31
December
2006
Lyla can sleep for hours on end:
But when she’s awake, she’s very, very awake.
Today I popped up the road to buy some groceries and lunch when she was an hour short of her four-hourly feed. Just as I’d bought a bagel and sat down, I texted Stu to see whether she was still asleep. No, he replied, she was screaming her adorable little head off. So I bolted back.
Then for dinner we headed off to a Greek restaurant just a few blocks away (after deliberating over whether we should still go amid the small-scale bombs going off across the city…) with A, A and J. Nannie and Papa took Lyla under their wing, but just as mains were arriving came their call for help — she was screaming her still-adorable little head off. So I bolted back. Seems she was either crying from hunger, despite having just had an enthusiastic feed, or more likely, she was enraged over her poor little bottom coming down with a case of nappy rash… So no more leaving Lyla for a little while yet.
Posted: Uncategorized
30
December
2006
Nannie and Papa arrived in the early hours of today laden down with an enormous array of wonderful presents for Lyla (and Daddy and Mummy). The little pumpkin won’t be needing any additional wardrobe items for at least another year and we’ll have to start taking her somewhere fancy daily so she’ll have a chance to wear all of her gorgeous outfits. Lyla hid her own excitement well with Nannie Sandra’s help.
Then it was off to lunch up the road.
And off to the pool for some R&R, with Lyla looking very cool in her stripey orange and pink shorts and white accessories.
Posted: Uncategorized
29
December
2006
I’ve had the Sherbet song “Howzat” stuck in my head for a week or two and decided a few days ago to buy it online. Turns out it was available on a Countdown compilation which I thought I may as well buy to give Lyla a taste of music that her Ma and Pa grew up with. I didn’t realise it until after buying it that it was a compilation recorded just last year when they got a bunch of ageing rockers with mortgage payments due to get back together for a concert with far too many cries of “Clap your hands!” and “I can’t hear you!” thrown out to the audience.
The version of “Howzat” was actually really good. The rest is pretty sad. As possibly is waking Lyla up with a different 70s song each morning to bop along to.
No wonder she wants to stay under the covers.
Posted: Uncategorized
27
December
2006
One of the things I obsessed about a bit before Lyla May arrived was what stuff we would actually need to take care of her.
Here are some of the items that turned out to be really useful for us:
* Her sling. We started out with a baby bjorn, but R just sent us an all-material sling which Stu has managed to don. Either way, sling = male version of female baby muffler (boob);
* Lambskin rug. Thanks E! We’ve used this to lay Lyla on for nappy changes. Much lovelier than a plastic change mat;
* A dozen old-fashioned white nappies — not to actually wear as nappies but to lay over the lambskin, drape over your shoulder to catch upchucks, wrap her up in while bathing her head and so on;
* Four sturdy brightly-coloured muslin wraps for night swaddling. Sturdy = little Houdini can’t escape. Brightly-coloured = good mood for Mum when waking up for a 3am feed (well, you take what you can get); and
* Antique Hmong talisman to prevent bad spirits hanging around. Thanks S! I guess we’ll know for sure whether this one worked when she hits her teens.
Posted: Uncategorized
26
December
2006
I was going to write about how to recognise what your baby’s cries mean but this blogger said it better than I could.
Not that our baby ever cries.
Posted: Uncategorized
25
December
2006
Lyla snoozed on Christmas Day while Mum and Dad tucked into a delicious roast dinner at A and A’s, though she did at least snooze with us at the table.
Daddy made a ham-cooked-in-Coke for the festivities. Mmmmm.
But Lyla wasn’t tempted…
Posted: Uncategorized
23
December
2006
We celebrated our Christmas a little early this year before Nanna Gaye left to head back to Australia after three weeks. Here’s Lyla in her party dress:
And here’s a blurry shot of the three of us taken by Nanna Gaye.
Posted: Uncategorized
