Holidays and funny t-shirts

As we're currently on holiday in Spain we do, buy and eat in ways we don't usually do when we're at home. One thing I came across at a market here was a t-shirt based on the film "The Hangover". Anyone who's seen this film will know all about the bearded dufus who walks around with a baby strapped on his stomach.

I didn't pick this up as I had insufficient Euros at the time, but a quick search on the internet and I found a place called Nerdy Shirts that sells the hangover t-shirts!

Having found this shirt, I thought it a good place to hunt for other funny t-shirts, something quirky and nerdy for Emily to wear as well. We usually dress her up at X-mas for the photo on our home-made Christmas card and I found a wonderful Santa t-shirt that (if it's in her size) will be perfect for our x-mas card 2010!

Winter headwear

If there's one thing Emily hates (and I can think of more than one thing at the moment) it's hats. Or to be more specific, ANYTHING on her head.

She just really dislikes it - pulling and tugging at anything you place remotely near her head. She does this for sunglasses too, but that's not all that much of a concern.

For the past few months it's not really been an issue covering her head as it's been summer. As winter is quickly approaching, I'm starting to be a bit concerned that I'm going to have a baby topped off with a frozen popsicle for a head.

It's been suggested I try one of those hats with flaps that you can tie at the bottom. I can only imagine the feedback Emily will provide on that, but I think a little aural discomfort is worth the trade off of her not coming down all manner of winter related illnesses.

When we solve that one, there's the small issue of she also hates gloves...

X-Mas and the gift of space

We don't even have the baby yet, and we've been inundated with loads of gifts for it from the Christmas rush. I reckon that gifts are hard enough to figure out at the best of time, so if you have something like a baby on the way (or a sports fan or video game or Simpsons fan) MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

Thankfully we didn't really start buying any clothes before we came down under, else we'd be in even more trouble.

I also got some photos from my cousin today in my email. Her baby's first Christmas was yesterday and the photo of the mound of baby toys and gear was really quite overwhelming. Makes me realise that we'll have to move into a warehouse to give this child a fighting chance... how do people cope with no space?

More stuff

It's only taken a trip across the world to be inundated with loads of baby gear.

My fellow colleagues back in London swore to me that we'd get heaps of stuff and have to buy very little. Of course, their well wishers weren't a plane ride away.

Sue and I went to a little country town to meet up with friends and now have a massive cardboard box of baby clothes, as well as some nice bespoke knitted stuff as well. I thought the initial load of stuff from her mum was going to be hard to get back home, this is just a little over the top now.

We've also got a pram we're supposed to take back.

I think we need one of those Mary Poppins suitcases that has a very deep bottom indeed.

I type in a land down under

We arrive to a wonderful family greeting on Sunday morning around 7am, and as I type this now we're still fighting the jet lag (it's 6.30am!!)

Sue, however, is having maybe an easier time of the jetlag, in that she's suffering from babylag and is quite tired a lot of the time anyway.

Sue's mid-wife asked her to try to book an appointment here to check blood pressure, etc. She made the call yesterday and the local mid-wife deemed it not important enough to book an appointment. Not sure if that's encouraging or a sign of laziness on their behalf.

Yesterday we were treated to a showing of all the stuff Sue's mum has bought for the baby. It's amazing! There's so much stuff, I don't think we need to buy anything at least for the first couple of months (or maybe years).

My only concern, from a pragmatic male-point of view, is how are we going to get the stuff home? My case is kinda half-full but I was hoping to actually get the odd X-mas pressie and Aussie purchase to put in there and Sue packs like there's no tomorrow, so I'm just a bit worried we're going to have to post it back or something rather expensive like that. Time, I guess, will tell.

Things men don't care about

Sue's friend Alice is due about 2 days after Sue. Sue is happy now, as she has someone else who can look at baby clothes with her and care about them.

Don't get me wrong, I don't "not care", but at the end of the day, it's clothing. I just don't really care about that.

I guess I'm more practical, rather than fawning over small boots or a dress that would fit a cabbage patch doll.

Sell Sell Sell

We went to an NCT sale today. For the uninitiated (which very recently included me) the NCT stands for National Childhood Trust.

Basically what I imagined the sale to be was parents selling things their little loved ones had recently outgrown. For the most part I was right, but what I didn't count on was the stalls selling new stuff and actually giving out information.

I got the low down on the car seat law (it's any child UNDER 135cm regardless of age, but there seems to be age 12 attached to the law) and Sue got an Indian head massage from a woman who apparently massages babies, after their hard day... at the office? pooping?

Paul came with us and stocked up on secret santa stuff for a pregnant woman at work.

All in all, a nice eye opener, and a good place for us to not only stock up on baby gear but to also offload it once we're done.

For the £1 admission fee, we also got an "I support breastfeeding" wrist band, which they were flogging for £1 in the main area of the fair. Not bad!

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Now playing: Cyndi Lauper - She Bop [12" Version]
via FoxyTunes

Beer Festival

Went to the 30th Great British Beer Festival today and they had the best t-shirt combo. There was an adult t-shirt that said "pint" and a baby t-shirt that said "half pint". If any of the stalls took cards, I think I would have been tempted.

When we left the festival, we (Paul, Paul and I) met up with Sue, Michelle, Ruby and Shelley who were hanging out in Green Park sunning themselves and changing and feeding Stella, Shelley's baby.

The cat came out of the bag when Shelley congratulated me and Paul asked me if I had something to tell him.

So, he's the first friend to know (of mine, anyway).