New beginnings

She's just gone down for a nap... little angel.

My little girl is 7 months old. She's my first daughter and I'm still in awe of anyone who has more than one child on purpose. You know when you're pregnant and other people who have had kids are looking at you half with sympathy and half with relief that its not them. They make jokes about how the kids are much easier 'on the inside', just when you're feeling like a bloated orca who can't eat more than three mouthfulls and needs to pee 51 times an hour. Oh yes, they talk about how hard its going to be and how you will need all the support you can get, even from the likes of your mother-in-law. 'Not me' you think, and that anyone who says those things must be some sort of numb-skull who can't manage a baby.

HA!!

Anyway, yes, we all discover in time that while it is second to none in terms of memorable, life-changing experiences that you don't want to miss a second of, it is also the most heart-wrenchingly difficult phase in your life. And if you can make sense of the world around you through the fog of sleep deprivation and the constant ringing in your ears (is it the baby, the washing machine or me?) you realise that no matter how much help is offered, you are, essentially, chained to a whiney, poopey, tiny human being who is utterly helpless and has no idea what time it is.

But, thankfully, we fall head over heels in love with this tiny helpless human being, and realise what a truly amazing feat we have accomplished in creating its very existence.

And thats when the fun starts...