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.