Amhlaoibh 9 and 1/2 months - already!

Return of the Prodigal Blogger

Well, I've been a terrible blogger really. Always with the great intentions but the execution is not quite so easy sadly. Must try to do better.

Little Amhlaoibh is now 9 and 1/2 months! Where has the last year gone? I drove past the trees lining the entrance to our estate today and noticed some of them looking bare already. Wasn't it last week there were lovely fresh green buds appearing on those branches? I hope this isn't an indication of what life with our little guy is going to be like. It's going too fast - too many little things passing by so quickly. But always being replaced by new, exciting changes. Everyday the little fella can do something he couldn't do yesterday.

Now he's walking along the furniture, has moments where he stands alone. He's chattering away - mama, dada, and lots of variations on the theme with great changes in pitch and tone so it really sounds like a little conversation. He's got a definite personality of his own - happy, smiling but adventurous, fearless and knows what he wants - and not afraid to fight for it! It sounds like a handful but they are powerful traits that I hope someday he can channel into a fulfilled, satisfying life.

We play with his towering pots, his plastic coloured balls, his green tractor, his Thomas the Tank Engine flap book and sometimes just with the wicker basket they are all stored in! He laughs, giggles, babbles, chews, points, tries to give me his toys, takes them back again, puts things into pots, takes things out of pots -over and over! I'm sorry if it bores you to hear about this but everytime he does something, I'm fascinated that a few weeks ago, it was foreign to him. How absorbed he gets in putting a small basket on his head (his new trick). How he'll peek out from behind something to encourage me to play peek-a-boo with him. How he knows when he tries to open a kitchen cupboard to look up at me to see if I'll tell him "No - that's not for babies" and give a little cheeky grin.

For mum, I'm back at work full time, finishing my training. Have another three months to complete everything and then let loose into the big bad world to find a real job! Hey I've made a brand new little person - how hard can it be??!!

Busy times

So, as you can see on the left, Amhlaoibh, now 6 weeks old, has started smiling this week! Yay! We've had hints of it all week but this morning was a smile-fest. Seems to have been practicing overnight. It's nice to get a little reward to make up for the crying and lack of sleep.
We have a busy few weeks ahead of us. We're currently in the throes of organising Amhlaoibh's christening which is on this Sunday. Somehow we've managed to invite almost 80 people! Family mainly with a sprinkling of friends but it'll be nice to have everyone there. My aunt has sent us my old christening gown which she unearthed from the attic. It's in remarkable condition after being used for my brother and me as well as my cousins. It's now 21 years since it was last used! We'll also use the hand-crocheted shawl that Ciarán's mum made for his christening. Family heirlooms like these are extra special. My brother Niall will be godfather and Ciarán's first cousin Laura is godmother.
The christening was rather hastily arranged since we've decided to take Amhlaoibh to Florida for the wedding of an old friend of Ciarán's in the middle of February. His friend is marrying a second-generation Indian girl so the wedding festivities will go on for a couple of days with both Catholic and Hindi (I think) ceremonies as well as a reception/party. We're flying out early in the week to give us all time to recover after the long journey. Ciarán's parents and brothers are also coming so we'll have plenty of helping hands. Still not sure how we'll manage all the logistics like feeding on planes etc. but hopefully it'll all fall into place. I have to say we've contacted Continental Airlines to enquire about bassinets etc. and they haven't been very helpful so far. Not confidence-inspiring. Despite being well used to packing for long trips, I fear this experience will be unknown territory!
So that's all the current goings-on down our way. It's plenty enough for me! Be back soon.

Beginnings

So I thought I'd give this blogging lark a go. Now that there are lots of exciting changes happening, I just thought I'd share some of my musings on them.
One month ago I gave birth to our first baby, a little boy Amhlaoibh (pronounced Ow-leave). Life is suddenly unrecognisable. Nothing anybody told my husband Ciarán and me beforehand could have prepared us for this.
Days are flying by. Already Amhlaoibh is loosing his newborn look and growing out of his small baby clothes. The initial shock meant the first month went past in such a blur that a lot of the milestones went unnoticed in the haze of sleeplessness and helplessness.
But now that we're finding our feet, it's time to start documenting our new life with this little person. I don't know yet what parts of our old life will be salvagable but I'm sure the road ahead will be full of new adventures. All three of us will explore it together.