Life's never dull

Harry was 10 months old this week and, looking back, I find it incredible how much our lives have changed.

The focus of everything we do is now Harry. What’s also incredible, though, is how quickly he continues to change. His character is really starting to come out now and I think it’s fair to say we’re going to have our hands full for the next few years.

Not that I’m complaining. When I get home at night now, I spend the first half hour on all fours crawling around the floor with Harry chasing after me, laughing. It’s great fun, although I’m not sure Melissa appreciates us dashing around the floor while she tries to tidy up around us.

Anyway, Harry’s energy seems never-ending. Combined with the fact that he’s also pretty strong, this means life is never dull.

Take nappy changing, for instance. Whereas once we were able to keep on his back relatively easily by distracting him, now it often takes two of us – one holding him down like a wrestler, with the other changing the nappy as quickly as possible before he manages to squirm free.

If I find myself on my own with a dirty nappy, I just give him something he knows he shouldn’t have to keep him still. This can be messy as his favourite distraction is a tub of nappy cream – and he is now an expert at getting the lid off and his hands in.

And, as I say, he’s getting really strong. We bought drawer locks for the kitchen but, within minutes of fitting them, Harry had managed to break two of them and get among the pots and pans anyway.

Keeping an eye on him is a full time job. We’ve tried Harry-proofing the house – stair gates, blanks to go in the plug sockets and so on – but he still finds any number of ways to get his hands on things he shouldn’t.

By the time he goes to sleep at night, Melissa and I are exhausted. And by six in the morning, it starts all over again…