Fifth month - friends, family and freedom
Well we've had a very busy few weeks hence the lack of blog posts recently. We've had the workmen in to sort out the damp in the bathroom which meant vacating the flat for a week and going to stay with my folks in Peebles.
While away we found out several things: A) Josh is very adaptable and settled in well to his new surroundings. B) Travelling light is just not doable with a small person - it's quite unbelieveable the amount of STUFF that they need. C) I hate the mess and upheaval that is involved with having workmen around. D) JB has much more patience with that kind of thing than I do. E) Peebles has a very fine restaurant called Halcyon which was the perfect setting for celebrating 4 years together. F) Grandparents are in a unique position to provide constant and undivided attention to their grandchildren which parents usually cannot sustain on a daily basis.
Now we are home and much to my annoyance the work is continuing on the bathroom but hopefully it will only be for a day or two. We've just had my friend Anne to stay for a few days break from London. It was great to catch up and have girly chats :-) JB was a star and looked after Josh for the evening so that I could go out and let my hair down a bit with Anne and another friend. We stayed out until the bars shut and we were shown the exit out the back way! Haven't done that for a LONG time.
My friend Sharon was also visiting from Inverness this weekend so we had a lovely lunch in Cafe Rouge showing off our big boy and catching up. JB took Josh home and I stayed out with Sharon sharing a bottle of wine and girly gossip. We couldn't remember when we had last done that and it was excellent to be able to have the freedom to do that again.
Continuing with my new found freedom I went to the cinema with my good friend Andrew to see 'The Devil Wears Prada'. I think the last time I was in the cinema was to see 'Brokeback Mountain' and that was AGES ago while still pregnant.
So JB has been brilliant and has let me go and reclaim a wee bit of my pre-parent freedom. He's enjoyed looking after Josh a bit more and I think it's done both of us good to have a bit of a change. When it's a rarity to go to the cinema or meet a friend for a drink you appreciate it so much more than when you could do it all the time.
It's also lovely when I come home and Josh is smiling at me with his gorgeous gummy grin and I suddenly wish I'd been around so as not to miss a moment with him. But I remind myself that being away for a little while and doing other things recharges my batteries so that I can be a bit more patient and am able to be more like the mummy that I hope to be rather than the frazzled mummy that I could end up being if I was with Josh every waking minute.
This months milestones have included Josh shaking a rattle with one hand purposefully, taking his full weight on his legs while held under the arms, sitting upright in his new 'Bumbo' baby chair, reaching out for his toys with both arms and next week we'll probably start weaning him!! Exciting stuff......