Life's little pleasures

So summer has decided to grace us here in Scotland. Admittedly it's not blazing sunshine but short sleeve and a light cardigan gets one by most of the time. So I have been getting out and about with my son to enjoy it. I can tell he is growing up now as before when we used to go out it meant sleep time to him but now I can actually push him about and he's awake. It also means unfortunately that I can't guarantee he will take his nap now by just going out for an hour or two. 

We go to the park equipped to get out of the pram and onto the grass. We have a lovely blanket gifted to us by my sister. It's actually a zoobie called lily the ladybug and I never new she would be so useful! I also go with a handful of toys which turn out to be not so useful. You see all I need to do is find some shade underneath a tree and hope for the wind to blow and then well I can just leave my son to it. His face takes on the best expression of anticipation, he says 'hah', then the legs go and he is happy as a pig in mud.

My son reminded me of one of life's little pleasures.......watching the leaves on the trees blow in the wind.

O slavery days

So yes I have done it.....I have finally finished a book after my son arrived in February. There always seemed something else to do until now. What a great restart as well with The Long Song by Andrea Levy.

I love reading books based on my Island (yes anyone that comes from Jamaica tends to have a feeling of ownership of the island) and it's history and culture. So from the start I was biased and new that it had to be really bad for me not to enjoy it. Honestly though I think it is a fair judgement to write that it is a worthy read. 

Don't let the subject topic of slavery put you off because though it does not hide the hardship and ugliness of slavery it's actually also a humorous read. It's a perspective you forget, that people were finding a way to live their lives in slavery for what Andrea Levy reminded me was 300 years. I loved pretty much all the characters and Andrea Levy is so good at portraying them that by the end of the book I had a visual picture of them which I really enjoy. I was a bit distracted at times when the story was broken as the story teller brings us back to real time but it made the story more personal so in a way I think I understood why it was done.

 Guardian review

The Friday song choice

After a bit of sunshine today and being out and about with my son I thought it only good to share some good old Jamaican ska. My uncle posted this on facebook today and I thought it would be good to share as well.........

In hindsight

I guess everyone knows that when babies are born they don't come with an instruction manual. I really need to have a word with God about that one. Some would argue I guess that every woman has the natural capacity to be a mum and once you have a baby you develop this mother's instinct and know what to do when. HA! Everyday I think that my motherly instinct is kicking in my son decides to change things up and I have to start the learning process of what I should be doing all over again. Yes, motherhood is definitely a continuous learning process so I guess even if babies came with an instruction manual it would need continuous updating.  Of course with every learning experience you are bound to get something wrong. In hindsight you start thinking "Gosh I could have done that differently!" The problem with hindsight though is that as much as you can reflect on the past you can't very well go back and change it. No! I am in no rush to have a second either so that I can maybe get it better the second time.

As my son grows I can't help but think how fast it is all going and only 19 weeks ago he fit into the palms of my hands. As a new mum you read all the books because you want to make sure that you get it all right. You worry about silly things like spoiling your baby because you carry and console him all the time because you know even though he is happily sleeping in your arms as soon as you put him down he will start crying again. You worry about when to start a routine, when do they self-settle, when do they sleep through the night. Is he putting on enough weight, is he doing things at the right time.
 

Now at 19 weeks I look back and want to tell myself to relax. Hold your son close to you and breathe in the baby smells (except the baby poo maybe) as you take it one day at a time. Hindsight can sometimes be a cruel thing as I think of things I might have missed. He's my son and my first so I guess it was bound to happen. Now I go forward taking it one day at time so I guess even though I can't change the past I can hopefully learn from it.

The Friday song choice

Friday evening.......sun is shining...........relaxing and drinking a beer........