Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Happy New Year!

Here we are at the end of the year and fantastically, we all seem to be well. Following the last bout of nastiness, the spud came down with gastroenteritis for Christmas and didn’t eat for 5 days. I’m not sure why I’m surprised. I guess I should wake up and smell the proverbial – small child + frequent contact with groups of other children = catching everything under the sun. In turn, we’ve had a low dose of the same and so Christmas wasn’t the eat-a-thon that we were expecting it to be.

None the less, here we all are and we appear to be doing very well. The Spud is on good form and eating one meal a day. Now this may alarm some of you out there however let me reassure you that this one meal starts at about 7am and goes on until around 8pm when he falls asleep on his bottle… clearly he’s making up for lost time at the trough. We start with cereal in the morning followed by a banana followed by a brief respite which ends when him and one of his one hundred picky little hands have located something edible on top of a counter that we thought he couldn’t reach. You know, bread, cake, a mince pie. He then trundles around for the rest of the morning snacking on this item and leaving a trail of crumbs.

Just as one would think he has had enough and the last soggy piece has made it’s way either into his mouth or into permanent residence as a new pattern on the carpet he is clutching at one’s knees and uttering his brand new first ever word ‘nana’, short for ‘banana’ and clearly meaning food of any description. He has been seen standing on tiptoe with one hand thrusting around inside the bag attached to the back of his buggy and saying ‘nana nana nana’ over and over until a rice cake is forthcoming.

So, on it goes, through an enormous lunch, a massive dinner and snacks of all descriptions. The downside is that it’s been continuing all night too and he’s been waking up absolutely ravenous two or three times in the night. Hopefully this means that he’ll have topped himself up in a few days and be back to his normal extra-large-fryer self rather than this shoe-string fry we’re getting used to these days.

On that note, I thought I’d do a short round-up of the year. On Jan 1st 2007, the spud was 4 months old and not able to do much other than hold things and look goggly-eyed around him. He weighed in at around 14 pounds and couldn’t sit up or crawl or, I think, roll over. I weighed an enormous amount, was breast-feeding constantly and was happily not working. On Jan 1st 2008 the spud will be, if today is anything to go by, two foot ten (meaning he is nearly half my height already and in the world of ‘double their height when they’re two to get their adult height’ he is going to be Very Tall indeed). He weighs somewhere in the region of 30 pound and he is walking, using a fork, saying one word, able to open the fridge and all the drawers in the house and will no doubt shortly be creating space-capable rocket ships using only egg cartons and old digital watches.

I on the other hand have succeeded in losing 22 pounds, am putting in three days a week working and have regained my boobs. At least, I think they’re mine, they’re in virtually the same vicinity as my old ones, just a little further south. The Frog is much the same only a little more patient and long-suffering. We can both change a nappy in the dark without waking up and I think we’re still pretty happy with our lot. Roll on 2008 and Happy New Year everyone!

26 comments:

Elsie Button said...

Lovely! What an amazing year eh!

22 pounds? - bloody brilliant! i have put on about that in the last two weeks.

Happy New Year!

shadechaser said...

Happy New year Steph.

Classic picture.

BOSSY said...

Darling: Happy New Year. Admiring you and yours from afar, Bossy.

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

22 lbs is awesome. Wish I had. Good grief, it does sound like your toddler is making up for missed time in the food department. My little one is a midget compared to yours weighing in at only 21 lbs for his 29 inches. I'm still trying to get him off the boob and on to real food...which he is getting much much better at. Good luck in this new year and hope to keep reading updates about you all.

Jen said...

Happy New Year to you! Glad you are all feeling better and starting off 2008 on the right foot. Dylan also loves bananas, but his absolute favorite is a big chunk of cheese - like father, like son, I guess.

DJ Kirkby said...

You lost the 22lb and I found it hon! Happy New Year to you all and heres to many more hilarious posts from you in 2008.

lady macleod said...

Lovely, lovely, lovely. I'm with Spud on the eating times - I see no reason to stick to some arbitrary schedule... I start after morning tea and nimble my way to bedtime.

You sound well on your way to a joyous year. I feel no need to wish for you, adventure - Spud will provide!

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year!

I think making lists is a skill and I'm glad to possess it, and that shall be the official party line from now on.

22 pounds is rather impressive for the year!

I'm glad you are all doing so well, and I wish you all the best for 2008.

jenny said...

OOf! The spud is a big baby! My Youngest is 2 this week and she only weighs 25! She does the same, walk around on tiptoes, eyeing what's out on the counter and spying the 'nanas or some other snack. She is a little monkey when it comes to 'nanas and she started out eating a quarter, then half then finally graduated to eating a whole one all by herself.

I wish you all the best this year and lots of joy and love to you all! xoxo

Sparx said...

Happy New Year Kat! Thanks for coming over, hope it's a good one!

Sparx said...

Elsie - Oh I bet you haven't or you'd have been stressing out about it on your blog - I bet you look great! Great to see you!

Sparx said...

Mezzy - Thanks you! BTW, I've now read your entire blog. Any thoughts about restarting?

Sparx said...

Bossy - and to you dear one! Don't admire too closely, you'll break your monitor...

Sparx said...

Jonny's Mum - He doesn't sound like he's got that much catching up to do - he is 5 inches shorter after all! I do miss the breastfeeding - we've had no 'easy out' since the spud's been sick recently... thanks for coming by!

Sparx said...

Jen - cheese! The spud loves cheese too but I don't give it to him that often on the theory that he gets so much dairy already I don't want him to blow up even bigger than he is already! Happy new year, great to see you!

Sparx said...

DJ, you and Elsie cannot BOTH have found that 22 pounds. I'm sure you look great as well! Happy New year again and thanks as always for the great blog and for popping over to see us here!

Sparx said...

Lady M! Thank you very much - and I agree, a good solid grazing is the best way to get through the day!! Thanks for popping by!

Sparx said...

Rax - thanks so much! I'm sure you'll also have a great year! Good to see you!

Sparx said...

Jenny - hard to stop them really, isn't it - very cute though. Now, of all the commenters I've had today, YOU are the one most likely to find my 22 lost pounds with your new baby bump! I hope this is a wonderful year for you, too. Thanks for dropping in!

jenny said...

Oh, hush you!! I don't want to find those 22 pounds you've lost! I was quite nicely on my way to losing 10 pounds and was very nearly there, only 1 1/2 pounds left to go, then boom! pregnant again! I keep weighing myself and so far I am still 8 1/2 pounds lighter. I find that hard to believe with all the fudge that has found its way into my mouth, but there it is, haven't gained anything yet! I'm not holding my breath though, everntually those 8 1/2 plus your 22 will come sneaking up on me when I'm not looking and POP! goes the belly! :o)

Sparx said...

Jenny - Lol! Ah, you don't have to gain much weight - hopefully most of it will be baby!

Soya said...

I am so glad that the spud is eating well. I have a 1 year old boy and lately he refuses to eat at all. How much food would your son consume when he was a year old? What did you do when he refused to eat? I am at my wits end trying to make him eat...

jenny said...

Soya-- I couldn't help but read your comment and nosy me had to respond. All three of my girls went through a no eating phase. They would eat very very little or what felt like nothing at all except for drinks here and there. Sometimes it goes for a day or two, and others for a week or so. Eventually they will eat. Babies go through a growth spurt when it seems like all they do is eat and then their bodies slow down a bit and they don't need to eat all that food. Try to let your baby pick what he wants to eat, keep the snacks available and when he is hungry, he'll eat. **I got this info from my pediatrician when my Oldest went through this and I got so upset. But sure enough, she started to eat normal again after about a week. I've seen it happen with all three of my kids and I expect it to happen with baby #4 later on..

Just from one mama to another..

Hi Sparx-- don't mean to intrude on your comment space! xoxo

Sparx said...

Hi Soya - Jenny's nailed it, the spud is only 16 months and he goes through phases where he won't eat either - sometimes for several days. Sometimes it's teething, sometimes he's just having a slow week. Either way, if you're worried, offer him warm milk and make sure he has fluids and he'll have enough nutrition to get him through a short patch. If he's in any other distress, or if it goes on for longer than 3 days and he's really eating nothing then take him to the doctor. If he seems fine and is eating little bits and taking milk then give it a few days before getting worried. The spud ate almost nothing for 4 days when he was sick but he drank a lot of fluids and didn't have a fever so we didn't worry... and now he's stuffing his face all the time! Good luck and thanks for coming by.

Sparx said...

Jenny - no worries at all, always good to have advice from a pro (well, with 3 and one on the way you've got way more experience than I!). Any time hon!

Hoto said...
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