Almost 8 months old

 Well, what a fabulous 8 months it has been. Our Grandson is the most placid, clever, cuddly, busy boy who is coming on in leaps and bounds. He is the double of his mum, my gorgeous daughter, when she was a baby and is very quickly following in her little tiny footsteps, around the furniture! 

Here’s the little snow leopard watching the snow yesterday! 

By 6 months he was sitting up, had 2 bottom teeth and was rolling over roll poly style, back and forth to get to where he wanted. He then by 7 months was crawling and pushing him self back up into sitting. He has been pulling himself up cruising round the furniture for two weeks now and he’s not actually 8 months old until the 30th! 

He’s very pleased with himself! Especially, my daughter says, in the middle of the night, when cruising round his cot, bobbing up and down singing Yar Yar Yar at the top of his little voice! 

That is where he and she differ - he’s yet to sleep absolutely through, whereas she was by now. He’s still breastfed 80% of the time - he will take a bottle when out and about so she can enjoy a coffee with both hands! He is enjoying exploring all kinds of food. Wearing it, smushing it, haha. 

Very refined! 

Clean up committee on stand by! 

I am wholly aware that I have the privilege of looking back with very rose tinted specs on but she and her brother, were easy babies. It’s all new fangled tummy time and baby led weaning these days, but each generation will parent their way. 

We see him every four weeks or so and face time once a week. He does smile and babble at the camera and respond to our voices. He is just a little darling boy. 

Christmas will be different this year as for the first time ever, we won’t be at home. We are going to stay with our daughter! I suspect I will still be hands on for the Christmas Dinner though. I am looking forward to it. It will be hard not seeing our parents on and around the day but it is just a day. When my daughter was worrying about not having a table, I said we’d borrow a fold up one, or bring my one from ikea from my craft room or they could get one themselves. They are good - a tabletop and screw in legs - not very expensive. Their house is lovely and in the kitchen where a table would go, is a breakfast bar that’s not practical for dining! Her and her Dad said we could just have a buffet. She was aghast! I guess she wants to recreate her childhood Christmasses like I did. They will take him round to see his other Nanna and Grandad on Christmas morning. They are spending it with their daughter. 

Two things I have made very very clear to my two is never ever worry about accommodating us at Christmas in the form of ‘well we had them last year, it’s now your turn’ and to not even flinch or feel guilty if the time comes and I need to go into a care home. I’ve said quite forthrightly, I do not want to die at home and I do not want them to feel like they HAVE to deal with me at home for my sake. I mean, if I die at home by accident then no one can do anything about it. I said that they have to detach themselves and know that it doesn’t mean they’ve failed me or love me less. Feel no guilt. When it gets to the point I cannot manage, or I’m left on my own for hours between carers popping in, I’d like them to get me in a nice comfortable Shady Pines ( have always said they better earn mega bucks to pay for a decent one haha ) and visit weekly so they can live their lives and be my children not my carers. Same for their Dad. Obviously this will never happen because me and him are invincible and will naturally live forever!  Gosh this all got a bit dark! 

Storm Bert proved intrusive in the night. I was woken by a scared Bluebell sitting on my head pawing my face. I could hear her tail wagging and hitting the headboard…only the HG was waking up too and said that the noise was not her tail it was the noise of the rain coming in! Well we both leapt up. It was 1am ish and the noise was the rain coming in through the roof and hitting the plaster board of our bedroom ceiling! Fortunately it wasn’t coming right  through but you could definitely see where there was a sag! So the HG got up and got the ladders and a bucket and went in the loft to install emergency rain drop storage. He will have to go up once it’s light to have a proper look see at the damage! I might suggest he get the tree down whilst he is up there!) 

I’ve never ever put my tree up before 10th December and part of me is thinking should we even bother if we are not here? And also part of me is thinking well I have spent a fortune over the years on decorations, and it is so dark, let’s get them up early to cheer ourselves up! But no, I do think, I will resist and maybe wait another week! 

TV - I have to say I am really enjoying this Year’s I’m a celebrity jungle programme. Most years I’m not reet arsed about it but I like the people they have in this year and I’ve just been entertained which is what it is for! I’ve not watched Strictly this year after being a super fan for 4 years haha- that’s all I’ve ever watched. 

We love Taskmaster on ch4. I do really like Greg Davies. Well they have a Taskmaster for children and although some of the children make my teeth itch, it is again, good entertainment in a world of war with Russia and Gaza, cost of living crisis doom and gloom, energy hikes etc. look I know I am a whole lot luckier than others; I get to moan about going to work but it pays for what I like to do. My wants rather than needs. I work bloody hard for it too. Often far more than my contacted 35 hours. My role has evolved into some kind of family support worker/social worker/children’s counselling service and the trauma I am taking home with me some days is epic. And the paperwork and admin that goes along with it is epic. And the thresholds to get help for families and children are so high it is frustrating beyond belief. But would I want to be teaching again in the classroom? Good grief no way! I am lucky I have been able to evolve in my role at the same school which I can get to in two minutes walk. 

Reader, I am lazy hahah 

Other updates, I am knitting a cardigan for my little cherub. He’s outgrown most of his others so they do take me a little longer now. This one is fisherman’s rub with a cable up. I love knitting fisherman’s rib. Cabling is a pain in the arse but I never fail to be impressed with how the magic happens from just manipulating sticks and wool. Sewing - I have started on a fabric advent calendar with pockets ( I say started - I’ve ironed the fabric ) and a stocking for the baby. 

Deciding which colour way for his stocking - I chose the blues.

I’ve already done one Christmas jigsaw 

This was the last jumper I knit for him. 

and am itching to start another but have given myself a deadline of finish the cardigan first. I’m on sleeve number one and most people on here who have been here for years will k ow I’m not a fan of sleeves! I can’t do two at once because I’ve only got one ball of wool. I’m going to add some photos to this post, make a brew and put an episode of something on whilst the rest of the house sleeps and I’m going to knit. Then I’m going to go in my craft room for a bit to sew. Then it will be off to make ma in law’s lunch - she really has deteriorated with her dementia/Alzheimer’s. She doesn’t remember our names. She thinks the HG is one of her brothers. It is soul destroying actually. I’m making Roast Pork for tea for a change with veg and trimmings. 

I made the HG some cheese and bacon scones yesterday thanks to a certain advert on the telly with Dawn French in it. Mine did not look like theirs but he said they were delicious. I had one with some veg soup for my tea last night and it was tasty. It was an online recipe. 

I am having to be careful with food at the minute but more on that next time. It’s 7.28am. Madam is squeaking at me to let me know it is well past her breakfast time ( she slept in a bit after the middle of the night shenanigans! ) but 7am means food! 

Hope all is well in your world x

Rachel