June 2008 Archives

Angry mum warning! If you're after a cheerful blog, switch off now because I intend to rant.

Here goes...

Why-oh-why do people feel the need to make little comments when you're out and about and your baby starts to cry?

Seriously, why?

Earlier today, I was in Somerfield when Mollie had a completely unexpected screaming fit. It was awful: proper full-on tears and anguished howls.

Now it was bad enough rushing round the aisles to horrified stares from the other shoppers (all secretly dialling Childline on their mobile phones).

"Babies develop at their own pace," said the health visitor, picking up on the competitive vibes in the room.

"Just because your baby crawls first doesn't mean he's more intelligent than other babies.

"Similarly, don't be worried if your baby is the last to do something. It just means they're developing elsewhere instead."

That pep talk was five weeks ago. At the time it made a lot of sense but not now.

Mr F and I have discovered the poor man's answer to Birmingham Sea Life Centre...Shirley Aquatics!

There's fish, there's turtles, there's creepy crawlies. Best of all, there's no entrance fee.

We took our little girl to the Stratford Road store this afternoon and whiled away a happy hour pointing out the carp.

Mollie, bless her, looked like we'd taken her to Disneyland.

"Ah," her expression said. "Now I understand all those fishy nursery rhymes you've been singing." (Yes, Shirley Aquatic shoppers, I was that strange woman warbling 'One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Once I Caught A Fish Alive' down in Tropical Fish).

If anyone knows of any other sneaky days out, please let me know.

Excuse me while I just rave about Mollie's swimming lessons.

We've been taking her to Water Babies for six weeks now. It's in Sutton Coldfield which is a fair old trek from where we live but the 30-minute journey from Kings Heath is well worth it.

First, the basics: It takes place in a heated swimming pool at New Hall Primary School. It's so warm, it's like stepping into a huge bath - good if you're neurotic like me and convinced your child is going to catch hypothermia if the ambient temperature is below 18 degrees centigrade.

The teacher's name is Jon Wright and he stated up the franchise with wife Cathy after they'd taken their own daughter Lauren to a class and seen how much she'd thrived.

Breaking news: Nicole Kidman CRIED when she first saw her unborn child.

US Vogue drew out the amazing revelation when they interviewed the heavily pregnant star for this month's issue.

Now, I'm not knocking Nicole whose miscarriages and longing for children have been well documented, but seriously, Woman Cries at Ultrasound. Is this really news? Doesn't EVERY woman sob at the scan - no matter what the circumstances?

I know I did. Bucket loads.

Mostly from relief that the baby had a head (I'd convinced myself I was carrying the world's first headless child) but also from sheer, 'Oh. My. God. There's a baby in there' euphoria/ panic.

It's the start of the biggest, most frightening, most exciting journey of your life. Frankly, I'd be more interested if Vogue had got Nicole to say she'd felt cold and strangely unmoved at the scan.

Saying that, I'll obviously be buying Heat over the next few weeks for the full inside story. I'm only human.

In need of a pick-me-up? Check out this Youtube vid doing the rounds.

As you will see from the comment on my last post, I've been 'tagged' by a fellow mother blogger (doesn't that sound rude?) to take part in the Blog World's answer to tig.

It's a cunning way to get more people to read your blog while at the same time spreading the love to other bloggers. A kind of 'I'll read yours if you read mine' kinda thing.

Apparently all I have to do is answer the following questions then tag five other bloggers to do the same. Simple, eh?

What were you doing five years ago?

Hold on while I just wind up my hormone-addled brain. Ermmm, let me see. Five years ago. 2003. Hmmm. So I'd have been 27...

So, where do you stand on Stella Onions - the mum-of-two who plans to breastfeed her children until they're eight?

Freaky Little Britain character or brave, loving mum?

Unsurprisingly, breastfeeding bloggers (of which there are a surprising number) have offered their support.

"Good for her for sticking by her beliefs. She could be doing a lot worse - like feeding her kids fast food takeaway and fizzy drinks every day and allowing them to inhale second-hand smoke...," said one.

But, I can't help agreeing with Irish blogger FatMammyCat: "Erp Missus Onions, your children are not babies. Seriously, if your children are old enough to chew steak it's probably time to stop breast-feeding them."

...

I take it all back: weaning IS exciting!

This afternoon as an experiment I let Mollie lick my apple and her amazement was gorgeous. She couldn't get enough and threw a cute little strop when I tried to wrestle a bite back for myself. Then I offered her some banana and saw the opposite reaction: complete and utter disgust.

It was so lovely seeing her face light up or crumple with the different tastes, it's made my day. Can't wait to try that sweet potato and pear...

Went for a weaning talk the other day and had one of those moments when other mums puzzle me.

As the health visitor talked us through the rudiments of introducing our little ones to solids - no jarred food, no chillies, no crisps - all I could think was, My my, what an enormous faff.

Fancy going to all the trouble of steaming and mashing a carrot only for it to be hurled about the kitchen floor (apparently v.important to allow children to 'explore' their food).

At the end of the session, expecting much eye rolling and huffing from the other mums, I turned to my friend to have a good moan but was stopped in my tracks. Her eyes were glowing and she was manically fastening ___ into his pram.

"Isn't it EXCITING?" she said. "I'm going to start right now!"

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