The death of a floor covering

After Arlo’s little effort half an hour ago, it’s likely we will have to dispose of the floor runner in the spare room, due to a rather large, definitely not budging yellow stain.

Who knew I would be ‘one of those women’ who blog about their baby’s bowel movements?  I guess I’ve learnt the advantages of elasticised fitted cloth nappies over terry flats.  Oh well.  The nappy in question is hiding in a bucket in some soaker.

And the child?  Is now perfectly happy.  I’ve been blessed with a child who only sees fit to evacuate every three days, so it’s always pretty…um…exciting, but today’s effort really was something else.  Even I had to change my clothes!

So, prettier, nicer things from the weekend before last:

We got us some kulcha at tha art gallery

Weddings as a spectator sport: I love to drive around the city on a Saturday afternoon and critique the brides.  There were 5 along our chosen route, two can be seen in the following picture.  Well, actually, all the spectators can be seen – it’s a little hard to find the brides.  A bit like Where’s Wally, really.

The fruits vegetables of Mark’s labours:

Arlo’s caterwauling happily to himself in the rocker.  He’ll sleep well this afternoon considering the bowel effort (I’m talking about it again, sorry) so I can get on with my sewing.  We went to the Salvos yesterday and I bought up big on flannel bunny rugs to cut up and make nappy liners.  Also got him some clothes – I love buying the fancy brands in good condition for a tenth of the retail price.

We battled the crowds for the 20% off sale at Spotlight, too.  Won’t be making that mistake again.  We held out long enough to get 3 metres of polar fleece (also for the liners) and some mohair yarn.

Tomorrow I will be getting out of the house – I have to pick up a batch of photos we had printed on the weekend and also meet up with some of the girls from our antenatal class. Thursday I’m going out with my sisters-in-law, Friday my parents are coming, Saturday/Sunday we’ll be at the house and visiting other friends so our nice sleeping patterns will be shot.  But he’s happy enough to sleep in the hugabub so I’m sure that will get a workout this week.

A beautiful day today – warm but enough breeze to render the sun a pleasure.

Yesterday

I’m posting yet again! because I forgot to mention our outing yesterday: we went to the wetlands for mummy’s group.  It was hot hot hot and oh so sunny; I got sunburnt on the chest.  You’d think someone who once suffered 2nd degree sunburn would be extra super careful about getting burnt, but I wasn’t so careful yesterday.  In my defense, my enormous hat was being used to shield Arlo’s face during his feeds.

We had to leave early though as he’d not had much sleep – he only will sleep for half an hour at most if we’re not at home so I cut and ran from the meet to save my sanity.

We’ll definitely go there on a cooler day with Mark, I think.  It’s beautiful to see wildlife on the outskirts of the city, and it’s only $5 to get in.  Just not on such a hot day – for some reason there’s not much by way of shade in the picnic areas.

Only an hour and a half till The Experiment begins!

I want TimTams.  I hear there’s latte flavoued ones.  I must wait till next week though, as I demolished an entire block of Cadbury’s fruit and nut Sunday night/Monday morning.

New Horizons

Today’s excitement:  Mama will drop Arlo off at Dadda’s work at 5pm so she can go to a pilates class all by her little lonesome.

How obnoxious is talking about oneself in the third person?  Not as obnoxious as doing so in cutesy baby names.

And I’ve already started counting down to my holiday in February – a week away with three of my sisters-in-law…and the kids.   Mmmmm……..

Cravings

Since I’m back on chicken soup and yoghurt, I’d just like to complain about how this talk of going to Hawaii/the US has meant that I’ve spent a whole day craving for french dip from Houston’s.

Oh, the meat.  The crispy, crunchy bread.  And the delicious beef broth.  Sigh.

What’s the colour of a two cent coin?

Copper!

A first for Arlo today: being scared witless by the cops.  There we were, walking calmly down the (main)  road, when a paddy wagon and a regular cop car went screaming past with sirens blaring.  It wasn’t until the noise died down that I realised Arlo was screaming from the noise.  Poor thing.  I popped my head around the pram and the look on his face was total shock and bewilderment – but as soon as the noise stopped he calmed down.

Right now he’s in his rocker, talking to the teddy bear the swings from the crossbar.  He’s had a marvellous day – two good sleeps, lunch in the park with dadda, and a trip to the shops with mama.  Tomorrow we may go to the wetlands with the mummy’s group, but we’ll see how tired I am, and in what sort of mood he is.

In just a couple of days he’ll be three months old!  Already!

Pics

Some of these are old (and by old, I mean really old.  Three weeks, maybe.  Sigh.  Time flies).  But we’ve had some good times with the child lately -actually we’ve had, and frequently have, daily, hourly good times so that’s hardly a useful qualifier.

I’ll shut up and just post pics:

From camping week, my first foray into oil painting…

Early attempt at tummy time:

knitting – a rare activity for Mama X these days…

A sunny weekend away to the house, featuring a flowering coral flame pea plant, flowers from which I used to adorn Arlo’s hat.  He scored a couple of daisies during our walk, as well.

And the three of us:

We had coffee at the caff with Arthur, who is nine days older than Arlo.  Also, despite the village being geriatric central, five babies made an appearance that day: Arlo, Arthur, Louis (the son of my eldest sister’s best friend from highschool; the baby is only a few weeks, maybe a month older than Arlo) and then two holidaying mums with newborns.

Arlo has bigger eyes than Liv Tyler.  Thankfully, not bigger lips (not that you can see them anyway):

Sleeping in the hammock:

And following dinner at friends’ house, we all sat down to heckle  the ditzy female commentator on Iron Chef:

I;m sure you all see through the picture posting: it’s fluff to make the post look substantive and disguise the fact that I have nothing much to say at this point in time.  But then, no-one reads this so the lack of written content is not a problem!

How to make you child sleep.

.Have them immunised.  He’s been sleeping, well, like a baby for a little over three hours since we got home from the doctor’s.  I worried that I would have an inconsolable child all afternoon – like I had yesterday.  One mistimed phonecall and the poor little blighter was so thrown out that he only had one hour’s sleep (or rather three short naps totalling one hour) between midday and 8pm.

I think it was worse for me because all I could think of were the the dozens of puncture marks he had in the hospital, and the sight of the blood dripping out of the overflowing cannula, down the doctor’s hand and onto the floor.  Thankfully the immunisations were a quick jab in each thigh, and then my lovely doctor escorted me to an empty room so I could give Arlo some Magic Milk, after which he cooed and gurgle his way home, then fell into a deep slumber after a further 5 minute feed.

Mark wants to go and play soccer this evening as a lead-up to the potential formation of a soccer team, so I’m hoping the little one stays as contented and happy and not bothered by the shots as he is now, while not necessarily being asleep.