The legend of chin

I have developed a taste for chins.

Mum's in particular.

It all started when mum picked me up and put her face close to mine for a photo. I swung around with my mouth open and slobbered all over her chin. I held on too.

It caused huge amounts of laughter.

I've kept it up, and have developed a technique when mum goes to give me little peck on the cheek; I'll turn my head at the right time, mouth open, and rest my big gummy mouth on her chin.

I tried it with dad. But only once. His chin was too prickly!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I predicted both grand final winners. Yay! I hope you won big with my hot tips! Dad says I will have to start tipping more sports. Regularly.

Football finals and finally sleeping through the night

I had another big sleep last night. Eight hours! I woke up a very popular member of the household.

Seeing it's finals footy this weekend, dad decided I should get into the spirit by tipping the winner for each match.

My tips were performed using two plastic cups spaced evenly apart on my playmat. The first one I showed a great interest in would be my tip.

AFL;



NRL. It took me a long time to work this one out, and we had to take it to the video ref after the commentator got it completely wrong. But as mum said afterwards, 'a head butt is quite decisive';

PS The new Windows Movie Maker is worse than the old one!

Rollin'

What a day!

It all started with me sleeping in, and the household being woken by the garbageman at 8 o'clock. Dad says he might have to plug in the alarm clock again, but he was very happy to have such a long sleep. I even had a long sleep during the day.

And then I rolled over.

I've been practicing all the necessary moves over the past few days. I've easily made it onto my side before, but up until today I haven't taken that extra step of doing a full 180.

Dad put me on my playmat for a bit of tummy time. I held my head up for a good minute or so, and then I did a move that landed me on my side, butted up against my turtle toy. So dad moved the turtle, and moved me back onto my tummy, but this time with lots of space around me. Then he and mum started to cheer me on, like I was a footballer going for a goal.

I did the move that landed me on my side. They cheered even more, like it was a semi final. I stayed on my side for quite a while, and then I slowly let myself flop onto my back. Mum and dad went crazy, like I just won the grand final. I looked at them, summed up my new position, screwed up my face and let out a little cry. Mum picked me up and I smiled.

See the world in green and blue

We turned my playmat over.

It's a big deal.

You see, it's two sided. On one side, the side you've no doubt seen in countless photos, it's black and red. But on the other side it's blue and green and all sorts of colours. Apparently small babies like contrasts - black and white, and red to be specific. But as we grow, our palette grows.

So I'm enjoying my playmat of many colours...There's also a squeaky sun and a little purple bug to discover, so I've got many hours of playing and learning ahead.

I've also mastered the grab. I am quite partial to the green frog that hangs over the playmat. He's the one I usually go for. I pull with all my might, and sometimes I manage to get his little foot into my mouth. It takes a lot of effort, but I'm quite the determined frog leg eater! Too bad we're not in France...

I had a lot better sleep last night with not a squeak, squawk or shriek to be heard.

Up and down x 3 with a dash of squealing

Let's all read the last entry together.

To get the full Long Lived Rock HQ experience you'll need to add "shreiking and squealing" every five words or so.

That was the story of last night.

Dad's ears are still ringing...

Up and down x 3

We've got a new night time system. Yes, I know what you're thinking, 'another system'! This one's simple; Dad is on duty for the PM hours, and mum's on AM duty.

After my bath and a story (tonight we read about Esther and Mordecai) I'll sleep for about three hours.

This is what has happened after our bedtime prayer for the past two nights;

Around the time dad is thinking about going to bed himself, I'll wake up and grizzle. The grizzle soon turns into a big cry. Dad comes in and picks me up. He paces around with me until I settle. He puts me back in the cot. I settle for about fifteen seconds and then get an impressive case of the squirmy faces (this is sometimes followed by a fart, or just another big cry). He picks me up again. I settle down. He puts me back in the cot. I start crying before my head hits the pillow. He picks me up. He paces. I settle down. He puts me in the cot. I squirm and cry there's no tomorrow. He picks me up. He thinks about sitting down in mum's feeding chair. He decides to keep pacing. We wait until I am properly asleep. He places me carefully in the cot. I wake up, properly. I cry. He picks me up. He sits in the feeding chair. I settle straight away. He waits. He puts me down in the cot. I squirm silently. He thinks he's done it. I cry. He picks me up. I settle. He puts me down, I squirm silently. He waits. He waits. He waits. He pretty confident this time is THE time. Success! I stay asleep until about 1am. Phew.

By that time dad's clocked off and mum gives me a feed and I sleep until breakfast time.

Open wide

I discovered my feet a few days ago, and my mission ever since has been to get them into my mouth.

I'm not quite there yet, but I've got all the moves worked out, now it's just a matter of co-ordinating them at the same time...I can easily grab my feet, and I can slowly get them to my mouth, the tricky bit is landing the foot in the right place.

Nailed

I'm not fat like other babies. It's probably because I come from lean stock, and you know what they say, 'you can't fatten a thoroughbred'. But I've come up with another possible reason for being skinny. I'm sending all my energy to my fingernails.

They're growing like crazy.

Now, there's a couple of issues with trimming baby fingernails. They're pretty small things. I have tiny hands, and on those tiny hands are tiny fingers, and on those tiny fingers are tiny nails. Secondly, I don't stay still for very long. Bringing a sharp instrument anywhere near a baby who insists of waving arms and legs around like a traffic policeman is not for the faint hearted.

We've got some special baby nail scissors. In fact, we have ended up collecting three nail clippers of varying designs, all especially for babies. But even with them dad chickened out and commissioned mum with the task of trimming my nails. He did lend some moral support in the form of telling her "don't chop off the top of the finger". She didn't.

That was a week ago, and it's time to trim them again, and neither mum or dad are rushing to do it...

Shower time

I had my first shower today. We've been away from home and we didn't bring my blue bath, so my whole bath routine, like my sleeping routine, has been out the window. Dad reckons I was getting a bit whiffy, so mum let me have a shower with her.

It didn't last too long, and we didn't use any soap, because mum didn't want a slippery baby on her hands. I handled it like the pro I am, I shut my eyes when the water went over my head, and opened them with a surprised look on my face. But I didn't cry.

Mum's happy, because she's hoping to take me for my first swimming lesson soon. And dad's happy because that means he can go and buy me my first boardshorts!

"That's all I've got"

I've been having trouble sleeping.

Mum worked out I'm about 8 hours a day short of what babies my age should be getting.

Early this morning I woke up crying and didn't stop for what dad said must have been at least 45 minutes. Mum checked the clock. It was 12!

Dad reached into his bag of baby wrangling tips and pulled out 'pacing'. He walked up and down the bedroom 'shushing' me for those '45 minutes'. It often works. Not tonight.

He then reached for the 'ok, you can lie between mum and dad in the big bed'. It's got a better strike rate than pacing. I didn't settle.

So he went for the fail-safe 'you can lie on my tummy'. It always works. It didn't work.

"That's all I've got, little baby" he said. Mum was awake, and said she was pleased with dad's efforts, but not the outcomes. She took over with the totally fail-safe, 100% effective option. A comfort feed.

Rasberries vs peek-a-boo

Dad's been blowing rasberries on my tummy. He's sure it's the funniest thing in the world, and certain it'll make me laugh. It doesn't seem to work just yet. But that doesn't stop him trying. Every bathtime, after 'flying babies' he leans down and blows a big raspberry on my tummy. No reaction.

Mum's been trying to make me laugh too. She's been trying peek-a-boos. Today she had a break through. I gave out a little laugh - a cross between a cackle and a bleat. And I did it again. And again.

So dad has jumped on the peek-a-boo wagon too. There have been peek-a-boos everywhere.

Just when we thought things couldn't get happier at LLR HQ mum sneezed while she was changing my nappy. And I thought it was even funnier than the peek-a-boos. So she 'achooed' for me again. And I laughed again.

We're wondering if a 'peek-a-boo achoo' will produce our first belly laugh.

'cause he's got hair

I went to my class reunion today. Four babies were born in the hospital on the same day as me, and we get together every month or so to say g'day and compare notes.

I am the skinniest and the only one who's not sleeping through the night.

That made mum feel a bit bad. And tired too!

But I was flashing smiles at everyone, and that made mum feel a bit better.

And while two of the others have even started teething, I did mange to win one section. Hairstyle. I've even got more hair than the girls.

So while we're running on next to no sleep here at Long Lived Rock HQ, we're celebrating those fine strands sitting on top of my head. And quietly wishing we could trade a few for a good night's sleep.

Car sitting

I had the longest daytime sleep for over a week. In my car seat. While the car was in the garage!

Mum dropped dad off at work this morning so she could use the car. I did my usual trick of falling asleep just before we arrived home. So mum, aware that sleep is rare, decided to let me stay in the car until I woke up. It was quite a while.

The car was cooler than the house, after the air conditioner had been on, and mum was working in the laundry (which is the garage) so it made sense for her to let me have a snooze in what's becoming my favourite chair.

You hear stories of parents going for drives to settle their baby, I just have to be strapped into the car. We save petrol that way!

One more snack

Our latest round of sleep deprivation tests has reached the third day.

I'm waking up hungry a few times during the night. Oh yes, younger babies have figured out how to sleep right through the night. I figured it out when I was young too. But I got over that, and now I'm waking at all times needing anything from an extra suppertime snack to a pre-breakfast entree via a midnight snack, and even an extra meal they haven't even come up with a name for!

Hopefully it' s another growth spurt and we'll all get some sleep* soon.



*Maybe in the big bed, or at least on someone's shoulder. Sleeping in the cot is so boring!

Discovering new body parts

The days are warming up and that means I've been wearing shorts, and that means I've found all new body parts to play with. My legs!

I've been kicking ever since I left the womb, but haven't really had a lot of time to study what lives under the wondersuit.

Dad told me that in a little while I'll more than likely be trying to shove my feet in my mouth. But at the moment I'm content to stare at my knees and legs.

The formula

Short sleeps + Big feeds = very tired household.

Where's the volume control

I had a big sleep-in this morning. That meant mum and dad did too. And that meant they woke up very happy.

I was happy too, until we jumped in the car.

I let mum and dad, and everyone we drove past, that I was not comfortable. A familiar smell wafted from the back seat...

I pulled out the best cries I could muster. I mean, no one likes to sit in their own poo, so I needed to be changed there and then.

We weren't going that far, so after a couple of minutes mum and dad got used to the noise (and the smell) coming from the back of the car. So used to it, when they started to have a conversation, dad reached for the volume knob on the stereo to turn the noise down a bit!

It didn't work.

Maybe he should have tried singing jingle bells!

Christmas in September

Sleep is as scarce as the rain around here today.

It started last night when I wouldn't settle, and when I finally got to sleep I only lasted until 10:30. That's early. After many shush's and pats I went back to sleep only to wake up again at about 1am. After another feed and some shush's I woke up around 5am. Mum dragged me into the big bed and handed me over to a very drowsy dad.

"He's all yours" she said and rolled over. Dad was more than half asleep. I was more than half awake. In the past dad has successfully sung and talked me to sleep, so he started to sing a little song.

I don't know why he chose the song he chose, he doesn't know either. It's not the first song that comes to mind for sending crying babies to sleep, but it was the first song that popped out;

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way..."

It worked.

Soon we were all dreaming of sleighbells...

Mr tough guy

Another day, another three needles.

The good thing about being a baby is not knowing what's about to happen. Everything's new, and then quickly forgotten. Poor old mum and dad were on edge all morning before we went to the see the doctor, while I was happily gurgling away and smiling at every chance.

Last time we had needles I carried on like a bit of a pork chop, and everyone cried. This time I played it cool, while everyone else cried!

I didn't make a sound for the first needle. I gave a whimper with the second. And gave a low level howl on the third. I'd probably rate it at 65% on the ear piercing scale. I've done louder cries when I've been hungry, or when I've pee'ed through my nappy.

Mum and dad were very proud of me once again.

Dad said the hardest thing for him was when I looked directly at him just before the first needle, and gave him a smile.

I bounced back pretty soon and had a feed and a normal day of grabbing at the frog and the purple bug thing on my playmat.

More of the same

So far this week I've been doing all sorts of new things. Gurgling and grabbing. I decided to take stock today, and refine these new skills.

Mum plonked me on my playmat and I immediately grabbed the little purple flower thing that hangs above it. I struggled with it and pulled it as hard as I could and eventually got it where I needed it. In my mouth! That was with my left hand. With my right hand I grabbed the little green frog that hangs on the other side of the playmat. Mum was quite impressed.

Mum and dad are hoping I continue to get better at things I've already done because tomorrow I have to have more needles. Last time we all cried.

Gurgling and grabbing

I'm still gurgling.

I woke up this morning at the usual time, and dad was a bit too tired to come in and get me, so he tried to ignore the sound on the baby monitor, and moaned something along the lines of 'go back to sleep, little baby'. The crying stopped, and a newly familiar sound streamed through the little speaker sitting on dad's bedside table. A gurgle!

Two hours later we all woke up. Everyone was quite impressed with my self soothing skills.

Lying on my playmat later in the day mum spied me grabbing and holding and trying to stick the little green frog mobile in my mouth. I couldn't quite pull it far enough to get it to my mouth. My grabbing skills are not very sophisticated yet, but I'll end up attaching my hand to what I'm after more often than not. The next thing I need to master is letting go!

Gurgle

I discovered a new sound this morning. A gurgle. And I spent most of the day practising making it.

I gurgled on the change table. I gurgled on my playmat. I gurgled with mum. And I gurgled with dad. I even gurgled for the camera;



That's exactly what LLR HQ sounded like for hours on end today. (Note my multi tasking skills, gurgling and playing with my hands!)

After my afternoon sleep I had a productive 'tummy time' and about five minutes into it remembered there was something new I'd been doing.

So I resumed the gurgling.

That looks familiar

I met a little boy today who I seemed to like the look of.

When I smiled, he smiled. And when I giggled, he did too.

The funny thing was only mum and I were home at the time.

She explained to me that I was looking in the mirror!

Mind tricks

Sometimes it's the way you sell an idea...

I get grizzly sometimes, and when I'm in that mood I don't really like sitting in my chair. but sometimes mum has to put me down when she's busy in the kitchen. So she's figured out a way to turn my frown upside down. She bamboozles me with some kind of Jedi mind trick.

I'll be grizzly, she puts me in the chair, and starts to say 'ooooh, you're going in your chair, how exciting' - and she oohs and aahs and generally makes out that this is the coolest thing in the world.

I forget about my grizzling and remember I like being in my chair.

Air guitar

Director and Camera; Mum

Cast

Me: Air guitar, drums and smiles

Dad: Himself

New skills

A new day, some new skills.

Grandad was having a bit of a talk to me at the kitchen table. He wiggled his finger like a worm and clonked me on the nose. He did it again, but this time I was ready and anticipated his move by squeezing my eyes shut. Now this might not sound lke much, but it demonstrated my super dooper new skill of anticipation. You better believe it, Grandad's a psychologist.

Everyone was quite impressed.

Then, later on while I was lying on dad's tummy I decided to lift my head up and have a good look around. I held it up for much longer than I ever have on my play mat, and when dad called mum in to have a look, I followed her, turing my head as she walked around the room.

Everyone was quite impressed. Again! There's lots of smiles at LLR HQ...

Car poos and the wee small hours

I'm getting used to being strapped in my car seat. I've probably spent more time in it lately than my rocking chair.

I don't know if it was a case of relaxing too much, or 'when you need to go, you need to go', but I went. In a spectacular way.

No need for 'what's that smell' bum checks, we got a visual on this one, starting with a pooey car seat. That means a pooey jumpsuit, singlet and nappy too.

Uh oh.

Mum cleaned me up and we got on with the business of having a nice day. Until we jumped in the car to visit Nana. As we were driving along dad heard noises coming from the backseat. A couple of grunts and the sound of a gurgling coffee perculator. We don't have a coffee perculator in the backseat.

Uh oh.

At least this one didn't leak. We got to Nana's and I got a nice big cuddle. After a hasty nappy change.

Not one to let my butt have all the glory, I finished up today with a big wee. Wet nappy, wet singlet, wet jumsuit, wet grobag, and probably a wet sheet too. As we speak, I'm freshly changed into my fouth outfit of the day, having a nice relaxing bonus early breakfast.

PS I just spewed.

What's that smell?

There's not a lot of room for shame around here.

Sometimes when mum or dad want to check if my nappy needs changing they'll lift me up, put their nose to my bum, and have a big sniff!

Where's the dignity in that?

If they're out in public it may be a little more tactful - they'll lean down and have a discreetful sniff.

I guess it could be worse, there's always the 'pull back and take a peek inside the nappy' technique, but we're yet to have to resort to that...

Out of sync

Somehow we got a bit out of sync today.

I woke up at the normal time, had a feed, but stayed up a bit too long before church, so didn't have time for a nap. There were times of grumpiness. Fortunately not during church. But usually when dad was holding me. Everytime mum would hand me to him I'd grizzle. I think I was just messing with him. He did check his holding technique in the mirror to make sure he was holding me properly!

I wouldn't sleep in the early afternoon, and then by the late afternoon I wouldn't do anything but sleep. I almost had a quick snooze in the bath!

Handled with care

We've been out visiting lately.

I certainly like cuddles with new friends a lot more than inspecting houses. We've been house hunting, and we've discovered I have a limit of exactly 2 1/2 houses before I'll call time-out. Getting in and out of the car contstantly doesn't help my demeanor.

On the plus side I've been getting lots of cuddles. Visits are fun. I've been on my best behaviour, trying to charm all my new friends. Mum has been very proud of of the way I've handled myself. I try to leave people with a smile, and a big wet patch on their shoulder from my drool! It worked today!

It was a very big day, and I fell asleep in the car on the way back home and stayed quiet until we pulle into the driveway. When I woke up I had a feed in the loungeroom, looked over at the pictures on the wall and gave a big grin. It's good to be home.