Attack of the tickle monster

Just located, some very rare footage of the little known but much reviled 'tickle monster'. As you can see the footage is a little shaky, no doubt the camera(wo)man got a little concerned for their safety during the attack.

A well travelled bébé

Having conquered Paris the next big travelling adventure was a mere 9 hour transatlantic flight to Florida... hmm.

True to form this well travelled bébé handled the experience with ease, admittedly he didn't exactly 'sleep the whole flight' over there, in fact he probably slept for about 45 minutes out of the 9 hour journey but he also didn't cry, just kind of chilled out looking around and snacking. In fact at the end of the flight various people sitting nearby actually came over to say what a perfect, well behaved baby he was.

The video below was filmed in the car on the way back from the Airport in Florida. I can't tell if Alex is ecstatic or just delirious from lack of sleep but funny none the less.



He was even better on the flight home, starting out by charming the stewardesses and neighbouring passengers with big smiles before falling asleep just before takeoff and not waking up until we landed! I almost feel like going on more flights because he seems to like them so much...

Paris me fait sourire

International travel with a 3 month old... part one. A long weekend in Paris. How's this going to go then? A 2 1/2 hour train trip followed by a long wait for a taxi at Gard du Nord in close to 30 degree heat and then navigating the narrow streets winding of Paris looking for somewhere to eat, feed or change... only to do it all again in reverse two days later.

Destined for disaster non?

Well... non! It seems our Alex is a natural jet setter, he barely made a peep on the Eurostar both ways, smiled and giggled all through the taxi lines and generally won admirers everywhere he went.

Lots of photos taken and mini adventures had so will have a few Parisian blog entries in the next few days but for now, here is a video which sums up Alex's mood in the city of lurve!

Happiest time of the day

The little man is almost 7 weeks and the smiles are coming much more frequently - even the odd giggle and no more wind confusion. But when do you think he's at his happiest?

Alas, it's not sitting on his mother's lap, nor bathtime with dad or even cuddles with Nanna B. Our bubby might not greet every morning with a smile and a twinkle in his eye but there is one thing that is sure to light up his 48 day old life - and that is kicking around without his nappy on!



Pop him on the change table, whip off that nappy and Alex is guaranteed to give you a big smile accompanied by a some ecstatic leg kicking and a variety of weird and wonderful noises. Of course there are a few hazards in this activity, namely dodging the occasional pee fountain and catching a projectile poop but it's all worth it to see that smile on his face.

The baby doctor said her two boys were exactly the same and at 4 and 6 years they still love running around naked. So the preference for nakedness may get him into trouble in the future but for now it's just cute.

p.s. the video above is waist up to preserve the little man's privacy... and protect the camera from an unexpected projectile!

Mobile magic

Our current favourite baby related acquisition, which has paid for itself over and over again, is this humble mobile.

It seems, at first glance, like a kind of overpriced tacky plastic thing that you regret purchasing as soon as you remove it from its amazon packaging... but it's SO much more.

The so called 'infant stimulation mobile' was recommend to me by a recently babied work colleague and has had young Alex transfixed on the change table for several minutes ever since he was about 2 weeks old. And it seems calm quiet minutes are valuable things when it comes to babies, particularly when you're attempting to get a vest over their surprisingly large heads, or wondering at their frighteningly full nappies, or dodging a fountain of pee because you forgot to check which way 'it' was pointing... but that's another story.