That (resolution) time of the year

what are you looking at?

The disturbing image above is us attempting to have brunch at a very popular cafe last Saturday, kindly refer to resolution number one for more details.

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Do you write New Year resolutions? Why? Why not?

I've been doing them since I got into the practice of journal-ling awhile back. Certainly, many go by unresolved, or even forgotten as the year goes by. But there are still, more than a handful of success stories that I can profess to, and so I resolutely plunge in once again.

After doing them on the last week of every year, it sort of grows on you. So here I am again, pen poised over yet another soon-to-be mangled journal (I journal everywhere. Don't ask.) and prepare to write my resolutions for the new year. In the end, I reckon, even if they don't all get fulfilled, at least I had a good start.


Here are a few I've already decided on -

Firsts Frenzy (the Christmas post)

what do you mean its over?

Firsts are seriously overrated.

Every. Single. Thing is a first for a baby. Obviously.

But I'm terrible at documenting. When did she first suck her thumb? Go on her tummy? Roll over on her own? Who did she first smile at? What did she first grab? And the obsession with firsts is probably going to last till she's how old? I don't want to know.

Despite all my lamenting, there are several firsts I do want to document. Like her first swim and her first overseas trip etc. And of course her first Christmas.

Suffice to say, Christmas is a HUGE THING when you have a kid. Not that it's a small deal in itself. I mean every one morphs into smiley, relaxed people-like human beings during the Christmas season. Let's not forget the family, the feasting and the holidays.

But when you have a child, Christmas just explodes.

Get a tree! Wrap all the presents! Buy party hats! Dress her up! Order food!

So many imperatives, so little time.

This is a summary of her first Christmas...

Her grandmother's handiwork

Unconditional Love. Really?

Protecting my mum and her breakfast

The aftermath of being a new parent to a new baby is being told what to do. Of late, the main topic is learning. Is she learning to crawl yet? Can she sit up on her own yet? Is she able to soothe herself to sleep? Has she learnt to sleep through the night? And so on...

At this very moment, she isn't learning anything in particular. She's calmly taking yet another nap, arm upraised and her tiny mouth agape. I don't see a need for her to learning each time she's awake either, but that's probably for another post.

As I receive advice on how I ought to aid my daughter's learning, I find that I am the one learning from her instead. And in this very loving and caring Christmas Season, I'd like to reflect on one of these lessons from humblet...

Baby Bumps: No Plan B

four month old

 

     Today marks humblet's fourth month with us. I'm still unsure when she cries, despite dozens of reassurances that mothers always know. I'm also still unsure about being able to work from home, seeing how clocking ten hours a week seems like a miracle in itself, much less twenty.

But I am increasingly certain that this little chubby ball is my daughter. The way she grimaces when people try to take a photo of her, or the raised eyebrow and her default frown. More recently she's displayed a preference for sleeping on her side and talking animatedly to her friend in the mirror. Most definitely my daughter.

Books for babies?

this pretty book by JIMI LEE

     

     One thing that keeps me sane as a full time mum (who isn't) is a routine. Predictable nap times and feeding times, increasingly consistent poops and evening bath times with dad. The newest edition to humblet's is of course swimming sessions, but it's getting hard with the monsoon rains. Nonetheless, as much as babies thrive on routine, mothers too need some pattern to rest, to breathe and to eat.That being said, some days are completely thrown off... They are characterised by tantrums, biting and all round grumpiness, I label them 'humblet's evil twin' days.

     A trip to the library once every two weeks is one part of this routine I love. 

Reading is a huge part of my life, perhaps it's an English Teacher thing, but I'd like to think it's books themselves that attract me above and beyond my job. In my leisure time (which has evaporated) I could spend hours curled up in bed with a book and a pot of coffee. 

When humblet came along, I just naturally incorporated books into her routine without second thought. Until friends and family starting teasing me that is. 'Can she even see?' 'Are you trying to make your child a genius?' 'Why bother?'

So I started thinking about it - why read to babies?