W prepares for her first night out with friends. I'm staying at home with little J.
W: (checking her coat pockets) Got my wallet and keys and phone...
Me: And Oyster card?
W: Oh yes, and... and...
Me: What else?
W: (surprised) Nothing else! (laughs) I'm so used to getting all the baby stuff together every time I go out...
Me: Now you don't need to worry about any of it. Daddy's got the boy...
W: I feel very light.
Me: You'll get used to it. Have a lovely evening.
I wish there was another story about the adventures of Daddy and little J, but the night went (is going) very smoothly!
Friday, 25 November 2011
Monday, 21 November 2011
Smiler
My little boy has a lovely smile.
Me: I can't stop telling people how nice it is to see him smile.
W: Well it is rather lovely.
Me: But when I tell them, most people always say 'Are you sure it's not wind?'
W: Sometimes it is.
Me: I suppose.
W: You can see it in his eyes when he's happy.
Me: Yeah (smiles). And sometimes he's copying me.
W: Sometimes he seems to smile as an acknowledgement.
Me: That brief half smile he does?
W: Yes, my Mum said it reminded her of Grandad.
Me: My Mum used to call me 'smiler'.
W: That's lovely.
Me: I like the fact that when he smiles, it makes you forget all the trials and tribulations of whatever's gone before.
W: Certainly preferable to screaming.
Me: I think we both agree on that one.
Me: I can't stop telling people how nice it is to see him smile.
W: Well it is rather lovely.
Me: But when I tell them, most people always say 'Are you sure it's not wind?'
W: Sometimes it is.
Me: I suppose.
W: You can see it in his eyes when he's happy.
Me: Yeah (smiles). And sometimes he's copying me.
W: Sometimes he seems to smile as an acknowledgement.
Me: That brief half smile he does?
W: Yes, my Mum said it reminded her of Grandad.
Me: My Mum used to call me 'smiler'.
W: That's lovely.
Me: I like the fact that when he smiles, it makes you forget all the trials and tribulations of whatever's gone before.
W: Certainly preferable to screaming.
Me: I think we both agree on that one.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Give Way
Parenthood changes us in many small ways. Just a few months ago we thought little at crossing the road wherever we wanted. Now, for baby's sake and sheer ease of manoeuvrability, we always find safe and convenient places to cross.
We're just about to cross a small road, checking behind us. A car has stopped in the main road, holding up traffic behind, and beckons us across.
Me: (mouthing) No, you go.
Driver: (gesturing) *After you*
Me: (mouthing) You go.
The driver edges forward and I stop W from crossing.
Driver: (gesturing) *After you*
Me: (mouthing) After you.
This is getting silly but I wave him past with a larger hand motion than he can muster. We then cross.
W: He was just being nice.
Me: I know and so was I. He was edging forward and I'm was a bit dubious about that. Plus I didn't want to hold the traffic up any more.
W: We had right of way.
Me: We did? I'm not sure.
W: Benefit should always been given to the pedestrian.
Me: I think you might be right.
W: (to the baby) Mummy is right.
Me: (to the baby) Hear that boy? There's a phrase to get used to.
And of course I later checked it in the Highway Code (Rule 8). Mummy is right.
We're just about to cross a small road, checking behind us. A car has stopped in the main road, holding up traffic behind, and beckons us across.
Me: (mouthing) No, you go.
Driver: (gesturing) *After you*
Me: (mouthing) You go.
The driver edges forward and I stop W from crossing.
Driver: (gesturing) *After you*
Me: (mouthing) After you.
This is getting silly but I wave him past with a larger hand motion than he can muster. We then cross.
W: He was just being nice.
Me: I know and so was I. He was edging forward and I'm was a bit dubious about that. Plus I didn't want to hold the traffic up any more.
W: We had right of way.
Me: We did? I'm not sure.
W: Benefit should always been given to the pedestrian.
Me: I think you might be right.
W: (to the baby) Mummy is right.
Me: (to the baby) Hear that boy? There's a phrase to get used to.
And of course I later checked it in the Highway Code (Rule 8). Mummy is right.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
What Do You Call a Man with a Seagull on his Head*
A little while back, W asked Twitter to comment on my singing Summer Holiday to Little J.
W: Husband is singing Cliff Richard songs to our little one - should I intervene?
Responses
If he knows the lyrics to any Barry Manilow songs we'll need to have a serious talk.
How can he fall asleep when he's being scared by strange noises and words? Cliff songs scare me.
Definitely intervene if it's Wired for Sound because that's just cruel and unusual.
That's so unfair on one so young.
W: He could try falling asleep in self defence. I'd certainly be in favour of that.
Me: Come on! It's not as if I sang him Millennium Prayer or anything.
At that, we reach a consensus.
*The title of this post displays my ever burgeoning 'Dad humour'. I'll let you work it out...**
**Update
The footnote gets a footnote. W read this and guessed 'Piers'. Very good, but the answer is actually 'Cliff'.
W: Husband is singing Cliff Richard songs to our little one - should I intervene?
Responses
If he knows the lyrics to any Barry Manilow songs we'll need to have a serious talk.
How can he fall asleep when he's being scared by strange noises and words? Cliff songs scare me.
Definitely intervene if it's Wired for Sound because that's just cruel and unusual.
That's so unfair on one so young.
W: He could try falling asleep in self defence. I'd certainly be in favour of that.
Me: Come on! It's not as if I sang him Millennium Prayer or anything.
At that, we reach a consensus.
*The title of this post displays my ever burgeoning 'Dad humour'. I'll let you work it out...**
**Update
The footnote gets a footnote. W read this and guessed 'Piers'. Very good, but the answer is actually 'Cliff'.
Monday, 7 November 2011
45 Minutes
At the weekend, Granny and Grandad (aka MiL and FiL) made a suggestion to us while we were sitting in a cafe in town.
W: It's nice being out, having a cup of tea. And J is behaving himself.
MiL: He's pretty good when he's out and about.
Me: That's because he sleeps in the push chair most of the time.
W takes him out more than me so perhaps I am not qualified to make this statement. Note, he is not sleeping during this conversation.
MiL: Have you got much else to do in town?
W: Both of us have got a bit of shopping to do.
MiL: We could take him if you like.
W: Really?
Mil: If it would help you get a few things done.
W: I suppose it would...
Fil: Aloysius* will be fine with us.
A few minutes later, we kiss little J cheerio and arrange to meet them 45 minutes later after we've run some errands. As we walk in the opposite direction of our baby...
Me: Are you OK?
W: I think so. You?
Me: Yeah, but it's strange walking along without him.
W: Very odd for me. You head off to work every day.
Me: I guess that makes me a bit more used to it. But then I've not been with you without him.
W: Yeah. I suppose we should go and run our errands?
Me: And make use of our baby-free moments.
We start by holding hands - we haven't done that in a while.
*FiL and MiL's pet name for little J.
W: It's nice being out, having a cup of tea. And J is behaving himself.
MiL: He's pretty good when he's out and about.
Me: That's because he sleeps in the push chair most of the time.
W takes him out more than me so perhaps I am not qualified to make this statement. Note, he is not sleeping during this conversation.
MiL: Have you got much else to do in town?
W: Both of us have got a bit of shopping to do.
MiL: We could take him if you like.
W: Really?
Mil: If it would help you get a few things done.
W: I suppose it would...
Fil: Aloysius* will be fine with us.
A few minutes later, we kiss little J cheerio and arrange to meet them 45 minutes later after we've run some errands. As we walk in the opposite direction of our baby...
Me: Are you OK?
W: I think so. You?
Me: Yeah, but it's strange walking along without him.
W: Very odd for me. You head off to work every day.
Me: I guess that makes me a bit more used to it. But then I've not been with you without him.
W: Yeah. I suppose we should go and run our errands?
Me: And make use of our baby-free moments.
We start by holding hands - we haven't done that in a while.
*FiL and MiL's pet name for little J.
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Baby Grows
All-in-one babygrow or baby clothes?
Me: Thanks for sending me that picture of J while I was at work - it really made my day. He looks so smart in that little dungaree outfit... and the socks... very cute.
W: I thought you'd like it.
Me: I didn't think he'd grow into those clothes so quickly.
W: He's not even two months and already we're running out of 0-3 month babygrows.
Me: I see he's not wearing the outfit now.
W: There's a reason for that.
Me: Oh yeah?
W: He peed in that one.
Me: Same with the jeans we put him in at the weekend.
W: That's right. Put him in clothes and he just wees on everything.
Me: Heh!
W: He's growing up so quickly. I think he knows that Mummy wants to see her little man stay in babygrows for a little longer.
Me: Just for a bit longer eh?
W: May be forever?
Me: Thanks for sending me that picture of J while I was at work - it really made my day. He looks so smart in that little dungaree outfit... and the socks... very cute.
W: I thought you'd like it.
Me: I didn't think he'd grow into those clothes so quickly.
W: He's not even two months and already we're running out of 0-3 month babygrows.
Me: I see he's not wearing the outfit now.
W: There's a reason for that.
Me: Oh yeah?
W: He peed in that one.
Me: Same with the jeans we put him in at the weekend.
W: That's right. Put him in clothes and he just wees on everything.
Me: Heh!
W: He's growing up so quickly. I think he knows that Mummy wants to see her little man stay in babygrows for a little longer.
Me: Just for a bit longer eh?
W: May be forever?
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