Monthly Archives: January 2002

On train home.
I’m sure there is a lot more I am meaning to say, but my fuzzy brain is not getting past the here & now very well.
Things seem to be calming down in the house more at the moment. Jack & Eve still have coughs & Eve still seems to run the occasional temperature, which is worrying, but then she may well also be teething – so it’s not exactly unusual in those circumstances. Jack is less apt to ‘play up’ at the moment, so that is good. Louise & I were chatting on this last night & he seems a lot like me really – needs positive affirmation & telling him not do something meets with obstinance. Ah well…. I wonder if such things are genetic?

Lost the thread of thinking from yesterday again.
As I left for work this morning Louise was downstairs feeding Jude & Eve erupted & tearful shouts upstairs. I was late, but I went to get her. Settled in next to Louise & Jude on the sofa & Jack does the same tearful shouting from upstairs. Go get Jack to – settle in… etc. Jack was upset as I was just going to go. Quick kisses all round & run for the train. Naturally the train is late anyway & I stand around in the rain for a while (sigh). Eve is not really better yet & is still not really eating well, & now Jack seems to be similarly afflicted. He went to school yesterday, but it seems that on Monday there were 10 of his class missing, so there’s certainly something around town at the moment.
Hmmm – slow train this morning – looks like I could be late for work at this rate :)
Jack jumped off the toy chest at the end of his bed & onto his bed the last week. Jack & Eve do this a lot. The problem this time was that the curtain was in the way & he landed on it pulling the curtain rail down. It was one of those situations where it’s pointless getting mad. We weren’t in the room at the time, so I’m not really sure what happened, but Jack came downstairs to tell me what had happened – which is good of him. It was a confused telling of what was wrong, so I needed to go upstairs to see, but he did not try to blame anyone but himself. I disappointed him on Sunday by not being able to put up the replacement blind that I had bought the other day. I needed some wall plugs & I didn’t have any of the right ones & could not find anywhere to buy them. Consequently dad helped put up another blind when he arrived yesterday. That’s 2 visits where he’s had to do that now. We also put up a new (moon) light that they’d bought for the kid’s room at Ikea.

Yeay – my parents came a visiting yesterday. Was very good to see them. Jack was kept in the dark about it & I had just got both he & Eve downstairs & settled in when there was a knock at the door. “Is it Neil & Jess?” he asked. He may have heard Louise & I talking of something going on the day before & maybe was having a good guess… almost right…
Had a very good day. There was no rushing off early this time – they stayed around a nice long while – all day! No stress & so forth. We did not opt to go rushing off to Skipton or anything as, for a start Eve was not that well still (& is still not better this morning). She was a lot perkier, but not 100% & certainly not well enough for a car journey of any distance. Went to Hebden Bridge for lunch & that was about it. It’s a shame… Eve is rarely unwell, but when mum & dad come it seems to coincide. At least her temperature is more under control. We think she has met a quite nasty cold just at the same time as a bit of teething is starting up or the teething is exacerbating the cold – either way one seems to multiply the other & she’s not having a good time of it. Still she manages to be happy most of the time, she’s just rather fragile. Jack seems to be at least hitting the cough/cold side of things this morning (all awake before I left which was too early). I don’t know if Louise is going to manage to get him off to school, but it could prove a bit of a difficult day if not – fragile Eve & Jack being… less accommodating because he is not feeling great & is suffering a lack of sleep. Oh, & not forgetting Jude who is on a ‘feed me’ session at the moment. He was insatiable last evening/night, but then he sleeps mostly through…. Weird. Good, but weird; you don’t expect a 3 week old baby to be so compliant in their sleeping.
I wonder when Jack will master the art of sleeping through? Hey ho, why bother when we don’t really mind?
Took Jack for his first ‘swim’ on Sunday Evening. I was worried Leaving Louise with an upset Eve (& a feeding Jude) but we had said to Jack that he could go if he wanted, & he wanted. It’s been a rather long time since I went swimming, so I was rather nervous as well. Still, we figured out how the changing rooms regime & were ready. Slightly perplexed by the lack of footbath, (…but there’s always a footbath…) but there was a shower thing & then you were at the pool. Goggles on & down the stairs & into the pool. Jack enjoyed it greatly. I was worried that he would not like getting his head submerged, but it didn’t worry him. I don’t think he swallowed that much water as we floundered around for half an hour or so, and he was not unduly upset by water up his nose.

Just a some pictures of clouds taken by Jack & I on the way home after picking him up from school.

Last 2 days I’ve been travelling on trains with no tables & half journeys on buses – so no chance for typing on the move.
The little evening with William went very well. Jack was a bit ‘gross’ with his Jelly & ice cream & they were a bit difficult with the concept of William having to go home – Jack cried as their car pulled away. The good point is that we got it wrong thinking yesterday was William’s last day. That seems to be next week & then Jack is invited out for an evening with William!
Eve is unwell. I am tired. Louise was worrying about her in the night & we three were awake as a consequence. She does have a temperature: 39.1 degrees, but the fact that she has a bit of a nasty cough & associated heavy breathing & her night time drowsiness alarmed Louise to the point where she needed to feel assured. My assertion that I thought she was fine was not enough as I sounded grumpy due to being awake when I’d rather be asleep. She called NHS Direct & talked to a nurse about the fever & so forth & got some sensible advice. She called again later as she was further worried, & got a better ‘diagnosis’ that allowed her to asses Eve’s symptoms a little better & have a few things to look out for. Eve is certainly not that well, & was very ‘clingy’ this morning, but she will hopefully be more sprightly as the day continues.

Jack was not for sleeping last night. Louise says he can tell when he’s in one of his moods from his face; a certain smug smile, & he had that smile as he was waking up yesterday & while at home, it seems, never lost it. He was out to be annoying. It was only broken when Louise suggested that he move to a bedroom of his own if was not keen on sleeping – he could have his own bedroom to stay up late in so as not to disturb Eve & Jude. He was upset by that & we at last got him to accept that such behaviour is not really acceptable. Then again, perhaps not – we have to see how today goes.
Slightly alarming is the prospect of actually getting home tomorrow. There is a train strike & I know I stand a reasonable chance of actually getting a train in the morning as it’s not the same company that is having the dispute, but I’ve got to figure when they may be a return train. Especially tomorrow when I need to be back to assist Louise with the party for William. I will have to take ‘unpaid leave’ as a worst case scenario. BAH!

Jack was stirring as I got up this morning. He was in the same bed as Louise & Jude & I think wanted to go downstairs. Fortunately we put him off. When I went to take Louise a cup of tea & rouse her again he was asleep & holding on to Jude. One arm around his middle & on his head. Jude likes to sleep on his side a little & for one so young has already been able to move off his back to do this. He is quite strong for his age. He can hold his head up oh his own quite well. He sleeps quite well at night as well; we are lucky.
Jack’s pal at school – probably his best friend – William is leaving at the end of this week. His family is moving to Spain. Jack knows this, & William has been off school in Spain before, which made Jack sad. William, from accounts, considers Jack a very good friend as well. I think we are going to have to engineer a way of keeping them in contact electronically. William is coming to tea at our house on Thursday – a little party on his behalf is organised. A couple of presents from Jack to be bought & party style food for us all to be organised. Happy/sad.
Jack is still not settled & this may be part of it. He is easy to offend & disproportionate in his response. I foolishly took some water out of their bath last night to rinse out Jude’s baby bath bowl thing & Jack took great umbrage that I had taken water from ‘his bath’. He got mad & the bathroom & I got rather wet. Sometimes there is no reasoning with him, as he is resolute in his determination not to listen. We are going to have to try to figure out how to diffuse these events more effectively as it’s doing no one any good.
Still – reading the to sleep was quite good as they were relatively keen to hear some Pooh Bear stories & I quite enjoy reading them. Jack even asked for another story to be read… which was encouraging, but at the same time I had to remind him that he was in fact tired & it was in fact bedtime. He turned over & drifted as I read “On nearly meeting heffalumps again”.

The kids actually slept through last night. Jude woke to have a nappy change at 2 ish & another feed at 5ish – so all in all quite a good night’s sleep. Shame I had to get up & go to work, but reality has this nasty habit of gatecrashing your life.
Quite a good weekend, the tantrum level seems to be abating a little. We went out to Halifax on the train for a couple of hours yesterday. Not my favourite town, but it does have a couple of shops open on a Sunday, & it’s not too far. Jack seemed to really enjoy it – happy to be on the train. We managed to get him a pair of swimming trunks. Louise mentioned that we might go swimming (he & me) on Saturday. We set off for the park & the kids enjoyed a run about in the howling wind that cuts through it. We got to the warmth of the sports centre & while I waited at the desk to see if there were things we could buy, (Jack has never been swimming & it’s been years since I went – so we have no kit) Louise, (with Jude) Jack & Eve went to look at the baths. Busy on a Saturday. So then… they had no trunks for either Jack or me. Too small for me, too big for him; Jack was very disappointed & mad that ‘we’ let him down in not having what was needed, but there was not a lot that could be done. After stating that he never ever wanted to go swimming he eventually came round & walked with us & even put his coat on.
I have yet to get a pair of trunks. Once I have, I will have to dip in the pool. As it’s all going to be focussed on Jack, I will not have to worry too much about doing anything as tedious as keeping fit.
Hmmm… I’m going to miss being at home. Taking Jack to school (Thankfully we have done a couple of ‘trial runs’ so Louise if happy that if she can get Jack dressed, they will get off OK) playing with Eve & holding Jude. He’s not even been sick on me yet!
Jude is starting to look about with more focus. He is quite a content baby. He can be changed without the screaming ab-dabs. Eve could at this age as well, but Jack could not. His general reaction to things is not to cry. He can wake up & look around & not cry. He will cry, of course, but there are definite levels from pay me attention to I’m rather hungry, to AAAAAAA! The latter is rarely reached. Eve is fascinated by him & thinks it’s really funny when Louise feeds him. Jack is loving, but for the most part he knows that a baby does not do that much, so lets Louise get on with things. Neither show any sign of resentment & both like to try to kiss him occasionally.