Saturday 21 February 2009

2 1/2 F


Today was the day to join the scrum at Clarke's shoe shop to get Lara her first pair of proper shoes. I hadn't bothered to notice before how busy it was with kids! The girl serving us was very good, and although Lara needs a popular size of shoe - 2 1/2 F - they had one of the style we liked, although they are a little pink! Not only that, but she had her photo taken with a polaroid camera, put in a little "My First Shoes" frame, and we got a little booklet detailing how her feet should grow and when we should be thinking about getting her her next pair. All very helpful, really, and she did us proud with her pose for the photo.

In other news, she had her 14-month immunisation jabs on Thursday, a booster for PCV (pneumococcal) and her first MMR shot. This might cause her to show symtoms over the next few weeks, including a high temperature. Indeed she had a slightly raised temperature yesterday, and the nursery called Olga about it. This is rather cheeky really, as according to their policy, they ought to treat it with calpol and see if it drops, and only if it doesn't then they should call us. Olga's going to mention this to the nursery staff on Monday as it's quite likely she'll have bouts of raised temperature over the next few weeks, and all we'd do is treat her with calpol, so we'd expect the staff to do that rather than call us to collect her at the first opportunity.

Tonight we're going over to Reading for Lucy's birthday. I'll bring Lara back after an hour or so, but Olga is out on the razzle and will be staying in the hotel where Lucy & Sergei work. I'll pick her up tomorrow with Lara & Mishka and we'll go for a walk.
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Wednesday 18 February 2009

"Another waffffer-thin mint, Mr Creosote?"

Lara is feeling back to her normal self now, so much so that she seems to be trying to make up for not eating much last week. She pretty much had two dinners tonight, including some lamb for the first time, and an entire banana, which is encouraging as she wouldn't touch one last week. I don't know if she really can put weight on so quickly, but she just looks (and feels!) like she's put quite a few ounces / grammes on in just the five days that she's been feeling better. I know we feel better about having a podgy baby again!

She's getting closer to walking too now. At Grandma's she was able to stumble along for three or four steps behind her doll's pram, and she will walk with someone holding her up now for more than ten steps. We've decided it's time to buy her some proper shoes, as having some support and grip can only help, I think. Naturally Olga's is delighted at the thought of Saturday morning shoe shopping!!

Monday 16 February 2009

"What a Difference a Week Makes..."

"...One Hundred and Sixty Eight little hours..."
Last Monday morning, when I took Olga to the station at 7.40, it was almost pitch dark and raining. This morning it was fully light at the same time. Is it just me or has it suddenly got lighter in the mornings and afternoons? Roll on Spring! We'll be getting that lovely smell of cut grass soon. I ate a strawberry last night and immediately felt the urge to pick up my cricket bat.

Oh no, now I've gone and reminded myself that I'll need to mow the back lawn soon.

Back to normal *fingers crossed*

Lara is back at nursery today, feeling much more like her normal self I hope. The nursery told me this morning that last week was a particularly bad week, with most of the kids in the "baby room" off with the same trouble as Lara, which is reassuring, at least we know it was nothing we did at home that caused it, and she can carry on trying out new foods like prawns.
It probably wasn't the norovirus after all, as my symptoms weren't as bad as I would have expected, and Olga didn't catch it (yet!), but just some more general "virus" that really laid her low. Olga looked after her on Wednesday and Thursday, and we brought her into work with us on Friday. Olga's in the middle of a very busy time at work at the moment, so much so that to give her some peace and quiet to get some work done at home, I took Lara up to Radcliffe to see Grandma and Grandad for the weekend. Perhaps the change of scenery and routine did the trick, but she immediately perked up, and loved being fussed over by Grandma. Her appetite was most definitely back, but we kept it simple - just chicken, carrots, broccoli and pasta, but Lara wolfed it all down on Saturday and Sunday.
I took the opportunity to go to the cinema on Saturday night after Lara went to bed, to watch Valkyrie. Given it was Valentine's night, I didn't feel too uncomfortable on my own! Who takes their better half to go and see Valkyrie for a romantic night out?!
On Sunday we tested out Lara's powers of recognition by making a video-call on Skype to Olga, and Lara recognised her mum straightaway, and it was particularly cute when she reached her arms out towards the laptop screen, looking for a hug!
The only hiccup all weekend was on the way home, where the curse of the M6 struck - how people manage to crash on the section between Manchester and Stoke so often, I just don't know. I've not seen an easier bit of motorway to drive on in all the country, and yet there are regular pile-ups there, and last night was no exception. Perhaps the fact it's so easy is the trouble, people stop concentrating. It's flippin' annoying though, and it took two hours to get through, the only plus being that it happened near some services, and Lara filled her nappy half a mile before them, so we went in there for a change and something to eat. Good timing, Lara!

Lara was a bit dazed and confused once she woke up when we got home at just before 10pm, it seemed to take her a few minutes to work where she was, but after a nice bowl of porridge, she went out like a light and had to be woken this morning at 6.30 for breakfast. Long may that continue!!