September 2005 Archives

Last night found us back at the Cambridge Blue. The fireplace was burning a heap of coal, which I take as a pretty clear sign that the weather’s changing. We were a group of six - along with Arpi, our friend Damien (another high school alum and fellow UK expat) came over for a visit with his girlfriend. Of course, Azure and I were secretly hoping for a group of seven - the pub cat, Ajax, can usually be cajoled to come and sit at your table, but he wasn’t around.

And that’s it. TGIF: the weekend starts in 10 hours. More news then.

I have it on good authority that Emelyn was the best-behaved baby in the house at Pride and Prejudice. Az and Arps said the movie wasn’t bad, considering the time constraints, and they’re pretty tough critics - both are big fans of the old Ehle/Firth miniseries. I myself won’t hesitate to say that, when it comes to role-model fathers-of-daughters, Mr. Bennet ranks pretty high on my list, fictional or not. (Thankfully, the same does not hold true for Azure & Mrs. Bennet.) So I’ll probably go just to see how Donald Sutherland plays the part.

There’s not much else going on. Emelyn occupies herself just being cute, and trying to eat her hands. (She hasn’t quite mastered thumb-sucking, yet.) In Cambridge, it’s getting colder at night, though it’s an stunning shiny morning from the train today - just flew past some horses grazing in a field, wearing those quilted blanket-things on their backs. Which reminds me that I better buy a suitable-for-the-office jacket, meself.

I think that for both Az and I one of the weirder adjustments of late has been our return to the whole workweek/weekend lifestyle. There’s not much to say on the matter, except that 48 hours sure fly by after a long week.

So it’s Monday morning, again. Our colds are finally leaving us, though at different speeds. Emelyn is 99.9% fine now (just snoring louder than usual, is all), I’m right behind her, and Azure and Arps are both well enough to be coming into London later today.

In fact, we were all in fine shape this entire weekend — we looped to Grantchester and back from our house on Saturday; it’s a long walk. During the week, I’ve increasingly come to view my commute as a waste of time, but come the week-end, the notion of bunkering down with baby in a crowded metropolis seems equally absurd. Our weather in the Orchard was absolutely fantastic, the air clean and crisp, and I’ve never seen the place so crowded. The four of us spent a long time in the deck chairs there, and it was getting dark by the time we neared home.

(Incidentally, Emelyn is finally starting to enjoy her pram, which is making all this movement possible. I have no idea what she thinks about in there, but a good portion of the time she’s staring at us and smiling, which is hard to argue with.)

Our Sunday started with brunch at the bistro around the corner, a stroll in the city centre (including a diaper change at Magdalene, under the arches of the Pepys library, no less), and ended with pints in the garden behind the Cambridge Blue. I don’t know how much longer the weather will let us do these kinds of things, but for now, it’s fantastic.

The plan today is for Azure and Arps (and Emmie, too) to come into London, so they can visit with a friend of Arpi’s studying here. Hopefully we’ll find a baby-friendly spot to all have dinner, and then ride the train home together. (A first.) London with a baby is a logistical challenge, one that Azure and I were debating pretty late last night. After several brave attempts, our friends Matt and Sabine told us that prams and the Tube simply don’t mix (which I can well believe), but the idea of Baby-Bjorn-ing Emelyn for an entire day doesn’t seem so ideal, either. It’ll work itself out.

Should be a busy week, in all. Looking forwards, Az, Arpi, and Emmie are seeing Pride and Prejudice on Wednesday AM. Our local ‘arts cinema’ has this weekly “Big Scream” showing (brought to you by Huggies�) specially for the baby-toting demographic; I’ve never been but Az went two weeks ago and told me all about it: First off, they have a special pram-storage area setup in the lobby, like valet parking. Then there’s a Huggies changing table set up in the back of the cinema, and the room lighting is kept on, but really low. The babies, they can scream all they want. And they do.

Azure, Emelyn, and I all have the same nasty cold. Probably something I brought home from the Tube.

I’m wishing I could be more help at home, but as usual, it’s Az who’s bearing the brunt of the work. Emelyn breathes best when upright on Mom, so Azure spent most the night semi-sleeping in a reclining position, cradling Emelyn on her chest. When Emmie’s plugged up, she makes some of the saddest noises I’ve ever heard while nursing. And her little coughs are just heartbreaking.

Our local surgery (doctor’s office) is three blocks up the street, so I think Azure is likely to swing by for a quick visit today. The NHS public health system here has its upsides and downsides, but one aspect I like is how well it works for the small things — so long as you call a doctor before 9am, you can get a same-day appointment, without having to worry about insurance, out-of-pocket cost, or any of that. That said, they’re also a lot less likely to send you home with a handful of pills or blood tests or any clear-cut plan for dealing with things. Addenbrooke’s hospital actually has a large plaque when you walk through the frontdoor which reads, “Whatever it is, it will soon pass” which, to me, sums up the British medical approach a lot of the time.

I’ve barely seen Arpi, but I’m glad she’s here. Hopefully the three of us will be more entertaining hosts in a day or two.

Not much else to report. Emelyn took note of herself in the mirror yesterday, and seemed to quite enjoy her own company — she laughed and smiled at herself. She then tried to paw at her mirror-self, which didn’t work quite as she’d expected. Thunk!

Winter hasn’t come to England, yet, but it’s certainly lurking close by. Hence Emelyn’s need to be increasingly bundled-up when venturing outside — logistically more difficult, though fun, too, since she’s been given some extremely cute winter outfits by friends and family. (Thanks!)

Sometime in the last 48 hours or so, Emelyn discovered her hands’ grabbing ability. (Until now her fists were reflexively clenched almost all the time.) Azure first caught her staring at her hands last week, but last night Emmie really went on a roll. She repeatedly picked-and-grabbed at the outfit she was wearing, intently watching her progress while doing so. Her actual ‘holding’ ability falls slightly short of ‘grabbing’ ability — watching her is reminiscent of those coin-operated amusement crane/grabber things were you try to pick up a plush toy.

Other great news this week is that Azure gets some company at home again — best friend Arpi has come for a visit. (Coincidentally, Arpi spent the first few years of her life in Cambridge.) It should be a good week for all of us, and if things go well, I might just see the ladies in London sometime soon.

As for me, I’m beginning to enjoy this morning train ride, since it gives me a chance to update Em’s blog more regularly. I’m starting to catch just a bit of the sunrise when the train pulls out of Cambridge into the green belt; as winter approaches I expect to see more and more of it…

Emelyn’s friend Tabitha, who’s a few months older, got baptised this weekend. The three of us attended the ceremony in Saffron Walden, which is about a 45 minute drive from Cambridge.

It was a nice ceremony, and a great chance to catch up with some fellow classmates still living around Cambridge. Emelyn’s behaviour in the old cathedral was, of course, very good — she was wide awake the entire time and made hardly a peep; she was utterly fascinated by the cathedral’s windows.

This being a British christening, the next stop was (of course) the village pub. Emelyn enjoyed the reception plenty, too — lots of other babies to meet. As luck would have it, however, we forgot to bring a change of clothes. Now, while eschewing the actual details, suffice to say that Murphy’s Law was in effect, and this all became an issue during her diaper change. No worries, though — Emelyn remained quite pleased with herself the entire time, and everything turned out just fine in the end. Alas, her wardrobe is shy one onesie now, which we delicately left behind in a bin back in Saffron Walden…

Emelyn is smiling. Fleeting smiles, to be sure, but they’re real ones, now, not the strange ‘involuntary’ grins that used to precede her possetting or diaper fill-ups.

She also had her big six-week checkup with a doctor, which went swimmingly. Emelyn’s weight is right on the 50th percentile; it even looks like she might be a tall girl. She is, for now, at least — her current length is between the 70th and 91st percentile.

We haven’t taken many pictures this week, but I’ve cobbled together a small video to share some of her smiling-ness, and to show off her little dance moves.

All else is good, here. (Well, almost: Dad heads to Google in three short days, and is not looking forward to leaving the ladies behind every morning. It’ll be a bittersweet change of pace…)

Emelyn makes a number of small noises, including sneezes, coughs, and many varieties of poopy-poopy sounds. What’s tricky is that the facial-expression buildup to each of these things is similar; you know something’s being worked on, but you’re just not sure what it might be…

Auntie and Emelyn prove the point, here, in this small video…