Strength...

Being a mother is magnificently empowering. Not only did the birth make me feel invincible — for, surely only someone with super-human strength could get through the hell of labour in one piece, and be able to smile once it was over? — but caring for my baby instills in me a strength I don't think I had before. My family is in turmoil, things seem to go from bad to worse — I could go into detail, but that's not what this blog is about — and it is often up to me to pick up the pieces. I guess I don't have a choice — Otis deserves to be mothered with smiles and songs and cuddles, not sadness and anguish. So I go on, smiling and singing with joy in my voice, if not always in my heart.

Oh, and then there's the thesis...

Just a quick Oti update. He is on Day 5 of solids — Farex and breastmilk, with a little bit of Heinz Fruity Pear (wow, how incredibly descriptive those folk at Heinz are?!) thrown in for taste and variety. He hasn't pooed since his first taste! He cried in pain, waking about 5 times last night... Will lay off it today and hope those bowels get moving. Watching the poor little creature straining, grunting and red in the face is just so sad.

The first two nights of solids, he slept really, really well, waking only once or twice! I was stunned and expected it to continue... I keep forgetting my mantra — expect the unexpected.