Apologies for the first pun-use in a blog title on this website. I cannot promise that it will be the last. February has gone (not the best month for many of us) and spring approaches. Unless that is you are the Met Office that decrees that today is the first day of spring. I am of the traditional opinion that the first day of spring is the day following the Vernal Equinox (which is usually 20/21 March). Any day that you can balance an egg on its point has to be special.
Éowyn’s progress also marches on. We started her on solid food (well baby rice) last Saturday. She is definitely a product of her parents, as she loves to eat. As soon as the mouthful has been swallowed (and sometimes before) her mouth is opening for the next spoonful. It is taking her body a little longer to adjust to digesting more than just milk but that has settled down through the week. Today, she tried banana for the first time. However, judging by the faces that she was pulling I think that the flavours were a little too strong, nevertheless mixed with a little baby rice and mom’s milk she finished her bowl.
She has reached the stage where everything she touches she has to taste. Any toy, clock, book or hand has to be thoroughly investigated in case that it may be edible. She gets mightily frustrated should you interrupt this important analysis, and complains loudly. She has also found a renewed interest in her feet. For a while she has held her feet when lying on her back but now coupled with the above she has to taste them; nibbling her own toes. It seems an awfully long time since I could do that.
Éowyn’s curiosity is well developed too. She likes to know what is going on and is afraid to miss out. When there is a conversation she will follow the speakers intently. I wonder what processes are going on her head. What does she hear and what can she understand. This curiosity was evident last Tuesday. We had two other couples round for dinner and Éowyn would not settle. Lucinda and I tried on a number of occasions in a tag-team rally to placate her and she was not cooperating. Defeated we took her downstairs to meet the guests. After satisfying herself, on who was there and what they were doing and then managing to rub her hands in Lucinda’s curry, she was ready for bed and went to sleep until morning.
She still isn’t sleeping as much as one would expect a baby to sleep. Daytime naps are a rarity and although she used to sleep through the night, since her teeth have begun to move it is rare for her to sleep through to morning. Yesterday, however we drove to Nanny Fran’s for the day and I think that it wore her out. She usually sleeps in the car, and yesterday she slept on the way up and on the return journey. We arrived back home about 2230 and she woke, and seemed wide-awake and we feared the worse. We unpacked the car and got ourselves ready for bed. Lucinda fed her and put her to bed and she slept solidly for 8 hours. It was bliss. She has also had a little nap this morning. We both hope that this is the start of a new routine, if only for a couple of weeks or so.
