8 Month Update

This morning, Asher had no tooth, by three o'clock this afternoon Asher's bottom right tooth had just cut. It's amazing that it happened so suddenly but apart from a screaming meltdown and an extra feed and sleep today he didn't have any of the warning signs/symptoms that a lot of people talk about - no nappy rash, no pulling his ears, no red cheeks, only the normal amount of dribble and stuffing things in his mouth.

So, in the spirit of new things and Asher turning 8 months yesterday so it's time for an update:

• First tooth!
• He pulls himself up on things all the time and although he is not quite cruising he will go from holding onto the chair to holding onto the baby gate (for example)
• He has a very clumsy pincer grip and is starting to explore things with his index finger
• His main mode of locomotion is still sliding around on his belly, 'swimming' along the floor pushing off with his right foot and pulling with his left arm, leaving his right hand free to explore things
• He is eating a wider variety of foods, both flavours and textures - lumpy foods were slow to start but he's getting used to them. He's tried, as well as all the normal veggies, prawns, Parmesan frittata, Chinese duck, Indian dal, Indian chicken and probably a bunch of other stuff. He seems to really like the duck!
• He usually has 3-4 breastfeeds per day. He still feeds to sleep most of the time.
• He sleeps through quite often (well, he wakes, but he just sings a bit and goes back to sleep) and if not right through he often only wakes for a late night feed when I go to bed.

My update is a little less cheerful - I've been having a hard time with the lack of earning, with the lack of an 'adult' life and generally with the relentlessness of mothering a happy and energetic baby. Sanjay has been a bit flat and uncommunicative recently, probably feeling the stress of being the provider and knowing that I'm not completely happy but his unresponsiveness has been adding to my feelings of isolation and general crappiness. Presumably the fact that I'm ready to admit this to the faceless internets means that things will smooth out a bit now. I know the first year of parenthood is often cited as the hardest year of a relationship, and I know we'll both cope, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard to live with sometimes.

For Brendan (new trick!)

The baby has a new trick. Finally, after six weeks of saying nothing but 'Gah!' he makes 'bababa' noises. I guess that doesn't sound that interesting to most people but imagine living with someone who only replied with one word....

Me: So, what do you feel like for dinner?
Asher: Gah!
Me: Not sure I can manage that. How about some pureed organic sweet potato?
Asher: Gah!
Me: Whatever....
(a conversational pause, while I defrost some previously pureed vegetable and perhaps add a little bit of yoghurt)
Me: So, didn't the Australian government fuck up big time with the whole David Hicks thing. I heard on the news last night that they could have secured his release five years ago if...
Asher: (interrupting) Gah!
Me: Yes, I thought you would say that.

RTFM

I didn't get to mention it earlier because of the fuss with Frannie (incidentally, she's doing really well and will probably be discharged tomorrow) but on the weekend we were away Asher pulled himself up to a kind of deep squat stand. I muttered about putting the base of the cot to the lower position and dismissed it as a one-off not-to-be-repeated-for-a-few-weeks event but it looks like it's here to stay. After coming back from our morning walk I sat my darling boy with his back to the steps up to our apartment while I folded the buggy. I've been doing this since he could sit so I can fold the rather large Mountain Buggy up and not annoy our uptight neighbors too much (trying to fold the pram while juggling baby and shopping can sometimes be done, but it's very awkward). Anyhow as I was organising myself I watched the baby turn around, put both hands on the first step and stand up. Thankfully, he splatted down on his nappy covered butt straight away, not climbing the stairs while I had my hands full with the buggy. I'm going to have to work out a slightly safer way of getting myself into the house I think.

I also think he's about to start crawling on his hands and knees, rather than propelling himself along with his forearms and right foot (it's getting a cute little baby callous!). I say this because, just in the last two days, I keep spotting him up on all fours rocking and bunnyhopping and then trying out a wobbly baby yoga version of a downward dog, with Asher peering at his toes and then g tpast his legs to look at the world upside down. It's very cute and I really do hope it is the beginning of 'proper' crawling.

Anyhow, back to the title of the post. After Asher pulled himself up on the stair today I got out the 'manual' for lowering the cot base and it says "THE MATTRESS BASE OF THIS COT SHOULD BE ADJUSTED TO THE LOWEST POSITION BEFORE THE CHILD CAN SIT UP" (emphasis theirs) so that will be a lovely activity for Sanj and I this evening. We really don't do stuff like this well together, particularly when we are tired from a wakeful, snotty* baby, so we'll see how we go, but it has to be done.



* Asher and I both have a cold. It sucks.

Gotta love that 'new car' taste!

New car 2
Originally uploaded by karmakeda.

The new Honda Civic in fetching 'blueish silver' arrived on Wednesday. I haven't even been for a spin in it yet. Sanjay drove it home from the showroom and hasn't driven it yet apart from that either. It does smell (and taste!) like a new car though.

Big thanks to the inlaws :-)