Dreams

Dreams are boring. I mean there is nothing more mind numbingly dull than listening to someone else prattle on about what happened in their dream. So here´s my dream from last night: I´m playing with Aimee outdoors. It is busy. A high street maybe, or a beach. Then she disappears. I´m searching, I can´t find her, I panic. The swell of emotion makes me wake up in a cold sweat. But I hear Aimee laughing in bedroom next doors. Phew. It was just a dream. Here´s Cat´s dream: It is 2am. Cat can hear Dylan struggling in bed next to her. She thinks I am holding him but that I have fallen asleep and about to drop him. So Cat half wakes up in a panic and lunges into me trying to `catch´ Dylan. Only, Dylan is safely asleep and so was I, until I get clawed or half punched by Cat. I mumble something in my half sleep/half unconcious state, then she goes back to sleep and we wake up next morning, bleary eyed but giggling at the silliness of it all. I´m sure I have read that weird dreams and sleep paralysis hallucinations are common to parents of young kids. Maybe it is the lack of sleep, or the constant worry you have generally. So what do these dreams mean? Who knows? But the last thing I want to do is bleat on about them to everyone else. Oh, I already have.

Nursery

The kids have spent their first full week in full-time nursery. But it's been an emotional time with mixed results. Aimee is distraught every morning when Cat leaves her there, but she is reported to be having a good time once she settles down. Yesterday, she enjoyed her group singing so much, she could hold her wee in no longer and wet herself, but gamely carried on singing. Now that's stubborn.

Dylan also cries each morning when Cat hands him over. Wringing every last drop out of Cat's heartstrings as she leaves. Yet, the carers say he is having a good time and even eats and sleeps during his stay there (which he doesn't do at home). Last night, we think he may even have reached a milestone...a whole night without waking up. A complete evening to morning period where Cat and I could sleep without our usual blurry-eyed 4am trip to his room to console, cuddle and douse him with milk or painkillers. Let's hope it really is a turning point.

A New Beginning

Another corner turned, another milestone passed, another day that our babies become less babies. sigh...yesterday Aimee and Dylan began their first experience of their new nursery. Day was ok, only a short one hour introductory session. Aimee was in a bit of a daze and rather quiet and clingy. I had to be by her side all session and she freaked out at how boisterous and territorial the established kids were. She rather more used to getting what she wants from us, and to have to be more assertive on unknown territory was a new thing. On day 2 however, Cat managed to leave the room quietly without aimee noticing for a good hour. The staff reported that Aimee was happily playing and eating her lunch and did not cry. One beneficial (to us) side effect of nursery that I forgot when she was at the old place was that Aimee is so knackered when she gets home, that bed time is a very swift affair - a quick bath, brush, story and lights out. She is fast asleep within minutes. During her recent sabbatical (Cat's maternity leave) she would take ages every night to go down. Nothing too hyper, but she just wanted lots of stories and lots of toys and lots of this and that, it would sometimes be 8:30-9pm before I could get away from her room.

With Dylan I thought it would be more tricky to break into the nursery habit since he is Sooooo clingy at home. But no, he slept, he ate, he played, he destroyed (some artwork and pulled all the toys down off the shelf). Apart from a few murmers of disquiet, he was actually quite happy in the baby room. I guess we underestimated how flexible a more young child can be.

Generally I like the nursery, it is well run with good facilities and plenty of outdoor space. The combined cost as I mentioned before is expensive to us, but actually they are cheap compared to most other places. When I was there, I spent a great deal of time observing the kids and it is really amazing what miniature but very determined little characters they can be at such a young age. One little boy appeared to be quite a handful in the playground. But when I commented about him to a member of staff, they explained that he had recently lost his mother. Such things really make you look twice at yourself and realise just how lucky you really are.

Let's hope the kids settle well and going to nursery everyday will be as normal and routine as everything else in our lives.

BTW The photo above is Dylan covered head to toe in kiddie fun paint. He seemed to think it was fun to use his body as a paint brush. It was not fun to clean up afterwards. Anyway, its all good for his development, I think.

And here's Aimee as Bambam.

Parents Allowed

Hot news - parents of two actually make it out of their house and in to town shocker!
Yes, instead of our usual Sunday where we are still in pyjamas and chasing after our kids, we decide, totally impromptu, to drive in to Chinatown and sample some of their food. It was tough going, with tears, tantrums and long delays on the roads. But we managed it, and enjoyed the nosh immensly.

Hair tales

Dylan is slowly starting to grow some head hair. Only a very light fuzzy growth, way less than most 10 month-olds. I think that's one of the things that make his appearance so distinctive and, I have to confess, adds to his baby-like cuteness. Babies born with a full head of hair I think look a bit too mature for their face. One person at work (who doesn't really like kids) once screeched that she thought babies with lots of hair look like freaks! Well I wouldn't go that far.
He still doesn't have enough hair to tell what colour it will be. It's definitely lighter than Aimee's. At one point we thought he might turn into a copper top, and in strong sunlight, you do see a bit of the red in it. A harkback to his Scottish heritage I suspect. Now that would be a look to stun my kiddie-hating colleague - the half chinese ginger haired kid.

Aimee had a similar slow showing of head hair. At ten months, it was also a fuzzy peach fluff. Today, as she approaches 3 years, it's a messy mop of curls and tangles which desperately needs cutting. She does finally lke having her hair tied up into a vertical bunch though - just like Bam Bam from the flintstones. I'll try to get a snap of Aimee in BamBam mode, but in the meantime, here's the cartoon version.