onicox's blog

Here we go again, one month spent in the speed of light.
The last news that we gave where just after Arthur's second birthday party. So many things happened since, that's why we were so quiet on the blog front!
From the 8th of April, we hosted Rosa (Marc's mum), Le nonne (Marc's grand-father) and Luc (Kathia's son, Marc's sister) for 11 days, but not long ago after there arrival (the 9th!), Dutschke family arrived for a week!
So to summarize, we were 6 adults and 3 children in the house for a week.
Melanie and David rented a car, so they spent the week traveling around the English countryside with or without us. Our evening were spent by play cards game or « Let's buy Hollywood », to eat some chocolate and to laugh around a cup of herbal tea.
The children liked each other more or less. Arthur was getting on Luc's nerve, scared Samuel in the bath, but he has being really friendly and let them play with his toys most of the time.
When all these people left, my sister Nathalie arrived on her own for 3 days. It was great, we discovered back each other. We see each other twice in the year and all the time with all the rest of the family, so in a difficult situation to talk about everyday things. She introduced to us a English girl who spent three months in her house, Sophie. It's the proof that the world is small, Sophie and her family leave half an hour away from us. We spent a lovely evening at her parents' house.

Adding to all the visits, we celebrated some birthday. Yes, all Arthur's friends turn 2, now. The 12th of April, a week ahead, we went to Elliot's party, the next day to Ben's (but we don't have any picture as we just poped in) and finally, last week end, Luke's party.

We also enjoyed the warm weather which chase the snow:
- we went to have a walk at Millet Farm with a colleague of mine, James and his family.
- We went to the park to play with bubbles.

In all the cheerful events, however we had a bad news. Fiona, the childminder, decided to quit to work in a nursery. It was a chock, but we found a couple which are both childminders. They are Fiona's friends, so Arthur knows them well, there names are Natalie and Robbie. His first week with them just passed and apart from a lake of sleep, he is really happy with them, he doesn't want to go home in the evening. He loves Robbie.

Now, in the everyday life news.
Arthur speaks more and more Italian, he repeats everything we say, does everything we do and we have to be really careful to not set the wrong example.
He is in his opposition phase and it's not easy every day.
He had his first dentist appointment to get use to him and of course didn't want to open his mouth i front of him, but it was his first contact. He started a homeopathic treatment for his asthma and he doesn't cough for a month now. He also stopped to drink cow milk and drinks goat milk instead which seems to make it work too.
He talks a lot about wee-wee and poo, but he is not interested by potty training at all.

Marc went to Malta for 4 days, but he will tell the story himself. He came back tanned.
He still has a lot of work.
He also started a homeopathic treatment for his sinus and he is blowing his nose less and less.

About me, I am on maternity leave at the end of next week. We will have a scan next Friday to see if the placenta is not in front of the exit anymore and will allow me to have a natural birth. Baby is moving still a lot.
I am suffering of swollen ankles and feet because of the pregnancy and the heat, but I can have a foot massage almost every evening so I am not complaining

Here we go, I tried to go to the essential. Soon, for sure, I will have more time to write more.

Motor skills: he walks; he runs and climbs on everything he can find on his way! He gets a lot of bruise, but he cries only when it is really painful or when he is very tired, therefore practically never!
He can go in the bath on his own, climb the stairs without help and the slide’s ladder too.
For a week now, he can go down his high chair on his own.
He loves to jump on the trampoline at Fiona’s and goes on the slide in the park.
He dances on Gwen Stefani, Nelly Fertado and Manu Chao (in reality he turns on himself until he loses his balance!), he tries to clicking his fingers, but doesn’t manage yet.

Language skills: he says only “Papa”, “Maman”, “No”, “Bye bye”, “nono” (for his favourite soft toy), “Nana” (for Fiona and/or Sabrina), he said only once “itelle” after Marc told him “Christelle”, “Memo” (for Nemo the fish which are his sleepers), “My” (for “mine”).
A week ago, he said for the first time “loo” (for "look) and “hello” Even if he doesn’t speak much, he understands everything and in all the languages. If we ask, he can throw something in the bin, to get his shoes to go for a walk, give back his brush tooth when he finished brushing his teeth (instead of leaving it on the floor!!)… It is amazing to see that he understands everything, even if he doesn’t say anything, but it will happen soon enough.
But on the other hand, in sound effects aspect, he is rather good, he does the dog, the cat, duck, chicks, the cow, the elephant, the pig, fish and rabbit (ok, the last two don’t make any noise, but he does the faces which go with them). He doesn’t do the noise of the pig and chicks at the good time, but at least he is able to do them.

Manual skills: at Fiona’s, he cooked: he made a cheese pie and blackberries jam pie which we had the pleasure to eat in the same evening. He learn how to glue some died leaves on a piece of paper, did some painting and he liked it!

Social skills: he doesn’t have any problem. He has two small girlfriends at Fiona’s with which he loves to give kisses. He knows how to pretend to laugh or cry to make you laugh. He likes to do a lot of cuddles, but only when He wants! He loves going to Toddler group with Fiona. Apparently, he likes to look at a child playing with a toy and when the child finished, he takes it to play and tries to make the same thing.
He loves to run after the girls, but also likes to be run after, with the result that one doesn’t know very well who runs after who.

Learning skills: he manages to put objects of various forms in the adapted holes, but only if we indicates the hole to him (except the circle). At Fiona’s, he likes to play pretending food, empty the boxes of toys and leave a trail of them behind him. He throws the ball very well. He loves to play with cars, train, and tractor… like a proper boy.

Food wise: He eats everything in big quantity. We didn’t find one thing yet that he refuses and which is for his age (we haven’t make him taste tripe yet!!)
He loves cherry tomatoes like he mum and it is a fight now to be able to eat some before he finishes them all

Sleep wise: he sleeps 10-12h per night without waking up or then he goes back to sleep on his own (except if it is a nightmare, but they are rare). For the nap, it is rather particular. With Fiona, he sleeps 1h30-2h the afternoon, with his father, he sleeps 2h the morning and 2h the afternoon and with me, he sleeps 1h or not at all the morning and 3h the afternoon!!

Health: he hasn’t been sick much. He has essentially some cold and since he is born, he had one bronchiolitis and one gastroenteritis. He was diagnosed with asthma in June. We gave him a basic treatment and since the end of August, we stopped the drugs. He doesn’t seem to cough at night or when he runs any more, except when he is sick. When he has a cold and that he can breathe properly, we make him inhale a drug with a mask (which is not easy!)
He has 8 incisive, 4 premolars and 3 canines (the fourth is coming soon). He does all his teeth per package of 4 (except the first two incisive and the 3 canines!), and each time he has a really bad nappy rash (someone will have to explain to me the connection). But except with his nappy rashes, he is adorable when he is teething.

Here we go, I think I said everything about our little man. He is a baby (can I still call him a baby?) adorable with his own character. He knows what he wants and it is better to also know what he wants if not it is not easy!

Our Easter week end passed relatively well, but it was a week end like another.
Friday, Marc didn't work (that it is not usual). After Arthur's nap, we went to the park. Arthur played well as usual. He loves the swing, but he has an attraction for the swivel (not his parents!!) Marc and Arthur played on the grass, it was beautiful to see.
Something odd happened that day. As there was a large sun (yes it can happen in England!), I put my sunglasses. While going to the park, I walked beside Arthur who looked at me intensely. Then we played as I mentioned above. At the end of the day, the sun setting down, I removed my glasses. And there, the expression of Arthur's face said: “but I know that one! “
Because we had to go back home, I took Arthur in my arms. He started to yell as if I were kidnapping him. He wanted to go in Marc's arms! He had a crisis at least 10 minutes! I ignored him, Marc gave him his bath and after that, I was his mum again.
I don't know what happen in his small head, but the sunglasses don't do it to him
Sabrina, Marc's sister, arrived from Paris that evening.
Saturday, Arthur was not well at all. He coughed, his nose ran a lot, he cried most of the day and especially when Sabrina approached him too close. To say how much he was not well, he cried at the park whereas usually when he sees the swings he is very happy!
We decided to stay at home for the rest of the week end, so he could get better.
We spent our last two days to discuss between girls, to play with Arthur and especially Sabrina try to be friend with him. It worked: he launched himself out in her arms to kiss her (videos to come).
Sabrina also decided to cut his hair in front of his eyes, because it was really too long. They were two to do it, he cried, they gave up and now Arthur has a pretty asymmetrical fringe, but apparently it is the fashion and after all it will grow back!
Before: After:
Another innovation of the week end, when I called Marc in the house, Arthur followed me while shouting “MA, MA, MA”, I am not sure he knows he is supposed to say Papa instead!
Sabrina left Tuesday evening, we came back in our routine. Apparently at Fiona's, that day, Arthur said Maman when waking up from his nap and he said “bye, bye” waving at Fiona when leaving! I wasn't there, shame!
Today, we went to the twins Ethan and Emily's birthday, but Ethan had a nap so we didn't see him. Arthur had fun in their garden and he was very buddy with their dad. At one point, their dad (Andy) went inside the house and Arthur said: “Bye, bye, Papa”. I don't think he understood the meaning of Papa yet.
On the way home, he shouted all the time: “Bye, bye” waving to all those which passed by!
When we came back, I tidied our cloth and when I finished, I found Arthur in the basket. Marc succeeds to take only the moment when he went out of it all alone without falling!

Health wise, after a few nights washing his nose, ventoline masks , paracetamol, humidifier, he is much better. Fortunately he had an injection today!
Here we go for Easter post, the next one will come in a while, my brother is here with his family for one week.
In no related matter, we tested the tunic which I brought to Arthur from Egypt, he is adorable with it!

We will soon finish the Arthur's bedroom (it would be time), but here is a preview of the photographs from the decoration.

Arthur is really sick since yesterday. He has fever, he is coughing a lot, he is wizeling and the doctor said he has a bronchiolitis.
It's painfull to see this little human being. He is spending his time to sleep and when he is awake, he is weanging and can't do anything except to be in our arms
He doesn't eat and from time to time when he takes his medecin, he throws up. Oh yes because at the same time, he has an infection on his penis, so he is taking some antibiotics at the same time.
We are tired and depressed for him. It's hard to see our son suffering and not being able to help him.
I hope he will get better soon, because we are missing his smile.

Today was my first day at work after almost 8 months of maternity leave and that wasn't as bad as I was thinking.

I spent most of my days catching up with my colleagues, read some papers to go back in the spirit and visit the labs which changed a lot when I was away. That was a day quite quiet, but that's what I needed to start with.

On Arthur side, it seemed that he had a good day with the childminder. He came back with a cold worst than yesterday and really tired. He went to bed at 6pm and woke up 3 hours later to have his bottle that he missed, but felt asleep on it. Poor little thing. Fortunately there is only tomorrow left and Friday I am in week end, so we can have a quiet day at home (except that he is having an injection, but don't say anything to him!!!!)

On Marc's side, I think he was happy to have his office back in a quiet atmosphere to work, and that's why he bought himself a new computer!!

In summary, a day not too stressfull, but we'll see how it will go from now.

Last little note: today Arthur is 7 months old!!!