Oh la la it's been a long time since we last updated. Resting on laurels? No new developments? Er, no.
Gemma's got a brand new pad. And a new pad means a new bedroom. In fact, in the Gemma Nation, new bedroom = first bedroom. It's spacious, it has pink, it has textures and it has a door. Slap up a lightsucking blind, keep her active during the day and the nights are a sleeping quasi-paradise. Current patterns are a quick nodding off somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30, an optional bottle at midnightish, then sleeping until a 5:30 - 6:00 bottle and, if we're lucky, a sleepy top up until at least 7:00. Romeo is a fond memory.
Dissecting the above 1: "new pad". We have stairs, space to sit outside, people we pass on the street who like to say hi and the ability to stick a dish on our roof to receive three million channels. We also have a bunch of stores nearby, all of which have benefited from our custom. Limited DIY skills have been stretched beyond the breaking point, but the place is coming along, in no small part due to the good people at Farrow & Ball. And Brett.
Brett and Kathy (funny that, it usually rolls off the tongue as "Kathy and Brett". And scratch a little deeper and you'll find most people these days say "Katherine") also graciously provided food and shelter over the Easter weekend. Our Radio 4 listenin' painters were methodically working their way through every room, but a combination of prep, attention to detail and fumes suggested we shouldn't sleep there. And a good time was had by all, at least by all the guests. Babies playing together, evening meals, a little 24 on the tube, decorating conversations, trips to Waitrose, the yin and yang of clutter and cleanup. Well, maybe it was all yin. Also had a fantastic ham for Easter dinner.
Dissecting the above 2: "bottle". With a minimum of fanfare, Gemma's now weaned herself into the world of bottles and solids. A combination of the move, maternal under-the-weatherness and a shift towards bottlephile attitudes all helped, quickly followed by a sharp uptake in wine and coffee consumption by some members of the household.
Dissecting the above 3: "keep her active". Gemma's picked up a full roster of developments... creeping/kindacrawling all over the place. Tossing things around for the pure joy of seeing gravity at work. Standing up with a light hand on a piece of furniture (and another firmly grasping a remote control, pair of glasses or ripped up piece of paper). The utter nonchalance of pulling off a sock and dropping it by the wayside as she's strolled down the road. Revelations of a ticklish nature when tummies are tapped. Peels of giggling when pushed in the park's swing, and hanging out with new neighbours and old friends.
And speaking of old friends, Gemma's going to her pal Lucy's first birthday bash this weekend (Lucy's first birthday, Gemma's first birthday party). Italian eats all round. Gemma's almost birthmate Bonar was over this afternoon with his cousin Hannah and their parental luggage. Our new next door neighbour also popped around for a coffee, muffin, gossip and subsequent stroll to the health clinic with her 10 week old daughter.
Gemma's got a brand new pad. And a new pad means a new bedroom. In fact, in the Gemma Nation, new bedroom = first bedroom. It's spacious, it has pink, it has textures and it has a door. Slap up a lightsucking blind, keep her active during the day and the nights are a sleeping quasi-paradise. Current patterns are a quick nodding off somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30, an optional bottle at midnightish, then sleeping until a 5:30 - 6:00 bottle and, if we're lucky, a sleepy top up until at least 7:00. Romeo is a fond memory.
Dissecting the above 1: "new pad". We have stairs, space to sit outside, people we pass on the street who like to say hi and the ability to stick a dish on our roof to receive three million channels. We also have a bunch of stores nearby, all of which have benefited from our custom. Limited DIY skills have been stretched beyond the breaking point, but the place is coming along, in no small part due to the good people at Farrow & Ball. And Brett.
Brett and Kathy (funny that, it usually rolls off the tongue as "Kathy and Brett". And scratch a little deeper and you'll find most people these days say "Katherine") also graciously provided food and shelter over the Easter weekend. Our Radio 4 listenin' painters were methodically working their way through every room, but a combination of prep, attention to detail and fumes suggested we shouldn't sleep there. And a good time was had by all, at least by all the guests. Babies playing together, evening meals, a little 24 on the tube, decorating conversations, trips to Waitrose, the yin and yang of clutter and cleanup. Well, maybe it was all yin. Also had a fantastic ham for Easter dinner.
Dissecting the above 2: "bottle". With a minimum of fanfare, Gemma's now weaned herself into the world of bottles and solids. A combination of the move, maternal under-the-weatherness and a shift towards bottlephile attitudes all helped, quickly followed by a sharp uptake in wine and coffee consumption by some members of the household.
Dissecting the above 3: "keep her active". Gemma's picked up a full roster of developments... creeping/kindacrawling all over the place. Tossing things around for the pure joy of seeing gravity at work. Standing up with a light hand on a piece of furniture (and another firmly grasping a remote control, pair of glasses or ripped up piece of paper). The utter nonchalance of pulling off a sock and dropping it by the wayside as she's strolled down the road. Revelations of a ticklish nature when tummies are tapped. Peels of giggling when pushed in the park's swing, and hanging out with new neighbours and old friends.
And speaking of old friends, Gemma's going to her pal Lucy's first birthday bash this weekend (Lucy's first birthday, Gemma's first birthday party). Italian eats all round. Gemma's almost birthmate Bonar was over this afternoon with his cousin Hannah and their parental luggage. Our new next door neighbour also popped around for a coffee, muffin, gossip and subsequent stroll to the health clinic with her 10 week old daughter.
posted by greg at Thursday, April 18, 2002
