les derniers jours de l'annee!

En resume....

Elias n'a pas du tout aime son sejour dans la "New Forest"! Il a mal dormi, peu mange, beaucoup pleure, pas rigole et j'oublie surement quelque chose! ah, et il fait ses dents, alors des jours c'est plus dure que d'autres! ah puis il avait un rhume! Paul et moi on etait creves! - On a quand meme reussi a faire une jolie marche le 25 - Puis on a tous recu de tres jolis cadeaux (j'ai recu une magnifique montre Raymond Weil de Paul!)! Ah...les cadeaux...Ouverts le 25 dec a 17h!!! Ca ne m'etait jamais arrive!!!!

Depuis notre retour tout s'arrange - Elias a retrouve son sourire et rire! ourrraahhh j'avais peur! puis hier soir on a passe une excellente nuit! ourraaahh la aussi, car avant de partir on avait reussi a etablir une petite routine...lit 19:30, reveil/lait 23h env, reveil/lait 3h env, puis reveil 6h ou 7h!....Durant Noel tout ca avait disparu! ca ne veut pas dire que depuis notre retour c'est facile mais, ca revient.

Depuis Noel Paul et en vacances! ca m'aide beaucoup! je me repose les poignets et ca fait du bien d'avoir de l'aide durant toute la journee! C'est crevant d'etre maman!!

Puis, maintenant Elias se tourne et retourne de sur le dos a sur le ventre et vis et versa! Ca a commence le weekend de Noel! Et, quand il prend un bain il arose toute la salle de bain!!!

Elias a maintenant presque 5 mois (21 semaines ce soir a minuit)- Il pese 8kgs - dans un mois on va commence le "baby rice" (ris pour bb) et des petites purees de legumes, etc.

Demain le 31 Dec. - notre soiree va dependre de la nuit qu'on passe ce soir! Soit Oxford chez Simon, Vanessa et Cassius avec Lucky Ben, Penel et Jude. Soit chez Martin dans la journee.

Bonne Annee a tous!

Parents Chillout Afternoon

Finally managed to organise a combined trip to the Heath with Ackers and Jude. It was icy cold but we spent a good hour walking.

Afterwards we were all hungry and adjourned to Ackers for some lunch, which gradually stretched into the whole afternoon. Jude and Elias looked at each other and Jude held Elias' hand and then took my hand to Elias. Very sweet. A very relaxing afternoon - just what was needed to be out of the house just chilling with some other folk. As Ackers said "it's like parents chillout afternoon here".

First Christmas

Christmas knocked Elias' routine for six. He hated the car journey down to the New Forest and just would not settle. The change in environment compounded by some teething. Anyway, less eating and less sleeping led to less smiling and more crying. A bad combination.

Upsides were learning how to make a proper whisky mac, a Christmas Day walk in the Forest - sunny and cold, seeing the family and Boxing Day with my brother's clan, my Godfather and family and my mother's cousin and wife...... oh and of course presents :)

Unusually we had fish on Christmas day and turkey on Boxing Day. Frank Sinatra's Christmas album was on rotation. But no snow until we were on our way back to London and drove into a snowstorm in Chiswick which made the place look like the setting for A Christmas Carol.

My friends with babies tell me it gets easier with age. Roll on next year...

Aidan

I said I'd post a pic of my friend Paul's baby. Here he is, Aidan, with his elder sister Zoe.

Christmas Cheer

Got my first Christmas present last night in the shape of the Kraftwerk CD/DVD box set, from the Ackers :) We went out for a Crimbo jar in Hampstead.

Work was like a ghost town today and we finished up at 1pm after which I went and finished my present shopping and met Ackers for a coffee and gave him his present which was ........ the Kraftwerk CD/DVD box set! Everybody's happy. Got the crucial present for myself too!

Auntie Darling had come to visit Stefanie.

When I left for work this morning Stefanie and Elias were in hysterics. Same when I got back tonight. It was as if they'd been laughing with each other for 8 hours.

This evening we opened presents from Stefanie's family. I'd already been relishing the Brian Eno album from Stefanie's aunt Anne-Marie (and Renee) and the winter coat for Elias. But this evening the Africa wildlife baby gro came up trumps along with the dancing lion. And we are already laying into the chocolates from Evelyne :)

I never did write my Christmas thoughts so, condensed to a sentence, here they are. Having Elias around is making me enjoy preparing for Christmas more...

Guinness

Today the local health visitor recommended that Stephanie drink Guinness to promote better, more nutritious milk! Stephanie barely drinks at the moment so this is an interesting development. Hope she doesn't get a taste for the Irish juice else it all could go horribly wrong over the Christmas period ;)

Btw, our local doctor couldn't find a working thermometer today. Hmm, like a carpenter who can't find a working hammer or an accountant who can't find his Excel or LIKE A TRAVESTY OF POOR PUBLIC SERVICES.....rant over.

Aujourd'hui je suis allee peser Elias car j'avais peur qu'il perde du poids car ces jours il mange peut, il me semblait....mais a ma grande surprise la courbe de son poids ne fait que monter et monter! il pese kgs7.870!!! - La sage femme responsable m'a suggerer de boire de la Guinness pour promouvoir un lait nutritif si je m'inquietais!! hahahaaaa...alors ce soir je me suis bue un petit verre de Guinness avec plaisir (meme que je ne m'inquiete plus!) -

A part ca tout va bien - Elias a un petit rhume mais rien de grave - Paul et moi on a eu des gros rhumes donc c'est innevitable! - La on est tous prets pour Noel - on part dans la "New Forest" samedi pour 3 jours.

Hier on a ete visiter Susanna (d!) a son bureau a Camden - on a mange un take away de chez Wagamama! yum! J'adore aller voir Susanna et la, ca faisait une eternite! - Demain auntie Darling Sue is coming round for tea.

Thoughts on Christmas

Today Elias saw his first music video. The first two songs on the new U2 concert DVD had him totally mesmerised. I only put it on because he wouldn't wake up so I thought we could watch some of it with impunity...as soon as he woke he was transfixed - must have been those long strobe light sequences ;)

Tomorrow I'll finish this post with my thoughts on Christmas...

Oh, btw, news just in my friend Paul has a new son, Aiden, as of yesterday ... congratulations to Paul and to Karen.

Clearly Gifted

There's nothing more annoying, for parents and non-parents alike, than parents who bang on about how they think their child is gifted... They'll come out with all sorts of claptrap (n.b. use of Dad vocabulary) such as he's only 4 and half months and he's already crawling, walking, talking or reading...

Christmas Shopping

This is the kind of thing I count as an achievement these days.... today, 7 days before Christmas day, I took Elias out on a visit to Selfridge's on Oxford Street. Whilst Stefanie was in Maida Vale and I had 2 hours to play with. It was busy - no surprises there. People were a mix of helpful and unhelpful - no surprises there. And I came back relatively empty-handed, which means no lunchtime trips to the gym this week until I have got all my present buying sorted. One thing to note for any London-based males reading this who still have presents left to buy - ground floor of John Lewis seems to have augmented it's sales staff with models...

I hope at least someone reading this has done enough yoga to appreciate my trompe l'oeil Elias in Supta Virasana photo ;)
****
Mon fils et mon homme on passe l'apres-midi ensemble sur Oxford Street! hmmm...et son revenu mains vides (le seul achat de pyjamas pour Elias doit etre retourne car il n'y pas de boutons sur les jambes! pas pratique! (oui Maria...c'est mon genre de souci...les boutons de pyjamas!!!! ha) - et a part ca...pas de cadeaux pour moi! :(

ouuuhhh c'est bientot Noel - Notre salon est decore, on a meme des petites lumieres puis, un abre de Noel (ficus!) avec boules et guirlandes et lumieres!) -

Ce matin Elias etait reveille a 5h environ...(du matin!) - a 6h j'ai decide d'aller chanter des chansons avec lui dans le salon!

ah...ai-je eu le temps de parler de notre visite a la ...piscine! Vendredi passe...premier cours de natation...Jusqu'a 6 mois apparement les bb ont toujours le reflexe de respirer sous l'eau...hmmm...je crois que Elias a oublie le reflex...il a sorti la tete de l'eau en toussant et n'avait pas l'air de revivre ses mois de bonheur dans le fluide amniotique!!!...Mais il avait l'air d'aimer etre dans l'eau par contre - il faisait des grands sourires! - Les douches froides et les vestiaires froids ne me donne pas envie d'y aller tout les jours je j'avoue! mais de temps en temps....

Ma prof de gymnastique appelles Elias "Mr Smiley" car il sourit et rigole beaucoup!

Samedi soir 22:22...hmmmm...j'attends 23h pour donner a Elias son "dream feed" (allaitement en dormant) si il ne se reveille pas avant! Cela dans le bute qu'il dorme au moins 4hrs d'affilee apres ca....

xx

December weekend

Saturday morning we went up to Hampstead Heath, but for a change continued on to Kenwood House. There was light mist London but the sun was shining. Walked slowly through the grounds enjoying the tranquility and the view onto central London which looked like a ghost city in the mist.

In the afternoon I left Stefanie and Elias to go down to my folks in Hampshire to visit my brother in hospital. I was pleased to see him looking so well.

Last night Elias cried from 03:30 to 05:00. Was awful. Poor neighbours.

Misty Morning

ourrrraaahhhh! mon amour tout d'un coup dort beaucoup beaucoup mieux! Avant hier soir il a meme fait une nuit complete ! - ca veut dire 6h d'affilee!!! Quand JE ME suis reveillee a 4h du matin, j'ai du ecouter si son coeur battait bien!!! quelle peur!! ...Hier soir aussi une tres bonne nuit!

Auntie Darling Sue and Maria came round yesterday for tea! It was lovely to see them both - Auntie Darling taught me a new nursery rhyme "raw raw your boat gently down the streem...lalalalalalalaaaaa...."! (I must get a picture of auntie darling on this blog!)

Aujourd'hui, vendredi grisailleux, je suis determinee a aller a la piscine pour 11:45! Elias dort, ca lui a pris 45min pour s'endormir pour sa sieste du matin et beaucoup de pleures!!! oh nonnnnnnn! je vais le reveiller pour y aller sinon ca va faire comme. hier j'etais determinee a aller a notre cours de massage pour bb mais une fois arrivee au centre, Elias dormait paisiblement, alors je suis repartie pour la maison - une fois arrivee...il s'est reveille!!!!!...
C'est Noel dans 2 semaines! Waow que le temps passe vite!!
x


My friend Chris is over from France. Last night he came round for dinner and told us how he's getting on with his five-year old and six-month old. We talked about the relationship between parents and child and he thinks more distance is better than we do.

The Baby

Things we don't call Elias....... "the baby".

Last night he slept really really well. Unfortunately I was out with work and didn't get to bed until 1am so I didn't get the full benefit of the previous three hours.

My post yesterday about the Dire Straits album prompted an email from a former colleague of mine, Tim Leigh, to say how he also had given it a listen recently and been pleased it lived up to his memories. When I get a mo I'll reclaim my credibility with a few mentions of choice cutting edge tunes I've been listening to ;)

Dad styles

Elias updates:

- had his first dose of Calpol following his injections last week. Been glad to keep him off it for that long and hopefully won't need again for a while as it seemed less effective than homeopathic remedies. Apparently it helps with teething pain.
- unrelated to that, slept better last night
- likes to hold and shake things
- has a favourite toy called Moche (thanks Stefanie!)


Last night the following made me feel like an old-school Dad:

- wearing slippers
- listening to Dire Straits' Alchemy which, although a great album I hadn't heard in years, is itself like a pair of comfy slippers.
- going to bed, shattered, at 10:30pm

I won't bore you with all the cool things I was also doing and thinking yesterday evening...

45min

Aie aie aie....Jeudi passe Elias a recu ses premiers vaccins (tetanus/polyo/dypfteria/hep b/wooping cough (une forme de toux grave!) et meningite c) cela ce fait en 3 sessions! Depuis ce jour la, comme par coincidence, nos nuits sont un cauchemar! et mes journee un peu aussi! Elias dort par coups de 45min/1hr et le soir max 2hr! - J'avoue qu'aujourd'hui ca va un peu mieux mais la nuit passee, un cauchemar aussi! Chaque fois qu'il se reveille il pleure, pleure, pleure! MAIS, on a aussi realise que...il nous prend un doigt et se frotte les gencives avec!!!...signe qu'il fait ses dents! Et il parait que les bb dorment tres mal durant ce stade!.....alors c'est peut-etre bien ca -- ce soir je lui ai donne un remede homeopatique (camomilla) et j'espere que ca va aider!

Moi je suis morte de fatigue (Paul aussi) et quand je pense a nos nuits passees avec 2 reveilles par nuit, c'etait le reve! et quand je pense au passe et a une nuit de 8hrs, j'ai l'impression que je fabule! - Maintenant c'est plutot, des que l'on part dans un sommeil profond, pouf! il se reveille! et cela 5 a 7 fois par nuit!!! :(

A part ca - des que l'on te voit le matin au reveil (au vrai reveil!!) on t'aime toujours autant et meme plus chaque jour! Nos journee sont toujours aussi superbent meme que en ce moment tu es un petit peu plus collant que d'habitude - mais apparement normal quand un bb fait ses dents!!

On a commence un cours d'exercices pour mamans pour se refaire le ventre, les fesses, etc!! et les bb sont la aussi sur la matte de la maman - Puis on fait un cours de 2 sessions d'homeopaties afin de comprendre un peu mieux comment administrer les remedes - puis on va recommencer les cours de massage pour bb et yoga pour maman - Nous esperons aussi aller a la piscine bientot, un cours organise par une sage femme pour les petits bb.

oh mon Dieu! ca fait 1h30 que tu dors Elias!!! je devrais etre au lit!

J'y vais!

Dark

7am this morning and it was still totally dark. How depressing. Surely it must be the shortest day soon and we can start movnig towards longer days again. It has always struck me as strange that the longest day is right at the beginning, rather than the height, of summer. Feels the same with these short days.

With an offer accepted on the flat, we went looking for places to live on Saturday and saw a bunch of places with a lot more room, which would be ideal for Elias who, although yet to roll himself over, I can imagine is going to need space! Needless to say prices in London are ludicrous.

45 minutes

You wouldn't think it from this picture but this boy barely sleeps at the moment. He had his 5 in 1 injection on Thursday and since then we've been lucky if he stays asleep longer than 45 minutes. This is starting to take its toll and makes me wonder whether or not to attend the second appointment. Besides that he is fine and plays and smiles as normal, but this sleep thing is weird.

anniversaire

....mercredi 30 Novembre....Demain le 1er Dec. Paul et moi celebrons notre 3eme Anniversaire!!! Qui aurait cru, il y a 3 ans, qu'un petit wisti(ti) naitrait 3 ans plus tard!!! - Puis demain, on va vacciner notre petit amour!!...j'ai la trouille! Mais apres maintes reflexions on a decide que c'etait mieux ainsi..dure choix...(tout cela sera soutenu avec des remedes homeopatiques ainsi que du reiki...ainsi que beaucoup d'amour).

Elias maintenant met tout ce qu'il a en main dans la bouche!!!...Puis il passe pas mal de temps a quatre pattes!! dans son baby gym ou simplement sur sa couverture a decouvrire ses dessins, ses jouets ou simplement a regarder/decouvrir son monde alentours. On joue beaucoup ensemble et il rigole comme un petit fou! -- L'heure du coucher n'est pas triste par contre et la on rigole moins! ...Il y a beaucoup de pleure avant de dormir! j'en pleure presque aussi! et espere que bientot ca va changer et que mon petit amour va s'endormir plus en douceur...

ah et, hier on a eu la visite de Michele qui attend un petit bb pour le mois de mai 06.

s

Take with one hand. Give with the other.

The last two nights, for the first time(s) ever (except in Switzerland), Elias woke up only once. Wow. It was such a good sleep that I woke up, well, tired!

Then tonight he woke within one hour of going to sleep and has just woken again.

This pic: Switzerland last week.

aaaaah..la Suisse

Nous voila de retour! Quel voyage! Quelle experience! Les taxis/avions/trains/etc on ete un peu fatiguants, et a certain moments je me disais meme.."quelle idee ai-je eue???" Mais, j'avoue que le voyage a ete magnifique! Elias a ete un amour! Tant qu'il y a du mouvement il est heureux! Pleins de choses a voir et a entendre!

Puis le temps etait magnifique, les promenades superbement fraiches, ensoleillees et chaleureuses - vraiment une tres belle semaine!

Et finalement les nuits d'Elias etaient plus longues! donc les miennes aussi!!! ...(malheureusement cela a change depuis!)

Nous revoila a Londres - les 2 premiers jours etaient durent! Elias n'avait pas l'air d'etre heureux du tout - dans un sens je le comprends...apres le soleil/la pluie, apres l'air pure/la pollution, apres des routes plates ainsi que peu de traffic/plein de gendarmes et embouteillages, apres vue sur le lac et montagnes/vue sur...des murs!!!....(Nous pensons retourner tres bientot mais cette fois avec papa aussi!)

Malgre ca, mon petit charmeur eclate toujours de rire et nous fait des grands sourires!

x

Travel

I've been a bit quiet on posting as I was in Los Angeles for most of last week and now I am in New York. The Bugaboo turns out to be as popular on Santa Monica oceanside and in Central Park as it is on Hampstead Heath. Makes me feel quite at home!

Despite the joy of nights of unbroken sleep I am missing my boy and his ways. He and Stefanie are in Switzerland where he is sleeping well, being taken for subzero morning walks by Lake Geneva, and being spoilt and indulged by her family and friends.

Annoyingly I have pics Stefanie sent me from Switzerland on my phone but can't get them onto my computer :( Instead, here's LA, Santa Monica beach and NYC, Central Park.

First bottle

Forgot to say, Elias had his first bottle of expressed breast milk yesterday. He had half of it and seemed to think it was pretty good.

This morning after 13 hours sleep (puntuated with 5 wakes) he was in such a good mood, laughing and playful, that I just wanted to stay at home and hang out with him.

Tonight he fell asleep by himself. The new regime is under way. There is crying but I think it's going to work with Stefanie there comforting him but not feeding him to sleep.

Sushi and an Early Night

Spent the afternoon with Nistan, Talia and Alba and their Japanese friends in Belsize Park eating sushi and talking babies. The other two babies, Alba and Kai, are 8 weeks older than Elias and there is a big difference in behaviour. Kai is the most chilled baby I have ever seen and Alba is manically fascinated with everything around her.

It's about half past eight. Elias went to bed two hours ago, Stefanie went ten minutes ago, and I'll follow and I hope to be asleep in ten minutes time.

Maida Vale Saturday

Italian

This is ridiculous. Elias was refused a British passport yesterday because we are not married. So yes, in 2005, you can have a British father of British parents, be born in England, live in England, have a mother with an EU nationality and who has lived and worked in England for 15 years, but without the parents being married your only choice for a British passport is to be naturalised. Ridiculous. I wonder how many less deserving passports are dished out each year - best stop there on that train of thought..... or at least stop writing about it.

Anyway, the rude and unhelpful British passport officials can stick their £60 and one week wait, because this morning we went to the Italian Consulate in Eaton Place and in a slightly crazy 90 minutes with some very friendly, helpful and better dressed people, Elias was added to Stefanie's Italian passport.

Screw you Mr Passport and stop looking so pleased that you get to say no to people as if you yourself both make the decision (rather than following some checklist or policy document) and are the exemplar of Britishness.

I'll stop there.


....tres peu de temps pour ecrire...mais je veux remercier Clare pour le tres gentil "comment" que tu as ecrit! -

Elias est un amour de fromage! Je l'Aimeeeeee tres fort! Maintenant il fait plein de "gooogagaa" et de sourires et de rires! Quel bonheur de se reveiller le matin et de le voir! De le chatouiller et de l'entendre rire! De le voir grandir!

London

Today was Elias' first trip to central London. He and Stefanie came in to get his passport so he can have his first foreign travel imminently. I met them both in a beautiful and sunny Trafalgar Square. He was happy and amazed by all the people going past. After a feed and nappy change in the National Gallery (!) off they went to the passport office.

Tuesday November 8th

Sleep

One night... sleep from hell - waking every hour.
The next... sleep from heaven - 5 hour stretch without waking.
What's that about?

It's been almost two months...

My folks were up this weekend. It's been almost two months since they saw Elias. Things they noticed:

1. He's grown
2. He's beautiful
3. Various permutations on 2.






Things I have noticed:

1. If someone complements Elias I take it as a direct complement to me.

This is worrying since anyone who has read American Pastoral will know that having one's own personal identity too wrapped up in that of your child and their successes in failures is the sure route to disappointment and madness. Oops. Too late.

Anyway had a good weekend, my parents stayed in a hotel in Kings Cross and managed to avoid:

1. Being propositions by crack-addled whores
2. Being sold crack
3. Being mugged
4. Being shouted at by drunks
5. Catching a train

It's quite an achievement to be in King's Cross and do none of the above.

Went up to Hampstead Heath both yesterday and today and ate good food and well I'm now getting boring. Over and out...


**
Ce weekend les parents de Paul etaient la. Ca faisait 2 mois qu'ils n'avaient pas vu Elias! et...bien sure ils l'on trouve grandi, beau, adorable, magnifique etc.etc....Elias adore les compliments et nous encore plus!!! ;) - Ils lui on offert un mobile pour son siege de voiture - 3 petits chiens dont un s'appelle Jo! A part ca nous sommes alles au Parc (hamstead Heath) puis on a mange d'excellents repas prepares par Paul! Yum!

Moi j'ai toujours peu de voix, par moments pas de voix!! J'ai besoin de 8hrs de sommeil de suite je crois pour me remettre!

A part la nuit passee! Elias a recemment (durant 3 nuits!)passe des nuits un peu plus longues, c'est-a-dire a peu pres 5hrs de sommeil de suite...--Oh, je viens d'entendre sur le moniteur qui nous permet d'entendre quand Elias se reveil, que ca petite boite a music (un elephant en peluche!) s'est mise en marche toute seule (cela sans reveiller Elias!)!

A bientot

Vendredi soir a Hillmarton Road

....enfin quelqu'un a montre de l'interet pour notre appart!!! ourrraaahh...meme si que ca...c'est mieux que rien! et qui sait? peut-etre que enfin on va pouvoir vivre ailleurs!! ...

a part ca...c'est vendredi soir! je suis morte de fatigue et j'ai toujours extremement mal a la gorge! Elias lui est en forme! La il dort depuis 19h! - Moi je reve de...8hrs de sommeil de suite, un massage, une pedicure, des nouvelles fringues et....pleins de sourires d'Elias!



Ma prof de Pilates m'a envoye un tres gentil mail entre autre pour me dire que c'est pas grave si Elias ne dort pas toute la nuit encore - a la fin, tous les bebes dorment la nuit!

Ce soir je disais a Paul que j'ai l'impression qu'il y a peu de jours ou je ne me soucie pas de quelque chose! Aujourd'hui par exemple Elias a beaucoup pleure...et je ne suis pas sure du pourquoi...il y a quelques jours je me faisais du souci concernant sa toux, puis il y quelques semaines concernant ses candidas, puis etc.etc.etc....J'imagine que c'est normal (dites moi les mamans?? est-ce normal de se faire tant de souci???)..

Voila, je vais aller dormir je crois.

Morning Ritual

Mornings go a bit like this currently. Wake up whatever time is determined by Elias' dice roll. Play with him. Get up. Put music on that I want to hear, so this morning David Bowie - Aladdin Sane loud enough so that I can hear it in shower and kitchen. Make Stefanie honey and ginger 'tea'. Make breakfast. Then switch the music to the Getz/Gilberto album ... yes, every day the same album ... which usually results in Elias falling asleep. He's been digging this music so much we will have to take him to Brazil one day. I half expect my friend Joe to end up living there so maybe we'll have a guide.

The Opposite of Yesterday

Yesterday I told about the unexpected lie-in; today I tell of the opposite. This morning Elias woke at 5am, and played, and didn't go back to sleep ... until I was just dragging my tired self out the door to work. Thanks Elias. It turns out he then barely slept all day so there was no opoortunity for Stefanie to catch up. Needless to say, Elias willing, there is an early night on the horizon.

Monday morning

Strange start to the day. Elias woke us up soon after 6am. Turned the alarm clock off. I played with him and the snail and his mobile friends Billy, Bumble and Armstrong for a while. When he wanted a feed we took him into our bed...

Then, all of a sudden, I woke up and it was 8:20 and Stefanie and Elias were still asleep. Did the ready-for-work processes in 30 mins, which involved skipping breakfast, and dashed out the door.

That's the first time that has happened since Elias has been born. Still, a bonus hour of kip is ideal.

weekend!

ourraah! pour les weekends!! mais ils sont toujours trop courts!

Cette derniere semaine a ete plutot calme, a nous soigner! Elias et moi avions une grosse creve! Elias une grosse toux et moi un mal de gorge incroyable (qui n'est toujours pas fini!) - C'est la premiere fois en 3 ans que je suis malade! -- je crois que le surplus de fatigue n'aide pas. Bref, ca ete une grosse crise de peur pour moi (pauvre Elias qui toussait comme un fou et une toux tres forte de gros malade! ca fait peur! mais apres avoir parle avec mon amie Nicole qui m'a rassure que ca arrive et qu'en effet c'etait aussi arrive a son bb de 2 mois et qu'elle priait le bon Dieu pour ne pas lui prendre son fils, j'ai reussi a me calmer un peu car avant ca je faisais pareil!) mais, nous sommes maintenant remis.

Elias se reveille toujours env. 2 fois pas nuit - c'est-a-dire, 3hr et 5hr...je ne parle pas de minuit et 6h ou 7h...Ca commence a etre dure pour Paul et pour moi aussi d'ailleurs - surtout quand on est malade, c'est tres dure de se lever la nuit!

Aujourd'hui pour la premiere fois nous avons emmenes Elias au marche de Marylebone! Il avait l'air tres content de cette sortie! Les yeux tres curieux il regardait partout! Il a recu pleins de compliments aussi!

x

Friday October 21st

Comfortable?

Is this really a comfortable sleeping position?

When you try and put Elias to sleep and make him really comfortable it can take ages for him to go down. But give him free rein and he'll put himself to sleep in only the most uncomfortable positions. Sigh..

Tough

It was a really tough weekend and I was away on Saturday playing a concert on the South coast. Not enough sleep and gradually becoming more and more fraught as Elias developed a hacking cough on top of his allergic style breathing, and Stefanie developed a cold too which was quite alarming since in the three years I've known her she has never had a cold.

Anyway last night was a pretty good night's sleep. I mean less interrupted. But it did end at about 5am when Elias thought the sun should come up. I thought so too and opened the blind, but the sun didn't actually rise until 7am. When it did it looked fabulous. In fact, like this...

You can't quite see it but by the crane is the new Arsenal stadium.

*************

Quel weekend! donc avec Elias qui a attrape une de ces creves! deja qu'il respire toujours un peu comme si il a le nez bouche! (parait-il normal chez les bebes!) mais la, par contre il a une toux a decrocher les tableaux! Donc weekend crevant! puis moi aussi j'ai la creve! Ca n'aide pas! Changer les "pampers" plein de caca a 2h, 3h, 4h du mat quand t'as la creve c'est pas la joie! et en ce moment Elias a l'habitude de pondre un petit caca juste quand je viens de lui nettoyer les fesses! Alors on recommence!! hahahaaaarrrggghhh.....

Aujourd'hui tout va mieux - moi la folle je suis retournee chez le Dr juste pour checker ses bronches etc. tout est normal - et moi...j'ai la gorge en feu mais...Elias va mieux c'est ce qui compte!

La photo si dessus - apres avoir dormi toute la journee hier (il est malade)! Elias nous a reveille ce matin a 5h avec de grands sourires!!

bises

More on snails

Text from my friend Chris Heywood:

"He (Isaac, his son) likes that same snail as Elias does!"

Readers

The snail

At any opportunity Elias will stare at this picture of a snail...

Endlessly...

13/10/05

Breastfeeding Mother Sculpture

Gutted I missed this for Stefanie's birthday, but in the National Childbirth Trust Catalogue (don't ask!) they have a 38 quid bronze-effect sculpture of a mother breastfeeding a baby. I quote... A beautiful and timeless image of womanhood and motherhood - a gift that is a bit different and something rather special. I can't believe anyone would buy that! Anyway I dug around in Google and found a pic of it for you :)


Now I see it in this blog, isolated from all the other for you and your baby items on the page, it doesn't look so bad. No... actually... imagine it in a living room... It's awful.

Birthday Colic Dawn

Last night I had insisted that Stefanie's birthday did not start at one minute after midnight but my bluff was called when Elias woke us up for dawn...

It's been a tough 3 days with him crying more than before and it's not always been clear why. We're both pretty shattered and today just compounded it with little chance to sleep and steadily worsening crying fits through the day. Not all the time but, on top of sleep deprivation, enough to start to drive you crazy.

Upsides of the day - I made a pumpkin tart with maple syrup, Stefanie liked her present (phew) and the weather was glorious which made for a great walk on the Heath. The big chair and table was being deconstructed today and the workmen, next to the oversize furniture, looked like an army of doozers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraggle_Rock#Doozers .

Happy Birthday to me!!....aie! ... Je suis crevee (on est creve!!) mais pas parce qu'on a foire mais, ce weekend Elias a eu des colliques! Hier soir (+ ce soir) a ete la pire jusqu'a ce que je trouve un remede homeopatique pour aider! Ce matin on etait debout a ...4hr (moi 3hr) et depuis on a pas dormi! Elias a beaucoup pleure le pauvre! Que c'est dure de voir ce petit bonhomme se tortiller comme ca, et entre autre a cause des aliments que je mange....(poids, aubergines, tomates, pommes de terre!) - depuis aujourd'hui j'essaye d'eviter tout ca pour voir si ca change quelque chose! j'espere vraiment! - J'imagine que cela nous prepare pour la continuation des maladies d'enfance ! oh ! que ca doit etre dure ou ...s'habitue-t-on???

A part ca...j'ai recu de tres beaux cadeaux aujourd'hui! une superbe jaquette en cashmere de Paul puis des boucles d'oreilles (qui ne peuvent pas faire mal a Elias quand il frotte ses joues contres les miennes (ses oreilles je devrais dire) -- puis de jolis cadeaux de ma maman aussi. (il y a encore un cadeau qui m'attend je crois mais il est a la poste!!! ) - voila.

Je vais me coucher afin de retrouver mon teint de 20ans!! hahahaaaaaaa....

Mon anniversaire!

Elias a eu 2 mois jeudi et moi...c'est mon anniversaire demain! et...c'est un long weekend pour nous car Paul a conge demain pour celebrer ce "grand" jour!

D'habitude, a mon anniversaire, je pense beaucoup! a ma vie, travail, amour, finances, etc.etc....Cette annee, je me sens totalement comblee! Tout est la, autours de moi! C'est le bonheur! c'est mon anniversaire tout les jours!

..a part que...on en revient aux 'colliques' - Elias a des colliques! aaarggghh...depuis 2 jours le pauvre, a l'air de souffrir enormement pendant environ 10-15min une ou 2 fois par jour! Finalement ce soir j'ai lu sur un site les aliments a eviter!!...hmmm..alors, ail, oignon, tomate, aubergine, poivrons, pois, pommes de terre...cafe/the/etc bien sure - mais en ce qui concerne les aliments..ces derniers sont ce que je mange tres regulierement! en particulier ces 2 ou 3 derniers jours..ratatouille, couscous vegetariens, salade de pommes de terre et tout cela avec ail et oignon! oh nonnnnnnn....Je suis entrain de boire du the de fenouille, camomille pour essayer d'adoucir tout ca! (puis nous avons aussi trouve un remede homeopatique qui a eu peut-etre de l'effet car la Elias dort doucement depuis 3.5hrs).

Big byzoux

Saturday October 8th

In the post...

Two months old today

Two months have flown by. The bit of routine we have is that Stefanie puts him to bed at 7pm - feed, nappy change, clothes change, resume feed, bed. He's normally asleep by 8 or half past.

I was in John Lewis today to buy a mobile for him. Most of them were so hateable with their buttons to press to hear monophonic Mozart or Bach, and big creatures swiming like they'd been hanged. Bought him a very simple one that suspends high-contrast images that you can swap around. It was funny to be back in the baby bit of John Lewis and see pregnant women wandering around wondering what they need to buy. That was us not so long ago...

Mid-week blues

Normally I leave work in the evening and walk into Piccadilly Circus and think how great it is to be in central London. Today I could not believe I had turned down the job in Paris back in July. I've never needed weekends as much as I do now and if we'd moved to Paris we'd have rented in the city and spent the money from London flat on a country house. Weekends in the French countryside ... oh yes. Anyway no discernible reason for those feelings today cos work's fine, but it disipated when I got home and witnessed a sight that brought me great joy. Elias, when lying on his front, can now life his head up and look around. Fantastic!

Him

I love his smile and I love his smell and the way his eyes look around following everything.
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J'aime son sourire, son odeur, la facon dont ces yeux suivent tout ce qui se passe!!...waow! il est 20:42...apres avoir essaye 3x de le mettre dans son lit...enfin, il s'est endormi! Des jours c'est plus facile que d'autres!! en ce moment c'est dure!....Ce soir en particulier, car il n'a pas dormi cet apres-midi (au cours massage pour bb Yoga pour maman)...c'est endormi a 16:30 puis...on dirait que ca nuit a commence la! Oui je sais...erreur! il faut faire ca autrement, mais, comment? le reveiller??...bref...

Ma maman est partie hier! on a passe quelques jours ensemble super! J'ai recu plein d'habits pour l'hiver pour Elias ainsi que des tricots fait par ma maman qui sont super mignons! Il va certainement avoir chaud cet hiver!

La bonne nouvelle est que, Elias n'a pas de "candida" (thrush)! Dommage que ca ait prit tant de temps pour le savoir mais, vaut mieux tard que jamais!!! -

Elias aura 2 mois vendredi--

Je vais me coucher! je suis morte de fatigue! Elias se reveille toute les 2hrs la nuit!

byzoux

Fish n Chips

I feel like I haven't seen enough of Elias this week. His distracting ways are making it hard for me to get to work on time. In the evening, when I get home, Stefanie is usually putting him to bed and I see him intermittently during the nocturnal wake-ups.

I was putting him in his portable cot thingy today and noticed that where once he looked tiny in there, he now is almost filling it. Where his hands just used to move about aimlessly they grab and point.

He's eight weeks today.

We went up to Hampstead Heath at dusk. What a great time to go up there. The sky was beautiful after rain. There were geese and fishermen with their tents by the ponds and very few other people.

It's Stefanie's mother's last night here tonight which means we eat a l'anglais ... fish and chips from Holloway Road's finest "traditional" fish n chip shop. Bet you wish you were dining round here tonight...

Hanging out with Ladies

Stefanie's mother arrived yesterday for a few days. Here she is with Elias.

And Stefanie with Elias...

Wednesday, 28th September 2005