Update

The longer I go without posting, the harder it gets, and the more pressure I put myself under.

Over the last few days, I haven't been visiting fellow hundred-dayers' blogs, or friends' blogs, or blogs I follow, just because I feel so very guilty about not having updated here. I'm trying hard to learn to give myself a break, and realise that it doesn't matter. And I know I've said this all before, in all my previous catch-up posts. I just feel like I have to justify myself each time. I think what I need to do, is to allow myself to blog when I haven't done a list item, so the updating of the blog doesn't become such a mammoth task (I've been doing it during J-cub's naptimes today, and as a result, the house looks like a bombsite as I haven't had time for tidying).

I've only done 4 items over the last 10 days or so, so I now have a hell of a lot of catching-up to do. I think it's safe to say that I'm not going to make it (have I already said that?), but it doesn't matter. I'm still learning the discipline of getting things done, and as this project as about Making Me a Better Person, I think from that perspective, I am succeeding. I'm less lazy than I used to be, and I'm learning the most important lesson of all (for lazy people) - procrastination just makes you feel twice as guilty tomorrow.

J-cub's been poorly for the last couple of weeks, he's had an awful cold with a cough that's stopped him sleeping at night, and knocked him out for hours during the day. As I've been up with him during the night, I've used those nap times to catch up on my sleep, so have had to spend all my other free time trying to keep on top of the housework. He's starting to feel a bit better now, and can fall asleep without hacking coughs waking him up again. It's been a very tiring couple of weeks, especially as its my last two weeks of maternity leave and I wanted to enjoy them a bit more fully.

That's right, I go back to work on Monday. I'll be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and right now I can't really imagine how I'm going to cope. It's hard enough to stay on top of things when I'm at home all the time, so thinking about laundry and housework and cooking after I've been at work for 9 hours just seems impossible. I'm sure we'll get used to it though.

Anyway, enough doom and gloom. Let's have some positives.

-I finally succumbed to peer pressure and bought a Baltic amber teething necklace. Despite not being able to find any evidence that these work (or even an acceptable explanation of how they work), I was at my wit's end with J-cub's teething and bought one. It's made such a difference. If I forget to put it back on after his bath, then the next morning he'll be rubbing his ears, chewing on his finger and crying constantly. With the necklace on ... nothing. No Calpol, no teething powders, no teething gel, no cold teethers from the fridge. I'd recommend it to anyone now ;).

Hippy chic

-J-cub had his first go on the swings. Our tiny play-park has a sign on the gate saying '3-8 years only', so I hadn't taken him. I keep seeing pictures of friends' babies on swings though, and thought J-cub deserved to know what it felt like to have the wind in his hair. He found it quietly amusing, and so relaxing that he fell asleep. Ahhhh.

Swing-swoo, Marjorie-doo

-J-cub has started to understand how to be funny and make us laugh. He started copying us when we looked at him through the gaps left by his large foam numbers, and discovered that if he pressed his face through the hole, we laughed. A lot. He's now mastered pushing the number out of the hole, and pushing his face all the way through and grinning. It's very cute.

Lolz

-J-cub climbing the stairs then crawling into his room ready for bed at nap- and bedtimes. When it's bedtime, he'll go into his room and wait for us to undress him, then crawl to the bathroom for his bath.

-J-cub starting to sign 'more' with confidence. I changed the sign a couple of weeks ago as it was too similar to clapping, and having shown no previous interest, he suddenly wants MORE ;).

-Settling in at nursery is complete, and has gone well. They're happy with him, he's happy with them, and yesterday he coloured in a picture of a rainbow for me.

That's all I can think of for now. We haven't been anywhere much (apart from away for our weekend) because he's been too poorly. No swimming, no baby groups, just cabin fever again. But he's a joy to be with, most of the time, he's happy and chatty, and loves bringing me things to look at, and trying to say their names. He loves giving Tilly cuddles, and giving Maeby a wide berth. He's learnt that if he bangs the television with his fists or palms, it mysteriously turns off. He's learnt that if he makes enough of a racket at 5am, he gets an extra bottle. And he's learnt that more than anything in the world, Mummy loves cuddles.