The Little Cheese

I distinctly remember telling myself when I was pregnant that I was going to try to make sure that my child didn't think he was the Centre of The Universe. I see so many children that have this air about them that says, "I'm the most important person that ever lived, and quite frankly my parents are a big pushover".
I'm getting concerned that Oscar is heading for the same fate (he has his own blog, for goodness sake!) But to tell you the truth I like spending all day playing with him (his toys are cool), and there's no way I could ever leave him to 'cry it out' alone in his cot. And he seems so happy and smiley most of the time, Neil and I must be doing something right.

I went to a party a few weeks back and a group of women yet to have children were chatting about how they would try to train their offspring to sleep until 8.30 every morning, not wake up crying at night, not have tantrums and eat everything that's placed in front of them. Very easy to say when the child you're referring to is theoretical and not a real live baby which melts your heart with a single gummy grin.

I guess it's pretty hard to spoil such a young baby anyhow. I like to think that when Oscar is older I won't let him run riot and Neil and I will be able to instill a level of discipline in him without taking the fun out of his childhood, but for now I guess I should enjoy indulging him in any way I can - which includes pushing the buggy on the shady side of the street (he doesn't like the sun in his eyes) and letting him chew my magazines. There's plenty of time later on for enforcing rules, but for now Oscar, I'm all yours.

Oscar the Headmaster

We are currently having our loft converted and our house is crawling with builders, and some days the noise is deafening. Could somebody please explain to me how Oscar can manage to sleep through someone using an angle grinder to cut through a large steel girder about 12 feet from his cot, but always seems to wake up if I creep into his room at night to check on him? Or how when the plumber set off the fire alarm that he didn't even stir, but gets very upset if I sneeze, or open a packet of sandwiches too close to him?
Come to think of it, Oscar gets very indignant at the moment if I eat anything in front of him. He gives me his 'headmaster's look' - as if to say, "What are you chewing? Spit it out immediately or I'll put you in detention after school." He thoroughly enjoys his little pots of baby gloop, but I suspect my chocolate bar or roast dinner looks a lot more interesting. All in good time, little bean!

Not Exactly Rocket Science

You know that old chestnut about never being more than six feet away from a rat if you live in London? Well, if you're a new parent, the same can be said for muslin squares.
On being advised to buy loads of them in preparation for Oscar's arrival, I was a bit confused by the obsession that mums and dads seem to have with these simple bits of cloth. I now, however, have discovered the true benefits of them: they're essential for mopping up baby sick (which suddenly switches to technicolour when you start on solids). I have been known to get a couple of miles from home before realising I still have one casually draped over my shoulder. But they have a multitude of other uses: when rolled up they make a great head support for use when transporting a buggy over rough ground, as a sunscreen, a comfort blanket or a teething toy for a ratty infant, and even as an emergency nappy.
In fact, simplicity seems to be the key as far as baby things are concerned. Despite the deluge of bleeping flashing plastic toys on the market, Oscar seems to appreciate the most pared-down of objects the most. Some of his favourites include a fleecey blanket with ribbon tags around it, a soft book and some building blocks, although he seems just as happy to play with a scrunched-up piece of paper or a spoon. Actually, his absolute favourite toy at the moment is a freshly-pulled clump of my hair (which is why I'm having it cut off this afternoon).
Now we have found some re-usable nappies that fit Oscar well (Bambino Mio's for those who are interested), we haven't had a single leak from them, whereas the Huggies we've been using at night end up soaking him right through. Yes, that's right, a simple cotton square is doing the job far better than a highly over-engineered, environmentally unfriendly disposable. Hurray for simplicity.

Happy Half-Birthday Oscar!

My lovely little boy is six months old today! It seems hard to believe that half a year has passed by so quickly. Oscar has cut his first tooth this week, which solves the mystery of why he's been waking up so much at night lately (I've been so preoccupied trying to keep him cool in the hot weather that I failed to notice the rough top of a tiny pearly white peeking through his gums!)
He's a gorgeous, wriggly, laughing bundle of joy and fun at the moment, and has two totally besotted parents. Happy half-birthday darling boy.