Dylan (and family)update...

Today Dylan rolled from his back to his tummy for the first time. He's been doing tummy to back for ages, but this is a first. He is getting so big--and INCREDIBLY strong! He weighed 18 lbs 7 oz as of Wednesday. Marley, the baby next door, weighs 21 lbs. They both weighed about the same at birth, and now Dylan is long and skinny and Marley is pretty much round. Of course, Marley is bottle fed and Dylan is still breast fed. In fact, he has made it to 6 months without ever having formula. I am so proud of that!

We went to the Mundays' house last night--haven't been over in ages. We give Dylan his bath there and put him to bed in their travel cot upstairs. It's always been a nice way of still being able to go and be social, but last night I really missed my cuddles and quiet time with Dylan. The longer he's around, the more I love spending time with him. It really helps that he's getting cuter all the time. He's really becoming such a smiley, happy baby.

Martin went for his job interview at Grimsby College yesterday. Can't remember if I've mentioned it or not--he applied for the position of Restaurant Manager and NVQ assessor at the training restaurant there. I hope he gets it--the hours are a bit longer and he'll have to drive to work every day, but it'll be so good for him. Plus he'll be making about twice as much money as he currently does and he'll get sick pay (which he currently does not).

I'm doing really well. I've been doing Pilates about 5 days a week, and I'm starting to see the benefits. From the waist up you can't even tell I've had a baby. From the waist down, well, that's another story. But I'm working on it, and that's the most important part, right?

Got to go play with my baby now. Sorry it's such a quick update--I'll try to get some pictures up later.!

Dylan and I met Charlotte, Beth, and Dave at Baysgarth park on Saturday. The weather was so glorious that we just HAD to get out. Martin was at work, but we went and had lunch at the Place and saw him. We had fun, and had Charlotte and Dave over for dinner last night--that was fun, too. They are a great couple. They are the first practicing Catholics that I've ever met. Charlie is from Hull. Dave is Welsh. And Dylan and Beth play really well together.

Unfortunately, the weather didn't stay glorious for very long. The fog has rolled in now, and we can hear the fog horn going out on the North Sea all night long. Plus, it's been really cold! And I'm not just saying that because I've been in England too long and have gone soft. It was -6 celcius two nights ago. Our water pipes froze. I know they do it all the time back home, but it's never happened to me over here and I wasn't expecting it. I left a tap running last night, and so our pipes didn't freeze again.

Martin has his job interview at Grimsby College on Friday, and he's looking forward to that. I'm giving a massage tonight, taking Dylan swimming on Wednesday, and then we have a birthday party on Thursday. It's Martin's mate Nathan's 30th, and we're going to some big play area near Leeds. They do dry skiing, and apparently have a great area for kids to play in. Family friendly, you know? Then we have Choir on Thursday night. On Saturday we're going over to the neighbors' house to hang out. This week is so busy!

The picture's rubbish, but Dylan shrieking is so adorable I just had to add it!

Dylan rides the badger!

We try the hip carry in the sling--brilliant!

Dylan and Beth

Dylan and second cousin Emily.

So alert!

News...

I have my UK Visa! And the best part of it is, it is only good until 2010. We will be moving home when it is expired, so now I have something to look forward to!

In other news, Martin has an interview to be the restaurant manager at the Grimsby Institute's training restaurant. If he gets the job it would be really good money, all the school holidays off, and 5 days and 4 nights a week. I don't really mind what he ends up doing--I know he would be really good at that job and it would make him happy. Besides, nights alone with Dylan don't terrify me any more. He is such a good baby now, and spending time with him is really a joy!

Our entrance hallway has been plastered now, and it looks marvy. Just a few days to dry, and then we will get it painted. We're also going to change the color of our front room. It's going to be "Willow Tree" green in both. Our house is really starting to look good. It's nowhere near done, but it gets a little better all the time.

Saturday was such a gorgeous day that I decided to work out in the garden with Dylan. I pulled weeds in the borders and dug them up to get them ready for spring planting. Then I decided to start digging out the concrete so we can plant grass back there. We got another unpleasant surprise--the concrete was laid over a little bit of rubble and topsoil, but there is brick all under the topsoil. I am going to have to do some MAJOR work out there to get it ready to plant grass. But I want Dylan to have a lawn to play on.

Speaking of Dylan, I need to feed him. I'll try to get some pictures posted later on this week. He's getting so big now (though he's only gained 5 ounces in the last three weeks) and cuter every day!

Pictures, as promised...

Dylan's second train journey--the ride home tonight

"I Love Milk"

My little ladies' man

Reaching for the camera

Hugs, cuddles, and smiles by the bridge

I'm going to bed now--it's been a long day (but a good one) with my little man. One bit of news, though. Today Dylan started saying "Bah" for the first time. He's never made any "plosive" sounds before, and it's SO adorable!

Getting plastered...

No, not me or Martin. Our entrance hallway is going to be plastered next weekend. Martin's cousin James and his dad Barry are coming to do it. Once the plastering is done, Martin will lay the slate tile and switch the door around. Then my bookshelf will be built and things can start to get a lot more tidy in here!

Dylan and I have been going swimming a lot lately, and he is really loving it. We have started going every Friday with Joanne (neighbor) and Marley. Baby Marley is cute, but Dylan is SOOOO much cuter. I'm not just saying that because I'm biased, either. He really is adorable.

Christine has been making an effort to play with Dylan more. I invited her for dinner last night, and she helped with Dylan's bedtime routine. She even spent most of his bath alone with him, and they had a good time. She told Martin off for letting Dylan's ears go under the water, and he pretty much told her where she could put her unsolicited advise. That was my favorite part of the whole night. Anyway, Dylan is getting to know her a little better.

The weather has been so weird here lately. The snowdrops are blooming (they're the first bulbs of spring), but it's been so cold. We had some snow yesterday, and it froze last night. Plus we've had gale force winds blowing down from the arctic. Brrrr.

Martin is still at the Place. Things are on hold with job stuff at the minute. His hours have been cut since they're no longer open on Friday and Saturday nights, which is great for me and Dylan but bad for our bank account. Martin may work just a few days a week for Birse to supplement our income, or he might look for a part time job tending bar--we haven't decided yet. But we're managing. Me taking control of the finances was the best financial decision we've made in a long time!

Anyway, Dylan and I are going to walk up to the Place to pick Martin up from work. I'm planning on posting pictures either tomorrow or Monday!

A busy week...

I had a good birthday, though 29 is not my favorite age. Time keeps creeping up on me, and I don't like getting older. Martin and I went on a date, just dinner and a movie, but it was nice to get out of the house together without Dylan. Christine (mother in law) came to babysit, and Dylan cried the whole time. I'd like to take this opportunity to assure people that it's not because he's spoiled. He just doesn't really know Christine. How can this be, you ask, when we spend three to four hours at her house every single Sunday? Well, I'll tell you.

My mother in law does not play with her grandson. She was all excited for him to be born, and then once he showed up she ceased caring. She never comes over here--the only time she sees Dylan is when we bring him over to her house. And even then, she doesn't really hold him or play with him. Sometimes she does try to play with him, but he likes songs and jumping around, and she pretty much just shakes his toys at him. He doesn't know who she is.

This has been a major source of frustration to me, because I know if we only lived 10 miles from my mom, she'd see him all the time and love him to pieces. And not only does Christine not really bother with her grandson, she gives ME unsolicited advice about how I should be raising him. I know my baby--I spend every waking moment with him. I very rarely go anywhere without him, and I don't need her telling me when and how much I should feed him or how I don't put him down for naps often enough.

Since she's being like this, I've decided that I no longer want to go over there every week. We are going every other week, and we aren't staying very long. If his grandparents want to see him, they can come over here once in a while!

Anyway, got that off my chest now!

Dylan and I went swimming on Wednesday AND Friday--with Martin on Wednesday and with Joanne and Marley yesterday. On Thursday we went to the church for an Enrichment day mini class in family history. Then we went grocery shopping and to choir. And today we went to Hull to the "Big Fun" for a birthday party. It's a giant indoor playground for kids. Dylan is a little young for some place like that, but he enjoyed all the people and noise.

There have been changes at the Place again. They are no longer going to open on Friday and Saturday nights. It'll be nice to have him home on weekends, but it'll really cut his hours a lot. He's still planning on leaving, but hasn't decided which job he wants to take yet. He's applied for a couple and has had a few offers. Had a bit of a scare on Tuesday. The landlord at the Place served them with a notice of eviction as the owners hadn't paid the rent. Its due quarterly and they were a month late paying it. Martin took Wednesday off and wasn't sure if he'd have a job to go to on Thursday, but all is well.

So that's the update. got to dash now.

Update...

Dylan weighs 17 lbs 5 oz! I also had him measured when they weighed him, and he is 70cm long (that's just short of 28 inches)! He is in the 75th percentile for weight, but the 99th for height. I knew he was long and skinny, but now it is confirmed--he's built like his daddy!

A miracle occurred today--Dylan let me put him down for a nap at the house. I got my bathroom cleaned. It was the best, and I really hope he continues to sleep in the house. I never thought I'd be so excited to scrub my toilet.

Enough of that. I am going to post some pictures of the adorable little man. Enjoy!

Don't worry!

There seems to be some concern about Martin looking for a new job. Just wanted to tell everyone not to worry--he has had an offer, and may actually stay on at the Place and really take charge there. He and Karen (the chef) might lease the business from the current owners. At any rate, he won't be out of a job at all.

Dylan and I had a GREAT weekend. Sometimes it's really hard because Martin is at work all day on Friday and most of the day on Saturday. Entertaining Dylan by myself is a job and a half. But he was good, and he's gone to sleep really well for the past week. We didn't do anything particularly special, but we had a good time doing it. He really is a joy!

I finally got a web cam with a mic and a headset, so I am signed up to Skype and am looking forward to video chats with friends and family. Our Skype identity is gilbertsfridge, just like the blog. Can't wait! In fact, I have to go now so I can finish setting it up!

Dylan and little Beth, my friend Charlie's daughter. She was born a week before Dylan and is TINY! She weighs what Dylan did at about 9 weeks. Incidentally, as of last week he weighed 16 lbs 11 oz.

The orange of the butternut squash all over his face really sets off Dylan's gorgeous blue eyes, don't you think?

Dylan loves twisting and turning in his new bouncy swing--for about 20 minutes at a time, any way!

Martin's manly tool belt.

Dylan and Great Grandad Priestley.

Christine's Christmas mantle & flower arrangements.

The Christmas feast!

Our family!

Quick update...

Well, after a week of sickness in our house Dylan and Martin are finally feeling better. I never got sick, but wanted to take a break after caring for 2 big babies for a week!

Martin got this weird stomach bug that has hit Britain really hard. He spent about 4 days straight in the loo and he lost about 10 lbs. He is doing much better now though, which is a relief. Dylan just had a cold, but he had his third round of vaccinations and has been teething, so he was difficult to say the least. And after 3 weeks or so of sleeping around 11 hours a night, he is back to waking up for a middle of the night feed.

I've been keeping myself busy with Dylan and the housework. Being a house wife is HARD! I got a fabulous book for Christmas called "Green Clean," which has all natural and organic cleaning tips and cleanser recipes. So far I've only done their laundry tips, but they are so good. I have started putting baking soda in with my detergent when I'm washing whites, and my clothes are so bright! I will never use bleach again! Also, it recommends using vinegar instead of fabric softener. The smell fades as the clothes dry, and it really works. Not only is it less chemicals, but it is MUCH cheaper. Next up, home made air freshener and dryer sheets.

There's turmoil and upset at The Place. Nadine, Martin's boss, said she wasn't going to sell the lease on it, but she's changed her mind. Martin has started looking for new jobs, just in case. Depending on how his job hunt goes, we may be moving home sooner than we thought. But don't get your hopes up, mom. We still have to wait until our penalty period on our mortgage is up and everything is very much up in the air at the minute.

Martin and I finally got my paperwork sent off for my visa renewal, which is good. Once my visa is through I can leave England and they will let me back in. And our finances are looking pretty good, so we may be able to plan a trip to the States soon (ish). I am so homesick and lonely!

We've changed to morning church again, which is actually really good for us now. Dylan is such a morning person, so church is much more enjoyable now since we aren't having to constantly be walking and feeding him. He just sits and plays with his toys, and he even does it quietly. He doesn't talk or laugh much--he's very self contained. I think he's going to be a quiet, shy, and deeply stubborn little man!

Anyway, enough typing. I'm going to get a few pictures of the little man posted while he is still in a good mood!

We have company...

The Mundays are sleeping over! We had them over for dinner and we are having a little New Year's Eve party--the kids are asleep upstairs. Our guest room is getting put to use for the first time since mom and dad left.

Things are going well here. Dylan continues to thrive on his bananas and milk. He is sleeping about 11 hours a night now, and Martin and I are LOVING it. He doesn't wake up until around 8:30 or 9:00 am. Tonight we even got a special treat--he went to sleep without crying for an hour or so. We've decided to have the Mundays over every night as they seem to be our lucky charm for getting Dylan to sleep.

Christmas was a great day, and Boxing Day was good as well. We spent both days over at the Gilberts' house, and got some great presents. Our Christmas was much more modest than it has been in the past, but we still enjoyed it. We've got some serious cleaning done in the house and bought some good stuff at Ikea. We also visited with Martin's friend (ex-girlfriend) Charlotte. I really like her though--weirdly enough. I never thought I'd get along with one of Martin's ex girlfriends, but she's a lovely person.

Sorry--this is a really rambling post. I basically just wanted to say that we're all doing well, have enjoyed Martin's time off work, and loved our Christmas gifts. And I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year. I can't believe it's only a few hours away from 2008!

Well it is in fact Christmas morning, and we have had a jolly old time with young master Dylan. He opened his first ever Christmas present, although not the one we hoped (we bought him something on ebay but we did leave it a little late so it hasn't arrived yet - pictures will follow though!)

"how do i get this infernal wrapping off!!"

We have opened our gifts to each other here and also Dylan's as well. Thank you Sharlene for the smuggled goods, which Jamie found very amusing. The Frog is adorable too, as you can see below!

Dylan really likes his frog - especially the blue ring

Velicia and Eric bought us a delightful wall decoration which will be going up very soon, although we do need to find out if it removable before it gets applied as we may be changing the wall colour and don't want to have to lose it. But we definitely love it.

Hope everyone out there in the big wide world has or is having a great Christmas day and we wish very much that we could be with you! See you all soon-ish!

Extreme close up in the bath. Check out those baby blues!

Dylan enjoys his second banana. I couldn't get a video clip of his first one as Martin was at work. He LOVES his solid food!

"Daddy, I'm too cute to drown!"
Dylan and daddy have a laugh in the bath.

Dylan enjoys some tummy time. He'll be crawling before we know it!

Sorry about the delay...

I hadn't realized how long it had been since my last update. It's just been mental around here--pretty much as soon as I get Dylan to bed I've been crashing. But things are going well.

It's hard to believe that it's nearly Christmas! Martin's last day at work was yesterday--the Place is closed until January 2nd. Dylan and I are really looking forward to having him home with us for a while. They had a good run up to Christmas, with Martin working 60 hour weeks. Hard for me, but we need the money, so it's been good.

I'm doing ok. Coming down with a cold, but other than that I'm good. I'm looking forward to Christmas--everything is wrapped and under our lovely Christmas tree. I think I bought some stuff that Martin will like, and I'm pretty confident about the gifts we bought for family members (can't believe you opened yours early, mom!). As long as the mother in law likes hers, that's all that matters to me. She is the one who is the most difficult to please.

In Dylan news--we have had a full week of GREAT times. I started giving him banana on Wednesday, and he loves it! I am mixing a little mashed banana with baby rice and my milk, and he gobbles it down every afternoon and then feeds some more. He is sleeping more at night, AND he is taking naps during the day. He's so much happier now and I enjoy feeding him. See the video clip of Dylan having his banana. We are going to give him mashed potatoes on Tuesday.

Anyway, I am going to post a few pictures now and then go to bed. Dylan just dropped off to sleep. Just one more thing--Dylan fell asleep at about half past ten last night and didn't stir until 8:30 this morning. I love this sleeping thing!

Dylan is starting to play with his toys now! Of course, he only shows interest in things he can fit in his mouth. Still, my little guy is so much fun to watch playing!

This woman's name is Jennifer. I met her at WI (That's Women's Institute) and she reminded me so much of my dear friend Becca (see House of Wilcox Rocks) that I just had to get a picture. She's lovely and I think we'll end up being pretty good friends.

Dylan and daddy decorate the Christmas tree

Dylan and Marley, the next door neighbor. Marley was born just 8 days before our little guy, is about 4 inches shorter, and weighs 1 1/2 lbs more.

Dylan pulling a Michael Jackson as he rides downstairs for the day in Mommy's laundry basket.

Mommy, me and the Christmas tree!

A whole new me!

Well, maybe that's a bit dramatic. My hair started falling out about 3 weeks ago (post pregnancy hair loss--ugh!), and it has been driving me nuts. So I took the plunge and got it cut yesterday. Check out the before and after pics! Sharon (the hairdresser at The Pamper Place) cut nearly 12 inches off my hair. And I wasn't at all sad to see it go. I feel like I just lost 10 lbs and I feel cute again. I almost felt like I was hiding behind all that hair.

The family is doing well. We got a Christmas tree, and it's up in our front room though not decorated yet. I think Dylan is really going to enjoy the lights.

I'm going to bed now, since the little monkey is asleep. He's stopped sleeping through the night. He was awake at 3 am last night. Argh!!! I almost wish he'd never slept through at all as I was just getting used to sleeping all night long. At least he goes right back to sleep as soon as he's fed. I want a nap!!!

The old hair

The new haircut!

Not much going on...

Dylan is sound asleep--he actually went down without a fight tonight. As he gets older and more aware of his surroundings, he sleeps less and less. He just wants to be up and playing and looking around. But I find that I don't mind so much, now that he is a happy and smiling baby.

For the last three months people have been asking me if he's a good baby. I've very dutifully said yes, but now that he actually IS being a good baby, I'm beginning to realize just how high maintenance he's been. Honestly, no wonder I was at my wits' end! I felt like maybe I was just being a big baby about the whole motherhood thing--that maybe something was wrong with me for not loving every second. Now I know that it wasn't me--he was a very demanding little guy and took up every minute of my day. Now he will happily sit and entertain himself for 30-45 minutes at a time, and he really is a joy.

I'm starting to feel like a human being again instead of just a milk cow and zombie. And the more Dylan and I are together, the more we are learning to live with each other. He smiles more for me than for anyone else. It irritates Martin, but I love it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I adore my baby! He has totally taken over my life. Every waking minute is spent with him and I am consumed by his care. But we have a good time together, and even though I've never worked so hard in my life I have also never done anything as rewarding. There are times when I wish I was still childless (I never thought I'd ever say that!) but those times are few and far between. And when Dylan smiles at me, or giggles and bashfully looks away with that adorable little grin of his, my heart melts. I can't imagine not being his mother.

So, I think Dylan has discovered that he is totally irresistible and i think he is mounting a major charm offensive against the whole world. Just recently I think he has been working on his "what me, I didn't do it look!" And you know what? it is working how can you stay mad at this face!

What, little old me? How could you possibly think I have ever done anything wrong!?

OK, now that you have entertained me, I am finished with you. You may go. Well, be gone!

So you see, no-one can resist me. My plans are falling into place, first Barton, then England. Soon, the world will follow! Mwoa ha ha ha ha ha!

.....Dylan, I told you, no world domination until AFTER your second birthday! Hi, Martin here. Now that I have Dylan sorted, let me know what we have been up to. Christmas plans are heating up here in Barton. We had the Christmas Fair here last weekend which wasn't very popular from what our local publications would have us believe, but I had a great weekend as we were super busy at work. Now that December has arrived, the Christmas party season is hot on it's heels. We had one at The Place last night and they are going to be coming thick and fast for the next few weeks. Which means I am going to be a busy bunny for that time, which is good and bad. Bad because I will be at work a lot more. Good because it will help our bank balance a lot!.

Jamie, Dylan and I are looking forward to the Christmas Market in Lincoln next weekend. It is one of the biggest in Europe and is awesome. WE will try to have some pictures for you if the weather is good. Going to go now so I can watch the best show in the world; MATCH OF THE DAY!!!!

Smiley Baby...

Dylan woke up on Saturday morning and decided to be a happy, smiley little baby. Not that he wasn't adorable before, but he was really cranky in the afternoon and early evening, and made my life difficult from about 3 pm until he went to bed at about 9 pm. Now he is cute. Still high maintenance (we have to hold him and play with him all evening or he cries), but now he is cute when we play with him. He has started giggling and smiling a lot more now, and as he becomes more aware of his surroundings, I don't have to entertain him as much. He likes just looking around and taking it all in. It's a welcome break for me!

I got him weighed at the baby clinic yesterday. He's now tipping the scales at a whopping 15 lbs. 3 oz. He still isn't fat, though he's got chubby little cheeks. He's really long and lean, with just a nice amount of baby fat. I really do have the cutest baby in the world. I really hope he holds on to his cuteness and he is a good looking little boy, teenager, and man. Life tends to be a little bit easier if you are attractive.

Martin and I are both doing well. Life is pretty monotonous at the moment, but it'll be busier and more exciting over Christmas. We've got the Lincoln Christmas market coming up, and Martin has a week off work between Christmas and New Years. The house is getting better--I'm taking an interest in making it look like a home now that it's not a builder's yard in the front room, and it's starting to look really cozy.

In other news, I have seized the financial reins back from Martin. He has been in charge of our finances since we moved here, and he hasn't done a very good job. Now that I am at home and have (a little bit) more free time than him, I am taking over again. My goal is to have our credit card paid off as soon as possible and to know EXACTLY what's going in and out of the bank each month. Once the card is paid off, we'll take a trip over to visit the family. It's only been a week since I took over, but we're already doing a little bit better. We've certainly spent less money this week than we normally do. The better I am at managing our money, the sooner we can come over for a visit. That's a pretty good incentive for me to budget well. I want to come and visit the family SO BAD!!!

Anyway, Dylan is crying and needs some attention. I'll try to get some more pictures and maybe a video clip posted soon. The little guy is getting so big and so adorable!

Random picture of someone's garden in Barton. I saw it and had to laugh. Take a closer look--there are 13 garden gnomes, plus a few fairies and a turtle. I just thought to myself, someone mentioned about 12 years ago that they liked gnomes, and that's all they've gotten for Christmas since then!

Dylan-chillin' in his Reebok classics and little hoodie. Grandad Gilbert says he looks like a chav. I think he looks adorable.

Dylan's baby blues--that's right, I have a blue eyed baby. It's a miracle, and his eyes are SO beautiful!

Thanksgiving...

A quick and early happy Thanksgiving to all the friends and family in the U.S.A. I am hosting a Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, but it really is going to be dinner--5:30pm since it's (obviously) not a holiday over here. I've got one pie done and another in the works, plus all of my vegetables are chopped and ready to cook tomorrow. The turkey is thawed in the fridge as well, and I am ready to cook everything tomorrow. Of course, there will only be 5 people for dinner so that takes away some of the stress of entertaining. Plus, nobody over here is really bothered. They're pretty much just showing up for the meal. Cathy told us she was coming, then made other plans! But now she's coming again, which is good.

Dylan is upstairs crying his eyes out. Since he got sicki (a little cold--nothing serious) he hasn't been settling very well at night. Once he is asleep he stays asleep for 9 or 10 hours, but getting him there is quite a chore. We bathe him, feed him, cuddle him, burp him, change him--pretty much do everything we can think of--and then let him cry for 45 minutes to an hour. I will just say at this point that I find it much easier to just let him cry than I ever thought I would. I just feel sorry for the neighbors. We don't have the thickest walls in the world!

In other Dylan news, he is now weighing in at a whopping 14 lbs. 13 oz. His weight gain seems to have leveled off a little bit. He only gained 3 oz. last week instead of nearly a pound. And that slowed weight gain is even WITH the addition of baby rice to his diet. That's right--Dylan is having solids (sort of). I started giving him the cereal on Saturday after much deliberation. I loved the fact that he was exclusively breast fed, but I was sitting and feeding him for about 3 hours straight every afternoon, and it was just too draining for me. I'm making the cereal up with breast milk though, and that makes me feel a little bit better about the whole thing. Anyway, he loves the cereal and is happy and healthy. And now I only have to feed him for about an hour in the afternoon. That's a big improvement.

Martin is getting a lot done on the house--the entrance hallway is nearly ready for plastering, and once that's done we will block off the old door and open up the new one. Exciting stuff! We also finally hung a towel rack, toilet roll holder, and mirror in the bathroom and got a great rug for Dylan's nursery (hooray for Ikea--the greatest store ever)!

Anyway, must dash. I need to make my pumpkin pie still. I just needed to update everyone. Next time it'll be pictures. Dylan gets cuter every day!

My first night out...

Last night I went to WI (Womens' Institute) and Martin stayed home with Dylan. He bathed him, fed him, and put him to bed without me, and he did a GREAT job. When I got home Dylan was in bed asleep and Martin was playing on the internet and watching Gladiator on TV. The only way it could have been any better is if he had tidied the house up a little bit!

We had the weekly weigh in today, and Dylan is now up to 14 lbs. 10 oz. He's so long though that he doesn't look fat at all. He does have a cute double chin and round little cheeks, but he's a long, lean looking baby.

Dylan also has his first passport. It's a british one, as we were just able to send away for that one and didn't have to make an appointment at the embassy like we'll need to for his American passport. His picture looks so silly, but adorable.

The two of us have been getting steadily better all this week, and now feel almost normal. Dylan had his first ever medicine (Calpol--it's like children's Tylenol I think). It was strawberry flavored, and he LOVED the taste of it. I'm still debating whether or not to start giving him baby rice cereal. I'm so torn! Any advice on that?

Incidentally, I love getting advice from people who already have kids. Having never done this before, I'm a little bit unsure most of the time. Keep the comments coming!!!

Here's one of our little 4 day old Dylan--don't think I posted it before, but I really like it and wanted to share!

Dylan giggles...a test video clip taken on our digital camera. Feedback would really be appreciated on this one!

Dylan's First Trip to the Swimming Pool...

First there was the hassle of waking him up earlier than usual and feeding him VERY quickly. Dad was taking the morning off work to go with us, so we had to be less flexible than usual with his morning sleep. Then there was the adventure of getting him into his Little Swimmers nappy and swim trunks. Then, there was the automatic shower at the Scunthorpe Leisure Centre pool. THEN, we got into the water.

He was a little bit unsure at first--he had never had that much room to move in the water before--well, not for a LONG time anyway. But ten minutes into the whole experience, he was starting to smile. We took him into very shallow water and let him push against the bottom of the pool--he was actually trying to stand up. And he looked so cute in his little swim trunks! Sadly, cameras were not allowed at the pool due to the intense fear of pedophiles, but take my word for it, he was adorable!

Poor little guy is sick now, and so am I. Taking care of a baby when you are sick and want nothing more than to curl up in a ball and sleep for three days is HARD WORK! But we are managing. Last night he screamed for 5 hours straight. He just wanted to be held and would cry if I set him down even for a second. Most of the time he cried if I was holding him, too. Tonight he is still awake and he should have been asleep over an hour ago. Typically, I am on my own since Martin is still at work. But I am just letting him cry, because I'm stressed out and will not be able to calm him down anyway. Can't wait for daddy to come home!

But both of us are on the mend, and once again it's a case of two steps forward and one step back. Just when I start to love being a mother, something happens that makes it incredibly difficult. We'll get over it--just as soon as we can shake this cold!

An amazing night...

Last night Dylan went to sleep at 9:30 and he slept until, get this, 7:20 am! He slept all night long! Of course, since I am breastfeeding him, I did NOT sleep all night long. But I didn't wake up until 5:30 am, and I just expressed some milk and made sure Dylan was still breathing.

The little man got moved into his nursery on Wednesday night. Martin decided to give it a try and promised me he'd be the one to collect him for his middle of the night feed (since that was my main objection to moving him into his own room--I didn't want to have to go all the way in there to get him for his feeds). He seems to settle so much better in there, and it is actually easier for me and Martin too. Though that first night was strange. It was so weird to be alone with Martin in our bedroom as Dylan has been with us for two months straight now.

We went to the Ulceby village auction this weekend, and a good time was had by all. We got a box of childrens' books, a new stand lamp, and a box full of various bags, and it was all a bit of a bargain.

Dylan and I also went and visited with my friend Sam. She is 37 weeks pregnant and has really bad SPD. She has been housebound for the last 4 weeks, and I think we were both really grateful for adult company (her husband is at work all day on Fridays and Saturdays as well).

So that's the update, and everyone enjoy the pictures!!!

Our concerned little man in his "big boy" clothes (all dressed up for church). Martin has decided that he likes it when Dylan looks more like a baby and less like a little boy, but I think he looks cute both ways!

This photo was taken yesterday. We LOVE this little sleep suit. Dylan looks absolutely fabulous in red. And in green. And in white. And in blue. And in...well, you get the picture!

I don't remember who gave us this hat, but Dylan looks too adorable for words in it. He should be the next baby Gap poster child!

Two steps forward and one step back...

Typing this from the Mundays' house, and this is the first time all day I haven't had a screaming baby on my hands. We seem to have a couple of really great days, and then a terrible one. I got a phone call in the morning that woke Dylan up from his nap, and he didn't go to sleep for the rest of the day. He was awake about an hour and a half before he normally gets up, and boy did he let me know about it. He's been so tired all day, but he would NOT go to sleep.

We are over here doing fun family home evening Halloween things. I am making spider cider and scary dogs--fun stuff! I'm having to improvise, but it should still be good. It all takes me back...I miss Halloween as a child. I can hardly wait until Dylan is old enough to dress up and take trick or treating!