Tuesday 31 July 2018

6 months: half year birthday

I’ve now had a baby for 6 months and I get another 6 months with a baby until she turns into a toddler. It’s a bit sad how fast time is going.

But not really. Because she is after all the cutest embodiment of passing time.



14.5 pounds. Length, I dunno. Long.

Sits with support, rocks herself back and forth, rolls from back to tummy. Has rolled a couple of times tummy to back.

Pushes all the way up to her hands and turns her body around, though not crawling yet.

Likes to play with her feet, especially games of footsie with big sister. Very wiggly toes.

Squealing and giggling, especially at big sister. Loves to raspberry and laughs when other people do it.

Eating, eating eating. We started purées this month and Dani loooooooves them. She has eaten everything we have given her. She particularly likes a creation of her daddy’s: chicken, apple, prune and pear. We make our own baby food and use the packaged stuff if we are going somewhere.

We started offering formula only when I am away from her (eg date night) and grandparents are taking care of her. Pumping breastmilk was getting more and more onerous and I wasn’t getting enough. We figured she would drink formula as she eats and drinks anything. We were right. But otherwise still breastfeeding. 

Still self soothes by sucking thumb.

Mostly a good sleeper. Early riser (between 6 and 7) with sometimes a night time feeding.

Still incredibly snuggly and cuddly and huggable. 

AJ is still a loving and attentive big sister. And mostly considerate. We have talked on occasion about how she can’t just take toys away from Dani when she feels like it. One day Dani will be big enough to say no and be annoyed about it.

Still doing lots of family stuff and hanging out with other families a fair bit. The summer continues to be awesome; I just can’t believe it’s going to be August already.

Cuteness you can almost taste:








Monday 23 July 2018

Microblog Mondays: torthúil reads

A few weeks ago I started a new writing/reading project: Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago. I’m currently on chapter 4. It’s a difficult book, as it tackles the heavy topic of why humans would do some of the most evil actions recorded in history, and not just a few humans, but most people in a society.  I decided to start a new blog where I would record my observations and thoughts as I read. So far I am writing something resembling a personal essay for every chapter, which has slowed down the reading pace even more. However, it has helped me recall and process what I read. I like this. I have the sort of brain that quickly grasps the bigger picture but forgets details. I’m the person who says: “I read this interesting story about....but sorry I can’t remember the names or the dates or where it happened! You’ll have to google that....but here’s what I learned!” Writing as I read helps me to not forget so fast.

My new blog is torthúil reads. I write about my reasons for undertaking The Gulag Archipelago here. I’ve written about chapters 1-3 so far. In my ideal world, a few people will read along with me (reading the book as well would be stellar, but I try to make the blog entries readable even if you’ve never read Gulag Archipelago). However, I’m committed to this even if it’s just me: that is part of the challenge. I want to increase my confidence and ability to write about difficult material. If anyone else does read, I'd be interested in 1) For people who have read GA: how your impressions about the book are similar or different from mine, and whether similar or different parts of the book made an impression on you. 2) for people who haven't read GA, I'd be interested in your reactions to the sections of the book I discuss (I quote extensively. Sometimes it's hard not to copy large sections of each chapter because I can't believe what I just read.)

Here’s an excerpt from my entry on the first chapter, "Arrest":

The first theme of chapter one is the shock and outrage of arrest. The moment of arrest is a life crisis where it appears that everything you once believed is wrong.
“The Universe has many different centres as there are living beings in it. Each of us is a centre of the Universe, and that Universe is shattered when they hiss at you: ‘You are under arrest!’
“If you are arrested, can anything else remain unshattered by this cataclysm?
But the darkened mind is incapable of embracing these displacements in our universe, and both the most sophisticated and the veriest simpleton among us, drawing on all life’s experiences, can gasp out only: ‘Me? What for?’
And this is a question which,though repeated millions and millions of times before, has yet to receive an answer.
Arrest is an instantaneous, shattering thrust, expulsion, somersault from one state to another.” (Pages 3-4)
I suspect one reason I did not make progress with GA when I was younger was because I did not have personal experience of the feeling Solzhenitsyn is talking about. I had not had my assumed reality and expectations shattered; I had not been thrust from one state into another. Life was still very safe and predictable. This of course changes in most people’s lives as they grow older. Apart from arrest in a totalitarian state, some analogous experiences might be diagnosis with a serious illness (self or loved one), being a crime victim, a severe accident or injury.  In my case I think being told we might never be able to have children was my most profound displacement. It altered all my assumptions and how I saw my place in society. (Chapter 1, Arrest)

 Back to Microblog Mondays

Saturday 7 July 2018

5 going on 6 months

Hey, I was doing well there with regular blogging for a while! Then summer happened apparently.

It’s kind of amusing to write these baby updates as they parallel AJ’s so closely. I could practically copy AJ’s except that Dani is meeting her physical milestones about a month sooner.

Dani was 5 months old at the end of June.



  • Sitting and “standing” with support
  • Rolling rolling rolling...from back to tummy. Not from tummy to back yet, so she often gets frustrated. She rolls, squawks about it, we roll her back; anywhere from 20 seconds to two minutes later she’s rolled again. Aaaaaand repeat.
  • Laughs, at mom and dad but especially at big sister
  • Likes mobiles, and immediately perks up when I play them on her mat or crib
  • Still likes the mechanical swing. And it gives me a break when she’s rolled and cried for the 100th time
  • No visual evidence of teeth yet....but tons of drool, and sometimes a pricking sensation on my breast
  • We started solids a bit earlier this time because she was showing interest. Dani was very excited to try avocado mixed with breast milk.



  • Going to move to crib...any day now
  • Squeals loudly for attention and to be part of group. Loves giggling and interacting with her sister
  • Generally social and likes attention
  • At vaccine appt, 14lbs l oz
  • Wearing 6-9 month clothing
  • Still likes baths
  • Usually good sleeper, sometimes early wakes
  • Curious about movies
  • Sucks thumb and everything else including toes
  • First family vacation went well. We did a road trip to see Mr Turtle’s convocation ceremony and then spent a few days in the city where he grew up. Nothing overly ambitious but we enjoyed ourselves and family outings to malls, zoo, parks, historical parks etc. 
We are enjoying the summer a lot. Activities include:
  • Fairly frequent play dates with community playgroup and a family or two that I am friends with. A happy synchronicity happened with my fellow infertile friend from AJ’s daycare, in that we had babies within a few months of each other. So both being on mat leave now we can do things together
  • AJ is taking swim lessons and doing great 
  • I completed my stroller -cize class and planning to take again. Also doing some drop in ballet barre classses. Hoping to shake a few pounds off my belly and hips and thighs and improve fitness. I figure I should get as fit as I can before 40 as I imagine it becomes a war of attrition at some point after that
  • Family outings to zoo, playgrounds, kid themed areas etc
  • Quite a bit of time with grandparents

....so life is good. I have started a new reading blog, and I’ll link to it in a bit. The first book I picked is super tough (Gulag Archipelago) and I’m blogging about every chapter. But I’m enjoying the challenge to write about a different topic. I’m making myself get through at least 3 chapters before sharing it (although you can find the link by going to my blogger profile).  I want to know I can carry on under my own steam so if nobody actually reads it I don’t feel discouraged.

Enjoy the summer and this precious unique moment...happiness and joy to all...