Alice and I went into the city to visit my old workmates last week. Alice was impeccably behaved and slept all the way there and all the way back (despite my best efforts to get lost in the one-way system and to show her the harbour bridge up close). It was sooo good to see everyone and they had laid on an afternoon tea and were all looking shiney and happy. It made me almost miss the old life. Then I left for home at ten past three, made a cup of tea, watched an episode of the Sopranos, put my feet up, looked at this little face when she woke up and realised quite how good maternity leave is!
But there are some aspects of work that I miss - in a way. The hurried Monday morning "Status Update" from the previous week, that you always mean to complete on a Friday afternoon, but never quite...you know...get around to because the pub or the partners' lounge is beckoning - am particularly nostalgic for my very last role and boss!! - was so much a part of life back in the old consulting days in the UK and in subsequent jobs here that it feels funny not to complete one.
So, lest I forget some of these small milestones, here is Alice and my status update for last week. Forgive the lack of traffic lights - neither I nor the website designers have quite got to that level of sophistication:
Completed tasks1. Alice now putting self to sleep after 1.5 hours in the day - this includes if we are out and I get distracted by my ridiculously complicated coffee order and don't quite keep up with the routine. She'll simply close her eyes while sitting on my lap.
2. Alice now enjoying books - thank goodness. I almost despaired when she seemed to prefer Mel and Kochie. Now the TV is off more than it is on, she's almost forgotten who Oprah is and is enjoying such delights as "The Hungry Caterpillar" and "Possum Magic" (classics from both her countries of passport)
3. Speaking of which, we had her passport photo taken. This is a photo of the photo - excuse the quality but was too funny not to post. For UK readers - you are not allowed to smile in Australian passport photos. Just as well Alice obliged. Spends most of her time grinning - I can't imagine how I would have been able to stop her.
4. Have I mentioned that she sleeps 10 hours straight at night? Forgive me if I keep going on about this, but am so delighted with the fact that it bears repeating.
Work in progress1. Moving Alice to her own room. More next week when I've bought a baby monitor and we've accomplished that. Just putting the bassinette in her room for day sleeps at the moment, which is working fine.
2. She still
hates tummy time. Have bought a couple of toys to encourage it, but they are not really working. So we are learning to roll instead - ie if you don't like it, then get yourself out of it, missy.
Tummy time toys in action. Learning to roll happens when she's flat on the floor, I should point out.
Future planned tasks1. Get the hang of the fact that it may feel a little colder but is in fact, still 20-21 degrees and Alice does not need baby sleeping bag for all walks and may need to de-robed halfway to prevent overheating.
2. Dispel separation anxiety (mine not Alice's) of putting Alice in her own room.
3. Me to be able to leave the house in the evening without Alice. For longer than the ninety minutes (including travel time) that I managed at the Trinny and Susannah party last week. Stop talking about it and start expressing enough milk to achieve this task
Issues
1. 12 week growth spurt has meant that she's missed a few cute outfits - in the space of a week, she's grown out of 2 new babygros and bypassed some clothes that I was waiting for a warmer/colder day for her to wear.
2. Alice yet to meet 99% of her family. So we have moved a few pictures down to her level so she can get familiar with their faces.
Overall Status: Green - happy baby, happy Mum.
PS Report late(!) - now Wednesday, not Monday morning!
Posts
