Like mother, like daughter

It was only a matter of time before Maddy's northern routes began to show themselves.

And sure enough, this morning she managed to sidle her way along the sitting room hearth and straight into the fireplace for a pre-breakfast munch on a lump of coal.

Kate is of course mightily proud, with what she sees as the latest in a long line of family links to the colliery.

When 'TGI Friday' ceases to have meaning

Long gone are the days when I look forward to the weekend as a well-earned 48 hour hiatus in the working week.

It's been a 5.30am wake-up every morning for the last 10 days, and not because of work (I wish), but because when Maddy's up, the rest of the household bloody well should be too.

And given she's planning on staying at home this weekend (despite much encouragement to go elsewhere), the early wake-ups are set to continue.

I said to Kate that I'm more tired than I have been since Maddy was born. She said I was being wet, and obviously can't remember what it was like when we were really knackered.

Thanks for ruining my moment of self-pity, honey.

SingleDad.com

For the second time in as many months, Kate has gone to Dallas for the best part of a week.

She says it's for work, but I'm not convinced. I strongly suspect these enforced breaks from our darling daughter are a breath of fresh air, and that it's crocodile tears she sheds on departure.

Either way, I'm definitely reclaiming the 'primary carer' mantel.

(Even if the in-laws are coming down to help out in a couple of days).

Sunny side up

Just before heading to bed last night, we popped in to check on the Smidge, only to find her asleep on her front.

Fearing another 5.30am kick-off to the day (which is proving to be a largely unsustainable model of early morning parenting) I managed to flip her onto her back without waking her up.

Lo and behold, 5.30am came and went without a squawk (not counting Kate's bathroom pit-stop...)

And it wasn't until a full hour later that Maddy started to rev up on the screaming front. So in I went and sure enough, she was on her front again.

Birthday preparations (Part 2)

So, not exactly happier. But we're getting there.

How hard can it be?

Sadly, our uninterrupted 12 hour kipper is no longer so dependably sleep-prone.

For the last couple of days, Maddy has woken up at about 5.30am, by flipping herself onto her belly, and not being able to roll over onto her back. Much neighbourhood-rousing squawking ensues.

Kate says babies normally work out how to right themselves at about 4 months.

Loud and stoopid. Where's the receipt?

The new working schedule

Ironically, I'm spending more time with Maddy now that Kate has gone back to work, than I was before Christmas when she was still on maternity leave.

Maybe that's not at all ironic, and to be expected given Kate was shouldering much of the childcare duties while she was off - the 'primary carer' as she (mistakenly) likes to call herself. But I was expecting these New Year changes to our schedule to be drawn out and painful, and they haven't been. Yet.

My self-enforced leaving work at 5.15pm twice a week seems to be going smoothly - Kate doesn't shout at me for being late on those nights that I'm not supposed to be back on time - and I get to give Maddy a bath and put her to bed twice during the week, every week, as opposed to about once a fortnight, which was what was happening towards the end of last year.

Long may it last.

Birthday preparations

We've got Maddy in training to look really happy when people sing songs and give her loads of presents on her birthday in March:

Still some work to do.

Prezzies for newbies

Awesome set-up called The Bump Company who make 'bouquets' out of baby clothes, blankets etc.

I think it's a great gift for new little people. Kate's not so convinced: "style over substance".

I tell you, she's really changed since going back to work. Humourless, hard-nosed, critical. Not the woman I thought I knew.

Mac vs PC

Kate has decided she doesn't want to lug her laptop back and forth from work.

It's big.

It's heavy.

She has 3 handbags already.

And often a baby to boot.

So we're now looking to buy one for home, and the age old Mac vs PC question has reared its head.

We're both PC users by upbringing, but have always dreamed of getting a Mac because, well, it's a Mac, right? Lots of features we'll never use but very, VERY nice to look at.

Sadly, dreams looked to be shattered when we started looking at cost, and pragmatic Kate instantly reverted to the PC option.

But with an uncharacteristic display of canny wife outmanoeuvrement this morning, I explained that Maddy would herself be using a computer before too long, and that it'd be in our interest to get a more intuitive machine, so that even if we're not going to start mixing music and editing feature-length films, at least she could.

And you know what? Kate bought it.

I knew that baby would come in handy one day.