ChunkyMonkey

New York, New York!

I am very excited and happy.  Last Wednesday - when Davin was away - some of the girls came around to drink wine, eat takeaway food and, most importantly, to watch Love Actually.  Hence, the evening is know as 'Love Actually Wednesday' - it was great to watch such a lovely film without cynics around.  It was a very good night.  We drank 5 bottles of wine between 3 of us. Many good things happened, but the best was that we all decided to go to New York, together, minus babies and husbands.  So, in 395 days time I will be in New York with some really great girls.  We are in the process of arranging for a standing order to the 'Yummy Mummies in New York' bank account.  This is how excited I am

Admittedly, this is not my best photo, but at least my ears look nice.  And, I like my new hair.  Shame about the donkey teeth.

The New York trip was much discussed last night, at the monthly 'Mum's night out'.  So far those definitely going are Me, Jo, Rebecca, Hannah and Donna.  These are the only dead certs as the 4 of us have no intention of being preggers by next November. Donna is a honourary 'Yummy Mummy' as although she isn't a Mummy yet, she is bloody Yummy and knows all of my Mummy pals. Possibiles are Lucy and Kat, but this depends on baby number 2 situations - many of the gang are either with child or thinking about it, as previously posted.

Davin and I have been to New York before.  We loved it completely.  What an excellent place.  I hope to visit again with my sister to celebrate my 40th and her 50th.  This is some way off, but WE WILL DO IT.

All of this great news and it is Friday.  I am positively bubbling over with happiness. AND Davin bought me flowers today.  And it isn't raining.  But, I did roll Harvey's buggy through dog turd today, and so the conservatory now stinks of poo.

It's a wonderful, wonderful life

Today was a great day.  It started brilliantly as the fantastically lovely, generous and kind Debbie has offered to make Harvey a Super Baby softie for Christmas.  I am so pleased I could cry.  I spent yesterday morning printing out the Super Baby storyboard previously posted below and I made it into Harvey's very own Super Baby book.  Ta Daaa!

I am just a little pleased with myself.  Harv took the book to bed with him last night.  I could hear the sound of turning pages (no ripping, just turning), and a little voice saying "baby! baby!".  Gulp.

The afternoon of yesterday was spent at Standalone Farm.  I would write about this in detail, except Jo already has, and with much more wit than I could have (goddammit).  I love Jo, by the way.  She is one of my best-est friends.  I am filled with delight that I met her at the Water-birth workshop.  We were both immensely pregnant at the time.  Jo's husband Steve made Davin and I cry with laughter during the showing of a video of a water-birth, but that is another story. Suffice it to say neither Jo nor I gave birth in water.  I think I threatened to kill anyone who tried to make me go anywhere near water.  Davin ran a bath for me at home in early labour, and my reaction was something like "Ow! Ow! Ow! I can't sit down! Get me up! GET ME OUT OF HERE! NOW!".

The farm, it turned out, was very windy.  It seems Harv is not to keen on wind.

After a while, the wind, feeding the chickens, feeding the deer, and fighting Mabel, Ben, Tom and Alex off his trike was a little too much.

Super baby

Harvey has a new addiction.  I am deadly serious.  It is bad news.  If you think I am kidding, I am not.  Harvey LOVES Super baby.  This little character makes an appearance on the CBeebies 'Story makers' programme about twice a week.  I have only every managed to video 2 episodes.  Every time 'Story makers' comes on the telly, Harv shouts 'BABY!' in the frequently vain hope that a story about Super baby will be aired.  I must get him a Super baby toy for xmas.  I MUST. How can I do this when they do not exist? Even eBay doesn't have them. Heellllllllllllllllllp! Could Molly Chicken create one?  Could any other crafty-types make one?  Please? I'll do ANYTHING in return.

Thanks so much for all of the comments in response to 'Who are you?' There are clearly more of you lurking out there who are too shy to introduce yourselves. Oh well, perhaps I'll actually write something that tickles your fancy, and prompts you into commenting one day ..........

Here is Harv on Friday at a pals house. Yes, he is hoovering.  That's my boy! MadDonna is soooo proud.

We were lucky enough to be invited around to the house of a friend who owns a Thai restaurant.  The Dyson above belongs to her very sweet little girl.  Whereas when the kids come to my house for tea they eat baked beans, scrambled egg, toast etc, Melissa got the restaurant to deliver rice, pad thai, green curry, another delicious curry, stir fried vegetables, spring rolls and chicken satay.  Not to mention prawn crackers.  Harvey thought the food was yummy, as did all of the Mums and Dads - there was even enough food supplied to enable us to box it up and take it home for grown-up tea! How generous is that!

Who are you?

Right.  I am amazed to report that around 65 of you look at this blog every day.  WHO ARE YOU?  Why don't you leave me a comment to say 'Hi' today, just to cheer me up and make me feel good about all this blogging?  Go on, you know you want to.  Doesn't need to be a profound comment.  How about telling me what your favourite word is.  Don't be shy.....

Up the garden path

After lunch (as previously posted) we decamped to Rebecca and Mabel's house.  We arrived, as ever, to a beautifully kept home and the smell of home baked food.  The beautifully kept home was soon trashed, the biscuits ate/stamped into the floor, and somehow popcorn made an appearance.

Just when we thought the popcorn was gone, Ben spied some more.

Poor Rebecca's house. 

I had heard a rumour that Mabel had a new climbing frame in her garden. It was true.  Behold!

All of the children loved it.  There were many shouts of "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" as bottoms whizzed down the slide.  Harv was not so sure, and reacted thus

Hey ho.  The lady of the house (Mabel, that is) may look like an angel, and she may also bat her eyelashes at the waiters in Pizza Express in order to get a balloon.  We, however, know the truth.  Mabel likes to monkey around.  She likes to hide in bushes

and, she likes dirt.  Power to Mabel!

Lunch

Good grief.  That is all I have to say.

Speedy Weekend

Jeepers.  Where did the weekend go? No photos again, but this time it is because Ian and Helen have our digital camera.  Apparently after the birth of Rebecca, Ian attempted to take some photos only to realise the battery was dead.  Oops.  I so would not have wanted to be Ian at that point.  I can feel Helen's rage.  Helen can be a bit scary. She has one of those very expressive faces and is a world expert in giving the evils.  This used to be......... 'interesting' in meetings when we worked together.

On Friday, after previously reported franticness, Davin landed at Luton airport, walked in the door at 8:10 pm got changed, and we went off for a meal at 8:30.  The occasion was Kat's birthday, and the venue was Redcoats. Yum, Yum, YUM.  I fear I may have drunk too much wine and told dull stories - but there is no change there, and people seem to tolerate me.

Saturday was as follows:

Sing and Sign class

Returning bloody knackered new stereo to bloody stupid shop.  Grrr.

Purchasing of yet more girly clothes for Rebecca.

Purchasing new bra, new Sugacubes album and new 'OK!' magazine.  Class.

Purchasing 2 pints of lager and a portion of chips.

Harvey seemed to have a good day.  He signed 'biscuits' when we were in Marks and Spencer's - the shop was full of 'em.  I had no idea he knew that sign. Trouble with Harv at the moment, is that he is chipper-de-do-da UNLESS I am in the room.  If I am he whinges and wants me to pick him up. This is not a lot of fun for me.  Tonight I hid upstairs for an hour, just so he couldn't see me.

Saturday pm equalled a parting of Davin and I for the evening.  He - wetting the baby's head with Ian and friends.  Me - scoffing vino blanc with MadDonna.  It sounds as if Rebecca's head was well and truly drowned.  Ian was a bit squiffy, I am told.  Davin told me Ian was challenged to drink a yard of ale, but after drinking Sambuka and Baileys, he refused.  I don't blame him, but what he won't live down is that the task of drinking said yard was left to Davin....and Ian's mother in law.  That is not cool.  Ian, you are not cool!  You are, however, doing a rather good impression of the world's happiest new dad.  Donna and I got to see Rebecca today as she is now out of special baby care.  She is beautiful.

Sunday

Kay and Jane to the gym.  No Donna. Too hungover.

Lunch

Kay and Donna to hospital

Kay returns home, Davin to gym, Kay and Harv to the park.

Tea (corn on cob, hummus, carrot sticks, raisins, milk)

Sing and Sign video (again), bath, bed.

We seem to have crammed a lot in this weekend.

On another note, Harvey's word count:

Door

Toast

Baby

Mummy

Daddy

Please

Ta

Keys

Car

Tree

Hello

Bye

Cracker

Pear

Bear

Bee

Completely unrelated, but my favourite word is smithereens.

Frantic Friday

Today has been a crazy day, and it is only 1:45 pm.

Helen and Ian's baby was born today at 4:50 am.  She is called Rebecca and weighs 8 Ilbs 10 oz. Oh my god.  Poor Helen.  That is almost 2 pounds heavier than Harvey, and his entrance into the world was not what you would call pain free. Having babies hurts.  Fact.  You do feel like decking your husband, just to make him suffer. Fact.  Or is that just me?  I am off to see Helen and baby Rebecca at 3 pm, assuming MadDonna returns my car by then.  Sorry, THE car.

This morning Harv and I went to 'Big boy MAMA'.  No, this is not a saucy film title.  It is the name of a baby group we go to.  Sadly, today it was mental.  Many children running and careering around.  Harv wasn't especially in the mood so wanted to be attached to my leg.  The plan was to meet Donna and Leo after the group had disbanded and have a spot of lunch, followed by shopping for baby Rebecca.  Harv had his lunch. A pasty the size of his head

The shopping he was not so keen on.  The boy needed to sleep.  He would not sleep. Instead he cried.  All. The. Way. Home.  Finally, a lull in the screaming was followed by his head flopping forwards, and then suddenly being flung up again in an attempt to avoid sleep.  This made me giggle.  I am a cruel person I know.  Five minutes from home, and Harv could stay awake no longer.  He crashed out like this

Comfy!

Check this out.  Very clever.  I know how it is done coz my brother told me.  I will share the secret if you ask me very nicely.

Lost weekend, and a hotel in paradise..

Wow. Because Donna and Leo are FAB, Davin and I were able to go for a night away. On our own.  Blimin' flip.  The Harvster was looked after and spoiled rotten, no doubt, and he certainly seemed to have lots of fun. I'd show you the photos, except TypePad won't let me upload them.  You'll have to make do with words today. This is how our weekend panned out:

Saturday morning Harvey decided he would not sleep.  Oh no. Not for anything.  Davin and I needed this like hole in the head.  There was shopping to be done.  And, England were playing at 4pm, so the shopping needed to be done by then.  Eventually, we sacked off the idea of nap time, and Donna and Leo relieved us of our child.  We went to London, to stay here.  We ate at Gary Rhodes restaurant SW 1.  I had a fun time, especially as Cosmopolitans and Frozen Margaritas were involved.

Harvey seemed not to miss us at all.  He ate almost an entire punnet of strawberries on Saturday afternoon, which is no mean feat, particularly as he doesn't like them.  I have never managed to get him to eat a single one.  Clearly Donna and Leo have some magic power that I do not. Harvey also went to bed like a lamb, slept through the night without a murmur, and gave in to nap time on Sunday.  Git.  Donna and Leo said they enjoyed looking after him.  SUCKERS!!!! we are planning our next weekend away as I type.

On another note, four of my eleven mummy friends are now with child.  I am delighted for them, except in that the number of us now making fools of ourselves on the monthly 'Mum's night' is dwindling.  I am SOOOO not ready for another child. I keep expecting to wake up one morning and be broody.  Is this how it works?  Life is fun with one, so perhaps we will keep it that way for a little longer.  As I type this, the idea is reinforced as all I can hear is the sound of Harvey bashing a toy digger against his cot bars.  He would not let the digger out of his sight tonight, and neither Davin nor I had the courage to fight him for it.

Scarey Harvey

This, dear readers, is not for the faint hearted.  We all congregated around Alex's house this afternoon.  I, as ever, armed with camera just in case something bloggable happened.  Sadly, Harv was is one of those moods which just meant he whinged a lot.  Not fun.  I did capture this shot.

I was trying to be arty with the black and white option on the camera.  I fiddled about with the settings some more and......YE GODS!!

 

Argggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!