How cute?

In the absence of anything inspiring to say today, feast your eyes on these...

Two posts in one day?

I know, decadent or what. I suddenly remembered that I promised a very dear friend that I would include a link to her blog from here... The friend in question is an extremely talented writer and her first novel is soon to hit shelves in the USA. It'll arrive here next Spring.

The book is all about what happens to a high flying NYC lawyer when she is confined to her bed for the last few months of pregnancy. The blog - www.bedrestdiary.com - is a great read, written using the voice of the main character. Take a look and chuckle! Sarah is destined to be my 'famous novelist friend' which is extremely exciting. I know what she was wearing in 1987 and what are hopes were for the next school disco (snogging, obviously).

Blogging hits bottom of list of things to do...

Feeding small baby.
Getting showered and dressed.
Eating.
Shopping.
Putting the washing on.
Cleaning the kitchen.
Dusting.

All things I must achieve on O's Days At Nursery. Unfortunately the two days a week are soon to become two mornings but how can I complain? I've just read the blogs of a couple of friends who've had various ups and downs and realised how damn lucky I am. My hudband frets if he's not spending enough time with his children. My children are healthy and very cute. I feel pretty good considering there's a six week old baby in the house. We have enough money and a lovely place to live. Sometimes I fear that my luck will run out so the moral must be 'Enjoy it all whilst it's good and deal with the bad if and when it happens'.

Despite missing my friends very much, Bristol is really starting to feel like home. We went round to a friend's house on Sat night for a St Patrick's Day dinner - our first invitation since we arrived here so something of a milestone! I am regularly seeing an antenatal friend which is sanity-saving and another friend's baby recently projectile vomited purple lunch onto our sofa.

All in all things are good here.

Four weeks in...

It's Monday and O is at nursery all day - much as I love him, it's great to have some time to catch up on things. F is asleep on me in her trusty Baby Bjorn, the sun is shining and I've been invited to another mum's for lunch. Things are good.

But I feel anxious despite all the good stuff. As is my wont, I'm beginning to worry... Will Faye ever sleep in her own cot? Am I feeding her too often hence creating a snacking habit? How will I manage once I drop O's nursery days to two half mornings? How will I keep the house even vaguely tidy and clean? Reading this list, I seem to recall feeling very similar things about O. My instinct is telling me to go with the flow, do what feels right and sod the house. My middle class mumsy bit is saying 'But you have to keep the kitchen floor and the hob clean. Where will it end if you don't?'

I need to take a lesson in being rather than doing. This is something N talks about a lot and, whilst neither of us are necessarily very good at it, there is wisdom there. My children are going to be at school before I know where I am. I know how quickly time has gone with O and I can't believe F is one month old tomorrow already. We'll never get these days back and I get so cross with myself for focusing on the mundane rather than the wondrous.

This probably all sounds as though I'm being very hard on myself. Yes perhaps. But if I can listen to my own advice, it'll make for a happier me... Not that I'm unhappy - far from it. But I'm aware that there's more happiness to be had and that I hold the key to accessing it.

Hmm, bit serious for a Monday morning. Interesting what comes out when you haven't really thought about what to write before sitting down at the computer!