Sleeping Babies and Dirty Shirts

Good news as she made a recovery from the immunisation jabs, and is a happy girl once again, and did a new record sleeping session of about six hours last night. In fact, I think she might have made it even longer, but my wife couldn't stand the suspense of waiting for our daughter to cry and woke her up about 4am. I said to her, "waking a sleeping baby, that's not very nice", the reply was mumbled, but along the lines of the boot being on the other foot for a change. Mother seems to have got very cocky now she's out of the dogbox - how quickly they both forget!

It was a real treat to feed my daughter her second ever bottle tonight. Like the first time, there was some confusion about how Dad suddenly had this new ability, but like the first time as well, she was able to put aside these thoughts and concentrate on the milk. It's an amazing feeling to feed her. I used to have pet lambs and calves when growing up back in New Zealand, and it was cool to feed them, but this is a completely new level. Just looking down into her eyes as she's sucking on the bottle makes my heart melt. I can't believe I am truly supposed to be looking after this girl, and when she looks up and smiles or coos it's the best reward I could ever have.

A few days ago I was thinking about how I'm becoming a slummy Dad and every now and then something happens to make me realise how much so. I've been walking around all night with baby vomit on my shirt and didn't even notice until my wife pointed it out. I just don't mind the mess any more, it's part of my daughter and I'm used to it, worst of all I'm expecting it - there's something wrong if she doesn't throw up after feeding. Oh, and before feeding, during feeding, in between feeding . . .

Changing nappies, on the other hand, has never been a problem for me, but I've always hated having sick on my shirt. I'm sure there's something very Freudian about that, but like a cigar can sometimes be just a cigar, a daughter's mess can sometimes jut be a mess, no matter which end it comes out!