Leaning in
TJ is very close to the point when he can hold onto an object (rather than an attentive person) in order to stand. In the meantime, he can stand solo if he’s leaning on something with his chest. (It looks like I’m holding him up, but I’m just looming.)
This is what a boat person looks like
My little sister has just been arrested for taking part in a peaceful sit-in at Zed Seselja’s office here in Canberra. She and several others stayed in his office, refusing to leave until they were given an answer to one question: “When will the 789 children and their families be released from immigration detention?”
Here in Australia, both sides of the government have been mistreating and demonising asylum seekers for decades, keeping them in camps indefinitely and without trial (often in other countries in a transparent effort to avoid legal responsibility – even when those countries have appalling human rights records), and breaking international human rights law in the process.
Australians are fundamentally decent, so the government also blocks the media from reporting on what is actually happening (especially anything individualising, such as names and photos). I supported today’s protest via social media, and used images of my own children to stand in for those who are deliberately hidden from our sight.
I thought about explaining the situation to Louisette and videoing her response – but I realised that just TALKING to her about kids in immigration detention would be harmful to her. There are mothers in detention right now who were desperate enough to leave everything they knew in order to protect their children. Now they have to answer questions like these:
Mummy, are we safe now?
Mummy, is this Australia?
Mummy, when can we get out?
Mummy, they won’t send us back. . . will they? Mummy?
Waiting to be impressed
Took TJ for a walk to weigh him (he’s 6.1 kilos, so average – gaining weight very slowly, but still gaining it). I still find walking really difficult (although swimming is fine – and it’s swimming that actually causes weight loss, so go figure) so this was a big effort. TJ wasn’t feeling it. Ah well. I’ve done my exercise for today.
Sleep toy
The sheep TJ has been squashing into his face to help him settle is a gorgeous thing that I bought specifically for that purpose. . . BUT it has beans in it, which means it’s not super washable. A sleep toy needs to be:
Oh so washable
Oh so replaceable (unlike Louisette’s precious panda, which is no longer being made by that company)
Not too big (it’ll need to go in the nappy bag)
Easy for tiny hands to hold
Not so ugly mum hates its guts
I happened to have bought a “Shaun the Sheep” toy online that WAS washable (as well as everything else) for TJ for Christmas, so I made a strategic decision to see if I could shift TJ’s loyalty before it solidified. It seems to have worked (the towel seems more important, but a toy is useful for a pavlovian sleep response, given that the towels are constantly present). This was their initial meeting:
Still Exciting
TJ’s self-settling really does look like it’s a thing (although I need to replace his dummy about six times, that seems to be all he needs) – in fact he seems to sleep longer that way – but staying asleep remains an issue. So here he is on my lap for part two of the current nap. But at least he’s asleep. Hence the title.
High
Putting TJ in the high chair last night was a fail. Today was a rousing success. He lasted the entire meal happily, which meant both CJ and I could actually cut up our own meat with both hands. What thrills.
Poor tiny man in a giant chair.
Tiger?? Where?!?
Today was interesting (=not sarcasm=). I put this sheep in TJ’s cot a while ago because it’s small enough to be fairly safe, and is gently-coloured enough not to be too stimulating, and I felt it might comfort him to hold on to it with the hand I’m not holding as I settle him. So I was interested when he turned straight to it when I put him in the cot today, letting go of me. I took these photos. See if you can spot the moment he noticed I was photographing him.
TJ’s favourite toy is/are his towels (we call them “TJ Towels” rather than “Spew cloths”). People make cloths specially for babies – we have several. He doesn’t like them. He likes the towels.
I noticed he was putting the sheep across his eyes, so I cut one of his towels in half (to minimise suffocation risks) and gave it to him. Then I left. I came back when he cried and replaced his dummy, then left again – and he went to sleep. Later in the day, drunk on hope, I gave him the sheep and mini-towel again, and left. He fell asleep for an hour!
To put this in a little bit of perspective – with Louisette, we gradually weaned her off us to the point that we could sit in a chair and read a book while she settled to sleep. But at one year of age, that would take up to an hour and a half! At that point we did controlled crying, and after a week putting her to bed was virtually instant. It was the right strategy at the right time (and it’s all changed since, especially lately – she’s into the classic “Needs 48 stories and complicated bedding arrangements before she’ll consider lying down briefly” phase).
In other news – dress-ups. I bought the ears for Louisette today, delighted to have found some. TJ wearing them so well was a bonus.
Felicity Banks 