Brothers

For the most part, Robert and Christopher get on well together. But with the difference in age, ability, and understanding of various concepts brings the challenge of how to get on well all the time. Robert gets frustrated easily with Christopher who likes to come up and knock over towers he's built, or take a car from the line-up he's playing with, or break up a jigsaw. Christopher gets frustrated because Robert won't let him play with things. When Robert gets frustrated, he tends to push Christopher out of the way, usually with his head as his hands are occupied.

I don't know if it was provoked, or if he just felt like it, but while I was having a wee while the boys were in the bath next to me, I suddenly saw Robert push Christopher, who fell sideways face first into the bath. I lunged so quickly, knickers round my ankles, hitting my knee on something on the way down, and grabbed Christopher up out of the water. He started coughing and spluttering, and crying, and as he was inconsolable in the bath, I got a towel and got him out, and cuddled him, and while I did that, I told Robert how dangerous it was to push people in the bath. The tone of my voice made him listen, I was shaking for a good half hour after it happened, and I really wanted him to know how serious it was and that he shouldn't do that. I didn't want to get into the concept of drowning and death in those words, but I did tell him that people can't breathe under water and if their face goes underwater and they can't breathe, they have to go to hospital, and the doctors there will try and make them better, but sometimes they can't make them better. I left it at that, but impressed it several times in the hope that it sunk in.

They do love each other though, and most of the time it shows. Robert will do something that Christopher finds funny, Robert will do it over and over to make him laugh. :) Christopher loves to give Robert kisses - unfortunately, with his wide open mouth and the TEETH lunging towards you, Christopher's kisses are quite scary and sometimes painful, despite the sweet intent. While toys can prove a battleground, when the boys just have themselves, a table and the run of downstairs, they have so much fun, chasing each other around, giggling and squealing. They really are good friends, and I hope as they proportionally become closer in age, they will get on better and better :)

Ohhhh my...

My baby will be turning one next Sunday... I can't believe it! He seems SO much younger than Robert did when he turned one. He is gestationally 2 weeks younger than Robert was... but even so, he does seem soo so so little and much more like a baby. I don't know if this is because Robert was walking since 9 months old, whereas Christopher is just taking his first tentative steps and is nowhere near confident in walking a lot. Or if it's because he's my second baby and I have an older child to compare him to (even though in my head I think I am comparing him to how Robert was, not how Robert is). Or if it's because he is a physically smaller baby than Robert was (he's not even 20lb, maybe not even 19lb, hard to tell for sure - and Robert at 11 months old was 22lb). I don't know! But it doesn't feel like Christopher can possibly be anywhere near 1 yet!

I have been trying out vegan cake recipes, as Jonathan's sister and brother-in-law are vegan. The one I have tried so far made a rather flat and stodgy cake, although quite tasty. I will try another one, and see how that turns out, on just the one layer of sponge. I have decided to be adventurous, and make a themed birthday cake! Christopher, just like his big brother, loves cars, so I am going to make a car cake :) I am really looking forward to making it, and know how it is going to be made, just a little nervous about making some pre-made white icing black for the tyres without it going all gloopy... I'm guessing add extra icing sugar, but we'll see.... if it goes horribly I guess the car can have blue wheels or something! :)

I am also very excited for two blogger friends who have announced pregnancies recently! One more-so than the other as it has followed a looooooong wait, and is so incredibly deserving of a sweet bundle of joy!! But the two pieces of news has made me SO incredibly broody! We are not TTC yet... I haven't even had my first period yet, but I wasn't expecting to have had it though, as Robert was 11 months when it returned after him, and he was nightweaned at around 8 months old, whereas Christopher still isn't nightweaned yet. I would SO LOVE to be pregnant again, but at the same time, I do still want to wait a little while longer. I think if I manage to wait til Christopher is 18 months old, I will deserve a medal!! Hehe! Of course I might not have a choice on matters... we shall see. I think the "not preventing" method might be best for us...

Right, well it's late, and I need my sleep desperately lately... Christopher hasn't been sleeping particularly well.

Nearly 1 year post-partum

As Christopher is nearing his first birthday (can you believe it? I can't!) I can't help but draw parallels between where I was then, and where I am now. Last year, I was heavily pregnant, weighed probably almost 16 stone (although I am not 100% sure), I was extremely apprehensive regarding the induction of birth I had agreed to let myself be booked into, but excited about meeting my new little one.

Now I am 4 stone down on my 4 day PP weight, weighing 10 stone 11lb, or there abouts. I feel more energetic, healthier and fitter than I have been for a decade. I still have a long way to go in terms of fitness, but now I am in a place where I am actively seeking to become fitter. I am going to start running, which I think will aid not only my physical fitness, but also my emotional well being.

I have also been learning to drive, and while I don't anticipate to have passed my test by Christopher's birthday (seeing as I've not even taken my theory test yet, which must be passed prior to booking the practical), I do anticipate that I will be a fully fledged driver before Christmas.

I also have one fewer friend than I did last year, and it still hurts, I still haven't replaced her with a friend of equal status, and that hurts too. Sometimes more than I can say.

I am also really looking forward to giving birth to my as yet unconceived third child. Sounds really strange, but I am! My second birth was amazing for the most part, and that, along with my new level of fitness (only to improve as I start a running programme imminently) has given me the confidence in my body that I can sustain a healthy pregnancy and birth a child with love, confidence, and ease. I am already planning a home birth in my mind! But do still want to wait several more months before we conceive. I still have not had my first PP period, so I'm probably ready to conceive again anyway. I feel that my next pregnancy will be the most planned in terms of me getting physically ready to carry and birth a baby than either of my last two.