Stories in the Moonlight

Birthday boy baker

2010-10-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Finn. Three today. Such a lot has happened this past year. You are still living in Scotland with Bea and Mummy and Daddy. You have started going to pre-school playgroup for four mornings a week, although you also go to Hummingbird nursery two afternoons (and so does Bea).
You've been sleeping in a proper bed for ages but Bea has only just made the transition.
You still like tractors, Postman Pat, the Wiggles, Fireman Sam, Roary the racing car and lots of other characters.
Mealtimes are when you make life most difficult for yourself - woe betide the adult who puts your milk in the green cup not the blue one. In fact, not very long ago you had such a meltdown at tea-time that you went to bed with no supper. In the morning you told Mummy your tummy was poorly. She guessed it was because you were hungry, so you had toast and chocolate milk - breakfast in bed. After you'd eaten it you told her: "I've got my smile back now."

Bea speaks

2010-01-13T05:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2009 has come and gone. And so have you and your sister. You were here for three weeks which was about enough for all of us. For future reference let it be noted that although Bea turned one while you were here (and Daddy turned 30) she didn't walk on her own but she did add to her vocabulary. So now she says dada. mama, scarf (well, we know she means scarf) and nana. Clever girl!
The reason she says scarf is because she is always looking out for a chance to grab your comforter when you are not looking. She has Bunny, but it's not the same as having something of yours.
You, of course, now two, are talking nineteen to the dozen. Your favourite things are tractors, followed by POstmas Pat and Thomas the tank engine - and watching them on Mummy's i-phone.
You make up words for things, too - everybody has become allbody, smoked salmon was dubbed orange ham. It's charming. Just like you, when you are not asserting your independence and saying no to all suggestions.
You liked the snow. So did Poppydoggy who is growing apace.

Time Flies

2009-08-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

Goodness me where has the summer gone? Little sister is now pulling herself up to her full height and trying to cruise along the sofa. She also seems to be showing far more interest in your cars than in her baby toys and you have a load of new words in your vocabularly including a very firm 'Mine'.
So - a progress update. You talk about the weather (rainingpouring), you can fill in gaps in songs (the wheels on the bus go 'roun an roun awdaylon'
You are stringing words together in ways that make perfect sense, Daddycup, Nanashoo. You have decided that Grandpa shall forevermore be called Papa and, of course, you are walking everywhere unless Mummy needs you to go in the Phil and Ted buggy because that makes life easier (and please don't kick Bea on top).
When you are out and about you like watching out for tractors, lorries and buses and you got very concerned when the fire alarm went off. I think you were convinced there was a neenaw upstairs. Trains are a big favourite, too, especially in stories.
But the big news of the week is that you did a poo on the potty. This may have been due to luck not judgment on your parents' part and we will have to see what happens next. But it was the first time Mummy had suggested you might like to sit on the potty and do a poo, so it was pretty impressive.
I still think Mummy will get the new puppy Poppy housetrained first.

Little sister

2009-03-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Your little sister isn't so little any more. In fact someone who shall be nameless said she has more chins than a Chinese takeaway.

Big Brother is Watching

2009-01-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

...and stroking

And now you are a big brother

2008-12-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve there was a special delivery at your home - a baby sister called Bea. I think you were actually having a nap when she arrived. I wonder how you feel about the new arrival?

Sprogwatch

2008-12-23T06:18:00.000-08:00

It is two days before Christmas and we are awaiting the arrival of your baby brother or sister. Meanwhile you have been making the transition from baby to boy.
You have now walked five steps all by your self.
You have given Daddy, then Mummy, big sloppy kisses.
Mummy cut your hair with the clippers as it had grown very long at the back.
You no longer have bottles of milk and you don't often have jars of baby food. You are getting better about eating - but you would much rather feed yourself than have someone feed you. The only trouble is, you like dropping things on the floor and making a mess as much as you do putting things in your mouth and swallowing them.
You may not be able to tell us in words what you do want - but you have a very nice line in head shaking to tell us what you don't.
And you have discovered books. Especially books that do things. Elephant Wellyphant and Oh Dear are two of your favourites.

Bouncing

2008-10-05T01:39:00.001-07:00

Ever since you were able to sit up on your own you have loved to bounce. Whenever you hear music – the pipes and drums of the school band, songs on the radio – you happily bounce up and down.
That’s why it seems entirely appropriate that your first word (uttered this morning in the presence of both your parents, so there can be no mistake) was Tigger. After all, bouncing is what Tiggers do best.
I seem to remember that the Tigger you were talking about, your toy Tigger, looks like the Tigger drawn by a man called Ernest Shepard who painted pictures and illustrated books for a living.
Some of these books were written by a man called A A Milne and were about a little boy called Christopher Robin, his teddy bear Pooh and their friends and adventures.
Tigger made his first appearance, I think, in a book called House at Pooh Corner, where we learned that Tiggers don’t like honey, haycorns or thistles for breakfast and, indeed, that Tiggers don’t climb trees.

The newer Tigger – the one you will probably get to know even better – is like the original Tigger only more so. Stripier, orangier, bouncier. He appears in a series of Disney cartoons and in order to make lots of money, people did deals with each other so that toys and clothes and plates and lots of stuff could be made with pictures of this Tigger on and sold to Mummies and Daddies and Aunties and Uncles to give to their children.
But I still like the original Tigger best. How about you?

One small step for Finn

2008-08-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Well not quite. But according to your Mummy today was momentous nevertheless - you not only pulled yourself up to standing (which you've been doing for a week or so) but you then let go. And you stayed standing on your own two feet. For at least five seconds.

Nine months

2008-07-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

Nine months is the length of a pregnancy. Nine months is how old you are now.
This is what you can do:
Crawl
Put bits of grownup(ish) food in your mouth
Eat bananas and Weetabix and scrambled eggs
Say Ga and Da
Go on the baby swing (you've been sitting up for ages)
Bang things together
Shake rattles and other musical instruments
Pull off your socks (good game)
Pull off your sunhat
Pick up little things with your thumb and forefinger
Find things hidden under other things
Recognise familiar people with a big smile
Know what we mean when we say No
Open some drawers and cupbaords (see above)

News for the tooth fairy

2008-05-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

Seven months now and your smile is about to change for good. That's because your first tooth has just come through. It will be some time before you get a visit from the tooth fairy, though . I wonder what the going rate is these days?
You have just started to edge forward when you are on all fours. Time to think about what you will be able to reach when you come to stay.

Little Star

2008-04-24T02:08:00.001-07:00

Six month update:
You have started at nursery because your Mum has had to go back to work
No surprise then that you have had your first chest infection and your first lot of antibiotics plus inhalers (what fun!) and your Mum and Dad had to take time off work
You sit up at dining table in your new clip-on babyseat. It’s lovely to see you sitting at the very same pine kitchen table where your Mum used to sit when she was a baby
You like banana
You have started eating mushy baby food and like to grab the spoon
You put everything into your mouth to chew
You have visited one stately home (Longleat) and one National Trust property (Dyrham) in the baby back pack
You have had nappy rash but it seems to be clearing up nicely
You can sit for a few minutes before you topple forwards or sideways
When you get upset and start crying your Mum sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – and you stop

Just for the record

2008-03-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

What's new?

You are now a bottle fed baby.
Last weekend your Mum got a horrid tummy bug and was ill all night on Friday. She had already been giving you a bottle or two of milk during the day, instead of breastfeeding, because it made it so much easier to go out and about - and because you will soon be going to nursery anyway.
Because of the bug, she couldn't feed you herself - and so the decision to switch you over to bottles completely was taken out of her hands (your Dad did really well).

What else is new now that you have reached five months and a week?

You can roll over from your front to your back, even in your sleeping bag thingy - which is really annoying because you don't like going back to sleep on your back.
You can move forward, sort of, by pushing your knees forward and your bottom up in the air.
You have discovered how to arch your back to look at things upside down.
You can get your thumbs, fingers and fists in your mouth whenever you want.
You can grab the toys that dangle in front of you when you are in your car seat (which you don't like because you really, really, want to sit up straight).
You can support yourself so well that you can go in the hip seat position in the sling
When your Mummy puts you in the sitting position on the ground you can almost stay like that by yourself without collapsing.
You have had a taste of banana (which you liked) and a taste of baby cereal (two mouthfuls went down, two came out).
You now have less hair than your Dad.
You let people know when you are not happy - but you don't mipp nearly as much s you did.

Mothers' Day

2008-03-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when your great, great granny Gertrude was a housemaid, the young servants who worked in the grand houses were only allowed one day off a year to visit their families. That was on Mothering Sunday. Sometimes the housekeeper would allow the maids to bake a cake to take home to their mother, sometimes they were allowed to take some eggs, or some flowers from the garden or hothouse.

When I was a little girl, people didn't go into "service" any more. But the churches still marked Mothering Sunday and we made cards for our mums in Sunday School and gave them little bunches of flowers to mark the day and tell them how much we loved them.

By the time your Mummy was born Mothering Sunday had become Mother's Day. And this year she gave her Mummy - me - a special surprise. She came to visit with you and your Daddy - and so we celebrated her first Mother's Day together. Your Uncle Guy was there, too, which made it even nicer. And that's why we got your grandpa to take this photo.

By the look on your face, though, you weren't very keen of any of this. And you certainly weren't going to smile for the camera.

Peepo

2008-02-27T07:01:00.001-08:00

Here's a little baby. one, two, three
Sits on the sofa - what does he see?
(in homage to the Ahlbergs and in memory of Janet)

What's new?

2008-02-20T03:53:00.000-08:00

It’s February 20 and you are now 18 and a bit weeks old. You mummy has started to give you bottles during the day – you take two now – as well as feeding you herself three times. You have a bath every evening, then a last feed before bed at around 7.30. Then you sleep through until about 7 in the morning. You quite like your sleep, it seems, as you also have several naps in the day. I wonder what you dream about?

You still get very mippy in the evenings and being carried around by Mummy in the sling is the only thing that you really like then.

You can suck your thumb now – and you do when you are going off to sleep.

Mummy is a bit upset that you have got baby eczema – and when she and Daddy took you swimming for the first time last week the chlorine made it worse – but she’s got some special cream from the doctor and says it’s already looking much better.

You’ve had your second lot of jabs (and they made you yell really loudly).

You can be very charming when you are in the mood and Mummy says you enjoy Jolly Babies sessions more than you did at first.

Finn's first Christmas

2008-01-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

You won't remember your first Christmas, so here are some pictures.

You had two sets of grandparents dancing attendance, besides your Mummy and Daddy.

Poor Daddy had to eat his Christmas dinner standing up with you in a sling.

I remember that I had to put your Mummy in a sling so I could eat my Christmas dinner, too, when she was still as new as you. But at least I managed to sit down.

Firsts for Finn

2007-12-10T03:51:00.000-08:00

Lots of firsts last week.

On Wednesday it was the first time you went in the big bath.

On Friday you had your first jabs but you also gave your first smile ☺.

On Friday you also came to stay at Nana and Grandad’s house for the first time.

On Saturday you went to your first party (you were the only baby there) and you slept through the night (from 11.30 to seven in the morning) for the first time.

On Sunday you watched your Mummy make the pudding for what will be your first Christmas.

And then (after moaning and mipping rather a little too much through the afternoon) you were dressed in your bear suit and you slept in the car seat all the way home.

Now We Are Six (weeks)

2007-11-26T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is you at six weeks. You look like a real baby now, not a newborn.

Growing a baby

2007-11-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was your Mummy’s birthday so we all went for a walk in Westonbirt Arboretum to celebrate. The grownups looked at the trees which were decked in the last of their autumn finery, Summer ran round in circles and barked at other dogs. You dozed in your buggy.

The health visitor who came and weighed you on Friday says you are now 8lbs 9oz so your Mummy has been calling you fatty Finn. (She’s feeling smug because she is already back in her pre-pregnancy jeans.)

But I’ve been doing my sums and I don’t think you’re fat at all. Mummy is just growing you well. My old ‘how to grow a baby’ book - it’s really called Babyhood by Penelope Leach – says breastfed babies gain on average 7oz a week. Since you are now four weeks old that means you should weigh 28 oz more than when you were born.

Pounds and ounces are more complicated than grams and kilos – but take it from me that if you add 28oz to your birthweight of 6lb 12oz you get 8lb 8oz. So I’d say you are pretty much spot on.

In the footsteps of giants

2007-10-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

This the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. And this is the story of a giant called Finn….

In Ireland, lived a gentle giant called Finn MacCool. At fifty two feet six inches he was quite small as giants go, but across the sea in Scotland he had a rival, a strapping giant called Benandonner.

The two Giants shouted across the sea of Moyle to each other, demanding a trial of strength. Finn offered to make the contest possible by building a rocky causeway between the two countries. The path across the sea went all the way from County Antrim to Benandonner's lair - Fingal's cave on the island of Staffa.

The work was so laborious that Finn became exhausted. Oonagh, his giantess wife, woke up early the next morning to find her husband sound asleep.

Before she could wake him she heard the sound of thunderous footsteps and saw the mighty Benandonner approaching. He was truly enormous. She was dismayed to think that Finn would be no match for this Scottish giant.

As quick as a flash, Oonagh covered the sleeping Finn with one of her nightgowns and a bonnet.

"Where's Finn?" bellowed Benandonner. "Where is the coward hiding?"

He peered at the sleeping Finn.

“Be quiet," Oonagh warned Benandonner, "or you'll waken the bairn!"

Benandonner panicked. If this was a baby, how big would his father be? He did not stay to find out. He hastily retreated across the causeway, destroying it in his wake.

No one knows what Finn said to Oonagh when he woke up. Do you think he was pleased - or not?

There was a young man ...

2007-10-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

This is you just hours after you were born. And this is the nursery rhyme your Mummy sang to you the next day.

There was an old man called Michael Finnegan, he grew whiskers on his chinnegan. The wind came up and blew them in again - poor old Michael Finnegan, begin again.

You were called Finn because your Mummy and Daddy liked the name. And then you were called Michael after both your granddads. So you were young Finn Michael Harrison. Not old Michael Finnegan. But you seemed to like the song anyway.

This is you giving me a funny look. I hope I wasn't singing to you. I can't sing.

You were born sooner than everyone predicted - two weeks before we were told to expect you. But your Mummy did everything perfectly and your Daddy drove like the wind to the birth centre in Paulton, so all went well. You arrived at one minute to six in the evening of October 12 2007 and weighed in at 6lb 12oz.

Here are some more pictures of the new you.

It looks as if you came with a health warning! Did it alert your parents to the fact that babies may produce hazardous waste at both ends?

This is you (asleep) and Ribbet (awake).

You did quite a lot of sleeping in your first few days.

Tamsin's birthday

2007-09-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of your Mummy and her Daddy, not long after she was born in the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital in Barnet.

Tam came two days earlier than expected. The date she was due was the same date that her Daddy, Michael, and I were to move house. But we hoped that – like many first babies – she would be late so we could settle into our new home before she arrived.

Things began in the middle of the night. Michael was at work on the Times newspaper and had to drive back (very fast) to take me to the hospital. And about three hours later Tam was born.

We stayed in hospital for a week, as this was the custom in those days. Michael had to arrange all the rest of the packing and moving and unpacking by himself. I was very happy about this – and extremely happy about our baby.

Tam had quite a lot of dark hair when she was born, as you can see in the photographs (although not so much as her Daddy). This soon fell out and was replaced by blonde fuzz.

Can you see the little red marks on her face? Trust your Mummy to decide she would come into the world face up, rather than the conventional way, face down.

Before You Were Born

2007-09-07T06:39:00.002-07:00

Once upon a time there were two teachers, Mr Harrison and Miss Crozier. They fell in love. They got married. And then they had you.

This is your mother and you (the bump) when she was 34 weeks pregnant. And these are your parents on their wedding day.

Hello World

2007-09-07T06:39:00.001-07:00

So, a new blog is born. This is not my first blog, and I know you shouldn’t favour one blog more than another in order to avoid blogling rivalry, but I confess I have great hopes of it.

It’s going to be a diary kind of blog. A blog of record. And the lives it will be recording will be mine (the designated babyscribe), my daughter and her husband’s (T and C) and, of course, you - the beanie baby they are growing.