7000 Days

Officially out of the cave today. He’s been more awake lately and able to take on more activity. Which means gradually going out more and being more social.

Let the cuddles begin.

Granddad and Gogo were in town today so we went to Aunt Sally & Uncle Paul’s house for dinner. Here are just a few photos from the night.

Paul took some fantastic shots of Gus.

And the girls got to hold their cousin.

(He was trying very hard to talk back to Stella here.)

Lots of gummy smiles but still yet to catch one on camera.

So we just got Gus to sleep after several hours of patting and rocking. And we were sitting here glowing in our accomplishments when Charles just spotted a huge (HUGE) spider on the wall in the general direction of Gus’ bassinet.

In order to get to the spider we’d need to move the baby.

What to do?

Libby from my writing groups told me that when her son was a baby, she’d get so used to looking at his tiny face all day that when her husband came home at night, his head looked HUGE by comparison.

It’s so true!

These days when I walk by a construction site or when a dog comes close or when I’m crossing the street, I sometimes have horrible visions of something happening to Gus. Like a brick falling on his head. Accidents like that.

I suppose it’s because he’s so very small and he’s relying 100% on me to protect him. And because it’s all very new. And because I already love him so much that it breaks my heart to even think of these things happening.

But I do think of them quite a bit. And it doesn’t help that things actually happen to other people.

There was a woman in Melbourne last year who was talking on her cell phone while walking her newborn. When she turned around, someone had stolen her pram. Can you imagine? But then when the police and everyone started looking, they found it had actually rolled over the bank and into the water.

When I heard about this last year I thought ‘how sad’. And when I think of it now I can hardly keep it in my head, it makes me feel such incredible pain for the mother.

I also am feeling particularly empathic towards parents of kids who get diseases as well as towards babies who don’t have people to dote on them.

Before you call for an intervention, I’m not feeling this way for hours at a time -just little flashes. I’m actually very happy these days and loving it. He’s getting a bit rolly polly, by the way and his eyes are starting track more things. Oh, and I went to the doctor today to get a pill that boosts milk supply. She said Gus was cute -clearly she’s a very smart woman.