brandarling

The Chicken Swing

2016-06-05T15:30:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago, our local farm posted an amazon wishlist of items they were hoping to have donated. I burst out laughing when I saw The Chicken Swing and ordered one straight away.

It arrived earlier this week - classed as a "Dog Toy" - and the kids and I have been so excited. It was a beautiful, sunny day today so we brought it to the farm.

I had been preparing the kids for a minor degree of disappointment: "they probably won't be able to hang it up for a while, so we'll have to visit again another day..." but the farm staff was wonderful. They gratefully accepted it and Tom took us to the chicken coops so that the children could choose where to hang it.

"Chickens, brought you swing!"

Tom even let K go inside with him. He was terrific - so calm and comfortable with the chickens.

And the chickens now have a swing!

We'll be sure to go back often and visit. Hopefully we can get a video next time.

juniorette at eleven months

2015-03-06T15:06:00.000+00:00

It was a big month for Juniorette.

At the beginning of February, she took her first steps. By March, she was walking independently and getting faster and more confident/competent with every step.

in the garden

National Portrait Gallery

playing football with Junior and friends on Clapham Common

at the playground

Sadly, Juniorette also suffered her first bad cold during the week of my birthday. Boo :(

And the biggest change was starting at nursery when I went back to work.

She had a few settling in days and seemed to be mostly fine - in fact, she slept through half the sessions. The full days and on/off schedule going three days a week have been an adjustment for all of us, including Junior. She had a harder time getting used to the new environment than Junior ever did. She seemed to feel the effects of separation anxiety more acutely. But she is also teething, which makes it difficult to tell when she is uncomfortable or uncomfortable. Still, she has her big brother nearby during the day and she follows him around like a puppy. He read a book to her one day, and gives her frequent pats on the head. She came home smiling and covered in paint on her first day. We took that as a good sign. And after a few weeks, she stopped crying on drop-off and pick-up. She will be just fine.

Juniorette at 10 Months

2015-02-06T14:06:00.000+00:00

Our smiley girl is now ten months old and is >this< close to walking. So we went to Clarks for her first shoes.

And started brushing her teeth with her first toothbrush.

We have been spending cold winter days visiting London's museums. Junior and Juniorette enjoyed learning about hexagons at the Science Museum.

We also saw the walrus at the Horniman in Dulwich.

Photo by S

Juniorette is not afraid to assert herself with the bigger girls:

"Yeah, I'm the Captain of the ship. No big deal."

"Ummm, Captain, I don't think you should push that button..."

"Ack! Mayday! SOS! Bail out!"

And she is teaching herself the colours in Japanese.

But one of the funniest things is watching her do things that Junior did at the same age.

Same basket, many of the same toys, same self-satisfied smile.

And waking up to snow was a thrill for all of us. She's too small to play in the snow this year, but it won't be long before she follows in her brother's footsteps. He's her favourite role model.

Happy holidays

2015-01-06T13:06:00.000+00:00

Juniorette's ninth month was mostly spent celebrating: Junior's birthday, S's birthday, xmas, New Year's. Junior was old enough to get excited about presents, and also old enough to get presents with small parts.

He was elated with his LEGO Juniors construction set. As was Juniorette. So we spent much of xmas day trying to keep Junior engaged with his gifts, while stopping Juniorette from eating bits of plastic and chewing on wrapping paper.

Fortunately she was happy to help fix the broken dishwasher - did I mention she started pulling up on furniture almost as soon as she figured out how to crawl?

We spent much of the time over xmas and New Year's with local friends. It was so nice to have playdates and good company.

South Bank Jubilee Playground

Wandle Park

Riding bicycles in Colliers Wood Rec Grounds

Museum of London, Docklands

Teaming up at softplay

We had a lovely, mellow, family-oriented holiday season. 2014 was a great year. 2015 is shaping up to be memorable and fun as well.

Junior turns 3

2014-12-12T12:12:00.000+00:00

Happy birthday to our three-year old!

Junior turned 3 and we had an extended celebration for him. We had an early birthday party for him while my mother was visiting - we invited a few friends over to decorate gingerbread people. Even Juniorette got in on the action.

At three years old, Junior is talking practically nonstop. It is endlessly entertaining and fascinating to hear his stream-of-consciousness thoughts. He seamlessly mixes real life with imaginative play, to the great confusion of anyone who doesn't spend much time with him. Dinosaur - where? And it was riding a motorbike? No, you were riding a motorbike? And there was a lion???

He is also a great fan of The Octonauts, Pixar films, Wallace & Gromit, Spiderman (and Spider-Woman), The Gruffalo, and random videos on youtube. He hasn't watched much Peppa Pig recently, but he wears his Peppa wellie boots when splashing in muddy puddles. He wears his Dracula shirt and cape - from Halloween - at every chance. He believes the cape makes him fly (thank goodness he hasn't attempted it yet); he doesn't really understand who Dracula is, nor the difference between good guys and bad guys.

His natural athletic abilities continue to blossom. It is hard to contain him - he doesn't sit still and he's too fast for anyone to catch him. We don't often let him ride his scooter because he's *too* good. At least I can still walk with him while he's riding his bike (just!). He won't need the stabilisers much longer at this rate, though.

He has moved up to the preschool room at nursery, and his (OUR) next big challenge is potty-training. He gave up his binky virtually overnight when I told him that the Binky Fairy would bring him a present. He chose a yellow race car, helped me put the binkies on a windowsill, and went cold turkey the next morning when he discovered his present. He has incredible self-control, and at the same time, zero control. His tantrums are getting louder and more persistent; his stubborn streak is as strong as ever. He is funny, aggravating, determined, confident, busy, energetic, sweet, protective, and creative.

Looking forward to seeing what the next year brings!

8 months

2014-12-06T12:06:00.000+00:00

The big excitement this past month was having Grandma come visit.

It was all so ...normal... having my mother around for three weeks. She has spent enough time with us over the past few years that she knows our routines, our neighbourhood, our supermarket, the local buses and tube stations - and probably more back streets than I do. She has the energy to play with the children (though no one is fast enough to keep up with Junior), and she spends the rest of her time Making Things. She knit a sweater for Junior while she was here and finished the incredible robot curtains she made for the kids' room. While regular talks on the webcam are nice for keeping in touch, it is still that much more special to spend time together.

Wimbledon Library

Meanwhile, Juniorette just keeps getting more and more agile. She mastered crawling, and started to enjoy herself at the local softplay centres.

She still has a knack for sleeping in unexpected positions, as well.

Not exactly how her sleepsack was intended. Don't worry, I didn't leave her like this.

We celebrated Grandma's last day with a dance party before bedtime. Juniorette finds her big brother hilarious! Actually, we all do...

7 months

2014-11-06T23:06:00.000+00:00

Food, glorious food!

Juniorette was so excited to start eating solids at 26 weeks. Given my sweet tooth during pregnancy, I had convinced myself that she would be a picky eater. As it turns out, she'll eat pretty much anything we give her.

We started with purées and smooth foods like baby rice and bananas, the same things we had given Junior at the beginning. But we soon moved to a more baby-led-weaning approach of finger foods and small tastes of whatever we are eating. She has a healthy appetite, and gets quite jealous if you don't offer her anything while you're eating.

She also spends much of her day playing. With her increased mobility, Junior's toys (and our laptops) are that much more accessible...

It was unseasonably warm on Halloween, so I let her roll around on a picnic blanket in the park. She was absolutely delighted.

Sitting up, mostly unaided

Sitting up, fully unaided!

Her ability to fall asleep anywhere and in any position convinced us that she was ready to move out of the travel cot in our room, and into Junior's room.

Searching for toys under the coffee table? No, napping.

Outgrowing the travel cot

While she was perfectly happy with Junior's hand-me-down cot and the robot bumpers that my mother made for him, Grandma outdid herself with a new set of bumpers personalised with Juniorette's name.

Sweet dreams, smiley girl!

Six Months

2014-10-06T22:06:00.000+01:00

This past month, Juniorette became mobile.

Her biggest feat was learning how to roll over. Once she mastered it, she spent most of her waking hours rolling all over the floors.

Her cradle cap - which had mostly gone away - came back, and she used her razor-sharp nails to scratch her head until it bled.

Your mat cannot contain me!

She made efforts to sit up, though she still needed support.

And she became fascinated by food, though we are waiting until 26 weeks to start feeding her solids.

I've got a highchair and a spoon - I'm ready!

But Dad, I really want your penne!

Fine, I'll just sleep here until you feed me.

Hard work for an infant!

Ruby Rabbit and Cousin P Come to Visit

2014-09-16T21:07:00.000+01:00

Junior and Juniorette’s cousin P came to visit us from San Francisco, and we invited Ruby Rabbit to join us on our adventures. Ruby Rabbit lives at Junior's nursery, and has gone on holiday with the preschool families to exotic places like Japan, Turkey, and Poland. Junior and Juniorette had fun showing Ruby and P the more local sights of SW19 and central London.

At Deen City Farm, Ruby met the cows, goats, sheep, and pigs. She was sad that the rabbits were asleep so she could not talk to them.

Peppa Pig wellie boots for splashing in muddy puddles

Junior was excited to bring Ruby on the Tube to central London. We enjoyed the playground at Coram’s Fields (top tip: wonderful spot for children, right in the heart of London near the Brunswick Centre). Ruby got a bit dizzy on the roundabout.

Borough Market proved too exciting, though - the boys slept straight through it.

Junior wanted to introduce P and Ruby to the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace. Some of the dinosaurs looked like big crocodiles and turtles. On the way home, Ruby got tired so Junior carried her on his shoulders, like his Daddy does with him.

We had a picnic with some friends on Wimbledon Common. P and Ruby looked for the Wombles, but they must have been hiding. Juniorette kept Ruby company instead.

Since we enjoyed the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace, we went to the Natural History Museum to see some other ones. Sadly, we picked one of the only days all year when the dinosaur exhibit was closed. Luckily, P and Ruby were impressed with the blue whale and the elephants, while Junior liked the birds.

At home, Juniorette introduced Ruby to Flopsy Bunny. Ruby was pleased to have a cousin of her own to play with. Ruby also loved playing trains with Junior and P, but she liked story time best of all.

We hope that Ruby Rabbit can come with us the next time we visit P in San Francisco. We had a great week with her!

Juniorette at 5 Months

2014-09-06T21:17:00.000+01:00

The month started out with excitement as Juniorette was able to meet my sister, her Auntie Owl (nickname bestowed by Junior). She came for a business trip, and was able to stay with us for several days. We spent a fun day on London's Southbank and walked across Tower Bridge.

It was a quick trip, but we're looking forward to a week with Auntie Owl, Ankle D, and Cousin P soon...

The rest of the month was mostly spent wiggling...

chewing...

and trying sooooo hard to be upright.

She'll get there soon enough, especially with Junior to help support her.

4 months

2014-08-06T10:46:00.000+01:00

Funny how the time passes so quickly, especially with the second child. You already have some expectation of what s/he can and can't do at various stages. By ten weeks, Junior was already holding his own bottle. By seventeen weeks, he started sucking his toes. So it was both surprising and not-at-all-surprising when Juniorette started holding her own bottle, but not sucking her toes.

Her feet are far from idle, however. By kicking her legs and digging in her heels, she managed to propel herself across the living room floor more than once.

She enjoys standing up - will she skip crawling and go straight to walking? - and is remarkably steady.

She is also big enough to wear hand-me-downs from her cousin and brother. Part of me is quite relieved that we had a boy first, then a girl; Juniorette can wear boy clothes far easier than Junior would be able to wear girl clothes. It's sexist and arbitrary - why shouldn't Junior be able to wear sparkly pink outfits, skirts, dresses? - but we have not had to deal with it in any event. When and if Junior shows a preference for "girly" clothes, I won't be the one to hold him back.

The rest of the month, we have been playing with friends and family.

The British Museum. Top tip: the family room in the basement is a great place to avoid the crowds (and the art) on a busy weekend.

But some of my favourite moments are the mundane family ones. Eating dinner. Cuddles in bed.

We are in a nice routine these days while S is still off work. Junior is settled and is generally helpful around the house, with only momentary (and often predictable) toddler tantrums and mood swings. Juniorette is eating and sleeping well. She barely cries and often gurgles, squawks, and smiles. I am happy not to be at work (especially right now, while they move the company to our new warehouse) and I am constantly reminded of just how lucky we are. Go, Team D!

Rootn Tootn: The Second Time Around

2014-08-01T11:01:00.000+01:00

I have been meaning to post this entry for a while, but since it is now World Breastfeeding Week, I decided I should stop procrastinating.

Back when Junior was born, S developed an iPhone app called Rootn Tootn, which was designed to help mums (particularly, me!) track feeds, nappy changes, sleep, etc. Junior's breastfeeds were longgggg and it was hard for me to spot any patterns, so having a way to record start and finish times made it easier to know when to begin the next feed. You can read about my experience with Junior here.

When Juniorette was born, I started using Rootn Tootn from her very first feeds in the hospital. (Note to pregnant mums: this app should be part of everyone's must-have hospital bag items. Download it and put it on your home screen before your baby comes so you'll be ready to go!)

Rootn Tootn allows you to set as many reminders as you want, and you can format them in the settings. The term reminders doesn't encompass every use case. Some things might be an event, like a nappy change. Some events might not need a timer to remind you when it's time for the next one. Some events might not have a start/finish time. Regardless, the settings allow you to choose whether you want a duration timer or not, and whether you need a reminder or not.

I have seven timers on my screen, although I have not used all of them yet (Juniorette is now 16 weeks old). I decided to separate timers for Right Side and Left Side, although some women may prefer to time each feed (both sides) as one event. I also have an event for formula, since we are combination-feeding Juniorette (more on that in a different post). I thought it would be useful to track events like wet and soiled nappies - we had trouble with Junior's, ahem, output, but Juniorette has been much more regular. Still, I mark nappies when I remember. Eventually, I plan to use Rootn Tootn as a sleep trainer, tracking her naps and overnight sleep.

One of my favourite features of Rootn Tootn is the ability to see graphs and averages at a glance.

Unlike Junior's marathon 60- and 90-minute feeds, Juniorette's breastfeeds tend to vary between 5 and 15 minutes on a side. I can also track the number of bottle-feeds she does in a day; currently the average is 4 or 5. (I don't always set it when she drinks a partial bottle).

You may notice in the screen shots that Rootn Tootn is reminding me that I should have breastfed Juniorette several hours ago. Don't worry - she was fed. Laziness in using the app each time now that she is 16 weeks old (sorry, S!) combined with better understanding of her patterns precisely due to using the app when she was first born shows that Rootn Tootn accomplished its goal: tracking feeds has helped me know when and how long to feed Juniorette. It's similar to how I use my Fitbit: I don't always hit my daily target but the repetition of tracking has helped me recognise patterns. If your baby feeds regularly like Juniorette, but unlike Junior, you might only need Rootn Tootn for a few weeks or months until you establish your routine.

Here is what S has to say about the need for reminders:
Rootn Tootn is not designed as a substitute for paying attention to your child’s needs. The reminders should absolutely not be the only cue you use to decide whether or not to feed (or change a diaper/nappy, provide medication or whatever other reminders you set). I would expect that, in normal use, you would only occasionally see a reminder.

One last feature of the app that might be under-appreciated is the ability to use a photo from your camera roll or photostream as the background image. I chose a photo of Juniorette wearing a dark onesie in order to contrast with the timers better.

Rootn Tootn is a free app in the iTunes Store, but the in-app purchase features give it the full functionality needed to establish your baby's feeding, changing, and sleep patterns in the early days. While it was developed primarily as a breastfeeding aid for women, it can be used to time anything by anyone: medication, exercise, cooking timers, etc. Rootn Tootn is regularly updated with user feedback. What features would you like to see?

Life in a Fishbowl

2014-07-28T15:52:00.000+01:00

Remember my quest for varifocals? After searching online for several weeks, I decided to try some brick-and-mortar shops for glasses.

I started at the big high street shops: Boots, Day Lewis. Day Lewis had a few pairs of interesting glasses by a Danish maker, Prodesign. But I was not ready to commit that much money to something that didn't entirely jump out at me.

I found Kirk Originals online, and saw that they were stocked at McClintock in Covent Garden. (Do a google image search for Kirk Originals to see why they caught my eye). I also wanted to visit Spex in the City in Covent Garden, since one of my friends has bought gorgeous glasses there in the past. Slightly closer to home in SW London, I found Bromptons Opticians in Clapham.

McClintock has a beautiful selection of glasses - and they had Kirk Originals on sale! - but something told me to keep looking. Gillian of Spex in the City suggested an amazing pair of glasses that she said had taken her seven months to source from France, but even they weren't quite right. Then I found Lafont frames at Bromptons. Skip to the end: I am now the proud owner/wearer of a pair of Lafont Greta glasses with Hoya varifocal lenses and Transitions tinting in the sunlight. I was also glad to support a local, independent business with excellent service, who helped me find frames and lenses that work for me.

It takes a bit of time to get used to varifocals - when I walked out of Bromptons, I felt like I was in a fishbowl. Everything is ever-so-slightly distorted at the edges. But after a week of wearing them, I know which part of the lens to use for different tasks, and it is so nice not having to take them on and off. I suppose the real test was taking them off to cook dinner the other night: I felt disoriented and noticed that my eyes were working hard to focus.

I have already received some nice compliments ('they really suit you!') but the best reaction was from Junior: 'Mummy! Your glasses have lights on! Where is the switch?' Indeed, Junior. Indeed.

3 months

2014-07-06T10:08:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of June, we started settling into our new routine as a Family of Four. S was still not working, which made it easier to split childcare duties while enjoying some quality time together.

Junior and Juniorette got along just fine.

We celebrated Father's Day with matching t-shirts from Twisted Twee.

And then the grandparents came back! I had a ticket to Britmums Live (more on that in a different blog post), and they kindly agreed to come help with Junior and Juniorette.

Wearing my "tiara" (Frankenstein bolts from Halloween) for Emma Freud's keynote

Morden Hall Park

And so it begins: a lifetime of trying to get a decent photo of all of us

Aside from grandparent visits, we had plenty of normal days: nursery for Junior in the morning, followed by naps and lazy video watching. Trips to various parks. Playing in the garden.

Finally, on a last-minute whim, we took the train up to Wakefield to visit S's family and friends in Ossett. Juniorette got to wiggle on the carpet and look cute...

...while Junior took over the local playground and commanded everyone to test out the equipment.

May the odds ever be in our favour for future train journeys: we were lucky both ways to get a table with four empty seats (though we had only paid for two). Traveling with two small children is a challenge, but Junior and Juniorette enjoyed the ride. We should do this more often.

Let's see...

2014-07-02T15:07:00.000+01:00

Last year I turned 40. Within three months, I went from having perfect vision to wearing reading glasses.

I confess, between loving accessories and being a geek, I was inwardly excited to gain four-eye status at last. I found a pair of black and green glasses that weren't too big for my face, and fit my style well. I mostly wore them at work. On other days, I didn't tend to read enough that some minor blurring on my iPhone was problematic.

However, I started having headaches at work by November. The constant on/off and looking up and down from my computer was putting a strain on my eyes. The optician recommended office glasses - like varifocals, but with more space devoted to the reading part rather than the distance part. Since I was about to start maternity leave and doubted how much time I would need to wear them for reading, I decided that I would wait.

What I had not considered was that taking glasses on and off all day with a curious toddler and a grabby baby is far from ideal. I read enough that I increasingly need them, but it's impractical to keep changing them when my hands are busy with Junior and Juniorette. I don't like to wear them on top of my head (it stretches them out), and using a chain around my neck is just asking for trouble. And I've noticed that my distance vision is starting to suffer as well.

So, it's varifocal time. I was sad to learn, though, that my current glasses are not suitable for varifocals since they do not have enough lens area. My latest obsession, therefore, is online glasses shopping.

I had heard of selectspecs.co.uk from mammatwo.com. Their bargain glasses start at £6 (six pounds!) so even if you're unsure about ordering glasses online, there is little financial risk involved depending on the style you choose. I have not ordered any just yet, but I have a tab open in my web browser so that I can keep going back to it.

Next, I went to glassesdirect.co.uk. S has ordered two pairs from them and they are good quality and value, especially since his prescription tends to be expensive. They offer a free home trial, and I was keen to try some different styles before committing to any new frames.

Likewise, I was thrilled to find cubitts.co.uk. Not only do they offer free home trials, but their look/feel is retro-hipster-tastic. Their frames come in four colours, so I ordered four styles in each of the colours. Ordering a home trial is easy, and cubitts uses collectplus.co.uk for shipping and returns, so you get delivery and returns information by email.

My box from Cubitts was beautifully presented:

The frames have the styles printed onto the arms so you know which ones you are trying. I ordered the Woburn, Marchmont, Wicklow, and Calthorpe frames in amber, dark turtle, light turtle, and black, respectively.

top to bottom, left to right: Woburn, Marchmont, Wicklow, Calthorpe

Sadly, I'm not retro-hipster-tastic enough to pull them off. The Marchmonts made me look like Harry Potter, and the others were just too big. The Woburns were the best, but I didn't like the colour - I think I'd have to have black frames.

My home trial box from Glasses Direct was far less fancy:

But the glasses were more interesting. I chose Scout Marilyn in purple, London Retro Eliza in black, Prague in red, and Mojito Neon in blue.

top to bottom, left to right: Marilyn, Eliza, Prague, Mojito

I liked the Marilyn and Eliza frames best. Too bad the Eliza doesn't come in colours other than black or tortoise; I'd love a brighter, bling-ier pair. The Marilyn frames were fine, but I think I can do better. The Prague and Mojito frames were too narrow - similar size to my current ones - so I'm wary of making them into varifocals now that I have been cautioned against that.

So for now I have returned all eight frames and I am going to order another home trial from Glasses Direct. In the meantime, I am still wearing my reading glasses and taking them on and off. Stay tuned for the continuing story...

Note: I was not asked to review any of these sites, but since at least one other blogger is currently contemplating varifocals, I thought I'd share my experience so far.

Junior and Juniorette

2014-06-26T15:48:00.001+01:00

"She's such a good baby, but then, girls are easier than boys."

"So nice to have one of each."

"Oh, she's gorgeous!"

Whether I want to or not, whether it means anything or not, it is hard not to compare Junior and Juniorette. The differences have been striking so far. It started in pregnancy. I always feared that I would suffer horrible morning sickness and vomit continuously; experience odd food cravings; and have strange mood swings. In reality, my pregnancy with Junior was very easy. I barely had any morning sickness and I never vomited. The only time I had trouble facing food was the first week I knew I was pregnant: S and I were on holiday in Rhodes and all I wanted was bland grilled chicken and salty chips. At ten weeks, my appetite came on with a vengeance and I ate all day long, but my body wanted good, nourishing foods like cheese, yogurt, fruit, meat, eggs, and nuts. As for moods, aside from stress at work, I felt perfectly fine. I got to know Junior's fetal movements and rhythms and I counted down the weeks in amazement at the changes happening inside me. The most amazing and welcome change was the disappearance of my monthly migraines. They did not return until he was nine months old - I had eighteen blissful migraine-free months, and didn't enjoy the hormones and headaches when they came back.

Juniorette's pregnancy was harder. At first, I thought it was just an extra bad migraine. Three days, four days, five days... At six days, nauseous and dizzy (but still never vomiting), it occurred to me to take a pregnancy test. I wasn't expecting a positive result, but at least I had a reason for feeling so out of it. The nausea abated every few days, then came back. I waited for it to taper off, but it didn't. I had migraines nearly every week of my pregnancy, usually on the weekend. They're still happening now, although they seem to be fading back to a more normal monthly pattern. I did my best to eat well. Junior is a good eater and I assume there is some correlation to the kinds of foods I ate while I was pregnant with him. Poor Juniorette, then - all I really wanted while I was pregnant with her was sweets. Chocolate. More chocolate. Sweet, sweet chocolate.

It was a harder pregnancy emotionally, as well. I found myself doing that crying-at-sappy-adverts thing that I Don't Do. I was more scared, more anxious, less mentally prepared. At first, I worried that I would miscarry. I even willed my body to reject the pregnancy quickly if it was going to end in miscarriage, just to stop things before they went too far. I was relieved and astounded at twelve weeks, thirteen weeks, fourteen weeks... I started to think of the baby as the One Who Lived - s/he was determined to survive, to thrive. At the same time, I felt less connected to the baby somehow. I felt kicks earlier than I had with Junior, but they never seemed to come in the same place or at the same time of day. I felt guilty for even thinking these thoughts. Initially, I convinced myself that I wanted another boy. I was used to Junior by then, and we already had plenty of boys' clothes. When we found out she was a girl, I worried about her entire future in a way that has never bothered me for Junior: the pressure for Juniorette to be pretty and skinny, to wear pink and aspire to be a princess or ballerina. The expectation that she could bend traditional gender roles, but still the reality that she'd face flowers and butterflies instead of rockets and dinosaurs.

Then she was born. Again the differences. Two hour active labour with no pain relief. Easy, quick breastfeeds with a good latch - but she prefers formula anyhow. More efficient feeding. Better at sleeping. Hates being swaddled. Likes being held, but will fall asleep on her own. She doesn't cry much, although her cries are virtually indistinguishable which makes it harder to know what she needs. She is more mysterious (possibly secretive?) that way; Junior wears his heart on his sleeve and has always been able to communicate what he does and does not want. She is calm, observant, tolerant, and happy - her little smiles are lovely rewards.

About the only thing they have in common so far is the physical side. She's smaller, more compact, and shorter than Junior was. But she's strong. She has good head control. She likes to stand - we call it her meerkat stance. She can move herself by kicking with the backs of her heels. She has nearly rolled over and she is not even twelve weeks old yet. She is beginning to bat at objects and is practicing gripping things. Will we have another early crawler/walker on our hands? It seems likely.

So then, where does that leave us? They're different, but similar. This shouldn't be surprising - they're siblings, after all. Are girls really easier than boys? Not according to my husband, who points out that Juniorette will be a teenage girl someday. Is there any point in comparing them? No, but it's inevitable.

Most importantly, am I now an expert since I have one of each? Far from it. Is she gorgeous? Of course, as is Junior. For my part, I am lucky to have two great kids who are growing and developing daily before my eyes. So very, very lucky.

2 months

2014-06-06T10:04:00.000+01:00

After the blur of Juniorette's first month, we had time to relax and enjoy the improving weather.

My mom and I began Juniorette's art education with a trip to the Tate Modern to see a beautiful exhibit of Matisse's paper cut-outs. I had never seen the original artwork for Jazz next to the prints; the level of detail and colour was amazing. But Juniorette was almost as popular as the art. We had smiles and compliments from many of the other visitors.

At home, Juniorette became more engaged and alert. Like her brother, she has had good head control from birth and she enjoys "standing" to get a better view (we call it her meerkat stance).

She also loves her hands, though she keeps her fists curled in tight little balls. While we have given her a "binky" (dummy/pacifier), she seems equally happy to suck on her fingers.

One early rite of passage was taking her to the American Embassy to register her birth and apply for her passport (we had already applied for her British passport earlier in the month). They have relaxed the rules a bit since I went for Junior's passport, and S was also able to come with us this time. We were able to bring our iPhones inside, we brought Juniorette in the Ergobaby carrier, and the queues were shorter, all of which made it a much easier experience than the first time around.

Meanwhile, my parents were extremely helpful keeping Junior entertained.

But before we knew it, it was time for them to go home. All in all, we had ten weeks of a full house filled with three generations from both sides of our family. I am so grateful that we had help and support for Juniorette's arrival, and also pleased that Junior had quality time with his grandparents. We miss everyone already!

Juniorette's 1st month

2014-05-06T17:09:00.000+01:00

Juniorette was one month old on 6 May. The first few weeks are always a blur, and this was no different. We had all the usual newborn developments: feeding, sleeping, changing nappies, repeat. But also did our best to maintain a routine for Junior. It helped that my parents were here to entertain him and feed us.

Junior and Juniorette, each at 4 days old

Junior has been wonderful with Juniorette, and I am enjoying my time with both of them.

While Junior was a Christmas baby, Juniorette was born just before Easter. This year, we joined friends for an Easter Egg Hunt at nearby Morden Hall Park. Junior ran around the course twice as fast as the rest of the group, and earned the Cadbury's chocolate egg waiting for him at the end. Juniorette spent the morning sleeping in the shade under the watchful eye of her grandpa.

Not quite understanding how to play Pooh sticks yet

Holding hands

Meanwhile, I did my best to establish a breastfeeding routine with Juniorette. She is either a very lazy eater, or incredibly efficient: generally 10 minutes on a side, compared to Junior's hour-long marathons.

I also started taking her out in the Ergobaby carrier at the tender age of 18 days. Such a lightweight!

She enjoyed her first bath, and seems to be a water baby. I need to find a way to take her swimming...

One advantage of having a boy first, then a girl, is that the younger daughter can wear her older brother's hand-me-downs. Until she is able to state a preference, I am indulging in dressing her in both girly and not-so-girly clothes.

We also spent a day at the Olympic Village in Stratford. Junior had a great time riding his scooter - kudos to S for chasing after him! I imagine we'll spend more time there when the kids are bigger.

Juniorette in the buggy

More adventures ahead, no doubt...

Meeting Juniorette

2014-04-08T11:18:00.000+01:00

I had to spend two nights in hospital with Juniorette after she was born, so our families got to meet her on the postpartum ward. S's parents came to visit first.

Then my parents came with Junior.

He was remarkably calm, curious, and gentle. We had not done much to prepare him for her arrival. He was aware that there was a baby in my tummy, and would kiss my bump when I was pregnant, but we did not read him books or talk about it much. Imagine our relief when he showed no signs of jealousy or indifference.

S was also able to spend a lot of time with her after the birth. He held her in the delivery room while I was stitched, and then when they allowed me to shower (this was a revelation, especially after not showering for two days when Junior was born - the difference between having no pain relief and an easy delivery, and having an epidural and a long recovery). Unlike when Junior was born, the hospital had relaxed its rules on visitors so S was able to spend more time with us on the postpartum ward. I was glad to have the company, and S was able to bond much better with Juniorette from the outset.

Back home, Junior brought her all his tiniest toys ("tiny baby! tiny toy!" er, choke hazard, but thanks for being so thoughtful...) and pointed out her tiny hands, tiny nose, tiny mouth, tiny eyes.

As for the rest of us, well, we had our hands full but got our rest when we could.

Is there anything more cuddly than a newborn?

Welcome, Juniorette!

2014-04-06T22:55:00.001+01:00

Photo by S, also known as Dad

Juniorette's Birth Story

2014-04-06T22:55:00.000+01:00

The 6th of April was a Sunday. Since I was officially one week past my due date, I had a membrane sweep scheduled for the morning. The grandparents entertained Junior while S and I went to St Georges. I was excited to see Sue, my favourite midwife from Junior's early days. She put me at ease and told me that the sweep might hurt. No kidding! Almost as soon as she started, I made her stop. Her conclusion was that my cervix was still tight and my body was not ready for the birth yet. S and I stopped for lunch on the way home, and didn't expect further developments for several more days.

Around 4:30 that afternoon, I felt contractions. Or at least, I felt what I thought might be contractions. Since I had not gone into natural labour with Junior, it was hard to tell. Just to be sure, I timed them and they were about five minutes apart. I quietly told S that I thought something might be happening, but I wasn't sure.

At dinner, I told the rest of the family. My appetite and energy were low, but I still guessed it would be a while before anything happened. We fed Junior, bathed him and put him in bed. I went to relax in the living room, and decided that it might be better to lie down and sleep while I still had a chance.

As soon as I was horizontal, the contractions became more intense. They were lasting around 90 seconds, with about five minutes in between. S came to check on me and encouraged me to call the hospital at 9:30 PM. The instant I sat up to make the call, the contractions changed again - fast and frequent. The woman on the phone booked me in, and told me to take some paracetamol. S told his parents to get the car ready, and we left. By now I had my eyes closed and was going into my internal space. I knew what was happening around me, but found it hard to speak or interact with anyone. I was gratefully aware that there was no traffic, except for a few red lights. S's dad overshot the hospital entrance and we did a u-turn. Inwardly I was shouting, "hurry, get me out of this car!" We drove into the maze of the hospital car park, with its speed bumps and twisty turns. "Getmeoutgetmeoutgetmeout!" It was just past 10 PM; they had closed the entrance nearest to Delivery Suite. We had to go around to the front.

If you've ever visited St Georges' maternity ward, you know this means a long walk through several endless hallways, then up the lift that takes ages to arrive as it slowly descends and stops at every floor. S found a wheelchair, while his mum helped me make the short walk from the car to the front door. Only a few footsteps, but the contractions were coming almost every minute.

At Delivery Suite, we checked in and the triage nurse informed us that they needed to assess me. She asked if I felt like I needed to push - I answered no, then suddenly yes. Yes, yes! Gah, why is no one listening to me? Get me to a room! This baby is coming!

Except, I only said "yes". The rest happened in my head, and it felt like an eternity before they moved me.

The next thing I knew, they were asking if I "wanted" to move from the wheelchair to the bed. I managed to squeak out "yes, but you'll have to move me. I can't do it myself." My bum had barely touched the bed, one leg swung onto it while the other dangled off, I leaned back, and my waters broke.

Now they started to take notice. I kept hearing them talk about putting in a canula and examining my cervix, but I knew it was far past that point. The contractions were one on top of the next. Who cares about a canula?

"Oh, I see a head."

NO KIDDING.

Several pushes later, she was out. I immediately felt better. I asked S what time it was - we looked at the clock and it was only 10:55 PM. We had been in hospital for less than an hour. A few more minutes' delay, and Juniorette might have been born in the car park. But she wasn't. She was perfect, tiny, pink, and healthy.

The Grandparents Join Us

2014-03-30T09:50:00.000+01:00

One consideration for the arrival of Child #2 is what to do with Child #1 during the birth. We had every intention of a hospital birth, and we knew that Junior could not come with us - if I'm really honest, I didn't want him to be there either. Local friends offered to watch him if I went into early labour, which was a huge relief. But even better than that, the grandparents came.

S's parents arrived a few days before my due date, and Junior was thrilled to spend time with them.

While they adjusted to Junior's routine and our toddler-oriented lifestyle, we kept ourselves busy and enjoyed the sunshine.

Cannizaro House, Wimbledon

The 30th of March was British Mothers' Day, the start of British Summer Time, and my due date. It came and went; still no Juniorette.

My parents arrived on the 1st of April, increasing the house count to six adults, one toddler, and one bump.

Days passed. I had picked my ideal birthdate for Juniorette: April 4th, 2014 (4.4.14) but still she kept us waiting.

And then...

Preparing for Juniorette

2014-03-19T09:41:00.000+00:00

Funny how priorities change when you're awaiting the birth of your second child. Before Junior was born, I started maternity leave at 35 weeks and used the time to research and buy all the baby stuff I hadn't had time to acquire until then. With Juniorette, we already had most of the things we needed. The biggest purchases were a used Phil&Teds double buggy, and a new travel cot. I didn't buy many clothes in advance - I was overwhelmed by the proliferation of pink - and it didn't even occur to me to buy any new toys. It was unclear until the very last minute when my maternity leave would start, but I was again able to stop working at 35 weeks.

So I relaxed as much as possible while Junior was at nursery.

I booked a facial.

I had my hair cut, coloured, and blown dry.

I finally organised my office after living here for nearly six months. We prepared the house for visitors by buying a new sofa as well as a new dining table and chairs.

We put frosted film on the windows to give us privacy in the living room without sacrificing light - nice for breastfeeding without feeling exposed.

I finished reading The Cuckoo's Calling, which S had given me for xmas. I watched a few films that had been on my list for ages.

At 38 weeks, I finally packed my hospital bag. I felt better prepared in terms of what to bring/not to bring, but even still I didn't pack enough clothes for Juniorette, and S had to bring some on the first day.

I also started to panic about the birth. What if she came early? Who would watch Junior? Would it be better if she came during the day while he was at nursery, or on a weekend when friends would be more likely to be available to watch him? What if she came in the middle of the night? What if S had to stay home with Junior? Would I be prepared to give birth alone? Would S be prepared to miss it? How would Junior handle the sudden disappearance of his parents? And the appearance of a whole new person?

Junior's 2nd Birthday: As It Happened

2013-12-15T15:54:00.001+00:00

Following is a live blog of the events of Thursday 12 December, 2013, to the best of my ability and memory. Junior is K, I am B, and S is S.

7.30 B and S set up K’s birthday train in his playroom

7.35 Went to K’s bedroom to wake him up; he was groggy, crying

7.36 B softly sang ‘happy birthday to you!’ but he shushed her - twice

7.40 Went downstairs for breakfast

7.41 Perked up immediately when he saw the present from Grandma F & Grandpa A that they had left for him this summer – ripped it open

7.42 Threw half of the books on the floor

7.43 Interested in the placemat: ‘dinosaur’

7.44 Started reading the nature book: ‘squirrel!’

7.45 S gently pointed out that it was a rabbit.

7.46 Turned the page: ‘squirrel!’

7.47 Again, it was a rabbit

7.50 B brought her breakfast to the table; K reached over and took a piece of cereal

7.51 B prepared a bowl of cereal for K

7.55 K proceeded to eat his cereal, then reached over to B’s bowl for more

8.00 Picked up a piece of cereal covered in yogurt. Licked it. Put it back in B’s bowl.

8.10 Once breakfast was done, S took K upstairs to get dressed

8.15 After he was dressed, K rushed back downstairs to play with the fridge magnets

8.16 B put his cake and candle in a bag to bring to nursery. K helpfully added a letter ‘m’ from the fridge.

8.17 B stealthily removed the ‘m’

8.18 In the meantime, K added several more letters to the bag, then went back for more

8.25 Eventually, S and B were able to wrangle K into his jacket and shoes. He added a few more fridge magnets to the bag as they left the house.

8.26 K happily ran down the street toward nursery, picking up the compost bins along the way and giving them to Daddy.

8.30 All of a sudden, he stopped, cried, and indicated that he wanted Mummy to carry him across the street to nursery

8.31 At nursery, he got back down and knocked on the door

8.32 Inside, he was happy again. Then not so happy. Then happy again.

8.35 As Mummy & Daddy left, he sat down for second breakfast: Cheerios

***

17.30 Picked up K from nursery

17.31 Nursery staff reported that K had had a good day; enjoyed his cake and was generally good

17.32 Nursery staff asked if we ever play Daft Punk at home – he sang along to ‘Get Lucky’ when it was on during the party

17.33 Nursery staff also praised K’s recent verbal developments. When shown a picture of a ‘bird’ in a book, he corrected his teacher by saying ‘penguin’

17.34 K blew everyone kisses and said ‘bye bye!’ as B and K left

17.35 Outside, K started running down the street. Then stopped, looked up, and said ‘mooooon’.

17.36 Arrived home. K rang the doorbell. B had forgotten that K had previously changed the doorbell chime.

17.37 Ran inside looking for Daddy and headed directly upstairs.

17.38 Daddy joined him and supervised while K explored S’s office and the guest room

17.45 B coaxed K back downstairs with the other present from Grandma F and Grandpa A. K opened it with great enthusiasm. ‘Pajamas!’ Then proceeded to name everything on the different pairs of pajamas: rocket, snowman, digger, truck.

17.50 K opened the new sleepsack that Grandma F had made. ‘Car! Steering wheel!’ Then lost interest. Then found the crocodile card from Aunt S. Then found his toy airplanes.

17.55 Proceeded to the kitchen to play with the fridge magnets again

18.00 Webchat with Grandma F and Grandpa A. He showed Grandpa his airplane, pretended to eat it, and rubbed his tummy as if to say ‘mmm, delicious.’ Grandpa obligingly imitated K, and K laughed and did it again. Grandpa did it again. K did it again. Everyone laughed. Finally, Grandpa had to leave so we said ‘bye bye’ and logged out. K immediately demanded to call back and do it again. Despite a bad connection, he continued pretending to eat his plane and rubbing his tummy.

18.05 S put on ‘Get Lucky’ to test K. Sure enough, he started dancing and singing along.

18.10 Discovered, much to his delight, that the magnets fit under the fridge. But wouldn’t come back out again.

18.12 B found a long, skinny pole to use to retrieve the magnets. K thought this was a fabulous game, and slid several magnets back underneath.

18.15 Dinner was served. S made spaghetti bolognese. K wanted to play with the magnets. A minor meltdown occurred while he refused to sit in his chair or eat. When B settled him on her lap, he grabbed her fork and shoved some meat sauce in her mouth, imploring her to ‘eat it!’

18.30 K demanded a tissue to wipe his nose, except that we have kept a roll of toilet paper on the table for this purpose for a few weeks now. K figured out how to rip off a square, wipe his nose, open the rubbish bin, and throw out the tissue. Guess what happened next?

18.35 After filling the bin with balled-up toilet roll squares, B and S intervened. A minor meltdown occurred.

18.40 B coaxed K upstairs, explaining that it was nearly time for bath, stories, and bed.

18.45 K discovered the train set in his playroom. All was forgiven. ‘Choo choo!’

18.50 K happily played with the train set. B showed him how to work the farm silo; K pushed her away and shouted ‘leave it! Leave it alone!’

18.51 K went back to the trains. Every time a train derailed, he said ‘oh boy’. B and S remarked that they had never heard him say that before.

19.00 B started to get ready for K’s bath. K ran into S&B’s bedroom and jumped on the bed. He then proceeded to look out the window at the cars and trees, drink some milk, climb off the bed, climb back on the bed, and repeat – all the while, chattering about…well, we’re not entirely sure what. He started shushing again, and warning S and B about the ‘baby sleeping! Shhh!’ Hmmm. Where did he pick that up?

19.25 Bath time. K played with his toys, sang songs, and kept saying ‘baby sleeping!’

19.40 Bath time finished too soon for his liking. Minor meltdown when he was removed from the tub. Brushed his teeth and hair, but showed his annoyance.

19.45 New snowman pajamas softened the blow a bit

19.50 Pushing aside their better judgment, B and S offered K some more milk and 2 animal crackers to make up for the fact that he had not eaten dinner

20.00 Story time. K showed no signs of being tired, so B did not reinforce the 3 story limit. They read Owl Babies, It’s Time to Play (a most unhelpful bedtime story), Room on the Broom, and every word of Cars and Trucks and Things That Go.

20.35 K relented and put on his sleepsack

20.40 After a brief cuddle, B placed K gently in his cot, rubbing his back

20.50 K popped back again and demanded another cuddle

21.00 After being rocked and reassured, K drifted off to sleep. Sweet dreams, big 2 year old!

Junior turns 2!

2013-12-12T19:20:00.000+00:00