J didn’t sleep properly yesterday & gradually got more hysterical through the day - by 8:30 he was inconsolable (even dark room swaddling & boob didn’t help) he eventually conked out at about 11 but then slept until 4:30 which wasn’t bad. He’s now 7 weeks old and had lots of new hair, he’s nearly sucking his thumb which is amazingly cute.

C didn’t go up to the next swimming level yesterday, she wasn’t as upset as she could have been because I’d anticipated it & tried to prepare her. She swims well but can’t get the breathing right on front crawl (it doesn’t help that her goggles are crap). Anyway the teacher said she can do everything else so she can have another go next week, if not Si is going to work with her over the Christmas break. She had a good swim anyway by all accounts & has made friends with a ‘nice girl’ from her class who ‘might be called Maggie’

I’m trying to get some new activities organised for her next year - we’re looking at new dance classes & also gymnastics & trampolining. She says she wants to start an instrument, which freaks me slightly because we cannot afford a piano at the moment. Yay - gymnastics starting at Easter & new RAD ballet/jazz class from January 10th (fucking expensive we can’t afford tap as well).

C read me some Dr Seuss this morning - the reading situation is so frustrating for me because she can do it but the slightest thing knocks her back (another worrying development because she has always been so self confident & recently we’ve had a few ‘I’m stupid’ and ‘I’m the worst in the class’) she’s really started to compare herself to other kids which I hate - and did pretty well. I read her some more then she did some puzzles from her Scooby Doo magazines. I messed around with J (baby who suddenly will not sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time) while C watched a bit of Aquamarine (which oddly isn’t terrible, some of it is quite funny), then I got out Sarah’s Tudor dolls & C spent most of the afternoon doing them. We read about Elizabeth I and I found some Fairy Tales to read.

We’re really enjoying having a table again (small pleasures).

For the first time since J was born I’m feeling a bit blue - not really sure why, I’m tired and v. pissed off with my weight, I’ve been really good (lost 10kg since he was 2 weeks old) but actually put on weight last week . We’re really busy but I need to do more group stuff, I’m starting to crave adult company again. Its definitely not PND though physically I feel really well & I’m rather impressed with my powers as a Mother Of Two - maybe its PMT. I need to do something fun.

Anyway C is fed, washed, read to & in bed, Simon has taken J to Tesco and I’m breathing

Gratuitous J smiling pic