scotland/switzerland

 I snapped this picture in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens earlier this week.  Something about it tickled my fancy and made me laugh, maybe the idea that you need a sign instructing you not to steal.  Isn't that kind of a given?

It reminded me of this picture from the Botanical Gardens in Geneva that my sister sent me in 2009.  Now, my French is 15% outdated Standard Grade, 10% French films/music and 75% made up (so correct me if I'm wrong) but I think it basically says, "There was a plant here until it was stolen by a person without scuples or respect for our collection."  I love that they had a sign made to tell visitors that after the fact while here in Glasgow we preempt such shenanigans.

Keeping along the lines of signs about stealing, when Graham was a boy, he and his friend committed a heinous crime and stole (yes, stole!) some eggs from a Portakabin.  As all good criminals do, hoping to repeat their eggy escapade, they returned to the scene of their crime a few days later only to be greeted by a sign reading, "No eggs left, you vagabonds!"  Ahh, too funny.

saucy smiles and trouty pouts

 Yesterday morning.  Dulcie's feet suddenly touch the ground in her exersaucer thingummyjigger, proof (were it needed) that she is growing.  Now that she can spin herself around independently, she is love love loving playing in here, as you can see from her cheesy grin.  Those are new pyjamas too - size 3-6 months!  Whoop!

Yesterday afternoon.  Sunshine, a stroll round the Botanics and a lovely snooze for Dulcie.  Check out those lips!  One night in April 2011, I had a dream that the spirit of Elvis Presley made sweet love to me.  Around that time a trouty-pouty curly-lipped child was conceived.  Could it be that it wasn't a dream after all?  Spooky!

ps I just totally made up that thing about the dream.

a day out

 At the weekend we went on a family day out for a jaunt round the charity shops of the South Side.  Dulcie's hectic feeding schedule meant we set off a bit later than planned and had to miss out half our usual route, but it was still a good day.  Clarkston, where they had these swanky new benches, yielded the only finds of the day.

 I was quite enchanted by this old book of baby names, but I left it behind for someone who actually has a baby to name.  It was a very slim volume but passed the ultimate test as it had the name Dulcie in it.

 As it was listed under the rather hideous-sounding Dulcibella, I doubt anyone buying the book would end up choosing it for their baby!

 A week or two ago, I favourited this little shelf on etsy...

 ... so I was very pleased to find this beauty in the Cancer Research shop.  I officially have too many house-shaped shelves (and not a single thimble) but this one was too nice to leave behind.

Once the shops closed, Dulcie was good enough to let us go out for dinner.  We ate in The Bungo where the food is delicious.  Sorry to sound like a chav, but make sure you order something with chips.  Mmmmmm!

every time I try to get comfy...

... something like this happens.

the high life

Last week my mum and I went to Ikea to get Dulcie a high chair.  We chose the Ikea model because it was basic, cheap (very cheap) and mainly because it has the optional addition of an inflatable cushion that wedges Dulcie in place.  We've been using the high chair for a week and I would really recommend it if you have a premature baby, or any baby who needs to eat but is not that great at sitting up by themselves yet.  Previously we were having to feed Dulcie in her bouncy chair and meal times are so much easier for me now that I don't have to sit on the floor or worry about mess.  Dulcie seems to love her new chair too and can sit unaided plenty long enough to eat a whole meal.  It is so funny to see her waggling her little dangly legs around when she gets something tasty to eat.  Her favourite foods at the moment are toast with butter and yoghurt.  The cats have got wise to the high chair and hover underneath waiting for morsels to be flung over the side.  They used to just lick the butter off her discarded toast, but now greedy Lola eats the whole lot.  Ugh.

Butter really is the order of the day at the moment.  We had an appointment with a neonatal consultant last week and, while they are mostly happy with Dulcie's progress, they said they are concerned about her tiny size, so we are having to go back every two months rather than every four.  It's all very frustrating as she has been gaining weight consistently week by week and nobody can tell me anything I should be doing differently.  She's on three solid meals a day and still has six or seven milk feeds a day on top of that.  I don't want to give her more solids in case it puts her off her milk and I don't want to give her more milk in case it puts her off her solids, so I just spend 90% of our waking hours feeding her, cross my fingers and hope for the best at every weigh-in.  This week's tactic is added butter, but I'm not sure whether the extra calories/fat will make her grow bigger or just fatter.  I wish I had a better health visitor.  Every time I ask her a question specifically related to premature babies, she just tells me she doesn't really know about that.  I pretty much gave up asking her anything months ago.  I got all my information about weaning premature babies from the fantastic charity, Bliss.  Thank goodness they exist, but I'm pretty sure I shouldn't have to rely on them so much.  Bah humbug.

Edit:  I met a very good health visitor this afternoon who answered all my questions, gave me helpful advice and set my mind at rest, so we are feeling much more positive and have a plan of action.  That'll teach me to slag off the NHS!  I really do love the NHS and am sure I've already received more from them than my whole lifetime of taxes could pay for, so I shouldn't gripe about any little failings like I did above.  Sorry, NHS!

hello!

Dulcie just popped up to say hello while I had my camera out today.  She's getting pretty good at holding her head up like this, but seems to have stopped rolling over from her tummy to her back for some reason.  Her previous rolling technique involved getting into this position and toppling herself over.  Whee!  Hopefully she starts doing it again soon.  She can now roll from her back to her side, so in theory she could go through 270 degrees.  Impressive, huh?  She's still making no attempts to crawl, but moves around a lot more while she's on her back.  In bed she spins round 90 degrees and then throws her legs in the air repeatedly until she manages to turn on the musical birds at the side of her cot using her foot.  It's very cute, but a bit unnerving when she does it at 4am!

"Dribbling?  Who, me?!"  Yes, the teething continues, but no sign of any actual teeth as yet.

clenched or relaxed

Arse tea cosy by Crueltea on Etsy

I'm trapped under a snoozy baby (catching up after her sleepless nights in Elgin, I think) and have been entertaining myself by mooching around on Twitter.  I got caught up reading an interesting thread of posts about made-up family games.  Our family had lots of made-up games, but the one that sprung to my mind and the one that I wanted to share here was Clenched Or Relaxed, a game I made up as a teenager.  The rules are simple.  While walking, player one says, "Clenched or relaxed?" and player two has to guess whether player one's buttocks are, you guessed it, clenched or relaxed.  It takes quite a degree of skill not to give away your buttock status in your walk.  Graham is never particularly keen to play, but I'm hoping Dulcie will enjoy it (or indulge me!) when she's older.

Do you play any made-up games?