise that he hadn't brought it that day. They brought it back the next morning. This was, of course, the most likely scenario, since of course the street value of a 50£ scooter is well under 50£, and all. Nina was really happy. Annika fell asleep in her pram and we walked over to get it, with Nina happily skipping and jumping the whole way. Seeing her jump along in her cute little red raincoat with hearts on it: awesome.
Later that day, Annika did a little giggle for me. Unlike Nina she loves the change table and she'll lie there cooing happily. I was smiling at her and she did an extra-big smile with a 'heh' in it that was soooo close to a giggle: awesome.
Yesterday, hmmm what did we do yesterday. I draw a blank. Today I took Annika to the street curry night at a neighbour's house, and it was great to get out, and I had a great time, and she did some beautiful smiles after insisting on basically breastfeeding the entire time. The group were impressed that she makes these adorable communication attempts, little ooh's and aah's and 'hiiiieeee's ', alternating with her incredible smiles, and all with wide, open, eyes.
But yesterday? ummmmmm... oh yeah, we went to the local playground... Nina climbed up a steep path and displayed much strength swinging on bars, and Annika had a really really good long nap. Nina's amazing on her new scooter; she can use the brake and everything. I guess we did something in the morning, maybe puzzles? How fast this time vanishes.
Later that day, Annika did a little giggle for me. Unlike Nina she loves the change table and she'll lie there cooing happily. I was smiling at her and she did an extra-big smile with a 'heh' in it that was soooo close to a giggle: awesome.
Yesterday, hmmm what did we do yesterday. I draw a blank. Today I took Annika to the street curry night at a neighbour's house, and it was great to get out, and I had a great time, and she did some beautiful smiles after insisting on basically breastfeeding the entire time. The group were impressed that she makes these adorable communication attempts, little ooh's and aah's and 'hiiiieeee's ', alternating with her incredible smiles, and all with wide, open, eyes.
But yesterday? ummmmmm... oh yeah, we went to the local playground... Nina climbed up a steep path and displayed much strength swinging on bars, and Annika had a really really good long nap. Nina's amazing on her new scooter; she can use the brake and everything. I guess we did something in the morning, maybe puzzles? How fast this time vanishes.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
moments
Annika's 8 weeks now. It's flown past, and of course we knew it would. I already feel like she's growing up too fast, it's going by too fast, where's my newborn? This baby's getting big! She's gained more that 25% of her birth weight. She can almost hold her head up. She makes amazingly adorable little noises. She slept for 5 hours!! Two nights in a row! (Wish she'd do that in her crib ... but still).
Nina can balance a 2-wheel balance bike, she can coast along on a scooter, and she can do very simple additions, like: if Papa and Andrew were here, how many would be have? --5! She got invited to a birthday party, her little friend Alfie from nursery. This was her first party where it wasn't through us knowing the parents; she made her own friend. It was so cute. They had Jo Jingles, which is a woman who does toddler songs and all the toddlers jump and sing and do various movements and so on. We've been hearing about it since November and we finally saw it, including well-known favourites like 'no more monkey business jumping on the bed' and 'everybody do this, do this, everybody do this just like me'. Her scooter got stolen, or maybe just lost, at nursery today, which was of course very sad and made me feel pretty stupid although A. was the one who left it there.
But back to Annika. I can't shake the sad feeling of how transitory this all is, the urge to record it (and I'm good at taking pictures and videos, just terrible at uploading them). So I want to start writing about some of the moments, those moments that happen every day, if only for a few seconds, that make babyhood amazing. So here's today's.
A. and I went to Cafe Nero today while Annika was having an extremely long nap in her carrycot. I started reading this book by Jodi Picoult, 'Sing you home', which starts with the narrator losing a pregnancy, and it's so movingly written ... Anyway Annika woke up, saw me, smiled the most amazing, blissed-out smiles straight at me, as soon as she saw I was there: these really recognizing, perfect, smiles, smiles of pure untainted, uncomplicated, innocent, bliss, and then she went back to sleep. I hope I never ever forget those smiles.
Nina can balance a 2-wheel balance bike, she can coast along on a scooter, and she can do very simple additions, like: if Papa and Andrew were here, how many would be have? --5! She got invited to a birthday party, her little friend Alfie from nursery. This was her first party where it wasn't through us knowing the parents; she made her own friend. It was so cute. They had Jo Jingles, which is a woman who does toddler songs and all the toddlers jump and sing and do various movements and so on. We've been hearing about it since November and we finally saw it, including well-known favourites like 'no more monkey business jumping on the bed' and 'everybody do this, do this, everybody do this just like me'. Her scooter got stolen, or maybe just lost, at nursery today, which was of course very sad and made me feel pretty stupid although A. was the one who left it there.
But back to Annika. I can't shake the sad feeling of how transitory this all is, the urge to record it (and I'm good at taking pictures and videos, just terrible at uploading them). So I want to start writing about some of the moments, those moments that happen every day, if only for a few seconds, that make babyhood amazing. So here's today's.
A. and I went to Cafe Nero today while Annika was having an extremely long nap in her carrycot. I started reading this book by Jodi Picoult, 'Sing you home', which starts with the narrator losing a pregnancy, and it's so movingly written ... Anyway Annika woke up, saw me, smiled the most amazing, blissed-out smiles straight at me, as soon as she saw I was there: these really recognizing, perfect, smiles, smiles of pure untainted, uncomplicated, innocent, bliss, and then she went back to sleep. I hope I never ever forget those smiles.
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