Wednesday 21 December 2011

Those beautiful curls

There is nothing cuter than seeing my little toddler racing around with his blonde curls bouncing behind him. Well that's what I think anyway - his father has other ideas.
For months, the little man was rather thin on top, so much so we christened him Garibaldi after my favourite biccie. Now, while I go soft and gooey at the sight of the ringlets that eventually appeared, daddy thinks they constitute a mullet and, seeing as it isn't the early 1980s, the look is apparently a no-no. In fact, I am told, it is verging on an embarrassment. I get the message - he doesn't want his son and heir to have girly curls.
This is definitely a man v woman issue. At a recent family get-together, the first thing my cousin (male) did when he spied my son's hair-do was to pull a disgusted grimace and ask me why I hadn't chopped off those "rat tails" yet. His girlfriend promptly started cooing over them, with my other cousin (female) joining in the adoring chorus. "Once you cut them they never come back," she added, shaking her head sadly. She has three herself so clearly knows only too well the fierce love a mother can have with her child's newly-grown tendrils.
Besides which, I don't think he has a mullet. To me, it can only be classed as such when the locks touch the nape of the neck and his curl prettily up with no contact with said body part whatsoever - ergo, not a mullet. Anyway, the battle continues and I know one day I will have to say goodbye to them (gulp). Until then, I am going to rejoice in his crowning glory. Who knows I might even venture a hairstyle or two. Pigtails or plaits - what do you think boys?

Wednesday 14 December 2011

What does your little one sleep in?

Since becoming a mum, the thoughts that whirl round my head have changed. Before, it was filled mainly with work (deadlines, front pages to fill, reporters to chase), with a good portion spent on more frivolous matters - clothes, gym schedules, where to go for a slap-up meal. Now it is more: oh, god, what can I feed him now, when will that pink rash on his bottom disappear and where can we go now winter's set in and the park is a no-go?
The latest all-consuming thought at the moment is what to put the little man in to sleep now the temperatures are dropping. At the moment he is in a sleeping bag and, having interrogated all my mummy friends, this seems to be the consensus. But when he tries to stand, the poor chap gets caught up and I worry his arms are uncovered and get cold - so much worry, so little time.
So now I am thinking it is time to throw off another vestige of babyhood and invest in a duvet. But would this work? He tends to move about a lot when he sleeps and I often find his legs where his head should be when I check on him so would he just fling it off and be cold? The woman at Mothercare recommended introducing one at twelve months plus and reassured me that he would learn to cover himself up when he got cold but I can't imagine that happening for quite some time. That said the duvets do look cosy.
Sleeping bag, duvet, sleeping bag, duvet. Oh what the hell, he can come in with us and we will all be toasty warm.