We spend much of our time in cafes (or coffee shops as they are commonly known over here) - trying this one and that one, going to all my Aunt's favourite places. We have much in common, my Aunt and I, and a love of fine coffee is definitely one of them.
One afternoon, while Teddy sleeps in the car, we drive through to Bancory. Along the way, we stop at Woodend Barn - a wonderfully restored barn, converted into an open, welcoming and (most importantly) warm cafe/restaurant. We order lunch and it is marvelous. As usual, I am eating a dish I would struggle to find at home (usually a game pie or similar) and I order Teddy a scone.
Well.
This scone (I won't say the best I have had, lest I offend the makers of many a great Scottish scone I was lucky enough to enjoy whilst visiting) was big and soft and tasty and lovely. I break bits off for Teddy and my Aunt attempts to keep him from standing up in the strapless highchair (not easy!). Teddy tastes a bit. Then, as I break off some more…my Aunt bursts out laughing! I turn my eyes back to my son.
Not content with a little bit, Teddy has picked up the source of his delight and was attempting to wrap his lips around the entire scone! His jaw seemed as if it may dislocate, although I too have this reptilian skill of opening a seemingly small mouth wide…handy if the need to bob for apples arises. It looked extremely comical, the scone was roughly half the size of his wee head.
Needless to say, I am proud of my son for his intelligence in deducing how to get more of a good thing! He later went on to make such a large pile of crumbs under his chair we apologised to the amazing staff profusely as we left.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
early morning snuggles
We are home and settled back into our wee corner of the world. I have been lazy with this space of late, living (and sleeping) and getting back to normality. I intend to continue my posting as if I never stopped though…continuing from my last Scottish tidbit onto the next...
The mornings are dark and chilly. Teddy sleeps less well here in general than at home, however he has settled now into a somewhat similar pattern. Our mornings begin early, I skip (trudge) up the stairs at 5-something (this is the third maybe fourth - second if it was a great night! - time I have done this since putting him in his bed last night) and greet a crying little boy, standing in his cot.
By the time he is out of his sleeping bag, in my arms then out of the room he is calm and excited to start our day. Our first ritual is to tumble into my sofa bed in the lounge room, to snuggle while Teddy has his morning feed. I leave the lights off, eternally hopeful that this will encourage a little more sleep. Rarely it does, Teddy enjoys his milk whilst wriggling into a number of awkward positions. But no matter. It is this time of the morning, these few minutes, where the chilliness and the dark are lovely.
A little boy pulls off and grins at me in the dark. He starts babbling, presumably listing off all the things he will do today. I get up, turn on a lamp & BBC World News (his favourite!) - Teddy settles down to get a new nappy and some warm clothes over his pyjamas. Eventually we will head into the kitchen, for his 'toastie fingers' and my coffee.
The mornings really are chilly…and dark…and early...
But they are lovely.
The mornings are dark and chilly. Teddy sleeps less well here in general than at home, however he has settled now into a somewhat similar pattern. Our mornings begin early, I skip (trudge) up the stairs at 5-something (this is the third maybe fourth - second if it was a great night! - time I have done this since putting him in his bed last night) and greet a crying little boy, standing in his cot.
By the time he is out of his sleeping bag, in my arms then out of the room he is calm and excited to start our day. Our first ritual is to tumble into my sofa bed in the lounge room, to snuggle while Teddy has his morning feed. I leave the lights off, eternally hopeful that this will encourage a little more sleep. Rarely it does, Teddy enjoys his milk whilst wriggling into a number of awkward positions. But no matter. It is this time of the morning, these few minutes, where the chilliness and the dark are lovely.
A little boy pulls off and grins at me in the dark. He starts babbling, presumably listing off all the things he will do today. I get up, turn on a lamp & BBC World News (his favourite!) - Teddy settles down to get a new nappy and some warm clothes over his pyjamas. Eventually we will head into the kitchen, for his 'toastie fingers' and my coffee.
The mornings really are chilly…and dark…and early...
But they are lovely.
Friday, 22 February 2013
teethy pegs
You have been teething for a couple of weeks now, breaking it up with a little cold for good measure.
The result? Two new teeth, one bottom & one top...one on the right, the other the left. Once they completely come through, I will no doubt giggle at your smile.
And so it continues...the toothiness of your grin increases...
Thursday, 14 February 2013
higher
Ah stairs.
Enemy of any parent of any small child anywhere.
You discovered them during the first week. I now keep the door of whatever room we are in closed, lest you wander out and I find you halfway up...finding you on the third step was heart-attack-inducing enough, thank you Teddy.
In saying that, under supervision, you are extremely adept at getting to the top by yourself (incredibly fast). A neat little game, whenever we need to get from one floor to another. And sometimes just for fun!
Enemy of any parent of any small child anywhere.
You discovered them during the first week. I now keep the door of whatever room we are in closed, lest you wander out and I find you halfway up...finding you on the third step was heart-attack-inducing enough, thank you Teddy.
In saying that, under supervision, you are extremely adept at getting to the top by yourself (incredibly fast). A neat little game, whenever we need to get from one floor to another. And sometimes just for fun!
Monday, 11 February 2013
tiny Teddy dancer
We are into music, you & I. The radio is on (loving BBC radio) whenever we are in the kitchen, which is most of the day.
We are into dancing, you & I. I hold you, you cuddle me with one arm, swing your head back and laugh.
We bop to pop, bounce to hip-hop, head bang to rock and waltz to classical.
Today we danced to 'more than a woman' by the Bee Gees...and I cemented with you a wonderful tradition your Narna and I share. We dance together to the Bee Gees.
At the moment little Teddy, we are into dancing - and I am so grateful we had a chance to continue a tradition both hilarious and somewhat daggy today.
We are into dancing, you & I. I hold you, you cuddle me with one arm, swing your head back and laugh.
We bop to pop, bounce to hip-hop, head bang to rock and waltz to classical.
Today we danced to 'more than a woman' by the Bee Gees...and I cemented with you a wonderful tradition your Narna and I share. We dance together to the Bee Gees.
At the moment little Teddy, we are into dancing - and I am so grateful we had a chance to continue a tradition both hilarious and somewhat daggy today.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
fingers are for food
Teddy you love love love your food. A great little eater. I can remember each meal you have fussed...count them on one hand.
You are getting older. Snacks are part of our daily routine now too. Still giving you pureed/mashed food for your main meals, we have added finger foods either side to spice up your menu.
You wolf it all down. Yep, those fingers were made for stuffing banana, toast, crackers, scone...pretty much anything handed to you...into your open mouth. You stuff so much in at once you have to keep a hand over - sometimes in! - to hold it all inside while you suck/chew the piece of whatever into submission.
You chew at the very front of your mouth, usually with a bit hanging out, because that is where your teeth are. It is comical and you make me laugh out loud - every time.
Tiny Teddy...right now your fingers are most definitely for food!
You are getting older. Snacks are part of our daily routine now too. Still giving you pureed/mashed food for your main meals, we have added finger foods either side to spice up your menu.
You wolf it all down. Yep, those fingers were made for stuffing banana, toast, crackers, scone...pretty much anything handed to you...into your open mouth. You stuff so much in at once you have to keep a hand over - sometimes in! - to hold it all inside while you suck/chew the piece of whatever into submission.
You chew at the very front of your mouth, usually with a bit hanging out, because that is where your teeth are. It is comical and you make me laugh out loud - every time.
Tiny Teddy...right now your fingers are most definitely for food!
routine change up
Jet lag is an interesting and foggy and spacey and - let's face it - unfortunate, beast. It had my head spinning at odd times and thinking I may faint...Teddy woke at odd times. Well, there has to be some drawbacks to flying halfway around the world...
In an attempt to right our internal timekeepers as quickly as possible, I put myself and Teddy on our wee routine the day we arrived. We rolled with slightly longer naps and an earlier bedtime, but kept things mostly in tact. Of course, bubby woke a few times for the first few nights and I settled him with a quick feed and a cuddle.
A few nights turned into a week and a few times into many. Feeding through the sleep deprivation, we developed that habit of night feeds I thought we had kicked some months ago. Uh-oh. Here we go again...
Then I had an idea. I swapped our bedtime routine up a tad. Previously we had bath, teeth brushing, downstairs for our goodnights to everyone, then upstairs for a breastfeed (or 'lolo'), story & nursery rhyme. Now we do lolo downstairs in the hustle and bustle of the evening. Then upstairs for Teddy's splash, downstairs for our goodnights. Back up for the teeth - story - rhyme - bed.
Suddenly 3 night wakings became our normal wake - feed - bed - wake to start the day. We are still starting our day earlier than we do in Australia, but hey - I'll take it!
In an attempt to right our internal timekeepers as quickly as possible, I put myself and Teddy on our wee routine the day we arrived. We rolled with slightly longer naps and an earlier bedtime, but kept things mostly in tact. Of course, bubby woke a few times for the first few nights and I settled him with a quick feed and a cuddle.
A few nights turned into a week and a few times into many. Feeding through the sleep deprivation, we developed that habit of night feeds I thought we had kicked some months ago. Uh-oh. Here we go again...
Then I had an idea. I swapped our bedtime routine up a tad. Previously we had bath, teeth brushing, downstairs for our goodnights to everyone, then upstairs for a breastfeed (or 'lolo'), story & nursery rhyme. Now we do lolo downstairs in the hustle and bustle of the evening. Then upstairs for Teddy's splash, downstairs for our goodnights. Back up for the teeth - story - rhyme - bed.
Suddenly 3 night wakings became our normal wake - feed - bed - wake to start the day. We are still starting our day earlier than we do in Australia, but hey - I'll take it!
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