When you start comparing your child to others..

In simplest terms, I'll admit to being the doting father. Hell, my little girl is cute.

It's only been four months, but already some of her personality is starting to shine through. I is a mellow, easy going child in temperament so different from other babies I see. We had the NCT meeting last weekend, it was a chance for the Mums to get swap stories and the Dads to how doting they were with their kids. Of the four babies on show there were two alert little girls, as cute as woodland animals from any Disney movie, little I and another girl who looked like a cross between Bob Hoskins and a Russian Mobster... yes a girl... she sounded like a raven too.. poor little thing. 

I find myself wondering: how will she compare to her peers at nursery age? Unlike her big bro who will take on the world head first (and probably beat it!), she is a delicate little flower who we'll need to support as much as we can. I've spent the last four years concerned about the mental well-being of X and now it's time to focus on my own daughter too. Let's face it, you give them all the love and happy times you can (X and I get plenty), what they do with it is up to them.

Kissy Face Dizzy

My thoughts on nappy changing..

A revelation came to me a few days ago. I was compelled to share it with you. 


Coming to terms with nappy change is like learning to roll up a spliff... 


Now, stop scoffing and I'll explain further... 

When baby first arrives you regard it like a ticking bomb, any prod or poke might set it off. 

After a few days, you start getting used to this little life you are suddenly responsible for. Taking care of junior's needs becomes a priority and as someone said "those nappies won't change themselves, y'know" 

Anyway, to start you find a nice flat surface, somewhere quiet where you won't be distracted. You carefully position all the tools of the trade within arms reach, and there are some odd similarities 


This: 

replaces this: 

Meanwhile these: 

 replace these:

..and are alot more difficult to store in your jacket pocket!

You treat your cargo with same respect, making sure nothing slips out from between your fingers and hits the floor. Of course retrieving a little spilt baccie from the floor is less of a big deal than retrieving a baby! 

In both cases it's all about tightness, the aesthetic pleasure of a nice, tightly rolled joint is the same as your first tightly attached nappy. The disappointment of a baggy nappy is the same as a loose, sagging joint, except this time the baby shares the disappointment too. 

I haven't reached the proficient level yet, hopefully one day I'll be able to do the nappies like some of my old student buddies used to skin up. Of course I wouldn't be able to do it in a dark field, at 1o'clock in the morning in the middle of a gale (one of my toking buddies did this, you know who you are, and I'm still impressed nearly 20 years on), but one day I hope to make the job pretty seamless for all concerned. 

On an related note: once you mastered the rolling basics as a teen, there was an option to graduate onto something a little more advanced. Your standard smoke could be shaped into tulips, your T bars and all the other crazy stuff that tokers with too much time on their hands have come up with. 

This makes me think, is it the same with nappy changing????!! 

Just a thought...... 

A.

Dizzy in the tub

The old cliches about signs of the Zodiac are there for a reason. She's a Pisces and can't get enough of the water!

A.

Dizzy and her lovely little head

So its June already (!!??). Startling to think we're nearly at the halfway point for twenty-twelve already. For me, it's been a monumental year.. obviously.. Little Miss (above) is now 3 months old and does a fine line in pouty lower lips and Hello Kitty product placement.

I'm thrilled she has such a finely shaped skull unlike her troll-like papa. I'm helpless to resist running my fingers over the top of her lovely little head. It reminds me of a point during my single days, years back. On my daily commute I would pass the students attending our local uni. One girl who I'd pass had the most perfectly shaped  bonce which would drive me to distraction. For some irrational reason, I just found it fascinating! Visions of me running my hands over her shaven head like Mystic Meg would run through my head as I passed her in the street.... 

If she'd known. I'm sure I'd seen alot less of her...

In other news I'm taking on our overgrown back garden. It's a cross between bucolic meadow and knee deep Jurassic woodland. Even the local cats no longer dare to visit, fearing what lies in wait to ambush them, probably. The lawnmower I've picked up from Argos hopefully has the power to take on what I've left to grow over the last year due to obvious reasons. With the extended weekend thanks to the Jubilee (gawd bless you Ma'am), I plan to don my gardening gauntlets as soon as the sun comes out.

A.