Day Five and there is much to report

Sorry for the illiterate and incoherent report yesterday. Reading back is like correcting a student's essay. Where is my red pen!?

Last night was got through. I use the passive voice but it was really Ciara who got all three of us through it. Bed was arrived at shortly after Midnight and feeding progressed. I made myself useful but passed out at about 1:30. The next thing I remember is changing Max at about 5:30. Things were not as peaceful for Ciara but she held it together and after the 5:30 feed got another little bit of sleep. For my part, I rolled over and slept until breakfast, which I hasten to add, I made.

This morning was spent in preparation for the Public Health Nurse's visit. I was treating it a little like a test. Not of Max, but of us as parents. Was the apartment clean enough? Would there be too many sharp edges? Did we have all of the right equipment? These and many more questions slewed through my brain but I answered them by running around cleaning and tidying. My OCD and silliness aside, the lovely PHN gave Ciara and Max gold stars all around. He is normal! Even his weight has climbed a very small amount since yesterday. He has the right number of wet and dirty nappies. His heal prick wasn't too bad an experience after all. I had it in my mind that we would be consoling a distraught and permanently psychologically scarred child for weeks. Ciara fed throughout and apart from a really betrayed sounding cry there were no after effects. Oh yes, I have to remove the plaster. Done, no crying, phew!

Max even had his first little trip out yesterday. We went to the shops up the road, to get a couple of things, to try out the pram and to get a bit of air for Max and rest for Ciara. I was proud as proud can be, my chest was out so far that I resembled a Mallard in the mating season during a particularly impressive strut (without the duck like waddle though). We made it to the shops and I saw the sign for the post office up on the first floor. This was a challenge, there was no way the pram would fit up the stairs. There was no way I was leaving the new pram downstairs and it will be -5 in hell before I would think about letting the thought cross my mind of enven remotely considering leaving Max down there! So I took the pram apart, folded the wheels up and started to climb the narrow steps with the pram style part (Max therein) in one hand and the wheels in the other. I was too wide. I turned sideways, the pram jammed in the stairwell and the wheels slipped, I supported the pram with my knee and retrieved the wheels. Now I was in a real position. Imagine a game of 3D twister, the only way to go was down and that would be admitting defeat. Then, all of a sudden a rational thought entered my head. Post Offices are not on first floors. Didn't Ciara say something about going through the Butcher?

Hasty retreat, reassembly of Pram and in through the Butcher's shop to the Post Office. The lady behind the screen sympathised with my plight but I'll bet she was glad when I told her that I only had him while his mum was asleep. I can imagine her waiting 30 seconds after I left before she called the Health Services. Business done, we did a bit more shopping and started to trundle home. Max enjoyed the trip. He didn't enjoy the rain, but he clearly liked the bumps in the path which sent him off to a land of dreams where every couple of days he gets a new place to live!

Opa (Dad's preferred version of Granddad) was waiting for us when we got back and entertained like a pro.

So you are pretty much up to date now. Nana Nisbet is coming over this afternoon with some lunch and we might do a little road trip.

While I think of it I should put down one of the key questions that I have about nappy changing time. What is the story with cotton wool? It is the worst cleaning material know to humankind. It turns to nothing when water gets near it. It sticks to everything that isn't perfectly dry and it takes loads of it to sort out even the cleanest nappy. I know it is really soft, and that's probably the reason why it is used. I like baby wipes, they seem about as soft, they have a much more pleasant smell and they are even pre-moistened. Go baby wipes!

By the way, who knew that there were loads of little tips and tricks to nappies. The PHN folded the nappy in a completely different way! Lesson for life - take every bit of advice that is given, try it all out and go with what works!