Monthly Archives: February 2002

9:00 & I’m still not at work. Train just leaving Rochdale.
I’ve had to catch a bus to get here. The Summit tunnel is flooded – no trains do run. Bah.
Still – at least I’m on the comfort of a train now, although I have to type on my lap.
Hope for better running on the way home…
All this rain is of course doing wonders for the attic ceiling – which is still not fixed. It still leaks around the chimney breast & is now worse that ever (basically because it’s been raining so much. Weather permitting (an actually day without rain) they will be back to look at it again. They were sure they got whatever the problem was last time, but it seems not really… It all starts to dry out – but that’s because the weather is dry… then when it rains it’s very difficult to tell if it’s getting any better – whether it’s still drying out. It takes really crap weather – persistent heavy rain for you to realise it’s still not fixed proper. This time it took a little longer to get them back to look at it because we had to get the keys back off Louise’s mum (who had them in case she was needed at short notice when the baby was born). She forgot to actually bring them the day Jude was born anyway. We had left Louise’s set with Andy & she effectively hid those for us by putting them ‘in a safe place’. Hey ho. So – as I say – they will hopefully be back to look at that this week…
How is my progress in the attic going – decorating & such a like? We.e.e.e.lllllll….. I’ve made good progress stripping the skirting boards, but I have not really got as much done as my conscience allows me to.
All this malarkey getting to work makes me feel should have stayed at home today.
A pleasant weekend. We did not go out anywhere, but there was no real antagonism about that. On Friday we all went to get haircuts… well – not Louise & Jude. It was mainly for Eve as her fringe was far too much in her eyes. She didn’t really seem to mind it, but it must have tickled & got in the way rather. We can see her now! She was a little reluctant – so I sat in the chair with her – she standing on my legs – while the barber (lady) cut her fringe & trimmed the back & sides to tidy. I was on the verge of needing a cut – so was good to sort them, & Jack just had a general trim. The kids where a little loud (Eve is just naturally loud – but funny with it – not really annoying) but the barber & clientèle seemed fine about it. Barber kept them engaged & no sour looks from clientèle. All went rather well for such a risky venture.
Both Jack & Eve slept through the night last night. No tears & crying. Louise had to change Jude’s nappy at some point – so perhaps her walking about in the night doing that reassured Jack & Eve. I dunno – they so rarely do that; it’s a treat when they do.
Manchester looms – time to stop.

Another week flown by.
Not really sure what happened there?
Just tired, I guess.

Back to normal trains again. No doubt there will be more strikes before the dispute is settled – but apart from the slightly involved journey home, it’s been a pleasant change. I just would rather not have to do the bus on that final leg.

Eve is certainly back in good health again & is back to being happily loud. She was the one who would not calm down to go to sleep yesterday. I thought it might be Jack as we had a run in out bath depth – he wanting to be too deep, me worrying that there would be water everywhere. He got mad at me, but we managed to calm down in the end. We went downstairs for a bit & he let me talk him round. He was in a bit of a wind-up mood for most of the evening, so a clash was not unexpected.

Health visitor came yesterday & Jude weighed in at 9lb 15oz. It seems quite a lot in such a short time. He was weighted 2 weeks ago as well & was 8 something then. Louise checked Jack & Eve’s charts & he is heavier than either at this stage, but not by as much as she had envisaged. He’s a strong lad – able to lift his head when lying on his tum already & holds his head quite straight when looking about – which he is doing with a lot more focus. He has no real toys – like an arch baby gym thing at the moment, but he seems to not get bored enough to worry about that yet.
Jack used to be under the baby gym very early. He was jaundice & it was summer – so he’d lie under it in the sunshine from the window in the hope it would help the jaundice. Jude was jaundice as well & on his 2nd or 3rd day he stopped pooing & weeing – which worried us – but he recovered soon enough. The intensity of the 1st few days with a new baby makes you much more focused on things like that.
There were a list of other things re Jude’s early days that I’m sure I wanted to mention, but memory is fractured when typing on the train in the morning. This writing is all very immediate. Surface brain ramblings.
See I think too much & I grind to a halt.

Making a stab at a bit of typing on one of these bouncy no table trains where you can smell the engine fumes in the heating.

Bah. Busy at work again as we have taken over another ISP again & things are not going as smoothly on the technical front as envisaged (do they ever?).

Jack has slept through the night 2 nights running – doesn’t sound much – but it’s good.

“It’s going to be commuter chaos in the north & north east today” Radio4 are saying.
This is another train strike day – so I will be taking a later train from a non-striking company. This gets me to work, but I only get halfway home – the other half has to be done by bus. Hey ho – a considerable increase on my travelling time & no real chance to type as these trains do not have tables – even flip down jobbies on the back of the seat in front.

The kids are still asleep this morning (at the moment). It’s all quite.
Right – best get me bag ready to be off… bah!

All awake as I left this morning again. Unlike last – was it Thursday – no one was crying.
Eve most certainly is getting better now. She had quite an appetite yesterday & she slept through the night. Jack is a little off colour again. I think the cold ran him down last week as he got a spot of impetigo again. What looked like bump on his eye became a little sore, which only got a little bigger before we decided to get something for him. As it’s on the eyelid, it’s a bottle of medicine. Went late to the surgery on Saturday. It was shut, but Louise saw a pharmacist waiting to leave who is also a mother whom she know. She let Louise in to the surgery & she got a prescription from a Dr who took pains to point out how lucky she was to have seen him. It’s true – we were very lucky there as if we’d allowed the rash on his eyelid to get any worse (it was only tiny at that point) Jack could have been in quite a bit of discomfort; pain, even.
Jude is growing. I wonder how much he weighs now. Louise was speculating 9lbs… I guess it’s distinctly possible. Jack has grown as well. At first we though he might just be looking a bit skinnier because he’s been under the weather with the cold he got from Eve, but looking at him again yesterday, he was taller. Noticeably having that little more clearance looking onto tables & the work surface in the kitchen. Able to reach higher that you’d like him to have the ability.
brain has started drifting – I stop typing today