Catch-up

I just called mother, but she's out. Later then. We will go shopping in a moment, the girls don't want to come, they want to babysit themeselves, but it's still too soon, I think. So I shall drag them with me and do two days' worth of shopping. Amy is sewing, and I promised to wait until she is done. Erica is on her tummy, happy to be with her sisters. Lena is wriggling around managing to do absolutely nothing as usual.

I went to the AFWJ convention last weekend, more about that later too. Erica's had enough, or rather, the girls have left her and she's annoyed. I just set her up with one of their dolls, that's keeping her happy. She all hands! She's always grabbing whatever I have in my hands, usually I can see it coming a mile off as she's rather slow to get coordinated, but sometimes she sneaks up on me! I hold her in my left arm, so I can use my right, which leaves her stronger left hand out front. She always grabs my wallet when I am paying for my groceries. She actually really likes riding in the supermarket strollers, but she's always had enough by the time we come to pay! I put her back in the stroller yesterday while I paid and packed, and she managed to reach for a rubbish bin and started to eat the bin liner while I was busy packing. And when I hold her on my knee to eat (cos Mums aren't allowed to eat in peace, you know) I have to clear an arc in front of her. She is no longer happy gazing outward, staring in fascination at the curtains or the fridge. She MUST be facing us, she twists her body round to see what I am doing, what I am EATING - she is fascinated with food. I have tried a few things in her mouth, but she is still poking out her tongue in response, so she's not ready yet.

She's moving toward a saner night schedule, not that I was bothered much by the midnight to midday schedule, it had its uses! Now she is going down about 8pm, wanting to stay hooked onto her boobie for ages, which is neat, cos then I sit up in bed and read to the other girls. So that's come together nicely. Then she sleeps until a little earlier in the morning, more like 8 or 9am. So I can do less in the morning, but eventually we must move towards SLEEPING at night and being AWAKE during the day, so it's all for the best. We are getting into a routine of having dinner first, then bath, then straight to bed.

Lena has been having dramas this week. She finally lost her first tooth!

.... much later on, after Princess Diaries II, shopping, lunch and Harry Potter 5...

Lena also had a major drama this week nearly killing her finger. On Thursday I picked them up after But Biting Bug class (which is a whole other story!) she complained of a sore finger. I looked at her finger and its tip was wrapped in selotape. I quickly cut it off - it was white and cold to the touch. I got the selotape all off, it was pretty tightly wound, amidst her complaints of pain. Once the tape was off, it hurt even more as the blood began to recirculate, and it swelled up to twice its size. I thought she had put it on a few hours earlier, but as I talked to her, I realized she'd had it on for over a day. I remember her getting the tape out of the cupboard - I'd told her to make sure she put it back, and was happy when, a little while later, I saw it returned to its rightful place, but it never occured to me to ask what she was using it for, I just assumed it was for paper. Turns out she was concerned about her nail. She bites her nails really badly - down to the quick almost, and until it starts to hurt. She herself is getting worried about it, and she thought that if she covered it, it would stop her biting it and hurting. I think she got the idea of using the tape from all their games with their dolls, when they 'get injured' and Amy doctors them with tissues and selotape.

Well, after a night of worry, with Lena the most worried, all was well in the morning, it was just a little swollen and sore. She'll never do that again!