Daddy's Girl

From Lauren_Week05

This week our daughter demonstrated her understanding of the affect of her feminine wiles and began to build emotional credit in the bank of Daddy. In other words, she started to prepare her father for the day when she needs him to lend her the family car, or buy her a ball gown, or convince Mummy that she really shouldn't be grounded. This week, Lauren began to demonstrate that she is a Daddy's girl.

And the way in which she achieved this was by behaving like a little angel between the hours of 6pm and 7am - or at least those hours that Daddy is at home and awake. In those hours, Lauren is an absolute delight. She dotes on her father by gazing lovingly at him, behaving herself whilst being bathed by him, and generally showing herself to be a lovely little girl...which of course isn't all that difficult since Daddy is already convinced of this.

The reports from her mother that she is beginning to show how much of a demon on wheels she can be are clearly exaggerated. As are the stories of her grizzling, crying and general attitude (read: stubbornness). After all, how can someone this cute possibly cause her mother any grief whatsoever - particularly when she always behaves so well for Daddy. Clearly Mummy is mistaken.

Nicola visited Mothers Group with Lauren again this week (which we are now referring to as Alcoholics Anonymous given their propensity to sit around in a circle and talk about their experiences of the previous week). While they were there, Lauren jumped on the scales again and in the past week, Daddy's little angel has packed on another 300 grams to weigh in at 3.5kg (clothed). Lauren is starting to plump up so much that she now has cute chubby cheeks. Everyone who visits comments on how cute she is, which of course is undeniable as far as her father is concerned.

And despite the fact that she is allegedly a madam when Daddy isn't looking, Mummy is pretty much infatuated as well.

From Lauren_Week05

Photos from the past week are available here. And new movies have been added to the collection here.

The Preponderance of Poo

From Lauren_Week04

When you decide to have children, you never fully anticipate quite how much poo they will produce. You romantically contemplate how wonderful life as a parent will be but you never envisage how often poo will be a topic of discussion with your friends, particularly those who also have children. You become so comfortable with poo that you find it perfectly normal to discuss the colour and consistency of your child's poo and to regale your friends with your latest poo stories.

And so it is with us. This week marked the beginning of our infatuation with our child's ability to pass a bowel motion as well as our first true poo experience. Our infatuation with poo springs from the habit Lauren has developed of not passing a bowel motion for several days and then passing three days worth all at once. And don't think that three days worth of poo needs to be solid, oh no. Apparently it is perfectly normal for poo to come out of an infant in liquid form.

And that is exactly what happened when Nicola, home alone, was changing the little darling. A river of brown flooded the change table while Nicola tried in vain to mop it up with a cloth in one hand, while holding Lauren's legs in the other. At the time I was out collecting her parents from the airport, a shame really.

But the experts assure us it's all normal and despite her strange toilet habits Lauren has continued to plump up so that her skin now looks like it fits her. At her weigh-in this week Lauren was 3.2kg (clothed) and so is piling on the weight.

Nic and Lauren had their first mother's group this week and Lauren was the baby of the group. Fortunately, despite the lackluster surroundings of the community centre, the mothers attending were all of sufficient social standing that we feel comfortable allowing our daughter to mix with their children. It doesn't appear that any of the Kings Cross riff raff are allowed in this mother's group!

From Lauren_Week04

We also had Sue and Paul return from NZ this week and take up the full time duties of grandparenting including cooking dinners, cleaning, ironing and doting. It appears, however, that grandparent's duties don't extend to nappy changing as demonstrated by Granddad Paul who was quick to pass the bub to me following the arrival of an enormous poo (note: another poo story).

You'll be pleased to know that Lauren's lungs are developing well and she can now wake the entire apartment block at 2am. Everyone, that is, except for her father who has developed the ability to tune her out, much to Nicola's dismay, so he can sleep through 'til morning. And she continues to grow and is already too big to fit some of the emergency infant clothes we had to buy when she was premature.

From Lauren_Week04

Lastly, Lauren had her first Easter this week but sadly the Easter Bunny did not leave her any chocolate. This is possibly because he didn't expect her to be here yet. After all, Lauren was only supposed to have arrived on Thursday. Yes, it has already been four weeks since our girl arrived. But she has quickly slotted into our lives and despite the odd tantrum and increasingly frequent floods of poo, she has become more important to us than chocolate (yes, even to Blair).

Pictures from this week are available here. And all Lauren's movies are here. See you next week.

Piling on the weight

From Lauren_Week3

I went back to work this week and left Lauren and Nicola in the experienced hands of her mother, father and stepfather. Sue and Paul were only around until Wednesday morning when they flew out to NZ for 6 days (planned when they first booked the trip...and before Lauren made her early appearance). After they left, Hugh reclaimed his bed in our spare room and ironed my work shirts to help pass the time. This family can come and stay as often as they like!

Being at work was strange this week...very hard to leave your little girl in the morning while she's asleep and then come back after she's gone to bed. You feel like you're missing out on something. But Nicola kept me informed with her progress and she was apparently feeding well this week and appeared to be piling on the pounds. 

However, now she stopped going for a poo. By the time Thursday's breast feeding clinic rolled around, she hadn't done a poo for over three days. But luckily the lady leading the clinic had the magic touch and no sooner had she picked up Lauren to weigh her than the wheels started moving again and Lauren did an enormous poo. Despite this she weighed in 2.9kg which was so good that it meant she could come off formula completely now and feed entirely on breast milk.

Hugh flew home on Saturday evening so the three of us had a subdued day just enjoying one another's company. This great photo is the last one we took of Hugh before he headed off and it really just sums up his stay with us...Lauren nestled into his chest and as happy as Larry.

From Lauren_Week3

Saturday night Lauren actually slept really well and although we were up a couple of times, Nic and I managed to grab eight hours sleep - that's a first for Nic since Lauren arrived. And today Nicola has been able to get out and about for a few hours and so has been able to feel slightly human again.

Nanna and Grandad Paul come back from NZ on Tuesday which we're looking forward to, and then it won't be long until the Kiwi family arrives!

Pictures for this week are available here.