I'm late, I'm late

Until recently, I’d always wondered why my friends with children invariably turned up to engagements late. I must admit, I’d always assumed the ‘it was the kids’ line was simply an excuse for not getting ready on time.

Well, now I know different. Leaving the house is, thanks to Harry, a nightmare. Rather than just getting myself ready, I now have to dress Harry and this is not as simple as it sounds. When Melissa dresses him, he gurgles away happily. When I dress him, he screams.

By the time I’ve managed to get one arm in his jacket, he’s managed to kick off his trousers and boots and we’re almost back to square one.

Then, just when you think you’ve cracked it, Harry will suddenly stop screaming and look at you mischievously… and you just know he’s filled his nappy.

And that’s just the start of it. You still have to pack his bag – spare feeds, nappies, clothes, you name it – before trying to get him in his car seat or pram.

Honestly, I’m so exhausted by the time we’re ready to leave, I’m sometimes tempted to cancel. Trust me, the antenatal classes don’t prepare you for this.

Apparently, ‘it gets easier’ with practice. I certainly hope so. If not, I’d like to apologise now for being late for the next 16 years; it’s all Harry’s fault.

Sleeping well?

SINCE becoming a dad, everybody wants to know how much sleep I’m getting.
‘Are you getting much sleep at the moment?’ people ask, staring at me accusingly and checking the bags under my eyes. And – so far – I’m always pleased to report that I’m sleeping pretty well, thanks very much.
We’ve been lucky with Harry. He’s now content to go for up to six hours between feeds, which means we’re only getting up once during the night.
I have to say, that’s far better than I expected. The first couple of nights after Harry came out of hospital were tough. Melissa and I hardly slept – a combination of nervousness and excitement – and Harry seemed to pick up on this, crying for long periods.
Despite this, we were so worried about missing a feed that Melissa even set an alarm to wake us after six hours ‘just in case’.
Of course, there was no chance of sleeping six hours at that early stage and I began to understand how a combination of a lack of sleep, together with the weight of responsibility that comes with being a new parent, can make for a fractured atmosphere.
Fortunately, it didn’t last. Melissa discovered the benefits of dummies (or ‘soothers’ to give them their slightly more appealing trade name) and Harry suddenly began to settle more easily at night.
That’s not to say it’s easy, and some nights are certainly more difficult than others. Given the choice, of course I’d rather have eight hours of uninterrupted sleep but, until Harry decides otherwise, it’s simply not an option.
I wouldn’t change it for the world, though, even if it does mean looking just a little bit more tired than I did six months ago.