Archives: eve

Eve actually slept better last night. Not something we expected. She is/was teething – she has cut a lower left molar. She is still not well because of this. Orange juice is off the menu – which she will not like, as she enjoys drinking it, but it does not sit well on her stomach. She finished her tea yesterday & then brought the whole lot back up again. That was the second vomit of the evening, so we really should not have been surprised. Unpleasant to clear up, but as it was on a flat surface I found a dustpan & cloth the most effective. Despite telling Jack not to look – he did, looked worried, with bulging eyes & backed off. Hey – I thought he did well. In those circumstances I would have joined in – contributed to the mess. It’s funny – I do not have a very strong stomach at all – but when needs must, you just get on with it.
Right put me off eating the rest of my tea though… It’d gone cold by the time I sat down again.

Eve will hopefully sleep a little longer this morning, as she kept me quite awake between 4 & 5 this morning. She’s not that well – suspected teething. Fragile. At the supermarket yesterday she got upset that Jack was in the ‘Bob the Builder ride’ – it being only a one kiddie ride. Jack tried to accommodate her, but it was too tight a squeeze. She went off bawling to the checkout where Louise was packing up & promptly threw up everywhere. As I was carrying Jude, there was not a lot to be done other than prompt the blank looking checkout girl to call for a mop. Stares all around. I have to admit that the farcical nature of it all made me find it amusing. She still has the ability to puke when really upset. (Violet Elizabeth?)
Getting a lot more smiles from Jude. On Sunday he seemed to take one of those little leaps of comprehension at the world around him. He is watching more & engaging more. You sometimes have to remind yourself that he’s only 9/10 weeks old. Mind you – he’s not up for watching, or wanting to take much notice of things other than lights lines & people. It’s the people one that’s interesting. He was watching us eat breakfast most intently. If you are doing something like that he seems positively keen to observe. He quite likes a quick ‘baby chat’ as well now.

Hmmm- it’s been a week or so since I charged this emate up – just gave me a battery warning – so that seems a good excuse to stop for now. I’m sure it would carry on, but a ‘thinking impasse’ & a good excuse….

All awake as I left this morning. Louise not impressed. It’s a shitty day – cold/wet/windy & Eve is up too early. She is probably going to be tired & shouty later.
Friday is a ‘big day’ with playgroup in the morning & ‘college’ in the afternoon. She gets over emotional & loud when she’s tired – Eve. She’s always been loud though. The prospect of this & dodging soakings can be a bit off-putting.
Still didn’t do any attic work last night. It was a little late by the time I got downstairs from getting the kids off to sleep. Jude was a little unsettled, & although tired, Jack & Eve seemed to have got it into their heads to keep each other awake that little bit longer. They did do quite well though. They were not antagonising each other. I bored them to sleep eventually reading “Paddington dines out”.
Had to take Jude downstairs again by then, as he was quite awake again. His eye was a lot better yesterday. Still a bit gunky, but it wasn’t getting stuck shut. Pirate Jude.
Ralphie sent me a copy of his latest comic “Giant Clam”. I’m in it – published cartooning work. The 1st since… uh… No, I’d rather not think about that too much.

Eve had a good day yesterday; much more her usual self. She even allowed herself a sleep during the day. She’s still apt to being a bit cheeky at the moment though. It’s her age, I guess; doing that bit of boundary testing.

I fine, cold crisp bright morning. Will they come to do the roof today? I doubt it – due for more miserable rain tomorrow. Gah!

Jack coughed himself to sleep last night, but he seemed to have a better night of it in general. Hopefully he’s getting better. I am feeling marginally better. Not over it yet, but better. I didn’t manage to get any attic work done last night (not managed any for a few nights!) as I just about got to sort some files out, & check some mail before I thought better of trying to remain awake.
Gosh! I found some time to sleep – what a novelty!

Train home.

Jack has quite a cough at the moment. It made him cough so hard he threw up the other night (Saturday?). Louise was upstairs at the time & guided him to the bathroom before he was actually ill – so that saved a lot of bother.
He’s basically OK during the day – it sits badly on him while he tries to sleep though. I got to sleep with him last night & he coughed loudly at me at what seemed like half hourly intervals. Suffering a bit today because of it. Probably have the same cough as he, as I have sinuses blocked. Leaning forward/looking down is uncomfortable for my face.
Shut yer whining!
Eve did a pooh in the bath (shared with Jack) on Sunday morning. Heh – that’ll embarrass her later in life! You wonder when she’s going to ‘get more control’ over this important part of life. I was not upstairs, but as the bath was bubble laden it would not have been immediately noticeable. Louise was upstairs & heard Jack saying, “urg – what’s that? …Eve’s done a pooh in the bath!!!!”. I had to nip upstairs to sort that one out. Yuk!
Jack’s been really well behaved of recent. He has not been reacting too badly to Eve, who has been more manic, shouty & attention seeking of recent (delayed reaction to Jude?). He has managed to shrug off some pretty annoying provocation from her. Of course there are the moments when he provokes her… but that’s a flipside. He is, on the whole, not retaliating against the weaker party – which is very good. Having said that – yesterday, for one reason or another was quite fraught. I think we’re all suffering something of this cough thing. Eve was in excruciatingly loud mode. Very fragile & apt to complain at everything. She did fall asleep at @16:15/30 & things all calmed down nicely & became a lot more manageable. She woke just as we were finishing tea. Jack asked to go to bed then, so it was into the night-time routine (about an hour or so earlier than usual). Eve joined in & actually fell off asleep @ an hour & a half later. Quite surprised at that. I think if it were Jack in the same circumstances (when he was younger) he would have run us ragged late into the night (as it was I did that on my own). She was in desperate need to catch up on sleep. She woke just as I was leaving this morning, & I got a big smile. She seemed in a lot better frame of mind. Whether that is how the day progressed, I guess I’ll find out…

Hmm
I actually don’t feel completely shagged & useless. This does not mean that I actually have 2 brain cells to rub together; it just means that the paracetamol I had half an hour ago or so is starting to have an effect.
MMMmmm no headache….
Eve is teething at the moment. This means that she is acting barmy as her gums are driving her barmy. Her ‘loud-o-meter’ seems to have stuck on ‘intense’ & she has a constant frantic edge to her. She is also rather fragile.
Jack was saying the other day as I picked him up from school that he was missing William. William is the lad who was his main friend at school, & who has gone to Spain. It’s difficult to know what to say really. I empathise as we moved around a bit when I was young, but I still don’t know what to say. I will have to try find the address for them in Spain that his mum gave me. I know where I put it, but household clutter may have swamped it. I suggested that he write to him – but I really do have to ensure that we can before reminding him of that. Jack also said that no one would play with him at school when he was going to bed last night. I don’t know about the hurly-burly of the day to day at school – but Jack seems a popular lad. Other kids say hello to him when we are out. Not just ones from his ‘year’, but older kids. So maybe that’s just Jack missing William again. I don’t know. Again I worry for him & I don’t know if I justifiably worry.
Hmmm – I think there’s a ‘parent’s evening’ next week…

Jeeez- another month! I mean – a month!– what happened there?
<sigh> – I only used to get caught out by weeks passing.
Will years be next?
No fair – no time to enjoy things.
Train home – brain is a blur from it being busy at work yet again. Nothing notable to explain such other than lingering tidying up of previous problems.
No time to complain at being underpaid the hours I work & all that crap – hey ho.
That’s all ‘work’ – leave as much of it at work as I can.
Jude was smiling over the weekend. Yet to catch such a photographic image of such an elusive thing. Heh – we did catch one of Jack’s early smiles on film. Smiling at you rather than the ceiling. There is communication stuff starting to set in his brain.
Wonderful things – baby smiles.

Jack was called up in front of assembly at school on Friday. This was because he was “the best behaved boy” in his class/year. He got a little sticker & a lot of pride. He was chufty about it. He has been especially lovely recently. Had the occasional flare up, but nothing as protracted & as involved as he used to do with us at home. He is no angel, but Louise thinks that he has made the decision to be good at school. His reading is starting to work better for him as well – he understands & recognises things better. He is also able to write more words on his own. He filled as few lines in a notebook with “yes no yes no yes no yes no” the other day. It’s all less frustrating for him.
I wonder sometimes if we expect too much. I suspect we are probably quite quietly demanding parents, but I have no yardstick to compare.
Heh – we got Jack another coat the other day as the one recently bought did not really seem good enough for the frightful weather we have been experiencing (Old Lincolnshire saying that Louise reminded us ‘tother day: ‘February Fill Dyke’). I got it on the way home Wednesday, I think, & it was put away as I got home so as not to be noted by Jack or Louise’s mum. Louise got it out in the morning as they were about to go & Jack is under the impression that ‘a lorry came in the night’ to deliver it (as if we ordered it off t’net). We had tried to order one previously from t’net t’other day, like, but they were low on stock – so we cancelled the order when fannying about started. Louise thought it easier to flatter Jack’s assumption – so, he thinks the coat is more ‘special’ due to this phantom delivery & maybe he likes it all the more (?).
Eve has been cheekier of recent. She’s always been an opinionated little thing, but is trying to get her way more. She picks up Jack’s bad habits & runs like billio with them bath water gurgling & spitting, taking things from the fridge. She is probably the loudest member of the household, & when she is upset has really started to be piercing. High-pitched over-scream. OW! She has been getting up too early & still has not properly resolved the ‘sleeping during the day’ thing. Sometimes she just does not – gets over tired – over emotional & loud. She is also winding Jack up occasionally, which he does not respond well to (& she should know that by now). Still – that’s all part of being brother/sister. Perhaps there’s a bit of attention seeking now that Jude is here.

Catching breath as I ended up having to run a bit for the train this morning. All my own fault – prating about at home. It’s not like Jack or Eve were up. That’s 2 morning that neither of them were awake as I left.
Eve has been in the habit of waking too early of recent – so hopefully that habit is starting to break. Jude was up with Louise. It was the computer what done it (made me late). Silly me. It doesn’t help that I’m sat at a chair with a heater under it.
It was a lovely bright crisp afternoon yesterday. It’s a shame it was not consistently so, or they may have had a chance to look at our roof (sigh).

So – I did no work in the attic over the weekend. Bad Paul – bad.

We did rearrange the kid’s room though as we are thinking that Jude might go in there as well in the travel cot. It remains to be seen that we will do this, but it’s nice to have the option, & the room seems better for it. Jude sleeps very well with us, but he will he cope on his own? He didn’t really go for the Moses Basket that much.
Louise said that he was smiling yesterday morning. He certainly seems to have moved up a notch in perception terms. Instead of focusing on a light over your shoulder, or the transition between a light & dark area he is looking more at you. Into your eyes (& the drifting off & you realise that he is not any more). He is starting to coo & gurgle a little as well. Jack & Eve love him to bits. Louise says that Eve announced that she “..Like baby Jude”. They would spend a lot more time giving him kisses if he was not out of reach.

Website is still down; has been all weekend. Weird. I know exactly why, but am not saying, as I’m not sure I’m allowed. Suffice to say the cause was not our fault.

It’s half term holidays for Jack – so no school. He is going to a playgroup with Louise, Jude & Eve today, so I hope he’s well behaved with all the young ones. Of course he may not be the only ‘older’ one there.
Hectic at work yesterday, & being late in, it seemed more so, as I had no chance to get going with mail queries. Constant ketchup. The trains were running again for the journey home. The ran stopped as I was travelling & as I got to Manchester yesterday the dark clouds seemed to be peeling back. The day was apparently delightful & sunny – not that I can see such from work as we don’t have a view of the sky (excepting the view from the toilets).
The kids got to play out yesterday on the back street. It would have been better for them if a neighbours kid (Kirsty – poss 8/9 & plays too rough) wasn’t bothering them. Louise was annoyed by her presence, as it seems she was possibly ‘leading them astray’. Louise shocked her with the acuteness of her hearing. She was whispering to Jack & Eve that they could have some Pringles (crisps) if they came out of the back yard. Louise shouted out that she should not & Kirsty was suitably shocked at being caught. She usually scares Eve, but I think this wanton bribery won her round (annoyingly). Eve was not running away from her. Kirsty still has not grasped the fact that if you run up to a 2 year old – as a stranger you are likely to scare them silly. Eve has never really trusted her before because of this, & I’ve no reason to think that she will not become scary once more (“Scary Kirsty”). Amber also is very wary of her – last time I saw Amber on the back street she was running inside her house (to get away from Kirsty)