Archives: teething

Hey ho… Brain still awaiting catch up on the sleep thing. Nice & Groggy this morning.
Got my new CD-RW working last night after faffing about for a good while. The software the manufacturer supplies is… not great. By that I mean that certain unrequired components seem to freeze the mac on startup. I conclude that it is probably a clash with Login on my verson of Mac OS – which is well stinky.
It’s taken me a couple of nights of pratting about starting with extensions off to come to that conclusion – which is far more time than I’m willing to concede to any problem – but needs must. I now actually have facility to do a proper backup of my files – which is like – really amazing! Hmmm – that sounds a little ‘gosh, wow’ of me – but I have not been able to do a proper backup since I got the computer – which in my opinion is very unwise. I’ve had a few scary moments where I thought I’d lost all – & the risks become greater the more I accumulate. I’ve been taking loads of photos for nearly a year now without any safety net if I suffered major problems. Anyway – now begins the process of putting back extensions & hoping it doesn’t all go wobbly… Hey – That does give me the very good excuse of prattling with the kit to back up all files before doing that.
Thinking of doing some passive newspaper reading.
Summary on the home front: Jude is happy – seems past recent tummy upset. Standing up against everything he can. It is wise not to stand still for too long as he will crawl up to you & stand up against your legs now.
Eve is fractious – she has a back upper right molar which still has not come through proper. This makes her more barmy & volatile than usual. She is now going to Monday afternoon school playgroup as well. She likes it all & is not troubled by Louise leaving any more.
Jack is … well Jack, really; loving & boisterous.
Louise is going for an eye test tomorrow. The 1st in many years. A new pair of glasses! She may even get a pair of wire framed ones & a pair of free sunglasses!! Louise has never, as far as I know, had a pair of sunglasses – let alone prescription sunglasses.

Indeed – typing was cut short yesterday.
My brain cannot think of a suitable point to start this morning… just sitting here with a big duuuhhh…
Got a new pair of jeans after work yesterday – that’s interesting isn’t it?
My computer at work has been downgraded – which is a bit of a drag.
ah – Louise snapped at me for doing something daft yesterday; I was holding Jude & pulled over my (now tepid) cup of tea – He got some on his foot – jerked him away & he cried – nasty shock… Louise took Jude off into the front room while I cleared up & suddenly Jack started crying. He was really upset. I stopped clearing up & went to see what was up & he could not tell me through sobs. It sounds bad, but he was not actually crying, & he was, after a while ‘forcing himself’ – that is to say, his crying seemed rather ‘labored’. Interesting. The reason he gave when he managed was that he thought that we were mad at each other (Louise & I). Well, yes, for a fleeting moment, but as always these things pass quickly. We do not generally bicker & we’re both poor at maintaining a grudge. The worst we tend to be is ‘snappy’. Jack’s reaction was interesting though… if a little melodramatic… I’ve been wondering why such a reaction came up? He has been very… pernickety at the moment. Louise had a trial of toast not being quite right yesterday – crusts toppings browness, I imagine – I cannot recall the details. He didn’t want his tea either, even though it was the same tea he ate with gusto last week. He has been loving & everything. Perhaps he’s not feeling very secure… I don’t know why though. He’s been getting a lot of ‘good behavior’ smiley stamps on his hands – but then again that could be insecurity & a desire to please. Sigh… Parents tend to worry when they think about things too much. He’s generally very happy sat the moment… Perhaps he’s been talking with someone at school whose parents have split. William’s back – his parents have split… Do kids of 5 talk about that sort of thing?

• 

We disappointed Jack last night. He was keen to go to the park again & we had basically said, yes, OK… but then he went off to play with Jessie, & came back half an hour later & we said it was all too late now. He howled at the injustice of it all. He had not heard the warning not to go out as we were due to go. Eve was even more tired than yesterday, so it would have been far too much for her. She is back to whingeing a lot at the moment. Was doing it at 05:00 this morning (nyyyuuurg). It drives Louise a little to distraction. It’s probably all to do with teething.
They came to measure up for fitting carpets yesterday – the attic & the front room. We will get a quote in the next couple of days… & I imagine that we’ll take it (even though it will be more than we want it to be). It will be most pleasant to actually have the carpet in the attic (after all this time). The walls may not be painted, but it’s time we were thinking of moving up there. Didn’t manage any painting last night, as Jack was not keen to go to sleep. I went up to convince him asleep, & ended up asleep myself. Louise woke me at 10 to watch some of the wonderful inanity of Big Brother, & then… to….
…bed

Actually got back to decorating again last night. As usual – not much, but the act of actually doing it is encouraging enough. At this rate I shall be in a position to finish off the skirting boards, if not this week, then certainly next.
Eve slept through in her own bed last night – something she’s not managed for… um… well, probably since we got back from holiday. She also had a much better day in general. She’s been off form with teething & impetigo. Her favorite word of the past week or so seems to have been, “Nyeurk!” – as in,
“Are you OK Eve?”
“Nyeurk!”
“What’s that in yer mouth Ev…”
“Nyeurk!”
“Would you li…”
“Nyeurk!”
“Could y..”
“Nyeurk!”
“EVE!”
“NYEURK!”
sigh
Hopefully she will be feeling less nyeurky now.

Jack was keen to go to the fair, so I took them. Louise had to go home with Jude as the pushchair would not have coped. Into the mud we ventured.
“Uh-uh mud
Thick oozy mud
We can’t go under it,
We can’t go over it
Oh no, we’ll have to go through it”
I still carried Eve. We made it through squelching & squertching as well as sloshing through, I hesitate to demean with what might seem an inadequate description: puddles. They enjoyed themselves they went round & round & up & down – they wanted more. We ventured further to a stall. Oddly there seemed few stalls with less people willing to wade. With limited funds we managed to get a Combine Harvester & farm set for Jack & Eve to play with. Oh, & a couple of beach balls on a string & stick – masquerading as balloons (cheap & cheerful). Unfortunately this left only enough for one more ‘ride’. Jack went into ‘the house of fun’. Enjoyed himself a good while with Eve & I looking on. We had to go in the end though. Take our muddy feet home.
Home things:
Eve is teething at the moment. A lower right molar is trying to make an appearance. This drives her a little nutty. She’s was being a right madam & miscreant yesterday; cereal on the floor & hitting Jude to name but 2 offences. Hitting Jude it the one that’s very annoying. She’s also still got a bit of impetigo on her chin but that’s thankfully healing up. It’s meant that Louise can’t take her to playgroup etc though, so they’ve had less distraction that they would usually get. Hopefully it will be deemed cleared up enough for her to go to college today.

Train home. Train strike day – so not the usual trains. But pleasantly surprised to have a table seat – woo! Typing in comfort.
Feeling relaxed, but then I have not been thrashing myself to get things done. Underlying guilt, but no underlying stress.
Still nothing on whether I can have a holiday at the end of the month – so that I can attend that comics convention – but at least I remembered to chase up about it today.
Voted yesterday. It’s a shame that the Tories aren’t withering away & dying, but then the that would be the only glimmer of joy in the cynical, but grimly determined view I have of all this. I feared Maggie Thatcher might die before these (or any) election as it might bring out sympathy vote – terrifying thought.
Eve seems to be losing the whinging streak she had a bit – which is quite a relief for such a loud lass, & we have avoided mentioning that we are not going to Elaine & Kyle’s tomorrow to Jack – so he might still think we are going. We cannot – due to the train strike.
Jude most certainly seem to be teething. He tries to stuff his fist into his mouth to chew it. 3 months seems a little early, but then Jack cut his 1st teeth at 4 months. It does seem to drive him to distraction sometimes & he has chomped on my finger with such vigor he’s managed to hurt me a couple if times. Oh – & he drools a lot – but then babies do that.

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…

Here sitting at work, typing on the emate.
Yeah… At ‘work’.
I do not normally do the Saturday morning shift, but then I will
have Monday off, so… better than working Monday in my opinion as
that’s a Sunday Shift (being Bank Holiday) & although I would
be in later, but also not be able to get home until later… &
I don’t want to be doing that! Keith normally does this shift – but
he’s on hols.
Just a longer week.
It’s not as busy, by any stretch of the imagination…

Train home… Well, that wasn’t too bad. A bit like the old days
before we took on more work & lost some staff. Was able to
concentrate on things for more than 5 minutes, which was a bonus.
Not bad. Train home cancelled, but the next one is fine. Meeting
Louise from the train to go to the supermarket so that we can get
that weekly shop out of the way. Insignificant details creep into
‘diary writing’. I wish I could filter better.
Eve woke a couple of times in the night. She’s cutting teeth
again. Canines this time, & they can be a little torturous.
It’s thrown her equilibrium a bit. For instance she had had an
afternoon nap yesterday, & was still grumpy when I got home
from work; delicate & not at all happy. Gave her a little
Calpol, & she brightened after that started working, so they
must have been giving her gyp.
Louise called work this morning at @ 8:30, & Jack was still
asleep! Wow – that must be one of his longer lie-ins ever! Why can
he not do that on weekdays… Mind you, when it comes to impending
school days, then there will be none of that. It’s gong to be a
fundamental change in the families daily routine