We went to the park today and I took James on the slide. He absolutely loved it, he had the biggest gummy smiles ever, I think my son is an Adrenline junkie..... takes after his father. We also went to the baby clinic and he has picked up 7 ounces in 2 weeks, so he now weighs 12lbs 9oz. His weight has slowed down alot and he has dropped below the 25th centile, but his height is still on the 91st centile. Now normally I would be worried, but I am not. Reason One: He is responsive, happy and produces lots of heavy wet nappies. Reason Two: Those charts were designed for formula fed babies, who pick up weight a lot faster, and James is breastfed exclusively. Reason Three: The health visitor that sees him every week is not worried. And Reason Four: Gareth is tall and thin - he weighs only about 70kg and 6ft1. The health visitor has asked us to go and see a doctor about James because of his excema, it seems to be getting worse, so she first wants to see if the GP can help, if not then she is going to refer us to someone. She says that if his excema is undre control then he will be a happier baby and sleep more. I don't think that James can be a happier baby, he smiles and laughs a lot, and also don't think he can sleep much more, I mean last night he slept from 9pm until 7am this morning. I am very happy with that.

A few weeks ago a friend gave me a 2 tier steamer. James will be weaning in the next few months and I will prefer to steam his food before pureeing it - yes, I plan on making his food myself. But, before then I am making food for Gareth and I in it. But I am running out of ideas. All that I have made is steamed carrots, spinach, brocolli and cauliflower. I need some ideas on what else to make, if you have any, please tell me in my comments. I have never used a steamer before now, so I am still very new at this.

I am now going to bed, but before that I am going to say a quick prayer that Robert Mugabe does not win the Zimbabwe elections. Night night all.....

Just had to share this......

100 Days

James is 100 Days Old today. I can't actually believe it, the last 100 days of my life have been the best and most tiring days of my life. I can't imagine life without him now, he has changed mine and Gareth's lives forever. I was just telling Gareth this morning that I am still playing his birth in my head over and over, not because it was traumatic (it wasn't), but because I still can't believe it. Sometimes I feel like his real parents are going to come and collect him and say thanks for babysitting, I still struggle to believe that I have a baby, my very own baby, and the amount of love that I feel for him I could not describe, its just soooo much. When he smiles at me, my heart just melts, when he pulls his bottom lip to cry, I just want to make it better, when he wriggles his arms and legs all excited to see me, I just want to jump for joy, when he laughs out loud, I want to record it, as it is the most beautiful sound in the world. I feel like I could just stare at him all night. He really is a good sleeper and generally a very happy baby, Gareth and I have been very blessed.

I have to admit that Gareth freaked me out yesterday, and has not quite dropped it today yet. He has suggested that we should try for another baby. WHAT?!? Give me sometime please, I only had my last one 3 months ago. He says that he misses my pregnant belly, that I really glowed. He was only joking..... but still, that was enough to freak me out. (Besides if I had to get pregnant now again then the baby would be due on James's first birthday or Christmas, I think not)

I am having quite a nice weekend, Gareth is being very helpful, but that is because he is sucking up after he was a very naughty boy on Thursday night and is feeling very guilty....hahahahahaha

I have started thinking about what job I want to do when I go back to work, because technically I am not employed anywhere. I am thinking of going back to my job that I was temping at before I had James. They have asked me to come on board permanently and I was very happy there and looked forward to going to work, and the work although interesting was not very difficult. My other option is to look for a job somewhere else, maybe as a PA, as I can earn quite a bit more money, but then money isn't everything, happiness is more important, but the whole reason for me going back to work is to earn money. I need to put James in a nursery so that I can earn money to help make ends meet, but after we have paid the nursery I only walk away with about 200 pounds, so if I take a job where I earn more that would help, but who is to say that I will be happy there? This keeps going round and round in my mind.......

Anyhows, it is Saturday night and I am sitting on the internet. James is sleeping, so I am going to go spend sometime with Gareth...... nightie night.

Thank you Barney!!!!

Yes, I mean Thank You to Barney The Big Purple Dinosaur. When James was younger and I needed to get him to settle I started to sing to him, except that I could never remember the words to any songs, except of course

"I love you

You love me

We're a happy family

With a great big hug and kiss from me to you

Won't you say you love me too"

I, now sing this song about 20 - 30 times a day, why? Well, it works like a magic trick to send James off to sleep. I put him in my arms, rock him and stick a dummy in his mouth (although he usually spits it out), and sing this silly little song, and almost everytime he goes to sleep..... although I do have to keep singing it over and over and over.......

This morning we went to the library to our first session of "Wriggle and Rhyme", it was lots of fun, we sit in a big circle and sing action songs with our babies (James was even a bowl of jelly...lol). James got given a little tamborine to hold, and he did really well, he held it for a few minutes and then took it to his mouth to eat, of course. We then went for coffee with the other mom's, I love doing that because we all seem to understand each other. The things that other people might find silly to moan about, they totally understand because we all going through the same things. In my new group of friends there really are lots of cultures, Allison is from Canada, Sophia is from Sweden, Joanne is from Poland and most of the others are British. We are now at home, James has just gone down for a nap, and I am going to clean the house as soon as I am finished here, but then I am not sure what we are going to do because James and I are alone all day and night because Gareth is going out with some work friends to a comedy evening. I think we will just cuddle and cuddle some more......

I was really happy yesterday because a friend told me that James has my eyes, I just hide my eyes behind my glasses and thats why people don't notice it. I had been complaining that James only looks like his dad and Grandpa Rose, not me. I am glad that he has my eyes, I really wanted him to have them as I have always been complimented on them. But I am really glad to hear that he has my eyes after Gareth's sister told me that he has Droopy, uneven eyes, but then she also told me that he has big ears and got excited when I told her that he has excema, so you can imagine how much I like her........

I just reread what I have written and have realised that I use the word because way too much.... Oh, well........ thats me I guess. I overuse the word "because" and the term "do you know what I mean?"

Does he look like he has Uneven, droopy Eyes? Or odd ears?

Introductions

Hi, I have called this an experiment, because that is exactly what this is. I often read my friends blogs and admire them, and while I was showing a friend of mine a blog the other day, she suggested that perhaps I should start one, so Bicara, here goes my attempt. My name is Janine and I live in Bournemouth, UK. I am originally from Cape Town, South Africa. I live here with my South African husband, Gareth and my young son, James. James was born here at Poole Hospital in December 2007. We have lived here since June 2007 and before that we were living in Vero Beach, Florida, USA. I think that both Gareth and my favourite place to live is in America. I think that if you had to take all our family and friends and put them in America, it would be our perfect place. Unfortunately, we don't qualify for greencards nor do all our family and friends live in America.

I know that here in the UK, not very many people have been impressed by the NHS, but I have to admit that I have been very impressed by them. I had a "troubled" pregnancy and by the end of my 9 months I was having a doctors/midwife appointment every second day. I saw the physio a good few times, I had at least 1 blood test every week from 33 weeks pregnant, I was transported in an ambulance, spend 3 nights in hospital and had the midwife and health visitors visit me at home. I feel like I should be receiving a bill, but nope, nothing. Since James has been born, between him and I we have been to the doctor half a dozen times, and yet, still no bill, I have been to the dentist, and again no bill, medication, no bill?. I almost feel lost waiting for it. I also belong to the Children's Center, and have had great support there, James and I go to the Under One's Group and Breast Friends, which is a group of breast feeding mom's that support each other, at first the idea scared me, but now I love the group (last week I even managed to finally breast feed in Coffee Shop, thanks to their support - and that is not something gross in the UK, its actually encouraged), I have even started doing a course at the Children's Center to be able to support other moms with feeding. Again, there is no charge for any of that.

I think I could probably mumble on and on..... I really want to tell my birth story, its my War Story and I am really proud of it...... wouldn't you be if you had natural birth with only laughing gas as your pain relief? But I won't do that tonight..... James is sleeping, but thats only because I have drugged him with Nurofen, besides the fact that he is teething badly, he had his second immunisations today, so I am going to have a nice bath and then join Gareth in watching Las Vegas.

My son, James (You will be hearing a lot about him)

Gareth and I on our wedding day