The first quarter

So 12 weeks have now passed since this little lady made her entrance to the world.



It feels like it ought to be a bit of a milestone, reaching this point. I suppose, in terms of her development, it is. Baby T is cooing and shrieking and wriggling. She is even making a funny little noise that sounds like it could be the beginning of a giggle. We're looking forward to hearing that!

But the past 12 weeks haven't been so hard for me that I'm glad to see the back of them - not at all. I know how incredibly lucky I am that she inherited her brother's 'good little sleeper' gene. From 7 weeks she was (occasionally) sleeping 10 hours at night and now at 12 weeks she goes down to bed anywhere between 6pm and 7.30pm and sleeps 12 hours from there. Some nights she will want a feed, but generally she's going straight through. Is she spoiling me or what?

I think one of the things I've been most unprepared for is the way E dotes on her. I thought the novelty of her would have worn off by now but it hasn't. He begs visitors to "come and look at my baby", he plays with her (sometimes a bit too, um, vigorously) on her playmat, he touches, pats, kisses, whispers "I love you" in her ear. It is incredibly sweet.

I think he's an amazing little lad and I am so proud of the way he cares for her. Long may it last.

If there is anyone left who actually bothers to read this blog, I apologise for my absence of late. The blame can be firmly laid at the teeny feet of my little daughter, who is 11 weeks now. Here she is:



Do you like her little red dress? I do. It cost $2 - and I am most enamoured with it. It is one of the many lovely things for her that I've found at my favourite secondhand shop. I keep meaning to take pics and blog about them but then the moment passes...

Those Canadians know what they're talking about

It appears we now live in an age when journalists are highly, dangerously dispensable.

Take a look at this. Never have I seen a better argument as to why we need to reward (even just keep) good journalists and subeditors.

Brilliant.

Ten

Ten little toes of a 10-week-old.

A return to words

Nine weeks after having Baby T, I feel like some semblance of (new) normality is returning. Last week I was asked to write a monthly magazine column - and naturally jumped at the chance. I've started on the first one today and it's so lovely to be working with words again. Never mind that I turned the house upside down looking for my voice recorder - and never did locate it. Hmmm, the dodgy shorthand had to do when I did my first phone interview in MONTHS this morning.

Another way in which the words are returning is that I am ENGROSSED in a fantastic library book - the first major thing I've read since T was born. It's The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. The Petite Gourmand blogged about this book and it sounded great so I got our local library to order it in. Now I can't put it down. If only I actually had more time to sit and sink into it...

In other news, T has discovered she has the ability to gnaw on her hands. Clearly not feeding her enough.