mum's the world

the gASTRO BOY eye view...

it's been a nice long weekend for me, able to spend more time with baby and wife, and more time with the toilet... with my gastro.

but the two days off work (plus today which i was meant to also work) has given me a deeper insight into the life reality of looking after a bub like Clari.

DAY 1

parent's group (aka: mother's club) is where every week, all the mothers get together, and complain to each other of all the issues they've had. vaccinations, sleeping too much, feeding, it was all feeling quite ok. until one mother stated how she had hand/wrist pain... and before you knew it, the whole mother's group (the 10 mothers with their giant bassinets) were all complaining and pointing to where they all had wrist pain. the room was crowded, the mothers very anecdotal, and the bubs... all different shapes and sizes. some sleeping, some feeding (the mums were popping their boobies out left right and centre), changing nappies - but all in all looking somewhat like their mums, and seeming to act just like their mothers too.

DAY 2

shopping will never be the same again, when you bring your baby around. the embarassment of your babies extremely loud cry like you were mistreating her, makes you dash to the noisiest part of the shopping centre. and everyone stopping to talk to you just because your baby is small and chubby. you can no longer take the escalator with pram, but must join in the other "prammers" who crowd up the slow (and far between) lifts, each one with their own bub, and talking to you because you have one too. but the best bit of the shopping was the place only parents go to... that's right, the Parents Room. you might visit the toilet, but only an avid parent would dare venture into that room. full of change tables, and couches, and most of all people. this parent's room was packed to the brim. at one stage i think there were about 10 prams in there, most of them queing up to use the 2 change tables, or to feed on one of the 3 sofas. there was one 4 yo girl asking me how many months old Clari was, and asking me how many kids I had... i think she took after her mother. and there was a lady who was very insistant on how i HAD to burp Clari, she made me put Clari over my shoulder, and then got very worried when i didn't support her head all the time, worst bit was she started instructing me all these things... in VIETNAMESE!!! i think she thought she was a super mum or something, but i think she forgot that parent knows their own baby best =]

anyway, it has been a fun experience, relaxing, resting, playing and seeing more of Clari... the good side and the bad; hehe. something to really treasure and look back upon in years to come.