Some days things just don’t go according to plan. And when you have an eight month old baby, this can make things quite a challenge.
A couple of weeks ago, we decided to take advantage of the fine weather to feed the ducks in Ellesmere. What could be better – and more relaxing – than a leisurely stroll around the mere on a Sunday?
Things started to go wrong the moment we arrived. I lifted the pushchair out of the boot, only to discover we had a flat tyre. Had we remembered to put the pump and a puncture repair kit in? No. We’d had the pushchair a few months with no problems and we’d got complacent.
Unfortunately, as nice as Ellesmere is, finding a puncture repair kit and pump on a Sunday is no easy task and the best we could manage was stopping at a garage and inflating the tyre at the air and water station, attracting some very strange looks from motorists in the process.
The tyre stayed up for approximately one minute.
Determined not to let it spoil our outing, we dragged the pushchair to the mere to feed the ducks. When we arrived, however, a dog show was in full swing, which meant the ducks had all disappeared to the other side of the mere.
As the old saying goes, though, every cloud has a silver lining. Melissa decided to put Harry on the swings in the play area and he loved it. In fact, he laughed almost non-stop for half an hour. It was great.
We then retired to the Black Lion pub for an excellent Sunday lunch. Thankfully, the staff were more than happy to heat up Harry’s lunch, which meant we could all relax.
It rounded off what turned out to be an enjoyable trip after all; the ducks will have to wait for another day.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Sunday, 13 September 2009
You either love it...
According to the advert for a well known ‘yeast extract’, Marmite, you either love it or you hate it. Now I happen to be a fan of this savoury spread, which really does divide opinion.
Melissa, on the other hand, cannot abide it. In fact, she refuses to kiss me when I’ve eaten it. It’s obvious, then, that this would be a bit of a battle ground for Harry.
So, last week, I decided to get the first shot in by surreptitiously giving Harry a taste of my Marmite-smothered toast. Ha, I thought, get him used to the flavour now and I’ll have an ally for life.
Harry, however, had other plans. He’d just finished seven ounces of milk and a generous bowl of porridge. After tasting the Marmite, his breakfast came straight back up while I hastily tried to clean the worst off the high chair and Harry himself, watched by a smug-looking Melissa. Poor old Harry did not look impressed and he’s definitely had an air of suspicion when I’ve fed him since.
Of course, I tried to blame the sudden sickness on teething troubles – he’s now the proud owner of two surprisingly sharp gnashers – but I don’t really believe it.
So it looks like I’ve lost the Marmite battle. From now on, I’ll be concentrating my efforts on the cricket battle – if I can’t turn Harry into a fan of this fine sport, I might find myself having to listen to Test Match Special in the garden shed.
Melissa, on the other hand, cannot abide it. In fact, she refuses to kiss me when I’ve eaten it. It’s obvious, then, that this would be a bit of a battle ground for Harry.
So, last week, I decided to get the first shot in by surreptitiously giving Harry a taste of my Marmite-smothered toast. Ha, I thought, get him used to the flavour now and I’ll have an ally for life.
Harry, however, had other plans. He’d just finished seven ounces of milk and a generous bowl of porridge. After tasting the Marmite, his breakfast came straight back up while I hastily tried to clean the worst off the high chair and Harry himself, watched by a smug-looking Melissa. Poor old Harry did not look impressed and he’s definitely had an air of suspicion when I’ve fed him since.
Of course, I tried to blame the sudden sickness on teething troubles – he’s now the proud owner of two surprisingly sharp gnashers – but I don’t really believe it.
So it looks like I’ve lost the Marmite battle. From now on, I’ll be concentrating my efforts on the cricket battle – if I can’t turn Harry into a fan of this fine sport, I might find myself having to listen to Test Match Special in the garden shed.
It's feeding time
Feeding time with Harry is a pleasure – most of the time. He loves his food and will eat just about anything we give him, including cauliflower, courgettes, broccoli, potatoes, fish, meat, porridge and so on. There’s something really satisfying about watching him enjoy his food – and you can tell he’s enjoying it because he just sits there with his mouth wide open between spoonfuls.
His real favourite, though, is dessert. Harry’s definitely inherited Melissa’s sweet tooth and it’s now got to the stage where we have to hide his sweet while he’s eating his savoury food, otherwise you’ve got no chance. He can even recognise the ‘pop’ of a lid when we open a jar of rice pudding or egg custard, which means we have to take extra care when preparing his food.
As I say, generally feeding him is easy. He has, though, developed a new trick while eating which has made the experience more of a challenge. Basically, while feeding, he, for want of a better description, blows a raspberry. This can be extremely messy, as I found out while feeding him his cheesy broccoli bake the other night; I ended up wearing most of it.
The problem is, the first time it happened, both Melissa and I laughed. I know that’s completely the wrong thing to do, but it was comical watching Harry screw his face up while spraying food everywhere. Anyway, whenever he does it now, we both try to ignore it – although in reality we’re both trying desperately not to laugh.
I’ve no idea why he does it. It’s not as if he’s full – it can happen with the second mouthful of his food – and I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t like the taste, his mouth will be wide open again waiting for more food seconds later. Interestingly, though, I’ve not seen him do it with a dessert yet; presumably that’s just too valuable to waste.
His real favourite, though, is dessert. Harry’s definitely inherited Melissa’s sweet tooth and it’s now got to the stage where we have to hide his sweet while he’s eating his savoury food, otherwise you’ve got no chance. He can even recognise the ‘pop’ of a lid when we open a jar of rice pudding or egg custard, which means we have to take extra care when preparing his food.
As I say, generally feeding him is easy. He has, though, developed a new trick while eating which has made the experience more of a challenge. Basically, while feeding, he, for want of a better description, blows a raspberry. This can be extremely messy, as I found out while feeding him his cheesy broccoli bake the other night; I ended up wearing most of it.
The problem is, the first time it happened, both Melissa and I laughed. I know that’s completely the wrong thing to do, but it was comical watching Harry screw his face up while spraying food everywhere. Anyway, whenever he does it now, we both try to ignore it – although in reality we’re both trying desperately not to laugh.
I’ve no idea why he does it. It’s not as if he’s full – it can happen with the second mouthful of his food – and I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t like the taste, his mouth will be wide open again waiting for more food seconds later. Interestingly, though, I’ve not seen him do it with a dessert yet; presumably that’s just too valuable to waste.
Friday, 28 August 2009
I'm just showing off
One of the many perks of being a parent is being able to take Harry out and about. I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help, frankly, showing him off.
And, sadly enough, I love it when strangers wander up to you in the street and ask about Harry and do the whole baby-noise thing. As you can tell, I’m quite proud of my son. Fortunately, Harry loves it and always charms strangers by smiling at them happily, even when he’s been a little terror behind closed doors.
It also means that I like to be in charge of the pushchair, which occasionally causes friction with Melissa, who also likes to show off. We’ve even had to come to an arrangement – Melissa pushes during the week, I take control at the weekends.
Of course, going out is not always straightforward, particularly if Harry decides he doesn’t want to go in his pushchair, and it always involves taking bags of spare clothes, food, and so on, which can make it seem a little bit like a military operation.
Generally, though, I love it and, with the sun out, we headed off to Chester last Saturday to stroll around the city and do a bit of shopping. The races were on, which meant navigating the buggy through the crowded streets was occasionally tricky but this in no way detracted from an enjoyable day, helped by the fact that Harry was fascinated by the sights and sounds of Chester.
On a practical note, I must praise the café located on Browns of Chester’s top floor. Not only is there plenty of room for pushchairs and all the associated paraphernalia, there are also plenty of highchairs and an excellent baby changing room.
It’s something of a relief to find such baby-friendly facilities. I know some cafes don’t want babies or pushchairs and that’s fair enough – I’ve complained often enough in the past about screaming kids ruining a quiet bite to eat. But it can be difficult to find somewhere to grab some lunch and feed and change Harry. Believe me, however boring this sounds, these things are important when you have a little one – especially when you want to show off.
And, sadly enough, I love it when strangers wander up to you in the street and ask about Harry and do the whole baby-noise thing. As you can tell, I’m quite proud of my son. Fortunately, Harry loves it and always charms strangers by smiling at them happily, even when he’s been a little terror behind closed doors.
It also means that I like to be in charge of the pushchair, which occasionally causes friction with Melissa, who also likes to show off. We’ve even had to come to an arrangement – Melissa pushes during the week, I take control at the weekends.
Of course, going out is not always straightforward, particularly if Harry decides he doesn’t want to go in his pushchair, and it always involves taking bags of spare clothes, food, and so on, which can make it seem a little bit like a military operation.
Generally, though, I love it and, with the sun out, we headed off to Chester last Saturday to stroll around the city and do a bit of shopping. The races were on, which meant navigating the buggy through the crowded streets was occasionally tricky but this in no way detracted from an enjoyable day, helped by the fact that Harry was fascinated by the sights and sounds of Chester.
On a practical note, I must praise the café located on Browns of Chester’s top floor. Not only is there plenty of room for pushchairs and all the associated paraphernalia, there are also plenty of highchairs and an excellent baby changing room.
It’s something of a relief to find such baby-friendly facilities. I know some cafes don’t want babies or pushchairs and that’s fair enough – I’ve complained often enough in the past about screaming kids ruining a quiet bite to eat. But it can be difficult to find somewhere to grab some lunch and feed and change Harry. Believe me, however boring this sounds, these things are important when you have a little one – especially when you want to show off.
Monday, 24 August 2009
Harry goes mobile
Big news this week, Harry’s gone mobile.
He’s not crawling properly yet, but he’s discovered that, by sticking his backside in the air and pushing up with his arms, he’s able to shuffle around quite effectively.
Admittedly he tends to go backwards and sideways rather than forwards, but it’s movement nonetheless.
Last weekend, Melissa and I were eating our breakfast while Harry was on the playmat by our feet. By the time I’d finished my porridge, he’d managed to get himself all the way to the other side of the room and was about to start eating the television stand when I picked him up.
Of course, this changes everything. I’m no longer able to plonk Harry on his play mat and read the paper or watch the cricket; instead I have to watch his every move and jump up every five minutes to stop him chewing bits of furniture.
Not that I mind. Watching him move is fascinating, but the real problems start when he gets in his walker.
His walker is a slightly odd contraption with a seat and wheels that allows him to dash around the kitchen at surprising speed.
When we first bought this a couple of months ago, Harry would sit in it for a few minutes before his head would drop and we’d have to pick him up. Now he’s mastered the steering, he’s quite happy to spend a lot longer in it – and find the energy to cause mayhem. One of his favourite tricks is grabbing the basket in the dishwasher as you try to empty it. Occasionally this can cause quite a mess – much to Harry’s amusement.
His other favourite trick is to dash across the kitchen heading for Melissa’s precious piano. This prompts the sort of sprint from Melissa not seen since her days at Ysgol Dinas Bran – and can be quite entertaining to watch.
Harry, meanwhile, is seemingly oblivious to the chaos his new mobile status creates. As for me, I think I’ll be getting a few more grey hairs in the next couple of months.
He’s not crawling properly yet, but he’s discovered that, by sticking his backside in the air and pushing up with his arms, he’s able to shuffle around quite effectively.
Admittedly he tends to go backwards and sideways rather than forwards, but it’s movement nonetheless.
Last weekend, Melissa and I were eating our breakfast while Harry was on the playmat by our feet. By the time I’d finished my porridge, he’d managed to get himself all the way to the other side of the room and was about to start eating the television stand when I picked him up.
Of course, this changes everything. I’m no longer able to plonk Harry on his play mat and read the paper or watch the cricket; instead I have to watch his every move and jump up every five minutes to stop him chewing bits of furniture.
Not that I mind. Watching him move is fascinating, but the real problems start when he gets in his walker.
His walker is a slightly odd contraption with a seat and wheels that allows him to dash around the kitchen at surprising speed.
When we first bought this a couple of months ago, Harry would sit in it for a few minutes before his head would drop and we’d have to pick him up. Now he’s mastered the steering, he’s quite happy to spend a lot longer in it – and find the energy to cause mayhem. One of his favourite tricks is grabbing the basket in the dishwasher as you try to empty it. Occasionally this can cause quite a mess – much to Harry’s amusement.
His other favourite trick is to dash across the kitchen heading for Melissa’s precious piano. This prompts the sort of sprint from Melissa not seen since her days at Ysgol Dinas Bran – and can be quite entertaining to watch.
Harry, meanwhile, is seemingly oblivious to the chaos his new mobile status creates. As for me, I think I’ll be getting a few more grey hairs in the next couple of months.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
And another picture
Harry posing for the camera - the picture was taken by the brilliant Rick Matthews (NWN's picture editor), who also has the patience of a saint. Cheers Rick.
Pictures of Harry... about time too
Harry is a quick learner... he no longer needs us when he's thirsty. By the way, that's juice, not beer, in his bottle.
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